I Have a Cultivation Simulator

"Now, open your mind. Do not put up any resistance."

Zhou Qing looked at Lu Mu. He intended to cast a soul-confusing spell and question him once more.

This soul-confusing spell was similar to hypnosis on Earth.

With a divine sense at the Foundation Establishment Realm, Zhou Qing could easily enthrall a Qi Refining mid-stage cultivator. The man would not be able to hide a thing.

He would answer whatever he was asked.

As for why he did not directly search his soul... a forced soul-search could easily result in fragmented, incomplete memories.

It also tended to trigger the target's instinctive resistance. After a forced soul-search, the victim would likely be reduced to an idiot, which was no different from death.

Thus, Zhou Qing planned to enthrall him first, then search his soul.

This was the safest approach.

Lu Mu steadied his nerves.

The next moment, Lu Mu felt an irresistible wave of divine sense spreading into his sea of consciousness.

Bitter fate... he really is a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator...

Lu Mu's mind trembled. The instant the enthrallment spell took hold, he faintly sensed the boundless fluctuations of Zhou Qing's divine sense.

It was a fluctuation far beyond the Qi Refining Realm.

Immediately after, Lu Mu felt nothing at all.

Looking at the stiff expression on Lu Mu's face, Zhou Qing began his questioning.

"Start with your own situation. Why did you come to the mortal Gan Kingdom..." Zhou Qing said in an even tone.

"My name is Lu Mu. I cultivate the Nine Yin Demonic Scripture. I am currently at the peak of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Ten years ago, my enemies hunted me down, and I was forced to flee to the mortal realm..."

"The Nine Yin Demonic Scripture?"

Zhou Qing's expression shifted slightly.

In his two simulations, Zhou Qing had rarely encountered demonic cultivation methods.

"Over forty years ago, I discovered the remains of a demonic cultivator in a cave. I found this cultivation method on the corpse, along with a few related secret arts..."

Lu Mu answered truthfully.

He proceeded to disclose the Nine Yin Demonic Scripture and every secret art he knew.

"Demonic cultivation methods truly are extreme."

Zhou Qing analyzed the scripture for a moment and drew a conclusion.

Normal cultivation methods absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, converting it for personal use.

Demonic methods, however, devoured living beings, converting them for personal use.

But some of these demonic secret arts have rather unique applications...

Zhou Qing pondered, then continued his questioning. "Do you know any Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators?"

This question was to probe what kind of background Lu Mu had.

"I am merely a rogue cultivator. How could I possibly know any lofty Foundation Establishment Realm seniors..."

Lu Mu replied without thinking.

This was also within Zhou Qing's expectations.

If the man truly had a Foundation Establishment Realm background, how could he be hiding in the mortal realm to heal his injuries?

"Aside from bewitching the Gan Emperor into harvesting mortal blood essence to heal your wounds, what else did you make him do?"

Zhou Qing continued questioning him.

"The Gan Emperor's son, the Crown Prince, did not quite trust me. So I had the Gan Emperor..."

Lu Mu answered.

"But even without me, I feel it was only a matter of time before the Gan Emperor moved against his son. I merely gave him the excuse to strike..."

Lu Mu added.

Hearing this, Zhou Qing fell silent.

Combining this with the experiences of his two simulations, he finally pieced together the truth behind the Zhou Family's annihilation.

On the surface, it was due to the bewitchment of this demonic cultivator, Lu Mu.

Fundamentally, however, it was the Gan Emperor's own greed and his reluctance to relinquish power.

After all, from beginning to end, Lu Mu had never coerced the Gan Emperor. Nor could he have; the Gan Kingdom Royal Family also had Qi Refining mid-stage cultivators watching over them.

"You claimed you could help the Gan Emperor extend his lifespan. Is that true or false?"

Zhou Qing asked.

"False."

Lu Mu said without hesitation, "I simply overdrew a bit of the old fool's potential, letting him feel the hope of a prolonged lifespan. Once I finished collecting the blood essence, I naturally wouldn't have bothered with him..."

Hearing this, all the doubts in Zhou Qing's heart were resolved.

So the Gan Emperor had just been strung along for nothing? No wonder he died so quickly in both simulations.

Next, Zhou Qing asked numerous questions covering various aspects, and he received all the answers he wanted.

"Soul-Searching Art."

Zhou Qing directly cast the Soul-Searching Art on Lu Mu.

From the many questions he had just asked, Zhou Qing had also learned of Lu Mu's character. It could be said that he stopped at no evil.

Thus, Zhou Qing felt absolutely no burden about searching his soul.

Hum—

After a soul-search lasting over an hour, Zhou Qing cross-referenced the extracted memory scenes with Lu Mu's earlier answers.

Once he confirmed there were no omissions, he raised his hand and burned Lu Mu's body to ashes.

"Time to head back to the Zhou Estate..."

Zhou Qing stood up. He had instructed Dachun to return ahead of time and tell his parents and brothers to wait at the estate.

His goal was precisely to resolve the matter of the Gan Kingdom Royal Family ahead of time.

...

The Zhou Estate.

Zhou Shizhong sat at the head of the hall. He looked at Dachun and asked with a frown, "Dachun, where exactly did A'Qing go? When is he coming back?"

"Master, I don't know either." Dachun scratched his head, answering earnestly.

"You don't know either?" Zhou Shizhong's frown deepened. If he were not certain that Dachun never lied, he would have already slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Husband, what is the rush?" Madam Zhou immediately said from the side.

Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu also nodded. "Father, it's only been a short wait. Third Brother has been away for so long; he must have had important business to attend to."

"Fine."

Zhou Shizhong nodded.

Having not seen him for over half a year, Zhou Shizhong actually missed Zhou Qing very much.

Unfortunately, even after mobilizing all his connections, Zhou Shizhong had not been able to find where Zhou Qing was in the Gan Kingdom.

Right at that moment.

A servant of the Zhou Estate came rushing over. "The Third Young Master is back! The Third Young Master has returned!"

"A'Qing!" Madam Zhou's expression filled with excitement as she saw a young man in white walk in.

"Third Brother!"

Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu also immediately hurried over to greet him.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, Zhou Qing began to display his strength as an immortal cultivator.

This was a necessary procedure. If he did not reveal that he was an immortal cultivator, there would be no way to explain what came next.

"An immortal cultivator? A'Qing, you've become an immortal cultivator?" Zhou Shizhong's pupils suddenly contracted.

As a high-ranking official of the Gan Kingdom, he knew immortal cultivators existed. He even knew that the royal family had immortal cultivators watching over them.

That was the true foundation that guaranteed the unbroken lineage of the Gan Kingdom Royal Family.

And yet, his own son had become an immortal cultivator?

"Third Brother, it's said that immortal cultivators can fly through the sky and tunnel through the earth. Can you fly as well?"

His second brother, Zhou Wu, could not help but ask.

"Fly?"

Zhou Qing blanked for a moment.

In his second simulation, Zhou Wu had asked this exact same question after he revealed his strength in the Zhou Family.

Zhou Qing's answer had been that he could not.

After all, in the simulation at that time, Zhou Qing only had the strength of the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

He had not been capable of flying in the truest sense.

Now, however.

"I can fly."

Zhou Qing said with a smile.

Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could fly relying entirely on themselves.

"You can fly..." Zhou Wu's expression filled with excitement, and he was just about to continue asking.

But he was cut off by Zhou Shizhong.

"A'Qing, what have you returned to do this time?" Zhou Shizhong asked solemnly.

The emergence of an immortal cultivator in the Zhou Family was a joyous occasion of the highest order. Consequently, Zhou Shizhong began to treat Zhou Qing with an unprecedented level of importance.

"It is like this."

"The Gan Emperor is about to move against the Eldest Prince. In the resulting struggle for imperial power, our Zhou Family will be exterminated."

Zhou Qing spoke in a calm tone, but his words caused everyone present to turn pale.

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