Life-Sacrificing System

Cough, cough, cough!

Lu Chengchuan lay in bed, coughing with a pale face.

It was April, the season when all things grew, yet he was about to leave this world. He was unwilling to accept it. Why him? Why had he contracted an incurable terminal illness?

"Xiaochuan, Mom will go borrow some money. We'll try another major hospital."

By the bed, a haggard woman covered her face as she wept. The sight of her emaciated son in bed broke her heart.

"Don't... cough, cough! Don't go... cough, cough! I can't be saved!" Lu Chengchuan coughed. He did not want his mother borrowing money from others anymore.

His illness was incurable. No amount of money could fill that bottomless pit.

Over the past few years, his mother had turned to everyone she could think of in order to treat him. Their family was drowning in debt. Lu Chengchuan truly did not want to continue treatment. He was a burden.

"No, don't say that. Mom will definitely save you..."

Hearing her son speak of giving up, Huang Yuyun's voice became filled with anguish.

Her beloved had died in an accident ten years ago, and now even her only child was about to leave her. The pain in Huang Yuyun's heart was easy to imagine.

No matter how her child shook his head, she would never give up!

Lying in bed, Lu Chengchuan said nothing. He only wanted to be free sooner, to escape the weakness that had tormented him for so long.

System loading complete. Beginner's gift pack has been issued. Please claim it.

As Lu Chengchuan lay in bed, half-asleep, a cold mechanical voice rang beside his ear. He opened his eyes and searched for its source, only to realize that the voice was inside his mind.

A system?

As though he had heard something unbelievable, Lu Chengchuan became agitated. Huang Yuyun did not notice the change in her son. She was still wondering who else she could borrow money from...

"Mom, let's go home first. I don't want to stay here."

Lu Chengchuan wanted to see what this system was about, but he needed to get home first. He did not want to inspect it in the hospital.

Huang Yuyun wiped away her tears and forced a smile. "All right, I'll take you home."

After they returned home, Lu Chengchuan sat in a chair and found an excuse. "Mom, I want some water."

"Oh, okay. Mom will go get you some hot water."

Hearing that her son wanted water, Huang Yuyun hurriedly got up and went out to fetch some.

System?

Once his mother had left, Lu Chengchuan immediately called out in his mind. The instant he spoke the word "system," a transparent panel appeared before him.

Life-Sacrificing System

Host: Lu Chengchuan

Realm: None

Martial Arts: None

Current Lifespan: 5 days.

Host is extremely weak. Unknown illness detected. Host may heal the illness through cultivation.

(Beginner's gift pack available to open.)

As the system panel appeared, a flood of information poured into his mind. He endured the throbbing pain in his head and absorbed it.

The Life-Sacrificing System, as its name implied, allowed him to consume a certain amount of lifespan to increase his strength. But the problem was that he only had five days left to live. If he spent any more, he would die on the spot.

What use was that to him? He needed to stay alive first!

Lu Chengchuan felt somewhat disappointed. He needed to survive before he could have the chance to sacrifice his lifespan.

But when he saw the beginner's gift pack at the bottom, a sliver of hope rose in his heart again. He hoped the contents could heal his body. It would be enough if his body could return to normal.

Beginner's gift pack opened. Obtained Yellow Grade martial art: Everspring Skill, Minor Mastery. Obtained Yellow Grade martial art: Eagle Claw Iron Body Skill, Major Mastery.

The moment he claimed the beginner's gift pack, a strange power rose from below his abdomen. It was gentle, spreading from his lower abdomen through every limb and bone. Lu Chengchuan felt strength for the first time in ages.

His weak body was nourished, a trace of color returning to his pale face. Sweat poured from his body, soaking his clothes.

The gentle energy circulated through his body three times before finally returning to the area below his navel.

Lu Chengchuan stood up and threw a punch forward, producing a sharp whistle through the air.

Punch after punch flew out as Lu Chengchuan swung his arms freely, feeling the power in his body. Since falling ill, he had never felt this exhilarated.

"Is my illness cured?"

His body had grown stronger than he could ever have imagined. Lu Chengchuan felt that his illness had been cured.

Life-Sacrificing System

Host: Lu Chengchuan

Realm: Body Tempering

Martial Arts: Everspring Skill, Yellow Grade / Level 1; Eagle Claw Iron Body Skill, Yellow Grade / Level 2

Current Lifespan: 35 days.

Host's bodily functions have recovered. Unknown illness has not been cured.

Calling up the system and seeing his remaining lifespan at the bottom, Lu Chengchuan's heart sank. His illness was not cured. He had merely gained thirty more days to live. He was still short-lived—just a very powerful short-lived person.

"This..." Lu Chengchuan was at a loss for words. Things were not as he had imagined.

He felt incredibly strong, yet he had less than two months left to live.

Lifespan. It was still a lifespan problem. Lu Chengchuan sat back down in his chair. Just as he began thinking about how to increase his lifespan, his mother approached with a cup of hot water.

Lu Chengchuan quickly put on a weak appearance. He could not seem too normal. In just a few minutes, he had become a powerful martial artist. It would be far too shocking if word got out.

Besides, he only had a little over a month to live, and his illness had not yet been cured. He did not want to give his mother false hope.

"Here, be careful. It's hot."

His mother brought over the water. Lu Chengchuan slowly raised his arm and, as usual, "struggled" to pick up the cup.

"Mom will look for a job tomorrow. Rest well at home. Mom will be back tonight. Call me if anything happens."

"I know, Mom. I'll take good care of myself," Lu Chengchuan said heartfully.

With that, Huang Yuyun helped her son back to his room to rest.

Inside the small room, Lu Chengchuan dropped his weak act. He walked to the window and grabbed one of the iron bars with one hand.

His palm slowly tightened. The rusty yellow bar gradually deformed in his grip. Before long, Lu Chengchuan forcibly bent the finger-thick iron bar.

For the past few years, illness had plagued him, and he had paid little attention to his mother. In his memories, his mother had never been this haggard. Now that his body had recovered, he realized that more than half of her hair had turned white.

Lu Chengchuan felt terrible, but he still had to wait. He needed to find out how to gain lifespan before he could say that he was better.

Even if he could not find a way to stay alive, he would still make money, repay all their debts, and earn enough for his mother to live out her old age.

As for how to make money, Lu Chengchuan looked at the bent bar, and he already had an answer.

He had never seen anyone casually bend finger-thick steel with their bare hands. Those martial arts masters online all boasted about being formidable—talking about Primordial Chaos Limitless techniques and lightning whips—but in actual fights, they were beaten black and blue by young men and left unable to get up from the ground.

His strength was real. As for how to use it to make money... he needed to think it over carefully.

The next day, Huang Yuyun left the house. Before going out, she prepared lunch and placed it in a thermal pot.

After his mother left, Lu Chengchuan returned to normal. Once he was sure she would not suddenly come back, he put on a mask and left the rented apartment.