With the experience gained from the previous simulation, under the full operation of the Sect Master’s orders, and your genuine Golden Core cultivation, you ascended once again to the position of Sect Master before news of the old Golden Core’s demise had even begun to spread.
Cultivator Su Bai, forty-six years into the path of cultivation, drawing energy into his body through the Sunflower Manual, forging a Lotus Dao Foundation by the foundation-building method, achieving a modest understanding of the law of heaven and earth and the essence of wood, and finally forming a Golden Core!
The passing of the Rock Flame True Man; your Dao name is Qingyang, thus you are the True Man Qingyang! Sect Master Qingyang!!
After taking office, you naturally continued the methods from your previous life, dispatching everyone outward. But you didn’t slaughter indiscriminately, mainly because you were quite interested in the assassin named Shadowkill from Youlu.
While waiting for this assassin named Shadowkill, you managed sect affairs and didn’t forget to care for your disciple, adopted son, and little pet.
Perhaps due to the more disciplinarian style of education this life, Su Xiaohei was not as close as in the last life, even harboring subtle fear and apprehension.
You didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, you were quite satisfied. Eliminating the last trace of threat from rebellious disciples at the cradle stage, you summoned your little pet and tossed him the Heavenly Spirit Myriad Soul Essence, letting him use it as a foundation-building spirit treasure.
From the previous simulation experience, you knew Su Xiaohei possessed great combat talent. This life, you intended to train him into your blade—a sharp knife, a knife to conquer the Five Domains!
Simulated one hundred and eighty years; water striking three thousand miles; soaring upward nine ten-thousand miles—this was the moment of your rise!!
The moon shone brightly in a sparse sky, silence enveloped the surroundings.
At that moment, a gentle knock came from outside the Qingyang Hall door.
“Come in.” Su Bai said calmly without lifting his head.
“The Sect Master, here is the sect’s income and expenditure report for this year.”
The door slowly opened. Zhao Shanming, holding a thick ledger, approached Su Bai’s low table. After placing the ledger down, he lowered his head to look at Su Bai. “Sect Master, I have urgent intelligence to report!”
Su Bai did not raise his head, only slightly nodded. “Speak…”
Whoosh!
In the next instant, a sharp jade blade pierced through Su Bai’s dantian, straight through the Golden Core, stabbing into his lower abdomen and protruding from his back.
Su Bai’s eyes suddenly shrank to the size of needles, struggling to lift his head—
“Demon, die!!!”
Zhao Shanming’s face twisted with rage as he roared. The jade blade was fully embedded inside Su Bai’s body, ruthlessly shattering the Golden Core. Yet Su Bai’s expression remained unchanged, only giving the man in front of him a faint, almost amused glance before quietly uttering a phrase.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Shadowkill~”
Su Bai smiled as his body dissolved into a pool of blood. Zhao Shanming’s expression turned grim as a mysterious black banner suddenly rushed at him from behind, aiming for a fatal strike.
At that moment, a shadow flickered like a ghost. A sword gleamed coldly in hand, accurately intercepting the banner’s attack. The clash of sword and banner erupted into a dazzling explosion, and the powerful shockwave forced both men to retreat several steps!
“Damn it! This demon had prepared in advance!!” Zhao Shanming shouted.
“Everyone, attack together!!”
“For the people of the world!!”
“For all beings in the Five Domains!!”
“For Mr. Bai!!”
“For our fallen comrades!!”
In an instant, four Golden Core auras surged into the sky, piercing through the entire Qingyang Hall!
When the light faded slightly, two men and two women stood revealed. Each donned magnificent robes, their spiritual aura circling around them like radiant bands of light, each casting their divine arts to encircle Su Bai tightly at the center.
One man wielded a long halberd, the weapon radiating an icy chill that seemed capable of freezing everything; another man’s sword heart was crystal clear, sword qi crisscrossing, magical fluctuations fierce, as if carrying the power to destroy heaven and earth.
The two women, one held a pipa; as the strings gently vibrated, a deadly killing sound seemed to seep out, chilling to the bone. The other carried a silk ribbon that fluttered like a lively spiritual snake, hiding lethal intent.
The four formed a quadrilateral, trapping Su Bai firmly in the middle.
Su Bai: ???
This… this can’t be right!
Four Golden Core cultivators!?
But since things had come to this, if he didn’t want this second life simulation to end here, he could only fight desperately!
Holding the Human Emperor Banner, stepping on the Earth Emperor Cauldron, and with the Heaven Emperor Divine Mirror overhead, he quickly sent out a distress signal to the Immortal Alliance!
What followed was a battle that felt incredibly frustrating for Su Bai.
When he wielded the Human Emperor Banner, the opponent countered with a palm thunder strike accompanied by countless Thunder God lightning orbs that shattered souls and sent them wailing.
When he used the Earth Emperor Cauldron, the opponent’s ribbon manipulated the battlefield to interfere and maintain distance, while the pipa’s sonic attacks assaulted him.
When he attacked the mind with the Heaven Emperor Divine Mirror, the sword cultivator with a clear sword heart fought his willpower intensely.
It felt like the opponent had thoroughly studied his moves and found ways to counter them—a thoroughly “disgusting” experience.
No!
It couldn’t continue like this!
Feeling the magical power within himself near exhaustion, Su Bai gritted his teeth and abruptly activated the semi-complete formation he had prepared—the Heaven Emperor Spirit Locking Formation!
In an instant, countless beams of golden light shot out. One after another, golden threads crisscrossed to form a massive, translucent golden grid, enveloping the entire Sanshan Sect within!
The four Golden Core cultivators saw this and all showed immense fear in their eyes, as if recalling some of the most terrifying memories.
“No spirits allowed here!”
A cold voice rang out. The surrounding spiritual energy suddenly withdrew, transforming the area into a spiritless wasteland. Su Bai held his long banner, his gaze icy as he stared at the four Golden Core cultivators.
The Heaven Emperor Spirit Locking Formation—using formation to replace heaven, usurping heavenly authority to execute heavenly punishment!
Thanks to the semi-complete Heaven Emperor Spirit Locking Formation, you easily suppressed the four Golden Core cultivators, though at the cost of the formation’s overburdened core being completely destroyed.
The four Golden Core cultivators somehow escaped the formation, but each was severely injured, with one even barely clinging to life.
After withdrawing the formation, you spat a mouthful of fresh blood. No surprise—facing four alone and inflicting heavy injuries on all of them, you yourself were also badly hurt.
That night, the night wind howled, the moonlight cold and clear. In the forest, Zhao Shanming, unable to contain his internal injuries any longer, collapsed heavily to the ground, blood gushing wildly from his mouth.
He struggled to rise, but when he looked up, he saw a white figure emerging from the pitch-black woods, walking toward him.
The next moment, a glint of cold light flashed—
…
Just after urgently assembling and cleaning up the mess, Su Xiaohei returned to the cave abode. He pulled out the wordless book from the bedside cabinet and slammed it onto the ground, his face dark as iron.
“What exactly happened today at Qingyang Hall!! This is the ‘big matter’ you mentioned! Book Spirit, who exactly are you!!”
At that moment, a golden-lined white robe and bronze-masked man’s phantom emerged from the book. Seeing Su Xiaohei’s grim expression, he sighed.
“Do you really want to know?”
Seeing Su Xiaohei’s gloomy face, the white-robed man knew words were useless now. He sighed again, reached up, and lifted his mask to reveal a weathered face nine-tenths identical to Su Xiaohei’s.
“I am you.”