"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on completing the quest and unlocking the identity: Zhu Zhuqing's fiancé. You have received one hundred skill points. Skill points can be used to increase the age of soul rings or enter prize draws. Of course, you can also save them up to give this system Human Transformation!" the system's sweet voice announced.
Save them up?
No way. Not even if it killed me.
Xu Ran shook his head. He had only just managed to earn one hundred skill points, while giving the system Human Transformation required a hundred thousand. He was no fool.
Most importantly, this stuff was just like money in savings. If he did not spend it, he was simply waiting for it to depreciate.
Once his strength increased, he could complete the subsequent quests. Wouldn't his skill points come pouring in then?
"Once I'm stronger, I'll save up more for you, System Lady," Xu Ran added. If he did not say something nice to the system, he worried she might make things difficult for him. Women really held grudges, and a female system was probably no different.
"System, how many years can one hundred skill points add to my soul rings?" Xu Ran asked curiously. If he could keep completing quests and adding points, wouldn't all his rings eventually reach a hundred thousand years? Or even higher?
If every ring reached a million years, wouldn't he be able to take on the Divine Realm single-handedly? But how many skill points would that require? Wouldn't he have to work like an ox, doing quests every day?
"One skill point can increase a soul ring's age by ten years. Your two hundred-year soul rings are currently three hundred and five hundred years old, respectively. Would you like to increase their ages?"
"Then forget it. What about the prize draws?" Xu Ran asked. In truth, he still wanted to try his luck.
"There are three types of prize draws: silver, gold, and diamond. Each draw costs 10, 100, and 1,000 points, respectively. Since this is your first draw, Host Big Brother, you can spend 100 points on ten consecutive gold draws!" System Lady said sweetly. To make her dear host happy, she decided to give him a few perks.
After all, the system existed to serve the host. But she had yet to undergo Human Transformation, so this was all she could offer. Once she had undergone Human Transformation, there would be more ways for her to serve him.
"All right, I'll choose the prize draw." Xu Ran was a little excited. Ten consecutive gold draws ought to yield something good, right?
"Congratulations, Host! You have received one pair of Auntie Wang's long johns."
"..."
Xu Ran: "..."
Xu Ran's face darkened. Listening to the system's notifications, he pressed both hands to his forehead, hardly able to bear it. Did System Lady think there was something wrong with his body? He was perfectly healthy! What use would he have for this stuff? Was this some kind of joke?
And what the hell was that pair of Auntie Wang's long johns? Was he the sort of person who had strange reactions to clothes? Even if he were, couldn't they at least be Chang'e's or Nüwa's? Some auntie's? Was she kidding him...?
Xu Ran felt he had taken a crushing loss. He had never felt so cheated before. If he had put those hundred skill points into his soul rings, both rings would have reached the thousand-year level. His strength would have soared.
Wasn't this prize draw a crushing loss?
Meanwhile, Xu Ran slowly waited for the remaining results. No matter how rotten his luck was, ten consecutive draws ought to have some guaranteed minimum.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have received a supreme bloodline, the Qilin Bloodline. With the Qilin Bloodline, you can take the soul beast form of a Qilin. Its current age is one hundred years. Since this is your first bloodline awakening, you have received one use of a Ten-Thousand-Year Qilin Power Experience Card."
"A Qilin is an Auspicious Beast. While you are in Qilin form, all soul beasts within three hundred li will receive the Auspicious Beast's blessing, doubling their growth rate. Even soul beasts cultivating anew as humans can enjoy its protection, doubling their cultivation speed. In addition, an Auspicious Beast possesses the two ultimate attributes of light and fire, with spiritual power and the sacred attribute as secondary attributes." System Lady's sweet voice rang out, leaving Xu Ran rooted to the spot in shock.
Only after a long while did he recover from the staggering news.
By then, he had completely forgotten his earlier complaints.
To think he had actually obtained the Qilin Bloodline and could even transform into a Qilin!
Holy shit! Doesn't that mean I can switch between human and soul beast forms from now on?
Xu Ran contemplated all this in astonishment.
From now on, he was not only a human but also a soul beast-and an Auspicious Beast at that?
Every soul beast's growth rate would double. He did not even need to think about how they would regard him if he went to the Far North or the Star Dou Great Forest. They would probably enshrine him like a local emperor. Wouldn't wooing the beauties of the Soul Beast Realm be a piece of cake then?
Xu Ran switched directly into Qilin form. Under the influence of a mysterious power, he swiftly transformed into a golden soul beast over a meter long. Its entire body was covered in burnished golden fur, and its appearance combined a lion's head, deer antlers, tiger eyes, an elk's body, and dragon scales. Its hairy tail resembled a dragon's, densely covered with golden down.
Golden light shone from his entire body, and an illusory golden cloud of auspiciousness shrouded his paws.
Having become a Qilin, Xu Ran seemed to possess boundless strength. He lightly swiped a claw forward, and a large tree instantly fell. Although his Qilin form had only a hundred years of cultivation, its strength was already enough to rival an ordinary four- or five-thousand-year soul beast.
Just as Xu Ran switched into beast form, far away in the Star Dou Great Forest, another small golden beast turned its gaze in his direction.
This soul beast was slightly larger than Xu Ran's Qilin form and looked essentially the same, except that its enormous beast head had three eyes. At that moment, it felt a faint tingling in the vertical crimson eye on its forehead.
"Awooo~"
"Awooo~"
The little golden beast bounded joyfully along the shore of an emerald-green lake, holding its golden head high and calling out again and again.
It was utterly astonished, but even more excited. Only one Auspicious Beast could appear in each generation, yet now it could sense that another Auspicious Beast had appeared besides itself.
"Auspicious Beast, what's wrong?" A woman dressed in a long court gown had an exquisitely beautiful face, with long emerald hair cascading over her delicate shoulders. A trace of puzzlement appeared on her serene face.
"Sister Bi Ji, I sensed the presence of another of my kind. Its presence isn't strong, but it gives off exactly the same power of destiny as mine." The little golden beast leaped straight to the woman's side and spoke excitedly.
"What? You mean there's another Auspicious Beast?" Bi Ji's serene face grew somewhat aghast. An Auspicious Beast's ability was so heaven-defying that it could double the growth rate of the soul beasts around it. Most importantly, these enhancements could stack, which was why only one Auspicious Beast could appear in any era.
The Star Dou Great Forest already had one Auspicious Beast, which could double the overall cultivation speed of its soul beasts. How terrifying would it be if another arrived? With that doubled again, Star Dou would become a holy land for the entire Soul Beast Realm. One became two, and two became four. No soul beast could resist the temptation of such an enhancement.
"No, I must tell Di Tian at once. The appearance of a second Auspicious Beast holds extraordinary significance for the soul beast race." Bi Ji gently stroked her chest with her fair hand, then her graceful body turned into a streak of light that swept toward the center of the lake.
Xu Ran knew nothing of what had happened in the Star Dou Great Forest. He merely experienced the Qilin's power briefly before quickly switching back to human form and returning to the Zhu Family. The Star Luo Empire still had quite a few powerful experts. If they discovered anything unusual about him, they would probably slice him up for research.
At the same time, the system's voice sounded again.
"Ding! Main quest issued. Host, please go to Nuoding City, destroy the relationship between Tang San and Xiao Wu, and make Xiao Wu and Tang San turn against each other as enemies." "You must also put this green hat on Tang San's head. This hat can absorb Tang San's fortune, causing him to suffer one streak of bad luck after another." "Ding! Since Xiao Wu and Tang San share deep feelings, completing this quest will be very difficult for you. Therefore, you will receive five hundred skill points if you complete it."
"Go flirt with Xiao Wu? That's not hard."
Xu Ran smiled. What a joke. Who was he, Xu Ran? How could it be difficult?
If he could not even manage that, what was the point of being a host?
He knew every sort of trick. How could Tang San possibly be his match?
"Host Big Brother, Xiao Wu trusts Tang San a great deal. Breaking up their relationship will be very difficult," System Lady reminded him. Xiao Wu's feelings for Tang San ran deep, so naturally, she would not be as easy to woo as Zhu Zhuqing.
Dai Mubai's image had already collapsed in Zhu Zhuqing's heart, naturally making her much easier to pursue.
But Tang San and Xiao Wu shared deep feelings. Six years together had already made Xiao Wu trust Tang San immensely.
"I still have to go, however hard it is. Unless you let me slip through the back door, System Lady, and count the quest as done if I just muddle through." Xu Ran's eyes lit up. He and System Lady were so close that taking a back door should be no problem, right?
"Shameless host! This system is a person of firm principles. Even if I serve you, I won't casually open my back door for you," System Lady said, blushing despite herself as she spat softly. Her host was far too shameless. She was only a system and had not even undergone Human Transformation, yet Host Big Brother was already thinking about such things. But she also felt a little afraid. What if he asked her to do that after she underwent Human Transformation? A system existed to serve its host, after all. Should she agree then?
"Forget it, then. I'll just go and work my tricks slowly myself." Xu Ran spoke as he headed toward Zhu Zhuqing's boudoir. He could not help shrugging. Had System Lady's thoughts gone in that direction? Was he that sort of person?
Still, once he had enough skill points, turning System Lady into human form would be a very good choice. When that happened, however amazing Ning Caichen and Xu Xian were, could they be as amazing as him?
Before you continue