“Congratulations to the host for winning the beauty’s heart and activating the Soft Rice System. You have received a Newbie Gift Pack.”
Just as Qiu An was about to ask the system why there wasn’t a newbie gift, the system seemed to know what he was thinking and spoke up in his mind before he could say anything.
“Heh! System, are you saying that if I don’t ask, I don’t get a newbie gift? Are there many other benefits I won’t get unless I ask?”
Qiu An was stunned at first by the reward, then laughed.
“Host, you’re falsely accusing this system! The reason I didn’t say anything earlier was because I’m thoughtful.”
“Oh! Then I should be thanking you?”
Qiu An couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.
“Host, would you have had time to check the rewards just now if I told you?”
Qiu An paused for a moment, then nodded. His newly-minted fiancée had still been in the room earlier, so it really wasn’t the best time to chat with the system at length.
Realizing the system had a point, Qiu An quickly changed the subject.
“System, what’s in the Newbie Gift Pack?”
“Host, the Newbie Gift Pack contains three gifts.”
“The first gift is a divine-level internal cultivation technique — Nine Yin Nine Yang Manual. It’s divided into two volumes: the upper volume is the Nine Yang Manual, and the lower is the Nine Yin Manual.”
Qiu An smiled upon hearing this, thinking to himself,
“Heh! Not bad. Normally, the Nine Yang and Nine Yin manuals are separate, but the system gave both as a single gift. That’s a good deal.”
“I’ll practice the Nine Yang Manual, and my wife can practice the Nine Yin Manual — what a perfect match.”
Thinking of this, Qiu An quickly asked the system,
“System, can I pass the Nine Yin Manual to my wife?”
After all, it would be a huge waste if she couldn’t practice it. This was a divine-level technique that would surely improve her cultivation quickly — it’d be painful if she couldn’t use it while he had to train hard.
“Host, the techniques given by the system are yours to handle freely. If you choose to learn it, the system can perform a ‘divine enlightenment’ to instantly bring your mastery to perfection. Others will have to learn it through normal means by reading the manual.”
Qiu An sighed in relief.
“As long as she can practice it, that’s fine. I’ll just teach her after I’ve learned it myself.”
“System, what’s the second gift?”
“Host, the second gift is also a divine-level technique — Dugu Nine Swords.”
“Dugu Nine Swords? That’s the one that doesn’t require much internal power but is still incredibly powerful, right?”
“Correct.”
“Heh! This is perfect. Even if I fight in the future, no one will know I’ve recovered my internal power. It’s a technique made for flexing.”
Qiu An grinned, very satisfied with the first two rewards. Now he was curious about the third one.
“System, what’s the third gift? Another divine-level technique?”
“Host, the third gift is the Cultivation Sharing function. Each use lasts for one hour.”
“System? What is Cultivation Sharing?”
“Host, Cultivation Sharing means you and your fated one will have the same cultivation level.”
“For example, if your fated one is at the Martial Master level and you’re at the Martial King level, you can both temporarily be at Martial Master or Martial Sect level together.”
“Hmm.”
Qiu An nodded. He found the reward a bit underwhelming, but still better than nothing.
“System, are there any other rewards?”
“Host, don’t be greedy. I’ve already given you three gifts.”
Qiu An felt the rewards were still a bit sparse, so he decided to push his luck.
“System, don’t other systems come with standard features like a character panel and massive storage rings? Do you have those?”
The system went silent. Just as Qiu An was about to give up, that pleasant system voice rang out again.
“Congratulations, host! You have received an infinite storage ring — capable of storing living beings.”
“Host’s character panel has been digitized and successfully generated.”
“Heh heh!”
Qiu An grinned proudly.
“Just as I thought — if you want something, you’ve got to fight for it.”
“System, open my character panel.”
“Yes, host. Please wait a moment… Panel opened.”
As the system finished speaking, a virtual character panel appeared before Qiu An’s eyes:
[Name]: Qiu An
[Identity]: Heir of the Border-Warding Prince’s Manor
[Cultivation]: Mid-stage Martial King
[Items]: Nine Yin Nine Yang Manual, Dugu Nine Swords (only system-gifted items displayed)
Seeing the words “Martial King,” Qiu An couldn’t help but sigh.
“Ha! Three years ago, I was almost killed for trying to break through to the Martial King stage and ended up crippled. Who would’ve thought that after getting the system, I’d reach Martial King without even cultivating?”
At that moment, a thought suddenly struck him:
His breakthrough to Martial King came from his connection to the fated girl. Since he was two major realms above her, that meant she must currently be mid-stage Martial Master!
How could someone so poor have reached Martial Master level? Why would a mid-stage Martial Master become a servant? And what about those two scars on her face?
“It seems my fated one has quite the story.”
Qiu An murmured as he looked toward the door.
“System, can the scars on her face be healed? Will future task rewards include medicine to cure them?”
Since the system had bound Qiu An to Guo Xue, he figured he should try to heal her scars. After all, it was a shame for such a well-proportioned woman to have such terrifying scars on her face.
“Host, the fated one’s facial scars are fake. No treatment is necessary.”
“What? Fake? She’s not injured? Is she wearing a mask, or are only the scars fake?”
Qiu An jumped up in shock — it was a mix of surprise and joy. He felt relieved.
“Host, you’ll have to figure that out on your own.”
Qiu An froze, surprised the system was being so secretive. But thinking about it again, he was actually pleased — at least he didn’t need to worry about her face. Still, he needed to know why she disguised herself to enter the prince’s manor.
He stood up, ready to go question Guo Xue, but then sat back down.
“We’re not close yet. She’s still guarded against me. If I question her now, she won’t tell me anything. Better to wait.”
“If the system has designated her as my fated one, she won’t harm me. Since that’s the case, I can wait. As long as I treat her well, she’ll eventually trust me and tell me everything without needing to be asked.”
Qiu An muttered as he looked outside.
“In the capital, there are far too many Martial Kings. If I want to ensure my own safety, I’ll at least need to reach Martial Emperor. Right now, I must focus on quickly improving my cultivation.”
At that moment, the system’s voice rang out in his mind.
“Mission issued: Help your fated one reach the Martial Sect stage. Reward: Poison-Immunity Saint Physique.”
“Heh! Perfect. I can earn a reward while doing something I was going to do anyway.”
Qiu An grinned and muttered to himself.
He then reached out to the system mentally.
“System, begin learning Nine Yin Nine Yang Manual.”
Just as he said that, a serious thought struck him, and he quickly asked,
“System, once I learn it, will the manual disappear?”
“Rest assured, host. It will not disappear.”
“Great, then begin learning!”
“Yes, host. Please wait a moment…”
As the system finished speaking, images of him learning the Nine Yin Nine Yang Manual flashed in Qiu An’s mind.
BOOM!
CRASH!
As Qiu An reached perfection in his training with the help of the system, his inner energy surged uncontrollably. It burst out of him, instantly shattering the table in front of him and the chair beneath him.
Fortunately, Qiu An reacted quickly and stabilized himself. Otherwise, he would’ve landed on the floor face-first.
At that moment, a figure suddenly burst into the room from outside.
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