Chapter 106 Discovering a New Protagonist, Protecting Our Precious Treasure
"Rest assured, I am watching, and I am only asking you to battle Li Ping'an. Our goal is to test the remnant soul, understand?"
Ji Ning added.
Hearing this, Luo Li's panicked heart finally settled down.
She was scared to death.
She thought she was being asked to battle the remnant soul.
In fact, if she were to use the Nirvana Realm, she was confident she could kill a Saint Realm expert.
But the Nirvana Realm was a innate supreme treasure; once exposed, the entire world could not contain her.
Unless she was crazy, she would not use the Nirvana Realm without absolute certainty of silencing all witnesses.
Fortunately, Ji Ning had followed; otherwise, facing the remnant soul, she estimated she would have chosen to flee in disgrace.
With this thought, Luo Li stepped forward and spoke.
"Li Ping'an, let us settle things today."
Luo Li's eyes flickered, and she quickly understood Ji Ning's intention.
She had her eyes on the remnant soul's broken sword.
Luo Li felt a bit depressed, feeling as if she would end up with an empty basket again.
After all her efforts, everything would benefit Ji Ning.
The Sword God's heart sank, knowing this was Ji Ning's way of probing.
The thing he feared most had still happened.
But his soul power was about to be exhausted, and he was simply unable to kill Ji Ning.
Without further hesitation, the Sword God turned and left, stepping into the Li family territory with a single punch, triggering the protective clan formation.
"As expected, it was just a bluff."
Ji Ning's face showed joy. With a thought, the Five Elements Sacred Cauldron rapidly expanded, obscuring the sky. Five-colored divine light swirled around it as it smashed towards the Li family's formation.
With a loud boom, it stirred up billions of runes, and the shockwave spread, as if it were about to overturn space itself.
The entire formation's light screen shook, showing slight cracks, but it instantly returned to its original state.
"A Saint..."
The Li family members looked up at the sky with faces full of terror.
When did their Li family provoke a Saint?
The Li family members were panicked, rushing to the council hall.
"What exactly is going on? Li Hong?"
The elders' gazes fell upon Li Hong.
At this moment, Li Hong's body was charred black, emitting a burnt smell.
His cultivation was almost gone; any Sea of Consciousness Realm expert could kill him with a single strike.
"I..."
Li Hong's throat was dry, and he spoke with difficulty: "It is my fault. I should not have provoked Luo Li. I am the sinner of our family."
"Luo Li?"
"You mean to say, the Saint attacking the formation is an expert from the Star Temple?"
Everyone's faces turned pale, their bodies trembling in fear.
The Star Temple was a transcendent sect in the world, with numerous Saint Realm experts and even a Divine Fire Realm expert overseeing it.
Their Li family was merely a family of Saints, and their Saint ancestor was nowhere to be found.
How could they possibly withstand a Saint?
"That's right."
"But..."
"Weren't you pursuing Luo Li? Why would she attack you?"
"Did you do something despicable to her that angered her?"
The Li family elders were furious. If they didn't still have questions to ask, they would have absolutely torn Li Hong to pieces.
They had repeatedly warned Li Hong not to entertain delusions of a toad wanting to eat swan meat, but Li Hong just wouldn't listen.
Now he had finally caused a major disaster.
It didn't matter if Li Hong died, but he shouldn't have implicated them.
With this thought, everyone's eyes flickered. They exchanged a glance with a familiar elder and secretly transmitted a message.
If they handed Li Hong over, would they be spared?
"Silence!"
The Sword God overheard the elders' secret transmission, his face grim. He fully revealed his Saint Realm cultivation.
"Saint... Saint..."
Everyone was shocked beyond words, their eyes filled with terror.
After all, this was clearly a case of possession.
"Ping'an is my disciple. You all need not panic."
The Sword God's voice contained divine power, brushing over everyone's minds. Once they had all quieted down, he continued:
"Luo Li's goal is to annihilate the entire Li family. You should not entertain any fantasies."
Hearing this, those who had been entertaining selfish thoughts immediately slumped down in their seats.
That's right, Luo Li was so ruthless. She had only been here for a few years, yet she had already thrown the world's great families and sects into a state of panic.
Many great families and sects, even those that had not offended Luo Li, had been annihilated by her.
Let alone the Li family, which had Li Hong who had offended her. How could she possibly spare them?
"Be at ease."
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, the Sword God said in a calm voice. "Go and fetch some divine iron. I will personally arrange a divine-level formation that can ensure the Li family's safety."
"Please wait a moment, senior. We will go right away."
"Li Hong, quickly hand over the key to the treasure vault."
Hearing this, everyone seemed to have caught a life-saving straw and rushed to the treasure vault to gather materials.
However, upon entering the treasure vault, they found that all the precious treasures had vanished. Everyone's faces instantly turned pale.
"Li Xiu, where are all the rare treasures that our Li family has accumulated over ten thousand years? Did you steal them?"
The old man guarding the treasure vault looked dejected, shaking his head without a word.
"I have not failed the family." After saying this, he took his own life.
"You old thing, then you should have said something. Where is our divine iron?"
The hot-tempered Seventh Elder grabbed Li Xiu by the collar, his face full of malevolence.
He wished he could bring him back to life just to kill him again.
"Damned old thing..."
"Never mind him. Let's go quickly."
Everyone cursed inwardly and took all the materials with them.
"Is this all?"
The Sword God's face was grim. Without even a single piece of fragmented divine iron, even with his heaven-defying abilities, he could not refine a divine-level formation.
Because a divine-level formation could only bear its immense power with divine iron.
And the materials given by the Li family elders, while numerous, were all for refining magic treasures. They were barely enough to refine a King-level formation.
"We are sorry, senior. The Li family has been victimized by an internal thief."
The group of elders looked as if they had lost their parents, their expressions filled with unease.
"Are there any divine pills or saint pills?"
The Sword God asked.
Since he could not set up a formation, if he could recover a bit of his strength, it was not impossible to drive away Ji Ning.
"The family still has one saint pill."
It was Li Hong who spoke.
This saint pill was guarded by a dedicated person, whom he could not bribe, which was why it had survived.
As for the treasure vault, he had the clan's seal. He only needed to bribe the guarding elder to take things at will.
Li Xiu had the same idea, thinking he could use the treasures to win over Luo Li, but in the end, he lost both the person and the wealth.
"Was it you who bribed the elder guarding the treasure vault?"
Li Ping'an suddenly asked.
"Yes!"
Li Hong left behind tears of regret. "It was I who harmed the family. I am sorry for Shuping. I deserve to die..."
"You you you..."
Realizing who the main culprit was, the Li family members exploded with anger.
"You really deserve to die." Li Ping'an gritted his teeth, his voice filled with bone-chilling hatred.
Stealing from the treasure vault was a grave crime against the family, punishable by having one's soul extracted and refined.
How could Li Hong dare to do such a thing?
The only hope of their Li family had been squandered by Li Hong.
...
On the other side, Luo Li came before Ji Ning and asked.
"How long will it take to break the formation with attacks?"
Ji Ning estimated for a moment and said: "That old monster is proficient in formations. With him presiding over the formation, it will probably take ten days to half a month."
"If we were to refine formation tools to set up..."
At this point, she shook her head, somewhat helpless.
"Are you going to give up then?" Luo Li's eyes flickered as she asked.
"It's not that bad."
Ten days to half a month was nothing; she could afford to wait.
This was the remnant soul of a great power from the Immortal World, a heaven-defying opportunity. How could Ji Ning give up so easily?
Seeing this, Luo Li said no more. She returned to her cave dwelling and immediately summoned her subordinates, ordering them to hunt down the Li family members who were outside.
As well as the Li family's branches, shops, mines, and so on.
If there were not enough people, she would ally with other families and sects. In short, she must destroy the Li family.
"Princess, that Li Ping'an seems to have a great opportunity. Should we give up on him?"
After everyone had left, Wang Xiang hesitantly spoke.
"And what if I don't give up?"
Luo Li said helplessly.
The feeling of an empty basket was not pleasant.
She didn't want to give up, but facing Ji Ning, she could only give up.
After all, Ji Ning was a Saint Realm expert and had followed Zhi Meng for several thousand years. What could she do?
"Princess, in this subordinate's humble opinion, why not seek out your senior brother? He was the one who brought the people here. He should have a way to resolve this."
Wang Xiang bowed and said this.
Luo Li pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.
Telling Gu Qing, even if she couldn't get the core inheritance, it would still be fine to get a share of the spoils.
With this thought, Luo Li tossed him a bottle of pills and waved her hand: "You may leave."
Three days later, Gu Qing successfully broke through to the fourth level of the King Realm.
[Name] Gu Qing.
[Realm] King Realm Fourth Level.
[Physique] Supreme Dao Bone, Chaos Star Body, Innate Divine Soul, Dao Pupil, Primordial Yellow Indestructible Blood (4%)
[Talent] Innate Dao Seed, Unprecedented in Ancient Times!
[Fate] Variable.
[Destiny] Unknown.
[Fortune] Nine hundred twenty-three thousand.
[Innate Divine Ability] Chaos Treasure Bottle Seal, Yin Yang Wheel, Star Plucking Hand, Chaos Ruin Sword Art, Star Shattering Finger, Star God Fist, Divine Prison.
[Divine Ability] Annihilation of Eight Desolations (Minor Achievement), Spatial Shift (Minor Achievement), Reincarnation Divine Eye.
[Magic Treasure] Reincarnation Divine Halberd, Golden Gourd, Primordial Yellow Bead, Spatial Divine Pattern, Sun Mirror, Universe Tower, Void Flying Boat.
[Congenital Supreme Treasure] Calamity Black Dragon.
[Strange Fire] Heart of Ice and Fire.
[Innate Spirit Root] Nine-Colored Soul Lotus.
[Cultivation Method] Chaos Indestructible Scripture.
"Too slow."
This was still near the breakthrough point. For the next realm, it would probably take several months, or even longer.
Gu Qing's desire to find time-related treasures grew even more urgent.
"I wonder if Luo Li has encountered the protagonist yet."
With this thought, Gu Qing walked out of the mountain peak. His divine sense swept out, and he was somewhat surprised.
The entire cave dwelling, with its hundreds of secluded cultivation peaks, was completely silent. It was clear that Luo Li had sent them all out to run errands.
He was somewhat speechless.
Luo Li wouldn't have sent them all to annihilate and plunder, would she?
A properly righteous prodigy, yet her actions were more demonic than a demoness's.
Truly a misfortune for the sect.
With a single step, he arrived at the pavilion in the center of the lake. Luo Li was leisurely sipping pastries, her posture proper, her movements elegant, like a noble lady from a prestigious family.
Beside her, a delicate-looking young man was quietly reporting on his work.
"Senior brother, you're here. Please, sit."
Luo Li broke into a smile, as beautiful as a fairy.
Gu Qing acknowledged her with a sound, casually picked up a piece of pastry, and took a bite. His eyes lit up.
It was sweet and chewy, the more he ate, the more addictive it became, leaving a fragrant aftertaste in his mouth. It was exactly to his liking.
"Did things go smoothly at the Li family? Where is Ji Ning?" he asked, feigning nonchalance.
"She's attacking the Li family's formation."
Luo Li felt her luck was sour. She sighed and said, "Li Ping'an has a broken sword on him, with an old monster hidden inside that can exert the power of a Saint Realm First Level. And he's no ordinary saint."
"Fortunately, I brought Ji Ning along, otherwise..."
Otherwise, you would have been finished.
Become the protagonist's experience treasure.
Gu Qing silently added to himself. He looked up at Luo Li, her perfect divine face, her noble and coldly arrogant demeanor.
For some reason, Gu Qing suddenly wanted to see Luo Li being frantically hunted down by the protagonist.
Fleeing while dropping gold coins, that panicked and flustered appearance would surely be quite interesting, wouldn't it?
"Senior brother? Senior brother? Are you even listening to me?"
Luo Li angrily kicked Gu Qing in the calf. How dare he space out while talking to her.
She hadn't even settled the score with him for abandoning her.
"I'm listening. Go on."
Gu Qing reined in his wandering thoughts and rubbed his calf, somewhat puzzled. Why do all women like to kick people?
"Do you have a way to break the Li family's formation?"
"That remnant soul has a great background. In life, he was at least at the Divine Fire Realm, and his sword path is divine."
Luo Li said softly.
Gu Qing savored her words for a moment, understanding the meaning behind them. She wanted a share of the spoils.
He immediately agreed to give her a portion.
After all, he didn't even know what it was. At worst, he could make a copy of a cultivation method or divine ability for Luo Li when the time came. To him, it was no loss at all.
"Shameless couple..." Wang Xiang, with his head bowed, looked at the two of them flirting and cursed endlessly in his heart, his hatred boundless.
As a righteous disciple, with his handsome and beautiful appearance and his righteous aura, he did not do righteous things, slaughtering living beings, his killing karma heavier than a demon lord's.
His Wang family had been annihilated by Luo Li because they could not hand over a spirit medicine.
This enmity and this hatred were irreconcilable.
[Detected that the Son of Destiny, Wang Fan, is full of malice towards the host and is plundering the host's fortune, triggering the Super Thorn Armor, counter-plundering one thousand fortune from Wang Fan.]
"???"
Gu Qing subtly glanced at Wang Xiang and then looked away.
"Is it him?"
[Yes, Wang Xiang is just his alias. He is lying in wait beside Luo Li, solely for the sake of avenging his annihilated family.]
What a guy. The protagonist has already infiltrated their ranks.
Fortunately, Wang Fan possessed the Devouring Fortune Fate, otherwise, Gu Qing would not have discovered him.
After all, who would bother to pay attention to a small fry?
"System, check his attributes."
[Name] Wang Fan.
[Realm] King Realm Sixth Level.
[Physique] Dragon Elephant Prison Suppressing God Demon Body.
[Talent] Unmatched Physique.
[Fate] Son of Fortune.
[Destiny] Lone Star of Heavenly Calamity, Fortune Plundering Aura, Fortune and Misfortune are Intertwined.
[Fortune] 300000.
"His fortune is so high." Gu Qing was overjoyed. This was truly a big fat sheep delivered to his doorstep.
[Of course. He is the Son of Destiny, not to be compared with the Son of Fortune. But the host should be careful. He is not a brainless protagonist. To get where he is today, he relied on luck and scheming calculations. He has schemed and killed countless small villains.]
Gu Qing: "Got it."
Wang Fan was indeed not like a brainless protagonist.
You see, brainless protagonists were very obvious. They had crooked mouths, shrugged shoulders, and touched their noses with wry smiles.
Wang Fan had none of these.
At least, Gu Qing hadn't seen them.
Moreover, Wang Fan did not have the air of a protagonist's forced nonchalance. Instead, he was meek and obedient, a perfect lackey.
This type of deep-scheming protagonist was much harder to deal with than the Long Aotian type of protagonist.
But to Gu Qing, they were all just leeks to be harvested.
With this thought, Gu Qing suddenly had an idea and asked, "Check Luo Li's attributes."
[Name] Luo Li.
[Realm] King Realm Ninth Level Peak.
[Physique] Myriad Eras Indestructible Divine Phoenix Body.
[Talent] Innately Close to the Dao, Unprecedented in Ancient Times.
[Fate] Fated Antagonist.
[Destiny] Innate Female Emperor, Extended Fortune, Overwhelming Killing Karma.
[Fortune] 210300.
[Personality] Vicious and Ruthless, Vengeful, Deep-Scheming, Strong Desire for Power, Holding the Reins of Authority...
"I remember Luo Li's destiny used to include a fated tribulation, right? How did it disappear, and why was 'Overwhelming Killing Karma' added?"
Gu Qing asked in confusion.
It wasn't strange for Luo Li's two hundred thousand fortune to rise to two hundred ten thousand three hundred. After all, as her cultivation increased, her fortune would also rise.
But for her destiny to also change...
[Fate cannot be changed, but destiny can. She has overcome a fated tribulation. With Ye Hao's death, it naturally disappeared.]
[As for 'Overwhelming Killing Karma,' as you can see, Luo Li is a female demon who kills as if it were nothing, viewing all living beings as ants.]
Hearing the system's explanation, Gu Qing nodded in understanding and then asked, "How much fortune has Wang Fan plundered from Luo Li? How much can he plunder each time?"
[It depends on the situation, generally between ten to a hundred. If he intercepts Luo Li's opportunities, it will exceed a hundred, depending on the size of the opportunity.]
[Wang Fan has been lying in wait beside Luo Li for two and a half years and has plundered a total of three thousand fortune.]
Gu Qing pondered for a moment, glanced at the uncomfortable-looking Wang Fan, and asked, "System, why can he sense it when you plunder his fortune? You're not that great either."
[...Host, don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. When a protagonist plunders an antagonist's fortune, it's because the amount is small that the antagonist doesn't notice. But there are also aftereffects: a muddled mind, obscured reason, and being prone to anger and irritability.]
[Also, if the host is willing, this system can lower the fortune plundering points, ensuring it is done without anyone knowing.]
Gu Qing was silent for a moment. "Then lower the plundering. Don't let him notice."
Facing a cunning protagonist, continuously plundering would make it easy for the protagonist to guess.
Besides, plundering one thousand at a time was too slow.
When the time comes to slaughter the pig, harvesting it all in one go would be the same.
After settling this matter, Gu Qing looked at Luo Li and said.
"Junior sister, I have two top-tier divine abilities here. Do you want them?"
"What divine abilities are they?"
Luo Li's beautiful eyes lit up. Top-tier divine abilities mentioned by Gu Qing were definitely extraordinary.
If they were ordinary divine abilities, how could they catch Gu Qing's eye?
"One can increase combat power tenfold, including physique, cultivation, and primordial spirit, with no side effects."
"The other is an extreme speed divine ability, said to be able to race against time."
Luo Li's ability to attract protagonists, he had witnessed it.
She was more terrifying than a Fated Female Lead.
Just the ones he knew of were two. Who knew how many other protagonists Luo Li had offended.
Such a great treasure, he had to protect her well.
However, Gu Qing smiled with a playful expression and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Junior sister, which one do you want?"
"I want both."
Luo Li's expression was joyful. If they were truly as Gu Qing described, then they were truly peerless, top-tier divine abilities that could be passed down for all eternity.
"No, you can only choose one."
Luo Li had been getting more and more unruly lately. He had to make her understand who was the senior brother, and at the very least, to stop kicking him in the calf.
[Detected that the Son of Destiny, Wang Fan, is full of malice towards the host and is plundering the host's fortune, triggering the Super Thorn Armor, counter-plundering one hundred fortune from Wang Fan.]
Gu Qing immediately shut the system in the little black room. How annoying.
[...]
What a filial son!
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{
Gu Qing has crushed countless so-called "Children of Destiny" — but every one of them was still in the early stages of their rise. Arrogant, overconfident, and nowhere near their true peak. He's used their immature systems, their unfinished destinies, and their lack of foresight to bury them before they ever had the chance to bloom.
But this time, things are different.
Lin Xuan isn't some upstart protagonist. He's an established one. A man who has already completed his rise, survived his tribulations, and stood at the top of his own world.
He's the kind of monster who's already finished his story — only to step into someone else's.
And his cheat? It's nothing short of terrifying.A Disciple Feedback System — a mechanism that multiplies his own power through the progress of his disciples. Every enlightenment they gain, every law they comprehend, every realm they shatter — all of it feeds directly back into Lin Xuan.
He doesn't grow alone. He grows through an entire generation of supreme geniuses trained under him — each bearing Supreme Bones, divine bodies, and fate so heavy it bends heaven itself.
Now, this living embodiment of destiny has collided head-on with Gu Qing — the anti-protagonist, the anomaly, the system's natural predator.
One builds destiny.The other devours it.
Their confrontation won't be quick. It won't be clean. It's going to be long, brutal, and immensely satisfying, with strategy, manipulation, and pure cultivation might clashing at every step.
This is the turning point — a full-scale war between matured fate and chaotic defiance.
System versus system. Protagonist versus anomaly.Only one will remain standing when it's over.
You can read this explosive clash early on Patreon — the next chapters are already live there.It's going to be an all-out, drawn-out, no-holds-barred battle — the kind readers have been waiting for.
}