Chapter Twenty-One: The Ninefold Mortal Strike Fist

“Father, this pill is no longer of any use to me. A person can only take one of these Minor Restoration Pills in their lifetime—taking more won’t have any additional effect.” Chen Bo handed the pill back to Chen Zhenhai; in truth, it really was of no further value to him.

Chen Zhenhai accepted the pill without protest. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Bo continued, “Father, the recipe for the Minor Restoration Pill is inscribed on the bottom of the bottle. This pill doesn’t require any special spiritual flames for refinement—ordinary fire will suffice. You must take good care of it.”

“Understood!” Chen Zhenhai’s expression grew solemn. According to Chen Bo, this meant the Minor Restoration Pill could be produced in unlimited quantities! The Chen family was, after all, in the business of medicinal herbs. They had ample materials for alchemy—some were as common as weeds.

“And this sword—I don’t need it either. I’ve never studied swordsmanship, and besides, this strange blade seems unwieldy no matter what style you try. Please take it, Father.”

Chen Bo was quite dismissive of his own handiwork; though the sword was sharp, it never felt right in his grip, no matter how he wielded it.

“You rascal, you just don’t like how it looks, do you?” Chen Zhenhai saw right through his son’s thoughts and laughed heartily. With the pill recipe, this odd sword, and Chen Bo’s meridians now restored, Chen Zhenhai was overjoyed—he could hardly wait to celebrate with a few rounds of strong liquor.

“Bo’er, remember, no matter what happens, the Chen family will always stand behind you.” Chen Zhenhai’s face was brimming with confidence. Chen Bo wasn’t sure where this self-assurance came from—perhaps his father was simply an eternal optimist.

After Chen Zhenhai left, Chen Bo sat lost in thought. To break through to the Innate realm within three years seemed like a pipe dream.

But Chen Bo was no ordinary person. Not only did he possess exceptional talent, he also had a rather unconventional system. What’s more, he had tens of billions of people behind him, offering advice and strategies. As long as luck didn’t completely abandon him, it shouldn’t be an insurmountable challenge.

At the moment, Chen Bo’s account boasted over a million gold coins. He was now eligible for a high-tier lottery draw!

In fact, his first goal wasn’t the three-year promise, but to try every lottery from basic to ultimate. When Chen Bo got in the mood to play, he was truly formidable.

“Hello, everyone! Good afternoon, the streamer is back! Well, actually, I never stopped streaming to begin with.”

“I just gave my last two Minor Restoration Pills to my father in this world. Ahem, and to my dad on Earth—don’t get jealous. Honestly, having two sets of parents feels strange. I can’t imagine what the kids in those sitcoms with blended families really think.”

“Now my savings have surpassed a million gold coins. That’s right—I’m now a bona fide millionaire! I guess that makes me a member of the petty bourgeoisie. I bet none of you have seen me play the high-tier lottery before! Ha, honestly, neither have I.”

“Ahem, that was a pretty lame joke, but is it really necessary for the whole screen to be filled with ‘hehe’? Anyway, enough chitchat—let’s get to the high-tier lottery.”

As he spoke, Chen Bo summoned the high-tier prize wheel—and almost blinded himself with its dazzling brilliance.

No kidding, it really was that bright. Even the viewers in the live chat were stunned. This time, the wheel was pure gold.

Studded with rubies of various sizes, its opulent aura was impossible to hide. Gaudy—unbelievably gaudy! And yet, he loved it.

“If I pried off one of those gems, wouldn’t it be enough to live on for a lifetime?”

“So beautiful, so extravagant, so reckless!”

“A little prince from the Middle East just tipped the streamer 38,888 coins. Maybe I should get a wheel like this myself.”

“That’s even more extravagant!”

“The streamer has made it out of poverty, while poor me is still struggling to get by.”

“Don’t worry, girly, just private message me.”

“I just want to know—how much is that wheel worth? Streamer, why not give it to me?”

“You folks up there, it’s only been ten seconds—show some restraint!”

Reading the scrolling comments, Chen Bo’s mouth twitched. Give you the prize wheel? I’d love to, but I physically can’t!

He turned his attention back to the wheel. The prizes this time looked even more impressive, and there were eight more slots than before—twenty-six in total. Twenty-six, right?

Stun Grenade (Harms Others, Not Yourself), Shadowstep, Golden Serpent Sword, Big Bad Wolf’s Unlucky Hat, AllSpark, Ninefold Killing Fist...

Chen Bo recognized four. Shadowstep was the movement technique of Tian Boguang from “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer,” and also Wei Xiaobao’s in “The Deer and the Cauldron.”

The Golden Serpent Sword came from another martial arts novel, the famed blade of the Golden Serpent Lord.

As for the Big Bad Wolf’s Unlucky Hat, that needed no explanation—but really, what could it be used for? Wear it himself? Chen Bo was half afraid he’d step on a landmine the very next second if he put it on.

Then there was the AllSpark! That was the most impressive thing here—the very artifact that gave life to the Autobots in “Transformers.” The only problem: where would he find a modern vehicle to bring to life?

“Begin the draw!” Chen Bo commanded, barely able to contain his excitement. With so many useful items, any one of them would be a win.

“Ding! Congratulations, host, you have drawn the martial arts technique ‘Ninefold Killing Fist,’ human rank, late stage.”

“‘Ninefold Killing Fist’ consists of nine levels. Each level doubles your strength—by the ninth, your power is increased ninefold. Its might is formidable. However, it is only usable at the Postnatal stage.”

What Chen Bo hated most was the endless ranking of everything in this world—cultivation levels, weapons, elixirs, spirit beasts, and now even martial arts all had their own hierarchies.

Martial arts and cultivation techniques were divided into three major ranks: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Each was further split into lower, middle, and upper grades. The similarity was inexplicable.

Immediately, all the information about the Ninefold Killing Fist flooded into Chen Bo’s mind, indelibly etched—he would never forget it as long as he lived.

“Damn, this thing is awesome!” Realizing the technique’s power, Chen Bo couldn’t help but blurt out.

“Today’s streamer luck is off the charts! A martial art like this is rare even in the ultimate draw, yet the streamer got it from the high-tier! Since luck’s running high, let’s try a few mid-tier draws next.”

No sooner said than done—Chen Bo spun the mid-tier wheel three times in a row, burning through three hundred thousand gold coins in a flash. The results:

One ‘Stun Grenade (Harms Others, Not Yourself),’ one perfectly ordinary head of cabbage, and one Wife Cake with no wife.

“The streamer is now sobbing in the restroom.”

“Already called emergency services.”

“Don’t bother, the funeral home has been notified.”

“You’re all impressive, but the streamer is even more so!”

“Showing off comes with a price these days!”