[In the eighty-fifth year, you looked up at the sky with a disappointed expression and sighed.]
[This year, you noticed that your injuries were not healing as quickly as you had hoped.]
[You began to suspect that your talent, **Late Bloomer**, did not accelerate your recovery.]
[This left you particularly puzzled. Cultivation typically speeds up the absorption of spiritual energy, which should also hasten your recovery.]
[Yet now, despite using spiritual energy to heal your injuries, your talent seemed ineffective. You muttered in frustration, "What a double standard!"]
[In the eighty-fifth year, your injuries remained severe, and your strength only recovered to the early stage of transformation.]
[This made you frown deeply. For a moment, you even considered dispersing your cultivation and starting over.]
[However, this thought was quickly dismissed.]
[You had inherited the knowledge of immortals, and as an experienced cultivator, you knew that dispersing your power would damage your foundation.]
[Such damage would make it impossible for you to ever reach your original heights again.]
[In the ninetieth year, you glanced at the strands of white hair at your temples and laughed bitterly.]
[At only 110 years old, you were considered young by the standards of your cultivation level. Having white hair was anything but normal.]
[Still, your appearance didn't surprise you too much.]
[After all, Shen Wutian had extracted a significant portion of your blood and soul.]
[This had undoubtedly taken a toll on your lifespan.]
[You had already suspected as much but chose to ignore the signs, clinging to the hope that your **Surrogate Doll** talent might erase these hidden dangers.]
[However, it was now evident that the talent only lived up to its name—it could only die for you.]
[You glanced at the wooden house where you had lived for decades, took a deep breath, and sighed, "I can't hide any longer."]
[Initially, your plan had been to recover your strength in secret and only explore the surroundings once you were ready.]
[If this place turned out to be too dangerous, you had considered hiding and cultivating until the end of your life.]
[But the white hair on your temples was a wake-up call—you didn't have enough time to recover your strength, let alone improve your cultivation.]
[You realized you couldn't afford to hide anymore. You needed to take risks and adopt a more aggressive approach.]
[Whether by searching for treasures to extend your lifespan or uncovering the mysteries of this place, you had to act.]
[Continuing to hide would only waste your time in this simulation.]
[Having made up your mind, you no longer hesitated and ventured forth.]
[In the ninety-first year, you arrived outside the gates of Cang Yun Sect.]
[It shouldn't have taken you a year to reach this place.]
[However, along the way, you visited numerous medicine shops and auction houses, hoping to find natural treasures that could help you.]
[You sought treasures to restore your blood, heal your soul, or extend your lifespan—anything that might be of use.]
[Unfortunately, such treasures were rare, and you found nothing.]
[You weren't too disappointed, as you hadn't expected much from the start.]
[Your goal in coming to Cang Yun Sect was similar.]
[As the largest sect in the region, it was your best chance of finding these treasures.]
[But how would you obtain treasures from Cang Yun Sect?]
[Forget about obtaining treasures—entering the sect itself was already a challenge.]
[Nevertheless, luck was on your side. After a few days of loitering outside the sect, you learned that Cang Yun Sect would be recruiting disciples in three months.]
[You decided to use this opportunity to sneak in.]
[In just over three months, you successfully infiltrated Cang Yun Sect.]
[However, you didn't join as a disciple.]
[You were far too old to meet the sect's requirements for new disciples.]
[So how did you gain entry to Cang Yun Sect?]
[You glanced at the shy fairy standing beside you and silently recited, "Tao Te Ching!"]
[It wasn't intentional—you had merely exchanged a few casual words with her, and she had taken the initiative to approach you.]
[At least, that's what you told yourself.]
[As for your **Love Saint** talent? You chose to conveniently forget its existence, refusing to admit you had used it.]
[Thus, you gained entry to Cang Yun Sect as Xia Zhishan's Dao partner.]
[Xia Zhishan, a three-thousand-year-old fairy and elder of the sect, was a powerhouse at the ninth level of tribulation and held a position of great authority.]
[After learning about your injuries, she used her influence to provide you with many treasures.]
[By the ninety-fifth year, the white hair on your temples had completely disappeared.]
[You could now exert the strength of someone at the peak of the spirit transformation stage.]
[However, you noticed that your recovery had slowed significantly.]
[The reason was clear. Over the past few years, Xia Zhishan had provided you with numerous treasures to restore your lifespan and blood essence.]
[But none of these treasures could heal your soul injuries.]
[Half of your injuries stemmed from your soul. Without the right resources, you could only recover your soul power gradually over time.]
[During these years, you also asked Xia Zhishan which domain of the Nine Mysterious Realm this place belonged to.]
[Her answer took you by surprise.]
[She said that this was the Shenwu Continent, a unified land with territories divided by sects rather than domains.]
[Her response made you ponder deeply.]
[Later, you inquired about the fairy world, but Xia Zhishan claimed she had no knowledge of it.]
[In the end, you stopped asking. You speculated that perhaps you had been mistaken all along.]
[Instead of being teleported out of the Southern Region, you might have been transported out of the Nine Mysterious Realm entirely—perhaps even far away from the fairy world.]
[Surprisingly, you found this reassuring. Being far from the powerful beings of the fairy world meant greater safety.]
[You began entertaining wild thoughts: if you could remain here and recover your injuries, wouldn't you be invincible once this simulation ended?]