"Did you directly instill this 'The Art of Corrupting the Dao Heart: Demon Planting Technique' into me, or did I absorb it bit by bit?" Jiang Che asked the system while familiarizing himself with the power in his body.
"The host can use plot points to instill the entire content of the Dao Heart Demon at once, or he can absorb it gradually," the system replied.
"How many plot points are needed to instill it all at once?" Jiang Che asked curiously. Clearly, he had no intention of taking his time with it; if he were to absorb this profound and mysterious martial art piece by piece, who knew how long it would take. After all, unlike Ye Chen, he hadn't practiced martial arts since childhood—he knew nothing about them.
"It requires 1000 plot points to instill the complete technique," the system explained.
"Then instill it in me directly," Jiang Che commanded. He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and waited for the indoctrination from the system.
"Ding, start instilling 'The Art of Corrupting the Dao Heart: Demon Planting Technique'..."
After about two hours, Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the numerous records of the technique etched into his mind, he looked slightly emotional. The instillation process was truly miraculous— he felt the knowledge become innate, difficult to forget. With this indoctrination complete, he now had a brand-new understanding of the exercise. Thanks to the system's improvements, many tedious steps had been eliminated. He could now start cultivating as a fellow Taoist practitioner without the risk of going crazy.
Jiang Che sank into his dantian, attempting to mobilize all the internal energy within his body. However, after several unsuccessful attempts, he quickly frowned. What was going on?
"System, why can't I activate the internal force in my body?" he asked, perplexed—he clearly sensed the existence of internal force, yet he couldn't harness it.
"The host can truly utilize his inner strength only after his cultivation level has broken through to Huajin," the system responded. "Only by transforming raw strength can you use your true energy freely and let your inner force flow outward."
Jiang Che nodded in bewilderment. No wonder he could feel the presence of internal energy but not use it—it turned out there were conditions.
"Then do you have any way to quickly improve my cultivation?" Jiang Che asked eagerly. Although he had mastered the method of cultivating with The Art of Corrupting the Dao Heart: Demon Planting Technique, he didn't want to struggle with arduous training. The journey of martial arts was notoriously strict in tempering one's body and will, and now that he had the system, his biggest cheat, he didn't want to practice the hard way.
"The host can use plot points to upgrade his cultivation base," the system explained.
"Then how many plot points do I need to break through to Huajin?" Jiang Che inquired.
"From the peak of dark energy to the peak of transformation energy, 2000 plot points are required for each upgrade of the cultivation base," the system replied.
"Then how can I get plot points?" Jiang Che pressed.
"Plot points can be obtained randomly by blackmailing plot characters or by completing temporary tasks issued by the system."
"Then improve my cultivation," Jiang Che declared.
He communicated with the system in his mind—the most urgent matter was to quickly improve his strength, and he happened to have 2000 plot points.
"Ding, after deducting 2000 plot points, I am upgrading your cultivation..."
"Congratulations to the host for reaching the initial stage of energy transformation..."
A few more hours passed, and when Jiang Che opened his eyes again, it was already dark outside. He slowly got up from the bed, feeling the true energy within his body. This sensation was strange—true energy continuously flowed through his limbs and bones, warming his meridians. Jiang Che felt that even his spirit had improved; his thoughts were clearer.
He put his fingers together and waved his hand toward the object on the bedside table. With a crisp "click," the bedside lamp split into two and shattered, falling to the ground with another "click." Jiang Che looked at the fallen lamp and nodded in satisfaction. Then, he picked up the mobile phone beside him and prepared to leave.
Turning on the phone, he noted that it was now eight o'clock in the evening. There were three missed calls labeled "Secretary." Jiang Che paused to ponder. To be precise, this secretary was also one of the heroines in "Huadu Soldier King." According to the plot, he would have almost been arrested and imprisoned by now—the Su family used their connections, and he was imprisoned for five years on charges of attempted rape. His little secretary, Chen Xuewei, had been targeted by Ye Chen when she sought a lawyer to get her released on bail from the detention center.
However, Chen Xuewei had grown fond of him and admired his talents, until Ye Chen recounted all the misdeeds of his original self, causing her to change her mind. Then, Ye Chen directly took advantage of the situation, seizing the opportunity and embracing the beauty. Moreover, Chen Xuewei's business acumen was exceptional, and she had eventually helped Ye Chen single-handedly build a business empire.
After contemplating the direction of the plot, the corner of Jiang Che's mouth twitched in a wry smile. As expected in Xiaobaiwen stories, as long as a woman was involved, Ye Chen was always in the mix. But now that Jiang Che had arrived, how could Ye Chen get his way? The original Jiang Che had been foolish enough—chasing after Su Qingyue's icy demeanor with such a beautiful woman by his side was simply too costly for him.
Thinking this over, Jiang Che directly called Chen Xuewei. As soon as the phone connected, a woman's excited voice came from the other end.
"Chairman, you finally answered the phone!"