My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1105: Xuanhuang Cycle of Life and Death
Although uncertainties remained, their unwavering faith in Zhang Haobo persisted, given how he had guided them safely past countless deadly trials during apocalyptic dangers.
None among them opted to retreat; instead, they all complied, pressing onward behind him into the uncharted path ahead.
From his hidden vantage, Li Fan observed their slow withdrawal, plunging into profound reflection.
"Even among regular mortals, figures like Zhang Haobo exist who detect looming disasters before they strike."
"To say nothing of the myriad cultivators across the Xuanhuang Realm."
"It appears my optimism might have been excessive. Despite the thorough secrecy of all preparations, there's no assurance that a heaven-favored individual won't uncover irregularities via assorted lucky breaks and fortunes."
"When seeking to conceal an affair, the optimal approach is to employ a different affair to shift the focus of attention."
A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes as a scheme rapidly crystallized within his thoughts.
At present, though, he intended to silently witness the full drama of Crimson Flame scorching the sea.
Soon after Zhang Haobo and his companions had gone.
Crimson Flame, who had remained seated in meditative cross-legged pose, at last stirred into action.
The fiery dragon encircling his form displayed a thrilled expression; in a flash, it splintered into myriad crimson fire streams, roaring ferociously into every nook of the Congyun Sea.
The ocean waters boiled at a horrifyingly swift rate, and terror gripped the souls of those creatures still lingering in the depths who hadn't escaped.
In the grip of utter hopelessness, certain cultivators mustered the will to fight back.
Yet with the mightiest among them merely at the Soul Transformation stage, how could they stand against this bolstered iteration of Crimson Flame?
Li Fan paid no heed to the swiftly fading existences.
Rather, he quietly monitored the transformations unfolding in the very fabric of heaven and earth.
"Renewal born from devastation."
"Resurgence emerging from collapse."
The Crimson Flame's sea-incineration endured for an entire three months.
The seas evaporated, the earth charred across a thousand li, the immense ocean reshaped into a profound chasm.
Still, Li Fan, having beheld the entire process from start to finish, vaguely perceived the concealed life force lurking beneath.
"This embodies the Xuanhuang Cycle of Life and Death."
"With this path now grasped, I could step into the Soul Transformation realm whenever I choose. Furthermore, akin to the Great Five Elements Cave-Heaven during Nascent Soul advancement, upon breakthrough, I will undoubtedly reign as the supreme force among Soul Transformation experts."
"It's just regrettable..."
"My goals reach far beyond this."
Li Fan drew in a steadying breath, ruthlessly quelling the surging spiritual energy churning inside him.
"The localized life-death cycles within the Xuanhuang Realm—how could they rival the world's innate reaction during a global extinction threat?"
Memories surfaced of the diverse realizations Li Fan had accumulated through years of delving into the Mending Heaven Record.
The world resembles a living being.
When confronted with mortal peril, a person frequently unleashes strength that shatters their ordinary bounds.
The world operates similarly.
At the very moment a doomsday crisis erupts, the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao will trigger a cascade of enigmatic self-transformations, desperately hunting for even the faintest path to endurance.
The myriad shifts arising then will vastly outstrip anything seen in eras of routine, balanced function.
"Should it succeed, my power upon reaching Soul Transformation will surpass even my own projections."
"Thus..."
"No one shall halt me!"
Cold detachment filled Li Fan's gaze as he pivoted and departed.
...
Spiritwood Realm.
Ou Daozi scrutinized the body laid out before him with utmost care.
"Unbelievable, utterly unbelievable."
"You crafted this yourself, Lord Emissary? Without your own words confirming it, I'd nearly swear this was a discarded relic from an immortal."
"The feeling it radiates is nearly indistinguishable from when Shang Tian stood beside me."
A cadaver radiating a subtle golden sheen floated suspended in the air.
Bathed in that aureate luster, its facial contours blurred into obscurity.
Nevertheless, the holy presence it projected stirred in Ou Daozi a mix of awe and covetous hunger.
Upon absorbing Ou Daozi's verdict, Li Fan nodded with evident approval.
This fabricated immortal relic served as his key ploy to ignite turmoil across the Xuanhuang Realm.
The body had been acquired at great expense: the flawlessly intact remains of a Dao Integration cultivator from millennia past.
It underwent precise refinement using golden source power essence, endowing it with an essence transcending the mundane world.
In addition, for an even more persuasive facade.
Li Fan had drawn out capacities from certain peculiar artifacts dredged from the pond previously and embedded them into the cadaver.
For example, proximity to the relic would cause inner feelings to swell endlessly, almost stripping away rational control.
Additionally, if assaulted, the relic would proactively rip open space and escape.
Upon contact, the concealed pristine mutated spiritual energy stored inside would flood into the toucher's form, catapulting their cultivation upward in an instant.
...
All these elements aimed to render the act as genuine as could be.
"Surely even a Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign would be drawn to the fabled True Immortal remains, right?"
"Then let's stage an extravagant show around it."
Besides these overt advantages on the purported True Immortal remains, Li Fan had woven in some covert mechanisms.
Bound to deliver a shocking twist to whoever ultimately claims it.
Shielded by the Faceless True Immortal's might, even divination masters couldn't unravel the relic's true source.
With the last touches applied, a pair of obsidian puppets stepped in and lifted the "True Immortal remains."
They launched into executing Li Fan's directive.
From entry to exit, they operated in complete quietude.
Even without Li Fan's direct oversight, spotting their motions would prove exceedingly difficult.
These twin puppets represented the culmination of Master Qiaogong's efforts in the Heavenly Mechanism Realm over recent years.
True to form as the Heavenly Mechanism Realm's premier geniuses: despite failing to fully decode the core of darkness power through tireless study.
They managed to harness it effectively for practical ends to some extent.
The ebony puppets flawlessly captured the attributes of darkness power.
They could dissolve into and emerge from the world's "fissures," mirroring the shadows themselves.
Divine sense failed to pin them down or sense their presence.
They also imposed potent restraint on spiritual energy.
Standard strikes barely scratched them.
Their only flaw lay in modest offensive might: suited solely for stealthy penetration operations.
Furthermore, the Immortal Ruins' aversion to darkness prevented these puppets from prolonged external activity.
Periodically, they needed to retreat to the Dark Realm for darkness power recharge.
All the same, Li Fan felt considerable contentment with these shadowy puppets.
Assigning them tasks ensured almost no traces could be left behind.
Dismissing Ou Daozi, Li Fan secluded himself in an isolated chamber.
A glowing panel shimmered with innumerable youthful visages.
Beneath each portrait stretched a detailed profile outlining their temperaments.
"Millions of mortals populate the small realms, yet locating those with a child's pure heart like Mr. Bai—ones brimming with absolute sincerity—proves no simple feat."
"Particularly as the Rebirth Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign's influence has already permeated numerous small realms."
"Lately, the birth rate among newborns has noticeably dropped."
"No helping it. We'll have to compromise on standards."
"If natural aptitudes prove lacking, then we'll mold them via later nurturing."