My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 2316 - 1732: A Glimpse of the Future (Part 2)

At present, a mystical and sublime presence often radiates from his surroundings.

With deeper scrutiny, Li Fan felt a spark of curiosity and questioned, "Taiwei, have you gained new insights?"

The Taiwei Saint Emperor held nothing back: "In the past, I thought that as the ruler of the Holy Dynasty, it was my duty to control everything and watch over all. Yet, after witnessing the thousand-year recollections of the Three Saints Mountain Seas earlier, I realized even the Mountain Seas couldn't achieve everlasting stability, which changed my perspective."

"Present in every place at every moment, without a doubt. But maybe..."

"To remain concealed within Heaven and Earth, existing while seemingly absent. So the people remain oblivious, growing used to it and eventually forgetting. This could prove to be the better path."

Li Fan's brow creased faintly, showing no clear approval.

Noticing this, the Taiwei Saint Emperor grinned and remarked, "It's merely a trial. The Cosmic Cycle Daoist need not be concerned."

"The Holy Dynasty remains my Holy Dynasty in the end."

"No matter how drastic the upheaval, restoring order would take just one thought from me."

"Taiwei, your boldness is truly remarkable!" Li Fan couldn't hold back his admiration.

After a brief hesitation, Li Fan suddenly posed an entirely unrelated query: "Earlier, Taiwei Daoist also confronted [Suo], I wonder..."

"What was the sensation like?"

From Li Fan's look, the Taiwei Saint Emperor grasped his intent and answered candidly, "Nothing special."

"Should every being in the so-called Taichu Immortal Realm hold such ability."

"Then the Taiwei Holy Dynasty could extend its domain right at the heart of the Mountain Seas!"

The deeper intent in the Taiwei Saint Emperor's statement aligned perfectly with Li Fan's own views.

Li Fan merely offered a smile and shifted away from the subject.

Having journeyed through the Holy Dynasty for eighteen years, Li Fan chose three fitting individuals.

Two came from the Saint Emperor's suggestions.

One served as a teacher in the Holy Dynasty, meant to devote his life to disseminating The Emperor's teachings to everyone. But he harbored doubts and rejected what he taught. In the Holy Dynasty, that made him a complete outcast. Still, he concealed it masterfully, never drawing suspicion from others.

Such behavior alone wouldn't have caught The Emperor's eye.

What stood out most was his deep knowledge of ancient texts. He recognized the immense power of the Emperor he followed, knowing his "defiance" couldn't evade The Emperor's awareness.

"The Supreme Sacred Emperor, like Heaven and Earth, encompasses everything. How could he fail to accept my minor rebellion?"

Despite his defiant mindset, he stayed within limits.

The Holy Dynasty formed the core of The Emperor's cultivation path, so he wouldn't permit its destruction. Though he lacked faith in The Emperor, he never shared his doubts and remained utterly committed to his duties as a teacher.

Dedicated and steadfast, without any lapses.

"This individual is full of contradictions," Li Fan remarked after reviewing his background.

"To me, it doesn't seem contradictory—rather, he's just chasing a way to break free from the Holy Dynasty. If that's his wish, why deny it?"

"Besides, his cultivation level won't tarnish the Holy Dynasty's reputation," the Taiwei Saint Emperor added casually.

The teacher's name was Su Shaozhong, a plain name that carried hidden layers.

The other pick from the Saint Emperor was Hong Qianquan, a warrior of the Holy Dynasty.

Within the approved cultivation framework of the Holy Dynasty, he ascended to the peak with ease, resembling a true immortal and proving highly worthwhile.

The third selection, personally chosen by Li Fan, seemed completely unremarkable next to Su Shaozhong and Hong Qianquan.

Even the Taiwei Saint Emperor found Li Fan's decision baffling.

Yet the Saint Emperor refrained from asking, and Li Fan offered no clarification.

Li Fan made the choice due to a subtle feeling of recognition toward this person.

This sense of recognition didn't arise from this world or any prior incarnation.

Instead, it came from...

Instinct.

In the past, amid the infinite cycles of rebirth from the Cosmic Reincarnation Path, Li Fan started to question and ponder his sharp instincts.

Instinct might simply be echoes of experiences repeated endlessly through Reincarnation.

The validity of this theory remains unproven.

Now, Li Fan sensed that same recognition from an ordinary person in the Holy Dynasty.

How could he ignore it?

Li Fan observed the mortal called Mo Yongge in silence.

Trying to connect hints from his instinctive recollections.

The history appeared to have vanished entirely.

No amount of probing revealed anything.

But this time, Li Fan stayed resolute.

He kept all three nearby for training, while persisting in the hunt for those who could attain sainthood in the Mountain Seas.

Bringing in the Three Saints could bolster the present crisis.

However, the help would be restricted.

Li Fan realized he had to press on.

Over a hundred years slipped by, and conditions in the Mountain Seas worsened.

With assistance from future Mountain Sea allies, the virtual realm's assault was effectively pushed back.

Soon after, though, the virtual realm detected this outside influence.

It ramped up its assault without delay.

Like shadows eclipsing the light, the virtual realm's menace intensified beyond previous levels.

Beneath the thick veil of the virtual realm, even the Three Saints' vision barely pierced outward.

Completely ensnared by constraints.

Luckily, the core strength endured, blocking any simple invasion.

Through the joint efforts of Li Fan, Shouqiu, and Daode, multiple strikes from virtual realm manifestations were driven off.

"Still, it won't last much longer."

"At best, five hundred more years."

Li Fan relished the periods where he only acted during dire straits.

While scouting for potential prodigies, he kept watching Mo Yongge.

As though gradually assembling scattered pieces.

The long-lost history started to emerge bit by bit.

"If my guess holds true..."

"The timeframe aligns closely with the present. But the events unfolded in a wholly different manner."

"The Saint Emperor's demise, scattering his essence among the populace at the end, awakening dormant potentials."

"Mo Yongge stood out among them. He ascended to sainthood and even became my close ally once."

"Similar to Daode and Shouqiu."

Li Fan gently shut his eyes, masking the turmoil inside.

Not even the downfall of the Mountain Seas would stir him this deeply.

Only the jolt of a solitary star's rise might rival it.

"The more I remember, the sharper it gets. It feels like something I lived through myself."

"That's no mere fancy."

"The question is, when exactly?"

Li Fan knew the heart of the matter lay not with Mo Yongge, but deep within him.

Again, Li Fan sifted through every recollection since arriving in this realm.

He even called on Shouqiu and Daode to help comb through them.

Making sure nothing escaped notice.

In the end, he verified that no such lifetime had ever occurred for him.

"Daoist, notice how the Mountain Seas in this recollection differ greatly from our own."

"The Taiwei Saint Emperor's collapse—a fate you've never faced in numerous Reincarnations."

"It's almost like..."

"It belongs to a separate Mountain Sea."

Shouqiu's observation sent Li Fan into profound reflection.

"Another Mountain Sea."

Those five words flipped an inner trigger.

Combined with his earlier attempts to reclaim vanished memories.

Another buried fragment of recollection began to rise in Li Fan's consciousness.

It happened at the close of an era.

As the virtual realm neared total domination, the final saint's will—Heart Wisdom—fought fiercely but couldn't turn the tide.

"Ha. Daoist, aren't you stepping in yet?" He directed those words at Li Fan.

Then, in a haze, Li Fan lost command of his form.

He even forgot that period, retaining only a dim sense of the Mountain Sea's vanishing and a lone star's birth.

Now, those erased memories gradually returned to Li Fan's thoughts.

With a simple motion, he called the star forth anew.

"A star might waver briefly, but not eternally."

"I'm seeking that truth myself."

"Without ever witnessing it, from where would my 'Reality' originate?"

...

Countless visions flashed through Li Fan's mind like thunder.

Ignoring the searing agony in his head, Li Fan focused to stay composed, dissecting the sudden influx of knowledge.

"Did those words come from me, or from Reality?"

"No, they definitely weren't Reality's—why else reference my 'Reality'?"

Before, Li Fan believed that during his amnesia, Reality had seized his body.

But at this point, it appeared...

That wasn't the truth.