# Chapter 2: Item Upgrade Limits
Axe: 0/10 (A common axe, quite sharp, convenient for chopping wood and bones, but sometimes gets stuck.)
As Lu Tao's thoughts moved, the description above the axe shifted.
"It really upgraded."
Joy flickered in his eyes as the axe itself instantly transformed.
The rough blade, once covered in black ash, now looked as though it had gone through planing, tempering, and polishing in an instant. A sharp axe appeared in his hands, its surface clean and flawless.
"This is too much. It upgraded just like that? It saves so much time… and it can still keep upgrading."
He swallowed hard.
In this Martial Arts World, weapons held immense value. Ordinary ones carried little threat, but ranked weapons were terrifying—high-grade ones could shatter mountains and rivers with a single swing.
"If this axe keeps upgrading into a high-grade weapon, I might become invincible just through weapons alone… and that's not even counting Creation Points to boost my skills."
Earlier, he had thought the System useless. Looking at it now, it was anything but.
His gaze drifted to the System again—and another surprise awaited him.
Creation Points: 2
The points had increased by one.
"So that's how Creation Points are added," Lu Tao said, excitement surging.
Every upgrade to an item brought him Creation Points. The thought of chopping endlessly at the stump to force more upgrades almost made him lose control.
But he restrained himself.
The axe was already fit to present. If it became too extraordinary, it might only draw unwanted trouble.
"Right. If forging an axe earns points… what about other things?"
His mind spun with possibilities. Weapons weren't the only things that could be crafted. Would other items also yield Creation Points?
He decided to test it. Something simple—like chopsticks.
Crack.
Breaking off a branch in the courtyard, Lu Tao stripped the bark and sharpened one end. Before long, he had fashioned two sticks of equal length.
Chopsticks: 0/1 (Rough chopsticks, somewhat useful, but actually unreliable. Eating with them may lead to bloody mishaps.)
Ignoring the description, Lu Tao checked the System.
Creation Points: 3
His blood stirred, heart pounding.
"This is the correct way to use the System."
He steadied his breath, forcing himself calm. Two methods had already revealed themselves:
One, manufacture items. Forging weapons or crafting objects both produced points.
Two, use items. As experience accumulated, upgrades would grant even more.
Manufacturing was slower. Upgrading, though, promised a steady flow.
"Toothpicks could be made in bulk… but upgrading them would be a nightmare. I wouldn't dare use them, either."
His eyes returned to the chopsticks.
"How do these gain experience? By eating, or just stirring food?"
He tested it, poking the chopsticks into the dog's food trough.
The big black dog, who had been dozing nearby, snapped awake.
"Woof woof woof?" (What are you doing?)
Lu Tao ignored the protests, focusing on the System. The text on the chopsticks shifted.
"Woof woof woof?" (Hey! Are you trying to steal my food?)
"Xiao Tian, calm down."
The dog had never had a name before. After Lu Tao transmigrated, he dubbed him Howling Celestial Dog. With his Golden Finger System in hand, he had felt certain he'd one day match—or even surpass—Erlang Shen. A Celestial Dog at his side seemed only natural.
Reality, of course, had been less glorious. But today, the System finally offered a sweet turn.
Chopsticks: 1/1 (Upgradable) (Rough chopsticks, somewhat useful, but unreliable. Eating with them may lead to bloody mishaps.)
"Upgrade."
The sticks smoothed instantly, the splinters vanishing.
Chopsticks: 0/10 (Ordinary household chopsticks, convenient for meals.)
Creation Points: 4
"Should I see how far these can go?"
He had to hand over the axe eventually. Chopsticks, though, no one would care about.
Decision made, Lu Tao went back to stirring. Dog food spilled everywhere.
"Woof woof woof?" (You've lost it! That's my dinner!)
Howling Celestial Dog finally lunged, sinking teeth into Lu Tao's arm.
"Hiss… Let go, stupid mutt!" Even with his Refining Skin cultivation, Lu Tao winced in pain.
"Woof woof!" (I'll kill you if you ruin my food!)
Lu Tao raised the axe, pressing its edge to the dog's neck.
"Release me, or I'll finally make that dog stew I've been craving."
"Woof…" (Relax, relax.)
The dog let go reluctantly, sulking to the side. Lu Tao resumed stirring.
Before long, the chopsticks glowed again.
Chopsticks: 0/100 (Sturdy chopsticks of good quality. Using them makes meals feel pleasant and satisfying.)
Creation Points: 6
"Eh? This time I gained two points?" His eyes lit up.
So, each higher upgrade level yielded more points.
He pressed on.
Minutes later:
Chopsticks: 0/1000 (Ranked, Ninth Grade Low Grade. Eating with these chopsticks makes even disliked food taste delicious. No more picky eating.)
When an item reached a ranked grade, it was like a cultivator stepping into true cultivation. Ninth Grade matched the Refining Skin Realm.
In this world, cultivation realms were divided into Body Refining, Blood Refining, Bone Forging, Viscera Refining, Innate, Grandmaster, Divine Platform, Martial King, and Martial God—nine realms corresponding to the nine grades of items.
Creation Points: 9
Another increase. His satisfaction deepened.
Yet the chopsticks' strange effect—the growing urge to eat whatever they touched—alarmed him. He abandoned the dog trough, switching to a bowl of leftover rice.
Half a quarter of an hour later:
Chopsticks: 1000/1000 (Ranked, Ninth Grade Low Grade. Eating with these chopsticks makes even disliked food taste delicious. No more picky eating.)
"So the upgrade limit of items matches my cultivation realm…"
After this round of experiments, Lu Tao finally had a clearer grasp of his System.
Now came the time for point allocation.
"System, Man Bull Body Refining Skill—add points."
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