Su Ji couldn’t care less about formalities.
He pointed at the spirit stones on the table.
"Come on, let’s split the loot."
Su Jiu was momentarily stunned.
"There’s a share for me?"
But why call it "loot"?
Weren’t these supposed to be someone else’s investment?
"Of course," Su Ji declared righteously. "I, Su Ji, believe in clear accounts—what’s borrowed must be returned, and the extra counts as interest."
"There should be about three hundred and seventy high-grade spirit stones here."
"You take one hundred and eighty..."
Su Ji felt his heart bleeding.
These weren’t low-grade spirit stones.
Was he really about to give away half?
"Actually, take seventy..."
But before he could finish, he was interrupted again.
Finally, Su Ji managed to convince himself with a justification.
Wasn’t Su Jiu about to help him gather materials for his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment?
What if she ran short on funds?
That would jeopardize his future!
This was no place for stinginess.
Consider it an investment in materials.
"Take one hundred and seventy."
"Reach the Golden Core stage soon, Junior Sister, so I can bask in your glory."
With that thought, the pain in his heart lessened.
Once Su Jiu reached the Golden Core stage, he could ride her coattails.
By then, would he still need to hide from a mere elder by soaking in a medicinal tub?
He could sit on the sect leader’s throne and do as he pleased—no one would dare utter a word.
...
Su Jiu stared at the pouch, momentarily at a loss for words.
He could have kept everything for himself, yet he still shared with her.
This thought lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.
Su Ji paid no attention to her inner turmoil. He upended the pouch of high-grade spirit stones onto the table with a clatter.
Three hundred and seventy high-grade spirit stones glittered brilliantly, nearly blinding Su Ji’s "dog eyes."
He counted them one by one, painstakingly separating one hundred and seventy.
The rest were stuffed back into the pouch.
Then he glanced at the floor.
"One, two, three... five..."
Hmm.
He snatched five more stones from the table and returned them to his own pouch.
Su Jiu watched as Su Ji wrestled between generosity and reluctance, an inexplicable silly grin spreading across her face.
After a long pause, she finally remembered the main issue. "By the way, what about the [Hundred Refined Heavenly Silkworm Thread]?"
"Oh, that." Su Ji waved it off.
"There wasn’t enough to craft an inner armor, so I asked that old man to find a skilled artificer and turn it into something else."
"He said he’d notify me once it’s done, so don’t worry."
The poor vendor—not only did he lose money and a sword, but he also had to run errands for free.
Su Jiu relaxed completely upon hearing this.
She rose from the bed, bent down, and picked up the five spirit stones from the floor.
Gently, she placed them back into the pile meant for her.
"Since Senior Brother trusts me so much, I’ll make preparations and set out tomorrow."
Gazing at the pile of spirit stones, her eyes brimmed with newfound confidence.
"With these, the trip should go smoothly. Within a month at most, I’ll bring back every material needed for your Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment—not a single one missing."
Su Ji: "..."
Must you say things like that...?
It sounded like some theatrical general’s boast.
But what could Su Ji do?
She was utterly reckless.
"No rush."
"Leave in five days."
Su Jiu’s face twisted in confusion.
"With your cultivation speed and these spirit stones, I’d say you’ll reach Foundation Establishment in about a month."
"Why wait five more days? Shouldn’t we act as quickly as possible?"
"Besides, I’ll be attempting my Golden Core breakthrough in around a month too."
Her meaning was clear—these five days were precious for both of them and would significantly delay their progress.
Su Ji merely smiled without explanation.
"Trust me."
Two simple words, yet they carried an unshakable authority.
Su Jiu studied his confident demeanor, and memories of his past inexplicable feats surfaced in her mind.
Whether it was foreseeing Elder Liu’s murderous intent or predicting the Nascent Soul remnant’s attempted possession, everything proved Su Ji harbored secrets beyond her comprehension.
Her doubts gradually gave way to another emotion.
Fine.
Su Ji always had his reasons.
"I’ll follow Senior Brother’s arrangements."
Su Jiu acquiesced, her tone unconsciously docile.
...
Five days passed in a flash.
During this time, Su Jiu never left her small courtyard, quietly meditating and occasionally tending to the spiritual herbs in the backyard.
Meanwhile, Su Ji finally obtained what he’d been waiting for.
The cooldown for [Fate’s Gaze] had ended.
Without hesitation, he willed it to activate.
In an instant, an indescribable, vast sensation enveloped him.
Countless threads floated around him, weaving into an endless, boundless web.
This time, only one thread could be tugged.
So...
Even predetermined fate could shift unpredictably due to his actions?
Moreover, this thread was unlike any Su Ji had seen before—it was a sinister black-red!
His consciousness didn’t hesitate. With a forceful yank, he pulled the thread.
The surroundings shattered like glass, crumbling into dust.
When his vision cleared again...
...
Then—
The opening scene hit like a thunderbolt.
Su Ji was in his wooden cabin, his entire body burning with unbearable heat. A violent surge of spiritual energy rampaged through his meridians, threatening to tear him apart from within.
"Creak—"
The door swung open.
Su Jiu walked in, dust-covered and weary, yet her clear eyes sparkled with faint joy.
"Senior Brother, I’m back—"
Before she could finish, Su Ji cut her off.
Staggering up from the bed, his eyes bloodshot, he fixed a desperate gaze on her, his voice hoarse and ragged.
"Junior Sister..."
He reached out, like a drowning man grasping for his last lifeline.
"Give it to me..."
Su Jiu recoiled half a step, startled by his appearance.
But Su Ji advanced, the spiritual energy in his body growing even more uncontrollable. A pained growl escaped his throat.
"I need it..."
"I can’t hold back anymore!"
With his current state, those words could easily be misconstrued.
Su Jiu’s cheeks flushed crimson.
But the next moment, she sensed something amiss.
Su Ji’s spiritual energy was running wild, luminescent patterns flickering beneath his skin—this wasn’t lust, but... the signs of an imminent, forced breakthrough into Foundation Establishment!
Who could’ve guessed that in the mere month she’d been gone, Su Ji had reached his limit and was about to explode?
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
mance] After transmigrating for eighteen years, Lin Qi lived as an utterly ordinary herbalist in the countryside. One day, he kindly brought home a sickly, beautiful girl covered in blood. They married in a flash and began their blissful, intimate life together. Right then, his long-delayed system finally activated. [Warning! Host detected in contact with the "Crimson Calamity," the world-ending witch!] Lin Qi looked at the adorable wife currently curled in his arms, who couldn't even open a jar lid and trembled at the sight of a mouse. Lin Qi: "System, are you insane? This is clearly just a weak and delicate sickly girl!" Thus, Lin Qi treated the system as a "Contrast System," where taking care of his wife made him stronger. Combing his wife's hair rewarded him with [Free Attribute Points]. Taking his wife out for sunshine rewarded him with [Forbidden Spell: Arcane Explosion]. Lin Qi: "This soft life tastes so good!" ... Yet, in the eyes of outsiders: The strongest Beastkin Assassin: "That man dissected a Beast King with a common skinning knife! That was a show of force towards the powerful!" The Holy Son of the Radiant Church: "I infiltrated his home as a tutor, but he had me babysit the children... He must have seen through my disguise!" The World-Ending Witch, Felucia: "I hid all the way in the countryside. How is it that the husband I married on a whim is stronger than I was at my peak?"
