Chapter 137: Pick One
Xiang Yu stared at the system notification with widened eyes. This was only the second time the system had actively appeared before him without being summoned. The last occurrence had blessed him with the OP Fusion function. Now, another opportunity presented itself.Two choices, each promising different rewards. The first option, "Upgrade an existing system function," immediately captured his attention. After all, the daily experience doubling wasn’t the system’s core purpose but merely one of its functions. What might happen if he upgraded it? Would his experience points triple daily? Quadruple? The possibilities made his heart race with anticipation.
Eagerly, he selected the upgrade option, only for his excitement to crash against harsh reality:
[Upgrade System Function]
[Double Exp: (0/100000000000...)]
[Fusion: (0/1)]
The string of zeros stretched beyond comprehension—he couldn’t even see where the requirement number ended. A sigh escaped his lips, though not entirely from disappointment. Deep down, he’d expected this. Something as powerful as his experience doubling couldn’t possibly be enhanced without extraordinary requirements.
His gaze shifted to the Fusion function. Though tempted to upgrade it, rational thought prevailed. The current version worked perfectly fine, and while he aspired to eventually fuse bloodlines, that goal remained distant as he wanted to wait until they were strong enough and then fuse them for a better result.
Besides, his dragon and phoenix bloodlines were fundamental opposites—attempting to merge them now would be catastrophic without finding some method to reconcile their conflicting natures. Better to wait until they grew stronger and then search for a solution to their incompatibility.
With the first option eliminated, only one remained: "Unlock a new system function." The system had never failed him before—each gift had proven invaluable to his survival. Why would this be any different?
Decision made, Xiang Yu selected the second option. No dramatic effects accompanied the selection—no flashing lights or rumbling sensations. The new function simply materialized in his status screen:
[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs); Fusion; Battle Simulation]
...
As usual, the moment the new system function appeared in his status screen, information flowed into Xiang Yu’s mind, revealing its true nature and capabilities. As always, the system did not disappoint him. The Battle Simulation function was exactly what it sounded like. No! In fact, it was much more than that.
This remarkable feature would allow him to simulate combat scenarios without limitation, granting him the freedom to adjust opponent’s cultivation levels and techniques. The most extraordinary aspect was that these simulations would occur in an alternate spacetime, compressing what might be hours of battle experience into a single second of real-world time.
Any injuries—whether physical or psychological—sustained during these simulations would remain confined to that pocket dimension, leaving his actual body completely unaffected when he returned to reality.
Xiang Yu’s eyes gleamed with appreciation as he absorbed the details. The system had, once again, provided exactly what he needed most. Despite his rapid advancement in cultivation, his practical combat experience remained woefully inadequate. This function addressed that vulnerability perfectly.
Of course, even this remarkable gift came with certain restrictions. The simulation could only incorporate opponents that had been properly scanned by the system, and its current scanning range extended to merely one mile in radius. Still, this limitation offered an unexpected benefit—he would no longer need his Appraisal ability to identify cultivators playing the pig, as the system would automatically detect and record everything about them, down to their most closely-guarded techniques.
Another constraint was the simulation’s fidelity to reality. He couldn’t arbitrarily enhance an opponent beyond their innate potential. If he scanned a Qi Gathering disciple whose talent ceiling stopped at the Golden Core realm, the simulation would refuse to project them as an Immortal, regardless of his wishes.
Despite these restrictions, Xiang Yu felt nothing but satisfaction. The Battle Simulation function resolved his most pressing concern: how to properly train his palm techniques and the others without wasting his professions’ time.
When he attempted to activate the function immediately, he discovered yet another limitation—he couldn’t enter the simulation alone. The system required at least one opponent to establish the training environment.
Xiang Yu tried scanning for potential candidates but found nothing. This wasn’t surprising—it was the middle of the night, and most cultivators would be meditating in their chambers. His master and martial aunt were beyond the one-mile scanning radius, making them inaccessible for simulation purposes.
He briefly considered venturing out, he didn’t need to find them, as long as he was close enough, they would be scanned. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. Having just given his master that special pill, he had no desire to encounter whatever aftermath might have resulted. He decided to give his master some privacy for now.
Just as he resigned himself to postponing his first simulation until morning, the function suddenly activated, displaying information about two unexpected subjects:
[Name: Liu Meiling]
[Realm: Body: 12th Layer; Spirit: Golden Core Peak; Mind: Level 4]
[Species: Human]
[Spiritual Root: Superior-Grade Water]
[Enlightenment: High]
[Techniques: ...]
[Scriptures: ...]
...
[Name: Wang Xiuying]
[Realm: Body: 10th Layer; Spirit: Foundation Establishment 2nd Layer]
[Species: Half-Beast]
[Physique: Winter Curse Saint Body]
[Bloodline: Qilin (Half-Blood)]
[Spiritual Root: Superior-Grade Ice]
[Enlightenment: Superior]
[Techniques: ...]
[Scriptures: ...]
...
Xiang Yu’s heart nearly leaped from his chest when he registered the "Golden Core Peak" cultivation level displayed before him. Were they truly under attack so soon after Li Yao’s departure? His muscles tensed instinctively, preparing for immediate escape in case something happened.
Yet within moments, the two cultivators vanished from his detection range. Xiang Yu blinked in confusion, wondering if the system had malfunctioned. Before he could investigate further, the information reappeared, only to disappear again moments later. This peculiar pattern repeated several times, creating a blinking effect that initially made no sense.
Drawing a calming breath, Xiang Yu forced himself to analyze the situation rationally. The simultaneous appearance and disappearance of both cultivators, despite their vastly different cultivation levels, suggested they were traveling together. Given their rapid movements in and out of his detection range, they likely weren’t on foot.
"A flying vessel," he murmured to himself, piecing together the evidence. "They must be circling the sect perimeter, occasionally entering my detection radius before moving beyond it again."
His first instinct was to extend his qi sense to gather more information, but wisdom quickly overrode curiosity. If he released his spiritual perception, a Golden Core cultivator would almost certainly detect his probe—potentially revealing his position and alerting them to his awareness of their presence.
A cautious smile tugged at Xiang Yu’s lips as he considered the situation. While their purpose remained unknown, they hadn’t yet triggered the defensive formations surrounding the sect. Whatever their objective, they seemed content with reconnaissance for now. Most importantly, their cultivation details had already been captured by his system, which meant...
"Perfect test subjects," he whispered, anticipation replacing his earlier alarm.
With a thought, Xiang Yu activated the system interface and made his selection:
[Battle Simulation]
[Target: Liu Meiling]
...
Author’s Corner:
Lol, I just now realized how OP this is.
Time to level up those techniques ig.
For those interested: the previous doubling was the 50th reset and 1st reset since Li Yao left.(i’ll post all resets since day 1 on discord later)