Gao Wu: A centenarian old man, many children and good fortune! Chapter 002

The moment the system activated, Xiao Yan felt an indescribable warmth quietly surge from deep within his body, like geothermal heat beneath a frozen riverbed, weak but steadily permeating upward.

His qi and blood, which had been as stagnant as dead water and slowly draining away, now, as if a spark had been thrown into them, stirred a ripple so subtle it was almost imperceptible.

He subconsciously clenched his fist. The calluses from years of combat were still rough, but the familiar stiffness in his knuckles, brought on by aging, seemed to have lessened ever so slightly.

“An illusion?” Xiao Yan frowned. Having lived for a hundred years, he was acutely aware of every change in his body. This subtle improvement, completely contrary to the continuous decay he had felt for decades, seemed so unreal.

[System Notification: Host and descendant bloodline resonance established. During descendant’s gestation, host’s vitality will be continuously nourished, qi and blood activity will increase, and physical functions will be slowly repaired and enhanced. Enhancement effect is positively correlated with the descendant’s life force intensity.]

That cold, clear voice echoed in his mind again. This time, Xiao Yan confirmed he hadn’t misheard.

More children, more blessings… bloodline continuation… nourishment… enhancement?

This unbelievable “system” actually linked his own power to his wife’s pregnancy and to his unborn child?

He looked at Li Xiuying, still asleep beside him, his gaze complex. This young woman, the life gestating in her womb, had become the key for him, a “withered old tree” on the verge of death, to regain vitality?

In the days that followed, Xiao Yan quietly observed the changes in himself.

For the first few days, the sense of enhancement was vague, almost imperceptible. But as time passed, about half a month later, Li Xiuying began to show some early pregnancy symptoms: loss of appetite, occasional nausea. It was then that Xiao Yan clearly felt the difference within his body.

Every morning upon waking, that bone-deep fatigue was significantly lessened. His muscles and bones, which usually required slow circulation of qi to loosen, now felt more flexible when he moved. More importantly, he could feel that the faint warmth within him was gradually growing stronger. His qi and blood, which had been tending toward dryness, seemed to have been nourished by sweet dew, beginning to become active and full again.

His strength, unknowingly, was indeed slowly and continuously increasing!

This was no longer a vague feeling, but a tangible physical sensation!

But he needed proof, an objective standard of measurement.

The military family complex had a veterans’ activity center equipped with some basic rehabilitation and testing equipment, including an old-fashioned strength testing machine. This machine could only measure up to 10, 000 kilograms, which was a bit insufficient for a Ninth-Grade warrior, but for detecting subtle changes in strength, especially for an old veteran like Xiao Yan who was in a period of decline, it was more than enough.

That afternoon, Xiao Yan, as usual, strolled to the activity center in loose training clothes.

There weren’t many people in the center. A few old comrades sat around a large touch-screen table, hotly discussing a remnant game of light-chess, the pieces leaping and flickering in virtual beams. Others lay in the virtual pods in the corner, wearing neural interface helmets, clearly reliving combat footage from their youth or immersed in other virtual worlds.

As soon Yan entered, a slightly plump old man climbing out of a virtual pod saw him and immediately waved enthusiastically:

“Yo, Old Xiao, you’re here! Perfect, don’t just stand there, come give us a hand!”

This was Old Zhang, a demolition expert from the squad next to Xiao Yan’s back in the day. He had put on quite a bit of weight since retiring.

“What are you doing, Old Zhang?” Xiao Yan walked over with a smile.

“Black ops!” Old Zhang excitedly pointed to a few empty virtual pods nearby. “’Iron-Blooded Glory,’ ten-thousand-person simulated warfare! A new map just updated, Old Li and the others are already online, just waiting for you. Our old veteran squad can make a team!”

Another old man, adjusting his helmet nearby, poked his head out: “Yeah, Old Xiao, how’s your luck today? Come command us, huh? You were a good hand at leading us charges back then!”

Xiao Yan waved his hand, a hint of a helpless smile on his face: “No, no, you guys play. My old arms and legs, my reactions can’t keep up. I’d just be a drag. I just came to stretch my muscles and walk around.”

He was thinking about the strength testing machine; he had no mind for simulated warfare. These old comrades were still immersed in past and virtual glories, while he had unexpectedly grasped a sliver of possibility to return to his real-world peak.

“Tch, another excuse!” Old Zhang pouted but didn’t insist. “Alright, then you go wander around. We’ll find you for a drink after we’re done playing!”

“Sounds good,” Xiao Yan replied, his gaze subtly sweeping towards the scratched strength testing machine in the corner.

Watching Old Zhang and the others enthusiastically dive back into the virtual pods, Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Feigning stretching his muscles, he slowly ambled to the testing machine. This machine had witnessed the cruel reality of his strength declining repeatedly over the past decade. His last test, about half a year ago, showed his punch force barely above 8, 000 kilograms, a significant gap from the 10, 000-kilogram standard for a Ninth-Grade peak. At his normal rate of decline, he probably couldn’t even manage 7, 500 kilograms now.

He adjusted his breathing. The old comrades around him were all immersed in their own worlds and paid no attention to him, the “old relic” in the corner.

Xiao Yan lowered his stance, planting his feet firmly, and his right fist suddenly shot out!

“Bang!”

A muffled thud. The testing machine’s buffer pad slightly dented, and the numbers on the screen rapidly jumped.

Xiao Yan’s heart was in his throat.

The number finally settled—

8850 kilograms!

Not the 7, 000-plus he expected, not even the 8, 000-plus from half a year ago, but 8, 850 kilograms!

This… how was this possible?!

In less than a month, his strength had not only stopped declining but had surged by nearly 800 kilograms?! This completely defied physiological laws, defied all martial arts common sense he knew!

Xiao Yan’s pupils contracted, and his heart pounded uncontrollably. He subconsciously glanced left and right. Seeing no one was paying attention, he quickly stepped forward, wiped the screen with his hand to clear the test record, then casually walked to the side and picked up a towel to wipe away non-existent sweat from his forehead.

But inside, his heart was already in turmoil!

It was real!

That [More Children, More Blessings] system was real!

His strength was truly recovering!

As long as the child in Xiuying’s womb grew healthy, his strength would continuously increase!

A hundred years of desperation… seemed to have a glimmer of hope!

A burning flame ignited fiercely in his heart, which had been dormant for many years! It was the fire of hope, the desire to climb to the peak of martial arts again!

Transcendent realm! Return to the peak!

The dreams that were once so distant no longer seemed like fleeting illusions!

After the excitement, Xiao Yan quickly calmed down.

This secret was too astonishing. A hundred-year-old veteran, without breaking through to the transcendent realm, suddenly gaining strength instead of losing it—if this got out, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar.

Before he had enough self-preservation ability, this secret must be kept absolutely hidden!