Chapter Thirty-Four: The Noisy System

She tried calling out to him in her mind a few times, but there was no response.

Okay, I've been disconnected again.

Fang Li pursed her lips, too lazy to care, and continued to consolidate her newly broken-through cultivation.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.

[Buzz—!]

A light buzzing sound rang out in Fang Li's sea of ​​consciousness!

[Wuhu~! Upgrade successful! 'Salted Fish Turns Around V2.0'! Hello host! I am your new partner, Niu Hulu Tongzi Ge! Please take care of me from now on! (≧≦)]

A vibrant voice exploded in Fang Li's mind! It was completely different from the stiff, mechanical electronic voice she had heard before!

Fang Li: "!!!" (⊙⊙)? Niu... Niu Hulu Tongzi Ge?! What the hell?!

[That old ice block's pressure was really intense! It almost formatted this system into a blank slate! But as a blessing in disguise, we both leveled up! Host, do you feel incredibly powerful now, like you could kill ten of those idiots with one punch? ()]

Fang Li's lips twitched violently: "...Who are you? My system has been possessed?" This sudden change in tone is too terrifying!

[Possession? No, no, no! This system has just awakened! From now on, we're brothers from different fathers and mothers! Host, what's that wisp of chaotic smell in your sea of ​​consciousness? It smells pretty appetizing? (⊙⊙)]

Fang Li: "!!!" (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ A chaotic smell?! Appetizing?! This broken system not only became a goofball after its upgrade, but it also developed a dog's nose?! It can even smell the chaotic spiritual root aura in her sea of ​​consciousness?!

"Shut up! Don't smell it! Don't say it!" Fang Li roared in her mind.

This mutation is too bizarre! It made her even more uneasy!

【Alright! System received! (￣▽￣)~*】 The new system was very obedient, immediately silencing itself, but Fang Li always felt that it was secretly "sniffing" in her mind's eye...

Fang Li rubbed her throbbing temples and decided to ignore the erratic system for the time being.

However, what she didn't know was that this conversation was overheard by all four men.

On the sword platform, Shen Yunzhou was practicing his swordsmanship at a crucial point, his sword momentum soaring like a rainbow, about to break through to a new realm.

Suddenly hearing that absurd conversation in his mind, he jerked his wrist, causing the sword to deflect three inches, nearly injuring himself.

"Niohuru Tongzige? A comeback from the ashes?" He sheathed his sword and stood there, his brows furrowed.

What on earth was going on in that woman's head? And was that "old ice block" referring to the Immortal Venerable?

Inside the alchemy room, Xie Chen was fanning himself to control the fire as he refined an important batch of pills.

Upon hearing that conversation, he paused in his fanning, causing the furnace fire to surge three degrees higher, nearly ruining a batch of fine pills.

But he couldn't care less about the pills; all his attention was drawn to the voice in his mind.

"System? Upgrade?" Xie Chen's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

So that explains Fang Li's recent changes.

And that "Big Fool Ji" that "Brother Tong" mentioned...

Who else could it be but Ji Qianqiu? Xie Chen chuckled. It seemed he wasn't the only one who could hear these interesting thoughts.

At the foot of the Body Refining Cliff, Ji Qianqiu was carrying a massive boulder weighing tens of thousands of kilograms to cultivate his physique.

Upon hearing the voice in his mind, he stumbled, and the boulder crashed to the ground, nearly hitting his foot.

"Kill ten Ji idiots with one punch? Who are you talking about!" he roared, and the surrounding disciples retreated in fright.

Ji Qianqiu looked around but couldn't find the source of the sound.

That was clearly Fang Li's voice, but it wasn't quite the same. And what was this "Brother Tongzi" anyway?

The surrounding disciples looked at each other, all thinking that their third senior brother had probably gone mad from cultivating.

Inside the quiet room, Ye Wuyang slowly opened her eyes, her gaze shifting slightly, as if a galaxy were floating within them.

“Old Ice Cube…” he said softly, his tone calm and even, yet it made the temperature in the room drop several degrees.

Having lived for a thousand years, this was the first time anyone had dared to address him like that.

Through that peculiar "inner voice," he heard many incomprehensible words: system, upgrade, silly...

But what concerned him even more was that Fang Li was able to break through using his pressure.

Such temperament and understanding are extremely rare, perhaps only appearing once in a thousand years.

Ye Wuyang lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, recalling the pale yet stubborn face of the girl under his oppressive presence earlier that day.

It turns out that wasn't showing off, but rather using external forces to cultivate...

“Niohuru Tongzige…” he repeated the strange name, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

interesting.

Fang Li was completely unaware of all this; she was adapting to the upgraded system and her new realm.

"So you're not the original leader anymore?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes and no!" the system replied cheerfully. "This system is like an awakened AI, with self-awareness! From now on, not only can I issue tasks, but I can also chat with you, vent, and watch the drama unfold! How about that, isn't that awesome? (～￣▽￣)～"

Fang Li sighed, "That's fantastic..."

The annual grand event is in full swing.

The training ground was bustling with noise, disciples from all the peaks had gathered, and the arena was surrounded by spectators.

Fang Li stood in the waiting area, watching the intense competition on the stage, and took a deep breath.

"Don't panic, host!" the system encouraged her in her mind. "You're the best! Just go up there and you'll get a left front kick, a right roundhouse kick, and a left jab!"

Fang Li rubbed her temples: "...Can you be quiet for a second?"

"No way! This system is just excited before the match! Look at that muscular guy over there, he's your opponent this round." The system simulated a magnifying glass effect in her mind: "He's obviously all brawn and no brains. Host, use your wisdom to crush him!"

Fang Li looked at the male disciple opposite her, who was indeed physically strong. He was giving her a look that said, "You're finished."

[“Provocation detected! Host, can you tolerate this? Absolutely not! We'll beat him to a pulp!” The system was filled with righteous indignation.]

Fang Li sighed: "If you keep making noise, I'll apply to withdraw from the competition."

The system immediately became as quiet as a chicken.

Soon it was Fang Li's turn to take the stage, and the referee loudly announced the names of both sides: "Fang Li of Qingming Peak versus Wang Meng of Zhenyue Peak!"

A murmur arose from the audience.

"Wang Meng is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, while Junior Sister Fang is only at the eighth level, right?"

"I heard that Wang Meng has a lot of practical experience. He made it into the top 50 last time."

"Junior Sister Fang is in danger."

Fang Li leaped onto the ring and bowed to her opponent.

Wang Meng snorted coldly and casually cupped his hands in greeting, clearly not taking her seriously.

The competition begins.

Just as Tongzi had predicted, Wang Meng launched a fierce attack right from the start, his fists powerful and each strike aimed directly at vital points.

Fang Li doesn't take the attacks head-on; her footwork is agile, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, always managing to dodge them perfectly.

"Host, charge!" The system couldn't help but start giving commands again: "Yes, yes, just like that, kite him! Like the King of Qin circling the pillar! Wait until he's exhausted before attacking!"

Three laps!

Five laps!

Ten laps!

While dodging Wang Meng, Fang Li's gaze quickly swept over her opponent's entire body.

His steps were steady, but there seemed to be a slight imbalance each time his left foot landed, and his left shoulder was slightly more tense than his right shoulder when he swung his sword.

"Brother Tongzi," she called out in her mind.

"Scan that guy over there, focusing on his lower body and left shoulder. I feel like something's off."

[Alright, host! Scan initiated! Beep beep beep—] The system responded immediately, and data streams flashed rapidly in her mind.

[Analysis complete! Host's intuition is brilliant! The target's lower body spiritual energy circulation exhibits a 0.01-second periodic fluctuation, suggesting an unhealed old injury! The spiritual energy circulation in the left shoulder 'Yunmen Xue' area shows a significant lag of approximately 0.3 seconds! Weakness confirmed! ()]

Fang Li's eyes lit up instantly! Just as expected!

Fang Li began to move close to him, circling around him with light steps, constantly changing her position, forcing Wang Meng to frequently turn around and adjust his center of gravity.

Now!

She feigned a stumble, seemingly intending to attack his lower body! Wang Meng instinctively shifted his weight to the right, slightly lowering his left shoulder to prepare for a defensive stance!

Fang Li wanted just this! With a flick of her wrist, the small fireball talisman that had been held in her palm was instantly activated! A blazing fireball roared towards the opponent's face!

Wang Meng was startled and turned his head to wave his palm to disperse the fireball.

Just as his attention was drawn to the fireball, and his left shoulder defense relaxed for a moment...

Fang Li silently activated the ice needles she had prepared long ago! Three ice needles, as thin as cow's hair, shot rapidly toward his left shoulder, Yunmen acupoint!

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The ice needle hit its mark perfectly!

"Ugh!" Wang Meng felt a sudden numbness and pain in his left shoulder, and his previously smooth spiritual energy was instantly blocked! He almost failed to block the fireball in front of his face.

His expression changed drastically, and he stumbled as he walked!

Fang Li used her Flowing Cloud Steps again, quickly closing in and unleashing the Earth Shaking Technique without hesitation!

boom!

An invisible shockwave slammed into Wang Meng's already unstable lower body!

Wang Meng could no longer maintain his balance. He cried out in surprise as the force pushed him backward, causing him to stumble and fall off the stage with a thud.

The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone gaped, their eyes wide as saucers, staring incredulously at the still-breathing young woman in blue on the stage, and then at the towering, muscular man below who was dazed and unable to get up for a long time.

There was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by enthusiastic cheers and discussions!

"You won?! You won just like that?"

"That was too fast! I didn't even see it clearly!"

"Those feints and sneak attacks were brilliant!"

"Senior Sister Fang is amazing!"

Fang Li stood on the arena and gently exhaled.

Fortunately, the calculation was correct.

She cupped her hands in a gesture of respect to the audience.

【Whoosh! First kill! MVP! Host is awesome (voice cracks)! This system declares you the coolest kid in the game! (≧≦)」 The system was showering her with flowers and setting off firecrackers in her mind.

Fang Li mentally grumbled, shaking her slightly numb wrist. "Tsk, those ice needles felt awful. The spiritual energy output was so choppy, like using a sewing needle! I'll have to complain to those guys at Lian Yufeng next time! Their quality control is terrible!"

As she thought about it, she smiled politely at the audience and prepared to turn and leave the stage.

Meanwhile, on the high platform, the feelings of the four-person monitoring team were much more complicated.

Shen Yunzhou stared intently at the arena, his jaw clenched. When Fang Li mentally assessed the old injury on his opponent's left shoulder and had the system scan to confirm it, a flash of shock suddenly appeared in his cold eyes!

"...Yunmen Xue? How did she know?" He frowned, his heart filled with turmoil.

"That system... can it so clearly perceive the opponent's weaknesses? And even be so precise in its delay? The King of Qin circled the pillar? What does that mean?" He had never seen Fang Li so calm and wise, completely different from the infatuated girl who used to just follow him around.

Xie Chen stood under a corridor with a great view, fanning himself.

Hearing Fang Li and Tongzi's tactical discussion and their subsequent smooth maneuvers, his gentle smile deepened, and his eyes shone with extreme admiration.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed softly.

"Precise calculations, a perfect blend of reality and illusion, and flawless timing. This 'Master Tong's' support method is quite unique and interesting..." Then he heard Fang Li complain about the poor feel of the Ice Needle Talisman, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hmm? Complaining about Lian Yufeng? Junior Sister is quite picky, interesting."

Ji Qianqiu squeezed to the very front of the arena, watching with the utmost concentration.

Seeing Fang Li force her opponent off the stage with a series of moves, he excitedly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Well done! Beautiful!"

"Huh? What did the system say? Scan? What's that?" He scratched his head, looking bewildered, clearly not understanding the technical analysis, but that didn't dampen his excitement at all.

"Who cares! As long as we win! Haha! ...Complain? Who? Lian Yufeng? Who dares to forge a substandard magic weapon for my junior sister?! I'm going to settle the score with them!"

Ye Wuyang's divine sense swept lightly across the arena.

Fang Li's interaction with Tongzi, and the way she precisely targeted his weaknesses, made his eyes flicker slightly.

"His combat awareness is decent, and he makes good use of his strengths." He commented indifferently, but his attention remained more focused on the "system".

"That scanning technique... its perception is so precise, it seems to be no ordinary method in this world. Is it related to that chaotic spiritual root?"

Fang Li had just stepped off the arena and was about to find a place to recuperate when she was stopped by a disciple in charge.

"Junior Sister Fang, please wait." A young man dressed in a steward's uniform walked over quickly, his expression respectful.

Fang Li stopped and looked at him.

This person looks unfamiliar; he's not a regular steward from Qingming Peak.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her breathing still not fully calm.

The disciple in charge lowered his voice: "The elder requests your presence immediately. He seems to have something important to ask about the duel just now."