['A bountiful harvest!']
[As your figure appeared within Nether Mountain, a smile surfaced on your face.]
[Over the past few days of questioning, the Armored Guardian had ignored the vast majority of your questions, but the few it did answer broadened your horizons.]
['The classification of late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators in the ancient era...']
[One of the Armored Guardian's answers surfaced in your mind.]
[In the ancient era, the status of the Human Realm had not yet fallen, and natural resources were abundant.]
[The number of late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators born back then was somewhat higher than it is today.]
[Coupled with the fact that Heavenly Monarchs oversaw the world and occasionally offered their guidance...]
[...a clear hierarchy emerged to distinguish between these late-stage Great Cultivators.]
[The first tier consisted of ordinary Great Cultivators.]
[Converted to modern standards, this level included those who had newly entered the late Nascent Soul stage, as well as veteran late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators.]
[Great Cultivator Fulong belonged to this category, and currently, so did you.]
[The second tier consisted of top-tier Great Cultivators.]
[Great Cultivators at this level possessed strength noticeably superior to ordinary late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators.]
[The late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators on the Central Continent's list of the top ten bandit cultivators were basically all top-tier late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators.]
[Without reaching the ranks of a top-tier Great Cultivator, daring to snatch food from the tiger's mouth by stealing from the Central Continent's five supreme factions—the two body cultivation and three dharma cultivation sects? It was as difficult as ascending to heaven.]
[Becoming a top-tier Great Cultivator was not achieved merely by cultivating to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak. It required the Great Cultivator's actual combat prowess to meet the standard.]
[The third tier consisted of legendary Great Cultivators.]
[When the Armored Guardian mentioned legendary Great Cultivators, he noted that cultivators at this level would possess a special advantage when attempting to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage.]
[Furthermore, in terms of sheer power, a legendary Great Cultivator could rival a Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch who had suppressed their strength to the late Nascent Soul level.]
[Even when suppressing their strength to the late Nascent Soul stage, a Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch was not someone an ordinary late-stage Great Cultivator could match.]
[A top-tier late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivator might be able to exchange a couple of blows with a suppressed Heavenly Monarch, but their defeat was inevitable.]
[But a legendary Great Cultivator? They had cultivated every aspect to the absolute limit and mastered some boundary-surpassing method, allowing them to stand on equal footing with a suppressed Heavenly Monarch.]
[However, even in the ancient era, legendary Great Cultivators were incredibly rare—far fewer in number than the Heavenly Monarchs of the same era.]
[There were even many eras where not a single legendary Great Cultivator was born.]
['Legendary Great Cultivators!']
[Your eyes lit up. In the ancient era, a legendary Great Cultivator was merely invincible at the late Nascent Soul level. If they truly faced a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch... they would fare no better than a top-tier Great Cultivator, or even an ordinary Great Cultivator.]
[If a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch wanted to kill a legendary Great Cultivator, they had no need to suppress their strength.]
[Directly wielding the might of heaven and earth would kill even the strongest late Nascent Soul cultivator.]
[But what about the recent ancient era?]
[Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs were suppressed by heaven and earth. Even if they attacked, they could not elevate their power beyond the late Nascent Soul level. Otherwise, they would face a worldly backlash, resulting in injury or even a shortened lifespan.]
[In such times, the significance of a legendary Great Cultivator became much heavier.]
[At the very least, even someone as lofty as a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch would have to pay a price to kill a legendary Great Cultivator.]
['What a pity...']
[You shook your head slightly. Even in the dazzlingly brilliant ancient era, legendary Great Cultivators had been exceptionally rare, let alone in the recent ancient era.]
[With your status and breadth of knowledge, you had never heard of a single late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivator from the recent ancient era whose strength surpassed the top-tier level.]
[Even Heavenly Monarch Purple Eye from several centuries ago could not have achieved such a feat.]
['With my strength and foundation, if I cultivate to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak, I should barely cross the threshold of a top-tier Great Cultivator, right?']
[You evaluated yourself and came to this conclusion.]
[This was not underestimating yourself. It was simply that top-tier late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivators—whether in foundation, trump cards, methods, or inheritances—were not the slightest bit inferior to you. In fact, they might even be stronger.]
[The path of an ancient top-tier dharma cultivation true lord? The Ghost Realm Trial Field? The physical divine abilities of body cultivation? Among top-tier Great Cultivators, these were not considered rare. Even if they had not mastered these specific elements, they possessed alternative means.]
[The Nine-Star Ancient Soul Fruit? As fortuitous encounters on the same level as the Ghost Realm Trial Field, the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens also held corresponding alternatives.]
['Legendary Great Cultivators...']
[You felt a pang of secret envy, but quickly pushed the thought aside.]
[Even knowing that being a legendary Great Cultivator provided a special benefit when breaking through to the Deity Transformation Stage...]
[...you didn't dare to entertain any ideas about it.]
[In the resource-depleted recent ancient era, becoming a legendary Great Cultivator was simply far too difficult.]
[You left Nether Mountain, planning to return to the Central Continent.]
[Before leaving the Taiyuan Region, you took the opportunity to collect all the profits the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce had accumulated over the past several centuries.]
[At the same time, you contacted the current generation's true lord of Taiyuan Palace and sold off the entire Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce as a package deal at a price slightly above market value.]
[By now, the upper management of the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce had cycled through countless generations. You no longer recognized any of them, so selling it off brought you no emotional burden.]
[Before returning to the Central Continent, you visited your parents' gravestones.]
[This place was the Zhou Family cemetery. As a Core Formation cultivation clan, the Zhou Family's graveyard was shrouded by a grand array and constantly patrolled by Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators.]
[Of course, these measures posed absolutely no obstacle to you. With your methods, even if you stood right in front of them, the Zhou Family's Mid Core Formation Stage ancestor wouldn't be able to detect you.]
[You stood before your parents' gravestones for a while before turning and leaving.]
[Before you left, you used your Rank 4 Mid Stage Divination arts to secretly nudge the Zhou Family's future destiny, making their path smoother and fraught with fewer disasters and tribulations.]
[For a Rank 4 Middle Grade Divination Grandmaster, altering the future destiny of a Core Formation faction was far too easy.]
[The scope of this influence was limited to the vicinity of the Taiyuan Region.]
[Right before finally departing the Taiyuan Region, you took one last, deep look at this remote major region.]
[You realized that this would be your final visit to the Taiyuan Region in this simulation.]
[You had just over forty years of lifespan remaining. After returning to the Central Continent this time, it was virtually impossible for you to ever come back.]
[Year 995. You were 1,012 years old.]
[You safely arrived in the Central Continent and returned to the Heavenly Talisman Sect.]
[Pinching your fingers to divine the time, you confirmed that your remaining lifespan was less than forty years.]
[You began liquidating your numerous assets, treasures, rare items, and weapons.]
[This included numerous Tier 4 Puppets, the Heavenly Cycle Sword Array, and various Spirit Treasures, among other things.]
[The treasures and resources you had gathered were all hard currency in the cultivation world; you had absolutely no trouble converting them into liquid wealth.]
[As your old employer of several centuries, the Heavenly Talisman Sect received priority whenever their offers matched those of others.]
[Aside from various secret arts, cultivation methods, and classified intelligence, the items you demanded in exchange included the blood essence of Rank 4 beast kings.]
[Your Divine Ability Transformation allowed you to refine beast king blood essence and use it for yourself.]
[Since body cultivation divine abilities could be inherited by your main body, the beast king blood essence refined through this physical divine ability would naturally carry over to your true self, ready to be used in subsequent simulations.]
[Over the past few centuries, you had never neglected the collection of beast king blood essence. At present, you had refined nearly twenty different types.]
[These twenty types of beast king blood essence were the result of your careful selection.]
[Not all beast king blood essence was worthy of being refined into your Divine Ability Transformation.]
[Many beast kings possessed divine abilities that weren't particularly strong, and the Divine Ability Transformation could only utilize one transformation technique at a time over a short duration.]
[Refining blood essence from beast kings of the same type carried little meaning.]
[Therefore, the blood essence you chose to refine was inevitably from the most powerful beast kings within their respective types.]
[Year 1,010. You were 1,027 years old.]
[Within your immortal cave, Li Yan pressed herself against you like a mortal woman, not showing the slightest bearing of a Mid Nascent Soul Stage true lord.]
[Possessing the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique, Li Yan could maintain her youth without consuming a Face Preserving Pill, showing absolutely no signs of aging.]
[However, her true age lay bare. Li Yan was around the same age as you; by now, she was also over a thousand years old.]
[Because Li Yan had never consumed any life-extending treasures, she was already infinitely close to the absolute limit of her lifespan.]
["Yan'er, this Tier 4 longevity fruit can extend your lifespan by eighty years. Eat it."]
[You retrieved a longevity fruit and spoke.]
[With your current status and position, obtaining ordinary Tier 4 life-extending items was not difficult.]
[You had long since consumed longevity fruits to extend your own life, and the effects of such treasures did not stack. Thus, this fruit was useless to you.]
["Master, how much longer can you live?"]
[Li Yan did not take the longevity fruit. Instead, she looked up at you and asked.]
[You remained silent for a moment before giving an exact answer: "A little over twenty years."]
[Due to your Divination arts, you had lost around two hundred years of lifespan.]
[Therefore, even after maxing out on life-extending items, you could only live to be about 1,050 years old.]
["Then Yan'er won't consume this longevity fruit..."]
[Li Yan continued to press herself against your chest, speaking softly: "If Master leaves, Yan'er has no desire to keep living. Since that's the case, I would rather pass on before Master. There's no need to waste this longevity fruit."]
[You looked at Li Yan, understanding the thoughts of this companion who had stayed by your side for over a millennium.]
[To a Nascent Soul true lord with no hope of breaking through, living a few decades more or a few decades less truly made no difference.]
["Let it be."]
[You withdrew the Tier 4 longevity fruit, choosing not to force Li Yan to consume it.]
[Year 1,020. You were 1,037 years old.]
[Li Yan passed away in meditation.]
[You stayed by Li Yan's side through the final stretch of her life.]
[You cremated Li Yan's physical body into ashes, then scattered them across the world.]
[This had been her final wish. She didn't want to be buried in a cemetery after death; instead, she wished to become the wind between heaven and earth, continuing to accompany you.]
['Insights on cultivation and insights on the arts of sound...']
[You brought out the final jade slip Li Yan had left for you. Recorded within it were all her profound insights and reflections on both cultivation and sound arts right up until the moment she passed away in meditation.]
[This was exactly what you had asked her to do, preparing the way for the Li Yan in your next simulation.]
[In the next simulation, you planned to nurture Li Yan to the Nascent Soul Stage before claiming her Primordial Yin Qi.]
[The first wisp of Primordial Yin Qi from a Nascent Soul Stage Primordial Yin Treasure Physique held such an unfathomable breakthrough efficacy that it could probably even provide a slight benefit when a late Nascent Soul stage cultivator attempted to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage.]
[If possible, you wouldn't mind waiting until Li Yan had stepped into the Mid Nascent Soul Stage before taking her first wisp of Primordial Yin Qi.]
[In the next simulation, the timing for your attempt to reach Deity Transformation would undoubtedly remain the moment Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation.]
[And that event would occur when you were 553 years old.]
[With five to six hundred years, utilizing your methods as a late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivator, combined with the cultivation insights Li Yan left behind in this simulation...]
[...there was a very high chance of nurturing her to the Mid Nascent Soul Stage.]
[In this current simulation, Li Yan hadn't reached the Mid Nascent Soul Stage until she was over seven hundred years old.]
[She had taken quite a few detours along the way.]
[Given a second chance, you were confident you could help her cross into the Mid Stage a century or two earlier.]
[Year 1,030. You were 1,047 years old.]
[You pinched your fingers to divine the time and confirmed that you only had three or four years of lifespan remaining.]
['I cannot delay this any longer.']
[You slowly stood up and walked out of your immortal cave.]
[Over the years, you had sold every treasure you could, leaving behind only a few prepared Fourth Tier High Grade spiritual pills to aid your breakthrough to the Deity Transformation Stage.]
[These spiritual pills were not meant to guarantee your breakthrough to Deity Transformation, but rather to allow you to push further during the breakthrough process.]
[Advancing from the late Nascent Soul stage to the Deity Transformation Stage was divided into three phases.]
[The first phase was the transformation of the Nascent Soul into a Primordial Spirit.]
[The second phase was the Tribulation of Silent Extinction, which functioned as an upgraded version of the Heart Demon Tribulation.]
[The third phase was the Five Elements Lightning Tribulation.]
[After leaving seclusion, you sought out True Monarch Wen.]
[By this point, True Monarch Wen had become the supreme elder of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, wielding ultimate authority.]
["Brother Qingyuan, do you truly intend to attempt a breakthrough to the Deity Transformation Stage? Why must you..."]
[True Monarch Wen couldn't help but try to dissuade you.]
[With the reigning Heavenly Monarch yet to fall, a late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivator attempting to reach Deity Transformation? There was almost zero possibility of success.]
[Once the breakthrough failed, the resulting backlash would leave you severely injured, if not dead.]
[Considering that your remaining lifespan was already likely running short, you wouldn't be able to withstand the source backlash brought upon by a failed breakthrough. It could practically be called certain death.]
[If you didn't attempt the breakthrough, you could still live a few more years. If you did, you were doomed to die.]
[Naturally, True Monarch Wen hoped you would choose the former. He couldn't bear the thought of you suffering a sudden death in your twilight years.]
["Some things must be done eventually..."]
[You spoke with a calm tone.]
[Everything you were doing now was simply preparing and laying the groundwork for the next simulation.]
[As long as it could increase your chances of successfully reaching Deity Transformation, what did it matter if you died a sudden death in your twilight years?]
["Alright, I'll have someone prepare a Tier 5 spiritual vein right away..."]
[Seeing that your resolve was unshakable, True Monarch Wen could only heave a sigh.]
[As a top-tier faction in the Human Realm, the Heavenly Talisman Sect was built upon a massive Tier 5 spiritual vein. They were fully capable of providing the Tier 5 immortal cave necessary for attempting a breakthrough to Deity Transformation.]
[A few days later, you sat cross-legged within the Tier 5 immortal cave.]
[Various memories flashed through your mind. Finally, you closed your eyes, swallowed the supporting medicinal pills, and initiated your attempt to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage.]
[Rumble—]
[The massive phenomena generated by your breakthrough instantly alarmed the numerous cultivators of the Heavenly Talisman Sect.]
["Is that... the phenomenon of a breakthrough to Deity Transformation?"]
["No Heavenly Monarch has fallen yet, but there is actually a Great Cultivator attempting to reach Deity Transformation?"]
[The true lords of the Heavenly Talisman Sect were stunned, but they immediately began to observe.]
[Inside the Tier 5 immortal cave.]
[You sat cross-legged. Within your dantian, your primary Nascent Soul rapidly expanded, growing to a height of one meter in the blink of an eye.]
[This was the process of the Nascent Soul transforming into a Primordial Spirit.]
[However, at a certain moment, the continuously expanding Nascent Soul abruptly halted and then began to collapse.]
[An unprecedented force of backlash began to sweep through your entire body.]
['A failure?']
[You didn't find this surprising. You hadn't yet cultivated to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak; attempting to reach Deity Transformation was a slim hope to begin with.]
['This breakthrough...']
[You firmly memorized every detail and piece of experience from the breakthrough attempt you had just made.]
[This attempt had allowed you to personally experience the process of the Nascent Soul transforming into a Primordial Spirit.]
[Even though it ultimately failed, the harvest was tremendous. When you tried again in the next simulation, it would undoubtedly go much smoother than this time.]
[You died.]
[The current simulation has ended.]
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