"This boy is truly an enigma of the highest order. He crushed the seven strongest warriors of Sanmiao City and fought Yan Kai Long, a 'Golden Core' genius, with a ferocity no one could have imagined. If those curs from the 'Blood Coffin Sect' hadn't interfered, who knows how that battle would have ended!"
City Lord Wang Long sat watching Ye Fang, but a tempest of thoughts raged within him. He was trying to weigh the unimaginable power hidden behind Ye Fang's facade of innocence and fear.
Suddenly, the temperature in the chamber plummeted. Elder Wang Shen's eyes turned a blinding white, and his Divine Sense surged toward Ye Fang like a poisoned arrow. He had unleashed his most forbidden 'Soul Search' technique, intending to peel back the layers of the boy's spirit and uncover the truth.
But the moment his consciousness brushed against Ye Fang, a cataclysmic explosion occurred!
A burst of black and golden energy erupted—a power so primal that neither mortal nor god could withstand it. Elder Wang Shen felt as if a thousand celestial mountains had crashed into his skull. He was sent hurtling through the air, his body slamming violently against the stone wall.
"Father! What happened?!" Wang Long screamed, rushing to his father's side. The Elder lay on the floor, gasping for breath, a thin trail of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. He was utterly dazed, unable to comprehend the divine backlash he had just suffered.
Ye Fang was stunned, half-rising from his seat. 'Wait, why did the old man just fly away? I didn't even move a muscle!'
Suddenly, a transparent blue screen flickered before his eyes, and a familiar, melodious voice echoed:
[ WARNING! An unknown entity attempted to scan the Host's Soul. Security Protocols Activated! ]
'Little System? You're back?!' A wave of joy washed over Ye Fang.
Then came that mischievous, slightly irritable voice: "Who was the bastard that just tried to ruin my beauty sleep? Host, what on earth is going on here? I can't even get two minutes of rest—can you not survive for a second without inviting a calamity?"
Ye Fang let out a massive sigh of relief. 'Big Sis, you're finally here! Handle this, or these guys will interrogate me to death...' He paused for a moment, noticing the System's avatar. 'By the way... why are you in a nightdress?'
Wang Long's frantic cries echoed through the secret chamber. His father, Elder Wang Shen—a man who had never tasted defeat in his long life—was now vomiting blood on the floor. Wang Long's mind was numb. He couldn't understand how merely attempting to touch a boy's soul could result in such a lethal consequence!
"Father! Keep your eyes open! How... how is this possible?!" Wang Long roared while supporting his father, his gaze darting back to Ye Fang. But the boy no longer looked frightened; instead, he stood there with an eerie, hollow emptiness.
Inside Ye Fang's mind, a completely different drama was unfolding. The blue screen flickered back to life, and Little System manifested. She was mid-yawn, dressed in a loose-fitting, silky pink nightdress, looking as if she had just rolled out of bed.
"Host, what is the meaning of this? Can't a girl have her beauty sleep in peace? Do you have a hobby of ruining my rest?" Little System grumbled, rubbing her eyes with exaggerated innocence.
Ye Fang, who was already on the verge of a mental breakdown, nearly screamed within his mind.
'Beauty sleep?! Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how deep in trouble I am? I thought you had abandoned me or glitched out forever! And seriously... it's the middle of the afternoon! Why are you sleeping in a nightdress right now?!'
Little System let out a dramatic sigh and planted her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Host, this is all your fault! Ever since you arrived in this world, my sleep schedule has been in shambles. I haven't had a wink of decent rest, so the moment I saw an opening, I took a nap. Being a System is an exhausting job, you know!"
Ye Fang was speechless. 'My fault? I've barely been in this world for two or three days! How could I have ruined your sleep in such a short time? I haven't even done anything major yet!'
"While you were sleeping..." Little System started to retort, but suddenly, her face drained of all color. The words caught in her throat, and an eerie silence followed.
For a fleeting second, the very fabric of reality within the chamber seemed to congeal. Ye Fang heard nothing, but within the interface of the Little System, a mysterious, heavy, and ancient resonance echoed—a voice that felt as if it originated from the very heart of the primordial universe.
"There is no need to reveal anything to him yet. This much is enough..."
The voice possessed such transcendent power that the Little System's fundamental source-codes began to shudder. She stood frozen, her eyes wide with an unspoken dread, her sentence left hanging in the void.
Ye Fang was utterly bewildered. 'What happened? Why did you go silent? Hey, Big Sis, say something! You were just complaining a second ago, why have you turned into a statue now?' But there was no response. The Little System stared into the emptiness, her voice seemingly locked away by an invisible seal.
In the physical world, Elder Wang Shen struggled to open his eyes. He looked like a man who had reached out and touched the cold hand of Death. With trembling fingers, he gripped his son's arm and whispered in a voice fragile as glass:
"Wang... Wang Long... do not seek to peer into this boy's soul. In its depths lies something... something that could swallow this entire world whole."
Ye Fang's heart skipped a beat as he overheard this. 'It seems the old man brushed against the God-Demon secret. Thank the heavens he didn't drop dead, or I'd be finished before I could even spin more tales about my "Master."'
City Lord Wang Long gazed at Ye Fang with eyes full of a new, profound terror. "Ye Fang... your Master... was it he who placed this divine protection upon your soul?"
Seizing the moment, Ye Fang immediately donned his mask of innocence, mixing a touch of fear with a hint of pride. "Elder, I warned you that my Master is unfathomable. He strictly forbade me from letting anyone probe my spirit. I had no idea you would attempt such a thing... I feel terrible that you've suffered because of me."
Elder Wang Shen took a long, agonized breath. "Your Master... he must be a supreme cultivator of the Mythical Reaper Soul. My audacity to scan the soul of his disciple... it was nothing short of suicidal folly."
Wang Long stared at his father in disbelief. "Father, what are you saying? What is this 'Mythical Reaper Soul'?"
"It is a stage within the Third Step of Cultivation," the Elder wheezed. "Those who reach such a height possess power that transcends the common understanding of strength."
Regaining his composure, Wang Long addressed the room. "Father needs rest. Ye Fang, for now, you are an honored guest of the Manor. Anything you require shall be provided. But remember—the matter of the pill and your Master must never leave these walls."
Ye Fang nodded, but his mind was elsewhere, haunted by the System's unfinished sentence. 'What was she about to say? What happened while I was asleep?'
As he stepped out of the chamber, his hand brushed against the black stone in his pocket. It felt burning hot now. Ye Fang smiled, but this time, the curve of his lips held a new, darker mystery.
'System, I need to know... what exactly is this Mythical Reaper Soul?'