Wasting Cultivation resources on Maidens makes me the STRONGEST

As the massive savage flying crow spread its enormous, obsidian wings and took flight, Wei Jin and the old soul were carried into the vast expanse of the sky.

The crow was a mount provided by the Wei Family—an unintentional boon for Wei Jin, who didn't have to pay a single spiritual essence for the ride.

The old soul, nestled comfortably near Wei Jin, was mesmerized by the journey.

"Oh-ho! Look at that!" the old soul exclaimed as his gaze fell on a forest below.

The trees moved in harmony, their trunks bending and twisting in a rhythmic dance, as if swaying to some unseen melody. "Trees that dance! That's incredible! Back on Earth, they just... stand there like idiots."

Wei Jin smirked, watching the old soul marvel at the world below.

Soon, the crow ascended higher, gliding past a grumbling mountain. Its jagged peaks seemed to shift and grind against one another as if the mountain itself were alive, expressing displeasure at the intrusion of the flying crow.

The old soul's jaw dropped.

"A grumpy mountain! Are you kidding me? Back on Earth, mountains are boring! They just sit there, waiting for someone to climb them or take selfies. Here, they have personalities!"

Wei Jin chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

As they soared higher, floating islands came into view.

They hovered effortlessly, each surrounded by a shimmering halo of energy.

Waterfalls spilled from their edges, the cascading streams vanishing into the void below. Entire ecosystems thrived on these levitating lands, with trees, rivers, and even small settlements visible.

"Floating islands!" the old soul cried out, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You mean to tell me these places float without collapsing? Back on Earth, we can't even get a pothole fixed properly without an entire neighborhood complaining!"

The crow continued its flight, weaving through flocks of flying creatures.

These were not ordinary birds but bizarre and enchanting animals.

Furry beasts with wings of flame soared alongside glowing, translucent jellyfish that bobbed through the air.

Winged felines, their fur shimmering like starlight, darted playfully around the crow.

A massive flying turtle, carrying an entire grove of trees on its back, lumbered through the sky nearby.

The old soul was beside himself with excitement. "Flying... cats? Jellyfish? Is that a flying turtle forest? Wei Jin, do you see this?!"

Wei Jin smirked. "Yes, old man, I see it."

"This world is mystical! This is like a dream, a fantastical novel come to life!"

Wei Jin raised an eyebrow. "You're from Earth, so I get it. Compared to this, Earth must feel boring."

The old soul huffed, turning to Wei Jin. "Boring? Earth isn't boring—it's... well, it's practical. We have cars, skyscrapers, the internet... Oh, and coffee! Don't you dare call coffee boring!"

Wei Jin snorted. "Sure, but what about everything else? On Earth, you live your whole life in the same place. There's no apocalypse, no alien invasions, no zombies..."

The old soul cut him off, incredulous. "Are you seriously saying you'd prefer an apocalypse?!"

Wei Jin shrugged. "Why not? Earth sounds tame. No mystical beasts, no cultivation, no flying mounts, no existential threats to keep life interesting. How do you even handle all that... peace?"

The old soul stared at Wei Jin, dumbfounded. His voice dropped to a whisper. "You... you're terrifying, kid. You want chaos? Apocalypses? Do you know what that would do to Earth?"

Wei Jin smiled knowingly. "I'm just saying... life here has purpose. Everyone's fighting to get stronger, to rise above. On Earth, you sit in front of a screen and waste away. Doesn't seem like much of a life to me."

The old soul went silent, staring out at the mystical world around them. For all its dangers, there was a beauty and vibrancy here that Earth lacked. But still, Wei Jin's perspective unsettled him.

He muttered under his breath. "This kid's got a screw loose..."

Suddenly, the old soul's awe turned into terror when he spotted a flying snake weaving through the clouds, its sleek, scaled body glinting in the sunlight as it moved with unnerving grace.

"Hey, kid," the old soul stammered, his voice trembling. "Aren't you scared of these things? What if it attacks mortals like me or weak cultivators? I don't want to be snake food!"

Wei Jin glanced lazily at the flying snake, his expression calm and unbothered. "Relax, old man. Creatures like that are harmless. If they were dangerous, they'd have already been hunted down, refined into pills, eaten, or outright destroyed."

The old soul blinked. "What?!"

Wei Jin smirked and pointed at the snake. "Take that one, for example. Its venom can only cause paralysis in normal mortals. It's a pushover compared to its cousins, whose bites can kill even Core Formation cultivators instantly."

The old soul's jaw dropped. "Wait, wait, wait! Are you telling me there are snakes out there that can kill Core Formation cultivators?! Something like that actually exists?"

Wei Jin sneered slightly, his tone carrying an air of superiority. "Why wouldn't it? It's no different from Earth. Some snakes there have venom that can kill adults in minutes, while others are practically harmless. The cultivation world is just an amplified version of that. Same principles, bigger stakes."

The old soul gulped, suddenly feeling very fragile. "Okay, I see your point. But still—"

Before he could finish, Wei Jin's voice darkened, carrying a faint edge of amusement. "You'll get used to it, old man. You'll see a lot more beasts up close soon enough."

The tone sent a chill through the old soul. "What do you mean by 'up close'?"

Wei Jin didn't respond immediately, instead focusing on the flying crow they were riding. Its eyes suddenly gleamed with an unnatural light, and it let out a loud, guttural "Craaaaawk! Craaaawk!"

The old soul froze, watching the crow's wings fold slightly, angling downward.

"Wait. Wait, what's happening?!" he shouted, panic rising in his voice.

The crow tilted its massive body, and with a swift motion, it began its descent—a plummeting dive straight toward the ground.

"Kid! KID! WHY ARE WE FALLING?!" the old soul screamed.

Wei Jin leaned back casually, his arms crossed. "We're not falling. We're landing."

"THAT'S NOT A LANDING; THAT'S A DEATH DIVE!" the old soul howled, his voice cracking.

The wind howled around them as the crow picked up speed. The faster it descended, the louder the old soul's screams grew, echoing across the skies.

"STOP THIS MADNESS! I CAN'T HANDLE THIS! I'M JUST A WEAK SOUL! I WASN'T BUILT FOR THIS!"

Wei Jin smirked, enjoying the old soul's misery.

The ground seemed to rush toward them, growing larger and larger with every passing second. Trees, rocks, and distant mountains blurred together in a chaotic whirl as the crow's speed increased.

"TOO FAST! TOO FAST! WE'RE GONNA DIE! KID, TELL IT TO STOP!"

Wei Jin yawned, utterly unfazed. "Old man, relax. It's just a bird. It knows what it's doing."

"BIRD?! THIS IS A DEATH MACHINE!"

The old soul clung to Wei Jin's presence as if it were his last lifeline. The crow let out another ear-piercing "Craaaaawk!" as it performed an abrupt twist in midair, adding to the chaos.

"WEI JIN, I SWEAR IF I SURVIVE THIS, I'M HAUNTING YOU FOREVER!"

The dive continued, faster and faster. The old soul's panicked shrieks grew louder, bordering on incoherent.

"STOP! SLOW DOWN! I'M TOO YOUNG—NO, TOO DEAD TO DIE AGAIN!"

Just as the ground seemed only moments away, the crow spread its wings wide, catching the air and slowing its descent in a breathtaking display of control. It landed with a thunderous thud, the impact shaking the earth around them.

Wei Jin stepped off calmly, stretching as if he had just taken a peaceful nap. Meanwhile, the old soul was a flickering, translucent mess, on the verge of dissipating entirely.

"That... that was insane!" the old soul wheezed, his form trembling.

Wei Jin smirked and reached out, injecting a small surge of cultivation energy into the old soul to stabilize it. "There. Don't go fainting on me, old man. We've got things to do."

The old soul mumbled incoherently, still reeling from the experience.

Wei Jin turned toward the massive wooden carriage waiting nearby, its ornate doors gleaming in the sunlight. With a grin, he opened the door. "Alright, old man. Here we are."

The old soul shuddered, staring at Wei Jin with pure terror. "You're going to kill me one day. I'm sure of it."