Inside the dilapidated little house, there was a deathly silence, save for the numbers on the system interface in his mind that were frantically ticking upward, letting out a silent roar.
【Faith Points +3500!】
【Faith Points +8200!】
【Faith Points +15,000!】
【Faith Points +29,000!】...
The Faith Points coming from Tang San poured in relentlessly, like a flood bursting through a dam.
The speed at which the numbers skyrocketed made even Fu Shiyan, whose heart had long since turned to iron, feel a sudden wave of dizziness.
In just a matter of moments, the Faith Points fiercely smashed through the one hundred thousand mark!
But this was far from the end. The numbers continued to grow at a suffocating pace until, finally, they abruptly froze on a figure that made Fu Shiyan's very soul tremble--【Faith Points: 620,000!!!】
Six hundred and twenty thousand!
Looking at this staggering number that defied imagination, Fu Shiyan froze for a brief moment. Then, no longer able to suppress the tumultuous ecstasy churning within him, a low, guttural laughter escaped his throat.
The laughter was restrained at first, but it quickly transformed into an uncontrollable, roaring laugh!
"Haha... Hahaha... Hahahahaha--!"
He laughed so hard that he doubled over, tears seeping from the corners of his eyes. In this empty, ruined house, he looked exactly like a madman who had been suppressed for too long and had finally lost his mind.
Twenty years of despair and struggle seemed to find an outlet for release at this very moment.
It took a long time before the laughter gradually subsided.
Panting heavily, Fu Shiyan slowly calmed down.
He unconsciously stuck out his tongue and licked his somewhat dry, chapped lips--a habitual movement he brought over from his past life whenever he was thinking deeply or suppressing intense emotions.
Forcing down the emotions still surging inside him, he began to think calmly.
"Six hundred and twenty thousand... Excellent. But this is still far from enough," he muttered in a low voice, his gaze sharp. "It's too early to celebrate. The Persona Completion Rate is still only at 30%. Tang San's second life simulation is absolutely vital to my entire plan; it is the top priority!"
After a long pause, he suddenly snapped his head up, his hands moving quickly across the illusory system interface.
A clear and cold-blooded plan took shape in his mind.
"Yu Xiaogang... Your theories, your very existence, are the greatest obstacles. This time, I am going to make you completely collapse in Tang San's heart!"
He had already decided that in Tang San's second simulation, he would craft a script that would completely bankrupt Yu Xiaogang's image while elevating his own persona, "Fu Shiyan," to the altar of godhood!
Meanwhile, back in Holy Spirit Village.
Because Tang San had not curiously pressed Su Yuntao for details about Martial Souls and Spirit Masters like he did in the first simulation, Su Yuntao merely cast a slightly regretful glance at Tang San after all the children had finished awakening. He then picked up his bundle and walked straight out of the village.
Old Jack, who had been waiting anxiously outside the entrance of the Martial Soul Hall, immediately stepped forward with a tense face upon seeing him.
"Grandmaster, how did it go? Is there any chance that a child from our village could become a Spirit Master this year?"
Su Yuntao looked at him, sighed, and shook his head. "There is one, actually. It's just a pity..."
A glimmer of hope rose in Old Jack's heart, mixed with unease, as he tentatively asked, "Then... Grandmaster, who exactly is it?"
Su Yuntao didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Out of the eight children this year, only one possesses spirit power, and it's even Innate Full Spirit Power! Unfortunately, his Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. Do you understand now?"
"Blue Silver Grass? Innate Full Spirit Power? Heavens!"
Old Jack felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his face instantly turning pale. He hurriedly pressed further, "Grandmaster, is there really no way to cultivate Blue Silver Grass?"
By now, Su Yuntao was already growing somewhat impatient, as he still had to rush to the next village.
Right at that moment, Tang San, who had already recovered from the massive shock, calmly walked over to Old Jack and gently tugged on his sleeve.
"Grandpa Jack, you don't need to ask anymore. The person who awakened the Blue Silver Grass is me."
Hearing this, Old Jack looked down at Tang San in surprise, his face filled with a complex expression.
"Sigh... Little San, I didn't expect your talent to be so outstanding... What a pity, what a pity! That drunkard father of yours didn't pass down a good Martial Soul to you, otherwise..."
Tang San, however, was in no mood to chat with Old Jack right now.
His mind was completely filled with the future scenes he had witnessed in the simulator, as well as those earth-shattering words Fu Shiyan had spoken "in his ear" at the final moment.
Now that the authenticity of the simulator had been ironcladly proven, didn't that mean everything Fu Shiyan said was also true?
He could only say apologetically to Old Jack, "Grandpa Jack, I want to head home first."
Old Jack assumed the child was simply demoralized by the reality of having a "trash Martial Soul." Feeling pity for him, he didn't say much else and merely watched with a caring gaze as Tang San's small figure gradually receded into the distance.
When Tang San returned home, he didn't see Tang Hao anywhere.
This was because the morning was Tang Hao's routine sleeping time.
Tang San had no intention of disturbing his father either, because his own mind was currently in complete disarray.
In his past life, he was someone who liked to think alone and plan before taking action, and he disliked being disturbed the most while thinking.
Thus, instead of waking Tang Hao, he immersed his entire mind into reminiscing and analyzing the "Life Simulator."
Tang San had always possessed an excellent memory, and he began to carefully recall some details he might have overlooked during the last simulation.
For instance: "Xiao Wu was suddenly snatched away by that giant spirit beast. Why did it pick Xiao Wu out of so many people there? Does she have something special about her?"
The authorities are clouded, while onlookers see clearly.
The current Tang San, after all, was not the "himself" from the simulation who cared deeply for Xiao Wu and was profoundly in love with her. He was better able to calmly spot the anomalies within.
Furthermore, Fu Shiyan had explicitly pointed out that his Blue Silver Grass should not be added with poison-attribute spirit rings or animal spirit rings, bluntly stating that this was a mistaken path that would destroy its potential.
This point ran diametrically opposed to the theories he had originally accepted from Yu Xiaogang, but now he had no choice but to consider it with the utmost seriousness.
Time flowed slowly amid Tang San's deep contemplation.
"Little San."
Tang Hao's voice echoed from the inner room. Soon after, the door curtain was lifted, and Tang Hao walked out with slow strides.
Seeing Tang San sitting in the outer room, he asked in a deep voice, "Why didn't you wake me up? Did your Martial Soul awaken?"
Seeing that Tang Hao was awake, Tang San snapped out of his deep thoughts and hurriedly replied, "It has already awakened."
Tang Hao looked deeply at Tang San. "What is it?"
Tang San didn't speak; he knew words were hollow.
He merely raised his left hand silently. With a slight nudge of his mind, a small, pitch-black hammer with an ancient design, radiating a heavy sense of power, appeared out of thin air in his palm--it was the Clear Sky Hammer!
Upon seeing this small hammer, Tang Hao's expression changed violently. Those turbid eyes, which had been numbed by alcohol for years, instantly erupted with a terrifying, piercing light, and a tangible, icy killing intent flooded the room!
This killing intent wasn't directed at Tang San, yet it still made Tang San tremble with fear as he experienced it from such close proximity.
"When you awakened your Martial Soul, who else saw it?!"