My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1154: The Transformation of Rebuilding the Foundation
Previously on My Longevity Simulation...
"Isn't this somewhat extravagant?" Shang Shaojun whispered his inquiry to Li Fan while his loyal subordinate, Yan Huan, stood nearby.
Upon noticing Li Fan's mysterious grin, Shang Shaojun understood that his query could have been out of place. He cleared his throat lightly to hide his awkwardness.
"The title 'Immortal Heart Mantra' stands out too much. Shaojun, perhaps you should assign it a plainer label prior to disseminating it," Li Fan suggested.
Thinking back to the method obtained from the Derivation Law Jade, Shang Shaojun addressed Yan Huan: "This is the [Heart Forging Technique], imparted by this esteemed senior. It will shield you against the corrosion of demonic sounds. Disseminate it across the whole army without delay; make sure all soldiers acquire it."
The moniker "Heart Forging Technique" appeared utterly ordinary, so Yan Huan displayed scant enthusiasm after hearing Shang Shaojun's command. He simply inclined his head, took the directive, and started cultivating it right there.
"Having such a hidden art yet failing to recognize its worth is indeed..." Shang Shaojun sighed, observing Yan Huan's departing form.
"Should they grasp the immense value of this art, they could grow excessively wary and find it hard to comprehend fully," Li Fan replied.
"The Qingxuan Army boasts a million troops. Even with my severe ban on its dissemination, the Immortal Heart Mantra's spread is probably unavoidable. Does that not concern you, fellow Daoist?" Shang Shaojun inquired, eyeing Li Fan with bewilderment.
Shang Shaojun deemed Li Fan's behaviors ever since reaching the Eternal Immortal Fortress completely baffling. They weren't driven by renown or gain.
"Xuanhuang cultivators hoard their secrets, swayed by the belief that methods can't be cultivated in tandem. Gradually, their outlook has quietly changed," Li Fan stated.
"Back in the ancient cultivation era, folks would gather, debate the Dao, and exchange insights openly. Those days are gone now."
"I can't stand that."
The Holy Embryo Li Fan uttered these words serenely, his tone evoking a sense of otherworldly aloofness to those around.
"Let it circulate. Provided it follows my intent, whether it's an immortal method or not makes no difference."
Shang Shaojun stared at Li Fan's silhouette, captivated for a moment. Such audacity was exceedingly uncommon in this realm.
Associating with someone of this caliber stirred a wave of valiant fervor in Shang Shaojun's heart.
...
Every affair at the Eternal Immortal Fortress had been resolved, eliminating any lingering ties.
Beside Li Fan outside the stronghold, Shang Shaojun contemplated the expansive white fog. "What's our next destination?"
Having somehow shouldered the duty of "saving the Xuanhuang Realm," Shang Shaojun experienced a hint of doubt as they readied to depart. Yet at this juncture, retreat was impossible.
Looking toward Li Fan at his side, Shang Shaojun was convinced that trying to withdraw would invite an immediate sword blow.
"The destiny of the Xuanhuang Realm hinges solely on me. This sensation..." Shang Shaojun pondered inwardly, "It feels rather good."
Li Fan reached out, and a tiny sword, barely spanning his palm's length, materialized in his hold.
As though detecting a presence, it whirled ceaselessly.
At last, the blade's edge aligned with a specific bearing and halted.
Shang Shaojun peered in the direction indicated by the miniature sword.
"Everything that exists leaves behind marks. Even if that enigmatic entity holds tremendous might, whenever they manifest in the Xuanhuang Realm, they'll unavoidably engage with the tangible world. By tracing them, we'll uncover additional proof," Li Fan explained, his gaze alight with intensity.
Shang Shaojun regarded Li Fan's logic as reasonable and gave a nod of approval.
Without his knowledge, the orientation of the small sword in Li Fan’s grasp did not aim at pursuing the elusive figure.
Rather, it directed toward successive mysterious domains that Li Fan had delved into during his prior recollections.
Naturally, various routes converge at the same end. In those locations, they were destined to discover plentiful signs of the Xuanhuang Realm's manipulation.
...
As the Holy Embryo Li Fan led Shang Shaojun to reveal the concealed truths lurking below the Xuanhuang Realm’s facade, within the Great Qi small world, Master Yin's research facility had taken initial shape.
"During my previous encounter with Mr. Bai, he mentioned that using my Foundation Establishment approach, I could attain the 'Primordial Golden Core,' 'Physical Nascent Soul,' or 'Heart-Mind Soul Transformation.' You might draw on these ideas for deeper inference," Li Ping, Li Fan’s duplicate, told Master Yin.
Master Yin had just enacted a peculiar ritual before Li Ping.
His form tore apart at the center, and a duplicate of himself labored to emerge from the interior.
Subsequently, he pivoted and engulfed his original corporeal frame.
Echoes of munching flesh and crunching bones resounded in the research site, Master Yin's visage streaked with gore.
Nevertheless, his demeanor stayed completely composed, his eyes brimming with concentration as he devoured himself.
It resembled not consumption but some form of investigation.
Despite Li Ping's vast array of former experiences, witnessing Master Yin sent a faint shiver through him.
This wasn't due to fear; it simply defied innate human instincts.
Masticating deliberately, Master Yin at length ingested his alternate self completely.
Li Ping observed that Master Yin's visible cultivation had dropped from Foundation Establishment to Qi Condensation.
Only then did Yin Shangren clean his bloodied hands by rubbing them on his robes and clarify, "To infer the subsequent phase of the method, I first need to tread the proper route."
"My Foundation Establishment process has merely half-achieved success. Thus, I have to shatter my foundation and restart my cultivation."
He lifted his eyes skyward: "It could stir some disturbance, but I'll manage it."
As Master Yin declared this, Li Ping abruptly felt an entity descending upon the Holy Capital City.
Through the practice of the Heavenly Emperor’s Qi Classic and the integration of the dynasty's full fortune, Li Ping now embodied the Great Qi Dynasty single-handedly.
No foreign incursion could evade his awareness.
It felt like icy larvae inching across his skin's exterior. Following tentative touches, the larvae thrust out needle-like barbs, striving to breach the heart of the Great Qi small world.
"Hmm? This area appears to constitute a closed system. Their counteraction could prove milder than anticipated," Master Yin observed.
Li Ping recognized that the "they" Master Yin meant were the remnants of the former world's phantoms.
Evidently, Master Yin's aggressive shift in condition had attracted notice from his peers.
The patter of falling rain commenced.
However, no droplets descended.
Over Li Fan’s head, a dense blanket of ominous clouds had formed undetected.
They hovered above the research facility.
The solid basalt floor, amidst the rain's drip, abruptly turned as yielding and sludgy as loose soil.
Pale limbs emerged one by one from the earth.
Li Ping creased his brow faintly, striving to ascend into the sky to evade them.
Yet within this odd, transformed realm, flight eluded him.
Thankfully, these world phantoms targeted not him.
To his senses, those limbs were no more than spectral illusions.
Myriad limbs slithered along the terrain, surging toward Master Yin.
Master Yin, though, displayed a malevolent smirk.
He seized the closest limb, wrenched it free, and crammed it into his maw, gnawing ferociously.