Anyone who charged at Ling Yi was slapped flat onto the ground and swiftly turned into an ice sculpture. As the ground shook, the sculptures shattered into a clatter of ice chips.
Fangzheng, Fangsheng, Zuo Lengchan, and the other experts hadn't escaped the move either. They were now mixed in with the ice chips covering the ground, impossible to tell apart.
Ling Yi gave a wicked smile. A huge number of points had poured in, and the plot progress had leaped forward, reaching 37%.
Ling Yi could now embark on another journey to a different world.
Ling Yi had figured it out. What plot progress was this? It was clearly plot destruction.
Old Yue, Lin Pingzhi, Yu Canghai, Zuo Lengchan... Every one of them had long since strayed from the original plot. What plot was left, and where could any plot progress come from?
Plot destruction. Case closed.
Still, that was good news for Ling Yi. If he really had to follow the original plot and take part in it, things would be far too tedious.
A system that didn't cause its host trouble was a good system.
If a system couldn't make its host comfortable and let him have a good time, what use was it?
Ling Yi hated systems that handed out all sorts of missions and threatened to erase their hosts at every turn. If he ever ran into one, he'd put a knife right to his own throat.
Erase me? No need for you to do it. I'll do it myself. Let's see if you're scared.
What was a system for, if not to assist its host?
"The Mount Song Sect and the Shaolin Sect are hereby removed from the Jianghu. The rest of you, disperse."
The remaining second- and third-generation disciples of the Shaolin Sect and the Mount Song Sect no longer dared face Ling Yi. When they heard he wouldn't kill them, they didn't dare linger another moment and scattered in a panic.
Looking at the Mount Song Sect's somewhat magnificent compound, Ling Yi thought for a moment and said, "Forget it. Let's use Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon one more time."
Ling Yi's imposing presence soared in an instant, and a terrifying presence swept in every direction. The Jianghu onlookers in the distance felt as though their hearts had been squeezed hard.
But no one left. Having witnessed Tathagata Divine Palm and Ten Thousand Buddhas Pay Homage, they were eager to see how powerful the Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon Ling Yi had mentioned would be.
A Dharma Manifestation of Tathagata, glittering with brilliant golden light, appeared in midair. The golden manifestation stood a hundred zhang tall, solemn in aspect, with its fingers held in an orchid gesture. It struck downward twice, once at the Mount Song Sect's compound and once at the Shaolin Sect's.
No one could see what happened at Shaolin's compound, but the Mount Song Sect's compound was flattened before their eyes in an instant. The entire compound sank into the ground, leaving only an enormous palm print.
The Tathagata Dharma Manifestation then vanished, and Ling Yi disappeared along with it.
All he left the crowd was a voice that didn't know whether to laugh or cry...
"I used a Buddhist School cultivation method to wipe out the Buddhist School. That shouldn't count as disgracing the Buddhist School, should it?"
Big Shot, when you say that, have you considered those monks' feelings? Have you considered Tathagata's feelings?
"What realm has he reached? His moves follow his will completely. It's far beyond anything we could imagine."
"Ah, I heard the Liyang Sect is taking disciples. Anyone who can pass the Trial Tower can become an inner disciple and learn peerless martial arts."
"That's right. I heard that after Lin Pingzhi of the Fuwei Escort Agency passed the Liyang Sect's Trial Tower, his strength soared. He reduced Yu Canghai to powder with one move and wiped out the Qingcheng Sect single-handedly."
"Let's hurry to the Liyang Sect and become disciples. Once they've taken enough people, we probably won't have a chance."
"Right, right..."
At that moment, atop another peak not far from Mount Song, Ling Yi sat on a huge rock, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive.
Before long, a figure in blue appeared beside Ling Yi.
Ling Yi turned to look at the newcomer. Even though he'd seen all sorts of girls in his previous life, his heart still trembled at the sight of her.
"So it's you, Cult Leader." Ling Yi smiled, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
"It seems you really were waiting for me." Dongfang Bai's eyes were like still water, seemingly without a ripple.
"Who could have imagined that Dongfang Bubai, who cultivated the Bixie Sword Manual, was a woman to begin with? And who could have imagined that the illustrious leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult was a girl not yet twenty?"
Dongfang Bai merely frowned when Ling Yi revealed her identity, then relaxed her brow and asked, "I'm very curious. What cultivation method do you practice? There shouldn't be any cultivation method in the Jianghu capable of such power."
Ling Yi had no intention of hiding it. He was leaving this beginner dungeon anyway, and he already had a particular fondness for Dongfang Bai.
Ling Yi had been dazzled by the Cult Leader Chen version of Dongfang Bubai when he watched the television series. Now that he'd met her in person, he naturally had ideas.
"System, can I take people with me to other worlds?"
"Ding! Once Passive Transmigration Aura reaches level 8, you can take people with you."
"How many points to raise it one level now?"
"Ding! Passive Transmigration Aura LV2 requires 100,000 points."
"...Forget it. Looks like I'm not fated to be with Cult Leader Chen."
By then, Dongfang Bai had sat down beside Ling Yi and handed him a jar of wine.
Ling Yi chuckled. "Cult Leader Chen, you're thoughtful as ever. With beautiful scenery and a beautiful woman, something would indeed be missing without fine wine."
Dongfang Bai wrinkled her nose, then raised the jar and took a great swig. Her movements were carefree, with an indescribable allure.
"Cultivation methods have grades. From lowest to highest, they're Human Grade, Earth Grade, Heaven Grade, Immortal Grade, God Grade, Saint Grade, and Chaos Grade."
This was the information relayed to Ling Yi after Passive Cultivation Aura unlocked its fusion function and finished fusing the Human Grade cultivation methods.
"The cultivation methods practiced in this world don't even reach Human Grade. Cultivated to their peak, they only reach the Innate level."
"Human Grade cultivation methods involve the Primordial Spirit and soul, as well as the essence of longevity."
"But not everyone can master a Human Grade cultivation method. It takes heaven-defying comprehension and extraordinary talent. Of course, it's a different story if someone else helps."
"You can achieve longevity?" Dongfang Bai murmured.
"Yes. Do you want to learn?" Ling Yi tapped the wine jar in his hand. As though it had come alive, a small ball of wine rose on its own and flew into his mouth.
Dongfang Bai was speechless at Ling Yi's showy way of drinking. It was just a drink. Did he have to show off so much?
Ling Yi really wasn't showing off. He was just lazy. He felt that holding a wine jar to drink was both tiring and low-class. It looked carefree, but anyone who tried it would know.
"Will you teach me?"
"Of course." As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Dongfang Bai's smooth forehead. "Don't resist."
Dongfang Bai instinctively started to circulate her power to defend herself, but after hearing Ling Yi's words, she ultimately didn't resist.
The next moment, a vast amount of information appeared in Dongfang Bai's mind. It was a Human Grade internal cultivation method.
It included a way to cultivate the Yang Soul, the five elemental energies of heaven and earth, and the essence of life.
But merely having the cultivation method didn't mean she could cultivate it successfully. To be safe, Ling Yi strengthened Dongfang Bai's Yang Soul.
As for why Ling Yi did it, there was no reason.
He did it because he wanted to. What reason did he need?
For the next two years, Ling Yi and Dongfang Bai stayed together.
At the Golden Basin Hand-Washing Assembly, they met the most brain-dead CP pairing in history, Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng.
They met Linghu Chong, the Karmic Luck Protagonist of this world, and Yilin, the most beautiful nun in Jin Yong's martial arts fiction.
Ling Yi spoiled the fact that Yilin and Dongfang Bai were sisters, and then another beauty joined him.
The three traveled wherever they pleased, enjoying mountains and rivers along the way, carefree and immensely happy.
But Ling Yi hadn't given up on stirring things up.
Whenever he came across a sect, he challenged it; whenever he encountered mountain bandits, he wiped them out. Along the way, he also collected a great many martial arts and accumulated plenty of points.
When they passed Plum Manor, he crippled its four old homebodies with a slap and freed Ren Woxing.
Neither Ling Yi nor Cult Leader Dongfang killed Ren Woxing.
The entire Jianghu had been peaceful for too long because of the Liyang Sect and Ling Yi. Letting Ren Woxing out to stir things up and provide a little amusement wasn't a bad idea.
Sure enough, Ren Woxing came out of his cage ready to stir up trouble, but his brain-dead actions brought his great dream of unifying the Jianghu to an end as soon as it began.
After hearing that the most powerful sect around was the Liyang Sect, the old man actually planned to go straight there and make it submit to him.
Ren Woxing was out of his mind. Lin Pingzhi, who had already become an inner disciple, shattered every meridian and bone in his body with a slap, leaving him completely crippled. In the end, the Holy Aunt took him back to the Sun Moon Holy Cult to live out his days.
When Ling Yi heard the news, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He'd given Ren Woxing a chance, but the man was fucking useless. Going straight to his death like that really took the cake.
Afterward, Ling Yi went to Mount Hua and beat up Feng Qingyang, then went to the imperial palace and made off with its entire collection of martial arts.
When the three grew tired of traveling, they picked a village and lived as ordinary people, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. It was an immensely pleasant life.
One day, Ling Yi got up very early, but did nothing. He simply stood in the courtyard, quietly watching the sun rise in the east.
"Why are you up so early today?" Dongfang Bai's voice sounded behind Ling Yi.
Looking at the radiant, breathtaking Dongfang Bai, Ling Yi sighed. "It's time for me to leave."
"Where are you going? I'll go with you."
Ling Yi shook his head. "I mean it's time for me to leave this world."
Dongfang Bai immediately got the wrong idea. "Y-you have some hidden illness? Is that why you've never accepted me?"
That was right. In two years, Ling Yi hadn't made a move on either of the Dongfang sisters.
Though Ling Yi was rash and impulsive, he had lines he wouldn't cross.
Over those two years, Ling Yi had tried everything he could think of, but had only managed to obtain a little over 80,000 points. He couldn't even upgrade Passive Transmigration Aura to level 2, let alone level 8.
That put an end to any hope of taking Dongfang Bai with him.
To be honest, Ling Yi had wavered many times between being a beast and being worse than a beast, but in the end he hadn't made a move. Ling Yi had lost his nerve.
"It's not that. I'm at the Grand Master Realm. I'm immune to illness and can live a thousand years."
"Then..."
"Listen to me. I'm not from this world..." Ling Yi told Dongfang Bai that he was a transmigrator and could travel to other worlds.
However, Ling Yi said nothing about the system, nor did he mention that he could freely choose when to transmigrate.
Ling Yi had great ambitions. A thousand-year lifespan wasn't his limit. He didn't want to waste a thousand years in this world and finally die in obscurity.
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer World was ultimately on too low a level.
Ling Yi used the most hackneyed story of Ascension imaginable to give Dongfang Bai a well-meant lie.
"Can you come back?" Dongfang Bai had never felt such heartache before.
After two years together, they had long since understood each other's feelings. Hearing this news so suddenly was truly hard to accept.
"I can't promise, but I'll do everything I can."