Chapter 56

Zhang Xiaohai, who was driving the carriage at the front, suddenly felt a wave of heat coming from behind and couldn't help but turn to look back at the carriage, a bit puzzled. What is Young Master doing?

Practicing?

He didn't know that Gu Yang had given up all his cultivation to help Ling Ling. This was a top-secret matter, known only to the two of them, and no one else.

However, Zhang Xiaohai didn't ask anything and continued to focus on driving the carriage.

He had only learned to drive a carriage not long ago and didn't dare to be distracted.

...

Inside the carriage, Gu Yang was calculating the time needed to cultivate the "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" technique.

To cultivate to the peak of the 9th rank, it takes five years.

After the Nirvana, he has to start over, from the 9th rank to the 8th rank, which still takes five years. To reach the peak of the 8th rank, it takes another eight years, followed by the second Nirvana.

It took him a full eighteen years to complete just two Nirvanas.

Moreover, after each Nirvana, his true qi resets to zero, leaving him only at the 9th rank.

To cultivate to the 7th rank, it takes another thirteen years, and to reach the peak of the 7th rank, it's unknown how long it will take...

With this calculation, to cultivate to the 1st rank, it would take several hundred years, at least.

"Is this really not a cultivation technique for immortals?"

Gu Yang seriously doubted that this technique was not something a human could practice.

Even with the highest talent, like Liu Zhe, a world-class genius, whether he could cultivate to the 1st rank in his lifetime was a big question.

After all, he himself was already at the 4th rank, and his martial cultivation was extremely high. With Su Qingzhi, an excellent partner, his cultivation was still so slow.

If it weren't for his "cheat," he would never choose such an almost impossible technique to practice.

Gu Yang began his second simulation.

[... Thirteen years later, you break through to the 7th rank. Another five years, Ling Ling attempts to reach the Divine Realm, surrounded by several 1st rank cultivators... You die, at the age of forty.]

...

[... Eight years later, you reach the peak of the 7th rank, starting the third Nirvana... You die, at the age of forty.]

...

...

...

Gu Yang simulated again and again, and each time, he died at the age of forty. When Ling Ling attempted to reach the Divine Realm, those 1st rank cultivators would always appear on time and kill him.

He also tried not to be with Ling Ling on that day, but each time, he was still pursued and killed by a 1st rank cultivator, regardless of how weak his cultivation was.

Moreover, each time, Xu Ruomei would appear on time.

Sometimes, he would be killed on the spot.

Sometimes, he would be severely injured, and Xu Ruomei would take him back to the Sword Palace for help, but each time, he would receive a cold refusal.

It was like a ghost gate.

Gu Yang knew that even if he broke through to the 1st rank, he probably couldn't escape this death trap.

The other party didn't follow the rules of the martial world and would attack with several 1st rank cultivators.

The only way to break the deadlock was for him to reach the Divine Realm, where he could kill all those 1st rank cultivators.

After an unknown amount of time,

Gu Yang, looking at the same scenarios repeatedly, felt his eyes were about to go blind.

Moreover, each simulation resulted in different cultivation levels, sometimes high, sometimes low.

One moment, he was at the 6th rank, and the next, he dropped back to the 9th rank. This feeling was particularly strange.

Just as Gu Yang was about to become numb, a notification appeared: [... You break through to the 3rd rank. Another four years, Ling Ling attempts to reach the Divine Realm...]

When he saw the words "3rd rank," his heart skipped a beat. He looked again, and it was indeed the 3rd rank.

"Finally to the 3rd rank."

He was extremely excited.

How many times had he simulated?

Yes, twenty-four times, a total of 432 years, and he had just reached the 3rd rank.

Is this really a technique for humans to practice?

Can cultivating it lead to immortality?

Gu Yang was starting to doubt his life.

Just from the 4th rank to the peak of the 4th rank, it took fifty years.

From the 9th rank to the peak of the 9th rank, it took five years.

From the 8th rank to the peak of the 8th rank, it took eight years.

From the 7th rank to the peak of the 7th rank, it took thirteen years.

From the 6th rank to the peak of the 6th rank, it took twenty years.

From the 5th rank to the peak of the 5th rank, it took thirty years.

From the 4th rank to the peak of the 4th rank, it took fifty years.

Would it take a hundred years to reach the 3rd rank and above?

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

Actually, he also knew that the difficulty of the technique was one aspect, but the main reason was his poor talent.

[Simulation complete. You can retain one of the following.]

[1. Martial realm at the age of forty.]

[2. Martial experience at the age of forty.]

[3. Life wisdom at the age of forty.]

"I choose one."

Boom!

In the next moment, Gu Yang felt his consciousness explode. Flames appeared out of nowhere, quickly forming a phoenix in the flames.

The true qi, like flames, spread from his pores, enveloping his entire body.

The intangible flame true qi gradually became tangible, almost setting the carriage on fire.

This was the mark of breaking through to the 3rd rank, the formation of true essence!

In ancient times, the 3rd to 1st ranks were also known as the True Essence Realm.

True essence, indestructible, could pierce through metal with a single finger from a distance.

At this point, a martial artist truly became a powerful weapon. Even on the battlefield, a single gesture could kill heavily armored soldiers. As long as the true essence was not exhausted, ordinary soldiers could not resist.

Of course, even 1st rank martial artists did not have infinite true essence and would not foolishly engage in a direct confrontation with a well-trained army.

If surrounded by thousands of fearless soldiers, even a 1st rank expert would find it hard to escape death.

At the 3rd rank, he could be considered a strong cultivator in the entire Great Zhou.

Gu Yang focused his mind and retracted the true essence, preventing the carriage from catching fire.

"Is everything alright, Young Master?"

The noise was too loud, scaring Zhang Xiaohai, who thought something had happened.

"Everything's fine, continue driving."

Gu Yang responded, focusing his attention on the small, fiery phoenix in his consciousness. He could clearly feel its presence.

"Is this a spirit?"

He was very curious.

According to the "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" technique, after reaching the 3rd rank, martial will would manifest. This was probably what it referred to.

However, it felt more like the spirit described in novels from his previous life.

Perhaps, after reaching the Divine Realm, it would be similar to cultivation for immortality.

Gu Yang thought, feeling excited.

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