Su Ning's stomach let out a low, protesting growl that sounded almost comical in the quiet living room.
She froze for a second, then glanced down at her own midsection with a faint, sheepish smile. Only then did she realize that she had been so absorbed in dissecting the Gu family's secrets and plotting their downfall that she hadn't eaten a single thing since morning.
"…I'm so hungry," she murmured dryly to herself.
She closed her laptop with a soft click, her expression smoothing back into calm focus as she reached out and lightly tapped the screen, logging it off.
"That's enough trash for now."
The black flash drive followed immediately after, and with a casual flick of her wrist, both the laptop and the drive vanished into her space.
She rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen, the polished countertops reflecting the warm overhead lights. The kitchen was modern and elegant, but it also felt a little too empty, a little too quiet, as if it had never quite been meant for a single person to use.
She opened the fridge, scanned its contents briefly, and let out a small sigh.
"…I really should stock this place better."
In the end, she settled for something simple.
She slid two slices of toast into the toaster, cracked a pair of eggs into a pan, and began scrambling them lightly, the soft sizzle filling the air with a comforting domestic sound. When the toast popped up, golden and fragrant, she plated everything neatly, added a light drizzle of honey over one slice, and carried the plate to the kitchen island.
From the fridge, she retrieved a bottle of chilled yogurt drink, the glass fogging slightly in her hand as she poured it into a clear tumbler.
She took a seat, lifted her fork, and began eating slowly, her movements relaxed and unhurried.
As she ate, her gaze drifted absently across the kitchen, then toward the hallway leading to her bedroom, and finally back to the empty space around her.
Her brows gradually knit together.
"…I really do need help around here," she said quietly.
She rested her chin lightly against her palm, her expression turning contemplative.
"A chef would save time. A cleaner would save effort. I can't keep cooking and tidying everything myself when I'm juggling businesses, enemies, and my cultivation."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But… regular people are a risk."
The thought alone made her lips press into a thin line.
She could use the system's contract powers to bind loyalty but that still wouldn't solve everything.
She wouldn't be able to use her powers freely, and entering her space could become dangerous. One careless moment, one accidental witness, and her entire secret would be exposed.
She couldn't afford unnecessary trouble yet.
She exhaled slowly, her fingers tightening around her yogurt glass.
"That's the last thing I want."
After a brief pause, she spoke aloud.
"System, is there any way around this?"
The air vibrated faintly, and the familiar mechanical voice responded almost instantly.
'Responding to Host!.'
A short pause followed, as if the system were calculating.
"When host reaches Cultivation Level Two, host will gain access to Puppet Control abilities, enabling safe delegation of domestic and external tasks without risk of exposure."
Su Ning's eyes widened slightly.
"…Puppet control?" she repeated slowly. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Before the system could answer directly, a sudden sharp chime echoed in her mind.
"Ding."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"…A new mission?" she muttered.
The translucent interface materialized before her eyes.
'New Mission Issued: Break Through to Cultivation Level Two within 24 Hours
Mission Difficulty: High
Rewards:
350 million yuan
Private Island in London – Avalon Crescent Island, London's Coastline(concealed from public records)
Legendary-Grade Cultivation Manual – Art of Puppet Control.
Penalty for failure: Unknown ailment.
Su Ning stared at the glowing words, her breath catching in her throat.
"…A private island? Just what I needed," she grinned.
Her eyes flicked over the system's heartless penalty.
"And unknown ailment? Like seriously?"
Her lips slowly curved into an exhilarated smile.
"…System," she said carefully, her voice low with anticipation, "tell me about the Art of Puppet Control."
The interface shimmered again as the system responded.
"Art of Puppet Control is a forbidden and long-lost cultivation technique. It allows the host to create Qi-based puppets capable of assuming human form and identity."
Su Ning's pupils dilated slightly.
"Human form?" she echoed. "You mean… like actual people?"
"Correct," the system replied.
"Puppets created through this art can feel, touch, speak, and act indistinguishably from humans. They can be implanted with selected memories, knowledge, and skills provided by the host. Their lifespan is determined by the host at the moment of creation."
Her grip on the yogurt glass tightened unconsciously.
"…That's insane."
"Puppets may be created using base materials such as paper or wood, then infused with Qi to form a corporeal body," the system continued evenly.
"Puppets can be dispersed at any time at the host's will. The destruction of a puppet causes no backlash or harm to the host."
Su Ning leaned back in her chair, her heart racing.
"…So I could create anything I want?," she whispered. "A cleaner. Bodyguards. Assistants. Entire teams."
Her breath came a little faster.
"I could build a workforce that's completely loyal, absolutely silent, and immune to betrayal."
Her eyes shone with a mix of excitement and disbelief.
"…Why would something this powerful be forbidden?"
There was a brief, almost solemn pause before the system answered.
"Historical record indicates that approximately one thousand years ago, a cultivator known as the Xitian Wu, after reaching the rank of Hollow Sovereign, mastered the Art of Puppet Control."
Su Ning stilled.
"…The Hollow Sovereign? He must have been so powerful."
"This cultivator created an army of over one million puppets," the system continued.
"He replaced emperors, generals, scholars, and merchants with his creations, slowly seizing control over multiple kingdoms without detection."
Her breath caught.
"He manipulated wars, collapsed dynasties, and rewrote bloodlines," the system said flatly.
"When discovered, he attempted to replace the entire cultivation world with puppets loyal only to him."
Su Ning's eyes widened.
"…That's madness."
"The combined forces of all major sects were required to defeat him," the system concluded.
"The Art of Puppet Control was subsequently sealed and declared forbidden due to its extreme threat to balance and free will."
Su Ning let out a slow, shaky breath.
"…No wonder."
She stared down at her empty plate, her appetite completely gone now.
"…And you're just… handing it to me."
"Host compatibility and ethical thresholds have been evaluated," the system replied neutrally.
"Mission stands."
A slow, determined smile spread across Su Ning's face.
"…Then I won't waste a single minute."
She stood up immediately, clearing her plate, placing the glass in the sink, and wiping her hands briskly.
"Level Two within twenty-four hours," she muttered. "Let's see if I can do better than that."
She headed to her bedroom, changed into loose, cream cotton shirt and long cotton pants and entered her space.
The vast field stretching endlessly beneath a sky that glowed with a soft, otherworldly light. The moment her feet touched the ground, her playful excitement from earlier vanished, replaced by a deep, solemn focus that settled into her bones.
She walked a few steps forward and lowered herself onto the ground, sitting cross-legged at the center of the field. With a subtle flick of her fingers, a small jade bottle appeared in her palm. Inside it, a single Qi gathering pill rolled softly against the glass.
She stared at it for a brief moment, not with hesitation, but with awareness. This pill would push her body far beyond its comfort zone. It would force open a door that resisted her with everything it had.
She tipped the pill into her mouth and swallowed.
The moment it dissolved, a torrent of pure Qi surged through her body like a tidal wave crashing into a narrow canyon. Her meridians flared with heat as if ignited from within, and her dantian tightened violently, instinctively trying to contain the overwhelming energy pouring into it.
Her breathing deepened as her cultivation technique activated on its own, drawing the raging Qi into structured circulation. The energy rushed through her meridians in thick, blazing currents, looping through her limbs, spine, and core again and again, compressing tighter with every cycle.
The first wave felt like a roaring furnace. Heat spread through her veins, radiating outward into her muscles, bones, and skin. Her pores opened, releasing beads of sweat that rolled down her temples and neck. Her clothes clung to her back as her body worked frantically to adapt.
Her meridians trembled under the pressure. Each pathway felt stretched to its limit, like glass tubing forced to carry a raging river. The Qi battered against an invisible barrier at the edge of her cultivation level, rebounding violently each time it failed to pass through.
Time began to blur.
Minutes stretched into hours.
The field around her remained silent and still, but inside her body, chaos reigned.
The Qi continued to condense, becoming heavier, denser, and more violent with each circulation. Her dantian swelled, pulsing like a living heart as it compressed the energy into a tighter and tighter core.
Pain bloomed.
Not sharp pain, but a deep, grinding pressure that made her muscles tense and her jaw clench. Her entire body trembled faintly as the Qi slammed repeatedly into the barrier separating Level One from Level Two.
Sweat soaked her hair, plastering loose strands to her face and neck. Her lips parted slightly as her breathing turned ragged, yet she never broke her cultivation rhythm. Every instinct in her body screamed for release, for rest, for retreat.
A day passed in what felt like both an eternity and an instant.
The pressure inside her had grown almost unbearable. Her meridians felt as though they were about to rupture, and her dantian burned like a molten star.
The invisible barrier ahead of her cultivation level trembled faintly under the relentless assault, showing the first fragile signs of weakening.
She reached out without opening her eyes, her fingers shaking as another Qi gathering pill appeared in her hand.
The second pill dissolved.
The effect was immediate and brutal.
An explosive surge of energy flooded her system, far stronger than the first. The Qi roared through her meridians like a furious storm, slamming into the already weakened barrier again and again with terrifying force.
Her body convulsed once.
Heat exploded outward from her core, flooding her limbs and spine. Her skin flushed red as if scorched from within. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, each pulse sending another wave of agony through her meridians.
The barrier trembled violently now.
Her dantian swelled further, compressing the Qi into a blazing sphere that throbbed with unstable power. The pressure inside her felt like it might tear her apart at any moment.
Another day passed.
Then another.
Her vision darkened at the edges as her body approached its absolute limit. Every circulation of Qi felt like dragging molten iron through fragile glass channels. Her muscles trembled uncontrollably, and her breath came in strained, uneven bursts.
Then—
Something shifted.
A faint internal crack echoed through her body, soundless yet unmistakable.
The barrier finally gave way.
In the next instant, the oppressive heat vanished as if snuffed out by an unseen hand. Cool, refreshing Qi surged freely through her newly expanded meridians, flooding every corner of her body with soothing energy.
Her dantian pulsed once, then expanded, doubling in size as it stabilized the newly formed Qi core within it.
Her entire body relaxed in a wave of profound relief.
The burning pain dissolved into a deep, bone-soothing warmth.
Her breathing slowed, smoothing into a calm, steady rhythm.
She felt lighter,stronger and whole.
Her senses exploded outward without her conscious effort.
She could see everything within a kilometer, every blade of invisible grass, every ripple in the luminous air including every inch of the warehouse.
She could hear the faintest fluctuations in Qi that didn't even produce sound.
She could feel every inch of her space as if it were an extension of her own body.
Her cultivation had broken through to Level Two.
The field around her trembled faintly.
A soft, resonant hum filled the air as the space itself responded to her advancement.
At the center of the field, she noticed a new addition, a vast blue pond rose from beneath the earth. Its surface shimmered with ethereal light, radiating pure Qi in slow, visible waves. The air around it thickened, saturated with cultivation energy so dense it almost felt tangible.
Not far from the pond, a towering structure materialized, sleek and imposing, its surface reflecting faint metallic hues beneath the glowing sky.
Her eyes opened slowly.
Her breath caught.
She rose to her feet, her movements fluid and soundless as she blurred forward, appearing instantly at the pond's edge.
The Qi pouring from the water washed over her skin like a gentle tide, soothing her meridians and reinforcing her newly stabilized cultivation.
She knelt and scooped a handful of the shimmering water, bringing it to her lips.
The moment it touched her tongue, a fresh surge of refined Qi flowed into her body, spreading warmth through her chest and limbs. Her breathing deepened instinctively, her dantian pulsing in quiet satisfaction as it absorbed the energy.
The realization settled into her mind with awe.
This pond was not ordinary water.
It was a treasure.
She straightened and turned toward the massive building, her heart pounding with anticipation.
She stepped inside.
Her breath left her in a silent gasp.
The interior was vast beyond imagination, a labyrinth of advanced training halls and specialized arenas. Rows of futuristic machines lined one section, each emitting faint hums of dormant power. Combat simulators occupied another area, their surfaces shimmering with inactive holographic grids.
She moved deeper, her footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floor.
There were stealth courses designed to test movement and concealment. Marksmanship ranges with targets that shifted dynamically. Weapon mastery zones filled with training dummies and impact-resistant walls. Tactical planning rooms, poison research labs, medical bays, and psychological conditioning chambers.
Each area felt meticulously designed, far beyond anything that existed in the modern world.
Then she reached a final chamber.
The armory.
Its walls were lined with weapons of every conceivable type. Sleek modern firearms, heavy artillery pieces, silenced rifles, precision pistols, ancient sabers, curved swords, daggers with glowing runes etched into their blades, explosive devices arranged with surgical neatness, and countless other tools of destruction she could not immediately name.
Her heart thundered.
Her mind reeled.
The scale of it all was overwhelming.
The realization settled in with chilling clarity.
This place was meant for an army.
The system's voice resonated softly in her mind.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough host. Space upgrade complete."
Understanding washed over her in a slow, powerful wave.
She finally grasped the full implication of what she had gained.
This was not just a personal training ground.
This was a base, an headquarter, a forge for something far greater.
Her lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile as ambition burned quietly in her eyes as she turned and exited her space.