You were put to guard a shabby mountain gate, yet all your disciples became Immortal Emperors.

Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, this kid is going to turn evil!

Hatred can be a driving force, but excessive hatred is a death sentence. If he were to accidentally go mad, his second disciple would be ruined.

The chosen one has been ruined; where can he find someone to return the reward?

"Tear it, you definitely have to tear it. It would be a disservice to the bones that were dug out of you if you didn't tear it to shreds."

Lin Zhou patted Shi Yi on the shoulder, but his tone was unusually calm.

"But not now."

"If you rush in now, you'll just be throwing your life away. The fact that your cousin dared to come means he has someone backing him."

Think about it, do you want him to die a quick and painless death, or do you want him to be trampled underfoot by you, this former good-for-nothing, in front of everyone, having everything he was so proud of crushed?

Shi Yi shuddered, the crimson in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by a deeper hatred.

He got it.

Master's meaning is to destroy the heart!

[Ding! Successfully appeased the disciple; Shi Yi's admiration points +50!]

Get it!

Lin Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his workplace PUA techniques were equally effective in the cultivation world.

He cleared his throat and called Xiao Fan over as well.

"From today until the outer sect competition, there is only one month left."

"It wasn't easy for us to win the championship. Besides the main peak Qingyun Peak, our Xiaoqiong Mountain, Lingxiao Sect also trains disciples from Tianxuan Peak, Sword Pavilion, and Danxiao Peak."

"I hereby declare that the 'Devil's Training Month' at Xiaoqiong Mountain has now begun!"

As he spoke, he took out a huge banner from his storage ring and hung it in front of the thatched hut.

Above, written in a flamboyant style, was a line of large characters: "Train until you drop dead, or you'll die!"

Xiao Fan and Shi Yi couldn't help but twitch their lips as they looked at the words.

Master, are you serious?

Something just doesn't look right with this art style!

"In addition to personalized training, we will also implement a flexibility enhancement program in the back mountain area."

Go catch chickens and chase rabbits for me.

"Xiao Fan, come here."

Linzhou waved.

"Your 'Heaven-Burning Creation Technique' combined with the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame is powerful enough."

"But your biggest problem is that you're too straightforward and don't know how to be flexible and adaptable, like a snake moving around."

"Furthermore, a qualified overpowered protagonist must know how to hide his true self."

"First, you have to make everyone think you're a weakling."

"Then, at the most crucial moment, 'pop!'—give them a big surprise!"

"Do you understand? This is called 'playing dumb to fool the enemy'!"

Xiao Fan nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Lin Zhou pulled a yellowed ancient book from his pocket with satisfaction and handed it to Xiao Fan.

"This is a combat technique manual that I have treasured for many years. Take it and study it carefully."

Xiao Fan excitedly took it and looked closely. On the cover were five big characters: "An Actor Prepares".

Xiao Fan: "???"

Master, what are you up to now?

"Ahem, this is a modified version of the cultivation novel, which focuses on recording 3,600 essential micro-expression management techniques for 'pretending to be weak while actually being strong'."

Linzhou explained in a very serious manner.

"From today onwards, your KPI is to maintain an innocent, harmless smile while simultaneously burning yourself with the strange fire. You'll be considered qualified when you achieve that."

Xiao Fan's face instantly fell.

What... what kind of underworld cultivation method is this?

Then, Linzhou looked at Shi Yi.

"As for you, your problem is that you harbor too much hatred and your control over your power is too crude."

He pointed to the tofu mountain.

"Go, your master has prepared three tons of tofu for you, as well as this sword."

Lin Zhou flipped his hand, and a huge, thick, black sword appeared in his hand.

This is the top-grade magic weapon, the [Mysterious Iron Heavy Sword], that the system just rewarded me with.

"Your KPI is to use this sword to carve a flower on tofu. You'll pass when you can carve a complete peony on the tofu."

Shi Yi stared at the heavy sword, which was wider than his door panel, and then thought of the delicate tofu that could be broken with a touch. He felt completely numb.

This is worse than killing him!

"Stop standing there, get moving! For the future of our Xiaoqiongshan, roll it up!"

Lin Zhou lay back in the rocking chair, picked up a cup of spiritual tea, and leisurely called out.

Thus, an extremely bizarre scene unfolded at Xiaoqiong Mountain.

Xiao Fan sat cross-legged under the scorching sun, blue flames burning on his body, making him grimace in pain.

But he still had to force out an "innocent" smile that looked worse than crying, his facial muscles twitching wildly.

Shi Yi, shirtless, brandished his Xuan Tie Heavy Sword, slashing at the tofu again and again.

The result was that, with a "bang," the tofu dregs splattered everywhere.

He crushed three tons of tofu, and his mental state was on the verge of collapse.

But the fierceness in his eyes was worn down considerably with each failure.

Linzhou lay on a rocking chair, calling it "governing by doing nothing."

In reality, he was secretly monitoring the two people's physical data using the [Heavenly Eye of Luck].

Just when they're about to collapse, I'll throw them a homemade recovery pill.

[Ding! Disciple Xiao Fan's cultivation has broken through to the late stage of Qi Refining. A massive amount of cultivation points are being returned to the host! The host's insights as a Level 4 Alchemist are also being returned!]

[Ding! Disciple Shi Yi has successfully condensed the embryonic form of the Ancestral Dragon Emperor's Bone, and his physical body has entered the mid-stage of the Bone Forging Realm! A massive amount of cultivation is returned to the host!]

boom!

Lin Zhou felt a boom within his body, and the hollow golden core instantly solidified, allowing his cultivation to break through the bottleneck!

Mid-stage Golden Core (Void)!

Become!

"System, when will this illusory realm of mine finally come to an end?"

Lin Zhou felt the vast, yet somewhat unstable, spiritual energy within his body and couldn't help but ask himself a question.

[Dear~ Once you comprehend your own Golden Core Dao, you can utilize all the cultivation of the Void Realm!]

Golden Elixir Path?

Lin Zhou stroked his chin.

I'm a 996 office worker; my past life's motto was "slacking off," and in this life...

Or perhaps you could try to understand the "way of salted fish"?

Hmm, that sounds just like my personality.

Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction, then skillfully disguised his aura as being at the peak of Qi Refining, with a second layer of disguise at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Three layers of camouflage, as steady as a rock!

It was late at night.

Shi Yi was still arguing with the tofu, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a madman.

Linzhou walked over, yawning.

"The tighter you grasp the sand in your hand, the faster it slips away. The same goes for hatred."

He tossed a jug of wine to him.

"Haste makes waste. Rest for the night and continue tomorrow."

Shi Yi watched Lin Zhou's departing figure, silently picked up the wine jug, and took a big gulp.

The Master's realm is truly unfathomable.

He was able to see through my obsession.

Shi Yi instantly became enlightened, feeling that he had achieved enlightenment.

It was another morning, and Shen Han arrived again.

Today, she changed out of her tight-fitting law enforcement uniform and put on a light blue, elegant long dress.

Her skirt swayed gently in the mountain breeze, outlining her stunning waist and hip curves, making her less cold and more feminine.

She was also carrying a huge food container.

It's all tofu inside.

"I...I passed by the market town at the foot of the mountain and saw that the tofu looked fresh, so I brought some back for you."

Shen Han's cheeks flushed, and she dared not look at Lin Zhou.

She would never admit that she went to buy tofu specifically because she heard that Xiao Qiongshan was buying it like crazy.

Lin Zhou was wearing a pair of shorts and shirtless, instructing his two apprentices on training.

He looked at the hesitant Shen Han and chuckled.

"Oh, Master Shen, here to bring some warmth?"

He looked Shen Han up and down, marveling at his attire.

This ice queen looks even more alluring in a dress!

"What? Not 'treatment' today, delivering takeout instead?" Lin Zhou leaned closer, lowering his voice and chuckling mischievously in her ear.

"Or perhaps you'd like to experience my grueling training too?"

Shen Han's ears were tickled by his hot breath, and her body stiffened.

Her mind uncontrollably drifted back to the scenes of him "treating" her back during those days.

Those warm palms, that domineering inner energy...

puff--

The white steam above her head started rising again.

"You! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Shen Han was both ashamed and angry; her pretty face turned so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

"Master's wife, have you suffered a qi deviation while practicing your martial arts?"

Xiao Fan, who was practicing his smile, asked curiously.

That cry of "Master's wife" was a fatal blow.

"Puff puff puff—"

The steam rising from Shen Han's head became even more intense, almost as much as a kettle boiling water.

It looks just like a little train, with the sounds of people eating and strolling around.

She put the food box on the ground and ran away.

"I've left the tofu here! I'm going now!"

With a deafening roar, it seemed as if Little Qiongshan itself trembled.

Watching the fleeing figure, Lin Zhou laughed until his stomach hurt.

This "Steam Girl" is so much fun!

half a month later.

Xiao Fan can now use his strange fire to scrub himself while chatting with people without changing his expression.

His aura was perfectly concealed at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and no one could tell that he was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

And Shi Yi finally managed to carve a crooked, barely recognizable flower onto a whole piece of tofu using his Xuan Tie Heavy Sword.

The murderous aura emanating from him had almost completely vanished, replaced by a deep, restrained killing intent.

"Not bad, they've all improved."

Linzhou is very satisfied.

"Now, let's begin the live-fire exercise."

"Xiao Fan, focus on offense; Shi Yi, focus on defense. You two, practice together!"

"Yes, Master!"

The two exchanged a glance, their fighting spirit rising.

When Xiao Fan made his move, flames filled the sky, but his aura was extremely concealed, making him look like a novice fire-type cultivator.

Shi Yi neither dodged nor evaded, but activated the [Ancestral Dragon Emperor Bone], a faint layer of dragon-shaped energy protecting his entire body, and he withstood all the attacks.

One is the main attacker, and the other is the main defender.

One is engulfed in flames, the other stands as still as a mountain.

Through repeated practice sessions, the two gradually developed an amazing tacit understanding.

Lin Zhou nodded with satisfaction as he watched this scene.