The Grand Dao of Cuteness and a System’s Surprising Powers

The sheer number of things to complain about choked Lin Mo, suffocating every single word before it could escape his throat.

Even his internal thoughts were stifled, unable to form a coherent protest.

‘What did “simple feminization” even mean?’

‘What was “ying ying ying”?’

‘What exactly did it want to turn a pure, unadulterated man like me into?’

‘What was this “tsundere loli capable of punching mountains into dust”?’

‘Did this imply I would transform into a loli who was both fierce and adorably soft in the future?’

‘What kind of “ultimate tough guy” would that make me?’

‘Was this system playing a cruel joke on me!?’

‘And what in the world was the “Grand Dao of Cuteness”?’

‘How was I supposed to explain the “Grand Dao of Cuteness” to my father?!’

Had Mu Qingli not been sleeping so soundly in his arms, Lin Mo would have undoubtedly punched the system interface a few times to vent his frustration.

This system increasingly resembled something out of a prank show, or perhaps the entertainment industry. Why had it chosen him, of all people?

Still, a system was a system.

Yet, it truly ought to provide something practical, shouldn’t it?

‘What use was transforming into a woman, anyway—’

Then he abruptly recalled previous events.

While not entirely useless, it was only beneficial under specific circumstances, wasn’t it?

‘Was this world so devoid of entertainment that people would constantly strip others to check for “little birdies”?’

‘…

But what if…?’

‘Come to think of it, hadn’t Mu Qingli, currently resting in his arms, practically ripped off his clothes the moment they met?’

‘Tsk…’

‘Alright, I concede that the ability to transform into a “woman” might have its uses in this world, but surely it couldn’t be *only* that?’

‘As a system, it should at least—’

Suddenly, Lin Mo’s gaze fell upon a description within the “Introduction.”

[This system aims to grant the host temporary or permanent abilities, appearances, and temperament changes through various temporary or permanent “transformations.”]

‘This one item.’

‘Permanent abilities?’

‘What kind of abilities?’

‘Did cultivation techniques count as abilities?’

‘On second thought, could Ji Xue’s ability to fuse with me actually be due to the system, rather than the Ming Jue Profound Yin Art? No, that couldn’t be right; the system hadn’t even been activated then.’

‘Abilities?’

‘Like the incredible tenacity and longevity of turtles and tortoises! Could I perhaps learn this trait, becoming incredibly resilient and simply outliving all my opponents?’

‘Would transforming into a tortoise achieve this?’

‘Now, *that* was an intriguing thought.’

‘If I were in an ordinary world, I could gain the longevity of a turtle, the strength of a bear, the speed of a cat, the sharp eyes of an eagle, the reflexes of a cat, and the majestic power of a lion!?’

‘Wow, I would be a veritable King of Beasts!’

‘Could I then debut as a superhero, punishing evil and upholding justice?’

‘A paralyzed invalid by day, a masked vigilante by night!’

‘Holy crap!’

‘Wouldn’t that be amazing?’

‘It’s just that the customs in my hometown are simple and peaceful. If only I had been born in Gotham City, wouldn’t my talents have been put to great use?’

‘But even here, it would be pretty awesome, wouldn’t it?’

‘In cultivation novels, aren’t the innate divine abilities of beast races like the nine-tailed phantom flames of a fox spirit, or the indestructible adamantine body of an iron tortoise?’

‘If I transformed into them, wouldn’t I… be able to gather the divine abilities of numerous races into one body?’

At this realization, Lin Mo gasped sharply.

‘This wasn’t some “trash system” at all! This was, without a doubt, a divine artifact! A truly formidable and awe-inspiring system!’

‘Forgive me, esteemed System, for my immaturity.’

‘It was wrong of me to judge you so hastily without proper understanding!’

Lin Mo’s breathing grew shallow with excitement.

He exited the introduction interface, eager to scroll further and discover what other surprises the system held.

Scrolling down, he found something called [Core Functions].

[Core Functions]:

[Transformation]:

[Upon initial system activation, the host receives one free random transformation opportunity, lasting for one hour (two hours).

Subsequent transformation opportunities can be acquired by completing system missions, achieving special accomplishments, consuming rare items, or as rewards for cultivation breakthroughs.

There are two transformation opportunities daily.

The abilities contained within the transformation target will be randomly acquired. If a mission is completed, one ability from the transformation target can be chosen, with three options randomly provided.

This is only effective for the first transformation; abilities cannot be repeatedly obtained through subsequent transformations.]

‘Indeed, it was exactly as I had imagined! Utterly brilliant!’

It wasn’t just limited to beast races; what if he encountered ancient species in the future? Transforming into them would be even more incredible, wouldn’t it?

At this thought, Lin Mo was practically itching to try it.

He found himself growing fonder of the system with every passing moment!

‘Bro, I spoke too harshly just now. You’re not trash at all!’

Compared to the Ming Jue Profound Yin Art, he now possessed another ultimate trump card. It was hard not to be pleased.

He wondered what else lay ahead.

[Mission System].

‘Oh, that’s where missions are issued and rewards are given upon completion, right?’

[Main Mission: None currently]

[Emergency Mission: Triggered during crises, providing targeted transformation options (may still require opportunities or points) or missions to help the host overcome difficulties.]

[Daily/Weekly Missions: E.g., “Maintain a cute smile for at least ten people today,” rewards points.]

Since points were mentioned, then the system’s most crucial feature must surely exist: the System Shop!

It was the indispensable core of any truly powerful system, a place where all the world’s materials could be acquired, provided one had enough points!

Lin Mo felt a surge of excitement within him.

He had to check it out.

However, the name of the system shop made Lin Mo struggle to keep his composure.

‘What was a [Cuteness Power Shop]?’

Yet, the interface itself wasn’t overly complex.

[Designated Transformation Card: Designates the type of the next transformation (duration may be shorter. Longer duration consumes more points. Different races consume different amounts of points)]

‘Hmm… no issues there. Next.’

[Ability Acquisition Probability Boost Card: Increases the probability of acquiring rare abilities.]

‘So, each race had different probabilities, and whether I got something good or bad was entirely up to chance?’

‘Bro, that’s a bit disappointing.’

‘What the hell, still playing gacha? This isn’t a roguelike game!’

[Attribute Enhancement: Permanently enhances certain attributes or grants weak passive abilities]

‘So the functions would gradually improve?’

‘This meant even if I acquired a crappy ability, I could still enhance it through this.’

‘Bro, you don’t seem like trash at all now.’

‘My dog eyes truly underestimated you.’

Lin Mo found himself internally debating, much like a madman.

Next, he scrolled further.

[Special Items]!!

‘Hmm?! Now this was getting interesting.’

Based on his experience reading webnovels, this section usually contained divine weapons or rare racial bloodlines to enhance one’s physique!

He eagerly clicked to view them.

[Fluffy Tail for Increased Charm], [Full Bunny Girl Set for Enhanced Seduction], [Bright-Colored Stockings for Prettier Legs], [Indestructible Bell Collar that Gradually Increases Loyalty].

‘Where were my divine weapons?’

‘Where were my ancient bloodlines?’

‘Oh! There was another page!’

[Indestructible Cat Paw Gauntlet], [Vibrating Cat Teaser], [Charm-Enhancing Fox Tail]…

And then… nothing?

‘Where was the “cuteness”?’

‘Why did it feel more like an adult store?’

‘None of these were useful, damn it!’

Speechless, Lin Mo clicked on the [Charm-Enhancing Bunny Girl Full Set]. He simply had to critique it thoroughly, to meticulously observe what kind of perverse nonsense this system had conjured.

‘How could such items possibly aid my cultivation? Truly.’

The icon expanded into his view, even displaying a 3D model before him.

Lin Mo’s brows furrowed in utter disgust.

‘This is simply too lewd!’

He absolutely had to take a good look!

He would scrutinize it with a critical eye.

‘How could a “cute” system possibly peddle such items?’

‘Unbelievable!’

‘I am supposed to be a well-rounded, upstanding young man, excelling in virtue, intellect, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor!’

But, as the saying went, “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.”

‘Without a deep dive, how could I possibly understand how I might eventually fall into depravity? How the system might corrupt me?’

Lin Mo took a deep breath, his heart unusually heavy.

Slowly, he clicked open the browsing interface!