Chapter 2: Entering the Inner Sect and the Struggle for Resources
After Lin Yu entered the inner sect of the Qingxuan Sect with his Chaos Spirit Root, he immediately attracted the attention of numerous elders and fellow disciples. Some elders even came in person, wanting to take Lin Yu as their direct disciple, but Lin Yu politely declined them all. He knew very well that as a newcomer, he needed time to adapt to this world and the cultivation system; rashly entering an elder's tutelage might embroil him in unnecessary disputes.
Upon becoming an inner sect disciple, Lin Yu was assigned a separate cultivation cave dwelling, along with a fixed monthly allotment of Spirit Crystals, pills, and other cultivation resources. However, this seemingly generous treatment also stirred up jealousy among some people.
"Hmph, he just got lucky and tested positive for a Chaos Spirit Root. What's so great about that?" The speaker was Zhao Hu, an inner sect disciple. Originally one of the more talented disciples in the inner sect and constantly basking in the spotlight, Lin Yu's appearance had instantly stolen his thunder.
"Exactly. Who knows, maybe this Chaos Spirit Root is just an empty title. Once he starts cultivating, he might not even be as good as us," Zhao Hu's lackey, Wang Er, chimed in from the side.
They decided to give Lin Yu a harsh reality check, letting him know that in the inner sect of the Qingxuan Sect, having talent alone was not enough.
On this day, Lin Yu went to collect his cultivation resources for the month as usual. When he arrived at the Resource Pavilion, however, the deacon in charge of distribution informed him that this month's resources had already been given out.
"How is that possible? I came at the appointed time. Why would there be no resources for me?" Lin Yu frowned, feeling that something was fishy about the whole affair.
"Hmph, if there are none, there are none. Where do you get off running your mouth so much? If you're not satisfied, go take it up with the Sect Master," the deacon said with an impatient look.
Deep down, Lin Yu understood that someone must be pulling strings behind the scenes. Instead of bickering with the deacon, he decided to investigate the matter covertly. After making some inquiries, he learned that Zhao Hu had secretly bribed the Resource Pavilion deacon to intentionally withhold his resources.
"Good grief, Zhao Hu, how dare you go this far and bully people?" Fire raged in Lin Yu's heart, but he knew he couldn't act rashly. He decided to endure it for now and wait for the right moment to strike back.
Back at his cave dwelling, Lin Yu calmed his mind and began to cultivate. Although he lacked the auxiliary pills distributed by the Resource Pavilion, relying on his profound understanding of cultivation lore, he found some wild spirit herbs in the mountains and, through a simple alchemy method he figured out on his own, successfully brewed some low-grade pills to temporarily meet his cultivation needs.
At the same time, Lin Yu diligently practiced the Qingxuan Sect's foundational Cultivation Method, the Azure Wood Longevity Formula. The advantages of the Chaos Spirit Root gradually manifested; his cultivation speed was several times faster than that of other disciples. In just one month, he advanced the Azure Wood Longevity Formula to the third layer, whereas most other inner sect disciples remained stuck at the first or second layer.
As his cultivation realm improved, Lin Yu decided not to sit around and wait for death. Hearing that Zhao Hu was heading to the spirit mine at the Back Mountain of the Qingxuan Sect to gather Spirit Crystals today, he set up an ambush along the route in advance.
When Zhao Hu and Wang Er, humming a little tune and carrying tools for gathering Spirit Crystals, arrived at a valley, Lin Yu suddenly flashed out from behind a boulder on the side.
"Zhao Hu, today is the day you pay the price for what you've done!" Lin Yu wielded a wooden sword, his gaze locked firmly on Zhao Hu like a burning torch.
Zhao Hu was startled at first, but then sneered, "Just you? A penniless wretch with no resources, and you want to cause trouble for me?"
Despite saying this, Zhao Hu still harbored some apprehension toward Lin Yu's Chaos Spirit Root. He gave Wang Er a look, and the two simultaneously drew their swords and charged at Lin Yu.
The corners of Lin Yu's lips curved upward slightly as he calmly executed the sword techniques from the Azure Wood Longevity Formula. His figure moved like lightning, his sword moves fierce, and streaks of green light flashed across the valley. Although Zhao Hu and Wang Er possessed some degree of cultivation themselves, in front of Lin Yu, they appeared full of openings.
After a few exchanges, Zhao Hu and Wang Er were beaten into a steady retreat by Lin Yu. In the end, both found themselves pinned down, unable to move as Lin Yu pressed the tip of his sword against their throats.
"You... what do you want? If you dare to hurt us, the elders won't let you off!" Zhao Hu said, putting up a bold front despite his inner cowardice.
"Hmph, I don't want to blow things out of proportion either. As long as you stop bothering me from now on and return every single bit of the resources you withheld from me, I'll let bygones be bygones," Lin Yu said coldly.
Zhao Hu and Wang Er exchanged glances and nodded helplessly. They knew very well that if they didn't agree to Lin Yu today, getting out of here unscathed would be nearly impossible.
Putting away his sword, Lin Yu watched the two slink away in defeat. In his heart, he made a silent vow to firmly establish a foothold in this Immortality Cultivation World and never be bullied again. And this was merely the first step of his rise within the Immortality Cultivation World.