[Ding—Reward selection complete. Successfully issued.]
Along with the system's prompt, Yu Tianjue immediately sensed a change. The power, strength, and bone-deep chill brought by the Ice Dragon King Martial Soul—something he had only experienced in the Life Simulation—instantly filled his entire body.
Yet this chill didn't make Yu Tianjue feel the slightest discomfort. On the contrary, it gave him an indescribable sense of comfort.
Yu Tianjue didn't release his Martial Soul, but the Martial Soul that looked suspiciously like Luo Sanpao had quietly appeared in the room, right before him.
At that moment, however, "Luo Sanpao" seemed to be enduring some kind of agony. His plump, comical face twisted into a rather ferocious expression, and his whole body suddenly began to swell, as if some mysterious force were reshaping it. Waves of cold air also rose from him now and then, condensing into wisps of white mist.
Yu Tianjue glanced at him, then looked away. Luo Sanpao was undergoing the baptism of the Ice Dragon King's bloodline. If nothing unexpected happened, his appearance would change dramatically.
Insights into the Three Absolutes of the Snow Empress surfaced in Yu Tianjue's mind. His movements paused, and he suddenly entered a special state of enlightenment.
Before long, Yu Tianjue let out a long breath, exhaling a thread of icy air.
As for the Ice Crystal Necklace, it appeared in Yu Tianjue's hand.
The piece of ice crystal was clear and pure, not at all like something that had been polished. It looked more like a naturally formed crystal.
Yu Tianjue also remembered the material of the thread running through the ice crystal. The Snow Empress and Ice Empress had used this kind of Soul Beast thread to make his clothes for all these years. They were light and comfortable, yet exceptionally sturdy, and wouldn't tear easily.
Yu Tianjue gazed at the Ice Crystal Necklace for a while before hanging it around his neck.
Once he found the clasp and adjusted its size, the necklace fit him perfectly, cool against his skin.
Only after all this did Yu Tianjue turn his gaze back to Luo Sanpao.
Luo Sanpao still held the same pose as before, his expression twisted with pain. Every so often, a couple of muffled groans escaped his mouth.
But as time passed, his groans gradually changed from the initial "luo-luo" into deeper, more ferocious grunts.
That sound... didn't sound like a dog or a pig, but it didn't seem like a dragon's roar, either.
Luo Sanpao's body, now several times larger after swelling, seemed to have gradually stabilized. He was still black all over, but now had a few more crystalline, streamlined features.
Only now did Luo Sanpao finally take on the beginnings of a dragon's form!
But... this still wasn't his final shape. In other words, his Martial Soul still had the potential to evolve further.
Yu Tianjue couldn't help but grow curious. What exactly was his Martial Soul? Or, once Luo Sanpao had fully evolved, what would he become?
"Roar—"
The evolved "Luo Sanpao" couldn't hold back an excited roar. As his body finally settled into its new shape, a trickle of Soul Power, like a small stream, began flowing through Yu Tianjue's body.
"After Luo Sanpao evolved, my Soul Power increased too? Just as I expected. I wonder how much Soul Power I have now."
Yu Tianjue nodded thoughtfully, meeting "Luo Sanpao's" eyes. They had gained a hint of majesty, yet were filled with excitement and affection.
When he saw Yu Tianjue looking at him, "Luo Sanpao," who had been restraining himself all this time, immediately bounded over and eagerly nuzzled his dark head against Yu Tianjue's chest.
Yu Tianjue smiled softly at the sight and couldn't resist reaching out to gently stroke his head.
Keeping the name Luo Sanpao didn't seem right anymore. That noble name could be left to Second Uncle's Martial Soul. It was time to give him a name of his own.
"How about Xiao Hei, starting today?"
At those words, Xiao Hei affectionately rubbed against Yu Tianjue's palm.
After playing with Xiao Hei for a while, Yu Tianjue withdrew his Martial Soul, but found it difficult to calm down.
In just one day, he had gone through such dizzying highs and lows. That kind of excitement wasn't something just anyone could handle.
He had the simulator to thank for all of this.
Without the simulator, he would still be worrying over how to evolve Xiao Hei.
As long as he kept running Life Simulations, his Martial Soul would keep evolving, and he would keep growing stronger.
A prompt from the simulator suddenly surfaced in Yu Tianjue's mind.
[Simulation cooldown reset in 364 days, 16 hours.]
Including the time spent receiving the reward and Xiao Hei's evolution, the simulation cooldown reset once every year.
Did he only get one simulation a year?
Couldn't it give him a recharge option like those TX games? Something like a ten-pull simulation with the first recharge...
Yu Tianjue furrowed his brows, clearly dissatisfied.
But when he thought about how a single simulation had given Xiao Hei the Ice Dragon King's bloodline and helped him evolve, while also granting him the Ultimate Ice attribute and the Three Absolutes of the Snow Empress, one simulation a year seemed reasonable after all.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Hearing the noise outside, Yu Tianjue froze for a moment. As Yu Yuanzhen's grandson, he didn't often have people come near his room. The only one who regularly stopped by was his so-called older brother, Yu Tianheng, but...
As far as he could remember, that guy had never knocked.
Had he suddenly changed his ways today?
Yu Tianjue straightened his clothes and covered the Ice Crystal Necklace with his collar before walking over to open the door.
The figure outside left Yu Tianjue genuinely astonished.
"S-Second Uncle?"
The person standing outside was none other than Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang's face was stiff and weary, his eyes bloodshot. He looked rather cold and unapproachable.
A few question marks appeared above Yu Tianjue's head.
What was this guy doing in his room so late at night?
Although Yu Tianjue didn't think much of Yu Xiaogang, the man was still his uncle in name and hadn't been expelled from the clan. So Yu Tianjue observed the proper courtesies and invited him inside.
"Second Uncle, what brings you here so late? If you're looking for Yu Tianheng, you've got the wrong room. His room is across from mine."
Yu Xiaogang entered the room and looked around. Only then did he turn his gaze to Yu Tianjue.
"No, I came to see you."
"Tianjue, I'm leaving the clan tonight. You talked back to me earlier today, but as your Second Uncle, I still have one more question for you."
"Will you come with me or not? If you do, I'll do everything in my power to pass on a lifetime of research to you. I'll make sure you become an outstanding Soul Master."