Chapter Sixty-One: Upgraded Instance

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"Would you like to elevate the instance?"
"Yes/No"

"Note: If you choose not to elevate the instance, all tasks will proceed according to the original objectives, and the rewards will remain unchanged. If you choose to elevate the instance, the difficulty will increase, but so will the rewards."

"An elevatable instance?"

Upon seeing the newly appeared prompt on the panel, Li Ju couldn't help but look twice at the two pseudo-divine weapons he held in his hands. Clearly, by handling these weapons, he had fulfilled a certain condition, prompting the system to offer this option to elevate the instance.

Compared to the previous instance, "Legend of the Flying Sword," the new elevated instance, "Demonic Might Unrivaled," not only promised greater difficulty, but its introduction was also rather cryptic—far less straightforward than that of "Legend of the Flying Sword."

"Elevate the instance," Li Ju declared without hesitation.

Though the elevated instance would be more challenging, the rewards would be correspondingly greater. Had it been the old Li Ju, who had yet to practice martial arts, he might have preferred the certainty of a prize in hand to the promise of greater rewards, choosing not to elevate the instance and simply settling for the basic reward.

But after learning martial arts, Li Ju developed a trait common among most warriors: a spirit of adventure.

Fortune favors the bold.

Having already advanced his Ghost Bat Technique to the third tier, Li Ju knew he would not return empty-handed from this instance. With his baseline secured, why not pursue a greater reward?

Moreover, since he entered the instance with only his soul, even if he died within, it would merely mean failing the task—his actual body in the real world would remain unharmed.

"Elevating instance..."

"Instance elevation complete."

"Demonic Might Unrivaled (Difficulty: Intermediate) (Open World Instance) (Soul Entry)
Summary: A thousand years of accumulation, a thousand years of waiting. Broken earth, dried blood, endless conflict—today, all will reach their conclusion!"

"Objectives:
1. Kill Master Qisan (0/1)
2. Obtain the pseudo-divine weapon—Shadow Demon Blade (0/1)
3. Enter the Land of Fading Light (0/1)
4. ??? (Unlocked upon meeting certain conditions)"

"Time limit: 3,650 days"

"Rewards: ???"

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"These objectives... as expected of an elevated instance," Li Ju muttered, his expression grave.

Leaving aside the Shadow Demon Blade and the Land of Fading Light—terms he had never even heard mentioned during his time in the instance—just the first objective was enough to send a chill down his spine.

To kill Master Qisan. The task seemed simple, but Master Qisan was the founder of the Qisan Sect, the greatest orthodox school, who had risen to prominence centuries ago alongside the founder of the Demonic Sect—a peerless titan who had dominated the martial world for an entire era!

A being whose power vastly exceeded that of ordinary "Minor Trinity" martial artists—a terrifying existence!

The difficulty of slaying such a figure easily surpassed that of killing the three Minor Trinity martial artists in the "Legend of the Flying Sword" instance combined!

Consider the two pseudo-divine weapons, the Withered Leaf Sword and the Twelve Red Fangs, both forged by Master Qisan himself—each requiring the life of a Minor Trinity martial artist as a sacrifice during their creation. This alone spoke volumes about Master Qisan's strength.

Yet what truly shocked Li Ju was not merely the challenge to kill Master Qisan, but the implication that Master Qisan was still alive!

After all, Master Qisan had made his name eight centuries ago, and even the greatest Minor Trinity martial artists could only live up to three hundred years at most. Some, injured in battle, barely lasted two hundred before their life force was spent.

By all accounts, Master Qisan should have been dust in his grave for five or six centuries. Yet the task panel clearly implied he still lived!

To be suddenly told that a man who should have died centuries ago was still alive—anyone would be left speechless.

"If Master Qisan truly still lives, then his power..."

Just considering it made Li Ju’s wounds ache.

At present, when even facing two weapons forged by Master Qisan himself was a daunting ordeal, Master Qisan remained a figure whom Li Ju could only look up to from a distance, utterly beyond his reach.

"No wonder the task duration has stretched from one year to ten..."

"This isn’t just a tenfold increase in difficulty!"

Li Ju couldn’t help but grimace.

"Of course, the biggest issue right now isn’t the difficulty, but..."

He glanced down at his own body.

Though his fight with Tan Hai had left him further injured, overall, his physique remained imposing—robust, tall, and muscular. To children and young girls, it was especially intimidating.

But Li Ju knew that his outward strength was little more than a gilded shell. His body, already weakened by the imbalance caused by practicing the Hundred Poisons Vajra Body, had suffered a significant reduction in lifespan. Though his breakthrough to the inner strength realm had slightly stabilized his vital energies and extended his life, his recent battle with Tan Hai had taken its toll.

Not only had Tan Hai fought desperately, but Li Ju himself had also repeatedly burned his own vital energies to withstand Tan Hai’s assaults—though not to the same degree.

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After several intense burns of his vital energies, he estimated he had only about ten months left to live.

That might barely suffice to complete the tasks in "Legend of the Flying Sword," but it was nowhere near enough for the objectives of "Demonic Might Unrivaled."

He would likely perish of old age before even half the time was up, returning to reality empty-handed.

"I need to find a way to sustain my life."

At this thought, Li Ju remembered the demonic aspect of his Ghost Bat Technique.

His eyes narrowed.

He had always been reluctant to employ demonic arts, knowing full well the terrible consequences. Were it not a life-or-death crisis, he would never have resorted to the Bloodthirsty Demon Technique.

"Never mind. I’ll decide when the time comes."

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

Suddenly, a noise caught Li Ju’s attention, and he turned to look.

A group of people was stealthily moving away from him. The sound he’d heard was one of them accidentally snapping a branch underfoot.

There he saw the wary Fourth Prince, the Princess Qinu, nearly in tears from fear, and the guards, poised as if to sacrifice themselves at any moment. Li Ju smiled as he approached them.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m actually a good person. And besides, don’t you remember? We’ve met before..."

"In that teahouse, remember?"

As Li Ju approached, his face fixed in an all-too-obvious forced smile, Princess Qinu could no longer restrain herself—

"Waaah!"

Tears burst forth.