A Fleeting Life

"Ah—"

Shen Yi suddenly jolted awake, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.

"Phew—thank goodness it was just a dream."

He consoled himself and reached for a cup, intending to gulp down some water to calm his nerves, but his hand froze in mid-air.

"The furniture and layout here... they're completely different from my home!"

In his memories, he should have been in the brightly lit modern world, but seeing the thatched roof, the flickering oil lamp, and the dilapidated, ancient-style furniture, Shen Yi suddenly realized that he had transmigrated.

Immortal Cultivation Simulator (Beta Version) has finished loading. Would you like to start?

A voice echoed in his mind, interrupting his train of thought.

"Immortal cultivation? A simulator?"

Hearing the prompt in his head, Shen Yi fell into a brief stupor.

As he drifted, streams of information flooded his mind, causing his already shaken heart to beat even more violently.

Spiritual energy was recovering, and the Golden Age of the Immortal Cultivation world was fast approaching. Countless reclusive cultivation families were reappearing in the world, and major factions were scrambling to seize the initiative, founding Immortal Dao Academies, establishing sects, and recruiting disciples on a massive scale.

For a time, entering an immortal sect to study and attain the Dao became the most common phenomenon of the age.

"I achieved nothing in my past life; in this one, I will cultivate to attain the Dao and become a supreme Immortal King!"

As a trendsetter in modern society, Shen Yi was deeply influenced by cultivation culture, and his heart surged with excitement.

He didn't want to continue this trash life for even one more second.

"Start!"

He could already foresee his future self, achieving the status of a supreme Immortal King, looking down upon the world, and living in absolute freedom.

Simulation started. Remaining simulation attempts for today: 9

Year 1: You are admitted to the Ninghai Immortal Dao Academy. Because you are completely unprepared, your entrance exam results are a total disaster, and you are rated with Rank D Aptitude.

Year 2: You give up on yourself and skip classes all day. One day, while climbing over a wall to skip class, you are discovered by the Hall of Enforcement. In your panic, you accidentally slip and fall, unfortunately landing on your head. You are dead.

"This—this isn't right, is it? Who is trying to sabotage me today?"

Shen Yi was completely bewildered. What happened to the promised glory and power? How could it be over before it even began?

"There must be a mistake somewhere. Again!"

Shen Yi chose to start the simulation once more.

Year 1: You are admitted to the Ninghai Immortal Dao Academy. Because you are completely unprepared, your entrance exam results are a total disaster, and you are rated with Rank D Aptitude.

Year 2: You give up on yourself and skip classes all day. One day, while climbing over a wall to skip class, you are discovered by the Hall of Enforcement. In your panic, you accidentally slip and fall, unfortunately landing on your head. You are dead.

The simulation process was identical, down to the very last word. Still refusing to believe it, Shen Yi chose to start the simulation again.

...You are dead.

...Dead.

Shen Yi was getting frustrated, convinced the simulator was flawed. The third time, the fourth time—until the sixth simulation, the result remained the same.

Life is truly full of surprises.

He felt a bit discouraged. Was his journey of transmigration really going to be this short and tragic?

"Wait, perhaps there's a turning point. Every simulation says I was 'completely unprepared,' which is why I was rated Rank D. If I spend three or five years studying hard and then take the academy exam, surely I won't be Rank D again."

Looking around, Shen Yi saw a stack of books neatly arranged on the desk. He brushed the dust off them with his hand and was just about to pick one up to study when he was drawn to a folded piece of paper in the corner of the desk.

"New student Shen Yi, you have passed the physical assessment. You are hereby scheduled for the entrance examination at noon one month from now. Do not miss it—Ninghai Immortal Dao Academy."

This academy was quite interesting; it actually required comprehensive development of both body and mind.

But what time was "one month from now"? Shen Yi clutched his head and tried hard to recall, suddenly feeling a sense of panic. The "one month from now" written on the paper was clearly today!

It was already 11:45 PM.

"Sharpening the spear at the last minute is better than not sharpening it at all." Shen Yi suddenly had the illusion of being back in his past life on the eve of an exam—pulling an all-nighter to learn a semester's worth of material and perfectly hitting the passing grade.

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated. He grabbed a book and began to read intently.

Time ticked away, second by second. Shen Yi closed the book and checked the time; only half an hour had passed.

"This 'Comprehensive Encyclopedia of the Immortal Realm' took half an hour, which is fifteen minutes faster than the original estimate."

Just as he was about to swap for another book, a thought occurred to him, and he chose to start the seventh simulation in his mind.

Year 1: You are admitted to the Ninghai Immortal Dao Academy. Because you are insufficiently prepared, your entrance exam results are a total disaster, and you are rated with Rank D Aptitude.

...You are dead.

"Wait, there's a change!"

Shen Yi was pleasantly surprised to find that in this simulation, the text in his mind was no longer "completely unprepared," but "insufficiently prepared."

"It seems that as long as I read a few more books, I'll be able to pass the assessment. Maybe I can even avoid the tragedy of dying in the second year."

With that, Shen Yi picked up a copy of "General Treatise on the Path to Immortality" and immersed himself in reading once again.

At 1:15 AM, Shen Yi initiated his eighth simulation.

In the first year, you were admitted to the Immortal Dao Academy in Ninghai Town. Due to insufficient preparation, your entrance exam results were less than ideal, and you were assessed with Rank D Aptitude.

...You died.

"It's changed again!"

Shen Yi exclaimed. What surprised him even more was that the content of the two books he had just read was imprinted in his mind, word for word.

Could it be that transmigrating has inadvertently altered my memory? Is this what they call photographic memory?

All traces of sleepiness vanished from Shen Yi. As if he had discovered a new world, he picked up another book and began to read with focused intent.

"This book reads more like a story; no wonder it's become a new classic in the cultivation world. 'Who dares to claim invincibility? Who dares to call themselves undefeated?' I just wonder if that Red-Haired Omen will truly appear in this world."

"Initiate the ninth simulation!"

In the first year, you were admitted to the Immortal Dao Academy in Ninghai Town. Because you were well-prepared, you barely passed the entrance exam and were assessed with Rank C Aptitude.

In the second year, due to your insufficient aptitude, the cultivation resources allocated by the academy were limited. You failed to achieve Qi Condensation, and because you could not afford the exorbitant tuition fees, the academy sent you to mine Spirit Stones.

In the third year, you were caught in a mine collapse while excavating Spirit Stones, and you died.

Shen Yi's face darkened. He had finally escaped the doom of dying in the second year, only to perish in a mining accident in the third.

"It's not enough, still not enough. If I want to achieve Qi Condensation and break through to the Qi Condensation Realm, and since the resources from Rank C Aptitude aren't enough, then I must reach Grade B, or even Grade A. I must secure as many resources as possible!"

Shen Yi's eyes turned bloodshot as he entered a state of frenzy, his fingertips flipping through the pages at lightning speed.

At 7:15 AM, Shen Yi finally felt a hint of fatigue. Looking at the thick stack of books piled before him, a sudden sense of accomplishment washed over him.

Although he desperately wanted to continue the simulations to get results sooner, Shen Yi ultimately held back; this was his final simulation opportunity for the day.

"According to my projections, as long as I finish this last book, I will surely be assessed with Grade A Aptitude. With more resources to support me, achieving Qi Condensation shouldn't be a problem."

Shen Yi lowered his head and slowly opened the final book in his hands.