Godslayer: Reincarnated with SSS Rank Cultivation System-Chapter 144 : System’s Recognition

"Hahaha!" The old man's voice boomed with surprising vigor, a stark contrast to his battered body. His laughter echoed through the cave, rich and full of life despite the pain that lingered beneath it. "To think a demonic cultivator would have a heart... that's got to be the biggest mystery in the world." His voice softened, his gaze losing its usual sharpness. "But yes... I know what you mean. Even the most vile souls value relationships — no matter how rotten they are."

"Save your strength." Wen Ran's tone was sharp as he cut in, rolling his eyes in frustration. "Just give me a recipe that'll help you recover... and your pill furnace. I need to concoct a pill for you, and after that, we can go our separate ways, old man."

Relationships, huh… Wen Ran scoffed inwardly. People spend their whole lives pretending to be kind and gentle, yet at the end, they'll throw those bonds away in a heartbeat for the sake of their own gain… His mind wandered to the face he could never forget — his brother. No matter how much time passed, that wound still festered.

"Aren't you a little demanding?" the old man grunted, his voice tinged with irritation. "Do you think this old body of mine is so useless that I can't craft a pill myself?"

"Yes," Wen Ran shot back without hesitation, his patience snapping. "Your old bones are more useless than a pile of shit. Now hand over your furnace before I beat it out of you. You're no better than a corpse right now — where do you even get the confidence to act tough? Even a monkey would be less fake than you."

"You—!" The old man spluttered, his face turning red with disbelief. How did this brat turn from a seemingly loyal disciple to a foul-mouthed devil in a matter of seconds? But he understood Wen Ran's frustration — and begrudgingly accepted that he wasn't wrong. Right now, Xiao Lingyun could barely lift his arm, much less gather the strength to refine a pill. If this continued, his dwindling lifespan would drain away, and his body would give out before they ever made it out of this place.

"Fine..." the old man muttered at last, slumping against the wall. "There's a recipe in my spirit pouch — along with some herbs — but I'm missing the core ingredient." His expression twisted with concern. "It's called the Ice Spirit Lotus… and it only grows around frozen lakes in the snowy regions to the north. If you can gather a few in the next..."

His face darkened as he examined his withered hands, feeling the cracks in his damaged dantian.

"...twenty days," he finished grimly. "Then I might still have a chance to recover my strength and heal my dantian. But from here..." He shook his head. "With me dragging you down, we wouldn't even make it halfway in time. Just give up on this old fool and run away while you still can."

"Twenty days…" Wen Ran muttered, pressing his fingers against his temples as if trying to force away the pounding headache forming behind his eyes. "I can do it. Just don't you dare die on me before I get back — you hear me?" He jabbed a finger at the old man. "If you so much as think about dying, I'll drag your worthless soul out of the underworld and beat you back to life myself. Got it, you old shit?"

Without another word, Wen Ran turned and bolted from the cave, leaving the spirit pouch untouched on the cold stone floor.

He didn't know why he was acting this way — maybe because he had never known a father figure... maybe because he had never had a true master before. Or maybe... it was because he hated his own weakness — hated that it was his frailty that had forced the old man to risk everything for him.

It didn't sit well with him. That gnawing sensation, that twisting feeling in his chest — it felt wrong. And deep down, Wen Ran knew exactly what it was.

The start of a heart demon…

He clenched his fists tightly as he sprinted through the frozen landscape. A heart demon — the vile, insidious curse that crept into a cultivator's mind when their emotions spiraled out of control. It was a mental plague that clouded judgment, twisted reality, and turned the simplest doubts into unbearable burdens.

Wen Ran knew that if he didn't crush this feeling soon, it would haunt him at every breakthrough, shattering his focus and poisoning his mind. If left unchecked... it could cripple him for life.

I won't let it happen… Wen Ran thought bitterly. I'll find that Ice Spirit Lotus… and I'll show myself — and this damn world — that I can forge my own path to immortality.

His resolve burned so fiercely that it seemed to ignite something deep within the system — something that had lain dormant for a long time.

As Wen Ran sprinted through the frozen wilderness at full speed, a bright golden light flared before his eyes, and the system window flickered to life without his control.

[You have gained an achievement:]

[The Man of Honor]

[Reward:]

[Enhanced Control Over the System]

"What the hell does that mean?" Wen Ran muttered, his gaze narrowing as he stared at the glowing text. The golden letters pulsed with unnatural brightness, almost blinding him as they floated before him. His heart pounded wildly, a mix of confusion and curiosity gripping him.

For the longest time, Wen Ran had tried to unravel the system's mysteries — to grasp this strange technique that called itself a 'system' — yet no matter how hard he tried, he had never been able to feel its presence within his body or command it at will. It had always appeared on its own, as if mocking him for his lack of control.

But now...

[New Command Available: "User Menu"]

[New Command Available: "Inspect"]

[New Command Available: "Search"]

[New Command Available: "Skills Menu"]

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

[Congratulations, you have gained the system's recognition]

[New Quest Issued:]

[Craft a Soul Mending Pill]

[Reward for Success: 10 years of lifespan]