[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-634":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347649,4587,"Chapter 634: I Choose to Be Myself—Please Watch Young Master Xie Ascend to the Fourth Floor!","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-634",634,"\u003Cp>The crippled old man’s face was as dark as water, his gaze sharp as a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Guan, don’t think that Lotus Pool’s old monk can still protect you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, a bastard bearing a criminal’s name, truly dare not fear I’ll tear you apart right here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s words brimmed with threat, as if he would strike at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch supervisor rushed forward to intervene, anxious: “Old Master Chang, don’t act rashly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third Master and Su Xiang are waiting for word. Xie Guan has already composed his poem—let’s hurry back to report.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch tried to ease the tension, turning to Xie Guan with urgency: “Young Master Guan, isn’t that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke smiled casually beside him, gesturing to the wine jug, seemingly indifferent to the tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is a bastard’s life unimportant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke spoke softly, his voice calm yet edged with coldness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All I know is, my life as Xie Guan weighs heavier than heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gentleman values his person above all—my life is priceless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the crippled old man’s face darkened further; his eighth-rank martial cultivation erupted instantly, a crushing pressure like a dense downpour pressing down, suffocating all who felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch’s heart tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Master Chang, stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he himself was a top-three-rank martial cultivator, he was no match for this elder who had long served beside Su Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch was frantic and dared not move to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could this boy withstand the pressure of a martial expert?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please, let nothing go wrong—don’t provoke Su Xiang or Third Master’s displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To everyone’s astonishment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the desk, the slender boy remained utterly unmoved beneath the crippled old man’s pressure, like an unshakable mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Guan—could he possess both martial and primordial spirit cultivation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, at his age, how could he resist the pressure of a ninth-rank Xuan Dan realm martial expert?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Yu Ke’s mind-sea, the great cauldron rang silently, resonating with heaven and earth, radiating ten thousand rays of aurora!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, ineffably mysterious energy flowed through his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I use a divine artifact to anchor my body!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following memory, he had just learned a single posture from the “Golden Chan Buddha Hand Sutra”—“Buddha Hand Stirring the Waves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden, luminous glass Buddha hand appeared around him, like a protective Vajra guardian, firmly enclosing his body and repelling the external pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke was not concerned about exposing his cultivation or this Buddha hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the crippled old man had likely already reported his secrets to Su Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing already knew of his encounter with the Demon Master and Lotus Pool Master in the carriage pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch’s eyes flickered with surprise; he murmured softly: “Buddhist martial arts!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was deeply puzzled—wasn’t Xie Guan secretly reported to have close ties with the Three Truths Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had he become entangled with the Buddhist sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly delicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he could not suppress Xie Guan, the crippled old man’s aura surged again, his blood qi exploding like a collapsing snow mountain, a vast, overwhelming presence suddenly manifesting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His true eighth-rank cultivation was now fully revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a cold snort; his pressure surged like a tide, the table groaning under the strain, as if about to shatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch’s face paled—dammit, Old Master Chang is serious now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crippled old man clearly intended to overpower him by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the old man tightly controlled his power—otherwise, this quiet room would have long been crushed to rubble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To everyone’s shock, Yu Ke remained calm, as if a gentle breeze brushed his face, not a ripple stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Guan showed no reaction at all, as if the pressure meant nothing to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crippled old man inwardly trembled—he could not believe that his eighth-rank martial cultivation could not subdue this boy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke merely smiled faintly, calmly pushing the cup on the table toward the crippled old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s face darkened with fury, but his gaze finally settled on the boy’s serene profile, and he forcibly suppressed his rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crippled old man growled, “Xie Guan, I’ll pour you wine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s aura receded; the surging blood qi of the snow mountain vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke’s mind shifted—the golden glass Buddha hand disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quiet room returned to stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch exhaled slowly in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crippled old man lifted the jug, gave it a slight shake, and poured a stream of steaming, clear wine into the cup until full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch watched, struck by awe—Old Master Chang had served Su Xiang since childhood; in Bianjing, even the nine great clans had never made him bow his head, let alone pour wine himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, he broke that rule for this boy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quiet room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy drank the warm wine in one gulp, loudly declaring: “Fine wine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he smiled: “No need to trouble you twice—please refill my cup.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crippled old man’s hand trembled slightly, veins bulging on his forehead, yet he obeyed, pouring again—the wine’s fragrance filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside them, the old eunuch wiped sweat from his brow, his expression tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke slowly released his grip, allowing the crippled old man to retrieve the paper bearing the newly composed poem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man did not linger—he turned and left at once, leaving only these words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Guan, take care. If this poem pleases Su Xiang, it will be a great fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, I’ll show you what true fine wine tastes like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the final two words—“fine wine”—spoken with icy chill, sending chills down the spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke merely nodded calmly, unbothered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who once overshadowed an age, whose poetic utterance alone could summon half the tribute of ten thousand nations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later generations revered his name, calling him the Exiled Immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His poems would surely endure through eternity, illuminating history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch bowed apologetically to Xie Guan before departing as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke remained seated calmly in the quiet room, unhurried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Participating directly in this—such an experience was rare indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation of being truly present carried a flavor beyond words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt as if he had become “Xie Guan,” yet remained fully aware he was not the real one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This feeling—walking within a dream, yet suddenly “awakening from it”—was profoundly uncanny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking through Xie Guan’s perspective, Yu Ke’s spiritual sense became clearer than ever; previously obscure, inscrutable blocks in his primordial spirit cultivation now opened like a floodgate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bottlenecks in his martial progress also shattered open. This “observing the Dao” experience was something he had never known in his past life as Lu Chen during “Heaven-Man Reincarnation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Service upgraded again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Cauldron, did you secretly evolve again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cauldron remained silent, vibrating only.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After every direct participation, Yu Ke’s memories of martial cultivation—and most of his life experiences—vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All gains could only be retrieved after the “Heaven-Man Reincarnation” simulation ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like a “perceptual barrier,” a firewall within the program.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke understood: without this safeguard, the mere decades of memory from his first life as Lu Chen would overwhelm him, blurring the line between “Yu Ke” and Lu Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke warned himself: no matter how many times he underwent Heaven-Man Reincarnation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke would remain Yu Ke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have wrestled with myself long enough—I choose to be myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been so long—how many courtesans have taken the stage? The Gathering of Blossoms is nearly over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is there still no sign from above?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan paced nervously on the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Lady Xu’s advice, they had not sought help from elders upstairs—only Xie Qiyue had been sent to scout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If news came from the third floor about Xie Guan, they were to relay it immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi’s face was calm, but her hands tightly clasped on her lap betrayed her inner anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Hong had wanted to follow up to the third floor, but Xie Qiyue had stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuwan paused, then spoke: “The Gathering of Blossoms is nearly over—Young Master Guan must have finished his poem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xixi’s gaze also turned to the third floor, though her thoughts lay elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the Demon Master and Master Lianchi—two renowned Grand Masters whose names shake the heavens—have converged in Bianjing; what is their true intent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt a faint unease in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy is no longer the academy of old; the four masters have long since gone their separate ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Demon Master represents the Golden Clan of the steppe, the Eternal Heaven of the north!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Lianchi is the World Walker of the Eastern Victory Sect of the Southern Buddhist Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon arriving in Bianjing, Xu Xiyue guessed they must be here for the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the Third Master of the academy is at the Gathering of Beauties; only the gravely ill Second Master remains behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could their target be the assassination of the Second Master?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiyue thought of this, yet shook her head, dismissing the notion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy is the pivot of Bianjing’s Shocking Divine Array—who dares to force entry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, what is the true intent of these two Grand Masters in coming to Bianjing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiyue’s heart was filled with doubt; she sensed a hidden current surging beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, Zhao Yang smirked and spoke calmly, “What are you waiting for? The news coming soon will surely be that Xie Guan is dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Xie Yuan frowned tightly and retorted impatiently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Yang, if you’re unwilling to wait, you may leave right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just seeing you brings bad luck—it’s truly vexing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yang, seeing Xie Yuan and the others grow anxious, felt a surge of pleasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He toyed with his warming brazier, his smile deepening as he said slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, for one, intend to stay and watch with my own eyes how Xie Guan is thrown into prison—and how he is executed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Renfeng’s face also showed a rare glimmer of delight, as if eagerly anticipating what was to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi’s face paled slightly at these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuwan, seeing this, gently patted her back and soothed, “Young Master Guan is blessed by heaven, Sister Yunzhi, you need not worry so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi softly shook her head and sighed, thinking of her father, her heart filled with mixed emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father was an upright, incorruptible official; he refused to sink to corruption and scorned factional scheming, earning great praise among the people as a true servant of the common folk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the world is fickle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply because of a land dispute between commoners and the sons of the Nine Surnames, her father—though himself one of the Nine Surnames—took the side of the commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those few acres of poor land might be mere wine money to the Nine Surnames, but they were the very foundation of the commoners’ survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moved by pity, he saw a mother and child kneeling at the government office gate and resolved to arrest the son of the Nine Surnames and deliver judgment in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate is unpredictable—this small matter spiraled into a city-wide uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father was thus demoted and exiled to Dezehu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother suffered alongside him, growing ever more frail; the family had not reunited in years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble sons of the Nine Surnames, who trampled lives underfoot, still roamed free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world always makes things hard for good people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven has never been merciful—it merely watches coldly as mortals suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Gathering of Beauties, the Nine Surnames squandered fortunes in extravagance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the capital, refugees surged like a tide, homeless and destitute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Master Guan has suffered all his life—his talent, vast and unfulfilled, should never have ended like this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan noticed a slender figure slowly descending the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Qiyue, you’re finally here! What’s happening upstairs?” Xie Yuan asked urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Qiyue hurried over, snatched up a cup of tea, and drained it in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi stepped forward quickly and whispered, “Qiyue, drink slowly—you’ll choke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Hong rushed to bring her a chair, his face full of concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xie Yuan could not contain his impatience and pressed again: “Miss Qiyue, what’s the situation upstairs? How is Young Master Guan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Qiyue caught her breath, then kicked Xie Yuan lightly and scolded, “Now you remember to call me sister?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had intended to tease him further, but seeing Zhang Yunzhi’s anxious gaze, she cleared her throat, dropped her jest, and spoke seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fourth cousin, rest easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Guan has already submitted his poem to the fourth floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just downstairs with Father; upstairs are all the senior members of the Xie family—I kept calling ‘Uncle’ and ‘Auntie’ until I was utterly hoarse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw the Imperial Seal Eunuch and the elder of the Su family ascend to the fourth floor, so I came down quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhang Yunzhi’s heart tightened—Young Master Guan had already submitted his poem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Renfeng had also been watching closely; upon hearing this, his gaze turned to the fourth floor, his mind turning over possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Guan’s poem is done—will it catch Su Xiang’s eye?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Qiyue then mentioned something else: that while Xie Guan was composing his poem on the third floor, he had made the Su family’s Elder grind ink, warm wine, and pour it for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuwan’s eyes widened in astonishment. This Elder was a constant companion of Su Xiang, held in the highest esteem—even the Nine Surnames addressed him respectfully as “Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Xie Guan dared to command him to perform such menial tasks—even the heads of the Nine Surnames would never dare such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Guan’s conduct was truly reckless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan, upon hearing this, laughed aloud: “Young Brother Guan has always refused to be taken advantage of.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiyue, too, returned from her thoughts and murmured, “You need not worry—Young Master Guan, having climbed this Invitation-to-Immortals Tower, surely knows what he’s doing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi’s anxiety eased slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuwan grew even more eager to see the poem Xie Guan had written; she had copied down all three of his setting poems today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Renfeng’s face grew cold again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Xie Guan truly wins Su Xiang’s favor and escapes death,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow he will single-handedly overshadow the Gathering of Beauties’ Flower Queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the very thing he could never bear to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yang sneered from the side: “Even if he writes something, what masterpiece could he produce in such a short time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it were me, I’d rather write nothing at all—better to avoid public ridicule and leave behind a laughingstock after death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s finally built up some reputation—should Su Xiang judge his poem as abysmal, not only will his life be forfeit, but his honor will be shattered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words dripped with bitterness and disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they were all true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuwan and the others offered no rebuttal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many masterpieces exist in this world? Especially poems composed on the spot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poetry and verse demand constant refinement; composing on the spot requires both talent and inner calm—great lines are rare and often require repeated polishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, forced into it, with a blade hanging above his head,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hastily written poem is unlikely to earn applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Renfeng felt a slight relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yang’s face lit with triumph; he opened his mouth to sneer, “See now… just wait and see…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the fourth floor, a loud voice drowned out all noise, clearly reaching every ear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the decree of Su Xiang and the Third Master—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon Young Master Guan directly to the fourth floor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Renfeng’s face turned instantly ghastly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yang’s unfinished words choked in his throat, never to be spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2627,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","520a728c89ca23c7f55764da7b7137adf47095837edb0606d0506b6bca2efa85","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-635","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-633",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]