"This lifetime might actually have a shot!" Mu Xingqi's eyes sparkled as he said excitedly.
Previously, the longest he had ever survived was until August of the third year. In August of the third year, an eerie blood palm had suddenly descended, directly reducing the Mu Family to ashes!
Yet this time in the simulation, that eerie blood palm actually failed to reappear? Why on earth was that?
Could it be that he had indirectly changed something? Was that why their Mu Family managed to avoid this extermination disaster?
Previously, he had once suspected the work of demonic beasts. After all, such a startlingly eerie blood palm could even cover half of their Mu Family estate, and he had never heard of any technique capable of reaching such a scale.
Therefore, he had always suspected it was the Innate Treasure Technique of a Golden Core Stage demonic beast. Only the Innate Treasure Technique of a Golden Core Stage demonic beast could possess such immense destructive power.
Yet this time in the simulation, had he not changed anything either?
Unless...
Mu Xingqi continued looking at the Simulation Panel. An answer already formed in the depths of his mind, but he still dared not be certain of it now.
[In February of the fourth year, during the day, your father held the Foundation Establishment Ceremony. Your father personally expounded upon the Dao, and at the same time, he aimed to announce to the major factions of Jinzhou County that the Mu Family now possessed two Foundation Establishment Realm powerhouses holding down the fort!]
[At night, it was officially made public to the outside world that Mu Xingqi of the Mu Family and Zhang Yutong of the Zhang Family would enter a marriage alliance, holding an engagement ceremony. In essence, this declared the stances of the Mu Family and the Zhang Family to the major factions.]
[Upon meeting Zhang Yutong, your parents were both overjoyed for you. After all, their own son and prospective daughter-in-law were such a well-matched pair, which set their minds even more at ease.]
[Naturally, upon learning that Zhang Yutong was actually getting engaged to you, many young talents of Jinzhou County shed tears of envy one after another. They only hated themselves for lacking that capability, and their lineages for lacking that capability as well.]
[Even Wang Dan, the young master of the Wang Family who was previously rumored to harbor affection for Zhang Yutong, did not jump out to question you.]
[There was no other reason: right now, your Mu Family alone possessed two Foundation Establishment Realm powerhouses, not to mention having joined forces with the Zhang Family. Even if he were any more foolish, he could not possibly lack even this bit of self-awareness. If he dared to jump out now, tomorrow your Mu Family and the Zhang Family would have grounds to wipe out their Wang Family.]
[This point actually surprised you quite a bit. You had not expected these prodigal sons to still have brains, unlike certain villains who turned straight into idiots the moment they encountered the protagonist. However, this might also be because you lacked the protagonist halo.]
[Instead, you missed a fine opportunity to act cool, leaving you feeling somewhat uncomfortable for a moment.]
[After you simply walked through the engagement ceremony, your mother told you to take Zhang Yutong around the perimeter of the lineage, saying she wanted to leave some free space for you young people.]
[You felt this was quite awkward, but staying at the venue would definitely be even more awkward. Thus, you quietly leaned in close to Zhang Yutong's ear, asking her to come with you so you could show her around.]
[You had thought of countless scenarios, but they always ended up culminating in the most awkward fashion.]
[You brought her along to stroll leisurely through the lineage, but the two of you merely exchanged words back and forth, chatting casually about inconsequential things.]
[It was just like a turn-based game.]
[Before you knew it, you had brought Zhang Yutong to the Pill Hall. Just as you wanted to turn around, a nimble figure appeared before your eyes.]
["Brother Xingqi! Weren't you... Oh! Is this lady the sister-in-law, then?" Mu Xinger's voice rang out like an oriole's.]
[You wanted to rub her head, only for her to mercilessly dodge it. Mu Xinger spun around to arrive by Zhang Yutong's side, looping her arm through Zhang Yutong's with a familiar, easygoing air as she said, "Sister-in-law really is pretty."]
[Zhang Yutong smiled in response, and the two young women opened up the floodgates of conversation, beginning to chat idly.]
[Watching the two women smiling from ear to ear, you felt as though there was nothing left for you to do here.]
[Yet you clearly remembered that although Mu Xinger's personality was enthusiastic, she belonged to that sort of cold-on-the-outside-warm-on-the-inside type—someone very enthusiastic toward familiar people and very cold toward outsiders. How could she behave with such enthusiasm the very first time she met Zhang Yutong today? Could it be because Zhang Yutong was a girl, so the two of them found it easier to talk? Perhaps you simply didn't understand Mu Xinger well enough yourself?]
[After the two women finished their casual chat, you bid farewell to Mu Xinger and brought Zhang Yutong back.]
[Along the way, Zhang Yutong unexpectedly spoke to you, saying, "I didn't expect you to have a younger sister who cares about you so much."]
[Naturally, you knew the younger sister she spoke of was Mu Xinger, so you scratched your head and laughed heartily, "Xinger and I have a pretty good relationship."]
[Zhang Yutong smiled. You felt there was more to her words, but try as you might, you just couldn't figure it out.]
[Your relationship with Zhang Yutong took a step forward, but you knew there was always an impassable chasm between the two of you. Precisely because your relationship was forcibly bound together by the lineage's interests, your connection could not truly be counted as romance; it resembled friendship much more. Both of you knew this clearly in your hearts.]
[Returning to Muye Hall, the elders of the clan poured yet another round of praises upon the two of you, fortunately before the Zhang Family Ancestor soon arrived alongside your grandfather.]
[The Zhang Family Ancestor took Zhang Yutong away and comforted you, telling you to cultivate diligently, as she held high hopes for you.]
[Following discussions between the two lineages, your marriage to Zhang Yutong was scheduled for three years later. Because you happened to be fifteen this year, three years later you would just reach the age of capping. In this world, a man's capping ceremony took place at eighteen, which was somewhat different.]
[In truth, this world bore some similarities to ancient times. Men and women only needed to reach the full age of sixteen to be betrothed, and women could even be earlier. However, considering that both were still young and should prioritize cultivation, the two lineages had left a three-year buffer period, hoping you could successfully break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm within these three years.]
[Achieving Foundation Establishment in three years—even you felt immense pressure.]
[In April of the fourth year, you once again received three Yellow Grade High Rank Qi Gathering Pills bestowed by your parents. With the medicinal pills in hand, you gained the confidence to condense that final ten percent of spiritual Qi.]
[After swallowing the three Qi Gathering Pills, you exerted a fierce burst of force, swearing to condense that final ten percent of spiritual Qi.]
[You were fortunate, successfully condensing one hundred percent of your spiritual Qi!]
[The spiritual Qi throughout your entire body had completely liquefied!]
[Right now, you already possessed attack power comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm, but it was akin to merely holding a temporary trial pass. Because you lacked a Spirit Platform capable of restoring spiritual Qi, you could only launch a limited number of attacks. Even now you practiced no Spirit Grade Technique; employing liquefied spiritual Qi merely enhanced the offensive power of your original techniques somewhat.]
[This was also why his father stood out after successfully condensing his Spirit Platform and attaining Foundation Establishment. Even if you successfully liquefied your spiritual Qi, it still could not count as Foundation Establishment; it could only be considered a slightly stronger Qi Cultivation Realm, much like the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation—still merely the Qi Cultivation Realm.]
[Your heart surged with excitement, because you were now merely a Spirit Platform Condensation away from Foundation Establishment.]
[You wanted to strike while the iron was hot, yet you discovered that controlling the liquefied spiritual Qi within your body was exceptionally difficult, as if this spiritual Qi were molten iron, whereas your own divine sense resembled a three-year-old child with no strength to truss a chicken, utterly incapable of exercising any control over it.]
[Only at this moment did you understand why your grandfather and father repeatedly emphasized that the most crucial aspect of condensing a Spirit Platform was the strength of one's divine sense!]
[You understood that only by raising the strength of your own divine sense could you condense the Spirit Platform more swiftly. The problem was that anyone who had ever condensed a Spirit Platform knew this; the catch was that raising one's divine sense either required corresponding spiritual herbs and pills, or cultivation manuals specifically for the divine sense.]
[Regrettably, your lineage possessed neither of these two things...]
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