Her younger brother looked slightly dazed, a bit at a loss, as he turned his eyes toward his older sister. Li Chuxi waited eagerly for the system prompt to sound, but no matter how she waited, it didn't come. Helpless, she could only cling tightly to Li Shiji's small hand, doing her best to buy time.
"Shiji, have you really decided to take part in the official Warrior Examination?" Li Chuxi asked with a tone full of worry while anxiously awaiting the system's response. "Time is so tight—you should be spending more of it grounding yourself, tempering your skills in real combat, and gaining valuable experience. As your sister… I just can't help but worry."
Li Shiji let his sister hold his hand. Under the dusky night, his handsome face seemed even more resolute. "Sis, I'm not a kid anymore. I know exactly what I'm doing." He paused for a second, his eyes suddenly growing bright with determined resolve. "Besides, this opportunity from Thunder Martial Hall—I absolutely can't miss it! All I want is for Mom, Dad, and you to live a safe and prosperous life. I heard that once someone becomes an official member of Thunder Martial Hall, their immediate family can move into Human Survival Base No. 1. That place is said to be the safest city in the entire country, even the world."
Those heartfelt words flowed into Li Chuxi's heart like a warm current, filling her to the brim. At that moment, the crisp system prompt finally sounded:
"Ding! Host has made contact with a warrior. Cell evolution initiated. Overall physical attributes enhanced fivefold!"
In that instant, Li Chuxi felt a blazing heat surge through her entire body, as if a torrent of energy was rampaging within her. Every cell in her body seemed to be infused with a mysterious power, rapidly metabolizing, continuously evolving and growing stronger. Whether it was skin cells, muscle cells, blood cells, or organ cells—every single one was undergoing a complete transformation.
For Li Chuxi, the change was nothing short of earth-shattering. Her strength, speed, neural reflexes, vision, hearing, stamina—every physical function had skyrocketed fivefold in an instant! It was a leap beyond imagination. In that moment, she was no longer just an ordinary person, but someone with extraordinary power—a warrior in her own right.
Her heartbeat raced. She gently patted her brother's palm and spoke with a soft yet unwavering voice, "Shiji, don't worry. When the official Warrior Examination comes, your sister will be right there with you."
After chatting a bit longer, Li Chuxi found an excuse to return to her room. Meanwhile, Li Shiji resumed sitting cross-legged on his cushion, gazing down at the old little lucky pouch in his palm. He slowly placed it against his chest. A faint, warm smile appeared on his face as he murmured softly, "So, Sister, you've always been here with me."
The moment Li Chuxi returned to her room, the excitement in her heart could no longer be contained. She began pacing back and forth.
"I can feel it—this endless power surging through me… Is this what it means to be a warrior?" Li Chuxi clenched her fists. The muscles on her arms bulged and rippled like living dragons, packed with coiled strength, ready to explode. She even felt like a single punch from her could knock down a cow.
What a pity there wasn't a punching force test machine in her room—otherwise, she would've verified immediately whether she had reached the level of a trainee warrior.
Her heart was still pounding wildly. Driven by curiosity, she asked the system silently in her mind:
"System, if I touch a Martial King or even a Martial Emperor, can I immediately evolve to their level?"
The system's voice replied promptly:
"Ding! Responding to host. Based on current scans of this planet's cultivation system, the strength of Martial Kings and Martial Emperors is not solely based on physical attributes, but lies in the immense power of their qi. Martial cultivation is not limited to physical tempering. As one ascends the ranks, the importance of cultivating qi becomes increasingly prominent. Additionally, for your current cell evolution to reach the level of Martial King or Martial Emperor, you would need prolonged exposure to them."
Li Chuxi wasn't too disappointed by the answer—it was more or less what she had expected. After all, she didn't even know any Martial Kings or Emperors, who stood at the pinnacle of the Martial Way. She had only asked to confirm a guess.
"As I thought, there's no rushing it. You can't get fat in one bite."
Late into the night, after her parents had fallen sound asleep, Li Chuxi quietly snuck into the kitchen and gently turned on the gas stove. Staring at the roaring blue flames, she hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her palm toward the fire.
The outer flame of the gas stove could reach temperatures between 1300 to 1400 degrees Celsius. Fortunately, Li Chuxi's cells had already evolved fire resistance, so she could barely withstand the scorching heat.
"Ding! Host's cells have come into contact with flames. Fire Resistance upgraded to Lv2. Fire Control ability upgraded to Lv2."
Only after both abilities had reached Level 2 did Li Chuxi return to her room and fall asleep in peace.
The next morning, gentle sunlight bathed the earth. Li's father came into her room to wake her up—they still had to head to the defense barrier in the Eastern District for work. Li Chuxi didn't really want to go, but she didn't want her father to worry either, so she joined him on the shuttle bus to the district.
Fortunately, Li Chuxi and Li Kaishan worked different jobs. Li Kaishan was a senior operator for the crane towers, while Li Chuxi was responsible for transporting steel and other materials. She made a mental note to ask her team leader for time off after her father went to his station, so she could begin her own journey of cellular evolution.
After all, Li Shiji's official Warrior Examination was only a few days away—Li Chuxi was determined to become a trainee warrior within that time and stand beside her brother during the exam.
When they arrived at the Eastern District defense barrier, Li Chuxi looked up. What she saw was a colossal steel wall that dwarfed even the greatest ancient city walls, overwhelming in its grandeur. Atop the barrier stood towering crane towers, solemn and unmoving. Normally, these cranes worked tirelessly to heighten and reinforce the defensive structure.
Li Chuxi and her father took out their work badges, passed through security smoothly, and then took a high-speed elevator to the upper levels of the barrier.
Looking down from the elevator window, they could already see hunting squads composed of warriors setting out from the gates beyond the city. These teams were well-equipped, their members nimble and full of presence. One could even spot armored vehicles reinforced to be tank-like, and more advanced exoskeleton mechs.
Before warriors reach the higher tiers, technological weapons still wield tremendous power. That's why, whenever warriors head out to hunt beasts beyond the city, they go fully armed. After all, unless you're an exceptionally powerful elite, going out lightly equipped is nothing short of suicide!
As the elevator shot upward, the scenery outside flew by like a slideshow. In the blink of an eye, the densely packed survival base cities began to shrink from view.
Li's father sighed with feeling, "Every day I look down at this city from here, and I can't help but marvel at humanity's greatness."
Li Chuxi's eyes sparkled. She spoke softly, "Even after the Great Cataclysm, humanity—seemingly so weak—still managed to stand firm in the face of destruction… and rise again! Those beasts will never become the cage that holds us down."
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]