Moments later, the lecture hour struck. The graceful female lecturer held an adorable demonic beast cub in her delicate hands. Her voice, silky and smooth, carried a chilling undertone as she began, "The core feature of our holy sect's Artifact Forging skills lies in Spirit Soul Enchantment!"
Without warning, her delicate fingers clamped around the cub's throat, her grip tightening mercilessly. The cub's eyes bulged in terror, its tiny body thrashing wildly in her grasp as it struggled for air. She held it up for all the disciples to see, its panicked flailing a grotesque spectacle against her serene expression.
"Only by mastering the art of torture," she continued, her voice dripping with icy calm, "can you inflict the utmost agony on your subject materials during execution. That's how you fill their feeble minds with hatred, rage, and, most importantly, fear."
Her chilling smile widened as she added, "Absolute terror ensures that even after their joints are dislocated, their ligaments snapped, their limbs torn from their bodies, their tendons stripped, their skin peeled, and their souls extracted—even as their spirits are enchanted into artifacts—they will still dread you too much to resist. Otherwise, the backlash from their hatred could destroy you. So, if you want to become a qualified Dao Artifact caster, you must first become a skilled torture executioner."
As she spoke, she laid out an array of blood-soaked torture tools on the platform, each more horrifying than the last. There were jagged hooks designed to tear flesh, serrated blades for slow, deliberate cuts, and strange, spiked contraptions that looked like they could twist limbs into unnatural shapes. One tool resembled a giant corkscrew, its purpose all too clear, while another was a set of pliers with teeth-like edges, perfect for peeling skin in strips.
She introduced each tool with the pride of a collector, her tone almost affectionate. "This one," she said, holding up a device that looked like a cross between a vice and a meat grinder, "is particularly effective for extracting screams. And this," she gestured to a set of needles as thin as hair, "can pierce the soul directly, amplifying the pain tenfold."
Then, with a charming smile, she added, "If any of these catch your eye, there's a shop at Artifact Forging Peak's grand market run by one of your senior sisters. Mention my name while placing the order, and you'll receive a free tome with 10,000 forging tips inside."
Her eyes gleamed with a dark excitement as she turned back to the cub, which was now limp and gasping in her hand. "Now—watch closely. I'll demonstrate the essential key of whipping torture."
——
By evening, Pay Ling dragged his exhausted body back to Ghost Shade Peak. His original plan had been to request a new dorm residence from the Affairs Hall, but when he arrived, the disciple on duty glanced at his nameplate and blanched, his expression shifting dramatically. "Junior Brother Pay," the disciple said, his voice tinged with unease, "you already have a dorm assigned to you. According to sect rules, switching residences costs a hundred D-grade spirit stones."
Pay Ling frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. "Then who else is living in my dorm now? Or is it still empty?"
The disciple looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else, his face screaming, Please leave! He stammered, "Empty, of course! And no one will be assigned to live there anytime soon. So, relax, Junior Brother Pay. That place is quiet and elegant—one of the best courtyards on this peak!"
Just me alone? Pay Ling thought, his unease growing. What if Lee Sagwon's family ambushes me there?
While Senior Brother Zheng Kinson had promised to shield him, Pay Ling wasn't about to take any risks. Better safe than sorry.
After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out the sect rules tomes and skimmed through them carefully. Then, he tucked the book away and made a decisive move—he headed straight to the Punishment Crypt.
For the entire night, Pay Ling meditated on the square plaza in front of the Punishment Crypt. The cold, slate tiles beneath him offered little comfort, but the presence of the crypt's enforcers and deacons passing by gave him a strange sense of security. None of them paid him any mind, which allowed him to relax, if only slightly.
——
By the next dawn, Pay Ling made his way to Alchemy Peak. After yesterday's grueling tour of skill courses, alchemy stood out as the least stomach-churning option. The thought of peeling the skin off helpless mortals or torturing adorable monster cubs to death was too much for him to stomach. Alchemy, despite its challenges, felt like the only path he could tread without completely losing himself.
Thankfully, the journey to Alchemy Peak went smoothly. Following Lecturer Yearn Goul's advice, Pay Ling located the market stall he had mentioned. After some haggling, he managed to purchase two sets of raw materials for refining the Bone Tempering Pill. The ingredients included:
- Ghost Placenta
- Cold Iron Grass
- Crocodile Tiger Bone
- Red Alder Flower
- Essence Blood of Enlightenment Stage Demonic Monsters
The purchase stung his wallet deeply. The Ghost Placenta alone cost 10 D$t per piece—and that was for the unprocessed version! The pre-processed ones jumped to 15 D$t each.
The Cold Iron Grass was 6 D$t per plant, with two plants required for each alchemy attempt.
Crocodile Tiger Bone? 7 D$t per ounce, and half an ounce was needed per alchemy attempt.
Red Alder Flower petals were 3 D$t stones each, with three petals required per attempt.
As for the Essence Blood, the price varied depending on the monster's cultivation level: 1 D$t per drop for blood from monsters at or below the third layer, and double or triple that for anything above.
Adding in the cost of supplementary materials, one complete set of alchemy ingredients cost him a staggering 37 D$t! Two sets? That was nearly all the spirit stones he had left.
"Dear Junior Brother, alchemy isn't as simple as it looks," the shopkeeper said, his tone dripping with the wisdom of someone who'd seen countless hopefuls come and go. He leaned casually against the counter, his eyes sharp but friendly, like a seasoned mentor sizing up a new disciple. "Even if you're a natural, you'll need dozens—maybe hundreds—of furnace attempts just to get a feel for it. Two sets of materials? You'll burn through those before the furnace even warms up properly. It's a waste of spirit stones, trust me."
He paused, leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Here's a better method for your reference: why not start small? Grab just one or two key ingredients and focus on mastering the processing techniques first. Handling the materials is half the battle. Get that down, and you'll save yourself a fortune in wasted attempts."
The shopkeeper's tone was smooth, persuasive, and laced with just enough concern to make it sound like he genuinely cared. "Look, I'm not trying to sell you less—I'm trying to save you from heartache. Start with the basics. Buy one or two major herbs or raw materials, practice the processing, and build your foundation. Once you've got that down, then you can dive into the full recipe. What do you say?"
Pay Ling listened carefully, appreciating the shopkeeper's advice. If he were doing this the traditional way, he'd probably take the suggestion to heart. But he wasn't relying on traditional methods—he had the AllFullOS system.
With a polite smile, Pay Ling shook his head. "Thank you, Senior Brother. Your advice is truly valuable, and I'd love follow it without hesitation. But… I'd still like to give it a try my way this time."
The shopkeeper tried to persuade Pay Ling a few more times, but seeing the junior brother's resolute expression, he finally shook his head and gave up. After exchanging the spirit stones with the materials, he watched Pay Ling walk away, then turned to a menial handyman disciple working in the stall. With a mix of amusement and exasperation, he snorted, "Shifu Yearn's alchemy skills have tricked yet another newcomer! These fresh-faced fools always watch Shifu Yearn make alchemy look as easy as breathing, and suddenly they think they can do it too."
The handyman boy, eager to please, chimed in with a flattering grin, "It's also because the boss is so kind-hearted that he tried to advise him repeatedly. But that immortal master wouldn't listen. When he fails later, it's not the boss's fault."
"Kind-hearted?" The shopkeeper burst into a dry, humorless laugh. If he were truly kind-hearted, he wouldn't have colluded with Yearn Goul to run this alchemy shop in the first place. His "considerate" advice was just a performance, a way to absolve himself of guilt when the inevitable failure came. After all, Pay Ling had ignored his warnings, and that was on him.
The Abyss Pit Sect was vast, teeming with dreamers itching to strike it big. There were always disciples like Pay Ling—fresh off their first few lectures, brimming with confidence, and convinced they could wing it. But even among these hopefuls, the shopkeeper found Pay Ling particularly delusional. Most newcomers at least bought dozens of furnace attempts' worth of materials, hoping to scrape together one or two defective pills through sheer luck. But only two sets of materials? That was laughable. It was like tossing spirit stones into a river just to hear the splash.
Shaking his head, the shopkeeper sighed. "This Pay Ling's so reckless and stubborn, he'll probably end up like those brainless fools—dead before he knows what hit him!"
Not that Pay Ling's potential demise bothered him much. The real issue was losing a customer. Still, even a fool like Pay Ling might wise up after a few failures. And if he didn't? Well, no spirit stones, no problem. The shop's real lifeline was the serious alchemists—the ones who came back again and again, their pockets deep and their ambitions tempered by experience.
With that thought, the shopkeeper put Pay Ling out of his mind and turned his attention to sorting through the herbs and raw materials with the handyman boy, preparing for the next wide-eyed dreamer to walk through the door.
Pay Ling didn't know—or care—what the shopkeeper thought of him. Even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered. He left the market and headed straight for the Alchemy Pagoda, where he rented a D-grade alchemy lab.
Even though it was the lowest-grade lab available, the cost was staggering: ten D-grade spirit stones for one hour! And that wasn't all. While the alchemy furnace in the lab was free to use, the alchemy fire wasn't. Sealed in a Dao Fulu, each use cost another ten stones. By the time he factored in the materials and other fees, the total came to a gut-wrenching 94 D$t.
Before he'd even lit the furnace, half of his hard-earned stash—painfully accumulated through life-and-death struggles—was gone. The expense made his heart ache, but he had no choice.
Once inside the alchemy lab, Pay Ling locked the door with his nameplate and took a moment to inspect the room thoroughly. He walked the perimeter, checking for traps or hidden risks. Satisfied that everything was safe, he finally allowed himself to relax—just a little. Cautious as ever, he summoned the system.
A translucent panel materialised in the air, hovering before him. Among the usual options, a new tab had appeared:
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
...
[Select Skill]
...
Inside were the results of Pay Ling's whirlwind tour of skill courses the previous day:
> Alchemy Skill: Bone Tempering Pill
> Fulu Crafting Skill: Skin Peel
> Artifact Forging Skill: Soul Torture
Pay Ling placed the raw materials for the Bone Tempering Pill in front of him, meticulously checking each item to ensure there were no issues. Everything was in order. Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind and issued the command: "System, I want to practice. Select the skill. Select Alchemy Skill: Bone Tempering Pill!"
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
The system chimed softly in response, and Pay Ling felt a familiar surge of energy as the AllFullOS took control.
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ is at your service!
> One-click-cultivation, worry-free-ascension!
+ [Features]
- Intelligent upgrades tailored to your cultivation needs!
- Fully automated cultivation: Sit back, relax, and let the system do the work!
...
> 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...
...