My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 5 - 5: Stirring Up Waves on Calm Ground

[Simulation ends]

...

As he regained consciousness, Li Fan remained captivated by the sheer majesty of Dao Xuanzi’s final sword strike.

“So, this is the true might of a Foundation Establishment Grand Completion cultivator…” Li Fan muttered, his heart filled with profound awe.

He had already been stunned by Kou Hong’s strength, which could have leveled Xuanjing City with a casual flick of his wrist. However, Dao Xuanzi’s ultimate technique made Li Fan realize just how truly insignificant he was.

From Li Fan’s perspective, he was like an ant staring up at a crushing tidal wave; he couldn’t even comprehend the strike, much less witness its full form.

Even a brief look at such power laid bare the massive chasm separating mere mortals from those at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

“Without the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma, I fear that even with endless reincarnations and outsmarting them at every turn, I would never be a threat to them,” Li Fan mused, feeling a mix of relief and deep unease.

“What exactly is this Immortal-Ordinary Miasma? Don't cultivators rise one step at a time from mortal roots? Why does the blood of mortals exert such a terrifying suppressing effect on them?” The hidden truths behind these questions ignited his curiosity.

Nevertheless, Li Fan quickly pushed those stray thoughts aside.

“First, I must evaluate the gains and losses from this life,” he decided.

He watched the scenes flickering across his mental screen, lost in contemplation.

“The ambush on Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong went largely as I anticipated. I utilized bullets soaked in the blood of condemned prisoners to drain their power, then used the Golden Core Technique to lure them. After the rain of blood served as the final blow to weaken them to their limits, I managed to take them alive…”

“What truly shocked me was how severely the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma inhibited them. It was the direct cause of Kou Hong’s demise.”

“Even more surprising was the depth of their bond. I originally thought their talk of being ‘brothers for a century’ was just casual chatter. Yet, their connection was genuine. During the attack, Dao Xuanzi warned Kou Hong, who accepted his fate and passed the Golden Core Technique to Dao Xuanzi.”

“Driven by the sight of Kou Hong falling to a sneak attack, Dao Xuanzi chose to discard his own life to launch a suicidal final strike just to avenge him… These actions prove their friendship was exceptionally deep…”

“If that is the case, why were they willing to kill each other over the Golden Core Technique?” Li Fan’s confusion grew.

Suddenly, he recalled the words he heard when he first encountered the pair.

“Golden Core Path: If I exist, he cannot…” Li Fan pondered thoughtfully, “Is it impossible for the Immortal Law to be practiced by more than one person…?”

“If even close brothers can be driven to such an end, what must the rest of the Immortal Cultivation World be like?”

Li Fan sensed that the reality of the Immortal Cultivation World might be vastly different from his expectations.

“No matter how difficult the path, I will not waver. Especially not with the help of the [Real]. As long as I remain cautious, I believe I can overcome any obstacle.”

Though he had momentarily hesitated, Li Fan’s resolve quickly hardened again.

“In this so-called Immortal Realm, I still need to use Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi to seek the Immortal Way. Last time I ambushed them both simultaneously; perhaps this time, I can try to ally with one of them.” Li Fan’s mind raced as he formulated several new strategies for dealing with the two.

Despite his opponents being high and mighty Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Li Fan felt no intimidation. He didn't even view them as true “opponents.”

This wasn't arrogance on Li Fan’s part; it was simply that the [Real]’s power to restart endlessly was too overwhelming!

What was the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator compared to fifty years of foresight and infinite chances to learn from his mistakes?

As the simulation concluded, Li Fan opted to accelerate the charging process of the Void Transformation energy.

Name: Li FanRealm: MortalBiological Age: 20/86Mental Age: 216/1080↑Void Transformation Charge: 30%

“The mental age limit only grew by a few decades this time; it seems to be reaching its ceiling.” Li Fan had expected this, so he didn't dwell on it.

“Counting my life before I traveled here, this is already my fifth life. The road to immortality is truly treacherous.” Li Fan sighed. “I hope these next fifty years are not spent in vain.”

Li Fan began his fifty-year wait once more.

Like a pre-written script, everything began to unfold as it had before.

He passed the imperial examinations, was selected, and became the top scholar.

He served as a county magistrate, oversaw mining operations, and produced firearms.

However, after using the death of King Langya to seize power, Li Fan grew restless.

Waiting ten years felt too long. Every day the capital wasn't under his firm control was a day wasted in Jiangnan. If he could gain an extra ten years to mobilize the entire world’s resources, his chances of capturing the two cultivators alive would be much higher.

Consequently, Li Fan ordered a trusted subordinate to infiltrate the palace and slowly poison the emperor with a subtle toxin.

He never expected that this single decision would stir up such massive waves.

Li Fan’s role in the poisoning remained a secret, but the emperor, who was still young and healthy, grew paranoid as his health rapidly failed.

He suspected a hidden enemy was harming him, and his primary suspect was his once-beloved brother, King Langya.

As a result, when the anchor reached year 7 and the emperor was on his deathbed, he bypassed King Langya and named the hedonistic Nan Wang as his successor instead.

Luckily, Li Fan’s palace spies delivered the news immediately. Li Fan took action without hesitation.

On one hand, he sent assassins to eliminate Nan Wang during his journey to the capital; on the other, he declared in King Langya’s name that the emperor had been murdered by treacherous advisors. Under the pretext of “restoring order to the nation,” he led the private army he had built over the years into the capital, seizing control of the court through military force.

Such violent methods naturally sparked a backlash.

The first hurdle was the resistance from court officials. According to the late emperor’s decree, Nan Wang was the rightful heir. To them, King Langya’s actions were nothing short of treason. While they didn't dare revolt openly due to Li Fan’s soldiers, they engaged in blatant sabotage and went on strike. Some even reached out to regional lords, urging them to bring troops to the capital to “end the chaos.” Li Fan showed no mercy, executing a large group of them to maintain order. With the secret help of his father-in-law, the Grand Scholar, it took several months to stabilize the government.

During those months, unrest spread throughout the Da Xuan Kingdom. Regional princes declared their independence, ignoring all imperial decrees.

Li Fan was forced to deploy his armies to crush them one by one.

Even though his firearms provided a massive advantage, their numbers were finite. Given the vast size of the Da Xuan Kingdom, the pacification required immense effort.

Exhausted by war and politics, Li Fan felt withered.

It wasn't until the 22nd year of the anchor that all internal and external conflicts were finally resolved.

By his calculations, trying to rush the process actually cost him several more years than if he had just stuck to the original plan.

“I must be more careful and maintain my patience,” Li Fan told himself after the dust settled. “A small mistake can lead to a massive deviation. If too many variables change, my advantage of foresight is severely diminished.”

Fortunately, the setback was only a minor bump in the road and didn't derail his ultimate goal.

Once everything returned to its proper course, the years began to fly by. In the blink of an eye, the 35th year of the anchor arrived.

In this year, Li Fan departed from Xuanjing City, traveling thousands of miles to personally visit the Eastern Ruin Abyss.