5: Increased charm, heartbeat

Outside Blackwind Valley, beneath the old tree Lin Gou had chosen as an anchor point.

Space rippled like water into which a stone had been cast, giving off a final tremor.

Lin Gou's figure slowly solidified from it, real and substantial.

This time, what he first felt was neither a surge in cultivation nor a strengthening of his Physical Body.

Rather, it was an extremely subtle change originating from the depths of his Soul.

He subconsciously raised his hand and touched his face.

His features were still the same unremarkable ones, easily lost in a crowd within three seconds.

But the feeling was different.

This face seemed to have gained an ineffable harmony and attractiveness, as if an invisible halo enveloped it, making people instinctively want to be closer to him.

"Charm value slightly increased..."

Lin Gou murmured, a playful curve unconsciously forming on his lips.

"Is this thing legitimate?"

He quickly suppressed this mysterious feeling and instead focused on tallying the abundant spoils from this "hero saves the beauty" endeavor.

Qi Refining Stage 5, Perfection!

The second revolution of the Nine Revolutions Body Refining Art, also Perfection!

He was just a hair's breadth away from breaking through the barrier and entering Qi Refining Stage 6.

At this moment, his Physical Body's strength was such that ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators' Magical Artifacts would likely struggle to easily break his defense.

Then, with a thought, a verdant Medicinal Pill appeared out of thin air in his palm.

A life force so rich it was almost tangible assailed him, causing all thirty-six thousand pores on his body to open and greedily breathe it in.

Life-Creation Pill (Pseudo).

Even with the "pseudo" in its name, its grade definitely surpassed the third rank, making it a priceless treasure for healing and prolonging life.

"Good stuff."

"With it, the next time I die, I'll be able to die more calmly, more tragically, and more spectacularly."

Lin Gou contentedly put it away with great care; this was his strategic material for achieving a higher death evaluation.

As for the 20 points of favorability from Senior Sister Zhao Linger.

Lin Gou didn't care.

What he cared about was that this path of "hero saves the beauty" seemed to hold great promise for sustainable development.

"A+ evaluation, a huge profit with no loss."

"Next time, if I find another female Cultivator of noble status, profound cultivation, and stunning beauty, and 'step forward' when she's at her most desperate, wouldn't the evaluation soar to S-rank?"

Hmm, primarily the latter.

He licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a hunter spotting top-tier prey.

After meditating for a moment beneath the old tree, Lin Gou didn't hesitate in the slightest. His figure flickered, and he once again stepped into the mists of Blackwind Valley.

His current goal was crystal clear.

The death rewards from low-level Yao Beasts were too cost-ineffective; he no longer bothered with them.

Only those ancient Incomplete Formations hidden deep within the Secret Realm, with their unpredictable power, capable of shattering him with a single touch, were the true Treasure Troves in his eyes.

With his newly acquired "Formation Affinity" trait, Lin Gou moved through Blackwind Valley like a fish in water.

He transformed into the ultimate demolition expert, precisely searching for magnificent structures worthy of his "sacrifice."

An hour later.

He paused, stopping at the entrance to a deep, eerie valley.

Pale white mist perpetually shrouded the valley entrance, exuding a bone-chilling cold that could freeze the Soul.

"This is it."

His "Formation Affinity" trait within him gave an incredibly strong throb at this moment, as if cheering with excitement.

He could even vaguely "see" a massive energy vortex slowly rotating deep within the valley.

The complexity and danger of its structure far surpassed any incomplete Formation he had encountered before.

"Higher risk, greater reward."

Lin Gou took a deep breath, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

With a single step, his figure completely vanished into the dense fog.

The surroundings instantly fell silent, with only his own heartbeat and footsteps echoing clearly in his ears.

The pressure in the air grew heavier and heavier, as if countless pairs of malevolent eyes were staring intently at him, the uninvited guest, from behind the thick fog.

He didn't know how long he had walked.

Suddenly, the front opened up.

At the end of a vast, empty plain, a dilapidated black stone platform stood conspicuously.

The surface of the stone platform was inscribed with countless intricate and dizzying runes; though most were already incomplete and blurred, they still emitted terrifying, heart-pounding fluctuations.

"Formation Core!"

Lin Gou instantly confirmed that this stone platform was the nexus of the entire grand Formation in the valley.

But before he could step forward...

An unexpected change occurred!

Woo—!

A sharp, piercing ghost wail suddenly erupted from all directions.

The dense fog violently churned, and dozens of twisted black figures shrieked as they darted out, surging forward like hungry wolves pouncing on prey.

Each black figure exuded a sinister Qi comparable to Cultivators at Qi Refining Stage 4 or 5.

"Yin Souls!"

Lin Gou's expression turned serious, but his heart was ablaze.

"Perfect timing! The atmosphere crew has arrived!"

He didn't engage directly but pushed his Swift Wind Steps to the limit, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he nimbly weaved through the encirclement of dozens of Yin Souls.

His goal had never been to kill these guardian forces.

What he wanted was a magnificent curtain call.

A "artistic self-destruction" full of technical skill, worthy of being recorded in the System's annals!

While evading, he immersed all his attention into observing the stone platform.

In his mind, scattered fragments of Formation knowledge, catalyzed by the "Formation Affinity" trait, operated, pieced together, and deduced at an unprecedented speed.

"Got it!"

In just a few short breaths, Lin Gou's eyes flashed with brilliant light.

He found it!

Not a weak point of the Formation, but quite the opposite: a "critical node" that could instantly detonate the entire grand Formation, causing its energy to completely spiral out of control!

He no longer hesitated, abruptly pivoted, and charged resolutely towards the stone platform.

Pfft!

A Yin Soul's sharp claw sliced through the air, leaving a deep, bone-visible wound on his back.

Intense pain surged through him, but Lin Gou paid it no mind; instead, he used the propulsion to accelerate!

"It's here!"

He stared intently at an extremely inconspicuous, incomplete rune on the edge of the stone platform, precisely injecting the sparse spiritual energy within him into it, following an abstruse and distorted trajectory!

The next instant.

Buzz—!

The entire black stone platform let out a violent, unbearable wail.

All the runes on it suddenly glowed with dazzling crimson light.

An indescribable, terrifying aura of destruction furiously overflowed from within the stone platform.

The surrounding Yin Souls shrieked in terror as if they had encountered a natural enemy, wanting to flee in panic.

But, it was too late.

Boom!!!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a dull explosion that seemed capable of devouring all things.

The black stone platform disintegrated with a crash.

A destructive torrent of dark red energy transformed into a rapidly expanding giant sphere, sweeping outwards in all directions.

Lin Gou, who bore the brunt of it, couldn't even complete a single thought before his body was completely decomposed and annihilated at the most microscopic level by that terrifying energy.

Those Yin Souls, along with the entire valley, were turned into nothingness in this torrent of energy.

[Ding! Host died!]

[Death Method: Actively detonated the core of the ancient Incomplete Yin Gathering Soul Devouring Formation, perishing with the Formation.]

[Overall Evaluation: S-rank (includes factors such as extremely high-risk exploration, active partial crack Formation core, triggering large-scale Formation backlash, causing immense destruction, etc.).]

[Rewards: Remnants of the Array Grand Compendium x1 (contains the profound principles of the Dao of Formations), Cultivation advancement (Qi Refining Stage 5 Perfection → Qi Refining Stage 6 Middle Stage), Nine Revolutions Body Refining Art Third Revolution unlocked, 'Formation Comprehension' Talent (Elementary), High-Grade Spirit Stone x10.]

[Resurrection Countdown: 19:57.]

In the endless darkness, Lin Gou's consciousness was almost boiling.

S-rank!

Another perfect S-rank!

Remnants of the Array Grand Compendium, just by the name, he knew this was an supreme treasure that could directly point to the Grand Dao!

Cultivation broke through two Realms, reaching Qi Refining Stage 6 Middle Stage!

The Nine Revolutions Body Refining Art unlocked an even more overbearing Third Revolution!

And the 'Formation Comprehension' Talent, this was simply a divine skill tailor-made for him!

Plus the huge sum of ten High-Grade Spirit Stones!

This death was an absolute jackpot!

Even the resurrection time was unprecedentedly shortened to less than twenty minutes!

"Hahaha! Formations, I love you to death!"

Lin Gou burst into wild laughter in the void of his consciousness.

He was already impatient to resurrect and comprehend that Remnants of the Array Grand Compendium.

He had a strong premonition.

This thing would open a grand door for him to a whole new Realm of "creative ways to court death."