White Moonlight Simulation Device

Black Tortoise City.

In a secluded little courtyard.

Lu Cheng stood in a six-pointed star formation constructed from six Awakening Stones, his eyes tightly shut. Excitement stirred in his heart despite himself. Today was the day of his awakening...

"Don't move."

A gentle female voice sounded beside his ear.

"Put your hand on this."

He opened his eyes to see a tall, slender girl standing opposite him, dressed in dark green, with golden waves cascading over her shoulders and an exquisitely beautiful face. Holding up a transparent crystal ball, she gestured toward it with her lips.

Jiang Nannan, Shrek Academy's number-one beauty.

Not far away, a gentle, beautiful woman sat on a bench, a faintly sickly pallor showing on her fair cheeks. She, too, looked over with a smile, her eyes encouraging.

"Phew..."

Lu Cheng took a deep breath.

He placed his hand on it.

"Hum..."

The crystal ball flickered, but its light was exceptionally dim.

The scene slowly fell silent.

"Rank two... that's not bad. At least you have Soul Power. There's still hope of becoming a Soul Grandmaster someday." Seeing the boy's vacant gaze, Jiang Nannan could not help feeling a trace of pity and sighed inwardly.

She naturally knew that the boy had lofty aspirations, but reality was always this cruel. If geniuses were scattered everywhere, they would not be called geniuses...

Yet Lu Cheng remained dazed.

"Little..." Jiang Nannan wanted to continue comforting him, but a look from her mother stopped her. She glanced back at Lu Cheng with some concern, yet still obediently pushed her mother back inside.

Contrary to the mother and daughter's worries, however, Lu Cheng was trying to decipher a long, complicated "Martial Soul introduction."

"White Moonlight Simulation Device?"

"The objective is to become their white moonlight. The higher the rating of each simulation, the greater the rewards received. The conditions required to begin a simulation..."

Only after reading for a good while did Lu Cheng sum it up into four points.

[One: the simulation device was not a Martial Soul. His Martial Soul slot was currently empty.]

[Two: the condition for starting each simulation-energy in various forms was required. One milligram of gold of life, or 0.1 grams of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Any equivalent amount of energy would do, but the price made Lu Cheng click his tongue.]

[Three: after each simulation, he could bring some of the simulated abilities back into reality, choosing one of the following: a Martial Soul, Soul Power, or a treasure. Higher simulation ratings would also grant additional rewards.]

Speaking of which... would the events in this simulation device carry over into reality?

Probably not.

Lu Cheng pondered.

From the look of things, this simulation device was a cheat, not a Martial Soul. But he could obtain a Martial Soul from it at any time, and all he needed was his first simulation...

"Huh, one use remaining?!!"

Lu Cheng scrolled to the bottom of the panel, his expression abruptly shifting.

"I knew it! There had to be a beginner's bonus!"

Otherwise, relying on himself alone, who knew what year of the monkey and month of the horse it would be before he could scrape together enough for his first simulation.

Coming back to his senses, he realized that the setting sun was shedding its last rays, gilding the courtyard in gold.

It had already been more than eight years since he transmigrated to this world.

As for why he was only awakening his Martial Soul now, it was because the conditions for commoners to awaken their Martial Souls in this era were rather harsh. They no longer enjoyed the benefits once provided by Spirit Hall, which automatically arranged awakenings when they reached the proper age. Thus, he could only wait until Jiang Nannan enrolled in school before benefiting from her connection and undergoing his awakening.

Mother Jiang had adopted him while he was still in swaddling clothes, sparing him from freezing or starving to death and becoming a meal for stray dogs by the roadside. Ever since learning where he was, Lu Cheng had also found their current predicament something of a headache.

In the original story, the tale of Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi had always been rather suspicious.

Mother Jiang, an ordinary person, had fallen critically ill, yet not a single clinic in this enormous city could cure her. It had to be the Black Tortoise Sect's "Black Tortoise Divine Pill." And, as it happened, the Black Tortoise Sect was "selecting a consort" for its most talented second young master...

It was far too convenient.

And who had "inadvertently" told Jiang Nannan that the "Black Tortoise Divine Pill" was the only way to cure Mother Jiang?

Oh, what a difficult guess.

There was no helping it. This was Black Tortoise City, the Black Tortoise Sect's home base. Not the slightest rustle of grass in the wind could escape the sect's eyes. Jiang Nannan's awakening, in particular, had caused quite a stir, and she had then entered Shrek Academy with a recommendation letter from the city lord affiliated with the Black Tortoise Sect...

Born a commoner, exceptionally talented and beautiful, and the same age as Xu Sanshi.

She was practically a heaven-chosen cultivation furnace-pah, an awakened soul master.

And with Jiang Nannan's pride, she certainly would not abandon her bright future at Shrek to give herself to some second young master of the Black Tortoise Sect and become a so-called concubine.

Thus, they could only resort to despicable methods.

By now, Lu Cheng had definitely entered the Black Tortoise Sect's sights as well. Everything seemed calm and peaceful, with nothing amiss, but just try daring to leave with the mother and daughter.

Would you believe that either a fire would block the road, or local thugs and hoodlums would bar the way?

In short, allowing Jiang Nannan to leave and return to Shrek Academy was casting a long line to catch a big fish, while Mother Jiang remained here as a hostage. She was like a rope binding Jiang Nannan. No matter how outstanding Jiang Nannan became outside, she could never completely break free of the Black Tortoise Sect's control. If they told her to return, she had to return.

And now, Mother Jiang was already showing faint signs of illness.

The Black Tortoise Sect had probably made its move.

It was a way of lowering the threshold and preparing for what came next, so that Mother Jiang's critical illness would not seem abrupt when the time came.

Since he had received Mother Jiang's kindness in adopting him, he naturally had to repay that debt. But with his current rank-two strength...

Enough. Lu Cheng's eyes turned cold.

He would head back first and make further plans after completing his first simulation tonight.

He returned to the main room in a few strides.

He saw steaming dishes and rice on the table. Neither Jiang Nannan nor Mother Jiang had touched their chopsticks; they were waiting for him.

"Mom, Sis, I'm fine." A little moved, Lu Cheng spoke softly.

"Hehe, come and eat..." Mother Jiang set a bowl and chopsticks at the seat in front of Lu Cheng, speaking with a warm smile.

The three enjoyed a harmonious meal, never mentioning the Martial Soul Awakening again.

After dinner, in the courtyard.

"Little Cheng."

Sitting on a stone stool, Jiang Nannan smiled gently and lightly rubbed Lu Cheng's head. Her other fair hand propped up her cheek, and a trace of relaxation and amusement crossed her pretty, fair face.

After spending so many years together, day and night, the two were already no different from family.

"I have to return to Shrek Academy tomorrow, but I'll help you find a way. Shrek Academy has experts as numerous as clouds. There must be treasures that can improve your talent. For now, take your time cultivating with the meditation technique I taught you today..."

"Mm." Lu Cheng listened quietly.

That was how Jiang Nannan was. Aloof and unapproachable outside, she was actually extremely gentle at heart, especially toward those she considered "her own."

Over the years, studying as a student from a poor family, she had not only had to deal with harassment from a crowd of privileged heirs, but also endure the rumors and gossip of noble girls. Gentleness could not handle all that; she could only put on a mask of indifference.

Moonlight spilled over Jiang Nannan.

It illuminated the girl's exquisitely beautiful profile, making her look especially captivating, gentle, and serene...