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

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the bluestone road, giving the town a faint golden hue.

Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao appeared at the entrance of the town. They walked slowly, clearly exhausted from their journey.

"Brother Zhuang Yu, your injury..." Wang Yao said worriedly, looking at Zhuang Yu's slightly pale face.

Her gaze kept drifting to Zhuang Yu's arm, where Zhao Hai's flying sword had left a deep bloody gash. Although the bleeding had stopped, it still looked shocking.

"I'm fine. Let's find a place to rest and treat our wounds." Zhuang Yu shook his head, enduring his injuries, and gave Wang Yao a reassuring smile.

He looked around and saw that the town, which should have been bustling, was unusually deserted. The streets were empty, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind adding to the eeriness.

They searched the town for something that could heal their wounds, but the town seemed ordinary and nothing special.

Wang Yao looked somewhat dejected, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "It's so quiet here. Is there really an inn or a clinic here?"

Zhuang Yu gently patted Wang Yao's shoulder and comforted her, saying, "It's okay, let's look again. Even if there's no inn, we can find a sheltered place, and I'll teach you meditation and breathing exercises. You can recover just the same way."

Wang Yao nodded. She always trusted Zhuang Yu; no matter what difficulties they encountered, Zhuang Yu could always find a way to solve them.

They continued to wander through the town, hoping to find a place to stay.

Just then, a commotion came from not far away, breaking the eerie tranquility of the town.

Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao exchanged a glance and walked in the direction from which the sound came.

Turning a corner, they saw a group of cultivators dressed in identical attire gathered together, seemingly arguing about something.

Zhuang Yu noticed that the cultivators' clothing was embroidered with a peculiar pattern, resembling a firebird spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

"It seems we've encountered something interesting." Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.

The cultivators also noticed Zhuang Yu and Wang Yao. They looked the two strangers up and down, their eyes filled with vigilance and hostility.

One of the cultivators, a tall man with a face full of scars, pointed at Zhuang Yu's arm and shouted, "Kid, you're injured? How did you get hurt? Did you mess with someone you shouldn't have?"

"What's it to you?" Zhuang Yu replied coldly. He didn't want to cause trouble, but he wasn't afraid of it either.

"Hmph, kid, you've got quite the nerve! Do you know who we are? If you know what's good for you, hand over everything you have, and we might consider sparing your life!" The burly cultivator said arrogantly, completely disregarding Zhuang Yu.

"Oh? What do you want?" Zhuang Yu asked calmly, but secretly he was already preparing for battle.

“Of course…” The cultivator was about to speak when a thin cultivator next to him pulled him back and whispered something in his ear.

"Kid, you're lucky! Our boss is in a good mood today and doesn't want to bother with you. Just hand over all the spiritual herbs you have, and we'll let you go!" The skinny cultivator's eyes darted around, and he changed his tune.

"Spiritual herbs?" Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yu sneered inwardly. Sure enough, these people saw that he was injured and thought he was easy to bully, so they wanted to take advantage of his misfortune.

"What? You don't want to? I advise you to behave and listen to me, otherwise..." Seeing that Zhuang Yu didn't react, the skinny cultivator assumed he was scared and became even more arrogant.

"Otherwise what?" A cold glint flashed in Zhuang Yu's eyes, and his aura suddenly changed. A powerful pressure emanated from him, making the surrounding air seem to freeze.

The cultivators' expressions changed drastically. They hadn't expected that this seemingly unremarkable young man would possess such formidable strength!

"Who...who exactly are you?" the burly cultivator asked in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with fear.

"The one who'll take your life." Zhuang Yu coldly uttered these words, then his figure flashed, instantly appearing in front of the burly cultivator. His right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the cultivator's neck.

"Stop!" Upon seeing this, the other cultivators all unleashed their magical artifacts, attempting to attack Zhuang Yu.

However, it's too late...

The afterglow of the setting sun seemed to foreshadow the fierceness of the battle. The local cultivators were all fierce and menacing, their magical artifacts flashing as they attacked Zhuang Yu like a storm.

Despite his injuries, Zhuang Yu wielded his spirit sword, barely managing to fend off their attacks.

Wang Yao was extremely anxious. Although she was in the late stage of Qi Refining, she was as powerless as a child when facing these Foundation Establishment cultivators. She could only watch helplessly as Zhuang Yu was caught in a bitter battle.

With a loud "Boom!", Zhuang Yu was struck by a powerful spiritual force, staggering backward with a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Wang Yao exclaimed in surprise and rushed to Zhuang Yu's side without thinking. She hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Brother Zhuang Yu, how are you? Don't scare me!"

Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood in his body, and gently stroked Wang Yao's hair. "Yao'er, I'm fine, don't worry about me."

“But your injuries…” Wang Yao looked at the shocking wounds on Zhuang Yu’s body and felt heartbroken.

"I'm fine, these minor injuries are nothing," Zhuang Yu said, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "I will absolutely not let them harm you in the slightest!"

The battle continued, and Zhuang Yu's injuries worsened as a result. He felt his spiritual energy gradually draining away, and everything before his eyes began to blur.

Seeing Zhuang Yu risking his life to protect her, Wang Yao's eyes were filled with emotion and love. She rushed towards Zhuang Yu without hesitation, hugged him tightly, and said, "Brother Zhuang Yu, no matter what happens, I will stay with you."

Zhuang Yu felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he sensed Wang Yao's deep affection. With his last ounce of strength, he pushed Wang Yao away and shouted, "Yao'er, go! I'll hold them off!"

"No, I won't leave! I want to stay with you!" Wang Yao shook her head firmly; she would never abandon Zhuang Yu and flee for her life alone.

"You..." Zhuang Yu wanted to say something more, but suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes and his body swaying.

"Brother Zhuang Yu!" Wang Yao exclaimed, quickly supporting Zhuang Yu and anxiously calling his name.

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang in their ears, "Hmph, trying to leave? None of you will leave here!"

Wang Yao looked up and saw a tall man dressed in black slowly walk out of the crowd. He had a cruel smile on his face and held a black dagger in his hand, which emitted a cold light.

"Who are you?" Wang Yao asked warily. She could sense that this man in black was very strong, much stronger than the previous cultivators.

The man in black ignored Wang Yao and turned his gaze to Zhuang Yu, a greedy glint in his eyes. "Boy, hand over the treasures you have, and I might consider giving you a quick death!"

Zhuang Yu forced himself to stand, coldly staring at the man in black. "What do you want?"

"I want what's on you..." The man in black was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. He abruptly turned to look at the other side of the town, a look of shock and fear flashing in his eyes. "This aura is... not good! Retreat!"

"Trying to leave? Too late!" An aged voice rang out over the town, followed by a golden light that descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the man in black and his companions...

A golden light flashed, and a powerful pressure, like an invisible giant hand, pressed the man in black and the cultivators to the ground, rendering them unable to move.

The man in black looked up in alarm, only to see an old man in a blue Taoist robe, with an air of otherworldly wisdom, slowly descending from mid-air.

"Master!" Wang Yao exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the old man, her eyes glistening with tears.

She never expected that her master would appear at this critical moment.

The old man glanced at Wang Yao with affection and nodded slightly. Then he turned to look at the cultivators who were suppressed on the ground, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "A bunch of bullies who dare to act wildly in front of me!" With a wave of his sleeve, the cultivators felt an invisible force lift them up and slam them to the ground. They coughed up blood and were seriously injured.

Seeing this, a hint of despair flashed in the eyes of the man in black. He knew that he was doomed today, but he was still unwilling to surrender.

He gritted his teeth, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, he pulled a black bead from his pocket and threw it towards Zhuang Yu, shouting, "Kid, die!"

The black orb drew an eerie arc in the air, emanating a chilling aura, and headed straight for Zhuang Yu.

Upon seeing this, Wang Yao exclaimed in alarm and tried to stop it, but it was too late.

At the critical moment, Zhuang Yu felt a powerful force surge from his body. This force was warm and comfortable, and it instantly flowed throughout his entire body. His injuries were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Not only that, he also felt his cultivation level improving rapidly, and his previously depleted spiritual energy was instantly replenished, as if he had broken through some kind of shackle and reached a completely new realm.

Before the black bead could even get close to Zhuang Yu, it was repelled by an invisible force, fell to the ground with a muffled "bang," and then turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.

"What?" The man in black stared at the scene in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock and fear. He never expected that this seemingly unremarkable young man would have such a powerful trump card.

Zhuang Yu slowly stood up, feeling the surge of power within his body. A cold smile appeared on his lips. He looked coldly at the man in black, slowly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together, forming a sword finger, and pointed it at the man in black, coldly saying, "You can die now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dazzling sword light shot out from Zhuang Yu's fingertip, like a bolt of lightning, instantly piercing through the black-clad man's brow.

The man in black didn't even have time to scream before his eyes widened, and he fell straight down, dead.

"Yao'er, let's go." Zhuang Yu withdrew his gaze, turned to Wang Yao and said, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He had a vague feeling that there were more important things waiting for him to do on this continent.

"Okay." Wang Yao nodded obediently and left the place of trouble side by side with Zhuang Yu.

Unbeknownst to them, not far behind them, beneath an inconspicuous blue stone, a pair of cold eyes were watching their departing figures, their gazes gleaming with greed and malice…

"An ancient treasure has appeared in the world, and a great event has occurred. It seems this is going to be very interesting..." A deep voice came from under the bluestone, sounding particularly sinister and terrifying in the silent night sky.