Is It Wrong to Bully the Novice Village for System Rewards?

Guided by the stolen memories of the Slaughtering Daoist, Qi Yuan transformed into a streak of flowing light, piercing through the void toward the pocket dimension’s core.

This ‘Cave Abode’ floating in the outer void was less a cave and more a small world carved out by a high-level cultivator.

In its prime, it would have been a paradise—a self-sustaining ecosystem for cultivation, raising spirit beasts, farming rare herbs, or even housing a small mortal city.

But after years of neglect, the void storms had eroded its foundations. The spiritual energy had bled away, leaving behind a barren, crumbling wasteland.

Soon, a majestic palace loomed out of the darkness.

Vast, rolling clouds of crimson mist boiled around the structure, wreathing it in a ferocious, eerie atmosphere.

“This is it.”

Qi Yuan’s expression tightened. He accelerated, plunging into the outer rim of the blood-red clouds.

Instantly, a thick, metallic stench of old blood assaulted his senses. The mist wasn’t just vapor; it was alive with malice, curses, and misfortune.

Like parasitic worms, the poisonous array energy tried to burrow into his pores. However, the Heaven and Earth Black Yellow Cover flared to life, forming a barrier that kept the corruption at bay.

Even so, the light of the excrement-yellow suit dimmed visibly under the assault. The defensive artifact groaned, struggling to hold back the tide.

“Even after all these years, the Blood Fiend Grand Formation is still running.”

Qi Yuan frowned. “The Slaughtering Daoist spent a lifetime reinforcing this array. Even in its ruined state, its power is formidable. An ordinary Soul Formation cultivator wouldn’t last long in here.”

He paused, hovering in the mist. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the Abyssal Condensation Sword from his personal space.

“Recognize this place?” he asked coolly.

The sword trembled, emitting a low buzz. “Master Qi! It’s been days! Why… why are you so yellow? Wait… isn’t this that kid Han Lie’s lair?”

The sword vibrated with sudden excitement.

“Little Sword understands! You want the goodies inside, right? Leave it to me! I’ll fetch them for you right n—”

Qi Yuan clamped his hand down on the hilt, cutting off the sword’s eager vibration.

“No need,” he said coldly. “Your job is to drive away this Blood Fiend mist. If you dare to run off, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

He knew exactly what this cursed sword was thinking. There was a Blood Pool inside the palace. If he let this gluttonous weapon loose, it would drain the pool, recover its vitality, and likely try to backstab him immediately.

Hearing the threat, the Abyssal Condensation Sword wilted.

“Sigh… fine. Master Qi, watch closely.”

A dark, ghostly glow erupted from the blade. It pulsed outward, forcing the encroaching blood mist back by several feet, creating a small safe zone around Qi Yuan.

With his path clear, Qi Yuan dove into the Blood Fiend Grand Formation.

His objective was simple: destroy the formation core in the main hall. Once that was gone, the array would collapse.

Rustle… Rustle…

As he ventured deeper, the chilling malice grew heavier. Strange sounds echoed in the mist—the slithering of countless twisted, ferocious things swimming through the air.

Swish!

Qi Yuan slashed.

A sharp arc of sword Qi cleaved through the fog, bisecting a Blood Fiend puppet shaped like a giant python. Foul, viscous ichor splattered into the air. Before the puppet’s corpse could hit the ground, it dissolved back into crimson mist.

ROAR!

The death of the python was like a signal flare.

From all directions, bizarre and grotesque Blood Fiend puppets swarmed toward him. Their eyes glowed with a hateful crimson light, filled with an unquenchable thirst for the living.

“You have a death wish.”

Qi Yuan snorted. Runes swirled in his black-and-white eyes as he unlocked the second seal of the Blood God Four Refinements.

Boom!

His aura exploded outward. He became a human weapon, a peerless blade tearing a path toward the main hall.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Sword Qi roared like a tsunami. In the span of a few breaths, dozens of Golden Core-level puppets were shredded into confetti.

Qi Yuan stomped on the air, accelerating again. He carved a bloody road through the encirclement, his momentum unstoppable.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Wherever his blade passed, the ferocious puppets detonated, turning into ash and smoke.

In the heat of battle, the Abyssal Condensation Sword howled with maniacal glee.

“Hahaha! Kill! Kill! Kill! The taste of slaughter is intoxicating! It’s been so long since I felt this good!”

“Die! Die! It’s a pity these are just energy constructs… if they were real living beings, I could suck them dry!”

The slaughter seemed endless. The closer Qi Yuan got to the hall, the stronger the puppets became. Soon, monsters with peak Nascent Soul strength began to emerge from the mist.

Feeling the pressure mounting, Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes.

He didn’t slow down. Instead, he reached into his storage space and pulled out a thick stack of pale gold talismans pulsating with destructive energy.

He activated the entire stack at once and tossed them casually over his shoulder into the swarm behind him.

Top-Grade Sunburst Talismans. Over a hundred of them.

Qi Yuan channeled his movement technique to the limit, speeding forward without a backward glance.

Real men never look back at explosions.

A split second later.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sky behind him shattered.

It sounded like the wrath of heaven. A massive mushroom cloud erupted, glowing with blinding golden radiance that illuminated the entire void space.

A terrifying torrent of pure Yang energy swept outward, vaporizing every single Blood Fiend puppet within a three-mile radius.

Seizing the opening, Qi Yuan transformed into a streak of light and shot through the palace doors.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, the oppressive formation pressure vanished.

Qi Yuan exhaled, smoothing his robes.

Each of those Top-Grade Sunburst Talismans cost hundreds of mid-grade Spirit Stones. In that one throw, he had burned through tens of thousands of mid-grade stones—equivalent to millions of low-grade ones.

He had essentially fired a firework made of money.

Such extravagance would make even a Dao Integration realm cultivator weep tears of blood. But as the world’s premier “Immortal Second Generation,” Qi Yuan didn’t care about the price tag. He only cared about the DPS.

He looked around.

The hall was opulent, paved with gold and stone, supported by white jade pillars. At the top of a staircase with hundreds of steps sat a lonely throne.

Qi Yuan sheathed the reluctant sword and flew up to the throne. Without hesitation, his fingers danced over the armrest, activating a hidden mechanism he knew from the memories.

Rumble…

The heavy throne ground against the floor, sliding aside to reveal a dark passage leading down.

Qi Yuan descended.

Instantly, his eyes were dazzled by a kaleidoscope of treasure lights.

Rare artifacts were scattered across the floor like trash. Spirit stones were piled into literal mountains, with plenty of rare high-grade stones sparkling in the mix.

The spiritual Qi in the vault was so dense it was nearly liquid, forming a mist that clung to his skin.

Qi Yuan whistled. He knew the Slaughtering Daoist was rich, but seeing it in person was something else.

“Just how many people did Han Lie rob and kill to hoard this much wealth?”

No wonder the Seven Great Sacred Grounds had issued a joint warrant for his arrest. This hoard alone was enough to buy a first-rate Sect.

However, Qi Yuan wasn’t a country bumpkin. He recovered from the shock quickly and began scanning the vault. He was looking for something specific.

His eyes swept the room.

His expression changed.

It’s gone.

Someone had taken the item!

A bad premonition rose in his heart.

Suddenly, a sinister, rasping voice whispered right next to his ear.

“Heh… another junior delivering himself into the net…”