[In this simulation, you formed a Flawless Gold Core. Believing your talent to be extraordinary, you saw hope for the Nascent Soul realm.]
[However, the Ghost Realm Trial Field handed you a massive setback.]
[Merely cultivating the first level of the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art took you nearly two hundred years to barely master.]
[This formed a stark contrast with the challenger who mastered it in eleven months.]
[In the end, before reaching the limit of your lifespan, your attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm failed...]
[You began to doubt your own innate talent...]
Lines of illusory text constantly shifted.
Eventually, they completely dissipated and reformed into new lines of text.
Traces of golden light emerged.
Zhou Qing's spirit roused. Up until now, out of the three talents he had obtained, the highest was only a purple talent.
A golden talent? Zhou Qing had never even seen what one looked like.
He stared intently at the rapidly clearing illusory text.
[You have obtained a golden talent—]
[Legend of a Lifetime]
[Legend of a Lifetime: Upon using this talent, your next simulation will begin with a brand new identity, and you will obtain a "Number One in the Human Realm" talent.]
[The starting time period of the simulation opened by this talent is completely random and not limited to the near-ancient era.]
[Upon starting the simulation with this talent, the "Number One in the Human Realm" talent you receive is entirely random and cannot be selected.]
[This talent can only be used once.]
[This talent requires you to complete three more simulations before it can be activated.]
[Go forth with absolute talent to crush everything in your path, to forge and leave behind your very own legend.]
[Destroy the great world? Save all living beings? It all lies within a single thought.]
Reading through the evaluated description of the golden talent, Zhou Qing's first thought was that talents could actually be single-use.
The three talents he had settled on previously were all "passive" talents, remaining constantly active.
This golden talent, however, could only be used once.
It also came with the restriction of having to undergo three more simulations before he could activate it.
Furthermore, using this talent would start a simulation with a completely new identity in a randomized time period.
What did this mean? It meant that all the intelligence and experience Zhou Qing had accumulated over his previous four simulations might become entirely useless.
What if the simulation's time period was set tens or hundreds of thousands of years in the future? Or perhaps in the ancient era, or an even older epoch?
Wouldn't all the information he had gathered and the appearance times of critical resources from his past four simulations become completely irrelevant?
On top of that, the description for this new simulation did not specify if he could inherit his current cultivation base. If he could not, wouldn't he have to start from scratch all over again?
"Is this really considered a golden..."
Zhou Qing's gaze fell on the words "Number One in the Human Realm."
What defined the number one talent in the Human Realm?
A heavenly spiritual root aptitude? Or perhaps a legendary peak-tier treasure body, a dao body, or an Innate Dao Fetus?
None of the above.
Up to now, across four simulations spanning seven to eight hundred years of time...
...Zhou Qing had never heard of any innate talent capable of ranking first in the Human Realm.
The Human Realm was vast and boundless. Even in this near-ancient era of depleted resources, monstrous geniuses could still be born.
Who would dare claim their innate talent was the best in the Human Realm?
Even a Heavenly Monarch of the Deity Transformation Stage wouldn't dare make such a claim.
"With so many restrictions..."
Zhou Qing's heart stirred slightly.
First and foremost, this was undeniably a golden talent.
Logically speaking, both its utility and its power should far exceed that of a purple talent.
And yet, it came with so many limitations.
That could only mean one thing.
The so-called "Number One in the Human Realm" was truly a terrifyingly exaggerated claim.
Exaggerated to the point where it required a slew of restrictions to balance it out.
If those limitations didn't exist, perhaps it wouldn't be as simple as just a golden talent?
"What a pity..."
Zhou Qing sighed inwardly. This talent required him to complete three more simulations before he could use it.
Without that restriction, he would have planned to use it in his very next simulation.
He truly wanted to experience exactly what it felt like to possess the number one talent in the Human Realm.
With the talent evaluation finished, his fourth simulation came to a complete end.
Zhou Qing once again looked at the illusory text at the bottom of his vision.
[Name: Zhou Qing]
[Race: Human]
[Dharma Cultivation Level: Core Formation Perfection Stage]
[Body Cultivation Level: Tier-3 Late Stage]
[Skills: Tier-3 High-Grade Alchemist, Tier-3 High-Grade Talisman Master, Tier-3 High-Grade Puppet Master, Tier-3 High-Grade Divination Master, Tier-3 High-Grade Array Master, Tier-3 Mid-Grade Poison Master, Tier-3 Low-Grade Artifact Refiner...]
[Age: 17]
[Divine Ability (Body Cultivation): Eruption]
[Talents: Pill Toxin Bane, Indomitable Will, Natural Enemy of Demonic Cultivators, Legend of a Lifetime (Grey)]
[Simulation Count: 0]
In his fourth simulation of three hundred and fifty years, he had spent the last century reaching the Core Formation Perfection Stage, pouring nearly all his energy into studying various skills and arts.
As a result, he had comprehended the art of arrays up to the Tier-3 high-grade level.
Now, Zhou Qing had mastered as many as five Tier-3 high-grade skills.
This even included the incredibly difficult and obscure art of Divination.
Among Core Formation true persons, such a feat was nothing short of a complete fantasy.
A Core Formation true person only possessed a five-hundred-year lifespan. Aside from cultivating their own power, they had little free time to spare; mastering even a single Tier-3 high-grade skill was already a stroke of immense luck.
But five Tier-3 high-grade skills?
Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would struggle to achieve such profound erudition.
Certain Nascent Soul True Monarchs would dedicate all their energy to a single discipline to eventually master a Tier-4 skill.
"Divining the heavenly secrets..." Zhou Qing performed a brief divination. Once he experienced the methods of a Tier-3 high-grade Divination Master, he stopped right there.
If the art of divination involved another divination master or a high-realm cultivator, it was easily detected by the target.
In reality, Zhou Qing naturally wouldn't take such risks, hoping to avoid any unexpected variables.
"The cooldown for my next simulation attempt... is in over four months and twenty days? Close to five months?"
Zhou Qing glanced at the simulation refresh timer, feeling slightly dissatisfied.
Because of the Ghost Realm Trial Field, he naturally wanted to run his simulations as early as possible.
After all, the earlier he simulated, the younger he would be when the simulation started. Entering the Ghost Realm Trial Field at a younger age would yield a higher aptitude evaluation, better rewards, and ultimately, greater benefits for himself.
This would create a virtuous cycle.
"A Tier-3 low-grade spiritual vein dojo is still lacking..." Zhou Qing glanced beneath the Purple Bamboo Forest dojo.
When he first purchased this spiritual vein dojo, he only had the strength of the Foundation Establishment stage.
At that time, a Tier-3 spiritual vein dojo was more than sufficient; it was also the absolute limit of what a Foundation Establishment cultivator could scheme to acquire.
Aiming any higher would have meant taking on severe risks and dangers.
But now...
He was already at the Core Formation Perfection Stage.
More accurately, he possessed the strength of a quasi-True Monarch, rising far above the ordinary Core Formation Stage.
Plotting for a higher-quality spiritual vein cave abode no longer posed any real danger.
Looking across the entire Taiyuan Region, aside from Taiyuan Palace, Zhou Qing could go wherever he pleased.
"Let me think..."
Zhou Qing's expression sank into brief contemplation.
Among the vast amounts of intelligence he had gathered in his fourth simulation were the locations of numerous hidden spiritual vein cave abodes, purposely collected to prepare for reality.
"The Wildlands..."
Zhou Qing's gaze suddenly shifted toward the territories beyond the Taiyuan Region.
In the simulation, he had performed Soul Searching on the Jiang Family Patriarch.
When the Jiang Family Patriarch returned via soul possession and planned to reclaim his Core Formation cultivation, the breakthrough site he had prepared for himself was a Tier-3 high-grade spiritual vein cave abode located in the Wildlands.
The location of that Tier-3 high-grade spiritual vein cave abode was incredibly well hidden. The Jiang Family Patriarch had only discovered it by accident, and keeping it as a backup plan, he never reported it to the Jiang Family.
Later, after killing the Jiang Family Patriarch, Zhou Qing visited that Tier-3 high-grade spiritual vein cave abode himself.
The cave abode was shrouded by a natural array, which was why it had remained undiscovered for so long.
"That's the place."
Zhou Qing made his decision.
To Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Wildlands were tantamount to a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. Even Core Formation true persons had to tread with extreme caution.
However, in Zhou Qing's current eyes, the Wildlands were actually safer than the Taiyuan Region.
At the very least, there were no Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the Wildlands. Even if Tier-4 Monster Kings or Beast Kings like Venerable Xuan chose a place to serve as their lair, they would restructure the local spiritual veins, meaning those areas would no longer be considered part of the untamed Wildlands.
With his current strength, Zhou Qing would undisputedly sit at the apex of all living creatures in the Wildlands, provided no Nascent Soul True Monarchs appeared.
"With the array skills I've mastered, if I use a Spirit Gathering Array to concentrate the spiritual energy of a Tier-3 high-grade cave abode, I can absolutely elevate its spiritual vein quality to the peak of Tier 3... bordering on Tier 4..."
Zhou Qing thought to himself.
Forcibly upgrading a spiritual vein's grade with a Spirit Gathering Array wasn't without its drawbacks.
Forcibly hoarding the vein's spiritual energy meant reducing the total volume available to sustain multiple cultivators.
However, this didn't affect him in the slightest. He was only one person; he didn't need to supply spiritual energy for anyone else.
As for Li Yan? She was merely at the early stage of Qi Refining—how much energy could she possibly consume?
"Li Yan..." Zhou Qing's gaze turned thoughtful as he looked toward Li Yan in the nearby room.
His invisible spiritual sense swept over her, taking in every detail—her breathing, her heartbeat, everything.
"In the next simulation, I could try not controlling her with the Demon Planting Art..."
Zhou Qing pondered quietly.
Controlled by the Demon Planting Art, Li Yan's state of mind would develop a fatal flaw, leaving her with almost zero chance of surviving the Nascent Soul Heart Demon Tribulation.
With his sights set on the Nascent Soul realm for the next simulation, he naturally intended to nurture Li Yan to the Nascent Soul Stage as well. Only then could she maximize his cultivation speed in that realm.
Cultivating in the Nascent Soul Stage was harder than ascending to the heavens. He naturally wanted to seize any possible assistance or method to boost his progress.
A Nascent Soul Stage Primordial Yin Treasure Physique would be a fantastic aid, capable of increasing his cultivation speed by nearly thirty percent within that realm.
As for whether Li Yan would betray him... Zhou Qing wasn't worried. As long as his cultivation base constantly crushed hers, betrayal was impossible.
Moreover, even if he didn't plan to control her mentally, he would still leave countermeasures within her physical body.
On top of that, he would absolutely make her swear a great heart demon oath to ensure she remained bound to him.
Most importantly, he would only nurture her to the Nascent Soul Stage after crossing into it himself, maintaining total control over the situation.
Besides, he and Li Yan shared an emotional foundation.
These various factors were what gave him the confidence to help her attempt the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.
"And then there are her insights into the Dao of Sound..."
Zhou Qing's thoughts churned.
By the end of the fourth simulation, Li Yan's sound arts had reached the Tier-3 high-grade.
Under his instruction, she had detailed her entire process of comprehension, every bottleneck broken, and all her epiphanies as she progressed from Tier-1 all the way to Tier-3 high-grade in the Dao of Sound.
If Li Yan used those insights as a starting point in the next simulation, her progress would undoubtedly soar past her previous limits, perhaps even letting her brush against Tier-4 sound arts.
"If I'm heading to that Tier-3 high-grade spiritual vein cave abode in the Wildlands, I'll still need spirit stones to purchase array materials..."
Zhou Qing thought to himself. At the very least, the materials required for a Spirit Gathering Array capable of elevating a Tier-3 high-grade spiritual vein to the peak of Tier 3—bordering on Tier 4—would cost an exorbitant sum.
With his current net worth, he naturally couldn't afford them.
Before inheriting his cultivation, he had just been a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"So be it. I'll just have to make the bandit cultivators suffer a bit."
Having made up his mind, Zhou Qing recalled how he had specifically gathered intelligence on bandit cultivators operating near the Purple Bamboo Forest during this timeframe in his fourth simulation.
He had done so precisely for a rainy day.
Using that intelligence as a medium, combined with his Tier-3 high-grade Divination skills...
...he could effortlessly deduce the exact locations of those bandit cultivators right now.
The cultivation world operated on the law of the jungle. Murder and robbery were the fastest ways to make money, so bandit cultivators naturally popped up in endless droves.
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators were willing to play the part of a bandit cultivator for the sake of resources.
Out in the Wildlands, there were even quite a few Core Formation bandit cultivators.
Killing them would inevitably have some impact on the future.
However, those consequences were entirely within Zhou Qing's ability to control and endure.
Next, Zhou Qing used the Spirit Attachment Art to attach his spiritual sense to several puppets he had crafted earlier.
These puppets had been built before his fourth simulation. One was Tier 2, while the rest were late Tier-1 models.
Naturally, he had no intention of hunting down the bandit cultivators personally; he planned to control the puppets via the Spirit Attachment Art to do the killing for him.
Several hours later.
The puppets returned with the resources they had plundered from the slain bandit cultivators.
Zhou Qing sorted through the haul and subsequently crafted several more Tier-2 puppets boasting strength comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
He then sent them out to hunt bandit cultivators further afield.
By the next day, the swarm of puppets had returned with even more resources.
Doing a rough estimate, Zhou Qing found he had gathered just about enough materials to set up a Tier-3 Spirit Gathering Array and a Tier-3 defensive array.
"Master..."
Just then, Li Yan awoke and obediently came over to pay her respects and attend to his daily needs.
"Yan'er..."
Zhou Qing raised a hand and wrapped it around Li Yan's slender waist. Compared to the fully awakened Primordial Yin Treasure Physique she possessed after stepping into the Late Golden Core Stage at the end of the simulation, the current Li Yan felt incredibly immature.
"Master."
Li Yan felt her heart race. In a daze, she sensed some sort of change in her master. It was an instinctual feeling devoid of logic.
But she couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.
She only felt that his gaze had become profound, as if it could pierce straight through her, seeing everything inside and out.
It was a sensation she had never experienced before. Driven by the instincts of the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique, her body went completely soft. Stripped of all resistance, she collapsed limply against Zhou Qing.
"Too sensitive..."
Glancing at her, Zhou Qing immediately understood why.
He was a powerful cultivator at the Golden Core perfection stage. Even though he restrained his aura, Li Yan's Primordial Yin Treasure Physique allowed her to detect the microscopic shifts in him.
After all, they had spent the last few months living together day and night; they knew each other's condition intimately.
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