My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1066: Insect Death, Qi Still Lingers

A terrifying spiritual energy tempest erupted from Shilin Prefecture, quickly engulfing the entirety of the Xuanhuang land. The howling winds were so fierce that even the majestic Heavenly Cities of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—vast structures that drifted eternally in the firmament—shuddered under the gale's relentless force.

However, the violent winds were not the primary cause of alarm. The cultivators of the Immortal Alliance were truly paralyzed with fear by the appearance of endless swarms of black insects. Arriving like massive, dark clouds from an unknown source, they completely obscured the sun and blanketed the earth across the Xuanhuang Realm.

The insect plague infiltrated every corner of the territory before the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance could even formulate a response. Within a mere twelve hours, the concentration of spiritual energy throughout the realm plummeted as if it had fallen off a steep cliff.

In the face of this catastrophe, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance demonstrated the ruthless efficiency expected of a continental hegemon. A decree was issued: every Dao Integration cultivator, regardless of their current duties, was commanded to mobilize for the insect extermination. Those below the Dao Integration stage who possessed sufficient confidence in their martial prowess were also invited to join the slaughter, with the promise of generous rewards for their service.

For those lacking the necessary cultivation realm or strength, the Alliance advised seeking sanctuary within the Heavenly Cities, private cave abodes, or the digital realm of the Tianxuan Mirror. They were told to simply wait for the calamity to subside.

Following the issuance of the Immortal Alliance's mandate, the atmosphere across the various prefectures shifted instantly. It was discovered that these mutated Dao One Insects, while capable of devouring spiritual energy and multiplying at an alarming rate, possessed no other significant offensive or defensive traits.

After suffering some preliminary setbacks, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance identified a highly effective strategy to combat the black swarms. By employing a specialized technique, they utilized immense divine sense to seize control of the insects, forcing the swarms to slaughter one another and thin their own ranks.

Using this tactic, a pair of Dao Integration experts could purge the insect blight from an entire prefecture in a short span of time. Once the Alliance disseminated this secret technique, known as [Insect Lord], the once-unstoppable plague began to crumble rapidly.

...

Hidden within the depths of the Hundred Stones Cave-Heaven, Li Fan monitored the situation through his link with the Dao One Insect Mother. He meticulously recorded every cultivator who displayed exceptional skill during the Alliance's response, cross-referencing their identities with the data stored in the Tianxuan Mirror.

“These individuals represent the pinnacle of the Immortal Alliance's military might. As long as these elites remain standing, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will never face a truly fatal threat.”

“However, if these core forces were to be wiped out first, the Alliance would find itself in a desperate position with no one to lead. At that stage, even a minor crisis could trigger a catastrophic collapse.”

After briefly entertaining these strategic fantasies, Li Fan focused back on the present. His brow furrowed as he felt the numbers of his insect swarm steadily diminishing.

The effectiveness of the “Insect Lord” technique—manipulating the insects to commit fratricide—had exceeded his initial calculations. Under normal circumstances, the Insect Mother maintained absolute dominion over her brood, and the primitive biological makeup of the Dao One Insects usually made them immune to standard control spells.

Yet, the Insect Lord secret art managed to bypass these safeguards by mimicking the aura of an insect emperor, effectively hijacking the authority of the Insect Mother.

“Insect Lord...”

Utilizing his high-level access to the Tianxuan Mirror, Li Fan easily scrutinized the details of the technique. To his eyes, the method shared a clear lineage with the [Beast Taming Wheel] used by the Beast Taming Sect.

"Is it possible that Emperor Sanmo provided assistance?"

The deployment of the new Dao One Insects was not yet complete. If the disaster concluded prematurely, his primary objective—luring out Dharma-Transmitter Jiang—might end in failure.

"In that case, it is time for the backup plan."

Li Fan paused for a moment of reflection before two Dao One Insect Mothers materialized in his palms. Due to the massive casualties suffered by the swarm, their bodies had lost their original luster and appeared withered. They glared at one another with a mixture of suspicion and predatory hunger—the primal urge to survive by consuming their own kind.

Li Fan looked down at the two tiny creatures that had thrown the Xuanhuang Realm into chaos, his expression cold and indifferent. With a sharp squeeze of his hand, he crushed them both simultaneously.

The moment Li Fan acted, the sky over the Xuanhuang Realm underwent a sudden transformation. The black insects that had been buzzing incessantly across the heavens fell into a deathly silence. Then, they began to rain down from the sky in a massive, dark deluge.

The cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, who had been locked in combat with the pests, stood frozen in shock. They gathered the fallen insects for examination, confirming that these were not illusions—the creatures were truly dead.

While many felt a wave of relief, believing the disaster had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, those with sharper spiritual intuition felt a growing sense of dread. These wary cultivators immediately sent urgent reports to the Alliance headquarters.

In a heartbeat, the insects ravaging the world had perished, leaving the landscape buried under a thick layer of carcasses. If these remains were not cleared away, they threatened to become a source of further complications.

After a quick deliberation, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance issued a new directive. They announced that the danger had passed and encouraged those in hiding to emerge and assist in the cleanup efforts. While the task was not mandatory, the Alliance offered significant contribution points as an incentive.

Tempted by the rewards, a multitude of cultivators left their sanctuaries. However, the sight of the insect corpses covering the world made their skin crawl. The bodies of the Dao One Insects were composed almost entirely of the strange energy they had consumed and converted—an energy similar to spiritual energy, yet impossible for cultivators to absorb.

As the billions of insects began to decompose naturally, this peculiar energy started to leak into the atmosphere. Within half a day, the sheer volume of decaying matter triggered a qualitative shift in the environment.

"Ugh..."

A revolting stench began to saturate the air, causing the cultivators exposed to it to experience waves of nausea and an uncontrollable urge to retch.

"Everyone, seal your breath! This odor is toxic!"

Nausea was only the beginning. When several cultivators collapsed after being exposed to the stench for too long, the situation turned lethal. With a sickening pop, the bodies of the fainted cultivators exploded. Though they were soon resurrected within their Cave-Heavens, the addition of fresh blood and gore only made the atmospheric stench more unbearable.

Furthermore, this foul miasma possessed the ability to latch onto the natural spiritual energy of the world, following the flow of Qi directly into the bodies of practitioners. Not every cultivator possessed a Five Elements Great Cave-Heaven like Li Fan, which provided nearly limitless internal resources.

Most practitioners still relied on drawing Qi from the heavens and earth. Because the previous insect plague had already drained the realm's spiritual energy to a critical low, the remaining Qi was now heavily tainted by the scent of decay and blood. The crisis peaked as the insect remains fully broke down.

The environment became so toxic that even Nascent Soul True Lords could not endure it for long. Only those at the Soul Transformation stage or higher could use their deep foundations to operate normally, though even they were plagued by psychological revulsion after venturing outside.

"How could the beautiful Xuanhuang Realm fall into such a state so suddenly?" many cultivators lamented from the depths of their souls.