Sure enough, the Heliobus in this simulation was not "Flint Emperor" at all, not even a direct descendant.
He was just one of the countless ordinary Heliobus on the Xianzhou, recently born and ubiquitous.
A standard small fry.
"Tsk…"
Orion curled his lips, quickly adjusting his mindset.
So what if it wasn't Flint Emperor?
Can't a small fry still earn points?
Perfect, more freedom!
At least it had to be better than that useless Fu Xuan, right?
[2 years old: The Xianzhou civilization has not yet received the blessings of the Ambrosial Arbor, and mortal lifespans are limited.]
[At this moment, the Xianzhou still maintains an open, even curious, attitude towards various extraterrestrial visitors, including the mysterious Heliobus.]
[Many Xianzhou natives are immersed in the illusions woven by the Heliobus, regarding them as fortuitous encounters or divine revelations, and the relationship between the two sides is still in a delicate 'honeymoon period'.]
[The body you are parasitizing is named 'A Yun', an orphan who works odd jobs in a restaurant in Xianzhou Zhuming. His greatest wish is to receive the blessings of the Vidyadhara and attain longevity.]
[3 years old: You are hidden within A Yun, becoming a symbiont.]
[You observe the customs and traditions of Xianzhou Zhuming through his eyes, and the prosperity of this colossal city-ship truly broadens your horizons.]
[You also see various scenes of Xianzhou natives and Heliobus coexisting: some worship the Heliobus, praying for blessings. Some use the power of the Heliobus to handle affairs. There are also Heliobus who create illusions to satisfy their hosts' desires in exchange for 'sustenance'.]
[4 years old: Your host, A Yun, is a rather kind, even somewhat naive, young man.
He does not reject your existence; in fact, after learning that a "Heliobus Immortal Spirit" is residing within him, he even feels a bit honored. He yearns for longevity and believes this might be some kind of opportunity.]
[Gradually, you discover that A Yun's mental power is far inferior to yours.]
[You can even easily influence A Yun's emotions, and occasionally, when A Yun is extremely tired, you can temporarily take over control of his body to help him complete the arduous work at the restaurant.]
[A Yun not only showed no vigilance about this but revelled in it.]
[He felt that you, this "Heliobus Immortal Spirit," were helping him, that you were his good companion.]
[Immortal Spirit, sorry to bother you. Thanks to you today, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have been able to move those sacks of rice." That night, A Yun lay in his simple dwelling and spoke to you inside him, a smile on his face.]
[You thought, foolish Xianzhou native. But, this is good too, it makes things convenient for you.]
[5 years old: You discover that unlike other Heliobus, besides being able to possess a human body, you also have another skill.]
[You can consume mental power to make some Golden Threads appear around you that only you can see, using them to perceive everything around you.]
[Utilizing the convenience of being parasitic within A Yun, you begin to try and activate those Golden Threads.]
[A surge of mental power was released from within the body, transforming into countless imperceptible fine Golden Threads, silently spreading outwards from A Yun's body as the center.]
[They were like living vines, clinging to walls, beams, the ground, and even floating dust.]
[Soon, an invisible network covered the entire street where the restaurant was located.]
[Countless fragmented streams of information flowed into your consciousness: Old Wang next door's snoring, the complaints of the fabric shop owner across the street, the playful shouts of children at the street corner, the password for the patrolling guards' shift change, the mental fluctuations of other Heliobus of your kind communicating in the dark alley...]
[This feeling of omniscience and omnipotence made you feel incredibly comfortable.]
[6 years old: Days passed in this tranquility. While you drew A Yun's emotions and life force as 'sustenance' to strengthen yourself, you continuously expanded the coverage of the Golden Threads, from one street to one block, and then to a larger area.]
[This day, your 'Golden Thread' was, as usual, capturing every stir in the area.]
[Suddenly, a conversation from deep within a heavily guarded mansion caught your attention.]
"...General, reports concerning Heliobus have been increasing recently."
A worried voice said, "Possession, causing disturbances... If this continues, it will become a grave hidden danger for the Xianzhou!"
Another authoritative voice responded:
"Hmm, I am aware of this matter. These rootless Heliobus are already causing trouble shortly after arriving on the Xianzhou... Issue an order to strengthen monitoring of Heliobus activities. If anyone crosses the line, directly imprison them!"
"Yes! But... how should those Xianzhou natives who coexist with Heliobus be dealt with?"
"...Observe them for a while longer. If the Heliobus truly become a menace, we must act decisively!"
The conversation ended there.]
[You were startled after hearing this conversation.]
[The Xianzhou higher-ups have already begun to be wary of the Heliobus?]
[7 years old: In Xianzhou Zhuming, a plague originating from the Heliobus is quietly spreading.]
[In the streets and alleys, people's discussions were no longer about daily trifles, but about those who had "changed."
"Old Li's daughter was lively and bouncing around yesterday, but today her eyes are staring blankly, like a wooden stake!"
"Indeed! Zhang the butcher from the south of the city, strong enough to overturn an ox, suddenly went mad two days ago, biting anyone he saw, muttering incomprehensible gibberish!"
[Panic quickly spread within Zhuming, and more and more households closed their doors.]
[You, residing within A Yun, clearly "saw" all of this through the Golden Thread network.]
[Countless invisible Golden Threads silently clung to the city; they were your eyes, your ears.]
"Is the possession tide coming...?" You had a premonition.]
[The instinctive evolution process of the Heliobus is divided into absorption, possession, and devouring. When this instinct is unrestrainedly released, it is a destructive disaster for the parasitic body.]
[8 years old: The information captured by your Golden Threads was far more than just street rumors.]
[You could already clearly hear the conversations of the Zhuming higher-ups in the city.]
"...Heliobus possessed individuals are acting erratically, posing a serious threat to Xianzhou order."
"Strong measures must be taken! If this continues, Zhuming will be in danger!"
"The Ministry of Industry is urgently developing weapons targeting the Heliobus; they must be put into use as soon as possible."
"The cleansing operation is imminent!"
[After listening, you understood that the Xianzhou higher-ups had already deemed the Heliobus a cancerous growth that must be eradicated. A cleansing was only a matter of time.]
[9 years old: The Golden Threads network continued to expand, not only monitoring Xianzhou natives but also locking onto other Heliobus individuals.]
[You discovered that those Heliobus who had completely occupied their hosts' bodies were indeed terrifyingly powerful.]
[They were no longer faint flickers of flame, but raging infernos, consuming everything of their hosts, turning them into their puppets.]
[That kind of powerful energy could be clearly felt even through the Golden Threads.]
"Devouring, huh..." A strong craving suddenly surged within you.]
[That was the most primitive instinct belonging to the Heliobus, a hunger for their own kind.]
[Devouring fellow Heliobus was the fastest way to strengthen oneself. Especially powerful individuals; once successfully devoured, the increase in power would be explosive.]
[But reason told you, now was not the time.]
[Those fully possessed Heliobus were like roaring furnaces; if you, a small flame, rashly approached, you would only be instantly swallowed.]
[You needed to wait for an opportunity.]