Yin Wujiu frowned slightly.
“What is it?”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Li Jinv said, his tone casual.
“Why is your Blood Lotus Sect chasing this girl?”
Yin Wujiu was silent for a moment.
His gaze swept over Ban Guan’er’s face, then returned to Li Jinv.
“That is an internal matter of our sect. Not convenient to disclose.”
“An internal matter of your Blood Lotus Sect?”
“Internal matter?”
Li Jinv chuckled softly, his gaze turning deep.
“When did a cultivator with a Top-grade Water Spirit Root become an internal matter of your Blood Lotus Sect?”
Yin Wujiu’s expression shifted slightly.
It was rare to see someone who acted as if nothing was wrong after being seen through.
A flash of killing intent passed through Yin Wujiu’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
This person clearly knew everything, yet chose to say it aloud just to embarrass him.
“Fellow Daoist, this matter has nothing to do with you.”
“Her life belongs to me. You want to kill her. Tell me, does it have anything to do with me?”
Yin Wujiu’s face completely darkened.
“So, Fellow Daoist is dead set on interfering?”
Li Jinv didn’t answer.
He just looked at him calmly, that placid gaze making Yin Wujiu’s skin crawl.
Finally, Yin Wujiu gritted his teeth, weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and at last chose to back down.
“Fine. Today I’ll give you face, Fellow Daoist. I’ll take my leave.”
He turned to go.
Li Jinv’s lips curved slightly.
‘It worked.’
‘The demonic path really does bully the weak and fear the strong.’
But just at that moment—
Yin Wujiu spun around!
He had never planned to leave.
That retreat had all been a setup for this strike!
The air was torn apart, letting out a sharp explosive roar.
The short blade in his hand transformed into a streak of pitch-black light, stabbing straight at Li Jinv’s chest!
A strike infused with all his spiritual power, so fast it seemed to cut through the air itself.
“Senior, be careful!”
Ban Guan’er screamed.
Li Jinv saw it.
But his body couldn’t keep up.
His brain frantically ordered: Dodge! Dodge now!
But with his shell cultivation at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, facing a full-force strike from the Late Foundation Building Stage, he couldn’t even react in time.
‘It’s over.’
That was the last thought that flashed through Li Jinv’s mind.
Clang—!
The loud clash of metal echoed through the forest.
Yin Wujiu’s short blade struck Li Jinv’s chest.
And then…
It stopped.
The blade pierced through the robe, but then could go no further.
That sharp dagger had hit something as impenetrable as steel.
Yin Wujiu’s eyes bulged.
This strike had been loaded with nearly all his power.
Even a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator would be killed or severely wounded after taking this blow.
But…
The other party hadn’t even moved.
“Wh… what?!”
Yin Wujiu’s voice trembled.
Li Jinv looked down at the short blade pressed against his chest.
It didn’t hurt at all.
He could even feel a slight resistance where the blade met his skin, as if some invisible force was protecting him.
‘Diamond Indestructible Body?’
Skin like metal, bones like refined steel.
He had been cursing the System as a liar earlier, thinking this technique was just some ordinary body-tempering skill.
But now…
It seemed… ‘It’s actually something?’
Yin Wujiu’s feminine face twisted completely.
“Impossible… This is impossible!”
Li Jinv looked down at him from above, expressionless.
At this moment, Yin Wujiu’s hands began to shake.
He stared into Li Jinv’s calm eyes and felt a bone-chilling cold.
No protective spiritual light, no magical artifact defense.
He had blocked a full-power strike with nothing but his physical body.
What the hell kind of monster was this?!
Yin Wujiu’s mind went blank.
His legs gave out, and with a thud, he dropped to his knees.
Just then, the system panel popped up:
[Detected new target “Yin Wujiu’s” Fantasy Value toward Host: 95/100]
[Fantasy Value converting…]
[Congratulations, Host’s cultivation has been elevated to: Early Golden Core!]
A massive spiritual pressure erupted from Li Jinv’s body!
It wasn’t released consciously; it was the natural outflux of Golden Core cultivation.
That pressure, like a mountain toppling over, slammed down on Yin Wujiu.
Yin Wujiu’s body stiffened violently, as if an invisible giant hand had pressed him down.
He lay flat on the ground, unable to move.
‘A Golden Core, for real!’
He was utterly despairing.
Ban Guan’er knelt in the distance, watching everything.
The moment that pressure swept over her, she could barely breathe.
The aura of a Golden Core master.
She was all too familiar with it.
Her master was a Golden Core True Person.
Every time her master got angry, that shudder from the depths of her soul was exactly the same.
No, wait.
Her master never completely released his pressure, so she had never truly faced a Golden Core cultivator’s full aura.
Now she felt it.
That crushing sensation nearly stopped her heart.
‘Senior… is really Golden Core.’
‘Not Foundation Establishment.’
‘It wasn’t that I misjudged, but that I underestimated him.’
Ban Guan’er’s eyes reddened, whether from fear or excitement.
“Senior, spare me! Spare me!!”
Yin Wujiu lay on the ground, his voice now tearful.
A Late Foundation Building cultivator, now as wretched as a stray dog.
Li Jinv stared at the “Early Golden Core” label on the system panel, ecstatic inside.
‘Golden Core!’
‘He, Li Jinv, was now a Golden Core!’
That feeling of being able to move mountains and overturn seas was real!
He knew it was an empty shell, but right now, the surging power flowing from his dantian was genuine.
The feeling that he could punch a mountain apart with one fist—that was real too!
‘This feels so damn good!’
But then…
‘If I get exposed later, that’ll be bad.’
Li Jinv snapped back to reality.
Yet ‘I only have the cultivation, no techniques!’
That wouldn’t scare Yin Wujiu either.
Maybe he could bluff and then let the guy go.
“How about this,” he said, looking down at the prostrate Yin Wujiu in a calm tone.
“Take one punch from me. If you don’t die, I’ll let you go.”
Yin Wujiu jerked his head up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!”
Just one punch.
He was at Late Foundation Building.
His body, though not that of a Body Cultivator, had been tempered by spiritual power.
It was many times stronger than an ordinary person.
The other party was a Golden Core.
A full-power blow would definitely kill him, but if it was just “not dying”…
“Senior, you can’t!”
Ban Guan’er cried out desperately.
“You are a Golden Core True Person!”
Yin Wujiu shot Ban Guan’er a fierce glare.
“He already said that! Who asked you to interrupt?!”
Then he immediately turned to Li Jinv, a fawning smile on his face.
“Senior, this junior is ready.”
Li Jinv nodded expressionlessly.
He just wanted to end this farce quickly, then go check the big gift the System had for him.
“Ready?”
“Yes! This junior is ready!”
Yin Wujiu took a deep breath, frantically circulating his spiritual power, layering countless defenses in front of him.
He knelt on the ground, leaning forward slightly, bracing himself to take the punch.
Li Jinv raised his right fist.
He had never learned any fist techniques.
He didn’t know how to put power behind it, or how to channel his Golden Core spiritual energy.
But he was a Golden Core cultivator now.
The surging power inside his body was his confidence.
He took a deep breath, focusing his attention on his fist.
Golden Core stage spiritual energy flowed like a river, surging through his meridians into his arm.
He felt a burning force gathering in his fist, and a faint golden light shimmered on the surface of his knuckles.
He threw the punch.
No fancy moves, no shocking supernatural phenomenon.
Just like an ordinary person hitting a sandbag.
Yin Wujiu watched the trajectory of the fist, ecstatic inside.
‘That’s it?’
Even if such a dull punch landed, at worst he’d break a few ribs.
He was at Late Foundation Building.
Taking one hit wouldn’t kill him.
His taut nerves relaxed for just an instant.
Then—
The fist connected with his protective spiritual light.
Boom—!
Yin Wujiu’s defenses shattered like paper on contact!
The fist slammed solidly into his chest.
At that moment, he felt as if he hadn’t been hit by a fist, but by an entire mountain.
Yin Wujiu didn’t even have time to scream.
His body flew backward like a cannonball!
He crashed through three large trees before slamming into the ground.
The dirt burst open, forming a deep crater.
In the distance, Yin Wujiu’s limbs were twisted at impossible angles.
Blood oozed from all seven orifices.
His eyes were still open, his pupils dilated.
His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
Then—
He stopped moving.
Li Jinv stood there, still in his punching stance.
‘Huh?’
‘Killed him with one punch?’
He withdrew his fist and looked down at his right hand.
‘This… is this how absurd Golden Core stage power is?’
‘I just threw a casual punch, and a Late Foundation Building cultivator got killed instantly!’
‘Hahahaha!’
‘Golden Core cultivation is so awesome!’
Li Jinv barely managed to suppress his laughter.
He forced his expression to stay calm, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned to look at Ban Guan’er.
Ban Guan’er was kneeling on the ground, mouth slightly open, eyes wide.
She looked like she had turned to stone.
One single punch.
A Late Foundation Building cultivator, not even able to let out a scream, had been turned into that.
‘Was this Senior’s real strength?’
She suddenly felt that all her previous guesses about Senior had been too conservative.
[Prompt: Fantasy Value maxed. Host may collect max-value reward at any time.]
Li Jinv saw this prompt, his heart leaping with joy.
Max-value reward!
He eagerly opened the system panel, wanting to see what good stuff he could get this time.
Then—
His smile froze.
[Detected that fantasy source “Yin Wujiu” has died. The Fantasy Value he provided has dissipated.]
[The reward contributed by Yin Wujiu’s Fantasy Value (Golden Core cultivation) has been reclaimed.]
[Current cultivation recalculating…]
[Calculation complete.]
[Current cultivation source: Ban Guan’er (Fantasy Value 100/100)]
[Current cultivation: Late Foundation Building.]
Li Jinv: “…”
‘Shit!!!’
‘Golden Core cultivation is gone!!’
‘I hadn’t even warmed it yet!’
Li Jinv stared at the system panel, his expression crumbling bit by bit.
What reward?
He hadn’t even seen the shadow of a reward, and it was already gone!
Was this System trying to screw him over?!
Li Jinv’s mouth twitched violently.
He took a deep breath, barely holding back a curse.
But when he looked more closely at the new data on the system panel, he realized something.
Ban Guan’er’s Fantasy Value had risen to 100.
And his cultivation had gone from Early Foundation Establishment to Late Foundation Building.
Li Jinv’s mood became incredibly complicated.
He silently cursed the System a hundred times in his mind, then raised his head to look at Ban Guan’er.
Ban Guan’er was looking at him with an almost worshipful gaze.
“Senior… are you alright?”
Li Jinv shook his head.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Find a place to heal your wounds.”
Ban Guan’er nodded emphatically.
She propped herself up with her long sword, stood up, and followed behind Li Jinv into the misty morning forest.
Behind them, the ruined temple’s broken walls gradually blurred in the morning light.
Li Jinv’s back was straight as a pine, his steps unhurried.
No one knew that at that moment, he was inwardly cursing that scam of a System like mad.