[During your last simulation, you experienced this same inexplicable fluctuation.]
[It had to be a method specifically for testing aptitudes and talents.]
["Hmm?"]
[You waited a moment, noticing the inexplicable fluctuation continuing to wash over you.]
[It didn't end as quickly as it had during the last simulation.]
[You looked at the armored Guardian Deity.]
[The red glow in its eyes flickered continuously as it stared, sizing you up.]
[You knew exactly what was going on.]
[It must have detected your age and cultivation level.]
[According to the armored Guardian Deity's testing principles, how would your aptitude be rated?]
[Could you receive the Golden Core Formation Pill as a reward?]
[Time passed.]
[Dozens of breaths went by.]
[The red glow in the armored Guardian Deity's eyes finally faded.]
[The inexplicable fluctuation quickly dissipated alongside it.]
[The armored Guardian Deity looked at you and slowly spoke, its tone shifting slightly.]
["Dharma cultivation aptitude test complete—"]
["Race: Human."]
["Age: Seventeen."]
["Cultivation: Peak Tier Two."]
["Status: Abundant potential, surging source energy."]
["Evaluation: Top-tier aptitude, suspected to possess innate talent."]
["Test result: Pass."]
[Hearing this, you fell into thought.]
[In the current era, top-tier aptitude undoubtedly referred to talents like Heavenly Spiritual Roots, Treasure Bodies, or Dao Bodies.]
[But the Youshan Inner Realm originated from antiquity. The "top-tier aptitude" mentioned by the puppet Guardian Deity naturally referred to the top-tier aptitudes of the ancient era.]
[In the ancient era, worldly spiritual energy and resources were abundant. Even a Heavenly Spiritual Root couldn't be considered a top-tier aptitude.]
[Certain uniquely blessed cultivators possessed multiple talents, fusing a Heavenly Spiritual Root, a Treasure Body, and a Dao Body into one.]
[Those were the true favored children of heaven.]
[Top-tier aptitudes with the hope of becoming Nascent Soul True Monarchs.]
[A Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator was only qualified to be called a Nascent Soul seed if they formed a Flawless Golden Core.]
[But a top-tier aptitude from the ancient era would be seen as a Nascent Soul seed even before Core Formation.]
["Suspected to possess innate talent?"]
[A strange feeling welled up inside you.]
[The reason it had added "suspected" was likely because the armored Guardian Deity had scanned you for half a day and simply couldn't identify which aptitude you possessed.]
[But your age, status, and cultivation were right there, and it wasn't as if you were a Master possessing a new body.]
[Therefore, after eliminating all impossibilities, only one possibility remained.]
[You possessed some kind of talent that defied detection.]
[That was why it had given the evaluation of "suspected" innate talent.]
[In fact, in a way, the armored Guardian Deity wasn't wrong.]
[You really did possess a talent that couldn't be detected.]
[And that was your simulation ability.]
[While this ability was absolutely inconceivable, it still counted as your talent.]
[After all, it was unique to you, and only you could use it.]
[Whoosh—]
[The armored Guardian Deity began testing your other aptitudes.]
[The test results were no different from your last simulation.]
[Because of the purple talent Indomitable Will, you also possessed aptitudes for ghost cultivation and soul cultivation.]
[But it still wasn't enough to pass the tests and become a trial-taker for either path.]
['Soul cultivation, ghost cultivation...']
[At the end of your third simulation, when you took Dachun into the Savage Wilderness, you had encountered a ghost cultivator whose methods were indeed incredibly bizarre.]
[However, their weakness was also glaring—they were perfectly countered by the physical vitality of Dachun's body.]
["Trial-taker, you have passed the test..."]
[The armored Guardian Deity looked at you and said, "Since the near-ancient era, you are the 9,631st trial-taker to pass the test..."]
["The near-ancient era..."]
[Your mind stirred. 'This should be the era I am currently in.']
["What is my aptitude ranking among these nine thousand plus trial-takers?"]
[You asked curiously.]
[The armored Guardian Deity fell silent for a moment before speaking: "Thirteenth."]
["There are twelve people ahead of me?"]
[You sighed inwardly, reaching a conclusion.]
[Your simulator wasn't working hard enough!]
["You may call me the Guardian Deity. I have guarded this place for tens of millions of years."]
["If you have any questions, you can ask me at any time..."]
[The armored Guardian Deity looked at you and said.]
['Its attitude really has changed...' you thought to yourself, simultaneously asking the question on your mind. "Can I bring other people in here to participate in the trials?"]
[If you could bring people in, you planned to sell quotas to enter this place after reaching Core Formation.]
[Although it required at least a Heavenly Spiritual Root to barely pass the aptitude test and enter the trial phase...]
[It was impossible for the entire Taiyuan Region to lack even a single Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator.]
[Moreover, every Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator had a ridiculously massive background. The price they could pay would definitely be sky-high.]
["The Serene Realm Trial Grounds offers ten trial quotas every five hundred years..." the armored Guardian Deity stated.]
["Serene Realm Trial Grounds..." You finally learned the name of the Youshan Inner Realm, but felt slightly disappointed. "Only ten quotas?"]
["How many quotas are left right now?" you immediately asked.]
["Two," the armored Guardian Deity replied.]
["Seven have been used up?" you asked, quite puzzled. "Is there more than one entrance to the Serene Realm Trial Grounds?"]
[Considering how remote Youshan was, had seven cultivators with at least a Heavenly Spiritual Root visited here over the past few centuries?]
["There are a total of 363 entrances to the Serene Realm Trial Grounds," the armored Guardian Deity said.]
["I see."]
[A look of realization dawned on your face.]
[Youshan was merely one entrance connecting to this realm.]
["I have another question. What kind of existences are Ancient Saints, and what is the ancient saint bloodline?"]
[You continued your inquiries.]
[At the end of the third simulation, you had been quite curious about the ancient saint bloodline Dachun possessed.]
[Unfortunately, Dachun probably hadn't asked the armored Guardian Deity much about it, so you didn't know either.]
["At the beginning of the ancient era, Ancient Saints roamed the world. After their deaths, their bloodlines sprinkled across the human realm, taking root within the bodies of all living beings..."]
["Only a very small number of living beings will awaken the ancient saint bloodline within them."]
["Those who awaken the ancient saint bloodline can reach the threshold of top-tier aptitude..."]
[The armored Guardian Deity explained.]
[You quietly listened to the armored Guardian Deity's explanation.]
[A moment later, you asked a few more questions.]
[You intended to ask about the origins of this Serene Realm Trial Grounds and who its creator was.]
[However, the armored Guardian Deity met you with silence. It seemed it didn't know either.]
["Never mind."]
[You asked directly, "I wonder what rewards I can get after passing the test?"]
[The armored Guardian Deity had mentioned that as long as one passed the test, they would receive a reward, and the specific reward depended on the level of their aptitude.]
[In other words, the higher the aptitude, the more precious the reward.]
[This was exactly why you had rushed here right at the start of this simulation.]
[Your goal was that Golden Core Formation Pill. The earlier you came, the younger you were, and naturally, the higher your final evaluation would be.]
["As a top-tier aptitude genius ranked thirteenth since the near-ancient era, you may choose one item from the following rewards..."]
[The armored Guardian Deity waved its hand, and images condensed, flashing continuously before your eyes.]
["Thousand-Year Yin-Yang Vine... Four-Pattern Longevity Fruit... Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit... Embryonic Spirit Treasure..."]
[Looking at the flashing images before you, your breathing naturally grew heavy.]
[Because you had passed the aptitude test with a thirteenth-place ranking since the near-ancient era, the list of rewards you saw this time was far more precious than the treasures from the last simulation.]
[The starting point was at the third-tier level, and there was no lack of fourth-tier world-shaking treasures.]
[For example, the Thousand-Year Yin-Yang Vine was a top-tier fourth-tier rare treasure. Whether forged into a supreme-grade magic treasure or cultivated, it was enough to make Nascent Soul True Monarchs burn with desire.]
[And the Four-Pattern Longevity Fruit... A Longevity Fruit was a supreme treasure for extending one's lifespan.]
[A Four-Pattern Longevity Fruit meant it would be effective even for a Nascent Soul True Monarch.]
[A single Four-Pattern Longevity Fruit could roughly extend a True Monarch's lifespan by two hundred years.]
[Two hundred years of lifespan! A True Monarch only had a lifespan of a thousand years to begin with. Two hundred years? That was enough to drive an elderly True Monarch mad.]
[As for the Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit, it was a life-saving item. For anyone below the True Monarch realm, no matter what injuries they suffered, as long as a sliver of their remnant soul remained, consuming it would allow them to rapidly recover.]
[If they had lost their physical body, it would even condense a Fire Spirit Treasure Body that perfectly harmonized with their remnant soul.]
[For any Golden Core Master, a Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit was an unattainable life-saving treasure. Not only could it save their life at any given moment, but it could also grant them a Fire Spirit Treasure Body out of thin air.]
[If True Person Blood Sea, sealed within the Shanhai Ring, had a Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit, why would he need to go out of his way to pick a vessel to possess?]
[However, Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits were simply too rare. Normal Vermilion Fruits could only grow for a thousand years at most before withering and decaying.]
[Ten thousand years? Who knew how many Vermilion Fruits it took to produce a single one like this.]
['This is the treatment of a top-tier aptitude genius since the near-ancient era...']
[You marveled inwardly.]
['I really want them all...']
[You thought to yourself.]
[Even if you couldn't use most of them—such as the Embryonic Spirit Treasure, which only True Monarchs were qualified to use and Masters couldn't even activate, let alone you...]
[Just keeping them on hand would be enough to trade with a True Monarch.]
[You glanced at the armored Guardian Deity and couldn't help but ask, "Can I choose a few more?"]
["You may only choose one..." the armored Guardian Deity replied expressionlessly.]
[You picked carefully and finally saw the Golden Core Formation Pill near the middle of the list.]
[Even in the ancient era, Golden Core Formation Pills were incredibly precious, but among this pile of treasures, it wasn't the most valuable.]
[But to you, the Golden Core Formation Pill was the best choice.]
[No matter how precious the other treasures were, they ranked second to forming a Flawless Golden Core.]
[Only with a Flawless Golden Core did one have hope of reaching the Nascent Soul realm. External power was merely external; it couldn't compare to the personal strength of a True Monarch.]
[Furthermore, these treasures weren't limited to just this simulation. You could always choose them in the next simulation, or the one after that.]
["I choose the Golden Core Formation Pill."]
[You looked at the armored Guardian Deity and stated your choice.]
["Golden Core Formation Pill." The armored Guardian Deity looked at you. "Are you sure?"]
["I am sure."]
[You nodded.]
[The armored Guardian Deity closed its eyes. It opened them a moment later and extended its right hand.]
[A faint spatial fluctuation flashed over its right hand, and a Green Jade Box materialized.]
["This is the Golden Core Formation Pill." The armored Guardian Deity handed the Green Jade Box to you.]
[You took it and carefully inspected the Green Jade Box.]
[Even putting aside the Golden Core Formation Pill inside, this Jade Box alone was a rare treasure.]
[It could ensure that the medicinal efficacy of any pill stored inside wouldn't leak away.]
[You gently opened the Green Jade Box.]
[A pure golden pill lay right in the center.]
[Compared to modern pills, this pure golden pill possessed no pill patterns and formed a flawless, unified whole. It looked as if it had been born from nature itself rather than refined by mortals.]
["A Golden Core Formation Pill..."]
[You gently closed the Green Jade Box.]
[Whether it was the Golden Core Formation Pill or the Crystal Condensation Pill, the pill formulas actually weren't that hard to obtain.]
[The key was the raw materials.]
[The main and supplementary ingredients for the Crystal Condensation Pill had been monopolized, while the main ingredient for the Golden Core Formation Pill had gone completely extinct.]
["Trial-taker, do you wish to begin the first phase of the Dharma cultivation trials?"]
[The armored Guardian Deity inquired.]
["The first phase of the trials?" You put away the Golden Core Formation Pill and asked, "How exactly does the trial work? Will I be locked up in one place for over a hundred years?"]
[That had been the case for Dachun's first trial phase.]
[He had been trapped in a single place for over a hundred years, constantly killing monsters.]
[However, Dachun had also mentioned that every trial was different.]
[What Dachun participated in was the body cultivation trial.]
["The first phase of the Dharma cultivation trial is to successfully master a secret technique..."]
["This phase of the trial can be terminated at any time. The trial-taker may exit at any time and return to the outside world."]
[The armored Guardian Deity looked at you. "The trial-taker will be teleported to a spatial domain to view the Trial Stone Wall."]
["If you successfully master the secret technique on the stone wall within a year, you may choose another treasure."]
[A faint hint of anticipation flickered in the armored Guardian Deity's eyes as it looked at you.]
["Choose another treasure."]
[Your interest was immediately piqued.]
[Hearing that the trial could be suspended and exited at any time also lifted a weight off your shoulders.]
[You still had many arrangements left unmade in the outside world. If you were locked away for a century or two, you would miss out on a lot of fortuitous encounters.]
["Take me there."]
[You waved your hand.]
[You were brimming with enthusiasm.]
["Trial-taker, please prepare yourself..."]
[The armored Guardian Deity acted immediately. Its sole purpose in guarding this place was to nurture a trial-taker capable of completing all the trials.]
[The aptitude you had just displayed gave the armored Guardian Deity a glimmer of hope.]
[Hum—]
[Spatial fluctuations began to surge once more.]
[You only felt the world spin around you. By the time your spiritual senses re-attuned to your surroundings...]
[You found yourself standing in a desolate stony desert.]
[The armored Guardian Deity also appeared beside you. "Trial-taker, that is the Trial Stone Wall."]
[Following its gaze, you saw a ruined stone wall standing over a thousand meters tall.]
[Carved into the stone wall were silver seal script characters that looked like tadpoles.]
[The silver seal script wasn't static; it was constantly merging, separating, and transforming.]
[You stared at the ruined stone wall and fell into a deep state of comprehension.]
[A few days later, you slowly pulled your gaze away.]
[You couldn't make any sense of it.]
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