"Oh, you mean you were ambushed by several Golden Core elders from the Demon Sect on this trip outside the sect?"
Ling Ziling narrowed her eyes at Wu Yuehua. During her previous simulation of Wu Yuehua, she had already learned that Demon Sect elders would ambush her.
However, this ambush was also a fortuitous opportunity for Wu Yuehua, allowing her swordsmanship to advance another step, so Ling Ziling had not interfered.
"Yes. Fortunately, a senior with extraordinary swordsmanship saved me. It's just a pity I couldn't receive any guidance in swordsmanship from that senior."
A look of regret appeared on Wu Yuehua's face.
"Oh? How strong was this sword expert?"
Ling Ziling asked casually. The Southern Region was vast, with countless hidden experts. It was perfectly reasonable for Wu Yuehua to encounter one.
"At least Golden Core Peak, and very likely in the Nascent Soul Realm."
Since he could instantly kill several Golden Core cultivators with a single slash, Wu Yuehua could never have guessed that Ye Xuan had only just reached Golden Core Early Stage.
"Mm. Go back and rest properly. I'll leave this matter to the Law Enforcement Hall."
Killing intent appeared on Ling Ziling's face as she spoke. Daring to ambush a genius disciple within the Dao Sect's territory-the Demon Sect was stretching its hands too far.
Once Wu Yuehua left, Ling Ziling shut the doors tightly.
More than a month had passed since the last simulation. It was time to simulate again.
"Simulate Ye Tian!"
In her first simulation, Ling Ziling had taken two disciples, one of whom was Ye Tian.
Over these past days, Ling Zilun had also gathered quite a bit of information on Ye Tian. He did indeed seem to be a genius. At only thirteen years old, he had already reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.
[Age 0: You were born into a Golden Core cultivation aristocratic clan.] [Age 5: Your lineage tested your cultivation aptitude, and you were found to possess a supreme-grade metal spirit root. The ancestor was delighted and began nurturing you with great care. At a very young age, you began soaking in medicinal baths to build your foundation.]
"A supreme-grade metal spirit root, just like mine. He'll be a fine swordsman in the future, too."
Ling Ziling smiled and continued reading.
[Age 11: You were sent to the Azure Feather Dao Sect and became an inner disciple. Countless inner sect elders wanted to take you as their disciple, but the seventh elder stopped them all. He wanted to take you as his disciple, but you refused. You didn't know why, but you detested the seventh elder from the bottom of your heart.]
Ling Ziling narrowed her eyes. According to the information she had secretly gathered, the seventh elder had indeed taken many genius disciples in recent years. However, quite a few of them had disappeared while out gaining experience.
[Age 12: Your cultivation speed far surpassed that of your fellow disciples, making you proud. Many senior sisters began approaching you, but you rejected them all. Women would only affect the speed at which you drew your sword.] [Age 13: You broke through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. In the sect selection, you took first place among the inner disciples, greatly satisfying your vanity.] [Age 14: You entered the Spirit Medicine Realm. You were astonished by its abundant medicinal herbs and concentration of Spiritual Qi, and you broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. In the Spirit Medicine Realm, you met geniuses from outside the Southern Region. You were trampled and saw the gap between yourself and true geniuses. You began to look at yourself honestly and became humble.]
"Geniuses from outside the Southern Region?"
Ling Ziling murmured. The Jade Slip Ao Jin had provided earlier had not mentioned that geniuses from other regions would actually be joining this trip to the Spirit Medicine Realm.
Ling Ziling had left the sect to gain experience many times, but she had never left the Southern Region.
She had heard that the Yellow Origin Realm was vast, and the Southern Region was only a small part of it. Some places even had immortals.
"It looks like I need to find some information on the Yellow Origin Realm. I still know too little about the places beyond the Southern Region."
[Age 14: On your way back to the sect, you encountered an attack by the Demon Sect. The seventh elder was no match for them. Unexpectedly, the sect master arrived and slew the Demon Sect elders. You witnessed the might of a Spirit Transformation expert and swore to become one yourself.] [Age 15: You met two fellow disciples with a great talent for pill refining. You became friends and obtained large quantities of cheap pills, including some poison pills.] [Age 17: You took first place in the sect tournament and were accepted as the sect master's disciple. You were wild with joy. The seventh elder died of poisoning, which made you very interested in poison pills. Fortunately, you had two alchemist friends, and you researched poison pills together.]
"The seventh elder still died of poisoning. To think Ye Tian went off to research poison pills too."
Ling Ziling shook her head with a laugh.
[Age 28: You broke through to Golden Core and left the sect to gain experience. Unexpectedly, you were attacked by the Demon Sect. Fortunately, you had plenty of poison pills on hand and escaped disaster, returning gravely wounded. Your senior sister left the sect to avenge you, slaying ten Demon Sect geniuses in succession and making a great name for herself!] [Age 40: You left the sect to gain experience again. This time, you headed straight for the Demon Sect and used poison pills to ambush quite a few Golden Core cultivators. The Demon Sect hunted you down, leaving you no choice but to return to your sect.] [Age 50: You devoted yourself to researching poison pills with your friends!] [Age 60: You broke through to Nascent Soul and left the sect to gain experience. Within the Blood Demon Sect's territory, you used poison pills to trap and kill a veteran Nascent Soul expert. The Demon Sect hunted you down, leaving you no choice but to return to your sect.] [Age 70: You devoted yourself to researching poison pills with your friends!] [Age 82: You left the sect to gain experience and happened to encounter the son of the Blood Demon Sect's sect master. You pretended to befriend him, seized an opportunity to poison him, and killed him. His Dao protector hunted you down, and you fled back to the sect with grave injuries. The war between the righteous and demonic paths began.] [Age 87: The war between the righteous and demonic paths escalated. You followed the grand elder into battle. The grand elder died under strange circumstances, and you returned gravely wounded after covering your fellow disciples. You kept feeling that the sword wounds on the grand elder looked familiar, but you couldn't remember when you had seen them.]
"Ye Tian recognized the sword wounds on the grand elder!"
Ling Ziling's heart trembled slightly.
During the first simulation, the seventh elder had died to Black Tiger Fist, and the grand elder had died to Azure Feather Swordsmanship. Both were Dao Sect techniques.
Because of this, Ling Ziling had even searched every inch of the back mountain, yet she had still failed to find the hidden expert within the sect.
[Age 100: The war gradually reached a stalemate. Your dearest friend went on a long journey, saying he would only return after several decades. You were very sad.] [Age 113: The Blood Demon Sect's sect master broke through to Spirit Transformation Late Stage, and the Dao Sect suffered a crushing defeat. Your senior sister died covering your breakout. You were devastated with grief. You died in battle.]
"He didn't break out?"
Ling Ziling's expression dimmed. She had not expected all her disciples to die in battle in the end. She just did not know whether the Dao Sect had managed to preserve a spark.
"Next time, I'll switch to Lin Wan'er."
"This wasn't without gains, either. Judging by Ye Tian's experiences, poison pills really can allow the weak to defeat the strong. Even the seventh elder died of poisoning. I should focus on nurturing a group of alchemists going forward."
Elsewhere, Ye Xuan finally returned to the sect.
As his master and senior brother fussed over his well-being, Ye Xuan boasted about how he had beaten an entire mountain's worth of ghosts and monsters to pieces.
Zheng Huaiyuan was delighted to see that his disciple's strength had advanced again. He had already taught Ye Xuan all the knowledge concerning the Qi Refining Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm. Ye Xuan could only comprehend the rest on his own.
Thus, in the days that followed, Ye Xuan gained a considerable amount of free time.
It was perfect for Ye Xuan to use that spare time to hone his pill refining, formations, artifact refining, and talisman crafting.
He strove to have more ways to preserve his life the next time he encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator.