Li Youci also possessed a Heavenly-grade Spirit Root!

In that instant, a single thought dominated Zhou Kai’s mind: I must conquer this Eldest Miss Li. Quickly. Thoroughly.

His mental abacus clattered loudly with calculations, yet his face remained a mask of perfect composure. He even managed to squeeze out an expression that balanced “pleasant surprise” with “humble honor.”

Just then, a gaze as cold as frost locked onto him.

Li Youci’s deep, phoenix-like eyes seemed capable of piercing through his very soul. She spoke lightly, “You seemed quite pleased just now that my elder brother intends to report to the Patriarch?”

Zhou Kai’s heart skipped a beat.

Crap! Did my expression control slip?

He hadn’t anticipated her keen observation skills—or the fact that her Divine Sense was absurdly powerful.

Before Zhou Kai could offer a defense, Fish Baibai, standing to the side, covered her mouth with a dainty hand and giggled.

“Junior Brother Zhou, although my Young Miss is only at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, her Divine Sense has long been comparable to a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Your little schemes can’t hide from her eyes, you know.”

A bead of cold sweat slid down Zhou Kai’s forehead.

Mid-stage Golden Core Divine Sense? Give a guy a break! Is this woman a monster?

He immediately switched gears, adopting a tone of righteous passion and heartfelt sincerity.

“Young Miss, please see the truth! My admiration for you is like a surging river, endless and torrential! It is like the flooding Yellow River, unstoppable once unleashed!

“When I heard the Young Master wished to report my situation, I was simply overjoyed for you! You have such a discerning eye to recruit a… a humble talent like myself. When the clan learns of this, they will surely applaud your vision!

“My loyalty to the Young Miss is absolute! The heavens can witness it; the sun and moon can attest to it! If I have spoken half a word of falsehood, may I… may I be kicked by a donkey when I go out, choke on water when I drink, and get meat stuck in my teeth when I eat!”

Internally, Zhou Kai was sneering. It’s just empty talk, who cares? With those long legs, sooner or later I’ll have them over my shoulders for a deep ‘exchange’! Golden Core Divine Sense? Just wait until I farm enough System Points; I’ll carve my name into your very Consciousness Sea!

Li Youci listened to his exaggerated profession of loyalty without a flicker of emotion on her stunning face. She merely gave a cold snort, the sound like an icicle striking a frozen lake.

Zhou Kai’s heart sank. Bad move. I slipped into auto-pilot flattery. She doesn’t eat up the sycophant act; she’s a contrarian. The Grand Miss is going to hit someone!

“Fish Baibai,” Li Youci said indifferently.

“Here, Miss!” Fish Baibai responded instantly, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of a chaos-loving gremlin.

She subtly rolled her wrist, loosening up the joint.

“He is still just a small fry, and far too noisy,” Li Youci glanced at Zhou Kai, her tone flat and bored. “Take this chance to beat him up. Teach him a lesson. Afterward, bring him to my cave abode.”

Before the words had even faded, her figure vanished into the horizon, not leaving so much as a flutter of her hem for Zhou Kai to admire.

“…” The expression on Zhou Kai’s face froze.

Beat… beat me up?

“Alrighty then!” Fish Baibai chirped crisply.

She flipped her wrist.

Vroom—!

A dull, heavy vibration shuddered through the air. A giant warhammer, nearly twice the height of Fish Baibai herself, materialized out of thin air into her grip!

The hammer was pitch-black, its massive head covered in ancient, primitive runes. It radiated a heart-stopping, oppressive weight, as if it could smash a mountain into dust with a single tap.

Zhou Kai’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Holy shit! Is she serious?!

This little loli, who is a whole head shorter than me, is actually wielding such a ferocious thing? That’s her Natal Treasure, isn’t it? She pulled it straight out of her Dantian!

The petite, adorable maidservant flashed him a sweet, harmless smile.

“Junior Brother Zhou, excuse me! This servant wouldn’t dare disobey the Young Miss’s orders.”

“S-Senior Sister Fish! Fairy Fish!” Zhou Kai gulped audibly.

“Let’s talk this out! A gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists… A fairy of your jade-like quality need only move your jade lips, why dirty your jade hands? Don’t be impulsive! Surely we don’t need to involve a Natal Treasure? My frail body can’t take a single tap from that! It’ll kill me!”

Fish Baibai tilted her head, her smile remaining terrifyingly sweet. “Junior Brother Zhou, the Miss said you need to learn a lesson. Don’t worry, I have great control. I promise I won’t beat you to death!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, her small frame blurred.

The colossal warhammer felt as light as a feather in her hands. It tore through the air with a terrifying whistle, smashing down toward Zhou Kai’s head!

“My life is over!” Zhou Kai only had time to wail before his vision went black.

Bang!

The world spun. Excruciating pain, as if his bones were being disassembled, swept through his entire body. The explosive power hidden within Fish Baibai’s delicate frame was horrifying. Every strike brought agony but avoided fatal injury—her force control was precise to a demonic degree.

“This little girl hits hard! Just wait until my body cultivation is complete… Ouch! My waist!”

In just a few breaths, Zhou Kai was beaten black and blue. There wasn’t a patch of good meat left on him. He ended up hanging upside down from a tree branch, foaming at the mouth, his eyes glazed and unfocused.

Fish Baibai dusted off her hands, looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction, and nodded.

Then, she grabbed Zhou Kai by the ankle like he was a dead chicken, shouldered her giant warhammer, and hummed a cheerful tune as she flew toward Li Youci’s mountain peak.

Meanwhile, Yantian Peak. Li Qiwen’s Cave Abode.

Li Qiwen sat upright on a meditation cushion, his brow slightly furrowed.

If that Heavenly-grade Spirit Root was truly a piece of unpolished jade, it naturally deserved careful sculpting. But if the boy’s origins were unknown and his heart harbored malice, he would be a massive hidden danger to the Li family—and to Youci.

Especially the way that kid looked at Youci… it felt off.

He pondered for a moment, then spoke to the empty corner of the room. “Go. Investigate this Zhou Kai inside and out. Turn over every stone. Report every detail, no matter how small.”

“Yes, Young Master.” A voice echoed from the shadows, as if the speaker had never existed.

An unknown amount of time later, Zhou Kai groggily regained consciousness.

The moment he opened his eyes, a piercing, bone-chilling cold assaulted him, forcing a violent shiver through his battered body.

Zhou Kai finally understood. The source of that faint, elusive Yin-cold aura he had sensed on Taiji Peak was right here. Now that he was close, he was horrified to realize it was Yin Ghost Qi refined to the extreme!

It was even purer and more terrifying than the energy he had sensed on actual Evil Cultivators.

He sat up and looked around. He was in a dimly lit, spacious cave abode.

The stone walls were inscribed with countless twisted, grotesque runes that emitted a faint, gloomy light. Subtle sounds of wailing ghosts and howling wolves seemed to bleed from the walls, echoing through the silence and making his scalp tingle.

High above, the dome was inlaid with stones that cast a ghastly, pale white light, barely illuminating the gloom.

What the hell is this place? Zhou Kai couldn’t help but curse internally.

If I didn’t know I was in Li Youci’s home, I’d think I’d been thrown into the Yinxu Sect’s mass grave! What kind of technique is Li Youci practicing?

He scanned the surroundings, his alarm growing. This didn’t look like an Immortal’s paradise; it looked like a meticulously arranged soul-nourishing ground, or a demonic lair!

“Awake?”

Zhou Kai followed the voice. Li Youci was sitting quietly on the main seat at the head of the cave.

“Young Miss.” Zhou Kai scrambled up from the cold floor. Although his body ached, he could move freely. Fish Baibai really did know where to hit.

Li Youci waved her hand casually.

Seven Jade Slips, each shimmering with a different colored light, floated in the air before Zhou Kai. Each one radiated powerful fluctuations of Qi—clearly, these were treasures.

“Here are seven body tempering cultivation techniques. Pick one,” Li Youci said indifferently.

Despite being beaten half-stupid, Zhou Kai’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the techniques. This was a tangible benefit!

He immediately extended his Divine Sense into the Jade Slips.

Moments later, shock plastered his face. Without exception, all seven were incredibly profound body tempering manuals!

Tyrant Dragon Armor Chapter — Cultivated to the peak, the body rivals magical treasures and can shoulder mountains!

Eight Desolations Phantom Steps — Ghostly, elusive footwork that makes one impossible to guard against!

Blood Fiend Body-Burning Art — Specializes in Vitality. Burning blood essence multiplies combat power for extreme explosive force!

…

Each technique was vast and deep, possessing its own unique strengths. Zhou Kai was dazzled, practically drooling.

“Young Miss,” Zhou Kai withdrew his Divine Sense and bowed respectfully. “This subordinate is lucky enough to walk the path of Dual Cultivation of body and magic. My previous breakthrough in Vitality was also a stroke of fortune.”

His words were half-true. The Dual Cultivation was real, but the breakthrough wasn’t luck—it was the System. The implication, however, was clear: I want a magic technique too.

Li Youci didn’t seem surprised. Her tone remained flat. “I have my own arrangements for your magic cultivation. First, choose a suitable body tempering art.”

Zhou Kai felt a wave of relief. It seemed the Grand Miss was prepared to invest heavily in him.

His gaze swept over the seven Jade Slips before finally settling on one that shimmered with dark golden light.

Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer!

The name alone was domineering! Plus, that little girl Fish Baibai used a hammer. Even though he’d just been flattened by it, he had to admit her hammer technique was impressive.

If he also cultivated a hammer art, he’d have plenty of excuses to “spar” and “discuss the Dao” with her in the future. Heh heh, wouldn’t that make conquering her twice as easy?

“Young Miss, I choose the Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer!” Zhou Kai declared without hesitation.

Li Youci nodded slightly, seemingly indifferent to his specific choice. She waved a hand, retrieving the other six Jade Slips.

“Since you possess a Heavenly-grade Spirit Root, I will be direct,” Li Youci said slowly. “I assume you have heard of Calamity Abyss Valley’s foundational inheritance technique, the No Word Scripture?”