I died young at the start, but I'm reincarnated with unlimited skill points!

The carriage disappeared around the street corner, and Su Yu stood on the steps for a long time.

In the years that followed, the people of Aoki Ward gradually grew accustomed to a greedy, lecherous, and obsequious Steward Su.

Whenever the main lineage needed someone to exploit the rogue cultivators, Su Yu was always at the forefront, and afterwards he would respectfully send most of the spoils to the residence of the young clan leader, Su Hao.

Whenever his peers from the collateral branches of the family bitterly complained about the unfairness of the main branch in private gatherings, Su Yu would always shrink into a corner, smiling broadly as he advised everyone to accept their fate.

Gradually, the elders of the main branch completely trusted him and even regarded him as the most obedient watchdog of the Su family.

In the blink of an eye, a full ten years have passed since Su Yuan entered the clan school.

Those passionate young men from the collateral branches of the family back then have now all entered middle age.

The vast majority of them had their cultivation completely stalled at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining. They raised children at the bottom of Qingmu Market, gradually bending their backs for a few low-grade spirit stones as food.

In their mouths, Su Tian's name became a negative example, a spineless man who sold his dignity and his son for wealth and glory.

Su Yu ignored all of this and only went into that heavily guarded underground chamber late at night.

At this moment, in the secret room, thirty-six-year-old Su Yu, shirtless, sat cross-legged on the spiritual spring.

Although the years have left their mark on his eyes, his vitality has not diminished in the slightest; on the contrary, he is like a quiet volcano, its energy contained within.

"call--"

With a long exhale, the rich spiritual energy in the quiet room flowed back into his body through his mouth and nose.

If an elder from the main lineage were here at this moment, he would be so shocked that he would be speechless.

Because the smooth flow of spiritual energy within Su Yu's body was far beyond what a ninth-grade inferior talent should be in.

The true energy within his dantian was powerful and surging, having already reached the absolute peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining. He was only a thin layer away from the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Feeling his meridians expand to nearly twice their original size, Su Yu slowly opened his eyes, a profound clarity flashing in them.

Over the past decade, he has been able to get to where he is today not only by taking advantage of his position at the Spirit Herb Pavilion to intercept a massive amount of resources.

More importantly, it was a fateful opportunity that could be described as changing one's destiny.

Eight years ago, he disguised himself and personally went to the black market 300 miles away to sell a batch of damaged elixirs.

On his way back, he was extremely unlucky and was ambushed by two Qi Refining Level 8 cultivators.

Faced with a desperate situation, Su Yu did not panic. Instead, he combined the "Heavenly Dragon True Qi," the pinnacle of martial arts from his previous life, with immortal cultivation techniques to the extreme.

He used the swampy terrain on the outskirts of the black market to engage in hand-to-hand combat, killing the two cultivators at an extremely high cost.

Turning misfortune into good fortune, and disaster into auspiciousness.

Su Yu initially thought it was just a dangerous double-cross, but while looting the spoils of the two cultivators, he discovered a shriveled gray lotus seed at the bottom of a tattered jade box covered in mud.

At first he didn't pay attention, but he was shocked by what he found in his later research.

Those were actually the withered seeds that accompanied the legendary "Marrow Cleansing Lotus," which was said to be able to cleanse the marrow and widen damaged meridians.

He spent three whole years grinding it into powder and adding it to the medicine, letting it slowly dissolve.

Although the medicinal effect of the accompanying withered seeds was less than one-tenth of that of the genuine product, it miraculously cleansed his obscure and narrow meridians, which were of inferior quality.

That fortuitous encounter not only allowed him to smoothly advance to the seventh level of Qi Refining, but also raised the upper limit of his physical body.

"If I accumulate spiritual power step by step, I will be able to fully enter the eighth level of Qi Refining in no more than three years."

Su Yu put on his outer robe, perfectly suppressing his aura once again to disguise himself as a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and calmly walked out of the secret room.

However, he was very clear about it.

The Su family of Aoki probably won't be able to wait three years for him.

Upon arriving at the front yard, the fifteen-year-old second son, Su Yuan, was standing under a tree, holding a magnificently decorated longsword in his hand, his brows furrowed with a hint of arrogance and sharpness.

Ten years of life in the clan school made him accustomed to the flattery of others.

As the son of the steward and possessing a seventh-grade spiritual root, he was indeed a leading figure among his peers in the collateral branches.

"Father."

Upon seeing Su Yu approach, Su Yuan merely gave a perfunctory bow, his expression even carrying a hint of hidden superiority.

In his eyes, his father was rich and powerful.

But the wealth and status he gained by being subservient and acting as a lackey for the main branch was far less than the respect he earned in the clan school based on his reputation as a genius.

Su Yu stopped and asked calmly, "Why did the clan school close early today?"

"Father, it seems the family's senior members are discussing important matters, and several senior instructors have been summoned away."

Su Yuan straightened his chest, his tone revealing a hint of excitement, "I've heard that the family is preparing to raise an astonishing amount of spirit stones."

"The instructors at the clan school privately said that this is a chance for our Su family to soar to great heights, and that someone like me, a direct descendant..."

"You are from a collateral branch of the family."

Su Yu coldly interrupted his illusion.

Su Yuan's face stiffened, and a rebellious anger flashed in his eyes.

"So what if I'm from a collateral branch? The elders said that as long as I perform exceptionally well, I might be promoted to the main branch in the future!"

"Father, you've stayed at the Spirit Herb Pavilion for too long. You always look at people with that petty attitude. The situation has changed..."

"The situation has indeed changed."

Su Yu looked at his son, his tone suddenly turning extremely cold, "Therefore, starting tomorrow, you will go to the clan school to ask for leave and stay at home to recuperate."

Su Yuan was stunned, then cried out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Claiming illness? Are you kidding me!"

"This is the most crucial time for the assessment. The elders of the main branch are observing us. If I ask for leave now, wouldn't all my efforts of the past ten years be wasted? I disagree!"

He gripped the ornate longsword tightly, stubbornly raising his head, attempting to defy his father.

"Father, you are too timid! The family is thriving now, and it is precisely at this time that we need capable people..."

"Shut up."

Su Yu interrupted him, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"I'm not consulting with you, I'm giving an order."

Su Yu stretched out his hand and pointed in the direction of the gate, his tone indifferent.

"If you don't listen to me, then step out of this door, and we will sever our father-son relationship."

"From this day forward, whether you, Su Yuan, live or die, whether you are honored or disgraced, will have nothing to do with me, Su Tian."

Su Yuan was completely stunned; he had never seen his father look like this before.

That resolute look in his eyes told him that his father was not joking.

"Your son... obeys."

Su Yuan was covered in cold sweat. He sheathed his longsword and retreated back into the room, utterly dejected.

Su Yu snorted coldly, walked out of the mansion without looking back, and headed straight for the Hall of Internal Affairs.

Upon arriving at the Inner Affairs Hall, the gate was already filled with heavily armored family guards, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Inside the main hall, the clan chief and other powerful elders were already seated.

Seated below the clan leader was a young man wearing a purple-gold robe, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Su Hao, the 39-year-old young clan leader.

Even though Su Hao didn't make any move, the moment Su Yu stepped across the threshold, he still felt an extremely heavy spiritual pressure coming towards him.

Qi Refining Ninth Level Great Perfection, Half Step Foundation Establishment!

After ten years of pouring resources and providing unconditional support from his family, Su Hao has finally reached this point.

"Su Tian greets the Clan Chief, Young Clan Chief, and all Elders."

Su Yu stopped at the last seat and bowed respectfully.

Clan Chief Su Changhe slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy pupils revealing an undisguised fanaticism and ruthlessness.

"I have summoned you here today for only one thing."

"A reliable source has informed us that a Foundation Establishment Pill will be publicly auctioned on the Yue Kingdom's underground black market three months from now."

"This is a once-in-a-century opportunity for the Qingmu Su family! As long as Hao'er can take this pill and protect his meridians, he will surely succeed in establishing his foundation! At that time, our clan can leap to become the overlord of this area within a radius of five hundred miles, and we will no longer have to depend on the Zhao and Lin families!"

Upon hearing this, the elders all nodded solemnly.

Foundation Building Pills are extremely expensive, often costing tens or even hundreds of thousands of low-grade spirit stones, and are rarely available.

Although the Qingmu Su family has made a lot of money from the Spirit Herb Pavilion over the years, it is still far from reaching that astronomical figure.

"In order to raise enough spirit stones for the auction, the family must resort to drastic measures."

The clan chief closed his eyes, his tone turning extremely cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

"From today onwards, the purchase price of all spiritual herbs at the Spirit Herb Pavilion will be reduced by 30%, while the price of pills and medicinal materials sold to the public will be increased by 50%."

Furthermore, the proportion of produce from all the spiritual fields surrounding the family will be increased from 70% to 95%, and the monthly stipend of all collateral descendants, regardless of their cultivation level, will be reduced by 80%.

These orders sent a chill down Su Yu's spine, even though he was used to the cruelty of the world.

This is a classic case of draining the pond to catch all the fish.

Lowering the price of individual repairmen and raising the selling price is tantamount to ruining the reputation that the family has painstakingly built up over decades in the market.

The confiscation of 95% of the spiritual field's output and the reduction of monthly stipends by 80% are tantamount to driving collateral descendants to their deaths.

"Clan leader," an elder said with some concern, "with such heavy pressure, I'm afraid the rogue cultivators and collateral disciples will cause great chaos. If we don't send a capable person to suppress and manage them, it may be difficult to control the situation."

Faced with the elders' concerns, Su Hao slowly opened his eyes, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, the confidence that came from absolute strength.

"Father, elders, are you worried about the 'resentment' of those sparrows?"

"My Su family has supported these collateral relatives for decades. Now that I have reached the critical moment of foundation building, it is only natural for them to give up their lives."

"As for who will collect it... hehe."

Su Hao turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Su Yu with an inherent contempt and an absolute desire for control.

"Su Tian, ​​tell me, can you handle this task?"

Su Yu stiffened, lowered his head, and spoke with a perfectly timed tremor.

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate would gladly die for you, but I fear it might ruin the young clan leader's grand plan..."

Su Hao chuckled as he looked at Su Yu's humble and timid appearance.

He turned to look at the clan leader and the elders, his tone calm yet revealing an air of arrogance that suggested he was in control of the situation.

"Elders, there is no need to worry. Su Tian is a smart man."

"He knows better than anyone that all the wives and concubines in his mansion, and all the wealth in his house, are tied to this young master alone."

Su Hao tapped the table lightly with his fingertips and continued casually, "If we entrust this task to him, he will not only collect every single spirit stone, but he will also be more ruthless than any of you."

"Because he understands that only if I, the young master, successfully establish my foundation will he be qualified to continue enjoying this wealth and luxury."

These words thoroughly dissected the interests and weaknesses, and the elders all nodded in agreement.

Clan Chief Su Changhe stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

"Good! Hao'er has such insight, I am relieved. Su Tian, ​​go and do it."

Su Yu's expression remained unchanged as she naturally bent her waist to the most humble angle.

"To lay the foundation for the young clan leader's great cause, even if it means being condemned by thousands, I will not hesitate."