Hengsheng pondered on how to become stronger within a short period of time. "Reconstructing the main system is out of the question now," he muttered, knowing it would take too much time and effort.
"Just thinking about it won't help," he sighed. "I need to focus on something practical. Upgrading my fighting experience to another level should be a solid solution for now."
Closing his system, Hengsheng began designing a new auxiliary system aimed at improving his combat skills and techniques. Although his mind space allowed him to simulate various scenarios as he pleased, it couldn't fully replicate the real-world laws, which limited its effectiveness.
"I need to bring the simulation into the real world," he decided.
Scenario Simulation System {75%} installed.
Hengsheng nodded but frowned at the space the new system consumed. "This takes up too much capacity," he grumbled. After some thought, he decided to uninstall the Ultimate Fighting System {34%}, Recycle System {44%}, and Scripture Maker System {15%} to make room for the new system.
As usual, the process drained a significant amount of his spiritual Qi, leaving him momentarily weakened. Once the installation was complete, he tested the new system immediately, setting up a scenario to fight against ten simulated versions of Lan Xiaorong.
[Scenario Lan Hengsheng VS 10 x Lan Xiaorong processing….]
[The battlefield is ready.]
Suddenly, he felt as if he was being dragged into another place. The surroundings transformed into a modern cityscape that he had set up beforehand. He moved his body experimentally, testing his ability to walk, run, jump, punch, and channel Qi. It all felt completely real, much more so than the mind space simulations.
"This is much better than before," he said, satisfied with the system's potential. "Start fight!"
The moment the command was given, ten identical versions of Lan Xiaorong materialized in front of him. Their faces bore the same expression, but their eyes lacked any real will.
Hengsheng frowned. "A flaw," he muttered. "The simulation can't replicate a real will. Well, I’m not strong enough to create a system capable of that yet. I’ll fix it later—right now, I need to fight!"
The ten simulated Xiaorongs dashed at him simultaneously, green aura swirling around them as they wielded wooden swords with superhuman speed. "Fweeeew!" The wind screamed with their movement.
Hengsheng dodged one after another, countering with a well-timed World Shatter Palm. "Bang!" The impact sent one Xiaorong flying, but three others immediately closed in to assist, forcing Hengsheng to retreat momentarily.
He smirked. "Not bad. Even without real will, their programming is solid."
The battle continued for an hour within the simulation. By the time Hengsheng defeated the last Xiaorong, his shirt was drenched in sweat. He caught his breath, reflecting on the fight. "I didn’t think Xiaorong would be this strong. Or... maybe I’m still not strong enough?"
He dismissed the thought for now, commanding the system to end the simulation. Instantly, he was dragged back to reality. He checked his status and noted that only six minutes had passed in the real world.
"So, time moves ten times slower inside the simulator," he observed. "That’s acceptable, even though I initially intended it to be entirely time-stopped. It’s good enough for now."
Hengsheng leaned back with a satisfied smile. "This system is just what I needed"
Hengsheng sat cross-legged, pondering his next move. “What’s next?” he murmured to himself, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the floor. He thought about what else he could do while waiting for his cultivation to stabilize.
Then he recalled something. His eyes brightened as he reached for his new space ring. With a slight flick of his wrist, he retrieved an item—an oval, golden-colored egg, about the size of a basketball. It gleamed faintly with metallic hues, intricate Qi runes etched all over its surface. It was the mortal-grade metal-type spirit beast egg he had acquired during the auction.
He studied the egg closely, turning it in his hands. “What should I do about this?” he mused aloud. “Should I try to install a system into it before it hatches? Or maybe create a specialized auxiliary system to focus entirely on cultivating a spirit beast companion?”
Hengsheng frowned, shaking his head as he dismissed the thought. “No, that’s not my path,” he muttered. “Enslaving innocent creatures… it’s not right. Turning this into a spirit beast companion would forever bind it to my soul, but it would also limit its potential. It would never surpass me, and caging something —something that could grow so much more—would be a waste of endless possibilities.”
He carefully set the egg down, his expression contemplative. He understood that his mindset was unconventional in this world. The cultivation world thrived on hierarchies, domination, and the law of the jungle. Spirit beasts were nothing more than tools, servants, or allies bred to serve their master’s path.
“But I can’t throw away my values just because this world works differently,” Hengsheng said firmly, his voice unwavering. “I won’t be swallowed by the nature of this world. If everyone else bows to it, I’ll carve my own path. A path that doesn’t compromise my beliefs!”
Hengsheng’s gaze sharpened, his resolve solidifying. He decided to approach this differently. “Let’s see what potential you can hold,” he said softly, addressing the egg as if it could understand him. “Not as a tool, but as something that can grow freely. Maybe we can work together as partners rather than master and slave.”
With a smirk, an idea took form in his mind. Closing his eyes, Hengsheng entered his mind space. He began crafting a unique system, one that would ensure the spirit beast’s growth wasn’t tied to his own limits. This system wouldn’t enslave or bind the beast through domination but would nurture its natural potential.
When Hengsheng opened his eyes, he extended his palm, and Qi began to gather, swirling like a vortex above it. The energy condensed rapidly, forming an intricate Qi pattern that seemed alive, pulsating with immense complexity. Runes began spinning and aligning themselves, each more intricate than the last, weaving together in a sequence that even Hengsheng, with his system-enhanced knowledge, found entirely beyond his comprehension.
The patterns were not like any formations or inscriptions he had ever seen. It was as if the very essence of heaven and earth was being rewritten into something entirely new. Hengsheng’s brow furrowed in concentration as he channeled almost all his spiritual Qi into the process. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, the sheer demand of the energy threatening to drain him entirely.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the swirling Qi solidified. The intricate patterns and runes coalesced into a glowing white marble, radiant with a soft, ethereal light. Hengsheng stared at the creation in awe, feeling the weight of something profound in his hand.
Guiding the Qi marble toward the egg, Hengsheng carefully controlled its descent. The marble sank into the egg, merging seamlessly. Almost instantly, the egg began to react, greedily absorbing ambient Qi. The golden hue of the egg glowed brighter, and Hengsheng could feel a surge of vitality from within it.
Seeing the egg’s response, Hengsheng nodded with satisfaction. He retrieved 10,000 low-grade spirit stones from his space ring and arranged them around the egg to aid its absorption process. “Let’s speed this up a little,” he murmured.
The sight of the egg voraciously absorbing Qi filled Hengsheng with a mix of pride and curiosity. This was the first time he had taken a step to extend his system beyond himself, to see what the system might look like in the real world. Watching the egg actively draw in the ambient Qi confirmed that his experiment had succeeded, but it also raised questions about the process itself.
Hengsheng reflected himself this experiment—installing the system into another being—was something he had long wanted to try but never had the right target. Now, with the spirit beast egg as his subject, the results were beyond what he expected.
However, the process had drained him. It required an overwhelming amount of Qi, far more than it ever took to enhance himself and it was showing him a glimpse into how the system is profound, and how little he still understood about it.
Hengsheng sat down, closing his eyes to recover his depleted spiritual Qi. More than 90% of it had been consumed in a short span of time to create two systems back-to-back. After some recovery, he opened his eyes and immediately began crafting a third system—this time, for himself.
Keeping its functions minimal to conserve space, he finalized the creation:
[Beastmaster System {25%}]
This system was simple yet effective. It allowed him to form a soul contract with the spirit beast. The barebones design ensured it fit within his remaining system capacity.
Looking back at the egg, which continued to absorb Spiritual Qi at an insatiable pace, Hengsheng’s lips curled into a smile. “Let’s grow together, buddy,” he said softly, his tone filled with determination and hope.