The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign

The Old Ancestor could only curse himself for not designing the rules strictly enough. Yet, how could he have anticipated that before the real fight even began, the setup would be exposed by that junior from the Hehuan Sect?

No matter how meticulous a cultivator was, they shouldn't have been able to spot the flaw in such a short time—let alone have the audacity to call a halt immediately.

It was also a mistake to pair her with the son of this generation's Demon Venerable. Otherwise, even if she alone raised objections, she wouldn't have been able to overpower the other three so decisively.

But ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍thinking back, the Old Ancestor recalled how she had been the first to eliminate the strongest competitors around her when the first floor began.

This woman was ruthless and decisive—her dominance wasn't just borrowed authority.

With no other choice, the Old Ancestor had to open the passage to the third floor for the remaining four.

The disciples of the Bloodflame Sect and the Myriad Poison Sect had already withdrawn without hesitation.

As the four ascended, Shen Ying spoke to Ji Liantan, "Senior Brother, the Old Ancestor's scheme is insidious. To prevent casualties among our junior brothers and sisters, it's best to have them withdraw first."

Ji Liantan frowned in contemplation. Truthfully, in past grand competitions, it was rare for so many participants to be eliminated before even reaching the halfway point.

When there was a clear objective, ordinary sect disciples were often used as expendable support to ensure the success of specific individuals.

Ji Liantan didn't believe he needed to sacrifice those foolish juniors to obtain the True Blood. However, Shen Ying's excessive concern for them irritated him.

How many demonic cultivators hadn't faced life-and-death trials? They had all grown up in brutal competition and ruthless training.

Why did she treat those fools as if they were too delicate to endure hardship?

With displeasure, Ji Liantan retorted, "If they can't even pass this trial, they deserve to die."

Shen Ying replied, "That won't do."

The second junior brother's gentle refinement, the third junior brother's innate allure, the fifth junior sister's lively charm, the sixth junior brother's adorable softness—

Which one's death wouldn't pain her?

So she quickly persuaded, "If it were anything else, fine. But falling for a scheme that pits sect members against each other—even if they survive, the younger generation will be irreparably divided."

Finally, Shen Ying leaned close to Ji Liantan's ear and whispered, "I suspect the Old Ancestor's arrangement isn't just about the trial inside the secret realm."

"Senior Brother, think about it. First, a chaotic free-for-all, then forcing sect disciples to fight each other—many sons and nephews of sect leaders and elders have already died."

"Though the sects have always been superficially united, these two rounds are the perfect excuse to stir conflict. Right now, our master must be facing off against the old fiend of the White Bone Sect outside."

"Other sects will seize the chance to make trouble or fish in troubled waters. At this critical moment, our sect must preserve as much strength as possible and stand united."

Ji Liantan hadn't considered this. To him, the demonic alliance's grand competition had always been a chaotic battle.

But Shen Ying's reminder made him realize—the order was wrong.

Logically, someone like Gu Lun would never be eliminated so early. Whether through his sect's preparations or his own strength, he should have been among the final contenders.

If he died right at the start, the White Bone Sect would never let it go. This trial, while not entirely unprecedented, clearly violated the unspoken rules of traditional competitions.

Ji Liantan looked at Shen Ying, his gaze deepening. "You mean—"

Shen Ying nodded. "Exactly. The Old Ancestor is likely plotting something unspeakable."

The Old Ancestor: "..."

He felt like cursing. How had this little brat exposed everything without even bothering to verify or conceal her suspicions?

It was like being beaten to death by a reckless amateur.

Then he heard the junior continue in a tone of vindication, "See? The Old Ancestor doesn't even dare deny it. He must know any excuse would only make it worse."

Ji Liantan: "...Why is he so stupid? Doesn't he realize admitting to a conspiracy would actually be better for sowing confusion?"

Little Nine, who had been eavesdropping, chimed in, "Right? So dumb. Is he really one of the past Demon Venerables? How did someone like him even rise to power?"

Shen Ying patted his head. "Little Nine, you must understand—the demonic path has tens of thousands of years of history. Our ancestors had their glorious eras, but also their declines."

"Glory had its reasons—usually because the Demon Venerables of those times were peerless geniuses. And decline? Well, that had its reasons too."

Little Nine nodded in agreement.

The Old Ancestor felt personally attacked. "You insolent junior, seeking death!"

Shen Ying waved him off. "Enough, Old Ancestor. If you could kill me outright, you'd have long since fled to possess a new body and start over. Hiding in a secret realm? Pathetic."

The Old Ancestor trembled at her words and fell silent again.

But Shen Ying wasn't done. "Hm? Why so quiet, Old Ancestor? Weren't you furious just now?"

"Did I hit a nerve? Reincarnation? Possession? You seem quite sensitive to those terms."

If the Old Ancestor had a physical form, he'd have been sweating under Shen Ying's relentless probing.

Ji Liantan and Ye Qingchen watched as Shen Ying's seemingly random prying actually uncovered shocking revelations.

They couldn't tell if she'd stumbled upon the truth by luck or if she'd noticed clues they'd missed.

But the Old Ancestor's reactions were—undeniably foolish.

So Ji Liantan acted without hesitation, plucking the Heartstring Threads connected to their junior disciples' souls.

These threads had been implanted before entering the secret realm—a precaution against mind control, common in such perilous trials.

The temporary Heartstring Threads served as both a restraint and a safeguard.

Scattered among various teams, the Hehuan Sect disciples felt the threads vibrate and received Ji Liantan's signal.

Though confused, they ultimately chose to withdraw from the secret realm, abandoning the competition.

The Hehuan Sect's sudden retreat drew attention from other sects. Without warning, and despite favorable odds, they had simply given up.

Many grew wary, assuming the Hehuan disciples had encountered an insurmountable danger—one severe enough to make them forfeit the trial.

This led them to wonder—if the juniors had fled, was Ji Liantan still inside?

Panic spread. Some, seeing no hope of victory themselves, followed suit and exited the secret realm.

Between earlier casualties and the first-floor eliminations, only about fifty demonic cultivators remained by the second floor.

The Old Ancestor: "..."

Had he designed too many trial floors? If Shen Ying kept disrupting things like this, would there even be ten people left by the fourth floor?

Determined to separate this troublemaker from the rest, the Old Ancestor rearranged the trials, moving the eighth-floor challenge to the third.

Countless rooms materialized on the third floor as the surviving demonic cultivators arrived.

The Old Ancestor's voice echoed once more: "Each of you, choose a room and enter."

"Those who emerge shall pass."

Little Nine clung to Shen Ying. "Senior Sister, I'll go in with you."

Shen Ying smiled. "Alright."

The Old Ancestor raised his voice, "One person per door."

Little Nine pouted in displeasure, while Shen Ying patted his head soothingly and turned to Ji Liantan and Ye Qingchen, "Which of you will enter first?"

Ye Qingchen arched a brow, "What does Fellow Daoist Shen suggest?"

Shen Ying replied, "Logically speaking, entering simultaneously would save time and give us an advantage in the competition."

"But I suspect the Old Ancestor is scheming to separate us, so he's bound to tamper with this trial."

"I need to confirm whether the passage of time inside the chamber aligns with the outside."

The Old Ancestor: "…"