[{"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-710":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},2347725,4587,"Chapter 710: Madam Ruan Ascends to the Upper Three Realms, Gazing at the Sea","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-710",710,"\u003Cp>You stepped out from the cobblestone street by Yanbo Lake, carrying Wutong, and ran straight into Xie Yuan hurrying toward you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ultimately couldn’t let go of his worries—he had followed you here after all. The journey had left him dusty and weary, and he had come alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held in his right hand a longsword similar in design to yours, with a wild goose-feather knife hanging at his waist; his sleeves fluttered with an air of solemn authority, yet his face bore both anxiety and a resolve to share life or death with you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment you entered Yanbo Lake until you departed, though events had been turbulent, less than a quarter-hour had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xie Yuan could reach the lakeside, you met at the corner of the long street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan stopped abruptly, his face filled with shock: “Brother Guan, you… you’re unharmed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw a thousand Longhu Guards charge into the lake’s center from afar—I thought…” He trailed off, his gaze falling on Wutong, asleep in your arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How come this girl Wutong is asleep again?” He frowned. “Last time it was at the Qunfang Banquet, today at Yanbo Lake—is she alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You looked down at the sleeping Wutong and whispered, “It’s fine—she’s just exhausted and fell asleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing you both unharmed, Xie Yuan finally relaxed his tense shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled deeply, raised a hand to stop a passing carriage, and lifted the curtain to signal you to board first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage slowly moved forward, Xie Yuan couldn’t help teasing: “In ordinary operas, it’s always young masters and ladies being kidnapped by bandits—but our little maid has somehow ended up living the life of a noble daughter. How many times now?” He shook his head with a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage rolled over the cobblestones, heading toward the Xie Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan lowered his voice: “Today’s people—was Xie Renfeng among them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Crown Prince Liu Yuan and others—including Prince of Yan and the Thirteenth Imperial Prince, Chen Mu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s face showed surprise, then he recalled the killing intent hidden in the sword dance performed by the Crown Prince’s retainer at Qimochun Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked, puzzled: “Brother Guan, how did you get mixed up with them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You shook your head. “I didn’t provoke them—I provoked someone even more dangerous to offend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sighed. “In the Jianghu, one has no control over one’s fate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was Xie Renfeng there today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You replied coolly: “Xie Renfeng is already dead—killed by someone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sighed again. “If only he’d known this would happen, he wouldn’t have done what he did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though great families outwardly appear united, behind closed doors, currents run dark and treacherous. Over the years, Xie Yuan had seen many young masters and ladies of the Xie family die mysteriously or in accidents—nearly nine out of ten perished within these gilded gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage turned the corner, Xie Yuan could no longer hold back: “Brother Guan, exactly how did you rescue Wutong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had no other choice—I killed Liu Yuan and his entire party.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sat bolt upright, jolting the carriage: “Liu Yuan? His entourage… shouldn’t they have had powerful martial experts guarding him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You nodded. “So I killed them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. Though Liu Yuan and the others were hostages, they were still imperial nobility of great nations, surrounded by elite protectors. He knew your cultivation wasn’t weak—but to…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan tilted his head. Could my younger brother truly possess the talent of a Poet Immortal—and the prowess of a Martial God?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and laughed. “Don’t kid me, Brother Guan. If you really took down the Crown Prince’s mansion all by yourself, I’d rather believe you summoned allies from the Three True Ones Sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze suddenly fell on your empty hands—your longsword was gone. Xie Yuan’s pupils contracted: “Unless…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His throat bobbed, then he dismissed the thought, laughing at himself: “Are you really the direct disciple of the Second Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You smiled. “Sixth brother, I told you long ago—I received the Second Master’s Nine Swords.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan still didn’t fully believe it. “Fine, as long as you’re back safe, I won’t press it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added, concerned: “Though you didn’t kill Xie Renfeng, Madam Zhao will surely blame you for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be extra careful once you return to the Xie Fu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage stopped at the Xie family gate, and Xie Yuan departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night was approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second courtyard received word of Xie Renfeng’s death. Madam Zhao screamed in grief, leading dozens of martial experts to storm your secluded courtyard—but was blocked by the old matriarch’s green-robed steward and his men. The whole spectacle ended without resolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet you now had another thought: the old matriarch of the Xie family must already know what happened today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Bianjing remained peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, last night’s bloodshed stirred no great uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xu Jing Si’s posted notice blamed the deaths of Liu Yuan and the others on rogue assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the three kingdoms’ hostage mansions were furious, they could only grit their teeth toward the imperial palace—the red seal on the notice bore the private stamp of the current Grand Secretary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong rubbed her sleepy eyes as she stepped out of her room, feeling something strange about yesterday—how had she suddenly fallen asleep?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a daze, she thought she’d seen two divine birds, glowing with radiance, circling beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing you already training in the courtyard, she didn’t think twice and went as usual to fetch water for washing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she approached the large blue-glazed ceramic basin filled with water, she nearly dropped her bucket in shock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the basin floated an old woman holding a lotus-leaf umbrella! The old woman was no taller than a stool, her sparse white hair floating on the surface, comfortably bobbing in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!” Wutong screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman startled violently, sank with a “gurgle,” and disappeared to the bottom, leaving only a few bubbles rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little maid tiptoed backward, her voice trembling: “Y-Young Master! There’s a bald lotus spirit living in our water basin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman seemed to hear the last few words, surfaced from the water, a withered lotus leaf trembling above the surface, releasing a few slow bubbles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You already knew this unexpected guest in the basin was Madam Ruan, the woman from Yanbo Lake yesterday. She had broken the sword-pill’s seal last night, nearly being shredded from within by runaway sword qi, and this morning had panickedly come to find you—you had reined in the sword qi again, and she had become much more obedient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A muffled voice came from the basin’s bottom: “I’m not a lotus spirit… I’m Madam Ruan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You told Wutong: “This is our new… pet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong blinked, then pointed at the two radiant birds perched on the tree: “Like them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something like that.” You turned toward the basin. “Don’t worry—she’s very gentle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today you realized Madam Ruan’s true age was young—perhaps only fourteen or fifteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was simple-minded; a few words from you revealed her background—just as she’d said yesterday, she was no threat, and she was timid, with a fondness for beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The legend of a fisherman and a clam-spirit giving birth to her was pure rumor—she was actually descended from a water tribe living along the river, born with gills to breathe underwater. According to her, she was the best in her tribe at raising large aquatic beasts, called a “Sacrifice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been swept away by floodwaters, arrived in Bianjing, and was rescued by an elder from a scholarly academy, who introduced her to the Prince of Yan’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, she’d have been far better off living freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why call her Madam Ruan? Because she thought “Madam” sounded more imposing—and “Ruan” was her tribe’s surname.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the academy elder died, she rarely interacted with others; calling herself “Granny” was merely imitation—others had called her that, so she copied it, awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong gathered courage and approached the basin, staring at the huddled lump of “lotus spirit” at the bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint rustling came from the basin: “I’m not a lotus spirit… not a bald lotus spirit either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong gently parted the floating lotus leaves. In the instant their eyes met—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Ruan had never been this close to anyone before; she sank entirely beneath the water, blowing bubbles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong reached out and lightly touched the swollen sores on her head. The basin shook violently. Normally, she’d have dived deep and fled—but here, in this courtyard, she dared only surface, baring her teeth in protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master,” Wutong asked curiously, “what caused those bumps on her head? Is she sick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had already examined Madam Ruan’s condition—her appearance resulted from two causes: years of feeding her own essence-blood to aquatic beasts, and prolonged exposure to cold, damp water, causing internal cold stagnation, compounded by her habit of eating raw meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A muffled voice came from the basin: “I—I wash my face three times a day… it’s not dirty!” Madam Ruan stirred the water unhappily, then sank again beneath the lotus leaf, leaving only her eyes visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the “lotus spirit” so timid, Wutong finally relaxed, and began playfully teasing Madam Ruan by the basin’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You smiled faintly, turned, and returned to the courtyard to resume your meditation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your true qi surged like an endless river. Yesterday’s battle relied heavily on your primordial spirit; after a night’s rest, your dantian was now fully replenished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You sensed it—the threshold between the middle three realms and the upper three realms felt within reach, almost tangible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling yesterday’s clashes with numerous upper-three-realm experts, the scenes replayed vividly in your mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their skillful use of true yuan deeply moved you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You guided the surging true qi in your dantian into a slow, spiraling rotation, compressing inward like a collapsing star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the essence of condensing true yuan—after this transformation, the qi became far more refined. Whether stored within the body, or channeled into attacks or strength, it would double without doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With true yuan nourishing the body, it would approach perfection—flawless and pure. After reaching the ninth realm, the body became unbreakable; ordinary attacks and primordial spirit techniques could scarcely harm it, even allowing limb regeneration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each strand of true qi underwent a qualitative change under extreme compression, gradually coalescing into purer true yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the first drop of true yuan formed in the qi sea, the entire courtyard stirred without wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong turned in shock—leaves within three zhang of you floated unnaturally in midair, forming a slow, swirling vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beads of sweat formed on your brow; your brows knotted tightly. The most critical step of breaking into the upper three realms was unfolding within you—the dantian burned with tearing pain, as if a blunt axe were repeatedly hacking at your qi sea, or ten thousand ants gnawed through your meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The medicinal power of the Xuan Guan Xue Lu Pill dissolved in your body, barely sustaining the true qi transformation. When the second drop of true yuan struggled into form, blood seeped from your clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third drop formed… then the fourth… every muscle in your body tightened like a drawn bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong’s expression grew tense; Madam Ruan had sunk entirely into the basin, peering through gaps in the lotus leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifth… sixth… when the tenth drop of true yuan hovered in the qi sea, your entire robe was soaked through with sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Buddhist and Demon cultivation texts, three drops could break the realm—ten drops meant perfect completion—continuing further would damage your foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You endured the agony and began guiding the true yuan through the eight extraordinary meridians. Where each drop flowed, the meridians burned as if seared by a branding iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This pain of expanding the meridians usually required elders to guard and administer pain-suppressing pills—but you had to endure it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet your face remained calm; only your faintly trembling body betrayed the inhuman agony you bore. Your robe, drenched in cold sweat, steamed in the morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wutong clutched her sleeve, her eyes filled with concern. Though she knew nothing of martial cultivation, she sensed you were at a critical juncture—she even held her breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Ruan also surfaced from the basin, watching you closely. Though she didn’t cultivate martial arts, she had grown up swimming in rivers and lakes, battling currents, and practiced her tribe’s qi-breathing techniques—her body could withstand middle-three-realm martialists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she saw clearly—the boy’s thin back was taut like a drawn bow, every muscle trembling in agony, yet he maintained perfect meditative posture. The water in the basin rippled with fine waves, drawn by the true yuan vibrating around you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems you’re not only ruthless toward others—you’re ruthless toward yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour passed; morning dew had dried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You slowly exhaled a wisp of turbid qi, which solidified in midair into a three-foot-long white ribbon that lingered without dissipating. When you opened your eyes, snowlight seemed to swirl within your gaze—the true qi in your dantian had formed a complete celestial circuit, flowing endlessly like meltwater from a snowcapped peak, requiring no deliberate control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile crossed your face; today you had ascended to the upper three realms of martial cultivation—the Snow Mountain Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2217,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","442398316a8988098cb78e51bf3ea809b231333f9a4217a1c4dec351801c0c13","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-711","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-709",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]