Zhaoyu Kingdom.
Wen Li looked up at the sky full of dark clouds, her brows furrowing slightly.
“You bastard.”
She released her grip, tossing the Zhaoyu Kingdom Ancestor aside, and immediately took Hold On and turned to leave.
【Host, you’re about to be struck by lightning.】
The system, which had been gone for a long time, was online once again. It still had that annoying vibe, but its voice carried a bit more of a sophisticated air than before.
Wen Li had no patience for it. She flew down toward a mountain range and immediately raised her hand to form a hand seal. The Sovereign Circle hidden behind her appeared for an instant before abruptly vanishing the next.
At that moment, the powerful aura surrounding Wen Li plummeted.
Her spiritual energy and cultivation returned to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection once more.
“Pfft!”
Wen Li spat out a mouthful of blood, her face rapidly turning pale.
However, she calmly consumed a bottle of pills and sat down to regulate her breathing.
High above the Southern Province, the mass of clouds and lightning ceased their gathering. It seemed to be probing its surroundings as if trying to confirm something. Finally, with a massive boom of thunder, it struck a nearby mountain peak to vent its fury.
Boom!
Crash!
The entire peak was instantly leveled. A cultivator who happened to be secluded within the mountain’s cave residence was struck, turning to ash in an instant.
“Eh? The dark clouds and lightning are gone?”
“How strange. I thought some mighty expert was undergoing a tribulation. How did it just stop? Don’t tell me that expert failed? They didn't even face the tribulation yet, so how could they fail?”
“Hush! Didn't you see those Nascent Soul cultivators get struck down just for trying to get closer? Such secrets are not for ants like us to peer into.”
Deep in the mountains.
Hold On flew to Wen Li’s side, its hilt gently bumping against her shoulder in concern for her condition.
Wen Li finished her breathing exercises, lowered her hands, and opened her eyes. She reached out and patted the blade.
“I’m fine.”
She took out a spirit core and placed it into the slot beneath the hilt. With a flash of spiritual light, the blade absorbed the spirit core’s energy. The once-shining gem on the core instantly dimmed and crumbled into a cloud of dust.
Hold On circled her happily.
【Host, you really kept me in the dark,】 the system spoke lazily.
Wen Li stood up and looked toward the horizon. The sky had returned to a state of tranquility; there were no more fluctuations or any lightning to threaten her.
【Now that the die is cast, who else can you choose besides me?】
The system’s tone became threatening. 【Now that I have restored all my memories and abilities, aren't you afraid I’ll destroy you?】
Back then, when she switched to her main account to fight Feng Ling, she had gone out of her way to knock herself and the system unconscious to hide her true strength from it. If its data hadn't been corrupted, making it a bit dim-witted, how could it have been deceived by her nonsense so many times?
“Don't you just want to complete the mission and get the rewards from the Management Bureau?” Wen Li raised an eyebrow indifferently. “Kill me? I’ve already established connections with six disciples. Who else can you find? Even if you have the ability to reverse time and erase their memories, can you erase mine?”
She knew the system had gone into hibernation to repair its data, but it didn't matter now. She didn't need to trick this fool anymore.
Upon hearing her words, the system—which had recovered its data but still lacked her level of cunning—was left speechless. It knew she was telling the truth; it was still destined to be led by the nose by her.
【You... is our deal still valid?】
“It’s valid. Of course it is. I will change the fates of these six villains, and you will help me continue cultivating with this body of useless Five Elements Spiritual Roots.”
The system didn't understand. 【You’re clearly already very powerful, so why do you still need me? Why interfere with the affairs of these six villains?】
Wen Li rose and flew back toward the Fengyin Kingdom.
“Because... I’ve lived for too long and I’m bored out of my mind.”
The system no longer believed her nonsense, but it had no choice. Wen Li was its only and best option.
As soon as Wen Li flew near the Tingyin Pavilion, she saw Xin Feiliu waiting for her by the mountain gate from a distance. As soon as she saw her return, Xin Feiliu immediately flew toward her.
“How are you? Did you cause that celestial thunder?”
She stared at her intently.
Wen Li, however, had already changed her clothes. “Hmm? That celestial thunder likely originated from the Buddhist Order. I don’t have that kind of ability yet.”
She flew toward the main peak of the Tingyin Pavilion with a straight face. “I’m going to see Bai Yu. You go check on Xin Jiuxian.”
Xin Feiliu followed closely behind. “Master has already restored Jiuxian’s soul?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing the answer, Xin Feiliu’s expression darkened. This meant her master was nearing his death.
She immediately flew off to find Shengji and Linghu Ci to discuss the matter.
Wen Li let her go and flew into the mountain ranges of the Tingyin Pavilion, heading toward Bai Yu’s cave residence.
Outside the residence, Bai Songxu was standing guard. When he saw her arrive, he immediately stood up and greeted her respectfully.
“Senior.”
“Mhm.” Wen Li walked in calmly with her hands behind her back.
Bai Songxu opened the layers of barriers, allowing Wen Li to enter the cave residence alone.
“What did you do to provoke the wrath of the Heavenly Dao?”
A transparent soul sat by the side of the bed. He opened his eyes and looked at Wen Li, his voice steady yet frail.
Unlike his previous elderly image, Bai Yu had returned to his youthful appearance. It seemed that as his time came to an end, he was undergoing a rejuvenation.
Wen Li walked toward the still-unconscious Xie Tinglan and Yao Dai, reaching out to check on them as she said casually, “I went and dealt with the Soul Formation ancestors of the three Third-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms surrounding your Fengyin Kingdom.”
In any case, she had already urgently mobilized her power to save Xie Tinglan and Yao Dai. Since she was going to be struck by lightning anyway, what was the difference between a tribulation in the Western Province or the Southern Province? She might as well settle Bai Yu’s request to protect his legacy.
She had even come out ahead.
“...”
The cave residence was silent for three seconds.
“Wait!”
Bai Yu, who had previously looked like a transcendent sage who had seen through life and death and had no more attachments, suddenly widened his eyes and cried out in shock.
“You didn't kill three Mid-Stage Soul Formation cultivators, did you?!”
Despite having returned to his youth, he was instantly scared into a state of submission. Even his deathly aura had been replaced by the high-spiritedness of a youth; his mindset had clearly become much younger.
He had asked her to find a way to get a Mid-Stage Soul Formation cultivator to protect the Fengyin Kingdom so it wouldn't be annexed by other Third-Grade Cultivation Kingdoms after his death—he hadn't asked her to go on a killing spree! If word got out, the Southern Province Daoist Alliance would step in and destroy the Tingyin Pavilion as if it were an evil sect!
Wen Li took out some pills and dislocated Xie Tinglan’s and Yao Dai’s jaws. After feeding them the pills and pouring in some water, she restored their jaws and looked up with an annoyed expression.
“Kill, kill, kill. Am I really such a bloodthirsty and unreasonable person? I merely took their Soul Blood and told them to protect the Fengyin Kingdom. By binding them together with you, no other cultivation kingdom will dare to target you. As for the fact that your rank as a Third-Grade Cultivation Kingdom will drop, I don't care.”
If she couldn't create a Mid-Stage Soul Formation cultivator, she would just take control of the Mid-Stage Soul Formation cultivators from the other kingdoms.
If I can’t go up, then everyone else is coming down with me.
“...”
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