4: Chapter 4: The System's Generous Rewards

As soon as Zhang Wen closed his eyes and entered the System space, he was startled by a sudden full-screen special effect. He saw the interface explode with golden confetti accompanied by a catchy electronic voice: "Congratulations to the host for obtaining an SSS-Rank Talent! Scatter the flowers! Scatter the flowers!" Immediately after, countless pop-up windows flooded the screen. In his frantic rush to close them, he accidentally touched a lucky draw wheel labeled "Claim Rewards."

The wheel creaked as it spun, finally landing on "Lightning Screaming Chicken." Before Zhang Wen could react, a screaming chicken covered in electrical sparks dropped into his arms with a "pop," shouting in a raspy, duck-like voice: "Keep it up! You're the best!" He was so startled he almost flung the chicken away, and the commotion alerted his parents outside the door.

"Little Wen! Are you secretly eating fried chicken?!" Wang Guihua burst through the door brandishing a spatula. Zhang Wen hurriedly stuffed the screaming chicken under his pillow, but accidentally triggered a mechanism, causing the chicken to belt out a rendition of 'Good Luck Comes.' Zhang Jianguo laughed so hard he slapped his thigh: "This chicken can dance! Take it to the wet market tomorrow; it'll definitely fetch a good price!"

After finally coaxing his parents out of the room, Zhang Wen continued to check his rewards. This time, a pop-up appeared: [Detected an active family atmosphere, special gift—thunder bath towel!] He stared dumbfounded at the purple bath towel that appeared out of thin air, its lightning runes still sizzling with sparks. "This thing... are you sure it's not for grilling skewers?" Just as he finished complaining, the System replied coldly: [Using this towel can deeply cleanse pores and help you wash out a transparent Lightning Body!]

"System Papa! This wave of rewards is simply amazing!" Zhang Wen blew kisses frantically at the Void Realm, completely ignoring how foolish he looked acting this way toward thin air. When he looked at the thunder bath towel, he solemnly tucked it into his pocket: "Don't listen to what I just said; one look and you can tell this is a must-have Divine Artifact for home and travel!"

Without another word, he snatched the Marrow-Cleansing Spirit Pill and stuffed it into his mouth. As soon as the pill hit his throat, his internal organs felt like a honeycomb coal stove struck by lightning; a searing, burning pain exploded from his Dantian. Zhang Wen bit down hard on his school uniform sleeve, rolling around on the floor in agony like an electrocuted loach. When the pain finally subsided, he looked down at the sticky black filth on his body and nearly threw up his dinner from the night before: "Ugh... are you sure this isn't a biochemical weapon?"

Rushing into the bathroom, Zhang Wen turned on the hot water while pulling out the thunder bath towel. The moment he rubbed it against his skin, the towel erupted with crackling lightning, scaring him so much he jumped and hit the ceiling: "Holy crap! Is this a bath or am I Undergoing Tribulation?!" But miraculously, as the lightning crackled and darted about, the filth on his body vanished as if sucked away by a vacuum cleaner. By the time he shakily turned off the shower, the youth in the mirror had skin as transparent as jade, with even his pores emitting a faint Lightning Radiance.

"Hiss... this bath towel is actually incredible!" Zhang Wen felt his smooth, slippery skin, only to hear the System's mechanical voice speak gloomily: [The host is advised to turn off the bathroom power supply before the next use.]

Zhang Wen stretched his limbs, his joints letting out crisp pops, and every breath he took carried the unique rhythm of thunder. The youth in the mirror stood tall and straight; his once thin arms now faintly shimmered with a metallic luster, and even a casual punch carried fine traces of Lightning Radiance. "This is a true transformation!" A fighting spirit ignited in his eyes as he impatiently took out the Myriad Force Thunder Guidance Jade Slip.

The moment his Divine Sense touched the Jade Slip, countless profound runes transformed into thunder Dragons and dove into his Sea of Consciousness. Cultivation formulas and essential movements flooded in like a tide. Zhang Wen instinctively took an opening stance; in an instant, the desk lamp in the room began to flicker wildly, and the clouds outside the window gathered eerily.

"Ha!" With a sharp shout, a pea-sized lightning ball condensed in his palm. But before he could get cocky, the lightning ball suddenly expanded uncontrollably, exploding with a "bang" that filled the room with foul smoke. Zhang Wen emerged from the dust with an afro-style explosion hairdo, only to run right into his parents who had burst through the door—Wang Guihua was brandishing a kitchen knife while Zhang Jianguo held a fire extinguisher, both of them wearing Ultraman pajamas.

"You little brat! Did you draw lightning into the house?!" Wang Guihua waved her kitchen knife. "The sisters from my square dancing team said they were coming to see the lightning-element Genius; are you planning to host them in this explosion site?!" Zhang Jianguo leaned in toward the charred curtains, his eyes suddenly lighting up: "This smoky effect is more intense than my last barbecue!"

After finally calming his parents down, Zhang Wen looked at his devastated room and felt like crying. At that moment, the System opportunely popped up a prompt: [Detected host's first cultivation error, special gift: 'Beginner's Guide to Avoiding Lightning'.] A manual with a cartoon lightning rod on the cover appeared out of thin air. He flipped to the first page and nearly spat out a mouthful of blood—it read: Please remove all flammable items before Cultivating; it is recommended to do so in a bathhouse (works better with the thunder bath towel).

"System... you really are my dear father!" Zhang Wen didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he turned to look at the rooftop outside the window. Meanwhile, the Lightning Radiance reconsolidating at his fingertips was steadier and more refined than before.