Ling Huan wanted to chase after Yin Luoling, but after thinking it over, he gave up.
After all, in Yin Luoling’s eyes, he was now the image of a bad brother.
If he tried to go after her now, it would probably only backfire.
Not only would she refuse to listen to his explanation, but if she went and told their parents, his butt would end up as red as the flowers by the roadside.
It would be better to cool off for a while, let her settle down emotionally, and then find a good time to talk things through and clear up the misunderstanding.
After all, what he’d done really was over the line.
He hadn’t considered things from Yin Luoling’s perspective at all; dragging her to the festival stirred up her sad memories, not to mention he’d also touched her all over…
This wasn’t some from a corner-giving-mu*, where triggering a rare event could build affection—chances were, he’d be stuck as a perverted brother for quite a while.
If it weren’t for this damn system, he could’ve easily turned Yin Luoling into a sis-con!
But now, let alone a sis-con!
Even being normal siblings was probably a stretch.
Still, today wasn’t a total loss.
At least the system’s rewards were generous enough, and most importantly, Jiang Yue hadn’t developed any dissatisfaction with him because of it.
She even seemed a bit happy.
All in all, it was the kind of situation where you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
To put it bluntly, Yin Luoling was still young.
Maybe when she grew up, she’d forget all about this.
He’d just squeeze as much benefit from the system as he could, and make it up to her later!
Thinking optimistically like this, He returned to his room to check the system’s rewards.
It seemed like he had three rewards left to claim.
After checking the system’s storage, he found there really were three: first was Innate Spiritual Qi.
Apparently, it would let him jump straight to the peak of the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, and would make his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment in the future smooth as silk.
But would the system really be so kind as to give him something this good?
If he just gulped it down without thinking, his cultivation would lack understanding, and in the future he’d only be able to advance by relying on the system.
That way, he’d lose all initiative.
He’d just end up completely under the system’s control.
Ling Huan still believed that rushing things never worked; you had to progress step by step.
To him, the only shortcut in the world was to walk forward solidly, one foot in front of the other.
No matter where you ended up, the road you took would always have been the shortcut.
Ignoring the reward of Innate Spiritual Qi, Ling Huan set his sights on the two cultivation techniques.
Truth be told, he didn’t really know much about techniques.
The Qi Refinement Art he’d learned before was a technique.
Now he’d been given two new ones—so what was the difference between them?
Hmm, maybe they were both called techniques, but of different categories.
One was for internal use, commonly called internal cultivation.
This type was meant to boost his own ability to absorb and refine spiritual qi.
Now, the two new techniques given should be martial arts.
Offensive moves.
Sword cultivator, huh?
To be honest, becoming a sword cultivator sounded pretty cool.
Wandering the world with a sword, flying on a blade—weren’t those every boy’s dream at some point?
Dressed in white, sword in hand, standing alone against ten thousand—probably every boy’s ultimate fantasy.
Not to mention, in a heated duel, suddenly shouting, “Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!” and seeing countless swords surge in like a tidal wave—now that would be epic.
Plus, the impression of sword cultivators being elegant, their fighting style graceful, and their attack power strong… that was exactly what Ling Huan longed for.
He almost impulsively wanted to become a sword cultivator right there!
What’s more, this technique let anything become a sword.
How cool was that?
With just a reed, he could match all the immortal swords in the world.
A toothpick, a twig, even a drifting strand of yarn could become his sword.
The style points were off the charts.
But Ling Huan also noticed, “attain mastery through training.”
Only after mastery would it have such power.
In other words, this technique was more focused on the later stages.
So what about the early stages?
Wouldn’t he still need a strong sword to bring out the power of a sword cultivator?
Though with firm resolve and strong will, cultivating the Sword Heart, he could eventually make even common iron twice as powerful as an actual sword.
But Ling Huan didn’t think he fit that image—he didn’t have that kind of edge.
Plus, he didn’t want to just rely on the system to learn everything in one click.
That meant he’d definitely be weak early on.
It would take a lot of time to train.
And resources would be an issue too.
But if his Venom-Devouring Primal Spirit could strengthen itself by absorbing poison, then all he needed to do was keep ingesting toxins and tempering his body—he could skip a lot of expensive materials.
It still needed to be tested how much he could enhance himself, but at least he was sure he was getting stronger.
The spiritual qi in his body was fuller and richer than before—that was the best proof.
This way, he wouldn’t be a burden on his family.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
Although he had plenty of time, Ling Huan still wanted to master things as soon as possible.
After all, before attaining true mastery, his sword might get lost, broken, or stolen by others—anything could happen.
But his body wouldn’t.
His body was his own, and it would never betray or slip away from him.
If his body did betray him, that could only mean one thing: he was dead.
Until then, his body would be his greatest weapon.
Also, with a tempered body, he’d be less likely to be taken by surprise.
Invulnerable to swords and spears—much harder to die!
Besides, a stronger body meant handling the harem would be easier too.
Without a powerful physique, how could he shoulder the worries of his harem?
He couldn’t just kneel down and beg his enemy, “Please, don’t take my harem away, okay?”
Impossible!
Ling Huan would never be that kind of coward!
Body-tempering had to be cultivated!
Eh!
Ling Huan suddenly had a flash of inspiration!
How about this!
Ling Huan’s eyes lit up. Outwardly, he’d be a sword cultivator; inwardly, a body cultivator.
That way, he could catch enemies off guard and gain the upper hand in battle.
This was a good idea!
He didn’t need powerful martial skills—just a simple sword technique and a sword.
Anyone would think he was striving to become a sword cultivator.
Go to Floating Cloud Pavilion to buy some sword techniques and a sword; not only would it boost his visibility, it’d spread the idea that he wanted to be a sword cultivator throughout Qingmu City.
Yes, that way potential enemies would fall for it first!
That’s decided, then.
He’d pick his cultivation method and start training.
Having decided, Ling Huan pressed the second reward option—Unmatched Power!
After claiming it, a flash of white light appeared, and what materialized in his hand wasn’t a scroll or book, but a white jade token, its surface radiant and smooth, glowing softly.
What was this?
[This is an “Inheritance Token.” After infusing it with spiritual qi, you can instantly comprehend the cultivation method and reach the initial stage. After one use, the jade token will disappear.]
Inheritance Token?
[Inheritance Token: Separates and copies a person’s understanding of a technique from their own sea of consciousness and imbues it into the jade token. A must-have for top sects to pass down their legacies. Saves a great deal of study time.]
So amazing?
But that put an end to Ling Huan’s hope of passing these techniques down to his family.
Still, it meant he could understand someone else’s comprehension and see what kind of technique it was.
After all, having the body know and having the mind know were two different things.
Like in a game—you know what key to press, what the skill looks like, what damage it does, its trajectory—but if you don’t understand the effects and side effects, and just use it blindly, you’ll run into trouble sooner or later.
And usually, in the cultivation world, trouble meant death.
That’s why Ling Huan insisted on cultivating himself, and understanding for himself.
It didn’t matter if he was slow—as long as he understood.
A half-baked grasp would only get him killed.
As Ling Huan released his spiritual qi and poured it into the jade token.
The token instantly shattered.
The shards didn’t turn into sharp hidden weapons, but instead emitted a dazzling light.
The surroundings were instantly draped in a black veil, plunging into darkness.
The glowing shards floated and spun before Ling Huan’s eyes.
It was as if he’d fallen into a boundless night, brilliant stars bursting forth one after another, forming a Milky Way to guide him forward.
Before him, golden words suddenly appeared, shining but not blinding.
Unmatched Power!
No divine abilities, no borrowing from heaven and earth—just rely on yourself!
With pure force, break through all methods; with ultimate might, suppress all under the heavens!
Countless transformations, myriad magical arts—still, I break them all with a single force!
Just two short lines, but they radiated absolute dominance!
The starlight from the shattered jade surged into Ling Huan’s mind, carrying with it the intense and overwhelming true meaning.
On this side of the starry river, he gazed toward the other shore, where a solitary figure’s back seemed to be telling Ling Huan the meaning of strength!
What is strength?
Like one frail man leading a hundred sick soldiers, shattering an enemy army of thousands!
Like a single punch dispersing towering waves that threaten to swallow the world!
Like a supreme being, overlooking all living things as mere ants!
The profound mysteries of body-tempering flooded into Ling Huan’s soul at lightning speed!