Jiang's head spun as the notifications filled his vision. He had finally cleared the tutorial, and though he wasn't sure what to expect next, he felt a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.
As the final message faded, he felt a gentle tug, as though the very fabric of reality was pulling him from the world he was in. The familiar landscape of Greenwood Village blurred, dissolving into streaks of light, and before he knew it, Jiang found himself standing in an entirely different environment.
He blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden shift. The place he was in now was vastly different from the quaint village. The air here felt charged with energy, buzzing with an almost palpable intensity. He was in a vast chamber, sleek and metallic, the walls lined with strange symbols that seemed to pulse with a dim light. The floor beneath him was smooth, like polished stone, but it emitted a soft warmth that was oddly comforting.
Before him stretched a corridor that branched into several rooms, each entrance marked with symbols that he instinctively understood.
[Welcome to the Main Hub, Jiang Xíngxīng,] the familiar voice echoed in his mind, still laced with that casual, almost playful tone. [This will be your base of operations as you progress through your journey.]
Jiang looked around, taking in the various rooms that awaited him.
"The Main Hub, huh?" he murmured. The voice continued.
[Here, you'll find everything you need to prepare for the challenges ahead. There are rooms for training, meditation, eating, and more. This is also where you can access the shop, where you can spend your hard-earned shop coins. Oh, and don't forget—you can return here after every level you complete.]
A series of icons appeared in his field of vision, representing the different rooms available in the Hub:
1. **Training Room**: A space where Jiang could hone his martial skills, sparring against simulated opponents that could mimic a wide range of fighting styles.
2. **Meditation Room**: A serene space designed for cultivating his Qi, where the flow of energy was enhanced, allowing him to strengthen his techniques and improve his control.
3. **Dining Hall**: A place where he could replenish his strength with meals that also provided subtle boosts to his physical and spiritual energy.
4. **Shop**: A room filled with various items—some practical, others mysterious. His eyes were particularly drawn to a simple but sharp-looking sword priced at 10 shop coins. Other items included healing pills, basic cultivation pills, and more.
5. **Exit Room**: This room housed the gateways to three different destinations—the Next Level, the Real World, and the Community Hub. Each gateway was marked by a shimmering portal, glowing with a soft, inviting light.
Jiang knew he had time before he needed to make his next move, so he decided to explore the Hub further. He first made his way to the Shop.
The Shop was a large, circular room with shelves upon shelves of items. A holographic display floated in the center, listing the available items and their prices. Jiang scanned through them, noting the various pills, weapons, and scrolls. Most of the items were far beyond his current coin balance, but a few were within his reach.
One item caught his eye—a simple yet sturdy sword, priced at 10 shop coins. He picked it up, testing its weight. It was well-balanced, light but strong, perfect for someone like him who was still growing in strength.
"I'll take this," Jiang decided. The sword vanished from the display, and his balance dropped to 15 coins. He felt the weight of the sword solidify in his hand, real and ready for use.
With his new weapon secured, Jiang turned his attention to the next most practical items
—the pills.
He quickly realized that he could only afford one, so he had to choose carefully. He weighed his options between a healing pill and a basic cultivation pill, ultimately deciding on the cultivation pill. It would help him build a foundation faster, something he knew he needed as his journey grew more dangerous.
With his purchases made, Jiang headed to the Meditation Room. The atmosphere inside was tranquil, with a soft light filtering through the walls, creating an ambiance of peace and focus. He sat down, crossing his legs, and began to meditate, using the Flowing Qi technique he had just earned.
As he meditated, he could feel the Qi within him starting to circulate more efficiently, his body absorbing the energy from the environment. He consumed the cultivation pill he had purchased, feeling the warmth spread through his core as it enhanced his Qi. The process was soothing yet invigorating, and by the time he finished, he felt a noticeable improvement in his strength and control.
Satisfied with his progress, Jiang finally made his way to the Exit Room. The three portals shimmered before him, each representing a different path.
The first portal, marked **Next Level**, glowed with a vibrant, almost electric energy. This would lead him to another cultivation world—one far more dangerous and complex than the tutorial. The people there would be wary, and he would have to be cunning to advance.
The second portal, marked **Real World**, pulsed with a steady, familiar rhythm. It was a reminder of the life he had left behind, and stepping through it would return him to the moment he had departed—aboard the rocket to Mars. Time in the real world had paused, and if he chose this portal, he would step back into his previous life, albeit with all the knowledge and power he had gained.
The third portal, marked **Community Hub**, flickered with a chaotic, unpredictable energy. It was a lawless space—a world where transmigrators like him gathered. It was a place of opportunity and danger in equal measure, where the strong ruled and the weak were at their mercy. Jiang knew he wasn't strong enough to venture there just yet, but the allure of meeting others like him, learning from them, and perhaps even forming alliances, was tempting.
He stood there, contemplating his choices. The Next Level would undoubtedly be challenging, but it would also help him grow. The Real World was safe, familiar, but he knew that the path of cultivation was where his true destiny lay. The Community Hub was a wild card—a place he could explore later, once he had gained more power.
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang made his decision. He stepped toward the portal that resonated most with his current state of mind, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
---
And so, the journey continued. With each level, Jiang would return to the Main Hub, growing stronger, wiser, and more determined. The vast world of cultivation lay before him, filled with opportunities and dangers he could scarcely imagine. But with the Hub as his base, and the strength he would gather along the way, Jiang was confident that he could overcome any obstacle in his path.