Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

Li Xian fought alone against the crowd, unleashing a slaughter, and achieved a great victory. He picked up the Essence Meat that was left behind and ate it all. The consumption strengthened him, accumulating seventy-six strands of the Essence of Heaven and Earth within his body. Slowly digesting it, his bone structure transformed, and he felt a soothing coolness all over, bringing immense comfort and relief.

The entire arena was abuzz, but to him, it was like fleeting clouds passing by.

In his cell, he cast aside distracting thoughts, recalling the perilous fight just now, sorting through what he gained and understood, with plans to perfect them in the future. He mused to himself, "The path of Martial Arts requires a relentless forward momentum, but also calls for cautious retrospection at times. As the ancients said, ’Reviewing the old allows one to learn the new,’ I should practice this for life!"

After a short while, once his strength returned, he began practicing Martial Arts to aid in digesting the Essence of Heaven and Earth.

He had a blade wound on his left arm and a bruise on his right abdomen. The injury on his right abdomen was more severe, affecting his internal organs, but it was not too serious. In his solo battle against the many death row inmates, though he crushed and won by overwhelming force, dominating the arena, exuding formidable might. However, among the death row inmates were some formidable opponents, several had intricate moves, rich experience, and knowing they were doomed, they launched vicious counterattacks, joining forces to kill.

It was impossible to avoid them all.

Li Xian wrapped himself in white cloth; there was "Antiseptic Medicine," "Healing Medicine," and "Jade Paste Powder" available in Willing Death Valley, but they required spending money to purchase. Li Xian relied on his Perfect Appearance Healing Power, the Skill of Consumption Cultivation Power, the Xunfeng Breath Conditioning Power... all the past knowledge, to significantly aid in healing injuries and illnesses. Without the need for external medicine, he could recover as good as new.

The constable "Xiaowu" held him in great reverence, calling him "Guilty Bro." Every noon and evening, the first thing he did was bring him hot dishes and meals, adding abundant meat dishes, like chicken legs, pork knuckles, lamb ribs, fish eyes... often seen, all were the essence parts. Li Xian, nourished by these external substances, gradually recovered from his condition of blood deficiency and exhaustion.

"Robbing Feast" was not part of the sequence, winning it brought no money, which felt a bit regrettable. But "Essence Treasure" was truly rare, when calculated, even though the feast was extremely dangerous, the rewards were ultimately substantial.

Li Xian had already won sixteen matches, each worth three hundred taels of silver. In total, he had earned four thousand eight hundred taels of silver, which was enough to pay off this month’s interest. Tomorrow there were two matches, the day after tomorrow there were three... barely managing to earn nearly a thousand gold a day.

Debt repayment seemed achievable.

He thought, "I escaped from Jade Pillar Mountain and arrived here. Though the situation hasn’t changed, at least... I can hold some things in my own hands. If I fail, lose my life. Ultimately it’s because my skills are inferior, I can’t blame others. It’s better than spending a lifetime slowly mining jade, draining my spirit with grindstone-like toil. I absolutely will not... let myself fall into such a situation!"

His fists clenched, his heart stirred with determination. Setbacks tempered his ambition.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed, the toxic nature within his body began to act up. A wave of pain and itch came from deep within. Li Xian thought to himself, "Almost forgot about this poison. Hmph, that damned Commandery Princess, someday I’ll make you taste what it’s like to be at someone else’s mercy! I’ll endure for a while, feel the poison, so I can plan how to detoxify in the future."

Clenching his teeth and enduring, his fists clenched even tighter. The itch pierced to the bone, making him feel as though he wished to pull out his bones one by one, grind them to powder. The suffering was to the extreme, making him deeply loathed his own body.

Li Xian sensed the changes in the toxicity, and once he felt he had gained some understanding, he took out a jade bottle from the wondrous belly bag of the fish, poured out an elixir, and consumed it. The poison’s effects immediately subsided.

All the itch and pain vanished, Li Xian silently counted the days, having been in Jade City for over a month. The effect of the Detoxification Pill could only last for half a year. If within half a year he couldn’t repay the debt, regain his freedom, and remained trapped in Willing Death Valley, when the poison acted up and the Detoxification Pill ran out, he would only die from the poison here.

The retreat had been cut off; the only way was forward. Li Xian calmed his mind, practiced "Xunfeng Breath" to stabilize his breath, and through his eyelashes sensed the full moon tonight, which was quite rare, so he admired it for a moment before closing his eyes and peacefully fell asleep.

Two days passed like this, and he consecutively won five more bouts. Li Xian noticeably felt that as he won more matches, the opponents he faced became increasingly formidable. The opponents were not weaklings; some people’s Martial Arts and cultivation level... even far surpassed Li Xian’s, along with rich death battle experience and refined and raw moves, with slightest negligence, there was a danger of capsizing. Although Li Xian was exceptionally alert, he had repeatedly been caught in critical situations and escaped from them, moving between life and death with great composure and fearlessness. However, his experience in mutual combat was shallow. Though he had reached the Second Realm in the path of Martial Arts, his foundational resources were shallow, his insight limited, and his experience even less.

Even though he relied on infinite strength, keen eyesight, predicting enemy moves before they acted, using these two points to make up for deficiencies, seeming to effortlessly win, he dared not arrogantly claim invincible status.

Each match, despite effortlessly demonstrating an invincible state, in his heart, he dared not underestimate any opponent. Li Xian’s tenacity was unwavering; though he was trapped in Willing Death Valley, he became like a jade polished by a skilled craftsman. He took the opportunity to absorb countless death battle experiences, observe numerous Martial Arts traces, converting those experiences into nourishment to strengthen his own Martial Arts. He thought, "Since I began training in Martial Arts, the battles, sparring, competitions, and duels I’ve experienced are actually not many. I remember Sister Liuli mentioned how children of large families often spar with each other, receive guidance from famous masters, or venture out to train together. They deliberately select suitable opponents to hone their combat experience. But I lack those resources; in this regard, I’m far behind."

He realized that if he could survive this journey, each grand battle he experienced would surely be an invaluable treasure.

On this day, Li Xian was awakened at the hour of the rabbit; before the sky lightened, he won a match. Returning to his cell to rest, coming down from the Doomsday Platform, the iron sword in his hand was already bent. The enemy was adept at wielding an iron hammer, their attacks cunning and fierce.

But ultimately, he was defeated beneath Li Xian’s fists.

Xiaowu came forward to congratulate him, "Guilty Master, your luck has arrived!" Xiaowu from his heart admired him, his address became increasingly respectful, having changed from brother to master.

Li Xian curiously asked, "Luck? What luck?"

Xiaowu replied, "Hehe, of course, good luck! I’ve heard through the grapevine, there are superior clansmen interested in you, wanting to redeem you from the valley. Guilty Master, your capabilities, all of us have witnessed. If you regain your freedom, you’ll surely carve out an extraordinary career! Don’t forget the care I’ve given you during these days then."