Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

A man and a cat stood silently in the black rain, witnessing the people recover from their negative health conditions and regain their well-being.

[At this moment, they are harvesting the unexpectedly sprouted and ripened rice ears.]

[The intelligence from the Western Regions flashes through your mind, outlining the current situation.]

Wei Qi and Pang Hai were like two unstoppable, peerless weapons of destruction.

Commanding a vast army, he was valiant and invincible.

The Western Regions coalition was utterly crushed.

[If it weren't for the vastness of the Western Regions, with its expansive deserts, which delayed logistics...]

The two have already fought their way to the ancient city of Loulan.

Xu Hui remained in the rear to guard against attacks from the central government of Da Cang and neighboring prefectures of Yongzhou.

[At the same time, they raised the banner of righteousness.]

[To expand the territory of Da Cang, recover the Western Regions, and open up a direct trade route to the West.]

The two large armies led by Wei Qi and Pang Hai, which had invaded the Western Regions, completely disrupted the plans of Yin Qian and his allies.

【but……】

You still haven't seen them take any action.

[Is it that they haven't struck the vital point yet, or are they secretly planning something?]

You withdrew the Thunder Seal, dispersing the rolling dark clouds and the torrential rain.

【If they're secretly plotting something... what could it be?】

Based on the previous simulation, you can easily guess the hidden methods Yin Qian and his group have in Da Cang.

Pang Hai, Xu Hui, Xiang Che, Chen Chao, and Mang.

[This corresponds to the military strategists, the Tranquil Sword Sect, and the Demonic Sect.]

A decision suddenly formed in my mind; it was time to go there.

"Brother 2.5, let's go to Yangzhou."

【"Meow~ Yangzhou?"】

Xu Kun tilted his head back, his eerie green eyes filled with doubt.

As far as he knows, you shouldn't have any backup plans or experience in Yangzhou.

What is the purpose of heading to Yangzhou at this moment?

You look up into the distance, your eyes revealing tender affection.

That porcelain-white face, shattered and faded on the snow-covered lakeshore.

[In the last simulation, you restrained yourself and didn't respond to those bright, clear autumn eyes.]

Because you know, that's not her.

Now you have the means to manipulate time and cause and effect.

[Of course, I don't want to leave any more regrets.]

Xu Kun couldn't decipher your gaze, realizing he still lacked understanding of his elder brother's plans and intentions.

This did not confuse him; on the contrary, it invigorated him.

The more sophisticated and resourceful his elder brother is, the more at ease he feels.

[With a leisurely wag of its tail and graceful steps, it follows you down the river to Yangzhou by boat.]

In March, Yangzhou is a picturesque and enchanting place, with willows swaying in the breeze and bustling trade boats plying the canal.

The banks of the river were bustling with pedestrians and vehicles.

Young masters and ladies discussed romance and nature, while merchants and peddlers eagerly greeted them.

A small boat slowly approaches on the shimmering canal.

The dark robe accentuated his heroic figure; as the garments fluttered, it seemed as if a brushstroke had touched the human world, exuding a sense of detached mystery.

A chubby black cat was crouching beside him.

[Their expressions are anthropomorphic, and their posture is elegant.]

A small boat, without sails or oars, shuttles between the enormous, multi-spanning ships.

This scene attracted attention on both sides of the canal, and before anyone knew it, the small boat had become the center of attention.

You and Xu Kun travel by boat along the Grand Canal, entering Yangzhou and arriving at the prefectural capital, Yangzhou city.

Looking at the familiar scene, decades have already flown by.

"Meow~ Big brother, aren't we being a bit too high-profile?"

Xu Kun, unaccustomed to the attention he received, shrank back and whispered a reminder.

You stand silently at the bow of the boat, your hands clasped behind your back, your dark robe fluttering in the wind.

[A teasing whisper: "Her natural beauty is hard to conceal; wherever she goes, everyone looks on with longing."]

Xu Kun's head was tilted at a 90-degree angle.

"Meow~, if you want to keep a low profile, I can make sure that no one below the heavens can see us."

"There's absolutely no need for that."

You kicked his chubby butt.

"I'm just testing the waters."

[Your clear mirror has polluted the lake of your heart; your eyes are shattered; and you are empowered by numerous methods and terms such as "Master of Intelligence."]

[He can discern and interpret the meaning behind every gaze directed at him.]

[Over the years, you have quietly cultivated yourself at the Celestial Master's Mansion, devoutly offering sacrifices to your ancestors daily, and studying the righteous path of thunder magic, golden light, and divine incantations.]

However, this did not hinder the collection and infiltration of intelligence from all sides.

[The Demonic Sect's headquarters are located in Yangzhou; this is information you learned during your first simulation.]

But where exactly does its scale and control lie?

[It wasn't something you were capable of investigating back then.]

Besides, back then you were desperately seeking a breakthrough in your cultivation level, risking your life just to reach the peak of your cultivation. You had no time to worry about these things.

Recalling the struggles and hardships of the past, it's hard not to feel a pang of sadness.

Those are the paths you came from.

[Based on your analysis of intelligence gathered from various sources, you know that the person you long for is currently in Yangzhou City.]

[We need to find this witch.]

[This can be achieved by gradually infiltrating through manipulation of people's minds.]

However, this method is rather time-consuming.

[Furthermore, you don't want to be associated with forces like the Demonic Sect, the Tranquil Sword Pavilion, the Confucian Academy, the Daoist Grotto-Heavens, or the Pure Land of Buddhism.]

[The excessive and unrestrained use of manipulative tactics.]

[Including your second-in-command, Xu Kun, aside from the plot involving the Tomb of the God of War, you didn't allow him to use the treacherous methods of the inner demons.]

[It's about avoiding being noticed, thus maintaining vigilance and preparedness.]

A sharp blade should naturally be used where it's most needed.

[If one acts arbitrarily out of convenience, leading to exposure, then the greatest deterrent effect will be lost.]

[The "Succubus Body" and the corruption of inner demons.]

Indeed, it is invisible and traceless, undetectable.

But for those entities high in the sky, many things require no evidence at all.

They place more faith in their own idealism.

[As long as your intuition senses something is amiss, that's enough.]

"Meow~ Testing the waters?"

Xu Kun glanced at the rippling blue water.

"Meow~ Is big brother going to throw himself into the water?"

[You kicked his comfortable-feeling butt again, clearly annoyed.]

[It almost caused him to fall into the river.]

"Read more books in the future; this is an idiom, a classical allusion."

"Meow~ In my time, this idiom didn't even exist."

You were speechless, truly unable to refute it.

Although Xu Kun has lost most of his memory, you have managed to piece together some clues from the fragmented information he has gathered.

[Like the era in which he acted with unbridled arrogance, and the time he was imprisoned in the Tomb of the God of War.]

[Especially the exact duration of his confinement.]

[This happened ten thousand years ago.]

[When the Human Emperor stood atop the mortal realm, his mighty power suppressing all living beings, Xu Kun had already been imprisoned.]

[Because, in the last simulation, before entering the Immortal Sect, you met with Xiang Che, Chen Chaomang, Gong Si, and Pei Qingyu.]

At the time, I felt they were stronger.

You asked Xu Kun.

Xu Kun said their state of being was a manifestation of breaking free from the shackles of heaven and earth.

[You pressed further, asking if it was the eighth realm of martial arts?]

He said that in his era, this definition didn't exist.

[And the eighth realm of martial arts breaks through the void.]

This classification only came into existence after the Human Emperor established the martial arts system.