C16 A Convincing Reason

Wei Lulin stared at the remnants of the Low Rank Spirit Stone in his hand, now reduced to mere dust, and he reluctantly ceased his cultivation practice. Deprived of the Spirit Stone's aid, relying solely on the absorption of Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy was painfully slow.

In fact, when Wei Lulin had achieved a breakthrough to Qi Refining Stage Level Two, he had already attempted to cultivate without the aid of Spirit Stones, drawing only upon his innate talent to harness the Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy. Yet, the pace of his progress was excruciatingly sluggish.

Having once relished the exhilaration of swift advancement in his cultivation level, Wei Lulin found the current snail-paced progress maddening.

To prevent the emergence of inner demons, Wei Lulin had no choice but to halt his cultivation efforts.

He rose to his feet, stretching his limbs, and began pacing around the cave, lost in thought.

Wei Lulin pondered his next move. Without Spirit Stones to assist his cultivation, he needed to strategize his return to the Wei family.

A month had elapsed since Wei Lulin's narrow escape from Yao Yafeng's ambush and his retreat to the cave. Having been absent from the public eye for so long, the Wei family likely presumed him dead in the Endless Forest. Upon his unexpected return to Lindorin Town, he would have to concoct a believable story for those who had written him off as another casualty of the forest.

Moreover, Wei Lulin was no longer the incapable individual unable to pursue cultivation. In just one month, he had advanced to Qi Refining Stage Level Two, his cultivation speed vastly surpassing that of someone with High Level Grade Eight Cultivation Talent. The question now was whether to disclose this remarkable progress to the family's upper echelons.

This was Wei Lulin's greatest concern. His newfound ability to cultivate stemmed from the extraordinary power of copying and pasting he acquired after transmigration. This miraculous ability promised to be increasingly beneficial in the future, and it was imperative that it remained a secret known only to him.

If Wei Lulin chose not to reveal his capability to cultivate to his family, he would be forced to pursue his cultivation journey in solitude. He would have to fend for himself, securing all necessary Cultivation Resources and facing any dangers alone.

No, that wouldn't do.

Wei Lulin swiftly dismissed the thought. On the cutthroat Eternal Continent, the notion of solitary cultivation was not just impractical; it was virtually impossible. The struggle for Cultivation Resources was one thing, but mere survival was an entirely different challenge.

Even those experts who seem to be lone wolves are actually backed by powerful forces. Without such support, they would have been eliminated by rival powerhouses long ago.

Moreover, an individual's cultivation journey requires not only Spirit Stones, Pills, and Divine Weapons and Sharp Artifacts, but also an advanced Cultivation Method.

Consider the Grand Profound Heart Sutra. When Wei Lulin's cultivation reaches the peak of the Body Refining Stage, he must rely on the Level Three Cultivation Method of the Grand Profound Heart Sutra to advance. This method is tightly controlled by the clan patriarch, Wei Bochen. Without access to the later stages of the method, how can he progress on his own?

Wei Lulin must inform his family that he is capable of cultivating once again and demonstrate his exceptional talent to garner the attention of the clan's elite. Then, whether it's advanced Cultivation Methods, high-level martial skills, or a wealth of Cultivation Resources, he will easily acquire them.

Wei Lulin is not intimidated by the prospect of assassination that may follow his rise in reputation. A true martial artist must emerge victorious from life-and-death struggles to reach the pinnacle of success. Shying away from the threat of assassination will only hinder his achievements.

Furthermore, the Wei family's leadership would not allow a peerless talent like Wei Lulin to be exposed to danger; they would undoubtedly provide him with covert protection.

At this moment, Wei Lulin simply needs a plausible explanation for his newfound ability to cultivate.

"Of course, the Vein Protecting Pill!" Wei Lulin pondered a believable justification. After much deliberation, he recalled a Pill name once mentioned by the Wei family's Pill Master. This Pill, known as the Vein Protecting Pill, could serve as the perfect rationale.

Previously, Wei Lulin's meridians were damaged due to the residual effects of a battle between two Peerless Experts, rendering him incapable of cultivation. The Wei family's experts would certainly not settle for this outcome. After all, in Yao Country, it is rare for a prodigy with High Level Grade Eight cultivation talent to emerge even once in a century.

A genius with such exceptional cultivation talent would find it easy to reach the peak of the Body Refining Stage, provided they weren't exceedingly foolish. Furthermore, breaking through the peak of the Body Refining Stage wasn't an insurmountable task.

Wei Lulin was far from foolish; in fact, he was quite intelligent. Otherwise, the Wei family's patriarch and senior members would never have permitted a member of a collateral branch to practice the Grand Profound Heart Sutra, a cultivation method traditionally reserved for the patriarch.

When Wei Lulin suffered meridian damage, the Wei family's sole Pill Master intervened. After extensive research, he determined that only the Vein Protecting Pill could heal the damaged meridians. This pill, a Low Rank Grade Seven Spirit Pill, didn't require particularly rare materials to produce, and the Wei family had the means to procure them. However, crafting the Vein Protecting Pill required the expertise of at least a Grade Seven Pill Master.

Such Pill Masters were exceedingly rare; not even the combined kingdoms surrounding Yao Country boasted one. Only the more powerful dynasties had Pill Masters of that caliber. The Wei family's Pill Master was a High Level Grade Nine, lacking the ability to refine the Vein Protecting Pill.

After careful deliberation, Wei Lulin was convinced that this explanation would satisfy any skeptics. With his mind at ease, he turned his attention to planning a safe return to the Wei family.

Wei Lulin was confident about traversing the territory of the Grade Nine Magical Beasts, especially since he had verified a safe route during his fruit-picking excursions. However, the domain of the Grade Ten Magical Beasts presented a significant challenge. Initially, Wei Ying and his group had forced their way into the Endless Forest, overpowering any Grade Ten Magical Beasts they encountered, leaving no safe passage.

At his current level of Qi Refining Stage Level Two and with no combat experience, Wei Lulin stood no chance against a Magical Beast of equal rank, let alone the more formidable ones lurking within the Grade Ten Magical Beast's territory.

Despite the dangers posed by the Magical Beasts of the Endless Forest, Wei Lulin knew he could survive encounters with the more docile creatures or by avoiding provocation of the stronger ones. Yet, in the forest, the greatest threats were not the Magical Beasts themselves, but encounters with others of their kind.

Most of the warriors venturing into the Endless Forest are known for their ruthlessness and cruelty. Should Wei Lulin come across any of them on his own, his life would surely be at risk.

"Forget it! No more worrying. Whether I make it out alive is up to fate now." Unable to foresee the dangers lurking within the territory of the Grade Ten Magical Beast, Wei Lulin had no better strategy to evade them. He would have to play it by ear.

"Next up, I need to hone my martial skills. That's the only way to boost my odds of making it out of the Endless Forest alive."