Protagonist Quest

Due to a work-related business trip, I will not be able to upload new chapters during the week. To make up for this, I will be releasing another two chapters today. Upon my return, I will also do a mass release of chapters. Thank you for your understanding.

Ye Chen

After parting ways with Xia Tao, we left the cave and emerged into the open air, a small distance away from the mountain.

"Ye Chen, I need to fly home immediately" Goose said with urgency in his voice. "If things are this serious, I can't afford to waste a single second." He tossed me a couple of lily seeds. "Here are two seeds, one for you, and one to give to Xue Li Ying. She will be waiting for you on the slope of the Mountain of Meetings, at the spot where we last met. She'll be there tomorrow or the day after at sunset. If all goes well, I should be back in about two weeks. Don't get into trouble without me, alright? I'm off."

With that, he soared into the sky, disappearing rapidly using some strange technique.

I watched him go, then decided it was time to visit my mountain and my master. Lately, I've had nothing but adventures, and though it was exciting, it was also exhausting. I was getting closer to breaking through to the next Major Realm. Our time cultivating here hadn't been wasted, even though my progress had been slower than I'd hoped. The quality of my spiritual energy had definitely transformed.

As I made my way to the bar for a quick drink, I couldn't help but reflect on my journey. I had come a long way, and the trials I had faced had only strengthened my resolve. After ordering a drink, I activated my Protagonist System to check on my progress since training in the cave.

The familiar interface appeared before my eyes, showing various stats and abilities:

Protagonist System

Name: Ye Chen

Base Attributes:

Strength: 28 -> 37

Agility: 15 -> 20

Intelligence: 17 -> 21

Cultivation Base: Purification of Essence (2nd major level), 9th stage

Skills:

Celestial Dragon's Ascendancy: Minor Achievement 25/40

Movement Techniques:

Flicker of the Dragonfly: Minor Achievement 7/22

Dragon Steps: Minor Achievement 12/17

Special:

Protagonist Aura (Max lvl)

Light Plot Armor (Max lvl)

Who's the best? I'm the best! Who's better than everyone? I'm better than everyone!

The next morning, I felt a sense of peace and accomplishment. However, as the sun rose higher in the sky, another familiar ding echoed in my mind, signaling a new quest from the Protagonist System.

[New Quest Available]

Quest: "Damsels in Distress"

Objective: Save the inner sect beauties from a terrible fate and help them escape.

Reward:

1) 100,000 spirit stones

2) Rare Item: Crystal of Elemental Harmony

3) hidden, based on performance

Fail Penalty: Death of two inner sect disciples

Details: Two inner sect disciples will be kidnapped and will be killed to be turned into combat mummies.

Note: Availability strictly limited.

[Yes] [No]

Without hesitation, I selected [Yes]. After all, I was the protagonist! Saving damsels in distress and winning their hearts was part of my destiny. With renewed determination, I set off in the direction indicated by the quest.

Zhen Yinglong (female inner disciple)

"Fuck! How the hell did I get into this mess? Why the fuck did that idiot girl follow me? She's dumb as a rock and a magnet for trouble! Why couldn't she just stay put in her fucking mansion? No, she had a vision that she'd meet the love of her life if she came with me! Is she fucking crazy? All I wanted was to finish a ritual of absorption on those assholes who were bothering me. Shit!"

As I tried to shake off this pain in the ass, one of those bastards escaped and decided to rat me out. Like I'd let that happen. My family practices the absorption of our enemies' talent, potential and luck, but for some reason, our practices are considered forbidden on this continent. What's the big deal if we absorb something before killing? I think it's just jealousy! Pff!

So, as I chased the bastard down—because there's no way I was letting him get away, and this idiot girl kept following me, blabbering about how our destinies would soon change and find purpose. Stupid bitch, why are you glued to me? And she didn't even care that I was trying to catch and kill someone. All she cared about was being around for the "life-changing event" of our destinies or whatever the fuck she was on about.

When I finally managed to injure that fucker and was about to knock him out, I heard a scream from behind. I knocked the bastard out and turned around to see that idiot with her head stuck in a tree. She must've tripped. How the hell does a cultivator who participates in battles—and I've seen her fight in tournaments, she's not bad—manage to trip and get her head stuck in a tree? What the actual fuck?

"Fuck, stupid girl. Why the hell did she have to follow me?" I muttered to myself as I walked towards her. The annoyance in my voice echoed in the quiet forest. I could still hear her nonsensical blabber about destinies and life-changing events in my head.

But then, something felt off. My vision started to blur, and a wave of dizziness hit me. Poison? How? When? I staggered, trying to maintain my balance, but the world around me spun out of control. Darkness quickly enveloped my senses.

Some Time Ago 

Some male inner disciple

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I muttered under my breath as I struggled to stay upright. That bitch had drained my cultivation and nearly my life! I needed to tell someone immediately so they could kill her. That vile creature! All I did was try to make a move on her—who knew she practiced such an evil art? No wonder she became an inner disciple! How many people had she killed?

Breaking the last of my restraints, I ignored my unfortunate comrades and bolted outside, trying to get my bearings. Judging by my surroundings, I was somewhere in the outer circle. No matter. Once I reached the inner circle, I'd report her, and she'd be fucked.

Despite my cultivation dropping to the 7th level of Purification of Essence, I still had my skills and techniques. I couldn't use them to their full potential, but they were enough to get me through. I ran, pushing myself forward with every ounce of strength I had left.

As I sprinted through the forest, I glanced back and saw that bitch chasing after me, her eyes blazing with fury. But why the hell was that blissed-out idiot Liang Nuwang running behind her? What was she doing here?

My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and adrenaline driving me forward. The forest blurred around me as I tried to put as much distance between us as possible. I had to make it to the inner circle. I had to warn them. But with each passing second, my body grew weaker, the effects of the drained cultivation taking its toll.

"Get back here, you piece of shit!" Zhen Yinglong's voice echoed through the trees, filled with rage.

I stumbled, nearly falling as I dodged a tree root. My breath came in ragged gasps, my vision narrowing. I could hear her getting closer, the ground shaking with the force of her pursuit.

I also was thinking about that stupid girl, why she was here? Ididn't have anything personal against Liang Nuwang, I always tried to keep my distance from her. How she had survived this long was beyond me. As I ran, the thoughts in my head swirled like a storm. If I got to the inner circle and reported her, they'd kill her for sure. But what about me? My cultivation was wrecked. They'd throw me out into the outer circle, and I had plenty of enemies there. Plus, that bitch had taken all my resources. I'd be left with nothing.

The more I ran, the more I thought about my predicament. Sure, getting her killed would be satisfying revenge, but it wouldn't help me on my path as a cultivator. Fuck! Wait!! What if I tried to take her down myself and sell her off to that fagots that making combat mummies? That way, I could get something out of this mess.

With a plan forming in my mind, I slowed my pace slightly, allowing her to close the distance. My heart pounded not just from the exertion but from the risk I was about to take. If I played this wrong, I was dead. But if I succeeded, I could turn this disaster into an opportunity.

I had some acquaintances in another sect who specialized in corpse cultivation. They might find her interesting, and I could throw in the blissed-out idiot for good measure. Let her bring them bad luck! Once I realized how to turn this shitshow into maximum profit, all that was left was execution.

Using a forbidden technique, I sacrificed part of my liver and one kidney to emit an intangible poison as I ran. Since they were following me closely, they'd definitely breathe it in. After about half an hour, that bitch threw another rock spear, and this time it pierced my leg. Fuck! How could this happen?

I was ready to accept my fate when I heard a scream behind me. Ahahahah, that blissful idiot had fallen and crashed into a tree. The poison must have worked after all. Well, if I don't die quickly, maybe luck is still on my side!

And then, darkness.

When I finally woke up, my head pounded with a wild, throbbing pain. I groggily got to my feet and then burst into maniacal laughter.

"Yes! The poison worked! Ahahaha, now you're going to pay for everything, you bitch! I'll make you remember all the pain you put me through!" I staggered towards Zhen Yinglong, each step making me feel slightly better despite my damaged organs and broken cultivation. "Nothing, nothing can stop me now! Ahaha, it was worth it! I'd even fuck you if virgins weren't more valued, especially by those necrophiles!"

As I approached Zhen Yinglong, I gathered all my remaining strength and kicked her as hard as I could. She flew back about thirty meters into the forest. "She won't die. Bitches like her never die that easily" I muttered to myself, turning my attention to the blissed-out idiot stuck in the tree. "Time to see how she's doing. Ahaha, they got hit by the poison just in time!"

I stumbled towards the tree, my laughter echoing through the forest. The adrenaline coursing through my veins made me feel almost invincible. My mind was racing with thoughts of revenge and the twisted satisfaction of seeing Zhen Yinglong suffer.

As I reached the tree, I found Xue Li Ying still stuck. I grabbed her roughly, pulling her free from the branches. She yelped in pain, but I didn't care. All I cared about was making sure she was still alive. The guys would pay handsomely for her if she was in decent condition.

"Look at you," I sneered, dragging her towards the clearing. "So helpless. You're going to make me a lot of spirit stones."