My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 4 - 4: Fairy’s All-Out Sword

The two cultivators drifting above the sky were caught off guard and struck directly by the onslaught.

However, there were no gruesome displays of scattered flesh. Instead, a ripple appeared around the duo. An unseen force shielded them, acting like a barrier against the surging tidal wave of bullets.

“Hmph, what manner of magic tool is this?” Despite the sudden ambush from thousands of mortals, the two cultivators remained composed. Kou Hong extended his hand, telekinetically hoisting a soldier into the air while snatching the weapon from the man's grip for a closer look. After a brief inspection, he tossed the soldier aside like trash.

“Curious. It replaces complex magic arrays with intricate mechanical parts and utilizes the combustion of mundane materials instead of spiritual power. Its lethality is roughly equivalent to the initial stage of Qi Refining…” With just a glance, Kou Hong deciphered the fundamental design of the firearm.

He shook his head dismissively: “It is quite unexpected that after several millennia, the mortals exiled to this Immortal Realm have engineered such a delicate device. Sadly, it only functions within this fractured place of Dao. Beyond the borders of this realm, it is nothing more than a heap of worthless scrap metal.” As he finished speaking, the gun vanished into his storage space as if it were a mere trifle.

“To think these mere ants dared to strike at us cultivators. I felt a flicker of guilt at first, but it seems they are simply courting death!”

Kou Hong stared down at the vast army of mortal soldiers hidden in the shadows, a mocking sneer dancing in his eyes.

He thrust his right hand forward, swiftly tracing mystical sigils into the empty air.

Abruptly, countless glimmers ignited in the darkness, spreading like a wildfire until they expanded into massive spheres of flame.

“Taoist Technique: Fire Dragon Chant!”

Following Kou Hong’s icy command, the roaring crimson fire fused the giant spheres together, making them appear as though they were made of living flesh and blood.

A terrifying dragon, birthed from raging infernos and possessing a savage visage, manifested instantly to hover over Xuanjing City.

The flame dragon unleashed a thunderous roar, coiling its massive form before diving toward the earth.

“Boom!”

The sound of relentless explosions filled the air.

The structures of Xuanjing City collapsed like fragile toys, offering no resistance against the destruction. The crimson flames seemed to possess a will of their own, hungrily devouring everything in their path the moment they touched the ground.

In a mere heartbeat, Xuanjing City was transformed into a hellish landscape of eternal fire!

Yet, Kou Hong, the architect of this devastation, suddenly knit his brows in total disbelief.

He realized that despite the city's ruin, a vast majority of the soldiers had somehow survived his strike!

It was inconceivable; the Fire Dragon Chant he had just used was a full-power attack. The might of a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment should be far beyond what any mortal could endure.

Even if these soldiers were elite and had managed to use defensive gear or find cover behind buildings the moment he began his incantation, the death toll should have been significantly higher than what he was seeing.

What was happening here?

Shock and suspicion warred within Kou Hong. Suddenly, a realization struck him. He gestured with his hand, pulling a small metal object toward him—something his spiritual senses had flagged as a threat earlier. He halted its momentum before it could strike, letting it fall to the earth.

“This is…” Kou Hong’s expression shifted violently. He scanned his surroundings with newfound caution, the contempt in his eyes replaced by a growing sense of dread.

“These projectiles are drenched in mortal blood—they carry the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma…” Elder Dao Xuanzi remarked, his face turning incredibly grim.

“We were ambushed the moment we arrived, and they are utilizing the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma. This was a calculated trap. Is there a cultivator pulling the strings of these mortals from the shadows?” The two exchanged a look, their minds racing. “Whatever the case, this location is bizarre. We must leave immediately.”

Though Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong were willing to kill each other over the Golden Core Technique, that was a private matter. Facing this unexpected variable and thousands of mortals, the two men—who had shared a century of unspoken understanding—simultaneously chose to retreat.

Sensing the cultivators’ intent to flee, the gunfire that had paused during the Fire Dragon Chant erupted once more.

This only confirmed the suspicions of Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong.

These mortals were definitely following a grander design!

“Move!” Just as they prepared to vanish, a voice thundered from below.

“Dao Xuanzi! Kou Hong! If you run today, the secret of your Golden Core Technique will be known to every soul in the Immortal Cultivation World by tomorrow!”

The voice seemed to echo from every corner of Xuanjing City, resonating through the night sky.

It sounded hoarse, yet it carried an absolute, chilling certainty.

Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi froze in mid-air. They were paralyzed with horror, their faces pale with shock.

“How can this be? Only the two of us knew of the Golden Core Technique. How did this leak?” Fear gripped their hearts.

They had uncovered the mysteries of the Cave Mansion together; then Kou Hong had betrayed his partner, stealing the technique and fleeing. Dao Xuanzi had hunted him without mercy, leading Kou Hong to take a desperate gamble by entering this Immortal Realm to survive...

Every moment of their recent history flashed before them.

Who could possibly know?

While the two cultivators were reeling from the shock, dozens of artillery shells streaked out of the darkness, leaving brilliant trails of light as they closed in on the pair.

“You seek death!” Kou Hong snapped out of his daze, his fury boiling over.

“Taoist Technique: Ember Explosion!”

A massive halo of fire began to take shape in the sky.

“Kou Hong, look out! Dodge now!” Dao Xuanzi’s frantic warning cut through the air.

“What?” Kou Hong was confused. He swept the area with his spiritual consciousness, and his face instantly contorted in terror.

He tried to move, but he was a fraction of a second too slow.

The shells detonated in their immediate vicinity.

There was no thunderous blast. Instead, spheres of dark red liquid burst open, creating a localized rain of blood that soaked both cultivators completely!

“Aaaaah!”

Agonized shrieks pierced the night.

Simultaneously, the powerful auras of the two cultivators began to wither. After a futile struggle to maintain their flight, they lost their strength and were sent crashing to the ground.

Thousands of soldiers immediately closed in, their weapons leveled.

Yet, the sight of these two "Immortals" sent a shiver down the spines of even these hardened warriors who were prepared to die for their cause.

Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong had appeared to be in their twenties. Now, having been bathed in the crimson rain, their hair turned snowy white in an instant. Within seconds, their skin withered into deep wrinkles, making them look ancient and grotesque.

Both lay broken on the earth. Kou Hong’s life force was fading rapidly, his breath shallow. Dao Xuanzi, possessing a slightly higher cultivation, fared marginally better, but he too was on the threshold of death.

Such was the miserable end of these once-mighty Immortal Teachers!

Even Li Fan, who was orchestrating the battle from the safety of the rear, felt a cold chill as he received the reports.

“If you surrender now, our Commander-in-chief promises to spare your lives!” a soldier yelled from a safe distance.

“Surrender…” His body broken, Dao Xuanzi looked at his dying companion. He tried to speak, but only a hollow laugh escaped his lips.

Seeing Dao Xuanzi’s expression, Kou Hong knew what was coming.

He gave a weak shake of his head and, using his final embers of strength, pressed his storage ring into Dao Xuanzi’s hand.

“Go…” Kou Hong whispered. His head slumped forward, and he breathed his last.

Suddenly, a strange phenomenon manifested in the heavens!

A scarlet dragon appeared in the clouds, twisting in agony and roaring as it fought to escape an unseen grip.

But the struggle was useless.

The dragon’s form began to wither until it was nothing but a hollow husk.

A moment later, the dragon was consumed entirely. Only then could the observers see a plain, brown tree branch that had taken root within the dragon, devouring it to fuel its own growth!

A simple branch had feasted upon a dragon!

This spectacular vision, like a grand firework display, illuminated the sky for miles.

Every living soul who witnessed this event felt specific words manifest in their minds.

“Foundation Establishment Cultivator Kou Hong, a mortal for 205 years, forged his Dao Foundation using the rare Curled Dragon Branch. Within the Immortal Realm, he was ambushed by thousands of mortals and struck down by the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma.”

“His cultivation is extinguished; his life has reached its end.”

“He is dead, returning his essence to the Heavens!”

As one of their own kind perished, a wave of profound empathy and sorrow washed over everyone present...

Every being near Xuanjing City was trapped in these overwhelming emotions, unable to break free.

The ethereal vision lasted for nearly thirty minutes before it began to dim.

The soldiers eventually regained their senses, staring silently at the one remaining, withered cultivator.

“Immortal Master Dao Xuanzi, our Commander-in-chief wishes to avoid a fight to the death. If you cease your resistance, he guarantees your safety…” the soldiers repeated, following Li Fan’s orders.

In the shadows, Li Fan let out a quiet sigh. He knew his plan to capture a living immortal had failed.

He hadn't realized the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma would be quite so devastating to those on the path of cultivation.

Predictably, Dao Xuanzi ignored the calls for surrender.

He stared at the fading sky, a trace of longing in his gaze.

“The Curled Dragon Branch…”

After a long silence, he looked away and forced his hunched back to straighten.

Scanning the area, Dao Xuanzi tried to find the mastermind.

“I do not know your name,” he called out to the hidden Li Fan. “Nor do I know your ultimate goal.”

“Perhaps you want the Golden Core Technique, or something else entirely.” Dao Xuanzi looked at the ring in his palm and spoke softly, “Now that my brother and I have been played by you and brought to the brink of ruin, there is little left to say.”

“But I will not yield,” Dao Xuanzi said, his voice turning cold.

“The one who can stalk us so closely, knowing our every move without being detected, must possess a formidable cultivation.”

“That such a person refuses to face us directly is one thing. But to hide behind mortals and use the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma—a foul substance loathed by all cultivators—is truly despicable.”

Dao Xuanzi inhaled deeply.

“That my brother Kou Hong died at the hands of such a coward... I grieve for him.”

Dao Xuanzi began to hover upward, looking down upon the crowd once more. His face was a mask of indifference, devoid of both sadness and joy.

“You have all witnessed my brother’s Foundation Establishment treasure. Now, witness mine.”

“With the marvels of the world, I have established my Dao Foundation,” Dao Xuanzi chanted loudly.

“My Dao Foundation is named: Dao Xuan.”

A colossal, fractured iron sword appeared in the air above Xuanjing City.

Everyone beneath the shadow of that massive blade felt their thoughts turn sluggish, as if their minds were rusted gears struggling to turn.

“I have a sword; I invite you all to behold it.”

The world turned blindingly white. Every person in Xuanjing City seemed frozen in a moment of absolute stillness.

Then, like a pane of glass shattering, the entirety of Xuanjing City disintegrated!

“Return to the truth.”

The progress bar for his simulation plummeted, and Li Fan whispered to himself just before his consciousness went dark.