"Woah, you better not do something reckless."
Wang Ping, reading the simulated text, was quite alarmed.
It was one thing for Simulated Wang Ping to set a flag earlier, but now he dared to venture into dangerous territory voluntarily. This behavior was quite absurd, almost suicidal.
Could it be that Simulated Wang Ping had become overconfident after subduing the Emperor's Artifact?
Indeed, with the protection of the Emperor's Artifact, it would be challenging for anyone below the quasi-emperor level to kill him. In addition to his various talents, Wang Ping's ability to escape danger was quite formidable.
However, Wang Ping remained sensitive to dangerous places like the one that had burnt him to death once before. If it were an ordinary forbidden area, he might have considered it, but this place was not even detailed in the Taiyi Emperor's records.
All that was known was that it was highly dangerous, and even Supremes who dared to enter would likely meet their demise. This was because this place held secrets related to a Great Emperor.
As for why such secrets existed and why no major powers had ventured here to decipher them and gain opportunities, Wang Ping couldn't fathom.
For a moment, Wang Ping hesitated about entering the immersive simulation again to change Simulated Wang Ping's mindset.
"Never mind, sooner or later, I will uncover the secrets here and gain opportunities. Exploring it now won't hurt."
However, after some internal debate, Wang Ping decided to watch from the sidelines.
"Next, you ventured deep into the Purgatory Ancient Star, entering the heart of the blazing sea, provocatively attempting to force the appearance of the white flames."
"In response to your provocation, a presence within the Purgatory Ancient Star was infuriated. The sea of fire surged, wiping out the unfortunate cultivators on the Purgatory Ancient Star, reducing them to ashes."
"This left Fang Xingyu trembling with fear. If he didn't know that you, his master, were exceptionally powerful, he would have desperately wanted to leave this cursed place immediately. However, given the circumstances, he had no way to escape on his own due to his lack of strength."
"You watched as the Purgatory Ancient Star erupted in response to your provocations, but the white flames did not appear as you expected. You raised an eyebrow, realizing that your level of provocation was not sufficient. As a result, you engaged in reckless provocations, even utilizing your keyboard-smashing skills to their fullest."
"With your audacious actions, the Purgatory Ancient Star grew increasingly agitated, and the white flames began to manifest, seeking to incinerate you."
"However, the white flames that had once turned even Supremes into ashes no longer posed a significant threat to you. Although facing them head-on would still lead to your downfall, you didn't need to confront them directly. You could employ your space-time abilities to protect yourself. This further intensified the turmoil within the Purgatory Ancient Star, causing the white flames to surge higher, intent on burning you to ashes."
"In response, you finally grew serious and summoned your newly acquired Emperor's Artifact, the Eternal Sovereign Sword, to block the white flames."
"As the Emperor's Artifact appeared, it seemed to trigger something strange, intensifying the vibrations within the Purgatory Ancient Star, and there were subtle changes in its form."
"You squinted your eyes and flew towards the outer space. Seeing that you were about to escape, the white flames surged and formed a gigantic hand reaching out to grab you."
"In response, you used your space-time abilities to dodge successfully, arriving in outer space."
"Then, you witnessed a breathtaking scene. The entire Purgatory Ancient Star no longer resembled a typical celestial body; it now had the appearance of a gigantic skull."
"This discovery made you draw a sharp breath, suspecting that the Purgatory Ancient Star might be the result of a Great Emperor being beheaded, and this Great Emperor had cultivated the fire element."
"You couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if you were reliving the horror of that past battle. At the same time, you were deeply curious about the kind of existence that could behead a Great Emperor, causing them to die in such an undignified manner."
"However, even though it seemed like death, it was evident that this Great Emperor still possessed consciousness. You couldn't help but wonder if the Great Emperor had truly perished or if some power still lingered."
"Of course, you didn't have the luxury to contemplate all of this at the moment. Your previous provocations had clearly infuriated some entity within, and the white flames continued to approach you relentlessly, vowing not to let you escape."
"In this situation, you narrowed your eyes and decided not to confront them head-on. Instead, you planned to use your golden talent, Teleportation, to escape. Otherwise, with the growing power of the white flames, you doubted your chances of survival. It was safe to say that this time, you had pushed your luck too far."
"As you activated your golden talent, Teleportation, you and Fang Xingyu's figures instantly disappeared from the scene, transported to an unknown location."
"With your disappearance, the white flames came to a halt. Faintly, on the Purgatory Ancient Star, a phantom-like entity appeared, staring fixedly in the direction where you left, emitting a cold snort. If not for his unique circumstances, how could this daring troublemaker have escaped?"
"However, wait and see. The day he emerges will be..."
"The phantom entity harbored cold, murderous intent in his heart, gradually dissipating, and his entire form disappeared. The Purgatory Ancient Star returned to calmness as if nothing had happened."
"This Purgatory Ancient Star is indeed peculiar. It seems it's not as simple as being just the head of a Great Emperor."
Wang Ping, reading the simulated text, pondered, his eyes flickering with thought.
The existence within it seemed to harbor great resentment, and Wang Ping couldn't tell whether it had been provoked or held some deep-seated grudge.
"However, it's difficult for you to emerge now. It's been a hundred thousand years, and even Ye Chen ventured into the Purgatory Ancient Star for exploration, but the Purgatory Ancient Star remains unchanged. Obviously, this guy hasn't broken free."
Wang Ping shook his head and muttered, paying little attention to the living being within the Purgatory Ancient Star.
Since it couldn't even stop the use of teleportation, it meant that its power was below that of a quasi-emperor. As long as it didn't break free, it wasn't worth worrying about.
"But, this time you set a flag and even went on a reckless adventure without dying. That's quite a show."
Afterward, Wang Ping couldn't help but make another sarcastic comment and continued to gaze at the screen.
"At this moment, you and Fang Xingyu were transported to the Tongxian Continent. Surprisingly, this location saved you a considerable amount of travel time."
"However, Fang Xingyu felt like he had been scared out of his wits. His legs were shaking, and he tearfully begged you, his master, never to take him to such dangerous places again. His little heart couldn't handle it."
"In response, you rolled your eyes at
him and gave him a slap on the head, thinking that he was truly timid, fearing such trivial matters."
"Reprimanded by you, Fang Xingyu dared not retort and could only grumble inwardly."
"Next, you planned to leave this place with Fang Xingyu and return to the Taiyi Emperor's Palace. However, just as you were about to leave, you saw someone unexpected."
Chapter 235: Encounter with the Mysterious Dark Star Grand Saint
"This person turned out to be the Dark Star Grand Saint, the one who invited you to join the Nine Stars Pavilion when you breakthrough to the Saint level."
"You were quite surprised to encounter him here, and at the same time, you felt a sense of how times had changed. Back then, you were very wary of him, fearing that this Grand Saint could easily crush you with a casual gesture. Now, you had become much stronger than him."
"Just as you were contemplating this, the Dark Star Grand Saint noticed you as well. His eyes lit up, and he quickly approached."
"After approaching, the Dark Star Grand Saint grinned at you, praising your extraordinary talents and asking if you wanted to join the Nine Stars Pavilion."
"This made you raise an eyebrow. This Dark Star Grand Saint seemed to enjoy promoting the Nine Stars Pavilion. Last time, he warmly welcomed you into the Nine Stars Pavilion, allowing you to gain their secret techniques and many benefits."
"Although with your current status, you could easily join the Nine Stars Pavilion without the recommendation of the Dark Star Grand Saint, you still decided to accept his invitation."
"However, just as you were about to agree, your expression changed. You were surprised to find that you couldn't see through the Dark Star Grand Saint. Despite being a Half-Step Supreme, you couldn't see through him, which was unusual. Moreover, the Dark Star Grand Saint gave you a strong sense of danger."
"This situation was quite strange. You were undoubtedly a top-tier figure at the same realm, and even someone like Gu Xuan might not be able to surpass you now. However, a Grand Saint gave you such a feeling. The only possibility was that this guy was hiding his cultivation."
"Thinking of this, you quietly used your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye to try to see through his true background. You hadn't used this trump card during the trial in the Purgatory Ancient Star, keeping it as your ultimate secret weapon."
"Of course, you knew that using the Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, which hadn't been fully developed in the Purgatory Ancient Star, was unlikely to reveal the Dark Star Grand Saint's true background. It might only expose your own secret."
"But when you used the Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, your vision changed, seeing through all illusions to the very source. Then, you saw the terrifying dark power within the Dark Star Grand Saint."
"However, this feeling disappeared in an instant. Even though you used the Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, the Dark Star Grand Saint still appeared ordinary to you."
"This left you in silence. The feeling just now couldn't be fake. The Dark Star Grand Saint in front of you was at least a quasi-emperor, and not just an ordinary one, but one of the top-tier quasi-emperors."
"You could only say that this guy was hiding too well. You marveled at this encounter with someone even more elusive than yourself. Despite being a top-tier quasi-emperor, he disguised himself as an ordinary Grand Saint."
"In such a situation, anyone who took him for an ordinary Grand Saint would be eaten alive, and who could tell whether a Grand Saint was actually a quasi-emperor, let alone a top-tier one."
"While you were silently contemplating, the Dark Star Grand Saint looked at you with surprise, smiling and saying that you were hiding quite deep, even possessing the legendary Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye. This talent was almost on par with the Space-Time Dao Body, a unique talent surpassing the Saint Body."
"He marveled at your talents, saying that even in the Golden Age, there might not be anyone comparable to you. Such talent was truly enviable, and he joked about wanting to take your eyes and refine your source."
"At these words, you felt a chill, and your vigilance increased instantly. However, your expression remained relaxed. You knew that facing someone like him, even if your golden talent, Teleportation, wasn't on cooldown, the chances of surviving were almost zero. The only two possibilities were either the appearance of the Divine Emperor Tianyu to rescue you or the Dark Star Grand Saint was just joking to scare you."
"You chuckled and told the Dark Star Grand Saint not to joke with you, as you couldn't withstand such threats. You hinted that he might attract the attention of Divine Emperor Tianyu."
"The Dark Star Grand Saint grinned and said that even if Divine Emperor Tianyu appeared, it wouldn't matter, as he had no intention of killing today and wasn't interested in harming you."
"This made you inwardly raise an eyebrow, suspecting that this guy was afraid of Divine Emperor Tianyu. No matter how strong a quasi-emperor was, they would only end up with their head kicked like a ball in front of Divine Emperor Tianyu."
"Of course, you kept your inner thoughts to yourself and praised the Dark Star Grand Saint for his seniority, not arguing with a junior."
"The Dark Star Grand Saint waved his hand, telling you not to act like that. Then, he took out something and handed you the Nine Stars Pavilion token and secret techniques."
"This made you thoughtful. The token was obviously different from the one you obtained in the previous simulation, as it was made of special materials and of a much higher grade. As for the secret techniques, they seemed to be the same, but more complete."
"Next, the Dark Star Grand Saint looked at you with some regret, saying that he met you too late. If he had met you earlier and taken you away before Divine Emperor Tianyu, he could have trained you as a candidate for the Nine Stars."
"Hearing this, you were somewhat surprised and nodded without giving a definite answer. After that, you chose to bid farewell."
"Just as you were about to leave, the Dark Star Grand Saint stopped you again, saying that after the Golden Age, he would find you again and take you to a place that would be greatly beneficial to you. He asked you not to refuse."
"Hearing this, you were quite surprised and nodded, neither agreeing nor refusing. Then, you left the area with Fang Xingyu."
"After you left, the Dark Star Grand Saint shook his head with some regret and gradually disappeared."
"This Dark Star Grand Saint, does he have such a significant background? It seems I need to be more cautious in the future. Unless someone has already exposed their true strength, I shouldn't underestimate any cultivator. Perhaps even a God King could be someone like the current Divine Emperor or even a quasi-emperor."
Wang Ping read the simulated text and couldn't help but feel astonished.
He had initially thought that in this world, there weren't many like him, but now it seemed he had overestimated that.
Gu Xuan was an old hand, the Dark Star Grand Saint was also one, and even his Master, Divine Emperor Tianyu, was a proponent of the low-key approach.
With so many examples in front of him, Wang Ping was genuinely concerned that if he accidentally encountered someone who pretended to be weak but was actually dangerous, he might end up losing.
"Well, it seems that being cautious is the way to go. In reality, unless I become a Divine Emperor, I won't take unnecessary risks. Unless, of course, I'm truly desperate."
Wang Ping sighed, pressing his temples.
If the life simulator didn't require payment and refreshed based on time, he would definitely play it extremely safe.
However, he had to spend money, and to earn money, he had to take some risks from time to time.
Though his version of "risk-taking" was based on safety within the life simulator, other cultivators might view it as trivial.
But for Wang Ping, the multiverse was an uncertain factor, and his safety factor couldn't reach 100%, but it was at around 98%.
With a 98% safety factor, what choice did he have other than to take risks? It was incredibly dangerous!
Next, Wang Ping put aside his many thoughts and continued to gaze at the screen.
"Once you were completely away from the Dark Star Grand Saint, Fang Xingyu had a mournful expression and said something that left you stiff. He cried out that following you always felt like he was on the brink of death. It had only been a short time since he left, and he had already encountered life-threatening situations multiple times. He wondered when he would really be 'GG.'"
"Listening to Fang Xingyu's words, you couldn't help but give him a disdainful shove. You felt that among your disciples, Fang Xingyu was the most timid one, even more fearful of death than you, his master. Indeed, you still preferred Wan Yu with his hot temper or Lin Qinghe, who was usually gentle but decisive when it came to action. They were much better suited for the path of cultivation."
"Next, you reprimanded Fang Xingyu, telling him not to be so afraid of death and to be braver. After Fang Xingyu responded with a bitter face, you were finally satisfied and continued on your journey with him."
"After arriving at the Taiyi Emperor Palace, the Palace Master saw your return and was quite pleased. He glanced at Fang Xingyu but didn't pay much attention to his talent or his status as a Daoist Palace disciple. He allowed Fang Xingyu to join the Taiyi Emperor Palace."
"Soon after, you chose to seal yourselves again and waited for the arrival of the Golden Age."
"In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred thousand years passed, and the Golden Age arrived. You chose to make a grand appearance, defeating Yue Daohong, accepting the disciple Zhu Huowang, obtaining the Time Origin and Ice of Heavenly Cold from the Ji Clan, challenging Gu Xuan, showcasing your Grand Saint cultivation, overpowering him, and defeating him in battle. You truly didn't show any mercy."
"Next, your development followed your memories closely. The Enlightenment Tea Gathering was held as planned, and you attended it, deepening your understanding of spatial Dao patterns. You felt that a few more sessions at the Enlightenment Tea Gathering might help you comprehend spatial Dao patterns."
"Of course, this was under the assumption that your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye could assist you in the comprehension. Otherwise, relying solely on the Enlightenment Tea Gathering would take a long time and consistent consumption."
"However, such a luxury could probably only be afforded by Qin Yue of the Qin Clan. Other forces couldn't do it; they didn't have the foundation."
"Next, you continued to make deals at the Enlightenment Tea Gathering. But because there was no need to obtain the Emperor's Scripture Fragments this time, you didn't bully the unfortunate 98th-ranked person on the Grand Saint Ranking. You calmly exchanged some Enlightenment Tea Leaves for Heavenly Cold Ice with Qin Yue."
"Qin Yue was generous and offered it as a gift, only asking you to become an ally. However, you chose to decline and insisted on making a trade."
"After all, for you, Qin Yue's help in this simulation was still minimal and might even become a bait for you. So, not forming an alliance was the best choice. Forming an alliance once and backstabbing would be enough; doing it multiple times might erode your own principles, which wasn't a good thing, even within the life simulator."
"The next day, just as in your memory, you and Fang Xingyu headed to the White Mist Forbidden Land and activated the secret realm with your luck, entering it."
"Inside, you squinted your eyes and thought that the secret realm of this period would be easier to deal with. If you waited until the Immortal Mansion was opened, it would be much more troublesome. By that time, even with your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, it might be impossible to survive."
"After all, in that kind of place, under the schemes of various hidden hands, whether you survived or not depended on whether the other party wanted to let you live and whether you could become that lucky person."
"And you, even if you were very low-key in this simulation, you were probably seen through by those old monsters, making your chances of survival slim. Moreover, this time you were so high-profile that you were bound to be targeted."
"So, you had to start with this secret realm, come in early, and eliminate as many of its native followers as possible to ensure your safety when you entered the Immortal Mansion."
"Of course, you had another major goal:
figuring out why defeating Gu Xuan, who had concealed his strength, triggered this plotline."
"However, this time, you didn't plan to create chaos directly. Instead, after rescuing the Phoenix sisters, Huan Yin and Huan Qing, who could potentially provide significant combat assistance, you began to focus on cultivation. You aimed to comprehend spatial Dao patterns and maximize your combat power."
"As for whether these shadowy figures would find you with the natives and silently approach you, you didn't need to worry anymore. With your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, their attempts to approach you with their astonishing secret techniques were futile."
"This is the beauty of ocular talents. Of course, not all ocular talents are as powerful as this. If the level is too low, you still won't be able to see through the shocking secret techniques prepared by those behind the scenes."
"In a flash, a month passed, and you had been diligently studying the art of tea and Dao patterns, occasionally changing your location."
"Finally, you successfully comprehended spatial Dao patterns, meeting the conditions for both spatial and temporal Dao patterns. You could now further unleash the power of your Spatial-Time Dao Body."
This, thanks to the Enlightenment Tea and the accumulation from your many simulations, especially the meditation in the Daoist Palace for over a thousand years this time, was particularly important.
It was only when you comprehended the spatial Dao patterns that you were finally caught and surrounded. At this moment, in this secret realm, most of the other geniuses had been wiped out by this group, captured, and had their origins extracted.
Soon, under the leadership of the native followers, these natives set up a large formation, intending to trap and kill you.
In response, you sneered, activated your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, easily perceived the flaws in the formation that had not yet formed, and broke it with your strength. Then, you engaged in guerrilla warfare with Huan Qing and Huan Yin.
With your current flexibility, as long as you weren't trapped by the formation, it was impossible for the enemy to fight you with their numerical advantage. Even those shadowy figures, unless there were more than ten of them and led by a Spatial-Time Dao Body, would still find it difficult to threaten you.
Moreover, with your current strength, you could even take on ten opponents at once.
As a result, during the battle, you had killed most of these natives without them even laying a finger on your hair. This made the shadowy figures very angry. They used their secret techniques at all costs to trap you and attempted to gang up on you with malicious intent.
However, facing this group's attack, you remained calm. You were no longer the same as in your previous simulations. You had enough power to confront their siege.
Soon, you unleashed terrifying space-time powers, cutting down each member of the group one by one. Even the shadowy figures who were also Spatial-Time Dao Bodies couldn't stop you from killing them.
After killing this group, you faced the Spatial-Time Dao Body.
This time, you had a one-on-one battle with him. The outcome was never in doubt. Even without using your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye, unlike the previous encounter when you were pressed to rely on all your might and your Seven-Colored Talent · Instant Death Attack to defeat him, the contemporary Spatial-Time Dao Body was easily slain by you. He couldn't even put up a decent counterattack.
For a moment, you felt invincible and how lonely it could be. You were just too powerful now.
Huan Yin and Huan Qing watched this scene and admired you greatly. They were pure and proud as pureblood Phoenixes, but your strength had conquered them, turning them into your little fangirls.
As you were feeling a myriad of emotions, your Source-Shattering Heavenly Eye suddenly spotted a figure, which turned out to be Gu Xuan. This made you squint your eyes and smirk; you finally confirmed that Gu Xuan was also one of the masterminds behind all this.
Although you didn't know if Gu Xuan was an important pawn in their plans or just a flag-bearer, as long as you knew he was on their side, it was enough. It meant that your speculations weren't baseless, and your actions against him were not in vain.
In response to Gu Xuan's words, you narrowed your eyes, and some of your doubts were finally answered. Apparently, if he hadn't interfered, Gu Xuan or the entity behind him would have everything planned out, waiting to harvest everything once the Immortal Mansion opened.
However, your appearance, defeating Gu Xuan who had hidden his true strength, was obviously different from what they knew about the future. Therefore, they became uneasy, taking your presence seriously and not wanting you to disrupt their plans, so they decided to act in advance, attempting to eliminate you, this uncertain factor.
But this also indicated something important: Gu Xuan's backers weren't as formidable as you had feared. They weren't a group of Divine Emperors plotting behind the scenes. Otherwise, Gu Xuan wouldn't need to use this method to plot against you. Perhaps he had some intentions to deal with other geniuses, but that could wait until after the Immortal Mansion opened.
If Gu Xuan's backers were genuinely that powerful, even with Emperor Tianyu supporting you, they could have easily wiped you out, along with the Taiyi Emperor Palace.
Therefore, this suggested that the forces behind Gu Xuan weren't overly strong, and they were cautious about revealing their intentions, fearing the attention of other major powers and Divine Emperors.
(End of this chapter)