BTTH: Auto Cultivation System

Xiao Hua lay on the branch, pretending to sleep. When Xiao Yan began climbing the wall, he made a rustling noise that caused Xiao Hua to "wake up" and shout, “Who’s there?!”

“Ahhhh! That hurts!” Xiao Yan cried out in surprise and pain as he fell from the wall. Distracted by the sudden shout, he had not noticed Xiao Hua’s presence.

Xiao Hua approached Xiao Yan cautiously, feigning concern about the intruder. However, seeing Xiao Yan’s ashen face, he bit his tongue to suppress a laugh and asked with a puzzled and suspicious tone, “Cousin Xiao Yan, what are you doing climbing the wall of the esteemed guests? Don’t tell me you’re up to something inappropriate?”

“Thi, uh... this, about this…” Xiao Yan was initially relieved to see that it was Xiao Hua who had shouted. But when confronted with Xiao Hua’s question, he panicked and stumbled over his words, unsure of how to respond.

He couldn’t explain that he intended to play a prank on Gu Xun Er because of their earlier encounter in the morning and his annoyance at guiding her around. He had hoped to experience Dou Qi with her, who had just returned to the Xiao Clan as a prank.

Other children lived with their parents, while orphans shared a large building. He thought there would be no one in the backyard, so he planned to use the opportunity to meet Gu Xun Er alone.

Given his status as the talented Young Master of the Xiao Clan, he lived alone in a small courtyard, similar to Gu Xun Er. The two were close neighbors, and he believed no one would suspect his activities.

However, revealing this would be disastrous. If Xiao Hua reported it, even his father, the Clan Head, couldn’t save him, especially with the Elders’ faction pushing for his father to stepped down from being the Clan Head. The consequences could be severe.

Xiao Yan’s mind raced, and suddenly, he came up with a counter-question, flashing a grin. “Right back at you. What are you doing on a tree branch in the middle of the night? You’re not trying to steal something, are you?”

Unfortunately for Xiao Yan, Xiao Hua had anticipated such a situation. Despite Xiao Yan’s immaturity, he was not foolish. His numerous unpunished pranks indicated he knew where the line was drawn, so it was natural that he prepared something in advance.

Xiao Hua snorted inside and feeling amused. While other children might have been intimidated by Xiao Yan’s question, he found Xiao Yan's attempt at being cunning was cute.

“I fell asleep in the hot springs at the back of the mountain. This is the only path down the mountain to the dormitory. Since I was still sleepy, I perched on a tree temporarily for a quick nap and woke up due to the noise,” Xiao Hua explained, ruffling his somewhat damp hair, with leaves and dust falling off. He cast a ‘judgmental’ glance at Xiao Yan.

“If anything, it’s strange for Young Master Xiao Yan to be here. You usually bathe in your mansion and rarely come here. Isn’t your courtyard over there? If you do anything inappropriate and damage the Xiao Clan’s reputation, I might have to report it to one of the Punishment Hall Elders.”

Xiao Yan was stumped. The thought of the Punishment Hall’s severe penalties terrified him. He stood there, red-faced and stammering, unable to respond.

Suddenly, they heard a door creak open. Xiao Hua and Xiao Yan turned to see a young girl in jade-colored pajamas emerging. Gu Xun Er, with an indifferent and cold expression, asked, “Why are both of you making noise in the middle of the night?”

Though she appeared fine, her face was pale and her demeanor was trembling slightly, suggesting she was holding something back.

'She’s definitely holding it back. I understand that they are an ancient clan that values tradition, but letting her absorb the 4th Heavenly Flame seems excessive...'

Xiao Hua recognized that she was suffering from the side effects of her Heavenly Flame, the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame. Even as a seed flame, it was still among the most powerful Heavenly Flames. Despite her efforts to control it, her strength was insufficient, leading to significant repercussions.

Under Gu Xun Er’s cold gaze, Xiao Yan grew increasingly nervous, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it. “No, this… this is… I, uh… here for…”

Unable to withstand the scrutiny, Xiao Yan’s face turned red, and he stammered until he stood motionless, unable to speak. As Gu Xun Er’s gaze grew colder, Xiao Yan turned and fled.

‘What the…? Hey! Aren’t you the MC? Why are you running away!!!’ Xiao Hua screamed in his thought, confused by Xiao Yan action.

Suddenly, it clicks him. That the current him is an immature version of him. After being betrayed, insulted, and slandered by the Xiao Clan, did he started to gain his mind become stronger.

He feels bad for him, as this is where he can get Gu Xun Er heart. But what if the manhua version suddenly happened, like a bear attack Gu Xun Er and Xiao Yan is there to save her.

‘Welp! That’s my bad! However, if the manhua version suddenly happened, and a bear appeared to attack Gu Xun Er, I'll make sure Xiao Yan is there to save her.’

'Anyway, the immediate problem is how to give this Frozen Netherworld Fruit to Gu Xun Er. If I just say it will help her, she’ll definitely be suspicious…' Xiao Hua thought, scratching his head.

“May I ask what you’re doing here, Cousin Xiao Hua?” Gu Xun Er ignored Xiao Yan and focused her attention on Xiao Hua.

“Hmmm… How should I put this?” Xiao Hua crossed his arms, seriously pondering how to present the fruit.

Suddenly, the fruit from the 'Storage Ring' given by the System came out and materialized, and Gu Xun Er’s Heavenly Flame reacted violently, flaring up as if it had encountered a rival. The two forces clashed fiercely, each striving for dominance.

Xiao Hua was startled by the sudden turn of events and felt a surge of panic as the situation became dangerous. He looked at Gu Xun Er, who had collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.

“Hey! Cousin Xun Er, are you okay?!” Xiao Hua rushed to her side, feeling a painful mix of burning and freezing sensations on his skin.

“The flame… out of control. It’s clashing… with the coldness… of the fruit,” Gu Xun Er explained slowly, her voice strained.

“Damn it! Is there anything I can do to help, Cousin Gu Xun Er?” Xiao Hua’s voice trembled with panic and desperation. Even if he was supposed to use her as a lucky charm, that didn’t mean he wanted her to suffer.

“Bring me inside… first…” she managed to uttered those words before falls unconscious.

Following her instructions, Xiao Hua hurriedly carried her into her room. Desperately searching, he found her bed and laid her down.

'What do you mean she is lucky?! Damn this System!' Xiao Hua cursed inwardly. “Hey! Where the hell are you? Tell me what to do!”

But all he got in return was deafening silence. It hit him like a cold blade—what the System meant by ‘last time.’ The sentience within the System had vanished, leaving it nothing more than a hollow System, unable to answer him ever again. He was truly on his own, left to face this crisis without its guidance.

'Well, ain't life's a bitch!' Xiao Hua cursed inwardly.

Observing her worsening condition, Xiao Hua bet on using her luck and called out, “I know you’re here. Show yourself, Mister Guard!”

A gust of black wind swept through the room, momentarily blinding him. As the wind subsided, Xiao Hua saw a figure in black clothing, staring at him coldly.

“Oh… So, there was someone watching her?” Xiao Hua feigned surprise, knowing that normally people in the Xiao Clan wouldn’t have detected his presence.

“What’s happening to the Young Miss?” Ling Ying demanded coldly, his killing intent palpable. Xiao Hua briefly imagined a version of himself lying in a pool of blood, but he gritted his teeth and shouted, trying to convince and calm Ling Ying down.

“I know you’re suspicious of me, but she needs help right now, and I can save her,” Xiao Hua insisted, his voice edged with urgency.

“And if you harm her?” Ling Ying's voice was icy, the sheer menace in it freezing Xiao Hua in place.

“I wouldn’t dare! But look around—this situation is spiraling out of control, and it’s getting deadly fast. If you have the power to fix this, then stop wasting time and do it! Don’t just stand there threatening me!”

Ling Ying’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous silence hanging in the air. Finally, he spoke, “…Fine. What are the chances?”

“Pray to heaven,” Xiao Hua muttered, his voice tight with tension.

“Haaa… If she dies, the entire Xiao Clan will go with her,” Ling Ying hissed, his narrowed eyes radiating a chilling, lethal intent.

“Is that so? Then it’s fortunate that won’t happen,” Xiao Hua shot back, his voice laced with an eerie confidence.

‘After all, this girl’s got some absurd luck on her side!’ Xiao Hua thought, a nervous grin tugging at his lips as he looked down at the fragile figure of Gu Xun Er, writhing in agony.

He wasn’t sure if he could save her, but if the System was right, her luck was immense—enough to pull her through this nightmare. The real challenge was helping her survive the violent clash of hot and cold energies tearing through her body. She needed external help to bring those forces to a truce.

Ling Ying didn’t seem to have the strength or knowledge to handle this, and Xiao Hua wasn’t any better off—at least not on his own.

But there was one difference. He had a System, a weapon of sorts, to tip the scales in their favor. Now, he was willing to gamble everything on Gu Xun Er’s heroine luck, banking on it to save her, himself, and the entire Xiao Clan from certain annihilation.

Ling Ying scrutinized him, noting his resolve and determination to save the Young Miss. With a heavy sigh, he stepped back, easing his killing intent and allowing Xiao Hua to proceed.

Seeing Ling Ying’s action and the relaxation of his killing intent, Xiao Hua turned his attention back to Gu Xun Er and sat down beside her. He then mentally called out to the Auto-Cultivation System.

‘System, can I use the Gold Bloodline Ticket to resolve this situation?!’

Instead of giving him a response, the Auto-Cultivation System displayed a spinning wheel. It was divided into segments labeled ‘Bronze,’ ‘Silver,’ ‘Gold,’ and ‘Black.’

From what he could see, the chances were 47.6% for Bronze, 28.6% for Silver, 19% for Gold, and 4.8% for Black.

'Wonderful... It looks like I'll be the one needing to pray to heaven after all.' Xiao Hua thought ruefully, realizing the gravity of his earlier words.