["The ruins of the Shanhai Lineage..."]
[True Person Blood Sea's memories surfaced in your mind. The ruins of the Shanhai Lineage were not in the Taiyuan Region, but in the Zixiao Domain.]
[The ruins were incredibly dangerous, and only cultivators below the Core Formation realm could enter.]
[Even cultivators as powerful as Nascent Soul True Monarchs would trigger the internal restrictions and cause the ruins to self-destruct if they tried to force their way in.]
["I'll send someone to explore it later when the opportunity arises."]
[You made up your mind.]
[Even if core formation masters were allowed inside the Shanhai Lineage ruins, you still wouldn't go.]
[Why take the risk?]
[Although you were in a simulation and dying wouldn't affect your real body...]
[If the day ever came when you truly had to risk your life...]
[...you would only do it after fully preparing—selling everything that could be sold, upgrading everything that could be upgraded—and waiting until your lifespan was nearing its end to make the attempt.]
["What are your plans now, True Person Blood Sea?"]
[You looked at him and asked.]
["Just tell me what you want me to do."]
[True Person Blood Sea's tone was calm. He knew you wouldn't let him go easily.]
[But as long as you shared the same goal—dealing with True Person Biyue—he could endure it.]
["You don't have much of your lifespan left. Have you considered switching to the ghost path?"]
[You asked with a smile.]
[Ghost cultivation was ideal for those who had lost their physical bodies or were nearing the end of their natural lifespans.]
[Of course, becoming a ghost cultivator wasn't easy. First and foremost, one had to endure unimaginable torture just to step onto the path.]
[For the person experiencing it, the torment was worse than death.]
[Thus, the ghost path was only suited for cultivators clinging to an indelible obsession.]
[True Person Blood Sea was a perfect match. He hated True Person Biyue to the bone.]
[Intense hatred was a form of obsession, and it could help a cultivator survive that excruciating torture.]
[Second, switching to the ghost path meant automatically forfeiting the right to enter reincarnation.]
[Cultivators in the cultivation world generally believed in the Great Reincarnation of Heaven and Earth.]
[Death was not the end. A cultivator's true spirit would enter the Great Reincarnation of Heaven and Earth and be reborn as another living being.]
[If that being one day proved their Dao and became an immortal, they would remember everything from their past lives.]
[During the final years of your third simulation, while roaming the Savage Wilderness with Dachun, you had killed a ghost cultivator and obtained their legacy.]
[Naturally, you weren't suggesting this out of the goodness of your heart.]
[Once a cultivator switched to the ghost path, they would condense a Natal Ghost Jade.]
[This Natal Ghost Jade held absolute control over the ghost cultivator's life and death, making it the perfect method for controlling them.]
[With your current methods, forcing True Person Blood Sea to serve you would be very difficult.]
[After all, you were only at the Core Formation Initial Stage, and so was True Person Blood Sea. Any standard control method carried a high risk of unexpected accidents.]
[But the Natal Ghost Jade could do it.]
[Furthermore, True Person Blood Sea had very little of his lifespan left.]
[Switching to the ghost path would grant him several more centuries to live.]
["The ghost path?"]
[True Person Blood Sea fell silent.]
[As a core formation master, he had certainly heard of the benefits of ghost cultivation.]
["Demoness Biyue is already at the Core Formation Middle Stage, and she isn't far from the late stage."]
[You told him plainly, "If you don't become a ghost cultivator, you'll never get your revenge in this lifetime."]
[If True Person Blood Sea chose to possess a new body, his strength would be permanently capped at the Core Formation Initial Stage.]
[Against someone like Biyue—who was a Core Formation Middle Stage master or even approaching the late stage—he wouldn't stand a chance.]
[That was exactly what had happened in your third simulation, where True Person Biyue had effortlessly crushed him with a single palm strike.]
["How can I trust you?"]
[True Person Blood Sea stared at you.]
["I can swear a Heart Demon Oath regarding Demoness Biyue's strength."]
[You replied.]
[You were telling the absolute truth.]
[If you hadn't been worried about driving True Person Blood Sea into total despair, you would have even mentioned that the demoness had a real chance of becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch.]
[At the end of your third simulation, Demoness Biyue had indeed reached the Nascent Soul realm, carved out the Moon Demon Domain, and established herself as a ruling patriarch.]
["Give me the ghost cultivation method..."]
[After a long time, True Person Blood Sea finally spoke.]
[You immediately gave him the ghost cultivation method.]
[Soon after, True Person Blood Sea began his transition to the ghost path.]
["I wonder how effective this ghost cultivation method actually is?"]
[Aside from making True Person Blood Sea easier to enslave and command...]
[...you also harbored thoughts of exploring the ghost cultivation method yourself.]
[With your Indomitable Will talent, you were naturally suited for ghost and soul cultivation.]
[If the standard Dharmic path proved to be a dead end in the future, you wouldn't mind switching over.]
[Having more paths meant having more options, after all.]
[You weren't the type to stubbornly stick to a single route if it wasn't working.]
[If it didn't pan out, you would just change tracks.]
[Year 21. You were 37 years old.]
[The excavation of the Shanhai Secret Realm was gradually coming to an end.]
[In your first three simulations, it had taken three or four years to fully clear the place out.]
[But in this simulation, with several Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce personally entering the secret realm to scavenge, it only took a little over a year.]
[This made perfect sense. Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were far more efficient at scavenging than those in the Qi Refining Realm.]
[Not to mention, you had provided them with a complete map and guide to the entire Shanhai Secret Realm, vastly speeding up the excavation process.]
["Adding up all the spirit herbs, spiritual materials, and magical artifacts excavated from the entire Shanhai Secret Realm, the total value is roughly 1.5 million spirit stones."]
[Receiving You Rou's report in your Purple Bamboo Forest Cave Abode, you nodded in understanding.]
[1.5 million spirit stones was nowhere near the total wealth of a standard Core Formation-level sect.]
[But it was worth remembering that the Shanhai Secret Realm had already been heavily ravaged by True Person Blood Sea in the past.]
[Moreover, after sealing True Person Blood Sea, the Shanhai Sect's Master had taken the realm's most precious treasures with him.]
[Add in over two hundred years of decay—which caused the medicinal efficacy of many precious pills to dissipate and spirit herbs to wither...]
[...and salvaging 1.5 million spirit stones' worth of loot was actually quite acceptable.]
[For you, the biggest prize from the Shanhai Secret Realm was True Person Blood Sea himself.]
[Once this core formation master successfully transitioned to the ghost path, you would gain an utterly obedient Golden Core subordinate.]
[Year 22. You were 38 years old.]
[Under your command, the Chamber of Commerce's cultivators successfully retrieved a massive stockpile of resources from the three backup cave dwellings True Person Blood Sea had prepared for himself.]
["Soul Nurturing Grass... Six Voids Fruit... flying magical treasures..."]
[Your eyes lit up.]
[The haul from those three cave dwellings was enough to ensure you wouldn't have to worry about cultivation resources for the next twenty years.]
["True Person Blood Sea, you really are my lucky star!"]
[A bright smile spread across your face.]
[True, you had suffered a bit at True Person Blood Sea's hands during the second simulation and were forced to blow yourself up.]
[But... strictly speaking, if True Person Blood Sea hadn't helped you cleanse your marrow and alter your tendons dozens of times back then, you never would have had the chance to attempt Foundation Establishment, let alone successfully enter the Foundation Establishment Realm.]
[Year 23. You were 39 years old.]
[Inside the Purple Bamboo Forest Cave Abode, you stared at the Shanhai Ring in front of you.]
[An illusory aura continuously gathered from it, eventually coalescing into a human figure.]
[It was True Person Blood Sea, having successfully completed his transition to the ghost path.]
[Since he had been in the Master realm prior to the switch, he naturally started out as a Tier Three ghost cultivation Master.]
["How do you feel, True Person Blood Sea?"]
[You asked, observing him closely.]
[Though he no longer had a physical body, you could feel a monstrous amount of ghostly qi surging within him.]
["My strength hasn't regressed much."]
[True Person Blood Sea said. At the same time, he raised his hand, summoning a piece of jade formed entirely of ghostly qi that shared an inextricable link with him.]
[It was his Natal Ghost Jade.]
[Before he made the transition to the ghost path, you had made it clear that he would have to surrender his Natal Ghost Jade to you.]
[And now, he was fulfilling his end of the bargain.]
[Of course, even if True Person Blood Sea wanted to back out, he couldn't.]
[Having just transitioned to the ghost path, he was in his most vulnerable state.]
[Facing a Golden Core master like you, he had no capacity to resist.]
[You casually tucked the Natal Ghost Jade away.]
["Since that's settled, feel free to wander around outside for a while. But I have one condition—stay far away from Biyue Immortal City."]
[You stated.]
[With the Natal Ghost Jade in hand, True Person Blood Sea's life and death were entirely in your grasp.]
[Through it, you could even pinpoint his exact location effortlessly.]
[Because of that, you weren't worried about letting him roam.]
[Year 24. You were 40 years old.]
[After wandering the outside world for more than half a year, True Person Blood Sea returned to your Purple Bamboo Forest Cave Abode.]
["How do you feel, True Person Blood Sea?"]
[You asked with a smile.]
["What exactly is Demoness Biyue plotting? There's no way she's actually this benevolent."]
[True Person Blood Sea frowned. He had also heard about True Person Biyue's stellar reputation outside.]
["Hahaha, I feel the exact same way."]
[You didn't reveal anything else. "But for the next few decades, you need to put your revenge on hold."]
["Understood."]
[True Person Blood Sea nodded.]
[Now that he was a ghost cultivator with a long lifespan ahead of him, he was no longer in a desperate rush.]
[True Person Biyue was an illustrious Core Formation Middle Stage master in the Taiyuan Region, presiding over Biyue Immortal City. With True Person Blood Sea's current strength, revenge was a complete impossibility anyway.]
["There is a task I need you to handle, however."]
[You looked at True Person Blood Sea and said.]
["Speak."]
[True Person Blood Sea's expression grew serious.]
["I want you to travel to Xuanwang Island. I established a Chamber of Commerce there, and it lacks a core formation master to hold down the fort."]
[You had begun laying the groundwork on Xuanwang Island over a decade ago.]
[You had dispatched a trade caravan that successfully took root there, but if it was going to expand, it needed a Master cultivator to back it up.]
[Strength reigned supreme in the cultivation world, and that held true even for a Chamber of Commerce that made its living through trade.]
[You needed to stay and oversee things in the Taiyuan Region, so you couldn't leave. As for hiring another Master to go in your place? First, it was too expensive; second, you couldn't fully trust them.]
[Xuanwang Island was tied to the future domain war, so you had to be extremely cautious.]
[True Person Blood Sea, however, was perfect. You trusted him enough.]
["Xuanwang Island? Alright, I'll head there right away."]
[True Person Blood Sea didn't hesitate, setting off that very same day.]
[Year 25. You were 41 years old.]
[Sitting cross-legged in your cave abode, a deep, rumbling sound echoed from the depths of your physical body.]
["Peak Tier Two body refinement!"]
[You opened your eyes and restrained your physical vitality and blood qi.]
[After more than twenty years in this simulation, your body refinement had finally reached the peak of Tier Two.]
[This meant you could step into the third tier at any moment.]
[Third-tier body refinement was on par with a core formation master. If you were a pure ancient body cultivator like Dachun, you would be a match for a master with a Flawless Golden Core.]
["The third-tier heavenly tribulation..."]
[Your expression turned slightly solemn.]
[The third-tier body refinement tribulation wasn't limited to just lightning—it also included a wind tribulation.]
[When the astral winds blew, they would inflict irresistible destruction upon your internal organs and even your bone marrow.]
["Forget it. I'll wait until I at least reach the Core Formation Middle Stage before I even consider taking on the third-tier heavenly tribulation..."]
[You shook your head silently.]
[You didn't have Dachun's ancient saint bloodline, which meant you lacked his terrifying regenerative abilities.]
[Therefore, when facing the third-tier heavenly tribulation, you naturally had to play it as safe as possible.]
[You still had too many unresolved plans left to execute in this simulation, and you weren't about to risk it all on the tribulation just yet.]
[Besides, a top-tier Dharmic Master was in no way inferior to a top-tier body refinement Master.]
[In ancient times, the Dharmic Nascent Soul True Monarchs who roamed the world unopposed dared to clash head-on against the imperishable golden bodies of body refinement True Monarchs using only their Nascent Soul spiritual bodies.]
[Year 26. You were 42 years old.]
["The Nether Realm Trial Secret Technique..."]
[You sat cross-legged and raised your right hand. Wisps of Shanhai magic power continuously intertwined, forming silver seal characters that looked like tadpoles.]
["This is a soul secret technique... It can tremendously stabilize a Dharmic cultivator's soul..."]
[You roughly understood what the secret technique was used for.]
[For a Dharmic cultivator, the soul was the most crucial element of all.]
[A Dharmic Master's soul resided inside their Golden Core, while a Dharmic True Monarch's soul naturally fused with their Nascent Soul.]
[Year 30. You were 46 years old.]
[Your mind began to elevate, and you faintly sensed the great web of heavenly secrets enveloping the entire world.]
[Every living being—whether a cultivator or a Mortal—was caught within this grand web. A single, slight pluck on its strings could trigger endless variables and unforeseen accidents.]
[A moment later, your mind returned to your body.]
[An indescribable depth shone within your eyes.]
["Tier Two High-Grade Divination!"]
[You let out a soft breath. Just moments ago, while comprehending the art of divination, you had entered a brief state of epiphany and finally elevated the skill to Tier Two High-Grade.]
[Divination was a niche and obscure path. For cultivators in the early stages, it was almost completely useless.]
[As for the later stages? Cultivators who delved into divination generally suffered from tragically short lifespans. Most never even lived to see the later stages.]
["The next step is third-tier Divination..."]
[You pondered to yourself. Third-tier Divination would allow you to deduce the fate, fortunes, and perils of Core Formation cultivators.]
["I'll take it slow."]
[Suppressing the urge to burn your lifespan to instantly push your divination to the third tier, you went back to your regular cultivation.]
[Year 31. You were 47 years old.]
[You received a letter from Xuanwang Island.]
[Seven years had passed. Under True Person Blood Sea's watchful eye, the trade caravan you had sent out was now thoroughly established.]
[Xuanwang Island was incredibly far from the Taiyuan Region—they weren't even in the same greater domain—so delivering mail took a long time. This letter had likely been sent by True Person Blood Sea two or three months ago.]
[You opened the letter and quickly skimmed its contents.]
["So that's why Xuanwang Island isn't afraid of Nascent Soul True Monarchs... This is their trump card..."]
[You stared at the contents of the letter, a strange gleam flickering in your eyes.]
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