Nine Nether's Promise, Simulation Choices

Not long after,

Inside Nine Nether Palace,

Nine Nether emerged from her seclusion chamber, draped in a light gauzy robe. Her tall, slender figure was faintly visible beneath the fabric. Her slightly narrow eyes were half-lidded, brimming with an untamed wildness amid their seductive charm. Especially those pair of perfect long legs—they were a feast for the eyes.

Lu Chen silently admired her for a while before looking up to find Nine Nether gazing at him with a teasing smile.

"Do I look good, little brother?"

"Very good."

Lu Chen answered honestly.

At his reply, Nine Nether's lovely face bloomed with a bright smile. She stepped closer to Lu Chen and teased, "If you like looking, then take a few more looks. Once your strength surpasses mine someday, even if you want your big sister to warm your bed, that will be fine. But when you make such a request, you'd better be careful whether that little body of yours can handle it."

Lu Chen rolled his eyes. This big sister was truly bold.

Having been thoroughly defeated, he took out a red scroll from his Mustard Seed Bracelet and handed it to Nine Nether, turning to the serious matter at hand.

"Big Sister Nine Nether, I came this time because I have an important matter to ask your help with."

Nine Nether accepted the scroll. With a single glance, she committed its contents to memory and immediately understood Lu Chen's purpose.

"You want me to help collect the materials listed here? Are you preparing to cultivate the Heavenly Flame Celestial Body?"

Nine Nether asked with an amused laugh.

Lu Chen nodded. "Yes, I've decided."

"Didn't you look down on this Celestial Body before? Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

Nine Nether raised a graceful brow and asked in surprise.

"I was young and ignorant. There were always things I couldn't see clearly. Now that I've thought it through, being able to cultivate a Celestial Body ranked among the top ninety-nine Supreme Sovereign Celestial Bodies is already an immense blessing. I wouldn't dare ask for too much."

Lu Chen smiled and spoke calmly.

"Fine, then. I'll spread the word and have people help you look for them. The other materials should be manageable, but the three main ingredients for the Heavenly Flame Celestial Body are exceptionally rare. They may not be easy to find."

Nine Nether studied the scroll in her hand and spoke thoughtfully.

Lu Chen frowned slightly. "Big Sister Nine Nether means the Great Sun Golden Crystal, Flowing Fire Heavenly Flame, and Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow?"

"Yes."

Nine Nether nodded. "Of those three treasures, I've at least heard of Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow. It is fire jade condensed in the deepest parts of a sea of magma. Only after fire jade has condensed for ten thousand years can it form jade marrow. Among the ninety-nine Supreme Sovereign Celestial Bodies, it is said that some powerful Celestial Bodies require this item as well."

"As for the other two—the Great Sun Golden Crystal and Flowing Fire Heavenly Flame—I have never heard of them. But since they are both main ingredients for the Heavenly Flame Celestial Body, they surely aren't ordinary treasures."

Lu Chen nodded slightly, knowing this would not be easy. After all, it was a Supreme Sovereign Celestial Body improved by Emperor Yan. Even if it was merely a prerequisite Celestial Body, the materials it required were likely difficult to obtain. He could only search for them slowly.

He immediately said, "Big Sister Nine Nether, just do your best to collect them. No matter the price, I'll pay it."

"Alright. If you don't have enough Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, Nine Nether Palace still has some savings. If we sell the spiritual items and spirit arts in our treasury, we should be able to gather enough for these things."

Nine Nether nodded lightly and agreed without hesitation.

The corner of Lu Chen's mouth twitched. He quickly waved his hand. "That won't be necessary. I'll pay for these things myself. Though my family has fallen on hard times, I still have some savings. There's no need for Big Sister Nine Nether to spend so much."

"You should keep those things to cultivate the Nine Nether Guard. After all, they are the fruits of Big Sister Nine Nether's hard work."

"Are you sure? These things won't cost a small amount."

Nine Nether frowned, sounding displeased.

"I'm sure. If it isn't enough, then I'll come borrow some from Big Sister Nine Nether."

Lu Chen rubbed his nose. Not wanting to reject Nine Nether's goodwill, he could only put it that way.

"Fine, decide for yourself. Come find me if it isn't enough."

Nine Nether's brow relaxed, and she nodded in satisfaction.

A short while later,

Lu Chen left the main hall and returned to his cultivation chamber, where he sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

With a thought, he summoned the illusory panel again. After claiming the Heavenly Flame Celestial Body Advancement Method, he finally let out a breath, and his mood immediately lightened considerably.

"I'll cultivate for a while first. When it's time to simulate next month, I'll see whether I can gather the materials needed for the Heavenly Flame Celestial Body. If not, then future me will just have to suffer a little."

After pondering for a moment, Lu Chen's Mustard Seed Bracelet flashed with spiritual light, and one thousand crystal-clear drops of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid shot out.

Lu Chen activated the Flame Mantra. The purple Supreme Sea within his body trembled violently, then swallowed all the Sovereign Spiritual Liquid like a bottomless abyss. A fierce surge rose from the Supreme Sea as it began the lengthy refining process.

Time passed swiftly in cultivation, and a month vanished in the blink of an eye.

On the stone platform, the youth with his eyes closed refined the final drop of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and after a moment, his dark eyes suddenly opened.

Purple light flashed through his black pupils as usual, but this time it was slightly deeper.

Lu Chen slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, then rose to his feet. Feeling the improvement in his cultivation, a smile rose to his lips as he muttered, "At this pace, I should be able to attempt the peak of First Grade Sovereign in another half year..."

"But it consumes far too much Sovereign Spiritual Liquid..."

Touching the Mustard Seed Bracelet on his wrist, Lu Chen said with some heartache.

A single month of cultivation had consumed one thousand drops of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, and this was only the early stage. The higher his realm became, the more Sovereign Spiritual Liquid he would need.

According to rumors, Heavenly Supremes required an even more terrifying amount of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, consuming several hundred million drops a year. At that level, there was no such thing as being alone. One either joined a superpower or established one oneself; otherwise, one could not even sustain daily cultivation.

"It's time. The month is up. Let's begin the simulation."

With a thought, Lu Chen summoned the virtual panel in his mind.

Ding. Current simulation attempts: one.

Begin simulation?

"Begin!"

Ding! Future Life Simulator activated!

Future life simulation in progress—

Year One: You cultivated diligently. With the aid of vast amounts of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, you quickly reached the peak of First Grade Sovereign. At this time, Nine Nether sent word that the auction house on Shang Continent would be auctioning Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow in one month.

Overjoyed, you made preparations and set off for Shang Continent.

You successfully obtained the Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow at auction. There, you encountered Lin Jing, disguised as a man. She said she wanted the Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow to cultivate the Heavenly Jade Celestial Body. After some thought, you ultimately gave it to her.

She was deeply moved and gave you an Amulet Spiritual Jade, capable of blocking one strike from a Fifth Grade Sovereign. You accepted the Amulet Spiritual Jade, and afterward, the two of you traveled together. On the way out of the auction house, you encountered an ambush by Liu Ming, the Young Hall Master of Profound Heaven Hall.

Facing Liu Ming, a First Grade Sovereign like yourself, you naturally had no fear. The two of you engaged in a fierce battle. During the fight, you revealed your peak First Grade Sovereign strength and unleashed a Greater Divine Ability, heavily injuring him in an instant.

Liu Ming flew into a rage and summoned a Black-Robed Elder, ordering him to tear you into ten thousand pieces. The Black-Robed Elder's strength was terrifying. With a casual strike, he sent you flying, and the Amulet Spiritual Jade on your body instantly shattered.

You realized something was wrong and had just tried to flee with Lin Jing when the Black-Robed Elder appeared before you.

You died.

This simulation has ended—

You may choose one item from your future life:

1. Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow

2. Amulet Spiritual Jade

3. Your memories from the moment of your death at age eighteen

Lu Chen looked at the three options before him and fell into deep thought.

"Though that death was rather hasty, it also proves that the future is not set in stone. This time, I didn't go to Northern Azure Continent, so the White Dragon Spiritual Pearl containing an opportunity to become a Heavenly Supreme was also beyond my reach."

"Of the three options, I definitely can't choose the memories from the moment of death. I already know the cause of my death. I just need to avoid that fellow Liu Ming, so choosing it would be useless."

"I can only choose between the Amulet Spiritual Jade and the Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow..."

At this thought, Lu Chen instinctively wanted to choose the Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow, but at the last moment, he stopped.

"No. Although I can simulate multiple times, opportunities are not fixed. My first choices should be those opportunities that may not appear consistently. Opportunities fixed in place, like the Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow, are actually of little value to me."

"Besides, I haven't gathered the other materials needed to cultivate the Heavenly Flame Celestial Body. Even if I take the Heavenly Fire Jade Marrow now, I still can't cultivate it for the time being. It should be saved as the final choice."

Once Lu Chen thought it through, everything became clear. In the end, he chose the Amulet Spiritual Jade capable of blocking a strike from a Fifth Grade Sovereign.