My Mother Has a System but Won't Use It

This promise had done the trick for Li Xingguang. The fact that Hua Yu would help him fight his enemies—even though only once—made protecting an Evolution Stage cultivator a meager task. Profits definitely outweighed the cost. Han Li even promised to heal everyone who failed in Evolution.

The man was, of course, easily convinced and even sold many Magical Resources for a normal red cherry, believing it to be some kind of Heart Qi resource of the myths that Han Li got rewarded from the Demon World. He had also given an oath not to reveal any details of Han Li, like how he was an Evolved at the age of eighteen.

He would also protect Han Li from people below the Power Birth Stage.

Had his son returned, it wouldn't have gone like this.

This was how you use your enemies to your advantage. Of course, this could still go in many unexpected ways since nothing was absolute. Especially since Hua Yu, his protector for time to come, would have to fight once on his enemy's behalf. But that was also a calculated risk.

Han Li and Hua Yu smiled and entered his home, slumping onto a chair in his room. Still unnoticed by Liyue, Li Yao, and Hua Feilan, too.

Now, it was going to be Li Shuanwei's return. He looked at Hua Yu. He still didn't know if that man was stronger than himself or not. Maybe he might even stand a chance against a Power Born?

What was that freak exactly?

What if he could bypass the trap Han Li had set on the Clan Head and Hua Yu to kill him or his family?

Hua Yu looked at him curiously. A calm but cold smile on her face. She hadn't worked for free. "Make me stronger, or I can leave you here right now."

Han Li calmly took a note from the side, a brush, and an ink pot. "What Great Dao does the Dao of Moss come under?" he asked. He had a vague idea of what it belonged to.

Her being strong was for his own good, too.

"I do not know, honestly." She said with a sigh. "I think the Dao of Moss comes under the Life Dao, but I had tried all sorts of methods to increase my Cultivation Talent like all the other Life Dao Sparks, and none worked. For example, you should have increased your cultivation talent with Lust at the start to make your Spark Sacred Talent level, but none of those things worked for me."

Han Li sighed. "As expected, a Life Great Dao spark which had gone to uselessness. After the Awakening Stage, you cannot improve your talent. Moss Dao should have required you to move deep into water bodies and meditate there to increase your talent but no use saying that now, you already lost the chance."

That was why he wanted his mom to improve her talent to Sacred before she became an Evolved. He had used many of his resources for that. He even used the one thing he didn't want to—Death's Return Diagram. He had used that to get a Spark for Yue Li.

Taking a deep breath, he looked into Hua Yu's eyes like he was looking at a disappointment. She could have become a Sacred Talent cultivator with the Dao of Moss. She could have. How wasted an opportunity. What a disappointment.

She looked at his gaze and couldn't help but blurt out, "I had to cultivate under deep waters to make my Cultivation Talent rise?" she couldn't help but feel her stomach opening a pit in it.

She could have lived a life far more luxurious than this. She could have sated her curiosities easily. She would have been able to disregard people like Li Xingguang.

"Trash." Han Li added.

She felt it right in her heart and couldn't even deny it. He harrumphed slightly and began writing on the book he had taken with a brush and ink. It only took him ten minutes to complete his writing, and he nodded in satisfaction before giving it to her calmly.

"Ancient Art of the True Life Body." She read, and her eyes quickly skimmed through it with her heart thudding inside her chest. Any Power Born could cultivate their body, even if they are Ethereal Type, to the level of Below Average Power Birth Physiques, but they needed a technique to do that, just like the chants of Magic Powers.

This was exactly such a technique, and any cultivator belonging to any Dao under the Life Great Dao could practice it. She couldn't help but have her heart shiver as she read it.

To complete the process of turning her body into that of a Below Average Power Born, she would need to use hundreds of Magical Resources, each in a uniquely disbelieving sequence.

There were Water Dao Resources, and there were all types of resources in the list, and when she ate it all, her own body would refine it into a pseudo-transcendent Resource—a Resource made by cooking multiple resources—and her body would evolve.

Power Borns can't use Transcendent Resources. Only Transcendence Stage cultivators can, but this was a unique process. This would work. And surprisingly enough, the resources in it were extremely common but just in huge numbers. She even had most of the mentioned resources in her own hand. She was thrilled.

She could also use a Life Dao Resource to immediately achieve this body, but getting all those other resources was much easier. She took a deep, deep breath. "Where did you get this from?"

Han Li calmly said, "None of your business, but we are partners, I'll tell you. I won it in the Demon World."

She laughed in derision. "You think I'd believe your bullshit? Obviously, that's fake. What if I had a Great Dao of Darkness-related Dao? Would you say you got that, too?"

He shrugged. "Immediately go and collect the Magical Resources you want and the Magical Resources Li Xingguang promised for me from the Library in the clan. There is everything you need there. Do it before Li Shuanwei comes back. Make your physique stronger."

She would not have acted as his servant like this, but she was too stirred up now. Who would say no to leveling up? She floated from her seat and immediately flew away in the cross-legged form. Han Li looked at her, receding back with a deep gaze.

"Troublesome." He muttered before looking at the woman sleeping on the bed beside him. It was his mother, still too exhausted after what had happened. He couldn't help but smile. "I feel trouble coming. That Li Shuanwei is too weird."

He held her hands and kissed it. "But worry not. He shouldn't be stronger than a Power Born since the Trials believed I, you, and Nu Kai could handle him. The fact that we matched up against him means he was not stronger than us. And the fact that he hid against the rocks until Nu Kai and I ended our fighting is another thing. He shouldn't be stronger."

But he didn't like this. Know yourself and know your enemies, and you shall fight a hundred battles victoriously.

He made his dark sword fly towards him. He petted it. The rusty surface of the blade reminded him of the Sacred Demon. That man, that creature, had had it easy from the start. It ate a single fruit at the beginning of the world and was at the top of all lifeforms.

Han Li had seen far too many storms in his past life. He had seen hardship and luxury. He had seen love and hatred. He had been washed in blood; his heart was as cold as ice.

But why was it that primal urges were now making his hand tremble?

He held the sword up. It was trembling. His hand was trembling.

He didn't want to scheme against Li Shuanwei.

He wanted to cut that man.

Primal urge of protection?

How dare that man hurt those he loved?

"How shameful of me not to see the bigger picture." He hefted the blade in a fighting position. "How shameful of me to want vengeance. But I guess it comes along with being a True Demon with a will to defy the odds."

He looked at his hand. His crimson eyes bursting with a sort of conceit.

"How shameful of me to be so conceited in my own strength."

[Skin Building Completed—Tempered Skin—Vibrating Skin]

[Organ Strengthening Completed—Healthy Organs—Vitality Channeling]

[Bone Forging Completed—Forged Bones—Fused Blade]

He didn't feel like there was a chance of him losing against Li Shuanwei in any ways he looked. He wasn't the inheritor of a Sacred Demon for nothing.

Even though Han Li was still far from having completely juiced the inheritance's potential in the Evolution Stage, he didn't think Li Shuanwei, who, according to the trial, was someone whom the Han Li before completing Bone Forging, working with Nu Kai, would have stood a chance against could stand on equal terms to him now.

Even if Han Li of yesterday and Nu Kai teamed against Han Li of this moment, he would slaughter them in mere minutes.

A single Transformation had only made his body reach the level of Sacred Talent Transformation Cultivators, but everything was not always as it seemed. Vibrating Skin ability was useful in making his cuts deeper. Vitality Channeling made his stamina nigh-endless in battles, and Fused Blade?

Since the Trial believed Han Li and Nu Kai, the man whom Han Li had fought and defeated in the 4th Trial, stood a chance against a fight with Li Shuanwei, it meant he was only that strong. Han Li was stronger than that.

He couldn't help but be ashamed of how he was being so reckless. He didn't know his enemy well after all. But sometimes, it is like that.

He smiled.

He himself had stifled his own self for so long. Recklessness didn't suit him, though.

Han Li watched as the curious Power Born woman returned to the room, a packet full of many Magical Resources in her hand.

"Time to start cooking, just in case."