Chapter 47: Breakthrough, Divine Dao!
[Although you can't use your cultivation, the talent of the Eye of Insight is still available, and with one glance, you discern his cultivation level and identity.]
[You never expected this person to be Old Li, who is at the Seventh Layer of Tribulation Crossing.]
[In previous simulations, you knew that Old Li generally wouldn't leave Spine Mountain.]
[He needs to protect the safety of the cultivators and their families on Spine Mountain.]
[You are filled with questions, unable to understand the current situation.]
[Old Li approaches you, looks at you with relief, and tells you to focus on your breakthrough. He and the other cultivators will ensure your safety, even if it means risking their lives.]
[After saying this, Old Li performs a few hand seals, and a transparent light shield appears around you.]
[Having done all this, Old Li vanishes from the spot and resumes his battle with Shen Wuyou, the Sect Master of the Immortal Arrival Sect.]
[After Old Li leaves, several cultivators arrive by your side, vigilantly guarding the surroundings.]
[Watching all this, your mind is filled with thoughts. Why does it seem like Old Li and the others are here specifically to protect you?]
[You feel utterly confused.]
[But since Old Li has given his assurance, you feel that your safety shouldn't be a major issue.]
[From previous simulations, you can tell that Old Li genuinely cares about the ordinary cultivators of the Southern Regions.]
[It is his presence that has ensured the survival of ordinary cultivators in the Southern Regions.]
[If he weren't so self-sacrificing, with his cultivation level, the Immortal Arrival Sect wouldn't be able to do anything to him. He could do whatever he wanted, except leave the Southern Regions.]
[From all this, you can see Old Li's character, and you believe his promise.]
[So, you calm your mind and focus on the changes in your Qi Sea.]
[In fact, when the phenomenon appeared in the sky, it wasn't just the Immortal Slaves of the Immortal Arrival Sect who took action.]
[Old Li also immediately organized the cultivators of Spine Mountain to come.]
[As someone who has lived for thousands of years at the Tribulation Crossing stage, Old Li knows a lot.]
[When he saw the phenomenon, he immediately thought that someone had achieved a Ten-Grade Golden Core.]
[Because the scene of dragon and phoenix cries you experienced was only recorded once a million years ago, when Mo Jingtian appeared.]
[Your phenomenon gave him hope of leaving the Southern Regions.]
[So he mobilized all the cultivators of Spine Mountain, determined to protect you.]
[The battle outside continues, and your breakthrough is progressing slowly.]
[The speed of this breakthrough is much slower than you expected.]
[You know it might be because of the Primordial Energy mixed in with your Martial Dao.]
[In the blink of an eye, half a day passes, and a surge of momentum bursts from your body as you successfully break through to the Core Formation stage.]
[When you open your eyes, you find Old Li waiting outside the transparent light shield.]
[It's clear that with Old Li around, those Immortal Slaves are no match and have retreated.]
[Seeing your breakthrough, Old Li quickly tells you to follow him, as it's still not safe.]
[Though puzzled, you don't argue and choose to trust him.]
[Meanwhile, in a town thousands of miles away, a sea of blood has formed. Shen Wuyou and the other Immortal Slaves have slaughtered everyone in the town.]
[Shen Wuyou collects the blood from the entire town, sets up a newly built altar, and begins chanting incomprehensible incantations.]
[Soon, a cold voice emanates from the altar: "You use the blood sacrifice method to summon me. What do you want?"]
[Shen Wuyou reports the matter of you possibly having a Ten-Grade Golden Core to the voice in the altar.]
[After hearing Shen Wuyou's report, the cold voice responds, "Hmph, this tiny place really produces Chosen frequently. If it weren't for the rules, I would have smashed this place with a single slap to save trouble."]
[Shen Wuyou dares not speak. Shortly after, the voice from the altar says it will handle the matter.]
[With those words, the altar shatters.]
[Shen Wuyou finally breathes a sigh of relief, having passed on this hot potato.]
[He has no desire to fight that old man named Li again.]
[At this moment, you are being led by Old Li towards Spine Mountain.]
[Old Li looks tense, constantly increasing his flying speed.]
[This makes you feel that there really might be some danger.]
[But what this danger is, you have no idea.]
[Soon, you and Old Li see Spine Mountain.]
[Only then does Old Li's expression relax a bit.]
[Seeing this, you think that perhaps Old Li has some trump card left here, and the danger will be less once you reach Spine Mountain!]
[But just then, you see a flash of purple light in the sky.]
["Boom!" A massive thunderclap echoes through the heavens and earth.]
[Heavenly Thunder? The words flash through your mind.]
[In an instant, the purple thunder strikes down, and Old Li fully exerts himself to shield you.]
[Soon, you realize you were wrong.]
[This is Heavenly Thunder, but also not Heavenly Thunder.]
[Because its power is even stronger.]
[Even with Old Li's Seventh Layer of Tribulation Crossing cultivation, he is severely injured in an instant.]
[Old Li looks at you and shouts, "Run! In the belly of Spine Mountain, there's a formation. Hide in it, and you might survive."]
[Then you see another purple thunderbolt strike Old Li, and he seems to be at the end of his strength, unable to get up.]
[Seeing this, you feel a deep sorrow but dare not hesitate. You quickly activate the Wind Chasing Art and flee towards Spine Mountain at full speed.]
[You understand that the formation Old Li mentioned might be the one left by the Formation Dao genius Lu Wuya, which you heard about in a previous simulation.]
[It was that formation that allowed Old Li to survive for thousands of years without being killed by Heavenly Thunder.]
[But how can your speed compare to Heavenly Thunder?]
[Especially this time, the Heavenly Thunder is clearly targeting you and is even more powerful.]
[A few seconds later, you are struck by the purple thunder.]
[You die at the age of 20.]
[This simulation ends.]
[You can choose two rewards from this simulation: Formation Dao Genius (Talent), Immortal Dao Cultivation (Core Formation stage), Divine Dao Cultivation (Core Formation stage)]
[Formation Dao Genius (Talent): Price 1 million Energy Value.]
[Immortal Dao Cultivation (Core Formation stage): Price 100 million Energy Value; achieved with a Ten-Grade Golden Core.]
[Divine Dao Cultivation (Core Formation stage): Price 200 million Energy Value; achieved with a Twelve-Grade Golden Core, an ancient cultivation path that integrates Martial Dao and Immortal Dao.]
(Note: In the early stages, Divine Dao levels are the same as Immortal Dao and Martial Dao, but spiritual energy and primordial energy can be converted, resulting in stronger combat power; however, breakthroughs are harder and require a very strong body.)
This time, the simulation didn't even last a year.
Jiang Yifeng didn't expect this.
He didn't expect Shen Wuyou to be able to communicate with celestial beings.
Nor did he expect that just reporting his breakthrough to the Core Formation stage with a Ten-Grade Golden Core would attract the intervention of celestial beings.
Moreover, the rewards from this simulation left Jiang Yifeng a bit bewildered.
What's going on? Why is there an additional Divine Dao?
But after reading the description, Jiang Yifeng understood a bit.
The Divine Dao is essentially dual cultivation of Immortal Dao and Martial Dao.
However, it adds a condition that the Immortal Dao and Martial Dao cannot be too far apart, and a strong physique is required to break through.
No need to overthink it; a bit more difficulty is fine as long as it's strong enough.
Just as Jiang Yifeng was about to choose his reward, he suddenly thought about the phenomenon that occurred during his breakthrough to the Core Formation stage in the simulation.
Would such a phenomenon occur in reality if he broke through?
If a phenomenon appears in reality, wouldn't that be the end of him?
Chapter 48: Bai Ruoxue's decision
Jiang Yifeng was in distress when the electronic voice of the simulator sounded.
"Ding, reminder to the host, this simulator can conceal breakthrough anomalies, requiring only 1 billion energy value."
"Huh? The simulator has this function too!"
Hearing this prompt from the simulator, Jiang Yifeng showed a look of surprise.
Since that's the case, there's no need to hesitate.
Jiang Yifeng made his choice directly.
"I choose the talent of Formation Dao Genius and Divine Dao Cultivation."
"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the talent of Formation Dao Genius, deducting 1 million energy value, remaining energy value 11 billion..."
"Ding: Detecting the extraction of Divine Dao Cultivation, anomalies will occur, does the host wish to spend 1 billion energy value to conceal it?"
"Yes, conceal the anomaly!"
Jiang Yifeng didn't dare to delay and responded immediately.
"The host chooses to conceal the breakthrough anomaly, deducting 1 billion energy value, remaining energy value 10 billion..."
"Ding, Divine Dao Cultivation extraction complete, deducting 200 million energy value, remaining energy value 9.8 billion..."
As the simulation rewards were collected, Jiang Yifeng immediately felt the primordial energy and spiritual energy within him start to circulate on their own.
Soon, the bridge between heaven and earth was built automatically, a twelve-grade Golden Core formed, and Jiang Yifeng officially became a Core Formation stage cultivator.
Once at the Core Formation stage, one can fly through the air.
Jiang Yifeng was now eager to go out and take a flight.
But just as he reached the door, he sheepishly retreated.
He kept reminding himself, "Stay calm, don't be reckless, don't be reckless."
In the end, Jiang Yifeng convinced himself.
He thought it was better to be cautious; exposing his cultivation in reality was too dangerous.
It was better to continue acting as a playboy, not attracting attention.
To experience the feeling of flying in reality, at the very least, he would have to wait until he became an immortal.
No, he would have to be able to defeat that celestial being who sealed the Southern Regions.
At this moment, the simulator's prompt sounded again.
"Ding, detecting the host stepping into Divine Dao, hidden achievement completed, unlocking personal data panel."
Jiang Yifeng was stunned, not expecting that stepping into Divine Dao would unlock a hidden achievement.
Although he felt that the personal data panel wasn't very useful at the moment, it could be helpful in the future when he had more talents and learned more techniques, allowing him to observe his strength changes more quickly.
Jiang Yifeng roughly studied it and saw his personal information.
"Host: Jiang Yifeng."
"Talents: Thunder-Fire True Spiritual Root, Eye of Insight, Random Enlightenment, Formation Dao Genius."
"Divine Dao Cultivation: Core Formation Stage One (Immortal Dao), Qi Motion Realm Stage Three (Martial Dao)."
"Mental Cultivation Method: Heavenly Profound Art."
"Techniques: Wind Chasing Art (Mastered)."
"Not bad, very strong."
Jiang Yifeng nodded, satisfied.
Then he headed towards the Spring Blossom Pavilion; it was time to listen to music, and he couldn't delay.
Time flowed like water.
Soon, a week passed!
Jiang Yifeng closed his door tightly and silently recited.
"Start simulation!"
"Consuming one simulation attempt, remaining attempts 0."
"Extracting Blue Talent costs 100,000 energy value, extracting Purple Talent costs 1 million energy value, please choose!"
"Extract Purple Talent."
"Ding, deducting 1 million energy value, extracting Purple Talent, remaining energy value 9.8 billion..."
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the talent: Longevity of the Southern Mountain."
"Longevity of the Southern Mountain: Your lifespan increases by 1,000 years."
Looking at this new talent, Jiang Yifeng raised an eyebrow.
It's a good talent, but unfortunately, it's useless to him.
Whether in reality or in simulation, he never lacked lifespan.
"Sigh!"
With a sigh, Jiang Yifeng continued to look at the simulator.
"The 16th simulation begins."
"You realize you have entered the simulation."
"This time, you still plan to go to the ruins of the Heavenly Profound Temple first."
"You plan to wait there for Bai Ruoxue's arrival."
"After all, exploiting her is your main source of spirit stone resources in the simulation."
"On the first day, you leave Green Hills City at night."
"On the second day, you arrive at the ruins of the Heavenly Profound Temple."
"On the third day, you clean up the ruins and bury the bones."
"On the fourth day, you start cultivating peacefully, waiting for the 'ATM' Bai Ruoxue to arrive."
"In the blink of an eye, a year has passed, your spirit stones have long been exhausted, and your cultivation has slightly improved, nearing Core Formation Stage Two."
"In the second year, without spirit stones, your cultivation speed slows down."
"But you trigger a Random Enlightenment, gaining an 8x cultivation speed boost."
"This enlightenment lasts for eleven days, during which you successfully break through to Core Formation Stage Two."
"In the third year, Bai Ruoxue arrives."
"When she sees you, she asks who you are!"
"You directly reveal your identity, not pretending to be a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Temple."
"She doesn't immediately believe you and checks you from head to toe."
"During the inspection, she discovers your extraordinary twelve-grade Golden Core, looking at you as if you were a monster."
"After a long silence, she asks if you are willing to become her disciple!"
"Upon hearing this good news, you agree without hesitation."
"For the next two days, Bai Ruoxue mourns her senior brother."
"On the third day, Bai Ruoxue finds you and tells you about the Southern Regions being a sealed land."
"Although you already knew, you listen carefully."
"After explaining the situation in the Southern Regions, she asks if you want to leave with her."
"In fact, when Bai Ruoxue decided to take you as a disciple, she had already made up her mind to take you and break out of the Southern Regions."
"Although she fears that celestial being, she had always seen no hope, but your potential gave her hope of defeating the celestial being."
"As for whether you would confront the celestial being, she wasn't worried, because you came from the Southern Regions, even if you didn't seek out the celestial being, the celestial being would definitely come for you."
"Because of this, she decided to take a gamble."
"Upon hearing Bai Ruoxue's invitation, you feel a bit excited."
"As long as you leave the Southern Regions, your simulation duration would surely increase several times."
"And this time, your talent increased your lifespan."
"If you keep a low profile and live until natural death, how much improvement could you achieve! You can't even imagine."
"But soon, you calm down."
"In previous simulations, you had seen your father Jiang Fushan break through the beast pass many times."
"Except for the time when you had the Calamity Physique, causing the phoenix beast's strength to drop significantly due to your talent."
"He only won that time, but failed the other times."
"At that time, Jiang Fushan's realm was the same as Bai Ruoxue's, both at the Eighth Layer of Tribulation."
"Given this, can Bai Ruoxue really break out with you?"
"Even if you don't fight head-on and just escape, with you as a burden, it would still be very dangerous!"
"After much thought, you finally grit your teeth and choose to leave with Bai Ruoxue."
"You think, after all, it's just a simulation, at worst, it's an experiment. If it works, you'll have another way to leave the Southern Regions in future simulations."
"If it doesn't work, at worst, you'll die and try again next time!"
Chapter 49: Not an ordinary tortoise
Bai Ruoxue took you and flew southward.
A few days later, you could see a vast sea in the distance.
At this moment, Bai Ruoxue's expression had turned serious.
You knew this meant you were nearing a dangerous beast.
"Stop!" Suddenly, you heard a hoarse voice.
Next, you saw a massive Mystic Turtle emerge from the sea.
The voice came from the turtle itself.
This was an eye-opener for you. In your previous simulations, you had encountered Demonic Dragons and Demonic Phoenixes, but none of them had ever spoken.
Bai Ruoxue watched the turtle warily, then tossed a storage ring towards it and said politely, "Senior Turtle, please grant us passage."
Seeing this, you felt a bit nervous.
You could guess Bai Ruoxue's intention; she was trying to bribe the Mystic Turtle.
After all, you knew that Bai Ruoxue had bribed her way into the sealed land, where entry was forbidden.
If she could use the same method to get you out, that would be ideal.
But could it really be that simple? You remained skeptical.
If bribery alone could get people out, many would have escaped the Southern Regions by now.
Not only you, but Bai Ruoxue herself was unsure; this was her first time attempting this.
She could come and go because she was originally from the outside world.
The celestial beings above didn't monitor this place daily. As long as she didn't stay too long and gave the Mystic Turtle some benefits, it was mutually beneficial.
But now she wanted to take you, a native of the Southern Regions, which was a different situation.
The Mystic Turtle shook its head, took the storage ring, and inspected it.
Then it stared at you and Bai Ruoxue, saying she could leave, but you could not.
Hearing this, you sighed inwardly, knowing it wouldn't be that simple.
Bai Ruoxue also looked disappointed, but she quickly grabbed you, her aura changing.
You felt a powerful energy surge from her; she was preparing to force her way through.
At that moment, the Mystic Turtle unleashed an overwhelming aura far surpassing Bai Ruoxue's. In an instant, you found it hard to breathe.
Bai Ruoxue's face grew increasingly grim. She hadn't expected the Mystic Turtle to be so powerful, far beyond her estimation.
Just its aura alone made it difficult for her to protect you.
You used the Eye of Insight to check the Mystic Turtle's realm.
Seeing its realm, you instantly lost hope of escaping.
The Mystic Turtle wasn't in the Tribulation Crossing Realm but the Mystic Immortal Realm.
Even though the Eye of Insight showed it was severely injured, the fact that it was an Immortal meant it was at least a celestial being.
As for whether a Mystic Immortal was strong or weak among celestials, you didn't know; your understanding of cultivation hadn't reached that level.
Regardless, this Mystic Turtle was not something Bai Ruoxue, an Eighth Layer of Tribulation cultivator, could resist.
You were sure that even escaping would be difficult.
Soon, you and Bai Ruoxue were immobilized by the Mystic Turtle's pressure.
The Mystic Turtle tilted its head and said, "Such impatience."
Then it told Bai Ruoxue to bring ten billion Spirit Stones, and it would let you leave.
Next, you saw the Mystic Turtle fling Bai Ruoxue away, crashing her into a formation crack in the sea, where she disappeared!
You were still processing the Mystic Turtle's words.
What? The bribe actually worked!
Though ten billion Spirit Stones was an enormous sum, it was indeed a way to leave the Southern Regions.
This filled you with joy.
But you couldn't understand; wasn't the sealing of the Southern Regions a decision by the celestial beings?
How could the Mystic Turtle dare to do this?
Was it stronger?
That didn't seem right either. If it were stronger, it wouldn't be stationed here to guard the formation crack.
As you pondered, the Mystic Turtle grabbed you.
It said you were now its cargo and had to follow it, not leaving on your own.
You didn't dare say no, not that it would matter if you did.
The Mystic Turtle forcibly took you away.
Soon, you arrived at a small island in the sea.
After arriving, the Mystic Turtle ignored you and went to sleep beside the island.
A year passed, and the Mystic Turtle continued to sleep, not bothering you.
But you didn't dare act rashly, knowing that such a powerful being couldn't be truly asleep.
In the fifth year, you tried walking around and found that the Mystic Turtle didn't stop you.
This gave you a bit more courage.
You began to wander around the island daily.
Besides that, you fished and caught shrimp by the shore.
Of course, this was out of necessity.
There was no spiritual energy here, not a trace.
You couldn't cultivate or absorb spiritual energy for inedia, so you needed ordinary food to fill your stomach.
Time passed, and another five years went by.
In the tenth year, the Mystic Turtle woke up. Seeing you fishing and hunting on the island, it grabbed you.
It stared at you intently.
From its eyes, you sensed a look of disappointment!
Suddenly, the Mystic Turtle said, "I didn't expect someone who practices the Ancient Divine Dao to be such a useless fool!"
The Mystic Turtle's words left you even more confused.
You thought to yourself, "Aren't we enemies? Why would it be disappointed in me for slacking off?"
Of course, you knew things weren't that simple. The Mystic Turtle exuded an aura of mystery.
It knew about the Ancient Divine Dao and saw through you with just a glance.
Moreover, its actions and cultivation were far beyond the Demonic Dragons and Demonic Phoenixes you had encountered in your simulations.
Compared to them, its strength was immeasurable.
It didn't kill on sight, could trade, accept bribes, and even dared to defy the celestial beings' orders.
This made you feel that it was more than just a beast guarding the formation crack.
Chapter 50: Precious Formation Jade Slip
[Mystic Turtle saw that you didn't dare to speak and let out a cold snort before soaring into the sky.]
[It was only then that you noticed the massive iron chains shackling the Mystic Turtle.]
[The chains were inscribed with patterns you couldn't understand.]
[The Mystic Turtle finally stopped keeping you in suspense.]
[It told you that everyone here was a prisoner.]
[It admitted that the claim of ten billion Spirit Stones for your release was just to deceive Bai Ruoxue.]
[No one from the Southern Regions could leave the Endless Sea, including itself.]
[The formation gap here was merely a trap.]
[This place was where the spirit of the entire sealing formation resided.]
[Everyone in the sealed land was under the formation's influence, and their auras were sensed by the formation spirit.]
[The Mystic Turtle said that even if it didn't stop you, crossing the formation gap would result in you being struck down by Heavenly Thunder.]
[Only outsiders like Bai Ruoxue, who didn't stay too long in the sealed land, could freely come and go without being sensed by the formation spirit.]
[But if Bai Ruoxue stayed too long, she wouldn't be able to leave either.]
[After hearing the Mystic Turtle's explanation, you broke into a cold sweat.]
[However, you still didn't understand why the Mystic Turtle was telling you all this.]
[You didn't have to guess for long; the Mystic Turtle soon revealed its purpose.]
[It said it didn't want to be trapped here as a gatekeeper.]
[It believed that you might have a chance to break the seal if you achieved the Divine Dao.]
[So, it was willing to invest in you.]
[However, it also said it was disappointed with your recent performance.]
[You awkwardly smiled on the surface.]
[But in your heart, you muttered, "How did I disappoint you? With a big shot like you here, how could I dare to act rashly? Couldn't you have said earlier that we were on the same side!"]
[Seeing your discontent, the Mystic Turtle pointed out that the surrounding area was part of the sealing formation. It hadn't restricted your movements recently, so why hadn't you tried to study and break it?]
[You twitched your mouth and retorted that you didn't even know the basics of formations. How could you possibly learn such a complex formation on your own?]
[In truth, you had thought about studying the sealing formation, given your talent as a Formation Dao genius.]
[But without understanding the basic principles of formations, even the greatest talent would be useless!]
[The Mystic Turtle was stunned by your words.]
[It had never considered that a Chosen capable of cultivating the Divine Dao might not know basic formations.]
[In the end, it shook its head helplessly and tossed a jade slip to you.]
[It told you that this was a Divine Sense Jade Slip containing some basic formation knowledge, which you should be able to understand after reading.]
[It also kindly explained that you could use the jade slip by placing it on your forehead to absorb its contents.]
In reality, Jiang Yifeng pondered over this.
The Divine Sense Jade Slip stored memories.
Could he use deep simulation to directly extract those memories?
This way, he could save a reward opportunity and exchange it for other simulation rewards.
With this thought, Jiang Yifeng immediately muttered to himself.
"Start a deep simulation for ten days."
Fearing that ten days might not be enough, he added a few more days, knowing he could exit anytime.
Even if it took less time, it didn't matter. Ten days' worth of Energy Value was affordable.
[Ding, starting deep simulation for 240 hours, deducting 2.4 million Energy Value, remaining Energy Value: 9.8 billion...]
As the simulator's voice faded, Jiang Yifeng's soul appeared within the simulator.
He saw the Mystic Turtle, resembling a small island, with its massive rune-inscribed chains.
This was far more shocking than reading simulation text.
After a quick glance, Jiang Yifeng didn't delay and immediately placed the formation jade slip on his forehead.
Instantly, countless formation-related knowledge flooded his mind.
Time passed bit by bit.
Three days later, Jiang Yifeng finally digested the formation knowledge from the jade slip.
With a newfound understanding of formations, he realized how profound they truly were.
However, the sudden influx of knowledge left Jiang Yifeng feeling dizzy.
He promptly ended the deep simulation.
Soon, Jiang Yifeng's soul returned to the Jiang Family Mansion.
Rubbing his head, Jiang Yifeng continued to look at the simulator.
[After you absorbed the jade slip, the Mystic Turtle didn't keep you there to study the sealing formation.]
[Instead, it took you to the mainland, urging you to leave quickly, saying that if you stayed too long, the formation spirit would sense you and implicate it.]
[In the eleventh year, you headed north.]
[Based on Bai Ruoxue's previous route, you knew the southernmost point was the Endless Sea, where the Mystic Turtle resided.]
[So, to return to Green Hills City, you had to head north.]
[In the twelfth year, you finally saw Green Hills City.]
[What took Bai Ruoxue only a few days took you two whole years.]
[This was despite your cultivation reaching the second level of Core Formation, allowing you to fly.]
[Otherwise, it would have taken even longer.]
[You disguised yourself and rented a small courtyard near the Jiang Family Mansion.]
[In the thirteenth year, you heard a loud noise and knew something had happened to your Jiang Family.]
[You stepped outside and saw a shadowy figure in the sky attacking the Jiang Family.]
[But soon, your father, Jiang Fushan, arrived with a group of cultivators.]
[One of them, a Tribulation Crossing stage cultivator, casually killed the shadowy figure.]
[Seeing the situation in the Jiang Family settle down, you quickly revealed yourself and called out to your father.]
[Unsurprisingly, you followed your father, Jiang Fushan, to Spine Mountain.]
[In the following days, you cultivated at Spine Mountain.]
[This time, your focus was mainly on formations.]
[In the fifteenth year, after two years of cultivation at Spine Mountain, you reached the level of a third-grade Formation Master.]
[Formation Master levels are simple, ranging from first to ninth grade, with the level above ninth being Immortal Formation Master.]
[These basics were all in the memory from the formation jade slip given by the Mystic Turtle.]
[Your rapid advancement to a third-grade Formation Master was not just due to your talent but also largely thanks to the formation jade slip.]
[Previously, you had no exposure to formations and didn't understand them. Now, you realized the jade slip's true value.]
[It saved you a lot of time in familiarizing yourself with various formation theories and basics.]
[The theories and basics of formations were as vast and complex as mathematical calculations and formulas from your previous life.]
[Without understanding them, the path of formations would be extremely difficult.]
[You felt that without the jade slip, mastering those theories and basics would have taken you years, if not decades.]
[In the sixteenth year, you became familiar with the people at Spine Mountain.]
[One day, you approached Old Li and told him you wanted to study the formations left by Senior Lu Wuya.]
[This was your main reason for coming to Spine Mountain.]
[Since you couldn't study the sealing formation for now, you thought that studying the formations left by Senior Lu Wuya, which could avoid Heavenly Thunder, would greatly advance your formation skills.]
Chapter 51: Years of cultivation, significant improvement in Formation Dao
"You know about this formation, and Old Li isn't surprised."
"After all, the fact that Senior Lu Wuya left a formation in the heart of Spine Mountain is common knowledge among the cultivators here; it's no secret."
"Moreover, there's someone guarding the formation every day, just to prevent any Immortal Slave from sneaking in to destroy it."
"Upon hearing your request, Old Li thought for a moment and then personally led you there."
"You successfully entered the heart of Spine Mountain and arrived at the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya."
"In the following days, you constantly observed and pondered over this formation using various formation knowledge."
"But aside from feeling dizzy, you gained nothing. You realized you were too impatient."
"With your current formation skills, this formation is like a book written in an unknown language."
"The principle of formations is to use various basic formation symbols to create different combinations to achieve various effects!"
"You couldn't even see the most basic formation symbols, let alone learn them."
"You knew it was because your formation skills were too low. The combinations of those symbols were too complex for you to comprehend, so you couldn't see them."
"So, you had to leave, deciding to return once your formation skills improved."
"During this time, Old Li followed you closely."
"You knew it was because the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya was too important, and Old Li might not fully trust you yet."
"In the seventeenth year, you secluded yourself again, diligently studying formations; for this, you even temporarily gave up cultivating the Immortal Dao and Martial Dao."
"The reason was simple: you knew that Senior Lu Wuya's formation wouldn't hold until the next descent of Heavenly Thunder and would collapse."
"You wanted to fully enhance your formation skills to try and repair this formation."
"You thought that if you could repair this formation, you could hide inside it when the Heavenly Thunder descended, thus extending the simulation time!"
"Moreover, you now had the 'Longevity of the Southern Mountain' talent, which increased your lifespan by a thousand years."
"As long as you could repair this formation, you could cultivate for a thousand years, and you felt the benefits were immense."
"In the twenty-third year, you successfully set up a mid-grade Gathering Spirit Array, becoming a fourth-grade Formation Master."
"At this point, you finally understood that breaking through formations wasn't as easy as you had imagined."
"After fully digesting the Formation Dao jade slip, it took you six years to advance one grade."
"Old Li, upon learning this, was even more excited than you."
"He asked if you wanted to observe the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya again."
"You were a bit puzzled."
"Until finally, Old Li asked you to set up more mid-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays in Spine Mountain."
"Only then did you realize he was asking for your help!"
"Upon reflection, you thought it was reasonable."
"After all, the cultivators here usually used basic Gathering Spirit Arrays."
"The reason was simple: few cultivators in Spine Mountain had any talent for formations, and even ordinary Formation Masters were rare."
"They could only set up basic Gathering Spirit Arrays."
"It was said that there used to be advanced Gathering Spirit Arrays, but they had long since decayed and become ineffective."
"The spiritual energy here was already thin, and without good Gathering Spirit Arrays, it was no wonder the cultivators of Spine Mountain often organized raids on the Spirit Stones of the Immortal Spirit Sect."
"After all, cultivating here was extremely difficult; even with cultivation talent, without spiritual energy, it was all in vain."
"You agreed to Old Li's request without hesitation."
"In the twenty-fourth year, you spent an entire year setting up hundreds of mid-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays in Spine Mountain."
"This greatly enhanced your understanding of formations."
"And what you did earned the gratitude of many cultivators in Spine Mountain, who all gave you Spirit Stones as a token of thanks."
"Although the people here didn't have many Spirit Stones, with thousands of cultivators each giving a little, you amassed 580,000 Spirit Stones."
"For you, this was already a huge fortune."
"In the thirty-first year, you successfully broke through to a fifth-grade Formation Master."
"In the thirty-ninth year, you reached the level of a sixth-grade Formation Master."
"After that, you felt your progress in formations slow down significantly."
"But you weren't surprised; after all, as a sixth-grade Formation Master, if given time to set up formations, you could already rival a Void Refinement Realm cultivator."
"If you could continue progressing at such a high speed, wouldn't the Formation Dao become invincible?"
"In the fortieth year, you entered the heart of Spine Mountain again, arriving at the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya."
"This time, you could barely see some of the formation symbols within the formation."
"This opened your eyes; the formation symbols you could see alone numbered in the millions."
"These symbols intertwined, forming various combinations and interweaving with each other."
"For a moment, you were dazzled."
"And what you could see was only a part of the formation; there was still a large portion you couldn't make out."
"You estimated that setting up this formation would require at least a billion formation symbols."
"This was simply unimaginable."
"A billion formation symbols, how many combinations would that entail?"
"Now, as a sixth-grade Formation Master, the formations you could set up required only tens of thousands of symbols, with just a few hundred combinations."
"Even so, in Old Li's eyes, you were already an extremely skilled Formation Master."
"You couldn't imagine how powerful Senior Lu Wuya must have been."
"Of course, what worried you more was the sealing formation outside the Southern Regions."
"If the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya used so many symbols, how powerful must the formation sealing the entire Southern Regions be?"
"Thinking of this, you couldn't help but feel a bit hopeless."
"Soon, you reminded yourself that this was within the simulation, and you still had time to improve."
"You calmed your mind and carefully observed the formation symbols you could see, studying their patterns and operational principles."
"After a day, you had a splitting headache."
"Clearly, with your current formation skills, you couldn't easily understand the complex patterns of these intertwined symbols."
"This formation was still too complex for you."
"You had to leave the place."
"However, a day's study still benefited you greatly."
"You learned many different symbol combinations. If you could understand these combinations, your formation skills might improve significantly!"
"In the forty-first year, you triggered a random enlightenment, gaining a tenfold increase in cultivation speed and more active thinking."
"This enlightenment lasted for ten months, during which you broke through to a seventh-grade Formation Master."
"At this point, your formation skills far surpassed your cultivation level. A seventh-grade Formation Master, compared to cultivation, could be considered a Body Integration stage expert."
Chapter 52: Energy Value has shrunk significantly
[Year 42, you heard from Old Li that the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya showed signs of disturbance.]
[You are now the most skilled Formation Master on Spine Mountain, so he asked you to check it out.]
[Without hesitation, you immediately went to the location of Lu Wuya's formation.]
[In fact, even if Old Li hadn't sought you out, you were planning to come and take a look.]
[After all, you know that in the 43rd year, Old Li and the others will venture into the Desert of Death, so the formation must have shown problems this year.]
[This time, you noticed more formation symbols.]
[You continuously observed the formation's operational routes, trying to understand its logic.]
[Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and you were already drenched in sweat.]
[Although you are a seventh-grade Formation Master, the grade of this formation is extremely high. Each observation and calculation consumes a lot of your mental energy.]
[But after three days of calculations, you finally deciphered the operational logic of one set of formation runes.]
[However, this left you somewhat puzzled.]
[You couldn't understand why a formation that could resist Heavenly Thunder had runes that seemed to guide rather than defend.]
["Guide, guide!" you muttered to yourself repeatedly.]
[Suddenly, a thought struck you.]
[Could it be that this formation doesn't eliminate Heavenly Thunder but redirects it elsewhere?]
[Then where could the Heavenly Thunder accumulated over millions of years be redirected?]
[Looking at the formation before you, you exclaimed, "This is bad!"]
[The formation is here, so the redirected Heavenly Thunder must be somewhere on Spine Mountain.]
[But just then, you heard the sound of the formation cracking.]
["Zzz," arcs of electricity began to appear on the formation's lines. Seeing this, you turned to flee.]
["Boom!" The formation exploded. Being at its center, you had no time to escape and were engulfed in a sea of lightning.]
[You struggled desperately, but it was in vain.]
[You died at the age of 60!]
[This simulation has ended.]
[You can choose two rewards from this simulation: Longevity of the Southern Mountain (Talent), Cultivation Level (Core Formation Stage 2), Formation Dao Jade Slip, Seventh-Grade Formation Master, Spirit Stones (580,000 pieces)]
[Longevity of the Southern Mountain (Talent)]: Price 100 million Energy Value.
[Cultivation Level (Core Formation Stage 2)]: Price 200 million Energy Value.
[Formation Dao Jade Slip]: Price 1 billion Energy Value.
[Seventh-Grade Formation Master]: Price 10 billion Energy Value.
[Spirit Stones (580,000 pieces)]: Price 5.8 billion Energy Value.
This simulation was quite a rollercoaster for Jiang Yifeng.
Initially, he thought he would die while venturing into the Endless Sea with Bai Ruoxue.
But it turned out the Mystic Turtle guarding the Endless Sea was an ally.
Then he thought he might die under the Heavenly Thunder in the fifty-third year, as he had been hiding on Spine Mountain.
Or perhaps he would repair Lu Wuya's formation and live for a thousand years, dying a natural death.
Who knew the outcome would be entirely unexpected?
In the end, he died under the collapse of Lu Wuya's formation.
It just goes to show that man proposes, but heaven disposes.
Jiang Yifeng didn't dwell on it further and looked at the rewards from this simulation.
The Seventh-Grade Formation Master was a must-have.
This was equivalent to the Body Integration stage of cultivation.
Whether for self-preservation or other purposes, it was immensely valuable.
The Formation Dao Jade Slip was unnecessary, as he had already obtained its knowledge through deep simulation.
He still felt a bit dizzy from it.
Finally, Jiang Yifeng was torn between Longevity of the Southern Mountain (Talent) and the 580,000 Spirit Stones.
One increased his lifespan by a thousand years. If he could leave the Southern Regions, he could simulate for another thousand years, which would be quite useful.
The other, Spirit Stones, were crucial resources for cultivation. With hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones, he could ensure rapid progress at the start of each simulation.
After some thought, Jiang Yifeng made his decision.
"I choose the Seventh-Grade Formation Master and the Spirit Stones."
In the end, Jiang Yifeng opted for the Spirit Stones.
After so many simulations, he felt that he had never truly managed to survive until the end.
The path of cultivation is fraught with dangers; how many can truly die of old age?
He felt that Spirit Stones would be more beneficial, at least ensuring rapid progress at the start of each simulation.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for becoming a Seventh-Grade Formation Master. 10 billion Energy Value has been deducted, leaving 8.8 billion Energy Value...]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining 580,000 Spirit Stones. 5.8 billion Energy Value has been deducted, leaving 3 billion Energy Value...]
As the simulator's voice faded, Jiang Yifeng instantly felt a flood of understanding about formations and their applications in his mind.
Formation Dao differs from cultivation; it is more about understanding and knowledge.
This enhancement was more about memory.
Fortunately, the simulator's infusion was gentle, unlike the headache-inducing deep simulation of the Formation Dao Jade Slip.
At the same time, the simulator's voice sounded again.
[Ding, the host's storage space is insufficient to hold all the Spirit Stones. The host can choose to spend 1 billion Energy Value to expand it by 100 times.]
"Expand!"
Jiang Yifeng didn't hesitate.
Although his Energy Value was running low, he couldn't leave the Spirit Stones out in the open.
That would be too conspicuous and not in line with his cautious nature.
[Ding, storage ring expansion successful. Your purchased Spirit Stones have been placed in the storage ring.]
Jiang Yifeng checked his storage ring.
Externally, it looked the same, but the internal space had expanded significantly.
Originally only 50 cubic meters, about the size of a room.
Now it had expanded 100 times to 5000 cubic meters.
In terms of floor area, it was as large as a football field.
Inside the storage ring, a small mountain of Spirit Stones was piled on one side.
Seeing this, Jiang Yifeng couldn't help but smile.
But thinking about the tens of billions of Energy Value spent on these Spirit Stones, he felt a bit of heartache.
Looking at the remaining 3 billion Energy Value, Jiang Yifeng pondered whether he should have Jiang Dafu start purchasing gold, silver, and jewels again.
"Forget it, let's wait a bit longer!"
Jiang Yifeng muttered to himself.
He remembered that his previous purchases of gold, silver, and jewels had caused a cash flow problem for the Jiang Clan Firm.
And it had only been less than two months since then.
He wasn't sure if the Jiang Clan Firm had recovered.
Starting to purchase gold, silver, and jewels now would be too hasty.
Moreover, with over 3 billion Energy Value left, he felt he could still simulate a few more times as long as he didn't exchange for a large number of Spirit Stones.
With everything settled, Jiang Yifeng didn't immediately go to the Pleasure House to listen to music.
His mind was too cluttered with knowledge.
He felt he needed to rest and digest it all.
Chapter 53: The combination of reality and simulation
Jiang Yifeng didn't visit the Pleasure House to listen to music on the day the simulation ended, but in the days that followed, he continued to go there daily.
Another week passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was the day the simulation count refreshed.
Jiang Yifeng was already waiting in his room.
Soon, the simulation count refreshed, and Jiang Yifeng silently chanted.
"Start Simulation!"
[Consumed 1 simulation count, remaining count 0]
[Drawing Blue Talent costs 100,000 Energy Value, drawing Purple Talent costs 1,000,000 Energy Value, please choose!]
"Draw Purple Talent."
[Ding, 1,000,000 Energy Value deducted, drawing Purple Talent, remaining Energy Value 3 billion...]
[Congratulations Host, you have acquired the talent: Yimu Divine Body.]
[Yimu Divine Body]: Extremely strong vitality, possessing super self-healing abilities.
Seeing this talent, Jiang Yifeng had an idea.
Since he had self-healing abilities, could it be paired with Martial Dao?
Martial Dao mainly involved body tempering. Previously, apart from practicing the set of movements from the nameless technique, he didn't dare to try other dangerous body tempering methods.
But now, with this strong self-healing constitution.
He felt it was a perfect match for Martial Dao.
Jiang Yifeng thought he could give it a try in this simulation.
However, he quickly shook his head, deciding that this simulation should still focus on Formation Dao.
Only by improving Formation Dao and repairing the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya could he simulate for a longer time.
After some thought, Jiang Yifeng continued to look at the simulator.
[17th simulation begins.]
[You glanced around, confirming you had entered the simulation.]
[On the first day, you left Green Hills City under the cover of night.]
[On the second day, you arrived at the ruins of Heavenly Profound Temple in the Evergreen Mountain Range.]
[On that day, you cleaned up the ruins and buried the bones.]
[On the third day, you began to comprehend formations.]
[In the first year, you made almost no progress.]
[In the second year, by summarizing the previous year's experience, you felt that mere comprehension might not be enough, so you began to practice.]
[You set up various formations nearby every day, constantly improving your proficiency, hoping to gain some new insights.]
[In the third year, Bai Ruoxue descended.]
[She discovered you and, after some examination, asked if you were willing to become her disciple.]
[You didn't hesitate and agreed.]
[Three days later, she said she would take you out of this sealed land in the Southern Regions and asked if you were willing to leave.]
[You agreed without a second thought.]
[This time, your purpose in coming to the ruins of Heavenly Profound Temple was just to hitch a ride to the Endless Sea.]
[You wanted to go to the Endless Sea again, to the Mystic Turtle, to comprehend the sealing formation.]
[You felt this would greatly help you improve your Formation Dao.]
[Of course, you could also go to the Endless Sea by yourself; you knew you could get there by heading southward.]
[But you thought it was too troublesome; going by yourself would take years, and the journey was dangerous and unknown.]
[Although you didn't encounter any danger on your last simulation, what if you did this time!]
[After all, you didn't have the route map from the last simulation, so it was still more convenient and safer to let Bai Ruoxue take you.]
[In the blink of an eye, a few days passed, and Bai Ruoxue brought you to the Endless Sea.]
[As soon as you arrived, the Mystic Turtle emerged from the sea.]
[Bai Ruoxue bribed the Mystic Turtle with spirit stones, and eventually, the Mystic Turtle accepted the spirit stones and suppressed you both.]
[Afterward, the Mystic Turtle threw Bai Ruoxue out of the Southern Regions, telling her to bring ten billion spirit stones to take you away.]
[You knew in your heart that the Mystic Turtle was lying, but you didn't expose it.]
[The Mystic Turtle took you to a small island.]
[Upon arrival, the Mystic Turtle immediately fell into a deep sleep, ignoring you.]
[You weren't nervous at all; instead, you walked towards the depths of the island.]
[You knew there was a part of the sealing formation there.]
[You could observe the operation of the formation up close.]
[Just as you started walking, the Mystic Turtle opened its eyes.]
[It was puzzled, thinking: are young people nowadays so bold?]
[On the first day on the island, you dared to ignore it.]
[As a result, you were in trouble; before you reached the sealing formation, the Mystic Turtle caught you.]
[It opened its huge mouth, threatening to eat you if you acted recklessly.]
[You were stunned.]
[Weren't we allies? Why did things change?]
[In fact, the Mystic Turtle was also a bit annoyed; it thought: this young man's talent is good, and he practices Divine Dao; it believed you had a chance to completely break this sealing formation in the future.]
[Once the formation was completely broken, the chains binding it would lose most of their power, allowing it to escape.]
[But you were too reckless, so it wanted to teach you a lesson, to instill some respect!]
[Otherwise, with such recklessness, you might die young; who knows when another Chosen like you, capable of breaking the sealing formation, would appear.]
[After that, you behaved yourself, not daring to act recklessly.]
[In the fourth year, apart from occasionally fishing at the island's edge, you did nothing else.]
[You didn't know why the Mystic Turtle's behavior differed from the last simulation, but you understood that such a powerful being was not someone you could provoke, so preserving your life was important.]
In reality, Jiang Yifeng, seeing this, felt a bit overwhelmed. It seemed that his simulated self was really scared by the Mystic Turtle.
This was not according to the original plan!
But it wasn't really the fault of his simulated self.
The Mystic Turtle was just too unpredictable.
Even though it was an ally, why scare him unnecessarily?
In the end, Jiang Yifeng sighed and silently chanted.
"Start a one-day deep simulation!"
He felt he had to intervene in reality.
He couldn't waste time like this in the simulation.
[Ding, starting 24-hour deep simulation, consuming 240,000 simulation energy.]
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Yifeng had entered the simulation.
He didn't hesitate and walked directly towards the depths of the island.
As he walked deeper, he saw the Mystic Turtle move slightly.
But Jiang Yifeng, watching from outside the simulator, saw clearly that the Mystic Turtle still had no malice, it just thought he was reckless and wanted him to be more cautious.
Since that was the case, Jiang Yifeng didn't mind.
He thought, the simulation had shown a year had passed.
The Mystic Turtle shouldn't act again.
Soon, an hour passed, and he had reached the depths of the island.
Jiang Yifeng glanced at the sealing formation, feeling the formation symbols were profound and difficult to understand.
He tried to analyze it, and his mind shook, feeling as if his head was about to explode.
In the end, Jiang Yifeng gave up, thinking it was better to leave such matters to the simulation.
So he chanted.
"End deep simulation!"
In an instant, Jiang Yifeng's consciousness returned to the Jiang Family Mansion in Green Hills City.
Without thinking much, he continued to watch the development in the simulator.
[You looked at the sealing formation in the distance, feeling a bit dazed.]
[You wondered how you got there just now?]
[After pondering for a long time, you suddenly had an epiphany, thinking: is reality affecting me?]
Chapter 54: Insufficient cultivation, unable to break through to an Eighth-Rank Formation Master
[You didn't dwell on how you ended up in the depths of the island. After glancing around for a moment, you noticed that the Mystic Turtle remained motionless, either asleep or simply ignoring you.]
[So, you turned your attention to the sealing formation, hoping to gain some insights to improve your Formation Dao.]
[The numerous formation symbols sketched out one unfamiliar formation pattern after another, making it difficult for you to comprehend immediately.]
[You knew that with your current formation skills, it was impossible to fully understand this sealing formation.]
[Thus, you chose one of the countless interwoven formation patterns to begin analyzing.]
[You aimed to break it down piece by piece, progressing gradually.]
[But even so, as you continued to analyze, you felt as if your head was about to explode.]
[After half an hour, you couldn't hold on any longer and decided to take a break.]
[However, you didn't give up. After resting for half a day, you resumed analyzing that formation pattern.]
[This became your routine!]
[Every day, you intermittently analyzed and tried to understand the sealing formation.]
[By the fourth year, after an entire year, you had only managed to analyze a small part of that formation pattern.]
[Despite this, you felt that the continuous analysis had significantly improved your understanding of formations.]
[In the fifth year, you had analyzed half of that formation pattern, and you clearly felt a deeper understanding of formations.]
[In the sixth year, you continued to analyze that formation pattern.]
[By the eighth year, you finally completed the analysis of that formation pattern, greatly enhancing your knowledge of formations.]
[You felt quite pleased, but when you looked at the other formation patterns around you, your heart sank.]
[Just one formation pattern had taken you five years.]
[And there were hundreds of thousands of such formation patterns visible to the naked eye in this area alone.]
[The complete sealing formation didn't just cover this area; it enveloped the entire Southern Regions. How many more formation patterns must there be?]
[To fully analyze this sealing formation and understand its underlying logic, you needed to find a way to break it.]
[At your current rate of analysis, you couldn't imagine how much time it would take.]
["Ah, the road ahead is long and arduous," you sighed.]
[But this was something you had anticipated.]
[Your purpose in coming here was merely to improve your formation skills.]
[Once your Formation Dao improved further, you could attempt to repair the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya on Spine Mountain, which could resist Heavenly Thunder.]
[Everything you were doing now was just to increase your simulation duration and enhance your strength.]
[In the ninth year, you didn't analyze any new formation patterns.]
[Instead, you summarized your gains from the previous years. At this point, you felt that your understanding of formations had reached the level where you could set up an eighth-grade formation.]
[Without hesitation, you began to practice.]
[But as you were setting up the eighth-grade formation, you had only drawn five formation symbols, which couldn't even form a single pattern, before the spiritual energy in your Qi Sea was exhausted and couldn't sustain it.]
[You muttered to yourself, "So it is as I thought?"]
[You had anticipated this situation, but you couldn't resist trying.]
[Formation symbols are drawn with spiritual energy, and the higher the grade of the formation, the more spiritual energy each symbol requires.]
[Ordinarily, a cultivator at the Core Formation stage could at most set up a fourth-grade formation.]
[Some talented individuals with a strong foundation, more Golden Core patterns, a large Qi Sea, and abundant spiritual energy could set up fifth or even sixth-grade formations, which was already quite rare.]
[Due to your Divine Dao cultivation with a twelfth-grade Golden Core, you could convert primordial energy into spiritual energy; combined with a Qi Sea three times larger than ordinary cultivators, you could set up a seventh-grade formation.]
[But that was your limit. Attempting an eighth-grade formation was a bit too ambitious.]
[You shook your head but didn't feel discouraged.]
[Although you couldn't set up an eighth-grade formation, it wasn't due to a lack of formation skills but rather insufficient spiritual energy.]
[You believed that as your strength improved, you would soon be able to set up an eighth-grade formation.]
[Moreover, not being able to set up an eighth-grade formation didn't affect your purpose for coming here.]
[You originally intended to gain more understanding of formations here to repair the formation left by Lu Wuya.]
[Repairing a formation is different from setting one up; it doesn't necessarily require you to draw formation symbols. Perhaps you only need to guide the problematic areas.]
[You felt that this trip wasn't in vain.]
[In the tenth year, the Mystic Turtle took you out of the Endless Sea and revealed its purpose.]
[The Mystic Turtle told you that it was also a prisoner.]
[It warned you not to act recklessly when facing an unbeatable enemy and to assess the situation before taking action.]
[Only then did you realize that the Mystic Turtle's earlier threats to eat you were because it thought you were too reckless at first.]
[In the twelfth year, you returned to Green Hills City.]
[In the thirteenth year, a Shadowy Figure Immortal Slave descended, and you saw the Jiang Family's residence collapse with a single palm strike.]
[Afterward, your father, Jiang Fushan, arrived with reinforcements, killed the Shadowy Figure Immortal Slave, and evacuated the Jiang Family members.]
[You also appeared in time to leave with the others, heading to Spine Mountain.]
[After arriving at Spine Mountain, you didn't immediately request to see the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya.]
[Instead, you focused on cultivating here, occasionally showcasing your skills as a seventh-grade Formation Master.]
[In the fourteenth year, Old Li approached you, hoping you could set up some high-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays to accelerate the cultivation speed of the cultivators here.]
[Without hesitation, you agreed.]
[High-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays are seventh-grade formations, and due to your limited spiritual energy, setting them up wasn't quick.]
[Often, after setting up one high-grade Gathering Spirit Array, you needed to rest and recover for a while.]
[In the sixteenth year, after two full years, you had set up five high-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays on Spine Mountain.]
[At this point, from the outside, one could clearly sense a large amount of spiritual energy being gathered from afar by the high-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays.]
[In the seventeenth year, the cultivation environment on Spine Mountain noticeably improved. The cultivators here no longer needed to risk robbing Immortal Slaves for Spirit Stones, as they could now enhance their spiritual energy.]
[That year, you received numerous gifts from the cultivators.]
[The Spirit Stones alone amounted to over 900,000.]
[In the eighteenth year, you had gained considerable popularity on Spine Mountain, and everyone trusted you.]
[That year, you found Old Li and told him you wanted to observe the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya.]
[You hoped to gain some insights from it to further improve your Formation Dao skills.]
Chapter 55: Perfect plan, rapid improvement in Martial Dao
Old Li, upon hearing your words, immediately takes you there.
This time, Old Li has no doubts about you whatsoever.
After bringing you to the location, he turns and leaves.
You have been living here for five years now. Your character and contributions to Spine Mountain have long surpassed countless others.
There is simply no reason for him to doubt you.
Of course, this is also your intention. If Old Li were to suspect you and stay by your side, even if you could repair the formation left by Lu Wuya, he would likely obstruct you.
After all, this formation was left by Senior Lu Wuya and is the lifeline for all the cultivators of Spine Mountain when facing Heavenly Thunder.
There is no way Old Li would let you tamper with this formation so easily.
Now that Old Li completely trusts you and isn't following you, you can freely study the formation and attempt to repair it, preventing its imminent collapse.
In the nineteenth year, you spend a year studying the formation left by Lu Wuya.
Although this formation is significantly inferior to the sealing formation of the Southern Regions, you believe it is still an immortal formation.
Because even after a year of study, you still can't understand much of it.
Even though you are currently a seventh-grade Formation Master, you believe your theoretical knowledge of formations is on par with that of an eighth-grade Formation Master.
A formation that is still largely incomprehensible to you must undoubtedly be an immortal formation.
An eighth-grade theoretical foundation might not be enough to set up an eighth-grade formation, but it should be sufficient to understand most ninth-grade formations.
After all, the formation is right in front of you, akin to having the answers to a test.
If you can't understand it even with the answers, it can only mean the level difference is too vast.
You think perhaps everyone, including Old Li, has underestimated Senior Lu Wuya.
He claims that Senior Lu Wuya's strength was insufficient, but can someone who can set up an immortal formation really be weak?
At the very least, you believe he is certainly not weak. With your understanding of formations, it is impossible to have the spiritual energy to support such a complex immortal formation without corresponding cultivation.
You don't dwell on it further.
Although you still don't understand much of this formation, it doesn't matter.
You only need to understand the guiding routes of the formation.
After all, you already learned the reason for this formation's collapse in your last simulation.
This formation guides Heavenly Thunder to the underground of Spine Mountain, and the violent Heavenly Thunder underground causes the formation to collapse.
As long as you understand the guiding routes of this formation and follow them to locate the Heavenly Thunder underground of Spine Mountain, you can set up a small lightning-guiding formation nearby.
This will slowly guide the sealed Heavenly Thunder out of the underground, dissipating it bit by bit.
As long as you consume the underground Heavenly Thunder, you believe you can delay the collapse of this formation.
In the twenty-second year, after three years, you finally follow the guiding routes of the formation and locate the underground Heavenly Thunder.
In the twenty-third year, you set up an inverted seventh-grade lightning-guiding formation at the confirmed location.
If other formation masters who don't know the reason saw this, they would definitely think your setup is nonsense.
Who sets up a lightning-guiding formation facing the ground? Where would the underground thunder come from?
At the moment your formation takes shape, a green thunderbolt shoots out from the ground through the lightning-guiding formation.
With a thunderous "boom," it strikes you directly.
Your physical body is instantly torn apart, severely injured.
But this is within your expectations.
After all, it is a formation you set up, and you had already calculated the approximate strength of the thunderbolt it would guide out.
Soon, the injuries on your body begin to heal visibly.
During this healing process, your Martial Dao cultivation also starts to increase slowly.
Seeing this, you grin. Indeed, the Yimu Divine Body is a perfect match for Martial Dao cultivation.
In the following days, you are baptized by thunder daily.
You are in pain and excitement, the pain from being struck by thunder every day is unbearable.
But the excitement comes from your rapidly increasing Martial Dao cultivation.
You think your plan is simply perfect.
Not only does it delay the collapse of the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya, potentially extending your simulation time, but it also strengthens your Martial Dao cultivation!
In the twenty-fourth year, your Martial Dao breaks through to the fourth level of the Qi Motion Realm.
In the twenty-fifth year, your Martial Dao breaks through to the fifth level of the Qi Motion Realm.
In the twenty-sixth year, your Martial Dao breaks through to the sixth level of the Qi Motion Realm.
Advancing one minor realm per year, this speed of Martial Dao improvement far exceeds your expectations.
However, after reaching the sixth level of the Qi Motion Realm, you feel that your Martial Dao breakthroughs have slowed down significantly.
Because the strength of the previous thunderbolts can no longer severely injure you, they can only cause minor injuries!
In the twenty-seventh year, you adjust the lightning-guiding formation to increase the strength of the thunderbolts it guides out.
In the twenty-eighth year, your Martial Dao breaks through to the seventh level of the Qi Motion Realm.
After the adjustment, your Martial Dao cultivation begins to break through rapidly again.
In the thirty-first year, your Martial Dao has reached the peak of the Qi Motion Realm.
But at this time, you discover a serious problem.
Because you have a twelfth-grade Golden Core and have achieved the Divine Dao, breaking through major realms requires both your Immortal Dao and Martial Dao to reach their peaks simultaneously.
Now, your Martial Dao has reached the peak of the Qi Motion Realm, but your Immortal Dao cultivation is still at the first level of Core Formation.
So, you have no choice but to temporarily remove the lightning-guiding formation and stop your Martial Dao cultivation.
But by doing so, you can no longer consume the underground Heavenly Thunder of Spine Mountain. How long can the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya last?
Although you have consumed some of the underground Heavenly Thunder through the lightning-guiding formation, you don't think it's enough.
After all, your strength is insufficient, and the amount consumed is actually not much.
You then find Old Li and tell him that the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya has a problem.
Old Li's expression changes slightly. He has long known about the imminent collapse of the formation, but he doesn't know the specific reason.
Soon, Old Li gathers some elders of Spine Mountain for a meeting.
A few days pass, and Old Li and the others finally conclude their meeting.
You don't know what they discussed specifically.
In the end, Old Li finds you and says that although your formation skills are impressive, you are only a seventh-grade Formation Master, and the problems you see may not be accurate.
Rashly tampering with the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya could lead to unforeseen dangers.
You understand in your heart that Old Li's words mean the meeting didn't approve your proposal.
They don't believe you, or perhaps they do, but they don't dare to take the risk.
You can understand Old Li and the others. After all, this formation is the only lifeline for the cultivators of Spine Mountain to avoid Heavenly Thunder. They won't take risks unless absolutely necessary.
But will it be too late when it becomes absolutely necessary?
Chapter 56: Return to Green Hills City, calmly welcome the Heavenly Thunder
"You know it's too late!"
"Just like the last simulation, when it was absolutely necessary, Old Li asked you to check the situation, and you ended up being engulfed by a sea of thunder, ending the simulation instantly."
"In the end, you just shook your head without saying much."
"You know it's impossible to get them to help eliminate those Heavenly Thunders together."
"In the thirty-second year, you discovered that many people on Spine Mountain had become wary of you."
"Whenever you approached the formation, someone would always appear around you, either intentionally or unintentionally."
"You smiled bitterly, realizing how cautious these people were. They were worried you would ignore their advice and try to repair the formation on your own, so they monitored you."
"As a result, you began to go out less frequently in the following days."
"You started focusing on cultivating the Immortal Dao every day."
"You had an ample supply of Spirit Stones."
"You had 600,000 of your own, plus over 900,000 Spirit Stones you received as a thank-you gift for setting up high-grade Gathering Spirit Arrays for the cultivators on Spine Mountain."
"With over a million Spirit Stones, your cultivation in the Immortal Dao progressed rapidly."
"In the thirty-third year, you successfully broke through to the second level of Core Formation."
"In the thirty-fifth year, you reached the third level of Core Formation."
"In the fortieth year, you had already reached the fifth level of Core Formation."
"However, that year, you left Spine Mountain."
"You knew that in the last simulation, it was in the forty-second year that the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya had problems."
"Although you had consumed some Heavenly Thunder this time, possibly delaying the issue a bit."
"But you weren't sure how much it would be delayed, so to extend the simulation time, you decided to leave early."
"In the forty-third year, you broke through to the sixth level of Core Formation."
"In the forty-fifth year, you triggered the talent: Random Enlightenment, gaining an 8x cultivation speed buff, making your thoughts more active."
"This enlightenment lasted for a whole year, allowing your cultivation level to directly break through to the eighth level of Core Formation."
"In the fifty-first year, you finally broke through to the ninth level of Core Formation."
"You knew there were only two years left before the Heavenly Thunder would descend."
"You knew that normal cultivation wouldn't be enough."
"You no longer had time to perfect both your Immortal Dao and Martial Dao cultivation to break through to the next major realm."
"So you started heading towards Spine Mountain."
"You wanted to see if the formation left by Lu Wuya was still intact after you had consumed some of the Heavenly Thunder."
"If it was still holding, you might be able to use it to live by hiding for a while longer."
"In the fifty-second year, you arrived at Spine Mountain again."
"At a glance, you saw only a patch of scorched earth, with occasional arcs of electricity flickering on the blackened ground."
"You smiled bitterly, realizing that the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya had not held up."
"You knew this simulation was likely nearing its end."
"Facing the Heavenly Thunder, you still had no good solution."
"In the fifty-third year, you returned to Green Hills City."
"By then, Green Hills City was nothing but ruins and scattered bones."
"You felt a chill in your heart; you had already guessed this outcome!"
"It must have been decades ago when the shadowy figure attacked the Jiang Family, revealing the existence of immortals to the people of Green Hills City."
"To keep the existence of immortals a secret and prevent more mortals from seeking immortality, the Immortal Slaves of the Immortal Arrival Sect took action."
"Without further thought, you sat cross-legged on the ruins of the Jiang Family Mansion, waiting for the Heavenly Thunder to descend."
"One day, the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, and a bolt of purple lightning came crashing down towards you!"
"Facing the Heavenly Thunder, you did not move."
"In fact, you could have set up some formations to strengthen your defenses and live by hiding for a bit longer."
"But in the end, you just smiled slightly and chose to face it calmly."
"You died at the age of 73."
"This simulation has ended."
"You can choose two rewards from this simulation: Yimu Divine Body (Talent), Martial Dao Cultivation (Qi Motion Realm Perfection), Immortal Dao Cultivation (Ninth level of Core Formation), Pseudo Eighth-grade Formation Master."
"Yimu Divine Body (Talent): Costs 1 million Energy Value."
"Martial Dao Cultivation (Qi Motion Realm Perfection): Costs 9.5 million Energy Value."
"Immortal Dao Cultivation (Ninth level of Core Formation): Costs 9 million Energy Value."
"Pseudo Eighth-grade Formation Master: Costs 1 billion Energy Value; (Only theoretical knowledge, unable to set up eighth-grade formations due to insufficient cultivation level.)"
Jiang Yifeng looked at his calm demeanor at the end of the simulation.
He suddenly found it a bit cool.
This simulation had basically achieved the desired goal, so he didn't feel much regret.
He just didn't expect the people of Spine Mountain to be so stubborn.
It seemed that extending the simulation time was still a long way off.
It looked like he would have to break through to a higher level in the Formation Dao to find people on Spine Mountain to help consume the underground Heavenly Thunder.
Or he would have to increase his own cultivation level so he could withstand more Heavenly Thunder and consume more of it himself.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to delay the collapse of the formation left by Lu Wuya.
Without delaying the collapse of that formation, it would be very difficult to increase the simulation duration.
Jiang Yifeng stopped thinking about the simulation.
He looked at the simulation rewards.
Actually, the rewards this time were quite good.
Formations were obviously very important, but what he lacked right now was strength.
Without enough spiritual energy, he couldn't set up higher-grade formations or break through to become a true eighth-grade Formation Master.
As for Martial Dao, it seemed more cost-effective than the Immortal Dao.
After all, it was half a realm higher.
But from the simulation, it was clear that as long as he went to Spine Mountain and entered the formation left by Senior Lu Wuya, guiding the underground Heavenly Thunder for cultivation, his Martial Dao would improve very quickly.
So in the next simulation, as long as he went to Spine Mountain, his Martial Dao cultivation would quickly catch up.
Thus, Jiang Yifeng didn't hesitate much and silently chose.
"I choose Yimu Divine Body (Talent) and Immortal Dao Cultivation (Ninth level of Core Formation)."
There was a quick way to improve Martial Dao, but for Immortal Dao cultivation, Jiang Yifeng hadn't found any shortcuts yet, other than absorbing Spirit Stones to accelerate it.
But this speed was still much slower than using Heavenly Thunder to temper the body in Martial Dao.
As for the Yimu Divine Body (Talent), it was a must-have. With it, he could use Heavenly Thunder to enhance his Martial Dao for a long time.
So, he felt this was the best choice for now.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the talent Yimu Divine Body; 1 million Energy Value deducted, remaining Energy Value: 3 billion..."
"Ding, Immortal Dao Cultivation (Ninth level of Core Formation) successfully extracted, 9 million Energy Value deducted, remaining Energy Value: 3 billion..."
Soon, Jiang Yifeng felt his strength increase.
A few seconds later, everything was over.
Jiang Yifeng walked out of the Jiang Family Mansion and headed towards the Spring Blossom Pavilion.
This simulation had lasted a long time, and his eyes were a bit tired.
He thought he should listen to some music to relieve his fatigue.
Chapter 57: You call this 'a hand of God'
A week passed, and the simulation attempts were refreshed!
Jiang Yifeng returned to his room and silently chanted, "Start simulation!"
[Consumed 1 simulation attempt, remaining attempts: 0]
[Drawing Blue Talent costs 100,000 Energy Value, drawing Purple Talent costs 1,000,000 Energy Value. Please choose!]
"Draw Purple Talent."
[Ding, 1,000,000 Energy Value deducted, drawing Purple Talent, remaining Energy Value: 3 billion...]
[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the talent: Hand of God.]
[Hand of God]: Key items will periodically appear in your hand.
Jiang Yifeng fell into deep thought.
Isn't Hand of God a term from Go?
Never mind, it's not important.
But judging by the talent description, it should be somewhat useful.
He couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
He immediately looked at the simulation panel.
[Simulation No. 18 begins.]
[You realize you are already in the simulation.]
[Seeing that it's still early, you decide not to leave Green Hills City immediately, planning to leave at night when no one is around.]
[In the evening, after dinner, you tidy up and prepare to leave the Jiang Family Mansion under the cover of night.]
[Just then, you hear the maid Little Peach in your courtyard crying out.]
[You are about to go check when suddenly, a soft object appears in your hand.]
[Looking at the object in your hand, your expression changes slightly.]
[Isn't this Little Peach's dudou!]
[Before you can recover, you see Little Peach running towards you, crying.]
[As she runs, she shouts, "There's a pervert!"]
[Looking at the dudou in your hand, you feel a bit guilty and quickly put it into your storage ring.]
[Little Peach finally reaches you.]
[You ask her what happened.]
[Little Peach tells you everything, saying she was about to sleep when she suddenly felt her dudou disappear.]
[Your heart races, thinking of the dudou that just appeared in your hand.]
[Suddenly, you recall the talent you drew in this simulation.]
[Could this dudou be one of the key items mentioned by Hand of God?]
[Suppressing the urge to curse, you first calm Little Peach down.]
[It takes until midnight for Little Peach to settle down and go back to sleep.]
[After that, you finally have time to analyze what happened.]
[You figure it must be the talent at work.]
[Having experienced many simulations, you know some talents are quite unusual.]
[It seems the key items mentioned by this talent are different from what you expected.]
[You can't help but think: calling this talent Hand of God is a bit too much!]
[Without thinking too much, you leave Green Hills City that night.]
[However, along the way, various items keep appearing in your hand.]
[There are dudous of all colors, as well as cucumbers, eggplants—what the heck!]
[And fire sticks, what are these!]
[Suddenly, you think of some possibilities.]
[You feel deeply disdainful.]
[You quickly find a river and wash your hands thoroughly.]
[Only after entering the Evergreen Mountain Range, far from people, do the strange items stop appearing in your hand.]
[This makes you feel much more at ease.]
[On the third day, you adjust your emotions.]
[You start thinking about what to do next.]
[Because of this infuriating Hand of God talent, you worry about encountering Bai Ruoxue and causing more trouble.]
[Should you still hitch a ride with Bai Ruoxue to the Endless Sea?]
[In the end, you shake your head, deciding not to risk it.]
[If this talent affects Bai Ruoxue, who is at the Eighth Layer of Tribulation, this simulation would likely end.]
[To be safe, you decide not to contact Bai Ruoxue in this simulation.]
[You glance at the ruins of the Heavenly Profound Temple and clear them out, burying the bones.]
[After that, you start heading southward.]
[This time, you need to go to the Endless Sea on your own.]
[Although you might encounter dangers along the way, it's better than offending Bai Ruoxue at the Eighth Layer of Tribulation.]
[You also considered not going to the Endless Sea, but you need to use the Heavenly Thunder under Lu Wuya's formation to temper your body.]
[Therefore, you need to enhance your formation skills to find the exact location of the Heavenly Thunder and guide it out through the formation.]
[The best place to quickly improve your formation theory is the Endless Sea, where you can get close to the sealing formation.]
[Of course, the Desert of Death, Valley of Flames, and Forest of Ten Thousand Swords might also have sealing formations, but you are sure that the Mystic Turtle in the Endless Sea is friendly.]
[There, you can safely improve your formation knowledge.]
[In the first year, you don't know how far you've traveled.]
[You avoid populated areas to prevent unnecessary trouble due to the Hand of God talent.]
[But you still encounter many troubles.]
[Several times, female Immortal Slaves find you, and you are holding their dudous when they do.]
[Fortunately, your cultivation is strong, and most of the Immortal Slaves stationed outside are only at the Foundation Establishment stage, not your match.]
[This year, rumors of the Dudou Immortal spread among the people.]
[In the second year, a Nascent Soul stage female Immortal Slave's dudou appears in your hand.]
[You have a bloody battle with her.]
[Although she is at a higher stage and knows various spells,]
[You practice both Divine Dao and Immortal Martial Arts, with a stronger foundation.]
[After three days of battle, you exhaust her to death.]
[But you also suffer serious injuries.]
[In the third year, you are hunted.]
[The battle with the female Immortal Slave the previous year is known to the Immortal Spirit Sect, and they send many experts to hunt you down.]
[Fortunately, the Immortal Spirit Sect doesn't take you too seriously, sending people mostly at the Core Formation to Nascent Soul stages.]
[After many battles, you reach the edge of the Endless Sea with some close calls.]
[The Immortal Slaves stop chasing you as you enter the Endless Sea's territory.]
[You don't know if they think you are doomed or if they also fear stepping into the beast's territory.]
[You reach the edge of the Endless Sea, touching the seawater, but the Mystic Turtle does not appear.]
[You are puzzled.]
[When you came with Bai Ruoxue, the Mystic Turtle appeared from the water from afar.]
[You wonder, "Is it because my strength is too low to attract the Mystic Turtle's attention?"]
[Days pass with no movement.]
[You decide not to wait and start shouting into the Endless Sea, even launching spiritual energy attacks to attract the Mystic Turtle's attention.]
[Sure enough, soon, the Mystic Turtle's massive body emerges from the sea.]
[The Mystic Turtle looks angry.]
[Without asking, it opens its mouth and sucks you in, your body flying uncontrollably towards its mouth.]
Chapter 58: Immortal Chess Game
"WTF, you didn't expect the Mystic Turtle to be so irritable this time, starting to eat without saying a word."
In a moment of desperation, you shouted, "We're all prisoners here, why make things difficult for each other?"
As soon as you finished speaking, a strange light appeared in the Mystic Turtle's eyes.
You felt the terrifying suction disappear, and you found yourself in the giant turtle's claw.
It stared at you for a long time, then laughed heartily and said, "Interesting, I didn't expect such a Chosen to emerge from this sealed land, and you even know my background."
Your heart skipped a beat, worried that the Mystic Turtle would ask for details.
After all, you didn't actually know its background. Even with previous simulations, you only knew it was also imprisoned and wanted to escape.
But clearly, you were overthinking it; the Mystic Turtle didn't ask about any of that.
It simply asked why you had come to find it.
You relaxed a bit and straightforwardly said you wanted to comprehend the sealing formation here to improve your formation knowledge.
The Mystic Turtle thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement, but told you that you could only stay for seven years.
You knew this was because the formation spirit of the sealing formation might awaken in seven years.
The Mystic Turtle had mentioned this in previous simulations.
Naturally, you wouldn't push your luck, and you promised to leave within seven years.
After that, the Mystic Turtle took you to an island in the Endless Sea.
This time, since everything was laid out, you had no other concerns.
Upon reaching the island, you went straight to the area closest to the barrier of the sealing formation.
The Mystic Turtle watched all this, already having several thoughts in mind.
To the Mystic Turtle, anyone who knew its background couldn't be a native of the Southern Regions.
It thought you were a pawn sent by some big shot from the heavens to break this place and cause trouble for the one who sealed it here.
After all, the struggles between those big shots are always like this.
At their level, immortals rarely act personally; they use all beings as chess pieces to determine victory.
The Mystic Turtle itself, a Mystic Immortal from the Immortal Realm, was also a pawn in the hands of some big shot!
Whether it liked it or not, as long as it was locked here, it would naturally become a pawn for those big shots if it wanted freedom.
The Mystic Turtle was now pondering whether you were a pawn of the same big shot or if another player had entered the game.
After all, the one who captured and locked it here wasn't the same Immortal who sealed the Southern Regions.
The Mystic Turtle knew this in its heart; it was locked here to become a pawn to break the seal of the Southern Regions.
In other words, the person who locked it up was opposed to the Immortal who sealed this place.
After all, it wanted freedom, and now it needed to break the sealing formation here.
Because the chains that locked it were connected to the sealing formation by that big shot.
The Mystic Turtle gave you a deep look before diving into the water.
Naturally, you didn't know what the Mystic Turtle was thinking.
At this moment, you had already ventured deep into the island, arriving at the sealing formation.
Jiang Yifeng's heart tightened as he saw this.
It seemed the waters of the Southern Regions were deeper than he had imagined.
From the Mystic Turtle's thoughts, it was clear that this place was a chessboard for many big shots from the heavens.
Even a Mystic Immortal like the Mystic Turtle was forced to be a pawn.
"Whoo!"
Jiang Yifeng took a deep breath.
It seemed he couldn't be afraid of hardship; he needed to improve quickly.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yifeng silently chanted.
"Start deep simulation for seven years!"
This was an idea Jiang Yifeng had long thought of.
For memory-based knowledge like formations, he felt that deep simulation could completely bypass simulation rewards and directly obtain it from the deep simulation.
But the last time Jiang Yifeng merely glanced at the sealing formation, his head felt like it was splitting open.
So he gave up on using deep simulation to gain this power.
But now Jiang Yifeng felt he shouldn't be afraid of hardship.
The waters of this world were too deep; without enough power, he wouldn't feel safe.
"Ding, starting deep simulation for one hour, deducting 613.2 million Energy Value, remaining Energy Value 2.3 billion..."
In an instant, Jiang Yifeng's consciousness entered the simulation.
Without much thought.
Jiang Yifeng devoted himself entirely to the study of formations.
The complex and intricate formation made his head feel like it was about to explode after just a moment of analysis.
He could only grit his teeth and persevere.
Half an hour later, Jiang Yifeng fainted.
He woke up half a day later.
Upon waking, Jiang Yifeng felt that his theoretical knowledge of formations had significantly improved.
This made him feel that his efforts were not in vain.
The hardship had paid off.
In the days that followed, Jiang Yifeng continued to study formations.
In fact, he spent more time fainting each day than studying.
Unknowingly, more than six years passed.
Jiang Yifeng finally deciphered a formation pattern.
At this point, his theoretical knowledge of formations was comparable to an eighth-grade Formation Master.
However, his spiritual energy was still insufficient to set up an eighth-grade formation himself.
With the seven-year deadline agreed upon with the Mystic Turtle approaching, Jiang Yifeng knew it was time to leave the Endless Sea.
So his deep simulation should also end.
Without hesitation, he silently chanted.
"End deep simulation!"
As Jiang Yifeng's words fell.
His consciousness instantly returned to the Jiang Family Mansion in Green Hills City.
Jiang Yifeng quickly recalled the formation knowledge in his mind.
"Hahaha, I knew it would work!"
Confirming that this deep simulation had indeed brought out the theoretical knowledge of an eighth-grade Formation Master, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After a brief moment of joy, Jiang Yifeng turned his attention to the simulation panel.
"In the tenth year, you have acquired the theoretical knowledge of an eighth-grade Formation Master."
"This year, the time agreed upon with the Mystic Turtle to leave has arrived. The Mystic Turtle appeared on time and sent you to the coastal land."
"In the twelfth year, you returned to Green Hills City in disguise."
"With your return, the legend of the Dudou Immortal, which had been gradually forgotten over the years, resurfaced."
"You looked at the small mountain of dudous in your storage ring and could only shake your head helplessly."
"You really didn't want this; it's all because of that damned talent."
"In the thirteenth year, the shadowy figure Immortal Slave appeared in the Jiang Family."
"This time, before he could make a move, you attacked him from behind without any sense of honor."
"After all, the shadowy figure was only at the ninth level of Core Formation, and you are now also at the ninth level of Core Formation, so you didn't fear him."
"In previous simulations, you didn't make a move because you couldn't win."
"Now you are at the same level, and you know that soon your father will bring cultivators from Spine Mountain, so you can't just watch the Jiang Family be destroyed!"
"Your sneak attack didn't work; the shadowy figure dodged it with body techniques."
"Seeing that you were also at the ninth level of Core Formation, he didn't leave immediately but engaged you in a fierce battle."
"At this moment, you are evenly matched. You practice both immortal and martial arts, and you have a twelfth-grade Golden Core, so you should be able to crush him, even kill him instantly."
"But unfortunately, you haven't practiced any combat techniques; you rely on spiritual energy to fight."
"Meanwhile, the opponent kept using various techniques, so you couldn't take him down immediately, only gaining the upper hand."