Chapter 2

In the darkness, lines of glowing small characters appeared one after another along with the scenes.

【You returned to the year of Anchoring 1, and in your ecstatic state, you took some rash actions, almost getting yourself force-fed the exorcism water from the village witch by your aunt.】

【With half a year left until the provincial examination, you studied day and night at home. Since you already knew the questions, you felt very confident. Although your aunt often complained about you, she always supported your studies.】

【The younger brother of the village chief coveted your family's fertile ancestral land and secretly pressured you. As a woman, your aunt tried to resist but was powerless. You used a small trick to resolve the issue, and from then on, your aunt looked at you differently.】

【Half a year later, you participated in the provincial examination. Although you ranked only in the thirties, you still succeeded in becoming a scholar, bringing glory to your ancestors.】

【In the year of Anchoring 2, you went to Xuanjing City to take the metropolitan examination. Having prepared for the questions in advance, you naturally passed with flying colors. In the subsequent palace examination, you performed outstandingly, ranking second and being granted the title of Jinshi (advanced scholar).】

【You worked hard to build connections in Xuanjing City and finally achieved your goal, securing the position of County Magistrate of Wen County in Jiangnan.】

【In the year of Anchoring 3, you took your aunt to Wen County to take office. You began to secretly cultivate your own loyal base. In the same year, you led your subordinates to find several mines in the deep mountains based on your past memories.】

【In the year of Anchoring 4, you successfully manufactured a batch of explosives and matchlock guns. Your subordinates' first use of the guns successfully eliminated and incorporated a nearby band of bandits.】

【In the year of Anchoring 5, a severe drought hit Jiangnan, causing widespread famine. Thanks to your early efforts in water conservancy and the construction of water wheels, Wen County was not significantly affected. In the same year, a group of refugees rebelled and attacked the Langya Prince's mansion. You led your troops to arrive in time and saved the Langya Prince's family. The Langya Prince was very grateful to you.】

【In the year of Anchoring 6, you were promoted to the Governor of Jianghuai Prefecture. In the same year, you married the daughter of the current Minister of Personnel.】

【In the year of Anchoring 7, a sudden locust plague hit Jiangnan, causing a poor harvest. Only your jurisdiction was minimally affected. In the same year, your wife gave birth to a son.】

【In the year of Anchoring 8, your subordinates successfully manufactured flintlock guns.】

【In the year of Anchoring 10, the Langya Prince's wife gave birth to a son. You personally visited to congratulate her and presented carefully prepared gifts.】

【In the year of Anchoring 15, the Emperor suddenly fell ill. Before his death, he summoned the Langya Prince to the capital and passed the throne to him. The Langya Prince ascended the throne and changed the era name to Xuanjing.】

【In the year of Anchoring 16, Emperor Xuanjing summoned you to the capital and promoted you to the position of Minister of War. In the same year, rebellions broke out in various regions. Emperor Xuanjing ordered you to lead troops to suppress the rebels.】

【In the year of Anchoring 18, you traveled to various places and finally eradicated the rebels. Upon returning to the capital, Emperor Xuanjing revoked your military authority, promoted you to Minister of War, and appointed you as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.】

【In the year of Anchoring 20, the Empress was implicated in a witchcraft scandal. Emperor Xuanjing was furious and had her confined to the cold palace. The Crown Prince secretly sought your help, and you decisively agreed. After conducting private investigations, you found evidence that Empress Xi had framed the Empress, clearing her name. Emperor Xuanjing exterminated Empress Xi's three clans but did not release the Empress from the cold palace.】

【In the year of Anchoring 21, someone secretly accused you of plotting rebellion and submitted evidence of your unauthorized mining and the secret control of an armed force. You were extremely frightened and submitted a petition of confession. Emperor Xuanjing removed you from your position as Minister of War but allowed you to continue teaching the Crown Prince.】

【In the year of Anchoring 23, Emperor Xuanjing went on a spring hunt and suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia, deciding to visit the Langya Prince's mansion in Jiangnan.】

【In the year of Anchoring 24, Emperor Xuanjing visited Jiangnan and ordered you to accompany him. While enjoying the scenery, he also visited the mines you had secretly developed.】

【In the year of Anchoring 25, Emperor Xuanjing visited Jiangnan again. This time, he did not take you with him. Three months later, you secretly received news that someone had reported your visits to the cold palace to see the Empress. In the same year, Emperor Xuanjing was assassinated on his way back to the capital. The news caused a shock in the capital. The officials rescued the Empress from the cold palace, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, changing the era name to Kangning.】

【In the year of Anchoring 26, you were appointed as Grand Tutor and Grand Secretary, reaching the pinnacle of power. The young emperor relied heavily on you. Taking advantage of this opportunity, you eliminated your political enemies and established your own base in the court.】

【In the year of Anchoring 27, your aunt passed away. You once again developed a desire for immortality and sent people to search for traces of immortals.】

【In the year of Anchoring 28, the emperor came of age. Your power continued to grow, and the court almost became your one-man show.】

【In the year of Anchoring 30, the people only knew of the Grand Tutor and not the emperor.】

【In the year of Anchoring 31, the Empress Dowager became pregnant and urgently summoned you to the palace to discuss the situation. Overjoyed, you secretly brought the Empress Dowager to your residence to take good care of her. In the same year, the Empress Dowager gave birth to a son for you.】

【In the year of Anchoring 33, when you went to court alone, you were surrounded by the loyal guards secretly cultivated by Emperor Kangning. Thanks to a magical treasure, you narrowly escaped with your life. Enraged, you wanted to kill the emperor and establish yourself as the ruler. However, after the Empress Dowager's desperate pleas and the persuasion of your ministers, you did not take action. You executed the emperor's close officials. After that, Emperor Kangning was only a nominal emperor with no real power.】

【In the year of Anchoring 38, Emperor Kangning died of depression. You established his eldest son as the new emperor, changing the era name to Longchang.】

【In the year of Anchoring 40, the Empress Dowager died of illness. Your desire for immortality became even more urgent.】

【In the year of Anchoring 45, your wife passed away.】

【In the year of Anchoring 46, your eldest son died of illness.】

【In the year of Anchoring 48, after years of unsuccessful searches for immortality, you gave up the idea of seeking immortals.】

【In the year of Anchoring 50, two immortals came from the Eastern Ruins and destroyed Xuanjing City. You narrowly escaped with your life.】

……

【This simulation has ended.】

【You can choose one of the following options to retain:

1. An item you possess in this simulation.

2. Your cultivation level in this simulation.

3. The simulation memory of a person closely related to you in this simulation. This memory can be inherited by that person.

4. Give up the above choices to accelerate the charging process.】

Li Fan regained consciousness and found himself back in his simple study.

Looking around at the familiar yet strange scenery, the experiences of the past few decades flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of reflection: "Is reality turning into illusion, or is everything just a simulation that feels too real to be a mere illusion? Or perhaps, when one reaches a certain level, the line between real and fake disappears."

However, Li Fan was not one to be overly sentimental. He quickly regained his composure and focused on the four options.

The first and second options were straightforward. If Li Fan had embarked on the path of cultivation, these two options would have been extremely beneficial. Unfortunately, in his previous life, he was just an ordinary person with no cultivation level.

As for the most valuable item he possessed, it was probably the imperial jade seal.

However, it was also useless and would only bring disaster.

The third option, allowing someone to gain the memory of this simulation...

This made Li Fan's heart race.

For a moment, several figures flashed through his mind.

But in the end, he shook his head.

After all, human hearts are the most unpredictable. No one knows how a person would change after gaining decades of memories.

Since "Reality" had not yet fully charged, he was still a weak scholar with no means to start over.

Therefore, everything must be done with caution.

That left only the fourth option.

Accelerate the charging process.

"Reality" required charging to transform the virtual into the real.

Based on Li Fan's experience from his previous life, the charging process could only naturally increase over time, taking about twenty years to be fully charged.

The charging progress would not increase beyond 200%.

When Li Fan suffered a fatal blow, "Reality" would consume the charging progress to automatically protect him, which was the reason he survived several near-death experiences in his previous life.

Therefore, the fourth option was the most prudent choice.

Having made up his mind, Li Fan no longer hesitated and silently chose the option.

Immediately, the lines of glowing small characters dissipated into light points and quickly rearranged into several new lines of characters.

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Ordinary Person

Physical Age: 20/86

Mental Age: 166/1056↑

Virtualization Charging Progress: 30%

"Three lifetimes, 166 years. I didn't realize I had lived so long. As for the mental age limit, I remember it was only a few hundred years in my previous life, but now it has increased to over a thousand years. It seems this limit increases with my experiences, reducing some of my anxiety."

Just as the body has a lifespan, the mind also has a threshold for endurance.

When carrying too many memories, it becomes a mental burden. If this burden becomes too heavy, it can crush a person's soul.

This is known as "the wear of time."

However, the mental age limit increases with the enhancement of mental endurance.

Currently, Li Fan did not need to worry about this.

"As long as I embark on the path of cultivation, everything will be fine. This time, I will start anew, and wealth, power, and beauty are not my goals."

"I just want immortality!" The pain of losing loved ones and the helplessness and fear of aging in his previous life made Li Fan's resolve even stronger.

"The goal of this life is to learn the secrets of cultivation from the two immortals. Fifty years from now, they will descend upon Xuanjing City. With a focused mind, even if they are powerful cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, I might still have a chance."

"Perhaps I can rely on not only guns and explosives but also the immortal poison they mentioned..."

"Additionally, in the fifty years, I cannot just wait. Since they come from the Eastern Ruins, I can send people to explore the bottom of the ruins to find out more."

……

Life is most feared when it lacks a goal. In his previous life, many times Li Fan would wake up in the middle of the night feeling an overwhelming sense of emptiness and confusion.

In this life, he had already reached the pinnacle of an ordinary person.

He was the teacher of the emperor and held the power over the nation's troops. Most of the ministers in the court were his loyal subordinates.

He could depose and install emperors, and even the Empress Dowager was at his mercy.

There was no higher position to achieve.

Even if he were to live another life, it would be the same.

Should the next simulation be the same?

What is the point of repeating the cycle of life after life?

Power and pleasure, when repeated too often, become as tasteless as chewing wax.

Perhaps, if there were no variables, after a certain cycle, Li Fan would actively give up and choose to end his life.

But!

The appearance of the two immortals gave Li Fan a new possibility!

It showed him a strange, enticing world beckoning to him.

It gave him a great ambition and goal.

He wanted to cultivate!

He wanted immortality!

No one could stop him!

Li Fan pushed open the door of the house and walked out with a firm step.