128: Chapter 128 S-Rank Settlement! This KPI Exploded!

Inside the quiet room, candlelight flickered.

Gu Yan sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, bare-chested. Several hideous scars remained on his sturdy back, scabbing over and falling off at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This was the price paid for killing a Golden Core Cultivator while at a lower rank.

Had it not been for the Four Symbols Heaven-Locking Array absorbing thirty percent of the force from Golden Core Master Wu Yong's desperate final counterattack, combined with his own formidable constitution, his Meridians would likely have been shattered by now.

"Hoo..."

Gu Yan exhaled a breath of stale air. The breath remained condensed and did not disperse, creating a faint ripple in the air.

Before he could finish adjusting his breath, that noisy voice in his mind exploded instantly.

[Host! My dear daddy! You're amazing!]

[That 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin' move just now was simply earth-shatteringly cool! I just started a live stream on the internal System forum titled "Foundation Establishment Stage Noob Teaches Golden Core Old Monster a Lesson Online," and the number of live viewers instantly exceeded one hundred thousand!]

[The viewers from those high-dimensional planes are spamming the screen with donations! If we could cash them out, we would achieve Ascension right on the spot!]

Gu Yan frowned slightly, reached out to grab the robe beside him, draped it over his shoulders, and said coldly, "Less chatter, settle the rewards."

[Tch, using me and then tossing me aside... Oh wait, no, it's the cold-hearted male god who turns hostile after killing someone.]

Although the System was complaining, its movements were extremely fast, and an azure light screen instantly unfolded on Gu Yan's retina.

On the light screen, countless special effects of gold coins and fireworks popped and exploded, looking incredibly flamboyant.

[Calculating KPI...]

[Core Achievement: Killed Early Stage Golden Core Cultivator Golden Core Master Wu Yong while at a lower rank (Although he was a fraud propped up by pills, he at least had a Golden Core).]

[Additional Achievement: Intimidated the entire Baifeng City, harvesting 23,000 points of Fear and Awe.]

[Special Bonus: The combat process was smooth and fluid, with a full star rating for pretentiousness.]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. The comprehensive rating for this battle is: S-Rank!]

[This is the first S-Rank rating this System has received since joining... ahem, since assisting the Host! My year-end bonus is secured! Wuwuwu...]

Gu Yan ignored the System's self-indulgent emotions and stared fixedly at the reward column at the bottom of the light screen.

S-Rank.

Previously, the highest reward for taking a concubine was only B-Rank. Betting his life this time had truly paid off.

[Distributing rewards... Host, please prepare yourself. The amount of energy injected this time is massive, and you might feel a bit bloated.]

Before the words faded.

Boom!

An extremely violent heat flow appeared out of thin air deep within Gu Yan's Dantian.

This was not a trickle, but a raging torrent released from a floodgate.

Crack.

The prayer mat beneath him instantly turned into powder.

The veins all over Gu Yan's body bulged, and his skin instantly flushed deep red, making him look like a red shrimp just fished out of magma.

This power violently crashed into his Meridians, forcibly stretching his already wide Meridians by more than double.

Pain.

Tearing, excruciating pain.

But he did not make a sound, gritting his teeth, and forcefully guided this torrent to impact the barrier of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Peak of the second layer of Foundation Establishment... Break!

Third layer of Foundation Establishment!

The power did not stop, still surging like a mad dog.

Peak of the third layer of Foundation Establishment...

Crack!

It felt as if some shackles within his body had been violently smashed.

Fourth layer of Foundation Establishment!

Only after rushing to the Peak of the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment did this violent energy finally calm down, turning into extremely pure liquid true essence that slowly flowed through his limbs and bones.

Gu Yan clenched his fists, and the air in his palms was squeezed and exploded, making a crisp "pop" sound.

In just one settlement, he broke through two levels, entering the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment directly.

If he relied on his own bitter cultivation, even with Top-Grade Spirit Stones, it would take at least three to five years.

[Don't rush, don't rush, it's not over yet! This is an S-Rank gift package!]

[The System's voice was full of pride as it sought credit: "Given that the Host's performance this time was too brilliant, this System specially applied for a 'Special Allowance' from that Mediterranean-haired supervisor at the General Bureau!"]

[Ding! Distributing special reward: Lifespan Pill (Top-Grade) medicinal power infusion!]

[Lifespan + 150 years!]

Hum—

Gu Yan only felt his scalp tingle, and a cool sensation rushed from the crown of his head straight to the soles of his feet.

This feeling was completely different from the increase in cultivation.

The slight fatigue caused by the intense battle instantly dissipated, and his five senses became clearer than ever before.

Ten zhang away, he could hear the frequency of a flying insect flapping its wings clearly; in the corner crack, the sound of a tender sprout breaking through the soil was like a thunderclap.

A sublimation of the essence of life.

The Lifespan of the Foundation Establishment Stage is usually around two hundred years, but his current maximum Lifespan was approaching four hundred years, comparable to a Golden Core Cultivator!

[How is it? Does it feel good?]

[I had to guarantee my performance for the whole year to get this! Host, you must take in more top-quality concubines and father more geniuses in the future, otherwise I won't be able to write my KPI report...]

Gu Yan stood up, and the bones in his body made a series of popping sounds like roasting beans.

He casually threw a punch.

Boom!

The solid wood desk three meters in front of him did not come into contact with his fist, but was directly blasted into wood chips filling the sky by the wind of the punch.

"Fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, but the intensity of my true essence is enough to crush an ordinary Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

Gu Yan withdrew his fist and stood still, feeling the surging power within his body. His gaze passed through the window lattice and looked toward the core area of Baifeng City.

That was the territory that originally belonged to the City Lord's Mansion and the Black Fiend Sect branch.

"System, you did well this time."

[Hehe, of course! Don't look at who I am... Wait, Host, did you just praise me?]

[The System was flattered, its voice rising by an octave: "I took a screenshot! I recorded it! I'm going to post it on WeChat Moments!"]

Gu Yan ignored this drama queen and pushed the door open to walk out.

Outside the door, the sunlight was blinding.

It was already noon.

Noisy human voices could be faintly heard from outside the courtyard, but no one dared to approach this courtyard even by half a step.

Gu Yan adjusted his sleeves, his face calm.

Last night, he killed; today, he established the rules.

Since the power was now in place, it was time for the sky over Baifeng City to completely change its color.

"Come here."

The voice was not loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire Gu Mansion.

A steward scrambled into the courtyard, his knees softening as he knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the floor, his voice trembling but filled with fanaticism:

"Family Head! This servant is here!"

"Notify the heads of all Foundation Establishment forces in the city to gather at the Gu Mansion's Martial Arts Hall within half an hour."

Gu Yan's tone was plain, as if he were talking about a trivial matter:

"I will not wait for those who are late."

The steward suddenly looked up, his eyes full of excitement: "Yes! If there are those who do not come..."

"They are dead people; there is no need to worry about them."

Gu Yan walked with his hands behind his back, passing the kneeling steward and heading toward the Martial Arts Hall.

His back was like a pine tree, his killing intent restrained.

[Wow...]

[The System whistled in his mind: "Is this the feeling of a domineering CEO? Host, remember to strike a cool pose later, I'll give you a close-up!"]