From the new, smaller flying boat, flew out a team of elite cultivators. Three Nascent Soul cultivators, and a hundred Golden Core ones. I watched even as the one at the center of the formation turned to the other ship. "Mrinta, I should have known. Exiled in a pathetic lesser world, and still failing. You're the disgrace of our family."

I continued to float, glad to have a moment to examine the situation, which allowed me to connect with the formation and hastily update several parts of my defenses, using my newly acquired Golden Core formation technique to the limit.

If they wanted to argue about whatever problem they were having, I was happy to acquiesce. Every second worked to my benefit, and not just in terms of updating the defenses. It also allowed me to observe the newly arrived reinforcements.

First, I started by examining the Golden Core cultivators, who had formed into a battle formation. The same Treasured Golden Army Battle Formation I had already learned, which was fortunate, and not just because it made my eventual defense much easier.

It allowed me to assess the potential strength of the new arrivals. The first team I had been dealing was not particularly competent in using the Formation, their expertise spotty at best, averaging Minor Familiarity at best, with several at Beginner, which was the reason for my easy success.

Meanwhile, the new arrivals were clearly far more capable, solidly at Minor Accomplishment. I could foresee several ways to defeat them, but none would be as impressive as the first one, which was a problem. The more I struggled, the more I would show my limits.

I tightened my fingers even as I wondered if maybe I should send the message to the people I distributed to various capitals, asking them to shatter the tombs, throwing a bomb into the situation.

In the end, I decided against it. It was a bomb, but one with an unknown radius. I wasn't afraid of it not being effective.

I was afraid of it sweeping me up in the explosion.

I watched even as the two Nascent Souls threw several insults, before the Mrinta finally went inside his ship in shame. Only then, did the first one turn toward me. However, instead of saying anything to me, he gestured at one of the Golden Core cultivators that wasn't a part of the Formation.

He floated toward me and threw a storage ring at me. "You're being annoying, you spineless dog. Take it, and scram," he said haughtily, acting like he was the king and I was a mere slave.

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 370; Insult Bonus - 470 (Capped)]

[840x Return - Stabilized Storage Ring - Heaven Peak-Grade]

[840x Return - Sword of the Tranquil Wave - Heaven Peak-Grade]

[840x Return - Immaculate Robe of Dark Skies - Heaven Peak-Grade]

[840x Return - True Reversal Formation Cultivation Technique - Heaven Low-Grade]

…

[840x Return - - 84000 Spirit Stones, High Grade]

I was glad to see the System taking that as an insult from him despite the Golden Core cultivator passing it to me.

As I took note of the hundreds of notifications filling my view, I was barely able to hide my smile. He was clearly insulting me, as the ring was filled with various Black Grade items, mostly for Golden Core, barely more than pocket change for a Nascent Soul cultivator like I had been acting.

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Of course, I was not, and even without the System, the techniques that filled the ring would have been a treasure for me. With the System upgrade, particularly with such a great multiplier, it was enough to fulfill every single need I had.

As long as the world could provide enough Providence, of course, but that was something for the future. It wasn't as critical.

"Thanks, one never knows what to gift the outer disciples," I said as I took the ring shamelessly — wrapping it with a formation in case it was a trap. I didn't want to reject the gift no matter how 'disgraceful' it was.

And, it was clearly so, if the utterly disgusted expression of the Golden Core cultivators was any indicator. I didn't care even as I used the formation to move the ring back to the center of the formation, and pulled the Spirit Stones that was already inside.

Luckily, they were only medium grade, which was more fit to be used by the Golden Core cultivators due to density. It was good news, as I spread all ten thousand of them across my newly constructed formation, immediately boosting its strength several times.

As for high-grade ones that the System returned, I didn't pull them yet, like I didn't redeem any of the techniques yet. I had no idea how much providence they would consume.

"Good, now scram," the nascent soul leader called from behind, still shocked.

"Why, so that you pathetic merchants could flex your pathetic capabilities against helpless mortals," I replied dismissively. "I told your pathetic slave before. This area is determined to be my holy sect's trial ground, and none is allowed. Leave, or I destroy all of you!"

Once again, my taunt was extremely effective, showing that it probably had been years since someone had spoken against them in such disrespect. Admittedly, I wasn't entirely happy with my own attitude, but I needed to defend the area without making them realize that I was doing it to protect the mortal domain.

I didn't want them to start taking cities hostage to make me comply with their wishes. They seemed to be entirely capable of killing millions just to annoy me. Hell, I had a feeling that Providence and Karma were the only things that prevented them from killing people just for the fun of it.

"How dare you! Just because I can't use my true powers in this pathetic little world doesn't mean that I had to listen to you. Destroy him!" he shouted.

The golden core cultivators spread out, forming a semicircle around me, with two of the Nascent Soul cultivators taking place at their positions, but the familiarity with the technique allowed me to recognize the gap they had left. I expected him to take it, but instead, he looked back to the original flying ship. "Mrinta, come here and show your worth."

"But —" he answered even as he floated out.

"I don't care. Either use your powers, or you can explain your failure to the council," he replied.

Mrintaa looked frustrated, the reason which I only understood when he had taken his place at the center, the providence around him flaring actively.

I tensed, realizing that he was trying to use his true Nascent Soul powers.

That was tense. My understanding of the true might of Nascent Soul was extremely limited, but what I knew was enough to tell me that facing it directly would have been extremely unwise.

Luckily, I was prepared for that eventuality already. I first triggered the formation I had created, triggering the formation-based attack I had been building while they had been posturing, raining against the weak points of their formation. At the same time, I threw several martial arts punches to further damage, followed by several martial arts punches.

However, against a battle formation led by three Nascent Soul cultivators, one actively risking his life by using his true power, that was merely a distraction, one that they would inevitably understand.

So, I decided to give them a show.

I pulled a small copper piece from the System Inventory, one that was completely ordinary, making a show of looking at it in my palm, while forcing my face to lose color. "So be it, Merchant," I called angrily. "Embrace your fate!"

I squeezed the coin, destroying it. At the same time, I summoned a million strands of Qi at once and pumped it to the formation. The sudden burst of Qi was not necessary, but it was not why I had summoned it in the first place.

The action had pulled Providence from all around me, including all the Providence that they had been using to isolate themselves from the world. The situation of the three passive ones had been devastating, but it was nowhere near what Mrinta experienced.

I expected him to get damaged, but I certainly didn't expect a flash of Qi from the depths of the ground, evaporating not only him, but also half of the Golden Core cultivators around him in the formation. It was something even more intense than the attack from the volcano. Like a sleeping giant had woken up for the first time in centuries.

I had to admit, it was a good reason to be careful about not using their powers.

Unfortunately, while I watched what had been going on in shock, the leader broke some kind of talisman, one that was clearly there as a tool for communication, disappearing in the sky.

A second later, the sky had been ripped completely.