I Have a Cultivation Simulator

"The Nascent Soul Stage..."

Outside the simulation, Zhou Qing's mind was in turmoil.

He couldn't begin to fathom the hardships the Jiang Family's supreme elder had endured to reach the Core Formation Perfection Stage, cultivating bitterly day after day for centuries.

Why had the elder backed Jiang Jixue as the Jiang Family Matriarch?

Because he had poured all his energy into cultivation, leaving him with only a single son.

And that son had ultimately died failing to break through to Core Formation.

He left behind just one granddaughter: Jiang Jixue.

That was why the supreme elder didn't hesitate to suppress all dissenting voices within the clan, pushing Jiang Jixue into the matriarch's seat.

Yet even an ascetic cultivator like him had fallen just short of the Nascent Soul Stage, vanishing like smoke under the heavenly thunder.

Since ancient times, this threshold had thwarted countless cultivation geniuses.

Let alone those with earth spiritual roots—even those with heavenly spiritual roots, the true monarch seeds nurtured with the full might of a Nascent Soul-tier faction, only had a thirty or forty percent chance of breaking into the Nascent Soul Stage.

"I wonder if I can break through to the Nascent Soul Stage during this simulation..."

Zhou Qing's thoughts churned. Even with the aid of a top-tier Nascent Soul support material like the Heavenly Infant Fruit, alongside various other condensing items...

...he had absolutely no certainty of reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. Shattering the core to form the nascent soul was merely the first step. Afterward, he would have to face the even more brutal Heavenly Thunder Tribulation and Heart Demon Tribulation.

The Jiang Family's supreme elder had survived shattering the core to form the nascent soul, only to perish under the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. He never even saw the Heart Demon Tribulation, known as the hardest trial of all.

'However, my physical body has reached the Tier 3 level, and with the body cultivation divine ability Eruption, I should have much better odds against the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation than the supreme elder did...'

Zhou Qing thought to himself.

Very few Late-Stage Great True Persons could boast a Tier 3 physical body.

Dharma cultivation did not refine the flesh. Even for true persons and Great True Persons, their physical bodies were likely only at the Tier 1 or Tier 2 level. Moreover, Zhou Qing possessed the body cultivation divine ability Eruption.

Of course, smoothly surviving the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation largely depended on the phase of shattering the core to form the nascent soul.

A true person at the Core Formation Perfection Stage had to endure tremendous backlash when shattering the core to form the nascent soul.

The Golden Core was the culmination of a true person's life force. Shattering it was tantamount to self-mutilation—and mutilating one's most vital weakness at that.

Because of this, even if a true person at the Core Formation Perfection Stage was lucky enough to smoothly shatter the core to form the nascent soul, they would still suffer some degree of backlash, impairing both their dharma power and spiritual sense.

If the backlash was too severe and inflicted heavy injuries, confronting the subsequent Heavenly Thunder Tribulation meant certain death.

If the backlash was minor and left only light injuries, their chances against the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation would surge.

After shattering the core, even though the true person had not yet stepped into the Nascent Soul Stage, they would already possess a fraction of a true lord's might and methods.

The reason a Flawless Gold Core was hailed as a Nascent Soul seed was precisely because it minimized this backlash during the phase of shattering the core to form the nascent soul.

'Even if the Nascent Soul breakthrough fails, so what? If I can't become a true lord during this simulation, I'll just try again in the next simulation, or the one after that.'

Zhou Qing didn't feel much pressure.

His margin for error was practically infinite. The lethal threat hanging over other true persons at the Core Formation Perfection Stage—break into the Nascent Soul Stage or die trying—was completely irrelevant to him.

Moreover, every attempt to break into the Nascent Soul Stage, even if it ended in failure, would translate into precious experience, deepening his foundation for future attempts in the simulation.

'I'll take my time. First, I need to cultivate to the Core Formation Perfection Stage.'

Zhou Qing wasn't in a hurry. In his current simulation, his cultivation environment was stable and safe. Reaching the Core Formation Perfection Stage and attempting the Nascent Soul breakthrough was simply a matter of time.

[The failure of the Jiang Family's supreme elder to reach the Nascent Soul Stage caused quite a stir across Profound King Island.]

[Although you felt quite emotional about it, you weren't surprised.]

[In the third simulation, right up to the very end, you had never heard of a Nascent Soul True Monarch emerging on Profound King Island.]

[Based on that outcome alone, you knew this supreme elder's failure was inevitable.]

[What kind of monumental event was the birth of a true monarch? When True Lord Seven Fiends succeeded as cult master, he had launched a regional war that affected multiple surrounding regions.]

[If the Jiang Family's supreme elder had stepped into the Nascent Soul Stage, it would have been impossible for you to hear nothing about it during the third simulation.]

[The Jiang Family arranged a funeral for the supreme elder, but kept it extremely low-profile, inviting only a small number of outsiders to attend.]

[As vice-ally of the Xuanwang Island Merchant Alliance and someone on excellent terms with the Jiang Family, you were among those invited.]

[On the day of the funeral, you saw Jiang Jixue.]

[Compared to the elegant and noble Jiang Family Matriarch she usually was, Jiang Jixue currently looked downcast and in low spirits.]

[You were well aware that the supreme elder's failure to break into the Nascent Soul Stage impacted Jiang Jixue in ways far beyond the simple loss of her grandfather.]

[It also meant a complete reshuffling of power among the various factions within the Jiang Family.]

[When the supreme elder was alive, his absolute superiority in both seniority and strength meant his word was law within the clan.]

[With him backing Jiang Jixue, any dissenting voices in the clan were easily suppressed.]

[But now, with the supreme elder gone, Jiang Jixue's position as matriarch would be shaken without her grandfather's support.]

[True, she had leveraged the conveniences of her position over the years to cultivate to the Late Golden Core Stage and become a Great True Person.]

[But there was no shortage of Great True Persons within the Jiang Family.]

[Aside from Jiang Jixue, the family had two other Great True Persons.]

[Both hailed from the main branch. No matter how one looked at it, they were better suited to take the helm of the Jiang Family than Jiang Jixue now that she had lost the supreme elder's backing.]

[Taking the helm didn't just mean an elevation in status; it meant receiving the lion's share of the Jiang Family's core resources.]

[How had Jiang Jixue advanced to the Late Golden Core Stage so quickly? It was precisely by exploiting the privileges of being the matriarch.]

["Fellow Daoist Xue, my condolences for your loss."]

[You walked up beside Jiang Jixue and murmured your consolations.]

[In truth, you were deeply interested in her grandfather's insights regarding the Nascent Soul breakthrough.]

[Though he had perished beneath the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, it was highly likely that he had managed to pass down the details of the preceding core-shattering phase before he died.]

[However, since Jiang Jixue was clearly in a dark mood, you didn't bring it up, planning to ask about it at a later date.]

["Alchemist Wang..."]

[Jiang Jixue's beautiful eyes, deep and vast as a tranquil lake, were faintly rimmed with red. As she looked at you, a multitude of thoughts ran through her mind.]

[Now that her grandfather was gone, she couldn't hold her ground in the clan alone. At a time like this, she needed to draw in outside allies to secure her position.]

[You were a perfectly suitable target for Jiang Jixue to win over.]

[First, having interacted with you for decades, she believed she understood you well, which provided a foundation for an alliance.]

[Second, you were the head of the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce, the vice-ally of the Xuanwang Island Merchant Alliance, and a Tier 3 Middle-Grade Alchemist.]

[On Profound King Island, outside of the Wan Family, you represented a force that could not be ignored.]

[If she could secure your full support, her situation within the Jiang Family would undoubtedly improve by leaps and bounds.]

[Of course, at this point, Jiang Jixue simply wanted to forge an alliance with you; she had no intention of cultivating deeper romantic feelings.]

[Her dao companion was still around. Even though the Jiang Family Patriarch was only at the Mid Golden Core Stage, in the current landscape, he was a force that couldn't be disregarded either.]

[He might have been her dao companion in name only, but Jiang Jixue still had her bottom lines.]

[For all these years, the Jiang Family Patriarch had worked tirelessly on her behalf, and Jiang Jixue had seen every bit of it.]

[Half a year later, the Jiang Family Patriarch, who had been stationed far away at the mineral veins in the savage wilderness, hurried back.]

[He had long known the news of the supreme elder's fatal breakthrough failure. However, he had to guard the mines while True Person Chishe glared covetously from the shadows. It wasn't until recently that he found an opportunity to return.]

[The very moment he returned, the Jiang Family Patriarch went to see his dao companion, Jiang Jixue.]

["Jixue, I am here. Leave everything to me..."]

[The patriarch's eyes flashed; he distinctly felt a change in Jiang Jixue's attitude toward him this time.]

[She was much closer to him now.]

[He immediately realized that his chance to finally claim the beauty had arrived.]

[Three months later.]

[The Jiang Family Patriarch emerged from seclusion, having successfully advanced to the Late Golden Core Stage.]

[He had originally been at the peak of the Mid Golden Core Stage, merely trapped for a long time by the bottleneck to the late stage.]

[After years of slaughter in the savage wilderness and several life-and-death clashes with a ruthless bandit cultivator like True Person Chishe, he had finally grasped the certainty needed for a breakthrough.]

[Only after returning to the Jiang Family did he break into the Late Golden Core Stage.]

[This matter had a massive impact on the Jiang Family.]

[The patriarch was Jiang Jixue's dao companion. Two Great True Persons at the Late Golden Core Stage—even if they couldn't muster the absolute suppression the supreme elder possessed while alive—were not far off.]

[At the very least, as long as the patriarch threw his support behind Jiang Jixue, the family's dissenting voices were nothing to fear.]

[Compared to external allies, the backing of one's own family was just as crucial.]

["Congratulations on becoming a Great True Person, Husband..."]

[Jiang Jixue's voice was as warm and clear as a mountain spring as she offered her congratulations.]

[That single word—'Husband'—made the patriarch's heart burst with joy.]

[Since he had married into the Jiang Family, he could count the number of times she had called him that on one hand.]

["Jixue..."]

[Unable to help himself, the patriarch reached out, wanting to embrace her.]

[After so many years as a live-in son-in-law, he had never even touched her finger.]

["Husband... Grandfather has only just passed away..."]

[Jiang Jixue dodged his grasp and gently explained the reason.]

[The patriarch instantly understood.]

["Lately, there has been some idle gossip within the family... Hmph..."]

[The patriarch immediately let out a cold sneer.]

["Don't worry, Jixue. Now that I've broken into the late stage, I will back you with everything I have..."]

[Looking at Jiang Jixue, he continued, "Once I stabilize my late-stage realm, I'll head back to the savage wilderness and decisively repel that True Person Chishe. I'll secure our mineral veins so those people in the family won't have a single word left to say."]

[To completely silence the family's idle gossip, sheer strength alone wasn't enough, especially since they weren't Nascent Soul True Monarchs.]

[They also needed to show undeniable contributions to the family.]

[If the patriarch could completely resolve the issue of the Jiang Family's mineral veins in the savage wilderness, he would naturally wield a much heavier voice within the family.]

[However, the patriarch harbored an even deeper ambition.]

[And that was to completely conquer Jiang Jixue, both in body and mind.]

[He genuinely loved her from the bottom of his heart; otherwise, he never would have borne all those burdens without complaint for so many years.]

[After all, a Core Formation Stage true person could live incredibly well out in the world, even if they left the Jiang Family.]

[A month later, you visited the Jiang Family as usual to refine the pills stipulated in your spirit contract.]

["Alchemist Wang..."]

[The Jiang Family Patriarch walked over.]

["Patriarch."]

[Having already heard of his advancement to the late stage, you greeted him with measured courtesy, neither servile nor overbearing.]

["Thank you for taking care of Jixue recently, Alchemist Wang..."]

[The patriarch narrowed his eyes, covertly projecting the oppressive aura of a Late-Stage Great True Person.]

[He had never really approved of Jiang Jixue's conciliatory approaches.]

[In his view, blindly using soft tactics was not a good thing; it needed to be coupled with the deterrence of martial force.]

[At this moment, the patriarch was using his strength as a Great True Person to intimidate you, warning you to abandon any hidden agendas.]

["It's what I ought to do..."]

[A timely trace of pallor surfaced on your face. Currently, the strength you presented to the outside world remained at the Early Golden Core Stage.]

[Facing the aura of a Late-Stage Great True Person, you naturally had to show an appropriate reaction.]

["Mm..."]

[Quite satisfied, the patriarch walked away.]

[Watching his retreating back, you felt rather speechless.]

[You naturally understood the reason behind his covert warning. It was nothing more than telling you to behave and not harbor any improper thoughts about Jiang Jixue.]

[Year One Hundred and Five. You were one hundred and twenty-one years old.]

[The Jiang Family Patriarch, now a Great True Person at the Late Golden Core Stage, left Profound King Island once more. He headed toward the mineral veins in the savage wilderness, intent on eliminating the threat of True Person Chishe once and for all.]

[In secret, you cast a few hexagrams for him using Divination.]

["A hexagram of supreme peril?"]

[You stared at the resulting hexagram.]

[A hexagram of supreme peril meant near-certain death... or even absolute doom.]

[Previously, the hexagram you had divined for the patriarch had only indicated moderate peril.]

[As a result, a few years later, he had returned severely wounded. You had personally visited the Jiang Family and refined a batch of Endless Vitality Pills just to help him recover.]

[Now, however, the hexagram signaled supreme peril...]

["What exactly could leave a Late-Stage Great True Person with almost no chance of survival?"]

[Curious, you attempted a more specific divination.]

["To divine clear information involving a Late-Stage Great True Person requires sacrificing my lifespan?"]

[You furrowed your brows. "Forget it, then."]

[Whether the patriarch lived or died had little to no impact on you.]

[There was no need to waste your lifespan on him.]

[Ever since you burned a century of lifespan on True Person Biyue, you had become extremely cautious about lifespan-burning divinations.]

[Unless it directly concerned your own safety, you avoided burning your lifespan whenever possible.]

[This was precisely the key to how Divination masters and grandmasters lived so long.]

[If one burned their lifespan to divine every little thing they encountered, no amount of lifespan would ever be enough to burn.]

[Year One Hundred and Six. You were one hundred and twenty-two years old.]

[Under your leadership, Profound King Island hosted a massive auction, extending invitations far and wide to true persons across the surrounding regions.]

[At the grand auction, dozens of Foundation Establishment Pills and more than five Crystal Condensation Pills were offered. Additionally, Tier 3 spiritual items and pills of immense benefit to true persons appeared in an endless stream.]

[Using this auction as cover, you covertly sold off quite a bit of stolen loot.]

[This included the Myriad Spirit Blood Pill, the dharma treasures of the demonic true persons you had slain, and even items belonging to Mount Baimo and other factions in the Taiyuan Region...]

[Profound King Island's grand auction was completely anonymous, and seller identities were strictly confidential. As the one spearheading the event, it was incredibly easy for you to mask your own dealings.]

[Furthermore, during this grand auction, you acquired a pill recipe that assisted with Nascent Soul condensation.]

["The True Spirit Extreme Transformation Pill..."]

[With a solemn expression, you stared at the pill recipe, unable to hold back a look of awe.]

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