23 Zhang wei

"I heard the news that the dragon sect announced is likely to be true."

"Yeah it is likely to be true after all the major sects are going to assemble."

"Sigh all the opportunities will probably go to the major sect disciple so no point in worrying about it.."

"Maybe we could get our chance to get some benefits from the young master."

Two lone cultivators were discussing as they sprinted across the dragon sect.

From their tone you could tell that they harboured a deep resentment towards the four great sects.

The four great sects have fully captured all the meagre resources of the lower realm since time immemorial which has caused lone cultivators to have a deep hatred of them.

They have been suppressed by the sect disciples for ages.

To the point that they found a glimmer of hope in an unknown person who likely wouldn't care about them.

Meanwhile, the three sects were converging upon the Dragon Sect with full force, leaving behind only a few elders or disciples to guard their respective sects. The Sword Sect proudly rode on their guardian beast, a giant bird in the Golden Core realm, emanating a terrifying aura of pride and arrogance. The Fairy Sect rode on their symbolic beast, a giant black butterfly, smaller in size but exuding a comparable aura to the Sword Sect.

In contrast, the Blue Wave Sect was relatively weaker than the other sects. Despite riding on a giant blue whale, their aura was comparatively inferior, marking them as the lesser sect among the three.

In a spacious room of an inner sect disciple of the Blue Wave Sect, a youth was cultivating peacefully. His body was surrounded by a gentle aura, the result of his diligent cultivation practice. The room was adorned with ancient scriptures and artifacts, emanating a serene and mystical ambiance.

"Finally, I am going to break through the peak of the Qi Refining realm," the young man whispered, his voice filled with anticipation. He could feel the energy within him surging, as if on the brink of a major breakthrough. His breathing steadied, and his mind cleared as he delved deeper into his meditation.

However, just as the young man was on the brink of success, a sudden pain struck his heart, disrupting his tranquillity. Pain ripped through his body, and his eyes flew open in shock. The flow of energy within him became chaotic, causing him to convulse involuntarily. With a gasp, he expelled a mouthful of blood, staining the pristine floor beneath him.

"What just happened to me? It felt like someone had taken something precious from me." the youth muttered, clutching his chest. He reached into his storage bag and retrieved a mirror, filling him with confidence.

"Whoever that bastard is, I will kill him and take back what he stole from me." the youth thought fiercely. He then took out a healing pill and placed it in the mirror, which unexpectedly duplicated the pill.

A smile of relief spread across the youth's face as he consumed the duplicated healing pill, initiating the healing process for his wounds. "Dammit! I had planned to reach at least the peak of the qi refining realm for the sect assembly, but it seems unlikely now."

As the youth's thoughts dwelled on the incident, his hatred towards the individual who caused his setback intensified.

Unbeknownst to lu shen, he was completely unaware of the fact that he had essentially stolen an opportunity from the protagonist. As he was indulging himself, luxuriously being attended to by three beautiful women.

If Lu Shen were to discover the truth, he would undoubtedly feel a surge of happiness. Ever since his reincarnation into this world of cultivation as a villain, he has already decided on his path on milking those cliche protagonists.

After all, Lu Shen knew that they didn't follow common sense and could even threaten him based on the novels he had read in his previous life, but he didn't completely believe that the so-called protagonists were so heaven-defying amidst all the trouble. This is the real world, not a novel world that writers create to fulfil their cliché fantasies.

"Young master, the tea is ready," Zhao Qing said in a reverent tone, brimming with complete submission.

When Lu Shen brought the tea near his mouth to sip, an instant heavenly fragrance enveloped his senses, further relaxing him and allowing a slight increase in his cultivation.

The tea was infused with heavenly herbs that would likely be considered invaluable treasures in the lower realm. This was merely Lu Shen's regular consumption, excluding the resources he used for cultivation. As the young crown prince, he possessed enough wealth to outright buy a lower realm. That's why lower realms were looked down upon, as they were perceived as mere dry shells utilised solely by the younger generation to comprehend the laws.

Lu Shen had decided to end his seclusion prematurely, realising that this time he hadn't gained much. While reaching the Foundation Establishment realm was relatively straightforward, it was the process of comprehending and integrating the dao that proved to be the most time-consuming.

Although Lu Shen made progress in understanding the five fundamental dao of nature, he had not yet fully integrated them into a cohesive Dao pillar. This task was a very tedious process which required time.

And the sect assembly he called will be soon gathered so he ended his seclusion early.

"Hmm, Li Qianglan, as my slave, you should wear finer attire. Those clothes you're wearing are of poor quality, resembling those of a beggar."

The clothes Li Qianglan had on were exclusive artefacts reserved for the heiress, crafted from durable and flexible materials capable of refining low-level artefacts. In the lower realm, countless low cultivators would risk their lives to obtain such garments. However, in Lu Shen's eyes, their quality was comparable to that of a beggar's attire. Despite her status as his slave, her clothing still reflected on his reputation.

"Thank you, young master," Li Qianglan bowed as her master, acknowledging his power to determine her fate. To her, a change of clothes held little significance, particularly since he had already engaged in intimate acts with her, excluding taking her virginity.

Besides, it was a universal truth that women in every world appreciated new clothes.

Lu shen took out a dress from his spatial ring and casually handed it to li qianglan.