I'm quitting!

Chapter 40: From a purely rational perspective, I'm in deep trouble.

The morning light breaks through the bamboo tips, scattering golden fragments.

In the open space behind the mountain, a figure moved with lightning speed, the shadows beneath his feet surging like a tide.

Lin Xiaofan dodged a heavy spear shadow, and his majestic body was activated. His left arm was covered with a thin ice armor, and he caught the javelin that was slashing from the side. The spear tip was wrapped with fierce wind pressure, and golden flames exploded on the surface of the ice armor, creating a ripple.

This is the ninth consecutive day of morning exercise.

From initially barely managing to fend off the attacks of several shadow soldiers to now simultaneously dealing with the combined assault of three shadow generals, Lin Xiaofan's martial arts progressed so rapidly that even Old Xian, who was already accustomed to his extraordinary abilities, couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

However, these three Shadow Generals are by no means easy opponents.

The armored general, "Lin," stood as tall as a mountain, wielding a massive shield as tall as a man, its surface adorned with dark patterns that resembled a flowing star map. He remained silent, his breathing barely registering, as he silently advanced.

The shield, once erected, became a moving city wall. Lin Xiaofan's three ice blade strikes were all steadily blocked, leaving only shallow frost marks on the shield's surface.

The strategy of "Lin" is extremely simple: if you can't hurt me, I win.

The cavalry general, Zhen, rode a magnificent steed. Its four hooves landed silently, yet the bamboo leaves trembled and shook. He held a heavy spear, each strike as steady as a drumbeat. He sought neither speed nor skill, but only one word—heavy.

Where the gun struck, the ground cracked and the soil churned, gradually eroding Lin Xiaofan's space to dodge.

The real killer move always comes from a third direction.

The celestial rider, riding a graceful shadowy horse, hurled a javelin from a high place almost the instant Lin Xiaofan's attention was diverted. The javelin's tip pierced the air, leaving a gray trail like a shooting star.

fast.

Extremely fast.

Forced to the point that Lin Xiaofan had no chance to dodge, he had no choice but to turn the spear and deflect the attack.

The three generals joined forces without exchanging a single word, yet their tacit understanding was as perfect as precisely meshed gears.

Lin Xiaofan dodged and weaved amidst the intense attacks, seemingly at a disadvantage, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He is waiting.

Waiting for a slight misalignment in rhythm.

The shield of "Lin" is too heavy, and turning it will inevitably cause a delay of a fraction of a second; the spear of "Zhen" is too heavy, and pulling it out of the ground requires an instantaneous exertion; and the throw of "Qian" must be based on the premise that the former two have blocked the retreat.

This is the key to breaking the deadlock.

Lin Xiaofan suddenly changed his footing, deliberately creating an opening, and stumbled half a step back towards the shield wall on the left.

As expected, the heavy spear of "Zhen" followed closely, crashing down and blocking the right side; the giant shield of "Lin" pressed forward in the same direction, completely blocking the front.

The moment the encirclement closed in, "Qian" in the sky transformed into a streak of dark lightning, its spear aimed directly at Lin Xiaofan's back.

Right now.

Instead of retreating, Lin Xiaofan stepped forward to meet the giant shield of "Lin". He simultaneously clenched his fists, fully activating his majestic Dao Body, and true essence intertwined with icy blue and golden flames surged into his palms.

There are no fancy move names, only a simple and unadorned cross slash.

The waves of ice and fire exploded out with a deafening roar!

The giant shield of "Lin" was scorched by the golden flames, its dark patterns twisted, and it was forced to retreat three steps; the heavy spear of "Zhen" was frozen by the cold air, and its action of drawing the spear suddenly froze.

A gap appeared in the compressed space, and Lin Xiaofan spun around, his left palm hardening simultaneously, firmly intercepting the incoming javelin. He spun like a top, using the javelin's momentum to throw it out powerfully.

Bang!

The arrow accurately hits the shadow horse between the legs of the "front" horse, causing it to fall straight down.

The outcome is decided.

The three shadow generals simultaneously withdrew their troops, their movements perfectly synchronized, the clanging of their armor crisp and cold.

"Lin" slammed the giant shield down beside him and knelt on one knee; "Zhen" reined in his shadow horse, lowered his heavy spear, and bowed his head in respect; "Qian" dismounted, showing no remorse for his defeat, but silently knelt on one knee, his head bowed and hidden in the shadows.

Lin Xiaofan let out a long breath, smiled lightly, and nodded. The three generals dispersed into black shadows and returned to his feet.

If it weren't for the dual-attribute advantage of the Linhuang Dao Body, coupled with the natural suppression of the Shadow Army granted by the "Star Shadow Military Manual," this morning training session would probably have lasted for another hundred rounds.

Maqiu, perched on a bamboo branch with bulging cheeks, was engrossed in munching on a roasted sweet potato, mumbling, "The fight was exciting! Maqiu's going to eat six sweet potatoes to celebrate!"

Old Xian hovered to one side, his RGB lighting effects appearing somewhat out of place in the morning light: [Well played, tactical execution perfect. But that Ice and Fire Crossing move consumed too much true energy; three more hits and you'd be paralyzed—be careful in actual combat.]

"The Salted Fish Strategist is indeed sharp-eyed; he hit the nail on the head." Lin Xiaofan raised an eyebrow.

That's natural~

Old Xian proudly raised his fish head, then leaned close to Lin Xiaofan's ear and whispered:

[They didn't use their treacherous weapons today either, are they still wary of that watchful eye lurking in the shadows?]

In recent days, whenever Lin Xiaofan left the back mountain, he could vaguely sense a gaze fixed on his back. It wasn't intense, but it felt like needles pricking him, subtle yet ever-present.

[Is she really not your infatuated junior sister?]

Lin Xiaofan shook his head, strolled back to the bamboo shed, and drank a mouthful of cold tea.

"It's true that Junior Sister Ling'er has a criminal record, but if it really is her, she should be guarding the back mountain all along. Besides... you know her tracking methods, there's no way I couldn't detect her presence."

[So it really is the Script Management Bureau! They really are persistent, devoted, and loyal to you, Boss!]

"Don't make it sound like a melodrama." Lin Xiaofan rolled her eyes slightly. "Don't you have any countermeasures? If this keeps up, I feel like even the color of my underwear is going to be ruined."

[Relax~ You are a rebel yourself, they have no right to directly monitor you, you've already proven that. Besides, with me and Maqiu here, those high-scoring but low-ability data entities won't dare to approach recklessly.]

"That being said, we can't keep holding back from using our rebellious weapons forever, can we?"

What's there to be afraid of? I refuse to believe that a bunch of deadbeats can create an AI exactly like me.

"That's true... It's hard to find another salted fish AI that can match you in terms of skill and agility."

Is this a compliment?

Giving Lao Xian no room for speculation, Lin Xiaofan composed himself and focused his attention on the most pressing problem at hand—

The purity of the original wood energy still needs to be improved.

It is still 3 percentage points away from the safe threshold of 98%.

The number isn't large, but this 3% is more difficult to achieve than going from 0 to 95% combined.

Lao Xian turned on the light blue screen, which displayed sixteen temperature control curves arranged in dense rows.

The Three Green Cauldrons' ability to "refine all things" is indeed extraordinary, but the process of purification is just like distillation—the first ninety percent are easy, but the further you go, the more stubborn the impurities become, and the more tightly they are combined with the main body.

Relying solely on temperature control curve optimization has clearly reached its limit. The inherent woody quality of the thousand-year-old snow ginseng has reached its limit.

Lin Xiaofan closed his eyes and pondered deeply.

a long time.

"Old Xian, what if... I didn't just purify the wood energy itself, but instead used ice and fire to 'temper' it?"

Old Xian was taken aback.

[Ice can freeze impurities, causing them to become brittle and peel off; fire can burn residues, causing them to vaporize and dissipate... but this requires microscopic manipulation.]

"Hmm, that's why I thought of the Seed of the Sun."

He activated his dantian, and in the center of the red and blue lotus, the golden seed the size of a grain of rice trembled slightly.

One of the core abilities of the Seed of the Sun is "transforming hardness into softness"—it can soften true essence into an extremely delicate and gentle form.

[You're going to use the Seed of the Sun for micro-management?!]

The RGB lighting effects of the old-fashioned restaurant are flashing wildly.

This is quite a large size!

Before he finished speaking, Lin Xiaofan had already made his move.

The Three Green Cauldrons, shrunk to the size of a palm, floated in front of him, their accumulated essence rotating within them, emerald green and glistening.

With his left hand, he unleashed a cold current far thinner than a hair, freezing the stubborn impurities one by one; with his right hand, he simultaneously unleashed golden flames, precisely suppressing the temperature within an extremely narrow range—just enough to vaporize the impurities without harming the essence in the slightest.

Ice and fire alternate, one advances and the other retreats.

Like a scalpel removing a chronic illness, or like a needle carving patterns on a grain of rice.

Maqiu squatted to the side, its little nose twitching incessantly, and word bubbles popped out one after another:

"There are still impurities... just a little bit... and then it's gone..."

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Lin Xiaofan's forehead was covered in a fine sweat. If Lao Xian hadn't been wiping it back and forth with a handkerchief in his mouth, his face would probably have been a mess by now.

finally--

The essence within the cauldron gradually changed from emerald green to a nearly transparent light blue, as clear as glass.

The sesame ball suddenly raised its little claws, and the word bubble burst:

"So pure! So fragrant! This is the best woody scent I've ever smelled!"

After the old salted fish finished scanning with its blue eyes, a number popped up on the screen:

【Purity of Original Wood Qi: 99.6%】

"Haa..."

Lin Xiaofan slumped to the ground, letting out a long, drawn-out breath.

Old Xian clicked his tongue in amazement: "My goodness... he's even learned micro-surgery. Hasn't he considered pursuing medicine?"

"No... I won't consider it." Lin Xiaofan lay down on his back and shook his head decisively. "Studying medicine is too hard... I, a person who enjoys life, can't stomach the fine chaff of the great medical field."

[Hehe, should we learn anatomy next?]

"You bastard... stop jinxing me... after this job, I'm never taking on another medical job again."

Before the banter had subsided, footsteps were suddenly heard outside the bamboo shed.

"Senior, Valley Master Mi of Hundred Flowers Valley requests an audience."

Lin Xiaofan was slightly taken aback.

[It came at just the right time]

Lao Xian lowered his voice.

[You just finished adjusting the purity of the primordial wood energy, and she arrived.]

"Hmm..." Lin Xiaofan propped himself up and called out towards the outside of the shed, "Let them come over."

At the end of the bamboo path, two figures walked slowly towards them.

The woman in the lead, dressed in a simple blue dress, had a beautiful face, yet her weariness was undeniable—it was none other than Mi Lanfang, the mistress of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

Her gaze swept over the bamboo shed, finally settling on Lin Xiaofan. She bowed slightly and said, "Master Lin, Lanfang has arrived as promised."

Behind him, a young woman was wrapped in layers of spirit-patterned bindings.

The woman was about twenty years old, with disheveled black hair hanging to the ground. Her face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Mi Lanfang, but she was as pale as paper. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, and a foolish smile lingered at the corner of her mouth. She looked like a walking corpse whose soul had been ripped out.

The Valley Master of a Hundred Flowers is an only daughter who has "lost her heart" due to the collapse of her inner demons.

"Mi Yuyao; the only daughter of the owner of Baihua Valley"

Character's Fate

With just one glance, Lin Xiaofan's pupils shrank dramatically.

That was not some mediocre ending such as "becoming a madwoman and living out her days in old age".

The words clearly read—

"Six months later, the parasite completely devoured the soul, and the physical body became the mother of the flower demon. All the spiritual plants in Hundred Flowers Valley mutated, and all the disciples in the valley perished. The following year, the infection spread, and the Tian Zhou Dynasty was transformed into a paradise of strange plants."

Lin Xiaofan took a deep breath, his face remaining calm, but his chest was churning with turmoil:

Damn it! I don't want to play Resident Evil!