While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 164 Another Simulation, Journey to the Lower Dimension, Descendants of the Ice Spirit Clan!

After the specific details of the medicine-making process were discussed,
Xuan Kongzi handed a token to Lu Yu, instructing him to choose a courtyard to stay in within the inner domain. He then summoned Elder Xuan Qing and asked him to take Lu Yu away.

On the return journey, Elder Xuanqing greeted Lu Yu with a warm smile and said, "Congratulations, Elder Lu! From now on, we are colleagues. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

As he led the way, he enthusiastically introduced the token to Lu Yu: "Elder Lu, don't underestimate this token. It's not just proof of identity, but it also has many benefits."

"Firstly, you can use it to stay in any quiet courtyard in the core area of ​​the inner domain. The energy there is far richer than in the outer domain, making it extremely suitable for quiet cultivation and studying alchemy. Moreover, there are guards from the Pill Tower patrolling day and night, so you don't need to worry about safety."

He became more serious and continued, "As for the second benefit, you must have heard about the structure of the Central Plains forces: 'one palace, one tower, two sects, three valleys, and four pavilions'."

"Holding this token means that you are a member of my Pill Tower. In this Central Continent, apart from the mysterious and unpredictable Soul Palace, basically no one dares to cause trouble for the elders of the Pill Tower, which can save you a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"As for the third point,"

Elder Xuanqing raised his voice again, with a smile, "This means you will have the right to exchange for high-level resources and rare medicinal formulas within the Pill Tower. With this token, you can exchange for unimaginable natural treasures from the outside world, and even some ancient medicinal formulas or unique alchemy techniques that are never passed on to outsiders."

At this point, his tone became more serious: "Of course, guest elders do not concern themselves with the internal affairs of the Pill Tower and cannot participate in the voting and decision-making of the Elder Council. This is to ensure the neutrality of the Pill Tower and the continuation of its lineage, and I hope Elder Lu understands."

"all in all,"

Elder Xuanqing concluded, "The status of a guest elder brings you the friendship of the Pill Tower, necessary protection, priority in resource exchanges, and a courtyard in the inner domain, without the responsibility of management. For alchemists who yearn for freedom, it is indeed the most suitable position."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Lu Yu with a warm smile on his face: "How about I take you to choose a place you like to stay right now?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu nodded and smiled, "Then I'll have to trouble Elder Xuanqing."

Subsequently, under the guidance of Elder Xuanqing, Lu Yu, together with Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan, selected a rather elegant courtyard in the secluded core area of ​​the inner domain.

The courtyard was spacious, and the house was fully equipped. More importantly, it was connected to a high-quality earth fire vein underground, which would greatly benefit alchemy. Lu Yu was quite satisfied with this.

After settling in, Lu Yu seemed to remember something and asked Elder Xuanqing, who had not yet left, "Elder Xuanqing, do you know if the Pill Tower contains any recipes for refining eighth-grade poison pills?"

Elder Xuanqing pondered for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Although the recipe for the eighth-order poison pill is obscure, the Pill Tower's library does indeed have a few. If Elder Lu needs them, I will look them up for you now and get back to you shortly."

"That's excellent, thank you for your trouble, Elder Xuanqing."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately cupped his hands in thanks.

Since the Pill Tower has readily available formulas for high-level poison pills, he was spared the trouble of researching and deducing them himself; he could simply use them directly.

He already had a plan in mind. Once he understood the essence of refining these high-level poison pills, he could use this as a foundation to tailor-make unique poison pills of higher quality and more suitable for Little Fairy Doctor's constitution.

It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

……

That afternoon, Elder Xuanqing returned and personally delivered an eighth-grade intermediate poison pill jade slip containing the "Netherworld Soul-Eroding Pill" to Lu Yu, along with a set of matching medicinal materials.

He said apologetically, "Elder Lu, please forgive me. The recipe for the 'Netherworld Soul-Eating Pill' is too obscure, and the Pill Tower's inventory of related medicinal materials is also limited. I have searched through the entire storeroom and have only managed to gather this one complete set of medicinal materials for the time being."

Elder Xuanqing paused briefly before continuing, "If you require more medicinal herbs, I will immediately issue a collection task within the Pill Tower upon my return, instructing the stewards and elders on duty outside to keep an eye out. We should be able to gather a few more for you. However, this will take some time, so please be patient."

Lu Yu accepted the jade slip and the medicinal herbs, nodding slightly to show his understanding: "One dose is already a rare gift, thank you for your trouble, Elder Xuanqing. Please keep an eye out for the rest of the medicinal herbs."

Elder Xuanqing smiled with satisfaction at Lu Yu's understanding manner: "Elder Lu, you're too kind. It was nothing. I will inform you as soon as there is any news about new medicinal herbs."

Lu Yu smiled and nodded, then took out two warm jade bottles from his storage ring and handed them over.

"Inside the bottle are one Jade Purity Condensing Liquid Pill of Grade 8 Two-Colored Pill Lightning and one Nine Aperture Exquisite Pill of Grade 8 Three-Colored Pill Lightning, which I refined earlier. I will use these as the basis for the exchange."

Elder Xuanqing took the jade bottle, examined it briefly, and sensed the abundant and pure medicinal power and spiritual energy within. His face immediately lit up with delight. The value of these two pills was comparable to that of the rare poison pill formula and ingredients.

However, no one has exchanged for the Poison Pill technique for many years. From a practical point of view, the Pill Tower still comes out on top.

"Elder Lu is too kind. My Pill Tower is the one that benefited from this exchange."

Elder Xuanqing said with a smile, his opinion of Lu Yu's generosity and style of handling affairs rising even higher.

Both parties were satisfied with the completed transaction.

After seeing Elder Xuanqing off, Lu Yu stood in the courtyard, his soul power sweeping over the jade slip containing the eighth-order poison pill, a glint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

Little Fairy Doctor, who had been listening quietly, spoke softly, her eyes filled with gratitude and concern: "Brother Lu, there's really no need to go to such trouble for me. The formula for an eighth-grade poison pill is extremely precious; to exchange it for an eighth-grade spirit pill is rather..."

Lu Yu turned to her and smiled gently, interrupting her, "It's worth it to go to such lengths for you."

He gently shook the jade slip in his hand and continued, "Moreover, since the Pill Tower has this poison pill formula, it must have a corresponding stock of medicinal materials. This is the key point. High-level poison-attribute medicinal materials are hard to find. Apart from the Pill Tower, I'm afraid it's difficult for any other force to offer both a high-level poison formula and the corresponding poison-attribute medicinal materials to trade with us."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious: "However, with your current cultivation level, it is still difficult for you to refine the medicinal power of a mid-grade eighth-rank poison pill. I plan to improve this formula first, appropriately lower its grade, and create a seventh-rank formula that is more suitable for your current stage."

"It's a good time to use that half-step eighth-tier Seven-Patterned Jade Spirit Grass as well..."

Lu Yu pondered for a moment, then instructed Little Fairy Doctor, "Go and see if Senior Tianhuo has awakened. I'll go to the quiet room to study this prescription. I'll be able to give you a definite answer in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor's eyes flashed with understanding and anticipation, and she nodded gently: "Alright, I'll go right away. Don't overwork yourself."

She knew that the Seven-Patterned Jade Spirit herb was extremely potent and rare. Incorporating it into the poison pill would greatly enhance its power and benefit her afflicted poisonous body.

Lu Yu nodded to indicate that he understood, then turned and entered the quiet room for alchemy that had been prepared especially for him.

The interior is simply furnished, with a dark red medicine cauldron sitting on the fire pit, radiating a steady energy fluctuation.

He sat down cross-legged and first placed the jade slip containing the "Netherworld Soul-Eating Pill" on his forehead. A vast amount of soul power surged out, and he began to meticulously analyze every detail of this eighth-grade intermediate poison pill.

Ancient information flooded into my mind, including complex medicinal ingredient ratios, intricate points for the fusion of medicinal power, and stringent requirements for cooking time.

Lu Yu was completely absorbed in the process, his fingers unconsciously tracing the trajectory of the medicinal power fusion in the air, deducing how to adjust the principal, assistant, and adjuvant herbs without damaging its fundamental toxicity, lowering the refining threshold and energy requirements, and using the Seven-Patterned Jade Spirit Grass as the core for replacement and weakening.

Time slipped away quietly as we focused on the simulation...

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Yu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming with a sharp light, already having formed a preliminary idea.

However, he did not try it immediately. Instead, with a thought, a pale blue light screen slowly unfolded.

"Although the prescription has been deduced, whether it will work is still uncertain. Fortunately, the simulation period is over this month, so let's try it out in the simulation..."

"Each simulation only allows you to exchange for one item, so the opportunity is precious and shouldn't be wasted on exchanging for common medicinal herbs. Since these herbs can be found in reality, it's best to use real-world herbs. Simulation testing followed by real-world refining is the most resource-efficient approach..."

With this thought in mind, Lu Yu initiated the simulation. [Ding! Drawing a simulated identity for the host—]

[Selection successful. Please choose one of the following three roles.]

[One, Mercenaries of the Northern Spirit Realm—You were born into poverty, the offspring of a pair of mercenaries from the Northern Spirit Realm of the Hundred Spirits Continent. Abandoned by your parents at a young age, you were fortunate to be taken in by a kind old man.]

[Second, the stable boy of the Liu family—You are from the Liu region, one of the nine major domains of the Northern Spirit Realm. Due to an accident, you were sold into slavery by the Liu family to raise their black-scaled horses.]

[Third, Descendant of the Ice Spirit Clan—You are a descendant of a branch of the ancient Ice Spirit Clan, residing in a cruel lower plane called the Gu Realm, where the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive.]

Please make your choice——

"Ok?"

"Mercenaries, stable boys, natives of lower planes..."

"Was my luck really that bad this time?"

"Did I use up all my resources in the last simulation of the Western Heaven Battle Palace?"

Looking at the three simulated identities, Lu Yu's face darkened, and he couldn't help but complain in his heart.

However, since it was a fait accompli, he could only calm down and carefully weigh the pros and cons of these three identities.

"Of these three identities, the one with the highest talent and the strongest background is that of a descendant of the Ice Spirit Clan. As long as I can ascend within ten years, I will definitely be treated well by the Ice Spirit Clan. After all, the Martial Ancestor's example serves as a warning, and those old fogies in the Ice Spirit Clan certainly know what to do..."

"The worst is the mercenary. They have no talent, no background, and their living environment is extremely harsh. They might be killed by a spirit beast at the beginning of the game. This one cannot be selected."

"The experience gained is in the identity of a stable boy. When the time comes, killing the Liu family and befriending Mu Chen will also be a path to growth."

"But I have already accumulated enough experience. I don't need to befriend Mu Chen to take off. It's just that my achievements will be limited. The highest I can achieve is the Supreme Realm..."

Thinking of this, Lu Yu fell into deep thought, a rare occurrence for him. Choosing the identity of a stable boy was naturally the safest option. As long as the timing was right, he might even be able to enter the Five Great Academies for cultivation, and perhaps even compete with Mu Chen for the championship of the Spirit Academy Tournament.

However, he had experienced this kind of academy simulation too many times, and he had figured out most of the rewards he could get, so it was really difficult to simulate anything of value.

"Why don't we go check out the lower planes? After all, they are descendants of an ancient race from a higher plane; they probably won't be too bad..."

Lu Yu pondered silently, just like the Tianxuan Continent, which also gave birth to a descendant of the Ice Spirit Clan like Ying Huanhuan, and eventually produced a world-shaking figure like the Martial Ancestor.

After some deliberation, a resolute glint flashed in Lu Yu's eyes: "In that case, this time we'll choose the next plane simulation!"

[Selection successful! Identity loading...]

[Simulation begins——]

[In your first year, at fifteen, you participated in the Enlightenment Ceremony at Bai Village, successfully opening your inner aperture, becoming a first-tier Gu Master, and awakening the mystery of your birth, breaking through the chaos of the universe and understanding your origins. Recalling your experiences over the past fifteen years, you feel as if you're in a dream…]

[So the world you've transmigrated to is called the Gu Realm. Its cultivation system is similar to the Spirit Insect Masters of the Great Thousand Worlds, divided into five ranks, which here are called Gu Masters. The Gu Realm is vast, divided into five regions: Central Continent, Northern Plains, Southern Frontier, Western Desert, and Eastern Sea.]

[In the five domains of the Gu Realm, each domain has dozens of Gu Masters who are known as Venerables. You were fortunate enough to witness one of them in action from afar, and discovered that his power was comparable to that of a Dou Zun expert. The flourishing of cultivation in this lower plane astonished you.]

[Soon after, you quickly grasped your situation: you were in the Southern Frontier, a region known as the "Ten Thousand Mountains, Ten Thousand Villages." Your village, Bai Village, was merely a small Gu village with a third-tier Gu Master in charge, lacking resources and facing a bleak future.]

[In the second year, after regaining your senses, you were not discouraged. You abandoned the Ice Spirit Technique, a secret tradition of Bai Village, and resolutely decided to cultivate the "Nine Heavens Sword Primordial Spirit Chapter." Based on this, and supplemented by the alchemy technique, which was not prevalent in this world, your cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. In just one year, you jumped from the first level to the third level, shocking the entire Bai Village and even attracting the attention of the surrounding large villages.]

[In the third year, your exceptional talent caught the attention of the patriarch of Bai Village. Feigning appreciation, he secretly coveted the secret of your rapid rise in strength and decided to bestow upon you the Ice Soul Gu, a third-tier peak Gu worm passed down through generations of Bai Village. You, wary, refused the Gu and instead struck first, unleashing an Emperor's Seal Technique that instantly killed the "patriarch" before you!]

[Unfortunately, you were still one step behind and fell for the ancestor's trap. The strange floral fragrance in the room mixed with the aura of the Ice Soul Gu, forming an invisible and odorless slow-acting poison. When you inhaled it, it immediately caused a shockwave in your acupoints, nearly shattering your cultivation!]

[Then, the true ancestor appeared from the secret chamber, joining forces with the peak third-tier Ice Soul Gu to launch a surprise attack on you! What you just killed was merely a substitute Gu puppet!]

[You endured the excruciating pain, immediately realizing you'd been ambushed. While circulating your internal energy to suppress the poison, you used your extraordinary spiritual power and alchemy knowledge to quickly analyze the toxin's components and immediately concoct a medicine to suppress it.]

[The ancestor, seeing that you could instantly alleviate the poison, was horrified and launched a sudden attack, intending to kill you completely. A fierce battle erupted in the secret chamber. In the end, you narrowly managed to turn the tables and kill him using your self-created sword-gu formation, but you also suffered severe internal injuries.]

[In the fourth year, you barely escaped Baijia Village and had only just recovered some of your strength when an even greater crisis ensued. The death of Baijia Village's patriarch aroused the wrath of its backer—Guyue Village, which boasted a fifth-tier Gu Master. Guyue Village dispatched its youngest elder, Gu Yueyu, a peak fourth-tier Gu Master, to hunt you down.]

[Cultivation in the Gu Realm is a process of advancing through each level. Although you possess extraordinary talent, you have only just entered the third level, and the gap in strength between you and Gu Yueyu, who is at the peak of the fourth level, is enormous.]

In the fifth year, you were relentlessly pursued by her, employing every means at your disposal yet still unable to defeat her, repeatedly escaping death and nearly finding yourself with no way out. In desperation, you took a gamble, secretly setting a trap in a secluded valley, successfully administering a specially prepared, potent aphrodisiac to her.

In the instant her mind faltered and her Gu power became chaotic, you decisively used the secret dual cultivation technique from the "Great Emperor's Inner Classic," disregarding her life, forcibly absorbing her cultivation, and breaking through to the fourth level in the process, temporarily subduing this powerful female Gu master...

In the sixth year, Gu Yue Village learned that Gu Yueyu had not only failed but had also become your slave, and the entire village was enraged. The Supreme Ancestor, Gu Yuehe, personally emerged from seclusion, vowing to tear you to pieces.

[You shattered the Ancient Moon Jade with a single palm strike and fled. Relentlessly pursued by a fifth-tier expert, you barely had a chance to catch your breath, let alone cultivate in peace. Left with no other choice, you had to devote all your energy to studying the Dao of Spirit Arrays.]

[Through countless life-or-death chases, your potential was fully unleashed, allowing you to break through to the fourth level of Spirit Array Master at an astonishing speed, with skills comparable to a fourth-tier Gu Master.]

[Soon after, you meticulously planned and set up several interconnected fourth-tier killing formations around an ancient ruin, using yourself as bait to lure Gu Yuehe into the formations. Ultimately, relying on the power of the spiritual formations and your careful calculations, you actually managed to kill this fifth-tier Gu Master, a feat far exceeding your own level!]

[After this battle, you did not flee, but instead, carrying the might of slaying Gu Yuehe, you marched straight towards Gu Yue Village. Wherever you went, sword-wielding insects cleared a path, and spirit arrays followed; the once formidable defenses of the Southern Frontier stronghold were utterly useless before you. You slaughtered your way through, leaving no one among the remaining elders in the village a match; your fame resounded throughout the Southern Frontier!]

[Countless strongholds in the southern borderlands tremble with fear at the mere mention of your name; you are known to the world as the "Blood Sword Demon Lord"!]

[In the seventh year, building upon the resources accumulated by Guyue Village over hundreds of years and drawing upon the insights gained from repeated bloody battles, you secluded yourself deep within the ruins of Guyue Village. Three months later, a powerful aura soared into the sky, and you successfully broke through to the fifth-tier Gu Master realm, becoming a new generation Venerable of the Southern Frontier!]

In the eighth year, in order to break through to the fifth rank and beyond, the Gu Immortal realm, you, with your invincible power, united the eighteen major strongholds on the southern border and established your own force—the "Blood Monarch's Mansion."

[Subsequently, you used your unparalleled alchemy skills as the core of your power management, amassing resources and commanding your subordinates to search for rare flames and precious herbs throughout the land. Leveraging the Blood Monarch's vast network of influence, you successfully acquired three fifth-tier exotic flames—the "Blood Prison Heart-Burning Flame," the "Myriad Poisons Heart-Eating Flame," and the "Myriad Beast Spirit Flame"—as well as countless rare medicinal herbs. Your alchemy skills advanced by leaps and bounds, propelling you to the peak of the fifth-tier alchemist!]

[In the ninth year, in your quest to reach the legendary realm of Gu Immortal, you integrated all your life's knowledge, using the three great strange flames as a foundation and supplementing them with hundreds of rare Gu materials. After a year of secluded cultivation, pouring your heart and soul into the task, you finally succeeded in creating an unprecedented, wondrous Gu—the Three-Patterned Sword Spirit Gu! When this Gu was first formed, a celestial phenomenon appeared: three azure immortal patterns encircled the Gu's body, radiating a terrifying pressure comparable to that of a Dou Sheng!]

However, just as the Immortal Gu was beginning to form, a gigantic hand suddenly appeared in the southern sky, blotting out the sun and crashing down with unparalleled power. You were utterly powerless against this absolute force; your physical body instantly crumbled, and the Immortal Gu vanished from this world...

[This simulation ends——]

You can choose one of the following three items.

【I. Blood Prison Burning Heart Flame (Tier 5)】

[Second, Substitute Gu Puppet (Tier 3)]

[Part Three, Your Fifth-Tier Alchemist Inheritance]

(End of this chapter)