Yun Che froze for a heartbeat—then a slow, fierce smile curved across his lips. This was it. The first step toward rebuilding his crippled human body… and eventually fusing it with his Shinigami soul. The very idea made his pulse race.
The power of the Heretic and the power of a Soul Reaper… combined?
If he pulled it off, the possibilities were terrifying.
Suppressing the thrill in his chest, he lifted his gaze. "All right, Jasmine… what are the three conditions you want from me?"
Jasmine didn't hesitate for even a breath. She knew he couldn't possibly refuse. Her voice rang clear in the emerald-lit sky of his inner world:
"The first condition is this—"
She raised a delicate finger.
"You must help this princess find three items. Without them, it is impossible to reconstruct a divine body."
Yun Che braced himself.
"One: a stalk of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower."
His eyelid twitched. Of course it'd be that thing.
"Two: three Profound Beast Cores no lower than the Tyrant Profound Realm."
His eyebrow twitched. Harder, but still doable.
"And three—" Her crimson eyes locked onto his, testing him. "—at least thirty-five kilos of Purple Veined God Crystal."
Yun Che exhaled slowly.
Ahhh… these exact three.
He remembered every line from the novel. These were the materials needed to reconstruct her original body—a true divine vessel, not a faux body or Gigai-like construct.
Jasmine continued explaining, unaware of the way Yun Che's mind was already spinning.
"The Udumbara Flower can stabilize the soul and awaken dormant divine essence. The Tyrant-level beast cores will supply the foundation of vitality. And the Purple Veined God Crystal is required to forge the physical structure. Without these, no matter how strong your Sky Poison Pearl or anything else is, rebuilding a divine body is impossible."
Her voice softened slightly.
"These are not things the lower realm should possess—but with effort, and time… they can be found."
Yun Che nodded slowly, though his thoughts moved in a far different direction.
The System changed everything.
If he played this right, there might be a method far simpler—and far more terrifying—than rebuilding her old body.
But for now?
He let Jasmine explain, her tone steady and authoritative as she listed each impossibly rare item, unaware that the man standing before her had a cheat beyond even the Sky Poison Pearl.
Yun Che listened quietly… and smiled inwardly.
Because whether he used those three items or not—this was the beginning of something far greater.
===============
According to the system database, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower was an object born from pure Yin and evil—a flower so infamous that even the those from up there avoided speaking its name. It only bloomed once every twenty-four years, and after blooming, it withered within three short days. If one missed it, the next chance wouldn't come for decades.
The System described it in a way that made even Yun Che's scalp tingle. Its stem and leaves were a purplish-black, stretching nearly three meters tall. The flower itself, once it opened, was a gorgeous, flirtatious purple—so mesmerizing that one might forget it was also the most terrifying flower in existence. A pale lavender mist curled around its petals, carrying the breath of the netherworld itself. Within that drifting haze, one could faintly hear the crying and laughter of wandering spirits.
Anyone with insufficient strength who approached it would have their soul shredded by its sinister aura. At best, they would fall into a coma. At worst… they would become living corpses. At the lowest cultivation levels, death was instant.
And the sound it emitted—Yun Che shivered just thinking about it. A mixture of ghostly weeping, eerie wailing, and twisted laughter.
The original timeline noted only two confirmed locations:
Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, where a single stalk grew.
And Cloud's End Cliff, where tens of thousands bloomed at the very bottom—the place where the original second life Yun Che met his end.
=========================
Jasmine's voice dragged him back to the present.
"The second condition," she declared, her face cold with absolute seriousness, "is that you must reach the Sovereign Profound Realm within thirty years."
Her tone screamed This should shock you.
Instead, Yun Che nearly laughed. Thirty years? With the System, he could do that in a handful of years if he wanted to. But he kept his expression casual.
"Okay," he replied with a shrug.
Jasmine blinked.
"…Even that didn't make him react? Just what is this man?"
She studied him again, eyes sharp, then lifted her chin with the imperious pride of a princess from the Realm of the Gods.
"The third condition…" she declared.
Her crimson eyes hardened like rubies.
"Kneel— and worship me as your master!"
Yun Che almost burst out laughing.
This is going to be good.
Jasmine waited for his panic, his outrage—his submission. Instead, she saw a slow, knowing smirk spread across his face.
And then—
BZZZT!!
Electric currents erupted around her bindings, crackling violently.
"KYAAAAAAHHH!!!"
Her entire body jolted, and she collapsed onto the grass, trembling. With her profound strength sealed, the shock tore through her like a spiritual slap to the face—humiliating, painful, and absolutely infuriating.
She glared up at him, cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"Y-You…!! HOW DARE YOU…!"
Yun Che simply smiled.
========================
[Ding….achievement 'Karma's a Bitch' achieved. Make Jasmine have the taste of her own medicine.]
XP: 10000
SP: 5000
A notification shows Chibi Jasmine with 'X's in her eyes, fainting with him, laughing at her.
=======================
"Hey, don't look at me like that. Ask The System," Yun Che said, hands raised defensively as Jasmine glared murder at him. "It was the one that fried your arms. Probably because I forgot to warn you. So… partially my fault. Sorry."
He sat there calmly, watching her expression twist between outrage, humiliation, and disbelief. It was funny—but he restrained himself. Barely.
Jasmine, princess of the highest royal family in the Realm of the Gods, was left speechless. A binding had electrocuted her. A binding meant for mortals. If this man didn't have the means to cure her poison, she swore she would find a way to drag him into reincarnation and kill him again.
Yun Che's voice hardened as he continued, "I should've told you this earlier. The System came with a single condition when it took residence in my body: I must never kneel before anyone. I can bow, show respect, acknowledge someone as a master—fine. But kneel? Never. Even if it kills me."
Jasmine blinked, startled by the seriousness in his tone.
"Besides," he added with a smirk, "prostration is for the heavens. Not humans. No matter how powerful they are. So don't ask me again unless you want your ass cooked."
He meant every word—and Jasmine could feel it. The System's bindings made it clear who had authority here. For now, she had no advantage. She clicked her tongue, cheeks flushed with anger as she forced herself upright. With her profound strength sealed, she had no choice but to concede.
"Hmph… Fine," she muttered, pride bleeding at the edges. "From this moment onward, this princess is your master. Since this princess has accepted you as her disciple… do you have any questions?"
Yun Che raised a hand without hesitation.
"Yeah. I've been wondering… will your boobs grow in the future?"
SMACK.
Her tiny fist cracked against his skull with surprising force for someone currently as weak as a mortal. His head snapped sideways with a satisfying thwack.
"YOU… YOU ACTUALLY—!!"
Yun Che rubbed his cheek, grinning despite the sting.
Totally worth it.