Chapter 220: Top-Tier Resources, Treasures, and Rare Wonders of the Human Realm

[You naturally noticed the changes in the Armored Guardian, along with the red light flaring in his eyes once more.]

[You felt no surprise.]

[After all, the aptitude and talent you were now displaying were simply unbelievable.]

[An eighteen-year-old Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator?]

[An eighteen-year-old at the Core Formation Perfection Stage could still be explained by an Innate Dao Fetus—cultivating in the womb, born with Foundation Establishment cultivation, and then raised with the full backing of a Heavenly Monarch and countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures...]

[But an eighteen-year-old Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator?]

[Even in the ancient era, Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivators could roam the Human Realm unhindered. What took other monstrous freaks hundreds of years and every fortuitous encounter to achieve, you had accomplished at eighteen?]

[Even a lofty Heavenly Monarch would be stunned to learn your true age and cultivation.]

['Nothing should go wrong, right?']

[Looking at the Armored Guardian before you—his eyes boiling with red light as inexplicable fluctuations surged to run a secondary verification check—you felt a bit uncertain.]

[The Armored Guardian was not a true living being, but a puppet that strictly followed its master's directives.]

[If two directives conflicted, it was possible for it to "crash."]

[As a Rank 4 Middle Grade puppet Grandmaster yourself, you were very clear on the intricacies involved.]

[Theoretically, the possibility of a crash was extremely slim, and puppet Grandmasters did their utmost to prevent such a scenario.]

[But your age and cultivation were simply too unbelievable.]

[They defied common sense.]

[Over an hour passed once again.]

[The surging red light deep in the Armored Guardian's eyes finally settled.]

["Well?"]

[You couldn't help but ask, testing the waters.]

[The Armored Guardian looked at you and finally spoke.]

["Dharma cultivation aptitude test complete—"]

["Race: Human."]

["Age: Eighteen."]

["Cultivation: Fourth-Order Late Stage."]

["Status: Abundant potential, surging origin. Soul strength significantly exceeds that of Great Cultivators of the same tier."]

["Evaluation: Great child of destiny of the Human Realm? Reincarnated immortal? Visitor from a foreign realm?"]

["Test Result: Pass."]

['Good, everything is fine.']

[You secretly breathed a sigh of relief. You had been worried the guardian might crash.]

[Since it successfully provided an evaluation, it had likely returned to normal.]

['Soul strength significantly exceeds that of Great Cultivators of the same tier?']

[You pondered secretly, recalling the Armored Guardian's status description. 'Is this my soul strength under the boost of my golden-grade talent, Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move?']

[The Armored Guardian could not detect your golden-grade talent, Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move, but it could sense your true state under its augmentation.]

[Just like how your talent, Indomitable Will, and its boost to your willpower could be detected by the Armored Guardian, leading it to conclude you had an aptitude for the soul cultivator and ghost cultivation paths.]

['Great child of destiny of the Human Realm? Reincarnated immortal? Visitor from a foreign realm?']

[You were secretly shocked. You knew what a child of destiny was; every Nascent Soul True Monarch was a child of destiny of their respective major region. In a region spanning millions of li, countless cultivators competed, and only one or two True Monarchs could ultimately emerge. If that wasn't a child of destiny, what was?]

[But a child of destiny of the Human Realm? A great child of destiny of the Human Realm? You had never heard of such a thing. Just from the description alone, its weight was obvious. In the late ancient era, perhaps the Sword Lord, the highest peak of the Human Realm, could bear such a title?]

['Reincarnated immortal... Visitor from a foreign realm...']

[You could still somewhat conceptualize a great child of destiny of the Human Realm, but the latter two evaluations? Reincarnated immortal? Were there truly immortals from the Upper Realm who reincarnated into the Human Realm? To what end? As for a visitor from a foreign realm, did that mean an existence from another major realm had come to the Human Realm?]

[*Clatter—*]

[The Armored Guardian began testing your aptitude in other areas.]

[When testing your body cultivation aptitude, the Armored Guardian still took a long time, primarily because your body cultivation realm was not much lower than your dharma cultivation realm.]

[An eighteen-year-old with a Fourth Tier Mid-Stage Body Refining cultivation base was still not something the Innate Dao Fetus could explain.]

[Finally, the Armored Guardian gave a status evaluation similar to the dharma cultivation test result.]

["Challenger, you have passed the test..."]

[The Armored Guardian looked at you and said, "Since the near-ancient era, you are the 9,631st challenger to pass the test..."]

["Your aptitude ranks first among all challengers in the near-ancient era."]

[The Armored Guardian stated.]

[Hearing this, you were not surprised in the slightest.]

[You had already heard this evaluation at the beginning of your previous simulation, back when you were only at the Core Formation Perfection Stage.]

["And if we include the ancient era?"]

[You asked curiously.]

[The Ghost Realm Trial Field was established at the end of the ancient era by its creators to combat the invasion from the Demon Abyss Realm.]

[Therefore, the scope of challengers included that batch of cultivators from the late ancient era.]

[At the end of the ancient era, during the invasion of the Demon Abyss Realm and the Human Realm's moment of life and death, many stunningly brilliant geniuses were born. Although they were ultimately overshadowed by the Sword Lord's brilliance, the existence of these geniuses was undeniable.]

["The ancient era..."]

[Red light surged in the Armored Guardian's eyes once more before it answered, "Still first."]

["Hmm..."]

[You had expected this answer.]

[After all, an eighteen-year-old Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator... no matter the era, was an existence that defied common sense.]

[It would be abnormal if you weren't first.]

["Then, next..."]

[You looked at the Armored Guardian.]

[As soon as you entered the simulation, you eagerly rushed to the Ghost Realm Trial Field and actively revealed many of your secrets.]

[For what purpose?]

[Wasn't it for the reward selection after passing the aptitude test?]

["You are the top-ranked genius in aptitude since the establishment of the trial field. You may choose one of the following rewards..."]

[The Armored Guardian stared at you and gently raised its hand. Screens of light coalesced, revealing various top-tier resources, treasures, and rare wonders.]

[You focused your gaze. The treasures on the screens of light were all-encompassing. Each one was incredibly precious and rare, starting at the Quasi-Tier-5 grade.]

[Compared to the reward list you saw last time, the list the Armored Guardian presented this time included many treasures that existed only in legends and had long since vanished from the Human Realm.]

[The first-ranked reward was still the Sword Lord's Manuscript. Passed down from the Sword Lord of the late ancient era, it likely held high instructional value even for Heavenly Monarchs at the Deity Transformation Stage.]

[At the end of your fifth simulation, as a Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, you investigated some of the Sword Lord's deeds and learned that this highest peak of the Human Realm was truly the strongest in the history of the Human Realm in terms of combat power.]

[The strongest, not one of the strongest.]

[In all of history, not just limited to the ancient era.]

[The fifth-ranked reward was the World-Crossing Immortal Ark, with a note added: 'Incomplete.']

["The World-Crossing Immortal Ark?"]

[You were shocked. It was said that in the early ancient era, a Heavenly Monarch from a certain Deity Transformation sacred ground personally took action, scouring the Human Realm for endless resources to forge this heaven-shaking flying ark.]

[The purpose of forging the World-Crossing Immortal Ark was to lead their disciples directly to the Upper Realm.]

[In previous simulations, the reason given by the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty for its external conquests was to emulate that Deity Transformation sacred ground from the ancient era and forge a World-Crossing Immortal Ark.]

[At the time, you had doubted it. The resources required to forge the World-Crossing Immortal Ark were virtually endless. Only during the early ancient era, when heaven and earth resources were at their richest, could they barely be gathered. What did the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty have to build it with?]

[Only later did you learn that the World-Crossing Immortal Ark forged by the Dazhou Immortal Dynasty was merely a replica of the one from the ancient era. It might not even possess a millionth of its power.]

[Looking at the incredibly magnificent but slightly dilapidated World-Crossing Immortal Ark in the projection, you fell silent.]

[The purpose of the World-Crossing Immortal Ark was to bypass the ascension passage and travel directly to the Upper Realm.]

[Yet now, the World-Crossing Immortal Ark had appeared in the Ghost Realm Trial Field, and it was in an incomplete state.]

[Obviously, the method of using the World-Crossing Immortal Ark to reach the Upper Realm was a dead end.]

['The Upper Realm...']

[Your thoughts drifted. In the early ancient era, an ascension passage existed. As long as a Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch met the requirements, they could travel to the Upper Realm through the ascension passage.]

[Later, due to some unknown change, the ascension passage collapsed. From then on, the Human Realm's connection to the Upper Realm was completely severed.]

[In the early ancient era, the World-Crossing Immortal Ark might have just been one method to reach the Upper Realm, as there was still the more stable ascension passage.]

[But in the near-ancient era? With the ascension passage collapsed, the World-Crossing Immortal Ark might be the only hopeful method of reaching the Upper Realm.]

[Even if this method had been proven a dead end in the ancient era, it was at least a direction worth trying.]

[Since the Heavenly Monarch dared to exhaust the Human Realm's resources to build it, he definitely had some degree of confidence.]

['It's useless to me for now.']

[Looking at the World-Crossing Immortal Ark, you shook your head slightly.]

[You weren't even at the Deity Transformation Stage yet; talking about ascending to the Upper Realm was too far off.]

[And with your current strength, even if you chose this reward, you wouldn't dare use it.]

[Once the World-Crossing Immortal Ark was exposed, it would likely attract the eyes of all the Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm, prompting them to attack and snatch it.]

[The ninth-ranked reward was a top-grade Profound Heavenly Spirit Treasure.]

[These Profound Heavenly Spirit Treasures were weapons used by Heavenly Monarchs, possessing vast power capable of moving mountains and filling seas.]

[The eleventh-ranked reward was a miniature independent world, ten li in radius.]

[Within this miniature independent world, living beings could survive and all things could grow.]

['A portable miniature independent world...']

[You composed yourself. The cultivation world had storage treasures, such as storage rings.]

[But they could only hold inanimate objects. Spirit beast bags could hold pet beasts, but the pet beasts remained in a deep slumber inside; they couldn't move, let alone grow.]

['Too incredible...']

[You marveled secretly. In reality, when you refined the three-hundred-li savage cave dwelling into a palm-sized object, you were essentially forging a prototype magical treasure.]

[When that savage cave dwelling was stowed away, it could not support living beings.]

['Are Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarchs capable of opening up an independent miniature world?']

[You couldn't help but wonder. Many of the Human Realm's secret realms and worlds were naturally formed and could not be moved, but this miniature independent world could be freely carried.]

[The grotto-heavens and blessed lands of the Central Continent Territory were also opened up by Heavenly Monarchs on the foundation of existing secret realms; they weren't forged out of thin air.]

[The Ghost Realm Trial Field was the same.]

[And whether it was the Ghost Realm Trial Field or the grotto-heavens and blessed lands, they could not be moved.]

[The eighteenth-ranked reward was a drop of True Dragon Blood.]

['True Dragon Blood?']

[A True Dragon was a top-tier true spirit immortal beast, equal to the Heavenly Phoenix and standing above other ordinary true spirit immortal beasts.]

[Whether it was True Dragon Blood or the Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix, they could both be refined into your Divine Ability Transformation and brought back to reality, as well as into subsequent simulations.]

['This could be one of the choices...']

[The twentieth-ranked reward was a drop of the Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix.]

[The fiftieth-ranked reward was a peak Rank 5 longevity fruit.]

[It could extend a Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch's lifespan by eight hundred years.]

['Extend lifespan by eight hundred years...']

[You swallowed hard. The limit of a Nascent Soul True Monarch's lifespan was only over a thousand years.]

[This peak Rank 5 longevity fruit could directly extend it by more than half of a Nascent Soul True Monarch's entire lifespan?]

[The eighty-third-ranked reward was a Quasi-Tier-5 puppet.]

[A Quasi-Tier-5 puppet could unleash power surpassing the limits of the Late Nascent Soul Stage. Although far inferior to a Heavenly Monarch, it was more than enough to deal with ordinary Late Stage Great Cultivators.]

['Too many, there are too many...']

[Your eyes were dazzled. You felt like you wanted every single reward.]

['What a pity...']

[You glanced at the Armored Guardian. This puppet's strength was unfathomable; it was not something you could defeat.]

[Even if you could defeat it, it would be useless. Those rewards were not on the Armored Guardian's person.]

[According to your experience in previous simulations, spatial fluctuations appeared every time the Armored Guardian retrieved a treasure.]

[You deduced that the numerous treasure resources of the Ghost Realm Trial Field were stored in an independent world, and the Armored Guardian only held the method to retrieve them.]

['Which one should I choose?']

[You considered it carefully.]

[Your principle for choosing a reward was not based on its preciousness.]

[Rather, it was whether it could be inherited into reality and provide you with direct assistance.]

[In terms of preciousness, that World-Crossing Immortal Ark would probably drive every Heavenly Monarch in the Human Realm mad.]

[But it wouldn't be much help to you.]

[It couldn't be inherited into reality, and before stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage, you wouldn't even dare use it.]

[As for trading it with a Heavenly Monarch?]

[What a joke. Without reaching the Deity Transformation Stage, what right did you have to trade equally with a Heavenly Monarch?]

[Those Profound Heavenly Spirit Treasures, as well as even more powerful Spirit Treasures, followed the same logic.]

[They couldn't be inherited into reality. Profound Heavenly Spirit Treasures were weapons for Heavenly Monarchs. Even if one fell into your hands, you wouldn't be able to unleash much of its power, and it would only draw the covetous eyes of Heavenly Monarchs.]

['The Sword Lord's Manuscript is a pretty good choice...']

[You looked at the top-ranked reward. As a manuscript containing insights and experiences, it could naturally be inherited into reality and provide help in future simulations.]