“Master, Master,” Zhan Xiaotian’s body had nearly fully recovered, and he had also obtained the ancient sword spirit attached to the sword named Chixin. His power was increasing daily yet he still clung to Yu Sheng, wanting him to watch his sword practice, asking for praise when he succeeded, and seeking comfort and guidance when he made mistakes. “Master, once I achieve great things, you can leave this place with me.”
Yu Sheng felt a jolt in his heart with only one thought: this can’t be good.
“No.” This time, he was very resolute. “Since you have become my disciple, I still have one last gift to give you.”
The ‘Immortal Body’ golden finger.
Yu Sheng’s expression turned unusually serious, his fake beard fluttering in the wind as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back. “Once you obtain it, your physique will undergo a tremendous transformation. From now on, no matter what storms you face in the three realms, no one will be able to take your life.”
System 451 had mentioned that this Immortal Body physique was originally meant for the first protagonist; it only needed to be returned to him through Yu Sheng due to a problem in the world.
After presenting the sword and the golden finger, Yu Sheng took the opportunity to fake his own death.
His last words were, “Do not come looking for me again. After I die, I seek nothing but a peaceful eternal rest.”
With his eyes closed during this act, Yu Sheng couldn’t see Zhan Xiaotian’s reaction.
Before leaving, Zhan Xiaotian bowed three times and then departed from the Three Realms Cliff, continuing to carve out his own path in life.
System 451 asked, “Does your conscience hurt?”
Yu Sheng returned to his original form, crawled out from the mound he had made, shook off the dirt, and shook his head while covering his heart. He nodded seriously, “It hurts a lot, and I feel scared.”
System 451: “Scared of what?”
Yu Sheng let out a long breath, “I’m afraid Xiao Zhan is from the cremation faction.”
System 451: “…”
From that day forward each year, paper money would rain down from the sky, fluttering in yellow slips that filled the air. By the time they reached the ground, they had long been shredded by the fierce winds at the intersection of the upper realms.
Yu Sheng sat cross-legged at the entrance of his cave, opening a small barrier to keep the shredded paper money out, while occasionally waving his dust brush to clear the entrance.
The first protagonist had left, taking with him the nickname he hadn’t had the chance to call out: ‘Xiaotian Dog,’ and in return, he received a significant amount of points.
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but wonder if the point system of System 451 might be experiencing a bit of inflation, similar to certain African currencies that seem to have a lot of zeros but aren’t worth much at all.
What could he do to combat inflation? Hoard spirit stones? Gold? That didn’t seem reliable. After pondering for a moment, he decided it was better to spend the points directly while they hadn’t inflated to a more frightening level. So, he browsed the points shop and bought a bunch of items he might need in the future.
One of those items was a spatial pocket, which cost him more than half of his points. After purchasing it, it manifested as a triangular tattoo on the back of his left hand, resembling a tadpole with its head and tail connected. Yu Sheng tried it out, and with a wave of his hand, he could freely take things out and put them in.
With the remaining points, he bought various random toys and props; after all, spending all his time at the cliff bottom was quite boring, and he needed some entertainment. During his free time, Yu Sheng could even release his spiritual consciousness to control those special toys for amusement, essentially playing AR and VR games.
Having learned from his previous experience, Yu Sheng had early on placed numerous trampolines at the bottom of the cliff, and he had planted various trees and vines that could cushion falls. He thought, even if ten Zhan Xiaotians fell down, they would be caught.
—
Ten years later, the second protagonist arrived as expected. A black shadow fell down, moving slowly and lightly. As it fell, it got caught in one of the trees that Yu Sheng had planted to cushion falls. The tree had grown tall and dense in just ten years due to the fertilizer, and many vines were climbing on it. The shadow fell into the tree crown, getting tangled in several vines, preventing it from continuing to fall and instead hanging in mid-air, swaying with the wind.
Yu Sheng arrived a bit late and saw the shadow that seemed about to dissipate, being exposed to the scorching sun with no clouds in sight. System 451 provided the details: Protagonist Two, Yin Wangzhi, from the Ghost Realm, a villainous dark-themed male lead. Task items ‘Dream Viewing Secret Method’ and ‘Soul-Settling Pearl’ are to be given to the protagonist after he recovers.
Yu Sheng, looking like a white-haired old man, approached the figure hanging from the tree, suppressing his guilty and awkward feelings. He raised his feather duster and rescued the person… no, the ghost.
Then, he saw that when the vines snapped, the ghost fell onto the trampoline… bouncing up over three feet before falling again, bouncing back up again… Yu Sheng felt a deep sense of guilt, “I’m sorry…”
No matter how he calculated, he never expected that this time the one falling would be a ghost. If it had been a living person like Zhan Xiaotian, just their weight would have snapped the vines, and falling onto the trampoline wouldn’t have resulted in such a high bounce, let alone bouncing several times…
Usually, the bottom of the cliff was always shrouded in mist, rarely seeing a day like today with plenty of sunlight and no fog at all.
Under the scorching sun, the ghostly figure looked like it was about to dissipate at any moment, appearing as if it were fading away. Yin Wangzhi’s entire being exuded an aura of darkness, his skin showing no trace of blood, looking gray and withered. He stared at Yu Sheng, his gaze sharp as if he were a predatory bird ready to attack at any moment.
However, even when Yu Sheng wrapped the ghost up with his feather duster and lifted him away, this predatory beast showed no signs of action. The ghost didn’t need sleep, nor would he faint; he simply kept staring at Yu Sheng. After a long time, he asked in a hoarse voice, “Who are you?”
Yu Sheng felt the wind at his feet, quickly bringing him into his cave and placing him in the most suitable area for soul nourishment where the yin energy was the strongest. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “Just an ordinary hermit. You can call me Yu… Xian.”
He wanted to reveal his name directly, but if someone found out that Yu Sheng was the real name of Yu Yangzi, it would cause trouble.
The ghost, looking weak enough to dissipate at any moment, still gritted his teeth and spoke, continuing to ask, “What do you seek?”
“Nothing in particular. I just saved you out of convenience.”
Upon hearing this, Yin Wangzhi’s vigilance did not lessen; instead, it increased. It seemed that such unsolicited kindness was even more suspicious than a mutually beneficial transaction. His aura turned increasingly cold and dangerous. He let out a sneer, and although he couldn’t move, he didn’t hold back his words. “Save me? Aren’t you afraid that once I regain my strength, I’ll use you as a stepping stone for my own progress?”
It was important to note that the Ghost Realm followed the law of the jungle; this rule applied not only to other ghosts but also to living people.
Yu Sheng was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, “Sure!”
Seeing him respond so readily, Yin Wangzhi appeared somewhat puzzled. Yu Sheng finished laughing and added, “If you can defeat me, go ahead and try.”
Yin Wangzhi’s expression darkened, snorting in defiance, no longer engaging him in conversation, feeling that this person was deliberately mocking him.
The next moment, that incredibly annoying old man began to set up a formation centered around him. Upon closer inspection, it was a gathering yin formation. Yu Sheng, worried that he wouldn’t understand, even explained, “Don’t be nervous. This place has a mix of spiritual energy, yin energy, and life energy. Anyone who falls here will be affected. I’m drawing a circle for you; it will help you recover more easily.”
It was like mixing green beans, red beans, and yellow beans together, so by drawing a circle, you could isolate the green beans.
Yin Wangzhi’s expression changed as he felt the surrounding yin energy gathering, realizing it was indeed helpful. He stopped looking at Yu Sheng with a suspicious gaze, switching instead to a look that suggested Yu Sheng was a madman. His voice was low and hoarse, “What exactly do you want to do?”
Yu Sheng stepped outside the circle and found a place to sit cross-legged, smiling as he replied, “I’m just waiting for you to recover so you can come and trouble me.”
Looking at him, his eyes squinted into crescent moons, smiling as he spoke, it was hard to tell if he was serious or joking.
After finishing the formation, Yu Sheng reached into his robe and took out several medicine bottles, tossing them towards Yin Wangzhi, “Take these.”
With the formation in place and various elixirs benefiting the soul, Yin Wangzhi no longer had any objections and closed his eyes to focus on his recovery. Ghosts were not like living beings; once injured, recovering was not easy. Even with Yu Sheng’s various formations, elixirs, and magical artifacts supporting him, it took Yin Wangzhi more than a month to recover significantly, his form becoming more solid, and his complexion less pallid, no longer resembling a corpse.
During this time, whenever he encountered a bottleneck or difficulty, Yu Sheng would sit beside him, snacking on melon seeds, using various motivational techniques, saying things like, “At this rate, it’ll be eight hundred years before you can use me as a supplement,” and “Before you concede, write me an IOU. I want to see how you plan to repay me for the elixirs and magical artifacts you used.” He’d also say, “Now I understand why I saved you; it’s probably because the bottom of the cliff is too boring, and I wanted some entertainment.”
After a few jabs, Yin Wangzhi would unleash his inner potential, transforming shame and anger into strength, quickly overcoming his challenges, then proudly raising his eyebrows, waiting for Yu Sheng to applaud him.
After being praised, he would stubbornly refuse to admit he wanted the compliments, always making a ‘humph’ sound to show his disdain. If it weren’t for the fact that Yu Sheng noticed his ears turning red, he would have almost believed it.
Finally, when Yin Wangzhi fully recovered and was ready to challenge him, Yu Sheng tossed him a technique and a treasure. The technique was the ‘Dream Viewing Secret Method.’ Once mastered, it allowed one to see the dreams of others, discover various secrets, and use it in battle to disrupt the enemy's mind and create openings.
The Soul-Settling Pearl, in the system’s words, was originally Yin Wangzhi’s item. With it, Yin Wangzhi could solidify his soul and prevent his aura from dissipating, effectively granting him a ‘body that doesn’t die.’
Yin Wangzhi frowned and fiercely questioned him about his intentions. Yu Sheng chuckled, stroking his beard, “I’m giving you some treasures to increase your strength; otherwise, even if you perform exceptionally, you still won’t match half of me.”
Yin Wangzhi pursed his lips, pondering for a moment before stiffly stating, “Neither master, nor friend, nor kin, nor acquaintance; I cannot learn your techniques.”
His eagle-like eyes fixed on Yu Sheng, trying hard to display a less fierce and sharp demeanor, “I cannot accept your kindness for free. Senior, today I shall take you as my master.”
Yu Sheng was about to refuse, thinking he couldn’t be soft-hearted again this time. However, Yin Wangzhi didn’t give him any room to choose; after speaking, he performed a formal bow, his attitude firm. No matter what Yu Sheng said afterward, he insisted on calling him ‘Master.’
Not only that, but he also used the excuse of not leaving until he defeated his master to stay at the cliff bottom, practicing that secret technique daily and frequently reporting his progress.
Finally, one day, when Yin Wangzhi came to find Yu Sheng as usual, his expression serious, the system reminded him: the protagonist couldn’t keep lingering around like this; it would affect the main storyline.
“Master, if there comes a day when I truly defeat you, may I…?”
Yu Sheng raised his hand, cutting off whatever agreement Yin Wangzhi was about to make. He could not let him say it out loud. “That day will never come.”
Yin Wangzhi paused, his brows slightly furrowing. “Why?”
Yu Sheng sighed deeply and closed his eyes. “Because I am dying. You should leave.”
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