Chapter 7: What? A Hundred Thousand Skill Points Just to Transform?

"Ugh, cultivation is so dull, especially without any beautiful ladies around," Xu Ran sighed as he practiced his soul techniques on the outskirts of Star Luo City.

By now, he had mastered the application of his soul techniques. His second soul technique, Star Concealment, allowed him to hide his aura, briefly blending him into the surrounding void. This ability was even more pronounced under the cover of a starry night. With his already powerful martial soul, combined with this stealthy technique, he was virtually undetectable and lethal.

"If I were to combine my first and second soul techniques, I believe even a Soul Ancestor wouldn't stand a chance against me," Xu Ran mused. "After all, how many can react quickly enough when their opponent vanishes and reappears with a devastating move?"

His third soul technique, Sword Qi, was an area-of-effect skill that released countless sword energies, providing a large-scale offensive ability.

Having explored the limits of his soul techniques, Xu Ran started to feel bored. He was not fond of violence and fighting; he had come to this continent primarily to win the hearts of beautiful women and to live a happy life thereafter.

"Host, you could pursue Zhu Zhuqing now," a pleasant voice chimed in, coming from the system that assisted him. "With your talents, even if you make demands, the Zhu family will most likely fulfill them."

"What kind of demands?" Xu Ran's eyes brightened, pretending to be clueless.

"Tsk, shameless host, pretending like you don't know," the system retorted, its virtual face blushing. "I'm just looking out for your best interests."

As a system, its primary task was to do everything it could to satisfy the host's needs, helping him achieve whatever he wished to in this transmigrated world.

"By the way, host, why didn't you seize the moment and go after Zhu Zhuqing? The system can detect that she has started to feel differently about you," System Sister asked. Although she was just a system, and an attractive one at that, she lacked insight into human interactions.

"You wouldn't understand. I want to give Zhuqing some space. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know? If I leave, her emotions will be stirred," Xu Ran explained, smiling. "If we're always together, we won't appreciate each other. If we're apart for too long, feelings will fade. A balanced approach keeps the relationship tantalizing."

"You're so wise, host," the system responded with a smile, not fully comprehending but sensing his brilliance nonetheless.

"By the way, can you transform into a human form?" Xu Ran inquired, his smile taking on a mysterious hue. He had always been curious; given the system's advanced intelligence, could it possibly assume a human shape?

After all, the system had a melodious voice; if it could transform, perhaps it would be an incredibly beautiful woman.

"At the very least, I imagine you'd be fair-skinned, stunning, and leggy," he mused.

"Sure, I can do that. However, it will cost 10,000 skill points just to reveal my face, and a total of 100,000 skill points to transform into a human form," the system replied, its voice tinged with a subtle allure. Within the system's virtual space, she was dressed in a light blue floral maxi dress, standing in front of a full-length mirror. She twirled gracefully, her floral-embellished skirt billowing and revealing her fair, slender legs.

Surveying her own figure in the mirror, she revealed a satisfied smile. After all, she was the system, and she was incomparably beautiful.

"That's a bit steep, don't you think? 10,000 skill points just to see your face is way too expensive," Xu Ran responded, suddenly aware of his lack of resources. He didn't have a single skill point to his name. Even if he completed his pending task, he would only gain a 100 skill points. A 100,000 was a prohibitively high cost, making it exceedingly difficult for him to transform the system into a human form, even if he wanted to.

"Don't be disheartened, host. You'll accumulate enough skill points soon enough if you focus on completing tasks," the system reassured.

"In that case, I'll save my skill points to enhance my soul techniques and increase the age of my soul rings. If all else fails, there's always the lottery. Skill points are hard to come by; I can't spend them carelessly," Xu Ran said with a mischievous grin.

After all, he didn't even know what the system looked like. Spending 10,000 skill points just to see her face seemed wasteful.

"What if, after all that spending, you turn out to look like an ugly duckling? A beautiful voice doesn't guarantee a beautiful face. I wouldn't want to regret my investment," he mused.

"Hey, host, that's unfair and rude," the system shot back, sounding a little offended. "I'm gorgeous, have perfect curves, and have long legs. How could you treat me like this?"

"When I have enough skill points, I'll consider your transformation," Xu Ran relented, ceasing his teasing. "I realize that having you transform could bring me a powerful ally. If I had the points to spare, I would definitely opt for it."

"Enough about that. It's time to go check on Zhuqing," he concluded.

"Once I win over Zhuqing, I'll set my sights on Xiao Wu. She's also a wonderful girl. And if I manage to woo her, I bet Tang San will be quite distraught," he planned, already plotting his next moves.

...

The sky had already darkened.

Zhu Zhuqing sat alone on a flat boulder on the back mountain, enjoying the tranquility that surrounded her. The air was filled with the chirping of insects and the occasional rustle of the cold wind.

She wore a black gauze skirt, her raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders and fluttering in the soft breeze. Her knees were tucked against her chest as she soaked in the serenity of the night.

She couldn't remember when it started, but she had taken to spending her solitary moments sitting here, gazing at the night sky.

The sky was dark, and she was alone, but she was fine with that.

Her mood was a little brighter than usual. Knowing that there were people who liked and cared for her was enough.

However, she resolved not to have any further contact with Xu Ran. She would never allow him to be hurt because of her. Xu Ran was talented—more so than her—and his future prospects were limitless. She couldn't be his burden.

Zhu Zhuqing looked up at the moon, its luminance casting a pale halo over the world. As she made her decision, a sense of loss also settled in her heart. She wished she could be like any ordinary girl, carefree and happy. But she couldn't afford to be selfish.

She was Zhu Zhuqing, and such luxuries were not meant for her.

In a few months, she planned to seek out Dai Mubai. If he remained unchanged, she would go on alone. Her absence wouldn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

That way, her sister could peacefully serve as the Empress of the Star Luo Empire without worrying about unforeseen circumstances. The Zhu family would continue as usual. As for Xu Ran, he too would find a beautiful girl to marry and start a family, just as he was destined to do.