Chapter Forty-Three: Still Daring to Be Fierce?

Su Jian raised his brows. “She’s lucky it was me she ran into this time—if it had been someone else, she might have slipped away unscathed.” What truly reassured him at this moment was that Pei Aoyun did not have any protector by her side.

Pei Aoyun’s identity was extraordinary, that much was certain. Otherwise, how could an ordinary cultivator possess such a protection technique as a golden aura? Su Jian, after all, had once mingled among the highest echelons of the demonic sects; his own cultivation might not be impressive, but his experience far exceeded that of most cultivators.

For someone at Pei Aoyun’s level, a guardian would have to be at least in the Nascent Soul stage. With that thought, Su Jian’s gaze toward Pei Aoyun grew even colder. If he wanted to finish her off, he had to employ the system.

As for not relying too much on the system—Su Jian scoffed at the idea. Only a fool would pass up an advantage. Cultivators, he believed, needed sound judgment, not self-imposed hardship.

He searched the system for a while, and soon his thoughts settled on Bedrock.

[Bedrock: Originating from a game world, it is indestructible, immune to all magical and physical attacks. (Note: Due to the peculiarities of the game world, two adjacent blocks of Bedrock will automatically fuse and cannot be separated.)]

[Unlock Bedrock for 40,000 Spirit Points?]

In an instant, his resources were emptied again. Su Jian winced at the cost—he had been hoping to spend fifty thousand Spirit Points to summon another player to do his bidding.

[Current Spirit Points: 23,540.]

Annoyed, Su Jian muttered, “You troublemaker, couldn’t you just move on to your next life? Why insist on such pointless, self-destructive schemes? Do yourself a favor and avoid them next time.”

With that, Su Jian took out the Bedrock. It was heavy in his hand, its surface uncannily smooth.

He hesitated no longer. Right there, he constructed a chamber just large enough to fit Pei Aoyun standing upright. As each Bedrock block touched down, it seamlessly fused with the next.

His movements were smooth, practiced—there was no awkwardness at all.

Soon, a narrow space barely big enough for one person appeared before him. Su Jian didn’t forget to leave an opening. He reached out and began to search Pei Aoyun.

Zhao Qianxue frowned slightly at the sight, itching to take over for Su Jian.

Quickly, Su Jian retrieved a storage ring from Pei Aoyun but made no move to examine it yet.

The immediate priority was to deal with Pei Aoyun; everything else could wait.

Without hesitation, he lifted Pei Aoyun and tossed her into the cramped cell he’d built. At that moment, hatred and venom flashed in Pei Aoyun’s eyes, but not a trace of fear—she was protected by her golden aura. Su Jian was merely a Golden Core ant; even someone at her own level would fail to harm her.

Su Jian arched his brow. “Still putting on a fierce face?”

Without a word, he drew his sword and slashed at Pei Aoyun’s delicate face, sparing not a single thought for her beauty. After several blows, only a few faint lines appeared on her skin, not even breaking the surface.

He might not have hurt her, but it certainly made him feel better.

Zhao Qianxue asked in puzzlement, “Little Jian, what exactly are you doing?”

She found herself unable to understand, only sensing that the stone he used was extraordinarily peculiar—two blocks joined together appeared seamless, almost magical.

“This thing is indestructible—not even a cultivator at the Great Ascension stage could break it,” Su Jian explained simply. From Pei Aoyun’s eyes, he caught a flash of shock. Unfortunately, her expression was paralyzed; only her gaze betrayed any emotion.

Zhao Qianxue, intrigued, brushed her fingers lightly over the Bedrock. It was cool and smooth to the touch, unlike any material she had ever encountered.

Su Jian sighed. “At least this is a scenic spot. You should be grateful you weren’t in Lingzhou City—otherwise, I’d have buried you in the latrine. Just imagining it is satisfying enough.”

But even so, he had no intention of letting her off easily.

He took out another block of Bedrock and placed it above, sealing the space except for a small opening.

After surveying his surroundings to ensure nothing was amiss, Su Jian pulled out a pile of Heavenly Star Thunder bombs and, with swift hands, began bombarding the confined space where Pei Aoyun stood.

Zhao Qianxue went from confusion to shock, her mouth agape as she watched. Su Jian’s face was utterly unmoved, tossing out the explosives as if they were worthless stones.

She resolved then and there to help Su Jian break his wasteful habits someday.

He hadn’t counted precisely how many bombs he threw—at least several thousand. By then, Pei Aoyun’s psychological defenses had been utterly shattered; her spirit was broken. Under the relentless barrage, her golden aura began concentrating on vital areas, leaving less important parts unprotected. Her body remained largely unscathed, but her clothing and hair suffered.

She wondered who she had provoked this time, but regret came far too late. While fury still burned within her, she wanted nothing more than to break down in tears. Yet, bound by the immobilizing talisman, even crying was a luxury beyond her reach.

Su Jian’s revenge did not end there.

Next, he made full use of his available resources. Unwilling to return to Lingzhou for filthier methods, he settled for using the Five Poisons Powder instead.

Wasting no further time—they’d already lingered here too long—Su Jian beckoned Zhao Qianxue for help. Dumping out nearly a thousand bottles of Five Poisons Powder, he set to work, pouring them in one after another.

Zhao Qianxue frowned. “Little Jian, isn’t this a bit too extravagant? Things aren’t like they used to be...” Though curious about the source of Su Jian’s resources, she refrained from asking further. If he wanted to tell her, he would; perhaps he had his reasons.

Su Jian simply smiled, “Next time, I promise.” Then he resumed pouring in the powder, bottle after bottle.

With a helpless smile, Zhao Qianxue soon joined in, finding herself oddly entertained by the task.

In no time, the Five Poisons Powder had reached Pei Aoyun’s calves. Satisfied, Su Jian stopped—any more and the powder would have overflowed.

At last, Pei Aoyun’s vision went black; she was completely cut off from the world. The acrid scent of the Five Poisons Powder filled the tiny space.

And with that, the deed was done.