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

“This matter is bizarre. It has turned the Pill Saint Sect completely upside down.”

Liu Qi paused deliberately, letting the suspense hang in the air, before leaning in and lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You must not tell Master that I told you this. If he finds out, he’ll skin me alive.”

Seeing the man hem and haw, Qi Yuan frowned slightly but played along. “Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”

Assurance received, Liu Qi cleared his throat with feigned seriousness and began his tale.

“Although I’ve technically been expelled, my Senior Brothers and Sisters still look out for me. According to them, a series of impossible events have plagued the sect since last month.”

“First, several ten-thousand-year-old spirit herbs—treasures collected by the Pill Saint Sect for generations—collectively ‘escaped’ from the herb garden. Like a prison break.”

“Then, the sect’s treasure vault was visited by thieves, resulting in a massive loss of Spirit Stones.”

“But the final straw was when Master’s private alchemy chamber was burglarized. Years of his hard work—countless precious pills—were looted clean…”

“Are you serious?”

Before Qi Yuan could react, Piao Genshuo gasped, unable to contain his shock.

“The Pill Saint Sect might not have a Great Ascension cultivator guarding it, but it’s no second-rate faction! With their monopoly on alchemy, their influence rivals the Seven Great Holy Lands.”

“Even the most deranged demonic cultivators wouldn’t dare offend them easily. Who has the guts to tweak the tiger’s beard of the Pill Saint, Zu Chengzhi? Do they want to become public enemy number one?”

Qi Yuan harbored the exact same doubts.

For cultivators, pills were the primary fuel for progression. Alchemists held a transcendent status. Offending the Pill Saint Sect was equivalent to blacklisting oneself from the entire Alchemist Association. Even the lawless demonic sects weren’t stupid enough to commit social suicide like that.

To provoke Zu Chengzhi… their courage was truly boundless.

Seeing their rapt attention, Liu Qi smiled, looking profoundly mysterious.

“It gets worse. The thief didn’t just clean out the room. In a fit of madness, they scrawled a line of large characters on the wall as a provocation.”

“I don’t know exactly what it said, but I heard that when Master saw it, he nearly suffered a Qi deviation on the spot. His Dao heart almost shattered from pure rage. He swore an oath of irreconcilable enmity with the thief.”

Liu Qi glanced at the thoughtful Qi Yuan and continued.

“Surprisingly, this thief is incredibly slippery. It’s been days, and despite the entire sect hunting them, not a single trace has been found.”

“Master’s temper has been explosive recently. He finds everyone displeasing and has kicked all my Senior siblings out to investigate. If you can get to the bottom of this, Master would be overjoyed. Forget one batch of pills—he’d refine ten batches for you without blinking.”

Thief… Herb Garden… Looting… Graffiti…

Qi Yuan’s eyelid twitched. As the details connected, an ominous sense of familiarity washed over him.

Could this be the work of a certain little grass spirit?

Meanwhile.

The Nether Fiend Sect.

High above the sky, a sea of black-red tides churned and roared. Yin mist shrouded the world, filled with ghostly howls, resembling an abyssal underworld.

Countless grotesque demonic creatures swam through the dark ocean, occasionally stirring up massive waves. The fleeting glimpse of a scale or a claw revealed auras of terrifying, ancient ferocity.

Deep within this darkness stood a majestic palace, exuding an aura of antiquity like a peerless demon god dominating heaven and earth.

This was the core of the Nether Fiend Sect—the residence of its Sect Leader, the Miluo Palace.

Inside, the hall was paved with cold jade and lined with golden pillars. Ever-burning mermaid lamps hung from the walls, casting a ghastly, pale fluorescence.

On a massive, ornate black throne sat a graceful, slender figure.

Dozens of beautiful maidservants with cloud-like hair and splendid dresses clustered around the throne. Some knelt with fragrant tea, others held ceremonial fans, while the rest stood in silent attendance. All kept their eyes lowered, holding their breath in terrified concentration, terrified of disturbing the stunning woman on the seat of power.

The woman wore a long black dress embroidered with golden phoenix patterns. Her hair cascaded down to her waist like a dark waterfall. Her aura was deep as an abyss, obscure and unfathomable—a manifestation of boundless night.

This was the Empress of the Nether Fiend Sect, Shen Honglian.

Her jade-like arms rested casually on the armrests, her curvaceous figure leaning back lazily against the throne, as if she were asleep.

After a long silence, Shen Honglian suddenly opened her eyes. Pitch-black pupils flickered with threads of blood-colored flame before vanishing back into the void.

A moment later, a respectful report echoed from outside the hall.

“Reporting to the Sect Leader. Legacy Disciple Ji Chan’er requests an audience.”

Shen Honglian’s expression remained placid, revealing neither joy nor anger.

“Let her in.”

Soon, a beautiful woman in a purple dress was led into the hall. She walked with grace, then knelt and bowed deeply.

“Disciple Ji Chan’er pays her respects to the Sect Leader!”

“Mn.”

Shen Honglian responded faintly, her gaze sweeping over Ji Chan’er’s face. “Rise and speak.”

“Thank you for your grace, Sect Leader.”

Ji Chan’er stood up hurriedly, her demeanor respectful.

“This disciple presumptuously requested an audience to report on an old matter.”

She wasted no words, reaching into her robes to produce a diamond-shaped artifact. Holding it up with both hands, she spoke slowly.

“Ten thousand years ago, the three Ancestors of our Holy Sect brought back three puzzles from a ruin within the Funeral Immortal Valley.”

“It is said that solving all three puzzles yields the key to the ruin and the Fated Chances within.”

“To be frank, the incomplete chess set obtained by my Ji Clan has been solved. I wonder what the situation is with the other two families?”

“Oh?”

Shen Honglian raised an elegant eyebrow, her interest piqued. She made a grasping motion, and the diamond artifact flew into her palm. As she examined it, her tone turned inquisitive.

“This Palace has heard rumors of this. The three Demon Venerables once said the restrictions on that ruin were terrifying—even three Great Ascension cultivators working together couldn’t break them. It is likely the legacy of an Immortal from the Primordial Era.”

“It is a pity the puzzles were too profound. Generations of the Shen Clan exhausted their wisdom and failed. I did not expect your Ji Clan to solve yours first. Truly worthy of being the Holy Sect’s number one family.”

Shen Honglian glanced at her, her voice carrying a layer of deep meaning.

“Although I do not know how far the Situ Family has progressed, this Palace is certain they have not found the answer.”

“Now that your Ji Clan holds the initiative, you could have found a way to seize the items from the other two families. You could have claimed the resources inside the ruin for yourselves.”

“Yet, you come here to report this to this Palace. Are you not afraid of alerting the enemy?”

Meeting Shen Honglian’s scrutinizing gaze, Ji Chan’er slowly raised her eyes. A resolute light shone within them.

“This disciple believes that no matter how powerful the Ji Clan becomes, we are ultimately part of the Holy Sect. Without the Sect’s prosperity, the Ji Clan would be a tree without roots, water without a source—destined to wither and die.”

“If the Ji Clan were truly as greedy as you suggest, it would only force the other two families to unite against us. Once internal strife erupts, the Holy Sect will become a river of blood, knowing no peace.”

“You, although born of the Shen Clan, are now the Leader of the Holy Sect. Presumably, you wish for such a tragedy less than anyone else?”

Her voice was calm and measured, her logic watertight. Her expression was neither subservient nor arrogant; she had clearly come prepared.