My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1075: Finally Solving the Mystery of the Fallen Immortal
Previously on My Longevity Simulation...
"Ever since the Immortal Ancestor devised that innovative technique, not a single new Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable has emerged. So, precisely what might unfold..."
"Nobody has a clue."
A grave look crossed Dharma-Transmitter Zhou's face as he spoke.
Li Fan stayed silent.
Within his thoughts, Mr. Bai's earlier words echoed once more: "Ahead of us stretches the road to immortality, but it's blocked from traversal. The Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor looms supreme above it all."
Assuming his speculation held true, the secret behind Mr. Bai's sudden ascension to the heavens in his mortal form lay in achieving the [Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable] status.
Yet, at the expense of his very existence, he overturned the unbreakable rule that "mortals cannot fell immortals."
The result was the birth of the Immortal-mortal Miasma.
This fact hinted that even a Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable lacked any truly effective ways to counter such inverted laws of heaven and earth.
"Picture the Xuanhuang Realm as an intricately designed artifact, where the first Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable held complete dominion over its workings."
"Yet the Immortal Ancestor spotted a vulnerability in this grand construct, flipping the heavenly principles upside down and forging a fresh dominion of his own. What's more, this new power steadily gnawed away at the Xuanhuang Realm's original authority."
"It nearly caused the entire Xuanhuang Realm to fall under new rule."
The analogy persisted, treating the Xuanhuang Realm like a vast prison.
The entity that first shaped the Xuanhuang Realm had installed a core command center deep within this jail.
Those dubbed Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable gained access to this vital hub.
From there, every detail of the Xuanhuang Realm became as clear and known as one's own palm.
Crafting a Heavenly Wonder that embodied a specific law with nothing but one's hands turned into an effortless task.
But then, an unexpected intruder of remarkable skill burst into the prison one fateful day.
Through clever tactics, he cut off the command center's oversight of a prison section and seized that control for himself.
Furthermore, he gathered a massive band of supporters right inside the facility.
By reshaping the very structure—rewriting the walls—he transformed the prison bit by bit, expanding his influence.
The altered sections and fresh additions naturally slipped free from the command center's reach.
...
"Judging by the present circumstances, the might of the current Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable has dwindled far below its former peak."
"At minimum, it likely can't stand against the Immortal Ancestor."
"Still..."
A flicker danced in Li Fan's eyes.
He understood his own circumstances well and knew he didn't qualify to claim the title of Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable.
That said, he could seek out someone who did fit the bill, such as the Xuantian King or Mr. Bai—figures brimming with pure sincerity and benevolence.
Once that person rose as the latest Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable, Li Fan could urge them into confrontation with the Immortal Ancestor.
This would allow him to gauge the true extent of the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor's power.
As these ideas swirled in his head, Li Fan creased his brow and questioned: "With the crisis this pressing, are we just sitting idle without taking action?"
"Should Mo Rubin truly ascend to Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable, handling the fallout will prove incredibly tough."
Dharma-Transmitter Zhou wore a look of utter frustration: "It's not that we refuse to move, but honestly, no solid plan exists."
"Countless among us have attempted it already, only to fail at the very first step toward becoming the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable."
"Naturally, if you're curious, feel free to give it a shot yourself."
Li Fan's eyes tightened just a touch: "Oh?"
"It's the same ceremony used to access the Fallen Immortal Realm, but carried out in reverse," explained Dharma-Transmitter Zhou.
"Hm?" Li Fan registered mild astonishment.
"Alright then, I'll attempt it." After gathering all the recent details on Mo Rubin, the Immortal Puppet version of Li Fan offered his goodbyes and left.
Deep in the secret chamber of the Spiritwood Realm.
Li Fan retrieved the four crucial objects and arranged them at the four points surrounding his position.
Next, he stepped backward four times, whispering the required chants softly.
Dharma-Transmitter Zhou had mentioned how the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance dispatched more than ten thousand cultivators to try this in sequence, with zero successes to show for it.
At the outset, Li Fan harbored little optimism for his own chances.
Yet, to his shock, finishing the inverted ritual brought on that all-too-known dizzy spell right away.
"Did I really pull it off?"
Surprise flooded Li Fan.
That notion barely crossed his mind before darkness claimed his sight, and awareness faded gradually.
"Junior Brother, Junior Brother?"
A voice that rang with familiarity called to him.
"What's on your mind? You've been zoning out for ages now."
Li Fan slowly came back to himself and scanned the area around him.
The sight that met his eyes left him momentarily dazed.
A youthful cultivator clad in a purple-and-white Daoist robe, bearing a purple lightning symbol on his forehead, gazed in his direction.
"This moment..."
It struck him as incredibly recognizable!
Wasn't this the exact setup of the [Ningyuan Longevity Fruit] event he faced each time in the Fallen Immortal Realm?
"Am I back inside the Fallen Immortal Realm once more? Identical in every way?"
"No!"
Understanding hit Li Fan like lightning.
"This must be the test for attaining the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable?"
"It mirrors precisely what unfolds during a standard entry into the Fallen Immortal Realm?"
"What on earth..."
Even with Li Fan's steady mindset these days, this bizarre twist left him inwardly reeling, gripped by utter incredulity.
If claiming the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable role stood as a rare, destiny-altering trial.
Then the trial's challenges matched exactly the routine drills he tackled in practice!
How could such a staggering revelation fail to jolt him to his core?
Right from his initial dive into the Fallen Immortal Realm, Li Fan realized his experiences diverged sharply from those of other cultivators.
But the cause of this oddity had eluded him until now.
At last, though, a vague explanation stirred in Li Fan's mind.
"Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable..."
"Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra, Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Mantra, Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra..."
"The Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra serves as the technique shared among ordinary people to purge the Immortal-Mortal Miasma from a mortal frame."
"And that Immortal-Mortal Miasma stemmed from Mr. Bai's bold stand against the world's core laws!"
Li Fan's mind whirled rapidly, and Mr. Bai's visage—eyes crinkled in warmth, expression full of gentle care—sprang vividly into view.
"Naturally. After all, Mr. Bai embodies deep compassion."
"Though he challenged the heavenly laws to unleash the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, on a broader scale, it shielded countless future mortals from cultivator massacres. It could even tie into a scheme to rescue the entire world."
"Yet it also blocked mortals from pursuing the immortal path."
"Thus, in crafting the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, he provided a countermeasure for the masses."
"For those dead set on immortality, it's far from out of reach."
"Even for someone like me, whose resolve burns so fiercely..."
Li Fan's brow furrowed.
"For a soul like mine..."
"My pursuit of the Dao burns with absolute devotion, casting all else aside. In Mr. Bai's view, I likely come across as anything but virtuous."
"Therefore..."
Li Fan reflected on the [Reverse-Refining the Dao Heart] step essential for forging the Immortal Heart Mantra.
He also remembered the diverse encounters in the Fallen Immortal Realm following his practice of the Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Mantra.
They felt less like random trials and more like deliberate nudges along a path.
"Ningyuan Longevity Fruit. For flawless results, the key lies in rescuing every mortal in the city."
"Then the second phase, the chaos engulfing the Beast Taming Sect, and the third, the sword-forging saga of the Heavenly Sword Sect..."
"To reach perfection in them, adherence to the [Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable]'s ways seems essential."
"Does it aim to steer me toward righteousness? Or at least, to reshape my Dao heart through reverse-refining, making my deeds seem benevolent?"
Li Fan's gaze sharpened as all the pieces snapped together in an instant.