On December 1st, Great Xia Calendar 489, you attempted to break through to the Postnatal Realm, but failed. You knew that by normal means, it would likely take a long time before you could break through to the Postnatal Realm. And if you delayed any longer, you might lose even the slightest hope of reaching the Innate Realm.
In the end, you chose to take your remaining Spirit Stones to Black Rock City, the nearest city, hoping to see whether it had any pills that could help one break through to the Postnatal Realm.
On December 2nd, Great Xia Calendar 489, you were ambushed by Postnatal Realm bandits on the road to Black Rock City. However, your White Talent, Escape Expert, took effect, greatly increasing the speed of your horse and allowing you to escape safely. You were immensely relieved.
On December 3rd, Great Xia Calendar 489, you successfully arrived at Black Rock City and found the largest apothecary there to inquire about pills. In the end, you learned of a pill called the Acquired Realm Pill, which could increase the chances of breaking through to the Postnatal Realm. You were overjoyed.
You asked about the price and discovered that it required three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Your heart bled, but you could only take out your remaining three Low-Grade Spirit Stones to pay. At that moment, you deeply regretted not asking the people of Chi Village for more Spirit Stones when you had parted ways.
After purchasing the Acquired Realm Pill, you began secluded cultivation at an inn. In the end, you successfully broke through to the Postnatal Realm and became a Postnatal Realm expert. Next, you chose to return to Whitewood Village and continue lying low, with no desire to roam the martial world.
In the year 490 of the Great Xia Calendar, during the Lunar New Year, you watched the people of Whitewood Village celebrate the new year and felt terribly lonely. You considered whether to settle down and build a family, leaving behind something to remember you by.
In the end, you chose to settle down and establish yourself. During the year 490 of the Great Xia Calendar, you sought to spread your branches and leaves. At the same time, you began revealing your cultivation, overpowering the other lineages of Whitewood Village and making them revere you as their leader.
In the year 491 of the Great Xia Calendar, floods and droughts broke out across Great Xia, leaving the people destitute. On top of that, the Emperor of Great Xia was incompetent, while treacherous ministers held sway in court. Great Xia began to show signs of great chaos. This left you deeply worried. Your cultivation was only at the second level of the Postnatal Realm, and you could not protect your wife and children in such a chaotic age.
On July 8th, Great Xia Calendar 493, your cultivation reached the fourth level of the Postnatal Realm, and your family gradually grew. At the same time, the Xia Kingdom fell completely into chaos. Bandits ran rampant, and heroes from all sides began to rise in rebellion. The turmoil reached Whitewood Village as well, and someone invited you to join the Rebel Army. You chose to refuse.
Seeing that you refused, the Rebel Army demanded that you hand over your money and grain to contribute to the uprising. You were furious. They clearly wanted to seize the family estate you had worked so hard to build. However, knowing that you were weaker than them, you chose to cooperate. The Rebel Army sneered, saying that you had dared glare at them and must therefore support the foolish emperor. They domineeringly beat you to death.
Because of your death, this simulation ended.
"The people of this Rebel Army really are overbearing. How are they any different from bandits?"
Wang Ping frowned as he looked at the simulation's outcome, thoroughly displeased.
Killing people and seizing their wealth at the slightest disagreement was the sort of thing only bandits did.
No, they were even more disgusting than bandits. At the very least, bandits openly declared, plain as day, that they were bad people and that they wanted to kill and rob.
But these Rebel Army people wanted to kill and seize wealth, yet still slapped an unjust label onto you. They were utterly hypocritical.
"Looks like lying low and developing steadily is still the optimal solution. Spreading branches and leaves will only bring disaster upon myself."
Wang Ping recalled the contents of the simulation and shook his head again.
The simulated him really could not endure loneliness. He had clearly already laid low long enough to become a Postnatal Realm martial artist. If he had continued to lie low, he might not have lacked even a sliver of hope of becoming an Innate Realm expert.
Yet the moment he gained some strength, he wanted to spread his branches and leaves. As a result, the Rebel Army noticed him, and tragedy struck.
Perhaps this was the instinct of Chinese people—a strange obsession with starting a family.
Of course, if he had not revealed his strength to build himself up and earn cultivation resources, his cultivation likely would not have reached the fourth level of the Postnatal Realm in the end.
After all, without sufficient cultivation resources, cultivation would only become more difficult and slower the farther one progressed.
At that moment, the system's voice rang out again, pulling Wang Ping back to his senses.
"Ding, reward generation successful. The host may choose two of the following rewards: ① White Talent: Escape Expert. ② White Talent: Sword Dao Genius. ③ Life experience."
"Can I actually choose two?"
Wang Ping was somewhat surprised, but as he looked at the three rewards, he still felt conflicted.
He wanted all three rewards.
The White Talent, Sword Dao Genius, could improve his talent in the Sword Dao. After practicing the sword, he would not be so easily killed by someone of a higher realm.
The effects of the White Talent, Escape Expert, had also been demonstrated in the simulation. You could be weaker than others, but you absolutely could not run slower than them.
As for the third reward, it did not look particularly eye-catching, but upon closer thought, it was extremely valuable.
After all, this was equivalent to letting Wang Ping obtain more than ten years of life experience out of thin air.
Although it did not seem like much at first glance, once he thought about it carefully, its value was astonishing.
Only rich life experience could make one more mature.
At the same time, it might include his own martial arts training experience as well, allowing his cultivation to rise faster in the next simulation.
"System, I choose ① and ③."
After struggling for a while, Wang Ping finally gritted his teeth and chose the third reward.
"Ding, selection successful. Issuing rewards."
The system's voice rang out.
Then, Wang Ping felt a vast number of memories suddenly appear in his mind, drawing him into them.
The sensation was exceedingly strange. From a first-person perspective, he watched everything flash by as though he had truly lived through those more than ten years. His state of mind improved considerably, and he gained many different insights into life.
The cultivation experience he had painstakingly explored in particular left him utterly absorbed.
At the same time, he felt dazed, as though time itself had become tangled and crossed.
Who knew how long passed before Wang Ping finally came back to his senses.
The feeling was so strange that it left him speechless for a long while.
"Choosing life experience really was the right decision."
Wang Ping murmured softly.
Although Wang Ping's appearance did not seem to have changed much, his temperament had changed. He now gave off a steady, composed feeling, no longer possessing that obvious restless impatience from before.
If he simulated again, then as long as he lay low and cultivated, Wang Ping believed that he should have hope of entering the Innate Realm.
"System, how many Spirit Stones are needed to conduct another simulation?"
Wang Ping asked inwardly.
"Eight Low-Grade Spirit Stones," the system answered.
"As expected, it doubled."
Wang Ping felt helpless.
It doubled and doubled. The number of Spirit Stones he would need for future simulations would likely be astronomical.
Honestly, it was rather frightening.
"Brother Wang Ping, it's time to eat."
At that moment, Chi Feng walked in and spoke to Wang Ping.
However, the moment he opened his mouth, he noticed that there was something unusual about Wang Ping.
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