The Protagonist's Swelling Ego, The Dousing System

The Primordial Era doesn't count years, but for the protagonist Xuan Wazi, who had already reached the mid-stage of Hunyuan Golden Immortal, it wasn't difficult to discern direction and traverse endless space to return to his own dojo. He even took the time to study the Treasure Distribution Cliff he had forcibly pried back, discovering that its essence was a massive Chaos Primordial Stone, containing Chaos Aura, and was an excellent material for refining a cave dwelling or a large formation base. This discovery delighted him for half a day.

His dojo was named "Carefree Residence." The name was casual, and its location even more cunning, hidden behind an Innate Formation at the junction of the eastern Primordial Era and Mount Buzhou. This formation was something he had concocted by combining the concealment abilities of the Chaos Bead. Unless by chance or deliberate search, ordinary powerful beings would find it difficult to discover.

Passing through layers of seemingly natural, yet secretly intricate, cloud and mist restrictions, the scene before him suddenly opened up. Immortal mountains loomed, spiritual springs gurgled, exotic flowers and strange herbs carpeted the ground, and rare birds and beasts occasionally appeared. Though it couldn't compare to top-tier paradises like Kunlun Mountain or West Kunlun, it was still secluded, elegant, and filled with spiritual energy, possessing its own unique charm. Most importantly, it was safe and hidden!

The protagonist stepped into his main hall, and the profound demeanor he had displayed while discussing the Dao with Tongtian in the chaos instantly collapsed, revealing his true self.

"Hahahaha! I'm back, I'm back!" He unceremoniously threw himself onto the cloud bed made of Spirit Warming Jade, rolling around several times with the soft cloud silk quilt before sitting up, his eyes shining, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement and the lingering thrill of his recent exploits.

"Thrilling! So damn thrilling!" He slapped his thigh, spitting as he muttered to himself, "Causing trouble right under Hongjun's nose! Snatching his prime seat for the sermon, disrupting his Treasure Distribution Assembly, emptying his Treasure Distribution Cliff, and even advancing to the early stage of Hunyuan Golden Immortal right in front of him! And finally, I even tricked Tongtian... no, I guided him to enlightenment! My goodness, I'm simply awesome! The most ferocious man in the Primordial Era, a paragon of both courage and wisdom, it has to be me!"

The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. He felt a surge of heroic spirit, and any lingering frustration from being forced by the system to "not be a person" vanished. He wished he could immediately return to the entrance of Zixiao Palace and erect a monument inscribed with "Xuan Wazi was here."

"Chaos Bead! Awesome! Blocking heavenly secrets, concealing cultivation, moving treasures, it's practically a tool for causing trouble... no, for pursuing ultimate freedom and ease!" He took out the inconspicuous gray bead, kissed it fiercely, and couldn't put it down.

Just as his confidence swelled to the point of breaking through the heavens, and he even began to ponder if he should give himself a more resounding title, like "Chaos Celestial Venerable" or "Primordial Era's Number One Hunk"--

Buzz!

That familiar light blue screen, without any warning, unfolded before his eyes again, interrupting his reverie.

On the screen, it was still the same simple pixelated smiley face.

But this time, the pixel smiley face had changed. It depicted a finger extended, exaggeratedly picking its nose, accompanied by a line of flickering text filled with disdain: "[Host, wake up, stop dreaming! Wipe your drool!]"

The smile on the protagonist's face froze. He said irritably, "System Brother, what do you mean? Can't stand to see me doing well? Jealous of my brilliance, my courage, and my impending rise to the pinnacle of life?"

"Jealous of you? My foot!" On the system screen, the nose-picking pixel animation became more vigorous, as if it could dig something out. "Host, do you have some colossal misunderstanding of the word 'awesome'? Do you think you got the first cushion based on your overwhelming aura, and Hongjun just let it slide because he liked you?"

"Wasn't it?" The protagonist retorted, trying to maintain the "mighty" image he had just built.

"A fart!" The system struck back mercilessly, its synthesized voice raising eight octaves. "From the moment you entered Zixiao Palace, no, from the moment you obtained me and stepped into the Primordial Era, Hongjun, using the Heavenly Dao, had already sensed the existence of you, an 'anomaly'! When you sat on the first cushion, he saw it clearly! The reason he didn't turn you into dust on the spot wasn't because you were so awesome, nor because the Chaos Bead was so invincible that it could completely block the Heavenly Dao's perception. It was due to the limitations of the Heavenly Dao's rules. For an 'anomaly' that had not yet directly and severely threatened the stability of the Primordial Era, he, as one who had merged with the Dao, could not personally eliminate it, lest he suffer a Great Dao Backlash, which would be more loss than gain!"

"What?" The pride on the protagonist's face instantly froze, as if a basin of chaotic ice water had been poured over him from head to toe, chilling him to the bone. "Hongjun... he knew all along? From the very beginning?"

"Otherwise?" The pixel smiley face on the system screen changed to a giant eye-roll. "Do you think Heavenly Dao Sages are just for show? Especially someone like Hongjun who is about to merge with the Dao! His every move is almost equivalent to the will of the Heavenly Dao! If it weren't for this system's meticulous planning and calculations at every step, guiding you to exploit a BUG in the Heavenly Dao's rules to sit on that cushion, and then, every time you caused trouble, helping you use the Chaos Bead to maximally disrupt local heavenly secrets, reducing the immediate Heavenly Dao attention and the 'reasonableness' for Hongjun to directly intervene, you would have long been 'reasonably' eliminated by Hongjun! You'd be in no position to be gloating here! You'd be long dead!"

The protagonist: "..."

He fell completely silent. The heroic spirit that had surged through him moments ago completely deflated. He visibly wilted, slumping onto the cloud bed like a dried-up salted fish that had lost its dreams.

"So, after all this... I was dancing on the edge of a knife, and I thought I was just hopping around my own hearth..." he muttered, a wave of fear washing over him, a fine sweat breaking out on his back. It turned out his so-called "awesomeness" and "thrills" were backed by the system and the Chaos Bead bearing immense risks, constantly probing the boundaries of the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun's limits.

Seeing the host's dejected state after being struck by reality, the system's tone softened slightly. The image on the screen changed to a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"There, there, Host, don't be too discouraged. Knowing fear is a good thing; it means you're still salvageable. Although Hongjun has noticed you for a long time, rules are rules. As long as you don't court death by directly shaking the foundations of the Primordial Era, like going to smash Mount Buzhou right now, or punching a hole directly through the Heavenly Dao, he truly cannot act against you directly. In a sense, your previous actions, within the scope of 'what is permitted by the rules,' can indeed be considered 'awesome.'"

Hearing this, a faint glimmer of light reignited in the protagonist's eyes. He was like a wilted blade of grass finally receiving a drop of dew.

He struggled to sit up, stroking his chin, his eyes habitually beginning to flicker with that "not-a-person" glint that both comforted and vexed the system. "Meaning... as long as I don't touch that 'ultimate bottom line' set by Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao, I can still... within limits, cause trouble within the rules?"

"Bingo!" A flashing thumbs-up with a checkmark appeared on the system screen. "Correct understanding! Hongjun cannot directly touch you, but he is, after all, the spokesperson for the Heavenly Dao. He has many methods, and his schemes are profound. If you truly enrage him, willing to pay some immense price, such as depleting his own merit and fortune, or using the power of the Heavenly Dao to lay plans and guide other powerful beings to conflict with you, he can still find a way to bypass the restrictions and indirectly kill you."

"However--" the system drew out its tone, returning to its usual smug, as-if-everything-is-under-control demeanor. "With this system around, I will naturally help you control the scale and assess the risks. The missions issued will be within the scope of 'safe troublemaking,' and I won't truly send you to your death, nor will I push Hongjun to the point of wanting to destroy you at all costs. So, Host, put your heart at ease! As long as you follow this system's rhythm, I guarantee you'll be able to frolic to your heart's content without fear of capsizing! Our goal is: to frolic healthily and sustainably on the path of not being a person!"

"Heh heh, got it!" The protagonist rubbed his hands, his face once again showing that signature smile that would make countless future Primordial Era powerhouses grind their teeth in hatred. "Limited frolicking is sustainable frolicking! System Brother, from now on, I'll rely on you to guide the direction! You are the lighthouse for my voyage on the vast sea of the Primordial Era, the compass in the mist!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome! This system is very pleased that the Host has this awareness!" The screen flickered, seemingly quite pleased with the flattery. "In the current stage, stability with a hint of mischief is the correct path. First, consolidate your mid-stage Hunyuan Golden Immortal cultivation properly. Don't let the rewards you just obtained make you unstable. I've detected several familiar auras approaching your dojo; they're probably here to 'discuss the Dao.'"

"Understood, understood!" The protagonist nodded, just about to gather his thoughts and enter meditation to consolidate his cultivation.

Suddenly, a faint, rhythmic fluctuation came from the Innate Formation outside the dojo. This was the signal for visitors, and the other party seemed to know the method to enter the formation, or at least had received a certain degree of "recognition" from it.

Immediately after, three auras of varying strengths, but all quite familiar, were rapidly approaching, penetrating the cloud and mist restrictions, and manifesting outside the main hall.

"Hmm?" The protagonist's divine sense swept over them, and he chuckled. "Oh, speak of the devil, and they appear? And they're coming as a group? Old friend Hong Yun, little sister Nuwa, and fellow Daoist Tongtian... this lineup is quite interesting. It seems the knot over the Primordial Violet Qi hasn't been untangled in their hearts yet."

He tidied his slightly rumpled robes and the fear and dejection from the system's revelation had long since vanished from his face. In its place was an anticipation of "more entertainment coming my way, and I can even show off my presence."

"It seems I can't avoid discussing the Dao over tea and exchanging insights on 'Violet Qi.' Very well, let this poor Daoist teach you all a good lesson again!"