Seven Mysterious Spaces: My Rise to Power in the Cultivation World

"The one who will take your life!" The man in black had barely finished speaking when he shot towards Zhuang Yu like an arrow released from a bow, with the other men in black following closely behind, forming an encirclement.

Zhuang Yu sneered, "You bunch of worthless scoundrels?" He flashed and disappeared from the spot, reappearing behind a man in black.

With a muffled thud, before the man in black could react, Zhuang Yu kicked him away, sending him crashing to the ground and spitting out blood.

"Young Master is mighty!" Wang Yao hid behind Zhuang Yu, waving her little fists excitedly.

After easily dealing with several men in black, Zhuang Yu turned to look at the leader of the men in black, a playful smile playing on his lips: "With your slender frame, you think you can just come here to die?" The leader of the men in black had a gloomy face, a ruthless glint in his eyes. He let out a low growl, his muscles bulged, and his aura instantly increased several times over.

"A mere trick!" Zhuang Yu curled his lip in disdain, his figure flashing once more, appearing like a ghost in front of the leader of the men in black, and throwing a punch.

With a loud "Boom!", the leader of the men in black was sent flying by Zhuang Yu's punch, crashing heavily into a large tree, his fate unknown.

Upon seeing this, the other men in black were terrified and scattered in all directions.

Zhuang Yu clapped his hands and said with a relaxed expression, "Yao Yao, let's go back." Wang Yao nodded obediently, and the two walked side by side towards the sect.

Upon returning to his sect, Zhuang Yu exuded a powerful aura, a result of his increased strength in the ruins.

The disciples in the sect were all surprised when they saw it, and they whispered among themselves.

"Zhuang Yu, he seems like a completely different person after going out for a while." "Yeah, that aura, he's at least at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, right?" "Could he have had some kind of fortuitous encounter in the ruins?" Zhuang Yu felt like he was being stared at by countless eyes. This feeling of being watched made him a little uncomfortable. He knew trouble was coming.

Seeing that Zhuang Yu's strength had greatly increased after his return, Zhang Dashan was extremely jealous.

He found Elder Zhao and embellished the story, saying, "Elder, that brat Zhuang Yu must have obtained quite a few treasures in the ruins, and probably through illegitimate means. He also said..." Zhang Dashan paused, then lowered his voice and said, "He also said that Elder, your eyesight is failing, and you're unworthy to be an elder..."

Elder Zhao's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. "Outrageous! How dare this brat be so presumptuous!" A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Zhang Dashan, are you sure what you're saying is true?" Zhang Dashan replied confidently, "Absolutely true! This disciple would not dare to deceive Elder!" Elder Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and slowly said, "I understand. You may leave now." After Zhang Dashan left, a glint of light flashed in Elder Zhao's eyes, and he muttered to himself, "Zhuang Yu... it seems I'll have to have a good talk with you..." He got up and walked towards Zhuang Yu's residence.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Yu was having tea and chatting with Wang Yao in his room.

"Young Master, you've had quite a haul on this trip," Wang Yao said with a smile.

Zhuang Yu smiled and said, "It's alright, just so-so." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Zhuang Yu, come out for a moment." It was Elder Zhao's voice.

Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes.

"You're here." Zhuang Yu got up and opened the door.

Elder Zhao stood outside the door, his face grim, his eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Come with me." After saying that, Elder Zhao turned and left.

Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, turned to Wang Yao and said, "Yao Yao, wait for me to come back." Then, he followed Elder Zhao out of the room...

Zhuang Yu followed Elder Zhao to a side hall.

Elder Zhao sat solemnly in the main seat, his sharp eyes fixed on Zhuang Yu as if trying to see through him.

"Zhuang Yu, I heard you gained quite a bit of benefit in the ruins?" Elder Zhao asked bluntly, his tone carrying a hint of accusation.

Zhuang Yu sneered inwardly; this old guy had indeed come to interrogate him.

However, he feigned innocence and respectfully replied, "Elder, I did gain something in the ruins, but it was all obtained through my own abilities, and I did not violate any sect rules."

"Oh? Is that so? Then tell me, what have you gotten?" Elder Zhao's tone remained unfriendly.

Zhuang Yu smiled slightly, took out an ordinary-looking cultivation technique from his storage bag, and handed it to Elder Zhao: "I was fortunate enough to obtain this book, 'Basic Breathing Technique,' in the ruins. Please take a look, Elder."

Elder Zhao took the cultivation manual, flipped through it casually, and frowned slightly.

This "Basic Breathing Techniques" is such a common, overused book that he wouldn't even bother to glance at it.

That kid Zhuang Yu, he actually tried to fool him with something like this?

"That's it?" Elder Zhao's tone was full of doubt.

"Elder, you are wise. I survived countless near-death experiences in the ruins and only managed to obtain this one cultivation technique," Zhuang Yu said sincerely, while inwardly he was furiously complaining: This is just a random book I picked from the mysterious space; it's enough to fool you.

Elder Zhao stared at Zhuang Yu for a long time. Seeing that he looked calm and didn't seem to be lying, he began to have some doubts about Zhang Dashan's complaint.

"Could that kid Zhang Dashan be deliberately framing Zhuang Yu?"

Just then, Zhang Dashan stormed in angrily.

"Elder Zhao, I saw Zhuang Yu in the ruins with my own eyes..." Before he could finish speaking, Elder Zhao interrupted him.

"Enough! How dare you show your face here? The cultivation technique that Zhuang Yu presented is the best proof! You actually dared to frame a fellow disciple. I think you don't want to stay in the sect anymore!" Elder Zhao rebuked angrily.

Zhang Dashan was dumbfounded; he never expected things to turn out this way.

His hatred for Zhuang Yu intensified. He glared at Zhuang Yu fiercely before turning and leaving.

Before leaving, he threw down a sentence: "Zhuang Yu, you just wait! I will make you pay the price!"

After Zhang Dashan left, Elder Zhao also lost interest and waved for Zhuang Yu to leave.

Back at his residence, Zhuang Yu told Wang Yao what had happened.

Wang Yao said with a smile, "Young Master, you are really amazing. You solved this problem so easily."

"Hehe, no big deal." Zhuang Yu smiled smugly.

However, things are not over yet.

Zhang Dashan couldn't swallow this insult, so he decided to challenge Zhuang Yu and prove to everyone that he was the true genius of the sect.

The news quickly spread throughout the entire sect, and disciples flocked to see it.

Zhang Dashan stood on the arena, looking at Zhuang Yu with an arrogant expression: "Zhuang Yu, do you dare to accept my challenge?"

Zhuang Yu smirked and slowly walked onto the arena: "What is there to be afraid of?"

The battle was about to begin, and Zhang Dashan launched the first attack, his fierce fist whistling through the air.

Zhuang Yu dodged the attack with a swift movement.

"That's it?" Zhuang Yu said sarcastically.

Enraged, Zhang Dashan launched another attack, each move deadly.

Zhuang Yu, on the other hand, was like a nimble fish, maneuvering effortlessly through Zhang Dashan's attacks.

“You…” Zhang Dashan was shocked. Zhuang Yu’s speed and reaction ability far exceeded his expectations.

Just then, a cold glint flashed in Zhuang Yu's eyes, "Now, it's my turn..."

Zhuang Yu wore a mocking smile, his figure flickering like a ghost.

Zhang Dashan's fierce attacks seemed to him like a slow-motion replay, which he easily dodged.

"That's it? Even a three-year-old fighting is more exciting than you!"

Enraged, Zhang Dashan unleashed his ultimate move, "Tiger Descending the Mountain," a surge of spiritual energy.

His body suddenly swelled, his muscles bulged, and he pounced on Zhuang Yu with the ferocity of a tiger descending from the mountain.

The disciples watching exclaimed in surprise. This move was extremely powerful. If someone were hit, they would be severely injured, if not killed.

However, Zhuang Yu remained calm and even yawned.

"That's it? Even the special effects are cheap. You dare to call it 'Tiger Descending the Mountain'? I think it's 'Sick Cat Climbing the Hill'!" He slightly shifted his body, effortlessly dodging Zhang Dashan's attack, while simultaneously kicking Zhang Dashan in the butt.

With a loud "bang!", Zhang Dashan flew out like a cannonball and crashed heavily onto the edge of the ring, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He struggled to get up, but found that his whole body ached and he couldn't move.

The disciples watching were dumbfounded; the reversal was too fast!

Just moments ago, Zhang Dashan was all barrage of arrogance, but in the blink of an eye, he was rolling on the ground like a gourd.

The doubts about Zhuang Yu vanished instantly, replaced by a chorus of amazement and admiration.

"Holy crap, that's awesome! That's incredible!" "Playing dumb to fool the enemy, what a master!"

Zhuang Yu stood with his hands behind his back, calmly accepting the worship of the crowd.

He even winked at Wang Yao, looking smug.

"How about it, little Yao Yao? Am I handsome?" Wang Yao covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes full of admiration.

"Young Master is the most handsome!"

In the following days, Zhuang Yu became a hot commodity in the sect, with countless disciples coming to him to ask for advice on cultivation techniques.

Zhuang Yu was generous and taught them the little he had learned in the mysterious space, after making slight modifications.

"Remember, the key to cultivation lies in..." Zhuang Yu spoke eloquently, appearing every bit the part of a reclusive master.

However, in the shadows, a pair of venomous eyes were fixed on him... "Zhuang Yu, your smugness won't last long!" A cold voice rang out in the darkness.

Zhuang Yu returned to his courtyard, where Wang Yao obediently served him spiritual tea.

"Young Master, you've really stolen the show today!" she said with a beaming smile, her voice full of admiration.

Zhuang Yu took the spirit tea, took a sip, and said calmly, "Basic operation, don't make a fuss." But in his heart, he was secretly calculating that he had put on a good show and should have gained a lot of experience points.

In the days that followed, Zhuang Yu outwardly appeared to be calmly cultivating and instructing his fellow disciples, but in secret he was frantically gaining experience in the mysterious space.

This space is practically a loophole; not only is the spiritual energy so abundant it's practically free, but it also contains all sorts of rare materials and amazing martial arts manuals—it's absolutely fantastic!

However, the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows, and Zhuang Yu's rise has aroused the dissatisfaction of some people.

Elder Zhao, a notoriously stubborn old man in the sect, had some reservations about Zhuang Yu's rapid improvement.

He always felt that Zhuang Yu had taken some improper route, and even suspected that he had secretly learned the sect's forbidden techniques.

"Hmph, how could a mere brat improve so rapidly? There must be something fishy going on!" Elder Zhao stroked his beard, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

He decided to secretly investigate Zhuang Yu, find something to use against him, and then...

Meanwhile, Zhang Dashan had been harboring resentment ever since Zhuang Yu kicked him away.

He secretly contacted several disciples who had grudges against Zhuang Yu, plotting how to take revenge.

"Zhuang Yu, you just wait, I'll make you pay sooner or later!" Zhang Dashan said through gritted teeth.

On the other side, Zhuang Yu was completely unaware of all this, still immersed in the joy of cultivation.

Unbeknownst to him, a vast net was quietly being cast upon him...

That day, Zhuang Yu was cultivating in the mysterious space when he suddenly received a message talisman from his family.

His expression changed slightly after reading the contents of the talisman.

"My family is summoning me back? Could it be..." He immediately got up and left the mysterious space.

As soon as I stepped out of the room, I saw Wang Yao waiting anxiously there.

"Young Master, someone from the family has arrived. They say there's an urgent matter that requires your immediate return!" Zhuang Yu nodded, took a deep breath, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

"Let's go."

He followed his family members and traveled swiftly until he finally returned to the family mansion he had been away from for so long.

As soon as they entered the council hall, a dignified voice rang out... "Zhuang Yu, you're finally back!"