My Longevity Simulation

At the Immortal Bait site, the atmosphere suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone looked at one another, yet no one dared to speak first.

After a long while, someone finally asked in a timid voice, “Brother Dao, according to the information we received, that Mystic Coffin of World Traversal... is fake, right?”

Hearing this, everyone looked somewhat helplessly toward Dao Yuan.

Dao Yuan, who had always appeared extremely composed, also showed a trace of panic in his eyes at this moment. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat lightly and said solemnly, “Do not lose your composure! Perhaps the Mystic Coffin was merely concealed by the Two Immortals Xi and Yi through some unfathomable means, and is still in its original location. We...”

Before he could finish, a panicked voice interrupted him.

“How is that possible? It was clearly a fake Mystic Coffin, yet it actually managed to cross the world?!”

As he spoke, the person recklessly flew toward the place where the Mystic Coffin had originally been.

It was none other than Nangong Hongzhao, who had previously been so certain about the authenticity of the Mystic Coffin!

“Damn it!”

All the newly inducted Immortal Hunters changed expressions.

If Dao Yuan's judgment was correct, then Nangong Hongzhao's action could very well result in him directly facing the two True Immortals and losing his life on the spot. Worse still, it could expose everyone else who was lying in ambush.

Everyone wanted to stop Nangong Hongzhao's reckless action.

Unfortunately, his figure was elusive and his speed astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived at his destination.

Everyone immediately held their breath.

Fortunately, the tragic scene they had anticipated did not occur.

However, this did not make their expressions any more relaxed. Instead, they became even more bewildered.

“The Mystic Coffin of World Traversal is really gone.”

“Along with it, the two Xi and Yi True Immortals have also disappeared.”

The seriousness of the matter had clearly exceeded what these newly inducted Immortal Hunters could handle. Dao Yuan therefore decisively chose to report it through the Dao Net.

The reaction from the other end of the Dao Net also somewhat exceeded his expectations.

“What? The Immortal Bait is gone? Impossible!”

“According to the Dao Net's observations, it is clearly still in its original location!”

“Where is Yan Xuantai? Why wasn't it him who contacted me?!”

The furious voice traveled through the ripples of the Dao Net from the distant center of the Shuo Star Sea, reaching everyone's ears.

By the time the final word was spoken, the owner of the voice had already truly descended here.

It was a diminutive old man no more than three feet tall.

His silver-white hair and beard were even longer than his body, coiling beneath his feet like flowing clouds.

The old man's expression was frighteningly gloomy as his gaze swept across everyone.

Without exception, the newly inducted Immortal Hunters instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Who is this...”

Li Fan also sensed the extraordinary power of the old man before him.

With every breath the old man took, the invisible Dao Strings between heaven and earth produced corresponding ripples. Even the Dao Net in this place became clearer and more stable because of his arrival.

In Ma Tiande's memories, he had once seen this old man from afar.

The gathering where he had originally obtained the position of Dao Net operator had been presided over by this old man.

“One of the governing elders of the Shuo Star Sea Administration Council, Nangong Fusheng.”

Nangong Fusheng instantly appeared at the place where the Immortal Bait Mystic Coffin had originally been.

Looking at Nangong Hongzhao, who was standing there and muttering incoherently, Nangong Fusheng angrily shouted, “Useless!”

With a single slap, he sent Nangong Hongzhao flying.

Leaving him helplessly drifting through the star sea, Nangong Fusheng's fury gradually subsided. He carefully examined his surroundings.

Wave after wave of ripples spread outward with Nangong Fusheng at the center.

The Immortal Hunters watching from afar felt as if the entire world had transformed into a sea of violent storms. It churned and roared. The howling waves seemed capable of swallowing them completely at any moment.

They could only desperately rely on the power of the Dao Net to keep their bodies stable.

The ripples of the Dao Net continued without end.

In the end, Nangong Fusheng reached his right hand into the void and pulled out a black long spike covered in brilliant seven-colored flowing light.

After the long spike was removed, Nangong Fusheng did not become angry. Instead, he laughed.

“Yan Xuantai, what a method! You actually managed to deceive the Dao Net and conceal the truth from heaven itself!”

The newly inducted Immortal Hunters also stared fixedly at the black long spike radiating seven-colored light in Nangong Fusheng's hand.

Their gazes flickered.

In their previous understanding, the Dao Net was equivalent to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Its heavenly might was unmatched by anything in the world, and one could only find ways to control and harness it.

Yet now, during the first mission they had carried out after officially joining the Immortal Hunters organization, they had encountered an existence capable of deceiving the Dao Net.

Moreover, right before their eyes, it had staged a complete escape by means of the golden cicada shedding its shell.

“Just who exactly is this Yan Xuantai?”

A question inevitably arose in everyone's hearts.

The fake Mystic Coffin had actually managed to take the two True Immortals, who had already been regarded as prey, away with it.

Moreover, there seemed to be faint traces of a conspiracy involving members of the Shuo Star Sea Immortal Hunters organization.

This was absolutely no trivial matter.

Soon, apart from Nangong Fusheng, three other cultivators arrived one after another.

Even though they concealed their figures and restrained their imposing auras, their arrival still seemed to stir enormous waves within the Dao Net of this place.

The newly inducted Immortal Hunters could only tremble in fear. When questioned, they did not dare conceal anything and truthfully recounted everything that had happened.

“Go back first.”

“I believe this matter is not that simple.”

Nangong Fusheng spoke solemnly to the three figures. He showed no intention of concealing his words from the others.

His silver hair and beard continued to grow without any wind.

They enveloped all the Immortal Hunters within.

Just as they were about to leave, Li Fan vaguely heard Nangong Hongzhao's anxious cry from outside the silver-haired enclosure.

“Third Granduncle, wait for me!”

The silver hair enveloped them, then dispersed.

In the blink of an eye, everyone had been brought back to the center of the Shuo Star Sea.

They were separately taken into countless pitch-black compartments for a second round of questioning.

Since they were genuinely newcomers who knew nothing about the matter, the organization did not make things too difficult for them. After several routine interrogations, the questioning ended.

However, they were not released.

Instead, they were still confined within countless pitch-black compartments resembling death row cells.

Although their freedom of movement was not restricted, it was limited to this area.

They could not leave.

The endless darkness gradually devoured everyone's will.

At first, the newly inducted Immortal Hunters still held onto hope, believing that their confinement would soon come to an end.

But as the days passed, it seemed as though the organization had completely forgotten about them. After arranging for them to stay here, there had not been the slightest word from outside.

Gradually, everyone's state of mind began to change in different ways.

"I understand now. Hunting True Immortals and the disappearance of the Mystic Coffin are all still part of the Immortal Hunters assessment. We are still undergoing the assessment! I must pull myself together and not become dispirited!"

"I had such a promising future, yet I actually encountered something like this. I'm afraid my entire life is ruined."

"The Mystic Coffin disappeared with two True Immortals. Such a major incident must have someone held responsible. Could it be that they intend to use us as scapegoats?"

...

Most people lived in constant fear and anxiety.

Under such circumstances, those who could still remain calm were the true prodigies.

Feeling the three sword intents beside him that had never ceased, Li Fan nodded slightly.

"Ever since Jin Changyue was imprisoned here, she has continuously been nurturing this sword intent. Being imprisoned for no reason and suffering an unjust accusation has naturally generated resentment within her. Yet this is precisely the best time to nourish the sword with her intent."

"However, for this sword intent to reach great accomplishment, someone will have to be sacrificed to the sword."

Aside from Jin Changyue, Dao Yuan was also quite capable of remaining calm. Apart from some fluctuations in his aura at the beginning, he had spent the rest of his time like a hidden dragon lying dormant in the depths, quietly biding his time and waiting for an opportunity.

As for Li Fan, naturally, he felt no anxiety whatsoever. Even so, he continued to conceal his true state, repeatedly pretending to show signs of anxiety and despair.

In reality, he was constantly recalling the scene of the two Xi and Yi Immortals activating the Mystic Coffin World Traversal and departing.

As time passed, the mysterious sound recited by the two Xi and Yi Immortals gradually faded from Li Fan's memory. Even the recording within the Dao Deviation Stone was slowly becoming blurred.

Li Fan could only repeat it again and again, deepening his impression.

But the overall momentum that had ultimately faded away completely was impossible to change.

Li Fan had also tried directly using the miniature Dao Net within his divine sense to reflect the fluctuations from that time.

However, the tremors of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth caused by the mysterious sound had all occurred within the Mystic Coffin.

Li Fan could only observe it from afar through the Dao Net and was unable to record it accurately.

"That Mystic Coffin is said to be fake, yet it is actually real."

"Apart from being unable to traverse the world, it is almost indistinguishable from the genuine Mystic Coffin..."

Li Fan recalled what Nangong Hongzhao had said previously, and his mind stirred.

Although Nangong Hongzhao had not been taken back by Nangong Fusheng earlier, several days later, he was also thrown into this Black Prison.

However, he did not display any anxiety or worry. Instead, he looked utterly dejected, as if he had botched some important task.

These days, he had simply been lying lazily on the ground.

His eyes closed as he pretended to sleep.

Li Fan quietly approached him.

"Brother Nangong, there is something I have been holding in for a long time."

"It feels like a bone stuck in my throat. I will not be satisfied until I ask."

Perhaps because Ma Tiande's previous performance had left a relatively favorable impression in Nangong Hongzhao's mind, Nangong Hongzhao suddenly opened his eyes and glanced indifferently at Li Fan.

Then, without saying anything, he closed them again.

Li Fan knew that since he had not explicitly refused, it meant he agreed.

He immediately transmitted his voice again.

"That fake Mystic Coffin suddenly became real. What exactly happened? Brother Nangong, do you know anything about the circumstances behind it?"

Nangong Hongzhao said irritably, "Didn't you see me get swept away like trash for eighteen thousand kilometers? How could I know anything about what happened?"

Li Fan hurriedly consoled him. "Brother Nangong, don't put it that way. That was Elder Nangong of the Administration Council. How many people would love to be swept away like that, yet not even have the qualifications?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Hongzhao opened his eyes again.

He narrowed them slightly and examined Li Fan once more. Then, as if realizing something, he said, "I almost forgot. You were originally a Dao Net operator, so you could also be considered someone who came from the Administration Council. No wonder you know how formidable my Third Granduncle is."

Li Fan nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, indeed."

Seeing that Nangong Hongzhao's attitude was gradually softening, Li Fan soon got straight to the point.

"These days, I have had nothing to do but think about it. There are several possibilities regarding this fake coffin."

"First, that fake coffin was constructed according to the genuine coffin. Apart from certain necessary conditions, it was no different from the real Mystic Coffin of World Traversal. And the two Xi and Yi Immortals who came all the way from the distant star sea happened to possess those necessary conditions. Thus, they naturally used the Mystic Coffin to escape to another world."

"But there is one point that does not make sense with this theory. It was merely bait used to lure the True Immortals into a trap. As long as it looked convincing, there was no need to make it this realistic. So I have another theory. Perhaps Yan Xuantai secretly tampered with it, or used a substitution trick, replacing the fake coffin with another one that was much closer to the genuine coffin. He then hid inside it, waiting for the two Xi and Yi Immortals to enter. Afterward, he revealed the truth to them and escaped together with them."

"But..." Li Fan paused.

"This Yan Xuantai, who exactly is he? He was sent to secretly monitor and protect the first hunt of newly inducted Immortal Hunters. This was neither a particularly important nor insignificant assignment, so his identity and status should not have been very high. Yet he actually possessed such a supreme treasure?"

"And then there was that black seven-colored nail capable of deceiving the Dao Netw. No matter how I think about it, I cannot figure it out!" Li Fan let out a long sigh.

"Seeing as we may be imprisoned here forever with no hope of ever getting out, could Brother Nangong enlighten me? Don't worry, I absolutely will not tell anyone."

After a long silence, Nangong Hongzhao's faint voice finally sounded.

"Your thoughts are quite meticulous. Some of your deductions coincide with mine. However, I happen to know some inside information that you do not."

"It is not exactly a secret, so there is no harm in telling you. That Yan Xuantai originally joined the Immortal Hunters as a member of the [Sacred Shang]. A hundred years ago, the Sacred Shang suddenly disappeared from the Shuo Star Sea, from top to bottom, leaving behind only some surviving remnants and abandoned pawns."

"I originally thought he had already severed his ties with the Sacred Shang. Yet who would have thought..." Nangong Hongzhao let out a cold snort.

"Speaking of which, the Sacred Shang was one of the founders of the Immortal Hunters back then. They also voluntarily provided many of the techniques for capturing immortals. Furthermore, the members of the Sacred Shang had little interest in fighting or power. Their sole objective was hunting immortals. Thus, during the early days of the Immortal Hunters organization, they held a transcendent status. After the Sacred Shang suddenly left without saying goodbye and disappeared without a trace, Yan Xuantai, as an abandoned member of the Sacred Shang, was not excessively targeted either. They even arranged an important position for him..."

Li Fan's heart stirred slightly when he heard the words "Sacred Shang."

He continued asking, "According to what Brother Nangong said, the Sacred Shang disappeared a hundred years ago. In those hundred years, who knows how much our Dao Net techniques have advanced. Even if Yan Xuantai was a member of the Sacred Shang, how could he possess a method capable of deceiving the Dao Net? Could it be that the Sacred Shang is really that far ahead of us? Or perhaps..."

Li Fan seemed to realize something and suddenly lowered his voice.

"Could it be that Yan Xuantai secretly reestablished contact with the Sacred Shang recently, and only then found a way to escape?"

"But that does not make sense either. Unless the fake coffin was not escaping to another world at all, but to another Star Sea, where the Sacred Shang is located?"

Nangong Hongzhao shook his head slightly.

"That is beyond what I can know. This matter is extremely complicated. Yan Xuantai is naturally solitary and usually acts alone. Investigating him will be somewhat difficult."

"However, you can rest assured. We definitely will not be imprisoned here until we die. Once there is a general conclusion to the matter, we will be released."

Nangong Hongzhao kindly offered his consolation.