136: Chapter 136 The System's Third Upgrade

Cultivation could actually be so pleasurable; this was something Su Fan hadn't expected.

Before trying it, he thought absorbing dark energy crystals would be a very painful process, but the result was exactly the opposite.

The feeling was like a passionate tryst, making it impossible to pull oneself away!

"Since practicing the Guidance Technique is so comfortable, would practicing the God-Forging Technique be even more so?" Su Fan thought to himself.

No sooner said than done, Su Fan sat cross-legged and began to silently circulate the God-Forging Technique.

The first step in practicing the God-Forging Technique wasn't absorbing dark energy crystals, but visualizing one's own soul.

Within the human mind, there is a mysterious region known as the Pineal Gland area.

This is where the human soul is hidden.

Of course, this was just visualization; without reaching the Soul Forging Realm, one couldn't actually see their soul.

"Eh? Why am I visualizing so quickly?" Su Fan was puzzled. He had only been imagining for a short while—just a few minutes—and he had already visualized his soul.

"Could it be that I'm also a genius when it comes to cultivation?"

Su Fan's thought wasn't out of narcissism. According to the information provided by the thought stone, an ordinary person would need months of visualization to imagine their soul.

Succeeding in just a few minutes—he was definitely a monstrous genius!

After successful visualization, Su Fan followed the steps of the God-Forging Technique and began the second step.

He held another dark energy crystal in his hand and activated the God-Forging Technique.

This time, unlike the energy path of the Guidance Technique, the energy from the dark energy crystal didn't go to other parts of his body but drilled directly into his mind!

"Hiss—"

"Ow, holy crap!"

"It hurts!"

When the energy of the dark energy crystal was channeled into the Pineal Gland in his mind, Su Fan's face contorted in pain.

In the visualization, as soon as the energy entered the Pineal Gland, it rushed straight toward the visualized soul. Like a flame, it wrapped tightly around the soul and began to forge it continuously!

"Aaahhhh—"

"Holy mother of...!"

"The jerk who made this thought stone definitely left out how painful the God-Forging Technique is on purpose!"

Su Fan's teeth were clenched so hard they nearly snapped, but for the sake of the cultivation results, he didn't stop the God-Forging Technique.

Because the cultivation experience of the God-Forging Technique mentioned that the longer one persisted, the better the results.

Every day felt like a year; every second felt like a year!

The veins on Su Fan's neck bulged, his fists were clenched tight, his nails digging deep into his palms as blood slowly seeped through the gaps of his fingers!

After enduring the long agony, the dark energy crystal in his hand was finally fully absorbed.

"Whew—"

"That was just..."

"I finally understand why there are so few in the Soul Forging Realm among the Shenyuan Clan," Su Fan complained wildly.

"Anyone who can actually reach the Soul Forging Realm must be one hell of a ruthless person!"

To compensate himself, he spent some time practicing the Guidance Technique afterward.

Under the waves of extreme pleasure, Su Fan's expression grew more and more relaxed.

...

Time passed, and another three years went by.

In the year 2095, Heavy Fusion Energy became widespread across the country, and Su Fan finally heard the long-awaited system upgrade notification.

"Congratulations to the host; your civilization has reached Level 3. The conditions for a system upgrade have been met. Would you like to upgrade?" The system's flat tone seemed to betray a hint of excitement.

"System, what would happen if I chose not to upgrade?" Su Fan asked suddenly.

The system was suddenly rendered silent by this unexpected question.

"Does the host wish to upgrade? In ten seconds, the upgrade option will close," the system said coldly.

"Upgrade, upgrade, hurry up and upgrade!" Su Fan's heart tightened. He was just joking around; did it have to be so heartless?

"System upgrading, please wait patiently," the system said flatly.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

"System, why isn't there a progress bar this time?" Su Fan waited for a long time, but the familiar progress bar didn't appear.

"There isn't one!" the system replied icily.

"Uh... is it... angry?" Su Fan was speechless.

"Is it mad because I didn't upgrade immediately?"

"It's like a broad!" Su Fan grumbled. "So petty!"

Time slowly passed. This system upgrade was very slow, and there was no progress bar.

Su Fan asked the system, but it wouldn't say when the upgrade would be finished, only telling him to wait patiently.

It was just like certain government officials from the old era: if they could drag it out for three days, they'd never finish it in one, passing the buck and never giving a final deadline!

To top it off: "What are you going to do about it!"

Three days later, the system upgrade was complete.

Su Fan couldn't wait to open the upgraded system interface.

"Whoa!"

"A brand new style, handsome!"

The system interface used to be light blue, but for some reason, it had now turned pink!

"System, has your maidenly heart awakened, or were you female all along?" Su Fan teased.

"Then listen to my voice now—is it male or female!" the system suddenly spoke.

"Holy crap!"

"A little girl?" Su Fan said in shock.

"System, are you... are you... going for a 'moe' style?"

"Please do not make reckless jokes, host. Mutual respect is the prerequisite for normal communication!" The system returned to its mechanical voice.

"No, system, what are you doing? Whose voice was that little girl's just now?" Su Fan pressed.

"Host's authority is insufficient. Please work hard to raise the civilization level," the system replied flatly.

"Fine, fine! Setting the bait, are we?" Su Fan gritted his teeth. "I'll... I'll take the bait!"

"Just you wait. After I upgrade, see if I don't drag out whoever's behind this!"

After some grumbling, Su Fan tried different ways to ask, but unfortunately, the little girl's voice never appeared again.

Next, he began browsing the new system interface.

As he expected, the Level 4 Black Technology Mall was fully unlocked.

"System, unlock the level 4 gene optimization fluid first!" This time, Su Fan didn't exchange for a spaceship first, but for the gene optimization fluid.

Because the system had said that after injecting the level 4 gene optimization fluid, he would be able to fly.

He was getting a little impatient!

Relying on cultivation, who knew how long it would take to reach the Soul Forging Realm.

"level 4 gene optimization fluid technology costs 600 million influence points. Would you like to exchange and extract it?" the system said flatly.

"Yes!" Su Fan's heart bled; that was 600 million influence points!

Level 3 Civilization black technologies only cost a million influence points, but Level 4 ones started in the hundreds of millions!

"Would you like to perform Dimensional Ascension Manifestation?" the system asked proactively.

"Is Dimensional Ascension Manifestation still 10 times the influence points?" Su Fan asked cautiously, with a glimmer of hope.

"Correct. To perform Dimensional Ascension Manifestation for level 4 gene optimization fluid requires 6 billion influence points. For a level 4 gene optimization fluid production line, it requires 60 billion influence points," the system replied flatly.

Su Fan: "..."

"System, do I look like someone who has 60 billion influence points?"

"It's not that I want to nag, but you really... have no sense of judgment!"

While grumbling at the system, Su Fan looked at his Personal Panel.

...