Chapter 4: Middle Stages of the Flesh Refining Realm

...

Two very different buttons appeared before Azmodeus, clearly indicating that he was expected to choose one of them.

"I am looking for direct strength right now, and I doubt that a turtle would offer much in terms of abilities, so I will choose this one…"

He muttered while his finger was already making its way toward its target, namely, the first button that read, 'Choose to Assimilate Stats.'

BLING!

As his finger made contact with the button, a bright light flashed, enveloping his body in a faint, shining blue aura!

After what seemed like a second passing by, he could quite literally feel his strength increasing!

Not only that, but he could also feel that his speed, defense, and Qi were improving accordingly.

Within a few milliseconds after the boons finished processing, he felt that his physical strength had doubled, from lifting 100 kg to 200 kg with ease!

"This is actually happening…" Azmodeus murmured in slight disbelief.

Even though he had already convinced himself that he wasn't just hallucinating, the reality of experiencing such a transformation was surreal.

Even so, he snapped out of his daze when he felt the newfound strength surging through his veins and knew that he ought to test it out on something.

With this thought in mind, he approached a ten-meter-tall tree on the other side of the stream. Stepping through the knee-high water of the creek, he made his way toward the tree's base.

And just as he was about to adopt his body into a fighting stance by using the only technique he knew, a few more system notifications appeared in front of his vision.

[Ding! All of your stats have increased by 0.1 (Including your cultivation talent.)]

[Ding! Your cultivation and overall combat power have moderately improved!]

[Your overall combat power has increased from the 'Early Stages of the Flesh Refining Realm' to the 'Middle Stages of the Flesh Refining Realm.']

As these system notifications faded, Azmodeus opened up his system interface while preparing himself into a punching form, about to unleash his 'Tiger Barrage Fists.'

BLING!

__________

{[Infinite Evolution System]}

[Host: Azmodeus]

[Race: Human]

[Lifespan: 12/64]

[Cultivation: Middle Stages of the Flesh Refining Minor Realm (Body Refinement Realm.)]

[Overall Combat Power: Middle Stages of the Flesh Refining Realm.]

[Level: 2]

[Evolution Essence needed for the next level: 0.05]

{[Stats:]}

[Strength: 0.3]

[Speed: 0.3]

[Defense: 0.3]

[Qi: 0.3]

[Cultivation Talent: 0.3]

[Spiritual Roots: Crystallized Embryo] (Rank: ???)

{[Assimilated Evolution Traits/Qualities]}

[Inherited Traits and Active Species Alterations: None]

__________

"My strength has improved by such a degree! Now it's time to put it to the test!" Azmodeus exclaimed before using his knowledge of Tiger Barrage Fists to strike forth a series of fists with all his newfound strength.

WIZ! WIZ!

Multiple illusory fists could be seen flying from his lean figure, creating five nearly identical four-inch dents in the bark of the tree!

"This is beyond amazing!" he exclaimed with his fists triumphantly raised above him.

He had expected to inflict some significant damage on the tree, but he would've never anticipated that his strength would have already surpassed what he possessed in his past life!

_____

After a few moments of venting his excitement, Azmodeus steadied his nerves and regained his stoic countenance.

"I am already stronger than I was when I assumed I was two years into the future, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to call it quits with just this."

He had already come to the conclusion that he was somehow sent back two years into the past. It was a period shortly after he was officially admitted as a Trial Disciple of the sect.

This was a time when he had shed his past as a secret Trial Disciple nurtured by the sect and became a genuine Trial Disciple with the awakening of his Trash Spiritual Roots.

It was a period when he was at his lowest…

But now things were different! He was different!

And as long as this 'system' didn't decide to fuck him up and leave him all alone, he was confident that he could make up for all the time he had wasted cultivating for minimal returns in his past life!

Azmodeus would be different! He would be stronger!

That much he promised himself the moment he realized that the system was a real thing and not just a hallucination…

Azmodeus stepped away from the bruised tree, turned his head in a random direction and shouted, "Thank you for this chance, Mr. or Ms. System! I promise that I won't squander this opportunity to live a better life! This I swear on my martial heart!"

Bzzzt!

A light buzzing sound resonated in the surroundings; swearing upon one's Martial Heart was akin to swearing upon your entire future as a Cultivator, and in more severe cases, it meant that you were betting your life!

But if he didn't have at least this much determination, was he truly worthy of this gift that had been bestowed upon him??

[...] The system seemed to go silent at this declaration.

"You don't need to respond. I just want you to know that I will repay this debt in the future, no matter what it is that you ask from me!"

Azmodues barely had any power of his own, but that didn't make his words any less significant.

[Host does not need to repay the system. The system is merely an extension of the host's existence.]

The System's robotic female voice echoed in his head as he lifted his face and gazed at the blue, translucent screen floating in front of him.

His eyes shone with overwhelming gratitude as he declared, "I will pay you back!"

[There is no need—]

"I will pay you back, no matter the cost!"

[...]

The system fell silent as if trying to comprehend how it had ended up with such an unusual host.

Nonetheless, Azmodeus bowed deeply for a few moments before he looked up and said, "But until I am capable of repaying you, I will use you to obtain more power. I apologize in advance!"

With those heartfelt words, Azmodeus began to approach the nearest animal.

The closest thing he could find in his proximity was a river eel that was lying low in a shallow part of the creek, awaiting its next prey to swim by.

However, today would be the day its entire world would be rocked—as a rock quite literally came crashing down on its head!

BLING!

[Ding! You have killed a Mortal Level creature!]

[Ding! You have obtained 0.01 Evolution Essence!]

...…