35: Simulation count and system upgrade

[Exchangeable from this Simulation: Purple Talent: Treasure Hunter (100 divine dragon points); spirit fruit: Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit (100 divine dragon points); foundation establishment pill (100 divine dragon points). Confirm exchange?]

He naturally bought everything. These three items were indispensable to him. Treasure Hunter could be considered one of the cornerstones of his future cultivation; its importance went without saying. His resources would depend on it. The Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit was the primary material for the Blood Purifying Pill, which purified Bloodlines. It was a priceless item within the Yao Race. Whether he sold it or offered it to the Black Tortoise Demon General, it would be a great outcome.

As for the foundation establishment pill, it was even more self-explanatory. It was a staple in novels; many protagonists fought tooth and nail in the early stages just for one. Since he could obtain it so easily, he definitely had to take it. Even if he didn't need it himself, Bai Ming and Bai Li had poor Aptitude and would need it. It could be considered part of their lineage's foundation.

His smile was so wide it almost split his face. He truly hadn't expected such a great harvest from this Simulation. He had actually obtained news regarding the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Qi. However, he didn't know if it was Heavenly Dipper Qi or Earthly Fiend Qi there. Regardless, as long as he obtained it, he would achieve Foundation Establishment. After all, such treasures were not commonly encountered. If he missed it this time, it would be extremely difficult to find again. Yet, he also knew this task would be arduous.

He had a rough plan: hone his mana in reality and search for the Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Qi within the Simulation, then finally exchange for it using divine dragon points. After all, that was a Secret Realm. With so many Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivators, he couldn't possibly guarantee his survival. He wouldn't take such a risk.

However, there were two problems he needed to solve before he could proceed with his schemes. First, his Simulation count was only one, which was definitely insufficient. Second, he needed to increase his own foundation—simply put, his combat experience—so he could challenge the fourth or even fifth level.

The first problem required asking the System. He hoped for a favorable result.

"System, System, my Simulation counts are seriously insufficient. Is there any other way to increase them?"

[Ding! Detected that the Host has further requirements for Simulation counts. Adhering to the principles of concern for the Host and humanitarian aid, the System is beginning to upgrade. Ding! System upgrade successful. A new channel for obtaining Simulation counts has been opened. The Host can exchange Spirit Stones for them. For the first ten Simulation counts, each costs 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. For subsequent counts, the price will double.]

This price was certainly not cheap. After all, those were Spirit Stones, the hard currency among Cultivators. But any problem that could be solved with Spirit Stones wasn't a major issue. Even if it became too expensive later, he could afford the first ten. Even with his current net worth of over 400, he could buy four. This was a very good development.

He immediately used 300 Spirit Stones to buy three counts. Now, his Simulation counts were back to four. He felt more confident about passing the trial.

The second matter was more difficult to handle. In truth, he wasn't lacking in Divine Abilities or Spells; what he lacked was combat experience and technique. This was a problem difficult to solve quickly. After all, techniques were only honed through constant practice. He couldn't just create training opportunities out of thin air. What should he do? He didn't know any Cultivators of the same level.

[Ding! This System has detected the Host badmouthing the System. This System has been upgraded and can now consume one Simulation count to generate a Trial Space, allowing the Host to increase combat experience and assist the Host in better cultivation. The Host can view this in the System interface.]

This System was surprisingly intelligent. He searched and found the panel.

[Trial Space: Consumes one Simulation count to generate a Puppet at most one small Realm higher or lower than the Host to help the Host hone combat experience. Each Simulation lasts fifteen days and allows for experience extraction.]

What was he waiting for? He had to give it a try.

[Host is opening the Trial Space. Consuming one Simulation count to generate a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Puppet. Confirm?]

Naturally, he confirmed. Why wait?

[Day 1: You begin the Simulation. You only lasted two moves before being beaten by the Puppet until you couldn't get up. The Puppet even mocked you for being a weakling, saying you're the weakest Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivator it has ever seen. Unwilling to accept this, you got up to fight again, but were still defeated in a single move.]

[Day 2: You grew more courageous with every fight. Today, you could already last four moves.]

[Day 3: You were beaten black and blue. Even with the System's help, it was difficult to heal. However, you epically persisted for ten moves. You feel that you could now take on two of your pre-Simulation selves at once.]

[Day 4: You wanted to continue fighting, but there was no further progress. Your Physical Body collapsed, and the Simulation was forced to terminate.]

Gu Yuchuan shouted out directly, "System, aren't you being unfair? I clearly paid for fifteen days! How did it end in just a few? You black-hearted System, refund me! Give me back my hard-earned money!"

He was like a spectator outside a national football match, only wanting the System to return his hard-earned money, but the System would never pay him any attention.

[This Simulation: Four days of combat experience. Evaluation: Weakling, but significant progress. Still a weakling. Confirm exchange?]

Forget it, one must bow when under another's roof. He couldn't do anything to the System, so he could only hold his nose and exchange it. Although it was only four days of experience, the Simulation stated his strength had doubled. He was naturally willing.

After clicking confirm, countless combat experiences flooded his brain. Breakdowns of various moves and the timing for casting Spells appeared in his mind, and he even developed muscle memory. This money was definitely not wasted!

But after calming down, he began to think again. Although the Trial Space was very powerful, he still needed Simulation counts. Now he only had three left. Whether to continue simulating or increase experience was a dilemma. After some thought, he decided to increase his combat experience once more. Right now, it was far from enough.

He simulated once more. This time he lasted for a full seven days and finally fell after more than thirty moves—ten more than last time. Such growth was not insignificant. After exchanging, he felt his strength had increased by more than just double. He believed that ordinary Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivators would definitely be unable to beat him. As for Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivators, he wasn't sure. Powerhouses among the Qi Refining Great Perfection like the Serpent and Ning Zhi would definitely still be unbeatable.

Now, he finally had the thought to continue simulating, but he was indeed too tired today. It was better to have a good night's rest.