Chapter 76
"Disciples wouldn't dare!"
Everyone answered in unison, bowing their heads so fast and neatly they looked like a field of leeks cut down by a sickle.
Wei Houming's indifferent gaze swept across the hall before finally landing on Shen Lijun.
"This position was prepared specifically for you," he said calmly. "What do you think?"
The meaning behind those words was obvious.
If Shen Lijun didn't want it, someone else would gladly take it.
"This disciple is more than willing!"
The moment the words left Elder Wei's mouth, Shen Lijun agreed without hesitation, practically glowing with joy. After seeing everyone scramble for the position just now, he had already started itching to accept it himself.
The crowd instantly filled with resentment.
Damn it. This bastard still came out ahead in the end.
Fifty spirit stones a month! That was a fat, juicy position!
Watching it slip away right in front of them was painful enough to make their hearts bleed. Several disciples were already silently vowing to spread the news throughout the sect later.
Curious about Shen Lijun becoming a puppet?
Go see it yourself.
Hmph. Exhaust him to death.
Meanwhile, Shen Lijun stood there looking unbearably smug. These scheming people had almost stolen his cushy job, but what wasn't theirs would never be theirs.
Wei Houming watched the entire scene with a faintly mysterious smile.
These fools really thought they'd discovered some easy money-making opportunity.
Had they all forgotten this was a punishment?
The monthly spirit stones were merely compensation. Becoming a puppet meant getting beaten regularly. The so-called allowance was basically medical fees.
Unfortunately, Shen Lijun understood none of this.
Thanks to the enthusiastic reactions of the disciples around him, he had completely convinced himself this was an excellent job. In his imagination, once he paid off the sect's debt, every spirit stone afterward would be pure profit.
Only much later, after officially becoming the "puppet," would Shen Lijun realize he was exchanging his life for money.
The physical suffering alone was already miserable enough.
But the mental torture?
That was even worse.
Getting beaten was one thing. Being treated like some kind of performing monkey was another. Sometimes people even forced him to chat with them. If he stayed silent, they'd punch him.
Three hundred and sixty-five days a year. No breaks. No holidays.
Up earlier than chickens. Sleeping later than dogs.
Wherever there was a damaged puppet, he got dragged there like a moving brick.
In less than a month, he would end up running through nearly half the cultivation rooms in the sect, cheeks hollowed out, looking like his soul had been sucked dry.
But right now, Shen Lijun knew none of that.
Under the burning stares of the crowd, he unconsciously lifted his chin and puffed out his chest.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Orderly footsteps echoed from outside the Enforcement Hall.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Several enforcement disciples walked in first, and behind them came a ruddy-faced old man in a simple brown short jacket. He looked like an ordinary farmer one might find tending fields at the foot of a mountain—plain, unassuming, almost rustic.
And yet no one dared ignore him.
It was Elder Jin, the overseer of the cultivation rooms.
The expressions of several disciples, including Si Nidie, instantly became even more respectful. This seemingly harmless old man was a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Greetings, Elder!"
Lou Yuqing followed the others in saluting. A moment later, she heard a faint hum of acknowledgment, and everyone straightened back up.
The moment she looked ahead, she saw Wei Houming had already stepped down from the main seat and was standing before Elder Jin.
Their conversation drifted clearly through the hall.
"Uncle Jin, why did such a minor matter trouble you personally?" Wei Houming asked helplessly.
Originally, he had only planned to contact one of the Golden Core elders overseeing the cultivation rooms. That should have been more than enough.
"I was asked to come."
The ruddy-faced elder clasped his hands behind his back and spoke slowly.
"I heard the formations in the cultivation rooms malfunctioned and allowed disciples to come and go freely. I went to find Old Yang for an explanation, but he refused to believe it and insisted I first understand the full situation."
"Old Yang" referred to the formation master.
Wei Houming naturally couldn't criticize his senior. Besides, the matter still hadn't been fully clarified, so making conclusions too early would be inappropriate.
Still, he already had a strong suspicion.
The reason Shen Lijun could bypass the cultivation room formations was most likely related to the supernatural ability he had awakened.
Right then, Lou Yuqing's inner thoughts rang out again.
[The problem with the formation isn't Master Yang's fault. It's because Shen Lijun's puppet transformation ability includes restriction-breaking properties. I wonder if Captain Wei can figure it out? But how do I hint at it naturally?]
Wei Houming's eyes flickered slightly.
Breaking the cultivation room's restrictions silently and without using proper methods—even he couldn't do that.
If used properly, this ability could become extremely valuable to the sect.
Several ideas instantly flashed through his mind.
Meanwhile, Shen Lijun's eyes lit up.
Such a useful ability?!
He had originally thought the formation itself was faulty. Who knew it was actually because of his supernatural power?
Wouldn't that mean that in the future, any secret realm restriction or formation barrier would be useless against him?
The more he thought about it, the harder it became to suppress his grin.
The others wore far more complicated expressions.
Some were jealous. Some envious. Some bitter.
But in the end, everyone shared the same thought: Why was heaven being so unfair to Shen Lijun?
The ruddy-faced elder noticed the strange shift in atmosphere inside the hall. His divine sense swept quietly across the room, but he found nothing unusual, making him faintly suspicious.
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing was still desperately racking her brain, trying to figure out how to both remind Captain Wei and avoid exposing herself.
Then Wei Houming suddenly spoke. "Uncle Jin, we've already investigated thoroughly. The issue wasn't with Uncle Yang's formations."
He pointed toward Shen Lijun. "It was with him."
Lou Yuqing blinked in surprise.
They already figured it out?
Had she missed that part because she'd been too focused on the gossip?
Hearing this, Elder Jin glanced toward Shen Lijun. A trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes.
This young man didn't look particularly remarkable.
He withdrew his gaze and asked flatly, "Oh? Explain."
Wei Houming subtly glanced toward Lou Yuqing. Seeing the girl still deep in thought, he carefully chose his words.
"After questioning him, we've preliminarily determined that Shen Lijun awakened a supernatural ability. His ability not only allows him to transform into puppets, but also grants him the power to break restrictions. That's why he can pass through the cultivation room formations unhindered."
As he spoke, he continued observing Lou Yuqing from the corner of his eye.
When he saw her suddenly reveal an expression of realization, as though she'd finally figured something out, he unconsciously relaxed a little.
A glimmer of interest flashed through Elder Jin's eyes.
He looked Shen Lijun up and down, making Shen Lijun increasingly uncomfortable.
"Release your supernatural ability," Elder Jin ordered. "Let this old man see it."
With a wave of his rough, calloused hand, a transparent barrier instantly appeared in the center of the hall. Light shimmered across its surface as it expanded outward.
"This disciple obeys."
Shen Lijun clenched his fists nervously.
Silently sensing the strange power within himself, he focused his thoughts.
In the next instant, his body transformed into that metallic puppet form again.
He stepped toward the barrier.
But the moment his foot touched it, resistance stopped him cold.
His raised leg froze awkwardly in midair.
Gritting his teeth, cheeks bulging from exertion, Shen Lijun stomped down harder.
Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie immediately began whispering through voice transmission.
"Senior Sister, do you think he'll succeed?" Lou Yuqing asked.
Si Nidie replied uncertainly, "Fifty-fifty."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Shen Lijun's foot slowly pushed through the barrier.
Gasps erupted throughout the hall.
He actually did it.
The next second, Shen Lijun abruptly lost all strength.
His body swayed violently as he stumbled back out, gasping for breath like someone drowning.
Wei Houming immediately pulled him away from the barrier.
Shen Lijun's face was deathly pale. After a long pause, he finally forced out a weak sentence.
"This disciple... is incompetent."
His spiritual energy had been completely drained dry. Every muscle in his body screamed in pain.
For a brief moment just now, he'd genuinely thought the barrier's backlash was going to crush him alive.
The expressions around the hall became extremely complicated.
If this counted as incompetence... then what were they?
That barrier had been casually created by a Nascent Soul cultivator. Normally, forget breaking through it—people at their level wouldn't even qualify to witness such a thing.
Elder Jin suddenly burst into laughter. "This little fellow's supernatural ability is quite interesting. He actually managed to shake my barrier."
He turned toward Wei Houming. "Houming, you try."
Although the barrier had been casually formed, it was still fundamentally a Nascent Soul-level technique. Even slightly breaching it was already astonishing.
Wei Houming acknowledged the order and stepped forward.
Spiritual energy wrapped around his right hand as he pressed his palm against the barrier.
Ripples exploded outward endlessly.
Clang!
Metal-attributed spiritual energy erupted from Wei Houming's body, converging onto his palm in dazzling golden light. The grating sound of violent friction pierced everyone's ears.
The barrier rippled like water stirred by spring wind.
At the same time, Wei Houming's expression gradually became solemn.
Lou Yuqing frowned slightly.
Captain Wei looked like he was struggling even more than Shen Lijun, despite his far superior cultivation.
Was this really the power of supernatural abilities?
Even acquired supernatural powers were still heights ordinary cultivators could never hope to touch.
"I am ashamed, Uncle."
Sensing he was approaching his limit while still unable to break through, Kui Houming decisively withdrew his hand and dispersed the backlash force.
Elder Jin patted his shoulder, unsurprised by the result.
Shen Lijun's performance, however, had genuinely exceeded expectations.
"You brat, come with me. I'll arrange a position for you."
Laughing heartily, Elder Jin grabbed Shen Lijun by the arm—and vanished on the spot before Shen Lijun could even react.
Lou Yuqing silently marveled.
This elder really was decisive. He came suddenly and left just as suddenly.
Then she closed the gossip panel.
The system slowly displayed a final line of text:
Meanwhile, after Elder Jin dragged Shen Lijun away, he conducted several additional tests on Shen Lijun's supernatural ability.
Once it was confirmed that Shen Lijun truly could move freely through the cultivation room formations, a special "shackle" was immediately placed on him to prevent him from secretly siphoning spiritual energy again.
At this point, Shen Lijun's miserable life had not even officially begun.
Later that night, he sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, trying to cultivate.
A short while later, he abruptly opened his eyes in frustration and scratched his head violently.
"Senior Chunfeng..."
Until this matter was clarified, he couldn't settle his mind at all.
After hesitating for a long moment, Shen Lijun finally pulled out a communication array plate from his storage bag and began tapping it anxiously with his fingers.
The communication array plate was a mid-grade magic artifact.
Expensive.
It allowed long-distance communication between two parties, but every use consumed spirit stones—one hundred spirit stones per incense stick's worth of conversation.
Normally, Shen Lijun would've been heartbroken over such a cost.
But right now, he couldn't care less anymore.