In a simulated life scenario, how do you defy fate and change your destiny every time?

Akihachi Castle.

Bus stop.

When Lu Yuan looked at the transparent panel that appeared in front of him, he was stunned for a moment.

"Even the wound I accidentally fell on can heal ahead of schedule?"

Is this the defying nature of reversing cause and effect?

Lu Yuan glanced at his parents, who were waiting for the bus, and decided against immediately using his talent.

There are too many people and too many eyes outside, so it's not too late to use the "reversal of cause and effect" method after we get home.

It didn't take long.

A navy blue, intelligent, driverless bus slowly pulled up to a stop on the side of the road.

From the outside...

This vehicle is no different from a 21st-century bus.

However, the paint is peeling, the seats are covered with small advertisements, and the vehicle makes a creaking sound when it's moving.

Everyone was telling Lu Yuan that this car was probably older than him.

The bus was almost empty, with only four or five passengers.

These passengers were all dressed in shabby clothes, with sallow and numb faces, clearly indicating that they were residents of suburban neighborhoods.

Lu Yuan paid his fare and boarded the train, then randomly found a window seat to sit down.

As the driverless bus pulled onto the road, he watched the scenery rushing past the window, and a flood of memories about this world began to surface in his mind.

Based on the information he had gathered during his sixteen years living in this world.

Qiuye City, where he is currently located, is one of the six satellite cities affiliated with Xinghua City.

This city was mainly used to house various low-end industrial factories, as well as a large number of low-level workers and unemployed people. Its technological level was at least several centuries behind that of its contemporaries.

This also means.

A newborn baby born in Autumn Leaf City is considered to have a hellish start; it's probably best to consider restarting the game.

"To make matters worse, I also awakened a superior spiritual root."

Lu Yuan recalled the records about spiritual roots in his mind and couldn't help but sigh.

According to the Star Alliance's classification of spiritual root quality.

All spiritual roots can be roughly divided into five types: low-grade, medium-grade, high-grade, top-grade, and heavenly spiritual roots.

The higher the quality of one's spiritual root, the stronger one's talent for cultivation, but the demand for spiritual energy will also reach an unbelievable level.

But the poor are scholars, the rich are warriors.

If he had been born on one of those spiritually rich, auspicious stars for cultivation, he might have achieved great things.

However, Hulao Star is extremely lacking in spiritual energy, making it no different from a dead star.

under these circumstances.

For Lu Yuan, obtaining enough spirit stones for cultivation was harder than climbing to heaven.

This is especially true for someone like him who comes from a poor family at the bottom of society.

Study hard, get into a military academy, join the Star Guardian Reserve, and strive to become a qualified martial artist – that's the only way out.

"Martial artists, mecha pilots, psionicists, cultivators, psychic masters... It seems this world is even more fascinating than I imagined."

Lu Yuan said thoughtfully.

Although the Celestial Race monopolizes 99% of the spiritual energy and cultivation resources, life will find its own way.

Moreover, dark energy is rapidly spreading throughout the myriad worlds, and even this eight-star world cannot escape its reach.

Even though the Celestials tried their best to seal off the entire world.

But the source of darkness is everywhere, and it can even penetrate this world directly through the dark side of human nature.

Quietly.

This can corrupt and degenerate countless races of beings into dark alien races!

Even if the Celestial Race is incredibly powerful, how could they possibly fight against the Dark Origin, which is spreading like a virus, all by themselves?

They had no choice but to lift the restrictions and relinquish some of their benefits and resources, allowing all races in the universe to embark on the path of cultivation once again.

While chaos brings death and despair, it also provides countless lower-class races with a ladder to rise.

This once stagnant world has been revitalized, giving rise to numerous cultivation systems and advancement paths.

Among them, the cheapest and most suitable to be used as cannon fodder are martial artists.

Lu Yuan carefully sorted through the information in his mind and gained a general understanding of this world.

The Celestial Clan maintains strict vigilance against cultivators, and apart from a small number of cultivation forces that have pledged allegiance, they absolutely do not allow any independent cultivators to appear.

However, the restrictions on martial artists are much more lenient.

The Star Alliance, led by the Celestial Race, not only did not prohibit martial artists, but also strongly recommended that many people from poor backgrounds choose this path.

After all, compared to other cultivation systems...

With minimal investment and quick results, it is undoubtedly the most cost-effective and popular consumable among the Star Guardians.

of course.

Not all martial artists are cannon fodder.

If someone can fight their way out of the battlefield, they can still rise above others.

Those martial saints and martial gods who are regarded as idols by countless people followed this path.

There are two main ways for ordinary people to become martial artists.

The first option is to pass the entrance exam for a military academy and become a reserve member of the Astral Army, which will grant you access to a large amount of resources and combat skills for free.

The second option is to pay exorbitant tuition fees to join a martial arts school or similar organization in exchange for the combat skills and techniques needed to become a martial artist.

However, the latter is extremely expensive, exceeding the limits that ordinary people can afford.

In contrast.

The first method is undoubtedly the only hope for upward mobility for those at the bottom.

That's why Lu's father was so concerned about Lu Yuan being expelled from school.

As Lu Yuan was lost in thought, time flew by.

"Dear passengers, we have arrived at Chengjiao Community Station. Please be careful when opening the doors. Passengers alighting from the rear door, please do so."

after an hour.

As the voice announcement sounded, the driverless bus slowly came to a stop at the station.

Lu Yuan followed Lu Shan and his wife off the bus, and a dirty and dilapidated neighborhood immediately came into view.

Look around.

This neighborhood consists of low, simple tenement buildings and a large number of old buildings.

However, even in the slums, there are different classes.

The best locations are on the outskirts of the neighborhood, where there is not only plenty of sunshine, but also improved housing built by the government to enhance the city's appearance.

Both the living environment and living conditions are more comfortable than in other places.

Only migrant workers who work in Akihabara City can afford it.

But the further you go in, the more dilapidated the surrounding buildings become, and the dirtier and more chaotic the environment becomes.

Moreover, most of the sunlight is blocked by the surrounding high-rise buildings, making the light very dim.

Inside the neighborhood.

The buildings are very close together, and only a narrow, dark passageway separates two adjacent buildings.

If your arm is long enough, you can reach the window across the street with just one reach, which is why these buildings are often called "handshake buildings".

The intricate network of alleys and passageways connects countless buildings that are practically touching, forming this chaotic and dilapidated neighborhood.

Many three- or four-year-old children run and play in the aisle, and occasionally they pick up an old soccer ball and burst into innocent, cheerful laughter.

There were also some middle-aged women who were out of shape and overweight, who squatted at the door to pick vegetables and casually poured their sewage into the roadside ditch.

Piles of garbage and overflowing sewage.

It was cold and damp, and the sun never shone.

This is where Lu Yuan's family lives.

Originally, Lu Shan and his wife both worked in a machinery factory.

Although the salary wasn't much, at least the job was stable, enough to live in the outskirts of Autumn Leaf City.

However, after Lu Yuan was born, Lu Shan emptied his entire savings just to buy the spiritual elixir needed to sustain his life. In the end, he was left with a mountain of debt and had no choice but to move his entire family to this place.

After traversing a series of dark and damp alleys, Lu Yuan and his companions finally arrived at a dilapidated building that had been neglected for many years.

Lu Yuan walked into the building, took a few steps to the right, and the first apartment was theirs.

The first floor is damp, dark, and lacks light, so the rent is the cheapest.

A 30-square-meter one-bedroom apartment only costs four hundred Star Coins.

However, every night when I go to sleep, I can clearly hear the footsteps of all the residents going up and down the stairs and coming and going.

Lu Shan took out his key, opened the door, and casually pressed the light switch on the wall, illuminating the dark room with a soft light.

The layout of the room was immediately laid out before us.

Lu Yuan looked up.

The house is very simple, with only a few pieces of second-hand furniture.

The already cramped living room was divided in two by a wooden board.

The outside is where they eat, and inside there's a sofa where Lu Shan and his wife sleep.

The only room was Lu Yuan's bedroom.

"If it weren't for me, my parents wouldn't be having such a hard time..."

Lu Yuan watched all this silently, feeling very uncomfortable.

Although he has gone through many reincarnations and his Dao heart has become incredibly resilient, he dislikes owing favors to others.

He felt particularly conflicted about the selfless and devoted nurturing he received.

"I must become a martial artist or a mecha pilot as soon as possible. Only in this way can I change my fate and give my parents a better life."

Lu Yuan muttered to himself.

As for cultivators, they are not within his consideration for the time being.

In the absence of sufficient resources.

Even if he possessed the cultivation techniques and experience from his previous life, it would be difficult for him to embark on this path.

Forcing oneself onto the path of cultivation will not only severely deplete one's physical potential, but may also lead to death.

"Fortunately, Hulao Star is far from the central star field and is not within the influence range of the Star Alliance, so its management is very backward and chaotic."

"Otherwise, with my superior spiritual root, I fear I would have been nipped in the bud at birth."

Lu Yuan said helplessly.

"The team is rushing to meet deadlines, so I'll go back to work first."

Lu Shan picked up his water glass, gulped down a few mouthfuls of cool boiled water, and then hurriedly went out.

"A-Yuan, you go and rest first. Mom will take half a day off today and make your favorite braised pork for dinner."

Seeing that Lu Yuan had been silent the whole way, Lu's mother assumed that he had not yet recovered from the heavy blow of dropping out of school, so she immediately comforted him gently.

"Mom, don't worry, I'm fine. Don't overwork yourself."

Lu Yuan responded and returned to his bedroom.

Lock the door to make sure you won't be disturbed.

He then focused his mind and brought up the virtual panel that only he could see.

[Talent: Reversing Cause and Effect]

[Number of future results that can be anticipated: 1/1]

[Pre-paid results: 0]

[Available advance rewards: Head injury recovery, cooking skills, basic combat skills, junior high school knowledge, mechanical mastery, mecha proficiency...]

[Skills acquired: 0]

"I only have a superficial wound on my head, and it will heal in a couple of days."

"As for martial arts, a certain amount of funds needs to be invested in the early stages, which is still a long way off for someone like me who is penniless."

"The most urgent task is to master mecha knowledge as soon as possible, so that even if I become a mecha repair apprentice, I can have a stable source of income."

Looking at the column for advance payment of results, Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and decisively chose the Mech Mastery option.

next moment.

Lu Yuan was in a daze, and a flood of knowledge and information about mecha suddenly appeared in his mind.

This knowledge is as if it were innate.

It appeared not long ago, but it was deeply imprinted in his mind and he would never forget it.

It didn't take long.

After receiving all the information, Lu Yuan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Although on the surface, he looks no different from before.

But when he turned his head and saw a miniature mecha model on the desk, his mind involuntarily conjured up images of the model's internal structure and operating principles.

Without needing to think too much, he could easily spot the flaws and loopholes in the mecha model and know how to make it more perfect.

It can be said.

In his eyes now, even a real mecha is nothing more than a collection of thousands of parts.

"With my current knowledge of mecha, I can easily outperform those mecha repairmen with decades of experience and find a job with a monthly salary of over 10,000 yuan."

"If there are enough materials, it is even possible to build a Zero-type mech on one's own."

Lu Yuan pondered to himself.

Just like martial arts realms, mechs also have different levels.

Based on their combat strength, the mechs are divided into Type Zero and Tiers One through Nine.

Zero is the weakest of them all, belonging to the basic mech category.

As for the ninth-tier mechs, they are comparable to gods, possessing immense power capable of destroying the world.

However, even the most basic Zero-type mech can easily split mountains and rocks, and can take on a hundred enemies at once.

Just as he was daydreaming about the future, his vision suddenly went black, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his entire body.

"Oh no, I need to take an energy potion."

Lu Yuan's forehead veins bulged, and he clenched his teeth tightly, forcibly supporting his body as he rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a vial of medicine.

This medicine is like an oral liquid; a green liquid flows inside the glass bottle.

Upon seeing the green potion, every cell in his body felt an irresistible urge.

Like a long-barren desert, it desperately needs the nourishment of rain.

Without thinking twice, Lu Yuanlai immediately opened the bottle and poured all the green liquid into his mouth.

After all the liquid was absorbed, Lu Yuan's unbearable hunger subsided slightly.

"I have a top-grade spiritual root, yet I never imagined I would end up living in such poverty."

A self-deprecating bitter smile appeared on Lu Yuan's face.

This elixir is a basic energy potion developed by the Star Alliance. It contains a trace of spiritual herb essence and can enhance a martial artist's cultivation speed or physical recovery ability.

However, it is extremely expensive, costing 20,000 Star Coins per tube.

Spiritual energy is like water, and cultivators are like fish.

On this spiritually barren planet, Hulao.

Lu Yuan could only barely maintain normal vital signs by taking basic energy potions to nourish his spiritual root.

Otherwise, he would die of thirst like a dehydrated fish!

“I take a basic energy potion every month, which adds up to 240,000 star coins a year.”

"But even if my parents work overtime every day, their combined annual salary is only around 100,000 yuan."

"To make up for the shortfall in purchasing energy potions, our family has already incurred millions in debt!"

Lu Yuan clenched his fists, feeling very upset.

You can't raise a true dragon in shallow water.

In a world lacking spiritual energy, a superior spiritual root is a curse.

It's like throwing a baby shark into a puddle of water that's about to dry up; even if it survives, its body will become severely deformed.

Only by becoming a mech pilot as soon as possible and earning enough training resources can he completely change his fate! (End of Chapter)