Feeding the System

Liu Zhenshan's pressure was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami roaring, the bluestone floor of the entire hall vibrated with a hum.

Qin Yuan stood in place, his back straight, but his feet had already sunk half an inch into the ground. The spiritual energy in his body circulated madly, the power of the "Extreme Realm" of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refining was fully unleashed, surging through his meridians like an angry river.

But the gap between Late Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Stage was, after all, too vast.

"Pfft—"

Qin Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turned pale, but his eyes remained clear. He had forcefully withstood this pressure, which was enough to make an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator faint on the spot.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Liu Zhenshan's eyes.

He had indeed held back—only using thirty percent of his pressure, as killing a disciple in public would have terrible repercussions. But even so, a Qi Refining cultivator should have been unable to rise from the ground. Not only was this brat standing, but he was also maintaining his consciousness?

"As expected, there's something strange." Liu Zhenshan's killing intent grew stronger, "This child must not be kept!"

Just as he was about to increase his pressure and cripple Qin Yuan in one fell swoop—

"Elder Liu has quite the imposing manner."

A lazy voice came from outside the hall.

Liu Zhenshan stiffened, and his pressure suddenly dissipated.

Everyone turned their heads and saw the Seventh Elder leaning by the door, a wine gourd in his hand, drinking intermittently. A half-smile played on his lips, but his eyes were as cold as a deep pool.

"Sev-, Seventh Elder..." Liu Zhenshan's forehead beaded with sweat, and he quickly bowed, "How come you..."

"Why haven't I left yet?" The Seventh Elder interrupted him, pacing into the hall, his boots making a light sound on the bluestone, "Good thing I didn't leave, otherwise I wouldn't have seen such a good show—the Enforcement Elder of the Third Peak, Late Foundation Establishment, exerting full pressure on an outer disciple of the Qi Refining Stage."

He walked up to Qin Yuan, glanced at the bloodstain on the ground, and then looked at Liu Zhenshan, "Liu Zhenshan, you're quite capable as an elder."

"Seventh Elder, please see reason!" Liu Zhenshan said urgently, "It was this brat who first injured my Third Peak disciple and then spoke disrespectfully to me, which is why I took action to teach him a lesson..."

"I saw it all," the Seventh Elder said lightly, "From you discussing how to steal credit outside, to that brat sneak-attacking Qin Yuan just now and being sent flying—oh, right, you also twisted the facts, saying the reward should go to the Third Peak."

He paused and took a sip of wine, "Liu Zhenshan, do people like you deserve to be elders?"

Liu Zhenshan's face turned ashen, his body trembled, but he dared not retort.

The Seventh Elder was a special existence in the Xuan Yuan Sect—he held no real power, didn't compete for resources, but his seniority was extremely high, even the Sect Master addressed him as "Martial Uncle." More importantly, his cultivation was unfathomable; he had already reached the Nascent Soul stage fifty years ago.

"However, I'm too lazy to kill you," the Seventh Elder waved his hand as if shooing away a fly, "People like you are good enough to be stepping stones for this brat."

He turned to Qin Yuan and grinned, "Brat, remember, this old guy will definitely try to scheme against you later. But openly, he won't dare to bully the weak again—I'm putting it out there today: Liu Zhenshan, if you want to deal with Qin Yuan, you can only send disciples of the same generation, or suppress your own cultivation to the Qi Refining Stage to fight him. If you dare to play any other tricks..."

The Seventh Elder didn't finish, merely narrowing his eyes.

Liu Zhenshan felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar and repeatedly said, "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"

"Scram," the Seventh Elder waved his hand.

Liu Zhenshan felt as if he had been granted a great pardon and fled with the disciples of the Third Peak in a panic. Wang Chuan was carried away, Zhao Qingwan, Sun Hai, and the others had faces ashen, and before leaving, they didn't even dare to look at Qin Yuan.

Only Qin Yuan and the Seventh Elder remained in the hall.

"Thank you for your help, Elder," Qin Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bowed.

The Seventh Elder sized him up and suddenly said, "When you resisted his pressure just now, were you using the power of the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refining?"

Qin Yuan's heart trembled, but his expression remained unchanged, "This disciple does not understand the Elder's meaning."

"Keep pretending," the Seventh Elder sneered, "Great Perfection of the Twelfth Layer of Qi Condensation is already the limit of common sense, but the quality and quantity of spiritual energy in your body far exceed the Twelfth Layer—it's the legendary 'Extreme Realm', isn't it?"

Qin Yuan remained silent.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in prying into your secrets," the Seventh Elder took another drink, "In this world, who doesn't have some fortuitous encounter. But brat, remember one thing: a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. You showed too much brilliance today, and while Liu Zhenshan won't dare to act openly, he won't lack covert means."

He tossed a Jade Talisman over, "If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, crush it, and perhaps I can rush in time to save your life—perhaps."

After speaking, his figure flickered and he had already disappeared outside the hall.

Qin Yuan held the warm Jade Talisman, feeling the faint spatial fluctuations within it, took a deep breath, and put the Jade Talisman into his embrace.

Returning to his small room, he closed the door tightly.

Qin Yuan spread out all his gains from today on the table: five hundred Mid-grade Spirit Crystals shone brilliantly, a bottle containing three Foundation Establishment Pills exuded a fragrant aroma, and a Mysterious Iron Sword felt heavy in his hand, exuding a cold glint.

Just as he was about to adjust his breathing and heal his injuries, the System panel suddenly appeared before his eyes:

[Detected absorbable energy source]

[Proceed with "Feeding"? Current System Upgrade Progress: 0%]

Qin Yuan was stunned.

Feeding? The System can absorb these?

He moved his mind, "Feed one Mid-grade Spirit Crystal."

[Feeding successful. Upgrade Progress +0.1%]

Only 0.1%? Qin Yuan frowned and fed all five hundred Spirit Crystals.

[Feeding successful. Upgrade Progress +50%]

The panel's value jumped to 50%.

He picked up the Foundation Establishment Pills and fed them one by one.

[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +9%]...[+9%]...[+9%]

The progress bar rose to 77%.

Finally, it was the Mysterious Iron Sword.

[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +3%]

The final progress settled at 80%.

Qin Yuan was stunned. All the rewards were used up, and it only reached 80%? He was still 20% short of upgrading.

He stared closely at the panel:

[Ten Years Cultivation Per Day System]

[Upgrade Progress: 80%]

[Next Level Function: Unlocked]

So... the System could indeed upgrade, but the energy required far exceeded his imagination. One Mid-grade Spirit Crystal only provided 0.1%, and even a precious Foundation Establishment Pill only gave 9%. Where could he find this last 20%?

Qin Yuan's gaze fell on the corner of the room—there were some low-grade ores and herbs left from his time as a handyman, not worth much. He tried feeding a piece of Iron Ore.

[Feeding successful. Upgrade progress +0.001%]

It was negligible.

"I need more resources..." Qin Yuan muttered.

Quests. Sect quests.

The Xuan Yuan Sect's Mission Hall constantly posted various tasks. Outer disciples could exchange them for resources with contribution points. In the past, with his low cultivation, he could only take on grueling jobs like mining and herb gathering. But now...

He looked out at the night sky. Tomorrow, he would go accept quests, specifically choosing difficult ones with generous rewards.

He not only needed to gather the remaining 20% but also prepare for the System's continued upgrades in the future.

Qin Yuan sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing. The spiritual energy of the thirteenth layer of Qi Condensation, in its "Extreme State," slowly circulated within him, gradually healing the minor injuries he sustained from resisting the pressure today.

Midnight was approaching, and the ten years of cultivation for the new day would soon be infused.