My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1136: The Mystery of the Heavenly Doctor's Dharma Transmission (Combined Two Chapter)

Should the Immortal Ancestor possess a clone overseeing the Xuanhuang Realm, vast battles between the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and the Five Elders Association would become completely impossible.

Maybe the Immortal Ancestor purposely overlooked the Five Elders Association, treating it as an instrument to sustain the fragile harmony within the Xuanhuang Realm. As for the conflicts erupting between them, the Immortal Ancestor truly paid no heed and might even find satisfaction in observing such chaos.

Yet the Xuanhuang Realm concealed countless demons, spirits, and beasts in the shadows, while the Immortal Ruins loomed perilously near.

Amid circumstances where a mere dispute could shatter the Xuanhuang Realm entirely, placing a clone within it clearly offered the wiser safeguard.

Nevertheless, the Immortal Ancestor, who cherished the Xuanhuang Realm like a priceless gem, chose not to take such a step.

Across Li Fan's dual encounters with the world's demise, the Immortal Ancestor once arrived tardily from the celestial realms beyond, unleashing a furious, impotent bellow.

The other instance saw him absent altogether, with merely the Heavenly Doctor making an appearance.

This pattern raised profound doubts.

Could crafting a clone prove challenging for the Immortal Ancestor?

Clone methods remained scarce across the Xuanhuang Realm, yet Li Fan had frequently exploited clone techniques to incite turmoil.

To say nothing of this pioneer of the new cultivation path?

It was plainly a feat he could accomplish with ease, but he refrained from doing so.

In truth, among Xuanhuang Realm cultivators pondering why the Immortal Ancestor refrained from stationing a clone for control, though they avoided public discourse, private theories abounded.

These boiled down to the Immortal Ancestor having ascended beyond the physical plane, showing scant regard for affairs in the Xuanhuang Realm.

Evidently, they grasped neither the essence of the Xuanhuang Realm nor the true nature of the Immortal Ancestor.

And from Li Fan's perspective, supposing the Immortal Ancestor himself served as a mere clone...

Then all pieces would align perfectly.

Not a matter of unwillingness, but sheer inability!

During the 119th lifetime, Li Qing's clone had amassed power nearing boundless proximity to the primary form, attaining the pinnacle of Nascent Soul.

Just a single stride from eclipsing the original self.

Back then, Li Fan had inwardly questioned if a clone's might could ever outstrip its source.

Subsequently, drawing on the Tianxuan Mirror's core authority and delving into ancient tomes, Li Fan grasped a hazy insight.

A clone exceeding the original in power, or one clone birthing yet another.

The second option appeared somewhat tougher to pull off.

For should a clone spawn its own duplicates endlessly, it would propagate without end. Ultimately, the world would harbor just a solitary soul.

Not wholly unattainable, yet it transcended the bounds of ordinary principles.

By contrast, enabling a clone to surpass its originator proved relatively simpler.

"Heavenly Doctor, Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor..."

Two visages flashed successively in Li Fan's thoughts, and he abruptly remembered beholding the Immortal Ancestor's statue within the vision upon first stepping into the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's central hub.

At that moment, his frame had instinctively alerted him through an uncanny sense of recognition.

Prior to that, the sole Dao Integration-level being he'd witnessed in the Xuanhuang Realm was the Heavenly Doctor.

"Their features differ, yet a faint likeness lingers between them."

"Within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's core, remnants of the Immortal Ancestor's presence endure. First-time visitors invariably sense a stir in their souls, spawning visions. My true form glimpsed the Immortal Ancestor's effigy, whereas clone Li Qing perceived..."

The Dao Deviation Stone glowed softly with pale radiance, accurately replaying the captured scenes from that era.

Amid a hazy luminous mass, multiple silhouettes lingered.

Disjointed exchanges of words drifted forth.

“On this journey, how certain are you of success?”

“I will do all that I can and leave the rest to fate.”

“That doesn’t sound like something you would say.”

“The difference in strength is too great. All I can do is fight with my life on the line.”

“Enough. Go then. Whether it is fortune or calamity, none can tell.”

...

Li Fan recollected once more the vision unearthed from Hanhai's disordered mind during his treatment in the 119th lifetime.

"The Venerable Heavenly Doctor has been gone for a long time, and it is unknown whether the matter can succeed."

Hanhai positioned himself solemnly in the sect's vast chamber, as Taiyi, the Turtle-Snake coiled at his feet—now scarcely larger than a common tortoise—uttered in a somber voice.

"Before departing, the Venerable Heavenly Doctor said there was at least a ninety percent chance of success. You and I should have some faith in Him," Hanhai responded, contrasting Taiyi's dour expression with his own ease, even flashing a reassuring grin.

...

Li Fan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Assuming "the Immortal Ancestor serves as the Heavenly Doctor's clone," every fragmented hint Li Fan had gathered over time swiftly linked together.

Li Fan sifted through his prior recollections anew.

Indeed, additional traces surfaced.

...

Yin Yin Island.

Master Yin indicated the pair of treasured human remains, drawing near Li Fan and whispering intensely: "These two individuals aren't of the same sort."

"Not the same sort?" Li Fan paused in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Master Yin waved his arms briefly, mulled it over, and appeared at a loss for apt terms to convey it.

After wrestling with it for what felt like ages, he abruptly balled his fist, face twisted in frustration: "It's simply an intuition; you get it, don't you? Obviously both are humans, yet these two, the times they inhabited differ, and the lands they roamed vary too. They might resemble each other closely, and I unearthed both from the Congyun Sea's depths, but an utterly distinct divide separates these two bodies..."

Master Yin conveyed it enigmatically, prattling on at length without pinpointing a clear cause.

...

In the second enactment of Tianyang's Eternal Remnant Will.

To flee Tianyang's frail form swiftly and rouse from unconsciousness, Li Fan pored over the Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture, devising a restorative elixir for himself and directing his elder brother to brew it.

It worked wonders, though upon awakening later, his second senior brother Ling Xiao shared this with him.

"Little junior brother, speaking of which, you were also lucky. In the pill formula you gave, there were several medicinal ingredients we had never heard of. We asked around all the nearby markets and could not find anyone selling them. Some even said that these kinds of medicines do not exist in the cultivation world at all."

"Heh, I did not believe it. How could it be that in one pill formula, all other ingredients exist, but these few do not?"

"At the time, we argued forcefully and quarreled with the other party."

"Fortunately, at that moment, a disciple of the Medicine King Sect passed by and heard our argument. Out of curiosity, he asked us for the specific pill formula."

"Then, based on pharmacology, he selected several common herbs as substitutes for us."

"Little junior brother, that is how you were able to drink this medicine!"

During his meeting with Immortal Sage Jicheng, where he earned the Derivative Jade Token as reward.

Immortal Sage Jicheng had gestured toward a [Bluecloud Willow] in his garden, inquiring of Li Fan, Han Yi, and Ximen Yue if they recognized its nature.

Han Yi and Ximen Yue drew blanks, but Li Fan, versed deeply in the Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture, disclosed it outright.

Afterward, Immortal Sage Jicheng offered Li Fan extensive guidance owing to this insight.

Li Fan had felt baffled initially, but after probing deeper, clarity dawned.

The Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture cataloged more than a hundred varieties of flora and beasts like Mogu Bamboo, Qingye Wood, Myosotis Sylvatica Flower, Hundred Spirit Eagle, and Nine-Refined Deer. These ought to rank as everyday sights, but in the present Xuanhuang Realm, rarity plagued them.

The Bluecloud Willow presently sprouted sparingly in select zones of Luoyan Prefecture. Immortal Sage Jicheng hailed from Luoyan Prefecture as well. Then, he had taken Li Fan for a local kin, hence the special favor.

...

"The Heavenly Doctor hails from cultivators of the Heavenly Law Realm. Distinct realms foster nuanced variances in lifeforms. Thus, the array of spirit herbs I encountered in the Heavenly Doctor Immortal Scripture simply vanish from the ancient Xuanhuang Realm. The Body Transformation into Dao master and disciples naturally quizzed local cultivators, receiving uniform replies that no such ingredients prevailed."

"Yet the Bluecloud Willow, native solely to the Heavenly Law Realm, emerges in particular prefectures mere years hence. This marks the telltale of Heavenly Law's integration with Xuanhuang."

"The merging of dual realms."

"The pair of human remains beneath Congyun Sea: one stems from Xuanhuang natives, the other from Heavenly Law Realm folk. Though both human, their realm origins impart subtle disparities. These nuances prove so elusive that even Master Yin's prowess fails to dissect them."

"Not just Congyun Sea derives from the Heavenly Law Realm. Numerous other prefectures in the Xuanhuang Realm likewise trace back to the Heavenly Doctor's origin lands."

"Ximen Yu's Study of Ancient and Modern Mountains and Rivers traces shifts in landscapes across epochs. The Xuanhuang Realm's growth resembles not mere annexation of minor worlds or Cave-Heavens, but a deliberate carving and partitioning, then patching voids with shards from elsewhere."

Li Fan's mind raced turbulently.

"In the Fallen Immortal Realm, Ningyuan City lay not distant from the Purple Heaven Sect. But reality places Mr. Bai's subterranean vault in Ningyuan City far beneath Taixu Mountain. Meanwhile, the Purple Heaven Sect's remnants reside remotely in Linlang Prefecture, heart of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Within one prefecture, millennia apart, they stand worlds asunder."

"Integration, metamorphosis."

"It mirrors a meticulous surgical procedure..."

"Heavenly Doctor..."

"Over thousands of years, the Xuanhuang Realm endured seismic upheavals. Ordinary cultivators remained blissfully ignorant. Even a prodigy like Ximen Yu, gifted with sight to rend veils and expose realities, saw his findings censored and quashed by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, barred from dissemination."

Assembling every lead, Li Fan sketched a tentative outline of obscured verity.

Post the vanishing of Xuantian King and the Xuantian Sect's fall, the Xuanhuang Realm entered dominion under the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

Still, the Immortal Ruins' menace persisted unaltered by the power shift in the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Ten Great Immortal Sects confronted the peril of tumbling into the Immortal Ruins.

The Xuantian Sect's [Floating Starry Sky Formation] stood as the premier countermeasure.

Hence, the Ten Great Immortal Sects perpetuated the grand array, ensnaring realms adrift in the cosmos.

Eventually, they stumbled upon the Heavenly Law Realm.

Judging by the ferocity of Tian Jue, Tian Yu, and kin, the Heavenly Law Realm's collective might back then scarcely lagged behind Xuanhuang's.

Particularly as Xuanhuang had weathered internal strife, its paramount Xuantian King and twelve Dharma Kings lost or slain.

The Heavenly Law Realm refused passive endurance.

A colossal carnage of unmatched ferocity exploded between them.

The Cloudwater Heavenly Palace of the Heavenly Law Realm and the Body Transforming into Dao Sect of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Neither ranked as a top-tier sect. Even so, in that conflict, they nearly depleted every disciple to oblivion.

"Even the Floating Starry Sky Formation likely suffered harm in that period."

"In the war's waning phases, both factions languished in exhaustion, locked in deadlock."

"Then, the Heavenly Doctor devised the Dharma Transmission of Immortal Ancestor ploy, slipping into the Xuanhuang Realm to deploy the new cultivation method, eroding its core from inside."

"Yet for unknown reasons, mishaps arose. By the Immortal Ancestor's debut upon Xuanhuang soil, significant time had elapsed."

"And as the Ten Great Immortal Sects crumbled, Xuanhuang's power waned sharply..."

"Upon the Heavenly Doctor's return to the Heavenly Law Realm, he beheld devastation strewn across, with life in utter ruin."

...

Li Fan strained to rebuild the veiled chronicle.

Shortly thereafter, a faint crease formed on his brow.

While much aligned, certain segments still clashed awkwardly.

"Foremost concerns the Immortal Ancestor and Heavenly Doctor's arrival timing in the Xuanhuang Realm. Or put differently, a temporal rift marred the Heavenly Doctor's transit between realms."

Recalling the Medicine King Sect's wondrous odyssey, Li Fan couldn't resist peering toward the Immortal Ruins encircling the Xuanhuang Realm.

"Perhaps the Immortal Ruins' immortal essence exerted influence?"

"Additionally, another enigma persists. The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao ought to instinctively repel intruders and alien entities. Much like during realm fusions, where law variances spawn anomalies."

"Should the Immortal Ancestor truly be an outsider, disseminating his Dao broadly to undermine the realm's bedrock would surely provoke celestial wrath. Furthermore, I remember the Ten Great Immortal Sects once probed the Immortal Ancestor's origins..."

"Though his exact lineage might elude detection. Still, discerning if he hailed from Xuanhuang cultivators should prove straightforward."

"The Immortal Ancestor's persona harbors peculiarities."

...

Atop Jieli Mountain's summit, Li Fan lingered long, his musings refusing to settle.

Half a month passed before he emerged from deep reflection.

He set about devising strategies for this incarnation.

"Since he lurks in shadows, the true form stays concealed eternally."

"Deploying a clone as a decoy to draw focus suits ideally."

"Heh heh, the Faceless Holy Emperor conquering myriad small worlds..."

Li Fan glided down the slope with poise, employing the vital blood of youth Sun Erlang and Wang Xuanba to forge a clone.

"The Heavenly Emperor Qi Classic demands no special aptitude. Besides, these two boast decent cultivation gifts."

"Erase all recollections tied to [Truth] and myself..."

As a featureless form coalesced gradually before Li Fan, after scrutinizing it extendedly, Li Fan nodded approvingly.

"Heavenly Mandate Holy Emperor, leveling the boundless skies, compelling all realms to yield."

"Your name shall be Li Ping!"

With that notion, Li Fan's silhouette dimmed progressively.

Upon clone Li Ping's stirring, he surveyed his environs first.

Then, seemingly mulling an intent, he strode directly toward Great Xuan Capital City.

Soon, Li Fan's primary form materialized anew.

"Though limited to Nascent Soul True Lord cultivation sans real battle prowess. For Great Xuan's common folk, it amply suffices."

"This life's Great Xuan path ought to mirror prior ones."

"Yet I'll tweak the finer nuances."

...

Li Fan directed his gaze toward Great Xuan's distant Eastern Ruins Abyss.

In truth, bearing his present peak Soul Transformation True Monarch might, unchallenged beneath Longevity Immortal Heavenly Sovereign and capable of clashing with standard Longevity Immortal tiers.

Even sans full [Truth] essence infusion, venturing to the Xuanhuang Realm posed no lethal threats, barring deliberate recklessness.

But after deliberation...

Li Fan shook his head, resisting hasty moves.

"No haste needed now."

He wheeled about, retreating to the mountaintop's humble cottage, settling into meditative repose.