Chapter 81: Wait for My Return
[Simulation begins.]
[At twenty-nine, you successfully arrived in the Southern Li Dynasty.]
[You opened an alchemy shop in Mingzhou and spent a year building a reputation, earning the title of "Longevity Alchemy Master."]
[You made many friends in Mingzhou and inquired extensively about resources that could enhance body refinement.]
[At one hundred and thirty, after a century of inquiries, you finally learned that there were only two spirit pools in the Southern Li Dynasty that had miraculous effects on body refinement. One was the Transformation Spirit Pool in the Marquis of the North's estate, and the other was the Imperial Family's Immortal Nurturing Pool.]
[At one hundred and thirty-five, you traveled to the capital of the Southern Li Dynasty, seeking an opportunity to enter the Immortal Nurturing Pool.]
[At one hundred and seventy, you gained significant fame in the capital due to your alchemy skills. You were recruited by the Crown Prince and became a guest alchemist in the Crown Prince's residence.]
[You worked diligently, refining pills in the Crown Prince's residence.]
[At three hundred and fifteen, the Southern Li Emperor passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne.]
[As a guest alchemist in the Crown Prince's residence, your status rose with his ascension.]
[At three hundred and forty, you applied to enter the Immortal Nurturing Pool for cultivation but were rejected.]
[At four hundred, you applied again to enter the Immortal Nurturing Pool but was once again rejected.]
[At four hundred and thirty, after being rejected for the third time, the Emperor granted you an eighth-tier alchemy legacy in compensation. You secluded yourself to study the legacy of an eighth-tier alchemist.]
[At four hundred and seventy, you risked your life by using formations to evade the palace's guards and managed to find the entrance to the Imperial Family's secret realm. However, you were discovered by the guardians of the secret realm and captured alive.]
[Your repeated attempts to enter the Immortal Nurturing Pool drew the Emperor's attention, and he personally ordered you to be tortured to extract the secrets of your body refinement techniques.]
[You revealed the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art.]
[The Emperor ordered your execution!]
[You are dead!]
[Simulation ends. You may retain one of the following.]
[1. The cultivation level at the age of four hundred and seventy.]
[2. The combat experience at the age of four hundred and seventy.]
Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
It seemed that the Immortal Nurturing Pool was an extremely precious resource to the Imperial Family, as the Emperor was willing to grant him an eighth-tier alchemy legacy but refused to let him enter the pool.
What's more, even after he handed over the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art in the simulation, he was still executed!
Thankfully, he still had the eighth-tier alchemy legacy!
"Choose option two!"
As Li Changsheng made his choice, the legacy of an eighth-tier alchemist flooded his mind.
"Indeed, the legacy of an eighth-tier alchemist is far superior to that of a seventh-tier alchemist!"
Li Changsheng opened his eyes and murmured, "I still have forty-five simulation opportunities left. Should I focus on raising my alchemy to the eighth tier first, or try to find a way into the Immortal Nurturing Pool?"
After a moment of contemplation, Li Changsheng whispered, "I'll simulate a few more times to see if I can find a way into the Immortal Nurturing Pool. If not, I'll stop simulating for now."
"After all, there's no danger in the early stages of entering the Southern Li Dynasty."
[Simulation begins.]
[At twenty-nine, you successfully arrived in the Southern Li Dynasty.]
[At one hundred and fifteen, you gained significant fame in the Southern Li capital. Various princes approached to recruit you, but you rejected them all.]
[You secretly contacted someone in the palace, hoping to align yourself with the current Emperor. After six months of preparation, you finally established a connection with the palace.]
[At one hundred and sixteen, the Crown Prince sent assassins to kill you in your home.]
[You are dead!]
Li Changsheng was stunned.
The old Emperor was still alive, and he had already established a connection with the palace. How could the Crown Prince dare to act against him?
This simulation ended without achieving anything, and he died just like that!
"Again."
Since the Crown Prince was so bold, could directly aligning with him grant access to the Immortal Nurturing Pool?
[...At forty, you demonstrated exceptional alchemy skills in the Crown Prince's residence and became his guest alchemist.]
[...You applied three times to enter the Immortal Nurturing Pool but was rejected each time.]
[At five hundred and thirty, demons invaded. Along with millions of cultivators from the Southern Li Dynasty, you were summoned by the new Emperor to gather outside the capital.]
[You and millions of other cultivators were sacrificed to a demon god by the new Emperor, who then ascended to the Immortal Realm.]
[You are dead!]
What?
Li Changsheng's expression turned cold. Was the new Emperor a traitor to the demon race?
He hadn't expected that this simulation, which lasted until he was five hundred and thirty, would end like this.
He even suspected that the demon invasion was orchestrated by the new Emperor!
Li Changsheng took a deep breath to calm himself.
No more simulations for now!
Before leaving, it was time to do something for the Su family.
He also needed to prepare the pills for his disciples and subordinates to support their cultivation in the coming years.
For the next period of time, Li Changsheng focused on refining pills in his cave.
Although he hadn't spent much time in the Su family, during previous simulations, the Su family, especially Su Qingyu's branch, had treated him quite well.
Half a year later.
Li Changsheng and Su Qingyu stood on a jade boat.
Su Qingyu's cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage. Dressed in a white gown, she stood beside Li Changsheng, her expression complex.
"Do you have a way to leave the Tiannan Region?"
After a moment of silence, Su Qingyu finally asked.
Earlier, Li Changsheng had handed her a storage bag containing dozens of precious pills, including several that could aid in breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage and over a dozen for the Nascent Soul stage.
The sudden gift made her realize something.
"Yes," Li Changsheng nodded. "I know a bit about the Beast Forest. After this trip, I'll likely have to leave the Tiannan Region for some time. But when the gate to the outside world opens in one hundred and ten years, I'll return."
He didn't hide this from Su Qingyu.
Since he had come to the Beast Forest, and no other factions dared to compete with him for the opportunity, the entire Tiannan Region knew better than to challenge the Heavenly Lord Li.
He had brought Su Qingyu to see if there was any suitable opportunity for her in the Beast Forest.
As for his disciple, Ximen Xue, her greatest opportunity lay in her divine demon bloodline. As long as she followed the proper steps, she could grow to a level that rivaled gods and immortals.
"I'll wait for you!"
After saying this, Su Qingyu's face turned slightly red.
Li Changsheng looked at her with interest. This was the first time he had seen the usually reserved Su Qingyu show such a girlish demeanor.
Under his gaze, Su Qingyu's face turned even redder, and she lowered her head like an ostrich, not daring to meet his eyes. She had mustered the courage to say those words, only for Li Changsheng to stare at her like a fool without responding.
Suddenly, she felt a strong arm wrap around her.
"Wait for me. I'll return in a hundred years!"
Half a day later, they arrived at the Beast Forest.
The Beast Forest was an enormous jungle shrouded in gray mist. From above, Li Changsheng could see that the mist-covered area seemed endless. Even with his enhanced vision, he couldn't see the other side, stretching at least ten thousand miles.
He extended his spiritual sense and found that even with the seventh-tier alchemist's powerful spiritual sense, it was difficult to detect anything beyond a hundred feet in the gray mist.
The roars of beasts echoed from the forest.
"The Beast Forest opens once every hundred years and only allows those under a hundred years old to enter. Inside, there are many ancient spirit herbs, and there's even a rumor that the opportunity to leave the Tiannan Region lies within the Beast Forest."
"My Su family, the Medicine King Sect, and other factions were originally branches or disciples of external forces. We entered the Tiannan Region to search for an opportunity, though after a hundred thousand years without contact with the outside world, my family no longer remembers what that opportunity was."
Su Qingyu walked beside Li Changsheng, explaining in a low voice, "The Beast Forest is filled with countless dangerous beasts. In the past, some who entered encountered Nascent Soul-level..."
She suddenly stopped speaking. Li Changsheng was known as the Heavenly Lord—what was a mere Nascent Soul beast in his presence?