"A Sixth-Rank Talisman Master is on par with a Stage Six Transcendent. With proper preparation, you can overpower multiple cultivators of the same realm—invincible among peers."
"With the Violet Talent Talisman Dao Seed boosting me, my attainments in talismans have always stayed far ahead of my actual cultivation level."
Having broken through to Sixth-Rank Talisman Master, your heart raced with excitement. You couldn't help but drown yourself deeper in the ocean of talisman knowledge, continuing your enlightenment.
But just then, an inexplicable sense of dread washed over you, jolting you out of your meditative state in an instant.
You suddenly realized that a shadow had silently appeared behind you in the room.
"Exceptional spiritual power is the foundation of a great talisman master. In this regard, you pass with flying colors." A familiar voice rang out suddenly.
The moment you heard that voice, the tension in your nerves melted away instantly. You turned around, and there stood your Uncle Yang Hong—whom you hadn't seen in ages.
He stood behind you, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at you calmly as he offered a casual remark.
"You're doing very well."
"Uncle!"
You called out, a hint of awkwardness in your tone. Come to think of it, it had been ages since you'd last seen this uncle—familiar yet so unfamiliar at the same time.
He hadn't come to see you once in the past six months, staying cooped up in the City Lord's Mansion the entire time.
You'd tried several times to go visit him during that period, but each time, Uncle Dog had blocked your way, saying Master was in the middle of a critical cultivation session.
Yet every night, beast-like roars would echo from the City Lord's Mansion...
Seemingly noticing your awkwardness, Yang Hong's expression softened slightly. His eyes suddenly lingered on your chest. "I didn't notice this last time we met, but you seem to be in a peculiar state. The spiritual energy from your cultivation is dissipating, returning to heaven and earth."
Clearly, the Qianyuan God of War had seen through the anomaly in your body with just one glance.
You hadn't expected your uncle's eyes to be this sharp. After a moment's hesitation, you told him about the Nine Steps to Treading the Heavens.
You could clearly see a flicker of surprise in the eyes of this extremely mysterious uncle when he heard about the technique's effects, a glint of brilliance flashing across his face. But when you mentioned it couldn't be passed on to others, a touch of disappointment flickered in his gaze.
But just as quickly, he composed himself. "This technique truly seizes the wonders of heaven and earth—it borders on the Dao itself. Let me see if I can help you with it."
A surge of pure, pristine spiritual energy suddenly poured into your body....
You felt the Heaven-Earth Loan being repaid at an astonishing rate...
Holy crap!
It was like a lightbulb went off in your head—you finally realized the true way to use the Nine Steps to Treading the Heavens. It could be used like this!
As long as a powerful cultivator channeled spiritual energy into you, you could offset the side effects ahead of schedule.
In the blink of an eye, you felt the Heaven-Earth Loan vanish completely. You could finally resume your cultivation and strengthen your power.
"The Azure Wood Longevity Art you asked for earlier—it was to assist with the Nine Steps to Treading the Heavens, wasn't it? Don't bother practicing that technique anymore. Uncle has something better for you."
Yang Hong pulled an ancient-looking manual from his Storage Ring and handed it to you.
You took it and looked down. Five large characters were emblazoned on the cover: Green Emperor Longevity Scripture.
This was actually a longevity technique that led directly to the Ninth Stage—Land True Immortal Realm!
"I obtained this by chance many years ago. They say it has some connection to the ancient Green Emperor. Its effects are incredibly formidable—every time you break through a realm, it grants you several times the lifespan of cultivators at the same level. But its cultivation difficulty is extremely high..."
Listening to your uncle's explanation, you couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. Several times the lifespan of peers—this was the perfect complement to the Nine Steps to Treading the Heavens!
Once you mastered this, wouldn't it enhance the sustainability of the Nine Steps to Treading the Heavens? As long as your stamina held out, what did you have to fear?!
"Thank you, Uncle!" you said sincerely.
To gift you such a profound technique, it was clear that Yang Hong regarded you as his own flesh and blood.
"No need for thanks. I'm your uncle. Cultivate well. Living is more important than anything else." Yang Hong spoke meaningfully, his gaze toward you filled with a complex mix of emotions.
Yet in that moment, you were too caught up in your excitement to notice anything amiss.
Shortly after, Uncle Yang Hong took his leave.
With the Heaven-Earth Loan no longer weighing you down, you began to cultivate further.
One month later, you successfully condensed the Eighth Step of the Nine Steps to Treading the Heavens—the Heavenly Being Talisman.
....
Two months later, you switched to practicing the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture. But this scripture, which led directly to the Land True Immortal Realm, was far too profound. Your progress was extremely slow—until your Supreme Imperial Bone finally began to take effect...
....
Three months later, you successfully entered the first layer of the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture, gaining thirty years of lifespan...
....
Five months later, blessed with exceptional talent, you broke through to the third layer of the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture, gaining a full hundred years of lifespan...
....
One year later, you cultivated the Green Emperor Longevity Scripture to the peak of the fifth layer. Your lifespan reached a thousand years—nearly twice that of cultivators at the same level...
....
You broke through to the peak of the Mountains and Rivers Realm.
"To reach the peak of the Mountains and Rivers Realm this quickly—I'm ready to break through to the Transcendent Realm now."
"The gains from this villain simulation are truly enormous. Sixth-Rank Talisman Master, Heavenly Being Talisman, Green Emperor Longevity Scripture, peak of the Mountains and Rivers Realm..."
"Everything seems perfect, but I can't shake this feeling that something's not right!"
Sun Qian stared at his counterpart in the Villain Simulator, his brows furrowed tightly. He didn't feel the joy he'd expected—only a growing sense of unease.
He still remembered the oddities surrounding his eldest brother Sun Shou, and the strange words Liu Yue had spoken...
Not to mention, this Uncle Yang Hong was acting rather suspicious as well...
Yet his counterpart in the simulator seemed to have let his guard down completely.
And the events of the villain simulation were about to take a bizarre turn...
For the first time, you experienced the true joy of cultivation.
No dangers, no pursuers, no plots against you—only safe, uninterrupted training...
Every resource you needed was delivered right to your door, allowing you to push yourself to greater heights without holding back...
"At this rate, I could just lay low here forever. Wait until I've mastered this divine technique, until I've achieved the Land True Immortal Realm, then leave this place and sweep the world—invincible under heaven!"
"By then, the mastermind behind all this, along with everyone who's hunted me down—they'll all die!"
At this moment, your confidence was through the roof. Your vigilance had completely faded, and you'd completely forgotten about the strange occurrences and warnings from the past...
"Next step: breaking through to the Sixth Stage Transcendent Realm. I need to go ask Uncle for some things... Wait, what's going on... Why do I feel so dizzy..."
You were just about to head out the door when you suddenly caught a whiff of an eerie fragrance. Instantly, your head began to spin violently, and you collapsed to the ground with a thud...
You slipped into unconsciousness...