[Finally Obtaining a [Heaven and Earth Wonder], Breaking Through to [Heaven-grade Qi Refining]]

[[Age 20]: Your consciousness descended. The memories and experience of repeated simulations had long since accustomed you to your identity as a "simulation avatar," and your heart remained as still as an undisturbed lake.]

[Your gaze immediately fell on the centerpiece of this simulation—[Blue Talent: Beloved Object].]

[You did not hesitate for a moment. You knew all too well that possessing a precious jade could itself be a crime.]

[You swiftly left the Lineage's territory and found a dilapidated house in a nearby town, long abandoned and ignored. After confirming that the surroundings were safe, you took a deep breath and silently recited:]

[*"Activate the talent [Beloved Object]! I need a supreme Heaven and Earth Wonder that can help me safely and smoothly break through to [Heaven-grade Qi Refining]!"*]

[The instant the thought took shape, a gentle blue light flashed across your palm and vanished,]

[There were no earth-shaking phenomena, no violent fluctuations of spiritual energy, as though it had merely been an illusion.]

[Yet something had appeared in your palm—a pitch-black bead the size of a longan, utterly unremarkable.]

[*"This talent is quite convenient to use. It barely causes any disturbance."* Somewhat reassured, you marveled inwardly. This suited your principle of keeping a low profile perfectly.]

[You carefully examined the black bead. Its surface was smooth and faintly cool to the touch, revealing neither any particular attribute nor anything miraculous.]

[But trusting the Simulator's talents, you believed that since this was the "object you needed most," and your request had specified a "supreme Heaven and Earth Wonder," it had to be extraordinary.]

[*"I can't wait any longer!"* You knew that the longer the night dragged on, the more troubled dreams it brought.]

[Judging by your experiences roaming the world in your previous simulation, someone weak who carried a priceless treasure faced far greater danger than someone reasonably strong who had encountered no significant opportunities.]

[Every moment you kept this bead on you meant another moment of risk.]

[You immediately sat cross-legged in the abandoned house, set up a few simple warning restrictive wards, then held the black bead in your hand,]

[Following the special method recorded in ancient texts for breaking through to [Heaven-grade Qi Refining] with a Heaven and Earth Wonder, you began circulating your Cultivation Technique and attempted to refine it.]

[[Blue Talent: Twice the Results with Half the Effort] quietly activated.]

[You felt your mind grow clearer than ever before. Your understanding of the Cultivation Technique, your control over your Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and your perception of the wondrous object in your palm all became exceptionally fluid and profound.]

[Many hurdles that had once seemed obscure and impenetrable now yielded like thin paper pierced by a finger.]

[Guided by your Cultivation Technique, the black bead offered no fierce resistance. Instead, like snow melting in spring, it transformed into an incomparably pure, indescribable Chaos current that slowly merged into your dantian.]

[At the same time, the blood essence throughout your body, your surging vital energy, and your concentrated soul and intent poured into your dantian together, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.]

[Through a circulation process mysterious beyond words, your dantian seemed to become a tiny world where primordial chaos was first opening. With the Chaos Current at its core, it continually interwove with your Essence, Qi, and Spirit, compressing and transforming...]

[You did not know how much time had passed. Perhaps an instant, perhaps several years.]

[During this secluded cultivation, in which you forgot yourself entirely, time lost its meaning.]

[When you slowly opened your eyes again, a glimmer of chaotic light seemed to flash through them and vanish.]

[Your aura was contained within you, yet you had formed an unprecedentedly close connection with heaven and earth.]

[You could clearly feel that your very level of existence had undergone a qualitative leap, and your lifespan had soared,]

[What flowed within you was no longer mere vital energy, but strands of pure [Primordial Qi] imbued with the aura of the Heavenly Dao!]

[[**Heaven-grade Qi Refining—achieved!**]]

[You had successfully broken through!]

[Moreover, the process had gone unexpectedly smoothly. This was undoubtedly the combined effect of the two talents, [Beloved Object] and [Twice the Results with Half the Effort].]

[This lengthy period of secluded cultivation had given you a deeper appreciation of time, but nothing more.]

[You felt no discomfort whatsoever. On the contrary, you were in better condition than ever.]

[Thanks to your time serving as a Martial Instructor for the Lineage during your previous simulation,]

[You had used the conveniences of that position to study and investigate many basic [spells] ahead of time (although they fell far short of the [Divine Ability] of Foundation Establishment,]

[They were already the Ruler offensive and support methods of the Qi Refining Realm), so you did not merely possess a cultivation realm without the means to use it.]

[You rose to your feet, felt the power surging within you, and gazed into the distance.]

[*"Heaven-grade Qi Refining is achieved. The next step..."* Your gaze grew deep and resolute.]

[Having successfully broken through to [Heaven-grade Qi Refining], you felt the [Primordial Qi] within you, far purer and vaster than that of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, yet you did not relax in the slightest.]

[Precisely because you understood how precious and conspicuous this "Heaven-grade" Dao Foundation was, you understood even better the importance of keeping a low profile and concealing your abilities.]

[Fortunately, you had already applied to leave on a training journey, so there was no need to return to the Lineage and report in.]

[If you returned, you could not guarantee that the Lineage's Foundation Establishment Ancestor or someone else with an agenda would not see through you. Whether that would bring fortune or disaster was impossible to predict.]

[You carefully explored the changes in yourself. This Heaven-grade Qi Refining was truly extraordinary. The moment you broke through, your Cultivation had stabilized directly at [Middle Qi Refining],]

[You were even only a single step away from [Late Qi Refining], sparing you the decades or even centuries of painstaking accumulation ordinary people needed. This saved you precious time.]

[At present, you faced two clear goals:]

[The first was to cultivate [Spellcraft].]

[Although you had memorized quite a few low-tier spells from the Chen Family's library, their power was limited. They were adequate against ordinary [Embryonic Breath Realm] opponents, but if you fought Qi Refining cultivators of the same realm, especially sect disciples, you would certainly be at a disadvantage.]

[You needed more powerful high-tier Spellcraft for offense, protection, and escape.]

[The Black Market or the Treasure Pavilions in some large Market Towns would surely have them for sale, but their prices would inevitably be exorbitant.]

[Still, compared with [Heaven and Earth Wonders], which could not be bought even if you could afford them, the means of obtaining high-tier spells were much clearer.]

[With your current Cultivation, combined with the efficiency boost from [Twice the Results with Half the Effort],]

[As well as the knowledge accumulated over your previous simulations and the discerning ability of the [Eye of Illusion], your speed at earning Spirit Stones would certainly far exceed what it had been before.]

[Earning money to purchase high-tier Spellcraft was your most urgent task.]

[The second, and more important point, was to stay far away from the Chen Family!]

[The bizarre chess game that had enveloped the Chen Family in your previous simulation, the Third Elder who had been reduced to a Puppet, and your eventual gruesome death still left you with lingering dread.]

[That place was no longer somewhere you could settle down and build a life. It was an enormous vortex filled with unknown dangers.]

[As long as circumstances permitted, avoiding any return there was the wise course.]

[With your direction clear, you delayed no longer.]

[Suppressing the traces of aura you had not yet fully mastered after your breakthrough, you transformed into an inconspicuous streak of escape light,]

[And headed toward a gathering place for cultivators far from the Chen Family, somewhere more prosperous where it would also be easier to conceal your identity.]

[Your foremost task was to use every means available to accumulate wealth quickly and exchange it for sufficiently powerful Spellcraft, truly converting your Heaven-grade Qi Refining cultivation into tangible combat strength.]

[Only by becoming strong enough yourself could you gain more freedom to choose in this world where danger lurked on every side, and... the capital to stay alive.]