Novel: I attained the Dao through Music, accompanied by Twin Sugar Mommies?
Chapter: 003 (System Themes Drawn)
The idea of flipping a table walked out of the cave; he wanted to pulverize one.
Seriously, was this supposed to be a joke?
It definitely was not the time for one!
'The Predecessor, even in his first life, had time to come to terms with and learn to suppress the Evil Heart from its weakest stage, and even as it grew stronger, his strength and experience grew alongside it, allowing him to continue to suppress it, if barely.'
'I, on the other end of the bridge, will have to deal with a version that has already grown with him to the Immortal Venerable stage, while having only superficial memories linked to certain events in his life and none about actual cultivation and how to suppress it!'
[Hey, don't look at me.] the system was not slow to defend itself. [The outcomes of your draws are truly random. I have not the authority to influence it in any way.]
Dongfang Jing's lips parted but closed soon after. He was truly speechless.
In the end, he could only console himself with the fact that he still had two more draws. Surely, at least one of the other two would be sensible enough, allowing him to get the promised solution from the system as soon as possible.
'Make another draw.' He willed.
The loading screen appeared again and a dozen seconds later:
"…" All tables within a few ten thousand miles shuddered slightly as Dongfang Jing's emotions stirred.
[Again… not me.]
He could almost imagine her raising her hands above her head in a plea of innocence.
Sucking on his bottom lip, Dongfang Jing struggled to calm himself. "…Fine, let's see what this theme is supposed to be about."
Ancestor-in-Ring System
System Summary: You are granted the ability to mentor and nurture individuals designated by the system. Your primary goal is to maintain a mysterious, unfathomable, and awe-inspiring image in the minds of these disciples, as this perception directly dictates the quality and quantity of the rewards you receive.
Advantages (Pros):
I – Steady Resource Stream: The system allows for multiple disciples (targets) to be chosen concurrently, ensuring a consistent and steady flow of rewards and "cashbacks" from their growth and achievements.
II – Remote Communication & Safety: Even if you are isolated or imprisoned, the system provides a means to project your presence into your disciples' 'rings' (or designated artifacts). This enables secret communication, sending information, or even calling for aid in dangerous situations.
III – Low-Maintenance Growth: Your primary effort is directed toward maintaining your mystique and providing high-level guidance. You are not required to handle the mundane aspects of training, allowing you to focus on high-impact interventions or personal pursuits.
IV – Enhanced Information Network: Each disciple acts as a remote sensor, providing you with real-time updates on their environment and interactions, effectively granting you a decentralized information and intelligence network.
Disadvantages (Cons):
I – Fluctuating and Unpredictable Rewards: The quality and quantity of your rewards directly fluctuate based on your image and perceived value in the minds of your disciples. Any slip-up, loss of mystique, or damage to your reputation will immediately impact your gains.
II – Requires High Emotional/Theatrical Investment: This system is unsuitable for those who struggle with acting or cannot stomach the consistent emotional deception required to maintain an "unfathomable" persona, especially toward innocent disciples.
III – Limited Recruitment Scope: You can only mentor individuals who have been explicitly selected and designated by the system. You cannot choose protégés based on your own preference, personal connections, or unique criteria.
IV – Attraction of External Threats: The exceptional growth and sudden good fortune of the system's disciples will inevitably attract the attention of ancient powers, paranoid sects, or investigative groups. These entities will often target them in an attempt to steal the source of the good fortune.
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"How detailed and clear." Dongfang Jing praised but was caught on the fence about this one.
The "Ancestor in a Ring" plot was something he had come across twice out of the six manhuas he found when he tried to give Xianxia manhua a try back then. And from what he came across while scrolling through online forums and social media, this plot was indeed very…
The reserved would say 'common' while the blunt would spit out 'overused'.
He sighed. 'While the plot itself has indeed left a certain less-than-positive impression on me previously, it would be foolish of me to ignore the potential of this system theme. The more 'descendants' and 'disciples' I have, the more exponential my growth, isn't it?'
Finally, he decided to table it. Who knew if he would draw something better in the third round?
For the third time, he watched the loading screen of the draw.
"Eh? A Clan Leader type? What, am I supposed to get up, find a wife—or wives—and wait for them to give birth so we can start a clan or something?" He cocked his head to the side. "Also, what's with the 'Leader' train? Two out of three draws have that word in it. I want to be the low-key character who everyone ignores without realizing he is actually making breakthroughs in his cultivation like it's eating and drinking."
As for taking over as the leader of the predecessor's clan, the Emptiness Butterfly Clan, that was definitely off the table. He didn't even consider it. For starters, his reputation amongst his siblings was at the bottom of the ladder, and cultivation? Unless he gave up on the low-key path he desired and revealed the absurd spike in cultivation the predecessor had made after regressing, it was impossible to be taken as anything but a mantis opposing a chariot.
Guessing was a waste of time when he could just see the details directly. This much he understood.
Unblemished Clan Leader System
System Summary: You are tasked with establishing, guiding, managing, and protecting a clan. The system grants rewards proportional to the clan's growth, stability, and overall reputation, incentivizing you to become an exemplary leader and steward of your faction.
Advantages (Pros):
I – Diverse and Scalable Reward Stream: Rewards are not limited to cultivation resources but are drawn from the clan's overall reputation, discoveries, and collective achievements. This diversifies your resource flow and scales exponentially as the clan expands its influence and membership.
II – Delegated Labor and Risk Mitigation: By cultivating talented subordinates, you can effectively delegate responsibilities (resource gathering, defense, diplomacy). This allows you to manage critical infrastructure while minimizing your personal exposure to daily, low-level dangers.
III – Establishment of a Power Base: The system ensures the creation of a loyal and powerful faction, providing you with an impregnable fortress and a personal army. This offers exceptional security and a solid foundation for achieving higher-tier cultivation goals.
IV – Synergistic Growth Mechanics: The success of the clan members provides direct feedback to you. Their breakthroughs, triumphs, and newly acquired resources offer periodic resource injections and experience "cashbacks," accelerating your personal progress alongside the collective.
Disadvantages (Cons):
I – High Barrier to Entry and Complex Activation Requirement: The system imposes a stringent minimum requirement of ninety-nine capable members for the clan's formal activation. Crucially, this roster must include at least a total of thirty-six of your spouses and direct descendants. The remaining sixty-three members are not mandated to be family but must possess a quantifiable level of demonstrated loyalty to you, demanding significant effort in both family management and external trust-building before any rewards are granted.
II – Reward Quality Fluctuations based on Prestige: The quality and type of rewards are critically dependent on the clan's public reputation and standing. A single major scandal, diplomatic failure, or a high-profile mistake by a member can immediately degrade the reward pool's efficacy and value.
III – Intensifying Management Complexity: As the clan size and complexity increase, the demands for administrative oversight, resource allocation, and maintaining internal political balance become overwhelmingly complex. Mismanagement can rapidly lead to internal schisms and collapse.
IV – Vulnerability to Internal Decay: The reward stream is continuously threatened by the inevitable emergence of dissidents, corruption, lazy or unruly members, and corrosive internal politics. These factors require constant, taxing vigilance and decisive, sometimes ruthless, intervention.
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After poring through the text on the purple screen, he ran his left hand through his hair and exhaled.
The first one was almost like a prank and the third one's clan-building requirements required a fair deal of time, which he could not spare a lot of at the moment with the eruption of the Timeless Evil Origin Heart within sight.
'That leaves the second—'
The thought did not even get to form when an alarm bell went off in his mind. There was another presence besides his in the cave!
He turned away from the screen and immediately found who the presence belonged to.
"…S-son?"