Chapter 18: The Correct Way to Use a Cheat

"An elder's cave dwelling."

After hearing Zhao He's proposal, Lu Yang shook his head. "Senior Brother's invitation is warm, but my divine abilities are unrefined. Currently, I only wish to focus entirely on my cultivation."

"Oh?" Zhao He narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "Could it be that Junior Brother does not trust me?"

"Senior Brother overthinks it. It is just that I have not yet mastered any divine abilities and possess no capacity for combat. Even if I went out with you, I would only be a burden."

Lu Yang's reasoning was perfectly logical.

After all, Zhao He was well aware that Lu Yang had begun speculating on Substitute Death Yin Puppets not long after entering the sect, even using his loans for cultivation manuals from the Library as collateral.

"...Then forget it."

Zhao He shook his head, his expression turning cold.

At this moment, murderous intent had already risen in his heart. After all, he had lost everything down to his very pants, yet Lu Yang was still able to make money and exit the market early.

How could he accept this?

More importantly, the contribution points Lu Yang had earned—the principal of which had been borrowed from him—rounded up, should have all belonged to him!

"Fine, I shall leave it with you for now."

Zhao He sneered inwardly. *Only knowing how to cultivate without practicing combat abilities... does he think he is in one of those righteous prestigious sects where he can cultivate in peace? Once I resolve the matters on Dragon Coil Island, I will find an opportunity to sneak into his cave dwelling late at night and kill him. Those contribution points will be mine just the same.*

"If nothing unexpected happens, that Zhao fellow is probably already thinking of how to deal with me."

Leaving Zhao He's cave dwelling, Lu Yang walked swaggeringly toward the Library. He had already guessed Zhao He's intentions, yet he was not panicked in the slightest.

After all, his past few days had not been spent in vain.

While others were feverishly speculating on Substitute Death Yin Puppets, he had ignored everything else, bought a large quantity of spiritual pills, and immediately entered secluded cultivation.

Levels four through six of Qi Refinement were considered the middle stage; there were no bottlenecks, and one could break through simply by spending money on pills.

And Lu Yang, having made a massive profit of ten thousand contribution points, was naturally not stingy. Consequently, he had already broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, standing at the peak of the middle stage.

As a side note, he had also used contribution points to exchange for a Dust-Washing Pill to cure the venereal disease his original body had brought with him.

As it turned out, the greatest incurable disease in a person's life was poverty.

The reason why Yu Suzhen of his first life had died from his venereal disease was, ultimately, because she lacked money.

As for the middle-stage bottleneck, he had originally wanted to try using Innate Primordial Qi to break through, but unfortunately, perhaps due to insufficient quantity, the effect was negligible.

From this, it was evident that Liu Xin had likely ruined more than just him back then.

As for his claim of not practicing divine abilities, that was naturally just a ruse to fool Zhao He.

In his previous life, he had relied on array formations to launch sneak attacks, which allowed him to barely suppress Zhao He when the latter was exhausted. In this life, there was no need for such trouble.

Even in a head-on confrontation, he had the certainty to escape!

"Senior Brother Wang, have you been well lately?"

Arriving at the Library, Lu Yang skillfully produced a wine gourd and smiled. "Top-quality Drunken Flower Brew. I specifically obtained this for you, Senior Brother."

"...You again, kid."

At the entrance of the Library, Wang Bairong, who looked quite aged, felt his eyelid twitch slightly. He then sighed with emotion, "A single gourd of Drunken Flower Brew costs 50 contribution points."

"You've truly struck it rich, kid."

In this life, Lu Yang had placed great emphasis on building a good relationship with Wang Bairong.

At first, Wang Bairong had been indifferent to him, but ever since the Substitute Death Yin Puppet bubble burst, this senior brother of the Library had treated him much better.

The reason was simple.

Just before the bubble burst, Lu Yang had advised Wang Bairong to sell off a portion of the goods he was hoarding, allowing him to avoid total bankruptcy.

Since then, Wang Bairong had been immensely grateful to him.

"It is pitiful that this old man has lived for decades and still lacks your insight. If you hadn't awakened me, I might have succumbed to cultivation deviation by now."

"Don't say that, Senior Brother. You must not undervalue yourself."

Lu Yang shook his head. "They say it is hard to advise a ghost destined to die. That day, I advised many people, but only you, Senior Brother, truly listened."

"Your courage to pull back from the precipice is also a form of wisdom."

"Hmm..."

Hearing this, Wang Bairong narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard. Although he knew Lu Yang was intentionally flattering him, the words grew more pleasing to his ears the more he heard them.

Immediately after, the two set up a table and chairs and began to drink together.

Wang Bairong was not polite; he poured a full cup of Drunken Flower Brew and downed it in one gulp before speaking slowly, "Kid, what exactly are you after?"

At this moment, this was the only doubt in Wang Bairong's heart.

"We have no kinship. Do you truly believe the rumors outside, thinking this old man is some hidden expert of the Library waiting for a destined person?"

"How could I?"

While pouring wine for Wang Bairong, Lu Yang smiled. "As they say, an elder in the house is like a treasure. I simply feel that for Senior Brother to live to such an age in the Holy Sect, you must possess some skill. Since you serve in the Library, perhaps you could offer some guidance regarding cultivation manuals and divine abilities..."

Lu Yang spoke with extreme sincerity.

Wang Bairong remained noncommittal after hearing this, merely continuing to pour wine. As they drank, he began to complain about the Holy Sect's shameless behavior in harvesting disciples like leeks.

"It is simply beastly!"

"By sheer coincidence, they struck to suppress the prices just as they reached their peak. This was definitely premeditated; there are bad actors among the high-level officials of the Holy Sect!"

Lu Yang echoed him casually while pouring the wine.

Only when Wang Bairong had drunk enough to start swaying his head did Lu Yang lower his voice. "Senior Brother, I came this time because I wish to select a cultivation manual or divine ability."

"I wonder if you have any recommendations? The greater the power of the divine ability, the better!"

"I knew you were after something!" Wang Bairong chuckled triumphantly. "But asking me was the right move!"

Lu Yang hurriedly cupped his hands. "I beg Senior Brother to instruct me."

"First of all, don't even dream of true high-grade divine abilities. Our Library is merely a branch of Heaven-Mending Peak; the power of the manuals and abilities here is limited."

"The truly formidable divine abilities are all up on the Holy Fire Cliff; they can only be learned by true disciples!"

"But that is normal. We disciples in the early and middle stages of Qi Refinement are merely the beasts of burden for the Holy Sect. How could we be granted powerful divine abilities?"

After all, what use does a beast of burden have for such knowledge? Knowing too much could actually be detrimental to unity.

As for true disciples, they were the ones truly integrated into the Holy Sect's establishment—the elites who would inherit the sect's legacy in the future. Naturally, they received a different level of treatment.

"Is there no middle ground?" Lu Yang whispered.

"Of course there is!"

Wang Bairong smiled slightly. Having worked in the Library for over forty years, with such seniority, there was no manual or divine ability in the Library he did not recognize.

Though he did not know the specific contents, he knew exactly what the effects would be once mastered.

"In this Library of ours, if we are talking about divine abilities that possess superior power once mastered, there are actually only three, and each one comes with severe side effects."

"Side effects?"

At this point, Wang Bairong's expression became incredibly solemn as he said deeply, "For example, I know of a divine ability called 'Heavenly Demon Blood-Transforming Divine Light.' It allows one to sacrifice their own body to greatly enhance the power of a magic treasure. However, upon success, not only is one's lifespan shortened, but one can no longer continue to cultivate. It is essentially severing one's own path to immortality."

"Tell me, isn't that a massive side effect?"

Wang Bairong's intention was to scare Lu Yang away, but he did not expect that after hearing his warning, Lu Yang would not feel any disappointment; instead, he became even more excited.

"Such a divine ability is exactly what I should use!"

Although the side effect was indeed massive, it was only massive for *this* life. And what did the side effects of this life have to do with the "me" of the next life?

It seemed he had found the correct way to use the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes]!