Looking at the bushes in the distance, Li Jun had the urge to avoid them, but he could tell his body might not be able to handle it anymore in the water. The log he was barely hanging on would probably be the only thing left at the end of the day, unless he moved to the shore.

With some difficulty, he still managed to slap his legs in the water, and this was indeed consuming his energy quickly, but he could see that it was working as he approached the shore.

"I will need something to eat, but it seems that in this virtual world, things have to be done just like in the real world. Other than the two prompts about my mission objective, nothing else seems different from the real world." He thought to himself as he approached the shore.

He had some suspicions, but he threw them out of his head and did not consider them useful to him. Regardless of what this virtual world was, it was not his business, at least with his current self. He could be considered pitifully weak to run around meddling in things that concern the universe.That was no different from seeking a fast death.

Even if he recovered the power he had in his previous timeline, he would probably not be a speck of dust before the Universe Hall. His intuition was able to tell him this, and he believed it.

In the current world, for instance, things like genetic engineering have made major breakthroughs.and almost all diseases are under control. 

Things of the past, such as genetic illness, can be handled in a simple manner. It is just the manipulation of the genes, and this has no danger, but it is still rare to find those with such affliction. The spread of the virus did make humans mutate, and some issues were erased along with it.

It is not abnormal; after all, the number of deaths after the virus spread was massive. It has been a long time, and the human population has risen but yet to reach the same level as before.

Resources that the elites control come from many means, but the quickest way to become rich in the current world is to become an explorer in the vast and dangerous ruins of space. The other is joining the battlefield and killing the evolved creatures.

The number of such creatures is forever on the rise and requires resources to support themselves, as weak humans are considered an option. In each sector, there is a battlefield, from which it is possible for one to hone battle experience and, at the same time, gather resources.

The bodies of the creatures that used to be below humans in the food chain are worth a lot in the current world. Their flesh, bones, and even blood can be categorized as treasures.

It is also in this fashion that the immortal path differs from the other paths, as they could attack from afar with the assistance of some means.

This kind of thing makes even parents more assured when they push for their children to take the safest path.

The richest individuals at the moment are the immortals, as they have massive influence, but that is only in terms of things that interest mortals, such as money.

The other stronger individuals in other paths are probably the old generations, who do not care about things such as money on this planet anymore. It can't help them purchase what they like. Most of which are strategic resources for practicing.

With the vast age difference, even the thinking of some of the younger generation is that they can influence the world with their wealth. Wealth and fame are things that one can pursue, but in the end, they will age out of it. This does not mean they are old and about to die; rather, they have lived long enough and seen a lot.

For those at this stage, what they enjoy is the pursuit of a higher stage on their path. This is something that those who have not practiced can't understand.

*****

Finally, when Li Jun reached the shore, he crawled while panting heavily. Just being on the shore gave him some relief. This was regardless of the fact that he had yet to leave this dangerous environment he had brought himself into.

"Indeed! Humans, we are creatures of habit; even though there is no difference between the water and the land, the air feels fresher here." That was the thought that was going through his mind as the sun kept reflecting on his face.

This feeling was refreshing, and he had not felt it for a long time. Now that he thinks about it, in the past timeline, he was just striving to increase his realm without even having any aim. This time, he had the desire to be able to not only protect himself but also those close to him.

Other than that, it would be a lie to say that he did not like the thrill of becoming stronger. This was the same for everyone, regardless of the path they were on.

He was curious about a lot of things at the time of his death in his previous timeline, and the most important was how the creature that killed him with just a glance perceived his existence.

Was he an ant it had stepped on, a future threat, or an annoyance before it? Such thinking is indeed different for everyone, and more importantly, he was wondering whether he would also be able to reach such a stage.

This all comes together to fill him with the desire to do his best, as he had a hunch that this mission would have a lot to do with his future.

Looking into the sky, he had many thoughts flowing through his head, but even so, the most important thing was about his family.

"I had not seen my parents for years; the same is true for my little sister, Li Hongxuan. Well, let's focus on what is important first; the other things can be dealt with once we leave this 'virtual world'." he shook off all the distractions.

His main goal at the moment was to allow his body to regain strength, and for that, he needed something to eat.

" There is no way to handle this problem for the moment. " he turned around and observed his surroundings.

Everything in his line of sight did not seem to give him the vibe of being edible at all.

"This person is indeed without any Providence. It would be very stupid of me to hope for luck; otherwise, he would not have died so fast. From my understanding, the Providence of a person has the ability to turn disaster into an opportunity. Since that is the case, it would be best to get rid of that dangerous thought about exploring this zone. "

As someone who had some experiences from his previous timeline, how could he not understand the nature of the world?

Perhaps the weaker him might have thought of things such as Providence as unrealistic, but he knew clearly that this was among the principles of the operation of the universe.

With such awareness, he was able to clearly tell that he lacked in that area. Or, to be more specific, the body he was currently in was without Providence.

This was very clear from how easily he lost his life.

Having a hard life was not a big deal; it could be overlooked by him, but how his life trajectory developed to this point could not be overlooked.

"How could I have overlooked this issue? But then again, it is difficult for me to put it into consideration. Let's just take it day by day; at most, we should avoid risks that are avoidable." Li Jun was already able to feel that something was beyond his control, but what could be handled should be.

When it came to Providence, one could alter it by changing the trajectory of their life. In his case, he had to succeed in stepping on the path of martial arts. The more he advanced, the bigger the change, but this kind of thinking would make anyone unwilling to accept it.

Others might even ask, since he would have already become stronger then, what is the point of his Providence improving?

Actually, it is simple for fated encounters, and this is very important for anyone on the path of trying to break away from their mortal body. 

He had reached an intelligence level of 55 before death, and with this, he came to the realization that many things existed and pushed the operation of the world, including cause and effect, fate, space, and time, where some of the information he had come in contact with most of the time. With his level of intelligence, how could he not piece things together?

He realized that once someone became stronger, they were trying to escape control of these aspects, but it was difficult, and in most cases, one had to even comprehend them first. It is a pity he was far from such a stage or that the immortal path did not provide him with such a chance.

The stronger he became, the more he felt like something was wrong,, as he had gone to extremes to purify his energy and soul, to the point of incompatibility with something he had to understand.

Only at the dying moment did he gain some enlightenment, but it was useless.