Chapter 69 Another Usage of the System

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Another Usage of the System

After some time, Li Jian was once again exploring the Fragment Realm with Wang Hun, Zhang Zhao, and Chen Lei.

Finding the trio had been easy enough.

After all, they weren’t the only outer disciples spending their time exploring the Fragment Realm.

Ever since the strange phenomenon that increased the number of resources found within it, the place had become far more popular among the outer sect disciples.

Of course, more resources also meant more competition.

Right now the four of them moved through a dense forest, keeping their eyes open for anything valuable, while the occasional roar of a demonic beast echoed in the distance.

It seemed that the increase in resources had come with another change.

There were far more demonic beasts roaming the Fragment Realm than before.

Wang Hun walked ahead, occasionally stopping to examine the ground.

Zhang Zhao and Chen Lei followed closely behind, keeping their guard up at the surroundings.

As for Li Jian, he leisurely followed at the rear, looking more like a young master supervising his servants than someone exploring a dangerous pocket realm.

"Brother Li!" Wang Hun suddenly called out.

Li Jian raised his head.

Wang Hun pointed toward a cluster of dark green plants growing beneath a nearby tree.

"Look at those! Aren’t they Ironheart Grass? I remember seeing them listed among the ingredients used to refine Body Tempering Pills!"

Li Jian glanced in that direction before nodding.

"That’s right. Collect them carefully. Don’t damage the roots."

"Understood!"

Wang Hun immediately got to work, with Zhang Zhao and Chen Lei joining him.

Watching their enthusiastic movements, Li Jian couldn’t help but smile.

It seemed his investment in the trio wasn’t the wrong choice.

Previously, these three had been nothing more than troublesome bullies who enjoyed taking advantage of the original Li Jian.

Now, they were diligently searching for resources on his behalf, even going out of their way to identify useful ingredients.

Li Jian had to admit that the system was quite useful.

’If only everyone in the sect were this easy to work with.’

Unfortunately, reality wasn’t so convenient.

"Brother Li, we’ve finished collecting them!"

Wang Hun’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Li Jian turned to see the trio approaching with satisfied smiles.

"Well done."

With a casual wave of his hand, he took out his storage ring and placed the collected Ironheart Grass inside.

Although the herbs weren’t particularly valuable, every little bit counted.

Besides, Body Tempering Pills were commonly used by cultivators to strengthen their bodies, so the ingredients would always have some demand.

Not to mention, with this, he could give them to Nangong Mei to refine and not waste any spirit stones to buy them.

After putting the herbs away, Li Jian glanced at the trio.

"Let’s keep moving. There should be more resources deeper in the forest."

"Understood, Brother Li!"

The three answered enthusiastically before continuing forward.

Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to let his guard down completely.

The occasional roars echoing through the forest served as a constant reminder that the Fragment Realm had become more dangerous than before.

He swept his gaze across the surrounding trees, quietly sensing the spiritual fluctuations around him.

Hopefully, they would find a few more useful herbs before encountering any troublesome demonic beasts.

As they continued deeper into the forest, Li Jian suddenly seemed to remember something.

He turned his gaze toward Chen Lei, who was walking nearby with his eyes fixed on the surrounding vegetation.

"Chen Lei, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you."

Chen Lei immediately turned around.

"What is it, Brother Li?"

Li Jian looked him over before asking, "That defensive technique you used before... What was it called?"

Chen Lei blinked in surprise, apparently not expecting Li Jian to bring it up.

"You mean my Steelskin Technique?"

Li Jian nodded.

"That’s the one. I remember seeing you use it before. It seemed pretty effective at withstanding attacks."

A hint of pride appeared on Chen Lei’s face.

"You’re right, Brother Li! It’s a body-tempering technique that allows me to harden my skin and strengthen my defenses by circulating spiritual energy through my body. It’s not particularly powerful, but it’s saved me from quite a few injuries."

He paused before adding somewhat sheepishly, "Of course, it still has its limits. If the opponent is too strong, I can’t withstand their attacks for long."

Li Jian nodded thoughtfully.

’So it’s a defensive technique that reinforces the body...’

He had been looking for ways to improve his survivability.

After all, no matter how many opportunities he encountered in the Fragment Realm, they wouldn’t be worth much if he ended up dead.

A suitable defensive technique would certainly be useful.

He glanced at Chen Lei again.

"Can you tell me more about how you cultivate it?"

He certainly wouldn’t mind learning another defensive technique.

After all, improving his ability to withstand attacks would only make his future adventures safer.

Besides, if he could learn it directly from Chen Lei, he wouldn’t have to spend spirit stones purchasing a cultivation manual.

It was practically killing two birds with one stone.

Chen Lei hesitated when he heard the request.

"Well... Brother Li, the Steelskin Technique isn’t particularly complicated, but it’s still a cultivation method. I’m not sure if..."

He trailed off, seemingly unsure how to respond.

Strangely, however, he didn’t feel particularly resistant to the idea of teaching Li Jian. If anything, he felt that sharing the technique with him wasn’t such a big deal.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Chen Lei scratched his head and continued.

"Nevermind. Actually, the Steelskin Technique has three stages."

"Three stages?" Li Jian asked with interest.

Chen Lei nodded and began explaining.

"The first stage is called Skin Tempering. You circulate spiritual energy throughout your body, concentrating it beneath your skin to make it tougher and more resistant to ordinary attacks. Once you master this stage, even ordinary blades will have difficulty cutting you."

"The second stage is Bone Tempering. At this level, your bones become stronger, and your entire body gains a considerable boost in durability. By circulating spiritual energy through your body, you can reinforce your defenses almost instantly. Even attacks from cultivators at the same cultivation stage will have difficulty injuring you, provided you have enough spiritual energy to sustain the technique."

He paused before continuing with a slightly more serious expression.

"The third stage is Steel Body. I’ve only heard about it from the person who taught me the technique, so I don’t know all the details. Apparently, once you reach that stage, your entire body becomes as tough as forged steel, allowing you to withstand much stronger attacks."

Li Jian listened carefully, committing every detail to memory.

Although it might not be particularly impressive compared to more advanced techniques, it was still useful.

More importantly, its defensive properties complemented his current cultivation level.

Li Jian glanced at Chen Lei and suddenly asked, "By the way, which stage have you reached?"

Chen Lei’s expression stiffened for a moment.

Then, with his round face turning slightly red, he scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly.

"Well... I’m still at the first stage."

Li Jian blinked.

"Only the first stage?"

"Brother Li, please don’t laugh at me!" Chen Lei hurriedly defended himself. "I’ve been cultivating it for years, but the Steelskin Technique is harder to master than it looks. Even reaching the second stage requires considerable effort, as you need to get beaten— I mean, use your body a lot..."

Li Jian nodded, showing no intention of making fun of him.

However, a different thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

’Wait a minute...’

His eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the system’s capabilities.

The Favor Debt points could influence a person’s behavior, making them more willing to fulfill his requests.

’Then... could I use them to make Chen Lei master the entire Steelskin Technique himself?’

The more Li Jian thought about it, the more plausible the idea seemed.

After all, the system had already demonstrated that Favor Debt could influence people’s actions.

Then perhaps he could also encourage him to put more effort into cultivating the Steelskin Technique.

Still, there’s no harm in trying.

Li Jian glanced at Chen Lei, who was still wearing his usual sheepish smile.

"Chen Lei, how long do you think it would take you to master the second stage?"

Chen Lei scratched his round face awkwardly.

"That’s hard to say, Brother Li. I’ve been stuck at the first stage for quite some time. If I can make a breakthrough, perhaps... a few more ten years will be enough."

’A few more ten years?’

Li Jian nearly rolled his eyes.

At that rate, Chen Lei might not even reach the third stage before growing old.

He looked at the round-faced disciple walking beside him, then silently called out to the system.

’System. If I request Chen Lei to work hard and master the Steelskin Technique to the best of his ability, how many Favor Debt points will it cost?’

The system responded after a brief moment.

[Request Evaluation:]

[Target: Chen Lei]

[Request Content: Dedicate serious effort to cultivating and mastering the Steelskin Technique to the best of his ability.]

[Estimated Cost: 80 points]

[Note: Cost is relatively low due to the target’s existing willingness to improve and low mental resistance toward the Host.]

Li Jian’s eyes flickered.

’Only eighty?’