System, show me Lu Xiaoran's status.
"Ding, displaying disciple Lu Xiaoran's status.
Name: Lu Xiaoran
Age: 16 years
Bloodline: none
Physique: Thousand Form Martial Body
Affinity: water, shadow, darkness
Realm: none (F rank mortal realm). Originally at peak foundation stage but broken.
Martial Soul: none (broken phantom tiger)
Possessions: 100 mid-grade spirit stones, one broken body protection talisman, one spatial ring, 10,000 union coins, B-Rank Qi gathering technique, C-Rank body refining technique.
Artifact: D rank sword (broken)
Luck: -5 (originally 10)
Special Status: cursed by ???##; luck value drops significantly.
Title: Cannon fodder villain, loser in love, young master, hard worker.
Evaluation: He has decent talent and goals. Maybe he can achieve something great, but unfortunately, he is targeted by the lucky protagonist. After his fate changed and he lost everything in front of the protagonist, he seemed fated to die in misery. However, something altered his fate; now his future is chaotic and unpredictable."
His status resembles mine, but there are some differences. His realm is mortal, and it states in parentheses that he was originally at the peak foundation stage, but that was broken. This may be due to his fight with the protagonist. He has some decent items in his possession, like spirit stones, a broken talisman, and some union coins.
System, I understand that union coins must be the currency of this world, but what are the spirit stones and talismans used for?
"Ding! Host, spirit stones serve as an energy source for spiritual energy. Inhabitants of this world use them for cultivation and energy storage. They also work as fuel in some equipment. A talisman is a unique device made by cultivators for specific functions. For example, normally casting a shield with Qi takes time, but if you use a talisman, you can cast it immediately as long as you have the power to activate it. Some talismans can use spiritual energy from the environment automatically."
Okay, I understand. Talismans are like pre-coded apps that you just install and start using. Doing the same thing yourself is like coding from scratch. Spirit stones work as energy currency, similar to petroleum and coal in my old world. However, people in this world use them for cultivation as well, making spirit stones even more valuable.
System, you mentioned in his status that he has medium-grade spirit stones. Do spirit stones have a grading system?
"Yes, host. Spirit stones are classified as low-grade, medium-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade."
"Their exchange values are as follows:
1 union coin = 1 low-grade spirit stone
100 low-grade spirit stones = 1 medium-grade spirit stone
100 medium-grade spirit stones = 1 high-grade spirit stone
100 high-grade spirit stones = 1 supreme-grade spirit stone
Spirit stones are categorized based on the amount of spiritual energy they store and their purity."
Thank you for the explanation. Now tell me about the martial soul, title, and luck category.
"Host, martial souls are a type of power that belong exclusively to humans. You don't have one. A martial soul involves awakening a beast's soul within you to aid in cultivation. Generally, the higher the grade of the martial soul, the better the power boost it provides. Some martial souls can take the form of inanimate objects like swords and spears.
Martial souls aren't always part of human cultivation, but after the first pioneers killed many beasts and absorbed their bloodlines for strength, they encountered the backlash of being haunted by the spirits of those beasts. They eventually overcame this challenge and controlled the bloodlines, which were then passed down through generations, becoming so diluted that they were nearly negligible. However, the martial soul, being non-material, still awakened in their descendants. So, awakening a martial soul closely relates to the bloodline you carry; for instance, a family with an ancestor of a fox bloodline may see a higher chance for a fox-type martial spirit to awaken in their descendants. There are also cases where individuals without any bloodline awaken martial souls, and sometimes they even awaken mutated martial souls."
"As for the title, it reflects how you are known among the people. For example, someone labeled as a robber may have the title of robber. However, it doesn't depend solely on the name given by others; it is also based on your actions. For instance, a person who has killed many ants in their life might earn the title of Ant Killer. Gaining a title is not always easy, as you must meet certain conditions."
"The last category is luck. As the name suggests, it represents luck. Luck is mysterious; no one fully understands how it works, but it often impacts people's lives. For example, a person with low luck who spends their life gambling may never win, while a first-timer with high luck may strike it rich."
"Host, there is an old saying: luck is also important in fighting. Are you satisfied with my explanation?"
Yes, system, you provided a good explanation. Now that I understand his status, I realize he has negative luck and is cursed by someone or something. I asked the system why he has negative luck and a cursed status.
"Host, most people in this world have a luck value ranging from 5 to 10. However, some individuals, like protagonists, possess a lot of luck, while those opposing them, such as villains, often have negative luck."
"As for the curse, I only know that he has been cursed by someone, which causes his luck value to be negative. I don't know who that person is, host."
Sigh! I'm feeling low after hearing the explanation of my new disciple's status. I foresee a lot of trouble ahead, but I've accepted him as my disciple. Being a teacher comes with responsibilities. I won't run away from it just because a troublesome protagonist is in my way.
I turned to Lu Xiaoran and said in a serious tone, "Boy, I will teach you starting tomorrow, but for today, let's decide what you need to learn."