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

"Yes, of course!" Zhang Dashan seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and his henchmen behind him also burst into laughter.

With Zhuang Yu's impoverished appearance, what kind of trouble could he possibly cause?

Zhuang Yu didn't say much, just glanced at them indifferently, and turned to leave the Scripture Pavilion.

He understood that it was pointless to get entangled with such people; his immediate priority was to improve his own strength.

Over the next few days, Zhuang Yu searched throughout the sect for suitable resource points for early-stage Qi Refining cultivation.

Persistence pays off, and he finally discovered a small valley brimming with spiritual energy.

Some low-grade spiritual herbs grow in the valley, which are exactly what he needs right now.

However, his good fortune didn't last long. Just as Zhuang Yu was excitedly preparing to collect the spiritual herbs, a familiar figure appeared before him—Zhang Dashan.

"Hey, isn't this our genius Zhuang? What, you can't even go to the Scripture Pavilion, so you can only come to this kind of place to pick up trash?" Zhang Dashan said sarcastically, and his followers behind him joined in the jeering.

Zhuang Yu frowned slightly. He didn't want to cause trouble and just wanted to cultivate in peace, but Zhang Dashan clearly didn't intend to let him go.

"I'm just here to collect some spiritual herbs, I'm not bothering you."

"Get in my way? This entire valley is my territory. You're gathering spiritual herbs here, which means you're in my way!" Zhang Dashan said arrogantly. "If you know what's good for you, get out of here, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Zhuang Yu sneered inwardly. This Zhang Dashan was really domineering. Did he really think this small sect was his own?

Just as he was about to retort, he suddenly felt a strange fluctuation coming from the depths of the valley, as if something was attracting him.

He glanced around discreetly and found that Zhang Dashan and the others had not noticed the fluctuation.

Could it be... some kind of treasure?

A bold idea suddenly came to Zhuang Yu's mind.

“I can let you go,” Zhuang Yu said, feigning hesitation, “unless…” He paused deliberately, gazing into the depths of the valley, “would you dare come with me to take a look over there?”

Zhang Dashan was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You? You want to come over there with me? You probably don't know what's in there, do you? Kid, I advise you to behave yourself, otherwise..."

Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly as he interrupted him: "Dare not? I thought Senior Brother Zhang was fearless."

Zhang Dashan's face darkened; he hated being provoked.

"Let's go then, who's afraid of who!" He waved his hand and led a few followers into the depths of the valley.

Zhuang Yu followed closely behind, a sly glint in his eyes.

A light mist hung in the depths of the valley, obscuring the view and adding to the mystery.

Zhang Dashan and the others proceeded cautiously, fearing they might encounter some danger.

Zhuang Yu appeared relaxed and at ease. He had already used his divine sense to explore the surroundings and confirmed that there was no danger before deliberately luring Zhang Dashan over.

The deeper they went, the stronger the strange fluctuations became, and Zhuang Yu became more certain of his guess.

He casually veered away from Zhang Dashan and the others, heading towards the source of the disturbance.

"Hey kid, where are you going?" Zhang Dashan noticed Zhuang Yu's actions and shouted loudly.

"I'll go take a look over there. You guys do as you please," Zhuang Yu said without turning his head.

Zhang Dashan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't follow. He felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Zhuang Yu arrived at the place where the fluctuations came from and discovered that a small spiritual vein was hidden there!

Many rare spiritual herbs grow around the spiritual vein, far more precious than the low-grade spiritual herbs he had previously discovered.

He was overjoyed and immediately began collecting spiritual herbs.

The knowledge he gained in the mysterious space allowed him to recognize the types and growth habits of these spiritual herbs at a glance. He knew how to harvest the spiritual herbs to the maximum extent without damaging the spiritual veins.

Before long, Zhuang Yu had collected a bag full of spiritual herbs. He patted the bulging bag with satisfaction and turned to leave.

Just then, Zhang Dashan and the others arrived. When they saw the spirit herb in Zhuang Yu's hand, their eyes immediately turned red.

"You little brat, how dare you steal my spiritual herbs!" Zhang Dashan roared.

"Your spirit herbs?" Zhuang Yu sneered. "What evidence do you have to prove that these spirit herbs are yours?"

“This valley is all my territory, and the spiritual herbs here are naturally mine too!” Zhang Dashan said confidently.

Zhuang Yu was too lazy to waste words with him and simply turned around and left.

"Stop right there!" Zhang Dashan blocked his way. "If you dare to leave today, I'll make you regret it!"

Zhuang Yu stopped and looked at him with a half-smile: "Are you sure you want to stop me?"

Zhang Dashan felt uneasy under his gaze, but still forced himself to say, "I... I'm sure!"

"Alright," Zhuang Yu said calmly, "I'd like to see how you're going to make me regret this."

Zhang Dashan gritted his teeth and called to his henchmen to attack Zhuang Yu. However, before they could even make a move, a voice rang out: "Stop!"

A young man dressed in a blue robe walked over. He was the senior brother in charge of resource management in the sect, named Senior Brother Li, with a cultivation level of late Foundation Establishment.

"What's going on?" Senior Brother Li asked in a deep voice, looking at the tense crowd.

Zhang Dashan immediately added fuel to the fire and complained to Senior Brother Li that Zhuang Yu had stolen the spiritual herb he had discovered first.

The surrounding disciples also gathered around, pointing and commenting on Zhuang Yu.

Senior Brother Li's gaze fell on Zhuang Yu, and his tone was stern: "What do you have to say?"

Zhuang Yu remained calm and unhurried, saying, "Senior Brother Li, Zhang Dashan didn't discover this spiritual herb first. Based on its growth pattern and the surrounding environment, I judged that the spiritual herbs in this area should have matured three hours ago. And I happened to pass by this place three hours ago and discovered this patch of spiritual herbs." He paused, pointing to some fine marks on the roots of the herb, and continued, "Look, these marks are what I left when I collected them; they're fresh and clear. But the 'spiritual herb' that Zhang Dashan mentioned doesn't show any signs of being collected. What do you think, Senior Brother Li?"

Senior Brother Li carefully observed the traces on the roots of the spiritual herb and looked around at the surrounding environment, and he already understood.

Zhuang Yu's explanation was reasonable and well-founded, while Zhang Dashan could not produce any evidence.

His face darkened as he looked at Zhang Dashan, his tone stern: "Zhang Dashan, you dare to slander your fellow disciple without any evidence. What is your punishment?"

Zhang Dashan's face flushed red, and he stammered, unable to speak.

The surrounding disciples also started discussing it, and what was originally a accusation against Zhuang Yu turned into mockery of Zhang Dashan.

He felt his face burning, and wished he could disappear into the ground.

Just then, Wang Yao happened to pass by and witnessed this scene.

A barely perceptible hint of appreciation flashed across her previously indifferent face, but she quickly regained her composure, as if nothing had happened, and turned to leave.

Seeing that Zhang Dashan was in the wrong, Senior Brother Li stopped pursuing the matter, but warned him not to do it again.

Then, he turned to Zhuang Yu, his tone much gentler: "Junior brother, what's your name?"

"Disciple Zhuang Yu."

"Hmm, Zhuang Yu, you have a deep understanding of spiritual herbs. It seems you have a talent for herbal medicine. Keep up your training, and you will surely achieve great things in the future." Senior Brother Li nodded approvingly.

Zhuang Yu humbly replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother."

This battle for resources ended in victory for Zhuang Yu.

Although he won this small victory temporarily, he also offended Zhang Dashan as a result.

He knew this was just the beginning; many more challenges awaited him within the sect.

He gazed in the direction Wang Yao had left, thinking to himself, "I hope she won't be implicated because of me..."

Back at his residence, Zhuang Yu sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

He circulated his cultivation technique, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to consolidate his own cultivation.

However, he could never find peace in his heart.

Zhang Dashan's gaze and Wang Yao's indifference made him feel uneasy.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the door...

Footsteps stopped at the door, and a deep voice came: "Junior Brother Zhuang, Elder Zhao requests your presence." Zhuang Yu's heart tightened. Elder Zhao was notoriously strict and demanding, and his early Core Formation cultivation made him even more undisputed in such a small sect.

He took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and saw two stern-faced disciples standing outside, clearly Elder Zhao's confidants.

He followed the two to Elder Zhao's cave. As soon as he entered, he felt a powerful pressure rushing towards him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Elder Zhao sat on the futon, his eyes sharp as he scrutinized Zhuang Yu.

"I heard you had a dispute with Zhang Dashan at the Spirit Herb Garden today?" Elder Zhao's voice was like a booming bell, making Zhuang Yu's eardrums buzz.

Zhuang Yu replied respectfully, "This disciple is merely protecting his own rights." Elder Zhao sneered, "Rights? You, a newly initiated disciple, dare to talk about rights? I think you are arrogant and disrespectful to your elders!" Zhuang Yu thought to himself that things were not going well; it seemed that today's events were not as simple as they appeared.

He was about to explain when Elder Zhao abruptly waved his hand, interrupting him. "No need for further explanation! Considering this is your first offense, I'll let you off this time. But sect resources are limited; if you want more, you'll need to demonstrate your true abilities." With that, he tossed Zhuang Yu a palm-sized wooden plaque.

"See you at the training ground at noon tomorrow."