Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword

If he could recruit him into Spirit Hall, he would gain enormous benefits. At the very least, a promotion would be within reach.

And the result did not disappoint Su Yuntao.

Ning Chuan subconsciously raised his right hand. What he saw was a small emerald-green sword, one that felt strangely familiar to him.

It was the magic treasure of Old Demon Han, the progenitor of cultivation novels from his previous life: the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword.

It was emerald-green throughout, its main body resembling a straight, tapering segment of Thunder Bamboo. The blade and hilt were engraved with incomparably gorgeous, strange golden runes.

Su Yuntao was greatly startled. "It's actually a Sword Spirit." He had never seen such a gorgeous tool-type spirit before.

Tang San likewise cast a curious glance over. Violet light flashed through his eyes before vanishing. It was impossible for him not to be interested in something like spirit powers, which he was encountering for the first time. Yet under the observation of his Purple Demon Eyes, he discovered that the other party's soul power fluctuations seemed extremely weak—far inferior to his own.

At this moment, Ning Chuan's heart was already consumed by immense delight.

Because a mechanical voice rang out in his mind.

Ding! The God-Level Side Effect System has been activated.

Binding...

Holy shit!

Ning Chuan nearly cried out in excitement.

He had actually obtained a system.

Just watch how this monk turned the clouds and rain upside down.

Wait!

What was a Side Effect System?

The God-Level Side Effect System has been successfully bound.

A screen of light that no one else could perceive appeared before him, displaying lines of text.

Host: Ning Chuan

Spirit: Not yet customized

Innate Soul Power: Level 0.5

Current Side Effects: Low spirit quality (poor toughness, easily broken, restricted by the spirit, unable to break through Level 30 for life), Appearance (skin rough and dark from years of wind and sun exposure)

Side effects may be designated for a target to bear. Current target: None (Note: 1. Each side effect may only be assigned to one target; 2. If the Host or designated target dies, the side effect cannot be transferred; 3. The benefits returned depend on the designated target)

Side effects?

Designate someone to bear them?

As an experienced webnovel reader, Ning Chuan understood how the system worked without even needing to read its instructions.

Essentially, doing something would bring him side effects, and he could designate someone else to bear those effects.

To put it simply: I take the benefits, you bear the side effects.

Once he understood, Ning Chuan instantly became excited, a startling gleam bursting from his eyes.

If that was the case—if it truly worked—couldn't the weaknesses caused by his spirit being all show and no substance, its low quality resulting in slow cultivation and feeble strength, also be transferred to someone else?

If he overtrained in the future and got injured, then as long as he did not die, could someone else bear all the pain and wounds?

Or if he ran short of money and took out a usurious loan, and the lenders came after him with all sorts of methods to collect their debt, could he make someone else bear that as well?

As for the scapegoat?

For example, Tang San!

Ning Chuan looked intensely at Tang San, who was badly startled by that alarming gaze.

What is this guy trying to do? Could he be planning to harm me?

Tang San instinctively prepared himself.

Article Three of the Mystic Heaven Treasure Record's general principles: once one determined an opponent to be an enemy, that person had embarked upon the Path to Death. Show no mercy, or one would only bring trouble upon oneself.

In Tang San's view, Ning Chuan's ill-intentioned expression toward him already meant he had embarked upon the Path to Death. At the same time, although Tang San had yet to forge any Hidden Weapons and could not silently kill Ning Chuan in front of Su Yuntao, Master Su Yuntao had used up most of his soul power while awakening their spirits earlier. Tang San was confident that he could use Mystic Jade Hand and Crane Control Capturing Dragon to deal with him, then kill every child in the room, including this bastard. By then, he would only need to pretend to be injured. Surely Spirit Hall would not suspect a six-year-old child like him afterward.

Fortunately, nothing happened. The malicious look on Ning Chuan's face gradually faded, and he looked at Su Yuntao with an utterly harmless expression. "Master Su Yuntao, is my spirit very strong?"

"Mm. Sword-type spirits are almost never bad. There is even a Sword Spirit wielder who has become a Titled Douluo renowned throughout the world. Your sword is so gorgeous that it certainly can't be bad. You should hurry and test your..."

Su Yuntao held the blue crystal ball out before Ning Chuan, intending to have him test his Innate Soul Power.

But Ning Chuan interrupted him. "Then how should this spirit be cultivated?"

Thinking that he still needed to recruit the boy into Spirit Hall later, Su Yuntao did not think much of it and patiently explained, "First, you need to raise your soul power to Level 10, then obtain a Soul Ring..."

"Then, Master, how do I raise my soul power?" Ning Chuan seemed like a curious child with endless questions.

"To raise soul power, you need to meditate, like this..."

Su Yuntao taught him tirelessly. In any case, it was all the most basic knowledge, something nearly every soul master knew.

Yet Ning Chuan listened very attentively. Following Su Yuntao's instructions, he sat down cross-legged on the spot and circulated that barely perceptible thread of soul power within his body. He found that it moved incredibly slowly, not even as fast as a turtle's crawl. He could not help secretly feeling fortunate. Thankfully, the system had activated; otherwise, with Innate Soul Power of only half a level, he might well have ended up becoming a second Yu Xiaogang in the future.

Perhaps even worse than Yu Xiaogang.

After all, he did not have resources like Yu Xiaogang's.

Tang San was also listening intently. To his surprise, he discovered that this soul power meditation had a few similarities with his Mysterious Heaven Skill. It was just far too simplified, only the most basic of basics.

A moment later, Ning Chuan opened his eyes. Su Yuntao eagerly handed him the blue crystal ball. "Hurry and test your Innate Soul Power."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ning Chuan drew the Bamboo Sword back into his body and raised a hand to lightly touch the blue crystal ball.

The next moment, a faint glimmer lit up within the blue crystal ball at Su Yuntao's fingertips. The light was extremely dim, as though it could vanish at any moment.

"Your Innate Soul Power isn't even rank one—only around half a level. How is that possible? Test it again."

Thinking that the crystal ball used to test soul power had malfunctioned, Su Yuntao had Ning Chuan test himself once more. The result was still Innate Soul Power Half Level.

Refusing to believe it, Su Yuntao had Tang San test himself again. The result was still Innate Full Spirit Power.

Only then did he confirm that there was nothing wrong with the testing crystal ball. Ning Chuan's Innate Soul Power truly was only half a level.

"That shouldn't be possible. Generally speaking, a powerful Martial Soul shouldn't have poor Innate Soul Power. Release your Martial Soul again and let me take another look."

Su Yuntao gestured for Ning Chuan to summon his Martial Soul again, then personally examined it closely.

He found that although the sword was gorgeous and fairly sharp, it was made of bamboo. He reckoned he could snap it with a casual pinch. It was completely useless—probably unable to even cut through a small tree branch. It was a textbook case of looking good but being worthless.

"So it's just a bamboo sword." Su Yuntao revealed a disappointed expression.

How should one put it? It was like an ordinary person on Blue Star thinking they had won five million, only to discover that the lottery ticket had been misprinted.