I Have a Cultivation Simulator

“A Tier 4 High-Grade Alchemist!”

Outside the simulation, Zhou Qing was in an excellent mood.

This advancement in his alchemical skills did not merely mean he had mastered his first Tier 4 High-Grade art.

It also provided the most reliable foundation for refining the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.

The Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill was a Quasi-Tier-5 elixir. Only a Tier 4 High-Grade Alchemist had any hope of successfully refining it.

Zhou Qing had to reach this rank to refine the pill himself without relying on another alchemist.

“With the accumulation of five simulations and one to two thousand years of foundational experience, my alchemical Dao has finally taken this step...”

Zhou Qing’s thoughts drifted. Over the century or two since arriving in the Central Continent, he had devoted all his energy to his normal cultivation and comprehending alchemical skills.

During this time, only his array formation skills had luckily broken through to Rank 4 Middle Grade thanks to his previous accumulation. His other skills remained virtually untouched.

Zhou Qing pondered. This was his upcoming cultivation plan and goal.

He needed to maximize his chances of stepping into the Late Nascent Soul Stage.

A massive bottleneck, a tremendous shackle, existed between the Mid Stage and Late Stage.

Even with the Quasi-Tier-5 spiritual item, the Lotus Heart Seed, he lacked absolute confidence in success.

If the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill could be successfully refined, it would be an undeniable aid to him.

Although the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill only slightly increased the probability of breaking through to the Late Stage, at the critical moment, that slight margin might be all he needed to succeed.

Throughout history, countless cultivators on the verge of a breakthrough had fallen short by just that tiny bit.

“Let’s continue!”

Zhou Qing steadied his mind and continued to watch the shifting, illusory text in his vision.

[You did not become complacent after advancing to a Tier 4 High-Grade Alchemist. You knew very well that merely having just entered this rank was not enough to refine the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]

[Fortunately, you were still some distance away from the Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak. You had plenty of time to comprehend alchemical skills and formulate a plan with the highest chance of successfully refining the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]

[Year 683, you were 700 years old.]

[Taking a risk, you possessed a few disciples of Pill King Mountain and exchanged knowledge with various alchemy grandmasters.]

[You gained quite a lot from these exchanges.]

[You obtained a secret alchemy technique from Pill King Mountain known as the Pill Sacrifice Art.]

[During the refining process, this art sacrificed several successfully formed pills to elevate the quality of the remaining one.]

[Simply put, if a furnace batch could produce five pills, this secret technique could sacrifice four of them to boost the quality of the final pill.]

[This quality improvement could raise a waste pill to an inferior pill, an inferior pill to a normal pill...]

[“I can’t go to Pill King Mountain anymore...” After acquiring the Pill Sacrifice Art, you realized that your frequent visits were leaving increasingly heavy karmic traces within this top-tier faction.]

[If you went a few more times, those karmic threads would cross a critical threshold. A Tier 4 Mid-Grade Divination Grandmaster willing to sacrifice decades of lifespan for a divination could potentially lock onto your current identity.]

[As a Tier 4 Lower Divination Grandmaster yourself, you understood karma, heavenly secrets, and fate perfectly. You absolutely refused to leave any hidden dangers behind.]

[At the Heavenly Talisman Sect, True Monarch Wen had brewed a batch of high-quality spiritual wine and invited you over for a tasting.]

[Having a good relationship with True Monarch Wen, you gladly accepted.]

[Wine brewing was also one of the hundred cultivation arts, though it was an extremely obscure one.]

[In the main hall of the immortal cave, you and True Monarch Wen sat facing each other.]

[“Fellow Daoist Zhou, have a taste.”]

[True Monarch Wen poured you a full cup of spiritual wine.]

[“Good wine.”]

[Before drinking, you used your Tier 4 lower grade divination skills to ensure there was nothing wrong with the wine, only then draining the cup.]

[“Hahaha, this batch of spiritual wine has been brewing for over two hundred years...”]

[True Monarch Wen carefully drank a cup as well.]

[He closed his eyes and savored it for a moment.]

[Nascent Soul True Monarchs possessed immense magic power. To fully experience the flavor of the spiritual wine, True Monarch Wen forcefully circulated his magic power to avoid dispelling the intoxication it brought.]

[“Sigh... We True Monarchs might look carefree, but who understands the despair of being trapped by a bottleneck, unable to advance an inch?” Slightly drunk, True Monarch Wen couldn't help but complain.]

[You nodded slightly in agreement.]

[Which True Monarch capable of cultivating to the Nascent Soul Stage wasn't proud and arrogant? Most of them dreamed of stepping into the Late Stage and attempting to break through to the legendary Deity Transformation Stage.]

[But let alone the Deity Transformation Stage, even the Mid Nascent Soul Stage had blocked an untold number of True Monarchs.]

[“The Great Dao is difficult...”]

[True Monarch Wen drank another cup.]

[For a talisman cultivator like him, this went without saying, but even for a standard dharma cultivation practitioner like yourself, stepping into the Late Nascent Soul Stage was incredibly difficult.]

[In True Monarch Wen’s eyes, you were surely trapped before some bottleneck in the Mid Stage as well. The Late Nascent Soul Stage? Even with the Central Continent’s cultivation environment and heritage...]

[...the number of Late Stage Great Cultivators was exceedingly rare. Only the top-tier factions had a few.]

[Just as you and True Monarch Wen were drinking the spiritual wine together, a white-browed old man in voluminous robes appeared unannounced in the adjacent seat.]

[This white-browed old man had his aura completely concealed. Yet, to appear silently by your side without even a Mid Stage True Monarch like True Monarch Wen noticing, he was clearly far from simple.]

[“Uncle... Why are you here?”]

[Catching sight of the white-browed old man out of the corner of his eye, True Monarch Wen’s mind trembled, and he instantly sobered up.]

[The white-browed old man was none other than one of the three Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivators of the Heavenly Talisman Sect—or more accurately, one of the remaining two.]

[Not long ago, one of the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s Great Cultivators had perished under the heavenly tribulation while attempting to break through to Deity Transformation.]

[“Greetings, Supreme Elder Three Talismans...”]

[You looked at the white-browed old man without much surprise.]

[With your divine sense strength already half a step into the Late Nascent Soul Stage, you had sensed the white-browed old man the moment he entered the immortal cave.]

[However, since this was True Monarch Wen’s cave and the old man was his elder, it wouldn't have been appropriate for you to react first.]

[“Hahaha, I was just planning to check in on Little Wen. I didn't expect to see guest elder Zhou here as well.”]

[Great Cultivator Three Talismans looked at you with a smile and spoke casually.]

[Your heart chilled. You deduced that this Great Cultivator Three Talismans had likely come specifically for you.]

[If he had genuinely come to see True Monarch Wen and noticed you were present, there would have been no need to show himself.]

[“I heard fellow Daoist Zhou hails from the Southern Sea. Coincidentally, I also visited the Southern Sea a few times in my youth...”]

[Great Cultivator Three Talismans also drank a cup of spiritual wine and began chatting casually with you.]

[You immediately understood in your heart.]

[You could mostly guess the reason Great Cultivator Three Talismans had sought you out.]

[It must be that after repeated investigations, the Heavenly Talisman Sect had failed to find any cultivator matching your description among the many Nascent Soul Stage True Monarchs in the Southern Sea Territory.]

[When you joined the Heavenly Talisman Sect, the background you revealed was that you came from the Southern Sea Territory.]

[And the Heavenly Talisman Sect wouldn’t just take your word for it; they would certainly run a background check afterward.]

[“I was born in the deep archipelagos of the Southern Sea...”]

[You spoke with assurance, delivering the cover story you had prepared long ago.]

[Since you dared to impersonate a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Southern Sea Territory, you were naturally well-prepared.]

[Back in the Sky Rift Grand Canyon, among the eight Early Stage True Monarchs you killed, one of them hailed from the Southern Sea Territory.]

[With your soul strength temporarily reaching the Late Nascent Soul Stage under the enhancement of the Divine Ability Eruption, you were fully capable of Soul Searching an Early Stage True Monarch.]

[This Early Stage True Monarch had fled to the Eastern Wilderness Domain to escape his enemies and sought refuge with the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty.]

[In the end, he died by your hands.]

[Through Soul Searching this True Monarch, you had become quite familiar with the Southern Sea Territory.]

[“I didn't expect guest elder Zhou to have such an origin...”]

[Great Cultivator Three Talismans conversed with you for a long time. Your answers were watertight. Though he couldn't verify if they were true, he couldn't prove them false either.]

[The Southern Sea Territory connected to the Endless Deep Sea, making it the most chaotic and mixed of the Human Realm’s five great domains.]

[Many True Monarchs from the Southern Sea Territory might never set foot on the continent in their entire lives, let alone enter the Central Continent.]

[“Uncle, I've known fellow Daoist Zhou for hundreds of years. Back then, it was on my recommendation that he even joined the Heavenly Talisman Sect...”]

[Listening from the side, True Monarch Wen wasn't a fool. He immediately realized his uncle was probing you.]

[This instantly made True Monarch Wen feel a bit guilty. After all, Great Cultivator Three Talismans was using the excuse of visiting him to test you.]

[Furthermore, having built a solid relationship with you over hundreds of years, True Monarch Wen naturally didn't want you to face suspicion and questioning.]

[“I was overthinking things...”]

[Great Cultivator Three Talismans gave you a glance. He didn't really think there was anything wrong with you, but these were the rules of the Heavenly Talisman Sect. Any guest elder with an unverified background had to undergo a secondary confirmation.]

[“Forgive me, guest elder Zhou...”]

[Through his questioning just now, Great Cultivator Three Talismans felt you were highly likely clear of suspicion. The depth of your knowledge regarding the Southern Sea Territory wasn't something a True Monarch from another domain could easily fake.]

[Moreover, given your strength and attainments in the talisman Dao, there was no need to impersonate a True Monarch from the Southern Sea. You lacked the motive, and you had already passed the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s Heart-Inquiry Trial.]

[“It's fine. It's only proper.”]

[You replied with a smile.]

[“In that case, guest elder Zhou's talisman drawing quotas for the next hundred years are canceled as compensation.”]

[Great Cultivator Three Talismans offered.]

[“Thank you, Supreme Elder.”]

[Hearing this, you immediately expressed your gratitude.]

[Although the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s talisman quotas put no pressure on you, having them canceled was certainly better than not.]

[This way, you could at least free up time to focus on cultivation and comprehending your alchemical arts.]

[“You two continue chatting. I won't stay any longer.”]

[Great Cultivator Three Talismans’s figure rapidly blurred before finally dissipating from the spot.]

[“Such an evasion art...”]

[Seeing this, your expression turned slightly solemn.]

[The reason the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s Great Cultivator Three Talismans was called ‘Three Talismans’ was because he nourished three innate spirit talismans.]

[They were three distinct types: offense, defense, and evasion.]

[Most talisman cultivators could only nourish a single spirit talisman. Although the talisman could be reused, its function was fixed.]

[An offensive talisman could never be used for defense.]

[But due to profound fortuitous encounters, Great Cultivator Three Talismans had nourished three spirit talismans, leaving him with almost no weaknesses or shortcomings. Even among peers at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, he stood in the top tier.]

[Year 693, you were 710 years old.]

[You continued to comprehend the alchemical Dao while constantly deducing the process of refining the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill, ultimately selecting the method with the highest chance of success.]

[Year 703, you were 720 years old.]

[You faintly sensed that your cultivation was approaching the Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak.]

[Year 713, you were 730 years old.]

[Li Yan cultivated to the Peak Early Nascent Soul Stage and attempted to break through to the Mid Stage, but failed.]

[You sighed inwardly. If you hadn't possessed the Lotus Heart Seed, your initial breakthrough to the Mid Stage might have ended in failure as well.]

[Unless they were True Monarchs groomed with the full might of the Human Realm’s top factions, virtually everyone else had to fail a few times before breaking through from the Early Stage to the Mid Stage.]

[Year 723, you were 740 years old.]

[Inside the Rank 4 Middle Grade immortal cave, you sat cross-legged and slowly opened your eyes.]

[The Mountain and Sea magic power inside your body had nearly reached its absolute limit, surging and circulating like a vast ocean.]

[Within your dantian, both your primary Nascent Soul and your second Nascent Soul had grown to their utmost limits.]

[As for the fifty-three dharma talismans slowly orbiting the two great Nascent Souls, they had all completely transformed to Fourth Tier High Grade over a century ago.]

[“Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak!”]

[You breathed a soft sigh of relief. Sensing that both your magic power and Nascent Souls had reached their limits, you knew the only way to advance further was to step into the Late Stage.]

[“It's time to break through...”]

[Your gaze grew profound as you made your decision.]

[Before breaking through, however, you still needed to refine the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]

[After decades of comprehension, you had formulated the most reliable plan for refining the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]

[First, the refinement process required harnessing the power of Heaven and Earth.]

[In ancient times, high-level alchemists often relied on the power of Heaven and Earth to refine pills.]

[With your current alchemical Dao at Tier 4 High-Grade, you would be considered a high-level alchemist even in ancient times.]

[“Alchemy using Heaven and Earth...”]

[You pondered. Using Heaven and Earth for alchemy didn't mean literally treating the world as a furnace.]

[Rather, it involved selecting a volcanic crater or a deep-sea trench, leveraging the extreme heat or biting cold nurtured by nature to refine spiritual elixirs.]

[The Central Continent was incredibly far from the ocean, so you decided to find a volcanic crater to refine the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill.]

[“Should I use the Pill Sacrifice Art...”]

[You wore a thoughtful expression. The Pill Sacrifice Art had its pros and cons.]

[The advantage was that it maximized the chances of successfully forming a pill.]

[The downside was that even if it succeeded, it would only produce a single pill.]

[Normally, a single furnace batch of main and auxiliary materials for the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill could yield three to five pills if the refinement went smoothly.]

[That way, even if you failed to break through to the Late Nascent Soul Stage, you could consume the extra pills on your next attempt.]

[But if you used the Pill Sacrifice Art, you could only pin all your hopes of reaching the Late Stage on this single attempt.]

[Once you failed, you wouldn't have the Five Saints Ultimate Transformation Pill to assist your next attempt, and your chances of success would be even lower.]

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