My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1063: Dao One Swallows Heaven and Earth

Within Shilin Prefecture, the local cultivators first observed a peculiar phenomenon: the ambient spiritual energy between heaven and earth appeared to have thinned out slightly.

This was a grave concern. Prompted by reports from various cultivators, Shilin Immortal City immediately organized and sent out a team of investigators.

The subsequent measurements proved that the community was not imagining things.

Indeed, the concentration of spiritual energy throughout the entirety of Shilin Prefecture had suffered a genuine decline compared to its previous levels.

Even though the drop was relatively minor, it cast a shadow of anxiety over the cultivators residing in Shilin Prefecture.

Furthermore, this strange occurrence seemed restricted to Shilin Prefecture alone. Lacking any historical records or precedents to guide them, the local cultivators were forced to probe the mystery on their own.

The discovery they made was horrifying.

Deep within the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven of Shilin Prefecture—a massive subterranean cavern situated on the provincial border—a swarm of black insects had surfaced at an uncertain time.

These creatures moved in dense clouds, filling almost every corner of the underground void.

They ravenously consumed and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, breeding and multiplying at a speed that defied belief.

The sight of those black insects carpet-covering everything in view chilled the blood of every person who saw them.

Once the source of the disturbance was pinpointed, the Shilin Prefecture cultivators acted without delay.

They mobilized their ranks to descend into the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven, intending to conduct a massive extermination of the black pests.

Initially, they believed that with the power of cultivators to uproot mountains and part the seas, eradicating a few bugs would be a simple task.

However, the gravity of the crisis far surpassed what the Shilin Prefecture cultivators had anticipated.

To begin with, the black insects possessed a vitality that was shockingly resilient.

Because they thrived on spiritual energy, they would actually swallow a portion of any spiritual power attack launched at them, effectively dampening the impact of the strikes.

Consequently, the larger the swarm grew, the more "resistance" they displayed against spiritual techniques.

Given the sheer density of the insects within the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven, even the intervention of a Nascent Soul True Lord would be like tossing a pebble into an ocean. Such a master would risk being overwhelmed by the swarm and drained of their internal spiritual energy, resulting in a miserable end.

Furthermore, how many Soul Transformation True Monarchs could Shilin Prefecture actually boast? Faced with a sea of subterranean black insects, even twenty such experts were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Under normal circumstances, only a Dao Integration Immortal Sage would have the power to break this stalemate.

Regrettably, the Dao Integration cultivator assigned to Shilin Prefecture had left the region some time ago for mysterious reasons and had yet to return.

Every message dispatched to him vanished like a stone cast into the deep sea, yielding no response.

As a result, the insect eradication efforts in Shilin Prefecture ground to a halt shortly after they began.

The sole comfort for the local cultivators was that the black insects seemed content to stay underground rather than migrating to the surface.

Nevertheless, the awareness that such a terrifying horde was festering beneath their feet was enough to ruin anyone's sleep and appetite.

Left with no other options, Shilin Immortal City was forced to plea for assistance from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters.

Deep inside the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven.

The phantom image of Dharma-Transmitter Zhou watched the black insects crawling across the cavern walls, her gaze filled with a trace of caution.

She had personally witnessed these things grow from a single specimen into this massive, teeming population.

When Li Fan had first mentioned a "slight bit of danger," she hadn't taken his words very seriously.

But now, she felt a desperate urge to stay away and did not dare to approach the site in person.

"Fellow Daoist, are you certain this situation won’t spiral out of control?" she inquired, her face clouded with worry.

Li Fan gently stroked the Dao-One Insect Mother resting in his palm and gave a thin smile: "Do not worry. The Xuanhuang Realm is our common home. Why would our Federation of All Worlds act recklessly without being absolutely certain of the outcome?"

"Every black insect here was spawned by this Dao-One Insect Mother in my hand. Their existences are tied to her. If she is slain, this entire insect plague will instantly perish."

As if it could feel the killing intent in Li Fan’s heart, the bloated insect mother rolled over and wriggled nervously against his skin.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou scrutinized the insect mother for a long time before finally giving a small nod of agreement.

"It is forecasted that within one month, the spiritual energy levels in Shilin Prefecture will hit rock bottom. The vacuum created by this loss will spark massive spiritual energy tempests in the neighboring prefectures. That is when we shall deactivate the [Spirit-Sealing Barrier]."

"Then, carried by these storms, the black insects will propagate across the whole Xuanhuang Realm in a incredibly short window of time."

A shimmering projection appeared before Li Fan, simulating the coming disaster.

"The entire process is expected to conclude in no more than seven days."

"By the time the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance finishes its bureaucratic reporting and reaches a consensus through their endless meetings, the window for action will have closed."

"At that point, the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm will find themselves suddenly plunged into the End of the Dharma Age."

A note of fervor crept into Li Fan’s voice as he once more detailed the grand design to Dharma-Transmitter Zhou.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou narrowed her eyes; for reasons she couldn't explain, a sudden sense of dread washed over her.

Still, the Federation of All Worlds was such a monumental organization; surely they wouldn't permit the Xuanhuang Realm to truly be destroyed. Everything had to be under their thumb.

Feeling slightly more at ease, Dharma-Transmitter Zhou spoke.

"While these black insects are indeed frightening, they can only catch people off guard for so long. Once the cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance unite their efforts, wiping them out won't be an impossible task."

Li Fan, knowing she was correct, offered a faint smile: "That brief window of opportunity is all we require."

"If this were just a simple insect plague, Dharma-Transmitter Jiang would never bother to show up himself."

"However, if the spiritual energy undergoes a mutation after it recovers—threatening the lives of every cultivator—he will likely have no choice but to reveal himself."

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou nodded: "That specific type of spiritual energy does possess the power to warp the mind. Even with my level of mental discipline, after absorbing a small amount, I found it difficult to suppress the impulse to fight Huang to the death."

"If that spreads throughout the Xuanhuang Realm..."

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou could already see the vision of a world drenched in blood.

"To think that just two types of tiny insects could create such a massive threat to the world. Your Federation of All Worlds..." Dharma-Transmitter Zhou’s phantom form stared at Li Fan, her expression unreadable.

"A threat? Not at all, not at all," Li Fan replied, shaking his head in firm denial.

"The moment Jiang appears, I will trigger the clues I've set in advance to bring him here. Once he arrives, he is yours to deal with."

"As for the state of spiritual energy in the Xuanhuang Realm, there is no cause for concern."

"Once the black insects perish, the spiritual energy they devoured will be released back into the world. Everything will return to how it was before," Li Fan stated calmly.

Since Dharma-Transmitter Zhou had confirmed this fact herself, she raised no further protests.

What she failed to realize, however, was that Li Fan had hidden many details beyond the information he shared.

For example, there were actually two Dao-One Insect Mothers.

The mutated Dao-One Insect Clan would only truly die if both mothers were killed at the exact same time.

Furthermore, while the Dao-One Insects would indeed release the bulk of the spiritual energy upon their death...

A small portion would be permanently diverted into the bodies of the insect mothers as a source of energy and reserves.

And most importantly...

Spiritual energy was to the Xuanhuang Realm what blood was to a human body.

If one were to replace every drop of blood in a body in a very short span of time...

It was truly impossible to predict what kind of transformation the Xuanhuang Realm might undergo as a result.