The Lu family had sent three jade slips, each containing precious knowledge Grayson had personally requested through Shawn.
The first was a martial arts jade slip—"Cang Mang Ba Long Fist."
A specialized killing technique, brutal and explosive.
The second, a skill jade slip—the "Talisman True Book," an introductory text containing the foundation of tens of thousands of talismans.
And finally, the third—a dark, insidious curse method known as the "Nail Soul Method."
Each was carefully selected to suit him perfectly.
["Cang Mang Ba Long Fist" was a saint-level martial art, but its power could rival even heavenly-level techniques. A single blow could split mountains and open seas.]
However, it was not without risk.
The technique was viciously demanding.
An ordinary cultivator might cripple themselves trying to master it.
But for Grayson, who possessed the terrifying physique granted by the Ancient Dragon Elephant Dominant Body, it was a perfect match.
Where others would break, he would thrive.
[Before, you had no true finishing move. "Cang Mang Ba Long Fist" was the answer.]
The second jade slip—the "Talisman True Book"—was equally valuable.
Last time, during his cultivation breakthrough, Grayson had discovered that the Supreme Emperor Bone had an extraordinary effect not just on martial arts but also on auxiliary professions.
Among countless side paths, one stood out to him:
Talisman Master.
A Talisman Master's status in the Ironwood Empire was second only to saint-level warriors.
They could not be easily provoked.
A high-level Talisman Master could bury armies beneath waves of devastating talismans—each one crafted with precision and imbued with terrifying power.
The Life-Replacing Blood Escape Talisman currently tucked into Grayson's robes was proof.
It had been made by a master.
And if he could reach that level himself one day...
[You could stand alone against a celestial family, armed not with armies but with scrolls that tore reality apart.]
The final technique—the "Nail Soul Method"—was a secret weapon.
It was designed specifically for Luke.
Grayson still possessed Luke's severed arm, severed during their last battle.
Through it, he could lock onto Luke's location at any time, ensuring he would never truly escape again.
Grayson closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
The villain simulator's projection ended with him feeling a wave of fierce satisfaction.
"Strengthening my foundation, planning for future growth, even setting up a specialized curse—my simulated self really thought of everything."
He smiled faintly.
Becoming a Talisman Master wasn't just about survival.
It was about seizing true, terrifying power.
One day, given enough time...
He would stand above even the Grey family—the treacherous celestial clan lurking in the shadows.
All that remained was to test whether the Supreme Emperor Bone's miraculous ability extended beyond cultivation into martial arts and Taoist arts.
There was only one way to find out.
Without wasting another second, Grayson retreated once more into the secret chamber.
He swallowed handfuls of elixirs, driving himself into a frenzied state of enlightenment.
The effects were immediate.
His consciousness expanded, and the ancient characters of the "Cang Mang Ba Long Fist" swirled around him like shimmering tadpoles, burrowing into his mind.
[On the first day, you consumed hundreds of bottles of cultivation pills. Within mere hours, you comprehended the basics of the "Cang Mang Ba Long Fist" and pushed it to minor success.]
His fists thundered through the secret chamber.
Each strike cracked the stone walls.
The sheer power threatened to tear the room apart.
[By the second day, after exhausting every medicinal resource in Luke's storage bag, you elevated the "Cang Mang Ba Long Fist" to perfection.]
When he threw a full punch, the sound was like a roaring dragon sweeping across the heavens.
[Mountains would shatter. Rivers would reverse.
No fifth realm cultivator could survive a direct hit.]
If Luke had taken a blow from this technique in their last encounter...
He would have been reduced to nothing but blood mist.
Yet, after this triumph, a bottleneck loomed.
[You realized the "Cang Mang Ba Long Fist" had reached a peak state. Further progress would require an extraordinary amount of time and comprehension.]
Accepting this, Grayson shifted his focus.
It was time to turn toward the second jade slip—the "Talisman True Book."
He wasn't foolish.
Without proper killing techniques, even the strongest cultivators could fall prey to schemers.
Thus, he began studying the way of the talisman.
Inside the jade slip, tens of thousands of talismans beckoned.
He didn't attempt them all.
Instead, he chose the two most violent and destructive categories:
Thunder Talismans and Fire Talismans.
Master these, and all others would come easier.
The next two days were a brutal, soul-crushing struggle.
[You experienced tens of thousands of failures.
Talisman materials dwindled.
Your hands blistered.
Your mind wavered.]
Doubt crept into Grayson's heart.
Even the Supreme Emperor Bone couldn't guarantee success?
Could it be...
That he was fundamentally untalented in this path?
But deep inside him, a stubborn fire refused to die.
He would not accept defeat.
On the fifth day, after nearly a hundred thousand failures, a miracle happened.
Grayson's hand moved instinctively.
A flash of power crackled across the talisman paper.
When he lifted his brush...
A brilliant Lightning Talisman shimmered in the dim light.
First-level.
Weak by the standards of true masters.
Useless against high-level enemies.
But it was his.
["It works!" you shouted internally, fists clenched in triumph.]
The path was open.
If one first-level talisman was possible...
Then hundreds, thousands more would follow.
[In the Villain Simulator, this breakthrough filled you with boundless excitement.]
In the real world, Grayson smiled grimly.
Victory was not the product of talent.
It was forged through willpower.
Yet, even with these successes, fatigue gnawed at him.
[After five consecutive days of extreme practice while in enlightenment, you realized your mind and body could no longer keep pace.
The law of diminishing returns had set in.]
Pushing forward blindly would only cause harm.
Thus, Grayson decided to rest.
Opening the heavy stone door of the secret room, he found Jude waiting outside.
The young assassin—his stand-in—straightened immediately at Grayson's appearance.
"Mr. Grayson," Jude said respectfully, "the Magic City has remained calm these past few days. No unusual activity."
Grayson nodded slightly.
Unlike the second simulation, when he had kidnapped Anya and triggered a massive bloodbath between the Lu and Grey families, this time he had avoided the crucial misstep.
As a result, the city simmered quietly, dark currents hidden beneath the surface.
No Zhao Kun dead.
No ancestral rage.
No desperate, suicidal counterattacks.
For now, the world remained... eerily still.
Grayson narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
[According to the second simulation's timeline, by tonight, you should have faced an ambush from the Zhao family's ancestor and a swarm of masked assassins.]
But now, with Zhao Kun alive, the Zhao family would not risk total annihilation for revenge.
A single saint-level warrior—even with a few assassins—couldn't pose a real threat.
Not with Shawn at his side.
[You concluded that the mastermind behind the scenes must have realized the shift.
Without sufficient high-end combat power, and unsure of your true strength, they had chosen to delay.]
A temporary retreat...
Or perhaps they were brewing an even more deadly plan.
Grayson turned his gaze toward Su Meng.
The young man had improved impressively under Shawn's rigorous training.
Now, with the "Shadow Mimicry" skill layered atop careful acting practice, even Grayson himself might have mistaken him for his own reflection.
Good.
When the time came, Su Meng would play his role perfectly.
"By the way, Mr. Grayson,"Jude added, his voice hesitant, "a secret realm has appeared recently... out at sea near Magic City. A lot of people are talking about it."
Grayson's brows furrowed slightly.
A secret realm?
Memories stirred.
In the second simulation, Anya had mentioned something similar.
At the time, fearing it was a trap, he had ignored it.
Perhaps now, it deserved a second look.
Before he could ponder further, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Shawn entered briskly, a trace of seriousness on his usually calm face.
"Mr. Grayson," Shawn said, "the young master of the Li family—charles—is here.
He says he wishes to speak with you."
Grayson's eyes sharpened instantly.
Charles?
The Li family was no ordinary household.
This meeting could change everything.
___________________________________
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31