Zhang Chulan currently carried the smug air of a petty man who had suddenly gained power.
After a night of cultivation and the boost from his Spirit Rings, his Spirit Power had broken through to level 49, just one step away from reaching level 50.
Given this, he certainly had the right to show off.
Unable to contain his excitement after finishing his training, he immediately sought out his old rival, Xiao Yan, to flaunt his progress.
In response, Xiao Yan merely rolled his eyes and summoned five black Spirit Rings of his own—each darker and seemingly of a higher age than Zhang Chulan's.
"Heh, looks like mine are still better," Xiao Yan teased.
"Tch, just give me some time. I'll catch up to you," Zhang Chulan retorted, though he wasn't surprised. He had thought he'd finally closed the gap, but it seemed there was still a slight difference.
"Still, Brother Wu's modified Martial Spirit system is seriously impressive," Zhang Chulan mused.
"Hehe, by the time the Luotian Grand Ritual comes around, my strength is gonna give those guys a real shock."
"After all, my Spirit Master cultivation is way ahead of my Qi refinement now, and my combat power's gotten even stronger."
As the two chatted, an old man suddenly cut in.
Yao Lao: "Chulan's right. This cultivation system is indeed remarkable—it feels limitless, as if there's no end to how far one can grow."
"That said, Xiao Yan, both of you still have a ways to go. Keep working hard."
With that, he casually summoned six black Spirit Rings behind him, let out a hearty laugh, and vanished in a flash.
Having made his grand exit, Yao Lao didn't see the exasperated looks on the two younger men's faces behind him.
...
Wu Tong, who had just woken up, watched the scene with mixed feelings.
Since when did Yao Lao become this mischievous?
Or was this his true nature all along?
Before he could ponder further, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
AI Core's voice echoed in Wu Tong's mind: "Master, the protagonist's authority of this world has been fully analyzed and eroded."
Wu Tong: "Excellent. Now, use that connection as a stepping stone to further erode the world's consciousness."
With this step complete, the world would no longer be able to resist his control. Once the erosion succeeded, his next moves would become much easier.
AI Core: "Understood, Master."
Wu Tong: "By the way, how long will this take?"
The timeframe was crucial—he had no intention of staying in this world for years.
AI Core: "This erosion will only require twelve hours."
Wu Tong: "...???"
For a moment, Wu Tong's mind went blank.
What kind of logic was this?
Why would eroding the protagonist take longer than eroding the entire world?
Baffled, he directly questioned the AI Core.
AI Core: "Master, through this erosion, I've discovered that the connection between the world and the protagonist's authority is unusually deep—almost like that of a father and son."
"The protagonist's authority makes up a significant portion of the world's composition. Thus, by fully analyzing the protagonist's authority, I've effectively analyzed a large part of the world itself."
"Moreover, this is a non-supernatural world. Its consciousness lacks sentience—a mindless beast has no capacity to resist my erosion."
"Additionally, this world is already in decline, on the verge of collapse. In such a state, its resistance is negligible."
"Under these stacked debuffs, eroding the entire world naturally takes less time than eroding the protagonist's authority alone."
Wu Tong finally understood.
It was like trying to kidnap a wealthy father and son. Though both were rich, the son was younger, stronger, and more resistant—making him harder to subdue.
The father, however, was old, frail, and terminally ill, moments away from death. Kidnapping him would naturally be far easier.
AI Core: "Master, I'll proceed with the task now."
Satisfied that Wu Tong grasped the explanation, the AI Core saw no reason to waste time. After all, eroding an entire world was an incredibly enticing project for it as well.
Wu Tong: "Go ahead."
With a dismissive wave, he sent the AI Core off.
Now in high spirits, Wu Tong stepped out of his room and seamlessly blended into the lively crowd engaged in heated discussions.
—
Gu Ruoli, pestering Xiao Shi: "Xiao Shi~, lend me some of your power, please?"
After a night of cultivation, her Spirit Power had broken through to level 50 thanks to her four Spirit Rings. With an additional replication slot now available, she was eager to secure another trump card.
Naturally, her gaze fell on Xiao Shi's abilities.
Not only did Xiao Shi possess the Herrscher of Sentience's Authority, the physique of a MANTIS, and five millennia of godly combat skills—her awakened Martial Spirit alone was enough to make Gu Ruoli grovel.
[Beloved Halo]
[Origin: Born from the Herrscher of Sentience's Martial Spirit. From Fu Hua's memories, Xiao Shi learned of her past struggles (referring to her initial creation, when Fu Hua, Kiana, Bronya, and others refused to acknowledge her as the real Fu Hua).
This intense longing for recognition and acceptance shaped the Martial Spirit's formation.
Effect: With this Martial Spirit, you become the beloved of all living beings, universally acknowledged and protected. No harm shall befall you—only preferential treatment.]**
Just look at that!
Now that's what you call pure, unadulterated value.
The description was clear: no harm from any living being.
In other words, with this Martial Spirit, one would be invincible from the start!
Gu Ruoli was certain that even if she couldn't replicate its full effects at her current level, even a fraction would be enough to save her life in a crisis.
For her, this Martial Spirit was nothing short of a lifesaving treasure!
Xiao Shi, sighing: "Fine, fine, I'll give you a portion. Honestly, I don't see what's so great about this Martial Spirit. I definitely don't care about being acknowledged—this is pure slander."
...
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(End of Chapter)