In the cultivation world, talent was hereditary. No matter how poor a child’s innate talent was, if both parents were highly gifted, the child would never be completely lacking.
Chi Yan had been born at the peak of the Golden Core stage. He was also a dual cultivator of human and demon blood, possessing two cores. In truth, his cultivation was equivalent to that of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator in the cultivation world.
Unfortunately, before he had learned how to control his power, his parents had been murdered by that despicable bastard.
The human and demon blood coursing through Chi Yan’s body constantly clashed. His hatred for his enemy had eventually extended to all cultivators. After entering the Demon Cult, he had made his choice and devoted himself entirely to cultivating demonic techniques. As a result, the space available for spiritual energy within his body had been continuously compressed and weakened, leaving him at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
But the Icebind Cord and Cold Spring alone were not enough to suppress his strange condition. He also needed to use his spiritual energy to keep it under control. If he activated his demonic energy instead, it would only make things worse, turning him completely into a monster devoid of reason and driven solely by lust.
Whenever the condition flared up and his spiritual and demonic energies collided as they fought for dominance, Chi Yan would lose all memory of that period.
This time was no exception.
After enduring another five days, Chi Yan opened his eyes and found himself still in the Cold Spring. At first, everything seemed normal, but the moment he stood up, he realized something was wrong.
He wasn’t wearing any clothes.
His well-defined chest and broad back were covered in red marks of varying sizes, as though someone had scratched him with their fingernails.
His clothes were soaked and twisted into a messy heap on the shore. Among the pile of black garments, only one white inner robe stood out. It was embroidered with delicate pear blossoms, and there seemed to be some unusual marks on it as well.
Then Chi Yan lowered his head and saw that the pear-blossom mark that had remained on his wrist for six whole years had disappeared without a trace.
His face turned deathly grim.
Anyone who still couldn’t tell that something was wrong would have to be an idiot.
He immediately ordered his men to investigate thoroughly, but they found nothing.
Who could have broken through the Demon Cult’s countless defenses and entered the Cold Spring without making a sound—and then…
As for the headaches that had tormented him for years, whether it was because of what had happened this time or not, they had already improved considerably.
Chi Yan shook his head lightly and put the matter aside for now before sending out a message.
“Don’t act rashly. Once I’ve uncovered that bastard’s secret, killing him won’t be too late.”
Shi Qixue had absolutely no idea that quite a few people were plotting to take his life.
At the moment, he lay on his bed with his eyes tightly shut. To anyone looking at him, he appeared to be sleeping soundly.
In reality, he was inside his spiritual consciousness space, huffing and puffing as he pulled weeds.
Having inherited the setting of the number-one cultivator in the cultivation world, Shi Qixue’s spiritual consciousness space was naturally vast and boundless, practically comparable to heaven and earth itself. Yet right now, it was an endless sea of green, filled with flowers and plants, with the occasional spirit butterfly fluttering past.
This was the medicinal herb field that the third-rate system had given him.
The complete encyclopedia of medicinal herbs didn’t even contain as many varieties as he had here. Of course, there were plenty of poisonous plants among them too.
The system had given him the field but hadn’t bothered to provide him with an encyclopedia.
Whether he’d be poisoned to death or not was apparently a matter of luck.
Shi Qixue was currently clutching a hoe, looking rather disheveled as he rummaged aimlessly through the weeds.
“Where is it?”
Shi Qixue frowned slightly.
He clearly remembered finding that Precognition Grass in this exact area yesterday.
He had been plagued by another nightmare tonight. Once again, that man whose face remained blurred had grabbed him and given him a thorough… rough handling.
This time, however, Shi Qixue had finally gotten a clear look at the jade pendant hanging from the man’s waist.
It was identical to the jade pendants that had been mass-produced and distributed to every single member of the Chaoyang Sect.
The nerve!
Someone actually dared to covet his precious posterior—the posterior of his esteemed Master!
Once he ate a few more stalks and could finally see the face of that shamelessly rebellious disciple clearly, he would kick the bastard out of the sect!
Unfortunately, reality was a lot harsher than his imagination.
The medicinal field was overflowing with vitality. Any weeds he pulled out would grow back within half a day.
It was practically the definition of sustainable development.
Shi Qixue gave up.
With a slap, he collapsed right in the middle of the medicinal field and rolled over once.
“System—”
As usual, there was no response.
Sure enough.
He really shouldn’t have expected anything from this unreliable system.
Shi Qixue rolled back like a caterpillar, then casually plucked a blade of grass with a white flower bud and stuffed it into his mouth.
Sweet.
Another one.
Blegh!
Bitter!
Blegh, blegh, blegh!
There was even spicy grass!
With an experimental attitude, Shi Qixue took a bite out of every plant around him, feeling as though he’d transformed into a plump little yellow calf.
Perhaps he’d eaten something poisonous.
Suddenly, it felt as though ten thousand people were hammering his entire body at once. He writhed and rolled across the ground in agony, the veins at his temples bulging as cold sweat poured down his face.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
“Bzzz—”
A notification sounded.
The system, which had disappeared for so long, finally returned.
“Congratulations, Host! You have successfully cleansed your meridians and purged your impurities. You have unlocked Qi Attraction and Body Tempering. This cultivation technique is the most suitable technique for modern people… Huh?!”
The system’s voice suddenly cracked in shock.
It stared at the scene before it in disbelief.
Its host was curled up in pain, clutching his stomach, yet stubbornly stretching out his neck to take bite after bite of grass.
The system was completely dumbfounded.
Shi Qixue continued chewing.
It was definitely that bitter grass that had given him the stomachache!
One bite to cleanse the meridians and purge impurities, two bites to draw qi into the body, three bites to establish his foundation and form a Golden Core, four bites to reach the Nascent Soul stage…
If he ate the whole field, wouldn’t he…
“You’ll die!” the system shrieked. “Eating more than two stalks at once will kill you!”
Five bites and he’d be kicking the bucket.
Six bites and his soul would depart this world.
The system was practically terrified out of its mind.
Yet Shi Qixue, who had already eaten more than ten stalks, was still perfectly fine. His face had merely turned slightly green from the bitterness, but he remained as lively as ever.
“Huh? Eating too much will kill me?”
System: “…”
“Never mind.”
It had almost forgotten.
This host was a freak who was immune to all poisons.
“You finally showed up.”
Shi Qixue was a little choked up. He patted his chest and said, “I heard you talking pretty clearly just now. Can you finally tell me what my mission is?”
System: “Krrrzzzt… Krrrzzzt…”
Shi Qixue: “…Then where am I in the novel right now? Has the male lead just gone up the mountain? Has he just subdued the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird? Has he just married his first wife? His third? His fifth…?”
“The eighteenth…?”
The more Shi Qixue asked, the less certain he became.
That useless male lead had married a total of twenty wives. He was practically asking about the ending already.
Was it because he hadn’t guessed correctly, or was this aloof system simply refusing to answer him?
“The nineteenth…?”
“None of those.”
“The Host’s current timeline is two months after the original novel’s ending. The male lead has cast off all his burdens and gone into seclusion in the mountains to live a carefree life. He has already become disconnected from the current world, but his spirit lives on forever because… Krrrzzzt…”
Another burst of crackling static filled Shi Qixue’s ears, sharp enough to hurt.
He was stunned by the system’s answer and was about to ask another question when a voice suddenly exploded beside his ear like thunder crashing into a lake.
He jolted awake from his dream.
Then he heard a booming voice outside.
“Get out here!”
“You damn bastard, Shi Qixue!”
“You stole my wife, and you still have the nerve to sleep soundly?!”