I Can Add Points Infinitely - Chapter 21

Shen Lian didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, picked up the storage pouch, and opened it.

The pouch held few items—mostly basic necessities. Among them were four martial arts manuals, but not a single spirit stone or pill remained. It was clear that Yu Sheng had consumed everything he had over the years.

For Shen Lian, martial techniques were just as valuable as any other treasure, so this haul was still worthwhile.

The four manuals included two fist techniques and one leg technique, all of which were Yellow Grade Lower Rank. The last one was a Beast Taming Art, categorized as a special type without a level.

It took Shen Lian over two hours to study all four manuals, adding 400 skill points to his total. He spent 32 of these points to upgrade the newly acquired techniques to the Perfection level, including the Beast Taming Art.

According to the manual, once the Beast Taming Art reached Perfection, it allowed the user to forcibly tame a beast with a cultivation level up to three minor stages below their own. After being tamed, the beast could be nurtured to exceed the tamer’s level by one major realm, but no higher.

This ability was of little use to Shen Lian, as he could quickly level up through the system, whereas beasts could not. He had no plans to go to the Shadow Forest to find a beast to tame; if the opportunity arose, he would do it casually. If not, it was no loss.

With over 300 skill points remaining, Shen Lian instinctively allocated them to Embryonic Sword Intent. As usual, he felt his understanding of sword intent deepening, but there was still no visible change in the system’s attribute panel.

Unconcerned, Shen Lian stored the four manuals and retraced his steps, exiting the underground tunnel.

However, as soon as he stepped back onto the surface, he felt a powerful aura locking onto him.

He looked ahead and saw a yellow-robed figure hovering quietly in mid-air, gazing at him with a cold, emotionless stare.

“Floating in the air… a Foundation Establishment cultivator!” Shen Lian’s heart sank, and his expression turned grim.

Foundation Establishment. The name alone signified its importance in cultivation. This realm marked the true beginning of the path to immortality, setting one apart from ordinary mortals.

At the Foundation Establishment stage, spiritual energy underwent a qualitative transformation, its power multiplying many times over. Techniques such as sword flight and hovering in the air were hallmarks of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

While one could often see battle prowess trump cultivation level in the Body Refinement and Qi Refinement stages, this became increasingly difficult from the Foundation Establishment stage onward. Each minor step represented a significant increase in power, making even small jumps in level challenging.

For a Qi Refinement cultivator to defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator was unheard of—utterly impossible, akin to a child with a toy squirt gun challenging a fully armed special forces soldier.

Shen Lian remained alert, his eyes fixed on the figure before him. The stranger’s presence was anything but friendly; otherwise, Shen Lian wouldn’t have been immediately targeted the moment he stepped out.

The oppressive aura felt like needles against his skin, intensely uncomfortable.

“Took you this long to deal with a waste driven mad by cultivation deviation? I overestimated you,” the yellow-robed figure remarked dismissively.

“Oh? Were you waiting here for me this entire time?” Shen Lian asked, his voice steady but his mind racing.

“Hmph, no need to test me. I’ll make it clear: I’ve been following you since you left the sect,” the figure replied casually.

Shen Lian’s heart tightened. From this admission, he quickly pieced together several truths. The man had been tailing him undetected, which wasn’t surprising given the strength disparity. But how had he tracked Shen Lian so closely?

The Mission Hall.

Of course—only the Mission Hall knew exactly when Shen Lian left the sect and his objective. This meant there was a mole in the Mission Hall who had been keeping tabs on him.

With only a few enemies within the sect, there was little doubt who would go to such lengths to keep watch over him. He scrutinized the figure before him and noticed a small insignia embroidered on his collar.

“So, you’re one of the Wang clan’s elites,” Shen Lian said calmly.

Having spent considerable time in Azure Cloud Sect, Shen Lian was well-informed about the Wang family’s deep roots and considerable influence. The insignia on the man’s collar was the Wang clan’s crest.

“Ha… Seems you’re not entirely clueless. At least you have some brains,” the man smirked, unbothered by Shen Lian’s recognition. He continued, “Since you seem to understand the situation, I won’t waste time beating around the bush.”

“I am Wang Hongde, ninth-ranked among the third generation of the Wang clan. You may address me as Wang Jiu,” he introduced himself arrogantly. “I’m here to question you about the disappearance of my relatives, Wang Yanglie and his son, Wang Hui.”

“I advise you to be sensible. Don’t waste my time with lies that you know nothing. I wouldn’t be here without concrete evidence.”

“Tell me where Wang Yanglie and his son are—or where their bodies lie—or face consequences that will make you wish you were dead.”

As he finished speaking, Wang Hongde’s aura surged violently, crashing down on Shen Lian like a mountain. The pressure felt as heavy as a thousand weights, stifling his breath and constricting his chest.

This was no physical attack but a suppression of will, a crude manifestation of divine sense that Foundation Establishment cultivators could employ.

Shen Lian gritted his teeth, enduring the mental onslaught. Although he managed to avoid humiliation, his face had turned pale.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Lian let out a sigh, as though he had given up on something. Raising his head, he looked Wang Hongde in the eyes and spoke earnestly, “Fine. I was afraid of getting into trouble, so I kept it hidden. Since you’ve already figured it out, I’ll tell you. They are…”

Wang Hongde listened attentively, but just as Shen Lian was about to reveal the location, he suddenly turned and sprinted toward the cave behind him.

“Hmph, overestimating yourself,” Wang Hongde sneered, raising his hand and casually striking the air. A surge of force shot forth.

Boom!

Shen Lian had barely covered a few meters when a powerful impact struck. The ground shook violently, dust billowed, and the cave entrance was reduced to a large crater, completely sealing off any possible escape.