My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1035: The Self-Circulating Cycle of Xuanhuang

Li Fan’s first encounter with Gongsun Qixuan had taken place a long time ago.

Throughout his subsequent lives, whenever the Mysterious Net suffered an unusual mutation, the presence of this man was inevitably lurking in the background.

Even during this current lifetime, he had been mysteriously reassigned to the Strategy Formation Hall Headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to assist in the construction of the Tianxuan Spirit Locking Formation.

…

Such consistent involvement proved that Gongsun Qixuan was far from an ordinary person.

Through several interactions with the Tianxuan Mirror clone, Li Fan gradually pieced together more details regarding Gongsun Qixuan's origins.

He served as the human template—the primary observation subject—used by the Tianxuan Mirror when it sought to manifest its own human clone.

When questioned why Gongsun Qixuan was singled out from the millions of cultivators within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, the Tianxuan Mirror clone merely attributed it to coincidence and fortune.

Naturally, Li Fan found such an explanation impossible to believe.

Based on his own observations and memories, the aura radiating from Gongsun Qixuan did indeed bear a subtle resemblance to that of the Tianxuan Mirror clone.

Li Fan even entertained the suspicion that the man might be another human incarnation originating from the Xuantian.

Searching for his records within the Tianxuan Mirror yielded a surface-level normalcy. However, a deeper investigation revealed that all pertinent intelligence regarding him had been carefully fabricated.

Prior to his assignment to the Congyun Sea, his history was a total void. No one possessed knowledge of his origins or his past deeds.

Gongsun Qixuan seemed to sense Li Fan’s concealed scrutiny, as he cast a subtle look toward the heavens.

However, he quickly averted his eyes, gave a soft cough, and resumed directing his subordinates to manage the strange phenomenon.

His chosen method was highly unusual. He retrieved a small doll fashioned from dried grass from within his robe and cast it into the air.

Following his lead, the subordinates from the Tianji Hall efficiently distributed smaller grass dolls throughout every corner of the affected area.

As Li Fan watched, the eerie, shadowy energy failed to corrupt the cultivators who had boldly entered the zone.

Instead, that dark power was powerfully drawn toward the small grass dolls they carried.

Like soaring dragons, the strange forces were sucked into the bodies of these effigies.

“Hm?”

Li Fan’s curiosity was instantly piqued.

Looking closer, he realized that each grass doll appeared to possess its own life. As the shadowy energy surged into them, the dolls’ features twisted into horrific expressions—some grinning, some agonized, some furious and warped.

He could even hear faint, rustling noises emanating from them.

These grass dolls functioned as nodes, absorbing the bizarre power and funneling it into the largest doll hovering in the sky.

The purification process against the strangeness continued for three days.

By the end, the unnatural energy that had blanketed the region was entirely gone, allowing the standard Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm to regain its dominance.

When Gongsun Qixuan reclaimed the large grass doll from the air, an event occurred that caused Li Fan’s pupils to narrow.

To an outside observer, it looked as though Gongsun Qixuan merely tucked the doll back into his clothing.

But the reality was different…

It appeared more as if he had unhinged his jaw and swallowed the doll whole.

In that moment, Li Fan felt a heavy shroud of shadow envelop Gongsun Qixuan’s entire presence.

His coughing grew more labored and rasping.

It was only when they arrived at the next site of an outbreak that his condition seemed to stabilize slightly.

Of course, Gongsun Qixuan did not employ the grass dolls for every incident.

In most cases, after a thorough assessment proved there was no danger of the anomaly spreading, he simply gave orders to quarantine the area.

From high within the clouds, Li Fan observed in silence, lost in thought.

“For minor threats, he lets the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm digest them naturally. But for those that spiral out of control, he consumes them into his own body through those effigies.”

In Li Fan’s eyes, Gongsun Qixuan had become a composite of myriad strangenesses—a vessel where countless distorted and chaotic laws were woven together. It was a sight that sent a chill down his spine.

If he were to perish suddenly, and all the strange entities contained within him were to burst forth at once, the resulting eruption might wipe out the entire population of several prefectures in a heartbeat.

“No wonder I’ve always felt something was wrong every time I encountered this man.”

“To merge one’s physical form with the Dao…”

“That is not a feat the body of an ordinary cultivator should be able to achieve.”

A flash of caution appeared in Li Fan’s eyes, and he retreated slightly, putting more distance between himself and his target.

He remembered that Gongsun Qixuan had once successfully deduced the future based solely on the nonsensical theories he had invented regarding the Tianxuan Spirit-Locking and Xuan-Huang Unification.

At that thought, Li Fan began to seriously doubt Gongsun Qixuan’s true nature.

“The Tianxuan Mirror desires to simulate a human incarnation. Yet, as a proud and lofty immortal artifact, why would it ever deign to truly study and emulate common mortals?”

“When one seeks to achieve a goal, the most efficient path is to find a precedent and follow the example of those who succeeded before.”

“Therefore…”

A spark of realization lit up Li Fan’s eyes as the various clues in his mind snapped into place.

“The subject the immortal artifact chose to learn from must be another artifact that had already successfully achieved human form.”

“Gongsun Qixuan must be one of the immortal artifacts that vanished from the Xuanhuang Realm, having transformed into a human!”

Considering that the Kun-Qian Bone Hand once held by Ou Shangtian might have been the bone of an immortal, this theory held weight.

Everything within the Xuanhuang Realm played a part in the cycles of the world and the operation of the Heavenly Dao.

Those missing immortal artifacts were likely no exception.

“Transformed into humans, or turned into heavenly anomalies, or perhaps…”

Li Fan suddenly began to grasp where the nearly god-like power of the Dharma-transmitter, Jiang, might have originated.

“Perhaps he too was a transformed immortal artifact…”

Having identified this crucial link, the way Li Fan viewed Gongsun Qixuan changed entirely.

Mixed with the wariness in his gaze was a glimmer of greed, tempered by extreme caution.

Any entity carrying the name of an Immortal Artifact was a force that could never be taken lightly.

Furthermore, Gongsun Qixuan was already being watched by the Tianxuan Mirror and was saturated with countless strange entities—he was essentially a ticking time bomb waiting to detonated.

“Though he is a treasure beyond price, he is one I can look at but cannot touch.”

Li Fan watched him for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh and withdrawing his gaze.

“Besides, the Tianxuan Mirror is still an ally for now. The primary objective remains the severing of the True Immortal Web.”

“There is no rush. Now that I know his true identity, there will be plenty of chances in the future.”

The hunger in Li Fan’s eyes slowly faded.

Below, Gongsun Qixuan knit his brows slightly, as if picking up on a faint sensation.

He performed a quick divination with his fingers but was unable to find anything concrete.

Memories of his previous interactions with Gongsun Qixuan flashed through Li Fan’s mind.

“It seems his original form must have been an immortal artifact associated with divination.”

“But judging by his current state, his power has been significantly weakened after taking human form.”

Li Fan rubbed his chin, deep in contemplation.

“Nonetheless, this provides me with some inspiration.”

“The Xuanhuang Realm still hides an untold number of secrets.”

“In the past, there were many objects that neared the level of immortal artifacts. Not to mention, after absorbing so many cultivation realms and worlds, could there really be no other beings of that caliber?”

“Even if the Immortal Ancestor removed some, a few must have slipped through the cracks.”

“I was thinking too narrowly before. It might not just be artifacts. Humans themselves might be the greatest treasures of all.”