The Simulator Awakens: Cultivating with Cheats

(The early stages focus on imaginative ideas and laying plans. No brainless deaths or artificially held-back cultivation realms, guaranteed.)

(I have a backlog of chapters, guarantee quality, write everything by hand, and update steadily.)

[Realms: Embryonic Breathing → Qi Refining → Foundation Establishment → Golden Core (refine Golden Nature, forge a Grotto-Heaven) → Nascent Soul (attain fruition, gain profound mysteries) → Spirit Transformation (Dao Lord)]

Chen Fan sat cross-legged on a crude wooden bed. His surging qi and blood slowly settled, and a trace of indescribable complexity flashed through his eyes.

Twenty years. It had been twenty whole years since he transmigrated into the Supreme Chaos True Realm and became a collateral descendant of the Chen Lineage, a Foundation Establishment Aristocratic Clan.

His aptitude was mediocre, his resources scarce, and his status as a collateral descendant made every step a struggle.

Today, he had finally broken through to the "Flawless Body" stage of the Embryonic Breathing realm. On Earth, that would already have made him superhuman, but within the Chen Lineage, he remained an insignificant nobody.

"Twenty years... this cheat really took its sweet time."

He muttered to himself, but there was little joy in his voice, only the exhaustion of someone whose sharp edges had been worn smooth by time, and a sliver of unwillingness to concede.

Just then, a cold, utterly emotionless voice rang out deep within his mind:

[Ding! Host's realm breakthrough detected. Existential Rank increased. Life Simulator System awakened!]

Chen Fan's body jolted, his pupils contracting.

It was here! The cheat that belonged to a transmigrator had finally arrived!

He suppressed his excitement and concentrated his thoughts. A simple interface unfolded before his eyes:

[Life Simulator (Current existential rank: Embryonic Breathing realm)]

[Current energy: 0/100 (low-grade Spirit Stones)]

[Functions: Recharge energy, simulate a life.]

[Each simulation will randomly draw Talents and let you experience a different life trajectory. After the simulation ends, you may choose one Talent or insight into a cultivation realm to retain permanently.]

[Notice: A simulated life represents only one possible Future. Treat it with caution.]

One hundred low-grade Spirit Stones!

Chen Fan's heart tightened. That was the equivalent of a year's worth of stipend he could save through painstaking effort.

Without hesitation, he swung himself off the bed and retrieved a heavy little cloth pouch from a hidden compartment beneath it,

inside was his entire fortune, accumulated by scrimping and saving and occasionally risking his life on Lineage errands—three hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.

“You can't snare a wolf without risking your child!” Gritting his teeth, he held a hundred Spirit Stones in his hands and willed, “Recharge!”

The Spirit Stones in his hands vanished instantly, turning into a stream of pure spiritual energy that the system absorbed.

The energy bar on the interface changed to [100/100].

"Start simulation!"

[Life simulation commencing...]

[Drawing Talents...]

[White Talent · Strong and Sturdy] (Slightly enhances constitution)

[White Talent · Basic Martial Skills] (Beginner-level hand-to-hand combat skills)

[Green Talent · Copper Skin and Iron Bones] (Improves the efficiency of physique cultivation in the Embryonic Breathing realm and significantly enhances defense)]

Seeing only one green Talent, Chen Fan felt a little disappointed, but quickly rallied.

[Simulation commencing...]

[Age 0]: You are born into the Chen Lineage, a cultivation Aristocratic Clan with a Foundation Establishment Ancestor. As a collateral descendant with mediocre talent, you receive little attention.

[Age 20]: Through tireless effort, you finally break through to the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing realm, "Qi and Blood Like a Dragon," and awaken the simulator. You decide to keep a low profile and build your strength.

[Age 25]: Thanks to the green Talent "Copper Skin and Iron Bones," you perform reasonably well in the Lineage's minor tournament and receive a modest increase in resources. You continue cultivating diligently without pause.

[[Age 35]: During a Lineage mission, you encounter an ambush by a rival Lineage,]

[although your powerful physique allows you to escape with severe injuries, you also reveal some of your strength, attracting the attention of a few core descendants.]

[[Age 45]: You attempt to reach the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing realm, "Ultimate Strength," but insufficient resources and limited Talent cause both attempts to fail, damaging your meridians.]

[[Age 50]: Reluctantly, you abandon the idea of a swift breakthrough and turn to honing your foundations,]

[while exploring the mountain behind the Lineage grounds, you unexpectedly discover an immature, low-grade Body-Tempering Spirit Herb and quietly note its location.]

[[Age 65]: Your qi and blood begin to decline. Knowing that the Great Dao lies beyond your reach, you place your hopes in the next generation and begin devotedly nurturing a younger relative who is also a collateral descendant.]

[[Age 70]: You pass away peacefully in your sleep, bringing your diligent yet ordinary life to an end.]

[Simulation complete. Duration: 50 years.]

[Final realm]: Second stage of the Embryonic Breathing realm (Peak)]

[Evaluation]: You accomplished little, yet your conscience is clear.

[You may retain one of the following]:

[One]: Your cultivation realm at death (Peak of the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing realm)

[Two]: Your life experience and Talents at death (Includes the green Talent "[Copper Skin and Iron Bones]")

[Three]: Items carried on your person at death (None)

As he read the evaluation, the corner of Chen Fan's mouth twitched slightly, but his eyes shone brilliantly.

Fifty years of life experience flooded into his mind like a rising tide,

the pain of those failures, the experience gained through exploration, the web of personal connections, and especially the location of that body-tempering spirit herb were all crystal clear.

He did not hesitate at all.

"I choose two!"

It was not that cultivation realms were unimportant. Rather, at this starting stage, experience was far more valuable than a tiny increase in cultivation.

The green Talent "Copper Skin and Iron Bones" acted directly on his flesh, giving him a tangible sense that his body's resilience and recovery had improved.

More importantly, he now knew some of the minor events that might occur within the Lineage over the next fifty years, as well as the spirit herb's exact location.

“The first simulation was a way to test the waters—and lay the foundation.” Chen Fan drew a deep breath, feeling the increasingly condensed qi and blood within him,

“A hundred Spirit Stones in exchange for fifty years of insight and a practical Talent... what a killing!”