["How could it be her?"]
[Looking at the familiar figure within the crowd, your body trembles slightly.]
[You recognize that figure all too well. The demonic woman you first encountered during the mission in the Qin Kingdom was her. The one you saw at the back mountain last time was also her.]
[You never expected to meet her again in the Alchemy Hall this time.]
[At this moment, a man beside you sneers and says, "Kid, if you want to die, keep staring. Ye Chuxue is not someone you can aspire to reach!"]
[Faced with the ridicule, you know the gap in strength between you and him, so you choose to endure for the time being. However, you silently remember that name in your heart—Ye Chuxue.]
[Looking at Ye Chuxue, who appears perfectly fine on the surface, you know in your heart that she is only enduring it.]
[You calculate the time and realize that around this period she should be going to the back mountain. As for the exact day, you cannot remember.]
[After finishing cultivation, you return to your cave dwelling and secretly decide that for the next few nights you will go to the back mountain and lie in wait for this so-called senior sister.]
[Once the sky darkens, you decisively head toward the back mountain. You arrive at the place where you remember seeing Ye Chuxue before and begin your vigil.]
[You wait until dawn, but you do not see Ye Chuxue.]
[With no other choice, you return to the academy to study alchemy. However, with the Alchemy Prodigy talent, you had already mastered these things within the first year.]
[The reason you became an alchemy apprentice was entirely for the pill recipes. Otherwise, if you had to earn spirit stones and buy them yourself, who knows how long it would take.]
[It is much faster to secretly learn them directly from the Alchemy Hall.]
[Very soon the day passes. Taking advantage of the night again, you return to the same place in the back mountain to wait, but once again you find nothing.]
[For seven consecutive days you fail to encounter Ye Chuxue. This causes you to begin doubting yourself, wondering whether your memory is inaccurate.]
[Thus you decide that if you still fail to see Ye Chuxue tonight, you will temporarily give up.]
[At midnight, you suddenly sense a faint disturbance in the surroundings.]
[Immediately you become fully alert. Sure enough, you soon see a familiar figure appear in your sight.]
["Ye Chuxue, you finally came!"]
[Although she has appeared, you do not step out immediately. Instead, you continue observing from the shadows.]
[You see Ye Chuxue practicing some special cultivation technique, drawing upon the moon's extreme yin power to cultivate.]
[Only then do you look up and realize that tonight is a full moon. At that moment, you suddenly understand why Ye Chuxue has come tonight.]
[She is using the extreme yin power of the full moon to recover from her injuries.]
[Seeing this, you finally understand part of the situation. Just as you are about to leave, you accidentally step on something, producing a faint sound.]
[Although the sound is slight, in the silent and desolate back mountain it is clearly heard by Ye Chuxue.]
["Who is there?"]
[Ye Chuxue quickly locks onto your location. However, you do not panic. Last time you were discovered in the same place, yet she did not pursue you.]
[Thus you calmly prepare to withdraw. But just as you turn around to leave, an incomparably beautiful face suddenly appears before you.]
[Looking at Ye Chuxue's icy expression, you instinctively swallow.]
["It is you? Why are you here?"]
[Ye Chuxue recognizes you. She is curious why someone at the Qi Refining stage like you would appear here.]
[You explain that you encountered a bottleneck in cultivation and came out to clear your mind.]
[However, Ye Chuxue does not believe you at all. "Who comes to the back mountain in the middle of the night to clear their mind? And did you discover something?"]
[As she says this, you clearly sense killing intent emanating from her.]
[You hurriedly explain, "No, no! I did not see anything!"]
[Unfortunately, Ye Chuxue clearly does not believe you. She raises her hand and grips your throat, saying coldly, "Since you discovered my identity, you can only die!"]
[At that moment, your mind races at lightning speed. You clearly did not discover anything, yet Ye Chuxue still intends to kill you.]
[Could it be that Ye Chuxue is already a demonic cultivator? Is she a spy infiltrating the Qingyun Sect?]
[After realizing this possibility, you suddenly recall the scene from the Qin Kingdom during your first encounter. You shout loudly, "I have awakened!"]
[With a thud, Ye Chuxue releases your neck in shock and throws you to the ground.]
["What did you say?"]
[Once you can breathe again, you quickly say, "I have awakened, so I have not reached Foundation Establishment yet!"]
[At this moment, although you know nothing, you at least imitate the words spoken by that demonic cultivator before. It allows you to temporarily escape danger.]
[The next moment, you find yourself lifted again as Ye Chuxue grips your neck.]
["Do you think I am a fool? I have never seen anyone awaken while still at the Qi Refining stage!"]
[As the strength in Ye Chuxue's hand increases, you struggle to force a few words out.]
["I really… have awakened. Reaching… Foundation Establishment will lead to death!"]
[In the next moment, Ye Chuxue releases your neck. Frowning in disbelief, she asks, "Impossible. Throughout history, no one has awakened during the Qi Refining stage. How did you do it?"]
[Seeing this, you naturally cannot reveal the existence of the simulator. You can only say that when you recently attempted to break through, you repeatedly failed and often dreamed that you would die after reaching Foundation Establishment.]
[To your surprise, Ye Chuxue actually believes your explanation.]
Seeing this, Su Ming could not help twitching the corner of his mouth. He never expected such an absurd excuse to be believed.
But earlier Ye Chuxue said that no one had ever awakened during the Qi Refining stage. Then why did that demonic cultivator previously say not to reach Foundation Establishment before awakening?
This was clearly contradictory.
"Qi Refining cultivators cannot awaken, yet before awakening one cannot reach Foundation Establishment."
Therefore, that person in the earlier simulation was simply trying to convey one message to Su Ming through that sentence—
Do not reach Foundation Establishment!
After understanding this, Su Ming once again turned his attention back to the simulator.
[After seeing that you have awakened, Ye Chuxue's tone softens somewhat and she invites you to join the demonic path.]
[Under these circumstances, you have no choice but to agree. Afterwards, you begin asking Ye Chuxue why reaching Foundation Establishment leads to death. You tell her that although it was only a dream, you have a constant ominous feeling.]
[Seeing this, Ye Chuxue explains, "What you dreamed of is the truth. Reaching Foundation Establishment does indeed lead to death. But if you have awakened, you can temporarily avoid dying."]
[After hearing Ye Chuxue's reply, your pupils tremble slightly. You immediately ask her why this happens.]
[Since you awakened before reaching Foundation Establishment, Ye Chuxue knows that there are many things you still do not understand. Thus, she begins explaining.]
["The reason cultivators die after reaching Foundation Establishment is because there are insect eggs inside the Foundation Establishment Pills!"]
...