The Blood-Robed Figure's true strength had clearly far exceeded Sun Qian's expectations.
He'd fully prepared himself to be killed in this simulation, to have it end prematurely.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his counterpart in the Villain Simulator would outsmart the enemy and emerge victorious, scaring the Blood-Robed Figure away.
「That Blood-Robed Figure's actual combat power has to be at least that of a Five-Turn Heavenly Being—maybe even higher. That blood-colored cloak of his is also an extremely powerful defensive Heavenly Being Treasure, one that blocked nearly all of my attacks.」
「No wonder back in the third simulation, he boasted about being able to slaughter all the Sun Clan traitors. His strength really is terrifying.」
「Earlier, Liu Yue said his combat prowess was on par with hers. But now it seems she was being far too modest. A Heavenly Being Sword Cultivator—one single strike from her sword almost crippled him. If she'd landed just a few more blows, he would've been dead for sure.」
This villain simulation had not only allowed Sun Qian to cross paths again with the Blood-Robed Figure who'd wiped out the Sun Clan, but it had also revealed Liu Yue's true profession and extraordinary combat strength in advance!
A Heavenly Being Sword Cultivator!
One sword strike, and all laws are shattered!
His eyes shifted to the side, where the campus belle of Magic City was sound asleep, curled up into a ball under the covers, occasionally writhing and squirming as if trying to push him off the bed...
Looking at her like this, who would ever guess she was a Heavenly Being Sword Cultivator?!
He'd seriously underestimated her!
As long as Liu Yue was around, most of the dangers targeting him could be fended off for the time being.
The Ghost Doctor Venerable and the Blood-Robed Figure sent by the mastermind behind the scenes—against her, they'd be finished in one or two sword strikes at most.
「But what kind of terrifying existence is hidden in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, a place so fearsome that even someone as powerful as her dreads stepping foot inside?!」
....
「This battle cost me three hundred years of lifespan. I've lost nearly half my life force. I won't be able to make any progress in my cultivation for at least two years. I'll have to take out a Heaven-Earth Loan...」
「I have to leave—now. If that bastard figures out what's going on, I'll be dead for sure.」
You weren't blinded by the sudden victory. You knew it had been a narrow escape, that you'd only scared the Blood-Robed Figure away. If he came to his senses, you'd have no chance of survival.
You cast the Soul-Nailing Technique on the Blood-Robed Figure's severed arm. As long as he drew near, you'd get a warning.
Then you pulled healing pills from your Storage Ring and swallowed them, followed by activating a Fourth-Rank Rejuvenation Talisman. New flesh began to grow over the gaping wound in your chest, stabilizing your injuries temporarily. With that done, you began to run deeper into the mountains...
As soon as you stepped into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, you saw countless skeletons scattered across the ground—human and bizarre alien alike. Stretching as far as the eye could see, they formed a sea of bones, a sight so terrifying it made your blood run cold.
Among these remains were the bones of many powerful beings. From several of the white skeletons, you could even sense the faint aura of a Heavenly Being's domain...
In that moment, you finally understood why Liu Yue had been unwilling to set foot here. This place was far too eerie. But you had no other choice—you had to press onward, come what may.
「Enter the mountains, pass the trials, worship at the temple, cross the river... I've entered the mountains already. Where is the trial?!」
It was as if your five senses had been stripped away. You couldn't tell north from south, could only wander aimlessly, always ending up back where you started no matter which direction you went...
Now you began to truly grasp the terror of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. You strongly suspected the entire area was covered by a vast, boundless formation...
You wandered for what felt like an eternity, gradually losing your sense of self, moving like a zombie as you sank deeper into a state of oblivion. Your flesh and blood seemed to be peeling away bit by bit, turning you into a skeleton...
BOOM!
Suddenly, a surge of terrifying warmth erupted from your Supreme Imperial Bone, rushing straight into your mind and jolting you back to your senses.
「This is... a cliff!」
You snapped awake with a start, only to find yourself standing at the edge of a sheer precipice, a bottomless abyss stretching out below you. Half your foot was already hanging off the edge.
If the Supreme Imperial Bone hadn't revealed its divine power just now, pulling your consciousness back from the brink of oblivion, you would've plummeted into the abyss and died.
「The Gate of the Underworld—passed.」
A faint, ethereal voice suddenly echoed up from the depths of the abyss.
Only then did you realize that from the moment you'd entered the mountains, you'd already been undergoing the trials.
BOOM!
In the next instant, the space around you shifted. You found yourself standing in an open clearing, with three jagged, steep mountains rising up ahead—their peaks sharp and blade-like, an uncanny sight to behold.
At the foot of those mountains stood a temple wreathed in green smoke, flickering in and out of sight as if luring you closer.
「After passing the Gate of the Underworld, the next trial is worshiping at the temple!」
You didn't hesitate, immediately making your way toward the temple gate. To your surprise, this time you encountered no obstacles whatsoever, stepping inside without any trouble.
Inside the temple stood a towering, imposing statue of a figure whose face was obscured from view. A flood dragon coiled around its waist, a Trident Blade clutched in its hand, and a tall yellow mastiff knelt at its feet...
「Why do I feel such an inexplicable sense of familiarity when I look at this statue?」 you muttered to yourself, overcome by a strange feeling of kinship.
But with your life on the line, you didn't dare to dwell on it. You began the temple worship ritual, taking three incense sticks from a table nearby, lighting them, and bowing respectfully to the statue.
WHOOSH!
Was it just your imagination, or did you suddenly feel as if something had taken root inside you? You looked up, and your heart skipped a beat—the towering statue had lowered its head at some point, its blurry face seeming to gaze directly at you...
「Temple worship—passed.」
That faint, ethereal voice echoed once more.
「Why do I feel so familiar with that statue in the temple? It's like I've seen it somewhere before.」
Sun Qian frowned deeply, lost in thought. At this moment, even he felt as if he'd laid eyes on that statue from the Villain Simulator somewhere in the past.
Was it in the imperial capital?
But as he pondered this question, the situation inside the Villain Simulator suddenly took a drastic turn for the worse.
CRACK!
While you were lost in thought, you suddenly sensed a commotion coming from inside your Storage Ring.
The Blood-Robed Figure's severed arm began to tremble violently, condensing into a blood arrow that pointed straight at you!
Oh no! The Blood-Robed Figure is closing in!
Your expression darkened. You didn't have time to dwell on the statue's strangeness anymore. You hurried out of the temple, scanning your surroundings frantically, searching for the river...
Enter the mountains, pass the trials, worship at the temple, cross the river...
Only the final step remained.
It didn't take long for you to spot it—a winding, meandering great river flowing behind the temple...
「Little bastard! Finally found you!」
The Blood-Robed Figure's taunting voice rang out from behind you.
Somehow, his severed arm had already fully regenerated, good as new. He lunged at you, transforming into a streak of bloodlight, intent on tearing you to shreds...
SPLASH!
Without a moment's hesitation, you leaped off the mountain and plunged into the river...
But as soon as you hit the water, you froze, your blood turning to ice. Two enormous blood-red lanterns hovered in the river before you, bobbing gently in the current...
No—wait a minute. Those weren't lanterns.
Those were a pair of eyes...
In the next instant, you finally saw the creature's true form clearly—and a wave of terror washed over you, making your scalp go numb and your entire body break out in cold sweat...
It was a colossal flood dragon, coiled in the depths of the river, its full size impossible to discern. An aura of overwhelming, soul-crushing pressure emanated from its body, threatening to crush you into a pulp where you stood...