"Hiss!"
Upon hearing the system's reply, Chen Wei involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath.
He was talking about dominating the universe.
That was downright terrifying.
He had never even left his province his whole life, attending university in the same place he grew up, not to mention traveling abroad.
And now, here was the system suggesting he could conquer the cosmos. Was it time for him to start preparing for universal domination?
Chen Wei's aspirations weren't grand; he was content to look after his little piece of land and his sister.
The idea of conquering the universe seemed too distant and unattainable. He felt it had nothing to do with him.
He cautiously inquired, "System, I don't have such lofty ambitions. Can't I just stay in my own backyard? Or, at most, remain on Earth instead of trying to dominate the universe? The thought kind of scares me."
The system fell silent.
Others who bonded with the system were eager to swear their rise to power, to become incredibly formidable. But here he was, just wanting to stay put on his patch of earth.
Seeing no response from the system, Chen Wei ventured again, "System? Are you there?"
Silence from the system.
Realizing the system wasn't replying, Chen Wei sheepishly shut his mouth, suspecting the system might be upset with him.
The system declared, "The system can perceive the thoughts of the Host! The system does not get angry!"
Hearing the system speak again, Chen Wei quickly pressed on, "So, System, what do you think about what I just said? I feel too insignificant to dominate the universe. Ruling over Earth seems plenty to me."
The system remained silent.
Then it stated, "Beyond this universe, there are other universes, and even higher-dimensional civilizations exist. The Host must strive to improve!"
At this, Chen Wei was at a loss for words.
It seemed the system was still intent on him conquering the universe.
But that was the last thing he wanted.
"Alright, enough thinking about this. I'll just take it one step at a time, focus on increasing my strength. Once I'm capable of defending myself, then I can consider other matters."
With his resolve steadied, Chen Wei began to look through the newly added sections of the System Merchant Shop for suitable resources to aid his cultivation.
[Survival Guide to the Apocalypse: Chronicles the current apocalyptic environment and the myriad species within! Priced at 10,000 exchange points.]
Chen Wei's eyes sparkled upon seeing the first item. "This is great. It'll give me a head start on understanding the unknown mutant creatures."
"Let's exchange for it."
[Congratulations, Host: You have successfully redeemed the Survival Guide to the Apocalypse, and 10,000 exchange points have been deducted.]
A venerable tome now appeared in the personal storage section.
Chen Wei then turned his attention to other offerings.
[Mountain Splitting Palm: Master this technique to cleave mountains asunder. A single palm strike carries the weight of ten thousand kilos! Available for 10,000 exchange points.]
Chen Wei gasped in awe. "A palm strike with the force of ten thousand kilos? That's terrifyingly powerful. Perfect for me."
"Go ahead and exchange."
[Congratulations, Host: You have successfully acquired the Mountain Splitting Palm. 10,000 exchange points have been deducted.]
[Lightning Step: With this skill, you'll move as swiftly as lightning, leaving no trace. You'll be able to snatch an enemy general's head amidst an army of thousands as easily as picking something from a bag! Price: 10,000 exchange points.]
Chen Wei's eyes widened in excitement. "This one's good too. Let's exchange for it."
[Congratulations, Host: You have successfully redeemed the Lightning Step. 10,000 exchange points have been deducted.]
[Doomsday Heavenly God Mantra: Cultivate this and achieve the Heavenly God Physique, impervious to all poisons, immune to blades and bullets, and resistant to fire and water. Ascend beyond the mortal realm and stand above all creatures of the apocalypse. Cost: 100,000 exchange points.]
Chen Wei nodded, his interest piqued. "This is excellent. It's as if it was made just for me. The price is steep, but the value is undeniable. Let's exchange for it."
[Congratulations, Host: You have successfully obtained the Doomsday Heavenly God Mantra. 100,000 exchange points have been deducted.]
Chen Wei's gaze moved to other items, his heart stirring with desire. Yet, the sight of the escalating prices made him balk. The further he looked, the more exorbitant the costs became.
Take, for instance, the Heart of a Planet, astonishingly priced at one million exchange points.
However, due to insufficient funds, Chen Wei couldn't unlock the feature and was therefore unable to view the detailed description.
"It looks like these three items are all I can unlock for now."
As Chen Wei perused the enticing items, he sighed softly to himself. Despite his desire, his hands were tied with only 60,000 exchange points remaining.
But his spirits lifted when he saw the Farm's Assistant Robot already harvesting the wheat—a promise of a substantial influx of exchange points.
With the system efficiently managing the farm, Chen Wei felt no rush or worry, and instead, he began practicing the Mountain Splitting Palm technique.
"Hu... Ha..."
Upon activating the Mountain Splitting Palm, the technique transformed into a beam of light that infused directly into his brain, instantly imparting the method of cultivation and necessary precautions.
By 9 AM, little MeiMei emerged, refreshed and spirited after tiring herself out playing with the guard robot the night before and enjoying a warm bath.
Stepping outside, MeiMei spotted Chen Wei in the courtyard, diligently practicing the Mountain Splitting Palm.
She then scampered inside, fetched a small stool with her tiny hands, and sat down, propping her chin with her hands, her bright eyes fixed intently on her brother.
In the past, whenever Chen Wei busied himself on the farm, he'd have MeiMei accompany him.
She would sit quietly on her stool at the edge of the farm, watching her brother work.
After half an hour, Chen Wei completed his practice, wiping the sweat from his brow, and noticed his sister at the doorway, watching him.
He approached with a smile and asked, "MeiMei, what would you like for breakfast? I'll make it for you."
Hearing this, Chen Mei stood up, took hold of Chen Wei's calloused hand, and asked sweetly, "Brother, what do you feel like eating?"
Chen Wei chuckled, affectionately stroked her head, then crouched down and suggested, "MeiMei, you haven't had meat in a while. How about I make you some lean meat porridge, sound good?"
A delicate smile quickly spread across her face. "Alright, I'll eat whatever Brother makes."
"You're such a good girl!"
Chen Wei, seeing her reaction, allowed a smile to grace the corner of his lips before he set off to prepare a meal inside the house.
"Wei!"
At that very moment, an unexpected call from a man echoed from beyond the courtyard walls.
____
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