Chapter 1: The Sobering System Makes Her Regret.
Azure Spirit Sect,
Azure Bamboo Peak, with wisps of immortal energy and abundant spiritual energy accompanying the first rays of sunlight, enveloped the entire mountain range like seven-colored liuli.
At the summit of the mountain stood a delicate chamber. Inside, a young man with a crown of hair and a sword-like crown, sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, and clad in white robes and profound garments sat stunned before a bronze mirror.
Lin Mo was extremely troubled because he had transmigrated.
The reason for his troubled state was that the person he transmigrated into was not a good-for-nothing, but the senior disciple of Azure Bamboo Peak, one of the twelve peaks of the Azure Profound Sect, a Rank 2 Sect in the world. And he shared the same name.
Moreover, according to his memories, the original owner of this body had excellent aptitude, strength, and background. He possessed a Water-Wood Dual Spirit Root, was only twenty-five years old, and already had late Foundation Establishment cultivation. He was also born into a cultivation family with considerable prestige, had parents, a pure and chaste master, a playful and adorable junior sister, and a fiancée with better aptitude than him.
His own luck was also decent; he always gained something when venturing out.
He treated the master and disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak exceedingly well normally, though he was somewhat strict. He truly poured his heart and soul into them, fulfilling all his duties diligently.
It was precisely this seemingly flawless background that troubled Lin Mo.
Generally, according to novel conventions, such a character would undoubtedly be cannon fodder!
But what was the most important thing?
A year ago, a junior disciple joined the sect. This junior disciple was exceptionally handsome, though his aptitude was somewhat lacking. It was said that his father was on good terms with the peak master of Azure Bamboo Peak, which was why he received preferential treatment and was admitted.
Moreover, his outgoing and cheerful personality endeared him to all the disciples, both senior and junior, as well as the master of Azure Bamboo Peak.
Oh, and there was one more thing: this junior disciple’s surname was Ye, and his given name was Kai.
No matter how he looked at it, this newly admitted junior disciple seemed more like the protagonist than he did.
Lin Mo tidied his attire and, following his memories, knew he had to go pay respects to the master of Azure Bamboo Peak at the summit.
As he left and passed by a room, he heard voices.
The voice was incredibly gentle, like a spring breeze bathing in warmth, bringing peace and tranquility, like a lake in the early morning, undisturbed by any ripple.
Was this the voice of the newly admitted Junior Disciple Ye?
“Fifth Senior Sister, has your injury improved?”
“It will be completely healed in a few more days.” The reply came from a blue-clad maiden. Her fair right leg was currently fixed to two spirit wood poles by an unknown vine. Her lips were pale, and her entire face lacked color.
Ye Kai earnestly dripped spirit medicine onto the maiden’s wound with a focused expression.
The blue-clad maiden gazed at the exceptionally handsome profile beside her, her cheeks flushing slightly.
After treating the maiden’s wound, Ye Kai took out some exquisite pastries from his embrace: “Fifth Senior Sister, please try these. I made them with spirit fruits; they will help with your recovery.”
The blue-clad maiden looked at the pastry being offered to her mouth, only then noticing that he intended to feed her. Her previously slightly flushed face turned redder. She opened her mouth slightly and took a bite, then averted her gaze from his tender, spring-like eyes.
The pastry was sweet and delicious as it entered her mouth. The blue-clad maiden’s eyes sparkled, “So sweet, it tastes amazing!”
Ye Kai chuckled, “If Fifth Senior Sister likes it, I’ll make them for you from now on.”
Saying that, he brought the remaining pastry in his hand to her lips again.
One fed, one ate. When the pastries were finished, Ye Kai used his sleeve to wipe the remnants of food from the pink-clad maiden’s lips.
Their actions appeared extremely intimate.
Ye Kai complained as if unintentionally, “It was just a practical training exercise, Senior Brother Lin went a little too far. How could he injure you like this?”
The blue-clad maiden shook her head, “It’s not Senior Brother Lin’s fault. I was distracted during the fight, and I’ve also been slacking on my training lately.”
“Fifth Senior Sister’s character is truly too good!” Ye Kai’s eyes were filled with heartache. “Girls need to be cherished. Training is just to improve practical combat experience, isn’t it all to prevent getting injured when fighting enemies outside?”
“In my opinion, cultivation should be a gradual process, not something to be rushed. Senior Brother Lin’s strict training methods, waking senior brothers and sisters before dawn to practice, never resting, and especially being extremely strict with Fifth Senior Sister’s training, is simply too unfeeling.”
The blue-clad maiden’s eyes lowered slightly. She recalled the past years when, regardless of wind or rain, cold winter or scorching heat, Lin Mo would be the first to force her to get up and practice, even if she felt slightly unwell. If she woke up late, punishment and scolding were inevitable.
The words of explanation she had intended to say were choked in her throat, and her eyes gradually dimmed.
Lin Mo, passing by outside the door, couldn’t help but feel that the original owner had not been valued.
In the original owner’s heart, he had dearly loved this junior sister.
The maiden called Fifth Senior Sister by Ye Kai was named Shen Ke’er. When she was eight, her family met with disaster. Lin Mo, who was out on a trial at the time, brought her back to the sect.
Her aptitude was average, a Triple Spirit Root. She originally had no chance of entering the inner sect, but because of Lin Mo, she became an inner disciple of Azure Bamboo Peak.
Since Lin Mo had taken her in, Shen Ke’er’s food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all personally managed by him.
Lin Mo feared she might become depressed from losing her parents, so he treated her like his own sister. He would cook for her, buy her toys when he went out, and even gave his most treasured finds from his travels as gifts to Shen Ke’er.
Of course, Shen Ke’er’s cultivation was also Lin Mo’s responsibility.
He knew the rules of the cultivation world – the strong prey on the weak. His methods of training were indeed a bit strict.
It was precisely because of his strictness, coupled with the assistance of various spirit fruits and pills, that in just seven years, Shen Ke’er went from an ordinary person to a cultivator at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Who wouldn’t praise her for her rapid progress?
Considering that it usually took ordinary Triple Spirit Root cultivators anywhere from fifteen to fifty years to advance from being an ordinary person to Foundation Establishment.
Before Ye Kai arrived, Shen Ke’er was very close to Lin Mo. In any matter, her first thought wasn’t of her master, but of him, her senior brother.
Of course, that was all in the past.
Since Ye Kai entered Azure Bamboo Peak, Lin Mo had clearly noticed Shen Ke’er becoming much more distant from him.
She was often clinging to Junior Disciple Ye Kai, even bringing gifts for Ye Kai when she went out, and even giving him the pills and spirit fruits that Lin Mo himself was reluctant to give her.
Of course, it wasn’t just Shen Ke’er who liked him; the disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak and even the master were fond of him.
Shen Ke’er now only saw Lin Mo’s strictness towards her, completely forgetting all the kindness he had shown her before. If Lin Mo hadn’t brought her back to the sect back then, Shen Ke’er might have met the same fate as her parents. If Lin Mo hadn’t diligently supervised her training and given her precious spirit elixirs and medicines, how could she have achieved Foundation Establishment in such a short time and gained a foothold in Azure Bamboo Peak?
However, the current Lin Mo would no longer be so kind to Shen Ke’er.
Whatever Shen Ke’er wanted to do in the future had nothing to do with him.
He wasn’t the original owner, so why should he be like a father and mother to this heartless girl?
He was done being this great fool!
His time and resources would only be for his own cultivation. After all, in the cultivation world, one’s own strength was the ultimate capital!
Just then, a system voice sounded in his mind.
[System detecting host has become sober. The ‘Sobering System Makes Her Regret’ has been activated!]
What was this?
Lin Mo blinked in disbelief.
He had a system too?
Could it be that he was the protagonist?
But what was this “Sobering System Makes Her Regret”?
[This system can absorb the emotions of regret felt by those around the host due to the host’s ‘words’ and ‘actions’. These emotions will be converted into energy to become ‘Regret Points’. Regret Points can be used for gacha draws, or to upgrade the host’s cultivation techniques and cultivation level.]
[Reminder: Regret Points can only be obtained from the emotions of others towards the host. The identity of the other party and their relationship with the host will affect the conversion of emotions.]
Lin Mo was puzzled. He could understand the host’s identity, but what did this “relationship” refer to?
[The host is to ponder this for themselves!]
Were there any beginner gift packages?
[Nope!]
Lin Mo, “……” What was the point of you?
Lin Mo began to examine his status panel.
Host: Lin Mo
Bloodline: Human
Physique: None
Aptitude: Water-Wood Dual Spirit Root
Cultivation Level: Late Foundation Establishment
Cultivation Techniques: Profound-grade High-tier Cultivation Method ‘Spirit Azure Art Level 3’, Profound-grade Mid-tier Cultivation Method ‘Spring Return Art Level 3’.
Abilities: Culinary Skills ‘5’, Planting ‘1’, Formations ‘1’, Pill Refining ‘1’
Regret Points: 0
Note: Abilities and cultivation techniques are rated out of ten being the highest.
The system’s display of his personal panel was similar to what Lin Mo already knew.
However, obtaining Regret Points by making others feel regret gave him no immediate ideas.
As he pondered, a disciple sweeping the grounds passed by.
Lin Mo recognized this disciple, his name was Gu Zi. He looked around and beckoned him over.
Gu Zi put away his broom and bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Senior Brother Lin!”
Lin Mo said indifferently, “Gu Zi, how about playing a game with me?”
“Play a game?” Gu Zi looked surprised. Had he heard correctly? His usually strict senior brother was actually asking him to play a game?
Lin Mo nodded and explained the rules of the game.
Gu Zi’s face lit up with joy, “Senior Brother Lin, if I guess correctly which hand you have the spirit stone in, will you give it to me?”
“Would Senior Brother lie to you?”
Gu Zi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. Although his senior brother was usually strict, his words were indeed never deceitful.
The game began. Lin Mo tossed a low-grade spirit stone into the air and moved his hands back and forth, making Gu Zi dizzy.
Lin Mo smiled faintly and asked, “Which hand?”
Gu Zi thought for a moment and replied, “The left hand!”
Lin Mo opened both hands, and a mid-grade spirit stone appeared in his right hand.
Gu Zi’s face was filled with disappointment, “I should have chosen right hand just now.”
As an outer disciple, he only received two low-grade spirit stones per month from the sect. One mid-grade spirit stone was equivalent to one hundred low-grade spirit stones. If he had guessed correctly, he would have struck it rich.
[Ding, detection of someone feeling regret due to the host. Absorbed 13 Regret Points.]
Lin Mo’s eyes brightened slightly. It seemed his guess was correct.
Next, Lin Mo played several more rounds of the game with Gu Zi.
But in the end, Gu Zi lost every time.
Gu Zi began to have doubts: Was his senior brother playing a trick on him?
Otherwise, how could he have lost more than ten rounds in a row?
Meanwhile, Lin Mo noticed that the Regret Points he gained from Gu Zi in the earlier rounds were all ten, but they gradually decreased. In the last round, he only gained two Regret Points.
Seeing the suspicious look in Gu Zi’s eyes, Lin Mo smiled, “Do you want to play another round?”
Gu Zi no longer held any hope and planned to make an excuse about “working” after this round.
Unexpectedly, the result was beyond his wildest dreams.
He looked at the mid-grade spirit stone in his hand in disbelief, “Senior Brother, is this real? Can I really take this mid-grade spirit stone?”
Lin Mo nodded slowly and said, “You won the game, of course, you can take it.”
Gu Zi tightly grasped the spirit stone in his hand and bowed gratefully to Lin Mo with a face full of joy.
It was rumored that the senior disciple was cold and difficult to approach, not at all amiable. He had believed it at the time.
He never expected that the senior disciple would not only be willing to spare time to play games with him, an outer disciple, but also reward him with a mid-grade spirit stone!
And he had actually doubted Senior Brother’s character just now…
Thinking of this, Gu Zi wished he could slap himself.
After dismissing Gu Zi, the system also sent a prompt.
[Ding, detection of someone feeling regret due to the host. Absorbed 50 Regret Points.]
Having fleeced Gu Zi quite a bit, Lin Mo was in a good mood.
He now had 203 Regret Points and planned to improve his strength.
[Reminder: Upgrading Profound-grade High-tier Cultivation Technique from level 3-4 requires 500 Regret Points. Upgrading Profound-grade Mid-tier Cultivation Technique from level 3-4 requires 300 Regret Points. The breakthrough from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, as a major realm leap, consumes different amounts of Regret Points.]
[Rank 1 Golden Core costs 500, Rank 2 costs 1000, Rank 3 costs 2000, and so on!]
Lin Mo was stunned. He had wasted half a day, and 200 Regret Points couldn’t do anything?
[Reminder: The host can use them for gacha draws. 100 Regret Points per draw. Prizes may include: Abilities, Spirit Stones, Cultivation Techniques, Pills, Artifacts, Physique…]
Seeing that the gacha prizes had everything, Lin Mo was a little excited. He was curious about what he would draw.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining 88 low-grade spirit stones!]
???
He exchanged one mid-grade spirit stone for 88 low-grade spirit stones. Was this an idiot?
“System, are you toying with me?”
[Reminder: The probability of all items obtained from gacha draws is fixed. Of course, the better the item, the lower the probability. The host can also spend more Regret Points to ‘specify’ the prize type or increase the prize probability.]
Lin Mo heard this and found the setting reasonable.
He decided to try another draw.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the ‘Sword Heart Clarity’ physique.]
…
