The Tablet

When Wang Xiang met Yin Ya's icy gaze, his mind raced, and he understood what was happening.

His expression changed drastically. His lips moved slightly as he appealed to Zeng Yang for help.

Zeng Yang frowned faintly. He had only secured the approval of one elder, Wu Su, and was not yet the rightful senior brother of the outer sect. Unwilling to reveal himself at this point, he immediately instructed Wang Xiang through a voice-transmission technique: "I'll stop Yin Ya in a moment. You leave first and find somewhere to hide. Once I have the other two elders' approval, I'll arrange for you to return."

Wang Xiang turned and ran without hesitation.

Yin Ya did not act personally. Instead, he signaled with his eyes to two junior brothers in the crowd. They were his fellow townsmen and staunch allies.

Seeing this, Zeng Yang halted the steps he had intended to take to intercept Yin Ya and sent a voice transmission to another of his supporters, asking him to buy Wang Xiang some time.

As people left one after another, the quick-witted disciples had already recognized the surging undercurrents. They knew that after Li Yu's failure to reach Foundation Establishment, Qi Refinement Ninth Layer experts such as Zeng Yang and Yin Ya would fiercely contest the position of outer sect senior brother.

Some were considering how to wisely preserve their own safety, or whether to choose a side and gain whatever benefits might follow.

Of course, plenty of innocent, oblivious disciples were discussing what to eat that evening.

At this point, Zeng Yang walked up to Li Yu and Yin Ya.

He came from the Lanshan Zeng Clan, whose patriarch was a Golden Core cultivator. However, as a member of a collateral branch, he had received few worthwhile resources and had simply joined the Five Lotus Sect to make his own way.

Zeng Yang said, "Senior Brother Yin, I won't waste words. Give me your full support in becoming outer sect senior brother this time. Once I obtain a Foundation Establishment spirit treasure, I'll immediately step down and yield the position to you."

The outer sect disciples of the Five Lotus Sect's twenty-eight peaks were all those whose aptitude, spiritual roots, and talent had been judged relatively mediocre during selection. Thus, all their spiritual treasures and resources were leftovers from the inner sect. Every Foundation Establishment spirit treasure was fiercely contested. In recognition of the outer sect senior brother's hard work and contributions, the sect granted him priority in exchanging for one.

Yin Ya sneered in reply, "Junior Brother Zeng, Hanging Moon Peak might not receive a single Foundation Establishment spirit treasure in several years. Senior Brother Li Yu has already used the most recent one. Once you've had your turn, who knows how many more years I'll have to wait? My body might already be past its prime. You're still young. Why not let me have this opportunity? Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I'll certainly swallow my pride and beg the sect for one on your behalf."

Cultivation was the great path to immortality.

From lowest to highest, the cultivation realms were Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul Formation, and Primordial Spirit.

Once one cultivated a primordial spirit, one could live forever without aging.

Of all these stages, Foundation Establishment eliminated the greatest number of aspirants.

Even with the aid of a spirit treasure, the chance of success was less than one percent.

And the younger one was, the greater the chance of overcoming this hurdle. Thus, Yin Ya could not possibly give way.

Zeng Yang had anticipated this answer. He had only approached to buy Wang Xiang some time. In the end, his expression cooled slightly, and he left a threat: "In that case, let our skills decide."

With that, Zeng Yang turned and left, completely ignoring Li Yu beside them.

"Hmph. These aristocratic clan brats wouldn't even deserve to be trampled beneath my feet if they hadn't been born into good families." Zeng Yang's attitude had displeased Yin Ya greatly.

There were more than a dozen Qi Refinement Ninth Layer disciples in Hanging Moon Peak's outer sect, but Yin Ya was acknowledged as the strongest in combat.

His reputation was illustrious even on the Five Lotus Sect's other peaks.

After speaking, Yin Ya suddenly remembered that Li Yu beside him also came from a cultivation clan and added, "Senior Brother Li, don't misunderstand. I wasn't talking about you."

Li Yu's expression remained unchanged. "Elder Ge will emerge from seclusion in three days. Prepare some gifts, and I'll take you up the mountain to visit her."

Yin Ya's face brightened at those words. He patted his chest. "Wait for my good news."

With that, Yin Ya went off to hunt down Wang Xiang.

Li Yu remained where he stood. Seeing the fellow disciples who had sneered at him after his failed Foundation Establishment attempt become respectful again, he could not help sighing inwardly.

His cultivation had now regressed. Though he could draw on the connections he had accumulated to have Yin Ya act for him, favors would eventually run out.

If he could not find a way to recover from his injuries, sooner or later he would be dealt with just like Wang Xiang.

Hopefully, there'll be good news from the lineage.

Immediately after his failed Foundation Establishment attempt, Li Yu had sought help from his lineage. Because he did not want others to know, he had sent his clansman Li Dong.

Calculating the time, he reckoned Li Dong should be returning about now.

Just as he was thinking this, a talisman flew toward him. Li Yu swept his sleeve and caught it precisely.

Then, under his fellow disciples' complicated gazes, he departed at a leisurely pace.

A middle-aged man in golden robes and a youth were already waiting outside Li Yu's cave abode. The youth was Li Dong.

At the sight of the golden-robed man, Li Yu's heart sank, but he still put on a smile and greeted him. "Fourth Brother Hun, what brings you here in person?"

The golden-robed man was named Li Hun. He belonged to the same generation as Li Yu and was a direct descendant of the Li Yangyi main branch.

Li Yu's fourth branch had once been a powerful collateral branch, even overshadowing the main branch. In recent years, however, it had declined.

"Ninth Brother, the lineage head asked me to bring you this." Expressionless, Li Hun handed him a letter.

Beside him, Li Dong looked pained.

This made Li Yu feel even more uneasy, but he could only accept it. When he opened the letter and read it, even with his self-control, he could not keep his hands from trembling.

This was a letter personally written by Li Mou, the current head of the Li Yangyi lineage. Its meaning was clear: after his failed Foundation Establishment attempt, the lineage would no longer invest any resources in Li Yu. From now on, he would have to fend for himself. Moreover, whether in the Five Lotus Sect or anywhere in the Eastern Lands, he could no longer act in the name of the Li Yangyi lineage.

Furthermore, Li Yu had to repay the spirit stones he had borrowed from the lineage to exchange for the Foundation Establishment spirit treasure. Given his present condition, however, he would certainly be unable to repay the loan. To prevent the loss of lineage assets, the lineage would confiscate the spiritual vein at the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion, the foundation of their fourth branch.

"My parents sacrificed themselves overseas for the lineage, leaving not even their bones behind. Must the lineage truly treat my branch this way?" A fierce look flashed across Li Yu's eyes as he crumpled the letter in his hand and demanded an answer.

Fourteen years earlier, the Li Yangyi lineage had deciphered a hidden treasure map in their patriarch's notes. Li Yu's parents had led the cultivators of their collateral branch to the overseas immortal island indicated on the map, never to return. Three years later, the soul lamps they had left in the clan extinguished one after another, signifying that they had all died.

Li Hun's expression immediately turned cold at these words. "Ninth Brother, even if the patriarch left us some goodwill, by our generation, it has already been exhausted in the Five

Lotus Sect, let alone for your fourth branch. The lineage head went against everyone's objections to lend you eight thousand spirit stones. He's already treated you more than fairly. You need to learn gratitude."

As he finished speaking, Li Hun narrowed his eyes. Invisible yet vast true essence erupted like a mighty, rolling river, making the already gravely injured Li Yu shudder.

He stared at Li Hun in disbelief. "You reached Foundation Establishment?"

Back when they were children in the lineage, Li Hun's aptitude had not been outstanding. Though Li Yu was younger, his cultivation had always surpassed Li Hun's.

Now, however, Li Yu had failed at Foundation Establishment while Li Hun had succeeded. The stark contrast filled Li Yu's heart with bitterness.

"Mere Foundation Establishment was hardly difficult for me." Li Hun looked smug, then took out a Storage Bag and tossed it to Li Yu.

Li Yu caught it and looked inside. He found a zither, a chess set, books and paintings, tables, chairs, a bed and stools, brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and other miscellaneous belongings. They were all familiar to him-things he had used as a child at the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion.

Li Yu asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Li Hun replied as though it were only natural. "I've just reached Foundation Establishment and need a Spirit Vein for my future cultivation. The Heaven-Questioning Pavilion happened to be vacant, and the clan elders unanimously agreed it suited me well. I don't like the furnishings, though. Since I thought you might be attached to them, Ninth Brother, I brought them along for you."

At those words, Li Yu's composure finally shattered, and his true essence spiraled out of control.

With a spurt, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and passed out.

"Ninth Uncle!" Li Dong, who had remained silent throughout, paled in alarm and hurried over to support Li Yu.

Seeing this, Li Hun felt somewhat guilty. However, the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion's third-tier water spirit vein was ideally suited to cultivating his technique. Given such an opportunity, he would never let it slip away.

Remembering that they were relatives after all, Li Hun hesitated, then took out a hundred spirit stones and set them down. He called to Li Dong, "Let's go. You belong to our main branch, after all, even if you were born to a concubine. Now that Li Yu is crippled, the lineage will support you in making a name for yourself in the Five Lotus Sect."

Li Dong looked at Li Yu, but ultimately sighed, settled him in a chair, and left with Li Hun.

As soon as the two departed, Li Yu opened his eyes. He took a pill from his own storage pouch and swallowed it, suppressing his injuries.

After bringing his chaotic true essence under control, Li Yu clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table, saying bitterly, "I will avenge this!"

Yet once he had spoken, he slumped dejectedly in his chair.

Li Yu knew perfectly well that after his failed Foundation Establishment attempt, simply living out his remaining years in peace would be fortunate enough. How could he possibly take revenge on Li Hun?

Sighing, he took out the familiar belongings from the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion one by one, wondering whether anything was valuable enough to sell. After all, he had exhausted his lifetime's savings attempting Foundation Establishment, and recovering from his injuries would require buying quite a few pills. That was also why he had not refused the hundred spirit stones Li Hun had left him.

"Hm? This is..."

From the storage pouch, Li Yu took out a rectangular tablet slightly larger than his palm and frowned, searching his memories.