Not showing off certainly wouldn’t get you killed, but continuing to be this useless might.
Every man dreams of being a gallant hero clad in white, coming and going like the wind!
This direct encounter with the Young Clan Leader of the Snow Wolf Clan suddenly stirred Xiao Zhuang’s slacker heart.
Even if his original body was just an insignificant stepping stone, since he had transmigrated here, according to the usual script, he should be the chosen one.
With a System as his cheat, how could he not surpass these natives?
Even if he planned to rely on his father, he first needed to stay alive long enough to find him.
The little System was delighted that its host finally showed some ambition, but they still needed to discuss the direction of his efforts.
The two had no disagreement about weapon choice—Xiao Zhuang’s very essence was rooted in the Supreme Sword Bone, making him a natural swordsman.
The real dilemma was which sword technique to practice.
Originally, Xiao Zhuang intended to learn directly from Zhuang Feibai after acknowledging him as his father. Although his naive little Father was hopeless with women, his swordsmanship was unmatched in the Cultivation World.
But now he changed his mind—he refused to be a useless Immortal Second Generation who only knew how to leech off his father.
He wanted to be an Immortal Second Generation with the power to overthrow the world, yet still choose to idle around and live off his father.
There’s a difference between not wanting to and not being able to.
He reserved the right to be a slacker, but he also needed the capability to flip the table and wreak havoc whenever he wished.
The System couldn’t understand why its host was so fixated on relying on his father, but it believed in democracy.
If you want to kill, I’ll help you choose a blade; if you want to farm, I’ll help you pick a shovel.
After all, this was System’s first mission. Even if this world collapsed, at worst the host would be eliminated, and it would be sent back to school to retake credits.
Coincidentally, Xiao Zhuang thought the same.
In his view, all Second Generations had privileges. Although his little System was useless, its powerful System father wouldn’t just stand by and watch his son get punished.
Back when he caused so much trouble, didn’t his shameless old father still bail him out everywhere?
He and the little System were grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Until he could rely on his father, he was counting on this System Second Generation to pull strings for him.
The little System’s resources were indeed impressive. Even without deliberately seeking favors, it managed to acquire many cost-effective Sword Dao techniques.
When it came to Cultivation Methods, quality trumped quantity. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the sword technique he chose now would become the crucial foundation for his future reign of dominance.
Xiao Zhuang unusually approached the decision with caution. After repeated comparisons, he finally selected his beloved choice:
“Azure Sea Swordplay”
The System first highly praised Xiao Zhuang’s discerning eye. “Azure Sea Swordplay” originated from a high-level Cultivation realm.
Its creator grew from a fishing village youth into the continent’s foremost Sword Dao expert solely through this technique, conceived by comprehending the workings of heaven and earth while observing the vast sea.
The System specially projected scenes of the founder using Azure Sea Swordplay.
Though only one move was shown, the immense, ocean-like Sword Qi and world-destroying pressure made Xiao Zhuang’s blood boil.
Countless streams of Sword Qi converged into a massive Sword Beam as boundless as the sea, obliterating everything in its path without leaving a single blade of grass, as if even heaven and earth could be severed by that one strike.
Just watching the recording made his hair stand on end. If he could master this, he would undoubtedly become the most dazzling figure in the Cultivation World.
Now that he had chosen his desired technique, the biggest obstacle facing both host and System was insufficient Wrath Points.
They were like paupers who walked into a Ferrari showroom with only enough money to buy a cheap sedan.
He truly liked it.
He was genuinely satisfied.
But he was also genuinely broke.
A set of the “Vast Sea Sword Art” required five hundred thousand Wrath Points, and Xiao Zhuang currently didn’t even have ten thousand. It wasn’t like he could ask someone to tear out a few pages and sell them to him.
The System’s sarcastic remark sparked an idea in Xiao Zhuang’s mind. “Tong Ge, Tong Ge, when it comes to Cultivation Methods, you’ve got to go all-in from the start. Practicing some third-rate method is worse than not practicing at all. You, my friend, are a System Second Generation—you’ve got connections and plenty of avenues. Help a brother out, won’t you? See if we can buy on credit, pay in installments, or even take out a loan. Think about it: in our modern world, those saddled with mortgages can barely save ten thousand bucks if they don’t buy a house. But once they take on a mortgage and pay it off month by month, they end up repaying hundreds of thousands without even realizing it. If you can just figure out a way to get this ‘Vast Sea Sword Art’ for me, I swear I’ll work hard to pay off the debt. Besides, think about it—if I master this kind of Cultivation Method, earning Wrath Points will be a whole lot easier, right?”
The System wasn’t oblivious to this logic. If its host’s skills were too weak, he’d probably get himself killed trying to earn Wrath Points recklessly. But the gap between his savings and the price of what he wanted to buy was just too vast. Even buying a house required a down payment, after all.
Xiao Zhuang grinned ingratiatingly. “Tong Ge, didn’t they used to have zero-down-payment options back in the day? Besides, my Wrath Points are steadily rolling in. It’s not like I can’t repay the debt. Worst case, I’ll blow up a few more public restrooms. Just put in the order for me, will you?”
After Xiao Zhuang’s shameless and persistent pestering, the System finally relented. It was rare for its host to pick a Cultivation Method with a normal name that didn’t defy common sense, so it figured it might as well give it a shot.
The System went offline temporarily to pull some strings in the System realm and secure a loan. Left with nothing to do, Xiao Zhuang idly started drawing talismans again. Unlike others, he didn’t have any Cultivation Methods to practice—it wasn’t as if he could just stab himself with a knife for fun. Sure, that would indeed increase his Spiritual Power, but it just felt too morally questionable.
As noon approached, the ticket inspector came knocking. Fortunately, Bai Xiu had indeed bought the tickets in advance. The inspector took a quick glance and left.
The commotion from the ticket inspection woke the two who had been catching up on sleep. Bai Xiu suddenly remembered something: the Flying Boat would be traveling for a full day and night, and meals weren’t provided. It seemed they had forgotten to pack any dry rations.
Since the cut on Xiao Zhuang’s hand wasn’t very noticeable, he offered to take a stroll around the Flying Boat to see if he could buy some food from passengers who had extra.
Once the Flying Boat was in motion, it became an isolated island in the sky. There really was no other option, so Bai Xiu simply told him to be careful and let him go.
On the deck, small groups of people were chatting here and there. Surrounded by blue skies and white clouds, with sunlight piercing through the clouds in dazzling golden rays, the scenery was truly magnificent.
These Flying Boats were equipped with protective arrays, so the external airflow couldn’t breach the barrier. Quite a few people were on the deck enjoying the view.
This was Xiao Zhuang’s first time experiencing such a direct, cloud-level perspective—it felt as if he had ascended to immortality himself. No wonder so many people sought to cultivate immortality; the thrill of soaring freely through the heavens was undeniably exhilarating.
Many of the passengers around him were also first-time riders. Some, having had sudden epiphanies, talked about planning to seek out masters, saying they would take their parents for a flight once they learned sword riding. Others, merchants showing off their wealth, boasted that this Flying Boat was only second-rate and recounted how they had ridden on a major Sect’s Flying Boat—how luxurious and impressive it was—sparking envy among the crowd.
Xiao Zhuang scanned the people on the deck and settled his target on a few kindly-faced women.
A cute, well-behaved, and sensible child is most beloved by middle-aged and elderly women. With his glib tongue, this little guy managed to sweet-talk several ladies into beaming with joy.
Without spending a single Spirit Stone, he brought back two large bundles of pastries and a roast chicken, earning high praise from Bai Xiu and Schnauzer.
As the three ate and chatted, Bai Xiu asked Schnauzer about his elder brother.
Xiao Zhuang noticed something odd in Bai Xiu’s gaze—was this fox spirit developing a crush on that Young Clan Leader?
Having spent quite some time together, the three demons had grown familiar with each other’s quirks. Bai Xiu could tell from Xiao Zhuang’s expression that his mind had wandered somewhere inappropriate.
Amused, Bai Xiu flicked him on the forehead and cooed in mock annoyance, “Stop that train of thought right now! I’m straight—male, into women.”
Xiao Zhuang pursed his lips. “Could you at least switch to a male voice when you refer to yourself as ‘ye’? I don’t even know whether to call you brother or sister anymore.”