[Year 248, you were 265 years old.]
[Concluding your several-year seclusion, you felt your magic power had advanced another margin. Thoroughly refreshed, you stepped out of the cave dwelling.]
["Hmm?"]
[A beautiful, profound zither melody drifted lazily through the air.]
["Yan'er..."]
[Your expression shifted slightly.]
[Your Tier 4 spiritual vein dojo in Jiuli Valley spanned a radius of over a hundred li. Aside from the Tier 4 cave dwelling at its very core, a vast expanse of the grounds was dedicated to cultivating spiritual flowers and plants.]
[A grand Tier 4 array shrouded the entire dojo, isolating it from the outside world.]
[Other than you and Li Yan, only a few puppets patrolled the grounds.]
[However, as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, you immediately noticed something special about this particular tune.]
[It was like a sound from the heavens, tugging at the mind. If you lowered your guard, even you would easily sink into it.]
["Tier 4 musical arts..."]
[You closed your eyes and listened carefully.]
[Only musical arts at Tier 4 could affect a Nascent Soul True Monarch—especially one with a divine soul as powerful as yours.]
[Ever since you advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage, Li Yan's Third-Order High-Grade musical arts had hardly been able to influence you. The gap in your cultivation realms was simply too vast.]
[You listened for a moment.]
[Your figure vanished.]
[When you reappeared, you were standing by a flowing stream and a small bridge within a bamboo grove.]
[Li Yan's dreamlike figure sat in the center of the bamboo grove, gently plucking the zither.]
["Master..."]
[You had not concealed your aura upon arriving. Li Yan immediately threw herself into your arms.]
["Master, my musical arts have reached Tier 4..."]
[Li Yan gazed at you with tender affection, sharing the good news in a soft, sweet voice.]
["Mm—"]
[Looking at Li Yan, ripples stirred in your heart.]
[Li Yan was currently only at the Mid Core Formation Stage Peak, yet her musical arts had already reached Tier 4. It was simply astonishing.]
[Of course, the main reason was that you had passed down all of the previous simulation's musical insights to her current self. Furthermore, her innate talent in the Dao of Music was genuinely outstanding.]
[These combined factors were what created a Tier 4 grandmaster of music at the Mid Core Formation Stage.]
[Musical arts were considered a niche skill to begin with, making a Tier 4 grandmaster of music exceedingly rare.]
[As far as you knew, there were no Tier 4 musical grandmasters in Wujian Domain. In the surrounding domains, the closest one was in Baidi Domain.]
[Baidi Domain was located over twenty million li away from Wujian Domain. It was also a super domain, overseen by a Mid Nascent Soul Stage True Monarch.]
[Aside from Baidi Domain, there was one other super domain within a radius of one hundred million li from Wujian Domain, known as Daluo Domain.]
[Wujian Domain, Baidi Domain, and Daluo Domain—these three super domains dominated this hundred-million-li radius.]
["Master, let me play the Tier 4 Secluded Orchid Melody for you."]
[Li Yan offered immediately. The 'Secluded Orchid Melody' was recorded within that Tier 4 musical inheritance from Miaoyin Pavilion in Zixiao Domain.]
[It was a score capable of providing distinct benefits to a Nascent Soul True Monarch.]
["Alright."]
[You released Li Yan, sat off to the side, and closed your eyes to listen.]
[The zither notes rang out like a secluded orchid in an empty valley, guiding your mind to an unknowable place. Opening your senses entirely, you sank into the lingering melody.]
[You felt as if you had transformed into a wisp of clear wind between heaven and earth, a towering tree, a stubborn stone...]
[The song ended, and the notes faded away.]
[You quickly recovered, carefully savoring the immersive experience you had just undergone.]
[During the process of embodying the wind, the tree, and the stone, you clearly felt an elevation in your state of mind.]
[It felt like a dream under the southern bough.]
["State of mind..."]
[Your thoughts churned.]
[At the Nascent Soul Stage, one's state of mind actively influenced their cultivation.]
[Elevating this mental state was effective in breaking past the bottlenecks and shackles of the Nascent Soul Stage.]
[A Nine-Colored Lotus was planted within your dantian, allowing you to experience the 'lotus' state of mind.]
[However, this Secluded Orchid Melody played by Li Yan was completely different from the 'lotus' state of mind.]
[The 'lotus' state of mind focused on the true self being everything, treating all else as an illusion.]
[In contrast, the mental state promoted by the 'Secluded Orchid Melody' was that the self was all things in the world.]
["Good, good, good!"]
[You could feel that if you regularly listened to Li Yan's Tier 4 scores, your state of mind would grow increasingly perfect. This would be of no small help when breaking through bottlenecks in the Nascent Soul Stage.]
["Yan'er."]
[In an excellent mood, you caressed Li Yan as she snuggled closely into your embrace.]
[Not only did Li Yan possess the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique—saving you a certain amount of bitter cultivation—but the musical scores she played could actually increase your chances of breaking through bottlenecks.]
[She was simply the dao companion that all Nascent Soul True Monarchs dreamed of having.]
[A mere Primordial Yin Treasure Physique might only attract early-stage True Monarchs. For Mid Nascent Soul Stage True Monarchs, and especially late-stage Great Cultivators, its usefulness diminished.]
[After all, cultivation in the middle and late stages of the Nascent Soul realm was practically fraught with bottlenecks at every step.]
[In the face of these bottlenecks, bitter cultivation alone was not enough to push through.]
[But if Tier 4 musical arts were added into the mix...]
["Yan'er, how often can you play the melody you just performed?"]
[You asked her softly.]
["With my cultivation at the Mid Core Formation Stage, I can play it roughly once every half a year..." Li Yan caught her breath. A tender flush still lingered on her pretty face, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.]
["If Master wishes to hear it, Yan'er can play it every month..."]
[Li Yan whispered.]
["There's no need for every month. Half a year is fine."]
[You replied directly.]
[Playing a Tier 4 score like this once a month would undoubtedly cause her some damage.]
[Now that Li Yan's value in your heart had risen another notch, you naturally wouldn't do something akin to draining the pond to catch the fish.]
[Leaving Li Yan to rest and recover properly, you exited the bamboo grove and stepped outside the cave dwelling.]
[You began to browse through recent intelligence reports.]
[During your seclusion, you had poured all your focus into cultivation. Unless a major event occurred, your seclusion naturally took priority.]
["The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty is highly dissatisfied with Wujian Domain's refusal, and thus plans to dispatch an expeditionary army of cultivators to conquer it..."]
["Commanding this expeditionary army is Prince Zhennan of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty... an incredibly terrifying powerhouse among Mid Nascent Soul Stage True Monarchs..."]
["Over the past several centuries, Prince Zhennan has campaigned on behalf of the immortal dynasty, annihilating multiple super domains. Rumor even has it that Mid Nascent Soul Stage True Monarchs have perished by his hand..."]
[...]
[Your expression turned grave as you looked at the intelligence reports in your hands.]
[The news regarding the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's impending dispatch of an expeditionary cultivator army did not originate from Wujian Hall.]
[Rather, it was spread by the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty itself.]
[This was one of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's methods for external conquests.]
[They would first release news in advance to dissolve alliances and sow discord within the target domain.]
[After all, when the numerous cultivators within a domain learned that their home was about to face a behemoth like the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty, they would naturally fall into extreme panic.]
[Of course, Wujian Hall was doing its utmost to suppress the spread of this news. At present, only a small number of Core Formation True Persons and True Monarchs were aware of it.]
["For the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty to make such massive moves simply because Wujian Hall refused to hand over the Reincarnation Stone..."]
[You fell into a brief moment of thought, feeling that the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's true objective wasn't the Reincarnation Stone at all.]
[Demanding the Reincarnation Stone was just a front. What the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty really wanted was an excuse—an excuse to strike at Wujian Domain.]
["If that's truly the case... no wonder Wujian Hall refused..."]
[You thought to yourself. The Reincarnation Stone was certainly important to Wujian Hall, but compared to their very survival, it was nothing.]
[In the face of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's conquest, there was a definite probability that Wujian Hall would be wiped out.]
[Under these circumstances, if the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty really only wanted the Reincarnation Stone, Wujian Hall wouldn't necessarily have refused.]
[With a divination grandmaster like True Monarch Qingtian among their ranks, Wujian Hall had most likely sensed the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's true intentions, which was why they rejected the demand.]
[If the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty genuinely intended to attack Wujian Domain, handing over the Reincarnation Stone wouldn't end things.]
["Why does the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty want to strike at Wujian Hall? Is it for resources? For treasures? Or something else entirely?"]
[You speculated inwardly. Conflicts in the cultivation world ultimately boiled down to a few reasons, primarily driven by profit.]
["And then there's True Monarch Chongtian..."]
[You narrowed your eyes slightly. During the fourth simulation, True Monarch Chongtian had appeared in Taiyuan Region. You had originally thought he was just traveling nearby and intervened because he had heard news of a beast king with a True Spirit Bloodline.]
[Looking at it now, it wasn't that simple. Perhaps it also had something to do with this expeditionary army.]
[Year 258, you were 275 years old.]
[Inside your cave dwelling, a humanoid puppet stood before you.]
[This humanoid puppet emitted a spiritual pressure that far exceeded the Core Formation Stage, making it seem like a True Monarch had descended.]
[Ultimately, due to some unknown change, the humanoid puppet's aura abruptly fell into chaos. Its spiritual pressure dissipated, and wisps of black smoke rose from its surface.]
["It failed?"]
[You let out a sigh. This humanoid puppet was your attempt at pushing toward Tier 4 puppet arts.]
[With Tier 4 puppet arts, one could craft Tier 4 puppets that rivaled Nascent Soul True Monarchs.]
[However, creating a Tier 4 puppet not only required many rare materials, but it also demanded a thorough understanding of Nascent Soul-level methods and how to replicate them within a puppet.]
[You carefully dismantled the humanoid puppet, observing its internal structure to analyze the cause of the failure.]
[Becoming a Tier 4 puppet grandmaster would provide you with an additional trump card against enemies.]
[Just imagine having four or five Tier 4 puppets in hand and suddenly unleashing them during a life-or-death battle with a Nascent Soul True Monarch...]
[Four or five Tier 4 puppets, plus yourself, would subject that Nascent Soul True Monarch to a siege by multiple True Monarchs. The resulting pressure would be no less than the life-or-death threat of facing a Mid Nascent Soul Stage True Monarch.]
["So that's why..."]
[Observing the puppet's interior, you discovered the reason for the failure. Two of the materials repelled spiritual energy, which ultimately led to the collapse.]
[Even if crafting the Tier 4 puppet had failed, as long as you knew the reason and made improvements, success would eventually come.]
[In this simulation, you still had over seven hundred years of lifespan left, so you were in no rush.]
[Year 263, you were 280 years old.]
[True Monarch Qianhuan of Wujian Hall visited Jiuli Valley, and you received her together with True Monarch Beiheng.]
["It's been many years. Fellow Daoist Beiheng, fellow Daoist Qingyuan, you both look as radiant as ever..."]
[A trace of exhaustion showed on True Monarch Qianhuan's beautiful face.]
[Over the years, because of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty, most of Wujian Hall's Nascent Soul True Monarchs had been extremely busy, juggling multiple tasks.]
[For instance, True Monarch Qianhuan's visit to Jiuli Valley this time was driven by a mission from Wujian Hall.]
["You flatter us, fellow Daoist Qianhuan. I wonder what important matter brings you here to discuss..."]
[True Monarch Beiheng asked. He had already guessed the purpose of True Monarch Qianhuan's visit, but naturally, he had to wait for her to state it herself.]
["You two fellow Daoists should already be aware of the situation with the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty..."]
[True Monarch Qianhuan didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty is cruel and tyrannical. Their true intent is not our Wujian Hall's Reincarnation Stone, but rather to expand their territory and bolster the immortal dynasty's destiny..."]
[True Monarch Qianhuan was highly skilled with her words. From the very beginning, she denied that the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's conquest of Wujian Domain was due to Wujian Hall refusing to hand over the Reincarnation Stone.]
[These words could provoke the numerous cultivators within the domain, including the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, to stand united against a common enemy.]
[If the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's conquest was truly brought about by Wujian Hall's refusal to hand over the Reincarnation Stone, it would inevitably breed resentment and other negative sentiments among many cultivators.]
["Expanding territory... bolstering the immortal dynasty's destiny..."]
[You wore a thoughtful expression. The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's cultivation system was different from conventional dharma cultivation and body cultivation.]
[The Dazhou Immortal Dynasty pursued Dynastic Cultivation. The larger the territory they governed and the more subjects they had, the denser the dynasty's destiny would become.]
[Consequently, the feedback provided to the emperor and officials of the immortal dynasty would also be greater.]
["Fellow Daoist Beiheng, fellow Daoist Qingyuan, I have come this time to invite you both to lend a hand and join us in resisting the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's invasion..."]
[True Monarch Qianhuan stated her true purpose. "Please rest assured, you two fellow Daoists. Wujian Hall will offer rich compensation. Tier 4 materials, numerous Spirit Treasures, and a massive amount of inheritances... As long as you are willing, you only need to ask."]
[Hearing this, True Monarch Beiheng remained expressionless, but his heart was quite moved.]
[Wujian Hall's treasury held several types of Tier 4 body-refining materials that would be of great help to him.]
[If he obtained them, his chances of surviving the heavenly tribulation of the Rank 4 Mid Stage would increase.]
["Fellow Daoist Qianhuan, to be honest with you, I have recently reached a critical juncture in my cultivation. It would be difficult for me to make a move..."]
[You didn't hesitate, refusing tactfully.]
[True Monarch Qianhuan's promise was indeed full of sincerity.]
[But it also meant that the risks were tremendous.]
[Otherwise, why would Wujian Hall be willing to pay such a steep price?]
[Since the risks were great, you naturally planned to wait and see.]
[No matter how abundant the external resources were, you needed to be alive to enjoy them.]
[True Monarch Beiheng glanced at you, thought for a moment, and responded, "I am the same. It's inconvenient for me to leave Jiuli Valley recently."]
["Sigh..."]
[True Monarch Qianhuan sighed inwardly. None of those who cultivated to become Nascent Soul True Monarchs were fools. Trying to get them to face the first wave of the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's attacks was far too difficult.]
[Furthermore, given the transcendent status of Nascent Soul True Monarchs, Wujian Hall didn't dare to push them too hard. They could only rely on the allure of profit, keeping it primarily voluntary.]
[If a True Monarch was genuinely pushed to the brink and simply flicked their sleeves and fled Wujian Domain—or worse, joined the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty's camp—it would be yet another devastating blow to Wujian Hall.]
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