My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1063: Dao One Swallows Heaven and Earth

The initial sign of change noticed by cultivators in Shilin Prefecture was a subtle thinning of the spiritual energy permeating the world.

This development was significant. Following reports from various cultivators, the authorities of Shilin Immortal City promptly organized an investigative team.

The findings of their measurements proved that the sensation was not merely a collective delusion.

In reality, the level of spiritual energy throughout the entirety of Shilin Prefecture had dropped noticeably from its previous state.

Even though the decline was relatively minor, it cast a shadow of anxiety over the cultivators residing in Shilin Prefecture.

Furthermore, this strange phenomenon seemed restricted to Shilin Prefecture alone. Lacking any historical records to guide them, the local cultivators were forced to conduct their own inquiry into the source.

The discovery they made was terrifying.

Deep within the border regions of the province, inside the massive subterranean chambers of the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven, a species of black insect had appeared out of nowhere.

These creatures existed in massive swarms, filling almost every corner of the underground cavern.

They consumed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with insatiable hunger, breeding and spreading at a frightening pace.

The sight of a vast sea of black insects stretching as far as the eye could see left every witness trembling with dread.

Once the origin of the disturbance was found, the Shilin Prefecture cultivators reacted with haste.

They mobilized their ranks to descend upon the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven, intending to wipe out the black insects in a massive purge.

They had assumed that with the might of cultivators capable of rearranging the landscape, eradicating mere bugs would be a simple task.

However, the grim reality far surpassed anything the cultivators of Shilin Prefecture had envisioned.

To begin with, the resilience and life force of these black insects were incomprehensibly strong.

Because they fed on spiritual energy, any spiritual power unleashed against them was partially consumed, which served to dampen the impact of the attacks.

Consequently, the larger the swarm of black insects, the higher their collective "resistance" against spiritual techniques became.

Within the packed confines of the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven, the intervention of even a Nascent Soul True Lord would be like throwing a pebble into an ocean. Such a master would even risk being overwhelmed and having their internal spiritual energy siphoned away, resulting in a miserable end.

As for Soul Transformation True Monarchs, how many could Shilin Prefecture truly boast? Faced with an endless tide of subterranean insects, twenty or even thirty such experts were nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

In theory, only the power of a Dao Integration Immortal Sage could break such a stalemate.

Regrettably, the Dao Integration expert assigned to Shilin Prefecture had left for unknown reasons some time ago and had yet to return.

Every message dispatched to seek his help vanished like a stone cast into the deep sea, receiving no response.

As a result, the insect eradication efforts in Shilin Prefecture ground to a halt shortly after they began.

The solitary comfort for the local cultivators was that the black insects seemed content to remain underground rather than surfacing to expand.

Nevertheless, the awareness that such a horrific legion resided right beneath their feet was enough to ruin anyone’s peace of mind, leaving them unable to eat or sleep.

Left with no other options, Shilin Immortal City was forced to petition the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for assistance.

Far below, in the depths of the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven.

The shimmering projection of Dharma-Transmitter Zhou watched the black insects crawling across the cavern walls, her eyes betraying a hint of caution.

She had personally witnessed this entity grow from a solitary specimen into the overwhelming swarm it was now.

Initially, she had dismissed Li Fan’s warning about "a slight bit of danger" as an exaggeration.

Now, however, she felt a strong urge to keep her distance and did not dare to visit this location in person.

"Fellow Daoist, are you certain this thing won't spiral out of control?" she inquired, her face clouded with worry.

Caressing the Dao-One Insect Mother resting in his palm, Li Fan gave a faint smile: "Do not worry. The Xuanhuang Realm is our mutual home. There is no way our Federation of All Worlds would use such a method without being absolutely certain of the outcome."

"Every black insect here originated from this Dao-One Insect Mother in my hand. Their existences are tied to her. If she is slain, this entire insect plague will instantly vanish."

As if it could feel the cold intent in Li Fan's heart, the bloated insect mother rolled over and squirmed nervously against his skin.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou observed the insect mother for a long time before eventually giving a small nod.

"It is projected that within a month, the spiritual energy levels in Shilin Prefecture will hit their lowest point. The resulting vacuum will spark massive spiritual energy tempests in the neighboring prefectures. At that moment, we shall deactivate the [Spirit-Sealing Barrier]."

"Then, carried by these storms, the black insects will propagate across the entire Xuanhuang Realm in the blink of an eye."

A flickering light projection appeared before Li Fan, simulating the path of the disaster.

"The entire sequence should conclude in no more than seven days."

"By the time the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance finishes their bureaucratic reporting and reaches a formal decision, the window for action will have closed."

"When that happens, the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm will suddenly find themselves plunged into the End of the Dharma Age."

Li Fan’s voice held a trace of fervor as he once more detailed the grand strategy to Dharma-Transmitter Zhou.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou squinted her eyes, feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of dread rise within her.

Still, considering the Federation of All Worlds was such a massive entity, she reasoned they would never allow the Xuanhuang Realm to truly be destroyed. Surely, everything was being managed.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou felt slightly more at ease.

"While these black insects are indeed terrifying, they can only catch people off guard. Once the collective cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance mobilize, wiping them out won't be an impossible task."

Li Fan nodded, knowing her assessment was accurate, and smiled thinly: "We only require that brief window of opportunity."

"If this were just a simple insect plague, Dharma-Transmitter Jiang would never bother to appear personally."

"However, if the spiritual energy undergoes a mutation after recovering and puts the lives of all cultivators at risk, he will likely have no choice but to manifest."

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou agreed: "That specific type of spiritual energy does indeed warp the mind. Even with my level of cultivation, after breathing some in, I found it difficult to restrain the urge to fight Huang to the death."

"If that spreads throughout the Xuanhuang Realm..."

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou could already visualize a world drenched in blood.

"To create such a catastrophic threat to the world using only two types of tiny bugs. Your Federation of All Worlds..." Dharma-Transmitter Zhou’s projection stared at Li Fan, her gaze unreadable.

"A threat? No, not at all." Li Fan shook his head, firmly dismissing the notion.

"The moment Jiang shows himself, I will trigger the clues I’ve planted to draw him here. When that happens, he will be yours to deal with."

"As for the state of spiritual energy in the Xuanhuang Realm, there is no cause for alarm."

"Once the black insects perish, the spiritual energy they consumed will be released back into the world. Everything will return to how it was before," Li Fan stated with composure.

Since Dharma-Transmitter Zhou had confirmed this fact herself, she did not argue.

What she failed to realize, however, was that Li Fan had hidden many details beyond the shared information.

For instance, there were actually two Dao-One Insect Mothers.

The mutated Dao-One Insect Clan would only truly die out if both mothers were killed at the exact same time.

Furthermore, while the Dao-One Insects would return most of the spiritual energy upon their death...

A small portion would still be diverted into the bodies of the insect mothers as a source of energy and reserves.

And beyond that...

Spiritual energy was to the Xuanhuang Realm what blood was to a human body.

If one were to replace all the blood in a body in a very short period of time...

It was impossible to predict what kind of transformations might occur within the Xuanhuang Realm as a consequence.