Beyond the crushing pressure of the Gravity Crags lay a vast, subterranean cavern where damp air smelled of turned earth, ancient sulfur, and the sweet, heavy scent of blooming spirit flora.
This was the overgrown Botanical Ruins of the Crimson-Cavern’s outer perimeter. Massive, twisting root systems hung from the vaulted ceiling like frozen serpents, illuminated by glowing blue moss and clusters of fluorescent mushrooms. Centuries of dense, undisturbed subterranean earth Qi had transformed this ruined herbal sanctuary into a haven for rare, unharvested treasures.
Gu Chen walked at a relaxed pace, his hands tucked inside his dark sleeves as his divine consciousness swept silently across the cavern.
Within seconds, his ancient soul perception pierced through several thick rock formations, locking onto a hidden alcove near a dried-up mineral spring. Tucked within the stone cleft sat a cluster of thirty shimmering Medium-Grade Qi Stones, surrounding a radiant, blood-red plant, a 300-year-old Earth-Grade Crimson Fire Lotus.
An Earth-Grade Fire Lotus, Gu Chen evaluated silently, a cold gleam in his violet eyes. Its pure, fiery essence is ideal for strengthening Su Yan’s furnace physique, and those thirty medium-grade stones will provide enough refined Qi to accelerate my foundation preparation.
"Gu Chen, over there!" Su Yan whispered, her keen senses picking up the surging wave of heat radiating from the alcove. Her ruby eyes lit up as she recognized the rare herb. "An Earth-Grade Fire Lotus! That can help stabilize my meridians even further!"
Before Su Yan could step toward the alcove, two figures darted out from the surrounding foliage, cutting off her path.
They were two senior inner disciples from Sun-Refining Peak, Huo Tian’s most loyal lackeys, both sitting at the peak of the 9th Stage of Qi Refining. The lead lackey, a tall youth with a hooked nose named Zhao Kai, held a fiery broadsword across his shoulder, looking down at Gu Chen and Su Yan with a sneer.
"Hold your steps, Fairy Su!" Zhao Kai said, offering a insincere, mocking bow while his eyes flashed with greed. "Senior Brother Huo Tian has declared that all Earth-Grade herbs in the outer ruins belong to Sun-Refining Peak! Lower-born loose cultivators and uninvited guests are forbidden from touching a single petal!"
Beside him, the second henchman chuckled arrogantly, glaring at Gu Chen. "That's right! A beggar who barely walked through the gravity field shouldn't get greedy. Back off, before Senior Brother Huo comes over to clean up!"
Su Yan’s expression instantly turned cold. "The treasures inside a public secret realm belong to whoever finds them first! Move aside, Zhao Kai, or I will force you aside!"
"Fairy Su, don't make things difficult for us" Zhao Kai began, taking a greedy step backward toward the glowing Fire Lotus.
CRACK!
Before Zhao Kai’s boot could touch the soil beneath the lotus, the damp earth beneath his feet erupted!
Four thick, thorny vines as wide as a man’s thigh burst from the soil like striking vipers. These were Blood-Thorn Vines, carnivorous subterranean spirit plants that hibernated beneath high-grade herbs, lying in wait for foolish cultivators to draw near.
"Aaargh!"
Zhao Kai screamed in terror as a vine whipped around his waist, its razor-sharp crimson thorns sinking deep into his robes and flesh. The vine immediately began draining his blood, turning his skin a sickly, pale grey within seconds. The second henchman fared no better; two vines wrapped tightly around his throat and chest, lifting him ten feet into the air as his bones groaned under the crushing grip.
"Help! Senior Brother Huo! Save us!" Zhao Kai shrieked, dropping his broadsword as his spiritual energy was drained away.
Farther down the path, Huo Tian heard the screams and erupted with fiery Qi, rushing toward the alcove with his heavy fire-sword drawn. "Hold on! I'm coming!"
However, Gu Chen acted faster.
Just as Huo Tian took his first step, a translucent blue notification box flashed sharply before Gu Chen’s mental vision:
[DING!]
[QUEST DETECTED: Save Fellow Disciples in Distress!]
[Objective: Rescue the Sun-Refining Peak disciples from the Blood-Thorn Vines!]
[Moral Reward: +100 Karma Points!]
Gu Chen’s lips twitched into an almost imperceptible, dark smirk.
Perfect timing.
Without a sound, Gu Chen raised his right hand, flicking his index finger twice. Two razor-thin threads of dark, compressed spatial Qi shot through the air like invisible needles.
Fwip! Fwip!
The dark threads sliced cleanly through the core roots of the Blood-Thorn Vines twenty feet away. The carnivorous plants instantly shuddered, withered into black ash, and released their grip.
THUD!
Zhao Kai and the second henchman slammed onto the muddy ground, gasping violently for air as they clutched their bleeding chests and necks.
Right on cue, golden light flashed before Gu Chen’s eyes once more.
[DING!]
[QUEST COMPLETE! Saved fellow disciples from a deadly trap!]
[Virtuous Reward: 1x Earth-Grade Foundation-Refining Pill (Flawless Grade)!]
[System Comment: "Use this pill to strengthen your weak Qi Refining body so you can continue protecting the helpless, Host! Sparkle!"]
Step one complete, Gu Chen thought coldly, stepping forward until his dark boots stopped mere inches from Zhao Kai’s trembling face.
Gu Chen looked down at the bleeding lackey with hollow, deadpan violet eyes. His voice was soft, cool, and completely devoid of warmth as he delivered his next words:
"Even a stray dog fights harder than you two. Next time, don't embarrass your master if you can't even handle a weed."
The quiet insults hit Zhao Kai like a physical slap to the face.
To be saved by the very man he had just mocked, and then to be called worse than a stray dog in front of dozens of gathering cultivators, made Zhao Kai’s pride shatter into bitter, irrational rage. The humiliation burned through his veins, overwhelming whatever common sense he had left.
"You... You low-born beggar!" Zhao Kai shrieked, his face twisting into a demonic, blood-flushed mask. "I'll tear your tongue out!"
Driven by pure, blind fury, Zhao Kai grabbed his fallen broadsword from the mud, erupted with all his remaining 9th-Stage Qi, and lunged straight at Gu Chen’s chest with a lethal, heart-piercing thrust!
The surrounding crowd gasped. "He's going for a fatal strike!"
Su Yan’s eyes widened in alarm, but before she could step in, Gu Chen’s dark violet pupils flashed with pure, predatory glee.
Lethal intent established. The System rules are satisfied.
Gu Chen didn't even bother to draw a weapon. As the flaming broadsword thrust toward his chest, he simply tilted his upper body a fraction of an inch to the left, letting the burning blade slide harmlessly past his dark robes.
In the same fluid motion, Gu Chen’s hand shot out like a striking dragon, clamping down upon Zhao Kai’s wrist with a grip like a hydraulic press.
CRACK!
A sickening sound of splintering bone echoed across the silent cavern. Zhao Kai’s wrist was crushed into powder, his sword tumbling uselessly to the stone floor.
Before the henchman could even open his mouth to scream, Gu Chen stepped into his guard, slamming a palm coated in dark, Abyssal Qi directly into Zhao Kai’s lower abdomen!
BOOM!
A localized shockwave exploded inside Zhao Kai’s lower body. The Abyssal Qi shattered his dantian into a thousand fragments, tearing through his meridians like shredded glass.
"Aaaaaagh!" Zhao Kai spewed a massive arc of black blood from his mouth, his eyes rolling back as he flew backward fifteen feet, slamming heavily against the cavern wall before collapsing into a motionless, crippled heap. His cultivation was completely gone, permanently ruined.
Silence descended upon the Botanical Ruins.
Gu Chen casually strolled over to the unconscious, bleeding henchman. Bending down, he calmly reached out and snapped off Zhao Kai’s silver spatial ring from his broken, limp fingers. He slid the ring into his own robe pocket with practiced, casual ease.
The blue System interface remained completely silent. No warnings. No karma penalties.
Because Zhao Kai had initiated a lethal attack against a "virtuous savior," Gu Chen’s brutal retaliation fell squarely under the absolute definition of Self-Defense.
"You filthy demon!"
A roaring voice shattered the quiet as Huo Tian finally arrived, his eyes bloodshot with rage as he looked at his crippled henchman and then at Gu Chen. "You saved him just to cripple him and steal his spatial ring?! I will burn you to ashes!"
Huo Tian drew his heavy fire-sword, his Early Foundation aura surging like a volcanic eruption.
BOOM!
Before Huo Tian could take a single step toward Gu Chen, a blinding pillar of golden Sun-Phoenix fire slammed onto the ground between them!
Su Yan stepped forward, her ruby eyes blazing with terrifying killer intent as her Early Foundation Realm aura flared to its absolute peak. Her golden flames hovered around her like a protective phoenix, locking directly onto Huo Tian.
"Take one more step, Huo Tian, and I will execute you where you stand," Su Yan commanded, her voice dropping into an icy, unyielding decree. "Zhao Kai launched a lethal attack on Gu Chen after being saved. Gu Chen acted strictly in self-defense. If you wish to avenge a fool who violated sect rules, step forward and face my flame."
Huo Tian froze in his tracks. His jaw clenched so hard his teeth groaned, his face turning dark purple as he looked at Su Yan actively shielding Gu Chen with her life. Fighting Su Yan here would mean mutual destruction before even reaching Level 2.
A short distance away, Lin Feng stood with his hands folded behind his back, his eyes narrowed into sharp slits as he watched Gu Chen pocket the spatial ring.
A Qi Refining youth who can shatter a 9th-Stage dantian with a single casual palm...? Lin Feng thought, a cold shiver creeping up his spine. His outward cultivation realm is a trap. He is far more dangerous than he appears.
High above on a moss-covered stone ledge, Ye Hanling stood quietly, her silver-white hair swaying gently in the cavern draft. Her midnight sapphire and frost-silver Ruqun fluttered lightly as she looked down at Gu Chen.
Her clear sapphire eyes gleamed with profound, analytical realization.
He planned every single move... Ye Hanling realized, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. He intentionally saved the man to establish a moral high ground, instantly provoked him into an emotional, lethal blunder, and then ruthlessly destroyed his cultivation under the guise of self-defense—all to harvest his spatial ring without turning the crowd against him.
Cold. Manipulative. Absolute efficiency.
Deep within her chest, Ye Hanling’s Cold meridians pulsed once more, sending a wave of electric warmth through her frozen blood. The terrifying, dark depth of Gu Chen's character was pulling her in like an inescapable abyss.
Ignoring the glares of Huo Tian and the surrounding crowd, Gu Chen walked over to the dried spring alcove.
With two gentle sweeps of his hand, he harvested the 300-year-old Earth-Grade Crimson Fire Lotus and swept all thirty Medium-Grade Qi Stones into his robe sleeve.
"Let us move," Gu Chen said smoothly, looking back at Su Yan. "Level 1 holds nothing else worth my time."
Su Yan nodded with a soft smile, falling into step right beside him as they walked toward the descending stone staircase leading toward Level 2: The Burning Maze.