The Withered Heart Technique required no external cultivation materials, making it seem viable at first. But its passive nature was its downfall. When activated through the AllFullOS system’s one-click cultivation, it rooted the user in place, rendering Lordi unable to move or flee. In the estate’s dire, haunted confines, where vengeful wraiths and blood-weeping eyes lurked, immobility was a death sentence. "Completely useless," Lordi muttered, dismissing it.
The Alchemy Skill - Bone Tempering Pill was equally impractical. Lordi’s storage pouch held ample raw materials, but destroying them wouldn’t stop the system’s one click cultivation logic. It would likely drive him to plunder herbs and raw materials from sect comrades all across the Hanz Estate’s Twin Peak Hill, risking confrontations with peak Qi Refiners like Donovan Valdez or awakening the mountain estate’s dormant traps. The potential for disaster was too great.
The Artifact Forging Skill posed similar dangers. The AwfulOS System would likely select a "FREE gift" for Lordi to practice the only forging procedure it recorded, the Soul Torture. And Lordi’s dreaded at the potential ideal choice: Shirley Quinn’s Ninth Layer Enlightenment Stage fox demon monster. If the AllFullOS system targeted that monstrous beast, he would be luck if his soul torn apart by the angry Peak Ninth Layer Qi Refiner. "Not happening," he growled, shaking his head.
The Fulu Crafting Skill was no better. With no living mortals left in the Hanz Clan Estate, the AllFullOS system would almost certainly select sect comrades as "FREE" skin material sources, forcing Lordi to harvest their skin alive for the Dao Fulu’s gruesome creation process. The thought of such a Skin Peel act, even under the system’s control, turned his stomach. "No way," he whispered, his resolve hardening.
None of these cultivation techniques, martial arts or skills could help him escape the Hanz Clan Estate’s cursed array. But one option remained: the Nameless Technique, a dual cultivation technique shrouded in mystery. The last time Lordi used the system’s one-click cultivation for this art, it had paired him with Fairy Lith, the Abyss Pit Sect’s Successor and future Saintess who was in seclusion then, as his "FREE gift" Dao Spouse.
In other words, if Lordi chose to cultivate this Nameless Technique now, the AllFullOS System would likely drove him breached out of the Mountain Estate’s defensive array—hurling him toward the Abyss Pit Sect like a guided missile locked onto the demonic sect’s goddess!
As for the consequences... well, Lordi Payne wasn’t worried about the "retard" AwfulOS system forcing him to sexually assault the mighty goddess Fairy Lith again.
The reason was simple: the distance between the Hanz Estate’s Twin Peak Hill and the Abyss Pit Sect was far, far too great. If the AllFullOS System hijacked his body and made him dash nonstop, his spirit energy would drain long before he even reached halfway.
Based on his past experiences with the system’s alchemy skill practice, he’d likely regain control of his body before making it back to the sect. The "One-Click Cultivation" session would probably be terminated from a System Error: Severe Spirit Energy Depletion.
Even if the system force-fed him recovery pills, a random ambush or a single mishap on such a perilous long journey could still terminate the "Smart-Duration Cultivation" prematurely, returning control to Lordi. He wouldn’t reach Fairy Lith, avoiding any catastrophic consequences of "disturbing" the mighty Saintess.
And yes—this was the perfect win-win!
Lordi could escape the Hanz Estate, slip free of the Gloomwater Phantom Lily Array, and avoid getting scammed by the AllFullOS System once again.
Confident in his plan, Lordi smirked and commanded inwardly. "System, initiate cultivation. Select Nameless Technique. Select Smart Duration Mode. Execute the One-Click Cultivation!"
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
The mechanical voice of the system echoed in his mind, sounding comforting.
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ is at your service!
> One-click-cultivation, worry-free-ascension!
> Features: Temporary practice, smart duration, and questionable decision-making.
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
~ Loading service announcement...
> One-click-cultivation: Enabled
> Cultivation hosting: Initializing...
- Friendly reminder: During cultivation, the host will lose control of his/her body.
- Do not panic. This is a normal system function.
> Initializing body control override...
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> TECHNIQUE ANALYSIS COMPLETED: [Nameless Technique].
> Classification: Dual Cultivation Technique type.
- Technique Requirement: Dao Spouse Partner [Mandatory]
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Dao Spouse Detected: Host binding confirmed.
> Locating Dao Spouse Coordinates...
Lordi remained calm as the system chimes echoed in his mind. He waited patiently, trusting the AllFullOS System to extract him from this damned place.
A short moment later, he heard the system chime again—
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Detected [0/1] Dao Spouse Character in service area for the moment.
- Continuing cultivation of the Nameless Technique will cause irreversible damage.
> Executing optimal solution...
> All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ has decided to be *GENEROUS* today!
> Dao Spouse x1 [new] will be gifted to the host for FREE.
Lordi Payne was confused at first.
Before he could react, the AllFullOS System seized control of his body, forcing him upright. Against his will, his feet pivoted toward Twin Peak Hill. In the next heartbeat, he was sprinting up the stone path—streaking toward Hanz Stronghold like a crimson blur.
A chill shot down Lordi’s spine. "What the FUC—"
Wind roared against his face as his body moved at an unnatural speed. Midway up the hill, he veered sharply into a woods valley. He had never set foot in this area since entered the Hanz Estate, but from the mountain map he’d seen on the Blood Puppet Float, he recognized it instantly—the Hanz Martial Arts Arena lay ahead in this woods valley depth.
Underground chamber that deep beneath Hanz Martial Arts Arena, chaos erupted.
Shattered Training Dummies and Dao Golem Puppets littered the chamber, their broken pieces writhing with an eerie aura. Then—they moved.
Fragments rolled and reassembled on their own, pulled by an unseen force. The killing intent in the air thickened as the debris floated back, sealing the wounds of the lifeless constructs. One by one, the dummies and golems lurched upright, their hollow eyes now burning with malevolence.
Blades and spears slid into their grips. They formed a tight assault formation, encircling Jorge Blue and his Thirst Bull Squad.
At the forefront stood three figures—ash-faced, their eyes devoid of life, only the whites remaining.
GhostClaw’s squad members.
Jorge’s fan snapped open with a flick of his wrist. His voice was calm, but his gaze sharpened. "Soren Langley and his squad got here before us? And yet... they fell to this trap?"
Rodney Luther’s voice cut through the tension, low and wary. "The rest of GhostClaw—including Soren—haven’t shown themselves. These puppets are weak, but if they took down GhostClaw... something far worse is waiting."
As if triggered by his words, the first row of dummies charged.
Their movements were stiff—unnatural—but fast. Spears thrust in perfect unison, each strike aimed to kill.
Jorge’s smile never wavered. With a lazy wave of his fan, a storm of joss paper erupted. The thin slips shredded through the air like blades, flinging a dozen dummies backward.
Beside him, Rodney’s cloak billowed—though no wind stirred in the tomb-like chamber. Twelve translucent resentful ghosts materialized behind him, shrieking as they possessed the nearest puppets.
The possessed constructs whirled—and attacked their own kind.
The two peak Ninth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators stood unfazed, their power unmatched. Yet in the shadows, something darker stirred...