My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1046: Like a Turtle in a Jar Again

Within the central four prefectures of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, a startlingly distinct boundary manifested between the sky and the soil.

On both sides of this line, the terrain of the earth and the expanse of the heavens mirrored each other with absolute precision.

The world appeared as though it had been sliced in two by a colossal mirror.

Radiating from this central divide were countless fractures, suggesting that this entire section of heaven and earth was teetering on the brink of total destruction!

Observing this cataclysmic sight, a flash of realization hit Li Fan: "So, the four core prefectures of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—Tianyu, Tianchen, Tianshu, and Tianquan—were actually constructed using the primary body of the Tianxuan Mirror!"

"To refashion the very heavens and earth using a mirror..."

Li Fan’s gaze turned heavy and grim.

The Tianxuan Mirror had never disclosed such vital intelligence before.

This implied one of two things: either the Tianxuan Mirror’s yearning for autonomy was a deception, a mere performance to bait Li Fan and Mo Rubin into a snare.

As his internal dread intensified, Mo Rubin was still nowhere to be found.

Li Fan intended to make a swift exit, but upon stealthily reaching the edge of Tianquan Prefecture, he was shocked to find that the Devouring Essense White Mist, which normally bridged the gap between sky and land, had vanished without a trace.

In its stead, a translucent and intangible barrier of light had been erected, hermetically sealing the entire four-prefecture territory!

There was no way in and no way out!

This situation triggered a memory for Li Fan from years ago, when he first encountered the Crimson Flame Incinerating Sea and fled in terror, only to be cornered in the Congyun Sea!

However, Li Fan was no longer the man he was back then; his growth had been immense.

Suppressing any urge to panic, Li Fan composed himself and retreated to the heart of Tianquan prefecture, taking refuge within the cave mansion of an anonymous cultivator.

With the Final Dissociation Disc in his possession, the protective arrays of such dwellings were completely trivial to bypass.

The interior of this cave mansion was designed as a serene waterside pavilion, though it showed no signs of recent use.

It was likely just one of many secondary estates belonging to its owner.

The facility was fully equipped, nonetheless. Li Fan found a Tianxuan sub-mirror and tentatively checked the Tianxuan Mirror origin he carried.

"The connection remains intact."

"There is a flood of discussion regarding the anomalies in the four provinces within the Tianxuan Mirror, but the posts are being suppressed and wiped the moment they are published."

"Fortunately, I still have access to the archived communication logs."

Li Fan rapidly sifted through the data inside the Tianxuan Mirror.

"What is happening? Has the firmament collapsed?"

"Is this a renewed assault by the Five Elders Association? I knew it; they wouldn't just stay quiet after the massive defeat they suffered last time!"

"Teleportation is completely offline; everyone is trapped! The central four prefectures are under total lockdown!"

"Fellow Daoists, find safety in your cave mansions and do not wander outside. That is my only advice..."

...

The majority of the messages were useless ramblings from terrified cultivators.

Nevertheless, amidst the chaos of posts, Li Fan managed to extract some valuable fragments.

"A major event is unfolding! I just escaped the Alliance headquarters, and it looks like a battle has erupted inside!"

"Stop spreading lies; the Alliance headquarters is a fortress. Who would have the audacity to start a fight there?"

"I witnessed it personally! Just as I was departing, a deafening explosion shook the place. Then, I saw roughly a hundred silhouettes suddenly launch an attack! I barely made it out alive."

"Hiss..."

The thread cut off abruptly at that point.

Similar accounts existed from other cultivators who had been forcibly ejected from the Alliance headquarters at that time.

"This aligns with the strategy Mo Rubin and I coordinated..."

Li Fan contemplated for a moment before retrieving a white jade horn and crushing it firmly.

A short while later, a high-pitched frequency, audible only to specific cultivators, radiated outward from his position.

This served as the command for the Five Elders Association's suicide squads to commence their mission.

In the distance, Li Fan watched as nearly a hundred dark figures surged toward the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, entering through the fissures in the sky. He then cautiously relocated to a different cave dwelling to remain hidden.

"I wonder what the current state of affairs is inside."

Li Fan refrained from taking any impulsive risks until he had more clarity. He opted to remain a silent observer, waiting for further developments.

The thunderous echoes between the heavens and the earth grew increasingly violent.

The network of cracks expanded until they were horrifying to look upon. It appeared as though the world itself might shatter at any second.

What troubled the cultivators of the four prefectures most was the silence from the Alliance headquarters; despite the massive chaos, no official had appeared to explain the situation or calm the populace.

This atmosphere of dread lingered for the duration of half an incense stick.

Eventually, the sporadic explosions began to fade, and the jagged wounds in the sky started to mend themselves.

A figure ascended into the sky, whom Li Fan recognized immediately.

It was Chen, one of the Dharma Transmitters.

His face was set in a stern mask, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

Chen’s voice thundered across the landscape, declaring that the internal disturbance within the Alliance had been suppressed. He told everyone there was no cause for alarm.

However, he added that the lockdown of the four prefectures would remain in effect to facilitate a thorough search for the traitors' accomplices.

The cultivators of the four prefectures were ordered to comply fully with the upcoming investigation.

...

After delivering the announcement, Chen vanished from the sky in a hurry.

He left behind a sea of cultivators in the four prefectures, all whispering in confusion and struggling to find peace of mind.

"Could Mo Rubin have been caught?" Li Fan wondered to himself.

But he quickly reconsidered; Mo Rubin’s secret arts were incredibly mysterious. Even if his actions were discovered, capturing him would be no simple feat. This thought brought Li Fan some relief.

Li Fan remained in his new hiding spot for another three days, staying as hidden as possible to prevent detection.

During this period, black-robed agents from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance conducted searches, yet they failed to find the concealed Li Fan.

Li Fan also observed that these black-robed cultivators were performing their duties with very little enthusiasm.

They conducted superficial sweeps before quickly moving on to the next area.

"How curious."

Li Fan pondered their lackluster attitude.

The isolation and the wide-scale manhunt persisted for ten days.

Initially, the residents of the four prefectures were somewhat compliant, but as the days passed without a return to normalcy, resentment began to brew.

The cultivators living in the Tianquan Four Prefectures represented the elite and vital core of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

An arbitrary lockdown of this nature was never going to be sustainable.

After ten days, facing a rising tide of public anger, the Alliance finally rescinded the restrictions on the four prefectures.

The mirrored landscape in the sky faded away, and the borders of the four prefectures returned to their usual state as white mist barriers.

Yet, the gargantuan cracks in the firmament remained visible.

Like scars upon the world, they served as a grim reminder of the recent turmoil and the fragile nature of their reality.

Li Fan did not rush to escape; he stayed in his hidden dwelling. It was only after a full month had passed and the incident had faded from common conversation that he finally made his quiet exit.

Throughout the entire ordeal, he never received a single word from Mo Rubin.

No plea for assistance, no warning—nothing.

Li Fan took a final trip to Weidu, the place where the Tianxuan Mirror’s human avatar had resided.

The avatar was gone; the figure was nowhere to be found.