Martial Peak: Life Simulator

"I choose the Stone Armor Art!" Yan Xiu declared without hesitation.

The golden words before him began to shift, their radiant glow intensifying. Slowly, they converged, flowing together like molten gold before solidifying into a single object—a small, stone statue.

A Meridian Diagram.

Yan Xiu grasped the statue, his fingers brushing against its smooth yet firm surface. It was exactly the same as the one he had obtained in the simulation.

His eyes flickered with realization. So this life simulator can only recreate things exactly as I obtained them?

His thoughts drifted to his previous reward, the Flowing Tide Secret Art. Unlike now, it had appeared as a book rather than a Meridian Diagram.

Well, after all that old man did give me the book of the Flowing Tide Secret Art...

A strange feeling settled in his chest. The simulator wasn't just handing him things—it was replicating them exactly as they had appeared in his simulated life.

I wonder if I could have still learned it if he had personally taught it to me. Would the technique's knowledge just have appeared in my mind?

Yan Xiu's grip on the Meridian Diagram tightened. There was no time to waste. He had claimed his reward—now, it was time to put it to use.

Without hesitation, Yan Xiu infused his Yuan Qi into the Meridian Diagram.

The moment his energy entered the statue, he felt a strange sensation—as if his Yuan Qi was no longer his own. It coursed through the statue's stone meridians, following a predetermined path, flowing with an ancient and mysterious rhythm.

He watched intently, memorizing every twist and turn of the energy's flow.

Then, as the process reached its end, Yan Xiu withdrew his Yuan Qi and immediately replicated the circulation within his own body.

The results were instantaneous.

A strange force spread through his skin, and his body reacted instinctively. His flesh hardened, his pores tightened, and his skin took on a dull, gray hue.

It was as if his entire being was turning into solid rock.

Yan Xiu clenched his fists. His knuckles cracked like shifting stones, yet he felt no pain—only overwhelming sturdiness. His whole body, from head to toe, had transformed.

His defense felt impenetrable.

This was the Stone Armor Art.

Yan Xiu clenched his fists, feeling the raw power surging through his transformed body. His skin, now as tough as stone, exuded a sense of overwhelming sturdiness. He had no doubt that ordinary weapons would struggle to leave a mark on him.

However, without a target to test his strength, he chose not to act recklessly. Instead, he took a deep breath and willed the technique to deactivate.

The gray hue faded, and his skin returned to normal, but something felt different.

Yan Xiu flexed his fingers, then his arms, rolling his shoulders as he tried to gauge the subtle changes. His body felt… stronger. Even without activating Stone Armor Art, he could tell his base strength had increased, just as it had in the simulation.

A small smile crept onto his face.

"Just as expected... this technique isn't just for defense," he murmured. "It even refines the body itself."

The benefits of the Stone Armor Art extended beyond its activation. With every use, his body would gradually grow tougher and stronger—even when the technique wasn't active.

Yan Xiu's excitement only grew. "My simulated self really did get one hell of a martial skill from that stone statue."

Yan Xiu shifted his focus back to the simulation, his mind replaying the events that had unfolded.

"This Yang Kai… how the hell was he so strong in the simulation? He was only at the 7th Initial Element Stage, yet he could fight evenly against those Qi Transformation Realm senior brothers… That shouldn't be possible. He must have some kind of secret, just like me…" His brows furrowed in thought. "And if that's the case… I wonder if he ended up dying to that demon like I did... we were together after all..."

Shaking his head, he put the thought aside for now.

"Before starting another simulation, I need to maximize the time my simulated self has before entering the Inheritance Cave. The stronger he is by the time he enters, the easier everything will be for him."

Now that he had the Stone Armor Art, his simulated self would probably use more of his time on practicing this than to recreate the Flowing Sword Art. This could bring greater benefits, but at the same time...

"My defense will skyrocket, and I might even break through again… but without a proper way to unleash my full strength, my combat power will still be lacking. I can take hits, but if I can't dish them out just as well, it won't matter."

Then, all of a sudden, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. His lips curled into a smirk as a rush of excitement coursed through his body.

"Heh… That's right." His heart pounded with anticipation. "Life Simulator! Simulate myself recreating the Flowing Sword Art!"

[Simulating a certain action will require triple the amount of Temporal Energy. Would you like to proceed anyway?]

Yan Xiu barely hesitated. "Yeah, even if it costs almost a whole year, I know it'll be worth it in the end."

[You have 51.6 Years of Life Simulation Time…]

[Simulation Initiating…]

[Simulating Life: Yan Xiu]

[Cultivation: 1st Initial Element Stage]

[Status: Ordinary Disciple of High Heaven Pavilion]

[Martial Skill: Stone Armor Art]

[Secret Art: Flowing Tide Technique]

[Special Physique: Purified Body]

As the simulation was about to begin, Yan Xiu suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right… I still need to check what this Purified Body of mine actually is."

Before he could dwell on it further, the simulation commenced.

[Yan Xiu dedicated himself entirely to recreating the Flowing Sword Art, the technique he had previously developed in a past simulation. Day and night, he trained with relentless focus, his mind and body consumed by the pursuit of mastery.

For three months, he refined every movement, every slash of his sword honed to perfection. Countless failures plagued his path, but he never wavered. He adjusted, learned, and pushed himself beyond his limits.

And then, finally—he succeeded.

The Flowing Sword Art was reborn, more refined than ever before. His comprehension of the technique deepened, and as a result of his unwavering dedication, his cultivation surged forward.

He had broken through to the 4th Initial Element Stage.]

[Simulation Ended.]

[Life Simulation Time remaining: 51 years]

[Rewards:

1. Flowing Sword Art]

To be continued...

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