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

Meanwhile.

The Ji Clan Ancestral Land.

The sky stretched high and wide, a vast canvas of azure looming over endless, layered mountain ranges. A small white jade boat, ornate with carved railings and painted halls, sheared through the sea of clouds, leaving a streak of turbulence in its wake.

Ji Chan’er stood at the prow. Her dress was impeccable, and her jet-black hair was swept up into an intricate ‘Returning Heart’ bun. A string of delicate pearls and jade teardrops adorned her porcelain forehead, emitting a soft, flowing luminescence that accentuated her ethereal beauty. She looked like a flower in full bloom, her skin as pristine as fresh snow.

Despite her solemn and elegant attire, a trace of unconcealable charm lingered in the corners of her eyes. Her gaze shimmered with rippling light, brimming with a tender affection that washed over the onlooker like a warm pool of spring water.

“Just ahead is our Ji Clan Ancestral Court,” she said, her voice languid and dripping with a sweetness that tugged at the heartstrings. “It is also where the Ancestor remains in secluded cultivation. My home lies within the inner courtyard; only direct-line disciples possess the qualifications to set foot there.”

She seemed to be in high spirits, a hint of genuine joy coloring her tone.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan was jolted from a rather pleasant reminiscence. He glanced at her and casually asked, “Immortal Ji, do your father and mother reside here as well?”

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

The more one cultivated the Scripture of Yin-Yang Metamorphosis, the more robust the cultivator’s essence, energy, and spirit became.

At this moment, Qi Yuan felt not a shred of fatigue from toiling all night. On the contrary, he was bursting with vigor, his face glowing with a healthy, ruddy radiance.

As he spoke, however, Qi Yuan discreetly massaged the small of his back, his internal monologue running dry and cynical:

This ‘Phantom Yin Heavenly Demon Scripture’ is definitely a top-tier build, but the gameplay loop is seriously taxing on the hardware…

At the mention of her parents, a flush of crimson rose on Ji Chan’er’s cheeks. She hummed a soft affirmation.

“That is correct. My father is the Clan Leader’s eldest legitimate son. Unfortunately, he has never garnered Grandfather’s favor, so the position of Heir fell to my second uncle.”

She paused, her expression softening. “However, Father is indifferent by nature. He has no thirst for power or profit and places little value on status. His only wish is to improve his cultivation and live a peaceful, stable life with Mother.”

Her tone was calm, as if narrating a mundane family anecdote, but the subtext made Qi Yuan frown.

The hidden meaning was glaringly obvious: Ji Chan’er’s father was likely weak-willed and possessed mediocre aptitude.

In a righteous sect, such a temperament might pass for virtuous. But in a demonic clan like the Ji family—where the weak were prey to the strong—he was essentially dead weight.

Therefore, despite being the eldest legitimate son, he was destined to miss the throne. He was doomed to a life of mediocrity, his safety entirely dependent on the conscience of whoever took over as Clan Leader.

Given that he still held the status of the ‘Eldest Legitimate Son,’ it was hard to guarantee that his newly ascended younger brother wouldn’t view him as a loose end to be tied up.

Fortunately, the current Clan Leader was still Ji Chan’er’s biological grandfather, and the Ancestor loomed above him to keep order. Otherwise, her father’s situation would be precarious at best.

No wonder, Qi Yuan thought. It makes sense why Ji Chan’er had to lie low in Falling Cloud Valley for three years just for a single Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Medicine.

With a father like that, she was lucky not to be actively suppressed; expecting the clan to pour resources into her cultivation was a pipe dream.

For Ji Chan’er to climb to her current status, mere talent wasn’t enough. She must have put in a level of effort behind the scenes that ordinary people couldn’t strictly comprehend.

Thinking of this, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but sigh internally.

It seemed he still knew too little about this enchantress. Their meetings were always hurried affairs. As a Dao Companion, he was perhaps a bit lacking in his duties…

“We have arrived.”

Just as his thoughts wandered, Ji Chan’er’s reminder pulled him back to reality.

Qi Yuan gathered his focus and looked over the edge of the flying boat. Not far ahead, a sprawling, colossal architectural complex came into view.

It was less a courtyard and more a majestic, titan-sized city.

As far as the eye could see, countless high platforms, grand mansions, pavilions, and towers stood in orderly rows, stretching toward the horizon.

Inside the walls, green stone paved the wide avenues. Houses stood in dense clusters, and a multitude of people shuttled back and forth like ants. The prosperity and wealth on display here rivaled, if not exceeded, Reed Flower City.

Above the city, the sky was alive with traffic. Dense streams of escaping lights, flying boats, and law chariots whistled through the air, coming and going in an endless cycle.

The scene made Qi Yuan pause.

Before coming here, he had imagined the lair of the Demonic Path’s number one clan to be a gloomy, skull-adorned cave. He hadn’t expected a metropolis of such vibrant prosperity.

Seeming to sense Qi Yuan’s confusion, Ji Chan’er curled her lips, a proud expression painting her face.

“My Ji Clan has an inheritance spanning hundreds of thousands of years. Our branches are flourishing, and our population is immense. Aside from the cultivators, the vast majority living here are mortals without cultivation talent.”

“Although they cannot enter the Dao, they carry the Ji bloodline and enjoy the clan’s protection generation after generation. Over the eons, the Ancestral Land evolved into what you see now.”

She turned her gaze toward the center of the city, looking with reverence at a towering, splendidly luxurious palace that dominated the skyline.

“That is where my clan’s Ancestor cultivates in seclusion. It is called the Floating Ao Palace.”

As she spoke, the flying boat passed through the great formation guarding the perimeter and sped toward the core.

The crowds here were noticeably thinner, and the architecture grew more exquisite. This was clearly the exclusive district for the Ji Clan’s direct line.

Right at this moment.

Hum—

The Creation Cauldron sitting in Qi Yuan’s personal storage space gave a sudden, violent tremor. The cauldron’s body rotated a few inches on its own, pulled by an invisible magnetic force.

Huh?

Qi Yuan started, immediately immersing his Divine Sense into the storage space.

But just as quickly as it had moved, the Creation Cauldron fell silent. It sat motionless, inert as a dead rock.

What is going on?

Could it be… is there a fragment of the Cauldron hidden within the Ji Clan Ancestral Land?

The possibility sent a jolt of adrenaline through him.

If that were true, his Fated Chance to break through to the Myriad Tribulations Soul Formation might be right around the corner!

He hadn’t forgotten the system: collecting a fragment of the Creation Cauldron rewarded him with a strand of Heavenly Dao Qi.

The reaction had been weak, likely due to the distance. Once he got closer, the prompt would surely become clearer.

Regardless, it was worth investigating.

Of course, he mused, step one is pinpointing the location. Step two is figuring out how to steal it.

Qi Yuan fell into a calculating silence.

Currently, the main body of the Creation Cauldron was in his possession. To anyone else, a fragment would look like nothing more than a piece of sturdy, ancient scrap metal. It wouldn’t be considered a supreme treasure.

The only challenge was acquiring it without drawing attention. He needed to be a ghost.

Whoosh!

The flying boat began its descent, settling gently in front of a magnificent, brocade-draped mansion.

As soon as they landed, a group of servants in fine silks hurried forward, bowing deeply with practiced synchronicity.

“This servant greets the Young Miss.”

Ji Chan’er dismissed them with a casual wave and led Qi Yuan inside.

They had just crossed through a long, winding corridor when a figure approached from the opposite end.

It was a beautiful middle-aged woman, draped in luxury, her form adorned with shimmering pearls and jade. She appeared to be in her early thirties, her features bearing a striking resemblance to Ji Chan’er. Her face was as delicate as a lotus, her presence radiating the blooming vitality of peach and plum blossoms. Every inch of her exuded an air of aristocratic leisure and pampered grace.

Seeing the strange man standing beside her daughter, the woman paused instinctively. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she swept a scrutinizing gaze up and down Qi Yuan’s frame.

Seeing this, Ji Chan’er let out a nervous cough.

“Mother, this is Qi… Big Qi. He is a good friend your daughter has made outside.”

Big Qi?

Qi Yuan blinked, then quickly realized the situation. A bright, harmless smile instantly plastered itself onto his face. He bowed with impeccable politeness.

“Auntie, hello! My name is Big Qi. I am an Outer Sect Disciple of the Saint Sect. I felt an instant connection with Immortal Ji upon meeting her, and we have become close confidants.”

Despite his smooth delivery, a rare sense of trepidation bubbled in his chest.

He had lived two lives, faced down demons and slaughter… but this was his first time meeting the mother-in-law.