My Crazy Upgrade System

Everyone here who hadn’t passed through was a failure. Some had failed not just once or twice, but dozens of times. However, no one spared them a sympathetic glance; they couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge them. They were all sitting off to the side, meditating and recovering.

"More newcomers. Four of them at once this time. They’re pretty lucky. How can so many people make it through like this? Unbelievable..."

"That’s right, but so what if they’re here? Once they get a taste of this place, they’ll realize getting through the Death Fog was meaningless. This is much, much harder."

"Heh heh, looks like we get to watch some newcomers fail again. Falling over and over... I remember last time, there was one who couldn’t react in time and just fell to his death, right?"

"I wonder how high they’ll get on their first try. I’m guessing fifty zhang at most, not a bit higher!"

"Fifty zhang? I think they’ll be lucky to make it forty. They just got here and barely know anything about this place. You think they can resist the corrosion of this black energy?"

...

As they discussed among themselves, their focus suddenly shifted to the new arrivals. Seeing that Yi Tianyun’s group was preparing to climb, they instantly had a new topic of conversation.

The scene seemed quite harmonious, but in reality, every person here was ruthless. Anyone who could make it through so many dangers was no simple character. Moreover, on the path to the Netherworld, the people you met were a mixed bag of good and evil—or rather, there were probably more evil ones.

However, none of them seemed to intend to make a move on Yi Tianyun. In this place, besides a few Elixir Pills, things like weapons were completely useless. They wouldn’t help anyone pass through this Netherworld Gate, so what was the point in robbing someone?

Unless, of course, you had no Elixir Pills at all. That was a different story.

"A few newcomers, do you have any spare Elixir Pills?" A peak Core Transformation Stage expert stood up from the side. He seemed to have just finished recovering, and upon seeing them, he started walking over.

This peak Core Transformation Stage expert wasn’t old, only in his forties, and had a kind face. But in a place like this, no one knew what was truly in another’s heart.

Ren Liangchen and the others tensed, unsure of the man’s intentions. They were on high alert, worried this Core Transformation Stage expert would attack.

Yi Tianyun’s expression was calm. He took out two bottles of ordinary Recovery Elixir and tossed them over. "Could you tell me the details of this place?"

The Core Transformation Stage expert caught them, opened one of the bottles, and took a slight sniff before nodding. "Not bad. A decent Recovery Elixir. Thanks."

After accepting the Elixir Pills, the Core Transformation Stage expert smiled. "The details? Well, you just have to climb over to reach the Netherworld. You all understand that much."

Ren Liangchen and the others grew angry. ’Isn’t that just stating the obvious?’ they thought. They already knew a thing or two about this place; of course climbing over would lead to the Netherworld. The question was, what were the specific details?

"Calm down. This young man here has the right idea, not looking anxious at all. That’s the mindset you need. Because whether you’re anxious or not, after a few attempts, you’ll find that rushing is useless." The Core Transformation Stage expert glanced around and chuckled. "See them? They’re all failures, including me, of course. Who here hasn’t failed a few times? So just calm down and let me finish. Don’t be in such a hurry."

"There’s nothing too complicated about it. The higher you climb, the stronger the black energy seeping out becomes, and the greater the pressure gets. Especially when you reach the black cloud up there, it feels like ten thousand catties of force are pressing down on you. Combined with the encroaching black energy, your body won’t be able to take it. It’s very easy to run out of stamina and fall."

"If you’re skilled enough, you can quickly adjust and land safely without getting hurt. If you can’t, it’s a dead end—just like them over there." He pointed to the piles of bones at the side. It didn’t take long for a corpse to become a skeleton in this place.

And after turning into a skeleton, it would be quickly "swallowed" by the ground and gradually disappear.

Such a bizarre phenomenon was a common occurrence here. The corrosive nature of this place was so strong that it was normal for it to devour these bones.

"Other than that, there’s not much else to watch out for... If you really can’t get through, I’d advise you to just go back the way you came. But staying here is a form of training in itself. I’ll be heading back after a while myself. Thanks for the Elixir Pills, young man." The Core Transformation Stage expert smiled, then returned to his spot, sat down, and took an Elixir Pill to continue his recovery.

He had clearly felt his recovery was too slow, which was why he had come over to ask for Elixir Pills.

"Well, well. Looks like you’ve got quite a few Recovery Elixirs on you. How about giving me some too, kid?" Another Core Transformation Stage expert, seeing an opportunity, started walking toward them.

"If you have any information for me, this bottle of Elixir Pills is yours." Yi Tianyun took out another bottle, still wanting to understand the situation here a little better.

"Information? I don’t have any information. I’m just asking you for some Elixir Pills," the Cultivator said dismissively.

"Then I have none for you. Please leave," Yi Tianyun said calmly.

"Got some nerve, don’t you? I’m not the only one asking you for Elixir Pills. Do you think you should give them or not?" The Cultivator gave a vicious smile.

Three or four more Core Transformation Stage experts stood up nearby, all with powerful auras. They clearly saw the newcomers as an easy way to score a large haul of Elixir Pills. After staying here for so long, the Recovery Elixirs they had prepared were nearly all gone.

Yi Tianyun was no great philanthropist. What did their lack of Elixir Pills have to do with him?

"Enough. I don’t care about the others, but I’m protecting this kid!" At that moment, the Core Transformation Stage expert who had taken the Elixir Pills from Yi Tianyun snorted coldly. He unleashed his peak-level aura, which was among the strongest of all the experts present.

"Lu Feng, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for us?" the other Cultivator frowned, clearly displeased.

"I like this kid. You can do whatever you want with the other three, but as for him, no one is to lay a finger on him!" Lu Feng’s tone was calm, but it was filled with authority.

The other Cultivators exchanged glances, and finally one said, "Fine, we’ll give you face. I won’t touch this kid, but the other three are fair game, right?"

"Do as you please," Lu Feng said indifferently.

The Cultivator immediately turned back to Yi Tianyun. "Consider yourself lucky. The rest of you, hand over your Elixir Pills, or don’t blame us for what happens next!"

Leng Hu and the others’ expressions turned furious. Just as they were about to curse back, a figure shot forward and sent a vicious kick at the Cultivator, slamming him against the stone wall. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, all signs of life gone.

"DING! Successfully killed Cheng Yang. Gained 1,200,000 Experience, 4,800 Madness Value, and 600 Sin Value. Obtained Martial Arts: Demon Soul Claw, Demon Cloud Step. Obtained Items: Recovery Elixir, Antitoxic Pill, Celestial Freedom Armor (High-Grade Soul Artifact)."

"Anyone else want some Elixir Pills?" Yi Tianyun asked calmly.