19: Double AFK

The night was as deep as the sea.

When Lin Ye issued the dual hang-up command in his consciousness, an unprecedented strange sensation instantly swept through his entire body.

If, when he previously hung up Iron Sand Palm alone, he felt only a warm stream slowly flowing within his body, then at this moment, his body seemed to have become a riverbed simultaneously scoured by two different rivers!

One was the familiar Coiling Force of Iron Sand Palm, filled with scorching and sharp aura. It still gathered steadfastly towards Lin Ye's palms, tempering his metacarpals again and again, making the Minor Achievement power even more condensed.

The other was a completely different power originating from Golden Bell Shield. It was deeper, heavier, like a turbid mudslide full of vitality, drawn from the deepest part of his qi and blood, transforming into countless tiny branches, and slowly yet firmly began to scour and nourish every inch of his skin according to the ancient Mind-Cultivation Technique's route!

One external, one internal; one rigid, one soft.

The two forces ran parallel within his body, each operating independently, yet subtly influencing each other.

Lin Ye's brows furrowed tightly at the first instant.

An indescribable sensation, both numb and itchy, came from beneath his entire skin, as if billions of ants were gnawing at his flesh and blood. This was the sign that Golden Bell Shield had begun to temper his skin.

At the same time, a deep sense of fatigue, like a tide, surged from all directions, almost drowning his consciousness.

"The consumption... is much greater than I imagined!"

Lin Ye's heart tightened. He could clearly feel that his qi and blood and Mental Energy were being consumed at a rate several times faster than before. It was as if his body had become a machine simultaneously running two high-load programs, with energy being frantically extracted.

He gritted his teeth, forced himself to calm his mind, and entered a state of sleep.

He knew this was a necessary price to pay.

Time flowed by, minute by minute, in the silent night.

After an unknown period, just as Lin Ye was immersed in that semi-conscious Cultivation state, a cold, emotionless System prompt suddenly sounded in his mind, like a long-ringing alarm bell!

"Warning! Detected that the host's qi and blood and Mental Energy reserves are severely insufficient!"

"Current body state can no longer support two Cultivation Techniques simultaneously at standard efficiency hang-up!"

"The System will automatically lower hang-up efficiency to protect the host. Without external resource replenishment, hang-up efficiency will continue to decline!"

This sudden warning jolted Lin Ye awake from his deep sleep!

He immediately immersed his mind into the System panel, only to see that behind the two originally stable task bars, the word representing efficiency had changed from "Halved" to a dazzling "Low Speed," and it was still flickering slightly, as if it could drop to an even lower level at any moment!

At the same time, a bone-deep sense of weakness and hunger completely engulfed him.

This hunger was different from the usual emptiness of the stomach; it was a craving originating from the Origin of life! It was as if every cell in his body was emitting painful wails, yearning for energy replenishment!

"So... that's how it is!"

Lin Ye's back was instantly drenched in a cold sweat.

He finally understood!

System hang-up was not a perpetual motion machine that generated power out of thin air! It was more like an incredibly precise catalyst, a converter with infinite efficiency! It could eliminate the pain and time of Cultivation, and it could provide the most perfect Cultivation route, but the fuel driving all of this, in the final analysis, was his own—qi and blood and Mental Energy!

He could barely sustain one Iron Sand Palm. But simultaneously hanging up two, especially with one being the Body Refining Cultivation Technique Golden Bell Shield, which consumed a vast amount, his body, already weak due to long-term malnutrition, immediately issued an overload warning!

"Resources... I need resources!"

This thought had never been so clear and urgent!

He needed enough food, even Yao Beast flesh and blood containing Spiritual Qi, to replenish his qi and blood! He needed Medicinal Pills to nourish his rapidly depleting Mental Energy!

Otherwise, his grand plan of dual hang-up would become a joke! He might even damage his Foundation due to over-exhaustion!

That night, Lin Ye barely slept. He endured the weakness in his body, lying silently, but his mind was racing, thinking about how to break the deadlock.

The next morning, when the gong for waking up sounded, Lin Ye sat up from his bed. The Disciples in the same room were startled by his complexion.

His cheeks were slightly sunken, his lips cracked, his face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and there were two heavy dark circles under his eyes. He looked as if he had been drained of his essence by a demon and could collapse at any moment.

"Lin... Lin Ye, are... are you alright?" Even his roommate, who rarely spoke to him, couldn't help but ask with concern.

"No... nothing, maybe I didn't sleep well last night." Lin Ye waved his hand weakly, his voice hoarse.

His appearance further confirmed the rumors outside about him "giving up on himself and being mentally exhausted."

However, no one knew what an unshakeable determination was hidden beneath this weak facade!

That day, Lin Ye's behavior subtly changed.

After completing his quota of odd jobs, he did not choose to rest as usual. Instead, he dragged his body, which looked like it could fall apart at any moment, directly to the task stone wall of the Outer Sect Deacon Hall.

Various extra tasks that could earn contribution points were posted there.

"He... he's going to do extra tasks?"

"Has he gone mad! With him looking like that, he still wants to earn contribution points?"

"I think he's gone crazy wanting Medicinal Pills, making a last struggle before he dies!"

Amidst the gazes of the surrounding Disciples, who looked at him like a madman, Lin Ye expressionlessly took on the lowest-level task from the stone wall—cleaning Beast Stall No. 1 in the Spirit Beast Garden.

This was a notoriously difficult chore. Beast Stall No. 1 housed the Sect's aggressive Ironhide Brutes. The smell there was unbearable, the cleaning work was dirty and tiring, and there was often a risk of being bumped by the Brutes, so few people bothered with it.

But Lin Ye took it without hesitation.

As he dragged his tired body into the beast stall, filled with the pungent smell of ammonia, the numbness and weakness in his eyes instantly disappeared, replaced by shrewd calculation.

He needed contribution points to exchange for the lowest-grade qi and blood pill!

And with the Coiling Force Clue, these physical tasks, which seemed arduous and exhausting to others, were the most efficient choice for him!

He picked up the huge iron shovel, and with every swing, he perfectly utilized the strength of his waist, hips, and arms. His movements didn't seem fast, but each scoop cleared away the maximum amount of filth.

A job that would normally take two people an hour to complete, he finished by himself in less than half an hour, leaving it spotless.

When he, covered in a foul odor, went to the Deacon Hall to hand in the task and saw that single, lonely contribution point added to his identity token, a faint smile finally appeared on his pale face.

After that, he was like a tireless machine.

Cleaning beast stalls, chopping extra firewood, tilling the Medicinal Pill fields... He dedicated all his available time to these lowest-level, most strenuous extra tasks.

By the end of the day, when other Disciples were as tired as dead dogs, Lin Ye was also at his limit. He felt as if his body had been hollowed out, and with every step, his bones groaned.

But the identity token in his arms felt heavier than ever before—it had accumulated a full five contribution points!

Without a moment's rest, he used his last bit of strength to go to the Outer Sect's Medicinal Pill room, exchanging all five contribution points for a single, low-quality "qi and blood pill" made from Medicinal Pill dregs.

Back in his wooden hut, he didn't even wait to drink water before swallowing the bitter-smelling Medicinal Pill in one gulp.

The Medicinal Pill entered his stomach, transforming into a weak but pure warm current that slowly merged into his nearly dried-up qi and blood.

At that moment, Lin Ye was so comfortable he almost groaned aloud.

He lay on the bed, feeling the emptiness in his body being filled little by little, and his consciousness once again sank into the System.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that after the replenishment from this qi and blood pill, the originally flickering "Low Speed" on the System panel finally stabilized!

Although it was still low speed, at least it hadn't continued to worsen!

"It's not enough... far from enough..."

Lin Ye clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with a wolf-like tenacity.

One inferior Medicinal Pill could only barely sustain him. He needed more resources, better Medicinal Pills!

Hang-up Cultivation also consumed qi and blood and Mental Energy—after paying a huge price, he finally figured out another rule of the System.

And this rule also pointed him towards his future path.