Starting With a Panel, My Fate Is Mine to Control

Lin Xuan opened his eyes.

His head felt like it was about to explode.

He shook his nearly splitting skull and propped himself up into a sitting position.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, while wildly overgrown ferns stood taller than a person.

It was an unfamiliar primeval forest.

"Where the fuck am I?"

He muttered under his breath.

He raised a hand and touched his face.

His skin was smooth and taut.

This was not the skin a corporate drone repeatedly tortured by the 996 grind should have.

Lin Xuan scrambled over to a small puddle nearby.

The murky water reflected the face of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old.

It was covered in mud, but it could not hide his youthful air.

"Did I transmigrate? And get younger too?"

Lin Xuan froze at first, then his lips curled upward, until it became silent, manic laughter.

He had transmigrated.

He was young again.

That was protagonist treatment.

Just as he was overcome with joy, a translucent panel suddenly unfolded before his eyes.

At the top of the panel were four flamboyant words.

Nine Tribulations of the Divine Soul.

Below was a densely packed reading list.

Tao Te Ching, Nanhua Scripture, The Kinship of the Three, Yellow Court Scripture.

Behind every title was a glowing plus sign.

At the top of the list was a tiny search box.

Several lines of small text appeared in the lower-left corner.

Divine Soul Realm: None.

Mental Strength: Ordinary person.

A number flashed in the lower-right corner.

Merit Points: 95.27.

His breathing stopped for a moment.

A cheat.

He remembered now.

After binge-watching the Dragon Ball anime, he had been about to plug a newly purchased USB drive full of Daoist classics into his computer.

The instant his fingertip touched the port, his mind went numb, and he lost consciousness.

He had not expected those classics to transmigrate with him. Or had those classics caused the transmigration in the first place?

"Nine Tribulations of the Divine Soul... sounds pretty damn badass."

"Merit points—95.27?"

Lin Xuan rubbed his chin and pondered.

"How the hell are these calculated? Helping an old lady cross the street? Or does liking some idiot's proposal count too?"

"No idea what it does. Should I try tapping the plus sign?"

The thought had barely surfaced.

Then, RUMBLE.

The ground trembled slightly.

The smile on Lin Xuan's face froze.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

He abruptly looked up.

In the forest not far away, an enormous head emerged from the canopy.

Rough skin. Crimson eyes.

A Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Tyrannosaurus rex had spotted him too.

Those enormous crimson eyes reflected his tiny figure, brimming with greed.

It opened its jaws, large enough to swallow a car whole.

"Roar—"

The deafening roar made his eardrums tremble.

"Holy shit!"

Lin Xuan's mind went blank. Only one word remained.

Run!

He scrambled away on all fours, squeezing out every ounce of strength he had in his life.

But human speed was a joke in front of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

"I'm done for!"

The thought of despair had barely surfaced when his instinct to survive overwhelmed everything else.

"Cheat! Right, I still have my cheat! Cheat, save me!"

Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, he used every shred of willpower to roar at the scroll in his mind.

Lin Xuan stared fixedly at the plus sign behind the cultivation method.

"Press it!"

His thoughts were in chaos; he couldn't focus enough to properly "look" at the book titles.

In his desperation, he could only go by instinct, shouting at the title at the very top of the panel—the most conspicuous one, the one that looked the most badass.

"You! Pick you! Press it for me!"

Buzz.

His merit points began plummeting wildly from 95.27.

90... 80... 70... 60...

A cold current surged from the depths of his brain and flowed through his entire body.

How to restrain one's spiritual presence, conceal one's vital energy and blood, and calm one's heartbeat.

How to reduce one's sense of presence to the absolute minimum.

This profound knowledge instantly became his instinct.

Lin Xuan lunged forward and rolled into a patch of bushes.

The instant he hit the ground, he drew in all his essence, energy, and spirit.

His heartbeat nearly stopped.

His breathing vanished.

His body temperature rapidly dropped.

At that moment, he was a stone—a rotting piece of wood.

The Tyrannosaurus rex chased him to the spot where he had vanished, its massive head swaying in confusion.

It let out several furious roars at the forest, venting its rage at losing its prey, before finally turning away and leaving unwillingly.

Only after the sound of its footsteps had completely faded did Lin Xuan dare let out a long breath.

"Phew..."

The moment he exhaled, his whole body went limp.

He was drenched in cold sweat, his face pale.

His head buzzed as though he had stayed awake for seven straight nights—only worse.

He sprawled on the ground, gasping for air.

Only after a long while did that hollowed-out feeling begin to ease.

He immediately checked the panel in his mind.

His merit points had dropped from 95.27 to 20.27.

The plus sign behind "Blending with the Light and Dust" had turned gray.

"So that's how it works."

Merit points were currency. They could directly grant someone sudden enlightenment in a technique.

That function was absurdly powerful.

But then an even deeper chill rose within him.

This was not a peaceful society. That Tyrannosaurus rex was probably only an appetizer. Who knew what even more terrifying creatures were hidden in this primeval forest?

Survive, then grow stronger at any cost.

That thought had never been so clear as it was now.

His gaze changed completely.

Lin Xuan rose from the ground.

He brushed the dirt and grass clippings from himself, leaving only the most primal desire to survive in his eyes.

His greatest reliance now was the panel in his mind.

"I have to study it thoroughly first."

Lin Xuan sat down cross-legged, his consciousness fully immersing itself in the scroll formed of golden light.

He looked toward the general principles at the top of the panel.

"The essence of cultivation lies not in the accumulation of strength, but in the transformation of the spirit."

"The heart is the supreme dojo; rely not on external things, depend not on inner form."

The opening words were profoundly mysterious, leaving Lin Xuan utterly confused.

It felt exactly like sitting through philosophy class back in the day.

He patiently continued reading.

The further he read, the more shaken he became.

This Nine Tribulations of the Divine Soul was actually a cultivation method devoted purely to training the mind and soul.

It was completely different from the mainstream combat system of the Dragon Ball world, which relied on "ki."

According to the general principles, this method consisted of nine tribulations.

Each time one overcame a tribulation, the very essence of one's soul would undergo a leap.

From perception to power, everything would change beyond recognition.

The first tribulation was called the "Dust-Cleansing Realm."

After mastering it, one could "Know Cause Upon Thought," sense emotions, and even foresee imminent fortune and misfortune.

"Isn't this the standard skill set of a fortune-teller?"

Lin Xuan's eyes lit up.

It was as though he had glimpsed a broad, open road ahead.

Being able to foresee the future—even if only by a few dozen seconds—would be enough to save his life at crucial moments, perhaps even turn the tide.

Unable to wait any longer, he found a secluded spot and began cultivating.