207: I'll cut a few first

"Let's go!"

Lin Chuping stood up, letting out a long sigh.

He was now like an arrow on the bowstring, with no choice but to release it.

"Host, where are we going?"

The System was still feeling guilty, somewhat unclear about Lin Chuping's intentions.

"Didn't you say to let me hack a few times? Give me permission."

"Oh, okay, okay."

The System seemed not to have fully reacted yet, subconsciously executing the command.

Code cascaded down the light screen, and a complex golden rune condensed into shape in the Void Realm.

Lin Chuping looked at the rune, feeling the spatial authority it contained, which surpassed his current Realm, and a complex arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This foolish System was quick to grant permission; it seemed those "teammates" were truly anxious.

"Thanks."

Lin Chuping whispered, stepping towards the golden rune.

There was no earth-shattering commotion, no anomaly of space tearing.

Lin Chuping's figure disappeared instantly as if water had merged with water. Only the night wind rustling over the stone steps remained in front of the temple, as if he had never appeared.

* * *

Ten Thousand Mountains, deep within Black Wind Gorge, at the edge of an unnamed rift valley.

The air was as viscous as congealed ink, carrying bone-chilling cold and a nauseatingly sweet, putrid smell.

The once solid rocks underfoot now exhibited a terrifying softness, subtly undulating with the dull "thump... thump..." sound from the bottom of the valley, as if stepping on the skin of some giant creature.

Lin Chuping's figure appeared here silently.

The faint golden halo around him had solidified considerably, like tangible armor, isolating the pervasive Death Qi.

Even so, the bone-deep chill and the instinctive repulsion stemming from life itself still made him frown deeply.

"Hoo..."

Lin Chuping took a deep breath of the foul air, forcing down the irritation in his heart and that subtle... shiver.

The scene before him was more direct and terrifying than what he had seen on the System's light screen.

The enormous rift valley was like an ugly scar on the earth, bottomless.

The valley walls were no longer rock but covered with a thick layer of constantly wriggling, viscous black liquid-exuding "living tissue."

Countless thick, twisted black "blood vessels" and intricate "nerve pathways" intertwined and pulsed beneath the tissue, emitting a dark metallic sheen.

Each pulsation was accompanied by a dull heartbeat, causing one's Qi and blood to churn.

Even more unsettling were the dense, translucent "egg sacs" at the convergence points of these "blood vessels."

Inside each egg sac, one or more ghostly blue light points floated—these were eyes that had not yet fully formed!

At this moment, as if sensing the presence of an outsider, countless ghostly blue light points uniformly turned towards Lin Chuping's direction. Their icy gazes were like tangible needles, piercing through the Incense Divine Power barrier, bringing a bone-chilling cold and an indescribable, malicious scrutiny from the depths of the Soul.

In the deepest part of the valley, the pitch-black "core" that pulsed like a giant heart, its intricate and eerie "night erosion mark" now glowed and flowed, as if it had come alive.

A larger, colder, and more greedy will, like an invisible tide, slowly emanated from the core, enveloping the entire rift valley.

It wasn't an attack; it was more like a declaration, a detached assessment of the "food" that had intruded into its territory.

Lin Chuping could clearly feel the agitation of the Incense Divine Power within him—an instinctive reaction as if encountering a natural predator.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles slightly white from the effort.

Strong! Too strong!

Even in its dormant, nascent stage, and despite the System's assessment of "a few more hacks will kill it," this oppressive feeling, stemming from the essence of life, far exceeded his expectations.

It was like a Mortal standing before a sleeping Dragon; even if the Dragon didn't open its eyes, the immense life force field alone was enough to suffocate an ordinary Mortal.

All his previous confidence, all his "whetstone" theories, seemed somewhat pale and ridiculous in the face of this absolute power disparity.

"Damn it..."

Lin Chuping cursed under his breath, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

Fear, like a cold viper, silently coiled around his heart.

He could even hear the rush of his own blood and the drum-like pounding of his heart in his chest.

Run?

A thought uncontrollably surfaced.

While it was still asleep, while the System's granted permission was still active, leave this place immediately!

What trials, what teammates, what Incense Divine Power Dao—survival was the most important thing!

He subconsciously took half a step back.

Just then, the pulsating pitch-black core deep within the rift valley seemed to sense his momentary retreat.

The night erosion mark on its surface suddenly brightened!

A more fierce, more greedy will instantly locked onto Lin Chuping!

"Buzz—!"

Lin Chuping's Incense Divine Power shield vibrated violently, emitting an overwhelmed hum!

At the same time, several "egg sacs" on the nearest rock wall suddenly burst open!

Several tentacles made of viscous black liquid, covered with suckers, shot out like lightning, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, striking directly at his face and chest!

Attack! The slumbering Heavenly Demon, merely sensing a hint of his cowardice, launched an instinctive predation!

The shadow of death instantly loomed!

Lin Chuping's pupils contracted sharply!

All hesitation and fear were utterly crushed by the instinct for survival at this moment!

"Get lost!"

A furious roar exploded like thunder!

He had no time to think; his body moved faster than his consciousness!

The surging Incense Divine Power within him circulated wildly at an unprecedented speed, converging in his fists!

There were no fancy Moves, only the purest, most violent outpouring of power!

Boom! Boom!

Two golden fist Qis, condensed like solid matter, shot out, carrying the glorious Divine Might that could incinerate evil, and slammed into the attacking black tentacles!

"Sizzle—!"

Like a red-hot branding iron plunged into ice and snow!

A piercing corrosive sound accompanied by thick black smoke suddenly erupted!

Those fierce tentacles disintegrated and dissolved inch by inch under the golden fist Qi!

However, the fist Qi also rapidly dimmed after destroying the tentacles, finally dissipating completely when it touched the layer of wriggling black liquid on the rock wall, leaving only two shallow, smoking scorch marks. Moreover, those scorch marks were being repaired by the surrounding black liquid at a visible speed.

Lin Chuping gasped for breath, his arms slightly numb.

Those two punches just now had drained almost a third of his Incense Divine Power!

Yet, they only yielded this much in results?

Looking at the rapidly healing scorch marks on the rock wall, then at the pitch-black core at the bottom of the valley, still pulsating steadily as if it had only swatted a few flies, and the many more restless, glowing blue-dotted egg sacs around it... a cold sense of despair, for the first time, clearly surged into Lin Chuping's heart.

Hack a few times?

He was hacking at rebar, for crying out loud!