Chapter 701 - 280: Spear Intent 2

All the world’s hustle and bustle is for personal gain. The foundation of this alliance lay in mutual threats and interests. While not unbreakable, it was a necessary move at the moment—one that would completely alter the balance of power in the southeastern region of Yan Country.

"Exactly!"

Zhu Yu said with a sigh, "I heard the expert sent by the Cloud Water Upper Sect this time is no ordinary person. They held secret talks with the Sect Leader and several Vein Masters for days before finally agreeing on the alliance."

He paused, then changed the subject to the changes within the Sect. "Since the Dubhe Pavilion opened, the imbalances in resources and status are out in the open. I’ve heard that those at Astral Force Perfection within the Sect, especially the True Successor Candidates, have all gone crazy! Meng Qianxue, Wan Shangyi, Han Xiong, Qian Baole... Every last one of them is cultivating as if possessed. They’re spending all their Contribution Points on Elixirs to break through their bottlenecks. The competition is insane!"

"Oh?"

Chen Qing wasn’t surprised. The allure of a Human Position in the Dubhe Pavilion was simply too great.

"Also..."

Zhu Yu added, "I heard that Lu Chenming, the one you defeated, Brother Chen, has received the full backing of the Nine Heavens Lineage. Even Vein Master Li Yu-jun has personally coached him several times! His goal is obvious: not only to reclaim his position as a True Disciple, but also to seize this chance to break through to the True Essence Realm and enter the Dubhe Pavilion! After all, by the rules, anyone who reaches the True Essence Realm is granted a Human Position."

Chen Qing nodded silently.

Lu Chenming’s foundation was already solid. With this motivation and support, his chances of a breakthrough had indeed increased significantly.

This made him a potential threat to Chen Qing.

The appearance of the Dubhe Pavilion had spurred on many people.

Everyone was competing fiercely, desperate to seize this opportunity.

While the monthly allowance for True Disciples remained the same, the additional resources provided by the Dubhe Pavilion were far more generous and could not be underestimated.

"Also, Senior Sister Liu Yun... It’s a shame."

Zhu Yu sighed. "She failed when she tried to force a breakthrough to the True Essence Realm. I heard she damaged her foundation, and her Cultivation even regressed. She’d been hiding it, but now that the news is out, she’s no longer a True Successor Candidate."

Hearing this, Chen Qing’s heart remained as still as tranquil water.

Although he and Liu Yun had attended a few small gatherings at the Four Seas Pavilion, their relationship was merely casual.

In his memory, she had a gentle and amiable personality.

Unfortunately, the path of cultivation is fraught with peril. In her haste for quick success, she had forced a breakthrough and ultimately damaged her foundation.

Liu Yun’s fate was a solemn warning bell, ringing in everyone’s ears.

The True Essence Realm was by no means a smooth path that could be traversed in a single leap. One had to proceed with caution, step by step, polishing one’s foundation until it was incomparably solid, just to find a sliver of a chance for a breakthrough.

Chen Qing invited Zhu Yu to stay for a meal. Perilla was quick and deft, and in no time at all, she had prepared a table full of dishes that appealed to the eyes, nose, and palate.

As Zhu Yu looked at the exquisite dishes on the table, he stole a glance at the four women—Qing Dai, Perilla, and the others—standing in attendance nearby, each with a distinct temperament. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

At his status as an Inner Sect Elite, he was certainly not lacking for beautiful women. However, women like the four before him—not only stunningly beautiful, but more remarkably, each with an impressive Cultivation and extraordinary bearing—were impossible for him to have.

Women at the Embracing Pill Force realm willingly serving as caretakers for daily life—such a privilege, across the entire Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, could only be enjoyed by those with the status of a True Disciple or higher.

He knew these women’s origins must be extraordinary, so he didn’t dare stare. He quickly lowered his head and focused on the food, repeatedly praising Perilla’s culinary skills.

After the meal, Zhu Yu stood up to take his leave.

Chen Qing escorted him to the courtyard gate and suddenly said, "Junior Brother Zhu, please wait a moment."

As he spoke, he took out an Identity Token.

"There are five hundred Contribution Points in here. Keep them for your own use."

Chen Qing handed the Jade Token to him.

Zhu Yu was stunned and quickly waved his hands in refusal. "Brother Chen, I can’t accept this! It is my duty to help you. How could I possibly take your Contribution Points on top of that?"

He was genuinely a bit unnerved. To him, passing on information was just a small errand; he really didn’t deserve such a generous reward.

Five hundred Contribution Points was a considerable sum of resources for him.

But Chen Qing insisted, "Take it. Since you’ve served me so diligently, I won’t treat you poorly. I’ll have more need of you in the future, and these Contribution Points might help you advance your Cultivation."

Seeing Chen Qing’s insistence, Zhu Yu no longer refused. He accepted the Jade Token with both hands, a mix of complex emotions washing over him. But stronger than anything else was an indescribable warmth spreading through his heart.

He took a deep breath and gave Chen Qing a deep, solemn bow. "Zhu Yu thanks you, Brother Chen!"

Then, Zhu Yu turned and left, quickly disappearing at the end of the mountain path.

Chen Qing stood before his courtyard gate, his gaze placid as he looked down the empty mountain path.

He certainly didn’t expect a mere five hundred Contribution Points to win the undying loyalty of an Inner Sect Elite like Zhu Yu, nor did he believe in the fairytale that kindness would always be repaid.

The human heart is as fickle as water. Gratitude today could be swayed by greater interests tomorrow.

What he sought was not a moment of fierce loyalty, but a more lasting and stable connection.

’A steady trickle builds a river. That is the Righteous Path,’ Chen Qing thought to himself.

.....

「Within the Nine Heavens Lineage, in Lu Chenming’s small courtyard.」

The faint winter sun filtered through the clouds, spilling onto the clean-swept bluestone ground.

A thirteen-year-old Lu Yan was focusing his mind, practicing a basic Fist Technique. Though his movements were still green, each strike and stance already showed faint signs of proper form.

Lu Chenming stood under the veranda, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on his son. A rare, almost imperceptible trace of warmth softened his stern expression.

After his defeat at Chen Qing’s hands on the Seven-Star Platform and the loss of his True Disciple seat, he had initially been consumed by frustration and resentment. But after some time to reflect, he had actually managed to let go of much of it.