Lin Yu, who was rushing toward Su Chen with a fierce attack, suddenly felt his heart tighten.
"How?! How does this little trash know about my master?! About the power I'm borrowing?!"
His mind went blank for a moment.
Only then did he recall—this Su Chen was once a good-for-nothing who couldn't even gather Qi. Back then, he was nothing more than a joke. But now? Not only had he stepped into the Core Formation realm, but he also possessed mysterious techniques… even a bizarre escape art!
This doesn't make sense!
Even he—known as a peerless genius in his master's eyes—had only broken through because his master personally refined pills for him. With the full support of the Buddhist sect's sacred resources, he had barely managed to climb into the Core Formation realm.
"Master…" Lin Yu cried out in his heart.
"Yeah, you're right, Lin Yu. This Su Chen… he's hiding secrets—big ones!"
The man who once couldn't even cultivate was now displaying the signs of a true heaven-defying genius. The techniques he used clearly didn't belong to the lower realms—they carried the unmistakable aura of the Upper Realm!
Just then, his weapon spirit's voice echoed in his mind. Though childish in tone, it carried an eerie seriousness, as if it were answering his very thoughts.
"Can't befriend him? Then kill him… and take everything."
Hearing this,Lin Yu's gaze turned cold. Without hesitation, he pushed his spiritual energy to the limit and charged toward Su Chen at full speed.
But just as he was about to reach him—
Swish!
Su Chen vanished from his spot!
A moment later, a sharp warning echoed in Lin Yu's ear. His master's protective mark activated automatically:
"Behind you!"
His pupils shrank. He turned instinctively—
But he was already too late.
Su Chen appeared silently behind him, his arm wrapped in radiant, seven-colored Qi. Without giving him a chance to react, he struck out with a devastating punch.
Boom!
The punch landed directly on Lin Yu's back, but it was intercepted by a golden light—the Buddhist sect's defensive technique that had formed a divine statue-like barrier around him.
The golden statue trembled and slid forward from the force, but remained unbroken. Not even a single crack appeared.
Before Lin Yu could even catch his breath—
Swish!
Su Chen had already disappeared again.
But this time, Su Chen didn't appear near Lin Yu. Instead, he reappeared at the very edge of the Heaven Stairs and immediately began climbing.
Though the pressure intensified with every step, he gritted his teeth, activated his physique fully, and sprinted upward at full speed.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Step after step, he ascended like a madman.
Only when he reached the 1050th column did he finally stop, collapsing onto the stairs and panting heavily.
"Damn... fighting a real Son of Luck without any backup is suicide," he muttered, gasping for air. "If I hadn't run just now, I might actually be dead. My instincts were screaming... that bastard Lin Yu was about to pull out something that could kill me."
Meanwhile, Lin Yu, who had been searching for Su Chen, was fuming with rage.
"That little trash is still trash," he sneered. "No matter how much of a genius he becomes, deep down, he's still a coward… an orphan without roots." He let out a short, angry laugh.
"If he hadn't run, I would've used the Buddha Lamp and crushed him with faith power. But it's too bad he ran downward to save his life."
He stood tall and proud, staring up the Heaven Stairs.
"If he really intends to climb further, he'll have to cross my path," Lin Yu said coldly. "And when he does… I'll be waiting for him. As his death."
He laughed arrogantly, already imagining his victory.
But then—
"Yeah, yeah, Lin Yu, you are right, but… your laugh just reminded me of something," the familiar voice of his weapon spirit master echoed in his mind.
"What kind of memory, Master?" Lin Yu asked, his irritation fading slightly. He always respected the ancient spirit. After all, it once served under a legendary immortal. If something triggered its memory, it had to be something important.
"Hmph… that laugh of yours," the spirit said slowly, "It's just like the one my old master used… right before he died."
Lin Yu froze.
"What?"
he whispered, stunned.
"Don't joke like that, Master," Lin Yu muttered. But a chill crept up his spine anyway.
Meanwhile, Su Chen sat cross-legged on the Heaven Stairs, trying to recover his breath. His eyes were fixed on the half-transparent blue system screen floating in front of him, his expression dark—like he had just swallowed a mouthful of dog shit.
[Ding! Task One completed. Reward: Perfect Foundation Pill.]
[Task Two... failed. Reason: Time limit for the initial task (1 hour) has expired. Host did not manage to kill a single high-luck individual.]
[Better luck next time.]
Su Chen's face twitched. A vein bulged on his forehead.
"Ahhh—YOU DAMNED SYSTEM!" he roared internally. "You scamming son of a bitch! You and your entire community of system bastards! You dare play me like this?!"
His hands were clenched, and he looked like he wanted to reach into the screen and strangle someone.
"There was no time limit written before! You added that just now, didn't you?! You lying piece of code! You change your terms more than politicians change manifestos!"
He paused for breath, then muttered with venom, "No… even worse than that. You're like those influencer girls who change their hair color and life goals every other week…"
He slammed his palm on the ground in frustration.
"Ahh… my Immortal Undying Fire… my chance at mastering the Path of Eternal Resurrection… gone… just like that…"
His eyes turned slightly red. He wasn't crying—of course not. Su Chen didn't cry.
It was just… the wind. The heavy pressure. Definitely not tears.
"Damn it all… that was a heaven-defying treasure…" he whispered, devastated.
[Author's Note:]
[Dear readers, I have a couple of important questions for you!]
[Do you enjoy this type of story—cultivation mixed with comedy—or would you prefer a more traditional cultivation novel in the future? I'm planning my next novel and want to know what kind of story you'd love to see next month!]
[Also… I need your opinion on something else. 😭]
[Would it be okay if I introduced a girl into Su Chen's life? Don't worry—it won't turn romantic or become a harem. Su Chen is still the same shameless, responsibility-dodging guy you know and love. She'd be there more for the content and plot development, not romance. Please understand this poor author's pain 😭😭]
And finally…
[If you're enjoying the story, please throw some Power Stones at my face like you're a Foundation Realm cultivator in a bad mood! 😂]
[Your support keeps this author alive and typing.]