Seized by the System

Chapter 194: Sir System is a Great Teacher

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

On the way to the farm villa in Qi City, Fang Ning received a QQ message from Zheng Dao saying, “Venerable One, the Hiding Formation is complete. Please check and test it when Venerable one returns.”

Arriving above his hometown, Fang Ning used the System View to look down. There was nothing there except a whole wheatfield planted with winter wheat. Looking from above, his hometown was just a sea of green.

Although it looked real, Fang Ning knew it was fake, because Vigilante A’s farm would only be planted with fruit and vegetables, all green and pollution-free. He would not plant so much wheat.

He had left for 2 days, first to the Truth Department to get materials and then helping out at Ghost Valley Mountain. Zheng Dao, meanwhile, had completed work on the Hiding Formation.

This lad’s proactivity was more than what they expected. Just a piece of instruction, and he had quietly planned out everything. It made him less worried.

Fang Ning, without the winter wheat, could not spot the villa, but Sir System had chosen a spot and, retaking the form of Vigilante A, dropped lightly on it.

He was quite confused. “Sir, aren’t you providing the System View? You didn’t switch on the True Vision Effect, so we should be seeing the same thing. If you just dropped down like that, aren’t you afraid you would fall down the chimney?”

The System replied, “We are seeing the same thing, but you are a living being and easily fooled by illusions. I am not, and those illusions are false to me, just like the reflection of the moon in the water and that of a flower in the mirror. Also, I can use my energy and aura sense, helped by spirit detection to get information. You should work hard and practice, and when you have reached my level, you would not be easily fooled by illusions formed by these formations.”

Fang Ning was speechless. “The Yellow Dog Xue Ba said before that your spirit has been solidified and had become uniform, close to that of the Heavenly Axiom. I need a long time to attain your level. Isn’t comparing myself to you like me racing with a rocket where the predestined starting line is already different?”

As they talked, Fang Ning noticed Vigilante A had dropped into the garden, then realized everything had reverted to normal.

Zheng Dao was already waiting in the garden. The Hiding Formation probably also has the ability of detecting and checking guests.

After bowing, Zheng Dao asked, “Venerable One, how do you find this Hiding Formation?”

Fang Ning replied, “Not bad, good enough to deal with normal people.”

He had just tested the effect himself, so he answered confidently.

Zheng Dao finally relaxed. “There is still one week to the first Treasure Trading Convention, opening on the 22nd of February. Does Venerable One has anything else that needs to be prepared?”

Fang Ning asked Sir System before replying, “Everything that should be prepared is already prepared. You just have to go with me on that day. Oh yes, how is your practice of the ‘Atmospheric Morality Technique’ going? In the next few days, you can relinquish your usual duties and concentrate on cultivation.”

Zheng Dao continued, “Thank you for your concern, Venerable One. I have already found the threshold, and in another couple of days I should be able to pass it officially.”

Fang Ning was puzzled. He thought. “Everyone can pass over the threshold, and one fellow just had to read one chapter to understand it and used it to break through to the Pond-level.”

“Is it true what Yellow Dog said, when I could not cultivate it because I had a low level of interest and is too lazy to read that thick book, thus being on the same level as that inferior Black Dog?

“Impossible. This must be an illusion. I am much smarter than Black Dog. There must be another reason…”

He asked carefully, “Butler Zheng, while cultivating this ‘Atmospheric Morality Technique’, what are your thoughts? Master Cang was able to understand it instantly. Can you reach its level?”

Zheng Dao suddenly looked serious. “This is a very difficult technique which is deep and full of wisdom. After reading it repeatedly, I combined it with my past experiences of psychiatry work before finally understanding this. The human heart changes constantly, and only when we have raised our mental bottom line, built the Path and followed it in our actions, can we have morality. Imagining destroying the world one second and wanting to be Messiah the next is impossible.

“The saying goes, ‘My body is the Bodhi tree, my heart a dressing table with a clear mirror. Wipe it constantly, so dust would not linger.” Only by always being alert and purifying our thoughts can we cross the threshold. This world is no longer in the state of objective materialism, and idealism is seen everywhere.

“In the path of cultivation, the level of one’s temperament decides the success in cultivation. I wish to follow the steps carefully and raise the level of my temperament. As to the road to enlightenment, I do not have the wisdom and intelligence to do so. Even if I understand in a sudden instant, it would be just like a sandcastle, vulnerable to collapse…”

Fang Ning was already staring with his mouth agape. Okay, he was inferior all right. He could understand the first part, but for the second part, he was fairly lost. Objective materialism? He understood it back in school, something about material first, mind second?

The last part , however, he could comprehend. In other words, not everyone can be someone who was enlightened in an instant.

He had forgotten that Zheng Dao had been a psychiatrist for over 10 years. He would know all about philosophy.

He had now understood two things. Firstly, the reason he could cultivate the ‘Atmospheric Morality Technique’ was the same as the inferior Black Dog.

You cannot look at a beautiful woman and think lewd thoughts. Even if you were to not act the way you did in your thoughts, it would not be successful.

Just like Zheng Dao said, it was no longer a world of objective materialism, but with elements of idealism mixed in.

At least while cultivating the ‘Atmospheric Morality Technique’, one had to be mind first, material second. If your temperament did not pass the mark, you would be stopped before the threshold. Even if you had many things prepared, with the Nine-turn Elixir (TN: Either the highest fruit of cultivation in Taoism or a special pill made by the Celestial Emperor Himself) and the Heart-Purifying Magical Object (TN: literally what it means), it would be a waste of time…

Secondly, he now understood the truly fantastic part about Sir System. While cultivating, this idiot had started from the finishing line.

Its thoughts all evolved from the system rules, but it was pure and incomparable to the human heart.

If this method complemented its system rules, did not oppose the chivalrous attribute and did not disagree with the current martial art system, its temperament would always reach the maximum immediately and cross the threshold easily. Plus, it would definitely not deviate from the path.

He was used to it, so he thought it normal. However compared with the ordinary cultivator, the abilities of Sir System was unattainable no matter how much effort they put in.

After Fang Ning had completely grasped the true meaning, he made a difficult decision there and then.

“Never mind, I won’t learn it.” He thought.

There was a quote which was almost made for the situation. ‘If you learn to give up, nothing in this world would be too hard for you.’

Fang Ning internally grabbed at his fingertips for an excuse. He was not a suitable candidate to cultivate this ‘Atmospheric Morality Technique’.

First of all, once there were the constraints of the true Path, it would be hard for him to put the pieces of information in his head.

Secondly, practicing this made the joys of life seem much less, which would not make him happy

Thirdly, Sir System knew it anyway…

He then feigned wisdom. “Good. Looks like you are already on the right Path of Dao. It is just a matter of time when you reach my level of cultivation. Now, go work hard on practicing.”

Zheng Dao bowed briefly. “High praise, Sir. Being on Venerable One’s level needs a lot of experience and work on my part to have a chance of glimpsing your back and neck (TN: Literally translated from the Chinese idiom. Only getting to see the back and not the Venerable One’s head, thus meaning a difference in level, even if there is hope of catching up).”

Fang Ning nodded, thinking, “As long as you know. I am estimating that even if you practice your entire life, you won’t even have a chance of glimpsing my back and neck (TN: see above paragraph), because you would never be as lazy as I am…”

After a short chat, Zheng Dao went below to practice.

Fang Ning looked at the time. It was only 10 in the morning, a long time before finishing work. Plus, he did not have to eat. He slept little, and did not take afternoon naps.

“Alright, I have to go practice. Let’s go chomp on the ‘Dragonization Ability’ book.” He thought.

“It would not need him to renounce lower-level pleasures, but the opposite, something about the dragon attribute being something… And after practicing it, there may be some help in improving some abilities.”

At this, Fang Ning collected himself into the system space, relinquished control of his body to Sir System and lay down alone on the sofa of the cybercafé, discovering the ‘Dragonization Ability’ book and starting work.

Sir System, while making equipment, asked him, “Hey, Big Billionaire, why don’t you go continue practicing the ‘Atmospheric Morality Technique’? You don’t have to practice the ‘Vigilante’s Flying Book’ anymore, but you haven’t mastered the technique yet. Zheng Dao is on his way to mastering it, but you and Black Dog, inferior things, keep dragging your feet…”

Fang Ning said unpleasantly, “I see it now. You always plan haphazardly. Sir may be a God in Learning when it comes to cultivation, but you don’t have an idea of using the present circumstances to teach (TN: a teaching method of Confucius) and only know how to make things bad. You basically can’t pass on the learning of martial arts to outsiders. Until now you have only taught two methods and that have at least covered your true identity. You are not a good teacher.”

The System retorted. “How? I’m good at cultivation and I have mastered all the key points. I am a good teacher. The reason you cannot do this is because you don’t concentrate enough, thinking only of gaming and reading novels and watching videos…”

Fang Ning rolled his eyes and grabbed his precious game book. “I’m not arguing with you. Let my precious game book make the evaluation. You did admit before that it would be honest in important things.”

The precious game book hovered in the air, waving its back cover in agreement.

The System chidded, “Evaluate, then. I believe precious would give his daddy a fair one.”

Fang Ning called his bluff. “Precious Game Book, Sir System claimed ‘It is a good teacher’.”

The book did not move for a while, and suddenly flipped to a blank page, writing the word.

“Exaggeration.”

The System spat, “Not true.”

The word changed. “Sarcastic.”

The System said again, “You are raving!”

The word changed yet again. “Ironic.”

The System: “Shut up you dratted book… Never mind, Big Billionaire Host, I will not plan any other methods for you. Concentrate on studying the ‘Dragonization Ability’ book. Let’s see when you get to the ‘Dragonizing the Soul’ part.”

Fang Ning, satisfied, took the book and started chomping on it. Not to say anything, but this time with determination, it was going quite well.

He soon became lost in cultivation, starting to think about the Dao in it.

…

Compared to the other two, the earliest Trueness Cultivation Ability method mastered, the ‘Dragonization Ability’ book is equally deep and wise with the theorization of the System.

Good thing that he had already crossed the threshold and witnessed the System take the forms of the Fire and Wind Dragons, and had experienced the effects himself.

Not to mention, the System has already cultivated its own Fire and Wind Attributed Dragon Series martial arts to the point of a bottleneck.

The Fire caused high number of injuries and death; the Wind was the most nimble, with a wide range of attack and quick on long-distances. Both could even be combined to form the Fire-and-Wind Combination Skills.

The Thunder attribute was just at its beginning, the System not having taken the form of the Thunder Dragon yet, but the System had already started using the skills.

The Thunder-attribute martial art skills, for one, could increase the speed of the buff, and also put ghosts under extremely strong control.

Especially after the buffing effect of “The Sudden Appearance of Thunder and Lightning”, which, after clearing the battle scene, could even catch up with Qi Mei’s spirit even if it had a head-start.

Its speed was close to lightning, but could only last for a short time and also used up a lot of energy. Thus, it was not suitable for daily use. By the time one reached the battlefield, they would have no more explosive power. Flying swords were still required.

The System’s ‘Dragonization Ability’ book had reached the level of a Master, and had been combined with all the Dragon Series Combat Arts. The ‘Dragonization Ability’ book it practiced was already the evolved version, and the level of enlightenment it got from it was obvious. The buffing ability on the Dragon Series Martial Arts is high, and now could be increased by 500 percent.

Also, the Heroic Achievement that it started, “The good of a drop of water should be repaid with that of a fountain” compounding the effect, using Morality can increase the power by 100 percent.

And the higher-level ‘Dragonization Ability’ can increase it by 150 percent.

Remember, no matter the percentage increment… the answer still needs to be added with 1 before multiplication.

The three were multiplied together, and consuming morality under normal circumstances, the power of the Dragon Series Combat Arts would be (1+5)*(1+1)*(1+1.5), 30 times the original.

If you use both the power of Wind and Fire-attribute Combat Arts, it needs to be increased by 100 percent, 60 times the original.

Not to mention, the more Morality one consumed, the higher the basic attacking power.

For the same Dragon Series Combat Arts, such as the ‘Flame Dragon’s Celestial Punch’, using up the same vital energy for ordinary martial art masters would result in attacking power of 200, but for the System, it would be 12000!