Chapter 18: Feedback on Cultivation, Nine Layers of Foundation Building!

"After two months, a giant beast descended upon the Great Xia Nation."

"You raised your middle finger towards the giant beast."

"The beast swallowed the entire Great Xia Nation, and you perished!"

"You activated the innate talent of 'Fearless in Death'..."

"Ding, simulation concluded!"

"You may choose one reward from the following options: Steadfast Countenance (talent), Nine Layers of Foundation Building (cultivation)."

"Steadfast Countenance: A white-tier talent, priced at 1000 energy points."

"Nine Layers of Foundation Building: Cultivation, priced at 9800 energy points."

"Only reaching the Ninth Layer of Foundation Building..."

Slightly furrowing his brow, Su Xing pondered. The old man mentioned breaking through to the Golden Core stage to become his disciple.

Despite Su Xing's immersion in cultivation during this simulation, he still couldn't break through to the Golden Core stage due to insufficient spirit stones.

"However, a path will present itself when the time is right..."

With a sigh, Su Xing chose cultivation without hesitation.

"Ding, you've chosen to carry out the cultivation of the Nine Layers of Foundation Building from the simulation, consuming 9800 energy points, leaving 3880 energy points remaining..."

As the announcement faded, Su Xing's entire being was enveloped by the momentum of his cultivation.

Qi Refining Fifth Layer... Qi Refining Seventh Layer... Qi Refining Complete!

Click~

Effortlessly piercing through the bottleneck from Qi Refining to the Ninth Layer of Foundation Building, Su Xing became a cultivator of the Foundation Building stage!

But this was far from the end!

Foundation Building Second Layer... Foundation Building Fourth Layer...

Only when Su Xing's cultivation skyrocketed to the Ninth Layer of Foundation Building did it gradually come to a halt.

"Phew~"

Exhaling lightly, Su Xing carefully sensed the changes in his body.

His senses seemed more acute; he could hear the faint breaths of passengers tens of meters away.

Simultaneously, Su Xing's mental state had sharpened; even going without sleep for three to five days seemed inconsequential to him.

More crucially, he felt a tremendous transformation in his body's spiritual energy and mana.

If previously, the spiritual energy at Qi Refining Fifth Layer was akin to a bucket of water, then after breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Foundation Building, the spiritual energy within Su Xing's body could be likened to a well! This was a tenfold or even a hundredfold change!

Additionally, Su Xing's physical strength also seemed to have slightly increased.

"Unfortunately, I possess mana but lack spells and methods of a cultivator..."

Su Xing shook his head faintly, murmuring.

For cultivators, while mana cultivation was fundamental, the true power lay in their abilities in combat, alchemy, artifact forging, talismans, and other diverse techniques.

Presently, Su Xing had mana but lacked various techniques. It was akin to having high attributes but no skills—a situation to be rectified!

Fortunately, the elder within the Qingyun Spirit Field instance likely possessed numerous immortal techniques.

Su Xing's yearning for the Qingyun Spirit Field instance intensified.

Following the surge in cultivation, Su Xing checked his system panel.

"Name: Su Xing"

"Occupation: Cultivator (Sole Hidden Occupation)"

"Cultivation: Ninth Layer of Foundation Building, Body Refinement at Completion of Refinement Realm"

"Technique: Eternal Spring Technique"

"Talent: Dual Wood-Fire Elemental Roots, Fearless in Death..."

"Skills: None"

"Equipment: Crimson Blood Sword (Green), Thorny Scale Armor (Green), Azure Cloud Boots (Green)"

The Ninth Layer of Foundation Building, coupled with completion in the Refinement Realm, was enough to make Su Xing look down upon most Silver-tiered professionals.

Feeling reassured by the substantial surge in his cultivation, Su Xing settled into meditation to restore his energy.

Several hours later, the plane landed in Jinling City.

Without delay, Su Xing left the airport and headed towards the outskirts of West Jinling.

As dusk approached, Su Xing chose a large tree to commence his cultivation.

A night passed quietly.

The next day, Su Xing began tracking Jin Congxue's whereabouts.

"According to the simulation's hint, I should encounter Jin Congxue this afternoon... and I'm unaware of where that small road is located, so I still need Jin Congxue to guide me."

Su Xing continued his search outside the city.

It wasn't until dusk that Su Xing spotted a figure approaching from a distance.

Su Xing's heart stirred; this was likely Jin Congxue.

As the woman drew near, Su Xing discerned her appearance.

Clad in red garments, with black hair cascading over her shoulders, fair skin, a well-proportioned figure, she looked to be in her early twenties, exuding youthful vigor yet retaining an alluring charm.

"Ah, it's hard to believe Jin Congxue is already thirty at this point..."

Su Xing blinked slightly, then pretended to brush past Jin Congxue.

"Hello, I'm a tourist from out of town, lost outside Jinling City. Could you assist me with directions?"

Su Xing tried to present a friendly demeanor.

Jin Congxue frowned slightly upon hearing him and gestured in a direction but showed no intention of guiding him.

Su Xing sensed trouble; he had overlooked having a talent like "Steadfast Countenance" that easily garnered favor.

But now, lacking such talents, he had to resort to plan B...

Su Xing nodded in gratitude, then pretended that his backpack accidentally slipped off his shoulders, causing a few ancient Buddhist scriptures to fall to the ground.

These were several Buddhist scriptures Su Xing had bought at a considerable price.

"Quick, engage in conversation with me, please!"

Su Xing prayed inwardly.

As expected, Jin Congxue's attention was piqued; she took the initiative to pick up these scriptures.

"These are rarely seen original scriptures... Are you quite knowledgeable about Buddhist studies?"

Jin Congxue blinked and inquired.

Accepting the scriptures, Su Xing shook his head, saying, "I wouldn't claim to be knowledgeable; it's merely a hobby."

Jin Congxue, her eyes sparkling, carefully appraised Su Xing and remarked, "Coincidentally, I'm also returning to Jinling City. Shall we travel together?"

Su Xing feigned a moment of hesitation before nodding, "Certainly, having company would be convenient!"

Su Xing then accompanied Jin Congxue toward Jinling City.

Along the way, they discussed Buddhist scriptures. Although Su Xing's knowledge in the field was limited, he managed to share some interesting anecdotes about Buddhism, eliciting more than a few smiles from Jin Congxue.

Passing through a stretch of woods, Jin Congxue spoke up, "Su Xing, I know of a small path here that leads directly to Jinling City, saving us about half an hour... How about taking this route?"

Peering into the woods ahead, which seemed remote, Su Xing doubted he could find it even if he spent a month searching without Jin Congxue's guidance.

Entering a cultivation instance, perhaps?

Su Xing's heart raced; while he'd ventured into the Qingyun Spirit Field multiple times in the simulation, experiencing it firsthand filled him with excitement, as if he had spotted a prosperous path toward cultivation.

"Very well, let's take the path," Su Xing agreed, though the exterior of the woods appeared dim, the inner trail seemed manageable.

Following Jin Congxue for a few minutes, Su Xing suddenly spotted a shimmering, multicolored gate under a tree.

Jin Congxue widened her eyes, murmuring, "This radiance... It's likely a temporary instance!"

Temporary instances were rare; they randomly appeared at certain locations and stayed for an unspecified duration.

Approaching the gate, Jin Congxue turned to Su Xing behind her and said, "I plan to explore this instance, so I won't be able to return to the city with you... Follow this road ahead..."

Before she could finish, Su Xing interrupted, "I also wish to enter this instance."

Jin Congxue furrowed her brow slightly, saying, "I know temporary instances are chance encounters, a significant opportunity for both of us."

"But the dangers within this instance are unknown. Are you sure you want to enter? Your level seems to be below Silver tier. I may not be able to protect you..."

Despite Jin Congxue's warning, Su Xing firmly expressed his desire to enter, even if it meant facing potential death.

Seeing Su Xing's determination, Jin Congxue ceased trying to dissuade him and merely instructed him to follow behind her.

With a step forward, Su Xing entered the shimmering gate.

(End of this chapter)