Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

A flood of notifications suddenly appeared before Ace as he, Xie Ninger, and Shan Yifeng hurried through the village streets.

[Host... The energy is being corrupted. Please move to a clean environment, or the system may be nonfunctional for the next few years.]

[Danger! Danger! Please do not actively seek death.]

[Death is never the answer. Prove your haters wrong—not by dying, but by living better.]

[Host, make haste. Your life is in danger.]

[Host, you definitely will not want to die a virgin.]

Ace frowned but kept moving. On the way, both Shan Yifeng and Xie Ninger had complained of a suppression in their cultivation realm, their movements felt sluggish as if weighed down by an unseen force.

Yet, Ace felt nothing. Still, he stuck by them, unwilling to leave them behind.

At one point, he even tried to open the system space, intending to send them inside while he made a dash for it, but the system refused to cooperate.

And then a familiar voice echoed behind them.

"Where do you think you all are going?"

Ace turned, his eyes narrowing as he met the gaze of Xiao Wuzi.

Despite his missing arm and the hollow socket where his eye had been, Xiao Wuzi stood with an eerie confidence, his presence exuding a silent menace.

The old man smirked. "Xiao Zhi, consider this retribution. I've disabled your access to the Immortal Heart. You should understand why, right?"

Ace's gaze hardened. The distance between them was vast, yet the weight of the old man's words pressed down on him.

"Oh, and don't expect any help this time," Xiao Wuzi continued, his smirk deepening. "While she's may not be dead, she's been heavily injured."

"He's stalling for time, Master," Shan Yifeng said calmly. "Let's keep moving."

Ace blinked, then nodded. "Right. Let's go."

They picked up their pace, but after only a few steps, Xie Ninger suddenly stumbled.

She collapsed to her knees, her breath ragged. "Go ahead… without me."

For a split second, Ace actually considered it.

But his body moved before his mind could argue, scooping her up effortlessly.

"Xiao Zhi," Xiao Wuzi chuckled seeing this, his voice laced with amusement. "I never took you for the compassionate type."

Ace gritted his teeth.

"I wonder how you grew into the shrewd man you were… a million years later."

Ace's breath hitched.

"What the hell is this old man saying?"

But now wasn't the time for questions. The urge to survive burned hotter than his curiosity.

Just as they reached the village outskirts, Shan Yifeng abruptly came to a stop.

Ace, still carrying Xie Ninger, frowned. "What's wrong?"

Shan Yifeng's expression was grave. "We've reached the end."

Ace looked ahead.

Nothing but endless green fields stretched before them.

"…It's just grassland."

"Master, believe me."

Ace inhaled deeply, then nodded. "I trust you. What do we do?"

Gently, he laid Xie Ninger down beside Shan Yifeng.

"I—I can try to break the formation," Shan Yifeng said, determination flashing in his eyes. "But it will take time."

Ace gave a small smile. "Good luck. And Yifeng…" He paused, then said, "Master is proud of you."

Shan Yifeng's eyes widened.

Caught off guard for the first time, he stumbled over his words. "I—uh, yes! Master, I won't let you down!"

He turned his focus to the formation, studying the designs deligently.

Ace exhaled and looked ahead.

The system's constant warnings rang in his mind.

Especially the–

[Host, you definitely will not want to die a virgin.]

'Who says anything about dying today.'

And then, just a short distance away, Xiao Wuzi stood watching.

Beneath him, an army of hundreds—no, thousands—of humans waited in eerie silence.

Ace clenched his jaw. I need something… anything.

[Host, the Alchemy Genius Soul has been successfully refined. Imprinting all her knowledge into your mind.]

Ace stilled.

Oh. Right. I forgot to actually find her a vessel as well. Is this really retribution?

Before he could dwell on it, laughter rippled through the air.

Xiao Wuzi took a step forward.

"Oh my, look who's trying to break an immortal formation."

Ace's asked calmly. "What do you want from me, Xiao Wuzi?"

"Your life."

"Then why banish me instead?"

Xiao Wuzi tilted his head, as if considering. Then, with a smirk, he said, "I wasn't me back then. That was… someone else."

The answer was vague, but Ace already had enough pieces. The man before him made no effort to hide the truth.

"You're from the future," Ace said.

Xiao Wuzi clapped mockingly. "Well done, Xiao Zhi."

His smirk sharpened. "And in the future, you betrayed me. So I've come back to end you before that happens."

Ace scoffed. "Coward."

"Oh yes. That is what I am." Xiao Wuzi's grin widened. "The cowardly black dragon, Yu Zhong. That's my magnificent name."

His expression darkened.

"But you know what's more cowardly? Stabbing your best friend in the back over a woman."

He sneered. "A woman who threatened to leave you."

Ace's expression didn't waver. "Then the person you want isn't me, but a version of me a million years from now."

Xiao Wuzi laughed. "Oh, please. Even pests become a problem when left unchecked."

His gaze turned cold. "I'll end you before you can become something like that."

Ace tilted his head. "And what makes you think I'll even be an issue for you?"

Xiao Wuzi's eyes gleamed.

"The Divine Garden. The Independent Immortal Heart inside you."

"Alright," Xiao Wuzi sighed, cracking his knuckles. "That's enough information. You can ask the rest in your next life."

Then, without warning, Ace lunged first.

His fist shot forward, carrying the weight of sheer destruction.

Xiao Wuzi's eyes widened, but instead of panic, curiosity flickered within him.

"You aren't suppressed?" Xiao Wuzi muttered.

Ace gold-realm aura was supposed to be crushed down to Minor Warrior.

And yet—

He dodged, his own suppressed to major dark gold Rank allowing him to slip past the attack with ease.

A smirk played at the edges of his lips.

"Well, good thing I have a trick up my sleeve too."

[2]