Chapter 259 – Finally Entering the Mahayana Stage, Earning a Staggering 25 Billion Energy! (Two-in-One, Vote for Monthly Tickets)
by spirapiraSu Xing didn’t hesitate, directly converting all the exotic metal into simulation energy.
With this, Su Xing’s simulation energy reached an unprecedented height!
A full twenty billion!
Even though Su Xing could already be considered a well-traveled transmigrator, a flash of excitement still flickered involuntarily in his eyes at this moment.
“Mm, understood… Here are a hundred thousand pills. Go ahead and verify the count.”
Su Xing said casually, offhandedly producing ten thousand bottles of pills.
Lu Yuanwu didn’t bother counting either, instead directly storing all the pills into his storage ring.
Then he carefully glanced at Su Xing and said:
“Senior… most of the spies within Xia’s military have been rooted out…”
“The spy in the upper ranks is also about to be arrested… May I ask when the pills can be officially put to use?”
After hearing Lu Yuanwu’s words, Su Xing thought briefly and understood what he meant.
Even though Lu Yuanwu was a Martial Sovereign and Great Xia’s chief logistics officer, he had been steadily providing Su Xing with tens of thousands of tons of Third Rank exotic metal over this period.
While this wasn’t enough to shake this chief logistics officer’s position, it inevitably created some pressure.
After all, one person shouldering the pressure of transporting exotic metals outward without any visible returns could raise suspicions of “embezzlement.”
What Lu Yuanwu meant was: Senior, it’s time to deploy these pills on a large scale!
After listening, Su Xing thought for a moment and then said:
“Although most of the spies have been eliminated… this matter still shouldn’t be rushed.”
“My suggestion is that over the next six months, you cultivate several thousand Grandmaster-stage powerhouses in batches… Then after six months, distribute all the pills at once. That should be able to produce tens of thousands of Grandmaster-stage powerhouses within one to two years!”
After hearing Su Xing’s words, Lu Yuanwu nodded repeatedly and said excitedly:
“Senior! I’ve been waiting for you to say this!”
“Once these pills are deployed on a large scale… my authority will grow even greater!”
“In the future, I’ll be able to trade even more exotic metal with you each week… Doubling the quantity won’t be a problem!”
Su Xing nodded with satisfaction.
If they gradually increased Great Xia’s number of Grandmaster-stage powerhouses, the Advent Cult and the foreign races probably wouldn’t react too strongly.
Even Heavenly King and Martial Sovereign powerhouses wouldn’t pay much attention…
Su Xing now understood that unless humanity’s strength suddenly surged to an absurd degree, those forces wouldn’t forcibly intervene.
The gap between those two thresholds was Su Xing’s window to develop in secret!
“Mm, this week’s transaction is concluded… Rest assured, I have plenty more of these two types of pills…”
“If our future cooperation goes well, producing even higher-grade pills won’t be a problem!”
Su Xing said casually, his tone somewhat offhand.
After hearing Su Xing’s words, Lu Yuanwu froze for a moment, then realized what he meant and said tremblingly:
“Senior… The higher-grade pills you mentioned, do you mean…”
Su Xing’s expression remained unchanged as he said casually:
“Naturally, pills capable of producing Heavenly King… and Martial Sovereign powerhouses.”
“Of course… Even helping you break through to the Legendary stage wouldn’t be difficult…”
After hearing Su Xing’s affirmative answer, Lu Yuanwu nearly lunged forward to grab Su Xing’s legs in excitement!
“Se… Senior!”
Seeing Lu Yuanwu so excited he was becoming incoherent, Su Xing merely waved his hand, took a few steps forward, and vanished from the spot.
After Su Xing left, Lu Yuanwu clenched his fists excitedly and murmured:
“We shall rise! The human race shall prosper!”
It wasn’t that Lu Yuanwu hadn’t seen the world or met important figures.
Rather, for a general who devoted himself wholly to his nation and his race, the temptation of these pills was simply too great!
……
Su Xing traveled covertly the entire way, and after confirming no one was following him, headed to the Immortal Martial World instance.
He made his way expertly to the Myriad Wood Sect ruins, and under the concealment of formations and restrictions, Su Xing returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven.
According to Su Xing’s earlier assessment, those high-level treasures were too expensive to bring out and not worth it — cultivation realm advancement was far more practical.
So Su Xing silently commanded:
“Bring out Mahayana Stage, Second Layer cultivation… and Grand Accomplishment Eighth Layer cultivation!”
【Ding! You have successfully brought out Mahayana Stage, Second Layer cultivation. Energy cost: 4 billion. Remaining energy: 16,047,680,000…】
【Ding! You have successfully brought out Grand Accomplishment Eighth Layer cultivation. Energy cost: 4 billion. Remaining energy: 12,047,680,000…】
As the simulator’s notification sounds faded, two streams of mysterious energy surged into Su Xing’s body.
The first change came from the massive increase in his Qi Refinement cultivation!
The sea of spiritual energy within Su Xing surged violently at this moment… Like a tsunami crashing against its boundaries over and over.
Each impact pushed the boundaries of his spiritual energy sea further, making it ever more vast.
In mere moments, Su Xing’s spiritual energy sea had more than doubled in size compared to before…
And it was still expanding at an astonishing rate!
After another dozen or so breaths, the restless aura roiling around Su Xing gradually began to settle.
Su Xing focused his mind, sat cross-legged, and worked to adapt to the explosive increase in cultivation!
After a moment, Su Xing slowly opened his eyes, a glint of brilliance flashing through them.
“Mahayana Stage, Second Layer — achieved!”
“The total spiritual energy within me is nearly four times what it was before! At this rate… at merely the Mahayana Stage, Second Layer, my spiritual energy reserves could probably rival a cultivator at the eighth or ninth layer of the Mahayana Stage!”
At the same cultivation realm, having vastly deeper reserves of spiritual power was naturally an enormous advantage.
The reason Su Xing possessed such deep reserves, aside from his solid foundation, came down to two main factors.
The first was those tens of millions of drops of spirit liquid, which had provided Su Xing with a tremendous foundation!
Ordinary cultivators simply didn’t have that much spirit liquid to expend when breaking into the Mahayana Stage.
The second and more important factor was the spirit vein dragon — that single breath of pure spiritual energy!
It had directly elevated Su Xing beyond all other geniuses!
Su Xing estimated that a Mahayana Stage cultivator with spiritual reserves as deep as his would be a once-in-a-millennium, or even once-in-ten-thousand-years prodigy, even in the golden age of immortal cultivation!
“However… I still can’t afford to be arrogant! The Mahayana Stage alone isn’t enough…”
Su Xing shook his head lightly and was about to give himself his routine self-deprecating pep talk when another surge of power suddenly welled up inside him.
His Body Tempering cultivation was about to break through too!
Grand Accomplishment Sixth Layer… Grand Accomplishment Seventh Layer…
Grand Accomplishment Eighth Layer!
In just a few breaths, Su Xing’s realm leaped across two minor stages.
After familiarizing himself with the dramatically increased power, Su Xing nodded with satisfaction.
“Not bad… Grand Accomplishment Eighth Layer cultivation, close to the power of eight hundred mountains!”
“At this rate, once I reach Grand Accomplishment, Perfection, I’ll possess the so-called power of a thousand mountains!”
After a pause, Su Xing continued:
“And factoring in the surge in my Qi Refinement cultivation, even without relying on the Protective Sword Aura or the Heaven Sword technique… I could go toe-to-toe with an ordinary Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator!”
After breaking through in both his Qi Refinement and Body Tempering realms, Su Xing glanced up at the sky and murmured:
“Good — in the real world, I don’t sense the red moon’s gaze…”
“As expected, thanks to the simulator, the disturbances from most breakthroughs are shielded.”
“That’s ideal — at least I won’t have to worry about being exposed prematurely!”
Su Xing nodded with satisfaction.
However, he also knew that once his realm reached a certain height, the disturbance from a breakthrough might be too great for even the simulator to conceal.
At that point, Su Xing would need to rely on formations, restrictions, the Heavenly Secrets Concealment Art, and other methods to mask the commotion of his breakthroughs.
After the explosive increase in cultivation, Su Xing checked the time and murmured:
“For the next few days, I’ll carry on as usual and go mining to accumulate energy!”
Though he was slightly more affluent now, the energy requirements would only grow steeper going forward, and Su Xing couldn’t afford to slack off.
Seven days passed quickly…
During these seven days, Su Xing had mined out two more fourth-order exotic metal veins, which he estimated would yield close to four billion energy after refinement!
On April 14th, Su Xing left the Immortal Martial World, returned to Earth, and met with Jin Congxue as planned.
“Here, this is this week’s shipment… along with the refined exotic metal.”
Jin Congxue yawned, then handed several storage rings to Su Xing.
Su Xing’s heart stirred — this week’s shipment plus the exotic metal provided close to five billion simulation energy!
This surprised Su Xing somewhat.
“Su Xing, all the raw exotic metal ore you gave me before has been rush-refined…”
“Right now, the Tarot Trading Company alone has nearly three thousand Class Users dedicated to refining exotic metal! That’s quite a significant expense…”
Jin Congxue said with some concern.
The Tarot Trading Company had been turning a normal profit until recently, but now the equipment, pills, and other items they sold were basically all going toward paying the Class Users’ wages.
Without the ability to turn a profit, the Tarot Society would have difficulty expanding further in the short term.
After hearing this, Su Xing thought briefly and asked:
“Sis Xue, how’s the overseas market for the Beauty-Preserving Pills you mentioned before?”
Jin Congxue nodded and said:
“It’s going extremely well! Foreign Class Users, due to regional and occupational factors, tend to age faster than those in Great Xia…”
“So the Beauty-Preserving Pills sell incredibly well over there. We’ve already made initial inroads into the market, and now the concern is actually insufficient supply.”
After some thought, Su Xing said:
“Then price the overseas Beauty-Preserving Pills at three times the domestic rate!”
“Going forward, I’ll supply you with Beauty-Preserving Pills every week — enough to flood the overseas markets in other countries!”
Hearing Su Xing’s words, Jin Congxue’s eyes lit up.
If that could really happen, the Tarot Trading Company would immediately become profitable and could even expand further!
……
After bidding farewell to Jin Congxue, Su Xing returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven.
While waiting for the simulation cooldown to end, Su Xing contemplated his future development plans in the real world!
“Actually, my strategy has always been very clear… Earn massive resources in the real world and convert them into simulation energy!”
“Then accumulate strength in simulations, continuously improving my cultivation realm and the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation…”
Su Xing murmured.
This approach was undoubtedly the most efficient.
But it also meant that the stronger Su Xing’s forces were in the real world, the more they could help him! And the more simulation energy he could obtain!
Currently, Su Xing’s energy came primarily from the following channels:
First, the Tarot Trading Company’s weekly supply shipments and refined exotic metal.
If Su Xing mined exotic metal every week, this channel would probably yield about four to five billion energy per week going forward, with little room for short-term growth.
Second, the Celestial Secrets Pavilion’s nine puppets and trades with other trading companies.
Su Xing estimated that a single “trade run” would take roughly one to two months and could provide him with anywhere from several billion to over ten billion simulation energy.
Third, transactions with Xia’s military, with Grandpa Lu naturally serving as the intermediary.
According to Grandpa Lu, future transaction volumes would increase. Su Xing’s preliminary estimate was that weekly revenue from this channel should be at least three billion energy.
Looking at it this way, Su Xing’s net monthly energy earnings came to roughly four to five hundred billion!
This seemed like a lot, but Su Xing was about to undergo tribulation and ascend to immortality. When that time came, the energy expenditure required would increase exponentially!
“Besides that, the Baili Trading Company only occasionally has some goods… it’s not particularly critical anymore.”
Su Xing furrowed his brow slightly. Although he wasn’t short on energy for now, he had to plan ahead!
Thinking it over, expanding into overseas markets and trading with other nations was absolutely imperative!
“However… pills that enhance strength, like Essence Nurturing Pills and Organ Tempering Pills, should naturally be prioritized for Xia’s military to absorb… after all, Great Xia faces the greatest pressure!”
“As long as Demon-Sealing Pass holds, Earth remains safe… those demons and evil spirits can’t emerge from other Forbidden-tier dungeons either.”
“But purely profitable pills like Beauty-Preserving Pills should naturally be dumped on the market in exchange for large quantities of equipment and items…”
The corners of Su Xing’s mouth curled upward slightly.
Across Earth’s Seven Kingdoms and Twelve Domains, aside from Great Xia, every other nation was a blue ocean market, waiting for Su Xing to develop!
After planning out his future development, Su Xing glanced at the simulation timer.
Seeing that the cooldown had ended, Su Xing silently chanted:
“Begin simulation!”
【Ding! This simulation consumes 8,300 energy points. Remaining energy: 19,134,530,000 points. Remaining simulation attempts: unlimited.】
【Simulation begins!】
【Drawing a purple talent costs 100,000 energy points. Drawing a gold legendary talent costs 1,000,000 energy points. Do you wish to draw?】
Su Xing pondered briefly upon seeing this and murmured:
“The probability of drawing a gold talent is still too low right now… on average, it takes five simulations to draw a single gold talent.”
“Looks like it’s time to boost the gold talent draw probability!”
Su Xing’s current base probability for drawing a gold talent was ten percent. If he spent 4 billion energy, he could raise it to fifty percent! (The current simulator version’s upper limit.)
On average, he’d draw a gold talent every two or three simulations!
And all Su Xing needed to pay was merely one week’s worth of simulation energy, in exchange for a genuine increase to his potential ceiling!
“If I could draw a gold-quality Qi Refinement or Body Tempering talent, that would be an enormous jackpot!”
At this thought, Su Xing rubbed his hands together excitedly and silently chanted:
“Spend four billion energy to increase gold talent draw probability!”
【Ding! You have successfully spent 4 billion energy. Remaining energy: 15,134,530,000 points…】
【Current base probability for drawing a gold talent is 50%. This draw’s probability is 70%…】
Having spent four billion energy in one go, Su Xing felt a twinge of heartache, but he decisively declared:
“Draw a gold-quality talent!”
【Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the gold talent Entering the Dao Through Formations. Probability of drawing a gold talent next time: 50%…】
【Entering the Dao Through Formations】: Gold talent. You are a Formation Dao genius seen once in a thousand years in the cultivation world. Your comprehension of the Formation Dao far surpasses ordinary people. You can easily comprehend elementary formations, and can even enter the Dao through formations, achieving renown as a Formation Dao Grandmaster feared throughout the cultivation world!
Su Xing’s eyes lit up when he saw the newly drawn talent, and he nodded with satisfaction.
“Not bad! Off to a great start!”
“After boosting the probability, the chances of drawing a gold talent really have increased dramatically…”
Su Xing glanced at the new talent’s description.
This “Entering the Dao Through Formations” talent should be the superior version of “Formation Dao Prodigy,” capable of greatly enhancing Su Xing’s speed of comprehending the Formation Dao.
As for exactly how fast that comprehension speed would be, Su Xing would have to try it himself to find out.
“As things stand, formations are of tremendous help to me… whether it’s the spirit-gathering formation and aura-concealing barrier formation in the spirit field grotto-heaven… or the micro spirit-gathering formation that boosts cultivation speed, all of them have great potential!”
All in all, the Formation Dao was enormously beneficial to Su Xing.
“Since I’ve drawn a new talent… my simulation plan for this time needs to be adjusted slightly!”
Su Xing fell into deep thought.
“First, for body refining cultivation, I’ll push straight through to Grand Accomplishment realm Perfection in one go — that will massively boost my strength!”
“But for qi refining cultivation, even with spirit liquid assistance… if I cultivate for sixty or seventy years, I can probably advance only one or two layers at most…”
“I’ll need at least four simulations to reach Mahayana stage Perfection…”
After some quick calculations, Su Xing decided to first learn the seventh-order micro spirit-gathering formation, then find a way to improve his grotto-heaven’s quality and accumulate more spirit liquid!
When that time came… Su Xing could maintain rapid cultivation progress even during the Mahayana stage!
“Sigh, what a shame I didn’t draw a gold spirit root talent… otherwise it wouldn’t need to be this troublesome.”
Su Xing sighed, then turned his gaze to the simulation panel.
【In the spirit field grotto-heaven, you become aware that you are in a simulation.】
【You disguise yourself and suppress your aura to trade with Lu Yuanwu. Nothing unexpected occurs during the exchange.】
【Because the pills are highly valued by Xia’s military, Lu Yuanwu has brought you two thousand tons of Third Rank exotic metal this week…】
【This slightly exceeds your expectations, leaving you pleasantly surprised.】
【Ten days later, you have accumulated enough Great Wisdom state enhancement and prepare to enter the Luotian dungeon!】
In the Real World, Su Xing saw this and silently chanted:
“Use immersive simulation, duration twenty-four hours!”
【Ding! You have successfully used…】
As the simulator’s notification faded, Su Xing’s vision shifted and transformed.
“This time my cultivation has broken through to the Mahayana stage! I wonder what kind of surprises the Luotian dungeon will bring me!?”
Su Xing felt a sense of anticipation.
After achieving Grand Accomplishment in body refining, Su Xing had obtained the Great Shaman Body Forging Art — a supreme technique leading directly to the saint realm!
Now that he’d reached the Mahayana stage in qi refining… surely the reward wouldn’t be lacking either?
Just as Su Xing was deep in thought, a voice came from the front of the great hall.
“Good disciple, go to the rear mountain and invite your Senior Brother Shennong over…”
“Once you’ve brought Senior Brother Shennong back… your master has something to tell you.”
Su Xing’s eyes lit up when he heard this, then he respectfully bowed and left the great hall.
Along the way, Su Xing chatted and laughed with Senior Brother Shennong as he brought him to the Luotian Assembly grounds.
After arriving, Su Xing proceeded to the great hall, where he saw his master — Wuge!
Wuge summoned Su Xing to the rear hall, then spoke with a somewhat solemn expression:
“Good disciple, you are the most outstanding genius our Luotian Sect has produced in ten thousand years!”
“Not yet a hundred years old, yet you’ve already reached the Mahayana stage in qi refining… and your body refining has even stepped into the later phase of Grand Accomplishment realm!”
“But after ascending to immortality, one must make choices… Master asks you: do you wish to pursue the path of qi refining, or body refining?”
Su Xing’s heart stirred when he heard Wuge’s words.
His previous answer had been to choose body refining, which was how he’d obtained the Great Shaman Body Forging Art!
Now that he’d already acquired the Great Shaman Body Forging Art, Su Xing naturally wanted to choose the other reward!
As for making a choice… only children have to choose!
Su Xing chose to have it all!
With that thought, Su Xing answered decisively:
“Master, your disciple wishes to walk the path of qi refining… to achieve the orthodox road to immortality!”
Hearing Su Xing’s words, Wuge showed no surprise. Only a brief flash of slight disappointment flickered through his eyes before vanishing.
Then Wuge stroked his beard and praised:
“Since that is so, then Master shall impart to you the Luotian Sect’s supreme technique… the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art!”
“This technique is not a cultivation method per se, but rather a supreme mental art. After ascending to immortality… it can dramatically reduce the time needed for cultivation, thus freeing up more time to comprehend the Great Dao laws…”
When Wuge finished speaking, he extended a finger and pressed it to the center of Su Xing’s brow.
A flood of images instantly surged into Su Xing’s mind.
Faintly, Su Xing seemed to see an elder with entirely white hair and beard, ethereal as an immortal, standing atop a towering mountain peak.
Regardless of sunrise or sunset, bitter cold or scorching heat, day after day, year after year… this elder consumed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, his cultivation advancing a thousand li in a single day.
Across untold ages… through countless millennia…
This elder’s appearance actually began to grow younger.
Eventually, he transformed from an old man of seventy or eighty into a young man barely in his twenties!
And at that very moment, this immortal condensed the Three Flowers at his crown, achieving the Grand Luo Immortal realm!
A long time later…
When Su Xing came back to his senses, he had already returned to the Real World.
“The Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art… the supreme technique cultivated by the Luotian Sect’s founding ancestor!”
“Hiss~ A celestial art like this, if it appeared in the real world, would probably drive everyone mad fighting over it!”
Su Xing drew a deep breath, the shock in his eyes beyond words.
He finally understood why the Luotian Sect’s founding ancestor had risen to prominence as swiftly as a shooting star.
“No wonder those Golden Immortals… even Grand Luo Golden Immortals hold the Luotian legacy in such high regard!”
“These two supreme techniques alone would probably leave the multitude of cultivators across the Three Thousand Worlds eating dust!”
Su Xing’s mind recalled the powerful abilities of the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art.
The Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art was indeed not a cultivation method, nor a supernatural art or technique, but rather a mental art!
This mental art had only one function: to increase cultivation speed!
The Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art was divided into three tiers, and cultivation could begin after achieving the Human Immortal realm.
The first tier: Absorbing the Qi of the Twelve Hours.
At sunrise each day, one would absorb the first wisp of purple qi. Cultivating for a single two-hour period would equal an entire day of arduous practice!
This first tier alone could dramatically increase a cultivator’s cultivation speed!
It would free up far more time for cultivating other arts or comprehending the origin of the Great Dao…
The second tier of the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art: Absorbing the Qi of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms!
On the days of solar terms such as Spring Rain, Awakening of Insects, Dew, Great Heat, Minor Snow, and Frost’s Descent, one day of cultivation would equal an entire month of arduous practice!
At this stage, simply by cultivating during each of the twenty-four solar terms, twenty-four days would equal two years of bitter cultivation for an ordinary cultivator!
The third tier of the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art: Absorbing the Qi of the Four Seasons!
On the days of the Start of Spring, Start of Summer, Start of Autumn, and Start of Winter, a single day of cultivation could equal an entire year!
Four days of cultivation could equal four years!
Su Xing recalled the effects of the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art in his mind. After some quick calculations, he exclaimed in wonder:
“If I cultivate the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art to the third tier, then by cultivating just two hours each day, plus twenty-four days per year, it would equal seven years of arduous cultivation for an ordinary cultivator!”
“And the speed increase is actually secondary… what’s most important is that it saves years of cultivation time, freeing up the opportunity to comprehend the power of the Great Dao…”
Although Su Xing hadn’t yet reached the Immortal realm, he understood the difficulties of advancing one’s cultivation after becoming an immortal.
An ordinary Human Immortal Realm cultivator, even one possessing a Heavenly Spirit Root, would struggle to advance a single layer over several hundred years. Even expending several thousand years might not be enough to reach Human Immortal Perfection.
And the further one progressed, the more difficult each breakthrough became…
Without fortuitous encounters or great opportunities, ordinary Human Immortal Realm cultivators would spend the majority of their lifespans on increasing their magical power.
They would have very little time left to deepen their comprehension of the Great Dao…
But if Su Xing mastered the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art, he might only need a few decades to advance a single layer.
Combined with abundant spirit liquid and the cultivation speed bonus of his grotto-heaven, his cultivation progress might not be much slower than it was during the Mahayana stage…
“The Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art truly deserves its reputation as a supreme technique! The cultivation speed bonus from this mental art can even stack with cultivation methods! It’s the epitome of getting twice the results with half the effort!”
Su Xing took a deep breath and suppressed his surging excitement.
In the cultivation world, cultivation methods did indeed increase cultivation speed.
A Heaven-tier cultivation method might be more than twice as fast as a Profound-tier one, and sixty to seventy percent faster than an Earth-tier method.
But once everyone reached a certain level and was cultivating advanced techniques, the differences in cultivation speed brought by methods became negligible.
This made the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art — this supreme technique — all the more terrifying!
A Heavenly Spirit Root combined with the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art might cultivate no slower than an Ethereal Root!
“So… could it be that Qingyunzi, Blood Three, and the others suspect I’ve cultivated this technique, which is why they suspect I’ve obtained the Luotian legacy?”
Su Xing fell into deep thought.
These people didn’t necessarily know the specific effects of the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art, nor that one needed to reach the Human Immortal Realm before being able to cultivate it. They only knew it could dramatically increase cultivation speed.
So because Su Xing had achieved the Mahayana stage in under a hundred years, they mistakenly assumed he had cultivated the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art?
Su Xing nodded slightly. The more he thought about it, the more likely this possibility seemed!
“Besides the two supreme secret arts, the Luotian Sect must have other treasures! I can only explore them bit by bit in the future…”
Su Xing took a deep breath. Whether it was to guard this secret or for his own safety, he couldn’t afford to slack off in improving his strength!
With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.
【After leaving the Luotian dungeon, your emotions were complicated as you returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven.】
【After careful planning, you decided to proceed with the original plan.】
【With Luo Shuying’s help, you joined the Advent Cult!】
【After joining the Advent Cult, you refined pills on one hand while painstakingly researching the micro spirit-gathering formation on the other.】
【You lost the Talisman Expert talent bonus, but fortunately, that talisman knowledge hadn’t disappeared. Moreover, the micro spirit-gathering formation in its later stages tested Formation Dao knowledge more than anything else!】
【With the Entering the Dao Through Formations talent bonus, your comprehension of Formation Dao improved rapidly!】
【In the third year, you handed over the refined pills to Xia’s military, then devoted yourself entirely to studying Formation Dao.】
【You studied the Formation Dao texts left behind by the Five Elements Sect, and in just a few short years, you made up for your previous deficiencies in Formation Dao fundamentals.】
【You once again mastered dozens of low-tier formations and began researching intermediate composite formations.】
In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this and murmured:
“According to the Five Elements Sect records, formations of ranks one through three are basic formations.”
“Ranks four through six are elementary composite formations… ranks seven through nine are intermediate composite formations!”
“Previously, my mastery of the spirit-gathering formation had barely stepped into the intermediate composite formation level. What comes next is comprehensive improvement!”
“Once I comprehend the Five Elements Mutual Generation technique… I’ll surely be able to master the arrangement of the seventh-rank micro spirit-gathering formation!”
Su Xing was quite looking forward to this.
A seventh-rank micro spirit-gathering formation would grant Su Xing a passive cultivation bonus comparable to a Super Spirit Root!
That was equivalent to boosting Su Xing’s current cultivation speed by over fifty percent!
With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.
【In the blink of an eye, four years passed.】
【In the seventh year, your mastery of intermediate composite formations had reached the beginner level. You barely managed to grasp the arrangement methods of several formations, including the spirit-gathering formation, Water-Splitting Formation, Fire-Gathering Formation, and others.】
【But the Dao of formations was vast and profound. The details and comprehension of different formations required enormous amounts of time to polish.】
【That year, you killed the leader of the Transhuman Faction and took his place.】
【In the eighth year, you schemed to kill Old Dog Dragon and became the highest-ranking leader of the Advent Cult on Earth.】
【Afterward, you continued studying Formation Dao, immersed in it, oblivious to the passage of time.】
【In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.】
【In the eleventh year, your comprehension of Formation Dao improved further, and you could truly be called a seventh-rank Formation Dao Master!】
【The number of seventh-rank formations you mastered alone numbered in the dozens, and your formation deployment speed had further increased!】
【That same year, Blood Three came to Earth.】
【You offered the innate Fusang tree branch and earned Blood Three’s trust, along with that pass.】
【In the twelfth year, you refined the Nine Revolutions Pill and attempted to break through to Grand Accomplishment Ninth Layer!】
【Your luck held. With the Nine Revolutions Pill’s aid, your cultivation smoothly advanced from Grand Accomplishment Eighth Layer Peak to Grand Accomplishment Ninth Layer!】
【In the thirteenth year, staying on Earth offered no benefit to your body tempering cultivation.】
【So you made a trip to the Beast Taming World and dealt with the Legendary demonic beasts and three Demon Emperors.】
【You placed the Azure Cloud Token and a small bag of Spirit-Gathering Flower seeds inside your abdomen, then headed for the Slaughter Battlefield.】
【You presented your pass, avoiding a battle, and entered the strange space used to traverse between worlds.】
In the Real World, Su Xing paused to think upon seeing this.
Now Su Xing had two choices. First, depart through the Advent Cult’s temporary passage to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, where improving his body tempering cultivation would be faster!
Second, depart through the black passage, sever ties with the Advent Cult completely, and then find a way to join the Azure Cloud Sect for more resources!
“My cultivation has already reached Body Tempering Grand Accomplishment Ninth Layer… Perfection isn’t far off. There’s no need to make a trip to the Hundred Thousand Mountains…”
“In that case, I might as well visit the Azure Cloud Sect…”
Su Xing took a deep breath.
He knew that once Qingyunzi emerged from seclusion, his death would be certain.
But the Azure Cloud Sect had something Su Xing wanted—that Void Stone!
With the help of that Void Stone, combined with “immersive simulation,” Su Xing’s comprehension of spatial origin would improve rapidly!
Beyond that, Su Xing also wanted to test whether, if he joined the Azure Cloud Sect but didn’t remain in the Azure Cloud Realm, he could escape that calamity…
With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.
【After a moment’s hesitation, you decided to take the black passage to the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.】
【You raised seven hundred and twenty Protective Sword Auras, preparing to cross the chaotic void currents.】
【You chose not to use the Spirit Awakening Pill here, as time was too short and comprehension would be limited…】
【You expended six hundred sword auras and successfully reached the entrance to the black passage, then entered it.】
【You arrived at another void space—this was, as you suspected, the site of the Luotian War from several cosmic cycles ago…】
【The air still contained the terrifying aftershocks of that battle, with Great Dao laws and Origin Force scattered about…】
【Upon entering this space, your heart pounded wildly. Blessed by Fortune sent a warning—you knew the red moon had detected your intrusion.】
【So without hesitation, you quickly searched for the passage to the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm.】
【With astonishing luck, you successfully entered the passage…】
【A tearing sensation spread through the space. Your consciousness gradually blurred.】
【When you awoke again, you found yourself at the northern edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.】
【At this point you had only sustained minor injuries, but all the items on your person had vanished…】
【After some deliberation, you decided to head to White Emperor City to rest, then take an airship to Lesser Azure Cloud City.】
【While traveling, you happened to rescue those two female cultivators from White Emperor City and killed a Tribulation Crossing stage demonic cultivator.】
【Upon arriving at White Emperor City, you sold the Tribulation Crossing stage demonic cultivator’s corpse for starting funds.】
【You learned that the next Azure Cloud Sect recruitment was still four years away.】
【So you planned to temporarily reside in White Emperor City during that time.】
【In the fourteenth year, you rented a cave dwelling and planted Spirit-Gathering Flowers.】
【Over the next three years, you cultivated Spirit-Gathering Flowers while deepening your comprehension of Formation Dao.】
【You could sense that once you became a ninth-rank Formation Dao Master, you would be able to attempt arranging the seventh-rank micro spirit-gathering formation.】
【Three years passed quickly…】
【In the seventeenth year, you harvested the five hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers you had grown over three years, purchased an airship ticket, and prepared to head for Lesser Azure Cloud City.】
【The airship arrived at Lesser Azure Cloud City without incident.】
【It was the Azure Cloud Sect’s recruitment period. The entire Azure Cloud City was bustling with noise and excitement, cultivators coming and going in an endless stream…】
【You found an inn in Azure Cloud City and quietly waited for True Immortal Danfire to make his final appearance.】
【Three months quickly passed.】
【After the recruitment ceremony concluded, True Immortal Danfire appeared.】
【Upon seeing him, you sent a voice transmission to True Immortal Danfire and presented the Azure Cloud Token.】
【True Immortal Danfire’s expression became one of deep respect upon seeing it, and he hurriedly invited you into his cave dwelling to talk.】
【You explained your background and expressed your wish to travel to the Azure Cloud Sect’s main sect in the Azure Cloud Realm.】
【True Immortal Danfire readily agreed. He also told you that in three years he would be making a trip to the Azure Cloud Sect, and could bring you along then.】
【You happily agreed. True Immortal Danfire arranged a grotto-heaven residence for you, where you peacefully cultivated Spirit-Gathering Flowers and deepened your Formation Dao comprehension.】
In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this.
“In the twentieth year of the simulation, True Immortal Danfire will make a trip to the Azure Cloud Realm… It seems I’ll need to take advantage of that window to go to the Azure Cloud Sect, or I’ll be waiting for a very long time…”
“Currently, about a third of this simulation’s objectives have been achieved…”
After a pause, Su Xing said:
“Next up is reaching Body Refining Grand Accomplishment Realm, Perfection… comprehending spatial origin, and mastering the seventh-rank micro spirit-gathering formation!”
Su Xing estimated he still had thirty to forty years. No matter what, this goal should be achievable.
He turned his gaze to the simulation panel.
【In Lesser Azure Cloud City, you lived quite comfortably. Cultivation resources were plentiful, your daily schedule was leisurely—you simply practiced Formation Dao, tempered your body, and cultivated Spirit-Gathering Flowers.】
【In the blink of an eye, three years passed…】
【In the twentieth year, under True Immortal Danfire’s guidance, you boarded that flying boat and set off for the Azure Cloud Realm.】
【One month later, you arrived at the Azure Cloud Sect and beheld its immense power and magnificent mountain gates…】
【You were once again stunned by the Azure Cloud Sect’s grandeur.】
【After entering the Azure Cloud Sect, you were received by Fire Cloud Golden Immortal and Fairy Ziling.】
【They told you that Master Qingyunzi was in seclusion and gifted you two supreme-grade immortal treasures.】
【You exchanged contact information with your two senior martial siblings, then headed to your own cave dwelling.】
【You began cultivating Spirit-Gathering Flowers in your cave dwelling, tempering your body and practicing Formation Dao daily.】
【In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.】
【In the twenty-third year, your comprehension of Formation Dao advanced further, and you became an eighth-rank Formation Master!】
【That same year, you harvested your Spirit-Gathering Flowers. The number of Spirit-Gathering Flowers in your possession exceeded two thousand.】
【So you chose to trade with Fairy Ziling, exchanging one thousand eight hundred Spirit-Gathering Flowers for that Void Stone.】
【Your relationship with Fairy Ziling deepened, and you agreed that if you had Spirit-Gathering Flowers in the future, she would be the first to trade with.】
【Within the Azure Cloud Sect, all manner of pills were available, but redeeming them required corresponding privileges.】
【So you spent some contribution points and asked Senior Sister Ziling to help you redeem one Supreme Spirit Awakening Pill.】
【After returning to your cave dwelling, you prepared to comprehend spatial origin…】
In the Real World, Su Xing’s heart stirred upon seeing this. He silently intoned:
“Activate immersive simulation, duration thirty days!”
【Ding, you have successfully activated immersive simulation… remaining energy: 15,056,730,000 points…】
As the simulation notification faded, the scene before Su Xing’s eyes shifted. The next second, he appeared inside the Azure Cloud Sect.
In Su Xing’s hand now rested an unremarkable stone, only fist-sized, yet heavy as ten thousand jun.
“This… is the Void Stone?”
Su Xing raised an eyebrow. Looking at the patterns on the Void Stone, he faintly sensed an unusual spatial rhythm.
Under normal circumstances, capturing this spatial rhythm would naturally be extremely difficult for Su Xing!
But with a comprehension bonus? That was a different story entirely.
Su Xing took out the Spirit Awakening Pill and consumed it, then activated the Great Wisdom state bonus and began attempting to comprehend the Void Stone.
Before his eyes, wisps of spatial origin became perceptible to Su Xing’s keen senses, as tangible as physical substance.
On the tenth day, Su Xing gained a preliminary understanding of spatial origin, able to perceive more of the spatial rhythm.
On the twenty-third day, Su Xing’s comprehension of spatial origin formally reached the beginner level, allowing him to create rudimentary spatial artifacts.
On the thirtieth day, Su Xing advanced further, able to control a wisp of Origin Force within his body to alter spatial structure on a small scale.
…
When the immersive simulation ended, Su Xing slowly opened his eyes, a flash of satisfaction crossing his gaze.
“Not bad. Just one immersive simulation session and I’ve already reached the beginner level… so this is spatial origin!”
Su Xing willed it, and an unusual rhythm appeared in his palm—invisible and intangible.
Yet this rhythm caused the surrounding space to warp and distort.
“What would happen if I wrap my spatial origin around a storage artifact?”