Chapter 29 Face-to-Face Confrontation with the System: Target Locked! Annihilation of the Master Stream...

The atmosphere in the room dropped to freezing point, and the surrounding air became thin.

The bigwigs remained silent, but their imposing aura suddenly surged as they stared at each other with sharp confrontation.

Jun Lintian tapped his fingertips lightly on his knees, each tap seeming to be a drumbeat;

Chong Cang's silver-gray fox eyes narrowed slightly as he calculatedly glanced over everyone present.

Rong Yan didn't take off her apron; she looked like a mother leopard protecting her cubs, her peach blossom eyes fierce, not giving an inch.

Chi Yang used Xuan Yuan as a cushion, playing with the bell in her hand, her innocent eyes filled with a determined smile.

Shen Hanzhou pursed his lips, showing no fear. He was determined to accompany the big boss to the competition!

"It seems everyone wants this opportunity."

"Since that's the case..."

"Make your move!"

Everyone except Chongcang stretched out their right hand and shook it frantically.

"Clang, clang—"

"clang--"

As the four people placed the dice on the table, they all looked at Jun Lintian.

Hmm? You don't value your junior sister?

Jun Lintian crossed his arms and leaned against the wall: "This opportunity is for you."

Rong Yan snorted coldly.

All that talk about giving way or not shows they don't care enough about their junior sister. She's so cute and considerate, and this is her first time leaving the sect, yet she doesn't receive the respect she deserves.

That guy with his eyes on the top of his head, all he thinks about are those damned secret realms.

"That's wonderful." Chi Yang's puppy eyes curved into a smile as she thanked Jun Lintian gratefully, but in reality, she looked at him warily.

Something's not right. This person even needed close protection during the first trial within the Little Firefly Sect, but this time, leaving the sect, he doesn't even have a training elder by his side. How can Jun Lintian be at ease?

But for now, it's best for him not to participate in the competition for the positions of left and right protectors around his junior sister.

Chong Cang glanced coldly at Jun Lintian, saying nothing more, wanting to eliminate another opponent: "Shen Hanzhou, Shi Liuying needs protection on this trip. With your strength, you'd be better off staying in the sect and guarding the house."

Shen Hanzhou clutched the dice tightly, retorting timidly yet defiantly, "Rolling dice is fair; it's not certain who will win or lose."

Rong Yan: "Since that's the case, then there's no need for further discussion. Open!"

Shen Hanzhou opened the lid of the cup, beaming with pride: "Three sixes! I'm the biggest! Hahaha, you didn't expect that, did you? Before I came to cultivate immortality, I was a regular at casinos. Who among you has better gambling skills than me?"

The group silently lifted all the lids of the bowls.

4x3x6, a total of seventy-two small red dots facing upwards.

Shen Hanzhou was shocked and bewildered: "You guys... you've been spending years in casinos too?"

Is dice-rolling a popular activity in the cultivation world?

A smile flickered in Jun Lintian's eyes: "Since everyone except Chen Hanzhou has used their own cheating methods, I think it would be fairer to change the competition method."

Rong Yan immediately agreed: "That's right! I propose a vote!"

Chi Yang: "How do we vote?"

Rong Yan: "Each person here gets one vote. How about the two people with the most votes go?"

A glint flashed in Chongcang Fox's eyes: "I agree."

Chi Yang nodded: "We can give it a try."

Shen Hanzhou naturally agreed. As long as it's not about using force, anything is acceptable.

Jun Lintian waved his hand, and four sheets of paper the size of talismans appeared in the void: "Anonymous voting. You can hand them in to me when you're done."

Jun Lintian's character is indeed impeccable, and besides, he doesn't participate in the competition for these two spots, so it's perfectly fair.

Fifteen minutes later, Rong Yan, who was full of confidence, looked at the announced voting results and her face turned pale.

Chongcang (2)

Chi Yang (1)

Chen Hanzhou (1)

Rong Yan (0)

[Listed in alphabetical order, not in any particular order.]

"I didn't get a single vote?!" She glared at Chong Cang. "Despicable behavior, utterly shameless!"

Chong Cang looked back without a hint of guilt in his silver-gray eyes: "So what?"

Rong Yan: "We clearly agreed that you would help me and I would help you, but you broke your promise!"

Chong Cang smiled coldly: "All's fair in war."

Rong Yan was still muttering to herself, "Chi Yang and Shen Hanzhou voted for each other, so friendly..."

Shen Hanzhou's long legs went numb from sitting, so he changed to a squatting position: "I didn't vote for Chi Yang."

Rong Yan's large, peach-blossom eyes were filled with great confusion: "Huh?"

Chi Yang yawned boredly, his puppy eyes glistening with tears: "I didn't vote for him either."

They weren't familiar with each other; they just shared the same system.

Rong Yan lowered her head, a black resentment swirling above it.

So everyone voted for her, except for her, who believed Chong Cang's lies.

Despicable demon cultivator!

"Heh, you're finished." Rong Yan looked at Chong Cang, her eyes filled with icy coldness, and uttered these harsh words.

Chong Cang was fearless.

"My junior sister's good impression of you ends here. From now on, I will always speak ill of you in front of her, forever!"

Chong Cang's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and as he swallowed, he retorted weakly, "I won't give you that chance."

"Alright, now all we need is your vote." Chi Yang looked at Jun Lintian.

Shen Hanzhou's interest was clearly piqued: "I still have a chance, right?"

Chi Yang didn't respond to his words, but looked at Jun Lintian and said in a gentle voice: "The Danzong Grand Competition will inevitably trigger a struggle among various forces for the Nine-Turn Lotus Pill. It will be a chaotic scene with all sorts of people involved. Of course, it is best for the stronger person to stay by Xiao Liuying's side."

"I think with your abilities, you should definitely be eligible for one of these two positions, but I don't know why you didn't go with them."

"You should know my strength very well. Although my swordsmanship is not as good as Rong Yan's, Chong Cang is enough to protect Xiao Liuying closely."

"When fighting a large group of people, summoning spirit beasts is definitely the easiest and most convenient way."

“The most crucial thing is…” Chi Yang grabbed Xuan Yuan’s collar, “I’m offering a buy-one-get-two-free deal! With my junior sister’s interference, he’ll unlock his bracelet and become a very useful henchman.”

Chi Yang spoke with a seemingly harmless face, yet her words were sharp and cutting.

Jun Lintian pondered for a second, and with a wave of his hand, the vote statistics in the void had changed.

Chi Yang (2)

Chi Yang smiled happily.

Although Shen Hanzhou harbored resentment, he had long known that his chances of winning were slim, so he didn't have high expectations and therefore wasn't disappointed.

Despite being covered in black mist, Rong Yan tried her best to maintain her rationality. It seemed that it would indeed be better for Chi Yang to accompany her junior sister.

Rong Yan wiped her apron, held Chi Yang's hand and earnestly instructed, "Then you must protect your junior sister."

Chi Yang shook hands with him and nodded seriously: "I will!"

-

The venue for the internal competition of the Dan Sect is the "Wanxiang Qiankun Platform" located at the top of the main peak.

The huge disc was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the azure sky and drifting clouds. Inside stood neatly arranged Danzong disciples, each with an alchemy furnace in front of them.

The edge of the table is engraved with dense ancient runes, faintly shimmering with spiritual light; this is a barrier to prevent the alchemy process from going out of control.

After all, these alchemists were all weaker than each other, but they always managed to outperform others in their ability to blow up furnaces.

Centered around Baiyutai, tens of thousands of spectator seats are arranged in a ring.

Outside the stadium, spectators from different factions thronged together.

The air was filled with the exotic fragrance of various spiritual herbs and elixirs.

"Send another team over there!"

"Everyone be alert! Prick up your ears and open your eyes like saucers!"

Dressed in uniform cyan Danzong attire, the guards stood in groups of five or ten, holding unsheathed magical weapons, their faces expressionless, at every passageway and key position in the audience seating area.

Their eyes, sharp as eagles, constantly scanned the restless crowd, forming an invisible perimeter that clearly separated the stands from the central competition area.

Furthermore, several elders of unfathomable strength hovered in mid-air above the venue, seemingly resting with their eyes closed, but their divine senses had already covered the entire area, and no large fluctuation of spiritual energy could escape their perception.

Old Jiang wished he could conjure up a whole group of guards and disciples to maintain order, just like a lobster giving birth to offspring.

With so many people, even if he were an octopus, it would be difficult for him to control everything.

Shi Liuying and her group had already been led to their seats by the disciples of the Dan Sect.

"This spot is great, you can see everything clearly," Shi Liuying exclaimed, sporting a chubby rabbit on her head.

This was her first long trip since she started cultivating immortality, and everything she saw seemed new and exciting.

Here, one can have a panoramic view of the competition arena without any blind spots. A protective shield isolates the spiritual energy fluctuations caused by the refining of pills or failed pill refining from the outside.

This place is called a viewing platform, but it's more like a room, with soft couches and various rare and exotic fruits on the table.

Chong Cang followed behind Shi Liuying: "You helped Chi Yang restrain the system, so you should try to get more benefits from her. She is the chief of the Heavenly Beast Sect, and invitations to such good positions are usually handed to her by begging."

"Wow..." Shi Liuying turned to look at Chi Yang, "So amazing."

“But Senior Sister Chi Yang is already a member of the Heavenly Beast Sect. The Pill Sect should know that it’s unlikely they can recruit her as a guest elder,” Shi Liuying asked.

Chi Yang covered her mouth and chuckled: "It's not that it's unlikely, but the Pill Sect knows it's definitely impossible."

"The reason they wanted me to come is that if a Beastmaster could be present at this competition, it would attract more people to the entire event."

Shi Liuying: "Beast Tamers are very rare!"

Chi Yang nodded.

Shi Liuying shook her head: "Then the rabbit on my head must be really precious."

Chi Yang gently reached out, but couldn't touch Shi Liuying's head. She rubbed Qiuqiu's head and then tugged at the rabbit's ears: "It's not precious. Don't spoil it too much. Remember to urge it to lose weight. If it keeps eating like this, it might shorten your neck in the long run."

"Speaking of which, my senior brothers didn't come."

"They must have something to do," Chi Yang and Shi Liuying guessed from the same angle, remaining silent about the competition for companionship.

"It's strange that Shen Hanzhou has his own things to do." Shi Liuying muttered to herself.

Chi Yang quickly changed the subject, putting his arm around Shi Liuying and saying, "Look over there, that alchemy furnace is vibrating, that's where it's about to..."

She pulled Shi Liuying aside and carefully explained the basics of alchemy to her.

But then a loud "bang!" was heard as the door was kicked open.

A burly man with a fierce face, accompanied by several equally menacing followers, walked straight toward Shi Liuying.

He ignored Rong Yan, who attracted even more attention with her red dress and bells, and also ignored Chong Cang, who exuded a powerful and unfathomable aura. Instead, he went straight for Shi Liuying.

He glared at Shi Liuying with a disdainful look, saying, "This is a seat for a little brat like you! If you know what's good for you, get out of here!"

Shi Liuying was neither angry nor afraid; she simply looked at him with a strange expression.

There was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Seeing that Shi Liuying didn't react and just stood there blankly, looking pitiful, Chi Yang instantly became angry.

What kind of idiot would dare to rob the Heavenly Beast Sect's territory?

The usual harmless smile on her face vanished, and the bell on her wrist rang out without wind, emitting a warning tremor.

Chong Cang stepped aside to block Shi Liuying, his silver-gray eyes narrowing into slits as he looked at the burly man in front of him as if he were a dead object.

Even the rabbit on Shi Liuying's head, with its harmless black eyes turned dark red, was gripping one of Shi Liuying's teeth, its sharp teeth bared.

Before the burly man could make a move, an unquestionable voice rang out: "Fellow Daoist, this is a seating arrangement made by my Dan Sect. Please maintain order and refrain from causing trouble."

Old Jiang appeared beside them at some unknown time. His eyebrows and beard were all white, and he had the air of a Taoist immortal. With a seemingly casual flick of his sleeve, a gentle force was placed between Shi Liuying and her group and the big man, cleverly neutralizing the fierce killing intent emanating from Chong Cang.

The burly man's aggressive gaze remained fixed on Shi Liuying, a wicked smile spreading across his face: "I won't let you go."

He didn't even glance at Old Jiang before leaving with his men.

With a kind smile, the venerable Jiang Lao turned away, let out a sigh, and wiped the sweat from his brow with lingering fear.

Finally, through his intelligence and resourcefulness, he resolved another conflict.

[Hidden Merit and Fame.jpg]

Old Jiang turned around, looked kindly at Shi Liuying, and then at Chi Yang.

The face of the Heavenly Beast Sect's chief disciple is so prominent that it's impossible for anyone in a major sect who sits in an elder's position not to recognize him.

However, Chi Yang's strength was superior to his, and he had also disguised himself, so he only had the identity of a disciple of the Heavenly Beast Sect.

Jiang Lao glanced at Shi Liuying to confirm her gender, then looked at Chi Yang to confirm her gender again. He then ignored Chong Cang and earnestly instructed the two of them: "There may be unrest in the arena. Fellow Daoists, please be careful."

Shi Liuying: "Thank you, Elder. We will."

After Elder Jiang left, Chi Yang spoke seriously: "Something's not right with the Pill Sect."

Shi Liuying: "What's wrong?"

The grand competition was being held as scheduled, the disciples were in high spirits, and the aroma of the elixirs filled the air. Apart from this little incident, what was wrong with the entire sect?

Chi Yang calmly analyzed: "That elder said there might be unrest in the arena. If he wasn't extremely knowledgeable about the internal affairs of the Dan Sect, why would he give such a hint? Elder replacement? Disciples rebellion?"

Chong Cang, who collaborated with Rong Yan in a night raid on the Dan Sect and witnessed Rong Yan frighten the white-bearded old man to the point that his eyebrows and beard trembled: ...

Behind this implication might not be a change of elders, nor a rebellion by disciples; it might all stem from a threat without any incentive...

Chong Cang gazed at the sky speechlessly, his taciturn nature leading him to swallow the truth as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“There’s one more thing that’s not right.” Chi Yang sat at the table, resting her chin on her hand.

Shi Liuying sat behind and thoughtfully fed Chi Yang a small, seedless spiritual fruit.

Chi Yang chewed and chewed: "That troublemaker is not normal."

"So sweet." She popped one into Shi Liuying's mouth as well. "Try it."

Chong Cang agreed with this: "Indeed."

In the entire cultivation world, unless there is an irreconcilable blood feud, almost no one wants to antagonize the Heavenly Beast Sect.

After all, everyone wants to have a spirit beast to help them in battle, and no one wants to be chased and bitten on the butt by a bunch of spirit beasts with noses like dogs.

Chong Cang frowned, his fox-like eyes filled with deep thought: "If that's the case, why did he have the audacity to offend the Heavenly Beast Sect?"

Shi Liuying chewed and chewed: "It's so sweet, Elder Chongcang, would you like one?"

Chi Yang thoughtfully placed one in Shi Liuying's hand, and Shi Liuying then handed it to Chong Cang.

Chong Cang was about to refuse, but looking at Shi Liuying's clean and round fingers, he silently took it and put it in his mouth under Shi Liuying's expectant gaze.

His perpetually unchanging coffin-like face was now contorted, and his eternally dead-fish eyes had grown larger.

Chong Cang stopped refusing to taste it and swallowed it whole.

Shi Liuying was both nervous and confused.

Chi Yang lay on the table, laughing out loud, the bells on her body jingling in her ears.

“Chi Yang—” Chong Cang squeezed out her name through gritted teeth.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Shi Liuying asked.

With an innocent look on her face, Chi Yang said, "That's called the Transformation Fruit. When there is plenty of sunshine and water, it thinks that the growing environment is excellent, so it has no worries or anxieties and is in a good mood. The fruit is very sweet in the end."

"But if it perceives itself as being in a threatened, helpless situation, the fruit will be incredibly sour."

"Being in a threatened environment..." Chong Cang endured the ache in his teeth and managed to unravel a thread in his chaotic thoughts.

Shi Liuying's eyes widened suddenly: "He was threatened by the system!"

Chong Cang and Chi Yang both looked at Shi Liuying with deep affection and seriousness.

"Little firefly..."

"You mean he has a system on him?"

Shi Liuying scratched her head: "I'm not sure if that was the system's voice. I don't have a system, and I've never heard the system's voice before."

“It’s a woman’s voice,” Chi Yang said quickly.

Chong Cang: "Mine is a male voice."

Shi Liuying continued to scratch her head: "His voice was too soft, I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but it sounded like a commanding tone."

"If I see him again, and get a little closer, I'm sure I can hear him clearly!" Shi Liuying said earnestly.

Chi Yang found it hard to accept: "Is he the same kind of person as us?"

I don't really want this companion.

Shi Liuying shook her head: "My intuition tells me it doesn't seem like it."

Although speaking without evidence is not in line with her usual character, this time her intuition was so strong that it was as if something in the dark had amplified her senses infinitely.

Chong Cang: "What you feel is not like it might be because he doesn't know that you have the ability to interfere with the system."

It might just be her direct emotional feeling.

There are good people and bad people in this world, and not everyone can show kindness the moment they meet Shi Liuying.

In the cultivation world, so many people possess systems; there are good people and there are bound to be bad people.

"If you want to confirm whether he really has a system, why don't you just try it on him next time you see him?" Chi Yang said.

Only two people around the firefly can receive the interference signal, so all that needs to do is for one of them to leave.

Chi Yang took the initiative to speak: "You will protect me closely."

Her close-combat skills are inferior to Chong Cang's. This competition among the Dan people is truly a mixed bag, and her beasts are better suited for ranged attacks. They can't effectively use their skills at close range.

Suddenly, an excited voice spread throughout the entire venue: "The elixir has reached the Heavenly Rank! Seven-colored rays of light, dragons and phoenixes singing in harmony! This is an omen of the birth of a Heavenly Grade elixir!"

All three turned their attention to the competition.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the alchemy furnace in front of a disciple of the Dan Sect suddenly shook, and the furnace lid flew into the sky!

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling seven-colored light burst forth from the furnace, shooting straight into the sky and instantly attracting the attention of everyone present!

Within the wisps of elixir energy, faint phantoms of dragons and phoenixes swirled, their Daoist charm flowing, and an exotic fragrance wafting through the air, refreshing the mind and spirit, and even making one feel that the spiritual energy within one's body is more vibrant and exhilarating.

“This disciple…is even more withdrawn and strange than when I last met him,” Chi Yang said with a puzzled look.

Before Shi Liuying could ask, she explained, "This is a genius disciple of the Dan Sect. He refined a perfect Yuan Qi Pill when he first entered the sect. He has both wood and fire spiritual roots, and he was simply born to refine pills, which is why he is so famous."

Several guardian elders in the sky looked serious as they took out transparent lotus flowers wrapped in spiritual energy.

The lotus flower is crystal clear, and a naturally growing flower is like a piece of jade that has been carefully carved without any flaws.

The moment this item was revealed, almost everyone present had their eyes light up.

The elder was composed and dignified, showing no restraint in his aura: "With the Nine-Turn Lotus of Nourishing Meridians, this is a Heavenly-Rank Pill. This item should be obtained by Ao Hao, a disciple of the Pill Sect!"

This directly announced the top spot among the disciples of the Dan Sect.

Being able to produce a Heaven-Rank elixir, this first place is well-deserved, and no one present objected.

But the moment the Nine-Turn Lotus appeared, a sudden change occurred.

Among the crowd, a fierce-looking, burly man shot into the sky at an incredible speed, faster than the lotus flower entering the alchemy furnace. His hand was about to touch the lotus flower before the precious treasure was even placed in the furnace.

"Oh no! He's trying to intercept this treasure in mid-air!" an elder exclaimed.

A figure in light blue had already slipped past the two guardians' sight. Like a newborn calf, it plunged out of the window and leaped out, heading straight for the center of the chaos.

"Little Firefly!" Chi Yang rushed to the window, but it was too late.

Shi Liuying did not turn around.

Chi Yang's face was serious. He shook his wrist, and the bell rang out an ancient and heavy sound once again, accompanied by the heavy thud of heavy objects being stomped on the ground.

Chong Cang's figure followed closely behind Shi Liuying almost at the same moment she set off, his silver-gray eyes filled with icy killing intent.

At this moment, Shi Liuying had only one thought in her mind: to get closer to him and hear that voice clearly!

The spiritual energy within her body circulated at an unprecedented speed, and her cyan figure drew a blurry trajectory in the air as she rushed straight toward the burly man who had just taken to the air and was trying to seize the Nine-Turn Lotus.

Closer and closer, she heard the crunching of his flesh and blood as it struggled with the rapid pace, along with a sharp, urgent chime, clearer than a temple bell.

This was the first time Shi Liuying had sensed the system, and also the first time she had confronted it head-on.

Just as the distance between her and the burly man rapidly closed, and she could almost feel the violent aura emanating from him—

A cold, greedy electronic voice, brimming with undisguised malice and cruelty, pierced her mind like a sharp icicle:

[Target locked! Execution procedure initiated! Countdown—]

【three--】

【two--】

-----------------------

Author's Note: I'm so sorry for being ten minutes late. There will be random red envelopes dropping in the comments section [please!]

I've been so busy lately, only getting five hours of sleep a night. I feel like I'm on the verge of collapse. [crying emoji] I need a little praise to give me energy. [bursting emoji]