Hello, Junior Sister, You Smell So Nice.

This female cultivator who wore no inner armor had heard that some practitioners possessed heaven-defying luck, able to obtain blue or even purple-tier Heavenly Mandates from the very beginning. Among these were some bizarre mandates with minuscule probabilities of appearing, yet possessing fixed lethality—abilities that often disregarded the gap in cultivation realms.

But the price was equally steep.

While the early stages might be smooth sailing, reaching the Golden Core stage would render one such purple-tier Heavenly Mandate useless. It was essentially sacrificing the future for an unimpeded path in the early stages of cultivation.

Whether it was worth it was hard to say.

Forget it.

Better safe than sorry.

Was it worth gambling with a potentially fatal risk for some unrelated brat?

The answer was no.

Especially not before the Nascent Soul cave abode—there was no need to invite trouble.

Giving him a lift was just a trivial favor.

With this thought, the fury in Gu Ranran's heart was forcibly suppressed by reason. She took a deep breath, her tone still icy but devoid of killing intent.

"Hold on tight."

Su Ji grinned and tightened his grip.

"Fellow Daoist, I knew you were a good person."

Su Ji's address did a complete one-eighty.

Gu Ranran, handed a "good person card," ignored him and merely snorted coldly before urging her flying sword forward. The blade transformed into a streak of azure light, shooting straight toward the massive gate.

The wind howled past their ears.

Though Su Ji's posture was awkward, his mood was excellent.

Free rides were always satisfying.

The two of them, one in front and the other behind, entered the Nascent Soul cave abode in this bizarre manner.

The moment they passed through the glowing gate, Su Ji's vision blurred.

He was violently flung off.

His entire body plummeted downward.

Thud!

Fortunately, the height wasn't too great.

Even after crashing hard onto a slab of solid stone, he only shook his head and quickly recovered.

Su Ji didn't get up immediately.

Lying on the ground, he surveyed his surroundings.

He found himself in an absurdly vast space.

The dome stretched so high it vanished into dim obscurity. Only a few thick stone pillars supported the ceiling, their surfaces carved with intricate, indecipherable patterns.

The air carried the scent of long-sealed dust, mixed with faint traces of spiritual energy.

Just as Su Ji was about to stand—

A delicate, snow-white foot abruptly landed on the stone floor beside his head.

The toes were rounded, the ankle slender.

See, cultivators were a diverse bunch—you'd find all kinds.

The last one couldn't afford inner armor.

This one couldn't afford battle boots.

Su Ji's gaze traveled upward from that foot.

Su Jiu stood above him, dressed in plain robes, her beautiful face filled with disbelief as she looked down at him.

"It really is you, Su Ji."

Su Ji remained utterly shameless. "What a coincidence, Junior Sister. I sensed an opportunity here, so I came."

Su Jiu was left speechless for a long moment.

The Lovebird Sect was a good three hundred miles from this place.

How the hell did you "sense" it?

Even a dog's nose couldn't sniff this far.

Wait—why did she use that analogy?

Before Su Jiu could correct her thoughts, she saw Su Ji twitch his nose.

He took a sniff, just as Su Jiu's gaze met his.

[Conversation with Su Jiu initiated. Target meets aesthetic preferences. Romance options triggered.]

[Option 1: "Junior Sister, why are you barefoot again?" (Reward: Get stomped in the face. "None of your business.")]

[Option 2: "Junior Sister, do you have some kind of special constitution?" (Reward: Enter a special scenario. Upon completion, +1 Heavenly Mandate draw attempt.)]

[Option 3: "Who knew my 'opportunity' was traveling a thousand miles just to find you, Junior Sister~" (Reward: Su Jiu's favorability +2. Get stomped in the face. "Su Ji, what nonsense are you spouting?!")]

Though Option 3 seemed decent, Su Ji found it a bit too greasy.

He couldn't bring himself to say it.

But the special scenario had appeared several times already.

And this time, the reward was a +1 Heavenly Mandate draw attempt?

That was insane.

Under normal circumstances, without special opportunities, a cultivator would only have three Heavenly Mandates by the Golden Core stage.

Previous option rewards had always been stingy—either a measly +1 favorability or a handful of spirit stones.

While they helped avoid mistakes, none were life-threatening.

They paled in comparison to the sheer dominance of [Heavenly Mandate Insight].

They didn't reflect the value a colored-tier Heavenly Mandate should possess.

But now, it seemed...

Had he been approaching this wrong all along?

Was the special scenario the key?

Su Ji couldn't contain his curiosity.

Might as well give it a try.

He feigned ignorance and changed the subject. "Junior Sister, you smell so nice. Do you have some kind of special constitution?"

Su Jiu subtly took two steps back, putting distance between them, her expression darkening.

After hesitating, she finally muttered, "Flawless Body."

Su Ji scrambled up from the ground, dusting himself off.

Where was the special scenario?

Where was the "this and that" development?

Su Jiu, seeing his lack of reaction, instantly understood.

Su Ji, this cultivation-illiterate fool, probably had no idea what a Flawless Body was.

She continued, "Su Ji, listen to me."

"I don't know how you ended up here."

"But this place isn't for you."

Her tone was deadly serious, not a trace of jest remaining.

"Though we seized the initiative and entered first, many Golden Core elders are already on their way."

"I can't guarantee I'll leave with any gains before they arrive."

"When that happens, I might not even be able to protect myself—and you're only at Qi Refinement..."

Before she could finish—

A deafening boom interrupted her.

The intricate carvings on the massive stone pillars suddenly lit up, glowing with a crimson hue like fresh blood.

The light spread along the patterns, sketching a vast, bloody array across the stone floor.

The array pulsed with demonic lines, intertwining like veins.

A wave of suffocating bloodlust instantly flooded the space.

Then, the floor's array and the pillars' glow began flickering in unison.

Faintly, the clashing of weapons echoed from all directions.

"Watch out!"

Su Jiu's face paled as she yanked Su Ji behind her.

But it was too late.

Every cultivator present, regardless of cultivation level, saw their surroundings warp abruptly.

They were dragged into an ancient battlefield of unimaginable scale.

The sky was a frozen crimson, the earth a river of bones and blood.

A true dragon plummeted from the shattered clouds, its massive body crushing half a mountain range.

A three-legged Golden Crow was torn in two by a colossal hand, its golden blood splashing across the heavens.

Countless cultivators clashed with faceless enemies on the ground.

The void fractured endlessly, revealing pitch-black chaotic currents behind.

This world was saturated with despair, madness, and endless slaughter.

Even the most steadfast Foundation Establishment cultivators turned deathly pale, trembling uncontrollably. Some even coughed up blood as their Dao hearts wavered.

Boom!!!

Just as their minds were on the verge of collapsing under the horrific sight—

A deep, resonant bell tolled across the heavens.

All the illusions before their eyes shattered like bursting bubbles.

The group suddenly snapped back to reality, still standing in the vast, empty hall.

Yet their faces were etched with the terror of having narrowly escaped death.

Was this truly the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator?

No...

Even a Nascent Soul expert would have no right to encounter those legendary divine beasts...

Just what was that...