Vol. 1 - Ch. 72 - The Fifth Simulation

As the scene before his eyes paused, a snow-white landscape unfolded in Ji Yang’s vision. Before he could make out the details, the world shifted again. When his vision finally settled, Ji Yang could clearly see his surroundings.

Crowded, congested, extremely crowded!

That was Ji Yang’s first impression. He was still a small sapling, but compared to the previous single extraction, he had grown slightly larger. However, it wasn’t like the last multiple simulation, where his entire form had seamlessly integrated into the deduced world. 

It seemed that the more simulations he underwent, the stronger he became, almost as if he was carrying one of his abilities with him with each additional simulation.

Recalling his abilities, Ji Yang quickly checked himself. According to the simulation rules, in a double simulation, he could carry one ability with him. After a moment, Ji Yang’s eyes lit up—he felt it. This time, the ability he was carrying was Root Strengthening.

This is probably the best result, Ji Yang thought.

He currently possessed three abilities: Root Strengthening, High-Temperature Resistance, and Unyielding Toughness. 

Root Strengthening and Unyielding Toughness were versatile, and useful in any environment, while High-Temperature Resistance was only effective in specific situations. However, Ji Yang felt that Root Strengthening was slightly more advantageous than Unyielding Toughness.

Before he could think further, a line of text flashed before his eyes:

[You were born in a snowy land! To become a towering tree, you begin to grow diligently!]

Seeing the message, Ji Yang was momentarily stunned. Snowy land? That seems about right. After the random scene appeared, he saw a vast white expanse. But as he looked around, a hint of confusion clouded his eyes.

Where's the snow? Why do I only see yellowish ground?

Ji Yang decided not to dwell on it. As the text faded, he began diligently using his Root Strengthening ability. 

Although he couldn’t increase his vitality in the simulated world, he could still strengthen his roots and control his growth direction.

In no time, Ji Yang’s roots found suitable soil. Although the earth was hard, it couldn’t withstand his determination. As time accelerated, Ji Yang’s physique became increasingly robust. From a mere seedling, he gradually grew taller. 

However, due to the complex terrain above, Ji Yang faced numerous twists and turns before finally breaking through the surface.

When his trunk reached the thickness of a thumb, the congestion around him disappeared. He looked around and saw everything was covered in thick snow. The world was vast and desolate, with only a hint of green on his branches standing out. At that moment, he realized that the map was not wrong.

He had been growing in a crevice beneath the snow, unable to see the scenery above ground at first.

But as his branches reached higher, Ji Yang quickly sensed something was amiss. While he was beneath the snow, he could withstand the cold. 

However, as his branches grew taller, they were exposed to chilling winds and biting frost. Without resistance to such low temperatures, his survival was unlikely.

Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, a new prompt appeared before him:

[The cold wind howls across the snowy land, and the weather is getting increasingly frigid. To resist the cold, do you choose?]

[Inject more nutrients into the leaves] 

[Inject more nutrients into the roots].

The same three options appeared again, and Ji Yang hesitated. Each choice would lead to a different outcome, some good, some bad. He didn’t know which was best, but he could rely on his previous simulation experience.

If he injected nutrients into the bark, his bark would likely become more resistant to the cold, possibly granting him abilities related to it after the simulation ended. 

However, since he was growing safely in the Ancestral Hall with the clan secret passage sealed, there was no immediate threat. Thus, Ji Yang ruled out this option.

For the second choice—injecting nutrients into the leaves—Ji Yang thought for a moment and ruled it out as well.

How could the leaves withstand the cold? He feared that if he chose this, he wouldn’t survive. Of course, based on past experiences, this option might not necessarily spell doom, but Ji Yang wasn’t willing to take the risk.

With two options eliminated, Ji Yang was left with the third: inject more nutrients into the roots.

Logically, injecting nutrients into the bark would seem like the best choice, as the bark is crucial in keeping a tree warm. But Ji Yang was not bound by logic, and neither was this world. 

Besides, the roots were also essential, and this time, he had Root Strengthening on his side. This was the main reason Ji Yang chose the third option.

After making his decision, Ji Yang decisively clicked on the last option. As the subtitles faded, Ji Yang immediately felt a change in his body. 

The nutrients that should have travelled up to the trunk and branches to make him stronger were now pooling in the roots, refusing to move upward. As these nutrients accumulated, his roots began to expand rapidly.

During this expansion, Ji Yang gradually felt a warmth emanating from deep within the roots. But this comfort was short-lived. When most of the nutrients were absorbed underground, Ji Yang's bark stopped growing, and its colour began to change. 

The few remaining green leaves on his branches turned yellow and eventually fell into the snow, buried beneath the white blanket.

From a distance, Ji Yang no longer resembled a tree but looked more like a withered branch sticking out of the frozen ground. 

Realizing his choice hadn’t triggered any new subtitles, Ji Yang knew he might have chosen poorly. But as long as he wasn’t dead, it wasn’t entirely wrong—just a different direction for his growth.

Slowly, Ji Yang’s roots grew warmer, as if they had undergone a mutation due to the excess nutrients. 

Even the snow around them began to melt. Seasons passed, and as Ji Yang's roots continued to expand, the snow above steadily melted away. 

With Ji Yang at the center, the surrounding area for several miles began to thaw, and patches of green slowly emerged from the once-frozen landscape.

As the green spread and the temperatures dropped, Ji Yang’s once-stalled trunk growth resumed, and new leaves began to sprout. 

Seeing this, Ji Yang finally felt a sense of relief. This time, it was indeed a stroke of luck. If not for his Root Strengthening ability, he might not have survived this harsh environment.

Gradually, Ji Yang’s trunk thickened, and the leaves on his branches grew lush and abundant. 

His underground roots spread even further, and what had once been a desolate snowfield was now transforming into a new oasis, born from Ji Yang’s tenacity and evolution.

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