146: Chapter 146 The Infinite Death Battle in My Mind

Gu Yan, bare-chested, stood bent over the stone table, scrubbing the residual flesh from the crevices of the soul-shattering knuckles over and over. That was not his blood, but that of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage deacon from the Withered Bone Forest from last night. The spikes on the soul-shattering knuckles seemed to have tasted sweetness; even in the cold water, they still emitted a faint warmth, like a beast that had just finished eating and was still burping.

"Splash." Gu Yan cupped a handful of water and splashed it onto his face. The ice-cold sensation allowed his nerves, which had been tense all night, to relax slightly.

[Host, stop washing it. This thing is currently reeking with Evil Qi; even detergent couldn't clean it.]

The System's voice blared abruptly, accompanied by a festive suona sound effect: [Instead of washing your hands, why not take a look at our loot analysis report? That Formation Flag is a good item. After this System worked overtime all night to crack it, the coordinates for the backdoor have been obtained.]

Gu Yan straightened his back, grabbed a coarse cloth to wipe the water stains from his face, and sat back on the stone bed.

"Where is the location?"

[The core area of Fallen Demon Valley, which is directly beneath the place where the legendary 'Ancestor Blood River' passed away. Those grandsons from the Lin family really know how to pick a spot; that is the 'flood discharge outlet' of the entire Secret Realm.]

The System light screen expanded, and a complex 3D map appeared. A red dot was continuously flashing beneath the deep valley.

[However, just having the key is not enough. According to simulation deductions, when the Secret Realm opens, there will be a 'Blood River Backflow' phenomenon. With your current Physical Body strength, Host, you would most likely be crushed into a meat patty if you went in.]

[So... Ta-da! In view of your brave performance last night, Host, not only did you complete 'eliminating evil and promoting good' (although your methods were more villainous than the villains themselves), but you also recovered a key item. The System has specially approved the opening of a new feature module—Simulated Cultivation Field (Beta version)!]

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow: "Simulation?"

[Simply put, it means pulling your consciousness into the System space to conduct 1:1 actual combat drills. Here, you can set any opponent, even those at the Golden Core Stage. It doesn't matter if you die; your spirit will just suffer a tiny bit of shock, and you'll be fine after a sleep.]

"Any opponent?"

Gu Yan glanced at his right hand, which was still a bit red. Although he had killed that deacon with a single blow last night, it was relying on a sneak attack and the attribute suppression of the soul-shattering knuckles. If he were to fight head-on, or encounter a true Golden Core Stage Cultivator...

"Generate an Early Golden Core Stage opponent for me. For the template, use..." Gu Yan thought for a moment, "Elder Su Ming."

That Law Enforcement Hall Elder who looked drunk all day, but was actually unfathomable.

[Alrighty! Simulation starting! Please prepare yourself to be 'abused', Host!]

Hum! Gu Yan only felt as if his brain had been heavily smashed by a sledgehammer, and the scene before his eyes instantly shattered and reorganized.

Shafeng Cave disappeared. Replacing it was a vast, white space.

Elder Su Ming stood opposite him, still holding that wine gourd, with that half-smiling expression on his face.

"Kid, want to spar?"

Just as Elder Su Ming's voice fell, Gu Yan moved. The soul-shattering knuckles, carrying a black wind, aimed directly at Elder Su Ming's throat.

However, Elder Su Ming only lightly raised a finger. He didn't use any earth-shattering Spell; Gu Yan only felt the surrounding air suddenly become harder than iron. His fist stalled three inches from Elder Su Ming's nose, and immediately after, an irresistible, massive force rebounded.

Bang! Gu Yan's right arm exploded directly into a mist of blood. Before he could even feel the pain, Elder Su Ming's wine gourd had already smashed onto the top of his head. His vision went black.

...

"Hoo—!" Gu Yan opened his eyes abruptly, gasping for air. He was still on the stone bed in Shafeng Cave, his right arm intact, but the phantom pain of flesh and bone shattering was so real that the veins on his forehead bulged. Sweat slid down his back, instantly soaking the stone bed.

[Time elapsed: 0.3 seconds. Cause of death: Crushed by pure Spiritual Pressure.]

[Evaluation: Pathetic.]

Gu Yan wiped the cold sweat from his face; instead of fear in his eyes, a fire ignited.

"Again."

[Resetting...]

This time, he lasted three moves. Again. Ten moves. Again. ... He didn't know how many times he had died.

When Gu Yan woke up again from that maddening death experience, it was already pitch black outside the Immortal Cave. His spirit was extremely overdrawn, and it felt as if countless needles were pricking inside his head. But the light in his eyes became increasingly sharp; it was the intuition settled after countless life-and-death battles.

"Awake?" A gentle, soft voice sounded beside his ear. Jiang Wanrou didn't know when she had stood by the bed. She was holding a steaming jade bowl, her gaze towards Gu Yan somewhat complex.

This man was clearly just sitting there meditating, but in that moment just now, the Killing Intent radiating from his body was so intense that she almost couldn't hold the bowl in her hand steady. It was like a fierce tiger dozing off, ready to pounce and hurt someone at any moment.

"What time is it?" Gu Yan's voice was hoarse, his throat as dry as if he had swallowed a handful of sand.

"It is past the Hour of the Rat."

Jiang Wanrou handed him the jade bowl. Her fingertips inadvertently touched Gu Yan's ice-cold hand, and she recoiled as if burned: "I saw you kept breaking out in cold sweats, and your complexion was very poor... This is a soup brewed with 'Red Blood Lingzhi' and 'Earth Dragon Marrow', to replenish Qi and blood."

Gu Yan took the bowl. The soup was a rich purple-red, emitting an overbearing medicinal fragrance. He didn't stand on ceremony and drank it all in one gulp.

Boom! This was no soup; it was clearly a ball of fire. The heat flow rolled down his esophagus into his stomach, instantly transforming into massive vital energy, rushing towards his limbs and bones. His body, which had originally been exhausted due to spiritual overdraw, was instantly filled with power under the stimulation of this medicinal force, and even... somewhat excessive.

Gu Yan's breathing became a bit heavier. He raised his head and looked at Jiang Wanrou. Under the dim light of Shafeng Cave, Jiang Wanrou's plain dress appeared exceptionally thin. She seemed to have sensed the aggression in Gu Yan's gaze and subconsciously took half a step back, her back pressing against the cold stone wall.

"Are... are you okay?" Her voice trembled slightly.

Gu Yan stood up and approached step by step. That sense of oppression made it difficult for Jiang Wanrou to breathe; she wanted to flee, but found her legs somewhat weak.

"This soup has quite a kick."

Gu Yan braced one hand against the stone wall beside her ear, trapping her between himself and the wall. He lowered his head, his nose almost touching her forehead, his scorching breath spraying onto her face.

"Did you do this on purpose?"

"No... no..." Jiang Wanrou explained in a panic, "I saw that your Qi and blood were depleted, so I increased the dosage... I didn't know you would drink it all at once..."

Gu Yan looked at her panicked appearance and suddenly smiled. It wasn't a gentle smile, but one carrying a trace of wildness, a predator's smile.

"Since you were the one who administered the medicine, you have to be responsible for putting out the fire."

He extended his other hand, not making any untoward moves, but instead grasped Jiang Wanrou's wrist and pressed it against his own chest.

Thump, thump, thump. His heart beat like thunder, each pulsation filled with explosive power. Jiang Wanrou could clearly feel the terrifying heat contained within that body under her palm. That wasn't the fever of illness, but a manifestation of vitality so vigorous it was overflowing.

"Use your Green Lotus Fire."

Gu Yan restrained his smile, his eyes regaining clarity: "Guide this medicinal force to help me scour the twelfth meridian. My Physical Body has been stuck at the Bottleneck for too long; this bowl of soup is just the hammer I need."

Jiang Wanrou was stunned. She thought... Her cheeks instantly turned bright red, like a ripe tomato.

"What are you thinking about?" Gu Yan pinched her hot earlobe, his tone teasing, "At a time like this, improving strength is more important than that kind of thing. After all, the people from the Lin family are probably already driven crazy with anger."

Jiang Wanrou bit her lip and glared at him fiercely, but she didn't dare to be slow with the movements of her hands.

A wisp of cyan flame snaked into Gu Yan's body along her fingertips.

"Hold on, it will be very painful." She increased the firepower in retaliation.

"I have tasted pain a hundred times worse than this."

Gu Yan closed his eyes, sat back on the stone bed, and let that violent medicinal force and the Green Lotus Fire ravage his body.

In his mind, the simulated battlefield opened once again. This time, facing Elder Su Ming, he was not crushed to death by a single finger. In that illusory world, he threw his first punch.