I Have a Cultivation Simulator

Seeing this, realization dawned on Zhou Qing.

While resources were essential for cultivation, guidance from a senior was equally vital.

Why had Zhou Qing insisted on placing himself under Alchemist Yun in the first simulation? Was it not precisely to receive his instruction?

Even in the current simulation, he had done everything possible to cultivate a good relationship with Alchemist Yun. One of his goals was for the man to lend him a helping hand after becoming a High-Grade Alchemist.

His approach had proven entirely correct. Even after advancing to High-Grade Alchemist first, Alchemist Yun hadn't forgotten him.

He would occasionally provide an alchemical legacy for Zhou Qing to study.

Without Alchemist Yun, who knew how much effort it would have cost Zhou Qing to become a High-Grade Alchemist himself.

Ye Feng had initially just reached the Qi Refining Third Layer. To become a powerful cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer in a mere thirty-odd years involved far too many unreasonable leaps.

Without the guidance of predecessors, how many pitfalls would an independent cultivator have to fall into before reaching that stage?

His thoughts turning, Zhou Qing continued reading the simulation.

[You examined the sky-blue ring and noticed faint strands of crimson light flowing within it.]

["What are you looking at, brat? I am the artifact spirit of the Shanhai Ring. Which Master is the current sect leader of the Shanhai Sect? How could the grand Shanhai Ring fall into the hands of a mere cultivator at the Qi Refining Middle Stage like you?"]

[The voice continued from within the sky-blue ring.]

[You thought for a moment before replying, "Senior Artifact Spirit, I know nothing of any Shanhai Sect. I obtained this ring from... from a fellow Daoist..."]

[You didn't reveal everything you knew. The name of the Shanhai Sect would spread far and wide in a few years, but right now? Very few cultivators knew that the secret realm was connected to the Shanhai Sect.]

["I see."]

[The old voice inside the sky-blue ring took a long time before slowly speaking again: "Even a profound treasure like the Shanhai Ring has been left adrift... The Shanhai Sect..."]

[The old voice shifted its tone. "Since you were able to obtain the Shanhai Ring, you must share a destined connection with the Shanhai Sect. Encountering me is the greatest fortune of your life, brat. I will nurture you into a Master so that you can revive the Shanhai Lineage..."]

[In the cultivation world, the title of Master exclusively referred to cultivators who had reached Core Formation. Only experts at that level had the right to call themselves Masters.]

["A Master?"]

[Even though you had mentally prepared yourself, hearing these words still made your heart surge.]

[Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm lived for two hundred years, while Core Formation Masters enjoyed a lifespan of five hundred.]

[Five hundred years of sweeping changes in the world were nothing more than a single lifetime for a Core Formation Master.]

["What are you spacing out for? Are you not going to acknowledge me as your master? Or do you think I'm unqualified?"]

[The old voice inside the ring continued.]

["Acknowledge you as my master?"]

[You stared blankly once again.]

Outside the simulation, lines of illusory text rapidly gathered to form three choices.

[You must choose from the following three options:]

[1: Agree to acknowledge him as your master.]

[2: Refuse to acknowledge him as your master.]

[3: Throw the ring away; I want to forge my own path.]

Without any hesitation, Zhou Qing selected the first option.

What a joke. Even if the artifact spirit of the Shanhai Ring was just making empty promises about nurturing him into a Master, it didn't matter.

The fact that it could nurture someone to Qi Refining Perfection and allow them to attempt Foundation Establishment had already been proven by Ye Feng in the first simulation.

Based on that alone, acknowledging it as his master wouldn't be a loss.

Moreover, this acknowledgment was happening inside the simulation.

Even if there were hidden dangers—such as drawing the attention of the Shanhai Sect's enemies—it would have absolutely nothing to do with Zhou Qing in reality.

As long as he could cultivate to Qi Refining Perfection, Zhou Qing could accept making another enemy within the simulation.

Besides, the Shanhai Sect had been destroyed hundreds of years ago. They couldn't even protect their own secret realm headquarters; whether they still had any enemies was unknown.

["Greetings, Master."]

[Without any hesitation, you immediately acknowledged him as your master.]

["I awoke not long ago. I am going to slumber for a while..."]

[After speaking, the old voice inside the ring subsided into silence.]

[You carefully checked your surroundings. Once you confirmed that no cultivators were tailing you, you quietly returned to Wushan Market.]

[Nothing had changed inside your cave dwelling. Dachun had stayed in the courtyard the whole time, practicing his body-tempering arts.]

[You had prepared many Fasting Pills for Dachun, enough to sustain him for the next several years, perhaps even a decade.]

["Alchemist Yun left a message telling me to find him after I came out of seclusion..."]

[You had publicly announced that you were entering seclusion. For a cultivator, a period of seclusion could last several months or even years, which was perfectly normal.]

[Falling into brief thought, you vaguely guessed Alchemist Yun's reason for seeking you out.]

[During this exact same timeframe in the first simulation, Alchemist Yun had also disappeared for a few years.]

[Only later had you learned that during his disappearance, Alchemist Yun had gone to Biyue Immortal City to attempt reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm.]

[Biyue Immortal City was the largest gathering place for cultivators in this region. Alchemist Yun's teacher, Master Zhao, was permanently stationed there.]

[Biyue Immortal City was built atop a large Tier Three Spiritual Vein, providing cultivators with an abundant spiritual energy environment. Many cultivators at Qi Refining Perfection with the necessary means would choose this immortal city when attempting Foundation Establishment.]

[You immediately headed to the Yun Family Alchemy Shop and found Alchemist Yun.]

[Alchemist Yun looked at you and spoke in a solemn tone. "Brother Wang, for the next few years, I'll be staying at Master Zhao's place to prepare for my Foundation Establishment attempt. I'll be leaving the Yun Family Alchemy Shop in your care."]

[Alchemist Yun didn't hide anything from you. After twenty years of association, he trusted you implicitly.]

[Alchemist Yun had once planned to give you twenty percent of the Yun Family Alchemy Shop's profits, but you had refused. This had made him realize you weren't a cultivator who placed too much importance on external wealth.]

["Attempting Foundation Establishment... Brother Yun, are you confident?"]

[You asked in a low voice.]

[In the first simulation, Alchemist Yun's Foundation Establishment attempt had ended in failure.]

[However, with your help in this simulation, Alchemist Yun had become a High-Grade Alchemist a few years early. He had gained more time and energy to spend on refining his foundation.]

[Perhaps he would break his fate of failing Foundation Establishment from the first simulation.]

["Attempting Foundation Establishment is a heavenly chasm that cultivators like us must face. Unless someone possesses an Earth Spiritual Root or a Mutated Spiritual Root, who would dare claim to be confident?"]

[Alchemist Yun sighed.]

[An Earth Spiritual Root was an aptitude that surpassed a High-Grade Spirit Root. When cultivators with that kind of spiritual root attempted Foundation Establishment, their success was practically guaranteed.]

[As for Mutated Spiritual Roots, originally known as Variant Spiritual Roots, they were born from the mutation of High-Grade Spirit Roots and were considered equal to Earth Spiritual Roots.]

[You remained silent.]

[You had countless simulation opportunities. Even if you couldn't reach Foundation Establishment in this simulation, there would always be a chance to succeed in the next one, or the one after that.]

[But for the vast majority of cultivators, there was only one chance to attempt Foundation Establishment. Once they failed, their only outcome was to die of old age in the Qi Refining Realm.]

[You watched as Alchemist Yun departed from Wushan Market.]

[At the same time, you began gradually selling off the large batch of healing and life-saving pills you had refined over the past few years.]

[Now, as more and more cultivators entered the Shanhai Secret Realm, the prices of these types of pills had significantly increased. You had prepared for this for years, and now it was finally time to reel in the net.]

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