A Turn for the Better

"Start simulation!"

[Simulation started. Remaining simulations this month: 0]

[Year 1: You are trapped in the Spirit Sealing Grotto-Heaven Ruins, tempering your meridians with molten lava flames.]

[Year 2: You find a way to escape the ruins, only to be ambushed by a waiting cultivator and die tragically on the spot.]

[Simulation ended. Reward: None.]

Shen Yi's eyelids twitched. Another simulation with no reward. Was it because he didn't survive long enough? And regarding the multiple simulation results, who exactly was the cultivator who brought about his death?

"In just one month, my cultivation shows signs of another breakthrough. My meridians can now withstand the scorching heat of the flames without being burned," Shen Yi said, looking at the depleted pills in his Cosmic Ring. "Fortunately, I had so many pills to assist me; otherwise, my meridians wouldn't have adapted so quickly."

As for the two forces within his body, they had both become dormant. Occasionally, they would try to stir up a spiritual energy riot, but Shen Yi ruthlessly suppressed them.

"With both internal and external threats, I must cultivate faster!"

Shen Yi's eyes were resolute. He took a step out of the protective blue light of the teleportation array, his upper body bare, and walked into the roaring flames.

The rolling flames instantly engulfed him. Only a vague outline was visible. Shen Yi was seen sitting cross-legged in mid-air, emitting white mist from his body – a sign that the moisture within him was rapidly evaporating.

"It still hurts!"

After just one breath, Shen Yi couldn't bear it any longer. He quickly retreated into the blue light, and the surrounding flames were instantly cleared. Shen Yi grabbed a pill and swallowed it in one gulp. His charred skin gradually began to heal.

Once recovered, Shen Yi stepped into the flames once more.

This cycle repeated, and another month passed in the blink of an eye.

"Start simulation!"

[Simulation started. Remaining simulations this month: 0]

[Year 1: You diligently cultivate in the Spirit Sealing Grotto-Heaven.]

[Year 2: You diligently cultivate.]

[Year 3: You diligently cultivate.]

[Year 4: You decide to leave the ruins, only to be ambushed by a waiting cultivator and die tragically on the spot.]

[Simulation ended. Reward: One blue pill, effects unknown.]

"Who on earth is this person? To have such perseverance, guarding the ruins outside for a full four years without giving up!" Shen Yi's face darkened. The mysterious person outside the ruins was becoming his inner demon. "Could it be him?"

He suddenly thought of something, and his heart sank. It was likely only him – Wang Shangren, the Grand Elder of the Qingxuan Sect. It seemed he had become suspicious of Shen Yi. Revenge for his son's death, no wonder he was so persistent.

"A cultivator at the Golden Core Stage!"

Shen Yi shook his head. He was merely a cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm. In the eyes of a Golden Core cultivator, he was like an ant. This was truly troublesome.

"Cultivate!"

Shen Yi felt he wasn't entirely without hope. It was merely two major realms separating them; he would eventually reach that level, it was just a matter of time.

"If one month isn't enough, then a year. If a year isn't enough, then ten years. I'm not afraid of you!"

With this thought, Shen Yi walked into the flames once more.

"Start simulation!"

[Simulation started. Remaining simulations this month: 0]

[Year 1: You cultivate in the Spirit Sealing Grotto-Heaven.]

[Year 2: You trigger a mechanism in the ruins. You can now travel freely throughout the Grotto-Heaven Ruins, and you decide to explore.]

[Year 3: You explore the entire ruins and pass all trials.]

[Year 4: You decide to leave the ruins, only to be ambushed by a waiting cultivator and die tragically on the spot.]

[Simulation ended. Reward: Unknown, requires host to explore.]

"Damn it, it's still you!"

Even with Shen Yi's resilient nature, seeing this ending, he couldn't help but feel the urge to curse. However, what intrigued him more was the reward the simulator had given.

"It seems I need to pass all the trials."

Shen Yi rose from the flames. As he circulated his spiritual energy, the flames fell from his body like dust.

"My Indestructible Meridian has reached minor success. These flames can no longer harm me in the slightest. My cultivation has even broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining," Shen Yi exhaled. He decided to follow the simulator's advice and find the mechanism within the ruins to pass all the trials. But before that, he had to deal with a major hidden danger within his body – that cursed sword energy.

He activated the Indestructible Scripture, and his spiritual energy slowly approached the sword energy. As if sensing danger, the sword energy awakened and suddenly surged, moving wildly within his meridians, attempting to disrupt Shen Yi's spiritual energy circulation. However, the toughness of Shen Yi's meridians was now incomparable to what it was before, and the sword energy could no longer cause any harm.

He pursued it relentlessly, forcing the sword energy to his fingertip. With a shout, Shen Yi's spiritual energy impacted the sword energy, and it shot out into the void.

"Ugh!"

Shen Yi coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, but his expression became more relaxed.

"Hm?"

He suddenly heard a message in his mind, filled with a hint of fear.

"It's... it?"

Shen Yi then realized that it was the black energy within him that was communicating with him. It seemed to have become fearful after witnessing Shen Yi's methods.

"Behave yourself and come out, or I'll turn you into ashes!"

Shen Yi's words were meant to intimidate. He was also very curious about this nascent black energy within him.

"What? You don't want to?"

Shen Yi's expression changed. He channeled spiritual energy to surround the black energy, clearly sensing its fear. Under pressure, the black energy finally relented.

Shen Yi stared wide-eyed at the mass of black before him and grabbed it, curiously examining it as it shifted.

"You've been here for so long, you must know where the mechanisms are, right?"

Looking at the black energy curled into a ball, Shen Yi touched it with his finger and asked.

The black energy seemed to enjoy it, making cooing sounds and indicating for him to continue. It also conveyed that the mechanism was in the room at the end of the passage, though it couldn't recall the exact location.

Shen Yi smiled. This black energy was surprisingly innocent and cute, having revealed so much so easily.

He arrived at the room at the end of the passage, which was now in ruins. Returning to this place brought a mix of emotions to Shen Yi, strengthening his resolve to leave as soon as possible, even if formidable enemies lay in wait outside.

"Little Black, do you have any general idea?"

It was quite remarkable how, in such a short time, the black energy had become close with Shen Yi. Shen Yi had even named it "Little Black," though Little Black seemed to dislike the name, always protesting with grunts and hums.

Little Black then spun in the air a few times and wandered around the room. Finally, it stopped in front of a skull banner, repeatedly signaling for Shen Yi to come closer.

Seeing this, Shen Yi sent a stream of spiritual energy into the banner. The skull insignia suddenly flew out of the banner, emitting a bright red light in the air. The light illuminated the surroundings, forming teleportation arrays. The arrangement of these arrays perfectly matched the map Shen Yi held.