C15 The Everlasting Dao Began to Understand the Basics.

Hu Yang quickly exited the room, while inside, Wan was making a fuss, complaining of hunger and demanding food. She urged Hu Yang to get a move on with the cooking.

She was quite the handful. Shaking his head, Hu Yang made his way to the kitchen and whipped up three bowls of egg noodles.

Hsiao Xinya devoured her meal with glee, proclaiming that today had been the most thrilling day of her life, surpassing even her first stage performance in sheer excitement.

She was particularly amazed by the child who had fought like a whirlwind, toppling a crowd and then scooping her up and dashing off. She wondered where on earth Hu Yang had found such a character.

She was skeptical, to say the least, about Lee Yuanba being from the Tang Dynasty, and was equally incredulous about his armor being crafted from gold.

Wan, on the other hand, was captivated by the tale. Eventually, she turned to Hu Yang, her curiosity piqued, "Where does Lee Yuanba live? Can he really fight that well? Invite him over tomorrow for a sparring session!"

Hu Yang gave her a look of scorn. Did she really think she could hold her own against Lee Yuanba with her meager skills?

Then, a sudden realization struck Hu Yang – something was amiss in the room.

His eyes darted around, and that's when he noticed it – the golden armor Lee Yuanba had left behind was missing!

It had vanished without a trace. The room was on the fifth floor, secured with a protective grille and a mesh screen on the window. It seemed impossible for a thief to have snatched the armor without a trace, especially right under his nose.

And the mesh screen was still intact!

Had Lee Yuanba come back for it while he was distracted?

The living room was too small to conceal such a bulky item as the golden armor.

A pang of loss hit Hu Yang. The gold alone was worth millions, not to mention its historical value.

For someone like him, earning a modest salary, it was like watching a windfall slip through his fingers.

It appeared that keeping what wasn't truly his was never going to be easy.

Hu Yang consoled himself, coming to terms with the loss. He settled into his chair and activated his cerebral system. The Great Way of Limitless cultivation method he had just purchased for 1200 points was still safely stored in the Devil Storage.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Hu Yang mentally selected the "Extract" option...

His mind was instantly thrown into disarray, resembling a television screen that had abruptly lost signal, now flickering with static.

It took a full three minutes for clarity to return, and with it, a complete cultivation method materialized in his thoughts.

Hu Yang had to admit, despite the Deep North Immortal System's tendency to play fast and loose with the rules, it was impressively reliable when it came to embedding cultivation methods into his memory.

He mused that if he could have integrated key points from various subjects into his mind like this before the college entrance exams, acing the tests for Tsinghua or Peking University would have been a cinch.

Currently unable to assume the proper cross-legged position, Hu Yang could only go through the motions.

Lee Yuanba had mentioned some bugs in this cultivation method, but whether he was correct remained to be seen.

Hu Yang found himself in a quandary. Whom to trust?

The Northern Underworld Immortal Bitch System had duped him at least twice.

The first instance was when he exchanged for the inaugural Rebirth Spirit Pill, and it failed to mention the necessity of consuming a second pill within two days, nor did it forewarn that such a high point tally would be needed for the second pill.

In business terms, this lack of transparency was downright dishonest, bordering on deceitful.

It's like paying the listed price for shoes, only for the shopkeeper to inform you that you've only paid for one shoe. Frustrating, right?

Another time, after he had accumulated enough points, the sly system claimed a shortage, coercing him to exchange for a Restoration Pill!

To add insult to injury, the Restoration Pill came with an exorbitant price tag. If that's not taking advantage, what is?

Therefore, it was quite possible that the Limitless Great Dao Mantra contained deliberate errors. As for the Great Sage manipulating the system from behind the scenes, his ulterior motives were still a mystery to Hu Yang.

After weighing everything, Hu Yang took the errors Lee Yuanba had identified and revised the Limitless Great Dao Mantra accordingly.

Unbeknownst to Lee Yuanba, Hu Yang had acquired the Limitless Great Dao Mantra; otherwise, he might not have been so generous in sharing the hard-found mistakes.

Despite opting for the corrected version of the mantra, Hu Yang proceeded with caution, first attempting to practice the original version provided by the system.

However, Hu Yang was taken aback to find that no matter which heart technique he practiced, there was not the slightest response from within his body. It was as though his body was a placid pool of still water, completely undisturbed, no matter how he tried.

Why was this happening?

He mulled over Lee Yuanba's insights, recalling that the points given to him were described as spiritual force. This suggested that perhaps this place was devoid of spiritual force, and special methods might be necessary to access it.

After Hsiao Xinya and Wan had freshened up, they had long since closed their bedroom door. The pair seemed to be deep in conversation, punctuated by bursts of laughter that occasionally floated through the door.

Hu Yang overheard snippets of their talk. Hsiao Xinya was probing Wan about her own identity. Wan was adamant that Hu Yang was just an average guy, poor and always hustling to make ends meet, a solitary orphan with no one to turn to. She pointed out that in the several days she'd been there, not a single relative had come to visit him.

"But what about before you arrived here?" Hsiao Xinya pressed. "Could it be that he, like you, ran away from home and simply doesn't want to disclose his true identity?"

Wan seemed taken aback, perhaps conceding that there was some merit to Hsiao Xinya's speculation.

Hu Yang's brow furrowed. When he had first taken Wan in, he'd assumed she was just a petulant child who had fled her home. Yet, it had never crossed his mind that she might not be from an ordinary family.

As the night deepened, silence enveloped the room; the two women were likely asleep.

Sleep eluded Hu Yang. Armed with a cultivation technique and the prospect of achieving Lee Yuanba's formidable power, capable of vanquishing legions, the thought alone was electrifying. How could he possibly resign himself to giving up?

In his bewilderment, Hu Yang reopened the cerebral system. His attention was captured by a box shimmering with light, and inscribed upon it were the words: Small Spirit Pill 100.

100 points for each pill!

The description below revealed that these were pills infused with spiritual force, specifically noting that one could draw upon this force during cultivation. It also included detailed instructions on how to properly consume them.

Hu Yang's mind stirred, and he swiftly exchanged for ten Small Spirit Pills, stowing them away in the Devil Storage.

With eyes closed, he set out to cultivate using the Small Spirit Pills.

Upon ingesting one, the cerebral system's feedback was a modest gain!

The pill dissolved into a subtle warmth that meandered through his meridians, yet his body remained unchanged. The sensation dissipated with his breath, lacking the surge of power he had experienced with the Small Demon Spirit Pill before.

Pausing briefly, Hu Yang took another Small Spirit Pill and attempted to practice the refined heart technique from Lee Yuanba.

This time, as the warmth snaked through his dantian, it settled in unexpectedly, a promising sign.