Life Simulator

Douluo Continent, southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province, Holy Soul Village.

The thin morning mist draped over the sleeping village like gauze, and the air was filled with the damp scent of earth and fresh grass.

The small hill outside the village, no more than a hundred meters tall, appeared especially tranquil in the faint dawn light.

At its summit, atop a flat rock wet with dew, a small, slender figure sat cross-legged in a five-hearts-facing-heaven posture.

His name was Tang San. He was only six years old, yet his childish face held a pair of deep, focused eyes utterly mismatched with his age.

Facing the gradually brightening pale glow in the east, every breath he took was long and rhythmic.

Had any master proficient in internal martial arts been present, they would have been astonished by the faint yet pure inner energy within this child, slowly circulating through specific meridians—this was the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the supreme art of the Tang Sect from his previous life.

Just last night, the bottleneck that had plagued him for so long had suddenly opened. A current of energy, stronger and warmer than before, had coursed through a crucial acupoint, signifying that the first level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill had been achieved!

Suddenly, his closed eyelids trembled sharply before opening. The instant those black pupils opened, an exceedingly faint violet gleam seemed to pass through them.

He stared fixedly at the eastern horizon. At the edge of that pale dawn light, a tiny stream of purple energy, so faint it was almost impossible to detect, flashed past at a speed beyond the naked eye.

"Purple qi comes from the east—I caught it!"

Tang San shouted inwardly as the Purple Demon Eye technique operated at full force, greedily capturing and refining that wisp of thin essence between heaven and earth.

This was his daily compulsory practice, and also the foundation that connected his past to his present, preserving the soul imprint of "Tang San of the Tang Sect."

After completing his Purple Demon Eye cultivation, he let out a long breath. White vapor condensed into a cloud in the cool air.

Just as he prepared to rise, loosen his limbs, and practice the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track—

[ Ding! Detected a leap in the host's life-energy level. Core cultivation method "Mysterious Heaven Skill" has stably entered the first level. ]

[ Conditions met. Energy resonance complete. "Life Simulator" system loaded successfully! Soul-binding process initiated... Binding successful! ]

This voice had not entered through his ears. It seemed to have formed directly within his mind!

Cold, mechanical, and utterly devoid of emotion, every word was incomparably clear, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Who?!"

In that instant, nearly every hair on Tang San's body stood on end! Like a startled young beast, he sprang from the rock, instinctively lowering his body slightly into the posture best suited for exerting force and evading attacks.

His gaze flashed like lightning as it swiftly and vigilantly swept across every inch of the mountaintop—sparse shrubs, bare rocks, dew-covered grass... There was no one there!

Cold sweat instantly soaked the coarse cloth shirt on his back.

Even with the senses of a Tang Sect elite from his previous life, he could not detect the source of this voice at all!

Was it secret sound transmission? No, secret sound transmission still left traces to follow, but this voice seemed to have grown from his own thoughts!

[ Host, the system exists deep within your sea of consciousness and requires no external medium. ]

The mechanical voice rang out again, precisely answering the shock in his heart.

"Sea of consciousness? You sneaking coward, get out here!"

Tang San shouted coldly in his mind. The inner power of his Mysterious Heaven Skill surged through his body faster than ever, gathering in both palms. If he detected the slightest anomaly, he would unleash a thunderous strike.

"What exactly are you? Why have you invaded my body? Come out!"

There was a tremor in his voice that even he had not noticed, one belonging to a child, but there was even more of the resolve and icy ruthlessness of a Tang Sect disciple facing an unknown threat.

[ Definition: This system is the "Life Simulator." Its core function is to construct virtual simulation models and display the possible life trajectories that may result from different decision points made by the host. Its purpose is to assist the host in making optimal choices, avoiding potential risks, and maximizing growth potential. ]

[ Supplementary information: The host's soul transmigrated to this plane through a spacetime transition completed under the system's energy protection. According to the underlying protocol, every selected qualified transmigrator is equipped with an exclusive auxiliary system to assist in adapting to the rules of the new plane. ]

"Transmigration... You did this?"

Tang San's heart seemed to be clenched by an invisible hand, stopping his breath short. This was an absolute secret buried in the deepest part of his soul, one he had never revealed even a fraction of to his father, Tang Hao!

But Tang San was Tang San, after all. He quickly composed himself, forcing himself to remain calm as he tried to extract more information from this bizarre voice.

"Why me? What is your purpose... or rather, the purpose of whatever stands behind you?"

[ System behavior follows a predetermined rule database and possesses no independent will. Selection of the host is the result of rule-based calculation and conforms to the principle of optimal compatibility. The system's core purpose is "assistance," with no additional conditions. ]

[ Status scan: Detected that the strength of the host's "Mysterious Heaven Skill" inner power has reached the critical standard equivalent to level ten Soul Power in this plane's energy system. Conditions for initiating the first "Life Simulation" have been met. ]

[ Resource allocation: Initial simulation attempts granted. Attempts: 2. ]

[ Inquiry: Does the host wish to immediately begin the first Life Simulation? ]

"Level ten Soul Power? Equivalent to the inner power of the first level of my Mysterious Heaven Skill?"

Tang San frowned tightly, keenly seizing upon this crucial information. He lowered his head and looked at his childish hands, which nevertheless contained inner power.

"Soul Power... Is that the name of this world's energy? Levels... are they a standard of measurement? Level ten sounds like some kind of threshold."

The system had equated the "Mysterious Heaven Skill inner power" he knew best with the unfamiliar system of "Soul Power" from this world, and it had precisely identified the state he had just broken through.

Although he had not understood a single word of the other things this system had said, this point alone forced him to believe it somewhat.

At the very least, it truly could perceive certain real conditions within his body.

Was it a blessing? Or a curse?

The fear brought by the immense unknown and the powerful temptation of glimpsing the path of fate fiercely clashed within him.

He was cautious and suspicious by nature, yet the abilities displayed by this "system," along with its claimed role of "assistance," made it impossible for him to completely ignore it.

He stood silently in place. The mountain breeze brushed aside the fine black strands hanging over his forehead, revealing eyes filled with struggle and contemplation. After a long while, he drew in a breath of crisp, cold air, as though making some kind of decision.

His consciousness sank into his mind, focusing on the clearly manifested option that seemed to be formed from light.

"...Yes." In the end, he murmured inwardly and chose to confirm. "Begin the simulation!"

He needed intelligence. He needed to understand how this "system" operated, and he needed to know what this so-called "Life Simulation" could actually reveal.

Perhaps this was the key step toward uncovering the mystery of his transmigration, and even surviving better in this world.

Meanwhile, in a distant place, within a dilapidated shack in some corner of a crowded city, a shack so bare it could only shelter its occupants from wind and rain.

A ragged young man, whose face bore the marks of long-term malnutrition and hardship, slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was exceptionally clear, utterly at odds with his bedraggled appearance. Deep within his eyes seemed to burn a kind of cold flame.

He "looked" at the interface of the [Lianjia Chengzhen System] floating in his mind, perceptible only to him.

At the top of the interface, the number in the section representing Faith Points flickered slightly—[Faith Power: 100].