In an era where everyone is cultivating immortality, the system wants me to become a demon?

Chapter 168, 22 minutes and 18 seconds: Speedrun through the Crimson Beauty and White Bone Temple! (6K chapters combined, please subscribe!)

"Master Zhu, may we begin? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

After covering his puppet with demonic runes, Su Yuan asked in rapid succession.

Zhu Qingqing, still in shock, snapped out of it and nodded quickly.

She controlled her puppet body to move forward and crash head-on into Su Yuan's human puppet.

bang——

A dull thud, like hitting a ball, rang out, and Su Yuan's puppet flew backward.

But once the puppet was brought to a stop by Su Yuan, there was not a single mark on its surface.

Zhu Qingqing's collision was easily neutralized by the spiritual energy sac formed by the Undying Sword Body Talisman.

This is the power of the Demonic Art: Finger Talisman.

Although the Undying Sword Body is a skill of Tai Bai Tianji, the latter is unable to directly infuse this technique into a human puppet.

Su Yuan could do it easily, and this was only a small part of the effect of the Demonic Art: Finger Talisman.

"Abbot Zhu, am I not breaking any rules?"

"Using flexible materials to increase the puppet's resistance to impact is also part of the puppet's hardness, and the spiritual energy sac is of course a type of flexible material."

Su Yuan, who was blatantly cheating, explained in a serious tone.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Qingqing nodded slightly and then said:

"But if you want to pass this test, you not only need to withstand the impact of my puppet, but you also need to crack it."

"This is simple."

Su Yuan nodded and directly used the ancient method of corpse cultivation to quickly transform the human puppet into a bronze-skinned, iron-boned corpse.

With his superb corpse-raising skills and the various corpse-raising materials he produced, the corpse-raising process only took three minutes.

After greatly enhancing the puppet, Su Yuan controlled it and struck with the hardest part of its body, its elbow.

It knocked Zhu Qingqing's chest down.

This level was passed without any suspense.

After passing the test, Zhu Qingqing's puppet chest quickly recovered to its original state. Without saying a word, it directly cleared the way to the second ring.

But Su Yuan had finally managed to reunite with Tai Baiji, so why would he go to the dangerous Second Ring Road alone?
What if there are 500 knife and axe men hiding in the Second Ring Road?
"Master Zhu, the test puppets for your next two trials should still be the one in front of me, right?"

"In that case, we don't need to waste time traveling. We can just finish the remaining two levels here."

Zhu Qingqing had no objection to this request.

She remained where she was, engaging in a contest of puppet manipulation precision and allure with Su Yuan.

The outcome of these two battles was obvious, ending in Zhu Qingqing's complete defeat.

There was no way around it; although Su Yuan was far inferior to Zhu Qingqing in terms of puppet manipulation skills, the hardware configuration of the puppets he created was too high!

With a magical finger-wielding device and an AI soul that emerged from the Illusionary Realm, the human puppet is now fully capable of fighting autonomously.

Combined with the various abilities granted by the Demonic Art: Finger Talisman, it's no exaggeration to say that, apart from needing spirit stones or Su Yuan's spiritual power to drive it, this puppet is not much different from Su Yuan himself in combat.

With such overwhelming hardware advantages, what can Zhu Qingqing use to fight against Su Yuan?
Her puppets have absolutely no souls!
In the contest of seduction, how could Zhu Qingqing, who was hiding in the temple and working behind closed doors, compare with the top-notch second-generation character design simulated by Su Yuan's cyber brothers?
What is the concept of a top-tier second-generation character design?
That's the most alluring persona for men, tested and proven by countless otaku on the internet.

Do you understand the concept of "three no's" (nothingness, no emotion, no sense of self)? Do you know what "tsundere" (arrogance, haughtiness) means? Have you heard of the theory that all cultivators are white-haired?
Leaving aside these high-end things, did the ancient cultivation world have black stockings? Fishnets? Lace?

Forget about software like character design, you can't even compare to hardware!

If Zhu Qingqing was still somewhat dissatisfied with her failure in terms of operational precision, then she was completely convinced of her defeat in the art of seduction.

Sure enough, after 100,000 years of development, humanity may not have improved in other areas, and may even have regressed...

However, the path of the Serenity is definitely on a linear upward trend, and there is absolutely no possibility of regression or interruption of inheritance.

"I lost."

After Su Yuan passed all nine trials, Zhu Qingqing readily admitted defeat.

There was no anger or exasperation in his tone; on the contrary, there was a hint of respect.

The moment Zhu Qingqing conceded defeat, the system panel in front of Su Yuan automatically popped up and refreshed the task information.

[Task Progress: Passed Assessment (9/9)]

【Task 3: Witch, I need your help in my cultivation (Completed)】

[Quest Reward: Increased Magic Skill Level (Usable)]

……

[Mission Four: Rescue (Completed)]

[Time taken to clear the level: 22 minutes and 18 seconds (Immortal grade)]

[Task Reward: Title "Speedy Demon Cultivation (Colorful)" (Already Issued)]

[Speedy Demon Cultivation: Although you are merely a Qi Refining stage demon, the demonic arts you practice are already all-encompassing. You can freely combine and integrate them, creating new ones, showing the potential of a demonic master!]

Only with such talent and learning could one so quickly pass the rigorous tests administered by Zhu Qingqing, the abbot of the Crimson Bone Temple.

【Effect 1: Speedrun (Active)】

[This can be activated once per day, and will provide the fastest solution to the current problem.]

[Effect 2: Invincibility in New Game Plus (Passive)]

[After equipping this title, the dungeon bosses and dungeon mechanics you have cleared will no longer be able to harm you.]

Regardless of the rewards from the previous mission, Su Yuan had already tasted them twice.

But when Su Yuan saw the reward for the next task, his attention was immediately drawn to it.

There's no other reason than that the effect of this dazzling title is just too overpowered.

One chance per day to perfectly speedrun a difficult puzzle; unbeatable in New Game Plus; each effect, taken individually, is an exceptional one.

Especially now that he is still inside the Crimson Face and White Bone Killing Array and is not yet completely safe.

Does being invincible in the second playthrough mean you can just roam freely in dungeons?

Zhu Qingqing?
A dungeon boss that has lived for 108,000 years?

Should I avoid her?
It was worth it to complete the White Bone Temple in 22 minutes and 18 seconds.

It's vibrant, that's what makes it vibrant!
Great value for money!
Su Yuan felt his back straighten up instantly.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately removed the purple Demon Lord title and replaced it with the dazzling title "Speedy Demon Cultivator"!
Facing Zhu Qingqing, whose expression was somewhat complicated, he put one hand on his hip, pointed the other at her face, and a contemptuous smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Trash! Trash! What kind of Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect is she? She's nothing but a piece of trash!"

"Hehehe, with your level, how can you possibly feel lonely at the top? Even the ancient cultivation world was no better than this."

"As expected, our modern cultivation civilization is much more powerful. The ancient cultivation world was just too weak."

Tai Baiji: "???"

Dude, aren't you being a little too arrogant?

Even if you beat the game, don't get too cocky!
If this angers Zhu Qingqing, this crazy woman who has lived since ancient times, and she activates the killing formation, everyone will have to start over!
Zhu Qingqing: "???"

She's lived this long and has never been called a nobody.

Ugh... I'm so annoyed!
I really want to hang this brat named Su Yuan up and give him a good beating!
But in the end, out of respect for those who have achieved something, Zhu Qingqing suppressed the urge to beat Su Yuan up.

She forced a smile and said:

“Su Yuan, as the only person who has surpassed me in the art of the Crimson Face and White Bone Puppet, I have something to give you.”

"My true form is within the first ring. Please follow me."

Upon hearing this, Taibai Baiji, who was standing to the side, immediately looked tense and said:

"Su Yuan, you absolutely must not agree to this request."

"The ancient demonic cultivators are eccentric; who knows what they might do to you after luring you into the first ring!"

"There are real cases where the protagonist in a novel receives a legacy, only to have the original owner suddenly try to possess him!"

However, Su Yuan simply waved his hand in response to Tai Baiji's serious advice.

The wave of his hand didn't mean he had listened, but rather that Taibai Laodeng didn't need to say anything more.

He gestured for Zhu Qingqing's puppet to lead the way, and then he followed closely behind.

Of course, Su Yuan didn't really drift to the point of losing his way.

Before entering the Second Ring Road, he touched the barrier between the Second and Third Ring Roads with his hand.

Relying on the unbeatable dazzling effects of the second playthrough, this so-called barrier was like air in front of Su Yuan.

They passed through without any hindrance.

The second playthrough's invincibility is truly invincible in the literal sense; there are no bugs like being stuck in an invisible wall and unable to move.

In that case, there would be no danger in going to the first ring road to check the situation.

After passing through the passage between the Second Ring Road and the First Ring Road, a quaint three-story pavilion appeared before Su Yuan.

The attic door was already open.

After bringing Su Yuan here, the puppet that led the way froze in place.

Clearly, the owner of the attic had stopped controlling the puppet.

Having reached this point, Su Yuan couldn't help but feel a little excited.

Because this attic may very well contain all the belongings of the Zhu Yan Bai Gu Guan (a Buddhist temple).

Although most of them will definitely belong to Taihua City.

But as the first person to clear the secret realm, it's not too much to ask for a little benefit, right?
I hope Zhu Qingqing can bring me some surprises.

Thinking of this, Su Yuan strode into the pavilion.

After passing through the first floor filled with antiques and the second floor filled with books, Su Yuan arrived at the third floor, which served as the women's boudoir.

In addition to a small hall for daily activities, there is a bedroom on the third floor, which is partitioned by an exquisite screen.

Behind the screen was a figure with a pink bun hairstyle, but the semi-transparent screen made her very blurry, preventing Su Yuan from seeing her true face.

"Su Yuan, welcome to my boudoir. This is the first time a man has entered my room."

A female voice, much more pleasant and melodious than the previous puppet's voice, rang out from behind the screen.

Su Yuan frowned and said:
"We've already had so many dealings, is there any need for you to be so secretive?"

"Hurry up and show your true face. You're just a lowly bewitching cultivator, not even as good as my trash. No matter how pretty you are, do you think you can amaze me?"

"Hmph, he really is a sharp-tongued brat."

Zhu Qingqing sneered, and the screen in front of her slowly descended and was taken underground.

When the screen descended to a certain extent, Su Yuan finally saw Zhu Qingqing's true face. She was a pink-haired girl with extremely delicate features, and her expression carried a faint arrogance and charm.

She's an old woman who's 108,000 years old, and she's still pretending to be young.

Su Yuan couldn't help but complain in his heart, but he also couldn't help but become curious.

Is the figure this old woman, who's trying to look young, sculpted for herself the demure, delicate type, or the curvaceous, hot type?

As the screen continued to descend, Su Yuan looked at it expectantly, then fell silent.

Because beneath Zhu Qingqing’s almost perfect head was an extremely abstract body, without even a color, consisting only of a torso and abstract limbs.

It looks like a pink-furred puppy.

Not a girl? Aren't you the self-proclaimed number one puppet master in the world?

Why did you create such an abstract physical body for yourself?
Seeing the surprise on Su Yuan's face, Zhu Qingqing was not surprised either.

She, who had been sprawled on the table on all fours, stood up with this extremely abstract, uncolored body, and said calmly:

"There is no need to doubt, what stands before you is indeed my true form."

"You're probably wondering why I'm using this body as my main body."

"Telling you won't hurt, because only by transferring my soul to this minimalist body that consumes very little energy can I ensure that I can live on in endless time without my power being exhausted too quickly and causing me to perish."

"Even though I have reduced energy consumption to the minimum, after more than 100,000 years of wear and tear, my cultivation and soul are still on the verge of collapse."

Su Yuan nodded in realization, then asked:

"So what are you going to do now? Are you trying to possess me?"

Zhu Qingqing rolled her eyes at Su Yuan:
"I'm not such a superficial person."

"After the Zhu Yan Bai Gu Temple was closed, all my fellow disciples perished because they could not escape the celestial tribulation. Only I managed to change my life form in time and survive to this day."

"The reason I spared my life was not to live a second life, but to witness whether a genius surpassing me would emerge after the spiritual energy revived."

At this point, Zhu Qingqing looked at Su Yuan with a serious expression:

"And you, Su Yuan, you are the genius who surpasses me in demonic talent."

"You are a born demon, while I am merely a mortal living in an era without you."

Su Yuan: "..."

Thank you so much for the compliment.

Zhu Qingqing paused, then said:

"Su Yuan, after activating the inheritance array, my remaining power has been completely exhausted, and my days are numbered."

"I envy you. I envy that you can learn so many magical skills that are suitable for being integrated into human puppets."

"Before I perish completely, there is only one thing I ask for..."

"Please explain to me your idea of ​​integrating the new method to enhance the human puppet."

Hearing the other party's incredibly sincere words, Su Yuan remained silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

He moved a chair and sat down in front of the pink-haired puppy, and without hiding anything, he carefully explained to her how to combine the ancient method of corpse refining with the Crimson Face and White Bone Puppet.

Su Yuan also translated the concepts that Zhu Qingqing was most curious about, such as brain-computer interfaces, into Lingwen as much as possible and explained them to him.

Two hours flew by.

During this period, the inheritance site outside the first ring has also completely lifted the restrictions, allowing Tai Baitianji and others inside to escape.

Only one ring area remained shrouded by a powerful array to prevent their conversation from being disturbed.

"The world 100,000 years from now is indeed amazing. I didn't know there were such convenient things as artificial souls."

After listening to Su Yuan's story, Zhu Qingqing nodded with great satisfaction.

But then she sighed softly:

"If artificial souls existed in my time, the intelligence and practicality of human puppets could be elevated to a whole new level."

"There are also various new materials and composite materials, which are much better than the things that our clan's craftsmen can make by hand."

"If we had these technologies, our Zhu Yan Bai Gu Guan would not have been limited to the top 100 ancient demonic sects."

"The Hundred Strong Demon Sect is called the Hundred Strong, but it is not even on the same level as the Demon Sect ranked in the top ten or top five."

"The so-called limitations of our times? I have come to realize them deeply."

After a moment of reflection, the pink-haired puppy stood up again and said:

“I have obtained what I wanted, and now it is time for me to pass on my legacy to you.”

Su Yuan's spirits lifted.

After telling this story for so long, the reward has finally arrived.

Then Zhu Qingqing jumped off the table and led Su Yuan to the bedside in the bedroom.

"I won't go into detail about the methods for advancing the Crimson Face White Bone Puppet to the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages; they're all on the bookshelves on the second floor."

"With your talent, those old methods can only serve as a reference. Sooner or later you will innovate and create something new."

"The only legacy I left for those who successfully completed the game was my own physical body."

Su Yuan, who had already followed them to the bedside, stopped in his tracks, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

So, the system's claim that Zhu Qingqing would give everything to the player who clears the level really means giving everything in the literal sense!

But here is the problem.

What use is the body of an ancient female demon to me?

Should it be sent to a museum for exhibition?
Or should I display it at home as a life-size figurine?
Zhu Qingqing didn't notice Su Yuan's strange expression behind her, and explained as she walked:
"After transforming my life form, to prevent my original body from decaying, I transformed it into a treasure."

"Don't underestimate my physical body; she possesses the special dual cultivation physique of the Great Desire Immortal Body."

"If I hadn't been born into the Crimson Beauty and White Bone Temple, I could have become a Holy Maiden in the Joyful Union Sect."

As she spoke, Zhu Qingqing raised her abstract little hand, which had no fingers, and flung open the curtain, revealing the so-called treasure on the bed to Su Yuan.

It wasn't the well-preserved ancient female demon's body that Su Yuan had imagined, but a rag doll.

A tiny rag doll, no bigger than the palm of your hand, was placed on the pillow.

This doll is exquisitely designed, dressed in a moon-white dress, and its overall appearance is somewhat like a modern Q-version doll.

The only pity is that this doll is not complete.

It was missing a head.

Where is her head?

Su Yuan subconsciously asked Zhu Qingqing.

Zhu Qingqing pointed to her exquisite head, which was now embedded in the white abstract body, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Su Yuan nodded in realization.

He had been struggling with what to do with Zhu Qingqing's physical body, but now that he only had to deal with a headless rag doll, his mental burden naturally disappeared.

"So, how do I use this rag doll?"

Su Yuan asked curiously.

Zhu Qingqing explained calmly:

"I will call this doll, which I have forged from my own flesh, the Great Desire Immortal Doll."

"Her method of use is very simple. You only need to infuse a certain amount of spiritual power into the Great Desire Immortal Puppet, and the puppet will generate invisible threads."

"As long as you tie these threads to a living person or a skeleton puppet, the connection of the threads will not be broken no matter where the person or puppet is."

"When other beings develop a strong desire for the person bound by the silk threads, this power of desire will flow into the Great Desire Immortal Puppet along the silk threads."

"Then, the Great Desire Immortal Puppet can transform these desires into the purest spiritual energy for the user to use."

As she spoke, she grabbed the rag doll from the bed and shoved it into Su Yuan's hands without saying a word:
"I had no Daoist partner in my life, and I used all the spiritual power extracted by the Great Desire Threads myself."

"Now I am handing over the Great Desire Immortal Body to you. I hope you can use it well and become the Demon Lord as soon as possible, unifying the cultivation world."

Looking at the rag doll in his hand, Su Yuan gained a very clear understanding of the preciousness of this treasure.

This is practically a portable spirit-gathering array!
As long as enough Great Desire Silk Threads are tied, one can obtain a continuous stream of spiritual energy from the target group for one's own use.

No more worrying about the high cost of spirit-gathering arrays.

As expected of someone with a top-tier dual cultivation physique, they really have some skill.

When she was elected as the Holy Maiden of the White Bone Temple, it is estimated that every red-faced, white-boned puppet in the temple was bound with threads of great desire by her.

She could obtain an unimaginable amount of spiritual power simply by sitting in the temple without moving.

No wonder Zhu Qingqing was able to stand out from the Zhu Yan Bai Gu Temple and become the last abbot of this top 100 demonic sect.

"Thank you very much."

Su Yuan nodded solemnly to the pink-haired puppy.

Zhu Qingqing waved her hand casually:
"I've given you everything I can. You can leave now."

"I am about to perish. After I die, the first ring of the defensive formation will automatically dissolve. You can deal with the secret manuals and treasures in the temple yourselves."

By the end, Zhu Qingqing's tone was tinged with an indescribable weariness.

She seems really tired.

Looking at the pink-haired puppy lying face down on the bed with its eyes closed, its breath growing weaker as it awaited its final moments, Su Yuan thought for a moment and asked:
"Master Zhu, have you killed many people?"

Zhu Qingqing opened her eyes somewhat impatiently:
"What, you self-proclaimed righteous demon, do you still want to eliminate evil and defend the righteous path again?"

"That's not what I meant, I was just asking."

"There are so many! Within a radius of tens of thousands of miles, there are all the top 100 demonic sects. After I became the Holy Maiden, I led my disciples to fight against other demonic sects every day."

"The hundreds of puppets I created during my lifetime were all made by the holy maidens of other demonic sects."

"If the Immortal Tribulation hadn't come when I was twenty-seven, forcing me to close the mountain gate, I would definitely have wiped out all those demonic cultivators in the surrounding area."

Su Yuan nodded.

He finally understood that the area where Zhu Qingqing lived back then had no soil for mortals and righteous cultivators to take root.

Although this woman was bloodthirsty, she probably hadn't met a single good person until the Zhu Yan Bai Gu Temple closed down.

He shifted his gaze slightly upwards, looking at the top of Zhu Qingqing's head.

Demonic Skill: Command Activation.

A judgment as black as ink appeared in Su Yuan's sight.

[The soul returned to the underworld (unanswered)]

Ha! This damned magic is quite secretive; the underworld clearly doesn't exist!
Change your fate!

With her only chance to change her fate activated, the prophecy above Zhu Qingqing's head changed.

【The Banner of Ten Thousand Souls Returns】

Zhu Qingqing, who was prepared to lie down and wait to die, suddenly felt her body float up.

"Huh? Am I going to die?"

Realizing immediately that her soul had left her body, she sighed.

"It's much faster than I expected."

But just as she thought she was about to be annihilated, a playful voice rang out:

"Master Zhu, would you be willing to join my Ten Thousand Souls Banner?"

"what?"

Zhu Qingqing turned around abruptly and saw that Su Yuan had already taken out that silver-white stick at some point.

Let me into the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls?

You're repaying kindness with enmity, aren't you!
And didn't you say before that this wasn't a traditional Ten Thousand Souls Banner, but some kind of cyber Ten Thousand Souls Banner?
How do I get in?
But what Zhu Qingqing found even more strange was that her soul was out of control and drifted toward Su Yuan's Ten Thousand Soul Banner!

(End of this chapter)