I Have a Cultivation Simulator

[You stared intently at Dachun.]

[Ever since you learned that Dachun had disappeared into Youshan, you had come to search for him no less than thirty to fifty times over the past century.]

[You had explored Youshan more times than you could count.]

[Especially after reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection and advancing your array skills to Tier Two.]

[Even then, you still could not see through Youshan in the slightest.]

[Over thirty years ago, you had even invited a third-tier array master.]

[After circling the perimeter of Youshan a few times, that array master had only shaken his head. He claimed there had to be a natural grand array here, one far beyond his ability to break.]

[Since then, you had essentially given up.]

[You originally planned to abandon the search completely, deciding instead to follow right behind Dachun in the next simulation to investigate properly.]

[Let alone in such a manner.]

[Although Master Tonghai was merely a False Core Master, he was still a Master.]

[Yet he could not even withstand a single punch from Dachun before dying?]

[While part of the reason was that Master Tonghai had not reacted in time...]

[...it still proved that Dachun's offensive power had absolutely reached the Core Formation tier.]

["Core Formation?"]

[A sour feeling welled up inside you.]

[In this simulation, you had managed everything meticulously, calculating every step and dodging multiple fatal crises.]

[And yet, you were still only at Foundation Establishment Perfection.]

[Dachun just hid inside Youshan, and came out at Core Formation?]

["Youshan..."]

[Dachun thought for a moment before replying with an honest, simpleminded tone, "It's a trial ground. I can't explain it clearly, but I can bring you inside, Young Master..."]

["You can bring me inside?"]

["Mhm. Once we enter Youshan, as long as you circulate this secret technique, you'll be teleported to the inner realm..."]

[As Dachun spoke, he taught you the secret technique.]

[The technique was not complicated, nor did it have any other uses. However, while executing it, your aura would shift, as if blending seamlessly into Youshan.]

["No matter when it is, circulating this secret technique will allow entry into the Youshan Inner Realm?"]

[you asked.]

["Right, that's what the Guardian Deity said."]

[Dachun nodded.]

["Guardian Deity?"]

[You were slightly curious.]

["I don't know either. He just said he was the Guardian Deity."]

[Dachun scratched his head. "He said he's been guarding the Youshan Inner Realm for ten million years..."]

["Ten million years?"]

[You were secretly shocked.]

[Even an exalted Nascent Soul Heavenly Lord only had a lifespan of a thousand years.]

[Ten million years?]

[You realized that the origins of the Youshan Inner Realm far exceeded your expectations.]

[It was at least vastly superior to the previous Shanhai Secret Realm.]

[Measured in spans of ten million years, its baseline was already at the Nascent Soul level. It might even be related to the legendary Soul Formation Heavenly Lords.]

["Is that Guardian Deity a puppet? Or a living creature?"]

[You speculated inwardly, leaning toward the former.]

[Puppets were not alive, so theoretically, they had no lifespan limits. As long as their materials did not decay, they could exist forever.]

[Having also reached Tier Two in the Dao of Puppetry, you knew that puppets lacked true sapience and would only execute the commands left behind by their past masters.]

[If that Guardian Deity truly had guarded the Youshan Inner Realm for ten million years, it was highly likely to be a puppet.]

[Guarding it for ten million years? Even a Soul Formation Heavenly Lord would have died of old age by now.]

["Young Master, I'll take you inside," Dachun offered.]

["Wait a moment..."]

[Once you confirmed that you could also enter the Youshan Inner Realm, you were no longer in a hurry.]

["Is Master Tonghai dead?"]

[You looked up toward the direction where Master Tonghai had plummeted earlier.]

[Although Master Tonghai's life force had dissipated during the fall...]

[...he was a Master after all. Who knew if he had any life-saving measures?]

[The man had hunted you for so long; naturally, you were not willing to let him off so easily.]

[Besides, if Master Tonghai was truly dead, you did not want to miss out on looting his corpse.]

["I'll go check." Dachun took a single step, his figure vanishing from the spot.]

["An ancient body cultivator's divine ability... Shrinking the Earth to an Inch..."]

[Feeling the spatial distortion up close, you recognized this ancient body cultivation technique.]

[In this simulation alone, you had spent no less than several million spirit stones purchasing various skill inheritances, secret arts, and intelligence on hidden matters.]

[When it came to sheer erudition, even core formation masters might not match you.]

[The so-called ancient body cultivators referred to pure body cultivators.]

[What was a pure body cultivator? Someone who solely refined their physical body, cultivating nothing else.]

[You also practiced body refinement, and the Shanhai body tempering art you trained in leaned heavily toward ancient body refinement arts.]

[But you were not a pure body cultivator, much less an ancient one.]

[Because you also practiced spell cultivation.]

[In fact, spell cultivation was your primary path. As for body refinement, you merely practiced it on the side.]

[Moreover, when you underwent the body refinement heavenly tribulation, you resisted it using your spell cultivation powers. You never used the tribulation lightning directly to temper your body and unlock its physical potential.]

[Meanwhile, ancient body cultivation divine abilities were methods obtained only by unlocking that very physical potential.]

[Dachun must have survived multiple heavenly tribulations, constantly using the power of the tribulation to temper his body, thereby triggering his physical potential and awakening the Shrinking the Earth to an Inch ability.]

[A moment later, Dachun reappeared, carrying Master Tonghai's corpse in his hand.]

[Evidently, Master Tonghai was dead as could be. Not even a remnant soul had escaped; it was forcibly obliterated by Dachun's single punch.]

[You looked at Master Tonghai's mangled corpse. His protective dharma artifacts and that Grey Dagger Magic Treasure were entirely shattered and scattered.]

["Dachun, what exactly is your power level right now?"]

[you asked.]

["The Guardian Deity said I've just stepped into Tier Three Initial Stage..."]

["I shouldn't be any weaker than those ordinary Core Formation Middle Stage spell cultivators outside..."]

[Dachun said honestly.]

[You fell into silence.]

[Just entering Tier Three Initial Stage, and he wasn't weaker than Core Formation Middle Stage cultivators?]

[Was this an ancient body cultivator?]

[Comparable to a Core Formation Initial Stage master who had formed a Flawless Golden Core?]

[The golden cores formed by Core Formation Realm masters were divided into Lower-Grade Golden Cores, Middle-Grade Golden Cores, Upper-Grade Golden Cores, and Flawless Golden Cores.]

[Among them, Flawless Golden Cores were also known as Nascent Soul seeds. A Core Formation Initial Stage cultivator with a Flawless Golden Core could rival an ordinary Core Formation Middle Stage master.]

[The masters capable of forming Flawless Golden Cores were universally favored children of heaven. They were mostly Heaven Spirit Root cultivators, and many even possessed special Dao physiques, precious physiques, or other innate talents on top of their Heaven Spirit Roots.]

[After all, not every Heaven Spirit Root cultivator could successfully condense a Flawless Golden Core.]

[As for core dissolving secret arts, those came with countless restrictions and extremely harsh activation conditions.]

["Dachun, what kind of body refinement art are you practicing? Can I learn it?"]

[you asked.]

[The aura Dachun displayed now was completely different from the Shanhai body tempering art. He must have switched to another technique.]

[If practicing this body refinement art could allow you to step smoothly into Tier Three Initial Stage like him, rivaling a Flawless Golden Core spell-cultivation master...]

[...then you could become a body cultivator too. You could just focus solely on body refinement.]

["Young Master, the body refinement art I practice is called 'Ancient Saint Body Refinement'. The Guardian Deity said it can only be learned by someone possessing a trace of ancient saint bloodline..."]

[Dachun rubbed his head.]

["'Ancient Saint Body Refinement'? Ancient saint bloodline?"]

[This touched upon a blind spot in your knowledge.]

[However, you recalled some of Dachun's bizarre innate talents.]

[For example, he could track a target entirely by scent. A normal person obviously could not do that.]

["Forget it, never mind..."]

[You stopped dwelling on it. After looting Master Tonghai's corpse, you stowed all the acquired treasures and items into your Storage Bag.]

[Following that, you initiated a divination art to divine your upcoming fortune and misfortune.]

[This divination was specifically aimed at the factions you had borrowed spirit stones from, to see if they would continue hunting you.]

[The resulting hexagram was balanced and peaceful, devoid of any ominous signs.]

["Looks like they've given up on the pursuit."]

[You were not surprised.]

[Master Tonghai's death was bound to be known by the faction behind him by now.]

[When a False Core Master died so suddenly, the faction's natural reaction would absolutely be overwhelming terror, not thoughts of revenge.]

[After all, you had deliberately picked the soft persimmons when choosing which factions to borrow spirit stones from—factions without any core formation masters backing them.]

[A False Core Master was likely their absolute limit.]

[With their strongest expert dying inexplicably, let alone taking revenge, they probably would not even dare to investigate the matter.]

[You then cast another hexagram for your impending entry into the Youshan Inner Realm.]

[It yielded nothing at all.]

[Evidently, the tier of the Youshan Inner Realm far exceeded the upper limits of your divination.]

[In truth, let alone Youshan, even an entity like Dachun—a pure Tier Three body cultivator—was beyond your ability to divine.]

[The only reason you managed to divine that your chance of survival lay here was because you had sacrificed ten years of your lifespan to cast a profound hexagram.]

[Even so, the resulting reading had remained incredibly vague, offering no specific details.]

["Those ten years of lifespan were well worth the trade..."]

[you thought.]

[If you had fled in any other direction, even with Dachun coming out, it would have taken him time to find you.]

[And under that intense pursuit earlier, you had been fully prepared to burn the rest of your lifespan on another divination and simply end this simulation.]

[By the time Dachun found you, you would have been nothing but a corpse. Let alone the fact that you now got to learn the secret of Youshan ahead of time.]

["Let's go, let's go!"]

[With all preparations complete, you followed behind Dachun and ventured into Youshan.]

[Youshan was shrouded in heavy mist, no different from how it had always been.]

["Young Master, activate that secret technique."]

[Dachun said from beside you.]

["Alright."]

[You nodded.]

[In the past, when faced with a location of unknown origins, you definitely would have ordered lower-level cultivators to go in first and test the waters.]

[But now, with Dachun leading the way, you felt rather at ease.]

[Hum—]

[You circulated the secret technique Dachun had taught you.]

[In a daze, you felt as if you were merging into Youshan itself.]

[The next instant, the world spun, and you found yourself in a vast space. Ancient structures sat faintly in the distance.]

["Young Master."]

[Immediately after, Dachun appeared beside you.]

["So this is the Youshan Inner Realm?"]

[You carefully observed your surroundings, secretly alarmed.]

[Here, your divine sense was faintly suppressed, only able to cover a radius of a few dozen meters around you.]

["Young Master, come with me."]

[Dachun immediately walked toward the center of the space.]

[There was a high white jade platform there. You and Dachun climbed the stairs along its edge.]

["Guardian Deity."]

[Dachun stopped in front of a figure clad in black armor.]

[The armored figure's facial features were sharply defined, as if carved from stone.]

[It was not until Dachun spoke that it slowly opened its eyes.]

["Challenger, it is not yet time for your next trial. Do you wish to initiate the next phase of testing early?"]

[The armored figure's tone was icy and completely devoid of emotion.]

["It really is a puppet."]

[Standing behind Dachun, you observed the armored figure closely and reached your conclusion.]

["Ah? No!"]

[Dachun immediately shook his head. "I brought my Young Master here to participate in the trial."]

["Your Young Master?" The armored figure turned its gaze toward you and said, "Any living creature that enters this place possesses the qualifications to participate in the trial."]

["But only on the prerequisite that they pass the aptitude test."]

["Once the aptitude test is passed, a reward will be granted based on the tier of the aptitude, followed by the trial..."]

[The armored figure looked at you and slowly asked, "Will you accept?"]

["An aptitude test?"]

[You felt a sinking feeling.]

[As it stood, your aptitude was far from ideal. You only had a Mid-Grade Spirit Root, and you had never shown signs of possessing any precious physique or Dao physique.]

["I wonder, what kind of rewards are given after passing the aptitude test?"]

[you asked.]

["Based on the tier of aptitude..."]

[The armored figure raised a hand. Spiritual light surged, projecting scene after scene in the air.]

[Within the images were various rare treasures and resources.]

["That's..."]

[Your pupils constricted violently. You did not recognize most of the rare treasures shown in the scenes, but a pure golden pill flashed across the projection.]

["A Golden Core Condensation Pill?"]

[Waves of shock crashed through your heart.]

[The Golden Core Condensation Pill was a medicinal pill from the ancient era used to help Foundation Establishment cultivators break through to Core Formation.]

[It was similar to the modern Crystal Condensation Pill.]

[However, the effects of the Golden Core Condensation Pill far surpassed those of the Crystal Condensation Pill.]

[The so-called Crystal Condensation Pill was merely an inferior version created by later generations based on the Golden Core Condensation Pill.]

[True Golden Core Condensation Pills had long since vanished alongside the fall of the ancient era. Because several crucial primary ingredients had completely gone extinct, they could never be reproduced.]

["If I can get my hands on a Golden Core Condensation Pill and combine it with other Core Formation Spiritual Items, while shoring up my own weaknesses... In the next simulation, I might not dare aim for a Flawless Golden Core, but I could at least take a shot at an Upper-Grade Golden Core..."]

[Your heart raced with excitement.]

[Although an Upper-Grade Golden Core could not compare to a Flawless Golden Core, it still surpassed the vast majority of Golden Core masters.]

[Not to mention, you also had the core dissolving secret art, which gave you hope of raising your golden core's quality by another tier.]

["But this aptitude test..."]

[You fell into silence once again.]

[It was a nice dream, but the crucial question remained: with your aptitude, could you even pass the test and obtain the Golden Core Condensation Pill?]

["Shall we begin now?" the armored Guardian Deity asked.]

["Let's begin." You did not hesitate any longer. What if you had some hidden innate aptitude that had not been discovered yet?]

[Hum—]

[A faint red light surged within the armored Guardian Deity's eyes.]

[You vaguely sensed a wave of energy washing over you. A moment later, the Guardian Deity spoke again.]

["Spell Cultivator Aptitude Test Complete—"]

["Race: Human."]

["Age: 208 years old."]

["Cultivation: Tier Two Perfection."]

["Status: Potential Exhausted."]

["Evaluation: Mediocre Aptitude."]

["Test Result: Fail."]

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