"No! I have to go back!"
In Ye Feng's mind, the image of Ye Youning in mortal danger lingered like a ghost. The moment the thought surfaced, he made his decision without a moment's hesitation.
He raised a hand and quickly formed a sword incantation. In an instant, a spiritual sword materialized out of thin air, its blade glowing and humming softly as if responding to its master's call.
Ye Feng leaped forward and landed steadily on the sword, his robes fluttering in the wind. For that single moment, the high-spirited youth of the past seemed to have returned, his entire being radiating a striking brilliance.
"Puff!" Just as Ye Feng was about to take flight on the sword, a mouthful of bright red blood surged uncontrollably from his throat, spilling across the spiritual sword with a shocking crimson stain.
Ye Feng felt his strength drain away in an instant like a receding tide. He lost control of his body and tumbled from the sword, crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
Clenching his teeth, Ye Feng gathered all his remaining strength to roll over with difficulty, lying flat on the ground and gasping for breath.
Only now did it dawn on him like waking from a dream.
Ah, of course! He was already a dying man, and the lingering backlash of the Karmic Fire burning his body pursued him like a shadow.
His meridians were riddled with holes, feeling as though countless microscopic steel needles were repeatedly piercing them. Every breath brought excruciating pain, and the burning agony spread from the depths of his body to every corner, as if he were cast into a blazing purgatory. How could he possibly have the strength to help anyone else?
His consciousness grew increasingly hazy amid this endless torment, only to be violently dragged back to reality by wave after wave of intense pain.
*How exhausting,* Ye Feng sighed deeply in his heart. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and sleepiness engulfed him like a raging tide. He only wanted to sink into a deep sleep and never wake up again.
"Ye Feng!!!"
Just as his consciousness was about to fade entirely, a familiar shout suddenly rang out like a thunderclap, instantly snapping him back from the dark abyss.
The figure of the young girl flashed vividly in his mind!
Ye Feng's eyes snapped wide open. Youning! She was still waiting for him to save her; how could he possibly die here?
At this moment, whether this was a simulation or reality mattered not at all. He only wanted to follow the yearning in his heart and save the person who meant everything to him.
Struggling, Ye Feng tried to stand, but his legs felt as weak as cotton. The moment he exerted force, he collapsed heavily back to the ground. Over and over again, he repeated this arduous movement, yet he failed every single time.
"Heh, in the end, am I still incapable of doing anything?" Filled with helpless frustration, Ye Feng slammed his fist heavily against the earth with a dull thud.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, and he remembered his ultimate trump card—the System.
"System! Do you have a way?" This was the first time he had ever asked the System for help. No matter how much pain he had suffered in the past, he had always endured it in silence, treating it as a necessary path within the life simulation. But now, he only wanted to change Ye Youning's fate.
"Host, peak cultivation (Nascent Soul stage) can be provided for one hour, but this simulation's score will be reduced, which will correspondingly affect your rewards," the System's cold voice echoed in his mind.
"One hour? That's plenty!" Ye Feng replied without a moment's hesitation.
The moment his voice fell, a vast surge of spiritual energy poured wildly into Ye Feng's body like a raging torrent. Under the impact of this overwhelming energy, his meridians were forcibly stretched open. The pain felt as though parched earth was being ruthlessly torn apart, every single meridian groaning in agony.
To call it forcing a plant to grow by pulling it upward would be far too gentle; this was closer to a desperate struggle on the razor's edge of life and death.
After a bout of intense pain, Ye Feng slowly stood up, feeling his entire body brimming with strength, as if he had returned to the days of his former youthful vigor.
"Why does it hurt so much? Don't the golden fingers of other protagonists just solve everything with a 'ding'?" he muttered involuntarily. Yet the System offered no reply, nor did he have the leisure to care.
Time was of the essence now, and Ye Youning's condition remained unknown—her fate hung by a thread.
At this thought, Ye Feng's heart tightened. He drew a deep breath and steadied his state.
"Boom!" A deafening sonic boom tore through the air, and Ye Feng shot upward like an arrow released from a taut bow, soaring straight into the clouds!
***
[Stepping through the mountain gates of the Tianjian Sect, the once-sober sanctuary has transformed into a human purgatory. The mists are gone, leaving only billowing smoke. Evil cultivators clad in black robes blot out the sky, wielding sinister magical artifacts. The cries of battle and the explosions of spells intertwine as a fierce clash rages on.]
[Time brooks no delay. You draw a deep breath, channel your spiritual power, and plunge into the enemy ranks like a black lightning bolt. The spiritual energy swirling around you forms an impenetrable barrier; enemies are sent flying at the mere touch, and wherever you pass, none can withstand you.]
[The battle is brutal. Blood blurs your vision, your sword blade is battered dull, yet you continue to fight bare-handed. Your fierce gaze is like that of a hawk, every strike precise and powerful. Within the crowd, someone recognizes you, their expression flickering between confusion, astonishment, and terror.]
[Only a single thought fills your mind: to race back to the bamboo house and save Ye Youning. Your form darts through the enemy ranks like a ghost. The ground beneath your feet is stained crimson with blood, but you press ever forward, running desperately onward.]
***
As the foremost sect of the righteous path, the Tianjian Sect had always possessed a profound foundation and a strength not to be underestimated. Its disciples were numerous, its experts gathered like clouds, and the exquisite swordsmanship passed down through generations was renowned far and wide.
Yet this time, the Tianmo Sect had allied with several other unorthodox sects, throwing their entire strength into a premeditated assault. Their careful planning and formidable might had even pinned down Mo Rushi, the Sect Leader hailed as the greatest swordsman in the world, leaving him constrained by several Deity Transformation stage demonic cultivators and unable to break away. Under such an onslaught, the Tianjian Sect could only be forced into a passive and defensive plight.
The Tianmo Sect's scheme this time could be described as killing two birds with one stone. On one hand, it struck a blow against the dignity of the righteous path and weakened its influence, thereby consolidating their own standing within the cultivation world. On the other hand, talented individuals had been emerging in droves within the cultivation realm of late, with promising new prodigies sprouting up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
The rise of these fresh forces was undoubtedly a grave threat to the unorthodox sects. And Ye Youning, standing as the most dazzling among them, naturally bore the brunt of their target.
In just a few short years, Ye Youning had leaped from an ignorant maiden just stepping onto the path of cultivation straight into the Golden Core realm. Such a rate of cultivation could only be called defying the heavens. Ordinary cultivators had to exhaust decades or even a full century of time merely hoping to form a Golden Core, yet she relied on her Chaotic Divine Body to traverse that long cultivation journey in just a few short years.
Furthermore, while others racked their brains over the laws of nature to no avail, she only needed a brief moment of comprehension to master them thoroughly, unleashing spell techniques far exceeding the might of those in the same realm. Such talent sent tremors through the entire cultivation world, with all factions viewing her as the supreme powerhouse of tomorrow—and consequently marking her as the primary target for this sect-wide extermination.
***
At this moment, Ye Youning was being driven step by step into a corner by a litany and alluring woman. If Ye Feng were here, he would instantly recognize this person as the one who had blocked his path at the Tianmo Sect that day.
The woman's raven-black hair danced wildly, her eyes flashing with a chilling, cold light. Every gesture she made exuded a bone-chilling aura, and several Nascent Soul stage disciples trailed closely behind her, boxing Ye Youning in completely.
One Deity Transformation stage master and four Nascent Soul stage experts—this was the wager cast to hunt down Ye Youning. For the sake of the Chaotic Divine Body, the demonic sect had shown the utmost sincerity.
"To be able to slaughter several Nascent Soul cultivators while in the Golden Core mid stage... the Chaotic Divine Body truly lives up to its reputation. Why not join our Tianmo Sect instead?" The demonic woman's lips curved into a cruel smile, the magical artifact in her hand flashing with an eerie glow and releasing powerful spiritual ripples.
The calm expression on Ye Youning's face suddenly shifted.
"Shut up!" Ye Youning cried out sharply. The spiritual power within her surged wildly as the might of her Golden Core swelled tempestuously. With a sudden flash of movement, she transformed into a streak of flowing light and charged straight toward the enemy...