My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1051: Sacrificial Offering, Xuantian King

"Perhaps these two notions aren't contradictory. It's possible that both half-immortal entities, through their mutual interactions, attained the profound insights necessary for a breakthrough..."

"Both likely possessed the potential to truly cast off their mortal shells and ascend to the status of an immortal."

"The Great Mage of Heavenly Capital sought to resonate with the Dao by emulating the Immortal of the Immortal Ruins."

"As for the Xuantian King..."

Images from the fragmented memories of the Xuantian Sect’s Dharma King surfaced in Li Fan's mind.

"He met with an unforeseen disaster during his moment of breakthrough."

Li Fan had previously questioned Dan Xuan regarding the sudden collapse of the Xuantian Sect at the hands of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

The old man, however, had been evasive and vague.

He claimed ignorance, describing the final victory as something achieved in a total daze.

It was as if the Xuantian Sect had been defeated in a manner that defied explanation.

"Dan Xuan is definitely keeping secrets. However, it is certain that a third party, separate from both the Xuantian Sect and the Ten Great Immortal Sects, played a role in that ancient downfall."

"This force manipulated the Ten Great Immortal Sects into rebellion, exploiting the Xuantian King's attempt to purge internal traitors to fuel the flames of war."

"On the surface, the Ten Great Immortal Sects emerged as the victors, seizing command over the cultivation path within the Xuanhuang Realm. Yet, the Xuantian King might have been the actual prey all along."

Li Fan’s thoughts raced.

Recalling Mo Rubin’s intense fear of the Faceless True Immortal statue, a daring hypothesis took root in Li Fan’s heart.

"Could this have been orchestrated by the zealots of the Faceless True Immortal?"

"Was the Xuantian King, at the precipice of immortality, intended as a sacrificial tribute to the Faceless True Immortal...?"

During the years he spent using the statue to propagate the [True Immortal of Salvation and Mortal Compassion], Li Fan had watched the faith of cultivators manifest and solidify from nothing.

The Source Essence Power was capable of performing miracles, turning the impossible into reality and fulfilling the deepest desires of cultivators.

Even within the Federation of All Worlds—a project Li Fan had started on a whim and barely managed—there was no shortage of followers completely mesmerized by the True Immortal's influence, offering their total devotion.

This effect would have been far more potent in the ancient Xuantian Sect, where statues of the Faceless True Immortal were once ubiquitous.

Even if the Xuantian King eventually sensed the danger and purged the physical statues from his headquarters, how could he ever scrub the image from the hearts of his followers?

Between following a Half-immortal with an uncertain future or a True Immortal—perhaps even an entity on the level of the [Nameless True Immortal]—most would choose the latter.

"This explains why Mo Rubin lost all confidence in me the moment he saw the statue I presented."

Having reconstructed a likely version of the truth, Li Fan turned his focus back to the current location of the Xuantian King.

"There are two paths here. First, he was successfully harvested like a ripe fruit and consumed by the Faceless True Immortal, erased from existence. In this scenario, the True Immortal’s power still haunts the Xuanhuang Realm, waiting for the next harvest."

"Second, the consumption failed. The Xuantian King managed a narrow escape. The enraged True Immortal then took its wrath out on those fanatic believers, causing them to vanish without a trace or memory."

"The second scenario seems more probable. In the modern Xuanhuang Realm, no orthodox legacy of the Faceless True Immortal remains except for my own line. Had the sacrifice succeeded and the followers tasted the rewards of the True Immortal, they never would have stopped."

A sharp glint appeared in Li Fan’s eyes.

"Mo Rubin is desperate to save the Tianxuan Mirror and even willing to participate in a charade with me because he is certain the Xuantian King survives. Furthermore, the Tianxuan Mirror must hold the key to his location."

"So that is the hidden truth."

"Since the moment they vanished from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters, they haven't been seen in the Xuanhuang Realm. Neither the paper figures of the Du'e Sect nor the surveillance of the Tianxuan Mirror have found a trace of them."

"They must have detached from the primary space of the Tianxuan Mirror to emerge in a completely different realm."

"..."

"It appears I must find a way to confront Dharma-Transmitter Zhou face-to-face."

Li Fan returned his attention to the white jade statue he had meticulously built.

He began recording the voices and blurred images being transmitted through the icon.

He cross-referenced these leads with the cultivator records stored within the Tianxuan Mirror.

He was searching for a crack in their defenses.

Most of the individuals he identified were already blacklisted by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance—essentially "dead" men in the eyes of the law.

However, after ten days of relentless observation, Li Fan finally spotted someone who was not a fugitive and still held a legitimate identity within the Alliance's system.

"How bold, to show no concern for the safety of his kin..."

Li Fan mused, but upon digging into the records of this Nascent Soul cultivator named You Chihsong...

He realized the man's actions were likely calculated.

You Chihsong was a Nascent Soul cultivator.

He was the firstborn son of the prestigious You family in Tianchen Prefecture.

A decade ago, he stood at the threshold of the Soul Transformation realm.

Yet, his father had granted the family's only lead regarding a [Heaven and Earth Life-Transformation] to his younger brother, You Chibo.

This act effectively destroyed his path to Soul Transformation.

Most of the You family had supported this decision.

The reason was simple: You Chibo’s talent was far superior to that of You Chihsong.

Despite having every resource at his disposal, You Chihsong had required nearly a century to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

In contrast, You Chibo had achieved the same feat in just over thirty years.

The disparity was so immense that even You Chihsong's mother could only offer him pitying sighs.

But You Chihsong burned with indignation!

He was the one who had discovered the Heaven and Earth Transformation and brought the news to the family.

It should have been his birthright, yet it was stolen and handed to his brother!

From that moment, a deep-seated malice grew within him.

The violent purges conducted by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance provided him with the perfect opening to strike back at his family.

By chance, he crossed paths with Dharma-Transmitter Zhou while she was rescuing survivors.

The moment he laid eyes on these "insurgents," a plan for mutual destruction formed in his mind.

He immediately dropped to his knees, pleading to be recruited.

Moved by You Chihsong's apparent fervor, Dharma-Transmitter Zhou brought him into her secluded minor world.

Initially, You Chihsong intended to embed himself with the rebels and then turn them all in to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

However, as he spent time with Dharma-Transmitter Zhou and witnessed her convictions,

And as he lived among his new companions, You Chihsong’s perspective began to warp.

Compared to the monumental task of purging the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and returning Dharma-Transmitter Zhou to her rightful path, his family grudge over a Soul Transformation opportunity felt insignificant.

He had once been consumed by petty hate.

Now, You Chihsong possessed a much more "noble" ambition.

He would bring justice and purity back to the Xuanhuang Realm!

...

By synthesizing the snippets of You Chihsong's recent conversations with his historical data,

Li Fan easily mapped out the cultivator's psychological transformation.