My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1217: Another Layer in the Floating Across

"The Xuanhuang Realm stands as our sole dwelling place. We must safeguard it without fail." Holy Emperor Li Ping declared with utter conviction.

"Upon our return, I shall dispatch a group from the You Clan back to the Dark Sea to devote their faith. The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance seized the You Clan members, throwing the Nether Realm into chaos, so the Holy Dynasty will shoulder the full burden."

"However..."

Li Ping stared at the profoundly dark sea stretching out ahead.

"While the source power essence holds immense depth, its total amount remains finite. I wonder just how many You Clan devotees praying endlessly it would take to revive the Dark Sea."

Yin Shangren felt stirred by Li Ping's resolve. After a brief reflection, he responded: "Per the You Clan leader, at their clan's height, their people spanned the whole underground cavern realm. Estimates put their numbers at no less than five hundred thousand..."

Li Ping replied deliberately: "It looks like we need to gradually refine our handling of the You Clan."

Yin Shangren nodded his assent too.

"Let's wrap up this inspection for the moment. I sense that this darkness is starting to eye us both more closely."

A radiant golden glow shrouded Li Ping's form, lending him an aura of supreme sanctity and grandeur.

Amid the shimmering lights and shifting shadows, space and time appeared to warp and bend.

In the instant that followed, Holy Emperor Li Ping's silhouette dissolved into nothingness, whisked back to the Great Qi small world.

This feat bypassed the teleportation portals forged from You Clan sacrifices and devotions, drawing straight from the vast net of source power essence instead.

"Right now, the net's source power essence resides solely in Great Qi. Should You Clan across the Xuanhuang Realm one day offer prayers to me, I could then manifest anywhere through this bond." Holy Emperor Li Ping mused aloud.

Grasping the You Clan's true value, Li Ping called for Wang Xuanba.

He outlined the updated plan for managing the You Clan.

Besides ramping up You Clan output from the flesh factories, they were to grow the regular You Clan numbers for long-term viability.

"For these additional You Clan individuals, seek methods to extend their lives."

Wang Xuanba knelt on one knee, absorbing the Holy Emperor's directives. Though puzzled by the abrupt policy reversal, he pledged his unwavering obedience.

Once Wang Xuanba departed, Li Ping summoned Sun Erlang next.

He tasked him with commanding forces to seize multiple underground realms.

Sun Erlang, restless from inactivity, eagerly took up the mission.

Yet unlike with Wang Xuanba, Li Ping didn't dismiss him outright and probed further.

"What's the latest on Yi Shu from the Taiyan Sect?"

The Holy Dynasty's fate hinged entirely on Li Ping. As Great Qi's fated Holy Emperor, he grasped every event in the Great Qi small world intimately, yet he inquired deliberately.

Sun Erlang held nothing back, reporting in full candor.

"The Taiyan Sect truly granted your request." Li Ping's cold tone rang emotionless through the Holy Emperor's throne hall.

"That works out well enough. Should the Holy Dynasty ever crumble, seeking shelter at the Taiyan Sect offers a solid fallback."

Sun Erlang froze in shock, his face paling instantly: "Master, how could the Holy Dynasty..."

Li Ping rarely cracked a smile, but he did now: "In this realm, what victory comes without risk? Extra paths to safety never hurt. Still, this stays between us. Keep it from your juniors."

"You're dismissed."

Sun Erlang withdrew, gripped by dread and turmoil.

Li Ping remained enthroned in solitude within the vast, empty Holy Emperor's throne hall.

This brief venture into the Nether Realm had left a profound mark on his thoughts.

"Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation, Fishing Pond..."

"My power now teeters on the Xuanhuang Realm's pinnacle. Still, the realm hides countless enigmas. The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance's grip on half the Xuanhuang Realm spans ages; their roots run far deeper than shown."

"What's more, victory over the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance demands not just triumph but swiftness. Drawn-out battles among cultivators would ravage this world beyond repair yet again. It's a fragile vessel already mended; it can't endure more strain."

As the prophesied Holy Emperor, heavier burdens weighed on him.

After deep contemplation, Li Ping's form blurred and vanished from the Great Qi small world.

He rematerialized in Nine Mountains Prefecture of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Shielded by source power essence, he could now roam briefly with reduced fear for his safety.

"Heavenly Beast."

Suspended in the air, Li Ping felt the turbulent, erratic space surrounding him.

"If I'm right, the Heavenly Beast forms part of the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation too."

"Star Sea brims with perils. Crossing demands scouting ahead and dodging threats meticulously."

"The Eye of the Heavenly Beast..."

Fleeting visions surfaced in his mind.

Beyond the Xuanhuang Realm lay the Eye of the Heavenly Beast, a detached space granting clearer views into the remote Star Sea than from inside.

"Sadly, the Heavenly Beast perished long ago. Locating that singular space hinges purely on luck. The Star Sea's immensity, tugged by immortal ruins, rivals seeking a needle in the vast sea."

"Three quarters of the Floating Across Grand Formation have surfaced. The last piece eludes us entirely."

"..."

With a faint shake of his head, he shelved those notions for now. Silently, Li Ping reached the Lingyuan Sect's stronghold.

The Lingyuan Sect dominated as the top local force in Nine Mountains Prefecture's turmoil.

Its adherents practiced the Vital Essence Technique of All Living Beings, defying the ban on shared cultivation methods. Truthfully, they served as vessels for the Lingyuan Sect leader to harvest and consume source power.

Effortlessly evading defenses and tracing the source power's pulse, Li Ping entered Qiao Gong's hidden underground lair.

The area brimmed with odd, grotesque mechanisms, and amid them toiled Master Qiao Gong himself.

"What's the exact flaw?"

"Source power versus source power essence—just two words' difference, but a world apart!"

A golden source power puppet burst apart in a deafening blast, shards flying wildly.

The test had flopped, fueling Qiao Gong's frustration.

"Get over here!"

He whipped around, snarling at a nearby female cultivator, a lash materializing in his grasp.

Her face stayed blank, eyes devoid of any human spark.

"Nothing like it! Doesn't capture the real Shangguan at all!"

Qiao Gong's rage intensified at her look.

As the whip arced downward, he glimpsed the Faceless Holy Emperor's presence in the chamber.

Caught red-handed, Qiao Gong's arm shook, the whip almost slipping free.

"Who goes there?!"

Shock and fury seized Qiao Gong as he bellowed at Li Ping.

In the chamber, the inert puppets sprang alive at once, fixing their gazes on Li Ping.