Two days later—

At the base of Soul-Severing Cliff, dense trees stretched endlessly beneath a thick veil of mist. The bottom of the cliff, untouched by sunlight year-round, was bitterly cold, an eerie chill seeping into the bones of anyone who dared step into its depths.

A lone figure moved through the undergrowth, his features sharp and refined. A silver chain adorned his forehead, his dark hair flowing against a silk robe. He walked with an effortless grace, yet every step carried an invisible force, reducing any shrubbery within seven feet to dust before it could even brush against him.

Jun Zhu strode forward, his expression cold and severe. The unstable energy radiating from his body wreaked havoc on the surrounding vegetation.

“How much farther?”

By now, Jun Zhu’s patience had worn dangerously thin. For two days, this ridiculous system had been pushing him forward without a moment’s rest. If not for the extraordinary strength of this body, any normal person would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. If it weren’t for the mission, he would have given up already!

“Hang in there, host! We’re almost there!”

Sensing his growing irritation, the system’s sweet, delicate voice took on a pitiful tone:

“Please don’t be mad, host! I only wanted to speed up the plan so you could complete your mission and return home as soon as possible. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get close to the protagonist—I didn’t want you to miss it!”

“…Got it.” Jun Zhu’s voice was icy.

The system: Wuwuwu, why is my host so cold and distant?

Jun Zhu pressed on. After about ten minutes, the system’s voice rang out again—

“Beep beep! The protagonist has been detected nearby! Please locate him immediately!”

Spreading out his spiritual sense, Jun Zhu quickly locked onto a presence not far away.

He approached and saw a figure lying motionless on the ground, half-buried under a pile of dead leaves and broken branches. The moment he got close, a thick, metallic stench of blood assaulted his nose. He frowned slightly and asked in a neutral tone—

“This is him?”

“That’s right, that’s right! This is him! This is the protagonist—we finally caught up with him!” The system’s voice practically trembled with excitement.

Jun Zhu remained silent. By now, he had already grown used to the system’s overly enthusiastic, sugary voice.

The man on the ground didn’t move. He was completely still, with not even the faintest sign of life, resembling nothing more than a corpse.

Jun Zhu crouched down beside him and reached out to check his breathing. It was weak—but still there.