My Longevity Simulation

"Still the same as before." The female cultivator named Cao Yingyue sighed. "We barely managed to repel one wave of enemies. I estimate they will return in another seven days."

Duan Yuxiao consoled her. "You've worked hard, Junior Sister. From what I can see, the situation at the other strongholds is no better. At least this place isn't on the very front line..."

The two exchanged glances before falling into silence.

"However, there is some good news. I've heard that through the combined efforts of the various factions, they've finally deduced the exact location of that thing. They're preparing a surprise attack, hoping to settle everything in one decisive battle..." Cao Yingyue secretly transmitted.

Hearing this, Duan Yuxiao seemed somewhat relieved. "I hope this time we can finally bring this war to an end. We've already shed far too much blood on this land."

"However, even if that thing is destroyed, the enemy's final counterattack will only become more frenzied. Junior Sister, you must be careful," Duan Yuxiao reminded her.

"I naturally understand that." Cao Yingyue nodded.

Although the two were communicating secretly through voice transmission, their conversation could not escape Li Fan's scrutiny.

'As the saying goes, success comes from keeping things secret. Yet something as confidential as the operation to seize the Taiyuan Furnace has been exposed so easily. After fighting for so long, the Ten Great Sects still have such poor operational security...' Li Fan complained inwardly.

Suddenly, his thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

'Wait, that's not right!'

'At this point in time, the Ten Great Immortal Sects jointly ruled the entire Xuanhuang Realm, an enormous behemoth. They were also at the absolute peak of their power, before the great calamity and destruction. They even possessed an immortal artifact like the Dao-Burning Furnace. If they genuinely wanted to keep something secret, there was no way they couldn't do so.'

'Which means they deliberately spread the information, making sure everyone knew about it.'

Li Fan's thoughts shifted, and he immediately understood.

'The Ten Great Sects have never been able to determine the location of the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace. That's why they deliberately released this information, hoping to provoke their enemy into revealing themselves.'

'They want the Taiyuan Realm to relocate the Taiyuan Furnace, thereby exposing its location...'

'They have already been forced to resort to such a scheme. It seems the Ten Great Sects' situation is indeed far from optimistic.'

From merely observing one corner of the battlefield, Li Fan had already glimpsed the overall state of the war.

However, Li Fan continued pretending to be completely ignorant, displaying a mixture of nervousness and fear on his face.

After delivering Li Fan to his destination, Duan Yuxiao soon took his leave.

Cao Yingyue watched her senior brother's departing figure as he flew away, her expression somewhat complicated.

Just then...

A streak of light shot out from the depths of the Taiyuan Realm at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. In an instant, it pierced straight through Duan Yuxiao's body!

He did not even have time to struggle or cry out. His body exploded violently, transforming into a mass of blood and flesh.

His soul scattered, his body perished, and his Dao was extinguished!

Cao Yingyue was initially stunned. Only after a moment did she realize what had happened.

"Senior Brother!"

A heart-wrenching cry escaped her throat as she hurried toward the place where the tragedy had occurred.

However, just as she reached midair, she abruptly stopped.

"Enemy attack!"

"Form ranks!"

Cao Yingyue's voice resounded throughout this Xuanhuang Realm fortress. She seemed to have regained her composure in an instant, but the slight trembling of her body still betrayed her inner turmoil.

Not long after Cao Yingyue issued her orders, Li Fan witnessed an overwhelming army of several hundred thousand cultivators surge out of the depths of the Taiyuan Realm, advancing fearlessly.

Countless streaks of light filled the sky as they launched a charge toward the defensive line established by the Xuanhuang Realm.

The fortress where Li Fan was stationed was merely one insignificant position among those struck by this terrifying tide.

The situation had changed so rapidly that Cao Yingyue and the cultivators within the fortress no longer had any time to concern themselves with Li Fan.

Furthermore, with the assistance of the Divine Ability, Illusion Is Also Truth, Li Fan seemed to have been forgotten by the battlefield itself.

However, his own situation was hardly pleasant.

Because of his interference, Duan Yuxiao had died unexpectedly. The backlash from the River of Time caused by this chain of events was even more violent than he had anticipated.

'It seems that Duan Yuxiao of the Taishang Sect held an extremely important position in the original future. That is understandable, considering that the battle situation had already reached such a critical stage, yet Duan Yuxiao was still able to remain safely in the rear without going to the battlefield.'

Li Fan struggled to maintain his balance as the surroundings suddenly descended into chaos, battered by turbulent forces like a boat caught in a raging storm.

Fortunately, he had already established a solid foundation through his previous arrangements in Evergreen Valley. Otherwise, he might not have been able to withstand the erosion of this turbulent flow.

'If nothing unexpected happens, the Xuanhuang Realm should suffer a crushing defeat in this battle and ultimately retreat in disgrace.'

'Afterward, all records of this humiliating defeat will be erased.'

'From then on, the fortune of the Ten Great Sects will begin to decline after reaching its peak. After enduring calamities such as the rise of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, the inability to cultivate different methods simultaneously, and the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, they will eventually disappear completely beneath the currents of history.'

'And this critical turning point happens to be where I am establishing my foundation!'

A sharp glint flashed through Li Fan's eyes.

An ordinary person who had nearly perished in the turbulence caused by a deviation in the River of Time would undoubtedly choose the safest approach. They would first stabilize their temporal anchor before considering anything else.

Li Fan, however, chose the opposite approach. Instead, he glimpsed a method of rapidly establishing an exceptionally stable temporal anchor.

'Once this anchor is established, even if the River of Time changes course and creates an entirely different future, I will remain unharmed amid the upheaval. That is because every Xuanhuang cultivator in later generations will remember my deeds.'

'Rather than merely establishing an anchor in one particular era, I will leave behind a legacy that endures throughout the ages, spanning the entire River of Time, from antiquity to the present!'

The power of the Longevity Great Dao that Li Fan had witnessed within the River of Time, appearing like countless towering lighthouses, had given him inspiration.

Thus, in an instant, he made his decision.

'However, I should not make any drastic moves right from the beginning.'

'Let the butterfly first flap its wings at this fortress.'

Li Fan looked toward the distant battlefield. Cao Yingyue was being besieged by three Taiyuan Realm cultivators. Her situation was growing increasingly desperate, and she was on the verge of following in her senior brother's footsteps.

Li Fan flicked his finger.

Cao Yingyue was already gravely wounded, and her consciousness had begun to blur. Yet suddenly, the scene of her beloved Senior Brother Duan dying tragically appeared before her eyes once more.

He had possessed limitless prospects for the future, yet he had died unjustly on this battlefield.

A surge of murderous rage suddenly erupted within Cao Yingyue's heart, accompanied by an endless torrent of power that blazed like an inferno.

Her body and soul seemed to be burning. Driven into a state of madness, Cao Yingyue swung her blade and instantly turned the tables, killing all three Taiyuan Realm cultivators who had surrounded her.

She then continued fearlessly counterattacking the cultivators assaulting the fortress.

Witnessing Cao Yingyue's extraordinary bravery, the Ten Great Sects cultivators stationed there were infected by her fighting spirit. One after another, they began resisting with everything they had.

After more than half a day of brutal defense, the Taiyuan Realm cultivators, who had been attacking relentlessly like a swarm of locusts, were finally repelled for the time being.

The cultivators believed this was the reward for their perseverance.

They had no idea that everything had been secretly arranged by Li Fan.

And it was not merely this fortress.

If one widened their perspective and looked at the entire Taiyuan Realm, they would notice that its originally unified Great Dao had seemingly been contaminated by certain impurities. It was gradually becoming turbid.

An invisible, ravine-like line stretched across the entire Taiyuan Realm, dividing the battlefield in two.

The Taiyuan Realm cultivators who sensed this abnormality were forced to withdraw.

The Ten Great Sects cultivators who had survived the calamity lay weakly on the ground, savoring what might well be their final moments.

Li Fan was no different. He, too, was almost completely exhausted.

It was not merely because of the influence he had exerted through his own enlightenment and the formations he had quietly laid out. This was a major undertaking that had altered the overall situation in the Taiyuan Realm.

He also had to contend with the renewed turbulence arising from the River of Time.

"This is the absolute limit of what I can accomplish for now."

"The foundation I established earlier is no longer sufficient to withstand such turbulent waves."

Sensing that his own condition was on the verge of collapse, Li Fan deliberately released a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy.

In an instant, he attracted the attention of the surviving cultivators nearby.

For a moment, everyone turned to look at him in surprise.

"Has he broken through?"

"Heh, Nascent Soul. At most, it will only slightly increase his chances of survival."

"Still, to survive that sudden assault just now while at the Golden Core Realm, and then achieve enlightenment and break through after the battle... This man is no ordinary cultivator! Who exactly is he? I don't recall seeing him before."

"There is immense terror between life and death, but there are also great opportunities. My master truly did not deceive me!"

...

Amid the discussions, rumors about "Li Ping" of Evergreen Valley gradually began to spread.

The mere fact that he had voluntarily requested to join the battlefield was enough to earn the admiration of these cultivators from the Ten Great Immortal Sects, who had personally experienced the horrors of war and the constant threat of death.

Until the upheaval affecting heaven and earth was completely resolved, the Taiyuan Realm's forces did not dare launch another attack.

Thus, everyone was able to enjoy a relatively peaceful night.

Late that night, while Cao Yingyue was fast asleep, she suddenly fell into the nightmare of Senior Brother Duan's tragic death once again.

"Senior Brother!"

She cried out instinctively.

Senior Brother Duan seemed to sense her call. Just before disappearing, he cast one last affectionate glance at her.

Then, a tiny point of light flew out from his body.

It gradually entered Cao Yingyue's consciousness.

Boom!

The nightmare was instantly swept away. A scene as brilliant as the starry sky suddenly appeared before Cao Yingyue's eyes.

The incomparably magnificent sight temporarily made her forget the pain in her heart.

"The Supreme Dao Scripture?"

Before this breathtakingly beautiful scene, Cao Yingyue could not help staring blankly, completely entranced.

...

After Cao Yingyue regained consciousness, Li Fan took the initiative to visit her and apologize.

"Apologize? What exactly do you have to apologize for?" Cao Yingyue asked coldly.

"If it weren't for escorting me to the battlefield, Senior Brother Duan wouldn't have..." Li Fan lowered his head and said with deep remorse.

"..."

In truth, Cao Yingyue had initially harbored precisely such thoughts.

However, she also understood that she could not blame him for what had happened. Life and death were unpredictable, and on the battlefield, one's life was never truly one's own. Everything depended on the will of Heaven.

Did Duan Yuxiao's life count as a life, but the countless disciples of the Ten Great Immortal Sects did not?

Besides, Li Fan had also been a loyal cultivator who had voluntarily joined the battlefield.

If she used this incident as an excuse to make trouble for him, the countless cultivators from the Ten Great Immortal Sects fighting on this battlefield would never accept it.

Cao Yingyue understood this principle and had already put the matter behind her.

Now that Li Fan had taken the initiative to bring it up, it was as though a gentle breeze had swept past, and all grievances were wiped away.

"Just make sure you stay alive."

"Live on for Senior Brother Duan as well."

Cao Yingyue said expressionlessly.

...

Over the following six months, dozens of battles, both large and small, broke out once again between the Taiyuan Realm and the Xuanhuang Realm.

Although the Ten Great Immortal Sects continued to suffer heavy losses, with the powerful support of the Xuanhuang Realm behind them, they could replenish their forces and resources on a massive scale, allowing them to barely hold their ground.

The cultivators of the Taiyuan Realm, meanwhile, could resurrect after death. However, the Taiyuan Heaven and Earth experienced periodic disturbances that severely affected the efficiency of their resurrection. Until they thoroughly understood the source of these disturbances, they did not dare launch a full-scale counteroffensive either.

As a result, the war entered a stalemate for the time being.

As the Ten Great Immortal Sects considered the future course of the war, disagreements gradually began to emerge among them.

Judging from the current situation, the immortal spiritual qi within the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace was clearly not going to be exhausted anytime soon. Although they were reluctant to admit it, they had no choice but to acknowledge that they had made a fatal misjudgment earlier.

However, now that things had come this far, responsibility could only be assigned and the various parties held accountable after the war ended. The immediate priority was deciding what to do next.

Having already made one mistake, the Xuanhuang Realm could not afford to bear the cost of making another.

Quite a few people advocated withdrawing their forces.

Among those who remained silent, an even greater number secretly shared the same opinion.

However, the reason the Ten Great Immortal Sects could still publicly maintain their united stance of fighting to the bitter end was the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation, inherited from the ancient Xuantian Sect.

Originally, the golden chains of the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation had represented their hope of escaping the Immortal Ruins.

They had never expected that these chains would instead become a mire of misfortune.

And now, they were trapped within that mire, unable to extricate themselves.

The so-called mire did not merely refer to the war itself. More importantly, it referred to those golden chains!

The Xuanhuang Realm's forces had naturally also noticed the strange upheavals occurring in the Taiyuan Realm.

They did not know the exact situation of the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace. However, the changes occurring within the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation were clearly visible to them.

The golden chains spanning the void, which had already reached their limit and were on the verge of completely shattering, had unexpectedly begun to recover little by little!

This should have been cause for celebration among the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

Yet from top to bottom, none of them could feel the slightest joy.

That was because the price of the golden chains recovering was that they were gradually merging into the very fabric of the Taiyuan Realm!

No one, not even the Sect Masters of the Ten Great Immortal Sects, could figure out why such an exceedingly bizarre phenomenon was occurring.

Only one undeniable fact stood before them: even if they wanted to withdraw now, they could no longer do so.

As a component of the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation, the golden chains spanning the void were connected to the Xuanhuang Realm.

Even if they withdrew their forces from the Taiyuan Realm, as long as they failed to retrieve the golden chains, the Taiyuan cultivators could follow them along the chains and launch an invasion of the Xuanhuang Realm.

As for severing the chains...

The Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation had already reached the level of an immortal-grade formation. Although the Ten Great Immortal Sects had always prided themselves on inheriting the legacy of the Immortal Realm, they were still nowhere near capable of freely modifying an immortal-grade formation. At present, all they could do was activate and manipulate it.

More importantly, the Xuanhuang Realm was still situated within the Abyss of the Immortal Ruins. Forcefully severing the chains could very well inflict severe damage upon the Xuanhuang Realm, causing it to fall into the Immortal Ruins.

Consequently, all ten sects collectively rejected this proposal.

Thus, only one path remained before the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

Even if they decided not to continue attacking the Taiyuan Realm, they would still have to establish defensive fortresses to prevent a counterattack from the Taiyuan Realm.

To accomplish this, they would need to commit even more manpower and resources.

"Everyone, have you heard about the emergence of an organization called the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance in various parts of the Xuanhuang Realm?"

"They are nothing more than a bunch of rogue cultivators making trouble."

"We originally intended to suppress them after dealing with the Taiyuan Realm. But given the current circumstances..."

"Perhaps we can draw them into the battlefield instead."