The First Simulation Begins

Lu Chen ran.

His breath came in ragged gasps, each step sending jolts of pain through his battered body. Blood trickled down his ribs, soaking into his torn outer disciple robes, but he couldn't stop.

Behind him, Zhao Feng's furious shouts echoed through the silent courtyards of the Azure Sky Sect.

"LU CHEN! YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE?!"

He didn't stop to look back. He couldn't afford to.

Instead, he focused on the narrow dirt path ahead, winding through the secluded bamboo forest that bordered the outer sect disciple quarters. This was the only route he could take without running into more disciples or patrols.

If I can make it to the western cliffs, I might have a chance.

The Azure Sky Sect was built into the side of Azure Peak, one of the many towering mountains within the sect's territory. The western cliffs led to an abandoned training ground, where few disciples ventured at night.

If he could reach that place and buy himself some time, he could plan his next move.

But his body was reaching its limit. His vision blurred for a split second, his legs trembling from the blood loss. His breaths came out in short, desperate bursts, and the throbbing pain in his ribs made every movement unbearable.

Yet, he forced himself forward, because stopping meant death.

"You're already dead, Lu Chen!"

Zhao Feng's voice was closer now.

Lu Chen's instincts screamed at him to move faster, but his injured body refused to obey.

Then…

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

His instincts flared just in time. Lu Chen threw himself to the side, rolling across the dirt path just as a gleaming silver dagger embedded itself into the tree where he had been standing a second earlier.

A killing intent pressed down on him, sharp and suffocating.

Zhao Feng had caught up.

Lu Chen turned his head just in time to see Zhao Feng leap down from a tree branch, landing a few feet away. His white outer sect robes were still pristine, untouched by the filth and dust Lu Chen was covered in. His expression was one of utter contempt, as if this entire chase had been nothing more than an inconvenience.

"You really thought you could run?" Zhao Feng sneered. His fingers tightened around his sword hilt, his stance loose and confident. "You should've just died back there. Now you're making this annoying for me."

Lu Chen staggered to his feet, his back pressing against the rough bark of a tree.

His body was screaming at him to give up. He was injured, exhausted, and unarmed.

But he still had a chance.

The System.

A single thought called forth the interface in his mind.

[Future Path Simulation Activated]

For the second time, the world around him blurred and twisted, colors bleeding together into an endless void.

His vision split, and suddenly, he was seeing multiple versions of himself.

Each one made different choices.

[Simulation #1: Attack Zhao Feng Head-On]

[Lu Chen lunged at Zhao Feng with a desperate strike. Zhao Feng sidestepped with ease, his sword flashing in an arc of silver light. Lu Chen's head rolled onto the ground before his body even hit the dirt.]

[Result: Death]

[Simulation #2: Attempt to Negotiate]

[Lu Chen raised his hands in surrender. "Zhao Feng, listen…" The older disciple snorted. A blade pierced his stomach before he could finish speaking.]

[Result: Death]

[Simulation #3: Run Again]

[Lu Chen turned and bolted into the forest. He managed to gain some distance, but within seconds, Zhao Feng threw another dagger…this time, hitting him in the leg.

He collapsed.

Zhao Feng approached leisurely, like a hunter enjoying the final moments of his prey.]

[Result: Death]

[Simulation #4: Counterattack with the Environment]

[Lu Chen grabbed a loose branch from the ground, feigning a desperate last stand.

Zhao Feng, expecting an easy kill, stepped closer to finish him off.

Just as he slashed downward, Lu Chen kicked up a cloud of dust into his eyes, then swung the branch at Zhao Feng's wrist.

The sword slipped from Zhao Feng's grip, embedding itself into the ground.

For a moment, the fight became equal.]

[Result: 30% Survival Chance]

The simulations ended in a flash.

Lu Chen was back in his body, still pressed against the tree, still facing Zhao Feng.

But now, he knew what to do.

Zhao Feng smirked as he took a step forward, sword raised. "Are you done struggling?"

Lu Chen tightened his grip around something in the dirt. A fallen branch.

He forced himself to take shallow, even breaths, keeping his stance weak and unstable, just like in the successful simulation.

"Go to hell, Zhao Feng," he spat.

Then, he threw himself forward.

His movements were sloppy, deliberately so as if he were lashing out in blind desperation.

Zhao Feng scoffed, stepping in to deliver the finishing blow.

That was when Lu Chen kicked the ground, sending a cloud of dust and leaves into Zhao Feng's face.

The older disciple flinched, the same hesitation the simulation had shown.

Lu Chen didn't waste a second.

He swung the branch like a club, striking Zhao Feng's wrist as hard as he could.

The impact sent shockwaves up his arm, but more important, Zhao Feng's grip loosened.

The sword slipped from his grasp, falling into the dirt.

Lu Chen moved instantly, lunging for the fallen weapon.

But Zhao Feng wasn't done yet.

Despite being momentarily blinded, he reacted with sheer instinct, throwing a wild punch at Lu Chen's jaw.

The blow connected, sending Lu Chen stumbling backward. His head spun, stars bursting behind his eyelids, but his fingers found the hilt of Zhao Feng's sword.

He tightened his grip and raised the blade just in time to parry Zhao Feng's follow-up attack.

For the first time, Lu Chen saw a flicker of something in Zhao Feng's expression; not anger or arrogance.

Surprise…

Zhao Feng staggered back, his eyes narrowed.

"You…" His voice was laced with disbelief. "How did you—?"

Lu Chen didn't give him time to recover.

Still riding the high of the simulation's success, he turned and bolted into the darkness once more.

This time, Zhao Feng didn't chase immediately.

He was ashamed and frustrated with himself for allowing an ant to confront him for so long.

Lu Chen heard him cursing in frustration, kicking at the ground before finally yelling:

"LU CHEN!"

Lu Chen didn't stop.

But for the first time since he had transmigrated into this body, he felt something other than desperation.

A flicker of hope.

A single thought burned in his mind as he disappeared into the wilderness.

I survived.

And this was just the beginning.