Chapter 36: Killing the Qi Emperor
"Choose option two."
As Li Changsheng made his choice, memories from the simulation, including his cultivation of alchemy, formation techniques, and the sword light division technique, flooded his mind. It took him half an hour to fully digest everything.
"Right now, I'm only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the cost of each simulation is relatively low. I should find a way to obtain knowledge about the four major cultivation arts—alchemy, artifact forging, formation mastery, and talisman crafting—and improve these skills. Once I've leveled them up, I can focus on increasing my cultivation level. This will save me a lot of spirit stones."
Li Changsheng analyzed the situation in a low voice as he flew on his sword.
Unfortunately, he knew that what was circulating in the major markets was mostly limited to first-tier knowledge. Second-tier knowledge was rare, appearing only occasionally at auctions, while third-tier knowledge surfaced once every few centuries. This level of knowledge was considered a sect's treasure, even in the Sunset Sect, and would never be put up for auction.
"Again!"
[At age twenty-one, you stormed into Misty Valley, wiped out the Wan family, and took control of the valley.]
[Under your leadership, the Tunmen Market expanded.]
[At age thirty-one, your formation mastery reached the second tier, and you quietly left Tunmen Market to return to the Diamond Sect's secret realm.]
[You went into seclusion and practiced diligently, but progress was slow.]
[At age one hundred and sixty, a powerful cultivator from the Medicine King Sect destroyed the formation, and you were killed inside the secret realm.]
[You died!]
[Simulation ended. You may retain one of the following.]
[1. The cultivation level at age one hundred and sixty.]
[2. The combat experience at age one hundred and sixty.]
"Choose option two."
Li Changsheng made the decision without hesitation. Since his cultivation level hadn't improved, he chose the second-tier formation master experience.
…
[…At age one hundred and forty, you were cultivating at a small spiritual vein on the edge of Endless Desert. A powerful cultivator from the Medicine King Sect found you, interrogated you about the location of the secret realm, and killed you when you refused to answer.]
[…At age one hundred and forty, you were cultivating at a small spiritual vein on the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains. A powerful cultivator from the Medicine King Sect found you, interrogated you about the location of the secret realm, and killed you after you told them.]
Damn it!
Whether you tell them or not, it's death either way. Couldn't the simulation give me a chance to surrender just once?
…
[…At age ninety-seven, you successfully broke through to the Golden Core stage in the Diamond Sect's secret realm.]
[At age one hundred and sixty, you were killed by a powerful cultivator from the Medicine King Sect in the secret realm.]
In these simulations, he had successfully reached the peak of the first tier in talisman crafting and artifact forging, but he hadn't found any second-tier knowledge. After that, he focused solely on improving his cultivation level. It took nine simulations before he finally broke through to the Golden Core stage.
Including the previous simulations for other skills, he had used a total of eighteen simulation opportunities.
"Choose option one!"
Li Changsheng took a deep breath and made his choice.
As he did, the surrounding spiritual energy surged toward him.
"What's happening?"
"Why is the sky over there twisting?"
"Look, there's an immortal where the sky is twisting!"
Some people who were still awake late at night witnessed the strange phenomenon in the east. The sky seemed to form a funnel, and at the bottom of the funnel was an immortal flying on a sword.
Li Changsheng naturally paid no attention to the reactions of mortals. The true energy in his body had been condensed and compressed to its limit.
A dozen minutes later, a golden core appeared in his dantian.
Achieving the Golden Core stage was seamless, as natural as water flowing downhill.
"With a Golden Core in my belly, my fate is in my own hands!"
Li Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back on the immortal sword, murmuring, "Now, I can be considered a top expert in the Tiannan region, right?"
"Unfortunately, with my identity as a Diamond Sect member, the Medicine King Sect is like a sword hanging over my head, and the danger of it falling is ever-present. I can't afford to be reckless now!"
[Balance: 44,534 gold coins.]
[Would you like to use the cultivation simulator now? One use consumes 10,000 gold coins!]
"One more simulation to try."
Li Changsheng shook his head.
Originally, he wanted to focus on improving the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, but after so many simulations where he simultaneously improved his cultivation level and the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, progress in the latter was slow. He hadn't reached the second stage yet. Now that he had entered the Golden Core stage, he wanted to see if there were any changes in cultivating the Divine Demon Nine Transformations.
[At age twenty-one, you returned to the Diamond Sect's secret realm and diligently cultivated the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, but progress was slow!]
[At age forty, progress remained slow.]
[At age one hundred and forty, Old Su noticed you had reached a bottleneck in cultivating the Divine Demon Nine Transformations and suggested you leave the mountain to search for spiritual herbs that could enhance your physical strength, helping you break through to the second stage.]
[At age one hundred and forty-one, you left the secret realm in search of spiritual herbs.]
[At age one hundred and forty-two, a cultivator from the Medicine King Sect found you and killed you with a single strike.]
[You died!]
Li Changsheng frowned slightly. He had hit a bottleneck in cultivating the Divine Demon Nine Transformations. Moreover, despite the secret realm containing thousands of years' worth of spiritual herbs, none of them could enhance his physical body?
As a secret realm specifically designed for the Diamond Sect to grow spiritual herbs, it was illogical that there were no herbs to aid its most powerful technique!
"Never mind. With the simulator, I'll have chances to break through eventually!"
He still had three simulation opportunities left and didn't plan to use them now. Breaking through once at the Golden Core stage would require more than three simulations. Since he couldn't improve his strength now, it was better to save them for later.
…
An hour later.
Li Changsheng appeared above the Qi Kingdom's imperial palace.
Swoosh!
A dazzling sword light appeared in his hand and quickly split into over a dozen white sword lights, shooting toward the palace. The tightly guarded imperial guards noticed nothing.
Two breaths later, the sword lights disappeared.
Li Changsheng flew away on his sword.
…
The next day,
at sunrise.
Eunuch Cao, the Qi Emperor's personal attendant, entered the Deshan Palace as usual to prepare the emperor for court. But as soon as he stepped inside, he smelled blood.
Eunuch Cao's heart tightened. With a light step, he appeared by the emperor's bed.
His expression changed drastically.
The Qi Emperor had been fine when he went to sleep, but now, his head was separated from his body, and blood had soaked the imperial bed.
"Assassin!"
"The emperor is dead! Quickly, summon the immortals!"
Eunuch Cao's voice trembled slightly as several imperial guards rushed in. Seeing the scene on the bed, their faces also changed.
They had been on night watch, yet the emperor had died under their noses.
"Quickly, summon the immortals!"
Eunuch Cao shouted.
Several guards immediately sprinted toward the southern part of the palace.
Ten minutes later, the guards returned to Deshan Palace, their faces pale, and knelt on the ground:
"Lord Eunuch, the four immortals in the Lianxian Palace are also dead!"
"They died the same way as His Majesty!"