Chen Xuan was caught completely off guard by the second prompt.

This was the first time something like this had happened, and he didn’t know what to expect.

Gazing at the description—specifically at the word "special" highlighted before the rewards—he couldn’t shake the bad feeling in his heart.

He hadn’t forgotten the true nature of the System.

Although it had been instrumental to his rapid progress, it was still, fundamentally, a malfunctioning System.

’Let’s see... There’s no reason to be overly pessimistic. Perhaps I’ll be pleasantly surprised,’ Chen Xuan thought, trying to convince himself.

But first, he had to claim the rewards for Huo Ling’er’s breakthrough. Concentrating on the flickering prompt, he mentally confirmed his selection.

The message vanished instantly, replaced by a concise list of rewards.

...

[Nascent Soul Pill Recipe—The formula for the High-Grade Heaven Nascent Soul Pill, an elixir that can greatly accelerate the cultivation of Nascent Soul experts.]

...

[Yin-Yang Sword Formation—A formation requiring twelve sword-shaped magic weapons. Its power scales directly with the quality of the magic weapons used.]

...

[Aura-Concealing Pearl—A naturally-born magic treasure capable of concealing its user’s aura. It provides a subtle soul-calming effect.]

...

The System’s rewards were as impressive as ever.

An elixir recipe, an offensive formation, and a magic treasure that perfectly suited his current needs.

Though he was often frustrated by the System’s quirks, he couldn’t deny its power.

At least, every treasure it had bestowed upon him so far was extraordinary.

While Chen Xuan had never heard of the formation or the Aura-Concealing Pearl, he was familiar with the Nascent Soul Pill.

It was a precious High-Grade Heaven Pill, capable of strengthening one’s Nascent Soul.

He had never seen one in person and thus did not know its exact value.

However, he knew that its effects were something all Nascent Soul cultivators yearned for.

"The Alchemy Pavilion is the only organization in the Tianxuan Domain that can refine this pill," he mused.

"To maintain its rarity, they have always limited the supply. Only a couple of bottles are sold to the public each year, totaling only a few dozen pills." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Recalling that information, Chen Xuan understood the true weight of the recipe.

Once he mastered the refining process and gathered the required materials, he would be able to mass-produce Nascent Soul Pills!

Even if he never sold them, this was enough to greatly accelerate his own cultivation speed.

Chen Xuan withdrew the recipe from the System’s storage space.

He committed the formula to memory before burning it.

He knew very well that this item was extremely precious.

If any other cultivator caught wind of it, they wouldn’t hesitate to hunt him down.

Rather than leave behind potential hidden dangers, he preferred to nip the threat in the bud.

Having done so and checked the remaining two rewards, Chen Xuan did not leave the room just yet.

There was still a second set of "special" rewards waiting for him.

A flicker of hesitation flashed across his face as he stared at the second prompt before finally accepting them.

...

[System Ability Upgrade Card—Consuming this Card allows the Host to upgrade one of the System’s abilities.]

...

[Tang Yuechen’s Favorite Little Book—The treasured book of Nascent Soul expert Tang Yuechen! Studying it may grant the Host great insights!]

...

There were only two rewards this time.

Chen Xuan immediately recognized the value of the former, and a faint smile touched his lips.

However, the bad premonition in his heart intensified as he looked at the second item.

The tone of the description made it feel as though the System was teasing him.

Still, driven by a morbid curiosity, he concentrated on the grid and pulled the "Little Book" out.

He lowered his gaze to the cover, his eyes falling upon its title.

His expression instantly froze.

"One Hundred Ways to Make Your Junior Brother Fall in Love with You (Kidnapping Included!)."

The words "Tianxuan Domain’s Best Seller" were proudly printed in the bottom corner, right next to the author’s name.

--

It was only a few hours later that Chen Xuan finally exited the practice room.

By the time he stepped outside, his aura had "dropped" back to the Late Stage of Core Formation.

The disguise was flawless, better than ever before.

Chen Xuan judged that even Soul Formation cultivators would struggle to see through the Aura-Concealing Pearl and discern his true cultivation.

Protected by this treasure, he finally felt a genuine sense of security, knowing that he no longer had to worry about being discovered.

Huo Ling’er was already awake by the time he returned.

Chen Xuan gave her some time to prepare before summoning her to the back of his courtyard.

Before long, the two stood opposite each other.

The strange tension between them had vanished, as if yesterday’s events had never happened, and their relationship was still the same.

Chen Xuan stood calmly with his hands clasped behind his back, while Huo Ling’er watched him solemnly, waiting for his instructions.

"I believe you’ve already learned of what happened during the Disciple Competition. Both regarding the demonic invasion and your own outburst during your battle."

Seeing Huo Ling’er’s attentive look, Chen Xuan nodded in approval.

"You must have many questions about your situation."

Huo Ling’er saw him pause and took the cue to speak.

"Master, I heard about my outburst. However, I swear I don’t know the cause. The last thing I remember is the world blurring around me before I lost consciousness."

"As for that phantom..." she shook her head, "I don’t recognize it at all."

Anxiety flickered in her eyes.

It was clear that learning about the phantom’s appearance had not made her happy. If anything, it had filled her with worries.

Was an old monster trying to possess her?

Had she become some unknown entity’s puppet?

Chen Xuan sensed her anxiety and confusion.

He understood the reason and chuckled faintly, amused by his disciple’s imagination.

Still, he couldn’t blame her. She had only been in the sect for a short time and lacked some basic information.

This was where he, as her Master, needed to step in and guide her.

Chen Xuan maintained his signature smile.

"You don’t have to worry," he reassured her.

"The phantom you summoned during the competition is your Vision."

Raising his hand, he manipulated the surrounding Spiritual Energy to outline a miniature human figure in the air.

"Visions can be considered a type of special ability, often inherited from the cultivator’s Physique. They usually awaken naturally as cultivators grow stronger and break through to higher realms."

As he spoke, the figure in his palm glowed blue, representing ice, and tiny flakes of snow gathered around it, forming a domain to trap its enemies.

"Besides possessing a special Physique, one can also awaken a Vision by comprehending the essence of special techniques."

"Your case is the latter. In a life-or-death moment, you managed to unleash your true potential and grasped the true essence of the Immortal Vulcan Scripture."

Chen Xuan would naturally not tell Huo Ling’er that her Vision was a result of her Holy Body.

It would be best for her to believe that she was a "trash-tier" talent who had merely been lucky. Both for him and for her own sake.

Chen Xuan was mentally prepared to answer any doubts that Huo Ling’er might have.

However, after listening to his explanation, Huo Ling’er simply nodded as though she had understood everything.

A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes before she asked the question plaguing her mind.

"Master, you’re such a powerful expert! You must have awakened your Vision long ago!" she said innocently.

"How does your Vision compare to mine?" she asked with a spark of genuine curiosity on her face.

The admiration in her eyes made it clear that her curiosity was sincere.

Yet, upon hearing the question, Chen Xuan nearly choked.