2: You call this a gift?

"System, stop! An ordinary Outer Sect Disciple entering Laiyi Courtyard without permission is suicide!" Hong Yu screamed inwardly, watching helplessly as his body drew closer and closer to Laiyi Courtyard, his anxiety growing unbearable.

But despite trying everything he could think of, he was powerless to stop his body's advance. In the end, he could only watch as 'he' violently barged into the Formations of Laiyi Courtyard.

Hong Yu closed his eyes in agony.

It's over. It's all fucking over. Did I just activate the System, only to die under the palm of an Law Enforcement Elder?

Laiyi Courtyard, its name taken from the phrase 'the phoenix alights,' was an important venue within Xuan Yun Residence's Outer Sect for receiving distinguished guests.

Generally, only people of extremely high status were qualified to reside there.

And from what Hong Yu knew, two distinguished guests had just taken up residence in Laiyi Courtyard yesterday: one was a True Disciple from Xuan Yun Residence's Inner Sect, and the other was a Core Disciple from the Inner Sect.

As the largest neutral power on this continent, the Inner Sect of Xuan Yun Residence was the very core of its strength.

Hong Yu had heard more than once about Young Masters and misses from noble families, or Loose Cultivators who thought themselves highly skilled, who, after showing disrespect to an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple, had their entire clans skinned, their souls extracted, and were utterly annihilated.

Even the earthworms in the related soil were split vertically, and eggs were shaken until their yolks scattered.

The most terrifying thing was this world's values. Ordinary people wouldn't find the actions of Xuan Yun Residence's Disciples the least bit improper.

In this world of immortal cultivation, weakness was the original sin.

If you weren't as powerful as Xuan Yun Residence, you had to abide by their rules and endure whatever happened to you.

If offending an ordinary Disciple led to such consequences, imagine offending Core Disciples and True Disciples whose status was far above ordinary Disciples.

At that point, death might even be considered a luxury.

Hong Yu's consciousness was already filled with terror, his thoughts shrouded in gloom. Originally, according to his plan, he should have found a place to lay low, relied on the System to Cultivate to the Major Achievement Realm before emerging, and then enjoy eternal life and the beauty of existence.

He never expected the System would plunge him into such a deadly situation. Laiyi Courtyard was layered with Formations; the moment a trespassing alarm sounded, he was undoubtedly dead.

However, contrary to Hong Yu's expectations, the System controlled his body, twisting and turning left and right, and actually didn't trigger any alarms. Just like that, it arrived at the northern courtyard of Laiyi Courtyard.

Now, driven by an instinctive will to survive, a renewed desire to live arose within him.

As long as I'm not discovered, I can sneak out quietly and cover this up without anyone knowing!

The immediate priority is to find a way to stop and not damage anything in the courtyard.

Watching himself get closer and closer to the ornately carved and painted door, Hong Yu's agitation slowly peaked.

"Fuck! You piece of trash System, stop right now! Do you really want to kill me so badly and find a new Host?"

As if sensing Hong Yu's inner turmoil, the System, which had been unresponsive, finally reacted.

But to Hong Yu at this moment, that emotionless mechanical voice sounded like pure mockery.

"The Fully Automatic Hosted Idle Cultivation System is honored to serve you. Intelligent hosting, ignores Bottlenecks, safe Breakthroughs, no Heart Demons—your most loyal assistant on the path of immortal cultivation."

"Bang!"

Hong Yu's speed didn't decrease in the slightest as he crashed through the door before him.

Shattered wooden door fragments scattered everywhere on the floor.

It's over. It's all fucking over.

You smashed the door to pieces. How am I supposed to cover this up?

Hong Yu closed his eyes in despair, quietly awaiting death's arrival.

He knew the one residing here was Core Disciple Pang Hu.

Pang Hu's cultivation was profound, his appearance fierce, and his methods were utterly ruthless. On the very day he arrived, the Outer Sect Disciples had already spread the word, labeling him as an absolutely-not-to-be-offended tough character.

With his own laughable cultivation at the third layer of Qi Refining, Pang Hu could probably crush him with a single finger.

His mind began to conjure up a hundred different ways he could die.

Falling into Pang Hu's hands, there would definitely be no good outcome for him.

The anticipated attack did not come.

Hong Yu opened his eyes again. Pang Hu wasn't in the room after all. It seemed Heaven wasn't ready to end him.

Feeling slightly relieved, Hong Yu watched as 'he' purposefully headed straight for a table in the room and opened an exquisite box on it.

Then, he took out a porcelain bottle from it and poured out several blood-red pills.

"Ding. Gift delivery completed. Automatic idle mode will now continue."

You idiot System, you call this a gift?

Hong Yu was so angry he felt like vomiting blood.

He thought after the System obtained the pills, it would return to the Immortal Cave to continue cultivating. What happened next plunged him into even deeper despair.

The System simply manipulated his body to sit down right there on the spot, resuming the cultivation posture and beginning Body Tempering!

If anyone passed by at that moment, they could easily see Hong Yu cultivating inside through the shattered doorway.

Manipulated by the System, Hong Yu's body swallowed all the pills in his hand in one gulp.

A surging medicinal potency instantly erupted from all over his body, dyeing Hong Yu's skin a blood-bath crimson.

The Body Tempering Art, under the System's control, operated madly, dozens of times faster than when Hong Yu cultivated on his own.

Moreover, protected by the medicinal power, the excruciating pain that usually made him wish for death rapidly diminished.

Additionally, Laiyi Courtyard was located in the core of the Outer Sect, where the concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathered within the courtyard was extremely high.

Under the combined effects of these factors, Hong Yu felt his strength increasing at an incredible, breakneck speed.

Soon, he became immersed in it, forgetting even the surrounding danger.

The skin on his body surface continuously tore and reformed. Strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed out. Instead, the originally crimson skin gradually returned to normal, and a glossy, gold-and-jade-like sheen emerged on his body's surface.

Feeling as if a physical constraint had been broken, Hong Yu felt an inexhaustible strength surging within his body.

Accompanied by the System's notification sound, Hong Yu felt control of his body return to him.

"Ding. This idle session has been completed. Please rate your satisfaction with this service!"

Immediately after, Hong Yu saw the panel before him transform into a rating interface with one to five stars.

Hong Yu didn't rush to rate. He silently assessed his current Realm, and his heart was already in turmoil.

Qi Refining, fourth layer. Golden Skin, Major Achievement.

One must know, since joining the Outer Sect of Xuan Yun Residence at age ten, he had cultivated diligently day and night, never slacking off for a single day.

And even with his decent natural talent and Heart-Nature, it had taken him a full eight years to reach the third layer of Qi Refining, the Copper Skin realm.

Although the System was a bit of a scam, its effects were truly immediate.

Not only did it help him break through a Realm, but it even achieved the hardest-to-Cultivate Golden Skin.

To his knowledge, among Outer Sect Disciples, those who could Cultivate Golden Skin could be counted on one hand, and almost all of them had advanced to the Inner Sect.

Right now, he couldn't stay in Xuan Yun Residence. Before anyone discovered him, he had to run, and fast.

Having made up his mind, Hong Yu casually gave the System a one-star negative review and prepared to slip away.

Unexpectedly, the System's notification sounded again.

"Detected that the Host has given a one-star negative review. The System will strive to improve and satisfy the Host. To make amends, the System has decided to gift one bottle of blood tempering pills for free."

Fuck! Are you fucking serious? Again?

A bad feeling rose in his heart once more as Hong Yu lost control of his body again.