Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

”This is just the beginning; the road to immortal cultivation is long and fraught with peril. To achieve immortality, only one or two emerge every ten thousand years. Whose path isn’t paved with countless bones? So many prodigies have fallen along this path.”

Wang Chen, in a voice beyond his years, spoke with authority, and then said, ”Compared to this, the competitive examination is nothing. Only a few disciples die each time. Without the threat of life and death, they’re all becoming sheep. In recent years, many Elders have proposed sending more disciples to life-and-death trials to unleash their potential.”

Chen Mo: ”...”

”Junior Brother Chen, don’t be afraid. My aunt told me to take good care of you,” Wang Chen said.

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, Are you sure Sister Yiren told you to protect me, and not the other way around?

However, Chen Mo didn’t argue with Wang Chen over this.

After another quarter of an hour.

All the disciples who had signed up for the competition had arrived.

They waited for a while.

Thud!

Above the platform, a soft humming sound suddenly rang out. Everyone looked up to see a figure appearing out of thin air in mid-air. The figure was somewhat ethereal, yet the face was old.

”Young ones, I am the Artifact Spirit of the Profound Spirit Mirror and the chief examiner of this competitive examination.”

The disciples were slightly stunned. If not for the Artifact Spirit speaking early, many disciples would have respectfully addressed it as the Sect Leader.

This was because the image used by the Artifact Spirit was exactly that of Dao Feizi, the Sect Leader of Shenxiao Sect.

The Artifact Spirit smiled benignly at the crowd below and then said, ”Next, I will tell you the rules of this competitive examination. After discussion among many Elders, this time the rules are quite different from before.”

On the platform, all the disciples listened intently, completely silent.

”First, the preparation location for this competitive examination is in the core of the Profound Spirit Mirror...” When the Artifact Spirit said this, many disciples below became solemn, as if they had guessed something.

”That’s right, in the core of the Profound Spirit Mirror, there are many demon beasts surpassing your strength. Once you go in, these demon beasts might attack you. But there’s one thing I can tell you, these demon beasts, under my control, cannot transform into human form, and their minds are restricted, with intelligence only comparable to a three-year-old child...”

As soon as these words fell, the place erupted in an uproar. Some disciples couldn’t help but start cursing.

You must know, the previous competitive examinations were held in the peripheral area of the Profound Spirit Mirror, and the mortality rate was negligible.

Now, with the examination held in the core, and the demon beasts still present there, it means the mortality rate will multiply drastically.

At this, everyone’s faces turned grim.

”Of course, risks and opportunities coexist. In the core, there are many treasure medicines. Whoever picks these medicines can keep them and bring them out of the Profound Spirit Mirror. Besides the treasure medicines, I can also tell you, in the core, there is one initial-grade Holy Medicine and several initial-grade Holy Medicines that are almost mature,” the Artifact Spirit said.

Now, the disciples swallowed hard, the greed and fervor in their eyes overcoming their fear.

Reviving the dead, regenerating flesh and bones.

Reviving the dead is somewhat exaggerated, but for Holy Medicines, regenerating flesh and bones is not a tall tale.

Moreover, if someone’s realm is at the perfection of the Golden Core Realm, after consuming the Holy Medicine, they don’t need to step into the so-called Half-Step Nascent Soul; they can directly break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Additionally, the Holy Medicine has certain benefits for those in the Nascent Soul Realm, Divinity Transformation Realm, and even Void Realm.

And this point is even more exhilarating for ordinary disciples.

Winning a treasure medicine in the core would be a huge gain.

Winning a Holy Medicine might make one faint from excitement.

After all, for many disciples, winning a treasure medicine is easier than competing for those twenty slots for spiritual power infusion.

Furthermore, the Holy Medicine and even the not-yet-mature Holy Medicines are equivalent to a slot.

Chen Mo furrowed his brows.

The lure of the Holy Medicine is so great that conflicts will surely arise, and the competitive examination disregards life and death.

Looking at the fervor in everyone’s eyes, the Artifact Spirit dropped another bombshell: ”Besides the top twenty, the top two hundred in this competitive examination will receive a Lower Grade Magical Artifact and fifty points.”

Boom!

The disciples were now completely agitated, their eyes red.

Though it’s just a lower-grade magical artifact, it’s extremely rare. In the entire Inner Sect, only a few own one, let alone those fifty points.

Disciples began rubbing their fists, some couldn’t wait any longer.

So they paid no heed to the next words of the Artifact Spirit.

As usual, breaking the Jade Token could teleport you out of the examination venue, which also means failure in the examination.

This time, the rule of breaking the Jade Token to teleport out of the examination venue is canceled.

Five teleportation arrays have been established in the core area, and only by reaching the teleportation array can you be teleported out of the examination venue, which also means examination failure.

This statement means if you encounter life-threatening danger without a teleportation array nearby, you’ll die for sure, further increasing the likelihood of death.

”The rewards are abundant, the dangers have also increased significantly; it’s truly a matter of life and death,” Chen Mo slightly raised his brow.

However, there’s more.

The Artifact Spirit continued, ”According to the discussed rules, each of you will first touch this crystal ball, and then you will be categorized into levels, with five levels in total. Level One represents one hundred points, Level Five represents five hundred points, and those who achieve Level Five will have their position specially marked in the core area, known to all disciples. Twenty hours later, those in the top twenty in points can qualify for the spiritual power infusion.”

At this, the Artifact Spirit snapped his fingers, and in front of each disciple, a crystal ball appeared out of thin air, then continued, ”To earn points, you can slay demon beasts. Different level demon beasts correspond to different points. Of course, the points gained from slaying demon beasts are not many.

To accumulate points more quickly, you can rob others of their mark. For instance, if you’re categorized as Level One, but you defeat a Level Five participant, you gain all their points, and your level changes from Level One to Level Five, whilst the opponent drops from Level Five to Level One, their points reset to zero.

Additionally, those who reach five hundred points will automatically become Level Five, with their position made public, and the top one hundred in points will have a real-time broadcast every quarter of an hour.”

Upon hearing this, all the disciples’ gazes turned peculiar, and even those who had initially formed teams instinctively glanced at their teammates, the hard-won alliances dissolving instantly.

Chen Mo’s eyes squinted, the sect is encouraging the disciples to engage in mutual struggle and plunder, which will only increase the chances of death.

This time, even some disciples who prided themselves on their strength were feeling the strain.

Once categorized as Level Five, points will instantly surpass those of other disciples, but it also means becoming a public enemy.