[Initial character selected: A trash soul master with innate soul power 0.5.]
[Initial talents selected: Direct lineage of the Upper Three Sects, Master Actor, Medical Genius.]
[Note: Everything within the life simulation is a projection of the real world, and will likewise tug upon the strings of fate of this plane. Please treat it seriously.]
[Simulation begins.]
Before he had time to ponder what the simulator meant by "tugging upon the strings of fate," Su Cheng felt his consciousness instantly separate from his physical body and enter another world — both real and illusory.
He did not know that, at the same moment, Qian Renxue in the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace, Bibi Dong in the Pope's Hall, and others were also resting, and had fallen into their own beautiful dreams or nightmares.
[You grew up in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and are the adopted son of the famous successor of the Seven Kill Sword, Chen Xin. Chen Xin never hid your origins from you. Your father, Su Shan, was one of his closest friends. Because he had previously offended the Spirit Hall Pope Qian Xunji, he entrusted you to Chen Xin in advance just in case. Unexpectedly, Su Shan still could not escape Qian Xunji's revenge and died at the hands of Spirit Hall. In your heart, you silently swore that one day Spirit Hall would pay the price.]
Good lord, giving him forced hatred right off the bat. Not bad.
[Chen Xin had no children. After your father's death, he raised you as his own son. He placed great hopes on you, wishing for you to carry forward the reputation of your family's martial spirit, the Bladeless Sword. Unfortunately, you did not inherit your father's sword talent. Your comprehension of swordsmanship and sword techniques was extremely mediocre.]
[As the direct lineage of the sect, at three years old you must begin laying the foundation for future cultivation. As Chen Xin's adopted son, you naturally receive the same treatment.]
[Main Quest begins.]
[Main Quest · Stage One: Foundation Building.Quest Content: Plan your development route before martial spirit awakening and put it into action.Quest Reward: None.]
His spirit trembled as Su Cheng sensed his current body — that of a three-year-old child.
People in this world matured very early. After martial spirit awakening at six, their development accelerated even more.
Take the original Qian Renxue as an example — she infiltrated the Heaven Dou imperial palace at nine years old and maintained her disguise for twenty years without exposure. That showed just how absurdly mature people in this world were.
He examined the surroundings.
It was not inside the sect, but in a bamboo forest.
Standing before him was a middle-aged man with silver hair, dressed in white robes — the future famous Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.
"Cheng'er, next I will demonstrate to you the essence of the Seven Kill Sword Technique. How much you comprehend will depend on yourself."
Chen Xin's expression was solemn, his entire presence like a drawn blade. Just standing there, he felt like the center of heaven and earth.
The moment he held the Seven Kill Sword, his aura changed again — sharpness rushed out, making Su Cheng's skin faintly sting.
As the sword technique was displayed, each move flowed smoothly in Chen Xin's hands, possessing overwhelming power and a unique beauty.
During the demonstration, he did not stop speaking, explaining the power-delivery methods and principles behind each strike.
Unfortunately, Su Cheng did not understand any of it.
He had to admit: in swordsmanship, this body's talent was truly atrocious.
Even with someone like Chen Xin personally teaching him, and even with his own adult-level thinking ability, he still couldn't comprehend even a shred of true meaning from Chen Xin's demonstration.
Fortunately, Su Cheng hadn't planned to accomplish much in martial strength anyway.
"Cheng'er!" Chen Xin noticed his distraction and harshly rebuked him. "To practice the sword, you must first cultivate your heart. Never mind your talent — your attitude is the problem! Once your martial spirit awakens, how much strength do you think you can use?!"
"Father." Su Cheng bowed slightly and looked at his adoptive father seriously. "I know I have no talent in swordsmanship, so I cannot learn the Seven Kill Sword Technique. But I understand that diligence can make up for shortcomings. Please teach me basic sword forms instead."
He obviously couldn't tell Chen Xin that he would inevitably have innate soul power 0.5 and that learning advanced sword techniques would be useless.
But basic sword skills were vital to his plans — they were one of the key focuses of his future cultivation.
Chen Xin finally agreed to Su Cheng's request.
From that day forward, Su Cheng woke at six every morning and spent an entire morning practicing only three sword movements: thrust, slash, and parry.
The rest of his time was fully devoted to reading the various books within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, focusing especially on human anatomy and the medicinal properties of different herbs.
Unlike swordsmanship, he indeed possessed extraordinary talent in medicine — able to draw inferences easily and learn extremely quickly.
[Your daily training routine drew considerable criticism. As Chen Xin's adopted son, you were frequently under attention, with many seeing you as the future successor of the Seven Kill Sword. Yet while other disciples were laying their cultivation foundations, you spent large amounts of time reading, inevitably seen as someone who had given up on progress. However, due to Chen Xin's support, others in the sect could not openly express too much dissatisfaction.]
[Driven by hatred in your heart, you did not waste a single day for three years. You woke at six to practice swordsmanship, read classics in the afternoon, and practiced medical skills at night, living very productively. Although your talent in swordsmanship was poor, swinging the sword tens of thousands of times daily produced results — thrust, slash, and parry had nearly become instinct.]
[Compared to swordsmanship, you gained even more in your studies. You read through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's library several times, memorizing most of its contents. In medicine, relying on your unique talent, you uncovered many secrets of the human body.]
[Soon it was time for martial spirit awakening. All six-year-old children in the sect had to participate, and you were no exception. However, tragedy struck. Your family martial spirit, the Bladeless Sword, appeared to have undergone a malignant mutation. Not only was the sword covered in rust and cracks, your innate soul power was only a pitiful 0.5.]
[After awakening your martial spirit, you were met with the disappointed gazes of the elders and the schadenfreude of ordinary disciples. Fortunately, although disappointed, Chen Xin still had expectations for you. He believed that for a swordsman, what mattered most was sincerity of heart; innate soul power was not the most important factor.]
[Main Quest · Stage One completed.]
[Main Quest · Stage Two: Choice.Quest Content: Choose your future development route and affiliated faction.Quest Reward: None.]
[Under Chen Xin's encouragement, you cultivated diligently. With the resources of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and your medical expertise improving cultivation efficiency, you finally spent two and a half years raising your soul power to level ten — ready to obtain your first soul ring.]
[During this period, Yu Xiaogang, the discarded son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan — one of the Upper Three Sects — published an article titled "The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Spirits," causing ripples. Opinions outside were mixed; sect members often mentioned him. Although they looked down on Yu Xiaogang, it didn't stop them from using him to mock you, who also had innate soul power 0.5.]
[You didn't mind, and instead carefully studied the content of "The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Spirits."]
[Side Quest obtained: Absorb your first soul ring by surpassing your level.Quest Reward: Physique enhancement. (To be granted after all main quests are completed.)]
(End of this chapter)