Chapter 67: Return to Misty Valley
"Choose option two."
As Li Changsheng made his choice, a surge of qi and blood energy flooded into his body.
"The improvement is too minimal!"
Li Changsheng frowned. After reaching the fifth transformation, the speed of cultivating the Divine Demon Nine Transformations had slowed significantly. Currently, if he unleashed his full strength, his power had already reached a terrifying several million pounds.
At this rate, he would likely need to exhaust the remaining fifty or so simulation opportunities just to reach the mid fifth transformation.
'I should first see if I can find high-tier inheritances for the Four Arts of Cultivation and level up those skills first.'
This thought crossed Li Changsheng's mind.
Now that his talent had improved, it was time to focus on increasing his cultivation level.
Moreover, since the mysterious youth from the Diamond Sect wouldn't act against him for several decades, he still had time to enhance his strength.
"Again!"
[Simulation begins!]
[Age 21, you consume the Marrow Cleansing Pill, improving your talent.]
[In one night, you sweep through the Starry Sea, overpowering its factions. You obtain a fifth-tier inheritance in array formations from the Long family and a peak fourth-tier inheritance in talismans from the Sea Worship Sect.]
[Seven days later, you attack the Medicine King Sect, killing two of its Divine Transformation elders and seizing the sect's inheritances.]
[Your fame spreads throughout the Tiannan Region, and all factions tremble in fear.]
[You return to the Su family's ancestral land. Various factions bring their sect's典籍 to pay their respects, and the Su family opens their entire scripture library to you.]
[You quietly leave the Su family with the典籍 and retreat to a secret realm in the Devil's Sea for secluded cultivation.]
[One month later, you delve into the various sects' classics and cultivation techniques.]
[You seclude yourself in the secret realm, diligently studying array formations.]
[Age 79, your array formation skills reach the mid fourth tier.]
[Age 155, your array formation skills reach the late fourth tier.]
[Age 159, external cultivators discover the secret realm and engage you in battle. You casually kill one Return to Void cultivator and ten Divine Transformation cultivators.]
[In your moment of carelessness, the mysterious youth strikes.]
[You activate the 137 fourth-tier killing arrays set up in the secret realm over the past four years, but they only delay the mysterious youth for three breaths. You battle him, and after ten moves, you are severely injured.]
[The mysterious youth demands the secret of your rapid growth. Before you can answer, a Great Ascension cultivator from the Medicine King Sect appears. The mysterious youth casually kills you and escapes using a secret treasure.]
[You died!]
[Simulation ends. You can retain one of the following:]
[1. The cultivation level at age 159.]
[2. The combat experience at age 159.]
"Choose option two."
Li Changsheng didn't hesitate. The purpose of this simulation was to gather the inheritances of the major factions in the Tiannan Region. Although in reality, he couldn't easily turn against the Long family, who he had just befriended, it didn't stop him from plundering them in the simulation!
As Li Changsheng made his choice, over a century of experience in cultivating array formations and various inheritances flooded into his mind. Despite having undergone numerous simulations before,
the sheer volume of memories this time made him frown slightly.
It wasn't until half an hour later that Li Changsheng slowly opened his eyes.
"The major factions in the Tiannan Region are just branches of external powers. They don't possess advanced inheritances!" Li Changsheng sighed and murmured.
Many of the memories that flooded his mind were things he had forcefully memorized during the simulation without actually cultivating them.
The greatest gains from this simulation, apart from reaching the late fourth tier in array formations, were several cultivation techniques that could take one to the Great Ascension stage. However, after studying them in the simulation, he concluded that the Su family's Great Five Elements Sword Art was still the most profound.
As expected of a foundational sword art from a legendary immortal technique.
Now, he also had the complete Great Five Elements Sword Art!
"It's a shame there are no high-tier array formation inheritances."
Li Changsheng sighed lightly. If he could cultivate array formations or talisman crafting to the seventh or eighth tier, casually setting up dozens of eighth-tier killing arrays or crafting hundreds of eighth-tier divine talismans would make killing the mysterious youth from the Diamond Sect a trivial matter.
In fact, this was what he had in mind, but it seemed unfeasible for now.
…
"Again!"
He decided to first master the fifth-tier array formations and fourth-tier talisman crafting techniques he had obtained.
[… Age 147, your array formation skills reach the peak of the fourth tier.]
…
[… Age 140, your array formation skills reach the fifth tier.]
After six simulations, his array formation skills finally reached the fifth tier!
It only took one simulation to reach the peak of the fourth tier, but reaching the fifth tier took four simulations, equivalent to over five hundred years.
…
"Focus on talisman crafting."
[… Age 150, your talisman crafting skills reach the fourth tier.]
…
[… Age 100, your talisman crafting skills reach the mid fourth tier.]
…
[… Age 95, your talisman crafting skills reach the peak of the fourth tier.]
It took a total of nine simulations to reach the peak of the fourth tier in talisman crafting.
…
[… You diligently cultivate the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, but progress is slow.]
…
[… You diligently cultivate the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, but progress is slow.]
…
[… You diligently cultivate the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, but progress is slow.]
"Choose option two!"
As Li Changsheng made his choice, his physical strength increased by several thousand pounds, but he was still a small distance away from reaching the mid fifth transformation.
"Again!"
[Insufficient funds. Please recharge before proceeding with the simulation.]
Thirty simulations gone just like that?
"Phew!"
Li Changsheng exhaled deeply, a bitter smile on his face.
After reaching the fifth transformation in the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, the cultivation speed had noticeably slowed.
With his full support, Ximen Xue reached the sixth transformation by the age of one hundred. However, after thirty simulations—equivalent to over three thousand years—he still hadn't reached the mid fifth transformation!
Yet another day of envying his disciple!
…
Nine days later.
Li Changsheng left the Starry Sea aboard Xie Zhicheng's ship.
Originally, he had planned to have the Long family arrange a ship to take them away, but Xie Zhicheng insisted on sending them off, so he didn't decline.
Although with his current cultivation level, he could easily traverse the Starry Sea by flying on his sword, it was far more comfortable to travel by ship. Cultivation world ships were nothing like the ships from his previous life. Even in the most turbulent seas, there was no sense of rocking.
Moreover, these ships traveled at speeds that were no slower than a Foundation Establishment cultivator flying on a sword.
Half a month later, Li Changsheng arrived at the Misty Valley market with Ximen Xue and her brother.
Along the way, he had already sent a message back to the Su family through Bai Lou, informing them that he would return to the Su family's ancestral land before the next opportunity opened.
…
"Master, is this where we'll be staying from now on?"
As they entered the inner part of the Misty Valley from the mortal world, Ximen Xue asked excitedly.
This was her first time leaving the Starry Sea. The culture and environment of the Tiannan Region's inland were different from the Starry Sea, so everything felt new and exciting to her.
"Correct, this will be your place of cultivation for the next few years!"
Li Changsheng nodded.
Having consumed the Marrow Cleansing Pill, Ximen Xue's cultivation had reached the third level of Qi Refining, and her Divine Demon Nine Transformations had advanced to the mid first transformation.
While she lacked combat experience, a single finger strike with her 100,000-pound strength would be enough to kill a Golden Core cultivator!