Chapter 107: The Spirit of the System

Closing the bedroom door, Tianming immediately turned his gaze toward Xiaoying, who was keeping her head bowed. He stared for a long time, unable to look away. Although she wore cheap, coarse clothing, nothing could hide the gentle, watery depths of her eyes, which stirred an irrepressible sense of pity and affection in him.

"…Brother!"

Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Xiaoying turned her back to him and uttered a soft, shy rebuke.

*Cough, cough!*

"Xiaoying, don't mind what happened just now, and don't worry. Since I have accepted you as my younger sister, it is only right that I protect you properly," Tianming said, startled back to his senses. He coughed awkwardly before speaking in a deep, earnest tone.

"It’s nothing at all, Brother. You don’t need to worry about me! Being acknowledged by you, Young Master, is more than enough for this girl..."

Hearing this, Xiaoying jumped with joy, but then a shadow of sorrow crossed her face as if she had recalled something. She forced a smile and nodded at Tianming.

"You! I really don't know what to do with you. Come, sit down." Shaking his head, Tianming felt a surge of emotion and straightened the soft bedding beside him.

"Hee hee..."

Perhaps finding his helpless expression amusing, Xiaoying stuck out her tongue and sat down beside him.

*Sigh.*

"I really envy how you can remain so cheerful at all times! Xiaoying, remember not to shoulder all the burdens yourself from now on. You must learn to protect yourself. If I am ever not by your side, you must learn to strike back, do you understand?" After a moment of contemplation, Tianming lectured her with deep concern.

What weighed most on his mind here was this sister he had secretly claimed as his own. If he were to leave for the Central Divine Continent, he would have no idea what was happening here. After all, Xiaoying was just a young girl, and now she had his nominal sister working against her in the shadows.

When the time came, it was inevitable that Father Chu and Mother Chu would favor their own biological children.

"Brother, I'm sorry! I've caused you to worry. It’s all this girl's fault."

Seeing Tianming sighing so sentimentally, Xiaoying’s watery eyes blinked, and she seemed to grow sad along with him.

"Forget it, it's just your nature... but that is a beauty in its own right. Xiaoying, come with me to the Ye Manor later. And remember, this is just between you and me, alright?" Tianming smiled lightly and leaned in close to her ear, whispering mysteriously.

"Thank you, Brother..." The warmth of his breath against her skin quickly turned Xiaoying’s small earlobes a deep shade of red.

*Ugh!*

As Xiaoying turned her head, her face brushed against Tianming’s. The air between them went still for a brief moment, only to be broken by a soft cry...

"…Hmph, you are the worst!"

With a touch as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, Xiaoying huffed, glared at him, and then covered her flushed face, pushed the door open, and ran out.

"Hey!" Tianming, who had wanted to say something else, could only spread his hands helplessly. Could he claim he was innocent? He never expected that his first kiss, preserved for so many years, would be taken so easily by this little girl.

However, as he touched the spot where her lingering warmth remained, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

...

He sank into his consciousness.

Setting all other matters aside, Tianming’s primary concern now was whether the "Universal Dora" system still existed after his body had changed. If it were gone, he would be in dire straits, as he had no idea how else to evade the pursuit of the Celestial Star Lord.

"Welcome, Master, to the Universal Dora 2.0 system. You have been awarded one free lucky draw!"

As Tianming closed his eyes and heard the familiar voice, his heart leaped with joy. "Universal Dora, what is this 2.0 system? Does it have new functions? And why didn't you appear when the Century Guardian was hunting me down?"

He poured out all the questions he had been harboring.

"Greetings, Master. The new system spirit has discarded the original method of leveling up through fighting monsters, as the Master rarely used that function anyway. Thus, the automatic cultivation mode has been preserved! As for why I did not appear during that time, it was because I was undergoing an upgrade, which is why the Star Lord was able to discover you."

"Fine. So, what new functions does this new system spirit have?" Tianming nodded and continued to ask.

Although the system spirit’s explanation was logical, Tianming couldn't help but want to complain! This was practically sabotaging him. Had it not been for the rescue by the original Celestial Star Lord, he might have been dead or had his soul imprisoned by now.

"Before that, please give the system spirit a name!"

A name?

Tianming was surprised, but the system spirit seemed to anticipate his doubt and added, "Universal Dora is the full name of the system, which is distinct from the system spirit, as the spirit is an artificial intelligence voice."

"Alright then... I'll call you 'Xiaoling.' Since you are the spirit of the system, that keeps a bit of the original flavor, doesn't it? Hahaha!" After a moment of thought, Tianming nodded and laughed heartily.

In truth, he had never found the name "Universal Dora" easy to say, so when it offered to change, he agreed instantly. Besides, the name sounded spirited and was very smooth on the tongue.

"Thank you for the name, Master. Meow~!"

Soon, following a lazy cry, a coffee-colored figure appeared before Tianming.

*Huh!*

"This is...?" Hearing the sound so close, Tianming frowned and opened his eyes. What met his gaze was a coffee-colored Garfield cat! It was currently extending its tongue to lick its furry front paw.

"Greetings, Master!"

Seeing Tianming open his eyes, the coffee-colored Garfield managed to force a smile and spoke respectfully.

"Xiaoling? What is going on? How did you manifest like this... and in this form?" By the end, Tianming couldn't help but burst into laughter. He never expected the rigorous system spirit to transform into such a silly-looking creature.

"Meow~ Master, do not be surprised. Xiaoling’s appearance is invisible to others; only you can see it!"

"Good, good, that’s actually not bad!"

Tianming suppressed his laughter, patted the bed, and let out a few hearty shouts.

"Master, let’s set that aside for now. Beyond that change, in addition to the original functions of Lucky Draw and Automatic Cultivation, the system spirit has added three new features. These three functions will surely make your eyes light up!"

*Meow, meow~~*

After speaking, Xiaoling stretched its feline back, then lay suspended in mid-air as if exhausted by the effort of speaking, though the posture was quite cute.

"D*mn it! Don't keep me in suspense, Xiaoling! What are the three new functions?"

Watching the system spirit move with deliberate slowness, the corners of Tianming’s mouth twitched. It wasn't that he was overly impatient; he simply possessed a curiosity for new things that was beyond anyone’s imagination.