Chapter 240 – Primordial Unity Fifth Layer! Hope of Leaving the Valley? (10,000 words, 2-in-1)

In the Real World, Su Xing saw this and nodded slightly.

“After reaching the Primordial Unity realm, the effectiveness of Rebirth Pills will undoubtedly diminish significantly… Only by refining them with Demon Emperor blood essence can cultivation progress be barely maintained…”

“But the only Demon Emperors I currently know of are those three on the Slaughter Battlefield… Slaying them all should yield quite a few pills.”

For Su Xing as he was now, killing ordinary Demon Emperors was not particularly difficult.

His gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【Year fourteen: After thorough preparations, you traveled to the Beast Taming World.】

【You spent one year killing all Legendary-stage demonic beasts on the Slaughter Battlefield, as well as two Demon Emperors.】

【Only one late-stage Demon Emperor, exceptionally skilled at fleeing, gave you considerable trouble.】

【Year fifteen: You spent another half year on the Beast Taming World’s Slaughter Battlefield before finally slaying that late-stage Demon Emperor.】

【At this point, your objectives in the Beast Taming World had been achieved — all three Demon Emperors had been killed by you — so you returned to Earth.】

【Year sixteen: You remained within the Advent Cult, spending each day either cultivating or refining Rebirth Pills.】

【Over several months, you refined the blood essence of three Demon Emperors into six hundred Rebirth Pills.】

【After consuming them, your Body Tempering cultivation grew once more.】

【During this time, Blood Three asked you about the apparent increase in human strength on Earth in recent years, which had prevented the alien races from conquering Demon-Sealing Pass.】

【Regarding this matter, you stated you would investigate further and uncover the truth behind it.】

【Blood Three merely nodded slightly upon hearing this and said nothing more.】

【Thus, another two years passed.】

【Year eighteen: Your Body Tempering cultivation improved slightly.】

【But at the same time, you discovered that Rebirth Pills refined from Demon Emperor blood essence were far less effective than those refined from dragon flesh.】

【Presumably, the True Dragon bloodline was superior in aiding your Body Tempering cultivation.】

【That same year, your accumulated mid-grade spirit liquid reached four hundred thousand drops, while low-grade spirit liquid approached four million four hundred thousand drops.】

【You did not use these precious resources, instead preparing to save them for extraction later.】

【Over these two years, you maintained annual contact with Blood Three.】

【During this time, Blood Three inquired about news from the Beast Taming World’s Slaughter Battlefield, but you cited closed-door cultivation as your reason for not knowing.】

【Though displeased, Blood Three did not blame you, merely instructing you to continue reporting intelligence to him annually.】

In the Real World, Su Xing raised an eyebrow at this.

“As expected, the situation of humanity on Earth… the Advent Cult headquarters has been watching all along!”

“And they didn’t learn it from me… perhaps through other channels, or even directly from the demon race?”

Su Xing fell into thought.

In truth, whether for Blood Three, the Advent Cult, or even the entire alien race —

Destroying Earth and achieving total invasion had long been a foregone conclusion.

In their eyes, Earth was already fish on a chopping board, destined to be devoured sooner or later.

They had schemed for thousands, even tens of thousands of years for this, and thus didn’t mind waiting another decade or so.

After all, for cultivators of such power, their lifespans exceeded ten thousand years — a mere decade was but the snap of a finger.

Following this line of thought, Su Xing murmured:

“So even an extension of several decades probably wouldn’t concern them, since that falls within their acceptable range?”

“But if something unexpected occurred — say, the emergence of a top-tier powerhouse — allowing humanity on Earth to extend its fortunes by a century or even several centuries, then the Advent Cult would likely be unwilling!”

Su Xing let out a soft sigh.

This was precisely why he had never dared to push humanity’s development with full force.

A slow, gradual increase in human strength, with the occasional birth of a Legendary-stage or higher powerhouse — this fell within the plans of the Advent Cult and alien races.

But if a top-tier powerhouse emerged, such as an additional “Saint”-level or even God-level expert, then the Advent Cult and alien races would likely intervene forcefully and annihilate humanity ahead of schedule.

“However… this isn’t within my considerations for now. The priority is to continue accumulating strength…”

“Even if Earth is destroyed in the simulation, I must continue advancing in the Three Thousand Worlds!”

After a pause, Su Xing concluded:

“But in the real world, my true strength must absolutely never be exposed!”

Thinking about it now, Su Xing’s trade with Lu Yuanwu still carried a tiny bit of risk.

At the very least, Lu Yuanwu knew that among humanity, another suspected Emperor-level powerhouse had appeared.

“Emperor-level isn’t enough to make the Advent Cult wary… but anything higher, and that’s hard to say…”

Su Xing murmured.

“Still, Emperor-level is more than enough to walk sideways on Earth… I simply won’t reveal any higher level of strength going forward!”

Compared to rapidly acquiring tens of billions in energy, taking this small risk was completely worthwhile!

So Su Xing thought, turning his gaze to the simulation panel.

【Year nineteen: Your cultivation smoothly advanced to Primordial Unity third layer mid-stage.】

【The six hundred Rebirth Pills were nearly exhausted. Once depleted, continuing to increase your strength would be immensely difficult.】

【However, you still had one Nine Revolutions Pill in hand. Since breaking through to Primordial Unity mid-stage in this simulation was a certainty, you were in no rush.】

【Thus, another five years slowly passed…】

【Year twenty-four: Over these years, you steadily tempered your physique. Though you lacked Demon Emperor-grade Rebirth Pills, Legendary-grade ones still allowed you to barely advance your cultivation.】

【The bad news was that after entering the third layer of Primordial Unity, your strength growth slowed considerably. Presumably the purple Body Tempering talent’s bonus was gradually weakening, and to ensure rapid realm advancement, you would need to upgrade your Body Tempering-related talents.】

【The good news, however, was that your cultivation resources had grown steadily over these years.】

【You had accumulated nearly seven hundred thousand drops of mid-grade spirit liquid and nearly six million drops of low-grade spirit liquid.】

【At this point, there were still four years until the Demon Saint’s descent upon Demon-Sealing Pass.】

【With your current strength, you were not confident of defeating a Demon Saint, so you planned to continue accumulating resources and preparing for your departure from Earth.】

【Time flew like a shuttle, and another two years passed.】

【Year twenty-six: Your cultivation advanced once more, now just a single step from reaching Primordial Unity third layer late-stage.】

【You therefore trained even harder, devoting nearly all your energy to advancing your Body Tempering cultivation.】

【Early in year twenty-eight: Your cultivation finally took another step forward, reaching Primordial Unity third layer late-stage!】

【You knew that less than half a year remained before the Demon Saint’s descent.】

【So with a sigh, you ceased pushing further and directly swallowed that Nine Revolutions Pill, entering closed-door cultivation.】

【The pure, refined energy of the Nine Revolutions Pill continuously strengthened your body and power.】

【Thus, one month slowly passed…】

【When you opened your eyes again, your Body Tempering cultivation had leaped an entire tier, reaching Primordial Unity fourth layer late-stage!】

【Congratulations — you have become a Primordial Unity mid-stage cultivator!】

【After achieving Primordial Unity mid-stage, you clearly felt that your physical power was far greater than when you first entered the Primordial Unity realm!】

【At Primordial Unity early-stage, you possessed the power of one mountain.】

【After reaching Primordial Unity mid-stage, your pure physical power approached the power of three mountains!】

In the Real World, Su Xing nodded with satisfaction at this.

“The Nine Revolutions Pill truly has extraordinary efficacy!”

“Not only did it let me break through the bottleneck and enter Primordial Unity mid-stage… the residual medicinal power was even enough for me to cultivate all the way to Primordial Unity fourth layer late-stage!”

Su Xing estimated that before he reached Major Mastery in Body Tempering, the Nine Revolutions Pill’s efficacy could guarantee a breakthrough of one full layer per pill!

And even after reaching Major Mastery in Body Tempering, the Nine Revolutions Pill might still help Su Xing break through bottlenecks!

At this thought, the corners of Su Xing’s mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.

“The Dragon Race, especially those with True Dragon bloodline… they truly are the darlings of the Three Thousand Worlds, treasures from head to tail!”

Su Xing sighed with emotion.

Old Dog Dragon’s Dragon Race blood essence could rapidly increase Su Xing’s cultivation in the Primordial Unity realm.

The Dragon Pearl could be used to refine the eighth-grade Nine Revolutions Pill!

And dragon horns, dragon scales, dragon claws, dragon sinew, and other materials could be used to forge superior magical treasures!

Unfortunately, Su Xing was not versed in the Dao of artifact refinement, or he might have obtained a superior magical weapon surpassing the Blackice sword!

“Come to think of it, the Blackice sword’s material quality is roughly on par with a low-grade precious artifact. It’s only through my primordial energy nurturing that it barely matches a top-grade precious artifact… yet it still hasn’t reached spirit artifact level…”

“If I could temper it with superior materials, perhaps the Blackice sword’s quality could rise another level!”

So Su Xing thought.

In the cultivation world, magical treasure grades were broadly divided into talisman artifacts, magical artifacts, precious artifacts, and spirit artifacts — and above spirit artifacts were the legendary immortal artifacts.

Talisman artifacts were typically weapons used by Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators.

Magical artifacts were mostly used by Nascent Soul cultivators, with the occasional impoverished Spirit Transformation cultivator using them as well.

As for precious artifacts, they were predominantly used by Void Return stage cultivators.

Therefore, for Su Xing, only a spirit artifact could marginally improve his combat strength.

The current Blackice sword had fallen somewhat behind…

“But the Blackice sword is my natal artifact, connected to my very will… With continued primordial energy nurturing and future re-refinement, its potential remains limitless…”

Su Xing shook his head slightly.

Unless absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to easily switch weapons.

“Also, stepping into Primordial Unity mid-stage, my strength has exceeded expectations!”

“At Primordial Unity fourth layer, I possess the power of three mountains! If I reach Primordial Unity sixth layer, I’ll likely approach the power of five mountains!”

Su Xing felt a stir of anticipation.

According to the information he’d obtained, an ordinary cultivator at Primordial Unity Perfection possessed total body strength of no more than five mountains’ worth of power.

Yet Su Xing could reach that at the sixth layer.

By the time he reached Primordial Unity Perfection, his total power could reach an astonishing ten mountains’ worth!

That was nearly twice that of an ordinary Primordial Unity Perfection cultivator!

Possessing strength so far beyond cultivators of the same realm was all thanks to Su Xing’s solid foundation during the Martial and Divine Power realm stages, combined with the boost from the Strength to Uproot Mountains talent.

“At Primordial Unity sixth layer, I’d already be comparable to a Primordial Unity Perfection cultivator… If I then combine that with the Heaven Sword Art, I might even be able to fight a half-step Mahayana cultivator!”

Su Xing’s current trump card — his most powerful offensive technique — was still the Minor Mastery-level Heaven Sword Art.

Until the Heaven Sword Art broke through to Major Mastery, fighting a Mahayana stage cultivator would likely prove difficult for Su Xing.

Su Xing shook his head — he’d gotten a bit sidetracked. For now, he turned his attention to the plans for the remainder of this simulation.

“Still, the Demon Saint’s descent is not far off. It’s time to plan the journey to the Three Thousand Worlds…”

Su Xing murmured, turning his gaze to the simulation panel.

【You began preparations for traveling to the Three Thousand Worlds.】

【Your accumulated resources over these years amounted to nearly nine hundred thousand drops of mid-grade spirit liquid and nearly eight million drops of low-grade spirit liquid.】

【These resources would be your greatest aid for future Body Integration stage cultivation.】

【One day, you used primordial energy to slice open your skin and placed the Azure Cloud Token and a small pouch of Spirit-Gathering Flower seeds inside your body.】

【Drawing from your previous experience, this time you packed a full five hundred Spirit-Gathering Flower seeds — enough for your needs in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.】

【It wasn’t that you didn’t want to bring more, but the valley’s spiritual energy was inferior to that of a blessed land. Five hundred seeds were already extremely difficult for you to cultivate; any more would yield diminishing returns…】

【Once prepared, you bid farewell to family and friends, bid farewell to Luo Shuying, and spent one final period of time with them.】

【You traveled alone to Demon-Sealing Pass, heading toward the Slaughter Battlefield.】

【The auras of Demon Kings, Demon Sovereigns, and Legendary-stage demonic beasts swept past you…】

【As you ventured deeper into the Slaughter Battlefield, the red moon overhead grew ever larger.】

【After an indeterminate amount of time, you reached a fork in the road.】

【By the method of flipping a coin, you chose your path at the fork and soon encountered the Slaughter Apostle.】

【The Slaughter Apostle prepared to launch an offensive against you.】

【But you presented the pass that Blood Three had given you, successfully crossed the World Gate, and entered that strange space.】

【The other passage was still blocked by spatial turbulence. With few options, you entered the passage leading to the Advent Cult…】

【After a bout of dizzying disorientation and intense spatial tearing… you fell unconscious.】

【When you woke again, you were already in a mountain valley.】

【You lay in a crude room, your body bearing signs of wound dressing.】

【Your belongings had vanished without a trace, same as before.】

【The difference was that after stepping into Primordial Unity realm mid-stage, your physical strength had greatly increased.】

【Because of this, you had only suffered serious injuries — far better than before.】

【Within your body, a gentle energy was rapidly repairing your wounds.】

【After merely three days, you could get out of bed and walk, and soon began moving about between the valley settlements.】

【Half a month later, your injuries were mostly healed. You began looking for ways to accumulate starting capital. You found the same brothel as before and took up work as a bodyguard.】

【Just like before, the next blood seedling tournament was still more than half a year away.】

【By now you had some impression of the notable cultivators in the valley — you knew who was powerful and who was easy prey.】

【Leveraging this knowledge, in just a few months you earned a considerable sum of Spirit stones at the brothel through “robbery.”】

【You used these Spirit stones to purchase a high-grade magical artifact, bought a residence in a remote corner of the valley, and acquired some formation-laying materials.】

【You purchased all these supplies from Old Fourth Song, building an early impression with him.】

【And so, several months passed…】

【In the twenty-ninth year, the new blood seedling tournament officially began!】

【In this tournament, you remained restrained as before. After killing several dozen Void Return stage cultivators, you held back, merely plundering all their valuables.】

【Three days later, you became a blood seedling candidate and gained considerable fame in the valley.】

【At the same time, between the tournament rewards and the spoils from ambushing dozens of cultivators, you had accumulated your first real fortune.】

【You used these resources to exchange for a substantial amount of Spirit stones and spirit liquid, then began cultivating Spirit-Gathering Flowers in your residence.】

【The spiritual energy in the valley was far inferior to the spirit field grotto-heaven — it couldn’t even compare to a blessed land — so the Spirit-Gathering Flowers grew slowly.】

【But you still infused wood-attribute spiritual energy daily, accelerating the flowers’ growth. With the Descendant of Shennong talent, the Spirit-Gathering Flowers flourished splendidly.】

【You set up formations and layers of restrictions within your residence, which effectively concealed the Spirit-Gathering Flowers’ aura.】

【Before long, you were surprised to discover that after recovering from the injuries sustained during the last world crossing, your previously stagnant Body Tempering cultivation had begun to steadily advance.】

【Your cultivation was progressing from late Primordial Unity fourth layer, steadily marching toward fourth layer Peak!】

【In the blink of an eye, two and a half years passed…】

【In the thirty-first year, there was still over half a year until the next blood seedling tournament.】

【Under your careful nurturing, a total of over four hundred and eighty Spirit-Gathering Flowers had matured.】

【You were deeply excited. With these Spirit-Gathering Flowers, you could exchange for abundant resources and intelligence, and perhaps even leave the valley!】

【And so, you brought over four hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers and went to find Old Fourth Song.】

In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this.

“Not bad. In the last simulation, spending merely a hundred-odd Spirit-Gathering Flowers yielded three critically important pill formulas. This simulation will surely yield even more important resources!”

Su Xing thought briefly.

According to the intelligence he had obtained from Old Fifth Song previously, leaving the valley would cost ten million Spirit stones — the equivalent of two hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers.

Beyond that, Su Xing had over two hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers available to use.

“First, it seems my cultivation can still be pushed higher?”

“My current cultivation is late Primordial Unity fourth layer, approaching fourth layer Peak… If I relied purely on cultivation, this simulation probably wouldn’t reach the fifth layer.”

“But if I can buy breakthrough pills for the Primordial Unity realm from Old Fourth Song, perhaps I could break through to the fifth layer?”

Su Xing clearly remembered that the Advent Cult possessed pills capable of boosting Void Return stage cultivation, known as the Mystic Ancient Pill!

Though the pill had side effects, since he was only staying within the simulation, it had no impact whatsoever on Su Xing in reality.

“Then, is there a higher-grade pill than the Mystic Ancient Pill? Or even… simply a higher-grade version of the Mystic Ancient Pill?”

Su Xing decided to purchase a batch of supplies from Old Fourth Song.

“Besides that, I also need to find a way to obtain intelligence about the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm…”

With that thought, Su Xing silently intoned:

“Activate immersive simulation function, duration twenty-four hours!”

【Ding — you have successfully activated immersive simulation. Cost: 2.4 million energy points. Remaining energy: 1,145,690,000 points.】

As the notification faded, Su Xing’s vision shifted.

The next second, Su Xing appeared in Old Fourth Song’s courtyard.

“Heh heh, Brother Su, what a rare guest… What brings you to my humble abode?”

Old Fourth Song, a plump and fair-skinned man, asked with a jovial smile.

Su Xing quickly adjusted his mindset, then put on a worried expression and said:

“Brother Song! My cultivation is stuck at Primordial Unity fourth layer Peak, and I can’t break through! So I wanted to ask if you have any solutions?”

“After all, breaking through to Primordial Unity fifth layer would greatly increase my chances of becoming a blood seedling!”

Old Fourth Song nodded slightly upon hearing Su Xing’s words, unsurprised.

In the valley, cultivation-boosting pills, breakthrough pills, and offensive magical artifacts were the best sellers.

After all, ninety-nine percent of cultivators died in every blood seedling tournament… One had to raise their cultivation as much as possible to survive.

But upon hearing Su Xing’s words, Old Fourth Song didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he said:

“Brother Su, as you know, I do have two types of pills here that can boost your cultivation.”

“The first is naturally the seventh-rank Mystic Ancient Pill, which can help Body Integration stage cultivators break through…”

“The second is the seventh-rank Mystic Body Pill, which can help Primordial Unity realm cultivators break through.”

“However, both pills have side effects — consuming them will damage your lifespan!”

After a pause, Old Fourth Song continued:

“If an ordinary cultivator came to buy them, I’d just sell and be done with it…”

“But Brother Su, you’re a genius with real prospects of becoming a blood seedling. If you could just endure a while and wait for the tournament after next, you might very well achieve blood seedling status!”

“Why ruin your own future like this?”

Su Xing was somewhat surprised by Old Fourth Song’s words.

Old Fourth Song was clearly looking out for him. Though a merchant, he laid out the pros and cons of his goods plainly, rather than single-mindedly pursuing profit.

This hardly seemed like a demonic cultivator — more like a genuinely good-natured person.

“This fat fellow, for whatever reason… Perhaps because he sees my potential to become a blood seedling, he wants to build goodwill in advance?”

Su Xing mused thoughtfully.

But the seventh-rank Mystic Body Pill was something Su Xing was determined to obtain.

So Su Xing laughed it off and said:

“Brother Song! Who can say what the future holds?”

“I think it’s safer to break through to Primordial Unity fifth layer as soon as possible…”

Hearing Su Xing’s words, Old Fourth Song said no more — after all, everyone had their own choices to make.

Old Fourth Song produced a pill that was blood-red throughout and said:

“A seventh-rank high-grade Mystic Body Pill, capable of helping you break through to Primordial Unity fifth layer!”

“As for the price… I’ll give you an honest deal — five million Spirit stones!”

Su Xing’s mouth twitched at the price.

Previously, he’d purchased an eighth-rank Nine Revolutions Pill formula for less than this.

He estimated this seventh-rank Mystic Body Pill would cost a million Spirit stones at most in the outside world.

But there was nothing to be done — in this valley, breakthrough pills were exorbitantly priced.

After pondering for a moment, Su Xing said:

“I don’t have enough Spirit stones on hand… Would you accept these as payment instead?”

With that, Su Xing produced several Spirit-Gathering Flowers.

Upon seeing the Spirit-Gathering Flowers, Old Fourth Song’s reaction was identical to last time.

After staring blankly for a long while, Old Fourth Song asked in astonishment:

“My word, Spirit-Gathering Flowers!? Where did you get your hands on these, Brother Su? If we’re trading with these, then absolutely!”

After thinking it over, Old Fourth Song said:

“If you can offer eighty Spirit-Gathering Flowers, I’ll sell you this Mystic Body Pill!”

Su Xing nodded slightly. Based on the previous pricing, eighty Spirit-Gathering Flowers were worth about four million Spirit stones in the valley — making it seem like Su Xing was getting a bargain.

But Old Fourth Song had channels to transport the Spirit-Gathering Flowers to the outside world, where their value would instantly double!

He could sell them for eight million Spirit stones in a flash!

After the round trip, his pure profit on a single Mystic Body Pill would be seven million Spirit stones!

That was nearly the entire net worth of a late-stage Body Integration cultivator!

But for Su Xing, there was no better option at the moment.

“Then I thank you, Brother Song…”

Su Xing smiled and handed eighty Spirit-Gathering Flowers to Old Fourth Song.

Seeing Su Xing produce such a quantity of Spirit-Gathering Flowers so effortlessly, Old Fourth Song’s heart skipped a beat.

He hurriedly asked:

“Brother Su, where did these Spirit-Gathering Flowers come from? Did you perhaps discover some ancient ruin or blessed land?”

“Heh heh, if you could sell me that information… I’d be willing to pay handsomely!”

Su Xing could tell that Spirit-Gathering Flowers were exceptionally precious in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.

“You jest, Brother Song. I happened upon some Spirit-Gathering Flower seeds and painstakingly cultivated them over decades, yielding only a hundred or two hundred plants…”

Su Xing said casually.

Old Fourth Song’s eyes lit up at this, and he quickly said:

“You have more Spirit-Gathering Flowers, Brother? I, Song, am willing to buy them at a premium!”

Su Xing shook his head and said:

“Brother Song… I’m not lacking in Spirit stones. What I want is information…”

Old Fourth Song raised an eyebrow at this and said:

“Heh heh, my Song clan holds a respectable reputation in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm… What would you like to know, Brother? I may be able to help!”

Su Xing’s lips curved slightly upward. He lowered his voice and asked:

“Have you by any chance heard of… Luo Tian? And… the Blood Moon?”

Su Xing had expected Old Fourth Song’s face to change dramatically upon hearing this.

But contrary to his expectations, Old Fourth Song only looked confused, shaking his head and saying:

“What are you referring to, Brother? I haven’t heard of any of those…”

As Old Fourth Song spoke, Su Xing kept his eyes fixed on the man’s expression.

But Old Fourth Song’s reaction was natural — it didn’t seem fabricated.

“Heh, just something I found in some ancient texts… If you don’t know, then never mind!”

Su Xing said offhandedly.

Old Fourth Song hastily interjected:

“Don’t give up so easily! Let me ask around next time — perhaps I can dig up some relevant intelligence!”

“Ahem, and about those Spirit-Gathering Flowers…”

Seeing that Old Fourth Song’s demeanor didn’t seem feigned, Su Xing said:

“How about this — I’ll also buy some high-rank Demonic Beast Blood Essence from you, Brother Song… and a low-grade sword-type precious artifact…”

“If you have any information about the Azure Cloud Sect within the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm, you may sell that to me as well.”

High-level Demonic Beast Blood Essence was not a taboo trade item in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm. Even within the Advent Cult, Body Tempering cultivators regularly consumed it.

Old Fourth Song nodded repeatedly after hearing this—he truly had his eye on Su Xing’s Spirit-Gathering Flowers.

And so, Su Xing and Old Fourth Song finalized their agreement.

Body Integration stage Demonic Beast Blood Essence, ten thousand spirit stones per catty. Su Xing bought a hundred catties in one go—enough to refine Rebirth Pills for quite some time.

One lower-grade sword-type precious artifact, priced at 300,000 spirit stones.

Various pill-refining materials, totaling 50,000 spirit stones.

Intelligence regarding the Azure Cloud Sect, priced at 500,000 spirit stones. Su Xing paid a deposit of 50,000 spirit stones upfront.

One secret art of the highest possible grade that could boost strength in a short period of time, cost no object—but the magnitude of the power increase had to be significant! Old Fourth Song couldn’t guarantee he’d find such an art, so he didn’t collect a deposit for this one.

In total, Su Xing spent 1.85 million spirit stones, and Old Fourth Song only charged him thirty-five Spirit-Gathering Flowers.

Before leaving, Su Xing thought of something and asked casually:

“Heh heh, Brother Song has quite an extensive network. Since you can transport goods in and out… I wonder if you could also bring people in and out of the valley?”

When Old Fourth Song heard Su Xing’s words, he let out an awkward laugh and shook his head:

“Heh heh, you jest, brother… Goods are dead objects, but people are living beings!”

“Even if you gave me ten thousand times the courage, I absolutely wouldn’t dare smuggle someone out of the valley!”

Su Xing wasn’t ready to give up, so he pressed further:

“Then what if… I, Su, were willing to pay ten million spirit stones?!”

“Or… two hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers!”

Hearing Su Xing’s words, Old Fourth Song’s heart trembled, and a glimmer of longing flashed in his eyes.

But he still shook his head and said:

“Alas, it’s not that I don’t want to, but that I truly cannot do it!”

“This matter… let’s just pretend I never heard it…”

After hearing this, Su Xing felt somewhat puzzled. In the last simulation, Old Fifth Song hadn’t said anything like this.

But seeing that Old Fourth Song was completely impervious to persuasion, Su Xing could only leave for now.

Soon, the immersive simulation ended, and Su Xing returned to the Real World.

Su Xing began summarizing the gains and losses from this immersive simulation.

“First, I obtained Body Integration stage Demonic Beast Blood Essence… Combined with that Mystic Ancient Pill, reaching Primordial Unity fifth layer shouldn’t be difficult!”

“But… does this Old Fourth Song actually know anything about Luo Tian and Blood Moon?”

Su Xing couldn’t quite figure it out.

Old Fourth Song’s expression at the time hadn’t seemed fake.

If so, there were only two possibilities.

First, Blood Moon and Luo Tian were of too high a level for Old Fourth Song to have any contact with them.

Second, Old Fourth Song knew but couldn’t reveal the information for some special reason.

Based on Old Fourth Song’s demeanor earlier, Su Xing actually leaned toward the former.

“And there’s one last thing—regarding smuggling someone out of the valley… Old Fourth Song and Old Fifth Song gave different answers. Which one should I believe?”

Su Xing murmured to himself.

He decided to make another attempt in the upcoming simulations.

With that, he turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【In the valley, after completing your trade with Old Fourth Song, you returned to your dwelling.】

【You fired up the furnace and spent a month refining over a hundred Rebirth Pills.】

【Over the following months, you consumed Rebirth Pills daily to temper your physique, finally raising your cultivation to the peak of Primordial Unity fourth layer!】

【You then hesitated no longer and consumed the Mystic Body Pill obtained through your trade with Old Fourth Song.】

【Three days later, you successfully broke through, becoming a Primordial Unity fifth layer cultivator!】

【At the same time, you keenly noticed that during your breakthrough, your lifespan had decreased by roughly thirty years.】

【Additionally, your cultivation felt somewhat unstable and would require further refinement.】

In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this.

“As expected, the Mystic Body Pill is just like the Mystic Ancient Pill—both are pills that damage one’s potential…”

“But for the me inside the simulator, whether my lifespan is three hundred years or three thousand years makes absolutely no difference!”

“And as for cultivation, once extracted through the simulator, the side effects can be purged!”

Indeed, just as Su Xing thought.

Pills or techniques that consumed lifespan were actually excellent for Su Xing!

Because they were cheap, and they had virtually no side effects on the real Su Xing.

He turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【As the time for the second blood seedling tournament drew near, you also received the Azure Cloud Sect intelligence that Old Fourth Song had promised.】

【You opened the intelligence report and read it carefully, obtaining several key pieces of information.】

【The Azure Cloud Sect’s sphere of influence in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm was extremely far from your current location. You would need to cross the Hundred Thousand Mountains and traverse two more provinces before reaching Lesser Azure Cloud City.】

【Lesser Azure Cloud City was the Azure Cloud Sect’s main base of operations in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.】

【Rumor had it that the city was guarded by a Heavenly Immortal Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect, making it impregnable.】

【Additionally, every ten years, the Azure Cloud Sect would hold a disciple recruitment ceremony.】

【All cultivators with True Spirit Roots or at the Nascent Soul stage and above could join the Azure Cloud Sect’s outer gate as outer disciples.】

【Apart from delivering the Azure Cloud Sect intelligence, Old Fourth Song had not found any information regarding Luo Tian.】

【However, he also told you that among the Three Thousand Worlds, the Thousand Mysteries Pavilion was the undisputed leader in intelligence and that you might be able to learn something from them.】

【In addition, Old Fourth Song brought you two “superior secret arts” to choose from.】

【These two arts were exactly as you requested—great cost, great power!】

【The first was called the “Realm-Dropping Art.” By paying the price of dropping realms, you could temporarily fight beyond your level. For every two minor realms of enhancement, you would permanently drop one realm afterward, requiring re-cultivation.】

【The second was called the “Lifespan-Burning Art.” When used by a Body Integration stage cultivator, each hundred years of lifespan consumed could temporarily raise your power by one minor realm. At maximum, you could burn a thousand years of lifespan to fight five minor realms above your level!】

【The only regret was that only one such secret art could be active at a time.】

【After a moment’s hesitation, you purchased the “Lifespan-Burning Art” from Old Fourth Song for ten Spirit-Gathering Flowers!】

In the Real World, Su Xing nodded upon seeing this.

“So it seems Old Fourth Song truly doesn’t know anything about Luo Tian…”

“But the Thousand Mysteries Pavilion, hm? If the opportunity arises later… I really should pay them a visit!”

Of course, the prerequisite was that Su Xing could first leave this valley.

“As for now, naturally it’s time to study the Lifespan-Burning Art!”

The corner of Su Xing’s mouth curled upward. The Blood-Burning Art from before had already become insignificant at the Body Integration stage.

Su Xing urgently needed a secret art that could burn lifespan as the cost to temporarily fight beyond his realm!

This Lifespan-Burning Art was exactly what Su Xing wanted.

A Body Integration stage cultivator had a lifespan of three thousand years!

This meant Su Xing could activate the Lifespan-Burning Art twice!

Su Xing silently intoned: “Activate immersive simulation function, duration ten days!”

【Ding. You have successfully activated the immersive simulation. Cost: 24 million energy points. Remaining energy: 1,121,690,000 points.】

As the simulator’s notification faded, Su Xing’s vision shifted.

Appearing once again in the valley, Su Xing found a special jade slip containing the secret art in his hand.

He sent his divine sense into the jade slip and began attempting to comprehend the Lifespan-Burning Art.

The Lifespan-Burning Art was clearly far more profound than the “Blood-Burning Art” he’d obtained from Old Dog Zong, and the difficulty of comprehension was considerable.

Thus, ten days slowly passed, and the immersive simulation time expired.

In the Real World, Su Xing slowly opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction in them.

“Worthy of being a secret art from the Three Thousand Worlds—its effects surpass imagination!”

“But the cultivation difficulty is substantial too. Ten days was only enough to reach the introductory level… At most, I can burn two hundred years of lifespan at once…”

Su Xing decided to master this secret art as quickly as possible in future simulations.

He recalled the specific effects of the Lifespan-Burning Art in his mind:

“A Body Integration stage cultivator, by burning a hundred years of lifespan, can raise their power by one minor realm. If my cultivation reaches late-stage Body Integration, and I augment it with the Lifespan-Burning Art, burning a thousand years of lifespan, I could possess power rivaling an early Mahayana cultivator for a quarter of an hour!”

Of course, it would merely rival an early Mahayana cultivator’s magical power. In terms of Great Dao comprehension and the like, there was no way to match them.

But even so, it was tremendously useful to Su Xing.

What satisfied Su Xing the most was that the Lifespan-Burning Art wasn’t only effective at the Body Integration stage—it remained effective at the Mahayana stage as well!

“A Mahayana cultivator, by burning a thousand years of lifespan at once, can raise their magical power by one minor realm for a quarter of an hour. At maximum, they can burn three thousand years to raise it by three minor realms!”

“This means that with the Lifespan-Burning Art activated, early Mahayana power can rival mid-stage Mahayana… and mid-stage can rival late-stage Mahayana!”

For ordinary cultivators, even at the Mahayana stage, their lifespan was only five thousand years. Who would be willing to consume it so recklessly?

But for Su Xing, it was different. This kind of lifespan-burning technique had absolutely no impact on him.

Because in the simulation, he couldn’t possibly live that long anyway…

“Excellent. If I can’t master the Mastery-level Heaven Sword Art… once I cultivate this Lifespan-Burning Art to Perfection and raise my cultivation to late-stage Mahayana, I should be able to fight a Demon Saint!”

Su Xing nodded with satisfaction. He had gained yet another trump card.

He turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【Before long, a new blood seedling tournament began.】

【Your performance in this tournament was once again unremarkable.】

【You killed over a hundred Void Return stage cultivators, consistent with the strength expected of a Primordial Unity realm mid-stage cultivator.】

【Afterward, you remained in the valley as a blood seedling candidate and received a substantial reward.】

【Your cultivation remained at Primordial Unity fifth layer. Through daily pill consumption and cultivation, you made slight progress.】

【Through your inquiries, you confirmed that Old Fourth Song had indeed become a blood seedling and left the valley.】

【His position was taken over by none other than a Body Integration stage cultivator named Old Fifth Song.】

【In your previous simulation, it was Old Fifth Song who had promised you the opportunity to leave the valley.】

【But since you weren’t familiar with his background, you refrained from acting rashly for now.】

【Over the following year, you frequently conducted trades with Old Fifth Song, gradually becoming more familiar with each other.】

【In the thirty-third year, you felt the timing was relatively ripe, and so you proposed a deal to leave the valley.】

【Old Fifth Song was momentarily stunned by your words, then promised that for ten million spirit stones, he could get you out of the valley—but you had to return before the next blood seedling tournament.】

【Though you harbored some doubts, you had no other choice at the moment, so you chose to trust Old Fifth Song.】

【You offered Old Fifth Song twenty Spirit-Gathering Flowers as a deposit, stating you would hand over the rest after leaving the valley.】

【But Old Fifth Song flatly refused, demanding one hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers as a deposit.】

【Moreover, the timing of your departure from the valley would be determined and communicated by him.】

【Though displeased, you could only agree.】

【One month later, on a certain day, Old Fifth Song came to find you. He told you the time was right.】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s heart stirred at the sight of this, and he couldn’t help feeling a surge of anticipation.

“Finally… I can leave the valley?”

Su Xing gazed at the simulation panel with eager eyes.

【You began packing your belongings, ready to leave the valley at any moment.】

【If you could truly leave, from now on the sky would be vast for birds to soar, the sea boundless for fish to leap!】

【In the end, your gaze fell upon that Azure Cloud Token. You pondered whether to bring it with you when leaving the valley…】