My Longevity Simulation

"Your idea was correct. Unfortunately, you failed to understand your own position."

This was Li Fan's assessment.

The Great Dao Starry Sky he had displayed within that thin fragment was simply too far beyond the mundane world. It had already surpassed the limits of what cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm could even imagine.

To the ants crawling on the ground, naturally, there was no way to distinguish between the First Heaven and the Thirty-Third Heaven above.

That old Daoist thought he had missed out on nothing more than a method of attaining immortality. Little did he realize that what he had actually missed was a supreme Great Dao leading directly to the Other Shore!

"Even now, he still possesses the pride unique to himself. Perhaps only when he eventually falls and approaches the end of his life will he truly regret it."

Li Fan shook his head slightly.

To Li Fan, following his own Great Dao and learning from other powerful experts were not mutually exclusive.

He could learn the Transformations Between Truth and Falsehood from [Truth], comprehend the limitless immortal arts from Mountains and Seas, and study the Great Dao of Longevity from Lord Hill Guardian. Yet none of this prevented Li Fan from ultimately walking his own path.

Even the Sect Masters of the Ten Great Sects were, in Li Fan's eyes, nothing more than insignificant ants among the droplets in the River of Time. They were not worth devoting too much attention to.

What Li Fan truly cared about was the grand spectacle he had painstakingly arranged.

With a subtle movement of his fingers, the balance of victory gradually tilted toward the Taiyuan Realm.

The "abnormal malfunction" of the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace seemed to have finally been repaired. Its resurrection efficiency had even surpassed what it had been before.

Although no one understood the reason behind this bizarre phenomenon, it did not prevent the cultivators of the Taiyuan Realm from seizing this excellent opportunity to launch a swift counterattack and secure their victory.

The Xuanhuang cultivators on the battlefield immediately felt the pressure mounting.

During the previous six months, the attacks of the Taiyuan Realm cultivators had generally lasted only five or six days before they temporarily withdrew. This time, however, their offensive was completely different, far more ferocious than before.

The enemies died in wave after wave, yet they seemed endless.

There were even shocking scenes in which two or three incomplete corpses belonging to the same person appeared on a single battlefield.

Although the Ten Great Immortal Sects had reacted quickly enough and immediately mobilized their reserve forces for reinforcement, the front lines were still forced to retreat continuously.

The territory of the Taiyuan Realm, which had been occupied through countless sacrifices and tremendous effort, was lost inch by inch.

The surviving Xuanhuang Realm cultivators were gradually compressed into their final defensive perimeter.

It seemed that after enduring several dozen consecutive days of fierce fighting, the Taiyuan Realm had finally reached its limit as well. A rare moment of tranquility descended upon the battlefield. All the Xuanhuang soldiers seized this final opportunity to catch their breath and recover their strength as much as possible.

Yet even under such an oppressive environment, not the slightest trace of despair emerged in their minds.

All that remained was an unwavering determination to fight the enemy to the death when they charged at them again.

At the center of the Xuanhuang defensive position, Qu Yixing, Sect Master of the First Origin Sect, sat cross-legged in midair with a solemn expression.

Above his head, the Five Elements revolved around the two forces of Yin and Yang, spinning rapidly like a Taiji diagram. Waves of mysterious fluctuations spread outward from the vortex, influencing and altering the minds of the Xuanhuang cultivators on the battlefield.

"Brother Yixing, although your method is ingenious, it is not a long-term solution."

"It can sustain them for one more month at most. Otherwise, every single one of them will become a monster that has completely lost its reason, with nothing remaining in their minds except the desire to kill."

Sima Yao spoke in a grave tone.

"One month... I doubt the current situation can even last that long. Everyone, perhaps it is time to make a decision."

The one who spoke was Fang Dingge, Sect Master of the Grand Dao Sect.

"I have already requested the Stone Mother to perform a hundred billion rounds of deductions. There is a fifty-six percent chance of success. The advantage is on our side. Rather than hesitate, we might as well stake everything on one decisive gamble!"

To Fang Dingge, a fifty-six percent chance was practically equivalent to a guaranteed victory.

None of the people present responded.

"Of course, if any of you are confident that you can sever the golden chains stretching across the sky while guaranteeing the safety of the Xuanhuang Realm, then you may disregard my plan."

Fang Dingge's sharp gaze swept across everyone.

"The safety of the Xuanhuang Realm cannot be guaranteed completely. However, if we are only concerned with the safety of the Ten Great Sects, perhaps that can be accomplished."

After a moment of silence, the one who spoke was a crumpled yellow paper figure.

The paper figure examined Fang Dingge with a strange and twisted expression, appearing neither to smile nor to cry.

Upon hearing this, a trace of anger flashed across Fang Dingge's face.

"Yi Jue! Do not start promoting your Du'e Plan again. In a battle this bloody, it would be one thing if your sect contributed no one. But now you even want to sow discord and undermine the morale of our forces?!"

"If you continue behaving like this, do not blame the Dao-Burning Furnace in my hands for showing no mercy!"

Faced with Fang Dingge's threat, Daoist Yi Jue of the Du'e Sect remained completely unfazed. He chuckled.

"Sect Master Fang, you are mistaken. As the saying goes, before planning for defeat, one must first plan for victory. You are always so fond of gambling. Perhaps you can win countless times, but as long as you lose just once, you will meet your end, body and Dao destroyed. Tell me, who in this world can keep winning forever?"

Fang Dingge replied coldly, "There is no point in saying more! The facts will prove everything. Besides, apart from my strategy, do you have a better solution? Or are you suggesting that everyone should become monsters neither human nor ghost, just like you?"

"Neither human nor ghost, does that not make one an immortal? Since you are unwilling, I will not force you. However, do not expect anything from our Du'e Sect. This old Daoist shall take his leave!"

Daoist Yi Jue chuckled in a somewhat inscrutable manner.

The previously vivid expression on the paper figure instantly froze. It then slowly drifted down to the ground.

Daoist Yi Jue of the Du'e Sect had transformed into nothing more than an ordinary sheet of paper.

The remaining people present fell completely silent.

"Hmph. Under the influence of that old madman Yi Jue, I suspect the entire Du'e Sect will eventually turn into paper figures. Perhaps we should..."

A dangerous glint flashed through Fang Dingge's eyes.

Sima Yao gave an awkward laugh and hurriedly intervened.

"The Ten Great Sects have always stood together as one. In the past, we endured calamities far more dangerous than this one. How could we ruin our longstanding ties over something like this?"

Fang Dingge, however, showed no intention of backing down.

"Things are different now. After several great battles, how much energy remains in the immortal artifacts in everyone's possession? Without immortal spiritual qi, what difference is there between these artifacts and piles of scrap metal? We relied on these immortal treasures to survive this far in the starry sky by sheer luck. But what are we supposed to do in the future when we can no longer use our immortal artifacts?"

...

The representatives of the Ten Great Sects continued arguing without reaching an agreement.

In the end, it was a female cultivator who brought their dispute to an end.

She wore a layer of black gauze, and her figure was graceful and enchanting. However, her voice was as grating as metal being torn apart.

"Since everyone has their reasons, why don't we place our bets on both sides? Do not forget that we still possess one immortal artifact we seized from the enemy."

Xiahou Yan, Lord of the Indeterminate Prison, swept her gaze across everyone.

The others felt as though they had been stabbed by invisible swords. One after another, they instinctively narrowed their eyes and avoided meeting Xiahou Yan's direct gaze.

"That immortal artifact is far too strange. It would be best not to use it lightly..."

Even Fang Dingge hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and rejecting the proposal.

Xiahou Yan let out a cold laugh.

Right in front of all the Sect Masters of the Ten Great Sects, she openly mocked them.

"The leaders of the Ten Great Sects should have been among the greatest heroes under heaven. Who would have thought that, instead, you would turn out to be such a timid bunch, constantly hesitating and wavering between both sides?"

Although her words were unpleasant, she had ended up insulting herself as well. The others merely wore awkward expressions and found it difficult to criticize her.

"Still, you cannot really blame them. The more power and authority you possess, the more things you have to consider. Your sect, the world, all living beings..."

"None of it is nearly as carefree as when we were alone, roaming the world unhindered!"

Xiahou Yan spoke in a calm voice.

Her words seemed to evoke memories of the past in everyone present, and the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

It was Xiahou Yan who eventually spoke again.

"Think it over. Although the [Bipartite Immortal Seed] is mysterious and unpredictable, it can split every one of us into two without any loss. It gives us another option, another way out, and another chance at survival."

"It should not have come to such a desperate point yet."

Jiang Yixing and the others still refused to agree with Xiahou Yan's proposal.

"Although the Bipartite Immortal Seed is extraordinarily profound, its side effects are equally severe. We used it once back then, and it took us nearly a hundred years to fully digest its effects. Lu Chengheng and Yi Jue of the Du'e Sect were originally among the more normal ones. Yet both of them have become the lunatics they are today..."

"But did we not win in the end? Those three cultivation worlds have already turned to dust. Since we endured it once, we can endure it a second time." Xiahou Yan remained adamant.

Only when she noticed the doubtful gazes gradually turning toward her did Xiahou Yan realize that she had become somewhat carried away.

She snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Another long silence followed.

Situ Yao drained the wine from the gourd in his hand and finally grew impatient.

"I believe Senior Brother Fang Dingge's method is viable. I witnessed the Stone Mother carrying out its deductions from beginning to end. I have a reasonable degree of confidence in bringing the war against the Taiyuan Realm to an end."

"If none of you are willing, then let me do it."

"At worst, it will cost me my life. Since when has I, Situ Yao, ever feared death?"

"Good!"

Fang Dingge was greatly encouraged to finally have someone supporting his proposal.

Now that opinions were beginning to converge, the remaining people had no choice but to seriously reconsider the matter.

Just then, a timid voice came from a corner.

"My Master said that he agrees with Sect Master Fang's plan. However, our Taishang Sect will only send three people to provide assistance."

The speaker was Cao Yingyue.

This female cultivator had slaughtered countless enemies on the battlefield, cutting down opponents in every direction. Yet before the various sect masters, she behaved like a child and had barely dared to utter a word earlier.

Only after receiving a transmission from her Master did she finally speak up timidly.

Everyone had already harbored some dissatisfaction over the old Daoist's absence. Now, upon hearing that the Taishang Sect was only willing to send three people to participate in a plan concerning the very survival of the Xuanhuang Realm, their expressions became even more unpleasant.

However, when they saw the three names materialize from the specks of starlight in Cao Yingyue's hand, no one voiced any further objections.

The reason was simple. These three were already among the Taishang Sect's most powerful combatants. Any one of them possessed strength that was hardly inferior to that of the people present.

After another round of arguments, everyone finally began to reach a consensus.

The Ten Great Sects then started discussing the specific details of the operation.

Fang Dingge reiterated the fundamental reason behind their repeated failures.

"The reason we have been unable to achieve victory and have remained locked in a stalemate with the Taiyuan Realm is the existence of that immortal artifact, the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace."

"Whether in terms of numbers or individual strength, the cultivators of the Taiyuan Realm are far inferior to those of our Xuanhuang Realm. Unfortunately, they are impossible to kill permanently. Even if we exchange injuries for the lives of more than a dozen Dao Integration cultivators, we still need considerable time to recuperate. Yet, just a few days later, those same enemies appear on the battlefield completely unharmed."

Clearly recalling the losses they had suffered before, Fang Dingge spoke through gritted teeth.

"The key to breaking this stalemate is destroying the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace. We refrained from acting before because we could never determine its exact location. We repeatedly tried to probe it through various schemes, but none of them worked. However, now..."

A sharp glint flashed through Fang Dingge's eyes.

"Perhaps because this matter truly concerns the survival of the Xuanhuang Realm, that Great Celestial Venerable, who has always been taciturn and indifferent to worldly affairs, has finally agreed to offer us some guidance."

With a wave of Fang Dingge's hand, an illusory image of the Taiyuan Realm appeared in the air before them.

Numerous flickering points of light could be seen throughout it. Each one represented the location of the Taiyuan Resurrection Furnace.

"According to the Great Celestial Venerable, this so-called Resurrection Furnace is actually an ancient immortal-grade formation. As long as we destroy several of its crucial nodes, we can disrupt its resurrection capabilities for a certain period."

"That will be more than enough for us to completely sweep through this world!" Fang Dingge declared solemnly.

"This location corresponds to..." Cao Yingyue stared at the image before her and suddenly froze, lost in thought.

"That's right. It is deep within the Taiyuan Realm, at the former location of the Taiyuan Realm's greatest cultivation sect, the Tianyu Dao Palace."

"The entire Taiyuan Realm is covered by this immortal-grade grand formation. Infiltrating its depths and successfully destroying the formation will undoubtedly be extremely dangerous..."

"Nevertheless, the odds are still in our favor!" Fang Dingge declared.

"Since the beginning of the war, every cultivator who has appeared on the Taiyuan battlefield has already been included in the Stone Mother's deductions and calculations. It has even accounted for an additional one-third of their strength as a safety margin."

"Even so, we still have a fifty-six percent chance of successfully accomplishing our objective."

As Fang Dingge spoke, hundreds of densely packed points of light suddenly appeared across the illusory image of the Taiyuan Realm.

Each point represented a cultivator at or above the peak of Soul Transformation whose strength posed a threat to their operation.

When someone's divine sense focused on one of these points, information about the corresponding cultivator appeared. In addition to their appearance and cultivation strength, it also displayed the various divine abilities and spells they had previously used on the battlefield.

"Their ability to resurrect infinitely is their greatest advantage. Yet, it is also their most fatal weakness."

"They still know absolutely nothing about us, whereas we already know them like the backs of our hands."

Everyone present was captivated by the scene before them.

Even Xiahou Yan and the others, who had initially disagreed with Fang Dingge's risky proposal, silently studied the information and began contemplating it.

Meanwhile, not far away, Li Fan had witnessed the entire secret discussion of the Ten Great Sects through Cao Yingyue's eyes. He could not help shaking his head slightly.

"Even without my involvement, with the strength they have assembled, they have no chance of breaking through the layers of protection formed by the Taiyuan cultivators and destroying the immortal formation."

Li Fan immediately identified the fatal flaw in their plan.

The defensive immortal formation reinforced by the Nine-Star Red Pearl was far more than a mere mechanism for creating living beings.

There were many other abilities besides that. Although the Watcher and Restoration Official within the Taiyuan Immortal Formation might not know how to activate them, they could certainly temporarily stimulate the potential of the living beings they had created, causing their combat strength to skyrocket within a short period.

Although the price would be the rapid burning of these creations' lifespans, they would only need to hold back the Xuanhuang Realm's adventurers for a brief period to completely ruin their plan.

They might even succeed in burying the Xuanhuang Realm's elite forces there.

"It is exactly the same as the Ten Great Sects' previous plan to assassinate the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor."

"However, it seems that without my involvement, they would all be betting on the wrong side and suffering defeat."