After transforming into a fairy, I, in my simulation, wreaked havoc in the cultivation world.

Another ten years have passed in a flash.

In the pavilion in the middle of the lake, the warm afternoon sun shines through the gauze curtains, casting dappled shadows.

You are comfortably lounging in a wicker chair, legs crossed, casually peeling a juicy spiritual fruit.

[Ten fishing lines hung from the pavilion. Because you always returned empty-handed, you used your clever mind to have Old Willow specially craft a fishing rod for you, with ten lines on one rod.]

[The main strategy is to cast a wide net and catch many fish, so you'll never have to worry about going home empty-handed again!]

With your eyes half-closed, the sunlight warms you all over, allowing you to fully savor this blissful moment.

[Over the past ten years, you have not sought out resources or rushed to improve your cultivation; instead, you have summarized and compiled what you have learned.]

[What surprised you most was that since the last tribulation, your understanding of lightning magic seemed to have improved several levels, and you even used the wisp of purple lightning within your Dao Seed to break through to the Great Perfection of the Lightning Finger Technique.]

You slowly raised your fingertip, a wisp of lightning dancing and flowing between your fingertips. If you were to use the purple lightning within your body to unleash this power, even a Golden Core cultivator would suffer a hidden loss if they weren't careful.

[It's just a pity this lightning spell is too low-level. I'll have to go back and squeeze some more money out of the little girl.]

[In addition, you also learned some basic knowledge about the Golden Core stage from Old Liu, as well as some basic knowledge about formations.]

The four arts of immortal cultivation: alchemy, array formations, talismans, and artifacts.

[You've certainly considered these four powerful auxiliary methods on the path to immortality.]

[However, due to my previously low cultivation level, I always lacked a sense of composure, so I could only devote most of my energy to improving my cultivation.]

Now that you have finally broken free of your shackles and embarked on the path to the Golden Core, the deep-seated sense of urgency has somewhat subsided. It's time to devise more strategies for dealing with your enemies.

After all, the methods in the cultivation world are incredibly diverse, and having an extra trump card can even turn the tide at crucial moments.

Actually, what you really liked was the art of talisman making, since it's the cheapest of the four arts of cultivation.

Imagine accumulating enough through simulation to create hundreds of millions of talismans; regardless of whether you're a Golden Core cultivator or a Nascent Soul cultivator, you'll blow them all to smithereens.

Unfortunately, this world lacks the lineage of magical talismans, or perhaps they simply cannot be mass-produced, making the art of talismans quite useless.

[As for alchemy and weapon crafting, you've tried both, but you don't seem to have much talent for them. In the end, you only managed to get a "decent" rating from Liu Guanzhi in the field of formations.]

So, your general plan for the past ten years is as follows:

[In the morning, I comprehended secret techniques and spells; in the evening, I studied formations; and at night, I engaged in shameless... ahem, dual cultivation with Old Liu!]

As for the afternoon, at Liu Guanzhi's insistence, they must rest and recuperate.

He noticed you were too tense and needed to adjust your mindset.

Old Liu also gave you a psychology lesson, the core idea of ​​which is roughly:

The path of cultivation is never about winning in a day or two; it requires long-term planning and strategy.

Of course, in anything, the initial accumulation of knowledge and experience is always accompanied by endless difficulties and urgency.

Now you certainly have the right to pause, reflect on your shortcomings, and take time to process what's been done.

After all, wherever you go now, you'll be respectfully addressed as a Golden Core Master!

【"Thump~"

A crisp splash interrupted your thoughts. Your eyes lit up, and just as you were about to lift your fishing rod, a familiar burning sensation swept through your limbs.

[Click!]

The sudden, sharp pain caused you to lose control of your grip, and the fishing rod snapped in two.

Damn it!

You cursed under your breath, frantically calling out to the system in your mind.

[“Brother Tong, Brother Tong, didn’t I break through to the Golden Core stage? Why did the curse activate so quickly?”]

[You endured the churning pain within your body, frantically reviewing the passage of time in your mind, only to discover that breaking through to the Golden Core stage had not extended your lifespan by even a fraction.]

The fundamental nature of life remains unchanged.

Looking at the four cold, hard words on the panel, the old man with the ring from years ago echoed in your mind:

"What a cruel curse! It directly affects the very essence of one's bloodline."

Refining Qi to the Foundation Establishment stage is a return from the acquired to the innate, a leap to the level of the origin of life. Only in this way can the curse be delayed and lifespan extended.

While the breakthrough from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core may seem to result in an exaggerated increase in combat power, the level of life remains unchanged; it still involves developing the cultivator's own potential based on the existing foundation.

Other cultivators can extend their lifespan in this way because although their life level remains unchanged, their lifespan grade has genuinely increased.

[Your lifespan is locked by a curse. Aside from utilizing the properties of life-extending elixirs, the only way to break through this lifespan bottleneck is to increase your own life level.]

The person who cast the curse deserves to die!

You gritted your teeth and cursed under your breath, forcibly suppressing all your chaotic thoughts.

Now that things have come to this, the importance of that Purple Spirit Azure Pattern Fruit is self-evident. In reality, you must obtain this fruit no matter what, to forcibly extend your lifespan!

Furthermore, the importance of this type of spiritual fruit should be given top priority in the future, because you don't know if this situation will still occur in the Nascent Soul stage.

You can't afford to gamble.

Time is running out; you endure the pain and forcefully gather your spiritual energy.

"Liu Guanzhi! I'm going to die!!!"

But the first thing summoned by that call was not the boy in black, but a fiery red streak of light that swept in from the horizon.

The streak of light was incredibly fast; it struck you from the side in the blink of an eye.

As the light slowly faded, you struggled to lift your heavy eyelids, your vision gradually focusing until you could finally make out the figure before you.

The newcomer wore a wide robe woven with black and red, the hem of which shimmered with a dazzling light.

His long, dark hair cascaded freely down his back, making his face appear even more profound.

His features vaguely resemble those in your memory, yet with the passage of time, they have lost some of their former restlessness, becoming even more handsome and refined.

"Hey~ Junior brother, you still love timing your moves so much..."

You sighed helplessly, a hint of surprise in your heart.

[Hey~ Has Xiao Fanzi gone through a second growth spurt? He's even gotten more handsome!]

After seeing your current state, Lin Bufan's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stepped forward and grabbed your wrist.

A moment later, he released his grip with an extremely grim expression, his eyes filled with disbelief and a barely suppressed rage.

"Is this how he takes care of you?"

At this moment, Liu Guanzhi, disheveled, arrived at the pavilion in the middle of the lake. A strange glint flashed in his eyes when he saw Lin Bufan, but he didn't think much of it.

After all, you two have been a harmonious couple for so many years, he wouldn't think of anything else.

But when his gaze fell upon you, his spiritual energy became chaotic for a moment, and then he teleported to your side.

The powerful spiritual pressure forced Lin Bufan to take a few steps back, but his bloodshot eyes remained fixed on the black-clad youth before him, like a ferocious beast whose scales had been violated.

For a moment, the air inside the pavilion seemed to freeze, so oppressive that it was almost impossible to breathe...

...