Chapter Seventy: Strike You Ten Times

"Of course," Elder Yun said in a low voice, "The Sect Master’s avatar is going this time precisely to use your presence as cover, so when you head to the Wild God Temple, you’d better make quite a commotion!"

"As for what happens afterward, even the Sect Master doesn’t expect his avatar to return alive. Do you really think he’ll have a chance to bring you back?" Elder Yun continued, "So, when you go to the Wild God Temple, you’d best have a foolproof plan. Otherwise, you truly won’t be coming back..."

Fine, Wang Changsheng understood now. No matter how they put it, they were still sending him to his death.

"This is no different from sending me to die!" Wang Changsheng said gloomily.

"No, you still have a chance. When the Sect Master’s avatar begins to exert its deterrence, that will be your opportunity to slip away!" Elder Yun said. "Whether you survive will depend on how fast you act, and how well you can hide."

Wang Changsheng’s face showed that he was deep in thought.

After pondering for a long time, Wang Changsheng still felt that there was really no feasible way out of this. The root of it all was simply that his own strength was lacking!

What’s more, in order to cover for the Sect Master’s avatar, he had to make a bigger scene upon entering the Wilds. Who knew if he might provoke some wild beast that could swallow him whole in an instant! More importantly, going together with the Sect Master’s avatar was tantamount to being forcibly escorted there. Running away would be next to impossible!

"This is the main purpose of this trial," Elder Yun said. "I’ve told you everything you need to know. What you do next is up to you."

"By the way, this time all the disciples going out for training are under the charge of Chen Shangyi. You should coordinate closely with him," Elder Yun added. "If there’s nothing else, you may leave."

"Wait!" Wang Changsheng interjected.

Elder Yun looked at him, puzzled.

"Now that you’ve said all that, isn’t it time to discuss what benefits I’ll receive?" Wang Changsheng said seriously. "This trial is basically sending me to my death. If I somehow survive and return, will the Corpse Refining Sect not give me any reward?"

"Reward?" Elder Yun replied. "Do you not think you’ve already received enough?"

"From the moment you entered the Corpse Refining Sect, you’ve enjoyed the Sect’s protection!"

"Not only that, how many spirit stones and elixirs have you taken from the Sect?"

"As for being sent to die—those spirit stones and elixirs you’ve taken would be enough to make many cultivators in the Shentian Realm willingly give their lives!"

With that, Elder Yun looked steadily at Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng’s expression darkened. He understood now that the Corpse Refining Sect simply had no intention of giving him anything at all.

"Then what reward do you want?" Elder Yun asked mockingly.

After thinking for a while, Wang Changsheng replied, "I want the position of Elder in the Corpse Refining Sect."

"Impossible!" Elder Yun refused without a moment’s thought. "Don’t even think about it!"

"Why not?" Wang Changsheng argued. "I’m risking my life for the Sect, shedding blood and facing death. Is it too much to ask for the position of Elder?"

"It’s too much—far too much," Elder Yun replied sternly. "Do you think the title of Elder is something to be handed out lightly?"

Wang Changsheng looked at Elder Yun, his face gloomy. If only he were stronger, he would have already considered fighting Elder Yun—and not just Elder Yun, but Elder Zhang as well.

Wang Changsheng wanted the title of Elder simply to counter Elder Zhang. As a steward under Elder Zhang’s jurisdiction, he felt constantly uneasy. A single scheming move from Elder Zhang could cost him his life.

"Then what qualifications are required to become an Elder?" Wang Changsheng asked.

"If you handle this task well, your contribution would indeed be considerable—after all, the Corpse Refining Sect making its reappearance in the world is no small matter," Elder Yun mused. "But in terms of strength, you’re nowhere near qualified!"

"The lowest requirement for a Corpse Refining Sect Elder is the Foundation Condensation Realm," Elder Yun explained. "Do you know how far you are from that?"

Wang Changsheng shook his head.

He hadn’t even broken through to the Essence Transformation Realm, let alone the Foundation Condensation Realm—which he’d never even heard of.

"You’re currently in the Vein Opening Realm, three major realms and more than twenty minor levels away from Foundation Condensation," Elder Yun said, shaking his head. "If you were made an Elder, how would you command respect?"

With that, Elder Yun promptly threw Wang Changsheng out of his cave.

Standing outside, Wang Changsheng looked at the gray, overcast sky. It perfectly mirrored his mood—despair, sorrow, and helplessness.

"I am truly miserable," Wang Changsheng sighed.

All his efforts had gained him no promises from Elder Yun. Still, Elder Yun had said that if Wang Changsheng handled this matter well, he could recommend him to the Grand Elder.

If the Grand Elder was willing to take Wang Changsheng as a disciple, he would then be able to study the art of formations.

What else could Wang Changsheng do in his helplessness but agree? After all, he was interested in formations, and that was better than nothing.

Sorting through his conversation with Elder Yun, Wang Changsheng understood the purpose of this Corpse Refining Sect expedition:

To curry favor with Cloud Palace Peak, form an alliance with the Li family of Shangyang, and intimidate the Wild God Temple.

And, of course, to make the Sect’s name known far and wide, so as to attract new blood.

After pondering it all, Wang Changsheng headed toward the Spirit Stone Hall.

"This time, who knows if I’ll ever return. I must gather as many spirit stones as possible," Wang Changsheng muttered.

Having made up his mind, Wang Changsheng entered the Spirit Stone Hall and immediately noticed many disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect in the vicinity.

Without hesitation, he strode inside and began filling a sack with spirit stones.

Within just a few breaths, Wang Changsheng had packed a full bag, containing at least several hundred stones—most of them of fine quality.

He slipped the sack into his storage ring and, without pause, grabbed another and continued gathering.

After he’d filled a dozen or so bags, he realized that most of the fine spirit stones in the main hall were almost gone, so he took one last sack and headed for the side chamber.

From what he’d seen, there were even more fine stones in the side chamber.

"Steward Wang!"

Just as Wang Changsheng was about to enter the side chamber, a voice called out to him.

Turning, Wang Changsheng saw Chen Shangyi entering the Spirit Stone Hall.

"Chen Shangyi? What’s he doing here?" Wang Changsheng wondered.

"Steward Wang," Chen Shangyi, who was still a disciple, bowed to him and said, "Although the Corpse Refining Sect has accumulated quite a few spirit stones over the years, if you take them at this rate, I fear the stock won’t last long!"

"Furthermore, with your current cultivation, you won’t be able to use so many spirit stones," Chen Shangyi added.

It was clear to Wang Changsheng—Chen Shangyi was here to stop him.

"Are you saying my cultivation is too low?" Wang Changsheng said.

"I wouldn’t dare," Chen Shangyi replied with a cupped fist. "But these spirit stones are always available here. Steward Wang can take what he needs when the time comes—there’s no need to take so many all at once."

"You know nothing!" Wang Changsheng retorted. "Leaving them to gather dust is a waste—using them is what makes them resources. Besides, Corpse Refining Sect cultivators don’t even use spirit stones for their cultivation!"

"That’s not entirely true, Steward Wang. While our cultivators may not need spirit stones for cultivation, these stones can be traded for many resources the Sect requires," Chen Shangyi explained. "Spirit stones are still very valuable to the Sect!"

Indeed, while spirit stones were precious to the Corpse Refining Sect, they were nowhere near as vital as they were to other sects.

Otherwise, how could the Corpse Refining Sect have amassed such a stockpile?

"You still don’t get it," Wang Changsheng said. "Have you ever ventured into the cultivation world?"

That caught Chen Shangyi off guard. He shook his head and replied, "I was brought here as a child by a Sect Elder and have never left. I’ve only heard Steward Gray mention the outside world in passing, which I find fascinating."

"Well, there you go!" Wang Changsheng said. "We’re about to take the disciples to venture into the cultivation world. Do you know how crucial spirit stones are out there? When we need them, are we supposed to come back and fetch more?"

"This... this..." Chen Shangyi stammered, unable to find a reply.

"You’re in charge of this trial as well, so you must know how important it is," Wang Changsheng said sternly. "Do you want to see the whole thing fall apart?"

Chen Shangyi’s expression changed instantly, and he said nervously, "I wouldn’t dare!"

He, too, had been specially instructed by Elder Yun and was well aware of how important this trial was for the Corpse Refining Sect.

This was the first time the Sect had journeyed beyond its walls since reemerging—it simply could not fail!

"All right, step aside," Wang Changsheng said. "I’m doing this for the sake of the trial."

"Oh, by the way," Wang Changsheng added, seeing Chen Shangyi still in a daze, "You’d best gather some for yourself too. Otherwise, if we run out of spirit stones during the journey, you’ll be in trouble."

"Really?" Chen Shangyi hesitated, clearly weighing the truth of Wang Changsheng’s words.

"Suit yourself," Wang Changsheng said with a sidelong glance.

He then continued toward the side chamber.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Shangyi followed suit, picking up a sack and starting to gather spirit stones as well.

Though Wang Changsheng walked on, he kept a watchful eye on Chen Shangyi out of the corner of his eye—who knew if a guy like him would wise up or not.

Wang Changsheng’s words had some exaggeration, but they were also true.

Seeing Chen Shangyi busy gathering spirit stones, Wang Changsheng thought to himself, "Hmph, you greenhorn—I could take on ten of you."