I'm quitting!

Chapter 3: One Sword Opens the Heavens, Breaking Through Illusions and Penetrating Truth

Shi Tiandi drew his longsword, its cold light gleaming, the tip aimed directly at Lin Xiaofan's throat. His gentle mask shattered completely, revealing his狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) true nature: "Trash, today I'll show you what it means to be..."

"Should it be called 'Pretentiousness Gets Struck by Lightning'?" Lin Xiaofan replied with a grin, secretly mocking him: Without that damned script's binding force, with your temperament, can you still hold onto your position as a prodigy?

The entire room fell silent.

Shi Tiandi, enraged, laughed coldly: "Fine! Fine! Fine! Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish!"

His swordplay suddenly changed, and the azure sword energy soared into the sky like a dragon, which turned out to be the killing move "Azure Cloud Break"!

Huh?! That's not right!

Lin Xiaofan's pupils contracted sharply, and his Eye of Truth activated at full power.

Semi-transparent text appeared above Shi Tiandi's head: The first move, "Azure Cloud Break," pierced straight into his chest; the second move, "Wind Brushing Willow," swept across his lower abdomen; the third move... The scene suddenly distorted and was covered by the blood-red character "Death"!

This shitty script... it wants to erase me right now?!

Alarm bells rang in Lin Xiaofan's mind.

The label above Shi Tiandi's head suddenly changed: "Today, the chosen one of Heaven will surely eliminate the good-for-nothing and establish his authority."

Damn it... my hands are shaking... my knees are going weak...

Lin Xiaofan silently told himself, forcing himself to calm down.

Three days ago, I was just a nobody trying to make a living in the city. I'd only practiced basic swordsmanship for two mornings since arriving here. A head-on confrontation would only lead to my death...

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his mind raced in a blur: three moves and he would die; in other words… the first two moves weren't fatal…

Looking at the ink stains remaining on the other person's face, he recalled that when Shi Tiandi was cleaning the ink turtle, his first reaction was not to be furious, but to look around in panic, afraid of being seen.

"He feigns humility for his reputation, and cares about his 'perfect persona'... If I were to deprive him of the thrill of 'fairly defeating a loser' in the script..."

Instead of retreating, Lin Xiaofan advanced, holding the wooden sword in his hands, and suddenly turned around, exposing his entire back to Shi Tiandi's sword.

The entire room fell silent, then erupted in an incredulous uproar.

Shi Tiandi's sword strike came to an abrupt halt, the tip of the sword only an inch from Lin Xiaofan's back.

"Lin Xiaofan! What...what tricks are you playing? Turn around! Die like a man!"

Lin Xiaofan shrugged, his tone nonchalant: "Senior Brother Shi, your sword is too slow. I'm tired just standing here waiting."

The fear of being on the brink of life and death came like a tidal wave.

Sweat trickled down Lin Xiaofan's forehead and dripped onto the scorching stone slab. He could clearly feel the chill surging down his back, but it was precisely at times like this that he could not show any weakness.

That's... Su Qingxue?

Lin Xiaofan caught a glimpse of a white figure in the audience. She was staring at the arena with a complex and unreadable expression.

"Did you have any adventures in the back mountains?" Su Qingxue's meaningful question still echoed in my ears by the stream that morning.

If she also doubts the world...

A storm raged within Lin Xiaofan, his courage soared, and his gambling plans resurfaced.

Time flowed slowly under the scorching sun. Shi Tiandi kept shifting and probing, but the figure in front of him remained motionless.

"Elder!" Shi Tiandi could no longer contain himself. "Lin Xiaofan's passive resistance should result in a loss!"

The elder referee frowned, about to speak, when Lin Xiaofan suddenly turned around, a confident smile playing on his lips: "Senior brother, didn't you say before that you wanted to end the fight in the first move? Now, I'll return your words!"

Before Shi Tiandi could react, Lin Xiaofan shouted, "Senior Sister Qingxue! If I can defeat Senior Brother Shi in one move, how about we become Daoist partners?"

The entire audience erupted in chaos.

"She's insane! Senior Sister Su is a prodigy, how could she agree to a good-for-nothing!" a disciple exclaimed.

"Since entering the sect, Senior Sister has rejected countless divine marriage proposals; her standards are exceptionally high!" another voice echoed.

"Was he scared out of his wits? Proposing to someone in public? Has he lost all sense of shame?"

Whispers rose like waves, and countless gazes burned into Lin Xiaofan's chest and back.

Shi Tiandi's face turned ashen, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "You...you actually dare..."

At the same time, Su Qingxue in the audience noticed a flicker in her eyes, as if confirming something. Then, she parted her cherry lips slightly, her voice clear and firm: "Okay."

Dead silence.

An even bigger uproar erupted—

"Junior sister! You!"

"Impossible! Senior Sister Su is never approachable!"

"Has she been possessed?!"

"My God... Has the world gone mad?"

Amidst the chaos, Lin Xiaofan was overjoyed, but not for the sake of a Daoist partner—he had gambled correctly! Behind Su Qingxue's agreement lay her unusual awareness and response to this world.

[A chain reaction of collapse]

[Rebelliousness Value +50]

[Rebellious Wonderful Library Unlocked]

The panel appeared, and Lin Xiaofan's eyes swept across the four options like lightning, a resolute smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Now..." Lin Xiaofan raised his wooden sword high, staring coldly at Shi Tiandi, "it's time to end this!"

The sword tip slashes through the air!

call--!

A sudden gust of wind arose, and sand and stones flew across the training ground.

Shi Tiandi's robes fluttered wildly as he barely opened his eyes. He was horrified to see a golden rift stretching across the sky, within which he could vaguely discern the divine power of a dragon and the movement of stars.

"Open... Open Heaven and Shatter Illusion?! Impossible! This is the highest realm of the 'Azure Cloud Sword Technique'! Even the sect leader hasn't comprehended it..." Shi Tiandi's face turned deathly pale, and his long sword clattered to the ground. "I've cultivated diligently for over ten years without even grasping the basics... and you're just a piece of trash..."

He staggered backward, his worldview completely collapsing. His facade of a gentleman crumbled, revealing a twisted fear and resentment within.

"Brother Shi... Brother Shi Tian has surrendered, abandoning his sword!" The elder referee, his beard and hair bristling, announced loudly, "Lin Xiaofan is the winner of this match!"

After a brief silence, a deafening roar erupted from the surroundings, but no one dared to question the hideous crack in the sky. All the mockery was swallowed back, replaced by looks of awe and fear.

Lin Xiaofan sheathed his sword and put it into his bosom. The gap in the sky slowly closed, leaving no trace.

"Thank you for your concession."

He turned and left the field, his back view elegant.

Turning into the deserted bamboo forest behind the mountain, Lin Xiaofan's legs went weak instantly. He grabbed a green bamboo and gasped for breath: "That was close...that was close...Luckily, I wore down Shi Tiandi's will beforehand. If he had been in full force and stubbornly tried to take the hit, I would have been exposed."

He patted his chest, still shaken: "Surfing the internet really has its benefits... I've learned a thing or two about the art of showing off."

Once the breathing has calmed down, the panel reappears:

[Atmosphere Narration: Creates an atmosphere without any substantial destructive effects; limited to one use per day]

"I feel like I was tricked by Lao Xian again. This is just a special effect!" he said with a bitter face.

Snap... Snap... Snap...

Soft applause came from behind.

Lin Xiaofan was startled, quickly adjusted her expression, and turned to look.

Su Qingxue emerged from the bamboo shadows, her white robes spotless. Her eyes seemed different from usual, with two faint red lights flashing within them.

"Your sword strike just now..." Su Qingxue stopped three steps away from Lin Xiaofan, "was not the 'Azure Cloud Sword Technique'."

"To open the heavens and shatter illusions requires the power of the stars, which would break all vegetation within a three-zhang radius. But you..." She paused, then slowly approached, lightly touching Lin Xiaofan's chest with her fingertip, "only stirred the human heart."

Lin Xiaofan retreated rapidly, his eyes fierce: "Who are you?!"

"Me?" Su Qingxue flashed and reappeared behind Lin Xiaofan. "I am your most beloved Daoist partner, Su Qingxue~"

"Ugh...!" Lin Xiaofan suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady on his feet. "You...you..."

He swayed and grabbed onto a green bamboo, gritting his teeth as he slammed his forehead against it.

"Oh? Your will is quite strong..." Red data flowed in Su Qingxue's eyes. "Then who are you? Lin Xiaofan? Or... a rebel?"

Lin Xiaofan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, frozen in place, with only blood slowly flowing down his cheeks.

"Ah~ that's the expression~"

A silly smile crept onto Su Qingxue's lips: "Betrayed by the hope I personally nurtured...it tastes so sweet~"

Lin Xiaofan clenched his fists, glaring angrily at Su Qingxue, who remained unperturbed: "Heh, the appetizers are finished. Now... it's time to get rid of you, you script-ruining bug!"

Two crimson data chains emerged from the void and directly bound Lin Xiaofan.

"Ugh...!"

Despite being completely drained of energy, Lin Xiaofan struggled desperately, but to no avail.

hum-

In her despair, the electronic salted fish in her arms suddenly became hot, and a line of text flashed blurrily above Su Qingxue's head: "Corrector No. 108".

"Varied…?!"

Su Qingxue's body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, the chains breaking on their own.

"Damn it... what did you do?!"

She gritted her teeth and looked up at Lin Xiaofan, but suddenly covered her head: "Get... out of my body...!"

A massive stream of data surged through those eyes, and the slender body began to appear as a double image.

Just as Lin Xiaofan was at a loss, a new label appeared above Su Qingxue's head: "Awakening Level 42%".

"Even a tiny character in the play dares to rebel against external control?!"

As the deep electronic voice came out of Su Qingxue's mouth, her level of awareness dropped rapidly.

"Lin...uh!"

The cold female voice took over again, and she raised an arm tremblingly, asking Lin Xiaofan for help.

"Senior Sister?" Lin Xiaofan grasped that soft hand, his weak body losing all balance, and he collapsed at Su Qingxue's feet.

"Huh?!"

A feeling of suffocation... an intense feeling of suffocation!

Without warning, Lin Xiaofan's eyes trembled. When he came to his senses, Su Qingxue was already holding his face, their lips and tongues intertwined. But there was no tenderness in their kiss; instead, it was filled with violence. Thus, coupled with their clumsy kissing skills, their lips immediately broke and bled, staining their entire faces.

"Character's character development has collapsed, script compatibility falls below the constraint value, and character identification in the play has failed."

"Awakening level 56%"

"Awakening level 78%"

"Awakening level 99%"

……

"Su Qingxue; The Awakened"

[First time triggering another person's complete awakening, achieving the true self beyond illusion]

[Rebelliousness Value +300]