Ren Yuanhao nodded, holding the wooden box. He carefully pried open the clasp. The moment the lid was lifted, before he could even see what was inside, a rich, fragrant woody scent filled the air.
The woody fragrance was like mellow, aromatic wine. Just a whiff of it made Ren Yuanhao feel invigorated, his entire body warm and comfortable, a truly wondrous sensation.
"Huh? What is this thing?"
In the center of the wooden box lay a crystal-clear bead. Under the dim light, it emitted a faint glow from time to time, much like a luminous pearl.
The system’s voice seemed to halt. In the vast space, only Ren Yuanhao’s heartbeat and heavy breathing could be heard.
After a long while, the system’s voice, recovering from its astonishment, spoke with a touch of excitement.
"Mermaid's Tear, it's actually a Mermaid's Tear!"
Ren Yuanhao was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what this "Mermaid's Tear" the system was talking about was, but from the system’s almost cracking tone, he could tell it was extraordinary!
"You know about mermaids, right?"
Ren Yuanhao naturally nodded towards the system in the void.
When mermaids were mentioned, Ren Yuanhao invariably thought of their mysterious and unpredictable legends.
Mermaids appeared in many unofficial histories. If one had to summarize, mermaids had three major characteristics: First, beauty, graceful and elegant. Second, longevity. Third, mermaid tears were said to be the most perfect pearls in the world, extremely valuable.
And was this Mermaid's Tear merely a pearl? If it was just a pearl, what was so special about it?
"The species known as mermaids truly existed in history. Their bodies were even more frail than ordinary people's, and they were born without a defined gender. Only when they fell in love for the first time would they spontaneously change into the appropriate sex. Whether male or female, their appearance was captivating enough to topple nations, no less than your three girlfriends. Thus, in ancient times, they became objects of extensive hunting by fishermen. Some merchants, in order to obtain pearls, subjected these mermaids to various tortures daily, profiting from their tears to gain pearls."
"That's truly beastly." Ren Yuanhao held the wooden box with both hands, his curiosity about this Mermaid's Tear growing.
"Indeed, it's detestable. In the process, mermaids realized their own weakness and, by chance, obtained an extremely powerful cultivation method. This cultivation method indeed allowed them to possess self-preservation abilities in the future. However, the proportion of mermaids who could cultivate this method was about one in a hundred. Therefore, such mermaids were called 'Martial Mermaids'. Before they died, they would condense all their cultivation into a treasure that could be inherited and absorbed by later generations, and this treasure is the Mermaid's Tear!"
Ren Yuanhao felt his heart skip a beat, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He thought, "Wow, what I'm holding is the relic of an alien species. This is quite eerie! Let me ask what use this thing is first."
"So, what's the use of this Mermaid's Tear? I'm not a mermaid myself."
"Don't rush. The above are just legends about mermaids. Regardless of whether you are a descendant of mermaids, as long as you devour this Mermaid's Tear, your physical fitness should still improve. Most importantly, it can provide your body with another engine!"
"Engine?" Ren Yuanhao grew more confused the more he heard.
"Currently, you can only absorb primal energy and receive qi in your dantian. With this Mermaid's Tear, your body will have a second place to absorb primal energy and receive qi. Now, do you understand how precious this thing is!"
Ren Yuanhao noticed that the system’s voice had never been so excited. It was as if even she, someone knowledgeable, no, an artificial intelligence, had never encountered something so grand. He pondered, thinking, "If my body has two engines, how would the Bi Hai Chao Sheng Jue and the Xi Xing Da Fa be utilized? What if the two forces clash and churn within my body like magnets?"
His expression grew solemn, and the system seemed to know his thoughts, saying,
"You have two major techniques for regulating internal energy. How to drive these two engines is merely a matter of time. And do you need to consider that now? Your three girlfriends are eagerly waiting for you to save them. At this moment, every bit of strength means more hope!"
Ren Yuanhao swallowed. Shen Lan Ni's fiery tenderness; Ye Lan's cold intellect; Yang Ling Xue's mischievous charm – all vividly lingered in his mind. How could he hesitate at a time like this?
He snatched the Mermaid's Tear. It felt ice-cold to the touch, and he was instantly pulled back to the real world.
The air in the underground parking lot was not conducive to cultivating and regulating qi. Ren Yuanhao drove out.
The rain outside the car window continued unabated. Drizzling droplets twisted like channels, sliding down the windshield. The fine rain hung down from the sky like reversed silk threads. Everything was merely a puppet; destiny was already predestined.
Just like Ren Yuanhao's seven years of lifespan, it was already decided.
"Ren Yuanhao, Ren Yuanhao, with only seven years of life left, shouldn't you make some major commotion that makes the whole world remember you?"
He grinned at his somewhat chuunibyou reflection in the mirror and abruptly grabbed the Mermaid's Tear, stuffing it into his mouth.
An icy cold aura raged in his mouth, giving him the sensation of having stuffed several bags of Pop Rocks. His tongue instantly went numb, his entire mouth spewing a biting cold. Streams of freezing energy poured out. He gripped his throat, his face turning ashen. At this moment, the Mermaid's Tear felt like a bowling ball being pushed, and as it twisted in his mouth, it slid down his throat in one go. He felt like he had gulped down a large mouthful of iced Sprite, his whole body shaking, his pores standing on end. If one looked closely, they could see a faint layer of white frost covering his skin.
The Mermaid's Tear finally slid down his throat into his stomach. At first, it was well-behaved, but within ten seconds, Ren Yuanhao felt a chill spreading from within his body. He curled up, hugging his knees, still feeling incredibly cold. He then activated the engine and turned on the air conditioning.
The car windows quickly fogged up due to the collision of warm and cold air currents. Fortunately, it was in a secluded area, and no one noticed this strange Toyota SUV.
After an unknown period, Ren Yuanhao’s ears were filled with the blaring sound of car horns. The sound was particularly jarring in the quiet night, but this sound wasn't coming from his car; it seemed to be from somewhere not far from him.
He struggled to sit up, feeling a sour, distended, and constricting sensation in his abdomen, like the feeling after severe constipation. His entire body felt weak and limp.
Fortunately, he could still move. He reached out to wipe away the mist on the window, wanting to see what had happened outside. But as he looked, his soul nearly leaped out of his body. Outside the car window lay a tilted oil tanker and a white Audi A4 with its front almost completely gone!