Chapter 4: System

As night slowly fell, the cool moonlight filtered through the window, spreading across the room.

On the bed, Du Fei, who had been lying with his eyes tightly closed, suddenly opened them and slowly sat up.

During the day, after Xiao Ai returned, she only mentioned that someone from the Du family had sent a message. Since Du Fei had recovered, he was to attend the Du family meeting in three days.

Although Xiao Ai didn't say much, Du Fei could tell from her worried expression that this meeting might decide their fate!

Although he didn't feel a strong sense of belonging to the Du family, Du Fei was well aware that if he left the Du family rashly now, they would not only fail to avenge their deep grudges but might not even be able to save their lives!

Therefore, no matter what, he had to show his value at the family meeting, making the Du family make a certain decision. And the best way to demonstrate this value was through strength!

Thinking to this point, Du Fei clenched his teeth slightly and, after a moment, reached out to remove the jade amulet hanging from his chest and placed it in front of him.

Under the moonlight, the smooth jade amulet emitted a faint, icy glow, mysterious and profound. However, Du Fei knew that to access the information inside the jade amulet, he needed to have at least the strength of the ninth level of Body Tempering. Before that, he shouldn't even think about studying the Du family's Ice Heart Technique.

However, Du Fei's current goal was not to access the information. After recalling the events of the day, Du Fei vaguely remembered that when the so-called system was activated, he indeed used the Du family's Ice Heart Qi. Since he definitely didn't have Ice Heart Qi in his body, the most likely source of the Ice Heart Qi was this jade amulet.

Moreover, the so-called system might also exist within this jade amulet.

After pondering for a moment, Du Fei slowly stroked the jade amulet with his hand. As in the past few years, the jade amulet remained icy cold, with no special characteristics. After all, Du Fei had carried it with him for so long and was extremely familiar with it.

"Could it be that, like in the stories I read in my past life, this thing needs to be activated by a blood ritual?" Thinking this, Du Fei couldn't help but smile bitterly. However, he had no other choice. After some thought, he bit his finger and smeared a drop of blood on the jade amulet.

However, after the blood was applied, the jade amulet showed no special changes, remaining as it always was.

"Indeed, it is so..." Du Fei nodded slightly and murmured after a moment, "If I remember correctly, the system was activated when I was in mortal danger. Could it be that it can only be activated under such circumstances?"

"There is value in trying!"

With this thought, Du Fei, holding the jade amulet, jumped up. His gaze swept around the room and finally landed on a decorative longsword hanging on the wall.

"If my guess is correct, the system can be activated. If I'm wrong and I lose my life, then it's my fate! Rather than living in fear, I'd rather fight to the death! In the midst of certain death, I will seek a glimmer of hope!"

With this resolve, Du Fei drew the longsword, smiled lightly, and then swiftly thrust the blade towards his abdomen!

"Beep... Sensing low-level danger, but threatening the master's safety, system self-activating, system self-activating..."

Just as the sword was about to pierce his abdomen, the expected cold electronic voice indeed sounded in his mind, causing Du Fei to pause. Even so, the sword had already cut into his abdomen, leaving a deep bloodstain.

However, at this moment, the cold electronic voice made Du Fei feel incredibly familiar! Even the wound on his abdomen seemed to cause no pain.

"Hehehe..."

Hardly suppressing his urge to laugh out loud, Du Fei lowered his voice and said, "Finally, you've shown up! System, what are you exactly?"

"Beep... Insufficient data, unable to answer! Warning, the master is losing a large amount of blood. Should the medical program be activated?"

"Activate it!" Du Fei responded in a low voice, half-expecting it to work.

"Beep... Medical program activated, medical program activated, activation complete. The program will automatically shut down once the wound is healed." As the cold electronic voice sounded again, the wound on Du Fei's abdomen slowly stopped bleeding, and the exposed flesh turned slightly pale. However, the wound did not heal quickly.

Du Fei had no complaints about this. He casually found the ointment left by the pharmacist, bandaged the wound, and then sat down again. After some thought, he said calmly, "System, how do I call you out in the future, and why did I have Ice Heart Qi in my body that day?"

"Beep, Question 1: The master only needs to call out in the mind, and the system will appear, no need to do it like today; Question 2: Insufficient data, answer unclear, should the question be asked again?"

"Again unclear? What exactly is this system?" Du Fei frowned, "What can you do?"

"Insufficient data, unable to answer."

"Uh..." Du Fei was speechless. Although the system had started with a medical program, its inability to answer questions was completely unexpected. Had he set his expectations too high for this unreliable system?

"Then, is there any way to help me cultivate martial arts?" With a hint of hope, Du Fei asked the question he was most concerned about.

"System searching... Question clear... Answer unclear..."

"Indeed..." Du Fei sighed.

"Beep..."

After a moment, the noise in his mind sounded again, but it made Du Fei feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar: "The master's body is weak, and the meridians are blocked, it can be determined that he cannot cultivate martial arts..."

"Is there no way at all?"

"Beep... Question unclear... System still searching... Beep... Reference data available, should it be read?"

"Read it." By this point, Du Fei had little hope for the unreliable system, but he responded out of habit.

"Permission granted, loading data, reading..."

"Ring..."

Before Du Fei could react, a pitch-black space suddenly appeared in his mind. This black space made Du Fei feel a chill, as if he were really in it.

But this feeling was fleeting. Soon, Du Fei "saw" a figure emitting a faint light moving slowly in the black space.

The figure's movements were extremely strange and gentle, as if strolling in a garden. However, Du Fei, born into a martial arts family, had excellent eyesight. In just a moment, he recognized that the figure was performing a Body Tempering Fist, a method of body tempering. Although it was different from the various Body Tempering methods popular on the Xuanwu Continent, this strange Body Tempering method gave Du Fei a sense that he might be able to cultivate it!

Body Tempering, also known as Body Tempering Fist.

On the Xuanwu Continent, to cultivate martial arts, one must first temper the body.

However, body tempering is different from cultivating martial arts. Cultivating martial arts involves absorbing the elements of heaven and earth to form true qi, a mysterious and profound process. Body tempering, on the other hand, is much simpler.

Generally, each major family and sect has its own Body Tempering Fist. Regardless of their quality, they all share one common feature: they must be fierce and invincible, emphasizing the physical training of the body.

First, the skin, then the bones, and finally the meridians. Through this gradual strengthening, when a certain level is reached, at the seventh level of Body Tempering, the body naturally produces true qi. This continuous process of strengthening the body is called Body Tempering.

However, even the most basic Body Tempering method has a fundamental requirement: a strong body and unblocked meridians!

If this requirement is not met, during the Body Tempering process, the blood and qi will not flow smoothly, and the cultivator will likely suffer a tragic fate before reaching the ninth level of Body Tempering.

However, on the Xuanwu Continent, most people can temper their bodies. Although many get stuck at the sixth level of Body Tempering, they can still cultivate to some extent.

People like Du Fei, who cannot even reach the first level of Body Tempering, are considered worthless. Although Du Fei was not convinced of this from a young age, Du Tian had tried many Body Tempering methods for him. However, no matter which method, Du Fei had to give up at the first level of Body Tempering, as continuing would likely result in the loss of his limbs and make him a true cripple.

However, the Body Tempering Fist that appeared in Du Fei's mind gave him a fresh perspective.

If ordinary Body Tempering methods work from the outside in, then this Body Tempering Fist works from the inside out.

Although the chances are low, if he started by tempering his meridians, could he cultivate?

"Definitely worth a try!" Du Fei subconsciously licked his lips, his mind fully immersed in the gentle Body Tempering Fist. Unconsciously, his body began to mimic the movements of the ethereal figure, performing the gentle Body Tempering Fist.

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End of Chapter 4

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