Chapter 76 The Ability to Break Barriers

Chapter 76 The Ability to Break Barriers

"You disciples wouldn't dare!"

Everyone spoke in unison, bending over in unison like leeks being cut with a sickle.

Kui Houming's indifferent gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Shen Lijun, and he asked, "This job was prepared for you, what do you think?"

The implication is that they are unwilling and will hand over the job to someone else.

"This disciple is more than willing!"

Seeing everyone vying for the job, Shen Lijun was already itching to take it. When Elder Wei asked, he immediately agreed, his tone revealing his undisguised joy.

Everyone was full of resentment: Damn it, this kid still got the better deal. That job pays fifty spirit stones a month, a real lucrative position!

Watching it fly away right before their eyes was heartbreaking for everyone. They were determined to spread the news throughout the sect. Curious? Go see for yourself!

Hmph, you won't exhaust Shen Lijun!

The person in question, Shen Lijun, had an arrogant expression on his face. These cunning guys almost snatched the cushy job away from him, but what's not theirs will never be theirs, and they couldn't take it away even if they tried.

Kui Houming watched this scene and revealed a mysterious smile.

He thought they had all forgotten that this was the punishment he had given to Shen Lijun. It was not some free job of picking up spirit stones. This monthly allowance was just a formality. Being a puppet inevitably meant getting injured, so it was just a way to pay some medical expenses.

Shen Lijun knew nothing about this.

Unwittingly misled by his disciples, he thought it was a good job and that once he paid off the sect's debts, all he would earn would be money.

After becoming a puppet, Shen Lijun finally woke up from his dream. Those fifty spirit stones were hard-earned money; the physical and mental torment was no ordinary suffering.

It's bad enough to be beaten up unilaterally, but you also have to be made a fool of like a monkey, and sometimes you have to act as a chat companion—you can't refuse to chat, or the other party will punch you.

He worked 365 days a year, without a break, getting up earlier than the chickens and sleeping later than the dogs. Like a brick, he was moved wherever he was needed. In less than a month, he had traversed almost half of the training rooms. The skin on his cheeks was sunken in, as if his life force had been sucked out.

However, Shen Lijun was unaware that something was wrong. Bathed in the scorching gazes of the crowd, he unconsciously raised his head and puffed out his chest.

"Tap tap tap".

The sound of synchronized footsteps echoed at the entrance of the Hall of Law Enforcement.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the enforcement disciple who had been sent out by Elder Wei earlier walk in.

The one leading the group was an elderly man with a ruddy complexion, dressed in a brown short jacket, looking like an old farmer. He appeared simple and unpretentious, yet he was impossible to ignore.

He is Elder Jin, the person in charge of the cultivation room!

Some disciples, including Si Nidie, recognized the ruddy-faced old man's identity and became even more respectful, knowing that this old man was a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Disciples greet the Elder!"

Lou Yuqing shouted along with the crowd, and soon she heard a faint "hmm," knowing that it meant for them to stand up, so she straightened up with everyone else.

She looked up and saw that Captain Wei had left the main seat and come to the front of the ruddy-faced old man. The sound of their conversation reached everyone's ears.

"Uncle Jin, why did this small matter bother you?" Kui Houming said helplessly. He had originally contacted a Golden Core stage elder in the cultivation room, which would have been sufficient to handle the matter.

"I was just doing it for someone else."

The ruddy-faced old man, with his hands behind his back, said slowly and deliberately, "I heard that there was a problem with the magic array in the cultivation room, which allowed the disciples to come and go as they pleased. I went to ask Lao Yang for an explanation, but he didn't believe me and insisted that I find out the situation first."

"Old Yang" refers to that formation master.

Kui Houming couldn't criticize his elders, and since the matter hadn't been fully resolved, he couldn't make any rash judgments. He intuitively felt that the reason the magic array failed to work on Shen Lijun was most likely due to the supernatural power that Shen Lijun had awakened.

Just then, Lou Yuqing's inner voice rang out.

[The problem with the magic array isn't Master Yang's fault. It's because Shen Lijun, after becoming a puppet, possesses the ability to break restrictions. I wonder if Captain Wei can find out. How can I give him a heads-up?]

Kui Houming's eyes flickered with emotion.

Breaking the magic array restrictions in the cultivation room without using proper methods, and doing so silently and without attracting attention, is something even he couldn't do.

If used properly, this ability could bring great benefits to the sect. In an instant, several ideas flashed through Wei Houming's mind.

Shen Lijun's eyes lit up: Is there really such a good thing?

He originally thought the magic array wasn't repaired properly, but it turned out to be due to his own supernatural powers. In the future, if he were to explore any secret realms, those magic array restrictions would no longer be an obstacle for him.

As he thought about it, he chuckled.

The expressions of the others were quite varied. Some felt a pang of jealousy, some were envious, and some were jealous. In the end, they all expressed the same disapproval: how could God be so kind to Shen Lijun!

Seeing the inexplicable change in the atmosphere of the main hall, the ruddy-faced old man silently scanned the area with his divine sense, but found nothing, which aroused his suspicion.

On the other hand, Lou Yuqing racked her brains, trying to come up with a way to kill two birds with one stone, so that Captain Wei would realize the problem, while also making herself less conspicuous.

Suddenly, Wei Houming spoke up, "Uncle Jin, I have sent people to investigate this matter and found out that it was not Uncle Yang's fault, but Shen Lijun's own problem." He pointed at Shen Lijun.

Is that all?

Lou Yuqing was stunned for a moment, wondering to herself if she had missed this part because she was so engrossed in watching the drama unfold.

Upon hearing this, the ruddy-faced old man glanced at Shen Lijun, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. This young man seemed unremarkable. He shifted his gaze and asked indifferently, "Oh, what do you mean by that?"

Wei Houming glanced at the small building without leaving a trace. Seeing that the girl seemed to be thinking about something, he carefully considered his words and explained, "After some interrogation, it was initially determined that Shen Lijun has awakened a supernatural power. His supernatural power can not only transform into a puppet, but also has the ability to break through restrictions, which is why he can enter and exit the magic array without any hindrance."

As he spoke, he kept observing Xiaolou's expression. When he saw her quickly realize something, as if she had filled in some blanks in her mind, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

A glint of light flashed in the eyes of the ruddy old man as he looked Shen Lijun up and down, making the latter feel uncomfortable. He ordered, "Release your supernatural powers and let this old man see them."

The ruddy-faced old man waved his calloused hand, and everyone saw a transparent barrier appear, flashing and constantly expanding.

"Your disciple obeys."

Shen Lijun nervously clenched his fist, silently sensing the existence of the supernatural power. With a thought, his body instantly transformed into the metal form of a puppet.

He stepped forward toward the barrier in front of him, but as if he were blocked, his raised foot stopped in mid-air, unable to pass through. He did not give up, and put his strength into stomping on the ground, his cheeks bulging out, full of effort.

Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie whispered in each other's ears.

"Junior sister, do you think Shen Lijun can succeed?" Si Nidie asked telepathically.

Lou Yuqing guessed, "Half and half."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Shen Lijun's foot broke through the barrier at an extremely slow speed.

Exclamations of surprise rang out in the main hall.

Everyone looked on in disbelief. Shen Lijun had really done it!

The next moment, Shen Lijun lost all his strength and began to breathe rapidly, as if he was about to suffocate.

Kui Houming quickly pulled him out.

Shen Lijun's face turned pale. After a moment, he said, "This disciple is incompetent."

He was extremely weak, his spiritual energy had been completely drained, leaving nothing behind, and his muscles ached in waves, silently protesting.

For a moment, he almost thought he was going to be killed by the backlash from the barrier.

The expressions on everyone's faces were subtle. If this was called incompetence, then wouldn't they be considered useless? The barrier set up by the Nascent Soul stage expert was not something that they, a group of low-level cultivators, could break.

To be precise, they don't even have the chance to see it on a regular basis.

Seeing this, the ruddy-faced old man suddenly laughed: "This junior's supernatural abilities are quite interesting. He was actually able to shake my barrier. Houming, why don't you give it a try and see if you can handle it?"

Although he set up this barrier casually, it was essentially a Nascent Soul level spell. Even if Shen Lijun managed to break through it slightly, it would still be quite sensational if word got out.

Kui Houming responded and extended his right palm forward. His palm was enveloped in spiritual energy, and as soon as it came into contact with the barrier, it rippled endlessly, as if a fierce battle was taking place.

"Clang!"

Metal-elemental spiritual energy burst forth from Kui Houming's body, eventually converging on his right palm. It shone with a dazzling golden light, while a piercing friction sound tormented everyone's ears.

The barrier resembled the surface of a lake ruffled by a spring breeze, with ripples appearing one after another. At the same time, Kui Houming's expression became extremely solemn.

Lou Yuqing frowned. Captain Wei seemed to be struggling even more than Shen Lijun, but his cultivation was clearly much deeper than Shen Lijun's. Was this the power of supernatural abilities?

Even if it is a supernatural power awakened later in life, it is still a height that others can only dream of.

"I am ashamed, my junior disciple."

Kui Houming did not force himself. Seeing that he was close to his limit but still had not broken the barrier, he slowly withdrew his palm to dissipate the recoil from the barrier.

The ruddy-faced old man patted him on the shoulder, having expected this outcome, but Shen Lijun's performance was a pleasant surprise.

"You brat, come with me. I'll arrange a job for you." The ruddy-faced old man laughed heartily, grabbed Shen Lijun's arm, and disappeared into thin air together, leaving the latter bewildered.

Lou Yuqing thought to herself, "This elder is really something else. He came suddenly and he left just as suddenly."

She then closed the melon-eating panel.

The system slowly scrolled through a line of text: "This big juicy gossip has been delivered. Twenty-seven people were involved: Wei Houming, Ling Yunxiao, Si Nidie, Shen Lijun..."

On the other hand, after Elder Jin took Shen Lijun away, he underwent several tests on his supernatural abilities. After confirming that he could move freely in and out of the magic array in the cultivation room, he was put in a "shackle" to prevent him from stealing spiritual power.

At this time, Shen Lijun's miserable life had not yet begun.

He sat cross-legged on the futon, trying to enter a meditative state. Not long after, he suddenly opened his eyes and scratched his hair in frustration.

"Senior Spring Breeze"...

He won't be able to cultivate in peace until this matter is clarified.

Shen Lijun took out a communication array plate from his storage bag and tapped it erratically with his fingers.

The communication array is a mid-level magic artifact and is quite expensive. It allows the two parties to communicate over extremely long distances, but its drawback is that it consumes spirit stones; a cup of tea would cost one hundred spirit stones.

But he couldn't care less about that now.