"Now, more than ever, we must proceed with caution," Li Rou said, pulling out a black banner.
The banner was shrouded in black mist, with ghastly human faces writhing in torment, their mouths open in silent screams. They struggled to escape, but there was no escape.
Granny Li and the guards outside the door trembled at the sight, their faces pale with fear.
The next moment, Li Rou waved the ghostly banner, and Xiao Chun's corpse vanished.
"This plan has been in the making for over a decade; nothing can go wrong," Li Rou muttered to herself.
Suddenly, a burst of golden light surged from her Dantian, and pain flashed across her face.
"The backlash from that old nun's Heavens Bind Seal is growing stronger. I can't suppress it much longer. It seems I'll have to speed up the plan."
…
"System, what functions do you have?" Ling Yun asked as he sat in the flower pavilion, his mind reaching out to the system.
"Ding! The system is bound to the host. If the host dies, the system will also disappear.
The system has features like the marketplace and inventory, which the host can explore freely. Additionally, missions will be issued randomly, and completing them will yield generous rewards."
Upon hearing this, Ling Yun looked at the lower-right corner of the floating screen and indeed saw options for the marketplace and inventory.
He opened the marketplace, and the items within were dazzling: from spiritual herbs and medicines to powerful techniques and divine physiques, everything was available.
"Yin-Yang Divine Physique: 10 billion system coins
Divine Light Heaven-Splitting Sword: 10 billion system coins
Flowing Cloud Shuttle: 9 billion system coins
Cursed Bloodline: 9 billion system coins..."
"System, what are system coins, and how do I obtain them?" Ling Yun asked, practically drooling over the golden items on display.
"Ding! System coins can only be earned by completing missions. They can be used to purchase various items in the marketplace."
At that moment, Ling Yun thought of his Eternal Sun Physique and wondered how much it would sell for in the marketplace.
A quick search revealed its price and description.
Eternal Sun Physique: 100 billion system coins
Description: Formed by the first ray of sunlight in each universe, this physique gathers the purest Yang energy of heaven and earth, creating an inexhaustible source of Yang within the body. It is immune to all poisons and perfectly attuned to nature. Dual cultivation with a female cultivator will help her break through realms, improve her aptitude, and extend her lifespan.
The brief description left Ling Yun stunned.
"Wait, if my physique is that amazing, why have I been stuck in the Qi Refinement stage for over a decade?"
"Ding! That's because the Ascending Sun Art you've been cultivating can only reach the Qi Refinement stage."
"What?! That traitorous Li Rou! She gave me a cultivation technique that only goes as far as Qi Refinement!"
"From the very start, my cultivation was sabotaged by that witch."
Ling Yun had been stuck at the Qi Refinement stage for five years, attempting to break through countless times without success.
"Ding! Mission triggered: Escape from the Ling Residence and avoid being hunted by Li Rou.
Due to the difficulty of this mission, a special reward has been granted: [Rejuvenation Pill x1], [Random Teleportation Talisman x1], [Bloodburst Pill x1]."
"System, I love you!" Ling Yun was overjoyed. With these items, his chances of escaping the Ling Residence had greatly improved.
"System, where's my newcomer's gift pack? Where is it?"
In a life-or-death situation, Ling Yun wasn't going to miss out on any freebies.
"Ding! Newcomer's gift pack is being generated…
Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving the newcomer's gift pack: Eternal Sun Divine Art (companion technique of the Eternal Sun Physique), Low-Grade Spiritual Weapon – Venomous Needle, Thunderstorm Pill x5, System Coins x2000."
"System, what is a companion technique?" Ling Yun asked, confused. There was no mention of such a technique in the books he'd read.
Although his master forbade him from leaving the residence, Li Rou valued his education highly and had collected numerous books for him.
After transmigrating, Ling Yun had an exceptional memory, likely due to his unique physique, and could remember everything he'd read. The books in the library were already committed to memory.
So far, the cultivation realms he knew of were: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Cave Heaven, Divine Soul, Core Formation…
"Ding! A companion technique is a cultivation method that comes with a divine physique. It will automatically advance as the user progresses."
"So, I don't have to worry about finding a new technique in the future. Not bad." This meant that even after escaping the Ling Residence, he could continue cultivating without being hindered by technique limitations.
"Ding! New technique detected. Would you like to replace your current one?"
Ling Yun hesitated for a moment. He decided not to replace it just yet.
The Ascending Sun Art was given to him by his master, and he had cultivated it for years. If he suddenly switched techniques and Li Rou noticed, it would be hard to explain himself.
Ling Yun then closed his eyes and focused his mind on his Dantian.
Within his Dantian, a majestic golden river flowed, taking up most of the space. Even the surrounding mist was golden.
"The Yang energy has become even denser. Every time I go for treatment at my master's, it gets like this."
Normal men only possess a small thread of Yang energy, and after dual cultivation, it would take a month to recover. Ling Yun's massive store of Yang energy was unheard of.
Next to the river of Yang energy, a small cloud of white mist floated quietly in the air. This was spiritual energy, which only cultivators possessed.
"Strange… why hasn't Xiao Chun returned yet?" Ling Yun pulled his consciousness out of his Dantian, feeling suspicious.
Three or four hours had passed, and Xiao Chun should have returned by now.
"Forget it, I'll go back to my room and check out the newbie's gift pack."
Night soon fell, and Ling Yun sat cross-legged on his bed, sweating profusely.
"As expected, this technique only goes up to Qi Refinement."
Having nothing else to do, he ran the Ascending Sun Art to see if he could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. But after several hours, his spiritual energy hadn't increased in the slightest.
Knock, knock, knock…
A knock came from the door.
"Young master, dinner is ready," Xiao Chun's voice called out.
Ling Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Come in."
"Xiao Chun, where have you been? You're just now getting back." Ling Yun picked up a piece of spirit beast meat and popped it into his mouth. It was as delicious as always.
"The Lady of the House sent me to buy some things. That's why I'm late," Xiao Chun replied.
"Oh, I see."
For some reason, Ling Yun noticed Xiao Chun's voice was hoarse, as if she had a sore throat, and under the candlelight, her once youthful face appeared pale.
"Young master, please enjoy your meal. I'll go prepare your bath," Xiao Chun said, walking behind the screen to start heating the bathwater.
"Mm." Ling Yun replied absentmindedly. This daily routine had been repeated so many times over the years that he was used to it.
Soon, the food on the table was completely devoured. Ling Yun walked over to the bathtub and stretched out his arms, but Xiao Chun didn't seem to move.
"Xiao Chun, help me undress. What are you daydreaming about?"
In this world, men's clothing was heavy and cumbersome, with seven or eight ties that made it difficult to remove on their own.
"Ah! Oh." Xiao Chun snapped out of it and quickly got to work.
Soon, a flawless, snow-white back was exposed to the air, creating a stark contrast with the dark surroundings.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the residence, Li Rou's face flushed, and a stream of blood trickled from her nose, creating a rather comical sight.
"To think that I've roamed the cultivation world for decades, seen countless handsome men, and yet today I lose my composure over this."
Li Rou circulated her spiritual energy to evaporate the blood but found herself unable to calm down enough to cultivate.
"As expected… he's truly a disaster for men and women alike…"