Chapter 4 – Where is the Heavenly Profound Temple? Why is it a ruin?
"Detected Golden Silkwood chair and bench, exchanged for 500 Energy Value."
"Detected Jade Wish-Fulfilling Scepter, exchanged for 600 Energy Value."
"Detected several Silk Brocade Clothes, exchanged for 500 Energy Value."
***
As for the Silver Notes, he had observed that they basically had no Energy Value, even the largest denominations were worth only 1 point of energy.
Jiang Yifeng thought that the simulator exchanged energy based on the inherent energy of the items themselves, not the value defined by people.
After a series of operations, Jiang Yifeng's previously luxurious and elegant room was completely emptied, and the energy value in the simulator had increased.
It wasn't as much as he had imagined, but it was enough for now.
Jiang Yifeng directly exchanged for the coordinates (map) of the Heavenly Profound Temple, and there was still some energy left.
Looking at the map in his hand, Jiang Yifeng roughly checked it.
The Heavenly Profound Temple, located in the Evergreen Mountain Range, was several thousand kilometers away from Green Hills City. Even if he knew the exact coordinates, it would take several months to travel there by carriage in reality.
Riding a horse would be faster, but he didn't know how.
Thinking about the mountain bandits that appeared in the simulation, Jiang Yifeng felt that it was safer to stay in Green Hills City in reality and use the simulation as much as possible.
By then, he should be able to see the information he wanted in the simulator.
Looking at the last simulation opportunity, Jiang Yifeng made a plan in his heart.
This time, he couldn't openly investigate the cultivators.
First, he would secretly go to the Heavenly Profound Temple to see if he could find any information.
It would be best if he could step onto the path of cultivation.
If he couldn't get any information about cultivation, he would start learning martial arts.
Currently, he was too weak, and hiring bodyguards every time was too inconvenient.
Without improving himself, he couldn't make any progress, even in the simulation.
After confirming his goal, Jiang Yifeng silently chanted.
"Start simulation."
[Consume 1 simulation opportunity, remaining opportunities 0.]
[Drawing White Talent does not consume Energy Value, Green Talent consumes 1000 Energy Value, draw?]
"Draw Green Talent."
Without any hesitation, Jiang Yifeng silently chanted.
[Ding, 1000 Energy Value deducted, remaining Energy Value, drawing Green Talent.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the talent: Fitness Expert.]
[Fitness Expert (Talent): Your exercise improvements are significantly better than ordinary people.]
Seeing this talent, Jiang Yifeng's eyes lit up.
Is the simulator giving him a cheat? He had just thought about improving his strength, and now he got a talent to enhance his physical fitness.
Not bad, not bad!
***
[Third simulation begins.]
[After the first two simulations, you realized the dangers of this world and are determined to improve yourself this time.]
[But you still plan to go to the Evergreen Mountain Range first to check out the small Taoist temple.]
[That day, you went to the Wu Family Martial Arts School and asked Wu Youdao to accompany you to the Evergreen Mountain Range.]
[Perhaps because you only invited him this time, Wu Youdao did not immediately agree.]
[Instead, he explained that he was the head of the martial arts school, not a bodyguard.]
[So you directly threw out a silver note worth one million taels, Wu Youdao's expression changed, and he said he was just a bodyguard, being the head of the martial arts school was just a side job.]
[You just smiled slightly, agreed to set off early the next morning, and sighed in your heart that money power is indeed effective.]
[The next day, at dawn, you arrived at the Wu Family Martial Arts School.]
[You took out the prepared bamboo hat and mask, handed them to Wu Youdao, and signaled him to hide his identity.]
[Wu Youdao felt that your actions were a bit unnecessary.]
[But with your previous simulation experience, you felt it was more reliable to be discreet and insisted repeatedly.]
[In the end, you and Wu Youdao left Green Hills City stealthily, wearing bamboo hats and masks.]
[A day passed, and in the evening, you and Wu Youdao found a clearing to camp for the night, having walked 20 kilometers that day.]
[Seeing you collapsed on the ground, Wu Youdao suggested buying a carriage at the next town.]
[You were about to agree, but then remembered dying twice in the simulation, and shook your head, reminding yourself not to slack off and to seize every moment to improve your strength.]
[Although the day's walk was exhausting, you felt a significant improvement in your physical condition.]
[Normally, someone who hasn't exercised for a long time would have swollen and painful calves after walking a day like this, but you only felt tired without any discomfort.]
[You knew this was probably the effect of the Fitness Expert (Talent), which strengthened your resolve to train hard.]
[On the third day, nothing special happened, and you walked 23 kilometers with difficulty.]
[On the fourth day, you walked 25 kilometers with difficulty.]
[On the fifth day, you walked 27 kilometers with difficulty.]
[On the sixtieth day, you easily walked 90 kilometers.]
***
In reality, Jiang Yifeng was shocked to see this.
Is the Fitness Expert (Talent) really this strong?
In just two months, he had improved from a weakling who collapsed after walking 20 kilometers a day to someone who could easily walk 90 kilometers a day.
With these stats, excluding time for eating and sleeping, he had already surpassed the level of hiking experts and even athletes from his previous life.
With a soft exclamation of "Awesome," Jiang Yifeng turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.
***
[Wu Youdao had been observing your changes during this time.]
[He exclaimed that you were a martial arts prodigy and asked if you were willing to learn martial arts from him, charging only nine hundred taels of silver for a year's tuition.]
[Hearing this, you knew Wu Youdao truly cherished talent.]
[As far as you knew, the Wu Family Martial Arts School always followed a high-end route; there was never any discount, and it always cost a thousand taels of silver a year.]
[Even though there were few students each year, he never lowered the price.]
[This was why everyone said Wu Youdao was greedy for money, and now he was offering you a discount, which was indeed rare.]
[However, you politely declined, saying you would consider it after returning to Green Hills City.]
[Currently, you still had many questions in your heart and wanted to find the Heavenly Profound Temple first.]
[Who knows, you might find immortal fate there!]
[If you obtained immortal fate, who would still practice martial arts?]
[Wu Youdao did not insist, and you continued your journey.]
[In the third month, you and Wu Youdao officially entered the Evergreen Mountain Range.]
[At the same time, you encountered mountain bandits again, and Wu Youdao fought against a hundred enemies without falling behind.]
[As for you, although your physical fitness had improved significantly and you were much stronger than the mountain bandits, your fighting skills were still lacking, and you could only flee in embarrassment.]
[After half a day of fighting, Wu Youdao finally drove the mountain bandits away, and you, relying on your stronger physical fitness, ran faster and were only a bit disheveled, without any injuries.]
[In the fourth month, you finally arrived at the coordinates marked on the map for the Heavenly Profound Temple.]
[However, seeing the scene before you, you were puzzled.]
[You remembered that the last simulation showed a small Taoist temple.]
[But now, it was a ruin.]
[You were very confused.]
***
In reality, Jiang Yifeng was also puzzled by this.
Why were there two different scenes when he came twice?
Logically, the coordinates given by the simulator shouldn't be wrong.
Could it be that the timing was off?
"That's right, the timing is different!" Jiang Yifeng immediately thought of a possibility.
Now, the simulated version of himself had arrived at the coordinates of the Heavenly Profound Temple in the fourth month, while the last simulation was in the eighth year.
It was possible that at this time, the coordinates were still ruins.
It might be that in the following years, someone built the Heavenly Profound Temple on these ruins.
Thinking of this possibility, Jiang Yifeng turned his gaze back to the simulator.
***
[You thought that perhaps the timing was off, and this time you arrived several years earlier than last time.]
[Maybe the Heavenly Profound Temple hadn't been built yet.]
[Thinking of this, you felt a bit disappointed. Did you really come all this way for nothing?]
[The ruins didn't look small, but they weren't very large either, covering about a few hundred acres.]
[You couldn't imagine what this place was originally used for.]
[You thought that if it were a sect, it seemed too small, and if it were a mansion, who would build it in the deep mountains?]
[Looking at the ruins before you, you decided to explore a bit since you were already here.]