[ Credit +1 ]
[ Credit +2 ]
[ Credit +1 ]
The crimson system notifications continued to appear one after another before Xiao Zhu's eyes, each accompanied by a faint mechanical chime that echoed within his mind. Sitting cross-legged upon the cultivation platform inside his secluded chamber, he quietly observed the steady stream of Villain Credits accumulating.
As the notifications continued to scroll upward, Xiao Zhu quickly realized something.
Every single point... Every single notification... Originated from one person.
Xiao Chen.
There wasn't a single contribution from Xiao Lin. Xiao Zhu slowly opened his eyes, his brows knitting together slightly before an amused expression surfaced across his face.
"That Brat, At this rate, who will dare buy from the Xiao Family again," Xiao Zhu said, shaking his head in apparent disappointment. However, the corner of his lips slowly curled upward into a faint smirk as another thought crossed his mind. "With Power, Who wouldn't," Xiao Zhu said as he looked again at the floating crimson panel.
His eyes calmly followed each notification as if calculating something far beyond the system's reports. The marketplace would undoubtedly become chaotic after Xiao Chen's antics. Merchants feared strength more than poverty, and commoners valued survival above justice. If the Xiao Family continued to grow stronger, the very same vendors who cursed Xiao Chen today would eventually return tomorrow with smiles plastered across their faces, desperately hoping to earn the family's favor.
Such was the reality of the cultivation world. Morality bent before strength. Justice belonged to the powerful.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Xiao Zhu slowly withdrew his attention from the system. The smile faded from his face, replaced by one of complete concentration.
His breathing gradually slowed as he circulated his King Realm Qi throughout every meridian in his body. Waves of dense spiritual energy revolved around him in smooth cycles, refining his cultivation while simultaneously stabilizing the newly acquired Primordial Corpse Blood Physique.
Only after several minutes did Xiao Zhu slowly raise his right hand. His palm faced upward as he closed his eyes. With a single thought, ripples spread across his Spiritual Sea. A moment later, a dull brown pill appeared within his palm.
It lacked any dazzling glow. There were no colorful clouds. No fragrant medicinal aroma. Its appearance was incredibly ordinary, resembling nothing more than a rough clump of dried earth that had been hastily compressed into the shape of a pill.
Yet Xiao Zhu knew better than to judge the System's rewards by appearance alone. Holding the pill between two fingers, he quietly observed it before speaking.
"The First Stage I should solidify should be Qi Refining Stage, while I am at the King stage, This pill from the system should be able to solidify the stages I'm in or gone through," Xiao Zhu said as he then suddenly swallowed the Foundation Solidifying Pill. The Pill's appearance seemed normal, like a brown clump of dirt, however the effects spoke for themselves.
The instant the pill slid down his throat, an overwhelming warmth erupted from within his dantian.
His entire body trembled.
Golden streams of spiritual energy burst from every pore, swirling violently around him like miniature dragons dancing through the air. The spiritual qi within the chamber was suddenly drawn toward Xiao Zhu with astonishing force, creating a powerful vortex centered upon his seated figure.
The surrounding curtains fluttered wildly.
Books stacked neatly upon nearby shelves rattled.
Even the jade floor beneath him emitted faint humming sounds under the pressure of the condensed spiritual energy.
For a brief moment, it looked as though the invisible currents of heaven and earth intended to lift Xiao Zhu from the cultivation platform itself.
Yet despite the overwhelming spiritual storm surrounding him, Xiao Zhu remained perfectly still.
Like an ancient mountain...
Unmoving.
Unshakable.
As the medicinal energy spread throughout his body, every cultivation realm he had previously traversed began undergoing an unimaginable transformation.
His Qi Refining foundation became denser.
His Innate Realm foundation became purer.
His Golden Core foundation became more complete.
Even his King Realm cultivation, which had long remained stagnant, now felt incomparably more stable than before.
He could feel every strand of spiritual energy flowing through his meridians with greater clarity than ever before.
However, he focused on the Solidifying the First Realm, The Qi Refining Realm. It was as though the very roots of his cultivation had been rebuilt from the ground up.
Several minutes later, the golden light slowly dissipated. The violent spiritual winds gradually settled.
Xiao Zhu slowly opened his eyes. A brilliant light flashed across his pupils. He slowly clenched his fist. The sound of cracking air echoed throughout the room.
"Truly Heaven Defying, the Speed at which I Refined Qi has been multipled by four tim-, no, almost five times," Xiao Zhu said as a genuine smile spread across his face. For someone who had cultivated for decades, no treasure had ever produced such an immediate and overwhelming improvement to his foundation.
"This is the Path," Xiao Zhu said. The moment those words left his mouth, he immediately summoned his status. "Credit Card."
The familiar crimson panel appeared before him.
[ Name : Xiao Zhu ]
[ Physique : Primordial Corpse Blood ]
[ Realm : 2nd Stage King Realm ]
[ Villain Credits - 24 Points ]
Xiao Zhu stared silently at the final line.
Only twenty-four points.
Compared to what the System was capable of offering...
It was insignificant.
"The Progress at which the villain points are growing is too slow, it seems Xiao Chen's same method won't even allow me to solidify my innate realm," Xiao Zhu said, his brows furrowing as he considered the rate of accumulation.
Just then... The stream of notifications suddenly stopped. The room became completely silent.
Xiao Zhu blinked.
"What!, Has Xiao Chen given up on making trouble today," Xiao Zhu said, sounding almost disappointed.
He rested his elbow against the armrest before supporting his chin with one hand, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"I need to find a way to gain more points and strength until my big batch comes, isn't that right."
"Elder Ji."
His fingers rhythmically tapped against the wooden chair.
Suddenly...
The corners of Xiao Zhu's mouth slowly rose into a devilish smile.