Ten Thousand Lifetimes of Reincarnation, One Unchanging True Self

[You have been in seclusion in Han Shishan's cave abode for a month.]

[You have mastered the core theoretical aspects of the Azure Cloud Sect's array and talisman techniques, from beginner to advanced levels; all that remains is proficiency.]

The saying goes, "What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand."

[The Four Arts of Cultivation, Pills, Talismans, Formations, and Artifacts, and weapon-making—are all practical skills.]

[Now that you've finished reviewing the theory, begin crafting the Formation Plate and setting up the array, and start making talismans.]

[Your in-depth study of runes and arrays has not only allowed you to master two new skills, but also, through analogy, seems to have deepened your understanding of the Great Dao.]

[But there was no joy on your face; the scene from the Lifeless Plain surfaced in your Sea of Consciousness.]

[Those within the celestial system are not free.]

[Your current methods are insufficient to prevent the powerful being from making predictions about you.]

[You've decided to deduce an even stronger path for concealing Heavenly Secrets from "The As-If-Original Seal".]

However, the simulation did not go smoothly.

[Don't worry, men with Simulators have plenty of time.]

[Work Experience, valid.]

[Passive Income, effective.]

[After a long period of seclusion, you've finally truly felt the power of these two Trait.]

[You've hardly cultivated lately; your energy has been focused on Magic Talisman, talismans, and deducing Cultivation Method.]

However, his cultivation level has been steadily increasing.

The Spirit Stones in the Storage Ring are also accumulating day by day.

[Over a long timescale, the power of these two Trait will be amplified to a terrifying degree.]

[Han Shishan has delivered all the medicinal herbs you requested.]

[Now, he enters his own cave abode like a subordinate coming to report for duty.]

[Han Shishan seems to have tacitly accepted your usurpation of his position.]

[But you know that constant exploitation and coercion might achieve temporary compliance, but the end result will most likely be a lose-lose situation.]

A combination of kindness and firmness is the best long-term solution.

[Looking at his respectful expression, you suddenly spoke,]

"Elder Han, how many years have you been stuck at the Nascent Soul Perfection?"

This abrupt question startled Han Shishan. For a moment, he was unsure of what Han Shishan wanted to do. After a brief pause, his voice held a hint of melancholy.

"... I have been trapped in this situation for over two hundred years."

[Han Shishan's lifespan is nearing its end, and no outstanding disciples have emerged from the Han Household. This is a major reason why some within the Azure Cloud Sect want to plot against the Han Household.]

[You take out a Jade Slip from your Storage Ring.]

"Take a look at this."

[You flicked your finger, Jade Slip slowly floated to his front.]

"Don't say I, Lu, only know how to boss people around without giving them any benefits."

[Han Shishan hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the Jade Slip, probing it with his Divine Sense.]

[The next moment, Han Shishan was suddenly jolted!]

[The Supreme Emotion-Slaying Scripture.]

[This is the Secret Method you obtained from the Household Ancestor Zhao during your previous simulations, used to break through to the Spirit Transformation.]

[The opportunity to reach the Spirit Transformation Fortuitous Opportunity the Four Great Lineage of Qingyang City are vying for ultimately boils down to this secret manual.]

"Emotion is the shackle of the Great Dao, love is the tribulation of eternal life and death..."

[Han Shishan suddenly looked up and stared at you.]

His hand holding the Jade Slip trembled uncontrollably; his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.

[A chilling glint flashed in his old eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by deep-seated fear.]

[You met his intensely agitated gaze, your expression remaining completely unchanged.]

"Step down."

[You close your eyes again.]

[Han Shishan exited the Main Chamber, and the Stone Gate slowly closed.]

[You sat on the Jade Bed, ignoring the complex expression on his face as he left.]

The "Supreme Cultivation Method of Supreme Emotion-Slaying Scripture" is a perfect training method for Han Shishan.

[Han Shishan's lifespan is nearing its end; he'll do anything to survive. Once he masters this Secret Method, he won't consider rebelling against you, at least not in the short term.]

[You have entered seclusion again.]

[The Mind-Cleansing Jade Lotus, Cold-Soul Herb, and Spirit-Calming Ganoderma have been collected.]

[You begin refining elixirs.]

[The Moon Palace Fire-Devouring Furnace landed on the Earthfire Vent, Four-Legged Green Toad opened its mouth to swallow the fire.]

[The Antidote to Severed-Fate Hehuan Powder is complete.]

[You didn't stop, continuing to refine pills, create formations, draw talismans, and cultivate while taking medicine.]

[You look inward at your Dantian; your Nascent Soul is sitting cross-legged with its eyes closed. As its breath flows, it subtly exudes an aura of dominating the entire circulatory system.]

[Beside the Nascent Soul, the Core Formation Late Stage Fire Crow Seed floated silently.]

[Before Nascent Soul Realm, this Red-Feather Fire Crow, though described as Divine Sense clone, is actually more like an extension of your Divine Sense, making it inevitably distracting to control.]

[But now that the Nascent Soul has taken control of the central core, and the Divine Sense has undergone a qualitative change, this Fire Crow, under the Nascent Soul's command, can now be considered a truly independent avatar.]

[Your thoughts stirred slightly.]

A ball of Crimson-Gold Flame landed Pill Furnace, transforming into Red-Feather Fire Crow, and began to take over the work of the Moon Palace Fire-Devouring Furnace.

[Asking the Red-Feather Fire Crow to create formations and draw talismans is currently asking too much of a question.]

[But having Crow-Crow refine pills in a furnace is far too specialized a task.]

[From a Crow-Crow Decorative Pet to a somewhat useful Scout, then to a highly useful Suicide Squad Leader, and now he's even got a new job: the Fire-Tending Boy.]

[Sure enough, outstanding people only get more and more work. As for their salaries, of course, they don't increase at all.]

[You watch this scene with satisfaction.]

[Not long after, the first batch of Qi-Gathering Pills for the Red-Feather Fire Crow was successfully refined.]

[With a flap of its wings, the Crow-Crow caused the furnace lid to fly off, and four Qi-Gathering Pills landed on the jade plate.]

[A quick scan with your Divine Sense reveals that the Pills is of excellent quality, perfectly round and full, brimming with Spiritual Qi.]

[Excellent, excellent. As expected of your clone, you've perfectly inherited your alchemy skills.]

[One furnace yields four pills; a solid level Third-Grade Alchemist skill.]

[The thought had just crossed your mind when the smile on your face suddenly froze.]

[Etc...]

[You seemed to suddenly remember something, and your heart skipped a beat.]

Something's not right.

[One furnace yields four pills?]

[Where's your "Overtime" Trait? And what about the triple rewards?]

[And what about "Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement"? This Trait basically guarantees five pills per batch when using normal amounts of medicinal materials.]

[How come they're all gone by the time Crow-Crow?!]

[One batch of fifteen pills has become one batch of four pills?]

[You sadly discover that the Trait provided by the system only apply to your current user account.]

[As an independent clone, the Red-Feather Fire Crow can inherit your skills, but it cannot inherit your "equipment"!]

[In other words, having Crow-Crow refine pills for you not only means you won't enjoy Trait and the output will be lower, but the consumption rate of medicinal materials will also be at the normal standard.]

[When you do the math, it's a complete loss.]

[You silently watch the Crow-Crow, and the joy of "having acquired Fire-Tending Boy" vanishes from your heart.]

"Alright, stop your Divine Ability."

You sighed, and with a wave of your hand, you directly pressed Crow-Crow back into your Dantian.

[It seems that what truly motivates ruthless Head of the Lineage reduce their employees' workload is never a sudden pang of conscience...]

[It's a stark comparison of cost-effectiveness.]

[You realize that the system's Trait seem to only work on your authentic self.]

[Through countless reincarnations, the True Self remains unchanged.]

[This discovery actually relieved you.]

[You obediently tore off a stack of yellow paper, dipped your brush in Cinnabar, and with a flick of your wrist, traced out runes.]

[The monotonous alchemy, array creation, talisman drawing, and drug-consuming cultivation, along with the deduction of the As-If-Original Seal, continue.]

Fortunately, with the combination of various Trait, the output per run tripled, and efficiency also tripled.

"I can take on ten of them," that's you.

[Not only have you mastered all Four Arts of Cultivation, but your cultivation level is also steadily improving.]

[Qi-Gathering Pill were produced one after another, and Formation Plates and Talisman piled up on the jade table.]

[Although the output is high, the input is also considerable. Including what you squeezed out of Han Shishan, the inventory is depleted, and you need to liquidate it.]

[Passive Income alone can't support your spending habits.]

[Options pop up.]

[A: Personally go down the mountain and slowly sell the goods at the Black Market near the Azure Cloud Sect, focusing on a steady approach.]

[B: Sell all the goods to Han Shishan and let him run errands to exchange them for resources.]

[C: Register a "Lu's Choice" account within the Azure Cloud Sect, focusing on direct sales from the manufacturer, eliminating middlemen and their markups.]