My Longevity Simulation Chapter 8: Eternal Separation of Mortals and Immortals

High above the boundless heavens, a bizarre phenomenon manifested.

A colossal sword, tempered through a thousand trials, had been cast aside in the darkness for thousands of years, forgotten by the world.

As the eras rolled by, its radiance dimmed, its razor edge blunted, and a thick layer of rust consumed its surface.

Suddenly, a surge of fury and indignation erupted!

Even as the corrosive rust ate deeper into the metal, the divine majesty of the massive blade grew more formidable with every passing day!

"Foundation Establishment cultivator Dao Xuanzi pursued the Dao for two hundred and one years, reaching Foundation Establishment through the wondrous artifact [Rust Sword Dao Xuan]. Within the Land of Immortal Extinction, he fought a desperate struggle and ultimately perished at the hands of Foundation Establishment cultivator Kou Hong."

"Now, in death, his Dao returns to the heavens!"

The magnificent display lit up the sky for thousands of miles, resembling a grand firework show.

"Dao Xuanzi..." Kou Hong stood mesmerized by the glorious sight, unable to stop himself from whispering the name.

Every soldier present followed his gaze toward the sky, frozen in place by the spectacle.

"I am Li Fan, and I offer my greetings to the Immortal Master."

In that moment, a white-haired elder leaning on a cane approached Kou Hong with trembling steps.

Kou Hong ignored him completely, but Li Fan remained patient, signaling his soldiers to wait while he stood by quietly.

It was only after a long interval, when the celestial vision began to fade, that Kou Hong finally looked toward Li Fan.

"Are you the one in charge of the mortals here?" Kou Hong asked, his voice sharp and laced with obvious disdain for the old man. "That voice echoing everywhere earlier—that was you, wasn't it?"

"Those were merely insignificant tricks, unworthy of the Immortal Master's notice." Li Fan cupped his hands, sidestepping the topic with a respectful bow. "I implore the Immortal Master to show compassion and spare the lives of the thousands within my clan."

"Compassion..." Kou Hong let out a cold sneer. "In my duel with Dao Xuanzi, we both staked our lives on our own skills, leaving our fates to the heavens. You, a common mortal, actually dared to interfere in a conflict between cultivators."

He glared at Li Fan, his voice thick with murderous intent, "Even though Dao Xuanzi and I fought to the death over a Golden Core technique, he was my sworn brother for over a century. Since you are the one who killed him, shouldn't I take your life to avenge him?"

Unshaken by the threat, Li Fan simply gave a bitter smile. "I am merely grasping for a sliver of hope! As I said before, had the Immortal Master lost, my people would surely have met their end."

Kou Hong’s expression softened slightly at those words. He sighed, "Seeking a path to survival indeed. You aren't wrong. In this brutal world, who among us isn't fighting for a glimmer of hope?"

Noticing the shift in tone, Li Fan quickly pressed his advantage. "Previously, Dao Xuanzi... the Immortal Master had given me his word that if..."

Kou Hong cut him off with a frown before he could finish. "If you are referring to that, I'm afraid I must disappoint you. Dao Xuanzi likely never intended to keep his promise in the first place."

Li Fan went still. "What does the Immortal Master mean by that?"

Kou Hong laughed mockingly. "For a century, Dao Xuanzi maintained the facade of a noble and righteous man. To think he was actually so depraved that he would resort to swindling mortals."

He paused, studying Li Fan's face before continuing, "The Great Formation of Immortal Extinction is incredibly perilous; it took a massive stroke of luck for the two of us to even break inside. It will be hard enough for us to escape on our own, so how could we possibly escort a mortal out?"

"What? Even the Immortal Master does not know the way out?" Li Fan's spirit wavered, and his face turned pale. After a century of waiting, his hopes were being crushed by the cultivator before him, pushing his mind to the brink of collapse.

However, having survived the trials of several lifetimes, Li Fan’s will was forged in iron. He recovered his composure quickly and said to Kou Hong, "This is no place for conversation. Immortal Master, please come with me."

He then guided Kou Hong through the wreckage of Xuanjing City toward a subterranean bunker.

During the clash between Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi, the city’s soldiers had taken refuge in these underground shelters. There were hundreds of such bunkers scattered throughout Xuanjing City.

Despite being deep beneath the earth, the bunkers were well-lit and as bright as the world above. Ventilation shafts ensured the air remained fresh and breathable.

Kou Hong looked at the overhead lights with curiosity and remarked, "It’s no wonder Dao Xuanzi wanted to work with you mortals. To capture and harness the power of lightning—it seems the mortals of the Land of Immortal Extinction have progressed significantly over the millennia. Even that projectile weapon from earlier had some decent power."

He then shook his head in dismissal. "A pity. These magic artifacts are only useful in a land devoid of the Great Dao. Outside of this place, under the pressure of the Great Dao's laws, these things would be completely worthless."

"By the way, when did Dao Xuanzi contact you to set this trap? The timeline doesn't seem to fit. Did he somehow master a technique to be in two places at once?" Kou Hong asked suddenly, the thought just occurring to him.

Li Fan remained calm, but before he could offer an explanation, Kou Hong waved him off, losing interest. "Never mind, there is no point in dwelling on it. Everything is meaningless once a person dies." He slumped into a chair, his face darkening with gloom, appearing genuinely troubled by Dao Xuanzi's passing.

It is better not to pursue this topic, lest I expose a flaw in my story, Li Fan thought to himself.

He then asked with a look of concern, "Immortal Master, you mentioned earlier that you cannot take mortals out of the Land of Immortal Extinction. Is that truly the case?"

Kou Hong snorted. "You are just a mortal; what reason would I have to lie? Perhaps a Golden Core stage expert could shield a mortal while crossing the Immortal Extinction Formation, but with only my Foundation Establishment cultivation, it is an impossible task!"

"Of course, if you don't mind being reduced to cinders, I'm happy to give it a shot."

Ignoring the grim joke, Li Fan asked urgently, "Is there really no hope for mortals like us to escape this place?"

Kou Hong thought for a moment before shaking his head. "To leave the Land of Immortal Extinction, one must pierce through the Immortal Extinction Formation. A mortal body has no hope of surviving that. Trying would be suicide. Besides, you're already so old you've got one foot in the grave. Why are you so desperate to leave? Wouldn't it be better to just stay here as a ruler?"

Kou Hong's expression was full of contempt.

"Even if I die, I want to provide a path for my descendants," Li Fan persisted. "If my children could reach the Foundation Establishment realm like you, Immortal Master, could they leave then?"

Kou Hong burst into laughter. "Setting aside the fact that there is no spiritual energy here to allow Cultivation, how could a mortal born in this place, completely soaked in miasma, ever walk the Immortal Way?"

He sneered, "I suggest you abandon those dreams. Immortals and mortals are eternally divided. Even if you mortals wanted to cultivate, you would first need to reconstruct your bodies and purge the Immortal-Mortal Miasma in the outside world. Otherwise, even if the path to immortality was right in front of you, you wouldn't even be able to perceive it."

With every denial from Kou Hong, Li Fan seemed to finally lose his resolve.

"Immortals and mortals are eternally divided... eternally divided..." Li Fan drifted into a daze, whispering, "So there truly is no way?"

"None at all." Seeing Li Fan's despair seemed to provide Kou Hong with some amusement.

"There really isn't," Kou Hong said again.

"As the Immortal Master says, the gap between immortals and mortals is eternal." Li Fan let out a heavy sigh.

"Precisely." Kou Hong nodded in agreement.

Seemingly crushed by the harsh reality, Li Fan excused himself and wandered off with a vacant expression.

The moment he stepped out of the bunker, the heavy door slammed shut with a resounding bang.

Kou Hong’s face paled as a sense of impending doom filled his chest.

But it was already too late.

Clouds of thick fog, saturated with Immortal-Mortal Miasma, surged from every vent in the room.

"Ahhh!"

Kou Hong’s agonizing scream was quickly swallowed by the dense, suffocating mist.

Standing outside the bunker, Li Fan’s eyes grew cold and profound as he spoke softly, "Since immortals and mortals cannot coexist..."

"...then how could a mere mortal like me ever dare to believe a word you say?"