A hundred years later.
Back in the Swallowed Star world, his true body was still creating secret techniques. From time to time, he also had Lanzang City Lord guide him in the Virtual Universe. A Universe Master had an exceptionally keen eye and easily pointed out one shortcoming after another in Wu Yun.
Laws could only be comprehended on one's own; Lanzang City Lord could offer a few pointers now and then, but grasping the key was difficult. Secret techniques, however, could help a great deal.
For instance, the Virtual Universe could arrange suitable opponents for Wu Yun.
Or find him similar secret techniques and ultimate arts to study. Wu Yun had read far too many over the years, and he could also browse all kinds of secret manuals freely on the Blood Luo Continent.
Accumulate and Break Through: with enough accumulation, he was bound to make a breakthrough.
[The host has accumulated enough Reputation Points. Would you like to begin a simulation?]
With his clones in the Lord Xue Ying World and the Desolate Era world working hard, it had taken only a hundred years to accumulate the Reputation Points needed for a simulation.
"Begin." Wu Yun had already lost out on simulation attempts before, since Reputation Points accumulated after meeting the requirement did not carry over. He had been worried about wasting them during his World Lord period.
But even if he became an Immortal God now, it would be fine. Special Life Clones did not come with as many restrictions as the Golden Horned Beast.
[Drawing simulation world...]
[Simulation world loaded: Desolate Era.]
[This is an advanced simulation. The host can see all talents and choose one.]
Wu Yun had actually hoped to draw the Cang Yuan Diagram World. After all, he already had clones in the other worlds, while the one for the Cang Yuan Diagram World still hadn't been established.
The Desolate Era world wasn't bad either. Wu Yun was curious about what cultivation realm he might inherit.
He immediately ruled out the gray and blue talents. There were three purple talents, and this time an orange talent had appeared as well: Reincarnation. After dying for the first time, he would retain the memories of his previous life and be reborn.
The purple talents were Child of Luck, Cultivation Genius, and Sanctification of the Flesh.
Sanctification of the Flesh would guarantee that he followed the path of the flesh. For example, the Life/Material Path in the Hunyuan Worldview, God-Demon Body Refining in the Desolate Era worldview, or the Flesh Tribulation Realm in the Cang Yuan Diagram Worldview.
"Reincarnation." Wu Yun chose it without hesitation. This talent would be incredibly useful in the Desolate Era worldview, allowing him to be reborn with his memories intact.
[Please choose an achievement goal.]
[1. Survive the Heavenly God Tribulation and become a Heavenly God.]
[2. Become a True God.]
[3. Become an Ancestor God.]
[If goals 2 or 3 are successfully simulated, the host can inherit the talent: Reincarnation.]
This time, Wu Yun didn't choose the lowest goal, becoming a Heavenly God. Instead, he chose to become a True God. Once completed, he could also inherit Reincarnation, which would undoubtedly give his true body another life.
[You were born in the Three Realms, not long after the ancient era had shattered.]
[You were already very strong when you were born. You noticed strange patterns on your arms, but still hadn't figured out which world you had entered.]
[With your parents' guidance, you gradually learned the language of this world. You learned that you had been born in the Mozhu Great World, and the name stirred some vague suspicions in your mind.]
[The tribe you were born into was called the Dongque Tribe. Your parents named you Dongque Shanxiu. You thought it was an awful name and wanted to be called Dongque Yun, but they refused.]
[After reading many books, you learned that there were cultivators in this world, while your parents were Houtian Lifeforms. It was said that the Dongque Tribe had a Purple Mansion Ancestor.]
"Being born with a Distinguished Background really makes a difference," Wu Yun thought. He figured that this tribe was probably about the same as the Ji Clan, or perhaps even worse.
And his parents were merely Houtian Lifeforms. They were nothing like Ji Yichuan in terms of status.
[At three, you began cultivating. You chose to practice both Qi Refining and body refining. The body-refining method your parents provided was called Blood God Fiend Body. The moment you saw the name, you knew it was trash.]
[The Mozhu Great World had only recently settled down, and Mozhu Dao Ancestor hadn't yet distributed body-refining methods everywhere. So you could only practice Blood God Fiend Body, which required you to temper your body with blood every day. It was said that you might have a chance to reach the Purple Mansion level.]
"..." Wu Yun could only comfort himself with the thought that he could change cultivation methods later. There was no need to rush.
[After studying Blood God Fiend Body a little, you felt it wasted too much time and focused mainly on the Qi Refining Path, prioritizing comprehension of the Dao and hoping to someday go somewhere larger to seek a master.]
[You practiced a Qi Refining method called Immortal Derivation Art. Your skill improved quite well, and you came up with various training routines for yourself.]
[At six, your father broke through to become an Xiantian Lifeform, greatly improving his standing in the tribe. Your family moved into a large cave dwelling.]
[At nine, you reached the Houtian perfection stage.]
[At thirteen, you broke through to the early Xiantian stage. Your parents were astonished by your talent and urged you to cultivate diligently while waiting for the Ancestor to guide you.]
[Because you had been good at science subjects before transmigrating, you began studying formations.]
[The formations in the tribe were too crude. Although you wanted to learn, you never made much progress.]
[You cultivated Qi day after day, year after year, but still never saw the Purple Mansion Ancestor come to guide you.]
"What kind of ancestor is this? In a little tribe like this, I became an Xiantian Lifeform at thirteen, and he still didn't come to guide me?!" Wu Yun was dumbfounded.
An Xiantian Lifeform at thirteen definitely counted as a genius in a small place. Ji Mo, a genius of the Ji Clan, had been praised by plenty of people for reaching the Xiantian stage at fifteen.
He was already a Purple Mansion prodigy, yet this mere Purple Mansion Ancestor still hadn't come to guide him.
[At seventeen, the tribe's Ancestor finally arrived. As it turned out, he was already nearing the end of his lifespan. In recent years, he had gone into secluded cultivation and refused to see anyone, hoping to break through to the Wanxiang Adept stage. Unfortunately, his Qi Refining method was too poor, and he failed.]
[The Ancestor decided he had to quickly train a new successor. On this vast land, a tribe needed a Purple Mansion cultivator to keep it safe.]
[You volunteered, saying you were confident you could break through to the Purple Mansion stage before the Ancestor's time ran out. You hoped the tribe would devote all its resources to you.]
[With ten years left in the Ancestor's lifespan, he decided to be cautious. Besides you, he selected two others at the peak of the Xiantian stage, and the tribe pooled all its resources to help you break through.]
[At eighteen, you reached Unity of Heaven and Man, and your realm progressed rapidly.]
In Wu Yun's first simulation, he had reached Unity of Heaven and Man at eight. It seemed that comprehension was only one factor; without resources and a master's guidance, things were still far too difficult.
In his first simulation, his parents, both Primordial Spirit Daoists, had guided him. Unity of Heaven and Man was generally a state that only Purple Mansion cultivators could achieve, so comprehending it at eighteen wasn't slow.
[At twenty, you reached the late Xiantian stage.]
[At twenty-two, you reached the peak of the Xiantian stage, and your talent began to show. The Ancestor thought highly of you.]
[That same year, Dongque Dao of the tribe broke through to the Purple Mansion stage. You told the Ancestor that you wanted to go somewhere larger to seek a master and learn. With a Purple Mansion cultivator now protecting the tribe, he agreed.]
[But it was too dangerous for an Xiantian Lifeform to travel hundreds of thousands of miles alone. You now choose: A: go to Shadow Sect, a hundred thousand miles away; B: go to Yuantian City, five million miles away.]
Before you continue