Die was momentarily stunned, as if fleeting images flashed through her mind.
"Its name is Sha Ying, but I call it Freedom Butterfly. It was born able to fly freely, just like you—escaping the fate of being captured. From now on, you, too, can live freely."
Chen Mo smiled. These were Die's lines from the anime; he was merely repeating them.
Die's heartbeat quickened. She felt as if she had heard these words before, as if they touched something deep within her. She softly whispered another "Thank you."
Chen Mo smiled faintly. "Get some rest for now. We still have to continue on later to find water and food."
His throat was already parched.
"Mm." Die gave him a gentle smile and nodded.
While resting, Chen Mo took the opportunity to examine his system and checked his status panel.
[Cultivation: One-Star Dou Shi]
[Host Level: Lv1 (20/100)]
[Bound Goddess: Die Ba (Favorability: 20). When favorability reaches 100, you can become Dao Companions, unlocking even greater rewards.]
[Cultivation Technique: Supreme Primordial Art]
[Bloodline: Ordinary]
[Favorability Coins: 7]
Simple and easy to understand.
But... Dao Companions?
Something's not right with this system.
[Ding! This function reflects the host's inner thoughts.]
Alright, maybe the issue is with me.
Curious, Chen Mo focused his thoughts on the Favorability Coins to see what they were used for.
The system quickly provided an explanation: Favorability Coins can be exchanged in the system shop for various rare treasures, cultivation techniques, Dou Techniques, and divine weapons.
Chen Mo opened the shop to take a look.
The lowest-grade, Yellow Rank Basic Dou Techniques cost five Favorability Coins each. He almost spat blood.
Xuan Rank Basic Dou Techniques were even pricier—thirty Favorability Coins, six times as much.
As for the more advanced ones, the sheer number of zeros behind their prices made him stop looking altogether.
He initially wanted to check if there was food or water available for exchange, but there was none.
Then, he noticed something outrageous—the system was actually selling cultivation level-up packages.
For example, in the Dou Zhe realm, it cost one Favorability Coin to advance one rank.
But advancing from One-Star Dou Zhe to Two-Star required two Favorability Coins.
From Two-Star to Three-Star required three, increasing incrementally.
However, once he reached the Dou Shi realm, things changed.
The price skyrocketed. Advancing from One-Star Dou Shi to Two-Star cost thirty-one Favorability Coins, and each subsequent rank required two more than the previous.
At the Da Dou Shi realm, the cost doubled from Dou Shi.
Chen Mo was speechless.
It seemed he would have to do his best to... ahem... win over Die.
Unaware of Chen Mo's scheming, Die lowered her head, stealing glances at him.
Maybe it was because he saved her, but right now, even though he wasn't at his most handsome, his eyes were like crystals immersed in water—pure and clear, yet carrying a devilish charm. His thin lips were a light, watery shade.
Die thought to herself: Maybe the reason I trust him so easily is because of his looks.
As she mused, the corners of her lips curled slightly.
[Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 1 Favorability Coin.]*
Chen Mo was in the middle of studying the Supreme Primordial Art when the system notification sounded, showing an increase in Favorability.
He looked at Die in surprise.
Noticing his gaze, Die blushed as if she had been caught doing something wrong and lowered her head even further.
She picked up a small stone and casually flicked it at an ant crawling by, knocking it over.
Chen Mo: My damn charm!
He realized that gaining Die's favor was easier than expected.
Well, in the anime, Die fell for Hai Bodong after spending only a short time with him.
It seemed that not only could he rely on her to grow stronger, but he might also win her heart.
Such a breathtaking beauty—what man wouldn't be tempted?
Wait, no! That's disgraceful.
After indulging in his fantasies for a moment, Chen Mo returned to studying the Supreme Primordial Art.
In the Dou Qi Continent, cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques were ranked as Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang.
However, according to the system, the Supreme Primordial Art was classified as "God Rank", far surpassing those four.
Moreover, the description stated that Chen Mo could cultivate Dou Techniques of any element.
In the original story, even though Xiao Yan could practice the Thunder-attribute technique *Three Thousand Lightning Movement*, it was slower for him to cultivate compared to Fire-attribute techniques.
The Supreme Primordial Art, however, had no such restrictions.
Additionally, it allowed him to cultivate Spiritual Power and had a strong suppressive effect on soul-related abilities.
"System, you're amazing!"
Chen Mo hadn't expected the starter gift to be this generous.
After some more research, he returned his focus to reality.
"Time to move. We should get going," he said to Die.
Although this shaded area helped minimize water loss, it was too unsafe. Several groups were after Die, so they needed to find a secure hiding place.
Of course, they also had to locate water and food.
"But your injuries..." Die asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Let's go."
Chen Mo reached out his hand and helped her up.
Thankfully, before transmigrating, he had watched a lot of survival shows.
He knew that in a desert, there were several ways to find water:
1. Tracking wildlife—animals often led to water sources.
2. Looking for vegetation—most plants, especially dense ones, grew near water.
3. Searching for canyons—cool, shaded areas at lower elevations were likely to have water.
4. Examining riverbeds—dry or flowing, they could contain water sources underground.
There were many methods, but finding water was still easier said than done.
It was nearly nightfall by the time Chen Mo finally located a water source.
In a deep canyon, there was an underground river.
He had only discovered it after hearing the sound of water and breaking through the rocky ground.
"Drink first." Chen Mo cupped some water in his hands and held it up to Die's lips.
The underground river was too turbulent and dangerous for her to approach, so he had climbed down the rock wall, scooped up the water, and jumped back up.
Seeing him go through so much trouble for her despite his injuries, Die felt touched.
And he had even washed his hands before bringing her water. Looking at his clean palms, a warm feeling spread through her heart.
Still, drinking from his hands made her blush.
[Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 1 Favorability Coin.]
[Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 1 Favorability Coin.]
[Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 1 Favorability Coin.]
[Ding! Special bonus unlocked: One incense stick's worth of enlightenment time.]
Hearing the system notifications and feeling Die's soft lips against his palm, Chen Mo's heart rippled with strange emotions.
"Still thirsty?" he asked after she finished drinking.
If you want to support me or read advanced Chapters, consider checking out my pat.
patr*on.com/Salsita2k