Chapter 152: Just a Newly Ascended Foundation Establishment Cultivator

Within the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, Foundation Establishment elders and Qi Refinement disciples represented two distinct social tiers. The Foundation Establishment elders constituted the privileged group, controlling the majority of the sect’s resources. Most tasks undertaken by ordinary disciples primarily served these elders. The meager merit points earned by Qi Refinement disciples through relentless efforts were barely sufficient for their basic cultivation needs. For those with insufficient aptitude or lacking alternative means of income, achieving Foundation Establishment was virtually impossible throughout their lifetime.

This was the primary reason behind the immortal sects’ broad recruitment of disciples—they sought not individuals but resources.

Much like Chen Luo now, upon ascending to Foundation Establishment, he instantly became part of the elite class. Even without merit points, he could access the main peak’s library freely.

“Ah, it’s Elder Qu from Divine Fire Peak,” said Chen Luo, casting his divine sense briefly and immediately sensing the other’s cultivation realm—Initial Foundation Establishment.

Similar to Xianhe Chengfeng, Chen Luo noticed that most elders in the Divine Lake Immortal Sect were only at Initial Foundation Establishment. Elders with concealed strengths like Daoist Wuwei were indeed rare exceptions.

“Elder Chen, have you truly just ascended?”

Elder Qu naturally sensed Chen Luo’s blatant use of divine sense. Initially, he intended to block Chen Luo’s scrutiny, but as soon as his own divine sense unfolded, it was effortlessly pushed aside by Chen Luo’s. Their levels of divine sense were simply not comparable; Elder Qu couldn’t even hinder him momentarily.

“Indeed, I’ve only recently broken through,” Chen Luo replied with a smile, feigning innocence. “If my actions have been impertinent towards Elder Qu, please accept my apologies.”

“Moving forward, try to avoid using your divine sense to scrutinize others so openly. It is a significant taboo in the cultivation world.” Elder Qu felt compelled to remind him.

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo immediately understood.

He swiftly retrieved a spirit stone from his bag of holding and handed it to Elder Qu. “As a newly ascended junior, there are many things I am yet unaware of. I deeply appreciate Elder Qu’s guidance, and this spirit stone serves as a token of apology.”

Chen Luo promptly apologized and offered a gift.

Elder Qu glanced at the solitary spirit stone in Chen Luo’s hand, along with his sincere expression, and suddenly found himself speechless.

Is one spirit stone meant to appease beggars?

“The divine abilities in the library are meant for ordinary disciples. The true core divine abilities are held by elders like us. For our level, genuinely valuable divine abilities require spirit stones to acquire. I presume Daoist Wuwei mentioned this to you?” Elder Qu shifted the conversation.

Seeing this, Chen Luo promptly withdrew the spirit stone from his hand.

Saved some expense!

“Being new to the cultivation world, there’s much I don’t understand. I’ve only haphazardly learned one divine ability so far. By any chance, does Elder Qu have divine abilities suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators?” In just a few words, Chen Luo steered the topic towards potential benefits, adopting a humble demeanor of seeking guidance.

Elder Qu, however, didn’t engage further on the subject and instead led Chen Luo out with a smile.

“Speaking of which, Fellow Daoist Chen, it seems you haven’t visited my Divine Fire Peak yet, right? You must come over today; we have a unique Petalite Flower here that makes an exquisite tea.” Elder Qu proposed warmly.

“I’d be honored to join you, Elder Qu.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo set aside the book he was holding.

He had already perused most of the library’s contents, and it was time to leave.

The two exited the library, chatting amicably. With a surge of magical power beneath their feet, they transformed into streaks of light soaring towards Divine Fire Peak.

In no time, they reached the summit of Divine Fire Peak.

The arrival of two Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately drew attention from everyone nearby. The disciples on the peak swiftly made way, clearing a path for the esteemed guests.

Unlike the sparsely populated Wu Dao Peak, Divine Fire Peak was bustling with activity. Not only were there more people, but the atmosphere was also vibrant and energetic. As soon as they landed, Chen Luo heard the sounds of forging, accompanied by waves of flames and heat emanating around them.

Amidst the crowd, a young man and woman, engaged in crafting artifacts, noticed the young disciple walking alongside their peak lord, Elder Qu, and their expressions froze in disbelief.

“That’s…the same person we met at Xinyue Inn’s courtyard that day,” whispered the Sha Family disciples who had previously encountered Du De’s fervent attempts to curry favor.

Having witnessed the reprimand given to Xie Shuang, Du De, and themselves as “country bumpkins” back then, these two paid closer attention to him. They never expected that upon meeting again today, his status would have undergone such a dramatic transformation—now standing equal to their own peak lord.

“He achieved Foundation Establishment? But it’s been just days!” The Sha disciple’s face displayed utter astonishment, unable to hide his envious gaze.

Foundation Establishment! It was the realm he dreamt about incessantly.

“Junior Brother Chen?”

Contrasting their reactions was Eldest Apprentice Brother Du De, who stood beside them. This time, he clearly recognized the newcomer’s face and confirmed it was indeed Chen Luo, whom they had encountered together at the Yue Tomb.

Despite starting cultivation around the same period, why such a vast disparity?

Du De himself had narrowly escaped death multiple times before barely breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement. Yet, with similar years of practice, Chen Luo had already become a Foundation Establishment Elder.

‘Aptitude?’

‘No, Apprentice Brother Sha also has three spiritual roots. If aptitude alone were the reason, he would have reached Foundation Establishment too. Therefore, I cannot attribute Junior Brother Chen’s success solely to his aptitude. He must have faced numerous hardships like me! With better innate abilities and more diligent effort than myself, it’s natural that he surpassed me.’

Du De quickly composed himself, feeling genuinely happy for Chen Luo, dismissing any previous unease. After all, coming from the same humble beginnings, if Chen Luo could achieve Foundation Establishment, it meant others from their group could as well. The “rustics” emerging from the Great Mausoleum proved themselves no less capable than anyone else.

“Elder Chen’s breakthrough to Foundation Establishment is known to the sect leader,” explained Elder Qu upon reaching the mountain’s rear. “However, our esteemed sect leader is currently at a critical juncture in his own breakthrough and couldn’t be present personally. Hence, he entrusted me with this task.”

Upon reaching the rear mountains, Elder Qu explained his purpose.

“Elder Chen’s achievements thus far have been greatly aided by the support of the immortal sect. With the recent war behind us, it is now a time for rebuilding and growth. As Foundation Establishment cultivators, we must contribute to the sect’s progress. If Elder Chen accepts the position…”

As Daoist Wuwei had surmised, Elder Qu indeed came to invite Chen Luo to join the immortal sect. He elaborated at length on the benefits of becoming an elder and, on behalf of the sect, promised to assign Tianming Peak to him. All Chen Luo needed to do was agree, and he would become the peak lord of the tenth summit, Tianming Peak.

The advantages were enticing, nearly swaying Chen Luo’s resolve.

Fortunately, just in the nick of time, he managed to resist.

“I’ve only recently broken through and require some time to stabilize my cultivation base. Once my realm is secure, I’ll be open to discussing this matter further.”

Chen Luo interrupted Elder Qu’s continuous promises, speaking with sincerity.

While the old man sounded convincing, his words heavily favored one side, mixed with a touch of falsehoods. For instance, he portrayed the sect leader as close to achieving a breakthrough, creating an illusion of rapid advancement.

Had Elder Qu known about Daoist Wuwei’s relationship with Chen Luo, he might have approached the situation differently.

“You’re right,” Elder Qu acknowledged, finding it inappropriate to persist with the topic.

Indeed, Chen Luo had just ascended not long ago, and if someone expressed the need to stabilize their realm, it wouldn’t be ethical to force them otherwise.

Upon returning to Wu Dao Peak, Chen Luo once again visited the cemetery at its rear.

His visits here would undoubtedly become less frequent over time. Earlier, Elder Qu had suggested that he move to Tianming Peak, where elders could freely use cultivation rooms.

Considering this was only a temporary benefit, Chen Luo chose to decline.

Accepting such favors would make it harder for him to leave later. Moreover, with the current state of the sect leader, any other time, given Divine Lake Immortal Sect’s practices, they would have insisted on keeping him.

Knock, knock, knock.

Just as Chen Luo sat down, a series of knocks echoed from outside.

“Uncle-Master, Uncle-Master, help! Save her!”

Scanning with his divine sense, Chen Luo frowned, and in a flash, appeared by the door.

Ding Xiaoxia, who was frantically pounding, froze momentarily. Upon looking up, she saw Chen Luo already attending to Huang Ying, who lay unconscious and severely injured. Apart from physical wounds, her divine soul had also been damaged, likely due to using a blood escape-type divine ability. Only someone like Chen Luo, having reached Foundation Establishment, could possibly save her; others might not have succeeded.

“What happened?”

After administering a medicinal pill, Chen Luo used his divine sense to stabilize Huang Ying’s condition. To Chen Luo, Shimei Huang Ying was one of his few close friends within the sect. During the initial period after joining, her assistance played a crucial role in rapidly advancing his cultivation base.

“I-I don’t know exactly,” Ding Xiaoxia stammered. “Earlier, I brought Elder Sister Huang to see our master, but he didn’t open the door. Later, when she regained consciousness, she asked me to find you, uncle-master.”

By now, everyone on Wu Dao Peak knew that Chen Luo had reached Foundation Establishment. No one dared to approach the rear of the mountain ordinarily. If not for needing help to save the elder sister on his back, Ding Xiaoxia wouldn’t have ventured here.

“I understand.”

Chen Luo carried Huang Ying inside, and by this time, the medicinal effects from the pill had already dissipated within her body.

As Huang Ying groggily opened her eyes, she initially startled. Upon recognizing Chen Luo’s face, she quickly grabbed his sleeve.

“Senior Brother, please save Elder Sister Shen!”

“No rush, take your time.”

Chen Luo channeled a thread of spiritual energy into her, instantly stabilizing Huang Ying’s condition.

“On our way back, Elder Sister Shen and I encountered five Plunderer Cultivators,” Huang Ying explained.

Outside the sect gates,

Five Plunderer Cultivator disciples stood together, their expressions grim.

After expending considerable effort and paying a hefty price, they had finally managed to capture Elder Sister Shen. Unfortunately, her accomplice escaped. This incident would undoubtedly escalate to the sect, making it much harder to resolve.

“We only managed to snatch two hundred spirit stones, not even enough for the bribes!”

“Let’s pool them together and get through this hurdle first.”

After a prolonged silence, the leader of the Plunderer Cultivators proposed a plan.

“I became a Plunderer Cultivator precisely because I’m poor, and now we’re losing out instead of gaining anything,” grumbled one, visibly unhappy upon hearing about needing more spirit stones.

“You think I’m doing this willingly? If we don’t handle it properly, brace yourselves for the Disciplinary Disciples’ visit.” The leader’s face exuded a menacing aura.

Not securing any resources infuriated him more than his companions. The most troubling aspect was that their incomplete cleanup meant further complications down the line - a classic case of failing miserably despite trying to gain advantage.

“Didn’t we rob a few people earlier? Let’s gather everything they had; if we don’t contribute now, we’ll all be finished.”

The thought of future troubles weighed heavily on their minds, causing frustration to surge within each of them.

After pooling their resources, the group handed over everything to their leader. It must be noted that the gains from being Plunderer Cultivators were indeed substantial. With five individuals contributing, the total value quickly escalated. Notably, there were several types of spirit medicines that would entice even Peak Qi Refinement cultivators.

“I’ll head back to the sect first. All of you, keep a low profile for now.”

With the collected items in hand, the leader returned to the Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

Half a day later.

The Plunderer leader returned to Medicine King Peak and discovered through discreet inquiries that the situation was even more complicated than he had imagined. The female cultivator they robbed had a close friend - none other than Elder Chen, who had recently ascended to Foundation Establishment.

Upon hearing this revelation, the Plunderer leader felt as if struck by lightning. His first instinct was to flee immediately.

However, just in time, he managed to restrain himself. Running away would be a foolish choice; as five mere Qi Refinement cultivators, they couldn’t possibly outrun a Foundation Establishment immortal, no matter how hard they tried. With a single sweep of his sword flight, their pursuer could easily catch up and doom them. Hiding wouldn’t work either, given the countless tracking divine abilities at their adversary’s disposal; concealment would merely prolong their inevitable demise.

After comprehending the gravity of the situation, they pooled together additional spirit stones. Leveraging the connections of the Plunderer leader’s family, they successfully arranged a meeting with the Medicine King Peak Lord, his opportunistic master.

“You certainly know how to cause me trouble.”

The Medicine King Peak Lord sat beside a pill furnace, briefly glancing at the offerings presented before him before casually setting them aside.

“Please save me, Master.”

The Plunderer leader knelt on the ground, fervently banging his head in supplication.

Given the Medicine King Peak Lord’s advanced age and being their own mentor, after a few scoldings, he ultimately chose to overlook the matter.

“Did you kill the remaining female cultivator?”

“No,” the Plunderer leader hastily shook his head, visibly relieved for having held back at the last moment.

“Release her then; it’s easier without any fatalities. I’ll step in and help resolve this crisis. As for the future…”

“…in the future, our Situ Clan’s medicinal garden will be placed under your name.”

With gritted teeth, the Plunderer leader reluctantly offered their clan’s medicinal garden as well.

A satisfied expression crossed the Medicine King Peak Lord’s face upon hearing this. In his view, the incident wasn’t significant since no lives were lost. By simply intervening and showing some influence, it could be easily resolved. He trusted that the newly appointed Elder Chen would understand proper etiquette.

After all, just a freshly minted Foundation Establishment cultivator - what could they possibly do to challenge him?