My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1183: The Sea Relic Conceals Profound Secrets

Although Li Fan, the Holy Embryo, had resolved to uncover secrets regarding the immense power held by the Star Sea from this surviving civilization, he refrained from making any impulsive moves.

He had, after all, traversed the majority of the desolate Darkest Star Sea. To stave off the decay caused by the Void Black Spot, he had slashed away portions of his own divine soul, resulting in a severe degradation of his capabilities.

Should he fail to procure intelligence and instead end up captured by his targets, it would be a humiliation beyond measure.

“Given that a civilization persists within this wasteland, they must possess techniques to evade the strange corruption of the void. I shall remain cloaked, restore my vitality, and deliberate on my next course of action.”

With those thoughts, the Holy Embryo settled on a plan.

He touched the center of his forehead, placing a restriction upon his weakened divine soul. Should the situation devolve, he could trigger the seal to shatter his soul, ensuring he would perish rather than be taken.

Only then did Li Fan shroud himself and begin exploring the graveyard of remnants.

He avoided the path of the mysterious figure he had seen earlier, suspecting it might be a lure. Instead, the Holy Embryo struck out in an entirely different direction, venturing deeper into the expanse.

“The void is rife with peril. If there are cultivators lurking here, they must rely on formations and restrictions for security. I need only detect traces of their aura to track them back to their origin. My proficiency in formations far exceeds that of the Xuanhuang Realm, so no one here should be able to hide from my gaze.”

This was Li Fan’s initial assumption.

However, after a ten-day search through the ruins, he failed to detect even a shred of formation energy or evidence of civilization. There wasn't a whisper of life anywhere.

The Holy Embryo even began to wonder if the figure he had spotted earlier had been a mere phantom.

Yet, he remained steadfast. Like a predator lying in wait, he persisted in the shadows.

Seventeen days later, he finally caught a break.

A trio of cultivators appeared. Clad in strange armor, they moved back-to-back, remaining constantly vigilant.

Their sudden appearance genuinely caught Li Fan off guard.

The stagnant debris floating in the void shifted position, and an entrance manifested from the emptiness of space.

As soon as the three had emerged, the debris drifted back to its original configuration, causing the gateway to vanish.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, surveying the surrounding relics.

A moment later, the pattern clicked into place.

“Remarkable! It is not a standalone formation, but one woven into these naturally drifting relics, rendering it near-indistinguishable from the surroundings.”

“And more importantly…”

The Holy Embryo edged closer to the debris.

“These remnants from the obliterated world have been partially stained by the True Immortal Seal Script. This has woven a natural defense that masks them from the divine sense of cultivators. It is precisely why I could not locate their sanctuary despite my exhaustive search,” Li Fan realized.

While the craftsmanship of the formation itself was mediocre, the introduction of the True Immortal Script—the very force that shattered the realms—elevated its complexity beyond anything he could easily circumvent with his current level of cultivation.

Naturally, if he disregarded the risk of being stained by those relics, he could potentially force a breach. However, that would betray his strategy of quiet observation.

Li Fan cast one last look at the hidden threshold and set aside his thoughts of a brute-force entry.

Instead, he shadowed the trio, keeping a close eye on their movements.

Aside from their peculiar armor, the three appeared identical to inhabitants of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Their excursion appeared centered on gathering supplies from the sea of wreckage.

Yet, their haul seemed bizarre to Li Fan.

There was no discerning pattern behind their choices—ranging from broken fragments of soul-tools and remnants of architecture to desiccated bones—all were harvested with the same urgency.

Rather than utilizing storage rings, they bound their findings with black hempen ropes and dragged them in their wake.

“This sight…” Li Fan felt a stirring of recognition.

It mirrored the manner in which the Immortal Ancestor utilized golden chains to transport pieces of fractured worlds through the void.

“Could there be a correlation?”

Half a day later, once the haul of debris trailed behind them had grown to over twenty pieces, the scouts appeared to argue amongst themselves.

Eventually, following the lead of the foremost cultivator, they abandoned the search.

Dragging their spoils, they turned back toward the hidden passage.

Li Fan kept a soundless ghost-like pace behind them.

The trio clearly operated within a limited range, never straying far from their hiding spot. They quickly arrived back at the hidden entrance.

Rhythmic lights suddenly pulsed across the armor of one of the scouts.

Li Fan perceived a discordant fluctuation bleeding from the metal.

As if a trigger had been pulled, the debris surrounding the gate rearranged itself, revealing the circular opening once more.

The three tugged their cache of twenty-plus items through the gate.

Li Fan, still hidden, intended to slip in with them.

Unexpectedly, as he crossed the threshold, a piercing chime erupted.

Li Fan’s heart rate spiked. He swiftly tethered a pre-prepared clone to one of their bundles before his main body vanished into the distance.

Because the clone remained, the alarm continued to blare even after the Holy Embryo had retreated.

The cultivators scrambled, scanning their surroundings. Finding no intruders, they turned their scrutiny upon their scavenged goods.

After a quick deliberation, they began inspecting the items individually.

They soon discovered the bundle carrying Li Fan’s clone.

Instead of destroying it, they tossed it back out into the depths of the void.

The warning chime ceased the moment the source of the anomaly was discarded.

Satisfied, the three vanished into the depths of the barrier.

Observing from afar as the entrance sealed itself again, Li Fan ultimately decided against forcing his way in.

“Fascinating. Their security system was actually capable of detecting my presence.”

His gaze burned with intrigue as he retrieved the relic that had been thrown out.

“There is indeed something strange here. On the surface, the influence of the True Immortal Script persists, yet the underlying power is almost entirely drained.”

“After so much duration, my delicate clone remains unscathed…”

Recalling the clone into his physical form, Li Fan scrutinized the discarded relic once more.

It appeared to be the shaft of a command flag, though the fabric had long since rotted away, leaving only the bare pole.

Its spirit was gone, and it possessed no remaining power.

“For what reason do they covet such useless things?”