I'm quitting!

Chapter 8 Nascent Soul? Let's go to the alchemy room and get some fries!

A terrifying spiritual pressure surged in like a tide, and Ma Qiu darted into Lin Xiaofan's robe with a "whoosh," leaving only her moist little nose outside to sniff lightly:

"Terrible...but smells so good."

After a short while, Lin Xiaofan finally adapted to the oppressive force, loosened his grip on the pillar, and stood firm on his own. Just then, Dan Xuanzi's crown chakra suddenly shone with brilliant golden light!

A delicately carved little figure slowly emerged—it was actually a chubby baby, holding half a golden and crispy "Forget-Me-Not Gold Bar" in both hands.

"Is this what it means for a Nascent Soul to solidify? What's this... holding a French fry?" Lin Xiaofan thought to himself.

Above the alchemy room, a massive, golden-bar-shaped vortex of spiritual energy condensed and took shape, with honey-like Daoist principles flowing slowly within it. The entire Qingyun Sect was astonished by this extraordinary sight, and exclamations from disciples echoed from afar: "Look! There are golden auspicious clouds in the sky, but... their shapes are so strange!"

The hemp ball inside the robe smelled the familiar fragrance and peeked out to glance at the gold bar in the Nascent Soul's hand:

"I want to eat..."

But in the end, it shrank back, only peeking out with its little eyes.

"Who is this extraordinary person here?"

With a stern question, Xianyunzi arrived, crumbs of spirit wheat cake still clinging to his fingertips. He was initially astonished by his junior brother Dan's breakthrough, but his gaze instantly locked onto Lin Xiaofan in the corner.

"Senior!" Xianyunzi bowed deeply. "Junior Brother has been stuck in the Spirit Void stage for a long time. His breakthrough today must be due to your guidance!"

Lin Xiaofan quickly waved his hand: "Sect Leader, you flatter me. I just... uh... came to deliver some late-night snacks...?"

"Late-night snack?" Xianyunzi was struck dumb, then suddenly realized, "Senior is demonstrating the profound truth that 'the warmth of everyday life is most comforting to the true heart'!"

"Hiss...that..."

Lin Xiaofan sensed something was wrong and was about to stop him when Xianyunzi, as if possessed, muttered to himself, "Junior Brother's Nascent Soul stage holding gold bars is no accident. It must be Senior imparting the true meaning of 'The Dao is in Everyday Life' in the simplest way!"

"Ah...it's over..." Lin Xiaofan resignedly held his forehead.

As Xianyunzi gazed at the golden bar-shaped vortex of spiritual energy in the air, a sudden inspiration struck him, and the crumbs of spiritual wheat cakes at his fingertips emitted a faint halo.

He turned to Lin Xiaofan, his eyes filled with fervor: "I have been diligently cultivating the Dao of 'Cake' recently but have not been able to grasp its essence. Now, seeing this golden bar celestial phenomenon, I have suddenly realized—the cake is round, the bar is straight, and the combination of roundness and straightness is the Great Dao! I wonder if my understanding is correct?"

"Uh... what the sect leader says is absolutely right."

Lin Xiaofan seized the opportunity to say, "Look at this gold bar... it's straight on the outside and hollow on the inside, just like the human heart; it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, just like the heart of the Tao... the cake represents harmony, the bar represents the straight path, and only when the two complement each other can perfection be achieved."

Xianyunzi was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes: "Senior's words have awakened me from my dream! The pancake is the body, the strip is the function; the pancake is stillness, the strip is movement; the pancake is yin, the strip is yang! This is the highest realm of 'pancake and strip complementing each other'!"

Lin Xiaofan's lips twitched: This time, he was truly in a bind...

Xianyunzi's expression turned solemn, and he loudly announced to the arriving disciples: "All disciples, listen to my command! Elder Danxuanzi's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage today is entirely due to Senior Lin's secret guidance! From this day forward, Senior Lin will enjoy the privileges of an elder of the Qingyun Sect!"

"Varied…?!"

Zhao Xiao, standing in the crowd, had a livid face and his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, but under the pressure of the sect leader's authority, he had no choice but to bow along with the other disciples.

[Rebelliousness Value +50]

Lin Xiaofan tilted his head and muttered: Where did this rebelliousness value come from? Who broke down?

No sooner had one problem been solved than another arose, and Xianyunzi pressed on again, "Senior, how should we refine our skills in making 'cakes'?"

"Hmm..." Lin Xiaofan pretended to be profound, his mind racing, and finally he braced himself and made up a riddle, "The way of making a pancake lies in the heat. If the heat is too high, it will burn; if the heat is too low, it will burn... Life is like a pancake, the key is to control the heat."

Xianyunzi was overjoyed and immediately sat cross-legged. The crumbs of the spirit wheat cake transformed into a golden halo that hung behind him.

Lin Xiaofan's eyes widened: Holy crap?! It's actually possible to cultivate a "pancake" path?! No, no, I need to get out of here now!

The bamboo groves rustle softly, and a cool breeze wafts through the woods.

Lin Xiaofan walked briskly until he entered the bamboo forest path behind the mountain, at which point he slowed down slightly.

"This...this sect is outrageous...everyone in it is a genius..."

He was just about to rest on the bluestone by the roadside when a rustling sound came from deep within the bamboo shadows.

Four figures slowly walked out.

"This newcomer doesn't seem friendly." Lin Xiaofan narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the token at the other person's waist. "Enforcement Hall? Could he be...?"

Lin Xiaofan spoke first, tentatively asking, "Where's Wang Wu?"

The leader chuckled, his eyes turning cold: "Wang Wu? Ha, he's gone down the mountain."

"Going down the mountain?" Lin Xiaofan frowned, already certain of his identity—Zhao Xiao.

"Yes, Yongyuan has gone down the mountain. The wild dogs at the bottom of the cliff had an extra meal today, they must have eaten their fill."

As Zhao Xiao spoke, a few wisps of black energy drifted from his fingertips.

One of the lackeys couldn't help but swallow hard. Zhao Xiao glanced at him, and the man hurriedly lowered his head and held his breath.

"Phew..." Lin Xiaofan breathed a sigh of relief. "Your tail-cutting speed is pretty fast."

"I don't understand what you're saying." Zhao Xiao shrugged. "Wang Wu embezzled three dragon whisker grasses, and should be punished according to the law."

The sound of the wind in the bamboo forest suddenly ceased, and a deathly silence descended.

Zhao Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, chin slightly raised: "Lin Xiaofan, others may be deceived by your appearance as a reclusive master, but I, Zhao Xiao, know your true worth."

Lin Xiaofan's fingertips curled almost imperceptibly: "Oh? What's my worth?"

"You are...! You are...uh..." Zhao Xiao suddenly stammered, his face turning confused.

He raised his hand to rub his temples, as if trying to recall something: "Strange...it's right on my lips, why can't I remember it all of a sudden?"

"Heh..." Lin Xiaofan chuckled softly, his tense heartstrings quietly relaxing: The Script Management Bureau did indeed intervene, but it seems they only implanted some vague hints into this thing. Are they afraid that the "characters in the play" will know the truth outside the world?

Looking at Zhao Xiao's spoiled and arrogant appearance, Lin Xiaofan's eyes were full of disdain: These guys are really incompetent... If it were me, I would definitely have directly instructed the sect leader or other powerful figures to crush the enemy... But since I didn't do that, are the "characters in the play" who haven't awakened yet not entirely obedient?

[Mission: Accept Zhao Xiao's humiliation and be severely beaten.]

"So you guys were watching the live stream..."

Lin Xiaofan glanced at the void.

He suddenly adopted a harmless expression: "Why don't we sit down and have a chat? My guidance is highly praised; perhaps it can help you break through..."

"Shut up! You charlatan! Today I'll expose your true colors!" Zhao Xiao roared in fury.

The three henchmen understood, their true energy surging as they unleashed a flurry of ruthless attacks, aiming directly for Lin Xiaofan's vitals. Zhao Xiao, meanwhile, watched from the sidelines with his arms crossed, a sinister smile playing on his lips: "Let me see just how tough this 'senior' really is!"

Faced with the attack, Lin Xiaofan did not move, but simply raised his right foot slightly.

boom! boom! boom!

Legs flashed like whips, and the three fell to the ground simultaneously, writhing in agony like shrimp.

Zhao Xiao's smile turned to surprise: "You...you have cultivation?!"

"Your intelligence... seems a bit outdated."

Lin Xiaofan patted the corner of his clothes, certain in his heart: the Script Management Bureau could not read his perspective as a "rebel" in real time, and might not even be able to monitor the "Awakened Ones".

How well-done would you like it?

Lin Xiaofan clenched his fist, his knuckles making a "crackling" sound, and approached Zhao Xiao step by step.

"What...what are you going to do...ah—!"

A piercing scream tore through the silence of the bamboo forest.

A moment later, Zhao Xiao on the ground was unrecognizable. His face was swollen like a pig's head, and his brocade clothes and jade pendants were shattered and embedded in the soil.

Lin Xiaofan shook the blood off her hands and looked down at him.

"My...my grandfather is an elder in charge of law enforcement! He will definitely...not let you go!" Zhao Xiao stammered, still making his final threat.

Lin Xiaofan sneered: "He's the one I've been waiting for."

Snapped!Snapped!

Two more crisp slaps followed.

Zhao Xiao's head lolled to the side, and he completely lost consciousness.

"Take your master and get out."

The cold words hit the ears of the three henchmen.

The three men, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, scrambled to their feet, grabbed Zhao Xiao, and fled in a sorry state.

"call…"

Lin Xiaofan leaned against the bluestone and slowly sat down.

Looking at the still-damp blood on his fist, he closed his eyes, concealing the complex emotions surging within them.

"Next time... I'll definitely do it next time..."

He realized that the moment of killing with his own hands had finally caught up with him, and there was nowhere to escape.

squeak-

The wooden door was pushed open, and Lin Xiaofan returned to the woodshed in the back mountain.

Because of the sesame ball's destruction, the house is still a mess, and it's hard to even find a place to step.

As soon as he entered the house, the fluffy ball of fur jumped onto Lin Xiaofan's shoulder, its little nose twitching: "Have you chased away all the bad guys?"

Lin Xiaofan forced a smile and rubbed its little head: "Heh, if you chase one away, a whole litter will come."

As soon as he finished speaking, a semi-transparent panel unfolded before his eyes:

[Rebelliousness Value: 489]

"Ha... I was hoping to save up four figures to exchange for 'CrossVeeKu,' but things didn't go as planned."

Lin Xiaofan moved to the edge of the bed and sat down, his fingers fiddling with the panel, looking at the other three options in the "Rebellious Wonder Library"—Air Bass, Mouth Cannon Amplifier, and Abstract Protective Shield.

"In terms of effectiveness..." Lin Xiaofan pondered deeply, "it really has to be the 'Air Bass'."

[Rebelliousness Value: 289]

"The next exchange will cost 400, I need to find a way to farm more rebellion points..."

"Sigh... I also need to hurry up and improve my own cultivation level...!"

Just as Lin Xiaofan was about to sit in meditation to solidify his foundation, the door was violently flung open, and a figure staggered in.

In the sunlight, the man was dressed in rags and had unkempt hair and a dirty face.

Lin Xiaofan squinted to examine it closely, then exclaimed in shock, "Brother Shi Tian?!"

Once the number one prodigy of Qingyun Sect, he now resembles a stray dog.

Pfft!

Shi Tiandi knelt down, grabbing Lin Xiaofan's legs, his voice hoarse: "Junior Brother Lin... no... Senior Lin! Please... please save me!"