Cultivating in Reverse: My Sign-In System Wants Me Dead

Chapter 153: Chapter 153 - The Sign-In Reward and the Ancient Records

The group continued recording everything.

After learning what this place had done, even the most impatient cultivator understood the value of evidence.

If they returned alive, this information might save others from walking into the same trap.

Su Bai stood nearby, silently watching the formation-aware cultivator sketch the last section of the chamber.

Then, without warning, a familiar sound rang in his mind.

[Ding!]

Su Bai froze.

The system automatically signed him in,

[Signed in at Fallen-Star Sanctuary (Outer Area)]

[Reward: Vanguard’s Entropy-Detonator.]

Su Bai’s expression did not change, but his heart paused for a beat.

His first reward from the Fallen-Star Sanctuary.

[Description: A black-iron tool used by ancient commanders. Every frontline soldier had a curse-rune carved into their skull. If the enemy tried to consume a fallen soldier’s soul, memories, or identity traces, the rune would trigger, exploding the soldier’s final memories into a blast of mind-shattering madness to kill the enemy. This "Detonator" is the commander’s tool to manually trigger those dormant skulls.]

Su Bai read the description once.

Then again.

Then a third time.

His fingers curled slightly.

This reward did not feel like coincidence.

And it revealed too much.

Or perhaps not enough.

’This place sounded less and less like a mystic realm.’

Mystic realms had opportunities, dangerous beasts, ancient herbs, and lost inheritances.

This place had ashen-blood miasma, treatment halls, and things that knew how to wear a person’s face.

Su Bai felt a faint chill.

The more he learned, the less Fallen-Star Sanctuary resembled a place for young cultivators to seek fortune.

It felt more like the remains of a war that had never truly ended.

Then another thought struck him.

The Detonator can manually trigger the dormant skulls.

There were skeletons in the hall.

What if some of those runes still remained active after all these years?

Su Bai swallowed.

For once, his system reward did not make him happy immediately.

It made him cautious.

"Brother Su?"

Qiao Wen’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Su Bai blinked and looked over.

The young cultivators had finished recording the last line.

"We have recorded everything we can see," Qiao Wen said.

Su Bai nodded.

"Good. Let us check the rescued cultivators first."

Everyone immediately became serious.

"And after that," Su Bai continued, "we divide what should be divided."

The mood changed at once.

Several cultivators’ eyes brightened despite themselves.

They tried to remain calm.

They failed.

Soon, the group left the Root Formation Chamber and returned up the long stairway.

As they walked, several cultivators glanced at Su Bai from time to time.

Finally, one of them could not help asking, "Brother Su... just how did you cleanse that much miasma?"

Another quickly added, "Yes. That miasma was denser than anything outside. Our lotus barriers almost failed after only touching the edge."

Su Bai remained calm.

He had no intention of explaining the Petrified Calamity-Magnet, his Reversal Body, or the dead flesh fragment now sitting inside his system inventory.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I was lucky."

The group fell silent.

All eyes looked at him.

Their expressions all said the same thing.

Brother Su, please respect our intelligence a little.

One cultivator hesitated before saying, "It must be the mask, right, Brother Su? I noticed the miasma did not corrode it. Even your... other unusual accessories remained intact."

As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere shifted again.

They remembered "that" scene again.

Several female cultivators lowered their heads.

Mu Qing’s ears turned faintly red.

Qiao Wen coughed.

Chen Feng’s expression darkened for reasons that had nothing to do with miasma.

Su Bai’s face remained steady through great effort.

"Something like that," he said.

That answer was vague.

But because the Glacier-Lung Bone Mask truly had endured the miasma, and because Su Bai’s other bizarre accessories had not been destroyed either, the explanation sounded believable enough.

At least, it was more believable than "my body likes disasters."

The group looked at the mask again.

Their gazes held curiosity, awe, and a little envy.

But there was no greed.

After everything that had happened, no one looked at Su Bai’s treasures with the desire to take them.

Instead, some of them felt relieved.

If such a treasure had fallen into the hands of someone selfish, they might all be dead already.

Since it belonged to Su Bai, it had saved them.

Good people deserved good things.

That thought appeared in more than one heart.

Su Bai noticed the difference in their gazes.

They were still curious, still young, and still treasure-loving. But their attitude toward him had softened even more.

"Brother Su, are you truly unharmed?"

"Did the miasma injure your spirit?"

"Do you need a Soul-Stabilizing Powder too?"

The questions came one after another.

Su Bai was slightly startled.

Then his expression softened faintly.

"I am fine."

Soon, they returned to the main hall.

The two cultivators left behind to guard the rescued victims immediately stood.

"You returned!"

Qiao Wen hurried to Luo Shenshui’s side.

Mu Qing checked the young woman from Verdant Rain Hall.

The others examined the remaining rescued cultivators.

The change was obvious.

Those whose soul sparks had returned looked much better.

"They improved," Mu Qing said softly.

Still, not everyone had improved equally.

Some remained pale and weak, but even they seemed peaceful under the effect of the Soul-Stabilizing Powder.

At least, no one looked like they were being dragged through nightmares.

That alone made the group’s hearts settle.

Su Bai nodded.

"The soul fragments returned properly."

After confirming that the rescued cultivators were stable, Su Bai led the group back toward the alchemy chamber beside the greenhouse.

The atmosphere changed again.

Everyone became careful... and excited.

Su Bai stood before the protected cabinet and looked at the group.

"Everyone, regarding the records, I have a suggestion."

The cultivators immediately straightened.

After everything that had happened, no one treated his words casually.

Su Bai continued, "The physical items can be divided by contribution later. But knowledge is different."

Several people’s expressions changed slightly.

Pill recipes.

Treatment methods.

Medicinal records.

Formation notes.

Any one of them might benefit an entire sect.

Su Bai said calmly, "All of our sects paid a great price to send us into the Fallen-Star Sanctuary. Some smaller factions may have spent years of accumulation for one entry slot."

The young cultivators became quiet.

That was true.

For top forces, the entry cost was painful.

For smaller sects, it could shake their foundations.

Su Bai looked at the jade slips.

"If we divide the records by ownership, then whoever receives one recipe will become a target. Their sect may also become a target. That is not a reward. That is an invitation for trouble."

The group’s eyes changed.

They had not thought that far.

Or rather, some had thought about who would receive which recipe, but not what would happen afterward.

Su Bai continued, "So I suggest this. Every record that can be copied should be copied once for every faction represented here. Each sect receives the same written knowledge. The originals will be kept separately for now and listed clearly."

He paused slightly.

"The knowledge returns with everyone. No one leaves empty-handed. No single person becomes the only target."

The chamber became silent.

Then the meaning settled in.

A young cultivator from a smaller faction clenched his fists.

His eyes reddened slightly.

For him, a copied ancient pill recipe was already an enormous achievement.

Even if his sect only received records and no physical treasure, it would still be enough to justify the cost of sending him here.

Perhaps more than enough.

Mu Qing looked at Su Bai with admiration.

Qiao Wen lowered his head and smiled bitterly.

If Su Bai had not been here, they might have already argued over which jade slip belonged to whom.

Then argued again over whether the original was more valuable than a copy.

Then perhaps fought.

Then perhaps died.

All while the false shells waited below.

Chen Feng looked at Su Bai for a long moment.

Then he snorted.

"Fair enough."

Coming from Chen Feng, that was almost praise.

The others quickly nodded.

"I agree."

"I also agree."

"This is best."

"Our sect will remember this fairness."

"Brother Su is right. Knowledge should not become a reason for us to kill each other before we even leave the Sanctuary."

Soon, everyone agreed.

Then one cultivator asked carefully, "What about the originals?"

Several gazes turned toward Su Bai.

The question was sensitive.

Copies were useful.

But original ancient jade slips often held traces that copies did not. Spiritual impressions, medicinal intent, ancient writing pressure, or formation marks could make originals more valuable.

Su Bai looked at them.

"If no one objects, I will temporarily hold the originals until we return to the outside word."

The group looked at one another.

No one objected.

In fact, several people immediately shook their heads.

"You should hold them."

"Brother Su has been the fairest."

"If someone else holds them, I will not sleep well."

"Same."

Chen Feng crossed his arms.

"Give them to him. If anyone else holds them, someone will start counting breaths until betrayal."

The chamber became quiet.

Then several people laughed dryly.

It was unpleasant, but true.

Su Bai nodded.

"Then we proceed this way. Copies for every faction. Originals temporarily with me. Physical items divided afterward according to contribution and need. Emergency medicines remain available for injuries first."

This arrangement was clear. And difficult to argue against.

The group began working.

Those with empty jade slips took them out.

Those without were lent some.

Spiritual senses entered the ancient records one by one.

The copying process was not instant.

Ancient jade slips carried dense information, and careless copying could lose details.

So everyone moved slowly.

No one complained.

The more they copied, the brighter their eyes became.

Even a copied record could change a sect’s medical hall.

Some recipes used herbs that were now rare or lost, but the medicinal logic itself was precious.

A sect could adapt, research, and improve existing pills.

The value was enormous.

One of the cultivators held his copied jade slip with trembling hands.

He looked as if he wanted to cry.

"With this alone, my master will not scold me for wasting the entry cost."

Another cultivator patted his shoulder.

"If you return alive."

The first cultivator froze.

Then carefully put the jade slip away.

"You are right. I should not celebrate too early."

Qiao Wen laughed softly.

The mood improved a little.

Su Bai watched them copy the records and felt satisfied.

In truth, he did not like the idea of monopolizing ancient knowledge.

If one person took one recipe and another person took another, it would create future trouble.

Someone might decide that stealing from the weakest faction was easier than negotiating.

But if everyone had a copy, then the pressure spread outward.

Anyone who wanted to seize the knowledge would not be targeting one person.

They would be offending every faction present.

That was safer.

Also, Su Bai had already checked the jade slips.

There was no obviously dangerous technique inside. Only the kind of thing that should be shared, not buried.