My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1087: Immortal Realm's Edict of Ascension
Previously on My Longevity Simulation...
A tear ripped open in the heavens above the Xuanhuang Realm. Innumerable beams of holy golden radiance burst forth from the tear, casting a golden glow over the entire world. Celestial blossoms showered down, while blessed clouds gathered across the sky.
From the earth, a faintly indistinct silhouette lifted upward, gradually ascending toward the opening. The form's edges shimmered with a rainbow of seven hues, gleaming intensely and mesmerizing. As it rose into the tear, misty droplets also fell from it. Landing softly, they refreshed every living thing. Bathed in the immortal spirit rain's blessing, the whole Xuanhuang Realm shifted noticeably in an instant.
The realm grew more lively and brimming with life force. Beings across the lands, refreshed by the immortal spirit rain, gained sharper minds and greater aptitudes. Endless waves of delighted awareness from the populace echoed through the skies and earth. The world itself shared in that joy!
...
"This is..."
"Ascension?"
An old word that no cultivator could ever erase from memory surged through Li Fan's thoughts right away. The time before the immortal path's cutoff lay so far back. So much so that today, people could only catch hints of the ancient cultivation era's splendor from faded script in old books.
And right then, Li Fan got the rare chance to see a cultivator from the Xuanhuang Realm rise to immortality! His spirit quaked, utterly drawn in.
"So, when a cultivator ascends, the whole realm gains huge rewards. The more who rise from a world, the sturdier its base gets. The Xuanhuang Realm once saw many such risings. No surprise..."
The strange event of the cultivator's rise dragged on for the length of a tea's brewing. The sky's tear gradually sealed shut, and the golden beams dimmed away. Yet in the last instant, a parchment floated down from it. Caught by the breeze, it spread wide against the backdrop of the sky.
"In the Xuanhuang Realm... after cultivating for eight hundred sixty-five years, grasping the secrets of creation and achieving the Dao to ascend."
"Hereby issued this Immortal Edict to honor the deed."
"The immortal path is arduous, yet the spark endures; may those who follow strive diligently."
...
The words on the parchment blurred slightly, with the ascender's name completely absent. Overall, though, it just outlined the tale of this cultivator's path to immortality, plus a message of motivation from the Immortal Realm to the lower realm's cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm.
"Is this the [Immortal Scroll Edict] sent down from the Immortal Realm back in ancient days?"
Li Fan fixed his gaze on the plain-looking parchment, his emotions churning wildly.
"Still, this Immortal Scroll Edict's shape seems oddly recognizable. It matches almost exactly the visions that show up after a cultivator dies these days. Turns out, it wasn't some random act of the Heavenly Dao, but something based on a set pattern from way back. One marks praise from a higher realm, the other a taunt from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao toward the fallen cultivator."
Li Fan gave a light shake of his head.
"But judging by the words in this Immortal Scroll Edict, the Immortal Realm warmly embraces, even urges, ascensions. That immortal spirit rain pouring during the rise might be one kind of prize. And at some unknown moment, some dire event struck the Immortal Realm. Not just did the immortal path break, but even True Immortals had to disperse and escape..."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed involuntarily. After a good stretch of time, he pulled back his wandering mind. He glanced once more at the Immortal Scroll Edict in front of him.
"Grab it or leave it?"
A tough choice hit Li Fan square on.
"Even if it goes wrong, the next lifetime restarts everything. As long as I get a close look at the Immortal Scroll Edict myself, this journey won't be wasted."
Without much hesitation, Li Fan extended his hand, unleashing vast divine might to break the seals on the two items in a flash. Yet when he went to take them, a small issue cropped up.
Both the Desolate God Seal and Immortal Scroll Edict came from the Immortal Realm. They weren't simple things to snatch lightly. With Li Fan's strength as the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable now, grabbing one would go off without a hitch, unnoticed by the Celestial Pivot Sect's folks. But going for both together strained things a bit, bound to stir up more noise.
The first to pick up on the oddity was the third thing in the hidden chamber: that wooden chest. It appeared to feel its two old partners breaking free. The mysterious force trapped inside the wooden chest instantly stirred up. It let out pressing, soft sounds. A flood of visions rushed out, flashing nonstop in front of Li Fan's vision.
Li Fan's actions in grabbing the two items halted for a beat.
"You insolent wretch!"
A raging roar boomed like thunder right after. Then, five mighty Longevity Immortal presences flared up, fixing on Li Fan from a distance and speeding fast toward the hidden chamber.
"This is truly troublesome."
Helplessness tugged at Li Fan's core. But soon enough, he wrapped up securing the parchment and the Desolate God Seal. Eyeing the five Longevity Immortal cultivators bursting into the Celestial Pivot Courtyard, he shook his head a touch. Then, right in plain view of all, his form blinked out of sight.
Through a series of quick shifts, he escaped the Celestial Pivot Sect entirely, reaching the far southwest edge of the Xuanhuang Realm before losing the tail of those five Longevity Immortals from the Celestial Pivot Sect.
It wasn't that Li Fan couldn't stand against these Longevity Immortal cultivators, but battling them served no purpose. Li Fan checked over the two prizes he'd claimed. Putting the Desolate God Seal to the side for the moment, he carefully unrolled the Immortal Scroll Edict first.
"What a pity..."
Once he made out the parchment's details, Li Fan let out a sigh. It happened that this parchment matched exactly the version stored in the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao records! Broken and unclear!
"It goes beyond what the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable can recall. So, this Desolate God Seal is just on the surface and can't really unleash an Immortal Artifact's true might."
Interest drained from Li Fan all at once.
"Never mind. Picking up all this knowledge on Immortal Artifacts in one go is already a big score. The Celestial Pivot Sect's treasure store got looted; such an embarrassing hit won't get spread around by them. They'll just probe quietly. It'll take a while for the rest of the Ten Immortal Sects to catch wind. I've got to move fast."
With a quick shift, Li Fan reached the next spot hiding an Immortal Artifact. This round, drawing from the prior experience, Li Fan skipped lingering on the vault's other goods. He struck quick and firm, snatching the Immortal Artifacts bit by bit.
In the finish, it only cost three days to gather every Immortal Artifact from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao records. One might call it effortless; any regular cultivator with Mr. Bai's form could pull it off without sweat.
"Strange. Then, what on earth does the trial to claim the Great Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable spot check for?"
Li Fan stared at the thirteen Immortal Artifacts in all their varied forms laid out before him and sank into thought.
Meanwhile, pushed steadily by the Xuanhuang Realm's Heavenly Dao in his head, Li Fan got the following stage of the "main quest."
"The power of Xuanhuang detonates the Immortal Artifact. With immortal power coursing through the body, leap over the Immortal Wall, and henceforth roam free and unfettered..."
Sensing the eager thrill bubbling in his chest, Li Fan's breath quickened a little.