["Damn it!" You hadn't expected the Black Turtle to be so irritable this time, starting to eat without saying a word.]
[Thinking quickly, you tried to come up with a way out and shouted, "We're all prisoners here! Why fight each other?"]
[As soon as you spoke, a strange glint appeared in the Black Turtle's eyes.]
[You felt the terrifying suction force dissipate, and you found yourself in the grasp of the Black Turtle's enormous claws.]
[It stared at you for a long time before laughing and saying, "Interesting. I didn't expect a genius like you to emerge from this forbidden place, someone who even figured out its origins."]
[You panicked, worried that the Black Turtle might ask for details.]
[After all, you didn't actually know its origins. Even with the previous simulations, all you had learned was that it was also imprisoned here and wanted to escape.]
[But fortunately, your fears were unfounded. The Black Turtle didn't press the matter.]
[Instead, it asked you why you had come to it.]
[You relaxed slightly and admitted frankly that you wanted to comprehend the forbidden formation here to improve your knowledge of formations.]
[The Black Turtle thought for a moment, nodded, and agreed. However, it warned you that you could only stay for seven years.]
[You understood this limitation, knowing that the spirit of the forbidden formation might awaken after seven years.]
[This was something the Black Turtle had mentioned in a previous simulation.]
[Not wanting to push your luck, you readily agreed to leave within seven years.]
[Afterward, the Black Turtle took you to the island in the endless sea.]
[This time, since you had openly discussed it, you had no other concerns.]
[Upon arriving at the island, you went directly to the location closest to the barrier of the forbidden formation deep within the island.]
[The Black Turtle watched your actions with growing curiosity, forming its own ideas.]
[In the Black Turtle's eyes, anyone who knew about its origins couldn't possibly be a native of the southern region.]
[It began to suspect that you were a chess piece placed here by a powerful figure from the heavens.]
[Perhaps your purpose was to disrupt this place and sabotage the person who had sealed it.]
[After all, conflicts between such great figures often played out in this manner.]
[Immortals at their level rarely intervened directly, instead using mortals as chess pieces to determine the victor.]
[The Black Turtle itself was no stranger to such manipulations. As a Xuanxian in the immortal world, it was acutely aware of its role as a pawn in someone else's game.]
[Whether willingly or not, as long as it remained imprisoned, it would inevitably serve as a chess piece in these celestial schemes.]
[Now, the Black Turtle was pondering whether you and it were pawns of the same master or if another force had entered the fray.]
[After all, the one who captured and imprisoned it wasn't the same immortal who had sealed the southern region.]
[The Black Turtle was well aware of this fact. It had been locked here solely to serve as a pawn in breaking the blockade of the southern region.]
[Its chains were connected to the forbidden formation by the actions of that powerful figure.]
[The Black Turtle cast you a final deep look before diving back into the water.]
[Of course, you were completely unaware of the Black Turtle's musings.]
[At this moment, you had already ventured deep into the island, arriving at the forbidden formation.]
Jiang Yifeng's heart tightened as he read through these details.
It seemed that the waters of the southern region ran far deeper than he had imagined.
From the Black Turtle's inner thoughts, it was evident that this place was a battlefield for the celestial powers above.
Even a Xuanxian like the Black Turtle had been reduced to a mere chess piece.
"Phew!"
Jiang Yifeng took a deep breath.
It was clear that he couldn't shy away from hardship. He needed to grow stronger quickly.
With that resolve, Jiang Yifeng silently muttered, "Start a deep simulation for seven years!"
This idea had been in his mind for some time.
For memory-based knowledge like formations, he believed that a deep simulation could allow him to bypass the usual simulation rewards and gain the understanding directly.
However, in a previous attempt, just glancing at the seal formation had caused him excruciating headaches, forcing him to abandon the idea.
But now, Jiang Yifeng felt it was time to push through the pain.
The intricacies of this world were too dangerous. Without sufficient strength, he would never feel truly secure.
[Ding! Deep simulation starting. Deducting 613.2 million energy points. Remaining energy points: 2.3 billion...]
In an instant, Jiang Yifeng's consciousness entered the simulation.
Without hesitation, he focused entirely on studying the formation.
After only a brief moment of analyzing the complex and intricate formation, he felt as though his head might explode.
Clenching his teeth, he pushed on.
Half an hour later, Jiang Yifeng fainted.
It wasn't until half a day had passed that he slowly regained consciousness.
Upon waking, he realized that his theoretical understanding of formations had significantly improved.
His efforts hadn't been in vain.
In the days that followed, Jiang Yifeng continued to study the formation.
In truth, he spent more time unconscious than he did studying.
Before he knew it, more than six years had passed.
Finally, Jiang Yifeng managed to analyze a single formation pattern.
At this point, his theoretical knowledge of formations was equivalent to that of an eighth-grade formation master.
However, he still lacked the spiritual energy necessary to construct an eighth-grade formation on his own.
With the seven-year agreement with the Black Turtle nearing its end, Jiang Yifeng knew it was time to leave the endless sea.
He decided it was also time to end his deep simulation.
Without hesitation, he silently muttered, "End the deep simulation!"
The moment he spoke, his consciousness returned to the Jiang Mansion in Qingshan City.
Jiang Yifeng quickly reviewed the formation knowledge imprinted in his mind.
"Hahaha! I knew it would work!"
Confirming that the deep simulation had indeed granted him the knowledge of an eighth-grade formation master, he couldn't help but laugh.
After a moment of joy, Jiang Yifeng turned his attention to the simulation panel.
[In the tenth year, you achieved the theoretical level of an eighth-grade formation master.]
[This year also marked the end of your agreement with the Black Turtle. The Black Turtle appeared on time and sent you to the coastal lands.]
[In the twelfth year, you returned to Qingshan City in secret.]
[With your return, the legend of the "Bellyband Fairy," which had faded in recent years, resurfaced.]
[You glanced at the mountain of bellybands in your storage ring and shook your head helplessly.]
[You never wanted this to happen; it was all due to that troublesome talent.]
[In the thirteenth year, the black-clothed immortal slave appeared in the Jiang family.]
[This time, before he could act, you launched a sneak attack without any sense of martial ethics.]
[After all, the black-clothed man was only at the ninth level of Jindan, the same level as you now, so you weren't at a disadvantage.]
[In a previous simulation, you hadn't dared to act because you couldn't match him.]
[Now, however, you were evenly matched. You knew your father would soon bring the immortal cultivators from the Back Mountain to help, so you couldn't stand by and let the Jiang family fall!]
[Your sneak attack failed as the black-clothed man dodged with his body technique.]
[Seeing that you were also at the ninth level of Jindan, he didn't retreat but instead engaged you in a fierce battle.]
[At this stage, you were equally powerful. Both of you had practiced immortal martial arts, and your 12th-grade golden elixir should have given you the upper hand or even allowed you to instantly overpower him.]
[Unfortunately, you lacked combat techniques and relied solely on your spiritual energy to fight.]
[Meanwhile, your opponent utilized various techniques. As a result, while you had the upper hand, you couldn't secure a decisive victory.]