Chapter 259: Chapter 258: Lying Low! The Simulation Starts Again

Zhu Ge was drenched in sweat, his robes soaked through, but the excitement in his eyes only grew stronger.

After finishing "Army Breaker," he withdrew his staff and stood still, letting out a long breath.

His arms trembled slightly, an aftereffect of overexertion, but every cell in his body was cheering.

’This staff technique is pretty good!’

He closed his eyes, feeling the faint vibrations coming from the Purgatory Star Rod.

Within the staff’s body, various powers intertwined. Drawn by his Blood Qi, Literary Energy, and Witch Power, they slowly merged until they were indistinguishable from one another.

"This is my Staff Dao." Zhu Ge’s lips curled up slightly. "Unconventional and eclectic."

He put away the Purgatory Star Rod, glanced at the stalk of Tide Level Rice, and then exited his Self Realm, returning to the carriage.

True Monarch Minmian was feigning sleep with his eyes closed. Hearing the movement, he opened his eyes a crack.

"How did the practice go?"

"I’ve practiced all of it." Zhu Ge sat down, picked up the teapot from the table to pour himself a cup of water, and chugged it down.

"All of it?" True Monarch Minmian was a bit surprised, raising an eyebrow.

The carriage continued onward.

The wheels creaked as they rolled over the gravel.

Liu Jianjian rode alongside on her Mazhu, occasionally humming a few lines of an off-key tune.

Zhu Sisi was sprawled on her shoulder, fast asleep, with a half-chewed mulberry leaf still in her mouth.

Zhu Ge did not rest.

He sat cross-legged in the carriage with his eyes closed, continuing to work through the fusion of his staff techniques in his mind.

After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes and glanced out the window.

The carriage was passing through a region of rolling hills. In the distance, mountains rose and fell, and nearby, the grass and trees were lush.

Liu Jianjian rode her Mazhu, counting the clouds in the sky out of sheer boredom.

Zhu Sisi was still sleeping on her shoulder; the half-eaten mulberry leaf in her mouth had finally been swallowed.

’It’s about time for Water Refining...’ Zhu Ge returned to his senses.

Since mastering Wind Refining, his body’s durability had become comparable to an Elemental Level weapon; an ordinary Third Realm Demon Beast couldn’t even break his skin with its attacks.

But the Water Refining portion of his Great Sun Glaze Body technique had only just begun; he was still a long way from mastery.

When he entered his Self Realm, the fragrance of rice was as strong as ever.

Zhu Ge walked to the irrigation channel beside the Spirit Rice Field.

This channel had been built by the late Hongmi Immortal to irrigate the rice fields with Spiritual Spring Water. The water was clear and suffused with a dense Spiritual Qi.

He took off his outer robe, planted the Purgatory Star Rod in the bank, took a deep breath, and stepped into the water.

He stopped when the water reached his waist.

The Water Refining Technique of the Great Sun Glaze Body focused on tempering the entire body with water pressure.

The pressure of still water was the lowest, making it suitable for beginners. The pressure in deep pools was greater, suitable for intermediate training.

The pressure in great rivers was astounding, suitable for advanced refinement, while places like the abyssal depths of the sea offered the ultimate tempering experience.

He was still at the beginner stage. The water in the Spiritual Spring channel was just past his waist, providing a moderate amount of pressure.

Zhu Ge closed his eyes, and his soul left his body.

A giant, egg-shaped red soul hovered above the water’s surface, looking down at his physical body.

His physical body slowly sank into the Spiritual Spring until the water closed over his head.

He activated the Water Refining Technique, guiding the Spiritual Qi from the Spiritual Spring Water to seep into his skin, muscles, bones, and organs.

Instantly, pain assaulted him.

Pain.

So much pain!

It wasn’t the sharp, cutting pain of Wind Refining, but a dull ache that radiated from the inside out, as if an invisible hand were kneading his internal organs.

Although the water pressure wasn’t high, the Spiritual Qi within the Spiritual Spring Water was "heavier" than that in ordinary water. Every drop felt as if it carried a sliver of spiritual pressure, compressing his body.

’Fifty breaths,’ Zhu Ge counted silently in his mind.

This was the time limit he had set for himself.

With Wind Refining, it had taken him a long time to go from lasting a few breaths to several dozen.

Water Refining was more difficult than Wind Refining because the pressure was ubiquitous and inescapable.

The moment fifty breaths had passed, he returned his soul to his body and stood up from the water.

He let out a long exhale.

As he exhaled a long, foul breath, Zhu Ge felt as if his body were a wrung-out towel, every muscle trembling faintly.

But the sensation wasn’t unpleasant; instead, he felt an indescribable sense of clarity.

Water Refining wasn’t about destroying the body, but tempering its resilience.

Wind Refining had made him hard; Water Refining was making him flexible.

The combination of the two would create a true balance of hardness and flexibility.

He put his robes back on and was about to begin another round of refining when a sudden thrumming sensation echoed in his mind.

It was a familiar, profoundly mysterious feeling.

’The Superiority/Inferiority Simulator is about to activate.’

’Two more days?’ Zhu Ge was startled.

He had to admit, whether it was [Kunpeng], [Spider], or [Secret], all of them were currently very useful to him.

’I need to prepare properly and give True Monarch Minmian a heads-up.’

Zhu Ge took this matter very seriously.

So, for the next two days, he dealt with the various Great Realm and Fusion Realm beings who came seeking instruction before he began preparing for the simulation.

...

When the time came, he closed his eyes within his Self Realm.

His consciousness sank into his mind, and the simulator’s interface slowly materialized.

[Survival of the Fittest Simulator Activated!]

[Theme of this simulation: Dormancy]

[Simulations remaining: 5]

[Would you like to begin this simulation?]

"Yes."

[You are a loach, born in a murky pond.]

[The pond is not large, only a few yards across. The bottom is covered in thick black mud, and withered leaves and algae float on the surface. There are dozens of your kind, large and small, darting through the mud and fighting over the limited food.]

[Your body is long and slender, only two inches long, and entirely grayish-brown, allowing you to blend in almost perfectly with the mud. You have no sharp teeth, no hard shell, and no venom.]

[Your only talent is burrowing. When danger appears, a quick dive into the mud allows you to escape most predators.]

[Your choice is—]

[One: Compete with your kind for food and grow quickly.]

[Two: Find a hidden corner of the pond to forage for food alone.]

[Three: Burrow into the deepest part of the mud, reduce activity, and conserve energy.]

Zhu Ge looked at the three options, recalling the theme of "Dormancy."

In the last simulation, he had chosen to "stop absorbing nutrients and enter a deeper state of hibernation." As a result, he had obtained [Endurance] and [Tenacity] before finally breaking out of his cocoon.

’Is a loach different from a beetle egg?’

’A loach can move, but its weakness dictates that it cannot be too conspicuous.’

"I’ll choose three," Zhu Ge decided.

’Burrow into the deepest part of the mud, reduce activity, and conserve energy.’

’Since I’m weak, I shouldn’t contend with the strong.’

[You flick your tail and dive headfirst into the deep mud. The black, sticky sludge completely envelops your body.]

[You no longer move or forage, simply lying dormant in the darkness. Your breathing slows, your heartbeat grows faint, and your body’s energy consumption drops to its lowest possible level.]

[The other loaches in the pond continue to fight over food. Some are snatched by water birds, some are swallowed by frogs, and others tear at each other while fighting for territory. But you, deep within the mud, remain safe and sound. Trait acquired: Mud Concealment.]

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