Chapter 94: Senior Sister, Please Don’t Die…

Chapter 94 - Senior Sister, Please Don’t Die... Lordi Payne had no space to spare for Kim Simona's struggles. Not when the Nether Chill Spring's agony was tearing through his body like a storm of razors. The moment his body sank into the bathtub, it was as if a thousand rusty needles stabbed into his flesh, each prick searing deeper, gnawing into his bones. The pain grew sharper with every passing second, morphing into the sensation of countless blades flaying his skin, slicing him alive in a slow, endless torture. His muscles screamed, his marrow burned, yet Lordi gritted his teeth. He'd survived the crucible of fusing the Ice Pith Fire into his body—this was just another trial. Cursing the AllFullOS System under his breath, he braced himself, warily watching Kim Simona for any sudden attack. Then, the unexpected happened. The Ice Pith Fire, dormant since the Dao Flame fusion, awoke, roused by the AllFullOS System's reckless one-click cultivation. Azure flames flickered in the depths of his pupils, and as his body drank in the spring's frigid essence, the Dao Flame ignited, flared across his skin, spreading like wildfire. The dual torment was unimaginable—his flesh sliced by the spring's icy blades, his soul scorched by the flame's relentless burn. Just his fucking luck. First, the Dao Flame's searing baptism. Then, the Nether Chill Spring's torturous blades. And now? Now, the Ice Pith Fire roared to life, burning through him while the icy essence continued its slow, surgical dissection of his flesh and soul. He was forced to face both at once, a crucible of agony that threatened to break him "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" His mind screamed, a torrent of curses aimed at the AllFullOS System. "Stupid, goddamn AwfulOS! Artificial idiot! Burn in hell, you worthless scrap of code!" He was trapped in a nightmare—scorched and flayed alive at the same time. Then— "It's YOU! You're the filthy rat who steal my Ice Pith Fire!" Kim Simona's enraged shriek cut through his suffering thought, voice raw with fury. Her shout trembled with rage, but it faltered as blood sprayed from her lips. Her earlier emotional turmoil had fractured her cultivation, and now her injuries worsened. "I'll fucking kill—" Her words choked off in a gasp, another gush of blood spilling as she collapsed against the tub's edge, unconscious. "..." Lordi Payne stared all this, his heart sinking. A heavy, exhausted sigh echoed in his mind. "Oh... fuck me..." A shaky breath. "Just... end me already." He wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. "Please," he thought, his voice a broken whisper in his own head. "Burn it all. Let the whole world collapse into nothing." No matter how terror and panic gripped Lordi Payne, the AllFullOS System remained utterly unmoved. Cold and unyielding, it ignored the chaos swirling around him, driving forward with mechanical precision, its sole focus on cultivation the Bone Tempering Art. The Nether Chill Spring's water was unnaturally dense—each drop as heavy as a steel ball, gleamed with an inky blackness that seemed to swallow light itself. Each drop felt like a lead weight against Lordi Payne's skin. But as the hours passed, the water's oppressive hue began to fade, the color grew lighter, its oppressive weight diminishing away hour by hour. By dawn, the bathtub held only a basin of clear, ordinary water, as if the spring's frigid essence had been consumed entirely. Then—Lordi Payne's body trembled, a sudden shudder rippling through him. The once-overwhelming agony that had torn at his flesh and bones receded like a retreating tide, replaced by a torrent of vibrant, surging power. With each breath, his spirit energy coursed freely through his limbs, roaring in his veins. Every muscle, every fiber of his being thrummed with strength—far beyond his former Sixth Layer Qi Refinement Stage. He had broken through to the Seventh Layer Qi Refinement Stage! And right on cue, the AllFullOS System's chime echoed in his mind, its mechanical tone ringing with cold finality. ~ Ding! System Notification Chime ~ [AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0] > Cultivation session status: COMPLETE > Host control: RESTORED > Thank you for using the All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation SystemTM (AllFullOS v1.0.0) > Feedback request: - We value your opinion! (No, really, we do.) - If you are satisfied with our service, please give us a five-star rating. > Tap to Rate: [☆☆☆☆☆] Lordi Payne's face twisted into a scowl, his skin paling as he mentally lashed out at the AllFullOS System. With a flick of his will, he slapped a one-star negative rating on the cursed AwfulOS, the prompt chiming coldly in his ears. ~ Ding! System Notification Chime ~ [AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0] > [★☆☆☆☆] > Submitted. Thanks for your feedback. No time to dwell. He sprang from the bathtub, water sluicing off him, and dressed in a frantic blur, intent on fleeing the scene. His gaze darted to Kim Simona, slumped motionless against the tub's edge since her collapse the previous night. Her hair hung in wet, tangled strands, her body bare and still, her chest unnaturally still as if frozen in time. Hesitation gripped him. Has she... not moved at all... since last night? Cautiously, he crept closer, and gently nudged her shoulder. "Senior Sister? Can you hear me? Senior Sister?"" No response. Then—plunk. Kim Simona slid limply into the water, her body boneless. Lordi's stomach dropped, his face darkening. "Oh, fuck. Is she... dead?" Memories of this senior sister's reputation flashed through his mind and that fame crashed over him. He'd heard of Kim Simona's renown on his first visit to the Tower of Hundred Treasures—a prodigy alchemist, courted by three high-layer Qi Refinement disciples, one of them at the peak of entire Qi Refinement stage. Worse, she was the selected future alchemy successor of an Inner Sect Grand Elder, marked as an apostle pupil. If she died here, today, not even Kinson Wexford's influence could shield Lordi from a death sentence. "Senior Sister, Please don't die..." Panic spurred Lordi Payne into action. He hauled Kim Simona from the bathtub, water streaming from her limp form, and carried her cold body to a nearby soft couch. Brushing aside her soaked hair, he revealed her pallid face, blood crusted at her jaw and lips, now dried. He pressed his fingers to her wrist, relief flooding him as he felt a faint pulse and saw the shallow rise of her naked chest. Thank holy abyss! She was alive—barely. "Well, this Senior Sister Kim is an alchemist," Lordi muttered. "There's got to be some healing pills here." He draped a silk blanket over her, and began scouring the chamber room. Soon, he'd gathered dozens of jade bottles and jars. But a new problem arose.One by one, Lordi opened the jade bottles, recognizing only four types of elixir pills: Bone Tempering Pills, Jade Tempering Pills, Blood Qi Pills, and Spirit Restoring Pills—familiar to him from past use. The rest, however, were a mystery. Unlabeled, devoid of arcane inscriptions, he had no way of identifying them due to lack of alchemy knowledge. "Should I just feed her one at random?" The reckless thought flickered and immediately dismissed. This Kim Simona was a Demonic Sect alchemist after all. Who knew what horrors lurked in those unlabeled pills? Some might be poison, or worse. After a moment's deliberation, he pried open her mouth and slipped in one Spirit Restoring Pill and one Blood Qi Pill, hoping they'd stabilize her. The remaining bottles he swept into his storage pouch, planning to consult a staff member at the Tower of Hundred Treasures later. Better safe than sorry. His mind raced as he grabbed Kim Simona's sect nameplate from the chamber table. "Breaking into a sect comrade's residence, stealing their property, disrupting their cultivation... hmm according to the sect laws, that's, what, a few thousand spirit $tones in fines?" he reasoned, trying to calm himself. "As long as this Senior Sister lives, such fine is not big deal. Mother of abyss, the thing's still manageable." Last night, the AllFullOS system had seized control of Lordi Payne's body, allowing him to break in the courtyard unhindered. Lordi himself knew nothing of such defensive wards. The grotto courtyard's layers ward arrays made entry nearly impossible—but exiting, thankfully, was far simpler. With Kim Simona's sect nameplate in hand, Lordi Payne took a single step past the threshold. The wards dissolved like mist, leaving him standing outside beneath the pale light of dawn. Before Lord Payne could turn toward the Tower of Hundred Treasures, a massive floral lantern drifted down from the sky, its petals shimmering softly in the dawn light. From within emerged a tall, slender figure—Ruru Rosa, clad in an emerald-green gown with flowing golden hair. Her eyes widened in shock before narrowing with suspicion. "You! Halt there! Who are you?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "Why in the abyss are you leaving Junior Sister Kim's courtyard at this hour?" Lordi's mind scrambled for an excuse. "I, uh—" Before he could cobble together a lie, Ruru Rosa's hand lashed out, a palm strike slicing through the air toward him without warning. Instinct took over. Lordi dodged to the side, heart pounding, but in that fleeting moment, his hands felt lighter. Ruru Rosa now stood three feet away, Kim Simona's sect nameplate clutched in her grip. Her face was a mask of frost. "How the hell do you have Junior Sister Kim's nameplate?" Without waiting for Lordi's answer, she deactivated the courtyard's defensive wards and stormed inside. Shit! Great panic surged through Lordi. "If she discovered Kim Simona's near-death state now—everything would unravel." In a crimson blur, he casted the Blood Spectre Footwork Art, streaking after her close like a phantom. Lord Payne inhaled the sweet fragrance of Ruru Rosa's flowing hair as he followed closely behind her. In an instant, the two reappeared together in the courtyard's front hall. "Junior Sister Kim!" Ruru Rosa called, her voice echoing unanswered. She strode toward the inner chamber. Lordi moved faster. His body dissolved into scarlet mist, surging past her like a thunderbolt before reforming directly in her path. Blocking the way to the inner chamber, Lordi Payne stood firm, voice low, laced with urgency. "This Senior Sister, please listen. Senior Sister Kim is unwell and needs rest. I kindly ask you not to disturb her." No one can know Kim Simona's on the brink of death, he thought, dread coiling in his gut. Ruru Rosa's eyes blazed with fury. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Junior Sister Kim never mentioned you to me!" Lordi Payne froze for a half heartbeat, then caught the glimmer of opportunity in her words. This senior sister Ruru Rosa didn't recognize him. A spark of relief ignited, and he seized it, his tone boldening. "Senior Sister, my bond with Simona-chan... well, she doesn't need to share every detail with you, does she?" "Si... Simona-chan?" Ruru Rosa stiffened, her voice catching at the affectionate term of address. The intimacy of it stunned her, sowing doubt. This male cultivator... so close to Junior Sister Kim? Lordi leaned into his newfound confidence, his voice smooth yet laced with a subtle warning. His gaze locked onto Ruru Rosa's, unwavering and resolute. "Senior Sister, please listen. Simona-chan isn't in a state for visitors. Kindly leave her sect nameplate and go. We have private matters to attend to, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to intrude." "Pri... private matters?" Ruru Rosa's face flushed crimson. The words stung like a slap to her pride. She had always boasted of her bond with Kim Simona—closer than kin, a relationship that even made Shaun Zet, Kim's persistent suitor, tread carefully around her. Yet now, this stranger spoke of "private affairs" with Junior Sister Kim as if she were nothing? To be dismissed so callously, as if she were an outsider in Kim Simona's affairs, ignited a fire in her chest. Her eyes blazed with indignation, and without a word, she struck. A swift arc of spiritual energy aimed at Lordi Payne's chest. Lordi, still stinging from her earlier attack, was ready this time. But a curse flashed through his mind—he'd left his Blade of Life Hater behind in the lab hotel, dragged to this courtyard by the AllFullOS System's brainless one-click-navigation. Unarmed, he had no choice but to meet her strike with his bare hands. Raising his palm to his brow, he surged the spirit qi of Blood Fiend Blade Art in his vein, his hand slicing down like a blade wreathed in a crimson aura of blood. Swish—! The air hissed as Lordi's palm, cloaked in a pulsing bloody glow, met Ruru Rosa's strike head-on. Her attack shattered against the crimson arc, the force dissipating like mist under a storm. Ruru Rosa's eyes widened, but she didn't hesitate. Her body blurred into motion, her steps light and fluid, weaving through the air like a bee darting among flowers. In an instant, she was behind Lordi's back, her palm morphing into a claw, fingers curled like talons aimed to rip through his spine. Her claws grazed the fabric of Lordi's robe, but before they could sink in, his form dissolved into a swirling cloud of blood mist, vanishing from her grasp. Ruru's strike cleaved empty air, her momentum faltering. Two moves. Two failures. Ruru Rosa froze, disbelief flashing across her face. This cultivator, barely at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement Stage—how had he countered her twice in succession? Her mind raced, grappling with the impossibility of it. Before she could unravel the mystery, a chill kissed the back of her neck. Ruru spun, heart lurching, only to find a palm blade hovering at her throat, its bloody aura humming with menace. Lordi rematerialized behind her, his palm blade a hair's breadth from her jugular. Well, to be hones, Lordi was equally shocked at this moment, blinked. "...Huh?" "This Eighth Layer Senior Sister... is she really this weak?"