My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1107: One Scheme to Hevoc the Heavens
Previously on My Longevity Simulation...
The temptation of a True Immortal proves utterly captivating and deadly for any cultivator.
Since the path to immortality got cut off, achieving immortal status has turned into an impossible aspiration for every cultivator out there.
Yet right now, out of nowhere, the leftover body of a True Immortal has shown up in this world.
Furthermore, every indication points to this discarded remnant of a True Immortal being the real deal!
At this moment, regardless of the lingering suspicions in their minds, every cultivator decides to grab hold of this remnant body first and sort out the details afterward.
Even if it turns out not to be a True Immortal's remnant body, based on the strange phenomena it's causing, the gains from it would still be pretty substantial!
Because of this, cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance have abandoned their Heavenly Cities and are scouring every corner for signs of this True Immortal's remnant body.
Even numerous cultivators from the Five Elders Association, who were just browsing in Nine Mountains Prefecture, have hurried over from miles away to get in on the action.
Thanks to the creation and growth of the Nine Mountains Free Trade Prefecture, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders Association have enjoyed a prolonged period of calm.
Ties between them have softened even more; cultivators from one side can now apply to visit the other for leisure and exploration.
It looks like they're aiming to demonstrate via this approach that their faction offers a better place for cultivators to thrive.
Still, no reports have surfaced of anyone defecting sides yet.
Interactions between the factions stick to the barest surface level.
Cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance remain mostly cautious toward folks from the Five Elders Association.
While hunting in teams for the True Immortal's remnant body, they make sure to stay at a safe distance out of wariness.
"Do you suppose this True Immortal's remnant body is actually a scheme cooked up by the Five Elders Association? Aiming to sow disorder among us on purpose. We've been too wrapped up in commerce these days, and our guard against the Five Elders Association has slipped more each year. Alas, that's not a good sign at all."
"You're right; heaven knows when they might launch a surprise attack! The Five Elders Association isn't some kind-hearted outfit!"
"What are you guys on about? Those mysteriously emerging Spirits of Heaven and Earth are their handiwork too? This is happening right in our Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance territory. We had no clue about these Spirits of Heaven and Earth ourselves; if the Five Elders Association knew all about them so well, we'd be wise to give up right away!"
...
The sporadic sightings of Five Elders Association cultivators didn't slow down the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's chase for the True Immortal's shed mortal body.
Once a second fortunate soul emerged, the burning ambition in their hearts intensified further.
This second cultivator who got to approach the True Immortal's remnant body closely went by the name Xue Mu.
He served as a Foundation Establishment formation master.
In reality, he never actually made contact with the True Immortal's remnant body; the golden light surrounding it simply held him back.
But the moment that golden light seeped into him, Xue Mu's mind got overwhelmed by a flood of strange and mind-bending array formations.
The massive influx of knowledge almost shattered his sea of consciousness.
In that desperate moment hanging between life and death, Xue Mu released his grip on instinct. The True Immortal's remnant body disappeared again right after.
Yet Xue Mu, despite letting such a huge chance slip away, felt no sorrow. After a prolonged daze, his features brightened with delight, and he burst into unrestrained laughter.
Word soon got around that in what felt like a fleeting second, he had absorbed no fewer than a hundred formations from the True Immortal's remnant body.
Even more crucially, the quality of these formations outstripped those in the Xuanhuang Realm by multiple levels.
Not a single top-tier formation from the present-day Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance could match even one of those now etched in his thoughts!
Though his cultivation level stayed the same, for a formation master like Xue Mu, this windfall mattered way more than jumping ahead several realms.
Before long, personnel from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's Strategy Formation Hall headquarters whisked Xue Mu away.
It wasn't much later when inside sources verified the superior caliber of the formations stored in his sea of consciousness.
What other being but a True Immortal could wield such power?
This firmly backed up the circulating tale of the True Immortal's remnant body.
Once the information circulated widely, certain members within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance could no longer stay put.
In the Spiritwood Realm, Li Fan linked up via communication with Dharma-Transmitter Zhou.
“The fuss over the True Immortal's remnant body has been making waves lately. What's your take on it, Fellow Daoist?”
Li Fan shot back without delay, his voice firm: “It's all made up, nothing but gossip! Don't buy into it, Fellow Daoist Zhou!”
“That sure of yourself?” Now Dharma-Transmitter Zhou sounded doubtful in turn.
Li Fan scoffed: “The immortal path's been blocked for ages; not one of our peers across the realms has laid eyes on a True Immortal's corpse.”
“The Xuanhuang Realm...”
“Faces the same issue. How could it pop up so abruptly like that? And news of it reaches everyone instantly; I'm convinced some hidden force is fanning the flames!” Li Fan declared confidently.
“Yet those Spirits of Heaven and Earth that come with it are real enough. Even within the Immortal Alliance, two individuals have already broken through to Dao Integration thanks to them. I can't imagine any power in the Xuanhuang Realm whipping up so many Dao Integration aids so easily and dangling them as lures?” Dharma-Transmitter Zhou ignored Li Fan's claim and pushed back instead.
Li Fan appeared caught off guard too.
After a drawn-out pause, he let out a sigh: “The deeper this goes, the bigger the scheme lurking behind it! Your Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance scoops up all the perks, leaving us in endless dread.”
Dharma-Transmitter Zhou abruptly questioned upon hearing that: “This isn't something you pulled off?”
“What sort of accusation is that! The Federation of All Worlds has stayed quiet for years; how could we whip up a tempest like this out of the blue?” Li Fan's voice held a hint of annoyance.
“From where I stand, it could be a foe of your Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance instead. After dominating the Xuanhuang Realm for millennia, surely you've made some deadly enemies?”
“Hm?!” Li Fan's remark seemed to jog her memory of something.
Dharma-Transmitter Zhou looked a bit startled, and following a short hush, she quickly severed the link.
Only then did a cryptic look cross Li Fan's face.
No explanations were necessary; the entire upheaval in this event stemmed straight from Li Fan's schemes.
Harnessing the shadowy force of the inky-black puppet, the True Immortal's remnant body darted through different areas, flickering in and out like a specter, dodging the relentless hunt by hordes of cultivators.
And by quietly rerouting the Heavenly Dao False Misconversion from the background, channeling one Spirit of Heaven and Earth after another to appear on their own, Li Fan rendered the whole show incredibly convincing.
Regarding the two who profited from this episode, Zhang Haobo and Xue Mu, even if they shared no ties with him in this lifetime, they were familiar figures from his previous cycles of reincarnation.
Li Fan had no issue with that; he welcomed the chance to lend a hand and boost them along.
Nevertheless, as he scattered these phony heavenly mandates far and wide, the Xuanhuang Realm's patience and alertness were approaching their breaking point.
Coming up, he'd likely need to keep a low profile for some time.
“The trap is laid; they've got no option but to step in. Amid all this disorder, it ought to mask my real aims,” Li Fan murmured with a soft laugh.
“Still, Dharma-Transmitter Zhou's final response felt off. What crossed her mind?”
“Is it possible the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance really has a rival ready to sacrifice several Dao Integration resources just to set a trap?”
As these thoughts swirled in Li Fan's head, he couldn't help creasing his forehead.