NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2 - The Supreme Genius System and the Punishment for the loser
Chapter 2 – The Supreme Genius System and the Punishment for the loser
In the adjacent room.
Young Li stared blankly at the ceiling.
Good news: his childhood sweetheart had the potential to become a great emperor.
Bad news: their relationship wasn’t particularly good, and he was always making a fool of himself in front of her.
Once they joined the Qingyuan Sect, she would undoubtedly shine.
Li Mo’s mind conjured up the classic scene of the protagonist’s innate talent being tested, with the talent-testing stone exploding dramatically.
Then, the minor villains who had bullied the protagonist would tremble and be lined up for a face-slapping.
Just then.
[Investment successful, invested: one bowl of ginseng chicken soup.]
[Calculating reward…]
[Congratulations, host. Reward: one Innate Vitality Replenishing Pill]
[Innate Vitality Replenishing Pill]: “A six-patterned pill, extremely rare, can supplement innate deficiencies.”
An open jade box appeared on the table out of thin air.
Inside was a crystalline pill, shrouded in purple qi, its divine light contained but not released.
Li Mo’s mouth gaped, his expression slightly frozen, his breath halting for a few seconds.
This thing, he had heard of it before.
He was born prematurely.
His mother had been frightened during pregnancy, causing him to be born before ten months.
As a result, he had been sickly since childhood, learning to walk a year later than other children. He had been the subject of much gossip within and outside the Li family, with neighbors saying that the capable father of the Li family had produced an unworthy son.
His father hadn’t said anything, but he was anxious, looking for solutions everywhere.
This included searching for the so-called Innate Vitality Replenishing Pill.
However, this item was priceless.
Even half of the Li family’s wealth might only buy a two-patterned one, if they could find it at all.
Many well-established families coveted this pill, willing to pay a premium to cultivate their descendants. After all, before practicing martial arts, no one would complain about having a stronger innate foundation.
Thus, Li Mo had always desired but never obtained it.
He never imagined he would acquire it in this way.
And it was a six-patterned one!
Even if Li was ignorant, he knew how precious this was.
Each additional pattern on a pill multiplied its value several times over, increasing geometrically as it went up, and becoming increasingly rare.
Six patterns were unheard of, its preciousness beyond imagination.
“Ah~”
“Seems to have no taste.”
Li Mo smacked his lips.
No matter how precious, it only becomes yours once you eat it.
The pill entered his mouth, dissolving instantly without any taste, sliding down his throat.
The next moment.
He felt a warm current suddenly appear in his limbs and body, transforming into swimming fish, traveling along his bones, meridians, and internal organs.
It was like a long-awaited rain after a drought, bringing life back to withered wood.
“Phew.”
Li Mo exhaled deeply, reopening his eyes with a bright gaze.
His body felt as if it had shed a thousand-pound burden. The world before him seemed to have had a layer of gauze lifted from it. The air seemed more fragrant as he breathed, and his body felt full of inexhaustible energy.
Though an imperfect analogy, Li Mo felt like an elderly person who had suddenly become decades younger.
If he were to start practicing martial arts now, even if he couldn’t be considered a prodigy, at least he would be a solid practitioner without obvious weaknesses.
“A six-patterned pill truly lives up to its name.”
“And this was obtained in exchange for just a bowl of chicken soup.”
Li Mo inwardly marveled.
The return on this investment was astounding.
Of course, the main reason was likely the investment target.
Ying Bing.
In his memory, Ying Bing lived up to her name. [1]
Her personality could basically be summarized in three words: ‘block of ice’.
Improving their relationship would certainly be a long and arduous task, but the returns had to be collected.
A red destiny, ah. This opportunity might not come again in eight lifetimes.
“Steward Xu!”
“Young Master, what do you need?”
The steward hurried in.
Li Mo lowered his voice and asked, “Does Ying Bing have any favorite food?”
The steward was taken aback, then thought for a moment: “Generally not, Miss Bing doesn’t seem to have much appetite for anything.”
“Does she have any other likes?”
“This… I don’t know either.”
The steward wore a bitter expression. What mischief was the young master planning today?
In the past, he would order the servants to deliberately embarrass Miss Bing. Why would he care about her preferences now?
“It’s alright, thank you for your trouble.”
Li Mo recalled and couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
As the steward was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something at the door:
“Oh, Young Master, the master instructed that when we reach the city at the foot of Qingyuan Sect, we should take Miss Bing to see a doctor.”
“He provided 200 taels of silver for the medical fees. You see…”
“Go ahead, if it’s not enough, take it from my personal funds.”
Li Mo waved his hand readily.
If he could get rewards just by spending money, it would be an incredible deal.
“We need to set off early tomorrow, get some rest.”
“Yes…”
The steward scratched his head, nodding in agreement.
What was going on with the young master? He seemed to have changed his personality recently. Not only was he polite to him, but his attitude towards Miss Bing had also improved dramatically.
Perhaps he had matured after leaving home and seeing the world?
…
The next day.
As the first ray of morning light fell, the frost condensed in the room glimmered.
A girl hugged her knees, curled up on the bed, like a sleeping elf in the snow.
Ying Bing was dreaming.
She dreamed of her life in her previous life.
She entered Qingyuan Sect, and was initially diagnosed with blocked meridians, only to miraculously open them after half a year due to a stroke of luck.
Then she revealed her monstrous talent, leaving her peers far behind.
By eighteen, the Qingyuan Sect leader was no longer her match.
She left the Eastern Desolate Region and experienced a broader world.
The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were vast.
Hidden sects’ heirs, ancient land prodigies, imperial geniuses, and even old monsters reincarnated to cultivate anew – talented individuals sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain.
It was a brilliant era.
However, she remained the most dazzling existence amidst the surging tides!
First on the Potential Dragon Rankings, first on the Human Rankings, first on the Mystic Rankings, first on the Earth Rankings, first on the Heaven Rankings…
She ultimately became one of the Nine Heavens, on par with the Martial Emperor of the Central Regions’ Yu Dynasty, titled the Phoenix of Heaven.
The Nine Heavens…
It meant being among the nine strongest individuals in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Of course, above the Nine Heavens, there was still a legendary supreme realm.
Ying Bing slowly opened her eyes.
Everything reminded her that she had truly returned to the past.
And she encountered something that had never appeared in her previous life.
“Is it still here?”
Before her eyes was a series of strange characters.
These characters could only be seen by her, as if they would exist eternally as long as she didn’t make a choice.
«System»…
In both her past and present lives, she had never seen such a thing.
“The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths are vast beyond measure, and I am far from all-knowing.”
“Perhaps this is a power I’ve never encountered before?”
Ying Bing lowered her eyes for a moment, then made a decision.
[Ding dong, binding successful.]
[Host: Ying Bing.]
[This system is the Supreme Genius System, dedicated to helping the host achieve an invincible path.]
Ying Bing’s expression remained calm, showing no particular reaction.
An invincible path?
She had already walked one.
Her rise to power was already an invincible path, more dazzling than any other genius among the stars.
In her previous life, even the Yu Emperor could only match her with special means.
At her peak, one would have to search through history books to find a worthy opponent.
In this life, she would only be stronger!
[Upon completing the challenge, you will have the opportunity to become an immortal.]
At this moment, the system displayed another message.
Ying Bing’s breath caught for an instant.
Immortal!
This was a word that existed only in legends!
It was said that in every era, a unique ‘immortal’ would appear in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Transcending all living beings, it represented true transcendence, true immortality.
However, since the Great Yu Dynasty established its rule, becoming an immortal had become a mere legend, as if this path had been completely severed, adding to its mystique.
This was also the greatest secret pursued and fought over by generations of the Nine Heavens.
With no path to immortality, she had confidently chosen the most difficult route, one that only a handful of people throughout history had successfully traversed.
But in the end, she still fell short by one step…
Could this so-called system truly offer a chance at immortality?
Ying Bing composed herself and asked:
“What do you mean by challenge?”
[This system will encompass all genius martial artists of the same generation within a certain area and rank them, once a month.]
[After the rankings are published, rewards will be distributed based on the host’s ranking.]
[Current ranking scope: Eastern Desolate Region]
In an instant, Ying Bing’s mind was filled with numerous memories.
Not only were there rules for the system, but also various restrictions.
For example, no outside factors were allowed to interfere with the challenge.
It was forbidden to reveal the existence of the system to let others deliberately concede.
And so on, basically closing off all paths to cheating.
However…
A ranking of geniuses?
In her previous life, she was already synonymous with genius and prodigy in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Now, with the memories of her past life, she would only be stronger as she walked the path of martial arts again!
If what the system said was true, it would undoubtedly shorten the time for her to return to her peak, and even allow her to step into that unknown realm.
Even if it was an exaggeration, she had nothing to lose.
Punishment for the defeated?
In both her past and present lives, she had never experienced being surpassed by another.
The Central region has always been known for its outstanding talents, but after she arrived, a shadow was cast over the younger generation, making them tremble at the mere mention of ‘ice’.
Some old monsters even changed their appearances and suppressed their realms, pretending to be rising stars to challenge her in an attempt to dampen her spirit.
Then they were forced to reveal their true forms.
And still lost.
[Notification: Do you want to activate the punishment mechanism?]
[Activating the punishment mechanism will result in greater rewards, but the individual ranking last must fulfill a penalty determined by the top-ranked competitor after the rankings are announced.]
“I couldn’t ask for more.”
Ying Bing’s choice was without a doubt.
She would definitely be at the top of the rankings.
This punishment was essentially non-existent for her.
This wasn’t arrogance.
For something she had already achieved before, why not maximize the rewards?
[Punishment for the defeated, successfully activated!]
Ying Bing opened the door and went out.
“Morning.”
Not far away, the young man had also just opened his door.
Their eyes met, and Li Mo grinned, revealing a warm smile.
Compared to yesterday, the gloominess seemed to have left his face, adding a touch of handsome charm.
Overnight, he seemed to have become a sunny, outgoing boy.
He appeared to have changed somewhat from her distant memories of him.
…
T/N- [1] : Ying Bing’s name contains characters related to ice or coldness.
冰 (Bīng): This character means “ice”. It can symbolize coldness, purity, or clarity.
Her personality matches her name, being described as cold and unemotional, like a ‘block of ice’. This implies she’s likely aloof, detached, or emotionally distant in her interactions with others.
The comparison to ice suggests she might be seen as hard to approach, inflexible, or lacking in warmth in her relationships with others.
2. Li Mo’s nickname for her throughout the book is ‘Bingtuozi’ which loosely translates to ‘ice cube’ or ‘chunk of ice’ or ‘ice block’
As you can see, I don’t have a lot of options to choose a cute nickname from. It was either ice cube or ice doll..
And no! You can’t call a beauty an ice cube..
So, I’ve decided to just use ‘ice doll’. If you have a better suggestion than this, do share it in the comment section and I’ll change my one.. only if it’s cute though.