Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!-Chapter 680 - 679: Negotiating with a Duck

[System Notification: Checked in for raising Lao Huang for 52,000 days. Reward: 3,000 years of cultivation, 100 ninth-grade Spiritual Medicines, 150 ninth-grade Spirit Pills, one complete Divine Skill—Quicksand, and the lower volume of the Six Tao of Reincarnation.]

[System Notification: Devouring Sky Beast growth increased to 32%. Gained 3,200 years of cultivation. Reward...]

[System Notification: Host's realm has advanced to the seventh layer of the Saint Realm.]

Sigh.

Chen Pingping heaved a light sigh.

142 years have passed in the blink of an eye. Looking back, it feels like only yesterday! The ancients were indeed right; time waits for no one. It flies by, turning oceans into mulberry fields...

[System Notification: Successfully tamed the Emperor Spirit. Reward: 10,000 years of cultivation, 2,000 eighth-grade Spiritual Medicines, 500 ninth-grade Spirit Pills, one set of Saint-level swordsmanship...]

[System Notification: Host's realm has advanced to the eighth layer of the Saint Realm.]

SOB... SOB...

Chen Pingping was suddenly overcome with emotion, choking up, his body trembling slightly.

Jiang Ni'er, at his side, looked on in surprise.

Zhang Ziyu also glanced over. "Ping? What's wrong?"

"They've grown up. They've all grown up. Finally learned how to grow up." Chen Pingping's eyes streamed with tears, resembling an old father who had waited far too long for this day.

The accursed Emperor Spirit had finally been tamed, bringing him a considerable reward.

Now, all that remained were the Bloodline Power of that chicken and the growth of the Devouring Sky Beast... But I'm still only at the eighth layer of the Saint Realm. The Saint stage consists of three major realms: Saint Realm, Saint King, and Great Saint Realm. Each major realm, in turn, has ten layers. And all these rewards—thousands, even tens of thousands of years of cultivation—have only elevated me from the fifth layer to the eighth. It's hard to imagine how many more years I'll need for the levels beyond this.

Thinking about it this way, the elation he felt moments ago vanished, replaced by melancholy.

The path ahead is long and arduous! The crucial thing is, I can't use external forces to advance my realm; I can only rely on internalizing what the system provides.

Suddenly, he remembered the Blackhead Duck inside the Heaven Tao Stone.

A Quasi-Emperor Realm duck... I can't let that slip away, no matter what. As for the Eight Treasures Chicken, forget it. It's too ordinary; I don't want it.

Chen Pingping attempted to communicate with the system: "Just add it to the list, okay?"

The system remained unmoved.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm talking to you!" Chen Pingping cursed. So many years had passed, and this system hadn't uttered a single peep. Absolutely no communication.

Chen Pingping seriously suspected it had social anxiety. Other people's systems chattered incessantly, capable of spewing hundreds, even thousands, of words a day, enough to drive their hosts to distraction. But his was different. It was as steadfast as Mount Tai, utterly unmoved, as firm as a rock.

Chen Pingping had endured this for over a hundred years. And now... he was determined to get the Blackhead Duck officially incorporated, intending to have a serious and righteous negotiation with the system, no matter what.

"Wait... we'll rest here," Chen Pingping announced.

With that, he immediately sat down cross-legged, his voice echoing in his mind, "System? Old master, big brother, little sister? Sweetheart? Darling? Damn your ancestors!"

He was gradually losing control.

System: "..."

"I don't care anymore! You have one minute to consider. Add that duck to the system immediately, or else... I'm going on strike! I'll stop cultivating! I'll go die right now and make you feel eternal remorse!"

"Or else... you give me several hundred thousand years of cultivation as compensation, enough to let me ascend to the Emperor Realm in one go!"

"Come out! Speak!"

"I'm really going to die, you know!"

"I'm not joking!" Chen Pingping shouted angrily.

But the system still remained unmoved.

About seven or eight minutes later...

[System Notification: New mission. Please tame the Blackhead Duck.]

YES! YES! YES?

Chen Pingping was instantly thrilled.

Damn it! This blasted system can actually hear my voice and has its own consciousness! A mission! After all these years, one has finally arrived!

From the outside, his expression was a whirlwind of changes: melancholy, silent curses, burning rage, despondency, twitching, explosive fury, and finally, sheer excitement.

It left Jiang Ni'er and Zhang Ziyu gaping in astonishment.

Zhang Ziyu swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Your Senior Brother... is he suffering from some serious affliction?"

Jiang Ni'er: "..."

She had never witnessed anything like it either.

But now, things were better; Chen Pingping had finally returned to normal, for his consciousness had already entered the Heaven Tao Stone.

The Blackhead Duck, suppressed there, erupted in curses upon seeing him: "Chen, you untrustworthy scoundrel! You promised that after slaying the Demon Emperor, you'd release me, this Emperor! Damn your hide... If you have the guts, come down here! Let's fight one-on-one! I, this Emperor, will even give you a one-foot handicap!"

It was seething, its small, round eyes practically shooting flames.

Chen Pingping, however, wasn't angered at all. Smiling, he said, "You have two choices: follow me, or submit to me."

Blackhead Duck: "..."

"How about it?" Chen Pingping chuckled persuasively. "I, this young master, was able to slay the Demon Emperor and forge a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon. This alone is enough to prove my potential—unprecedented and unrepeatable! I am destined to astound all the Heavens and myriad realms, the peerless number one in all existence. If you follow me, this young master, you absolutely will not lose out."

He had wanted to tame the Blackhead Duck before. Unfortunately, the system had remained unresponsive. But now that a mission had arrived, taming the Blackhead Duck was perfectly logical and opportune!

The Blackhead Duck stared at him. "You sure can talk big."

Chen Pingping paid it no mind. "Just tell me, did I or did I not forge an Emperor Weapon?"

"Does an unfinished product count?" the Blackhead Duck snorted.

"Did I or did I not slay the Demon Emperor?"

"..."

Damn?!

The Blackhead Duck carefully recalled that battle. Although many people had participated, with various schemes in play, Chen Pingping's side held a significant advantage. But it had to admit, the one who delivered the fatal blow was indeed Chen Pingping. Moreover, Chen Pingping had orchestrated the entire scheme. So, to say he slew the Demon Emperor was no exaggeration at all.

However... I am a dignified Quasi-Emperor Realm being, having lived for countless eons, an existence even Ancient Emperors regarded with trepidation! Numerous ancient Sages sought to tame me, yet I never paid them any heed. And now you, a mere Saint Realm cultivator, dare to dream of becoming my master? Dream on! I will never acknowledge a master, not in this lifetime, especially not some young brat. But on the other hand, if I don't submit, since Chen Pingping is the master of the Heaven Tao Stone, wouldn't suppressing me be as easy as flipping his hand for him? Perhaps... I should pretend to submit for now? Once I'm out of this Heaven Tao Stone, I can then pull the rug out from under him or launch a devastating sneak attack and eliminate this Human Clan whelp. I'd regain my freedom either way. Perfect! That's the plan.

The Blackhead Duck's eyes darted about as it listened to Chen Pingping's incessant boasting. It feigned a look of shock. "Are all these your achievements?"

"Of course!" Chen Pingping said proudly. "So? What do you say? Hurry up and submit to me!"

"If what you say is true, then... why would I, this Emperor, mind acknowledging you as my master," the Blackhead Duck said, glancing sideways. "However, I have a condition. I, this Emperor, enjoy collecting antiques. I bear the weighty responsibility of rescuing those ancient artifacts buried deep within the earth, allowing them to grace the world of mortals once more and radiate their former glory."

PAH! This blasted duck! Grave robbing is just grave robbing, yet it phrases it so pretentiously! Chen Pingping scoffed inwardly but kept his expression unchanged. He waved a magnanimous hand. "Granted!"

The Blackhead Duck raised an eyebrow. "And another condition: as my master, if anyone dares to try and kill me, this Emperor, you must step in and protect me."

This?

Chen Pingping hesitated, sensing a trap somewhere.