My Longevity Simulation

“Perhaps that True Immortal has already stealthily lurked nearby...” The moment Dao Yuan said this, everyone became somewhat tense, instantly awakening from the vague legend of secluded existence they had been discussing earlier.

Unlike the previous trials, this was the first time they were truly facing a True Immortal.

People could die.

Under the pressure of a life and death crisis, the newly inducted Immortal Hunters quickly took action, cooperating with one another and making preparations. Although this was their first time, and they had only received instructions through information transmission without anyone providing guidance on-site, they were all outstanding cultivators from the Shuo Star Sea, so their movements remained orderly.

For Immortal Hunters to hunt and replenish against a True Immortal, the first thing they needed to do was strengthen the power of the Dao Net here, and then use the Dao Net to conceal themselves.

If the entire Dao Net was like an invisible giant hand pinning it onto the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth through the combined support of four great forces, then in the frontier regions of the Shuo Star Sea, where the Dao Net was weak, the Immortal Hunters needed to use themselves as nails to further stabilize the Dao Net. This would allow the Dao Net to mobilize more power during the battle that followed.

It was said that the veteran Immortal Hunters of the organization worked together with perfect coordination. In an instant, they could reinforce and seal off the Dao Net within an entire region. Compared to them, this group of newcomers appeared somewhat flustered.

There was especially some dispute over who should serve as the temporary 'nails.'

Under normal circumstances, for the sake of efficiency, they would naturally choose those with the deepest mastery of the Dao Net. However, they had only just met one another and did not know each other well. The rankings announced earlier were merely the final rankings based on comprehensive performance in Dao, Martial, Life, and various other trials. They did not specifically measure one's understanding of the Dao Net.

Moreover, if they relied on the combined efforts of everyone to personally enter the Dao Net, it was akin to bathing and immersing oneself within the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, bringing endless benefits. Thus, anyone with ambition was unwilling to yield.

Even Dao Yuan, who ranked first, could occupy one position himself, but if he wanted to decide all the other candidates as well, that was absolutely impossible.

However, the newly inducted Immortal Hunters did not have much time to prepare. With every passing moment, the tension in everyone's hearts grew stronger.

In the end, someone chose to yield.

Ma Tiande cupped his fists, his expression calm and composed.

“Everyone, as the saying goes, a wise man knows others, while a truly enlightened man knows himself. The reason I was able to rank fifth was largely because of my performance in the Martial Trial. I will not compete with everyone for it!”

With that, he calmly gave up his position as one of the nails.

Everyone looked toward the high-minded Li Fan, and their expressions subtly changed. Influenced by Li Fan, several cultivators in succession also took the initiative to declare that they would yield.

Very soon, the eight candidates who would serve as the Dao Nails were decided.

What surprised Li Fan somewhat was that the purple-robed female cultivator who ranked second among the newly inducted Immortal Hunters, the one who wielded three long swords against her enemies, had also voluntarily given up this opportunity to become a Dao Nail.

The purple-robed female cultivator was named Jin Changyue. Her eyes remained tightly closed as she said calmly, “What I care about more is using these three swords of mine to personally hack a True Immortal to death.”

The three long swords rang with repeated sword cries as Jin Changyue spoke.

With the personnel decided, everyone soon became solemn and, according to what they had learned, joined forces to reinforce the Dao Net here.

Eight figures faced one another and formed a circle.

The other Immortal Hunters surrounded them and then issued one Dao Net command after another.

Every command seemed to tighten the strings of the Dao.

The eight figures gradually became dim.

It seemed as though they were merging into this world.

Yet everyone could sense the strange changes quietly taking place in this world. There was now an additional layer of powerful and obscure shadows.

Although they were extremely well concealed, they secretly resonated with the Dao Net commands being issued by everyone.

The entire process of reinforcing and connecting the Dao Net lasted ninety-nine breaths.

Strictly speaking, it barely met the passing standard for a beginner's first practical attempt.

The eight cultivators who had served as Dao Nails also returned to their normal forms.

However, all of them looked somewhat dazed, with traces of surprise mixed within their expressions. It seemed they were still immersed in the experience of having personally entered the Dao Net.

Li Fan looked at the eight people and noticed that they had already become clearly different from before.

“Within this small world, the Dao Net power that each of these eight people can mobilize is almost equivalent to that of a True Immortal. Eight True Immortals joining forces...”

“It seems that the future Yi Immortal is in dire straits.”

Li Fan secretly assessed the Dao Nails before him.

Although they possessed power comparable to that of True Immortals, in terms of the pressure they gave off, they were absolutely not as oppressive as actual True Immortals.

“In essence, they are still mortals. Their ‘potential’ has not changed at all. It is merely that a corner of the Great Dao that originally floated in the heavens has descended and been placed within their grasp.”

The eight Dao Nails would serve as the main force in hunting the True Immortal. The others would serve as support and reinforcement.

Now that the battlefield had been prepared, the next step was to construct the barrier and ensure that the True Immortal could enter but could not leave.

With the cooperation of the Dao Net, this was extremely simple.

The seemingly ordinary void was actually in a state where the existence of its boundaries could disappear at any moment. It was much like the High Wall that surrounded the Darkest Star Sea. Once the concept of 'ahead' disappeared, naturally there would be no path forward.

“This is one of the most important trump cards of the Immortal Hunters organization. Its repeated success in hunting True Immortals owes much to this method. It is known as the [Immortal Mending Cage].”

“The direct disappearance of existence and concepts may have been inspired by the Dao Annihilation Calamity...”

As Li Fan worked seamlessly with everyone, issuing one command after another and generating the Immortal Mending Cage, he secretly recorded the subtle fluctuations produced by the Dao Net.

To others, the fluctuations of the Dao Net were both nearly imperceptible and incomparably complex.

Even if one personally participated as a caster, it was absolutely impossible to record them all in a single attempt.

Strictly speaking, the so-called 'fluctuations' were merely subtle changes resembling ripples produced as the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth operated on its own. They simply originated from the Dao Net. Only someone with an extremely profound understanding of the Dao could sense their existence at such close range.

Moreover, the Dao Net commands themselves were composed of countless Dao Primal symbols. The Immortal Hunters present coordinated with one another, issuing an unknown number of commands with every breath.

With such an enormous volume of data, even an Nameless True Immortal might not necessarily be able to comprehend it all at a glance.

But Li Fan did not need to identify or memorize them.

The miniature Dao Net within his divine sense was like a mirror, completely reflecting the fluctuations within the Dao Net at this very moment.

Although Li Fan could not yet completely analyze the principles behind these fluctuations, that did not prevent him from first [copying] and [pasting] them.

“This is the power of Consciousness Soul Transformation, reflecting the Great Dao.”

“It can accomplish what even the Nameless cannot.”

Having secretly stolen a divine ability, Li Fan felt rather pleased with himself. He became even more expectant of the upcoming infiltration into the Immortal Hunters organization.

A great hunting net had already been silently spread.

The newly inducted Immortal Hunters had completed all the necessary preparations. They concealed themselves around the Mystic Coffin of World Traversal, waiting only for the Yi Immortal to walk willingly into their trap.

Everyone's minds were connected to the Dao Net as they communicated with one another.

“Everyone, look! What is that sign?”

In the real void, there was not the slightest movement.

Yet the Dao Net that had been reinforced throughout this stretch of starry sky suddenly twisted for no apparent reason.

And this distortion was rapidly charging toward the Mystic Coffin of World Traversal!

“Although it cannot be seen, it inevitably leaves traces within the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth! It is like an invisible monster walking across snow. Though you cannot see the monster, it will still leave footprints behind. Brothers, a True Immortal has taken the bait!”

Everyone was greatly encouraged, though they could not help feeling nervous.

“Do we act now?”

“Not yet. Wait a little longer. Let him fully reveal himself before we make our move. In any case, he definitely cannot drag away this Mystic Coffin. He can only obediently lie inside it according to the rumored method of entering the coffin to evade calamity.” Dao Yuan spoke with the bearing of a great general, his voice deep and composed.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The distorted force traveling through the Dao Net soon arrived near the Mystic Coffin. After circling around it and observing it for a while, it seemed to be attempting to move the Mystic Coffin away.

However, although the Mystic Coffin was forged by Shuo Star Sea as a counterfeit, it still possessed some of the true Mystic Coffin's wondrous characteristics. It was as if it did not exist in this world at all. Any force exerted upon it simply came to nothing, like carrying water in a bamboo basket.

The Mystic Coffin remained completely motionless.

Although the attempt of the distorted force ended in failure, it instead seemed delighted.

It stood motionless in place as an even greater distortion approached rapidly from afar.

“Something is wrong! This force does not belong to one True Immortal. There are two of them?”

Through their movements within the Dao Net and the degree to which the bent Dao strings were distorted, the newly initiated Immortal Hunters quickly determined that besides the Yi Immortal who had entered the Net this time, there was actually another True Immortal!

The two accompanied each other and were almost completely fused into one.

By ordinary means, even if they were standing right in front of them, they might not necessarily be detected. Only through the traces they left within the Dao Net could their existence be distinguished.

“Everyone, do not panic. This is actually a great thing! Capturing one is a capture, and capturing two is also a capture. I never expected that we would be able to establish such a great achievement right after becoming Immortal Hunters!” The speaker was Jiang Yuming, ranked third among them.

With the power of the Dao Net supporting him, this person was filled with confidence. Even when faced with the unexpected appearance of two True Immortals, he remained completely fearless.

Dao Yuan also spoke up. “However, we must not be careless. Although this place was previously a region where the power of the Dao Net was weak, the fact that they were able to deceive the Dao Net's perception is enough to show how extraordinary these two are.”

“Unable to see them, unable to hear them. I think the other one has mastered the Dao of [Xi]. Only when Xi and Yi complement each other can they deceive the Dao Net.”

Although an unexpected variable had appeared, everyone remained calm despite their surprise. After secretly communicating and making some tactical adjustments, they simply waited for the two True Immortals to crawl into the coffin.

Under the attention of countless eyes, the lid of the Mystic Coffin suddenly moved.

Like an ancient bronze gate sealed away for countless years, it emitted a heavy and decayed sound.

The bent Dao strings instantly returned to normal.

At the same time, the newly initiated Immortal Hunters received confirmation that two people had indeed entered the Mystic Coffin being used as bait.

“Attack!”

Just as Dao Yuan issued the order, another voice suddenly rang out and interrupted him.

“Wait!”

The speaker was none other than Ma Tiande'!

Seeing someone object, Dao Yuan could not help slightly furrowing his brows.

Li Fan, however, quickly explained with a solemn expression, “Brother Dao said earlier that the Mystic Coffin requires a specific method to activate. Why don't we wait a little longer?”

“Perhaps they are also using a bait. That is not impossible.”

As soon as Li Fan said this, everyone indeed sensed that something was wrong. They all looked toward the Mystic Coffin once more.

After the fluctuations entered the Mystic Coffin, there was no further movement.

It seemed that they too were waiting for something.

“Sure enough, there is something strange about this.”

“If the two Yi and Xi Immortals themselves had truly come here to evade calamity, they should have immediately and impatiently begun verifying it the moment they entered the Mystic Coffin. How could there still be no movement even now?” Jin Changyue said solemnly.

“There will not be some flaw inside the Mystic Coffin, will there? If the two Yi and Xi Immortals realize that it is fake, would that not cause them to flee?”

“Rest assured. Although the Mystic Coffin is fake, it is also real. Other than being unable to cross the world, it is virtually indistinguishable from the true Mystic Coffin.”

The speaker was a cultivator who had never spoken before. His name was Nangong Hongzhao, but the others did not know much about his background.

Since he spoke with such certainty, he presumably had his reasons.

Now was not the time to investigate further.

Everyone held their breath and waited.

At this moment, Nangong Hongzhao spoke again. “It is said that every time the Mystic Coffin activates its world traversal, its location will change. This is also why the two Yi and Xi Immortals are merely testing it now and have yet to truly activate it.”

“It can be confirmed that the ones inside the coffin now are merely bait. They would never be willing to waste such a perfect opportunity.”

As if to prove Nangong Hongzhao's words, another mass of distorted fluctuations appeared within the Dao Net in the distance.

Its degree of distortion upon the Dao strings was exactly the same as before.

As though the scene were repeating itself, they once again crawled into the Mystic Coffin.

The moment they entered the Mystic Coffin, an incomparably profound sound came from within.

It sounded like a distant, ethereal song, yet also like some solemn and sacred chant.

“Attack!” Dao Yuan shouted again.

The lid of the Mystic Coffin suddenly slammed shut.

At the same time, the Immortal Mending Cage silently descended and completely sealed off this region of the star sea.

Inside the Mystic Coffin, there seemed to be no awareness of the changes outside. They apparently believed that the closing of the coffin lid was merely a normal part of its operation.

The chanting continued without end.

Li Fan listened carefully, committing every change in the syllables to memory. His heart suddenly stirred.

“This rhythm seems somewhat similar to the Immortal Scripture for Evading Calamity that the Grand Mage passed down.”

“Could it be that the shadow beside the Grand Mage has some connection with those Nameless True Immortals who forged the Mystic Coffin of World Traversal back then?”

Li Fan suddenly thought of something.

Back then, the obscure Xuanhuang cultivator had listened beside the shadow, and the later Ten Great Immortal Sects were born from that encounter. The Grand Mage had already reached the Half-Immortal realm, yet he had always remained seated beside the shadow, unwilling to leave even half a step. Even his words and actions clearly showed signs of imitating that shadow's method of transmitting the Dao.

“Could it be that this shadow was left behind by one of the Nameless True Immortals who departed back then?”

“Perhaps it originally possessed other forms of spirituality and divine abilities. But after the Nameless True Immortal used the Mystic Coffin to travel toward another possibility, all that remains now is an empty shell of light and shadow.”

Just as Li Fan's thoughts churned, another extremely strange change occurred within the scene.

The two Yi and Xi Immortals remained hidden inside the Mystic Coffin and refused to come out, leaving the others unable to break into the coffin. They could only wait for the two to discover that the Mystic Coffin was ineffective and emerge, at which point they would surround and attack them.

What they could never have anticipated was...

As the chanting inside the Mystic Coffin grew increasingly loud, the Mystic Coffin itself suddenly began emitting waves of hazy, multicolored radiance.

The radiance drifted unpredictably. Yet once it appeared, it showed no sign of fading.

As the Immortal Hunters gradually became suspicious and uncertain, the multicolored radiance suddenly erupted.

It completely engulfed the Mystic Coffin.

When everyone looked again...

The counterfeit Mystic Coffin had vanished into thin air together with the two Yi and Xi Immortals!