Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

The candlelight in the east side room of Kunning Palace had been dimmed to its lowest setting, with only a single glass lamp dimly glowing in the corner.

Zhu Gaoxi lay on the rosewood couch, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

It wasn't because he was picky about beds; he had lived with the old monk for six years and slept in all kinds of beds. It was because his heart was filled with overwhelming emotions.

Everything that happened yesterday flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern: his mother's critical illness, the activation of the system, the power of creation, the resurrection, his father's shock, his brothers' excitement, and the lie he had fabricated about "the Dao Ancestor spreading the Dao".

All of this happened so suddenly, but thankfully he had the mind of an adult in the body of a seven-year-old.

What kept him awake even more was that he was waiting for midnight. The system had said that he could sign in at midnight every day to receive a random divine ability. Yesterday was July 14th, and he had received the power of creation by signing in. Now it was almost the next day.

When will the new supernatural power arrive? He stared at the night outside the window, straining his ears, afraid of missing that cold, mechanical voice.

Outside the window, Ji Gang led his Imperial Guards on patrol along the corridor, their footsteps light and steady, occasionally punctuated by the crisp sound of scabbards striking armor plates in the quiet night. ...

[Ding.] It's here.

Zhu Gaoxi jolted awake, nearly sitting up abruptly from the couch. He gripped the blanket tightly, shouting in his mind, "Sign in!"

[Ding! Sign-in successful for the next day! Congratulations, host, you have obtained a new supernatural power—the Immortal Body.]

Almost simultaneously, the translucent pale gold panel appeared deep within his consciousness:

Host: Zhu Gaoxi

Age: 7 years old

Number of check-in days: 2

Acquired supernatural powers: Power of creation, body of an immortal.

Immortal Body (Supernatural Effects: Greatly enhanced physical strength, immune to all diseases (poisons), slowed aging, able to withstand physical impacts exceeding the limits of mortals. Immaculate and unblemished; impervious to swords and spears, water and fire. Limitless energy, never feeling tired)

A warm power rose from the dantian, flowing through the limbs and bones like molten gold, and like a warm spring breeze caressing every muscle and bone.

Zhu Gaoxi felt his body being reshaped by some mysterious force, his internal organs feeling as if they had been washed by a clear spring, indescribably clear and comfortable.

That feeling lasted for about ten breaths, and then everything returned to calm, but his body was completely different.

Zhu Gaoxi slowly opened his eyes.

The dim light of the glass lamp reflected in his pupils, making his eyes brighter than in daylight, like two polished black gems, faintly gleaming.

He looked at his small hands in the darkness, turning them over and over, as if trying to confirm whether they were still his own.

The skin was still the same skin, fair and tender, the hands of a seven-year-old child. But the feeling when you touched it was different. Before, his skin was so thin that you could see the bluish veins underneath, but now that layer of skin seemed to have become tougher, as if covered by an invisible membrane.

He tried clenching his fist.

An unprecedented power flowed through my meridians. It wasn't a violent, unleashed power, but a steady, inexhaustible one, like an inexhaustible engine within my body.

He could even sense that if he wanted, he could punch through that carved wooden door. Of course, he wouldn't actually try it; it wouldn't be good to explain summoning the Imperial Guards in the middle of the night.

He gently sat up from the couch, his feet touching the ground.

In the past, when I got up in the middle of the night, I would always rub my eyes and shake my head until the dizziness subsided before I could stand up straight.

At this moment, he felt no fatigue whatsoever; his mind was as clear as day, and every muscle in his body was brimming with energy. He even felt that he could run ten laps around the Forbidden City and then read for another two hours afterward.

"Energy...energy...inexhaustible, never tiring." He murmured the phrase. Oh, so it's energy! He thought it was something else. Infinite energy isn't bad either, and then the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

What does this mean? It means he'll never have to sleep again? Sigh, if only he had this skill in his previous life, he could have delivered food or driven for Didi, he would have been rich!

No, the system says "never feel tired," not "don't need to sleep." You can still sleep, but you won't need to sleep because you're tired. You can sleep when you want to, and stay awake when you don't want to. It's entirely up to you.

Background music: My freedom, my choice... A song played in an apartment.

"Neither defiled nor pure, unstained by dust."

He lifted his sleeve and looked at it. The brocade robe was still the same moon-white one he had worn yesterday. After spending most of the day in the palace and rolling around on the bed for half the night, it should have been wrinkled and dirty by now.

But under the dim light, the brocade robe looked as if it had just been taken out of the box, spotless and without even a few wrinkles.

This function would have been perfect for opening a laundry shop in my past life—zero cost! He could clean other people's clothes with just a simple slip of his hand and a tuck of their clothes. What a waste! What a waste!

He touched his face again. His skin was smooth and delicate, without sweat, oil, or even a trace of fatigue.

He cried yesterday, so his eyes should be swollen and his face should have tear stains, but now when I touch them, they are clean, as if he just washed his face. He didn't even need face wash. That's another amazing skill.

"Invulnerable to swords and spears, and impervious to water and fire."

He extended his index finger and tentatively ran it lightly across the wooden railing beside the couch. He felt nothing with his fingertip, but a shallow scratch was left on the railing. He tried applying a little more pressure, and the scratch deepened, yet his finger remained unaffected. This finger was truly invincible.

He dared not use too much force, for fear of dismantling the couch.

Zhu Gaoxi withdrew his hand, exhaled a long breath, very slowly, as if to expel all the tension and unease from before.

He lay back down on the couch, pulled the blanket up to his chin, closed his eyes, and finally could sleep peacefully.

Although he saved his mother last night, he himself is still that frail seven-year-old child who can't run fast or jump high. He would fall down if someone pushed him.

His father sent the Imperial Guards to guard him, but while they could keep out outsiders, they couldn't prevent someone from poisoning his food or stabbing him when he wasn't looking.

Now it's all good. Invulnerable to swords and spears, impervious to water and fire. Free from all diseases, pure and unblemished.

One supernatural power has many uses; is this the strength of the Dao Ancestor's disciple?

From this day forward, he no longer needs to worry about anyone harming him. He no longer needs to worry about getting sick, nor about being assassinated. His body is already one of the strongest fortresses in the world; he is the highest mountain in the world.

He rolled over, burying his face in the pillow, a slight smile playing on his lips. He hoped the supernatural powers the system had given him would grow stronger day by day.

Yesterday, it was the power of creation that enabled him to save others. Today, it's his immortal body that allows him to protect himself. What about tomorrow? The day after? A month from now? A year from now? Hopefully, tomorrow will bring some cool new skills!

Outside the door, Ji Gang's footsteps drew closer again. Zhu Gaoxi listened intently for a moment; the footsteps were steady and powerful, each step almost perfectly spaced, as if measured precisely. The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was indeed no ordinary man.