My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1236: Good and Evil Finally Meet

“Who are you?”

Sun and Wang arrived together with Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong. For a moment, Xu Ke felt dazed and thought they were his descendants.

But he quickly reacted.

Given the conditions of the empire’s small world, which lacked spiritual energy, it was impossible for cultivators of such a realm to be born there.

Xu Ke’s profound gaze immediately fell upon the two of them.

Sun Erlang saluted with neither arrogance nor humility and said, “By the order of my master, we have come to invite Senior to meet him.”

“Hmm?”

Xu Ke was somewhat surprised.

He had not expected that there were still people in this world who remembered him.

“Someone who knows about me and possesses such capability? Who is it?”

Vague figures flashed through his mind, but he excluded them one by one.

He glanced almost imperceptibly at the decayed wooden coffin behind him. Xu Ke originally wanted to refuse their invitation.

But…

Xu Ke’s gaze lingered for a moment on Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong.

He then let out a soft sigh.

They had clearly known his location yet still brought Qing and Hong along. The implied threat was self-evident. Although he had avoided them for a thousand years without meeting them, it had been out of necessity. How could Xu Ke be a heartless and unrighteous person who could watch them suffer helplessly?

Thinking of this, Xu Ke shook his head slightly. “I can go with you for a trip. But I have a few conditions.”

Sun Erlang quickly replied, “Senior, please speak freely.”

“First, one of you two must stay in my place on this mountain peak. Before I return, no matter what happens, you must not leave early. To guard against any unforeseen events, I will set up restrictions.” Xu Ke said slowly.

“This…” Upon hearing this strange request, Sun Erlang hesitated.

“No problem. I will sit here in Senior’s place.” Wang Xuanba, however, patted his chest and agreed.

Sun Erlang knew that his brother, after cultivating the technique passed down by their master, could transform into countless forms like a strange beast. Even if the body were completely destroyed, it would not have much impact. He therefore did not stop him.

Xu Ke nodded and continued, “Second, after I leave this small world with you, no one is allowed to approach within ten zhang. Otherwise, do not blame this old man for being ruthless.”

Xu Ke glanced at Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong emphasizing his tone.

Clearly, this “anyone” included Qing and Hong as well.

Sun Erlang felt a chill in his heart but still nodded in agreement.

“As for the last point…”

Xu Ke said to Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, “If I show any signs of abnormality, kill me. Do not hesitate for even a moment.”

As he spoke, a wooden sword no larger than a palm appeared in Xu Ke’s hand at some point.

He extended his hand, and the wooden sword flew to Xiao Qing on its own.

Xiao Qing was completely stunned.

But seeing Xu Ke’s aged yet extremely resolute face, which looked exactly like the expression he had when he insisted on leaving the empire back then.

Tears shimmered in her eyes, yet Xiao Qing said nothing more and softly agreed.

“Alright.”

Xiao Qing gripped the wooden sword tightly in her palm while carefully listening to Xu Ke’s voice transmission explaining how to use the wooden sword.

Once everything was settled, Xu Ke looked toward Sun and Wang.

Seeing Xu Ke so solemn, Sun Erlang and Wang Xuanba did not dare to be negligent. “Does Senior have any other instructions?”

“Wait here for a moment and stay farther away.”

The two men and two beasts did not understand why. They exchanged a glance but obediently flew far away from the abrupt stone mountain where Xu Ke stood.

Xu Ke pressed his right hand on the mountain peak and exerted slight force.

The stone mountain, the heavens and earth, and even the entire world trembled slightly in that instant.

It seemed as if sharp, venomous curses rang out, or perhaps it was merely an illusion.

After the shaking subsided, the small world seemed somewhat different from before.

Yet Sun Erlang and the others could not see exactly where the difference lay.

Xu Ke slowly stood up, looked at Wang Xuanba, and stamped his right foot.

Wang Xuanba signaled Sun Erlang to rest assured, then flew over to Xu Ke’s side.

“Sit down.”

Xu Ke moved his foot away, revealing a deeply sunken area on the ground at the mountain peak.

Wang Xuanba sat down with a plop.

“It might hurt a little, but you won’t die.”

Xu Ke flew into the air at this moment and said slowly.

The instant he flew out of the range of that towering stone mountain, Wang Xuanba let out a miserable cry.

It was as if some heavy object had suddenly pressed down on him. Caught off guard, his back was directly flattened against the ground.

The continuous sounds of bones being crushed and ground rang out without pause.

“Xuanba?!” Sun Erlang cried out in alarm.

“I… I’m fine!” A hand stretched out from the body that had almost become a flattened meat patty.

It gave a feeble wave towards Sun Er’lang.

“It’s just… it really stings a tiny bit.”

Xu Ke gestured lightly towards Wang Xuanba. “Let’s go. I told you he wouldn’t die.”

Wang Xuanba’s oppressive feeling seemed to lessen just a bit, and he could barely manage to lift his head once more.

Noticing this, Sun Er’lang drew a deep breath. Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and led the way forward, accompanied by Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong.

Xu Ke followed close behind them.

Much like Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, Sun Erlang found himself secretly appraising Xu Ke from his rear.

When Xu Ke had been seated, the seemingly weathered coffin strapped to his back hadn't been particularly eye-catching.

However, whether it was Sun Erlang's imagination or not, ever since they departed the pocket dimension, that coffin appeared to grow progressively more intact.

Its dimensions seemed to be slowly expanding as well.

It gave the impression that…

Something was on the verge of emerging from its depths at any moment.

When considering the three peculiar conditions Xu Ke had previously described, a disquieting sensation began to quietly surface within Sun Erlang's heart.

What’s more, indistinct murmuring sounds reached his ears.

Just as Sun Erlang couldn't help but strain to listen, a cool, sharp sensation suddenly arose within him of its own accord.

The murmurs in his ears vanished instantaneously, supplanted by Xu Ke's low, stern caution.

“Pay no heed to those anomalous voices.”

Sun Erlang instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He had always taken pride in his formidable willpower, having even endured another actual lifetime within the simulated reality of the Dao Deviation Stone at the Taiyan Sect.

Yet, the accumulated experience of centuries proved incredibly fragile against those eerie noises, nearly shattering in an instant.

“Were it not for the Immortal Heart Mantra, personally imparted by Master, I fear I would have met a dire fate.”

“This Xu Ke…”

Sun Erlang did not dare to glance at Xu Ke or the coffin upon his back any longer. He concentrated his mind solely and quickened his pace.

Before long, the group successfully navigated the lengthy void passage and arrived at the outskirts of the Great Qi pocket dimension.

“Huh?”

This time, it was Xu Ke who uttered a sound of surprise tinged with uncertainty.

Sun Erlang turned to look, observing that, for reasons unknown, the coffin on Xu Ke’s back had once again reverted to a decayed state and diminished in size.

It was virtually indistinguishable from the one Xu Ke had originally possessed back in his home dimension.

All citizens of Great Qi residing in the Holy Capital had been informed in advance and had consequently returned to their residences.

The immense city lay deserted, with only a singular, straight void path, specially prepared for Xu Ke, leading directly towards the Holy Emperor's throne.

“Master is already awaiting the honored guest,” Sun Erlang stated with deference.

No further directions were necessary.

From the moment he arrived, Xu Ke had already perceived that pervasive, mighty aura blanketing the entire pocket dimension, akin to the great sun blazing in the heavens.

Its power far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators at the Dao Integration realm.

It even exerted a definite degree of suppression upon the Xuanhuang malevolent thought currently sealed within the coffin on his back.

What astonished Xu Ke even more was that he vaguely detected a semblance of familiarity within this potent aura.

But…

“How could this possibly be?”

With a blend of three parts doubt, three parts unease, and a sliver of concealed excitement churning within him, Xu Ke finally proceeded towards the Holy Emperor’s seat.

Upon clearly discerning the figure seated aloft, Xu Ke experienced a subtle wave of relief wash over him.

Concurrently, faint traces of disappointment flickered through his emotions.

“I was indulging in excessive conjecture. How could it possibly be the now-deceased Mister Bai?”

Suppressing the distracting thoughts that arose in his mind, Xu Ke focused his attention and meticulously examined this legendary, enigmatic Faceless Holy Emperor of Great Qi.

Or, more accurately, the Heavenly Mandate Holy Emperor.

Simultaneously, Li Ping was also scrutinizing Xu Ke.

And, more importantly, the coffin borne upon his back.

Li Ping perceived phenomena far beyond Sun Erlang's comprehension.

What met his gaze was not decaying timber, but a faintly discernible, translucent, pallid apparition.

This spectral entity possessed the most comely visage imaginable in the world, yet it was contorted with an expression brimming with venom and pure malice.

Li Ping sensed that the insistent urging from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao had descended once more.

And its intensity had markedly increased.

Meanwhile, the pallid Xuanhuang malevolent thought appeared to register this shift as well.

It abruptly lifted its head, fixing its gaze intently upon Li Ping.

In direct response, the coffin positioned on Xu Ke’s back began to violently convulse.

Loud, percussive impacts resounded continuously within the imposing sacred hall.

“You…”

Xu Ke’s senses instantly sharpened with alarm.

His form retreated with explosive speed as a phantom of a rotating wheel materialized above his head.

The golden wheel spun with dizzying rapidity, unleashing a torrent of illusory ferocious beasts accompanied by furious roars.

He sought to quell the agitated coffin’s tremors.

However, the struggle of the Xuanhuang malevolent thought escalated with unprecedented ferocity.

Only when Holy Emperor Li Ping’s heart stirred and the technique [Heaven and Earth, Myriad Spirits—All Living Beings Refine the Soul] within the Great Qi pocket dimension commenced a slight circulation, thereby camouflaging the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, did the Xuanhuang malevolent thought, now severed from its other half, gradually subside into quiescence.

Having attempted to fly away for a period without success, Xu Ke finally ceased his futile endeavors.

He fixed a cold stare upon Li Ping. "Who exactly are you?"

By this juncture, Xu Ke had unequivocally realized that this Holy Emperor had arrived with the intent to seize the sealed Xuanhuang evil thought.

"Who I am..."

Li Ping paused momentarily. "That is not of significant importance. What truly matters is that it is time to restore possessions to their rightful owners."

Xu Ke's countenance shifted dramatically. "Return things to their rightful owner?"

"In the past, Mister Bai neglected his duty of entrustment from the Heavenly Dao, and furthermore, he sealed a segment of the Heavenly Dao's power. Now, I shall rectify this imbalance and return the Dao to Heaven." Though Li Ping's voice was not raised, it reverberated ceaselessly from the Holy Emperor's seat.

These declarations struck Xu Ke's ears with the force of a thunderclap.

"What did you just say?!"

Despite his extensive lifespan and witnessing countless peculiar occurrences throughout history, Xu Ke had never experienced such profound shock.

"Obstruction is less effective than guidance. Sealing is merely a stopgap measure. The longer it is suppressed, the more violent the backlash will be upon its eventual release. Did Mister Bai not impart this principle to you?"

"How much longer can you maintain this resistance?"

Without affording Xu Ke any opportunity to process, Li Ping relentlessly continued to agitate his spiritual being.

Cold sweat began to bead on Xu Ke's forehead.

"You are..." he inquired, his voice laced with disbelief.

"The Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable?"

The instant these words were uttered, the very atmosphere within the Holy Emperor's throne seemed to solidify.

Following a brief interval of silence, Li Ping emitted a soft, low chuckle.

"No."

This response unequivocally fell outside of Xu Ke's expectations, plunging him into immediate bewilderment.

"Following Mister Bai's act of betrayal, do you truly believe the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao would still place its trust in cultivators?"

Li Ping's tone carried an air of profound mystery.

"I am not the Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable."

"I am the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao itself."

As Li Ping articulated these words, he abruptly ascended from the Holy Emperor's seat.

In that very instant, his form appeared to expand without bounds.

Resembling a colossal being standing sentinel between heaven and earth, he completely filled Xu Ke's entire field of vision.

The already formidable aura emanating from Li Ping surged anew, escalating to greater heights.

The protective veil of the Myriad Spirits Great Formation dissolved, and Li Ping drew upon the might of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.

In its pursuit of its other sealed half, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao demonstrated an unprecedented magnitude of generosity on this occasion.

A subtle fissure materialized in the heavens above the Great Qi small world.

This served as an indicator that the entire world had been pushed to its absolute limit.

Had it not been for the significant enhancements made to Great Qi over the intervening years under Li Ping's administration, far surpassing the capacity of typical small worlds,

it would likely have been shattered entirely by this exertion.

Despite its apparent impotence when faced with the Immortal Ancestor and the True Immortal from the Immortal Ruins,

in reality, with the contemporary Xuanhuang Realm having integrated numerous fragments from immortal cultivation worlds,

the potency of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao was presently not substantially inferior to its state when it was whole in ages past.

Strength and weakness are, after all, relative concepts.

At this precise moment, within Xu Ke's perception, he once again glimpsed that resplendent figure from bygone days, whose every gesture conveyed the inherent rhythm and intent of the cosmos.

The boundless favor of the heavens and earth seemed to envelop him entirely.

Yet, a discernible difference existed: Mister Bai had exuded an aura of gentle refinement.

Conversely, the figure materializing before him now...

Exhibited an air of absolute dominance and majestic power.

It evoked a profound sense of both trepidation and unwavering conviction.

In a state of bewildered awe, Xu Ke recollected Mister Bai’s parting instructions from that era.

"Regarding the matter of departure, my perspective diverges from that of this consciousness."

"I do not believe my actions were erroneous, nor do I perceive them as a betrayal."

"My sole aim is to discover a superior method for the world's salvation."

"Xu Ke, should circumstances permit, I implore you to watch over it on my behalf."

"I hold faith that, in due time, it will come to understand."

...

At that time, Xu Ke had failed to grasp the true significance of Mister Bai’s words.

Over the course of several millennia, the fragment of Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao consciousness, severed by Mister Bai, had not only failed to achieve comprehension but had instead evolved in an increasingly radicalized direction.

Not only had the imparted thoughts and imprecations grown progressively more malevolent,

but it had also begun to exert its influence upon any entity that drew near to it.

The diminutive world where Xu Ke resided, designated for the containment of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao consciousness, had gradually been depleted of its vitality, transforming entirely into a desolate, barren desert.

His own physical form had likewise undergone accelerated aging, far beyond what would be considered natural under normal conditions.

Right up until the present day, Xu Ke had harbored the conviction that his ultimate fate would be to be consumed by this malevolent thought.

He had never, in his wildest imaginings, anticipated...

"So, this is what Mister Bai meant by 'understanding'?"

"It is merely the other half, the principal entity, that has achieved this understanding."

Xu Ke found himself incapable of suppressing this line of thought.

"Surrender it to me."

Precisely at the moment Xu Ke's thoughts were in a state of profound upheaval, Li Ping's voice resonated once more.

This interruption served to jolt Xu Ke from his deep contemplative state.

Instinctively, he retreated a step. The golden wheel persisted in its suppression of the rotting wooden coffin.