[Congratulations, host! You have received: 10,000 spirit stones, +10 comprehension, and Undying Body Scripture.]
Ye Chen, who had just woken up a minute before, stared at the familiar blue notification screen hovering before his eyes.
Fortunately, he was the only one who could see the system, or the blue light would have shone through the darkness of the room, waking his roommates.
Ye Chen sat up carefully on his bunk, glancing around the dormitory room.
Li Qiang and Fatty Wang were both still deeply asleep, with Li Qiang lying perfectly still like he was a soldier even as he slept, and Fatty Wang sprawling across his bed with one arm dangling off the edge.
His phone buzzed softly. Ye Chen pulled it out and checked his banking app. Another 10,000 spirit stones had been deposited into his account. His balance was growing at a rate that would make most students' heads spin.
He exhaled slowly, considering his situation. This time the system hadn't granted him a massive spiritual energy infusion like yesterday. That was simultaneously a relief and a concern.
A relief because he wouldn't have to hide a dramatic cultivation breakthrough while his roommates were in the same room.
A concern because... what about next time? Eventually, the system would grant him another advancement, and trying to conceal the spiritual pressure and energy fluctuations in a shared dormitory was becoming increasingly risky.
His mind began working through the problem logically.
He needed his own space. Somewhere off-campus where he could cultivate in peace without attracting unwanted attention.
A private apartment where mysterious breakthroughs wouldn't wake up curious roommates, or his growing collection of system rewards wouldn't attract scrutiny.
And honestly, there was also the simple joy of having one's own space. The privacy and freedom that came with it. The ability to live without constantly monitoring himself.
With the spirit stones he was receiving from the system, assuming the pattern continued, which seemed likely, he had more than enough wealth to secure himself a top-tier private apartment in the city.
Something spacious and well-protected, with good spiritual energy density for cultivation.
He made a mental note to look into rental options later today.
Turning his attention back to the notification, Ye Chen focused on his other rewards. +10 comprehension?
He turned his awareness inwards, examining his cultivation and the flow of spiritual energy through his meridians.
The moment he did, something clicked into place. Concepts that had seemed fuzzy yesterday suddenly became crystal clear.
The nature of his foundation, which was his drive to stand above all others and to be free from anyone's control, deepened and solidified. The flow of his qi adjusted subtly, moving with greater purpose and efficiency.
His comprehension had genuinely increased. He could feel the difference immediately.
Curious, Ye Chen wondered if this meant he had some kind of status screen like in the games from his previous life.
"Status," he whispered experimentally. Nothing happened. He tried various hand gestures, different verbal commands, even focusing intensely while thinking the word. Still nothing.
After a minute of this, he gave up with a quiet sigh. The system apparently didn't work that way. The notifications and rewards were all he got.
Moving on, he examined his final reward, the Undying Body Scripture.
This was a Third Grade body strengthening technique, significantly valuable in its own right. Practicing it would increase his physical strength, enhance his body's durability, and improve his overall combat capability.
But the real value of the technique lay in its regenerative properties.
The Undying Body Scripture had nine distinct levels of mastery.
At the first level, minor wounds would heal noticeably faster. By the third level, broken bones would mend in days rather than weeks. At the sixth level, even severed limbs could potentially regenerate given enough time and spiritual energy.
And if he managed to cultivate it all the way to the ninth level? Instant regeneration. Wounds would close as fast as they were inflicted, making him nearly impossible to kill through conventional means.
At least until his cultivation advanced beyond the Golden Core realm, at which point the technique's benefits would plateau and eventually be surpassed by higher-tier body cultivation methods.
But that was a problem for the distant future.
The Undying Body Scripture would serve him extraordinarily well through the Foundation Establishment, Sea Opening, Golden Core, and early Nascent Soul stages.
There was only one notable drawback.
According to the technique's description, practicing the Undying Body Scripture would significantly increase the flow of yang energy throughout his body.
This would have the side effect of substantially raising his libido, making him, in simple terms, perpetually horny.
Ye Chen stared at that particular detail for a long moment, his eye twitching slightly.
Of course. Of course it did. Because apparently the system was absolutely committed to its vision of the "perfect life," and that vision clearly involved maximum sexual activity at all times.
The Pure Yang Sacred Body. The Heaven and Earth Unification Art. The Sacred Union Pill Furnace that worked better when he was aroused. And now a body strengthening technique that would keep his sex drive permanently elevated while he practiced it.
The pattern was impossible to miss.
Still, he thought pragmatically, it was a small price to pay for a technique of this value.
Instant regeneration at the ninth level was borderline immortality within his cultivation tier. Being slightly more horny than usual was a manageable inconvenience compared to that kind of advantage.
Ye Chen carefully retrieved the technique manual from his storage ring, materializing it silently in his hands.
The book was bound in dark leather with characters etched in silver across the cover. He opened it to the first page and began reading.
Thanks to his newly enhanced comprehension, he was able to absorb the concepts rapidly.
The circulation patterns, the meridian pathways, the specific breathing techniques required, all of it made immediate sense in a way that would have taken him hours to grasp before the +10 comprehension boost.
Within twenty minutes, he had fully understood the first level's requirements.
Ye Chen closed the manual, stored it back in his ring, and settled into a proper cultivation posture on his bed, with his legs crossed, back straight, and hands resting on his knees.
He closed his eyes and began to cultivate the Undying Body Scripture.