Unparalleled Comprehension

【A group of alchemists surrounded you, looking you up and down while jotting things down in their books with writing brushes.】

【You felt that the way they looked at you was weird.】

【You couldn't help but pull your clothes tighter around yourself.】

【"Seniors, I... I sell my skills, not my body."】

【Hearing this from the side, Shen Yufeng burst out laughing, completely unable to hold it in.】

【Shen Linfeng smiled.】

【"Shen Yi, there's no need to be nervous. These masters just need a few drops of your blood, along with some hair, skin flakes, excrement, and the like. Just cooperate with them."】

【"Elder Shen, aren't you here to help me break through to the next realm? My innate talent is poor, so every time I try to break through a major realm, I get stuck and need external intervention."】

【"I know, we'll talk about that later. For now, just cooperate."】

【Collecting these things wasn't troublesome, so you quickly provided them.】

【Treating it like a priceless treasure, this bunch of alchemists held the bags containing your excrement, slapped on Ascension Talismans, and flew away.】

【You: "..."】

【Shen Linfeng said, "Shen Yi, if your innate talent was higher, it wouldn't be hard for the Shen family to help you break through. However, with low-tier talent, the sheer amount of resources required to break through from the Golden Body Realm to the Spirit Sea Realm is beyond your imagination..."】

【You raised an eyebrow. "It just costs a lot of resources, but it's not impossible. Is that what you mean?"】

【"There is indeed a way: the Three Heavens Method."】

【Seeing your face full of question marks, Shen Linfeng briefly explained.】

【"Heaven-tier Array Dao, Heaven-tier Alchemy Dao, and Heaven-tier Talisman Dao. By using the best resources of these three paths, and having the top array masters, alchemists, and talisman masters channel them for you, there is a hope for breakthrough."】

【"Then what are we waiting for? You guys wouldn't want me, the future Mirror Holder, to only be in the Golden Body Realm, right?"】

【Shen Linfeng gave a bitter smile.】

【"The Shen family's resources don't just fall from the sky. Besides, you haven't finished the competition yet, so you are not the Mirror Holder."】

【Shen Linfeng discussed the conditions with you.】

【The consumption of the Three Heavens Method was too massive; your extra resource quota from the second round wasn't nearly enough.】

【If you were willing to temporarily shelve your second-stage resources and wait until you advanced to the third stage, combining the extra resources from both stages, Shen Linfeng could try to go to a Moon Vein Elder and put in a good word for you.】

【As an elder, Shen Linfeng was only a Star Vein Elder, not a family-level Moon Vein Elder.】

【"Elder Linfeng, I won't let you down."】

【The next day.】

【"You've already grasped the basics of the internal art?"】

【"Yes."】

【Shen Linfeng looked as if he had seen a ghost.】

【"Maybe it's because I wanted to break through so badly. This motivation turned into comprehension, and so I succeeded overnight."】

【You spouted nonsense.】

【Shen Linfeng was left speechless and out of options.】

【"Alright, I'll go to the Moon Vein and give it a try. But I'm not sure if I can convince the Moon Vein Elder, so don't get your hopes up..."】

【Seeing Shen Linfeng fly away with an ashen face after slapping on an Ascension Talisman, Shen Yufeng bent over laughing again.】

【Puzzled, you asked, "Is it really that funny?"】

【Shen Yufeng pointed at Shen Linfeng, "He's my grandpa!"】

【That was indeed pretty funny.】

【Not long after.】

【Shen Linfeng returned, bringing another group of people with him.】

【These people all looked quite serious, each with profound gazes. Among them was Moon Vein Elder Shen Wanquan, who was also a member of the Shen clan's Elder Council.】

【After understanding the situation, Shen Wanquan pondered for a moment and finally spoke.】

【"Helping someone with low-tier talent break through to the Spirit Sea Realm costs an immense amount. If you ultimately fail to become the Mirror Holder, you'll still have to return to the surface, and the Shen family's investment will have been in vain. It's not worth it."】

【Saying this, Shen Wanquan looked at Shen Linfeng.】

【"Linfeng, I have made the trip here personally, so I believe Shen Yi will understand that you've already done your best."】

【Shen Linfeng bowed with cupped hands to express his gratitude.】

【Shen Wanquan could have actually refused outright; making the trip was just to give Shen Linfeng some face.】

【Just as Shen Wanquan was about to leave, you spoke up loudly.】

【"Does this mean that as long as I become the Mirror Holder, the Shen family will be willing to invest resources in me?"】

【Shen Wanquan looked at you sideways.】

【"Of course. The Mirror Holder is the most important position in our Shen family. Even if it takes the power of the entire clan, we would help you improve."】

【"Good, then let me finish this competition right now! I have already passed the internal art test of the second stage. Please, Elder, bring out the mental method for the third stage!"】

【"According to the rules, you must wait until the second stage of the competition ends before you can receive the mental method."】

【Shen Wanquan didn't give you a chance to argue further and flew away directly.】

【Shen Linfeng walked over and said with a hint of apology.】

【"You should probably exchange for some other resources instead..."】

【Your main principle was not to waste anything.】

【You listed a bunch of martial arts resources.】

【Since your realm was stuck, you discarded the items meant to accelerate cultivation and improve your cultivation base, opting instead for things that would boost your combat power.】

【For example, more spirit weapons, talismans, arrays, and even the Star Gunpowder the Shen family used to detonate stars.】

【There had to be a reason the Shen family was judged by the system traits as being full of villains; they were bound to blow up in your face sooner or later.】

【You wanted these things to prepare for your future escape.】

【When the time came, if you could escape, you would. If not, you'd drag a few down with you as cushions and avoid this pitfall in the next simulation.】

【Looking at the things you requested, Shen Linfeng furrowed his brows tightly.】

【"Shen Yi, just who are you planning to fight?"】

【"Elder, please don't misunderstand. I'm just getting these for self-defense. The surface isn't like the Star Domain; it's fraught with danger down there. If I can't become the Mirror Holder in the future, I'll need these when I return to the surface."】

【Perhaps out of guilt for not being able to help you break through your realm, Shen Linfeng agreed to all your requests.】

【The Shen family of the Star Domain was such a colossal entity that they wouldn't fear a mere Golden Body Realm cultivator causing trouble anyway.】

【Year 29, 47 years old.】

【The second round of the competition ended, and the third round began.】

【As a reward for advancing, you received another Heaven-tier martial art: the Star River Divine Art.】

【As soon as you grasped the basics of this art, you couldn't help but exclaim, "Friggin' awesome!"】

【Condensing dust and rocks, controlling gravity, triggering earthquakes, summoning stars...】

【This was truly a divine art!】

【The third round of the competition was a race to see who could first grasp the basics of the Earth-tier mental method, Star Forging Heart Profound Art.】

【You had taken your time in the first two rounds just to milk some extra cultivation resources.】

【Now that your realm was stuck, there was no point in wasting time.】

【On the second day after the third round was announced to have started, you sought out Shen Yufeng.】

【"I've grasped the basics of the mental method."】

【The melon seeds in Shen Yufeng's mouth nearly fell out.】

【"Are you kidding me?"】

【"I'm not kidding. Have an elder come and test it."】

【Seeing that you didn't look like you were joking, Shen Yufeng's eyes gradually widened.】

【"Are you even human? Your comprehension is heaven-defying!!"】

【"Hurry up and report to the elder, I'm in a rush to break through!"】

【Right now, you only wanted to hurry up and break through to the Spirit Sea Realm.】

【As long as you broke through, however long you managed to survive in the rest of this simulation would be pure profit. You would have at least broken even!】