Xiao Zhuang had been an extreme sports enthusiast in his previous life, having bungee jumped so often he became a VIP at the scenic spot.
The feeling of weightlessness at high altitude didn’t shock him much. Plus, being buried in the Husky’s fur meant he didn’t even lose any bone powder, though he did feel somewhat suffocated.
Schnauzer, however, had a rough landing. Even with his demonic physique and thick skin, he was knocked unconscious.
When Xiao Zhuang crawled out of the dog’s fur and saw this bizarre and fantastical place, he was completely bewildered.
Weren’t Secret Realms supposed to be full of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures? Why did he feel like he had entered Dave’s backyard?
Golden sunflowers, enormous blossoms, and spikeweeds dotted the ground.
Xiao Zhuang originally just wanted to see if the large flower contained any nectar, but he nearly had his head bitten off by it.
The flower demon’s fangs were huge and white, like a great white shark’s. When it missed biting him, it extended its stem and chased after him.
Xiao Zhuang quickly threw a Lightning Attraction Talisman at it. The flower demon was struck directly, let out a sharp scream, used two leaves to push off the ground, pulled out its roots, and ran away.
It actually ran away!
Those roots moved in quick little steps, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Ding. Wrath Points increased by one hundred.
Hearing the System’s voice, Xiao Zhuang was almost moved to tears. “Tong Ge, thank goodness you didn’t go offline!”
The System chuckled proudly. “Your Tong Ge is on Heaven and Earth Network 5. Even if you went up to the celestial court or down to the underworld, you’d never be out of service.”
Xiao Zhuang immediately flattered obsequiously, “Tong Ge is mighty! Um, Brother Xue is pretty badly hurt. Hurry and exchange for some immortal pills or spiritual medicine for emergency treatment. If he doesn’t wake up, he can’t even eat to heal!”
The System calculated and hesitated, “Your points aren’t abundant, and this Small mystic realm is full of dangers. If you exchange all the spiritual medicine for him, what will you do?
Even if he recovers his combat ability, it’s not that great. If you encounter something powerful, you’ll both be in danger!”
Xiao Zhuang understood this logic, but Brother Xue had jumped off the ship with him—he absolutely couldn’t abandon him.
The System advised further, “I’m not telling you to abandon him. I’m saying you should spend your money wisely.
When you’re poor, you worry about filling your stomach before eating well—that’s common sense. Your previous spending habits of having emptier pockets than your face yet still eating Buddha Jumps Over the Wall are utterly unforgivable.”
“Right, right, Tong Ge’s lesson is correct! So what should we do now? Please enlighten me, oh wise one!”
Xiao Zhuang’s submission made the System quite pleased. After searching its database, it offered a sound suggestion.
“Spiritual medicine that instantly restores the body costs at least ten thousand points, and it’s a one-time product. Besides healing injuries, it has no other benefits. Instead, why not spend 1000 points to exchange for a Rebirth Fruit.”
Xiao Zhuang was puzzled, “What’s a Rebirth Fruit? Are you going to poison my Brother Xue to death so he can reincarnate?”
The System projected a huge eye-roll in his mind. “How did you even get into university?
Have you ever done reading comprehension? Imply, understand the implication!
It’s called Rebirth Fruit not because eating it lets you reincarnate, but because after consuming it, your meridians are remade and your aptitude improves, as if you’ve been reborn.
That Husky is really lucky this time. Originally, he had below-average aptitude, but with one Rebirth Fruit, he’ll reach at least above-average.
Although the process is lengthy and involves some suffering, this thing can transform him completely. In the future, his cultivation will be twice as effective with half the effort—something many people beg for but can’t obtain.”
Xiao Zhuang’s eyes immediately lit up. “There’s such a good thing? Tong Ge, why didn’t you tell me about it before?”
The System curled its lip. “What’s the use in telling you?”
“Eating this is equivalent to restructuring every cell in your body. What exactly are you restructuring with a single bone? Turning yourself into ashes and then altering carbon molecular structures to evolve into diamonds? Have you ever thought about that?
The transformation takes time—shortest being ten days to half a month, longest possibly a year or two of unconscious slumber. If no one guards you, you might get swallowed and excreted by some great demon countless times!”
Damn, this topic was too disgusting. Xiao Zhuang decided to change the subject.
“If Brother Xue eats this, he definitely won’t wake up anytime soon. With my current cultivation level, can I even protect him?”
The System had already considered this. “No need for you to guard him. Spend 5,000 points to exchange for a Protective Shield for him. As long as he doesn’t run out on his own, even a Core Formation cultivator couldn’t break it. Just treat it like pet boarding—go do whatever you need to! This Small Mystic Realm is full of demons that haven’t taken human form yet. They’re easy to fight and great for earning Wrath Points. You’ve hit the jackpot!”
Xiao Zhuang realized it too—that giant maw flower earlier gave him 100 Wrath Points with just one explosion. If he found an entire garden of them, he’d strike it rich. Then he could enjoy the perks of a paying player—after all, going all-out with microtransactions is the true path to dominance!
Thinking of the endless stream of Wrath Points, Xiao Zhuang stopped hesitating. He slapped a Strength Talisman on himself, adjusted Schnauzer’s dog legs into a comfortable and relaxed position, then crushed the soft red fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.
After exchanging for the Protective Shield, his Wrath Points were halved. For both their survival in this Secret Realm, Xiao Zhuang waved goodbye to his slumbering companion and embarked on the path to becoming stronger (and being a sneaky opportunist).
The overall style of this Small Mystic Realm resembled Devil Race territory—not the kind formed by humans or demons who’d Entered the Demonic Path, but the primitive Devil Race from ancient times. Many plants and animals carried devilish traits—he even spotted rabbits with horns.
Having played games before, Xiao Zhuang knew leveling up and fighting monsters required gradual progression. Playing it safe until the end was the way to godhood. He generally avoided provoking mammals now, focusing entirely on plants.
Thankfully, the System’s cheats helped—otherwise, he’d never distinguish between demons and ordinary plants. Some things looked like skulls but were purely botanical. He fought one for ages without seeing any Wrath Points, thinking it was just good-tempered, until Tong Ge laughed at him!
Others looked utterly ordinary but would suddenly slap him across the face without warning.
The deeper he went, the more amused Xiao Zhuang felt. The designer who created Plants vs. Zombies must have visited this place—many plant traits were eerily similar to that game. He’d just dodged Pea Shooters when Cabbage-pults attacked. Those cabbage leaves hurt like hell—they actually boosted his Spiritual Power by a minor realm!
The System teased mockingly, “Don’t you think this Small Mystic Realm was tailor-made for you? Want to increase Spiritual Power? Find a cabbage and let it beat you up. Want to earn Wrath Points? Find a plant and beat it up. From small to large, plants to animals—as long as you’re willing to endure, hiding until Core Formation before leaving is entirely possible.”
Rubbing his sore head, Xiao Zhuang grumbled bitterly, “This damned place must’ve been the Devil Race’s vegetable patch. Even a Golden Core cultivator’s whip isn’t as vicious as these cabbage leaves. I’ve been beaten black and blue by radish tops and cabbage leaves—this is straight-up humiliation history.”
The System, however, was unfazed. “To gain prominence, one must endure hardship behind the scenes. These are just a bunch of plants that can’t even speak human language. Since they can’t leave the Secret Realm, even if you streaked here, it wouldn’t get out.”
Xiao Zhuang suddenly revealed a wicked grin. “If you put it that way, I’m getting excited.”
As master and System were happily envisioning a bright future, Xiao Zhuang’s stomach suddenly growled twice.
Damn, I was so focused on fighting monsters and leveling up that I forgot about finding food. Who knows which plants here are edible and which aren’t.
This time, the System didn’t beat around the bush. “According to my detection, the plants here are mainly divided into two categories: Demon plants and Demonic plants.
Demon plants are edible while Demonic plants have medicinal uses. As for whether they taste good, that’s for you to judge.
Any plant that doesn’t contain purple belongs to the Demon plant category and is theoretically edible.
In ancient times, there was Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs; today, we have you, Zhuang Shisan, munching on Demon plants in the Secret Realm!
Go for it, young man, I’m rooting for you!”