While Others are Leveling Up, I Alone Will Cultivate Until Mahayana Before Making My Move

[You had anticipated this day's arrival and noticed the Shadow Protector among the crowd behind, but you had no intention of giving in just like that. Your acting was impeccable, feigning total ignorance.]

[Protector Zong merely sneered at the words, claiming that only cultivators could concoct such elixirs, and you were one of the few cultivators in this world.]

[Upon hearing Protector Zong's words, the surrounding elders and protectors revealed unpleasant looks on their faces, secretly circling you as if they were worried you might flee.]

[From the greedy look in Protector Zong's eyes, you understood that he simply wanted to uncover the secret of your ability to cultivate and then refine you into elixirs.]

[Of course, you would not comply with his wishes. You argued that there were certainly more cultivators in the world besides you, like the Protector Zong before you, or perhaps some in other copies... and that Protector Zong's defamation of you was certainly for the purpose of refining you into elixirs to achieve his own ends!]

[Upon hearing your explanation, the surrounding elders and protectors wore doubtful expressions, finding your words reasonable. After all, the matter of Protector Zong's impending demise wasn't exactly a secret among the upper echelons. Even when you had just joined the Descending Sect, Protector Zong had once requested you as a reward, his motive clear as day.]

[But later, you proved your worth: an alchemist elder with infinite potential versus a protector whose life was ending, the value of the two to the Descending Sect wasn't necessarily clear-cut.]

[Seeing that the attitudes of the surrounding protectors and elders had somewhat softened, you struck while the iron was hot, suggesting that this was all mere speculation with no actual evidence.]

[The group of elders nodded at this, having found you fairly likable over the years within the Descending Sect, often concocting virility pills for some elders; they were very willing to believe you.]

[But the matter was of grave importance, and one of the protectors still turned their gaze to the Shadow Protector, inquiring whether she knew what you had really been up to these years.]

[You appeared calm on the surface, yet your heart was already a bit tense, ready to flee into the Spirit Field Blessed Land at any moment.]

[All the elders and protectors turned their eyes to the Shadow Protector, and your heart was suspended in anticipation.]

[To your surprise, the Shadow Protector merely chuckled and shook her head, saying that over the years, you had consistently provided elixirs for the sect. Why should others harbor such malicious suspicions about you, she questioned as she compared the Organ Refining Pill with the Essence-Nourishing Pills you had made.]

[She bluntly stated that the alchemist who made the Organ Refining Pills was far superior in skill to you, and encouraged the other elders and protectors to see for themselves.]

[After each protector conducted their examination, they all nodded in agreement; while both were Spirit Pills, the disparity in the crafting method was like night and day, akin to the difference between a newly built rough-housing unit and a fully decorated apartment.]

[But the elders were too polite to directly criticize your Essence-Nourishing Pills as substandard, merely conveying diplomatically that there was a gap in alchemy skills.]

[In the end, after a council of elders and protectors, it was agreed that this matter had nothing to do with you.]

[Only Damned Zong, that mad old dog, still sought to take a bite out of you, accusing both you and the Shadow Protector of being in cahoots, branding you both as traitors.]

[The other protectors and elders looked at him as if he were a fool, as everyone knew of the Shadow Protector's unwavering loyalty. The Shadow Protector even idolized the "Main Race," aspiring to transform herself into one of them; thus, no one believed Protector Zong's claims.]

[While in your heart, you heaved a sigh of relief, narrowly avoiding the truth being exposed by Damned Zong.]

[At the same time, you cast a profound glance at the Shadow Protector. You were quite certain she knew that those elixirs were of your making, and her choice to help keep your secret at this crucial moment might not mean she was a definite traitor, but at least proved that the Shadow Protector's loyalty to the Descending Sect wasn't absolute!]

[The group of elders and protectors left your dwelling, and just as the Shadow Protector turned to leave, she silently mouthed a message to you without making a sound.]

"You learned lip reading for a while before, and what she said was: 'We are even now!'

Su Xing felt somewhat shocked when he saw this.

'Shadow Protector, also a traitor?' But who could she be a spy for? The Great Xia Military?'

Su Xing furrowed his brows slightly, then shook his head.

'If she was a traitor from the Great Xia Military, then the fifteen thousand Essence-Nourishing Pills she asked me to make could definitely not be hidden, and my identity would definitely be discovered.'

'But if she's not a spy for the Great Xia Military, then whose spy could she be?'

Su Xing felt puzzled in his heart, but even more so, he felt relieved.

'Although I still do not know Shadow Protector's true identity, at least I can be certain she is not absolutely loyal to the Descending Sect, which will definitely bring many benefits in my later simulations!'

'If I can cooperate with Shadow Protector, we can definitely greatly delay the end of the world in the simulation...'

Su Xing's thoughts kept churning. He could simulate and had countless opportunities to trial and error. Shadow Protector's identity was definitely worth taking a risk for once.

Su Xing had already made up his mind, took a deep breath, and then continued to simulate.

"In the following period, you chose to keep a low profile, devoting most of your energy to cultivation aside from alchemy."

"In the fourteenth year, after your unremitting efforts, you finally completed the carving of the ninth pill pattern."

"The moment the Nine Revolution Golden Core was accomplished, you saw the Golden Core within your Dantian shine brightly, and you felt a sense of perfection and naturalness throughout your body. You felt as if it was always meant to be a Nine Revolution Golden Core, and below that, all other Golden Cores seemed imperfect!"

"After the Nine Revolution Golden Core was refined, you knew your task was completed. The end of the world was not far off at that point, a matter of months or perhaps just over a year, before the Foreign Race would invade the real world."

"And at this moment, you still had tens of thousands of Essence-Nourishing Pills accumulated over the years. You wanted to give all these elixirs to the Great Xia Military to see how much you could prolong the inevitable."

"But before that, you decided to see Shadow Protector one more time."

"One day, you came to Shadow Protector's residence and saw her cultivating. Shadow Protector sensed your arrival in advance. She asked if you were ready to fully integrate with the main tribe."

"You shook your head gently, then boldly voiced the doubts in your heart. You asked whether Shadow Protector was absolutely loyal to the Descending Sect."

"Upon hearing this, Shadow Protector was silent for a long time. Then she took off the mask on her face. Her face was still exquisitely beautiful, but you also saw fish-scale-like black patches on the skin of her neck, a sign of deep integration with the Shadow Beast."

"Shadow Protector chuckled softly. She said it would have been better if you had offered the Organ Refining Pill to her earlier. If there had been more pills back then, perhaps everything would have been different."

"Her gaze towards you carried a hint of envy, as she mentioned that at least you still had a home to return to, at the very least, your world still existed."