The simulator thoughtfully provided detailed introductions for each reward, allowing Xu Xi to more intuitively assess the pros and cons of each option.
For example, the first option, Peak Cultivation.
If Xu Xi chose this, he would gain the Golden Core cultivation from the simulated life, giving him immediate self-defense capabilities in the real world. Instead of painfully starting over from the Qi Refinement Stage.
"An S- rating allows me to choose three rewards. By that logic, A and B ratings would grant two or one reward, or perhaps significantly reduce the quality of the rewards."
"This means I'll have to aim for high ratings in future simulations."
Xu Xi pondered, his gaze sweeping over the five reward options.
He quickly decided on the first and third options: Peak Cultivation and Wood Heavenly Spirit Root.
Choosing cultivation would save time, allowing him to reach the Golden Core Stage directly. The Wood Heavenly Spirit Root would ensure his future strength progression. These were the two things Xu Xi needed most right now.
As for the third reward... Xu Xi looked at the last option, a seemingly ordinary candy jar.
The jar was just an ordinary jar, and the candies inside were just ordinary candies.
Xu Xi knew this well.
After all, this candy jar was something he had bought at a mortal market.
Xu Xi hadn't expected that this jar of candy, which he had left in his storage ring as a "gift" to cheer up his sister, would appear as a simulation reward.
It was even specially marked as "will never expire again."
"So, it did expire once?" Xu Xi's expression was complicated. "It seems what I did really upset Mo Li, to the point where she didn't eat a single piece of candy."
With a self-deprecating laugh, the young man chose the candy jar as his final reward.
He had all the cultivation memories, so he could start practicing Dao techniques from scratch, and resources could be collected again in reality.
Only this unremarkable, even mediocre jar of candy could never be replicated. It was a treasure with special meaning from another world.
Even if it wasn't useful, Xu Xi wanted to keep it as a memento.
A memento of the girl he would never meet again.
【Ding, reward selection complete. Beginning distribution...】
As the simulator's screen refreshed, Xu Xi suddenly felt his body lighten. The sense of power he had only experienced in the simulated world instantly filled his entire being. He skipped the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages, forming a flawless, perfect Golden Core.
The Wood Heavenly Spirit Root took root in his body's inner cavities.
As for the candy jar, it appeared in Xu Xi's hand out of thin air.
The jar was a cylindrical ceramic vessel with a slightly reflective pale green surface. Lifting the lid revealed various candies inside.
There were soft candies, crispy candies, hard candies, and fruit preserves.
When living in Blackstone City, the siblings' life was quite impoverished. Back then, Xu Xi could only buy some cheap candies to satisfy his sister's cravings.
That's why, for this final gift of candy, Xu Xi had been very meticulous, filling the jar with all kinds of candies he could find.
"Too bad, the candy never got to the person who was supposed to eat it."
Xu Xi spoke with a tone of regret.
Holding the jar, he placed it on the nightstand, slightly moving it back to avoid direct sunlight.
After doing this, Xu Xi took a deep breath and began circulating his Golden Core with practiced ease. For the first time in reality, he practiced breathing techniques, and gentle spiritual energy surged through his meridians in a cycle.
With the Golden Core and Wood Heavenly Spirit Root, his innate ability, Wood Regeneration, naturally appeared.
Wood Regeneration, which could regenerate severed limbs.
Of course, it could also heal Xu Xi's crippled legs in the real world.
"Good, just as expected."
"The reality world, which has already experienced spiritual energy revival, is not much different from the cultivation world in the simulation. This means I can use my innate ability."
Excited emotions couldn't be suppressed.
Xu Xi absorbed spiritual energy from the air as quickly as possible, converting it into his own spiritual power reserves.
Then he activated his Golden Core innate ability, Wood Regeneration.
He directed it at his crippled legs.
"Zzz..." A faint bubbling sound emerged as endless vitality infused into his legs, healing, mending, and reshaping them into perfect condition.
When Xu Xi tried moving his legs for the first time in years, they responded without any hindrance.
Walking, jumping, crouching.
Everything was smooth.
No different from a normal person.
"Finally, finally, I've waited for this day!" In the room alone, Xu Xi couldn't help but cover his face and laugh. It took a while for him to calm down.
It wasn't surprising he was so unhinged. Those years with crippled legs had been incredibly stifling.
In the past, even a small step could pose a great challenge for Xu Xi, often forcing him to take detours or ask strangers for help.
Now, a brand-new life was opening its doors to Xu Xi.
Everything was thanks to the simulator.
If he could have more simulations, Xu Xi's life would surely change completely, leading him to an unimaginable new future.
"The problem is, simulations aren't something you can start whenever you want."
After walking with his legs for the first time in a long while, Xu Xi put away his old wheelchair. Holding a slightly yellowed apple, he activated his Wood Spiritual Power, and the apple instantly returned to its freshest state.
Taking a bite, it was crisp and sweet.
His eyes glanced at the simulator's interface.
On the pale blue virtual screen only he could see, a text prompt appeared:
【Simulation cooldown refresh time: 9999 days 6 hours】
Subtracting the time Xu Xi had been asleep, it could be concluded that the simulator's natural cooldown was once every ten thousand days.
This number was somewhat alarming. Fortunately, the simulator provided a second method, so Xu Xi wouldn't have to wait ten thousand days.
【Recharge anchor point medium to obtain new simulation times. Please recharge frequently, and live your best life soon】
Ignoring the simulator's promotional-style message, Xu Xi's focus was on the words "anchor point medium."
"Anchor point..."
"Medium..."
"Sounds like some kind of locator," Xu Xi mused, asking the simulator a few more questions to confirm it referred to items that could be found in the real world, then silently memorized it.
He wasn't in a hurry.
Having just finished his first simulation, Xu Xi was still in the process of digesting it. He wasn't rushing to start a second one.
Take things one step at a time.
That principle always applies.
For now, Xu Xi planned to practice Dao techniques at home, restoring the combat power befitting a Golden Core cultivator. After that, he would go out and see the world, appreciating the reality that had rapidly developed during his crippled years due to spiritual energy revival.
In the past, with limited mobility, he could only get a glimpse through his phone, but it was far from enough.
Now.
With his Golden Core cultivation and healed legs, Xu Xi finally had the qualifications to truly understand the true face of this new era.