I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

Upon hearing the notification, Ye Yong glanced at the list. Following Wu Xue, Qin Shidream had become the second female lead to surpass a favorability score of 200, now standing at 206, with her views and attitudes towards him having shifted anew.

Originally, it read “Life and death together with you,” but now it added “No one can compare to you.”

Ye Yong felt he might have transformed in the heart of the Qin Empress into an unparalleled, perfect existence.

The problem was that various butterfly effects were now emerging, each differing in size, surpassing Ye Yong’s understanding. He was no longer familiar with all the plot directions. If unexpected events arose in the future, failing to meet Qin Shidream’s expectations, what would she think? Would her favorability plummet?

Moreover, maintaining an excellent persona was no easy task; it could collapse at any moment.

And the way of heaven had its quirks. Whenever Ye Yong avoided the “protagonist kill” route, it threw him into a “supporting kill” incident, never allowing him a moment’s peace. Was it truly impossible for a villain to escape death?

Ye Yong gently rubbed his temples, his head throbbing.

—

40 Energy Entity

Ye Wen was oblivious to Ye Yong’s troubles. He pulled out a spirit rope and bound the fifth elder of the Blood Flame Sect, knowing that a demon cultivator of this caliber would undoubtedly be on the bounty list. He simply hadn’t paid attention to the bounty board of the Great Zhou Dynasty, unaware of the going rates, but he was certain the reward wouldn’t be meager.

As a member of the Ye family, Ye Wen lacked for resources. In his mind, ridding the world of one more malevolent force was a righteous act. Normally, he wouldn’t bother claiming any bounty, feeling it beneath his dignity and the image of the Ye family. But just because he didn’t need it didn’t mean Ye Yong didn’t.

Ye Yong’s cultivation was just beginning. Recently, he hadn’t asked the family for resources; they were all voluntarily offered by the elders. The youth, eager to achieve something on their own, should strive for self-sufficiency, not overly relying on the family—Ye Wen completely understood this.

—

The bounty for the demon cultivator, unlike that given by the family, was rightfully owed to Ye Yong, and Ye Wen believed that Ye Yong would surely accept it with pleasure.

“Is the source of the evil spirit there cultivated by this demon cultivator?” When Ye Wen burst in, he immediately noticed the quivering figure of the pseudo-Qiongqi hiding in the corner. However, since the pseudo-Qiongqi made no move and was merely a small mass, it posed no threat, so he refrained from exterminating it at once.

“Pretty much.” Ye Yong thought of the Golden Core demon cultivator as nothing more than a pawn. At this moment, he was either being countered by Long Tian or had been shaken off, on his way back to the water pool. If it weren’t for the concern that the demon cultivator might return to find the evil spirit gone and could potentially harm innocent villagers nearby out of frustration, Ye Yong wouldn’t have bothered explaining the situation regarding the Golden Core demon cultivator.

“Oh? A demon cultivator? Golden Core?” Ye Wen pondered for a moment after hearing this, then described the appearance and attire of the individual. Though a Transformation Stage expert could not be said to have an impeccable memory, their observational skills and recall were indeed remarkable. Naturally, Ye Wen remembered the person he had seen just over ten minutes ago.

“Yes, that should be him. Did Seventh Master encounter him?” Ye Yong could never have guessed that Long Tian had been circling around the orchard with the Golden Core demon cultivator, unable to shake him off even after two hours, and had nearly been knocked out by the recovering demon cultivator, dragged back to his hiding place for torment.

“Mm, when I arrived, I saw him attacking a young man who seemed to be at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet also resembled a crystallized being. He casually killed him with a single strike.”

Ye Yong’s eyelids twitched violently: “Killed him? What about that young man?”

“He seemed injured, but should be fine.”

“Did you say anything to him?”

“No, after crushing the demon cultivator, I rushed here.” Ye Wen shook his head, sensing a slight fluctuation in Ye Yong’s emotions: “Do you know that young man? Is he your friend?”

“No, we only met once in the secret realm; he is a disciple of our Tian Luo Sect.” Ye Yong dared not associate himself with Long Tian, yet he also couldn’t belittle him carelessly. After all, if Ye Wen accidentally let something slip that reached Long Tian’s ears… He could offend anyone, but Ye Yong particularly did not want to be remembered with resentment by the Son of Heaven’s Path.

“I see.” Ye Wen acknowledged, interpreting Ye Yong’s earlier emotional shift as concern for a fellow sect member: “What should we do about this evil spirit? I observe its essence possesses Golden Core cultivation. If left unchecked, it will soon regain its strength and bring disaster to the surrounding populace.”

Ye Yong glanced at the mass of black smoke cowering in the corner. He had no fondness for evil spirits; they symbolized dark, negative byproducts, and the malevolent aura they emitted was harmful to ordinary people. Yet, given Ye Yong’s current cultivation level, he couldn’t find a suitable target to practice on at will. This pseudo-Qiongqi, as a punching bag, was quite adequate.

“How about I confine it? Once I learn some new techniques, I can use it to test my skills?” With Ye Wen absent, Ye Yong felt free to act as he pleased, but with Ye Wen present, he needed to consult an elder’s opinion.

After all, righteous cultivators do not raise evil spirits; one misstep could lead to being labeled a demon cultivator.

Ye Wen did not refuse. Exterminating a Golden Core evil spirit was as simple as flipping his hand for him. His hesitation before taking action and his inquiry into how Ye Yong wished to handle it indicated his consideration for Ye Yong’s needs.

Ye Wen might not know what treasures Tian Luo Sect and the Liang family had given Ye Yong, but he was aware of what the Ye family had provided. Eliminating the Golden Core evil spirit was more than sufficient. Since Ye Yong had not done so before, he must have his own thoughts on the matter.

“You must be cautious; do not let the malevolent aura leak out, and avoid being tainted by it. Otherwise, you may be mistaken for a demon cultivator, which would not bode well for you.”

“Seventh Master, rest assured, I know my limits.” Ye Yong understood the risks, but when it came to a portable and inconspicuous punching bag, nothing could compare to an energy entity.

Of course, energy entities were not limited to just evil spirits; strange fires and strange thunders, even the spirits of magical artifacts

As for the system shop, it indeed sells strange flames and bizarre thunders, but only energy, not the essence of energy itself. A prime example is the heavenly-grade Baipian Ruo relics, which lack any spirit of their own.

Energy and the essence of energy differ by but a single word, yet they are worlds apart.

Once energy is spent, it is gone, unable to regenerate, devoid of thought. The essence of energy, however, is different; it possesses consciousness, can multiply, and can be deemed a peculiar form of “life.”

The righteous path cannot accept the essence of energy that Ye Yong seeks, while the malevolent spirits are the easiest to manifest among all essences. There is already one at hand; no need to waste effort in extermination.

Ye Yong spent 200 reversal points to acquire a spherical container capable of trapping the Golden Core malevolent spirit, completely isolating its dark aura from the outside world.

Now it all hinges on whether the pseudo-Qiongqi is clever enough to seize the chance to cling to its dwindling existence.

Ye Yong stood before it, holding the container.

In the moment before the myriad celestial sword struck, it had decisively withdrawn its essence to hide in a corner, revealing that after enduring so many blows, it had indeed grown a bit wiser. The essence is the most vital part of an energy entity; as long as the essence endures, the entity can regenerate infinitely.

Without needing Ye Yong to utter a word, the pseudo-Qiongqi whooshed and transformed into a stream of black mist, flowing into the container.

The originally transparent glass sphere instantly turned black, indicating it contained something foul.

Then Ye Yong began to gather the malevolent energy stones from the cave; these stones could serve as sustenance for the pseudo-Qiongqi. Once it “grew strong,” he would unleash a beating, and after that, let it feast again. The malevolent energy stones here could sustain several rounds, saving him some reversal points.

Qin Shidream assisted Ye Yong in the collection, while Ye Wen had already sealed all the acupoints of the fifth elder of the Blood Flame Sect, denying him the use of spiritual power and any chance of self-destruction.