Chapter 1 Life Simulator
Douluo Continent, Southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province, Holy Soul Village.
The morning mist, like a light veil, enveloped the sleeping village, and the air was filled with the moist scent of earth and grass.
The small hill outside the village, no more than a hundred meters high, looked exceptionally peaceful in the dim morning light.
At the mountaintop, on a flat rock damp with dew, a slender figure sat cross-legged with his palms facing upwards.
His name is Tang San. He is only six years old, but his tender face is adorned with a pair of deep and focused eyes that are quite different from his age.
He faced the gradually brightening dawn in the east, each breath long and rhythmic.
If a master of internal martial arts were here, they would be astonished by the faint yet pure internal energy flowing slowly along specific meridians within this child's body—this was the Xuan Tian Gong, a unique skill of the Tang Clan from his previous life.
Just last night, the bottleneck that had been troubling him for so long suddenly cleared up. A much stronger and warmer flow of energy than before passed through a key acupoint, marking the completion of the first level of the Xuan Tian Gong!
Suddenly, his closed eyelids twitched violently, then opened. In the instant his black pupils opened, a faint hint of purple seemed to flash across them.
He stared intently at the eastern horizon, where, at the edge of the pale dawn, a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of purple air was flashing by at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
"Auspicious purple clouds are coming from the east! We've got it!"
Tang San silently shouted in his heart, and activated the Purple Demon Eye technique at full power, greedily capturing and refining that wisp of the essence of heaven and earth.
This is his daily routine, and it is also the cornerstone that connects him to the past and the present, maintaining the soul imprint of "Tang San of the Tang Clan".
Having completed the cultivation of the Purple Demon Eye, he let out a long sigh of relief, the white water vapor condensing into a cloud of white mist in the cool air.
Just as he was about to get up and stretch his limbs to practice the Ghost Shadow Steps—
[Ding! Host's life energy level has been detected to have advanced; the core cultivation technique 'Mysterious Heaven Technique' has stably entered the first level.]
[Conditions met, energy resonance complete. 'Life Simulator' system loaded! Soul binding program initiated... Binding successful!]
The sound didn't enter through his ears, but rather seemed to be generated directly in his own mind!
Cold, mechanical, devoid of any emotion, every word is crystal clear, carrying an unquestionable sense of authority.
"who?!"
Tang San's hair practically stood on end at that moment! Like a frightened cub, he sprang up from the rock, his body instinctively crouching slightly, assuming the most suitable posture for exerting force and dodging.
With eyes like lightning, he swiftly and warily scanned every corner of the mountaintop—sparse shrubs, exposed rocks, dew-covered grass…no one was there!
Cold sweat instantly soaked the coarse cloth shirt on his back.
Even with his perception as a former elite of the Tang Clan, he was completely unable to detect the source of the sound!
Was it a secret transmission of sound? No, secret transmission of sound still leaves traces, but this voice seemed to grow out of his own thoughts!
[Host, the system exists deep within your consciousness and requires no external medium.] The mechanical voice sounded again, precisely responding to his inner shock.
"The sea of consciousness? You coward, show yourself!"
Tang San coldly shouted in his heart, and the internal energy of his Xuan Tian Gong surged up at an unprecedented speed, gathering in his palms. As soon as he detected any abnormality, he would launch a thunderous attack.
"What are you? Why are you invading my body? Come out!"
His voice carried a slight tremor, a tremor he himself was unaware of, that belonged to a child, but more so, it was the resolute and cold-bloodedness of a Tang Sect disciple facing an unknown threat.
[Definition: This system is a 'life simulator'. Its core function is to build a virtual simulation model, demonstrating the possible life trajectories the host might take at different decision-making junctures. It aims to assist the host in making optimal choices, avoiding potential risks, and maximizing growth potential.]
[Additional Information: The host's soul's journey to this plane was a spacetime jump completed with the support of system energy. According to the underlying protocol, each selected qualified transmigrator will be equipped with a dedicated auxiliary system to assist in adapting to the rules of the new plane.]
"Time travel...you did it?"
Tang San felt as if an invisible hand was clenching his heart, making it hard to breathe. This was a top-secret secret buried deep within his soul, a secret even his father, Tang Hao, had never revealed!
However, Tang San was Tang San after all. He quickly adjusted his emotions, forced himself to calm down, and tried to extract more information from the strange voice.
"Why me? What is your purpose... or rather, what is the entity behind you?"
The system's behavior follows a pre-defined rule base and has no independent will. The selection of a host is the result of rule operations, conforming to the principle of optimal adaptation. The system's core purpose is 'assistance,' with no additional conditions attached.
[Status Scan: The internal energy strength of the 'Mysterious Heaven Skill' within the host's body has been detected, reaching the critical standard of level ten of the 'Soul Power' level in this plane's energy system. The initial activation conditions for 'Life Simulation' have been met.]
[Resource Allocation: Initial simulation attempts given, attempts: 2.]
[Question: Host, would you like to immediately begin your first life simulation?]
"Level 10 Soul Power? Equivalent to the internal energy of the first level of my Profound Heaven Technique?"
Tang San frowned, keenly catching this crucial information. He looked down at his youthful yet powerful hands.
"Soul power…is that the name of energy in this world? Level…is that a standard of measurement? Level ten sounds like a threshold."
The system equated his most familiar "Mysterious Heaven Skill Internal Force" with the unfamiliar "Soul Force" system of this world, and accurately pointed out his recent breakthrough state.
Although he didn't understand a single other word the thing called the system said, this alone made him believe it to some extent.
At the very least, it can indeed perceive some of the true conditions inside its own body.
Is it a blessing or a curse?
The fear brought by the vast unknown and the strong temptation to glimpse the trajectory of fate were fiercely battling in his heart.
He was naturally cautious and suspicious, but the capabilities demonstrated by this "system" and its claimed "auxiliary" role made it impossible for him to completely ignore it.
He stood silently, the mountain wind ruffling the fine black hair on his forehead, revealing eyes filled with struggle and contemplation. After a long while, he took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air, as if he had made up his mind.
Consciousness sank into the mind, focusing on the clearly emerging option that seemed to be made of light.
"...Yes." He finally murmured to himself, confirming. "Start the simulation!"
He needed intelligence, he needed to understand how this "system" worked, and he needed to know what this so-called "life simulation" could actually demonstrate.
This may be a crucial step for him to unravel the mystery of his own time travel and even to survive better in this world.
---
Meanwhile, in a remote corner of a bustling city, in a dilapidated hut with bare walls that could barely keep out the wind and rain.
A young man, dressed in rags and bearing the marks of long-term malnutrition and hardship, slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were unusually clear, which was incongruous with his disheveled appearance; deep in his eyes, it seemed as if some kind of cold flame was burning.
He "looked" at the [Refining the Fake into the Real System] interface floating in his mind, which only he could perceive.
At the top of the interface, the number representing the Faith Points jumped slightly – [Faith Points: 100].
(End of chapter)