My Crazy Upgrade System

As Shi Xueyun turned to leave, a large, strong hand gently wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"You silly thing, what’s on your mind...?"

Yi Tianyun knew all too well what was troubling Shi Xueyun. She had worried about this before—being completely unable to help, forced to only watch from the sidelines. He could only imagine how she felt.

Although he had comforted her many times, his words couldn’t quell the anxiety in her heart.

"Tianyun, I feel like I can’t keep up with you anymore..." Shi Xueyun said with a sigh.

"Well..." Yi Tianyun didn’t know how to answer. ’Who *could* keep up with me?’ he thought. ’Even those whose cultivation was higher than mine in the beginning were quickly surpassed.’ That was the benefit of his leveling system.

No bottlenecks. All it took was a bout of frenzied killing or a round of Alchemy, and he would successfully level up. Sometimes it took a month, other times just a few days. Who could possibly compare to that?

"Actually, what I want is very simple. I just want to help, to be closer to you and see what’s happening..." Shi Xueyun said softly. "Before, when you were fighting down below, we didn’t even have the right to go down there. I felt awful. If something had happened to you, I wouldn’t have even been able to see you one last time..."

Her smile was tinged with bitterness. She knew she could never catch up to Yi Tianyun, but not even being qualified to get close to him—that was what broke her heart the most.

Yi Tianyun squeezed her hand, feeling the trembling in her heart that was conveyed through her small hand.

"That’s why you’re the first person I look for every time I come back, remember?" Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile. He knew there wasn’t much he could do to help her cultivation advance by leaps and bounds. He had already given her everything he could, such as Elixir Pills and Martial Arts.

Shi Xueyun was already breaking through at an astonishing rate, one that could be called monstrously talented, but there just hadn’t been enough time for her to reach a respectable realm.

Shi Xueyun was taken aback, her heart slowly calming down. Thinking about it, it was true. No matter what he went off to do, Yi Tianyun always came to see her first upon his return, just to let her know he was safe.

"Very few people can fight side-by-side with me, but you’re the only one I come back to see first," Yi Tianyun whispered in her ear.

"Tianyun..."

Shi Xueyun leaned gently against his shoulder, her mind gradually going blank. She didn’t want to say anything; she just wanted to lie there quietly for a while.

Yi Tianyun gently leaned back. There was nothing behind him to sit on, but he used his Spiritual Power to levitate, as if they were sitting on a bed. He let Shi Xueyun lie gently in his arms, soaking in the tranquility.

There was no further intimacy, just a moment of heartfelt connection.

Yi Tianyun didn’t know how much he could soothe Shi Xueyun, but he knew she definitely wouldn’t stop here. She would continue to cultivate and break through, hoping that one day she could stand behind him and offer her support.

This was a thought shared not just by Shi Xueyun, but also by Yi Yuwei, Jiu Lingyun, and others. None of them, however, could achieve this. So, all they could do was meticulously manage the Celestial Cloud Mansion and handle the tasks within their capabilities.

Yi Tianyun didn’t demand that they frantically rush to catch up; it was simply too difficult. Only a monster among monsters could keep pace with him.

After their tender moment, it was time to part ways. Shi Xueyun still had matters to attend to for the Merak Sect; the battles were ongoing, and the cleanup on all fronts was still in progress.

Yi Tianyun also went to help, personally taking on the cities that were more difficult to clear. Everything proceeded smoothly. The entire Netherworld Continent was plunged into a bloody slaughter: those who surrendered would live, and those who resisted would be killed!

The ones who surrendered would not be enslaved. As long as they weren’t too close to the Netherworld Empire or held official positions, they would be allowed to leave freely.

Killing every last one of them would be too cruel, as most were simply here to cultivate. Therefore, upon learning of the fall of the Netherworld Imperial City, many Cultivators had fled, knowing that if they didn’t leave, they would be next to die.

In an instant, most cities were emptied of Cultivators, leaving few people behind. This greatly reduced the difficulty of the cleanup process.

Finally, after several weeks of conquest, only one last city remained. All of the Netherworld Empire’s elite generals and ministers had gathered there, and they refused to surrender.

"We will never surrender! If you want to kill us, then kill us!"

"That’s right! We will live and die with the Netherworld Empire! We would rather fight to the last man than surrender!"

"If you want a fight, then bring it on!"

They shouted loudly, showing no fear of Yi Tianyun and his forces.

"It seems you still hold out some hope for the Netherworld Empire. Do you think some expert will come to save you?" Yi Tianyun watched them with a calm expression. "The Netherworld Emperor and the National Preceptor are both dead. Do you really think they aren’t?"

Yi Tianyun’s words plunged them into silence. Although the Netherworld Empire had fallen, they still believed the Netherworld Emperor was not dead. After all, no one had personally witnessed his death. They thought he might be hiding somewhere in seclusion.

"Since you’re so stubborn, you can all just disappear from this world." Yi Tianyun waved his hand and said in a heavy voice, "Attack!"

The two Giant Dragons charged forward. They had both broken through to the Void Spirit level during their previous city-wide massacres. Their cultivation was now incredibly powerful; as long as their opponents weren’t experts at the fifth or sixth layer of the Void Spirit Stage or higher, the dragons could deal with them easily.

BOOM!

With a tremendous roar, the slaughter began. Yi Tianyun felt not a shred of pity in his heart. Those who needed to be killed would be killed, without mercy.

In an instant, the entire city was engulfed in a sea of flames. Many people’s resolve began to waver, and they shouted for mercy, "We were wrong! We surrender, we surrender!"

"They instigated this! We surrender!"

"Yes, they all said the Netherworld Emperor wasn’t dead, that we just had to hold on a little longer! We’re willing to surrender!"

The battle had barely begun, and their spirits had already broken. Or rather, their spirits had shattered the moment they saw the two Giant Dragons. Especially the Black Dragon—wasn’t that the same one rumored to have destroyed Netherworld Prison and killed several generals? Once they remembered that, the last of their courage instantly crumbled.

"You only get one chance. You made the wrong choice, and now there are no other options."

Yi Tianyun remained expressionless, allowing his Giant Dragons to continue their frenzied slaughter. The others also joined the battle, carrying out an indiscriminate massacre. Perhaps it was a bit bloody, but compared to the madness of their enemies in the past, what did Yi Tianyun’s actions even amount to?

It could only be called an offering to the heavens—revenge for the countless innocent people who had died before!