My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1141: The Flowing Gap Left by Time
Previously on My Longevity Simulation...
Upon nearer inspection, the star points looked like innumerable small portals.
Images of different intensities shone through these portals.
Myriad symbols danced around, obviously shaping diverse cultivation methods.
Beneath the dome, no cultivators from the Guardian Hall could be seen; instead, only rivers of radiant streams raced endlessly across the void.
The Sun Family Patriarch, Sun Luyuan, appeared to be briefing someone. Shortly thereafter, a silhouette dropped from the dome and touched down in front of Li Fan and his companion.
This was an incarnation made purely from swirling symbols, not a flesh-and-blood individual.
He scrutinized Li Fan and gave a faint nod: "Little one, I saw you over a hundred years ago; you were just a Golden Core cultivator then. In the blink of an eye, you've grown so much..."
"Follow me."
With that, the symbols formed a pathway leading directly toward the dome.
Li Fan trailed after Sun Luyuan onto this symbolic path. In no time, his form began to break apart into myriad symbols too, ready to disperse along the route like a drifting scroll.A sharp warning surged within his mind.
Li Fan sensed that amid the power of these encircling symbols, the recollections in his soul were leaking out without his control, akin to pages from a volume of his former existence.
"Is this a technique to scan the guest's history by detecting soul recollections?"
Li Fan mulled this over and swiftly reconstructed the memories of Sun Ang's youth in his soul prior to the takeover. He then let them flow out, permitting the symbolic path around him to absorb them.
The symbols into which he had shifted carried distinct individual signatures, separate from the path underfoot.
Sun Luyuan, on the other hand, showed no signs of being examined at all.
The symbolic path quickly arrived at its destination, bringing Li Fan and his companion into a starry portal at the dome's peak.
Their shapes shifted back from symbols to solid bodies, although Li Fan's history had coalesced separately into a slim volume.
The leading cultivator now displayed his actual form.
He seemed even more youthful than "Sun Ang," resembling a boy of seventeen or eighteen.
His lengthy hair cascaded over his shoulders, a red mark adorning his forehead. He exuded an air of elegance and tranquility.
"This is Elder Nangong of the Guardian Hall," Sun Luyuan presented to Li Fan.
Nangong eyed the volume in his grasp and nodded faintly: "No issues. You've passed the first trial."
With a light flick, the volume chronicling "Sun Ang's" existence morphed into a beam of radiance and soared away to parts unknown.
Li Fan, in the meantime, surveyed his environment.
It was like they floated in the emptiness beyond the Xuanhuang Realm, a gigantic luminous mass hovering in front.
This mirrored the tiny replica of the Xuanhuang Realm that Li Fan had viewed once in the long-range teleportation array.
"Traverse the [Xuanhuang Realm]; should you avoid stirring any ripples in the luminous mass, you'll succeed in the second trial," Nangong instructed, spearheading the way by turning into a streak of fleeing light.
Li Fan pursued without delay.
The golden aura felt ethereal and dreamlike, stirring a strange comfort, as if reverting to the warmth of the womb. Free of any incidents, Li Fan swiftly exited the luminous mass.
Upon departure, a subtle reluctance tugged at his heart.
Li Fan also sharply detected that the flow rate of his [Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra] had surged several-fold beyond its normal pace!
"This checks if someone is a true native cultivator of the Xuanhuang Realm?"
Understanding flashed through Li Fan's thoughts.
The third trial checked for ties to the Five Elders Association.
In the emptiness loomed five statues with blurred features, surrounding the space.
Li Fan had to remain still among the statues for thirty minutes.
Only if no oddities arose in that period would he clear the trial.
In this existence, Li Fan remained pure and spotless. He held zero links to the Five Elders Association.
Hence, he succeeded with ease.
"These statues possess some deep mystery. They appear to harbor a hint of the Five Heavenly Sovereigns' ability to invert laws..."
While under the gaze of the Five Elders Association statues, Li Fan in turn studied the five Heavenly Sovereigns.
A sudden insight hit him: "Even if it's not the Heavenly Sovereigns themselves, it's close enough."
"If I had come after facing Senior Sister Zhao's illusion, or even just a clone had..."
"It would probably provoke a response from the statues."
As the five statues faded away, Li Fan confronted the last trial prior to acceptance.
The area abruptly sank into total emptiness.
Sun Luyuan and Elder Nangong, present beside him just before, disappeared entirely.
Li Fan furrowed his brow a touch and glanced around.
He found no irregularities.
This wasn't a snare, nor any scheme.
It was merely a domain of absolute void.
Besides Li Fan, no other thing persisted.
"What does this examine?"
Li Fan comprehended and stayed unhurried.
Positioned in the void, Li Fan watched whatever ploy the Guardian Hall was unfolding.
Within the emptiness, time itself seemed to dissolve away.
He couldn't tell how much duration had elapsed, but even with Li Fan's endurance, a hint of frustration started to build.
It felt like the whole universe had abandoned him; beyond his own being, all else in creation had evaporated.
Elder Nangong gave no indication of returning.
"Are they planning to abandon me here forever?"
Owing to his natural wariness toward people, this notion crept into Li Fan's mind unbidden.
He even pondered exposing his real cultivation level, shattering the setup here, and departing outright.
Yet in the following moment, Li Fan quelled the impulse.
Steadying his feelings, Li Fan accessed the [Truth] interface.
Verifying it remained fixed at eight years, all his anxiety and vexation evaporated instantly.
In the emptiness, he persisted in waiting.
It seemed like yet another century or millennium had slipped by when Li Fan abruptly recalled something.
He started displaying traces of restlessness.
Ceasing to stand motionless, he darted about in exploration, as though hunting for a way out.
Then, Li Fan steadily heightened the sentiments he showed.
Still, he never yielded to chaos; he simply let some adverse emotions surface.
Through this, another century or millennium appeared to elapse...
At last, illumination pierced the pitch-black void.
Elder Nangong and Sun Luyuan materialized anew.
Li Fan squinted his eyes a bit, putting on a bewildered look as if awakening from a distant realm. He even inspected the pair closely, as if questioning who they were.
"You have passed this final trial as well." A faint smile at last graced Elder Nangong's features.
Gazing at Li Fan, he commended, "Your mental state is quite good. In the Flow of Time Gap, it took over two hundred years for signs of losing control to faintly emerge. And you still maintained your sanity. This result is quite impressive among all previous tests."
Upon hearing this, Li Fan remained quiet for an extended period.
As though absorbing the details.
Elder Nangong went on to clarify, "This trial tests a cultivator's mental stability."
"After all, one must accompany the Derivative Law Jade for over three hundred years without leaving for any reason midway. If one cannot endure the torment and descends into madness, that would be troublesome."
Li Fan abruptly interjected and inquired, "Then, has there ever been a cultivator who remained completely calm from start to finish, showing no impatience at all?"