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

Outside the door, Zhuang Yue rushed over with the old steward and Zhuang's advisor.

The old steward was also holding a brocade box, which was emitting a faint spiritual energy, clearly containing some treasure.

"Elder, I have evidence to prove Young Master Zhuang Yu's innocence!" the old steward said loudly, presenting the brocade box.

The brocade box was opened, and inside was a jade slip containing records.

The jade slip shimmered, revealing how Zhuang Yu discovered the trap, cleverly resolved the crisis, and obtained the treasure.

The faces of the First Elder Zhuang Xiong and the other elders were extremely grim.

They hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to have such a trick up his sleeve, and now all their plans had fallen through.

"This...this is impossible!" an elder exclaimed in disbelief. "This must be a forgery!"

"Forgery?" The old steward sneered. "This is the family's record jade slip. How could it be forged? If you don't believe me, you can verify it yourselves!"

The elders exchanged bewildered glances. They knew perfectly well the authenticity of the jade slip recording, and now they were utterly speechless.

Zhuang Xiong's face turned ashen. He glared fiercely at Zhuang Yu, then turned and left.

The other elders also slunk away.

"Zhuang Yu, are you alright?" Zhuang Yue asked with concern.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Miss Zhuang Yue." Zhuang Yu smiled slightly.

"Hmph, consider yourself lucky!" Zhuang Wen snorted coldly and turned to leave.

The storm subsided, but Zhuang Yu knew that this was only the calm before the storm.

The First Elder and the Second Elder will not let this go; they will definitely try every means to deal with him.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before new rumors began to circulate within the family.

"Have you heard? The treasure Zhuang Yu obtained in the ruins is of unknown origin and may bring disaster to our family!"

"Yes, I heard that treasure is an evil object that can drain a person's life force!"

"Zhuang Yu is a scourge; he'll ruin our family sooner or later!"

Immediately, the family was filled with unease, and doubts about Zhuang Yu grew louder and louder.

Zhuang Wen appeared in front of Zhuang Yu again, this time with an even more arrogant attitude.

"Zhuang Yu, do you see this? This is your situation! Now everyone in the family suspects you, and you've been abandoned by everyone!" Zhuang Wen said smugly. "If you don't want to be kicked out of the family, then obediently join us, and we can help you clear your name."

Zhuang Yu looked at Zhuang Wen, a cold glint in his eyes. He knew this was their final ultimatum.

"You think you can threaten me like this?" Zhuang Yu sneered. "You're too naive!"

He took out a black brocade pouch from his pocket. The pouch was embroidered with mysterious runes and emitted a faint spiritual energy.

"What is this?" Zhuang Wen asked curiously.

Zhuang Yu did not answer; he slowly opened the brocade pouch…

"Heh, want to know what this is?" Zhuang Yu's lips curled into a wicked smile. "That depends on whether you're qualified..."

When the brocade pouch was opened, it contained not some rare treasure, but an ordinary black stone.

The stone's surface was pitted and uneven, lacking any luster, and looked like a stubborn rock that could be found anywhere by the roadside.

"That's it?" Zhuang Wen scoffed, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "You're not trying to tell us that this is the treasure you obtained, are you? Hahaha, that's hilarious! Zhuang Yu, are you out of your mind?" The surrounding clansmen also began to whisper among themselves, their faces full of mockery.

The old steward and Master Zhuang were also puzzled; they didn't understand what Zhuang Yu was up to.

Only Zhuang Yue's eyes held a hint of worry and expectation; she believed that Zhuang Yu would not have taken out such a stone without a reason.

Despite the ridicule from the crowd, Zhuang Yu remained unmoved, and instead, a mysterious smile appeared on his lips.

“You’re laughing too soon,” he said, raising the black stone high. “The moment to witness a miracle has arrived!”

He infused a wisp of spiritual energy into the black stone.

Suddenly, the stone emitted a dazzling light, and a beam of light shot straight into the sky, illuminating the entire Zhuang family estate.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events and looked up at the sky.

Within the beam of light, images flashed by rapidly like a movie, depicting everything Zhuang Yu experienced within the ruins.

The entire process, from discovering the trap to cleverly resolving the crisis and finally obtaining the resources, was clearly presented to everyone.

Even the details of how he used his wisdom to avoid danger and how he acquired resources through his strength are described in great detail.

The image finally freezes on the moment Zhuang Yu has secured the resources.

"This...how is this possible?!" Zhuang Wen's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

Elder Zhuang Xiong's face also turned ashen. He hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to have such a trick up his sleeve, and now all their schemes had been completely exposed.

The tribespeople, witnessing this scene, began to discuss it amongst themselves.

"So Young Master Zhuang Yu was wronged!"

"The Grand Elder and the others actually..."

"We misunderstood Young Master Zhuang Yu!"

In an instant, all doubts about Zhuang Yu disappeared from the family, replaced by respect and trust.

Seeing his conspiracy exposed, Zhuang Xiong became enraged and released his powerful mid-Foundation Establishment aura instantly, like a mountain pressing down on everyone's hearts.

He roared, "You little beast, so what if you prove your innocence? Today, I will cleanse the family of its filth!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhuang Xiong's figure flashed, appearing in front of Zhuang Yu like a ghost, and his palm, carrying a sharp gust of wind, struck Zhuang Yu's chest.

Zhuang Yu felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

But he didn't panic. He immediately activated the defensive technique he had obtained from the mysterious space, and a golden shield instantly enveloped him.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, Zhuang Xiong's palm struck the golden shield hard, causing a strong energy fluctuation.

The surrounding tribesmen held their breath in tension; they had never witnessed such a fierce battle.

Although Zhuang Yu blocked Zhuang Xiong's attack, he also felt a surge of blood and qi.

He understood that there was still a huge gap between himself and Zhuang Xiong, who was in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

He suppressed the surging blood and qi within him, circulating his defensive techniques to fend off Zhuang Xiong's attacks while searching for his opponent's weaknesses.

Seeing that his first attack had missed, Zhuang Xiong became even more enraged and launched an even more ferocious offensive, each move aimed to kill.

Just when everyone thought Zhuang Yu was about to be defeated, he suddenly curled up the corners of his mouth, revealing a strange smile...

"Ha, old man, you really think you've got me cornered?"

Zhuang Yu's lips curved into a wider smile, and a sly glint flashed in his eyes.

He suddenly reached into his robes, seemingly in a panic, but in reality, he was taking something out of his mysterious space.

This thing was the latest treasure he had "found" in his space—a completely crimson bead called the "Exploding Flame Bead".

This thing is a treasure that even Golden Core cultivators have to be wary of.

"Old man, let me show you what the power of a 'nuclear explosion' really is!" Zhuang Yu shouted, silently chanting "Activate" in his mind.

Suddenly, the crimson bead burst forth with a blinding red light, and a terrifyingly high temperature instantly swept across the entire area.

"Boom—" A deafening roar, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, the shockwave from the explosion completely destroyed the surrounding buildings, sending sand and stones flying and blotting out the sun.

At the epicenter of the explosion, Zhuang Xiong was caught off guard by the sudden attack. He was blasted away and crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood and turning ashen-faced.

"Holy crap! What the hell is that?!" Zhuang Wen was so scared that he scrambled to hide behind a boulder.

The other tribesmen were also horrified. They had never seen such a terrifying attack before, and they were all dumbfounded, as if petrified.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Zhuang Yu's figure slowly appeared.

He dusted himself off, walked calmly to Zhuang Xiong, looked down at him, and said in a mocking tone, "Elder, how do you feel now? Still want to clean house?"

Zhuang Xiong's face was ashen, his eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He knew he was completely finished this time.

Zhuang Yu did not press his advantage. He turned around and addressed the crowd, saying, "I, Zhuang Yu, am only acting in self-defense today, not intentionally provoking anyone. As long as you elders cease making things difficult for me, I will dedicate myself to the family to the utmost, even unto death!"

Upon hearing this, many elders in the family began to waver.

They originally thought Zhuang Yu was just a good-for-nothing, but they never expected him to have such great strength and hidden cards.

Zhuang Yu chuckled inwardly as he observed the changing expressions on everyone's faces.

He knew he had made the right move.

"Elder, Second Elder, what do you think?" Zhuang Yu turned his gaze to Zhuang Xiong and Zhuang Wen, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority.

Zhuang Xiong and Zhuang Wen had gloomy faces and their eyes flickered uncertainly.

They knew that the situation was now completely out of their control.

Just then, the old butler suddenly walked up to Zhuang Yu and whispered, "Young Master, someone outside is requesting an audience..."

When the smoke and dust cleared, a huge pit was revealed, and Zhuang Xiong lay at the bottom of the pit, his fate unknown.

The air was filled with the smell of burning, mixed with a faint smell of sulfur, much like the scene of a failed tribulation.

Zhuang Yu dusted himself off, his expression calm.

He's not some saintly, innocent girl. If the other party wants to scheme against him, then he should be prepared to be killed instead.

"Old man, trying to scam me? Trying to extort me? Don't you know who I am!" Zhuang Yu thought to himself, but put on a compassionate expression.

The surrounding tribesmen were all stunned. The plot twist was too fast!

Just a moment ago I thought Zhuang Yu was going to die, but in the blink of an eye it was Zhuang Xiong lying there.

Zhuang Yu looked around and said firmly, "I, Zhuang Yu, am only here to protect myself, not to provoke you! If you know what's good for you, leave now!" He spoke with great arrogance, with the air of a "Supreme Martial Arts Master, wielding a dragon-slaying sword."

The crowd looked at each other, and many had already begun to waver.

I originally thought Zhuang Yu was just a good-for-nothing, but I never expected him to be a hidden master.

This guy's tactic of pretending to be weak while actually being strong is too sophisticated!

Just then, the old steward leaned close to Zhuang Yu's ear and whispered, "Young Master, outside... Miss Ruyan from Miaoyin Pavilion is requesting an audience..."