One Trait Draw Per Year Even Simulations Count

[You explained the situation to the five doppelgangers, telling them that they were actually just clones, but that their memories, abilities, combat power, etc., each inherited from a different simulation.]

[The doppelgangers accepted what the main body said instantly.]

[Chen One: "Only five simulations? I thought I'd be invincible in reality after three days!"]

[You: "There weren't that many simulations, big brother! So you have to work hard to survive each time and not waste the opportunity!"]

[Chen Two: "I only care if Feng Yucheng is dead or not."]

[You: "He's in the banner, playing brother with a bunch of villains."]

[Chen Three: "Where is the old monk now? I want to go chat with him."]

[You: "Let's go another day."]

[Chen Four: "What about the Dragon-Man tribe?"]

[You: "You can ask Number Five about that."]

[Chen Five floated in the sky, hands clasped behind his back, chin raised high.]

["Don't even mention the Dragon-Man tribe. As long as this Sword Wielder guards the human world, no tribe can break through!"]]

[The five simulated Chen Yis actually had a lot to talk about together.]

[After all, each simulation had its own unique regrets, and they all wanted to know if their later selves had made up for those regrets.]

[Seeing that this tea party was dragging on endlessly, you had to interrupt them.]

["You can chat slowly in the days to come; now we need to get down to business."]

[You planned to leave one doppelganger in the human world, which would serve three purposes.]

[First, to give your family someone to hold onto, even if it was just the elderly version.]

[Second, to keep an eye on key events and make sure things didn't go off the rails—like Elder Brother's, Li Lingyue's, and Li Chengqian's life experiences.]

[Third, to recall the doppelganger back to the main body at the end of the simulation, have him recount what had happened in the human world over the past few years, thus achieving the information of both worlds from one simulation.]

[After much deliberation, you decided to leave Chen Four behind.]

[The reason was that he had the most robust physique, and his cultivation level in the Spirit Condensation Realm wasn't low either.]

[Chen Five had the highest cultivation level, but Chen Yi wanted to keep him by his side, as he might be useful in a critical moment.]

[Chen One: "Ahem! Boss, ahem! I think I can... ahem... stay behind. I, I, I..."]]

[You: "Forget it! You can barely take two steps! You'd scare people!"]

[Chen Two: "Boss, I'm only in my fifties! I'm young! Let me stay in the human world on your behalf!"]

[You: "What can a guy at the Spirit Gathering Realm do? You'd struggle just to get out of Baiyun County."]

[Chen Three: "Boss, I..."]]

[You: "You and Chen One are six of one, half a dozen of the other. I still need to go find Senior Hu to detoxify you."]

[Chen Five had no desire to stay in the human world; he was more eager to see the Real Realm.]

[Chen Four found a stool in the courtyard, sat down, and sprawled out lazily.]

["So, starting today, I'm the master of this Chen Mansion? Not bad, not bad. I guess I can enjoy my old age in peace."]

[You spent some effort to get the servants of the Chen Mansion and Third Sister to accept the elderly version of you.]

[Third Sister's heart ached terribly. She kept asking how you had aged so much.]

[Seeing her teary-eyed, you had to show yourself and explain that Chen Four was your doppelganger.]

["Even though he's a doppelganger, apart from the age difference, he's no different from me. He's still Third Sister's fourth brother."]

["Fourth Brother, you're leaving too, aren't you?"]

[Chen Yun guessed it immediately.]

[You didn't hide it and frankly said that when the Path to Immortality opened next year, you would also walk that path, following in the footsteps of the Great Demon, the Sword Lord, and Shen Qingshan.]

["When you're out there, you must take good care of yourself. No treasure is as precious as your own body, understand?"]

[Even though it was a farewell before ascending to immortality, Chen Yun spoke to you as if you were just going on a simple trip.]

[You didn't linger in Baiyun County.]

[You left both the Nine Provinces Cauldron and the Qiankun Mirror with Chen Four. With these two treasures, he could handle most problems.]

[In fact, who in the human world would dare to come looking for trouble with you now?]

[The Five Element Root Vessels of the human world would be nothing but scrap metal in the Real Realm, and they would also affect the stability of the human world's Five Elements. Naturally, you wouldn't take them along.]

[Da Chun manifested from the Nine Provinces Cauldron and embraced you in farewell.]

["Yi Brother!!"]

["Da Chun, you're a Great Dao Immortal Artifact, one of the foundations of a world, and you're still crying?"]

["Da Chun will always be Da Chun! The Nine Provinces Cauldron vanished forever when it was reincarnated as a human. As its descendants, every one of us must be the master of our own life!"]

["Da Chun is right... it's just that what you said sounds oddly familiar?"]

[Da Chun was indeed right.]

[Strictly speaking, Chen Yi's body was also a descendant of the Nine Provinces Cauldron's reincarnation.]

[So were Chen Yun, Chen Jing, and Chen Yue.]

[Each of them was themselves, not some Nine Provinces Cauldron.]

["Don't cry. The doppelganger I'm leaving behind is no different from me. He knows everything we've been through. Just think of him as me."]

["Da Chun understands. Take care, Yi Brother. From now on, Da Chun won't be there to protect you..."]

[You fell silent.]

[Looking back on the journey, Da Chun had protected you so many times.]

[Now, about to leave the Void Realm, you would finally shed this protective shell and face the unknown storms head-on.]

["Black Wind, stay here for now. Next year, Senior Hu will take you to the Path to Immortality. Come find me in the Real Realm then... if you can."]

[Black Wind nodded heavily.]

["Boss! I will definitely find you!"]

[You left, riding the wind away.]

[Under the gaze of Baiyun County's citizens, amidst Da Chun's sobs, and through Third Sister's reluctant farewell.]

[After leaving Baiyun County, you first made a trip to the Great Qian capital city.]

[You released a trace of your aura, and the strong experts of the Li Imperial Clan hurried out to welcome you.]

["Ah, it's the Martial God Chen! Quick, we'll set up a banquet in the palace tonight! Let's drink to our hearts' content!"]

[Li Yang, Li Lingyue's Third Granduncle, extended a warm invitation, but you raised your hand to decline.]

["There are some things I haven't told you before. I'm here this time to give you a heads-up."]

["Martial God Chen, please speak freely. We are all ears!"]]

["There's a Flower Princess in the imperial clan named Li Lingyue."]

["Oh? Could the Martial God Chen be thinking of taking her as a disciple? What a pity, but she has no Innate Talent and can't cultivate martial arts."]

["Wrong. She can cultivate, and she has top-tier talent in this human world. She carries a Dao Fruit within her, and her future achievements will be limitless."]

[Your words left the members of the Li family exchanging bewildered glances.]

[They whispered among themselves, discussing this Flower Princess, and realized she had practically no presence among the high-ranking members of the imperial clan. No one had ever paid her any attention.]

[However, Li Yang usually had some contact with the Flower Princess's household, since they were of the same lineage.]

["Are you serious, Martial God Chen?"]

["Do I look like I'm joking?"]

["Of course not, of course not... but we really did test the clan's talents repeatedly. Li Lingyue truly is one of those who can't cultivate."]

["The time just hasn't come yet. When she comes of age, send her to the Southern Borderlands to find Hua Wuyan. Hua Wuyan will naturally take her as a disciple."]

["Hua Wuyan? But she's the Guardian..."]

[Didn't that mean Li Lingyue had a chance to become the next Guardian?]

[That Dao Fruit was enormous!]

[The Li family members were overjoyed.]

[As you left the capital city, you took a distant look at Li Lingyue from afar.]

[She was only ten years old now, in the prime of her youthful vigor. As a daughter of the imperial clan, she still didn't know what worry meant.]

[As she was playing, Li Lingyue seemed to sense something. She stopped in her tracks and looked toward where you had been standing.]

[That place was empty. You were already gone.]