Li Chuxi slowly took a deep breath, then gently exhaled. She keenly sensed that something mysterious was changing within her. It was as if every wisp of air around her was under her control, flowing as she willed—becoming... wind!
Control over wind?
Li Chuxi couldn't help but open her palm slightly, curling her fingers gently. Guided by a faint instinct deep within, the surrounding air responded to her call and gathered in her palm, forming a small whirlwind. However, this was merely Level 1 wind control and lacked destructive power for now.
"So this is the wonder of Qi Manipulation and Wind Control," Li Chuxi bit her lip lightly, then clenched her fist with force, instantly dissipating the tiny whirlwind in her hand. "Although this 'Qi Manipulation' isn't the same 'Qi' from the martial cultivation systems, if the level increases, it must become incredibly powerful."
A glimmer of hope lit up her eyes as images flooded her mind: once her Qi Manipulation and Wind Control abilities reached a high enough level, she would be able to fly freely through the sky, summon devastating tornadoes with a wave of her hand, or even drain the air from a whole region—suffocating enemies and stripping them of the will to fight!
Lost in thought, Li Chuxi instinctively pulled out a lighter. She pressed the button lightly, and with a "click," a bright flame burst out. Fixing her gaze on the flickering flame, she silently chanted in her heart: Fire Control! In that instant, her eyes widened as the faint flame suddenly flared up, growing stronger. The flame seemed to gain a life of its own, swirling around her hand, eventually gathering into a ping-pong-sized fireball. Then, as she gently turned off the lighter, the fireball slowly extinguished, its glow fading.
"So I can control fire, but not create it out of nothing." Li Chuxi pondered silently, then couldn't help but mutter softly, "System, how can my cells evolve to produce fire on their own?"
Just as her voice fell, the system's crisp notification rang in her mind:
"Ding! To answer the host: when the cells come into contact with a lifeform capable of producing fire, they will naturally evolve the ability to generate flames."
"Contact with a lifeform can trigger cellular evolution?" Li Chuxi's eyes lit up like stars in the night sky. A plan quickly formed in her heart. "Even if I lack talent in martial arts, my cells can evolve on their own. Perhaps, in the future, I'll achieve more than any martial artist. More importantly, I don't even need to go through the grueling training they do!"
The thought that she could evolve just by eating, drinking, or touching powerful beasts filled her with excitement. She began imagining herself gaining all sorts of incredible powers: invisibility, fire breathing, lightning strikes, flight... But what was the final destination of cellular evolution? A single word floated into her heart—God!
"Eating, drinking, and touching beasts can all trigger evolution... This is amazing." Brimming with anticipation, Li Chuxi was eager to leave the city and head for the hunting grounds outside the Life Base City to touch those fearsome creatures. Of course, she wasn't so excited that she lost all reason. She clearly understood: if her own strength wasn't enough, recklessly approaching beasts would be no different from offering herself as a snack.
"There's still a critical question—how can I improve my abilities?" Li Chuxi frowned slightly, deep in thought. "Like just now, when I lit the hot pot flame, my cells evolved fire resistance and Fire Control, but it's only Level 1. How do I push it to Level 2, Level 3, or even higher?"
As if hearing her thoughts, the system's voice rang again:
"Ding! The host must come into contact with flames of higher temperatures for the cells to evolve to more advanced levels."
Come into contact with hotter flames? Li Chuxi pondered for a moment, then curiously asked, "What if I jumped into the sun? Would my cells develop super-advanced fire abilities?"
After all, a normal alcohol burner flame only reaches a few hundred degrees Celsius, while the sun's surface temperature is already 5,500C—and its core temperature is a staggering 20 millionC!
The system quickly responded to her bold guess:
"Ding! At the host's current cellular strength, approaching the sun would result in instant incineration."
Li Chuxi frowned and pressed further, "Can't the cells evolve?"
The system patiently replied:
"Ding! Evolution is a gradual process, not something that happens overnight."
In that moment, Li Chuxi suddenly understood. Evolution must occur under tolerable conditions. If she were to recklessly jump into the sun, her cells might try to evolve—but before they could, her body would be reduced to ash.
"Looks like I need to stay grounded and progress step by step!" Li Chuxi encouraged herself. "I already have the ability to evolve just by eating and drinking—what more could I ask for? I can't be greedy and expect to soar overnight!"
She clearly understood the value of contentment and didn't let her newfound abilities inflate her ego.
"My little brother is already an Apprentice Martial Artist… I wonder if touching Shiji will trigger cellular evolution?" A sudden thought flashed through Li Chuxi's mind—and once it appeared, it grew wildly like weeds in spring.
Currently, the most powerful person in the Li family was none other than Apprentice Martial Artist Li Shiji. Since martial artists are also lifeforms, would touching him lead to evolution?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She couldn't wait to find Shiji. But just as she took a few steps, she stopped abruptly.
"Wait... How am I supposed to touch my brother openly? That's a real headache." Li Chuxi stood in place, frowning in thought. Though they had grown up together as siblings, now that they were older, physical contact between them had become rare.
"I can't just walk up and say, 'Brother, let me hug you and hold your little hand,' right? If I really did that, Dad would scold me into next week!"
She mumbled to herself while racking her brain for a solution.
"Got it!" Her eyes suddenly lit up like seeing dawn after darkness. She rushed to the cabinet and pulled out a delicate charm pouch.
"This will do." Clutching the pouch tightly, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then stepped out of her room and made her way toward her brother's door. Raising her hand, she gently knocked.
At that moment, Li Shiji was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, facing the vast night sky outside his window, fully focused as he performed his breathing techniques. These techniques had been developed after the world's great upheaval, created by combining ancient Qi-cultivation methods and yoga principles. They allowed those with martial talent to channel the energy of heaven and earth into their bodies and refine it into Qi—the very essence of martial power.
Hearing the knock, Li Shiji calmly adjusted his breathing and slowly halted his practice.
"Come in." His voice was clear and gentle.
Li Chuxi gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was unlit, bathed in the faint scent unique to teenage boys. Moonlight poured through the window, casting silver highlights across Li Shiji's well-defined face. In this hazy moonlight, he looked especially striking. Who would've thought this vibrant young man was only sixteen? If not for his Apprentice Martial Artist status, anyone would've simply thought he was a handsome teenager.
"Big Sis," Li Shiji looked up, his eyes warm and gentle as he gazed at her.
In terms of looks, Li Chuxi was no less attractive than her brother. But while Li Shiji had that striking, eye-catching charm, Li Chuxi—hardened by years of working on city defense under the sun and wind—had shed the softness of a typical girl and gained a heroic grace. She was the kind of beauty that grew on you with time.
Li Chuxi stepped into the room and took in the familiar scent, then cleared her throat, slightly nervous. "Um… Shiji, you're going to take the official martial artist exam soon, right?"
Li Shiji nodded lightly, "Mm."
"Well, I specially prepared a lucky charm for you." Li Chuxi's expression turned serious as she solemnly placed the charm pouch into his hand. "Take it. I hope it will keep you safe and help you pass the exam smoothly."
Before he could respond, she suddenly made up her mind and swiftly reached out, grasping his hand.
"Shiji…"
"B-big Sis?" Li Shiji froze slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes as he looked at her slightly tense yet hopeful face—completely unsure of what was going on.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]