Chapter 215 – One Risky Venture, Wildly Earning Forty Billion Points of Energy!
by spirapira【Year twenty-one: your divine sense finally reached the full two hundred thousand zhang — Perfection — and could advance no further.】
【You understood clearly that if you wished to further improve your divine sense, the only path was to break through to the Body Integration stage.】
【And so, you began to slow your pace, spending each day attempting to study the inscription of the micro spirit-gathering formation.】
【Year twenty-two: you accumulated half a month’s worth of Great Wisdom state bonuses, preparing to study several fundamental immortal cultivation secret techniques.】
In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this and murmured:
“Use immersive simulation, duration seven days!”
【Ding — congratulations on activating the immersive simulation function. Duration: 168 hours. Remaining energy: 129,530,000 points.】
As the simulator’s notification faded, Su Xing’s vision shifted and his consciousness plunged into the simulator.
At that moment, two jade slips appeared in Su Xing’s hands.
They were the Blood Burning technique and the Finger Flick Technique!
“The Blood Burning technique and the Finger Flick Technique… both are fairly introductory-level arts, but among Old Dog Zong’s inheritance, they’re the most useful to me!”
Su Xing murmured to himself.
The Blood Burning technique worked by igniting one’s own vital blood to achieve a short-term boost in combat power!
The magnitude of the boost depended on how much vital blood was burned.
If cultivated to the Great Perfection realm, Su Xing could use the Blood Ignition Art to burn one-third of his vital blood, maintaining — for approximately five minutes — enough extra power to fight opponents two to three minor realms above his own without falling behind!
For example, a Body Integration first-layer fighting against a Body Integration third-layer!
Of course, that was calculated based on an ordinary cultivator’s circumstances. Su Xing already had a rock-solid foundation, so after mastering the Blood Burning technique, fighting evenly against mid-to-late Body Integration cultivators for a short period would be no problem at all.
“This Blood Ignition Secret Technique is just a common cultivation-boosting secret art… If I could obtain a more advanced technique, the effects would surely be even better!”
Su Xing thought to himself.
The Blood Ignition Secret Technique had a hard limit at burning one-third of one’s vital blood — any more than that, and there was a risk of dropping dead on the spot.
Moreover, after burning vital blood, one’s cultivation would be impaired for several years, requiring time to heal and recover.
In the Real World, Su Xing would never use it lightly unless it was a critical moment.
But simulations were a different story entirely. If Su Xing mastered the Blood Ignition Secret Technique, he could use it near the end of a simulation to maximize his cultivation gains!
“And this Finger Flick Technique… although it’s only a rudimentary spell, using spiritual energy to flick projectiles is perfect for cleaning up small fry at the Martial Sovereign and Legendary-stage levels!”
With that thought, Su Xing began diligently cultivating both arts.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed and the immersive simulation ended.
In the Real World, only a few breaths of time had elapsed.
When Su Xing’s consciousness returned to the Real World, a look of satisfaction crossed his face.
“Not bad — in just one short week, I’ve cultivated the Blood Ignition Art to Major Mastery, and the Finger Flick Technique all the way to Perfection!”
Reaching Perfection with the Finger Flick Technique had taken Su Xing only a single day.
The Blood Ignition Art was slightly more difficult — reaching Major Mastery had taken about six days.
Su Xing silently estimated that continuing to cultivate the Blood Ignition Art to Great Perfection would require roughly another three to five days.
“Under the Great Wisdom state bonus, one day of my cultivation is equivalent to three days or more for an ordinary person…”
“By that calculation, under normal circumstances it would take about a month to reach Perfection in the Blood Ignition Art, while the Finger Flick Technique would need only a mere three days…”
Su Xing was quite satisfied with this.
Indeed, having high cultivation was wonderful!
Higher-realm cultivators had stronger spiritual souls, richer spiritual energy, and deeper comprehension of the forces of heaven and earth, making it easy to learn basic spells.
If an Immortal-level being were to study them, a single glance would probably be enough to learn them all.
And what Su Xing currently lacked most were precisely these kinds of fundamental immortal cultivation techniques!
“Averaged out, spending a few hundred million to a billion energy points to learn a single technique to Great Perfection — that’s acceptable!”
Su Xing murmured.
He naturally wouldn’t choose to cultivate in reality, because using that time for pill refining to earn simulation energy, then entering immersive simulation, was clearly a much better deal!
“I need about three more days — might as well push the Blood Ignition Art all the way to Perfection in one go!”
Su Xing murmured.
“Use immersive simulation function, duration 72 hours.”
【Ding — congratulations on activating the immersive simulation function. Duration: 72 hours. Remaining energy: 122,330,000 points.】
Soon, the immersive simulation ended…
Su Xing’s consciousness returned to the Real World, and by now the Blood Ignition Art had been cultivated to the Great Perfection level!
“Excellent — the goals for this simulation run have basically all been achieved… All that’s left is one final objective!”
Su Xing was preparing to attempt comprehension of the power of extreme strength!
Currently, Su Xing’s only grasp of extreme force was the Essence of Speed he had obtained from cultivating the Earth Sword.
If he could further comprehend the Essence of Strength, according to Luo Ying, it would bring tremendous benefits when comprehending Great Dao laws in the future!
“Perhaps if I visit the realm of extremes once more, I can attempt to comprehend extreme strength!?”
With that thought, Su Xing’s gaze turned to the simulation panel.
【In the spirit field grotto-heaven, you cultivated two fundamental techniques, after which you practiced inscribing the micro spirit-gathering formation in your daily routine.】
【Just like that, another three years passed.】
【Year twenty-five: over these past several years, at least several thousand spirit carp had died at your hands.】
【Yet your inscription of the micro spirit-gathering formation remained at the rudimentary level.】
【You understood that this was not due to insufficient mastery of the Formation Dao, but rather because you had never been exposed to the Dao of Talismans. To successfully set up a micro spirit-gathering formation, you would need to continue delving into talisman techniques.】
【You silently lamented the pity of it, then prepared to use your remaining time for one more trip to the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts instance.】
【Year twenty-six: within the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts instance, you searched for information about the three True Masters from a thousand years ago.】
【You hoped to learn the location of the ruins where the last of them — the Fire-Controlling True Master — lay dormant.】
【But despite two years of painstaking searching, you found nothing.】
【Year twenty-eight: you returned to the Real World, quietly awaiting the final descent of the Amalgamated Beast.】
【One day, the sky-blotting Amalgamated Beast descended and swallowed the entirety of Great Xia in a single gulp.】
【You activated your Protective Hardened Qi, shielding yourself as you entered the stomach space of the Amalgamated Beast.】
【You fought to maintain your stability, watching as everything around you slowly dissolved into nothingness…】
【You ventured deep into the Amalgamated Beast’s stomach space and saw those vast expanses of thunder zones.】
【You took a deep breath and stepped into one of the smaller thunder zones.】
【With your current strength, these small thunder zones could barely crack your Protective Hardened Qi.】
【And so, you maintained your defenses while simultaneously studying the shifting patterns of thunder in the sky above.】
Su Xing nodded slightly at this.
That’s right — the only method Su Xing could currently think of for comprehending extreme strength was through observing thunder.
After all, every bolt of thunder in this space contained traces of the Law of Thunder.
And within the Law of Thunder lay the origins of both extreme speed and extreme strength.
What method of comprehension could possibly be faster than observing it up close?
“However, the thunder zones in the Amalgamated Beast’s stomach space only exist for a short time — at most half a month before all the thunder zones will dissipate…”
“I must observe as much of the Origin Force as possible during this window!”
Su Xing didn’t dare hope to directly comprehend the Great Dao of Thunder — he only needed to gain deeper insight into the Essence of Strength.
With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.
【Within the thunder zone, you observed the thunder in the sky above, attempting to discern traces of the Great Dao of Thunder.】
【You observed for a quarter of an hour and discovered nothing…】
【As this thunder zone slowly dissipated, you moved to another one and continued observing.】
【Even with the Great Wisdom state boosting your comprehension dramatically, observing the Essence of Strength remained extraordinarily difficult. You failed to perceive the Essence of Strength.】
【Over the next several hours, you observed dozens of small thunder zones in succession.】
【But you gained no comprehension of the Essence of Strength.】
【Left with no choice, you could only venture into the medium-sized thunder zones.】
【The thunder here was far more ferocious, and the power of the Law of Thunder it contained was slightly greater.】
【But at the same time, this thunder posed a real threat to you, and you had to maintain your Protective Hardened Qi at all times to avoid injury.】
【Gradually, you seemed to sense the Essence of Speed within the Great Dao of Thunder…】
【Because you already possessed this Origin Force, your sensitivity to the Essence of Speed was noticeably stronger.】
【But this was not what you were searching for. You continued attempting to grasp the Essence of Strength…】
【And so, several more hours passed. You traversed multiple medium-sized lightning zones, and in the process, more than half of the primordial energy within your body had been consumed.】
【To ensure your own safety, you had no choice but to temporarily halt your exploration and recover some of your primordial energy and spiritual energy.】
【Once recovered, you continued exploring the thunder zone…】
【And so, an unknown amount of time passed. Within the thunder zone, you had faintly sensed a weak trace of the Essence of Strength.】
【But you had merely sensed its existence — you had not truly comprehended this wisp of the Essence of Strength…】
【One day, a spatial turbulence swept through. Caught completely off guard, you were torn to shreds.】
【Your divine soul gradually dissipated into nothingness.】
【You died!】
【Ding — this simulation has ended!】
After the simulation ended, Su Xing furrowed his brow slightly.
As expected, comprehending Origin Force would not come easily.
“If I triggered a Spontaneous Epiphany, perhaps it might be possible?”
Su Xing thought to himself, though this simulation had been intended as an exploratory run from the start, so failure was well within his expectations.
“Whatever. Let me check the rewards from this simulation first!”
【Formation Dao Prodigy】: Purple talent. Price: 1,000,000 energy.
【Twenty Years of Alchemy Experience】: After redemption, existing alchemy comprehension will increase by a small margin. Price: 2,000,000 energy.
【Divine Sense, 660 km (Subtlety Realm)】: The beginning of boundless divine sense. Has already broken through the divine sense limit of ordinary Void Return stage cultivators, yet still possesses enormous growth potential. Price: 900,000,000 energy!
【Exotic Metal Ore】: A substance containing vast quantities of energy. Price: 39,000,000,000 simulation energy.
【Essence of Strength Comprehension (Rudimentary)】: The Essence of Strength — a fundamental building block of many Great Daos. After redemption, slightly enhances one’s comprehension of strength. Price: 50,000,000 energy.
【Micro Spirit-Gathering Formation (Rudimentary)】: A special formation combining the Dao of spiritual energy, Formation Dao, and Dao of Talismans. Can be inscribed on the skin surface of living beings who contain spiritual energy within their bodies. Greatly increases cultivation speed and enables automatic cultivation. Price: 50,000,000 energy.
In this simulation, Su Xing’s objectives had been clear, so the things he had encountered were not particularly numerous.
“Hmm, if I succeed in trading with the major commerce groups this time, I could obtain a full 3.9 billion energy?”
Su Xing’s eyes lit up. That much energy would be enough for him to break through to the Body Integration stage!
“And the Essence of Strength and micro spirit-gathering formation comprehensions are both only at the rudimentary level… that’s still not enough!”
Su Xing shook his head slightly.
“If I want to redeem the Formation Dao Prodigy and the divine sense comprehension, that would cost a full 900 million energy…”
“With my current energy reserves, it seems like it’s not quite enough…”
“Looks like I need to go make some trades with those trading companies!”
Su Xing was a man of action. Having made up his mind, he immediately began disguising his appearance, suppressing his aura, and concealing his heavenly secrets.
Then Su Xing took to sword flight and headed for Jinling City.
In Jinling City, Su Xing quickly located the Jin Commerce Group’s estate. Its grandeur was in no way inferior to the Baili Trading Company’s.
“Jin Congxue’s grand-uncle… from him, I can exchange two Life-Sustaining Pills for one billion energy!”
Under the cover of night, Su Xing slipped into the depths of the Jin estate.
Using his divine sense, Su Xing quickly located the old man lying on his bed, barely clinging to life.
“This fellow’s lifespan seems nearly spent. Looks like he won’t last more than a week… good thing I came early!”
Su Xing noted silently, then soundlessly entered the room.
“I’ve come to make a deal with you!”
Su Xing’s voice appeared abruptly beside the grand-uncle’s ear, giving the old man a terrible fright.
Su Xing then used his divine sense pressure to subdue the man, and spoke simply and directly:
“Three thousand tons of second-order exotic metal, two hundred tons of Third Rank exotic metal… and I can extend your life by ten years!”
Su Xing said calmly, as two pills brimming with dense vitality appeared at his fingertips.
The grand-uncle’s face had been twisted with extreme terror, but upon hearing Su Xing’s words, he swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice:
“Senior… can you truly extend my lifespan?”
His tone was filled with desperate longing!
Su Xing merely gave a slight nod, then released the divine sense suppression.
The old man quickly sent people to deliver the agreed-upon goods.
Given this Jin Commerce Group branch leader’s deep reserves, producing this amount of exotic metal was no effort at all.
During the process, Su Xing used his divine sense once more to intimidate the Martial Sovereign, and upon seeing that the man dared not make any moves, Su Xing left the two Life-Sustaining Pills behind, took the storage ring filled with exotic metals, and departed the Jin estate.
【Ding — detected substance containing large quantities of energy. Value: 1,000,000,000 energy. Absorb?】
Su Xing didn’t hesitate upon hearing this. He directly absorbed the entire ring, converting it all into simulation energy. This way, naturally, no trace could possibly be left behind.
After completing all of this, Su Xing’s energy surged by one billion points!
But Su Xing was far from satisfied. Since he had already decided to take the risk, he might as well maximize his gains in one go.
So Su Xing immediately headed to the Pearl Trading Company in Pearl City, then spent another two days visiting the Daqing Trading Company and the Northern Yuan Trading Company.
Only after completing all of this did Su Xing carefully conceal his trail the entire way back, making absolutely certain no traces were left behind, before returning to his dormitory at Capital Academy.
He turned and entered the spirit field grotto-heaven.
A hint of excitement gleamed in Su Xing’s eyes as his gaze fell upon the simulation panel.
4,022,330,000 energy points!
This was Su Xing’s total energy reserves!
It directly surpassed any amount he had ever obtained before.
“With this much energy, I probably won’t be able to acquire more for quite some time… I need to plan the use of this energy carefully and not waste a single point!”
Su Xing murmured to himself.
At Su Xing’s current rate of energy acquisition — roughly 400 million per month — these four billion points represented ten months of income!
If he wasted it, it would be extremely difficult for Su Xing to obtain energy this easily again…
“Life-extending treasures are the type of thing whose value lies in their rarity… if too many appear, they won’t fetch nearly as high a price…”
Su Xing muttered.
“Damn it, this time I absolutely have to hold back and not spend energy boosting the gold-quality draw probability… at least, not until I have energy to spare!”
Back then, he had spent 900 million energy to increase the probability of gold-quality talents appearing by nine percent.
Now, just thinking about it filled Su Xing with regret.
“Then again, if I hadn’t boosted the odds, maybe I wouldn’t have drawn the Innate Sword Physique talent… so I suppose it was a happy accident?”
In any case, this time Su Xing had used eight supreme-grade Life-Extending Pills as his cost and secured nearly four billion energy in return.
It was absolutely a windfall… no, a million-fold return on investment at the very least!
Though there were risks, the risks were acceptable.
With that, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel and murmured:
“I choose to redeem the purple talent Formation Dao Prodigy, and Divine Sense, 660 km…”
【Ding — your talent slots are full. Would you like to spend 100,000,000 energy to expand, or spend 1,000,000 energy for a talent replacement?】
Only then did Su Xing remember — his talent slots were already full. To acquire a new talent, he would need to spend additional energy.
“A hundred million energy though… that’s a bit steep!”
Su Xing rubbed his chin and decided to check whether he had any talents that were no longer useful to him.
“Die With Eyes Open… although it’s a white talent, having it is better than not. It always provides some information at least…”
“Come to think of it, my most useless talent right now should be Peerless Adonis, right…?”
With Su Xing’s current cultivator temperament combined with his natural good looks, he was already handsome far beyond ordinary mortals.
Peerless Adonis didn’t seem to provide much of a bonus for Su Xing anymore…
“I choose to replace the Peerless Adonis talent with the Formation Dao Prodigy talent…”
【Ding — talent replacement in progress…】
【You have successfully brought out the purple talent Formation Dao Prodigy. Cost: 1,000,000 energy. Remaining energy: 4,020,330,000 points.】
【You have successfully brought out Divine Sense, 660 km (Subtlety Realm). Cost: 900,000,000 energy. Remaining energy: 3,120,330,000 points.】
As the simulator’s notification sounds faded, two streams of mysterious power quickly flowed into Su Xing’s body.
The first thing Su Xing felt was that his understanding of the Formation Dao seemed to have become much more lucid.
Formation Dao problems that had previously been impossible to puzzle through no longer seemed so difficult — as if his mind had suddenly been enlightened.
“Hss… indeed, my Formation Dao aptitude was just too poor before!”
“With this Formation Dao Prodigy talent, my comprehension of the Formation Dao will definitely accelerate considerably from now on!”
(PS: I feel the pacing has been a bit slow recently. Things will pick up after this…)