Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 182: Junior Sister, I Will Help You

“Elder Mu?”

Lu Yun’s voice dripped with disappointment. “It’s Elder Mu! Why wasn’t it my Master…”

Yuan Shengjiao smacked his arm, shooting him a glare that warned him to shut his mouth.

Elder Mu breaking through to the Golden Core realm was a monumental victory for the sect. To voice disappointment now was not just rude; it was politically suicidal.

As Sect Leader Qi made the formal proclamation, the entire population of Wanchun Valley—Deacons, Inner and Outer Disciples, and even the Laborer Disciples—bowed in unison toward the main peak, their voices rising in a wave of congratulations.

Han Yu bowed with them, feeling a knot of tension loosen in his chest.

Three Golden Core cultivators.

With Elder Mu’s ascension, Wanchun Valley finally had a stabilizing tripod of power. In the cutthroat politics of the Southern Region, this was a game-changer. They no longer needed to fear the petty schemes of the Little Sky Net Sect. Even if the Mystic One Sect decided to flip-flop on their alliances again, Wanchun Valley had the strength to stand its ground.

He mentally tallied the sect’s assets. There were still four powerful elders at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment: Wen, Lü, Bai, and Mou. If even two of them managed to cross the threshold, Wanchun Valley would have no equal in the region.

And if the Myriad Phenomena Sect from the Central Heaven Domain decides to extend their reach here, Han Yu thought, his eyes narrowing slightly, having a few more heavy hitters gives us bargaining chips. We might survive the collision.

After the ceremony concluded, Han Yu returned to the Battle Hall. The celebration didn’t pay the bills, and he had a job to do. Even though the instructor salary was no longer the lucrative “one Minor Merit per day” it used to be, it was steady income that didn’t interfere with his cultivation.

He was midway through correcting a disciple’s stance when Elder Lü arrived, moving with a hurried urgency.

“Han Yu,” Elder Lü called out. “Come with me. We’re going to pay our respects to Elder Mu.”

Han Yu nodded, dusting off his robes.

Yuan Shengjiao, sensing a chance to get news, stepped forward quickly. “Elder Lü, is my Master still in secluded cultivation?”

Elder Lü paused, his expression unreadable. After a moment of hesitation, he sighed. “You should come too.”

Yuan Shengjiao froze, a flicker of dread crossing her face.

As they boarded Elder Lü’s flying boat, Lu Yun scrambled forward, waving his hand. “Elder Lü! Take me too!”

Elder Lü looked down at the disheveled genius, his brow furrowing in distaste. “Fine. You may come. But do not step foot on my magical artifact. Fly yourself to the main hall.”

With a surge of spiritual energy, the flying boat shot into the sky, carrying Han Yu and Yuan Shengjiao toward the summit.

Lu Yun was left standing in the dust. He hastily summoned his own magical artifact to chase after them, grumbling loudly. “There was plenty of room! Why make me fly solo?”

A passing disciple leaned over, snickering. “Elder Lü thinks you’re too sleazy, Senior Brother Lu!”

Lu Yun blinked, genuinely offended. “Sleazy? It’s just natural human desire! I don’t hurt anyone! How is that sleazy?”

The flying boat descended smoothly outside the Grand Hall.

“You and Lu Yun wait here,” Elder Lü instructed Yuan Shengjiao. “I will take Han Yu in first. Senior Sister Wen will see you shortly.”

The color drained from Yuan Shengjiao’s face. There was no joy in her eyes now, only panic. “Master is out? Is she… is she alright?”

Elder Lü didn’t answer. He turned and beckoned for Han Yu to follow.

Stepping across the threshold, Han Yu expected the atmosphere of a victory feast. What he found was the heavy, suffocating silence of a funeral.

He immediately saw two figures seated at the head of the room.

One was Elder Yan, a Golden Core cultivator known for his harsh, almost sinister demeanor. Yet, at this moment, his sharp eyes were softened, fixed with intense concern on the woman sitting beside him.

It was Elder Wen.

Han Yu felt a cold jolt. He remembered Elder Wen from his time in the Spirit Field Department—a vibrant woman with hair that was only beginning to gray. Now, her hair was stark white, a curtain of snow cascading down her shoulders.

Coupled with the fact that the Sect Leader had only announced Elder Mu’s success, the truth was brutal and undeniable.

“Junior Sister Wen…” Elder Yan whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

Elder Wen let out a sharp, dry laugh. “Good. Very good. I like that title! I’ve been trying to get you to fix how you address me for years, and now you finally do it.”

She shifted, her tone turning feisty despite her frail appearance. “And what is with that face? I failed a breakthrough, I didn’t die. Why are you looking at me like I’m about to ascend to the afterlife?”

Elder Yan faltered, then forced a stiff smile. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have underestimated you, Junior Sister Wen.”

“That’s better.” She nodded, satisfied, before turning her gaze to Han Yu. “So, this is the ‘Universal Comprehension’ genius of our Wanchun Valley? Coming from the Spirit Field Department, just like that lazy brat Lu Yun. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.”

She sighed, a wistful look in her eyes. “If I had known, I would have snatched you up as a disciple back then, too.”

Elder Lü, standing beside Han Yu, tried to lighten the mood. “As I told you both, a lot happened while you were in seclusion. The Spirit Beast Sect is gone, Han Yu revealed his talents, and we have the headache of the Little Sky Net Sect and the Myriad Phenomena Sect.”

“Frightening,” Elder Wen murmured. “We went into seclusion to prepare for the Spirit Beast Sect and their Demonic Cultivator allies. We worried about the Mystic One Sect stabbing us in the back. And now that we’re out… the board has been flipped completely.”

“Indeed. Times have changed,” Elder Mu said.

Han Yu looked at the new Golden Core master. Elder Mu sat on the other side, his aura powerful and resonant, yet his face was etched with worry.

“Yes,” Elder Mu continued, shaking his head. “I have achieved the Golden Core, yet when I think of the monsters from the Central Heaven Domain looming over us… I feel no joy. Wanchun Valley is still a house of cards waiting for a breeze. We are precarious as a stack of eggs.”

Elder Wen snapped her head toward him. “Oh, shut up, Mu. Don’t sit there acting depressed when you’ve just achieved what we all dream of. This is the time to be happy!”

Elder Mu looked earnest. “But I am genuinely worried about the sect’s future.”

“And I genuinely want to hit you,” Elder Wen shot back, her voice cracking with a mix of humor and raw pain. “Be happy when you should be happy! Otherwise, what am I supposed to do? I failed. My foundation is damaged. Should I go back to my cave and cry in the dark?”

“Junior Sister Wen,” Elder Yan interrupted, his face dead serious. “I will help you.”

Elder Mu sat there, stunned. What did I do? I’m just being responsible! Why am I threatened with a beating for worrying about the sect?

He sighed, deciding not to argue with the woman who had lost everything today, nor the man who doted on her. He turned his attention to Han Yu, his expression hardening into professional scrutiny.

“Han Yu,” Elder Mu began. “The Sect Leader and your Master have told me a great deal about you. They say you mastered the Star Luo Traction Technique provided by the Sect Leader. They claim your Phantom Body Technique, Vision Confusing Technique, and Beast Heart Psychic Pact exceed the proficiency of all others.”

He leaned forward. “They say that through the Spirit Blood Technique, you obtained a Demonic Cultivator’s blood talisman, allowing you to cultivate without the barbarism of devouring essence blood. They say you used the Spirit Root Refining Art to refine a Spirit Root, evolving from four roots to three.”

“And finally,” Elder Mu listed, “The Green Wood Protection Technique. You mastered it without the aid of spiritual wood aura, yet your single layer of defense is supposedly unbreakable by ordinary Qi Refining disciples.”

The Golden Core pressure weighed down on Han Yu. “Is all of this true?”

“Elder Mu,” Han Yu replied, his voice steady. “It is true.”

“Then show me. Show Elder Wen,” Elder Mu commanded. “The Sect Leader has decided to grant you access to the Ancestral Tree Earth Vein to borrow the remaining Spirit Infusion Power. Your Master has vouched for you with his reputation. But this is a matter of strategic importance.”

His eyes bored into Han Yu’s. “If you are a true prodigy, I will not block your path. I will do everything to help you rise. But I must see it with my own eyes.”

Han Yu understood. This was the final gate. The Ancestral Tree Earth Vein was the sect’s heart; they wouldn’t open it for just anyone.

He didn’t waste words. He stepped back and flared his qi.

The Green Wood Protection Technique manifested instantly, a shimmering barrier of verdant energy that felt solid as steel. He flowed seamlessly into the Phantom Body Technique, his form blurring and splitting, making it impossible to pinpoint his true location.

He cycled through the techniques with the precision of a machine, demonstrating the depth of his understanding.

Silence filled the hall once more, but this time, it was the silence of awe.

Elder Mu and Elder Wen exchanged a look of disbelief.

“Does such a thing truly exist?” Elder Wen whispered, her earlier melancholy replaced by shock. “Universal Comprehension… to master so many arts without draining the sect’s resources?”

Elder Mu let out a long breath, a genuine smile finally breaking through his worry. “Since the skills are real, and the Sect Leader has vetted your loyalty… then we agree.”

He nodded at Han Yu. “You have our permission to enter the Ancestral Tree Earth Vein.”