SSS-Rank 10x Reward System: Accepting Disciples to Live Forever-Chapter 182: Work on your Foundation

Am I missing something fundamental...?

Lost in thought, Rong Lua began re-examining everything he had taken for granted.

Wang Chen, however, spared him no further attention. His gaze had already shifted—calm, heavy, and impossible to ignore—toward Young Master Yun.

Now, Wang Chen thought, what are you going to say?

The moment Wang Chen’s eyes settled on Young Master Yun, tension rippled through the hall. From the sidelines, Ancestor Yun’s expression tightened almost imperceptibly. He had the urge to interrupt, to say something—anything—but ultimately stopped himself.

After all, how could he not understand what might be going through the younger generation’s mind?

Even if Young Master Yun was loyal to the family... in front of an existence like Wang Chen, who could guarantee he wouldn’t harbor personal ambitions?

Ancestor Yun clenched his hands behind his back and waited.

Young Master Yun took a deep breath. His posture straightened, but the weight in his eyes betrayed the pressure crushing his shoulders.

"Just like the Thousand Sword Sect," he began slowly, his voice steady but strained, "our Yun Family once dominated Seven Alliance City for thousands of years."

His fists tightened.

"But after we failed to produce another Grand Ascension Realm expert, our decline began. Year by year, generation by generation, our influence shrank."

He paused, swallowing hard.

"At first, we endured. Decline was painful, but manageable." His eyes darkened. "Then something changed. The Gu Family suddenly became aggressive—seizing our businesses, encroaching on our mines, breaking contracts openly."

His voice dropped.

"If it were only that, we could still fight back." He hesitated for a heartbeat before continuing. "But rumors have started spreading... that the Gu Family’s ancestor—an Immortal who vanished thousands of years ago—has returned."

The words landed heavily in the air.

Without another word, Young Master Yun stepped forward and fell to his knees.

The sound echoed.

"Please," he said, lowering his head, sincerity pouring from every syllable. "Dojo Master... help my family this time."

Ancestor Yun could no longer bear the sight.

He turned his head away, his jaw clenched, eyes burning. Who could have imagined that one day, the Yun Family—once proud, once dominant—would be forced to kneel before an outsider for survival?

Shame gnawed at him, sharp and merciless.

Wang Chen watched the scene in silence.

Under normal circumstances, he would have agreed without hesitation. Helping a family in crisis, repaying courage with protection—these were things he did not mind at all. He might even have treated it as an opportunity to travel, to observe, to kill time.

But now... things were different.

Time was slipping through his fingers.

The lower realm was becoming unstable. Powers from beyond were descending one after another, dragging the future toward an unpredictable abyss. And within less than a year, he had to upgrade his low-tier Realm Gate—at least to mid-grade, preferably high-grade—if he wanted to reach the Upper Realm on schedule.

There was no room for indulgence anymore.

Wang Chen exhaled slowly, the weight of the decision pressing against his chest.

The world was no longer giving him the luxury of saying yes to everything.

As such, Wang Chen did not have the luxury of time—but neither could he bring himself to refuse outright.

Young Master Yun had shown sincerity again and again. Not the shallow kind born of desperation alone, but the kind forged by responsibility, pressure, and a clear understanding of what was at stake.

Young Master Yun continued to kowtow, his forehead striking the ground with dull, repetitive thuds. Each impact echoed heavily in the hall. With every passing moment, his complexion worsened, his breath growing uneven.

This was no performance.

The only person who could pull him out of this abyss was the Phoenix and Dragon Dojo Master.

If Wang Chen said no... Young Master Yun did not even dare to imagine the consequences.

Finally, Wang Chen spoke.

"Get up, Young Master Yun. There was no need for all of these formalities."

Ancestor Yun, who was far more seasoned in the unspoken rules of the cultivation world, nearly cursed out loud.

If there was no need for formalities, then why let him go this far in the first place?

You could have stopped him long ago.

Of course, he swallowed those thoughts. There were some things one simply did not say in front of beings like Wang Chen.

Wang Chen continued, his tone calm, as if discussing something trivial.

"I will send Lin Huang to accompany you. Let’s see who still dares to cause trouble for the Yun Family."

The words landed like thunder.

Young Master Yun froze for a heartbeat—then his face lit up with uncontrollable joy. He hurriedly bowed again, this time with genuine relief flooding his expression.

Of course, he had never expected Wang Chen to act personally. Who was the Phoenix and Dragon Dojo Master? If someone like him intervened directly, it would be no different from an adult stepping into a children’s quarrel.

This... this was perfect.

...

The very next day, Young Master Yun, Rong Lua, and Ancestor Yun departed for Seven Alliance City.

Lin Huang and Zhao Yunfei accompanied them.

Wang Chen watched them leave in silence.

He understood clearly: keeping Lin Huang by his side would certainly keep him safe—but safety was also a cage. Lin Huang’s potential was too sharp, too volatile to be left sheathed forever.

If he wished to truly bloom, he needed the tempering of the world.

...

The wind howled as the scenery rushed past.

Lin Huang stood at the edge of the flying vessel, eyes fixed on the horizon, his expression unusually contemplative.

Zhao Yunfei glanced at him several times before finally asking, unable to hold back her curiosity.

"Master... what are you thinking about?"

Lin Huang snapped out of his thoughts. A faint, almost nostalgic smile tugged at his lips.

"It’s been too long since I last saw Junior Sister," he said softly. "I wonder what she’s doing now."

...

Azure Dragon Continent.

Phoenix and Dragon Dojo.

Li Mie sat cross-legged within her cultivation chamber, her posture perfectly straight, her expression one of absolute focus.

Her consciousness was fully immersed within her spiritual space.

The Qi sea churned violently. Waves rose and crashed against one another as if alive. From the void above it, Chains of Enlightenment slowly emerged—cold, radiant, inexorable—wrapping around the vast sea layer by layer.

The heavens were fair, but never kind.

The advantage one gained during Foundation Establishment often returned as an obstacle during the Golden Core breakthrough.

Compression was merciless.

Li Mie’s brow tightened slightly.

I’ve used every method I know, she thought calmly.

Every heavenly material that eases compression. Every pill that sharpens focus. Every technique Master left behind.

Still, compressing all of this... down to a single meter?

It would not be easy.

But Li Mie did not shy away.

Her eyes sharpened, resolve burning quietly beneath the surface.

A challenge, then, she thought. So be it.

The Qi sea roared.

And Li Mie pressed on.