Chapter 38: Am I Just a Scapegoat?

"Qingyu has taken the liberty to invite Fellow Daoist Li here. I hope you do not take offense."

Li Changsheng looked up and saw a young woman in white standing inside the carriage. She wore a white dress, her skin as smooth as jade, and her flawless features gave her an ethereal beauty.

Although Li Changsheng had seen countless beauties in his past life and even had intimate relations with the stunning Bai Qing'er, this woman before him was on an entirely different level.

She looked like a celestial being who had descended to the mortal world, as if she didn't belong to this realm.

What surprised Li Changsheng the most was that this woman not only had the appearance of a celestial being but also possessed a cultivation level at the early Golden Core stage, similar to his own. Yet, she appeared to be only in her early twenties.

However, Li Changsheng only glanced at her briefly before averting his eyes.

Beauty was nice, but his goal was immortality!

Moreover, someone so young and already at the Golden Core stage must come from an extraordinary background!

"May I ask who you are?"

Li Changsheng asked directly.

"This humble girl is Su Qingyu. Fellow Daoist Li, I've taken the liberty to invite you here because I wish to invite you to join my Su family."

Su Qingyu smiled slightly and gestured for Li Changsheng to sit across from her.

"Lu He, please prepare tea for Fellow Daoist Li."

"Yes!"

Lu He first brewed three tea leaves with spiritual water. A rich tea aroma immediately filled the carriage. Just a single whiff made Li Changsheng feel the circulation of his true energy speed up slightly.

'This is…'

Li Changsheng looked at the tea in front of him with a surprised expression. These tea leaves were undoubtedly extraordinary. If he could use such tea leaves for cultivation every day, his cultivation speed would at least double.

The young woman in white seemed to notice Li Changsheng's curiosity and smiled. "These are spiritual tea leaves left by my family's ancestors. After so many generations, there aren't many left by the time they reached me."

"Fellow Daoist, if you like, I can share a portion with you."

Li Changsheng shook his head slightly. "No need. May I ask why you've sought me out? Are you from the Su family? What is your relationship with White Tower?"

If there were a large quantity of such spiritual tea, combined with the simulator, he could quickly raise his strength to the peak of the Golden Core stage or even the Nascent Soul stage. But since the quantity was limited, it wasn't worth it.

"White Tower is one of my Su family's businesses," Su Qingyu said softly, looking at Li Changsheng. "I originally came to the Tunmen Market's auction to bid on an item before leaving the Qi Kingdom. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist to give me such a pleasant surprise."

"Have you successfully formed your Golden Core?"

So young, and already at the Golden Core stage?

"Indeed."

Li Changsheng didn't hide it. Although he hadn't displayed his Golden Core strength, since Su Qingyu had mentioned it, she must have some means of discerning his cultivation level.

Lu He, on the other hand, was shocked, her mouth slightly agape.

As Su Qingyu's personal maid, she knew a lot of inside information. She knew that this young man was only twenty-one years old, a year younger than her mistress, yet he had already formed his Golden Core.

Her young mistress, with her Heavenly Spiritual Root aptitude and the vast resources of the Su family, had only achieved the Golden Core stage last year!

"As I thought."

Su Qingyu's expression also turned somewhat complicated. She spoke softly, "Originally, I just wanted to establish a good relationship with Fellow Daoist. But now that your strength has exceeded my expectations, I'd like to formally invite you to join my Su family. Whether it's divine abilities, cultivation techniques, or resources, we will ensure you are satisfied."

Li Changsheng thought for a moment and asked in a low voice:

"What would I need to do if I joined the Su family?"

"Nothing. Fellow Daoist can focus on cultivation. You only need to accompany me to a location ten years from now." Su Qingyu's expression turned serious. "I won't deceive you—the place is indeed dangerous. Even I can't guarantee I'll come out unscathed, but that place can help you step into a new realm!"

A new realm?

Li Changsheng looked puzzled.

"Fellow Daoist, you probably don't know this yet, but the entire Tiannan region is actually inside a relic. The four forbidden lands surrounding Tiannan are the entrances to this relic."

Su Qingyu explained slowly:

"This is something I learned from my grandfather. Originally, there were no cultivators in Tiannan. Whether it's the Sunset Sect or the cultivation sects in the Southern Zhao and Molo Kingdoms, they all came from outside Tiannan, all for the sake of the opportunities hidden within."

"Originally, the major forces from the outside world agreed to open the relic once every ten thousand years, each relying on their own abilities to seek opportunities. But it's been a hundred thousand years since anyone last entered…"

As Su Qingyu spoke, Li Changsheng's brows furrowed.

According to Su Qingyu, the entire Tiannan region was merely the center of a relic—a legacy left behind by an ancient sect. Families like the Su family and sects like the Sunset Sect were established by cultivators who had entered the relic but failed to leave in time.

The place Su Qingyu invited him to visit in ten years was suspected to be the location of this legacy and was also the most likely place to leave Tiannan.

"But according to the information White Tower previously gave me, wasn't the Sunset Sect established just over ten thousand years ago?" Li Changsheng asked in a low voice.

"That information is only for ordinary cultivators," Su Qingyu shook her head. "If Fellow Daoist hadn't achieved the Golden Core stage, I wouldn't have shared this with you."

"In Tiannan, there are two other forces that are not weaker than my Su family. To compete for the opportunities there, one must at least have Golden Core cultivation to be qualified to enter."

"Do you know about the Medicine King Sect?" Li Changsheng asked softly.

"Oh?"

Su Qingyu looked at Li Changsheng in surprise. "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist to know about the Medicine King Sect."

"Perhaps the Medicine King Sect has contacted you as well? The Medicine King Sect is indeed on par with my Su family. Currently, they have a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing their sect, and the Long family also has a Nascent Soul cultivator."

The Medicine King Sect only has Nascent Soul cultivators?

Li Changsheng frowned slightly. The Medicine King Sect's strength was weaker than he had imagined?

How then to explain the Medicine King Sect's powerhouse in the simulation who shattered the Diamond Sect's secret realm with a single punch?

The more he talked with Su Qingyu, the more doubts arose in Li Changsheng's mind. If Su Qingyu wasn't lying, then it was possible that before he turned one hundred and sixty, the relic would reopen, and the Medicine King Sect's experts from the outside world would enter the relic and locate the Diamond Sect's secret realm.

'There's still time!'

Li Changsheng thought to himself.

If the Medicine King Sect in Tiannan only had Nascent Soul cultivators, he could earn enough money in the next few years to sweep them away!

But if Su Qingyu's words were true, then the information about the Diamond Sect's secret realm was suspicious!

"Simulate!"

Li Changsheng silently activated the simulator.

Fortunately, he still had three simulation opportunities left. He wanted to see who was lying!

[At age twenty-one, you had a pleasant conversation with Su Qingyu outside Misty Valley and agreed to join the Su family as a guest elder. You accompanied Su Qingyu to the Tunmen Market to attend the auction.]

[After the auction ended, members of the Sunset Sect and the Wan family of Misty Valley ambushed you. You shattered their formation with a single sword strike, killing all the attackers!]

[Three months later, you followed Su Qingyu back to the Su family, where you received ample resources and went into seclusion to cultivate.]

[At age thirty-one, you, Su Qingyu, and two Golden Core cultivators from the Su family went to the location of the opportunity. You were ambushed by the combined forces of the Long family and the Medicine King Sect. Su Qingyu was severely injured in an instant, and the two Su family Golden Core cultivators were also at a disadvantage. At the critical moment, you unleashed your full strength, killing three Golden Core cultivators. The Long family's young master activated a Nascent Soul talisman. You desperately blocked it, but the Long family and Medicine King Sect cultivators escaped.]

[Three days later, you found nothing at the site of the opportunity and returned to the Su family.]

[Half a month later, two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Medicine King Sect and the Long family's ancestor arrived at the Su family, demanding your surrender. The Su family's ancestors directly refused, and a great battle erupted outside the Su family. The two Su family ancestors were injured, and the Medicine King Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators and the Long family's ancestor left.]

[At age ninety-five, with the abundant resources provided by the Su family, you successfully reached the mid-Golden Core stage.]

[At age one hundred and forty, a massive gate appeared in the sky, and countless powerful figures descended. The Medicine King Sect's experts came to the Su family, demanding your surrender. The Su family experts intervened to stop them.]

[One day later, Su Qingyu secretly led you away from the Su family. Along the way, you were discovered by the Medicine King Sect. You and Su Qingyu were captured. You immediately revealed the location of the Diamond Sect's secret realm to the Medicine King Sect.]

[Three days later, the Medicine King Sect's experts took you and Su Qingyu to the secret realm. With a single hand, they shattered the secret realm. The Medicine King Sect's experts fought with Old Su, who was no match and was severely injured. The secret realm collapsed, and Old Su was rescued by a mysterious young man.]

[One day later, the Medicine King Sect's experts muttered, 'So it was just a scapegoat,' before crushing you to death.]

[You died!]