A month later.
Amid the clouds, less than a few thousand li from Azure Moon Immortal City, a figure sped along atop a Sky-Blue Escape Light.
"Azure Moon Immortal City!"
The figure was none other than Zhou Qing.
After settling his family affairs in the mortal world, Zhou Qing had hurried toward Azure Moon Immortal City without stopping.
Azure Moon Immortal City was the place Zhou Qing had chosen as his future long-term residence during his second simulation.
Throughout the nearly hundred years of his second simulation, Zhou Qing had secretly observed Azure Moon Immortal City and had never seen any crisis befall it.
Azure Moon True Person was a Core Formation Stage True Person whose influence extended over a vast stretch of the surrounding lands.
Even True Persons at the same level had to show Azure Moon True Person some respect.
"Azure Moon True Person... has a decent character..."
Information about Azure Moon True Person flashed through Zhou Qing's mind.
Azure Moon True Person had started out as a rogue cultivator and achieved core formation a hundred and fifty-seven years ago.
After achieving core formation, Azure Moon True Person had received an invitation to become a guest elder of the Primordial Origin Palace.
But Azure Moon True Person had declined.
The Primordial Origin Palace was a Nascent Soul-level power, and the true ruler of this region.
The area within a radius of over a million li around the Primordial Origin Palace was known as the Primordial Origin Domain. Whether it was Black Mountain Market District, Listening Rain Market District, and the many other market districts, powers such as Beast Taming Mountain, or Azure Moon Immortal City-
They all lay within the Primordial Origin Domain.
West of the Primordial Origin Domain lay the Nine Nether Domain, which fell within the Nine Nether Demon Cult's sphere of influence.
Azure Moon True Person had declined the Primordial Origin Palace's invitation and established Azure Moon Immortal City as a rogue cultivator.
When the immortal city was first established, cultivators with powerful backing often stirred up trouble, but Azure Moon True Person dealt with them all sternly. Over the following century and more, Azure Moon Immortal City had rapidly flourished.
It had become the largest gathering place for rogue cultivators in the Primordial Origin Domain.
The law enforcers here treated everyone equally, without favoring cultivators with powerful backing.
They were even willing to handle problems from the perspective of rogue cultivators.
Moreover, Azure Moon True Person currently enjoyed a good reputation and had a trustworthy character.
Added to that, no dangerous incidents would occur over the next several decades.
And the immortal city offered cave abodes on spirit veins of every grade.
All these reasons had led Zhou Qing to choose Azure Moon Immortal City as his long-term residence in reality.
Soon.
Zhou Qing caught sight of the towering Azure Moon Immortal City.
Even though he had already visited it in his second simulation, he was still somewhat awestruck.
The entire immortal city spanned hundreds of li, like an enormous ancient true spirit beast crouching there.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-
Streaks of Escape Light descended from the clouds toward Azure Moon Immortal City.
Those Escape Lights naturally belonged to Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.
When Zhou Qing had come to Azure Moon Immortal City in his second simulation, he had also seen quite a few Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.
Back then, however, he had looked up to them, not even daring to pay them much attention.
Now, he stood on equal footing with them.
"Hmm?"
Just then, Zhou Qing's expression shifted slightly. Above the higher clouds, an Escape Light radiating powerful spiritual pressure arrived in an instant and passed straight over the immortal city's gates.
"Was that... a True Person?"
Zhou Qing wondered inwardly. Only Core Formation Stage True Persons were entitled to enter the immortal city directly without passing through its gates.
Zhou Qing was not a True Person, so he naturally had to enter through the gates like everyone else.
Unlike the Qi Refining Stage cultivators waiting in line, however, Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators used a separate gate and did not need to queue.
The cultivators guarding that gate were also much more respectful.
Naturally, Zhou Qing had disguised his appearance before coming to Azure Moon Immortal City.
The appearance he presented was that of an utterly unremarkable young man.
This was a necessary precaution. Otherwise, if he came undisguised and revealed his true appearance-
He would stand out far too much.
After all, Zhou Qing was too young.
His actual age was not even seventeen.
Even in Azure Moon Immortal City, that would cause a sensation.
Granted, a cultivator's age could not be judged by appearance alone, since methods such as youth-preserving pills could affect it.
But one less complication was better than one more.
With his disguised appearance, he would not draw much attention.
Zhou Qing had disguised himself by adjusting his facial muscles and contracting his bones.
Without the aid of any magical power or spells, even a True Person would find it difficult to tell. After all, in a certain sense, this was also Zhou Qing's real appearance.
With the experience from his second simulation, Zhou Qing headed straight toward the cave abode district in the inner city after entering.
I wonder where Alchemist Zhao Kan is now?
The thought flashed through Zhou Qing's mind after he entered the inner city.
At this point in time, Alchemist Zhao Kan should only recently have become a second-tier alchemist. Zhou Qing simply did not know where he was now.
Although curious, Zhou Qing had no intention of asking around about Alchemist Zhao Kan.
Even if he wanted to investigate, he would do so in a simulation. In reality, Zhou Qing needed to minimize his own influence as much as possible, ensuring that future events unfolded without any unexpected changes.
As soon as he entered the cave abode district, a female cultivator serving as a receptionist came forward to greet him.
"Take me to see an upper-grade second-tier cave abode."
Zhou Qing spoke in a hoarse voice.
Soon.
Under the receptionist's guidance, Zhou Qing entered an upper-grade second-tier cave abode.
The spiritual energy in the upper-grade second-tier cave abode was so dense it had almost become tangible, making it suitable for the daily cultivation of powerful late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.
Naturally, Zhou Qing had not come to inspect a cave abode of this grade for cultivation. He wanted to see how much the simulation cooldown would shorten in its spiritual energy environment.
An upper-grade second-tier cave abode brings the final cooldown down to five months and twenty-two days!
Zhou Qing glanced at the illusory text beneath his field of vision, confirming the final cooldown for his simulation attempt.
Under normal circumstances, in the spiritually barren environment of the mortal world, the cooldown for a simulation attempt lasted two and a half years.
In the environment of a middle-grade first-tier spirit vein, the cooldown was nine months and twenty-three days.
Before coming to Azure Moon Immortal City, Zhou Qing had spent two or three months in the mortal world.
Therefore, in the environment of an upper-grade second-tier spirit vein, the full cooldown should be longer than five months and twenty-two days, but still within six months.
"Take me to see a middle-grade second-tier cave abode as well."
Zhou Qing spoke without betraying any reaction.
Six months and nineteen days of cooldown...
Zhou Qing entered a middle-grade second-tier cave abode while looking at the illusory text.
Next, Zhou Qing went to a lower-grade second-tier
Cave abode.
The final cooldown he obtained was seven months and three days.
In truth, Zhou Qing also wanted to take a look at a third-tier cave abode.
But after thinking it over carefully, he decided against it.
He was only a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Why would he look at a third-tier cave abode? It would draw too much attention.
Besides, what would looking accomplish? He would not actually rent a third-tier cave abode.
Azure Moon Immortal City had been built atop a large third-tier spirit vein. Every third-tier cave abode was exceedingly precious. A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator renting one would likely draw the attention of a True Person.
"I'll rent a lower-grade second-tier cave abode for eight months, for my daily cultivation."
After considering for a moment, Zhou Qing looked at the receptionist and spoke.
The difference in the final cooldown between the three grades of second-tier cave abodes was only a matter of ten or twenty days.
There was no need for Zhou Qing to insist on renting a cave abode beyond his strength just to shave a few days off the cooldown.