I Have a Cultivation Simulator

['I'll take it, I'll take it, I'll take it...']

[Your divine sense scattered like flowing water, rapidly harvesting stalk after stalk of great medicines, precious medicines, and rare treasures.]

[Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven spanned several thousand li, holding countless great medicines, precious medicines, and rare treasures.]

['I can only harvest them, not take the entire plant or destroy them?']

[During the harvest, you noticed the restrictive forces flowing over every single great medicine, precious medicine, and rare treasure.]

[These restrictive forces were all connected to the grotto-heaven itself. Even someone as powerful as a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch would have to contend with the entire grotto-heaven if they wanted to uproot a plant entirely or destroy it.]

['Makes sense. If they could be uprooted entirely, these medicines and treasures would have disappeared long ago. How could they have survived until now?']

[You thought to yourself, increasing your pace as you collected the precious resources.]

[Your Nascent Soul spirit body was currently at the grotto-heaven's entrance, holding off the frantic attacks of five Great Cultivators.]

[As things stood, those five Great Cultivators couldn't force their way inside at all.]

[However, the longer this dragged on, the more likely it was for unexpected variables to occur.]

[A Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch wouldn't possibly intervene, but there was still a slight chance of drawing in other top-tier Great Cultivators.]

[In the Near-Ancient Era, unless their own sect was facing extermination or an event occurred that threatened the entire Human Realm, Heavenly Monarchs would not interfere in the disputes of lower-level cultivators.]

[This was also why you dared to make a move on this Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven controlled by the Hexu Sect.]

[In the previous simulation, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch had intervened to snatch key resources and didn't face any obstruction from a Heavenly Monarch either.]

['Many of the precious medicines, great medicines, and rare treasures are not yet mature and cannot be harvested...']

[You discovered this phenomenon during your collection.]

[Not every precious medicine, great medicine, or rare treasure matured in eight hundred years.]

[Many of the exceptionally rare ones took a thousand or even several thousand years to mature once.]

[At times like this, it all came down to luck.]

[If you were lucky enough to encounter a great medicine that only matured once every several millennia, its value would be incalculable.]

[Several hundred breaths later,]

[you had completely swept through the entire Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, covering an area of several thousand li.]

[You spared nothing, taking every harvestable precious, ancient, and great medicine.]

['That should be about it.']

[You took one last look at Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, checking it several times to ensure there were no hidden pocket spaces before turning to leave.]

[Whoosh! Outside the grotto-heaven, terrifying fluctuations erupted.]

[Five figures exuding horrifying auras attacked relentlessly. Within a radius of several hundred li, magical power fluctuations boiled like the sea, surging endlessly—] [Those Mid Nascent Soul Stage true lords watching from afar had long since retreated hundreds of li away. The many Mid Nascent Soul Stage cultivators of the Hexu Sect did the same, completely unwilling to approach the battlefield.]

[The shockwaves from the life-and-death clashes between Late Stage Great Cultivators were more than an ordinary Mid Nascent Soul Stage true lord could handle.]

[Your physical body stepped out of the grotto-heaven's entrance. Your Nascent Soul spirit body retreated and merged as one with your physical body.]

["Everyone, do you still wish to fight?"]

[Wearing the Black Gold Mask, you looked at the five Great Cultivators, your tone completely flat.]

[As your physical body emerged, the gray-robed figure, the puppet figure, and the misty figure—three Great Cultivators—were the first to cease their attacks.]

[Their goal in attacking you had been to force back your Nascent Soul spirit body and enter the grotto-heaven for a share of the spoils.]

[But now that your physical body had emerged, it meant the various harvests within the grotto-heaven were already in your hands. At this point, there was no meaning in attacking you anymore.]

[They couldn't exactly snatch the precious and great medicines back from your hands, could they?]

[That was simply unrealistic.]

['This expert in the Black Gold Mask possesses an inconceivably robust Nascent Soul spirit body. Just what quality of Ancient Soul Fruit did he refine? Furthermore, from the moment he attacked until now, he hasn't revealed the slightest clue about his origins, which means his true strength is even greater...']

[The gray-robed figure quickly pondered, forming a general assessment of you: 'Do not provoke.']

[He had only dared to attack because the other four Great Cultivators were present. If they had encountered each other one-on-one, the gray-robed figure wouldn't have even entertained the thought of fighting.]

["Your strength commands my admiration, fellow Daoist. I hope we have the chance to cross paths again in the future."]

[The gray-robed figure took a deep look at you before his figure slowly vanished.]

["If you are willing, fellow Daoist, could you leave a way to contact you for future cooperation?" the burly figure suddenly spoke.]

[You glanced at the burly figure but did not answer.]

[Cooperation with the burly figure held absolutely no value. With the experience of the fifth simulation, you were intimately familiar with the opening times and specific locations of all grotto-heavens and blessed lands for the next few hundred years, as well as the experts who would act. Why would you need to cooperate with anyone else?]

[Seeing that you didn't respond, the burly figure didn't mind. His figure rapidly retreated as well, his massive qi and blood dissipating as if he had never been there at all.]

[You looked in the direction the burly figure left, finding it difficult to track his specific destination. Even the heavenly secrets of his karma were a hazy blur, impossible to lock onto.]

[True lords who dared to make a move on the Heavenly Pillar Secret Realm had generally made foolproof preparations. Aura tracking? Heavenly secret divination? Neither was of much use.]

["Since the grotto-heaven has opened this time, if those great medicines have matured, I am willing to pay other prices in exchange for them..."]

[Before leaving, the misty figure left you a covert method of contact, hoping to barter for those specific stalks of great medicine from within Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven.]

[With the departure of the three Great Cultivators, only the two Great Cultivators of the Hexu Sect remained on the field, along with the Mid Nascent Soul Stage true lords further away who were also rapidly fleeing.]

['The Purple-Eyed True Monarch didn't act this time.']

[You thought to yourself. During your previous exchange with the five Great Cultivators, you had constantly monitored the movements of the nearby Mid Nascent Soul Stage true lords and had found no trace of the Purple-Eyed True Monarch.]

[Most likely, this true lord had realized that your presence was not something he could handle, which was why he stayed his hand.]

[Under normal circumstances, without your interference, the gray-robed figure would have broken through the grand array with the Quasi-Tier 5 Restriction-Breaking Talisman, and the five Great Cultivators would have entered the grotto-heaven to plunder. The other Mid Stage true lords would have then had a chance to slip inside for a share of the spoils.]

[In the fifth simulation, this was exactly how the Purple-Eyed True Monarch managed to snatch a portion of the important spirit and ancient medicines.]

['Forget it, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.']

[You had no urgent desire to move against the Purple-Eyed True Monarch. Instead, you hoped he would continue to grow, as killing him then would yield a far greater harvest.]

["Are you not leaving yet, sir?"]

[Great Cultivator Zhanshui stared at you, continuously observing you in an attempt to uncover your true identity.]

[Originally, he suspected you hailed from the Myriad Laws Sect or the Xuantian Sect. After all, in the entire Human Realm, it was extremely difficult for cultivators outside the Three Dharmas to reach the level of a top-tier Great Cultivator along the lineage of top-tier ancient dharma cultivation true lords. However, after the recent exchange, Great Cultivator Zhanshui's judgment wavered. Your methods and strength bore no traces whatsoever of the Three Dharmas forces. If this was merely your disguise, it was simply too unbelievable.]

[Furthermore, when Great Cultivator Zhanshui had attacked, he had probed you in certain ways and discovered that you did not possess some of the defining traits of the Three Dharmas' Great Cultivators.]

["Hahahaha, thank you for your hospitality, fellow Daoists."]

[Fluctuations of magical power surged from your body as you vanished from your spot. In an instant, you reappeared thousands of li away, and with another blink of the eye, you completely disappeared from the range of Great Cultivator Zhanshui's divine sense.]

[At the entrance of Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, only Great Cultivators Zhanshui and Qiufeng remained, along with the Mid Nascent Soul Stage true lords of the Hexu Sect who were just now approaching.]

[Great Cultivator Qiufeng entered Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven immediately, coming back out a moment later with a slight shake of his head.]

[Seeing this, Great Cultivator Zhanshui immediately knew that none of the spirit or ancient medicines within the grotto-heaven had been left behind. All the mature great medicines had been taken by you.]

["Zhanshui, did you recognize who that gold-masked expert was?" Great Cultivator Qiufeng asked.]

[The burly figure, the misty figure, and the gray-robed figure—these three Great Cultivators had all struck in past eras. Though their exact identities couldn't be determined, their existence was at least known.]

[Only that expert wearing the Black Gold Mask had never appeared prior to today, as if he had materialized out of thin air.]

[This was highly illogical. If you had only displayed Mid Nascent Soul Stage strength, it wouldn't be an issue, but possessing the might of a top-tier Great Cultivator? Could it really be that he had never made a move before?]

["I can't be sure..."]

[Great Cultivator Zhanshui sighed softly. "With such a robust Nascent Soul spirit body, it stands to reason he should be from one of our Three Dharmas forces. But fighting against him didn't feel like it at all."]

["The true lords of Heavenly Sword Peak cultivate the Sword Dao Nascent Soul, so that doesn't match."]

["The forces of the Two Bodies are body cultivation Great Cultivators, making them an even worse fit. The Four Great Merchant Alliances? I know all of their top-tier Great Cultivators and have even fought them. The Five Unorthodox Sects? He didn't seem like one of them either... That gray-robed figure, on the other hand, seemed much more like a Great Cultivator from the Five Unorthodox Sects..."]

[Great Cultivator Zhanshui considered every possibility but couldn't find a single matching target, not even an expert with passing similarities.]

["Could he perhaps be an expert from one of the other four great territories?"]

["Or maybe a newly advanced top-tier Great Cultivator?"]

[Great Cultivator Qiufeng suggested.]

["Both are possible."]

[Great Cultivator Zhanshui frowned.]

["Sigh, we'll have to be careful when the later grotto-heavens open. We must guard against that expert in the Black Gold Mask..."]

[Great Cultivator Zhanshui said.]

["We definitely have to be on guard."]

[Great Cultivator Qiufeng nodded. This time, all the benefits from the opening of Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven had been snatched away by that expert in the Black Gold Mask. Their Hexu Sect had essentially labored in vain for eight hundred years.]

[However, with the lesson learned this time, they would definitely elevate their defensive forces to the level of top-tier Great Cultivators the next time a grotto-heaven opened.]

["Let's head back after setting up the formation array. We must report the sudden emergence of this Black Gold Mask expert to the sect as soon as possible."]

[Great Cultivator Zhanshui immediately brought out the pre-prepared array blueprint and began laying down the formation array.]

[Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven wouldn't open again for another eight hundred years. During this period, even though the entrance was closed and outsiders couldn't enter, it still needed to be guarded by a formation array to deter any cultivators who drew near.]

[Above the sea of clouds, you stood soundlessly, looking down as the two Great Cultivators of the Hexu Sect finished setting up the array and hurried away.]

['It seems there really weren't any hidden pocket spaces inside the grotto-heaven that I missed...' you thought silently to yourself.]

[Your earlier departure had merely been a show for these two Great Cultivators.]

[In reality, you had hidden above the cloud layer to observe their subsequent reactions.]

[From the looks of it, you really had harvested every possible great medicine, spirit medicine, and ancient medicine within Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven. Nothing had been overlooked.]

['That is for the best.']

[You nodded slightly before your figure slowly faded away.]

[News of what transpired at Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven spread rapidly.]

[After all, many true lords had witnessed the events—three Great Cultivators of mysterious origins, along with several Mid Stage true lords.]

["Who is this expert in the Black Gold Mask? Did he just appear out of nowhere?"]

["Tsk tsk, regardless of who it is, those top-tier forces that control grotto-heavens and blessed lands are going to have a headache. Now there's another expert capable of plundering their resources."]

["Indeed. The strength of a top-tier Great Cultivator is too immense to effectively target. As long as he doesn't expose his identity or leave behind concrete evidence, even forces on the level of the Two Bodies and Three Dharmas will be completely helpless."]

["Didn't any Divination Grandmaster try to divine his background?"]

["Hahaha, I heard that the Divination Grandmaster of the Hexu Sect attempted to divine the origins of that Black Gold Mask expert, but suffered a heavenly backlash that cost him over ten years of lifespan..."] ["The heavenly secrets of that Black Gold Mask expert are hazy and obscured, and he carries quite a heavy burden of karma. Any Divination Grandmaster who doesn't care about a lifespan backlash is free to give it a try."]

[The various major forces of the Human Realm—the One Peak, the Two Bodies, the Three Dharmas, the Four Alliances, the Five Unorthodox Sects—and even the numerous Nascent Soul True Monarchs were all discussing this matter.]

[A top-tier Great Cultivator who had never made a move before piqued the interest of many true lords.]

[Many true lords went through the known top-tier Great Cultivators of the Human Realm's major forces one by one, yet found no matching target.]

[Heavenly Talisman Sect. You returned smoothly, entered your cave mansion, and recalled the Aura Talisman.]

[Several days later.]

[You stepped out of your cave mansion, pretending to have just emerged from seclusion.]

['Hmm? The Cold Talisman Grand Cultivator is calling for me?']

[Your heart stirred as you received the Cold Talisman Grand Cultivator's message.]

[After a moment's thought, you set off toward the sect's main hall.]

[Four figures sat cross-legged within the main hall. They were none other than the four Great Cultivators of the Heavenly Talisman Sect's current generation.]

["Qingyuan."]

["You've arrived, Qingyuan."]

[The Red Talisman Grand Cultivator and the others gave you slight nods.]

["Qingyuan, have you heard about what happened at Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven? About that expert in the Black Gold Mask?"]

[The Cold Talisman Grand Cultivator asked.]

["I've heard a bit about it."]

[You nodded slightly. Today, in the Central Continent Territory, there were very few true lords who didn't know about that Black Gold Mask expert.]

[Even true lords who had just emerged from seclusion would receive messages from their friends, giving them the gist of the incident.]

["The Human Realm truly is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Just which top-tier Great Cultivator is that Black Gold Mask expert?"]

[The Cold Talisman Grand Cultivator sighed with emotion. "Based on the scenes of his attacks, it seemed more likely that he came from the Three Dharmas forces."]

["But afterward, the Divination Grandmaster of the Hexu Sect performed a direct divination, which makes that unlikely. If he really came from the Three Dharmas, there would have been no need to force a divination like that."]

[The Cold Talisman Grand Cultivator's tone carried a hint of curiosity.]

["This Black Gold Mask expert is terrifying. I watched the scenes of the clash; his strength is estimated to be approaching that of the number one bandit cultivator on the ranking list..."]

[The Red Talisman Grand Cultivator spoke, his tone solemn.]

[After chatting with the four Great Cultivators of the Heavenly Talisman Sect for a while, you returned to your cave mansion.]

[With a slight shift of your thoughts, a large batch of rare Tier 4 and Tier 5 ancient and great medicines appeared before you.]

[This was precisely your harvest from Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven.]

[Looking at these Tier 4 great and ancient medicines, a smile spread across your face.]

[An ordinary Great Cultivator would find it difficult to fully utilize these great and ancient medicines even if they managed to obtain them. Consuming them directly was far too inefficient.]

[And if they hired another alchemist? That would carry the risk of exposing their involvement in Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, as quite a few of these ancient and great medicines were exclusive to it.]

[But you were different. You were a Fourth Tier High Grade alchemist Grandmaster yourself. You could easily refine these ancient and great medicines into pills without leaving a single trace for the outside world.]