My Crazy Upgrade System

After some brief preparations, they immediately set off. If that Cloud Celestial Saint failed to return for too long, it would certainly arouse their suspicion. Yi Tianyun’s plan was to capitalize on their ignorance, charge all the way up, and annihilate them in one go.

"Treasure Dragon Stronghold is right ahead," Liu Menglian said, pointing at the fortress before them. Her eyes blazed with fury; this was the place that had inflicted upon them a memory that could never be erased.

Yi Tianyun didn’t need Liu Menglian to point it out. Lifting his gaze, he could see Treasure Dragon Stronghold in the distance. It encircled the entire mountain like an impenetrable fortress. Guards patrolled the walls, keeping watch for any intruders.

"Alright, let’s go," Yi Tianyun said.

"We’re just going to charge straight in?" Liu Menglian was stunned. "This is the main entrance. If we attack from the front, won’t we have to face tons of bandits?"

"Yes, straight through the main gate," Yi Tianyun said calmly as he started walking. "Stay within two meters of me. Just follow my lead."

Liu Menglian nodded without another word, ready to follow his orders completely.

Just as they drew near Treasure Dragon Stronghold, a guard on the gate wall spotted them and yelled, "Don’t you know? Anyone who carelessly approaches Treasure Dragon Stronghold will be severely punished by us!"

As he spoke, he drew his bow to its limit, aiming at Yi Tianyun and Liu Menglian. "Don’t move! You’re not leaving now that you’re here! Take one more step, and I won’t mind using this bow to pin the two of you to the ground!"

They had only just approached and were already being treated like captives, forbidden from even walking away.

Without even a glance in the guard’s direction, Yi Tianyun flicked his wrist and sent a pebble flying. With a sharp WHIZ, it pierced straight through the man’s head.

"Ding! Successfully killed Treasure Dragon Stronghold guard. Gained 400 Experience, 30 Madness Value."

’That’s a pitifully small amount.’ But there was nothing to be done about it. The guards’ cultivation was low, so killing them yielded next to no experience. He hadn’t even bothered to use his Luck Aura, as there was absolutely no need.

To kill a man with a single pebble... Liu Menglian was dumbstruck. She had only seen glimpses of his power before, always while hiding in the shadows. Because her cultivation was too low, she had always stayed at the very back, knowing she would only be a liability. Only now, seeing it firsthand, did she truly appreciate the sheer dominance Yi Tianyun wielded.

Killing someone with a pebble was a trivial matter for a cultivator of his level, especially against such a weak opponent. Such was the disparity in cultivation.

"Lian, let’s go."

Yi Tianyun strode to the great gate, and the Chaotic Celestial Saint Axe materialized in his hand. It was nearly as tall as a person, its massive blade exuding an unconcealed sharpness. The instant he summoned it and rested its head on the ground, its weight gouged a deep pit in the earth.

The Chaotic Celestial Saint Axe weighed several thousand pounds; without immense strength, one couldn’t even lift it.

"Ding! Activating Chaotic Heaven Set Attribute boost! Doubling Defense Power, tripling Speed, and doubling Damage!"

He had been wearing the Chaotic Heaven Divine Armor and Chaotic Heaven Battle Boots the entire time, but had kept them magically concealed. The axe, however, could not be hidden. The moment he summoned the Chaotic Celestial Saint Axe, his strength surged, and his aura erupted.

"Sometimes, you do need an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken!"

With that, Yi Tianyun hoisted the Chaotic Celestial Saint Axe, aimed at the thick gate before him, and swung it down with all his might. A searing arc of light burst from the axe head and blasted forward.

BOOM!

Under the force of that single, heavy blow, a massive hole was blasted straight through the thick gate. After piercing the gate, the sharp arc of light continued onward, carving a deep trench into the ground beyond. It looked as if the very earth had been split asunder.

Yi Tianyun stepped through the opening. His eyes fell upon rows of buildings, and beyond them, a horrifying sight. Many people were toiling in fields in the distance, while others were strung up, their bodies covered in gruesome wounds.

There was a considerable number of them, and a single glance told him they were ordinary people. His Eye of Investigation made it simple, taking in the entire scene. Their abysmally low Combat Power told him everything he needed to know.

"Lian!"

"It’s Lian!"

"It really is Lian! She’s here!"

Seeing Liu Menglian, the crowd of captives nearby raised their heads, their faces a mask of shock. None of them had ever imagined she would return.

"Xiaodong, Yun..."

She covered her mouth in horror. Their bodies were covered in wounds, their faces marred by scars that looked as terrifying as centipedes crawling across their skin. She recognized many others, none of whom were in good condition. There were also many strangers, but all were imprisoned. Shackles were locked around their ankles, making every step a struggle, yet they were still forced to farm or act as servants.

Some were even being whipped by the bandits, who only paused when they saw the intruders.

"Who—who are you!" a guard finally reacted, snatching up a nearby weapon as others rushed toward them.

"No one you need to know. Just the ones here to kill you."

A glint flashed in Yi Tianyun’s eyes. He shot forward and swung his axe in a wide arc. A razor-sharp wave of energy swept out. Before the bandits could even react, they were cleaved in two by the terrifying attack. Blood instantly sprayed across the ground.

"Ding! Successfully killed bandit. Gained 700 Experience, 80 Madness Value..."

"Ding! Successfully..."

These bandits’ cultivations were not high; they were all around the sixth or seventh level of the Body Refining Stage. Soon enough, however, Cultivators at the Spirit Refining Stage rushed out. The sight of the overwhelmingly powerful Yi Tianyun made their hearts tremble with fear.

"An... an intruder! Quick, inform the Village Chiefs!" the Cultivator who had just run out yelled in a panic.

Just then, someone sounded the alarm. A bell began to ring incessantly, its chimes echoing across the entire mountain. Treasure Dragon Stronghold had two main gates, and many of its members were on the far side; the alarm would summon them as reinforcements.

"What’s going on?"

Someone burst out from a nearby house, his clothes in disarray. He looked around anxiously, his eyes finally landing on Yi Tianyun and Liu Menglian. He roared in fury, "Who the hell are you two? How dare you barge into Treasure Dragon Stronghold and interrupt my fun? You’re courting death!"

With another roar, he unleashed the aura of a sixth-level Spirit Refining Stage cultivator. Snatching up a long saber, he prepared to charge Yi Tianyun.

Yi Tianyun remained motionless, a cold glint in his eyes. He swung his Chaotic Celestial Saint Axe forward, sending a heavy wave of energy cleaving toward the man.

The man had no time to react before the wave of energy pierced through him. The attack’s residual force slammed into the house behind him, and with a deafening crash, the entire building collapsed.

The charging bandit crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around him. He was dead beyond a doubt.

"Today, not a single one of you will escape!" Yi Tianyun’s gaze was ice-cold, like a Godslaying deity.