Seized by the System

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

At the Temporary Confidential Conference Room of the Truth Department, Ren Ruofeng, Qiao Anping, and Principal Xu all stared at a shining golden book in utter astonishment. On the peculiar book wrote five words - Nine Transformation Golden Core Technique.

It was impossible for it to not glow golden. This was the fruit of Sir System's heart wrenching effort to wrap it in gold foil. To quote a certain lazy rich man, "You won't fool anyone if you don't invest in your lie."

"T-This is the ultimate divine ability! Are we really giving it out just like that?" Ren Ruofeng still could not believe his eyes.

"For the peace and harmony of the world, it is my duty to do so." Vigilante A seemed unaffected, and that made the three men stare at him with profound admiration.

Sure, the Venerable One was money-mad, but three of these old souls saw clearly the reason behind his behaviour - it was never for his own extravagant indulgence, but purely for the enhancement of his powers to preserve the justice in this world…

Now, when the demons of the Upper Realm were thrown a poisonous bait like this, he actually went as far as to spend so much of his effort to theorize another ability that was clearly made to counter the evil ability.

The Nine Transformation Golden Core Technique could defeat the venomous plot of the demons by merely existing.

Caressing the golden book, Principle Xu flipped it open and felt immensely moved. Every single word depicted in the book was like a gem, shining with wisdom. What could be the spirit that drove the hero?

This was the exact time where a person's noble character could be displayed!

No matter how many people tried to slander Vigilante A, trying to spread rumours that all his work in fighting crime was just to enhance his powers. Some even said that his act of gathering wealth meant that he was a man too greedy for his own good.

All defamation was reduced to ashes before this golden book!

"The numerosity and intricacy of cultivation methods has rendered cultivation inaccessible for ordinary people. Thus, all shall be combined into one. All who possesses nine orifices are able to cultivate the Nine Transformations Golden Core Technique. 1 The first transformation is to gather essence. The second transformation is to converge Qi. The third transformation requires a condensation of the spirit. The fourth transformation is when the Core will be formed. The fifth transformation will escalate the Core, and the sixth transformation will foster the sapience of the Core. The technique will be completed by the seventh transformation, and the cultivator will become a presence akin to buddhas or immortals… A mysterious realm lies beyond the eighth transformation, one that is only privy to holy immortals and buddhas…"

Sir System stopped cooking it up after that… Too much experience points were exhausted.

Principle Xu recited it softly, his face solemn and respectful. After he read this book, he felt immense regret. If he were born just fifty years later, he could now cultivate this divine ability.

In contrast, the abilities he had previously were even rejected by his teachers. There was no point talking about it anymore.

"With this divine ability, not only we could resolve the problems brought upon by the wicked demons, but we could also introduce great benefits to China and the whole of humankind! Venerable One, your contribution is as high as the sky itself, and I, Ruofeng, am so filled with gratitude that no words can sufficiently describe my feelings. If you have any needs in the future, I will definitely strain my every nerve and strength to assist you and serve you faithfully."

Ren Ruofeng declared from the bottom of his heart.

Principal Xu frowned slightly, but did not comment. It was undeniable that even though what Ren Ruofeng said was slightly against his own stance, but it was incomparable to the meaning and purpose behind this divine ability.

Qiao Anping gave it a brief read, and was soon filled with jealousy too.

As a way to probe for more information, he asked, "Venerable One, do you think I can change my cultivation? I am just 42 this year."

Vigilante A gave him a brief once over and shook his head. "On the path of cultivation, we must abstain from being double-minded, and work half-heartedly. We must not stop after merely scratching the surface, and be the jack of all trades and the master of none. It is taboo to be like a rolling stone, fickle and unfocused…"

The more Fang Ning listened, the more he felt that something was off. He quickly interrupted the idiotic System and asked, "Look at how your intelligence has grown! You've even picked up the art of pointing at the mulberry tree when you're abusing the locust tree! 2

Sir System replied innocently, "You're defiling my innocence without any reason again. I'm just giving Qiao Anping some guidance so he can focus on his Killing Path. No matter what, he's our ally. He shouldn't be tricked by a certain Big Spender too…"

"Huhu, I realised that you're getting better at pretending." Fang Ning refused to let it off the hook. He quickly followed up, "Tell me, you're hiding something from me, right? Did you secretly upgrade your kernel?"

"What is there for me to hide? I am always the honest and pure System. 'Pretending' has always been the trademark of the Big Spender, and I could never be able to learn it." Sir System continued with an innocent tone.

Fang Ning no longer had the drive to talk about it. He made a mental note to work hard for a period of time after this just so to once again overtake this idiot.

After all, the common saying holds true - 'the fastest horse cannot reach ten steps at one leap, yet an ordinary horse can gallop a great distance by continuous trotting.' 3

This moron was too hard working for its own good. It had picked up most of the tactics he had used before, and he must now work to innovate some new techniques to put the System in its place once again.

Meanwhile, Qiao Anping's face had shifted from a red flush of embarrassment to one of grave respect as he focused on listening to the lectures from the Venerable Dragon God.

Not only was he grateful, but he was moved to the core as well. The Venerable Dragon God had never said anything like that to anyone. He was the first to experience this…

Yes, even though his Killing Path was decidedly unrefined and rough as compared to this Nine Transformation Golden Core Technique, it was a Path that he walked himself. He should never give up on his own Path that he had spent so much effort to form and establish.

It was just like a child of his. Even if it might be slower than other children, it was constantly growing and learning, and has unlimited potential for it to shine bright in the future.

To give up on it and spend all resources in fostering someone else's child was not an action that a wise parent would take.

"Alright, we'll pour all our resources in the Truth Department to spread this new ability out to the public as efficiently as we can. I believe that everyone with half an eye would understand the true value of it, and will thus take the initiative to popularize it." Ren Ruofeng said confidently.

///

Meanwhile, in a plain room at the Underground Kingdom of the GreaterRat Clan, four people sat surrounding a circular table.

Old Ancestor Bai, Cang Lang, and Lie Huo were having a small meeting.

Bai Shixin was also in the ranks, and no one displayed any dissatisfaction. It was obvious how important he had become, and how much trust he had garnered among these demons.

Nie Yuan used to boycott him previously. However, with the change of events and the development of times, Nie Yuan was nowhere to be found, and he was now one of the higher-ups in the Demon Alliance. His future was practically boundless.

It was clear who was more skilled in laying low and preserving their patience.

An uncountable amount of people became successful due to their dedication in lying low and endure hardships. All newly formed forces will need to experience a long period of tolerance before they can flourish. Those who could not hold their temper and went directly against the established influences would almost always have a bad end.

"Brother Cang Lang, your strategy was so wise that you had lived up to your name as Cang Lang the Celestial Wolf. This Golden Core Cultivation ability will definitely cause humans and demons to be antagonistic with each other, and it will be a difficult feat to unit them once more." Elder Ancestor Bai commended, gratified at the result.

He had a new and higher minor goal to achieve after he had united all Greater Rats. Now, he aimed to be a Demon God. Naturally, he would not have hoped to see the integration between humans and demons. Where could he stand if that really happened?

Hence, he had a similar stance with Cang Lang on the topic of preserving the independence of demons. Demons would always be demons, and humans would not be included in the discussion in any way. The animals who had gained their form through cultivation are the demons, and humans could only remain in their human form even after cultivation. Both parties would never be the same.

Humans came from the evolution of nature, and demons were born from the condensation and absorption of the vitality within the heavens and earth. Demons were birthed by the Heavenly Oracle.

Thus, demons should have a higher status upon their existence.

That was the core belief of these Upper Realm Demons.

"Huhu, this is an overt tactic! Back in the Upper Realm, the demon ancestors could suppress these greedy humans from slaughtering demons for the Golden Core. In this Lower Realm, however, they do not have anyone that has an equal amount of restrictive power. What about Vigilante A, you ask? Imagine how powerless he must feel the moment he found out that his enemy was the one that had been watching over." Cang Lang sneered in glee.

"How mighty you are, Executive Lang, to be able to think of such an idea that strikes at the root of the problem. I am no match for you, Executive Lang," flattered Bai Shixin, looking slightly abashed.

"Haha, there's no need for you to be self-effacing, Shixin. It's just that you haven't been exposed to the demonic arts of the Upper Realm. At that time, this ability took over as the mainstream cultivation ability and it slowly died off after the demon ancestor has suppressed it. It is totally understandable why you have no knowledge of it." Elder Ancestor Bai tried to comfort him.

"Thank you for comforting me, Elder Ancestor," said Bai Shixin, internally sneering. Yes, he do not have much knowledge about this ability, but could it really be the kryptonite for Vigilante A?

Was the hero's track record of success a mere fluke? Was the enemies that he vanquished just a fraudulent lie?

If Vigilante A was really a Supreme True Dragon, it is impossible for him to lay defeated by this insignificant challenge!

On the other hand, Lie Huo the Volcanic Rat, the Demon King of the Devil Rats, and the Human Resource Executive of the Demonic Alliance, sat quietly opposite Bai Shixin. Somehow, it looked quite restless.

"Brother Huo, what's bothering you?" asked Cang Lang, feigning ignorance. This fellow had been distracted since the last major meeting. It was obvious that he did not place much importance on the matters of the Demon Alliance.

If it were not because that he had to rope in the Devil Rat Clans behind Lie Huo, he would have already started a meeting and motioned to remove the rat's name from the roll. He might even be able to get one of his confidants to take the job.

"Ah, my precious… No, there's nothing bothering me. Do continue your discussion. I am naturally slow, so I'll just follow whatever decision that was made collectively." Lie Huo smiled and waved it off.

"That's actually feasible. With the manpower that Brother Huo has, maybe we could collude with some human forces and encourage them to apply this ability in fostering groups of demons and farming them for Golden Core cultivation. This would definitely accelerate the conflict." Cang Lang spat with hatred.

"Alright, I'll order them to do so." Lie Huo answered half-heartedly.

What Demon Alliance? What antagonistic human-demon relations? How is it possible that they were more important than the lava bath and the magma sauna?

No, it was utterly absurd!

Are these issues more important than the new precious treasure that he had discovered?

That was even more impossible!

Once he has enhanced his ability, and that precious treasure of him finally took form, he would already have taken up a spot in this world. How could a powerless Human Resource Executive in the Demon Alliance compare to that?

Lie Huo has his own plans. Unlike the other two who walked the path of godhood cultivation, he was not very invested in the matters of the Demon Alliance.

He knew that he would never be able to gain a leg up against these two cunning fellows. In the end, they would definitely snatch up the major powers within the Demon Alliance.

Although he had a say in human resource matters, he would finally be reduced to just a rubber stamp that approved whatever that was proposed by the other two. He was never able to command the countless Devil Rats in the first place. He had no strong foundations in this fight.

Cang Lang had his roots with the Wolf Clan, and Elder Ancestor Bai had established his foundations among the GreaterRats. They could always select the talents within their people, and make them their confidants. With that, they could control the Demon Alliance by extension of their confidants.

He could never do that. The cunning and ever-changing Devil Rats never truly believed in one leader, and would never swear allegiance to anyone. They were even swaying their stances between the devils and the demons. There was no way that they could become a reliable foundation.

If that was the case, he might as well focus all of his efforts into cultivating himself. When he finally became a being akin to the demon ancestor, he himself could be the entirety of the demons!

A look flashed before Cang Lang's eyes. He shared a look with Elder Ancestor Bai, but none of them spoke.

No wonder this rat would be so apathetic. He was discreetly crafting a treasure! Was it a groundbreaking artifact?

The Divine Gate was one of those artifacts. Sadly, it fell into the hands of Vigilante A. That fool had failed to put it into good use. If the Divine Gate was his, he would definitely come up with multiple interesting ways to utilize it.

Quietly, Bai Shixin took note and memorised the open rivalry and veiled strife between the three leaders.

So what if they were leaders? They were still struggling and fighting for resources. The only difference was that they had a higher viewpoint on some issues. The tiny portion of resources that ordinary players were killing each other for were not worth their time to plot their schemes. After all, the returns were too low.

Only resources that could change their own fate would be worthy of their schemes…

And that included the 'precious' that Executive Lie Huo blurted out by accident.

What would that be?

It must be something notable enough that it could attract all his attention away from the major incidents of the Demon Alliance, and for him to pour all his heart and soul onto the development of the 'treasure'.

Unfortunately, Lie Huo had leaked the information by himself. Now, that 'precious' of his may end up in another pair of hands instead of his own.

What a poor guy. He had no one to blame but his own honesty. In this world, honesty would not get one far, nor will it lead one anywhere high.

The meeting ended quickly after that. As usual, Lie Huo left immediately, as if he had been waiting for that moment for a very long time.

Following that, Cang Lang also bid his farewells. The direction in which he left was the direct opposite of Lie Huo's.

As Elder Ancestor Bai stared at Lie Huo's direction of departure, he became deeply entranced in his thoughts. Suddenly, he spoke to Bai Shixin, "What do you think of this Executive Lie Huo?"

Bai Shixin was taken aback by the question. What did the old man mean by that?

After a momentary pause, he finally replied, "Executive Lie Huo is a man of virtue, kept to the rules, and is fair and just. There are many small demons that would happily listen to his orders. In terms of his job as a human resource executive, he could still perform up to the required standards."

"Haha, regardless of our differences, both him and us are still demonic rats. If he were to be elected to be the king of us Greater Rats, would you willingly submit to him?" Elder Ancestor Bai asked out of the blue.

Bai Shixin stared at Elder Ancestor Bai, aghast. He hissed in response.

This petite and ordinary looking old man remained indifferent after his question, as if he were talking about something as insignificant as the weather.

"How would we deal with Cang Gongzi's future, then?" Bai Shixin spluttered with much difficulty.

"Hmph, I've finally seen his true self after what happened last time. His heart is no longer with us, the Greater Rats, nor on the demons in general. Basically, he was basically a holier-than-thou prick that the humans spoke of!" Elder Ancestor Bai spoke with gritted teeth.

Bai Shixin knew exactly what he heard. This time, this old man that always chose to keep to himself was finally angry. This time, his emotions were finally affected.

What a rare occasion! It was true that this Cang Gongzi was the only person that this old man actually bothered to care about.

In his eyes, everyone else was probably mere chess pieces to him. They were probably just bartering chips that he could utilize and move in his game.

"How hilarious! I've spent my whole life polishing my schemes to be the best among my peers. Out of my eleven sons, ten of them were all cunning, cruel, and vicious. He was the only one that had became a sanctimonious b*tch despite the influences around him! How hilarious, how hilarious indeed!" The three 'how hilarious' that Elder Ancestor Bai used in his speech has fully expressed how disappointed he was at the failure of his son in meeting his expectations.

If this never happened, he would never have been truly affected by this issue. It was just like the saying, 'you can't have your cake and eat it too'.

Even though Bai Shixin clearly saw the truth, he did not offer a reply to the Elder Ancestor's speech.

Soon, Elder Ancestor Bai regained his composure after taking a deep breath. Once again, he spoke with an indifferent tone, "It was just as you said, this Executive Lie Huo was a honest man that has great strength and a high potential for growth. Fortunately, he does not have much ambition. If you were to cooperate with him, you could probably take charge of the situation with the Rat clan. Once I have achieve godhood, this Greater Rat Empire will be yours to take."

"What are you talking about, Elder Ancestor? This Greater Rat Empire was founded by you, and it will always be yours and only yours, no matter in the past or in the future." Not only did Bai Shixin not show any signs of pleasant surprise, he gingerly replied the Elder Ancestor, as if he was afraid of something.

Elder Ancestor Bai shook his head and looked at him with grave eyes. "Haha, I understand what you're thinking. However, you don't understand what my considerations are. No, you don't."

With that, he left with slow steps, his hands behind his back.

Only Bai Shixin was left alone in the small conference room.

Bai Shixin frowned. Had he somehow limit himself of his growth and perspective?

Was the old man not planning to kill him after all?

No, that was impossible.

Was this just a manifestation of the saying, 'even a great marksman will miss sometimes'?

What did he actually lose? Did he lose his woman, or the true understanding that he had to the Elder Ancestor?

How detestable! Since time immemorial, the most difficult decision was one of death, and the most unpredictable was one's heart and mind. No one would know about the true thoughts and intentions of a person unless they were on their last breath.

Frowning, he heaved a great sigh. He left, his eyes growing determined once more.