Chapter Sixty-Two: Trouble Is Inevitable

After returning to his room, Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged, sorting through his thoughts. Too much had happened today—from struggling on the edge of life and death to becoming an official of the Corpse Refining Sect. Wang Changsheng still hadn’t fully processed it all.

Especially before Little Ash departed, he’d warned Wang Changsheng to be wary of Elder Zhang. Though Little Ash hadn’t made things clear, Wang Changsheng understood that after today’s events, Elder Zhang would surely bear a grudge against him.

For a cultivator of Wang Changsheng’s strength, Elder Zhang considered him a trivial character. Originally, Elder Zhang had intended to deal with Wang Changsheng while Old Mo was away, to avenge the death of his old friend who’d been slapped to death by Old Mo.

Unexpectedly, Old Mo returned at the most critical moment—not only saving Wang Changsheng’s life, but smashing Elder Zhang’s refined corpse with the lid of his coffin. For the cultivators of the Corpse Refining Sect, the destruction of their refined corpse meant their power would at least be halved.

What’s more, Old Mo shattered Elder Zhang’s coffin, effectively destroying his primary spiritual tool.

Under such circumstances, Elder Zhang wouldn’t dare trouble Old Mo; the disparity in strength was too obvious. Seeking revenge against Old Mo would be suicidal.

The only option left for Elder Zhang was to vent his anger on Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng had become the scapegoat of this affair.

What Wang Changsheng didn’t realize was that Elder Zhang’s resentment was not limited to himself and Old Mo. Only after Elder Zhang absorbed Wang Changsheng’s true energy and noticed its peculiarity did he become truly interested in causing trouble for Wang Changsheng.

As for Wang Changsheng’s appointment as an official of the Corpse Refining Sect, he guessed it had little to do with Old Mo.

“With that foggy brain of Old Mo, he’d never request such a thing on my behalf—he wouldn’t even think of it,” Wang Changsheng muttered to himself.

Old Mo was oblivious to such matters; he forgot everything as soon as he turned around. He probably didn’t even know how the identities of the Corpse Refining Sect’s cultivators were classified, nor that there was such a position as official.

So it was impossible he’d make such a request. The only possibility was that the elders of the Corpse Refining Sect privately decided this.

The reasons for this weren’t hard to guess. The Corpse Refining Sect had Old Mo, a terrifyingly powerful figure with an enigmatic background—no one in the sect knew his true identity.

One does not allow others to sleep soundly beside one’s bed.

They couldn’t possibly kill Old Mo; even if they could, the price would be enormous. Even expelling him would be extremely difficult.

Now, under Old Mo’s protection, Wang Changsheng had emerged as another uncontrollable element.

Don’t underestimate Wang Changsheng’s meager strength; when Elder Zhang tried to kill him, several disciples pleaded on his behalf, showing that Wang Changsheng was adept at social maneuvering—unconsciously, he’d become close with the sect’s disciples.

Two difficult-to-control individuals appearing at the heart of the sect was not good news for the Corpse Refining Sect.

Thus, the sect’s intention was surely to make Old Mo and Wang Changsheng their own.

Once they became insiders, there’d be no need for worry.

As for recruiting Old Mo, that was unrealistic. Even if they offered him immense benefits and he agreed on the spot, he’d soon forget.

The only possibility was to draw Wang Changsheng in.

Old Mo remembered only Wang Changsheng; if Wang Changsheng became part of the sect, then Old Mo would be, indirectly, as well.

As long as Wang Changsheng was present, Old Mo, the ticking bomb, would not explode.

“This Corpse Refining Sect is quite calculating!” Wang Changsheng said gravely.

Previously, he hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of surviving, and had muddled through, agreeing to Elder Yun’s appointment. Now, thinking it over, he instantly understood the sect’s motives.

“No wonder Elder Yun made the offer immediately, rather than waiting for me to realize what was happening…”

Wang Changsheng couldn’t help but sigh—anyone who made a name for themselves in the cultivation world was far from simple.

“Never mind for now… As long as Old Mo remains, I have no fear for my life!” Wang Changsheng said quietly. “And after today’s events, even if Old Mo disappears for a while, no one will dare touch me.”

Of course, what pained Wang Changsheng most was the loss of vitality after Elder Zhang took a breath from him.

His temples were flecked with white, indicating his body was once again advancing toward old age, causing him great concern.

Now, Wang Changsheng could no longer rely on spiritual medicine to increase his vitality, unless he came across a miraculous elixir.

The only solution was cultivation, relying on advancement to restore vitality.

He’d reached the ninth stage of Meridian Opening; next was breaking through to the Transformation Stage. The higher the cultivation, the harder the breakthrough. To fully restore his vitality, even another three years might not suffice.

“Elder Zhang…” Wang Changsheng’s expression was full of resentment.

He would never let this matter rest, saying coldly, “Even if you don’t come after me, once I’ve grown strong, I’ll make you pay!”

If the opportunity arose, Wang Changsheng would never let Elder Zhang off. Of course, with his current strength, it was little more than a fantasy—unless Old Mo lent his help. But Wang Changsheng had no intention of seeking Old Mo’s assistance; revenge was something he wanted to handle himself.

Now that his life was safe, and the sect provided abundant resources for cultivation, Wang Changsheng believed he would one day be strong enough to deliver retribution for that stolen breath.

“As for venturing outside, that won’t be so simple…”

Wang Changsheng was no fool; if he could think of it, so could the elders, who’d lived countless years.

He’d spent years in the Corpse Refining Sect and knew some of its secrets—since no one expected him to ever rise, nothing had been hidden from him.

For example, the matter of his appointment as official.

And the sect’s years of abducting people.

If such things leaked out, it would cause a storm and make the sect a public enemy of the cultivation world.

Wang Changsheng felt no sense of belonging to the sect; if he revealed their secrets when outside, what then?

Moreover, letting him lead the disciples on external training was equivalent to entrusting their lives to him.

Such an important matter—how could the sect trust Wang Changsheng?

Just moments ago, they’d wanted to kill him; the elders surely knew he harbored resentment.

Without the tempering of blood and tears, the elders would never trust him.

“I wonder what they’re thinking, or… perhaps they already have a solution for any potential problems,” Wang Changsheng muttered.

The best option would be to kill him, but with Old Mo standing behind him, a single misstep could spell disaster for the sect. They would never take such a risk now.

After careful consideration, Wang Changsheng finally sorted out the day’s events.

Only by being fully prepared could he face the unknown.

With that, Wang Changsheng took out a spirit stone and began cultivating.

Cultivation and strength were the foundation of the cultivation world.

Strength is the ultimate truth; only by becoming powerful could he face any unknown dangers without fear.

The ninth stage of Meridian Opening was the final phase of accumulation. After reaching it, Wang Changsheng found that even consuming more spirit stones did little to increase his true energy.

“It seems I’ve reached the limit of accumulation…” he thought.

Transforming true energy—from the Meridian Opening to the Transformation Stage—was a process of quantitative to qualitative change. When the first drop of true essence appeared, it signaled entry into the Transformation Stage.

After cultivating for a while, Wang Changsheng noticed his true energy hadn't grown substantially, nor were there signs of transformation. He realized something was wrong with his cultivation.

Perhaps the second diagram of the Longevity Art was no longer sufficient, or maybe the transformation of true energy required a special method—one he didn’t know.

“It seems I need to seek out Second Uncle…” Wang Changsheng opened his eyes and spoke quietly.

If the problem lay with the Longevity Art, finding Second Uncle was the wisest course—only he knew about the Longevity Art, and only he could advise where to find the remaining diagrams.

Standing slowly, Wang Changsheng opened the door and stepped outside, heading toward the Corpse Refining Sect.

He was looking for someone.

Little Ash.

Wang Changsheng wanted to confirm with Little Ash whether there was a special method for transforming true energy.

All the techniques cultivated in the Corpse Refining Sect were extremely unique, completely unsuitable for Wang Changsheng’s reference. Only Little Ash hadn’t cultivated the sect’s core techniques, instead practicing other arts from the cultivation world.

Little Ash’s level surely surpassed the Transformation Stage, and their relationship was good. At this moment, only Little Ash could help Wang Changsheng.

As for Old Mo…

Wang Changsheng directly dismissed him.

Old Mo probably didn’t even know what transforming true energy meant, nor even remember what cultivation was.

Arriving at the square, Wang Changsheng didn’t see Little Ash, only a few disciples wandering about.

“Hey Wang, haven’t seen you in a few days—you’re looking good!”

“Yeah, seems you’re lively as ever. Elder Zhang took a breath from you, but you’re acting like nothing happened!”

“If I’d known you were so tough, I’d have taken a bite myself that day!”

…

Hearing their banter, Wang Changsheng could only offer a helpless smile before replying, “You lot never think of anything good, always dreaming of eating and absorbing—people like you, if you venture into the cultivation world, best to go out at noon.”

“Why?” one disciple immediately asked.

Since it involved external training, the disciples naturally felt Wang Changsheng was the most qualified to comment.

“Because…” Wang Changsheng smiled, his tone languid, “it’s easier to get into trouble at dawn or dusk.”