Changes in the Timeline

The ancient Mandala Snake clearly sensed the threat posed by the human before it.

Instead of launching an attack immediately, it coiled its upper body, its scarlet vertical pupils locked onto the "Simulation Tang San," and emitted a low, warning hiss from its throat.

The Simulation Tang San had a solemn expression, but no fear in his eyes. He slowly changed his footing, maintaining the optimal distance to respond.

The standoff lasted only a few breaths.

Ultimately, animal instincts prevailed. The ten-thousand-year-old Mandala Snake could no longer restrain itself. Its coiled body, like a spring compressed to its limit, suddenly sprang out!

With speed like a bolt of emerald lightning, it opened its massive maw, filled with venomous fangs, and lunged straight for the throat of the "Simulation Tang San"!

The Simulation Tang San seemed to have anticipated this, and just as the snake's bite was about to strike, his footsteps suddenly became ethereal and unpredictable—it was the Tang Sect Secret Arts, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!

His figure swayed and scattered like a reflection in water, narrowly missing the edge of the venomous fangs.

The Mandala Snake missed its target, but the immense momentum propelled it forward several meters. Its thick tail swept across the ground with a whistling sound, swirling up fallen leaves and pebbles.

The Simulation Tang San flashed again, like a weightless ghost, nimbly weaving through the gaps in the snake's sweeping tail. In a few dodges, he had already created a distance of several meters between himself and the Mandala Snake.

He did not rush to attack, seemingly observing and waiting.

The Mandala Snake's repeated attacks missed, fueling its ferocity. With a hiss, its massive body suddenly rose upright, reaching a height of four or five meters. Its scarlet vertical pupils stared intently down at the humans below, and its mouth began to churn violently with emerald green venomous mist, preparing to launch an area-of-effect attack.

Now!

The Simulation Tang San's eyes sharpened, and his right hand, which had been raised in a gesture of nonchalance, suddenly clenched!

"Blue Silver Soul-Locking Bind!"

A deep voice sounded.

In an instant, the ground within a ten-meter radius of where the Mandala Snake stood suddenly exploded! Countless azure vines shimmering with pale gold patterns burst forth from the earth. They did not grow haphazardly, but rather, the moment they broke through the ground, they seemed to possess life, precisely intertwining and Entanglement!

Even more astonishing is that the tips of these thick Blue Silver Emperor rapidly condensed and deformed, transforming into enormous wooden hands!

Dozens of "wooden hands" came from all angles and grabbed at the most vulnerable spot of the Mandala Snake with lightning speed!

The Mandala Snake sensed the deadly danger and tried to twist and dodge, but the wooden hands were too fast, the angles of their blockade were too tricky, and there were too many of them!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Amidst a series of muffled thuds, dozens of Blue Silver Emperor wood hands, like the strongest shackles, pressed against the vital spot of the Mandala Snake!

No matter how frantically it struggled and twisted, those wooden hands remained motionless, instead tightening their grip even more!

With a single move, the ferocious Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was completely subdued. Its massive body was pinned to the ground, leaving only its snake tail thrashing weakly.

"Such powerful control!" Tang San, watching from the sidelines, was shocked.

[The Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul, combined with Self-Created Soul Skill, exerts a surprisingly significant suppression on Plant-type Soul Beast.]

[Moreover, the way I utilize Soul Power... in the Simulation, my understanding and control of Martial Soul far surpasses my current level.]

After firmly controlling the Mandala Snake, Tang San, in his Simulation, slowly stepped forward and skillfully drew a short, willow-leaf-thin dagger from his waist.

He walked to the Mandala Snake that was tightly restrained, ignored its venomous gaze, and with a flash of his blade, precisely sliced open the snake's belly, reaching out to take out a fist-sized, emerald-green snake gall bladder that faintly shimmered with light.

In the following days, the Simulation Tang San continued to venture deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest. Relying on his control over the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul and his familiarity with the forest environment, he successively found and hunted down six more ten-thousand-year-old Mandala Snake, using the same method—precisely controlling them with the Blue Silver Soul-Locking Bind and extracting their gallbladders.

After the seventh ten-thousand-year-old snake gall was placed into a specially made jade box, the Simulation Tang San finally embarked on his journey home.

On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, there is a quiet clearing in the woods.

Fu Shiyan, dressed in black, stood quietly, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

In the Simulation, Tang San quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and then took out seven jade boxes, presenting them with both hands:

"Master, your disciple has completed the trial you requested. These are the gallbladders of seven ten-thousand-year-old Mandala Snake."

Fu Shiyan took the jade box, opened one of the compartments for a brief inspection, then slowly nodded, looking at the Simulation Tang San with an unusually serious expression:

"Xiao San, are you really sure?"

In the Simulation, Tang San's eyes were firm, and he nodded without hesitation:

"Master, I have made up my mind."

"Since there are clues to the Rakshasa God's legacy in the Slaughter City, and it is an excellent training ground, I also want to take this opportunity to further improve my combat and close-quarters fighting abilities in life-or-death battles."

He paused, his expression becoming somewhat complicated, and his voice lowered slightly:

"Besides... with Father watching over us in secret, there won't be any problems."

[The Slaughter City? The Legacy of the Rakshasa God?] Tang San, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

At this moment, Tang San, who was watching from the sidelines, noticed his appearance in the Simulation more clearly—he looked like a boy of no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, but he had a tall and straight posture, a calm temperament, and most of the childishness between his brows had faded away.

More importantly, the Soul Power fluctuations faintly emanating from its body were... Level 51!

Spirit King at the age of thirteen or fourteen!

[As expected...] Tang San, who was watching from the sidelines, understood, but more doubts arose in his heart.

[The timeline has been moved up again compared to the fifth Simulation!]

He recalled the fifth Simulation, in which he was seventeen or eighteen years old and experienced various things in the Clear Sky Sect, which ultimately led to a complex sense of estrangement and alienation from the sect and his father.

[The outcome of the fifth Simulation changed my attitude towards the Clear Sky Sect and my father.]

Have these changes affected some of my choices in reality?

[Furthermore... without my own awareness, I've embarked on a path completely different from the previous Simulation?]

[So, this sixth Simulation doesn't follow the timeline of the fifth one, but rather 'reboots' to an earlier point, showcasing a brand new 'future possibility' that arises from my changed thinking?]

[Like a main road, a single thought can lead to a new fork in the road...]

[Is the Simulator showing these different paths that arise from the changes in my heart?]

Fu Shiyan looked at the determined disciple before her, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded slowly:

"Since you've made up your mind, then go."

"Remember, the rules of the Slaughter City are special; your own survival must come first."

"The Rakshasa Inheritance may be a clue, but it is not necessarily a virtuous path; one must always remain clear-headed."

"Disciple will remember Master's teachings." The Simulation Tang San bowed deeply.

Fu Shiyan put the jade box away and said, "I will inform your father."

"Be extra careful on this trip."

"Yes."