Chapter 80: Advancements in the Four Arts of Cultivation
After meeting with representatives from various factions in the Tiannan Region, Li Changsheng sent them away. He had no intention of unifying the Tiannan Region. The region's potential had already peaked. If he couldn't leave through the mysterious land within half a year, his next opportunity might not come for another century—when outsiders descended upon the region.
"These factions have really emptied their treasuries this time," Li Changsheng said with a smile as he gazed at the mountain of spirit stones piled up in his cave.
Originally, he hadn't planned to harvest resources before leaving. He only intended to sell the materials he had on hand to exchange for spirit stones, raise his alchemy and talisman crafting skills, and see if he could use simulations to find a way to improve the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art.
Unexpectedly, these factions were so accommodating. The spirit stones they sent totaled 130 million, and with the other treasures, he could easily scrape together 150 million.
Now that he had plenty of spirit stones, Li Changsheng wasn't in a hurry to sell his materials. The cultivation world in the Southern Li Dynasty was undoubtedly far more prosperous than the Tiannan Region, and his materials might fetch a higher price there.
"Recharge."
[Recharge successful. Current balance: 156 million gold coins.]
[Would you like to use the Immortal Cultivation Simulator immediately? Each simulation costs 1 million gold coins.]
With money in hand, spending was the natural course of action!
"First, let's see what happens if I don't leave the secret realm," Li Changsheng thought to himself.
[Simulation begins.]
[At twenty-nine, you single-handedly annihilated the Xu family, shocking the entire Tiannan Region. Major factions came to pay their respects, honoring you as Heavenly Lord Li.]
[Half a year later, you successfully enter the mysterious land, but choose to remain in the Tiannan Region.]
[You secluded yourself in the secret realm, devoting yourself to alchemy.]
[At ninety-seven, your alchemy skills reached the sixth tier.]
[At one hundred and forty, a spatial portal appeared above the Tiannan Region, and outside cultivators descended.]
[A month later, a powerful cultivator from the Medicine King Sect found you. After a conversation, you truthfully informed them about Luo Changqing. The Medicine King Sect's experts invited you to join them in visiting the Star River Sect in five years, and you agreed.]
[At one hundred and forty-two, Su Qingyu, who had reached the Return to Void stage, visited the secret realm. After a conversation with you, she left the next day.]
[Five days later, news spread to the secret realm that Su Qingyu had been forced into an arranged marriage. By the time you arrived at the Su family, she had already shattered her own soul and died. Enraged, you charged at Su Wudao, the Su family heir who had forced the marriage, and the Mahayana cultivator guarding him. You unleashed your full power, killing both the Mahayana cultivator and Su Wudao.]
[A month later, another Mahayana cultivator from the outside Su family, along with several outside Mahayana cultivators, attacked you.]
[You teamed up with Ximen Xue, who had reached the sixth revolution of the Divine Demon Art, and together you killed three Mahayana cultivators and severely injured two others, who managed to escape.]
[Your fame soared, and you became known as the 'Reckless Vajra' among outside cultivators.]
[At one hundred and forty-four, Luo Changqing's master, a half-step Human Immortal, appeared. He stormed into the Vajra Sect's secret realm, captured Ximen Xue, and killed both you and a Mahayana cultivator from the Medicine King Sect who was hiding in the shadows in just two moves.]
[You are dead!]
[Simulation ends.]
"Choose option two."
Memories of decades of alchemy practice flooded Li Changsheng's mind, as if he had personally experienced it all.
It took five minutes before Li Changsheng opened his eyes.
His alchemy skills had already reached the peak of the fifth tier during previous simulations, but he lacked a complete legacy. Now that he had one, it was a natural step to reach the sixth tier.
Li Changsheng frowned slightly as he looked at the system panel.
Luo Changqing's master was actually a half-step Human Immortal. From Luo Changqing's storage pouch, he had learned about the realms beyond the Tribulation stage. After passing the heavenly tribulation, cultivators began converting their true essence into immortal essence, and those in this stage were called half-step Human Immortals.
Once all their true essence was converted into immortal essence, they would gain the qualification to ascend to the immortal realm and achieve the Human Immortal stage.
In essence, a half-step Human Immortal was almost the pinnacle of power in the mortal world.
"But at least I still have over a hundred years," Li Changsheng muttered. "With the simulator, spending a hundred years to reach a level where I can kill a half-step Human Immortal shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"Again!"
[...At four hundred and ten, you raised your alchemy skills to the mid sixth tier in the Cloud-White Sect.]
Two simulation opportunities.
Alchemy had reached the mid sixth tier!
[...At four hundred and thirty, your alchemy skills reached the late sixth tier.]
Three simulations.
Alchemy had reached the late sixth tier!
[...At three hundred and thirty, your alchemy skills reached the peak of the sixth tier.]
Five simulations.
Alchemy had reached the peak of the sixth tier!
[...At five hundred, your alchemy skills reached the seventh tier.]
Eleven simulation opportunities were spent.
Li Changsheng's alchemy skills had finally reached the seventh tier!
After spending twenty-four opportunities to raise his talisman crafting to the peak of the seventh tier and thirty-one opportunities to raise his alchemy to the peak of the seventh tier, Li Changsheng had now mastered three of the four major arts of cultivation at a high level, with only weapon forging lagging behind at the fourth tier.
"Apart from weapon forging, which is my weak spot, the other skills are considered top-tier even in the Southern Li Dynasty," Li Changsheng said with a smile. "Now it's time to seek out opportunities to improve my strength."
He had searched for high-level weapon forging legacies in simulations but had yet to find one.
"Begin simulation."
[At twenty-nine, you arrived in the Southern Li Dynasty and opened an alchemy shop in the capital.]
[After three years, you established yourself in the capital with your peak seventh-tier alchemy skills. You began inquiring about resources that could enhance body refinement.]
[At seventy-five, you were recruited by the Seventh Prince of the Southern Li Dynasty, becoming a court alchemist for the Seventh Prince's residence.]
[At one hundred and ten, while refining pills in the Seventh Prince's residence, a mysterious strong intruder killed you and the two Fusion-stage guards assigned to protect you.]
[You are dead!]
Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
It seemed that even joining the royal family didn't guarantee safety.
The Seventh Prince's residence in the Southern Li Dynasty's capital should have been heavily guarded. Yet, he was still killed in such a situation. The power behind the attacker might have been greater than the Seventh Prince's influence—or perhaps it was someone within the royal family itself!
Although he had no personal experience, before transmigrating, he had watched plenty of dramas, both historical and fantasy. Whether it was palace intrigues or immortal rivalries, the struggles for power and influence were always present.
Joining the Seventh Prince's faction in this simulation naturally made him a target.
"Again!"
"I refuse to believe I can't find a way to improve the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art!" Li Changsheng muttered with a frown.
Now that he possessed the complete Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art, he knew from the manual that the later stages of the art were increasingly difficult to master.
The Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art was originally created by humans imitating divine demons—or even those with divine demon bloodlines—to cultivate into true divine demons. Reaching the ninth revolution could rival the power of immortals.
Those with divine demon bloodlines could progress rapidly, smoothly advancing to the ninth revolution. However, ordinary people needed vast amounts of time and resources to cultivate the art. After the sixth revolution, rare and precious resources for body refinement were required to make further progress.
Even during the Vajra Sect's peak, only a handful of people were able to reach the seventh revolution.
But with the simulator, as long as he found a resource or pill that could aid in cultivating the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art, he could use the simulator to push the art to new heights!
"Begin simulation!"