0052 - Hold my pills.

With a live wolf gagging and whimpering on his arm, Lu Sheng continued to defend himself against the wolves, running, dodging, and occasionally killing them. The Automated System noticed a dip in the stamina and strength of Lu Sheng's body, albeit subtle. Despite its mechanical nature and absolute instructions, it couldn't ignore the signs of fatigue and strain indefinitely.

Realizing the need to replenish and rest, the Automated System faced a dilemma: the spatial ring was on Lu Sheng's left arm, which was currently inside the wolf's stomach. Undeterred, it quickly devised a plan. Rubbing the spatial ring, it summoned a Spirit Nourish Pill into its grip along with the dagger. Recognizing that defending himself with a wolf on his arm wasn't sustainable in the long run, it decided to try something new.

It circulated its cultivation base and began absorbing the Spirit Nourish Pill from inside the wolf's stomach, using Lu Sheng's palm as a conduit. Though the absorption wasn't as rapid as eating the pill directly, it was a much better method. Determined to replenish its strength, the Automated System intensified the absorption to the highest degree possible.

While continuing to fend off the assault and dispatching a few wolves with the blunt sword, Lu Sheng returned to the previous location where he had killed wolves with the staff. There, he noticed something unusual: the dead carcasses of the wolves were melting, leaving behind dark liquid. However, at the center of this melting mass, something much purer seemed to be collecting.

"Is that Chaos Essence?"

[You woke up, Host?]

Lu Sheng woke up, and he seemed much calmer than before, surprising the Automated System.

"Yes, and I am sorry about…about my earlier…"

[No need to apologize. You conquered your fear of pain by inviting more pain. That is a commendable feat. Letting yourself get knocked out so that I could get my chance was a genius idea.]

"Th…Thanks!" Lu Sheng responded, his voice filled with gratitude and a touch of surprise. In fact, he was expecting a scolding from the Automated System, but its praise came as a pleasant surprise.

[To answer your question, yes, that does seem like chaos essence. It would have been very hard to notice, but it seems your stubbornness in opening 108 pores has made us very sensitive to the essence.]

"Thanks, again?" He couldn't help but wonder if the Automated System's change in demeanor was a new method of communication, one that involved praise instead of constant criticism. He found himself both liking and suspecting it at the same time.

[We would have to kill them fast but with these blunt weapons, it's very hard to wound them, I am barely able to defend.] 

"Why not coat the weapon with Spirit Essence and make your own sharp edge?" Lu Sheng suggested, his voice carrying a logical tone.

[We do not have enough spirit essence for it unless...]

"Unless?" Lu Sheng probed.

[Unless, we eat the remaining Spirit Nourish Pills in one go but it would not last longer.]

"Then do it." Lu Sheng said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

His body came to a halt, and the dagger inside the stomach of the wolf vanished back into the spatial ring as he shrugged its arm, allowing the wolf to slide off. The wolf was already dead. Lu Sheng quickly pulled out a fistful of Spirit Nourish Pills and stuffed them into his mouth.

Instead of chewing them, he swallowed them whole, stuffing his face with more pills again and again until all 22 were in his stomach. An explosion of Spirit Essence spread through his meridians, revitalizing his body.

However, the Automated System quickly took charge and guided this flood of Spirit Essence to his arms, to the sword in hand. 

[I have no idea how to do this but I am following the theory of the 999 method, let's hope this will work.]

"I have full faith in you, you can do this."

However, the wolves had no intention of allowing Lu Sheng to mind his own business. Their numbers kept replenishing endlessly as they attempted to encircle him once more. But the Automated System could multitask, pushing Lu Sheng's body to its limit as it continued to fend off the wolves. Lu Sheng's body jumped out of harm's way, kicking and pushing the wolves back, despite his legs getting scratched and bleeding. Yet, his wounds healed almost instantly, thanks to the surplus Spirit Essence coursing through his body.

[This sword is not a Spirit Material; it's kind of impossible, but I know a way.]

With an intense push, the Automated System attempted to infuse the Spirit Essence into the mortal material of the sword.

"What are you trying to do?" Lu Sheng questioned.

[As per the 999 method/theory, Mortals in theory also have meridians in them but they have become inert or were born with inert meridians, however, constant exposure sometimes activates these dormant meridians. By infusing the Spirit Essence into the blade, we are attempting to awaken its latent potential, turning it into a temporary Spirit Material.]

"This is not the time to experiment, and we don't have enough spirit essence to see results. Try something practical," Lu Sheng urged.

[Almost done.]

However, Lu Sheng watched in surprise as his body, controlled by the Automated System, threw the sword among the chasing wolves behind him. Before he could question the action, an explosion rocked the area where the sword landed among the wolves.

BOOM

The shockwave pushed Lu Sheng further back as the blast sent the wolves flying in all directions, their bodies tumbling and crashing into each other with bone-crunching force.

As the dust settled, Lu Sheng staggered to his feet, his ears ringing from the explosion. He looked around, trying to make sense of what had just happened, his expression one of confusion and disorientation.

"What just happened?" he asked confusingly.

[Sorry for the abrupt action, Host. The sword was not able to handle the sudden infusion of a high amount of Spirit Essence, so I had to improvise.]

"Okay but how to finish this trial?" Lu Sheng questioned, his voice carrying a sense of urgency.

[Killing certain numbers of wolves or killing them all before they can replenish the numbers.]

"What about just leaving? We are not prepared for this," Lu Sheng suggested, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

[We can leave after an hour.]

"How much time left?" Lu Sheng asked worryingly.

[It's not even 15 mins yet.]

"We are already out of Spirit Nourish Pills, how would we survive this without a proper weapon?" Lu Sheng asked with frustration and worry.

[Wait, aren't we forgetting our main weapon?]

"Our main weapon?" Lu Sheng questioned, trying to understand the hidden meaning behind the words.