My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1304: Return to [Truth] Truly Changes

Li Fan originally should have been unable to embark onto the path of cultivation.

Back when he traveled from Great Xuan to Liuli Island, merely the hurdle of removing the immortal-mortal miasma within his body had almost completely severed his path to cultivation.

Fortunately, with the dual support of the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra and the Spiritual Pool of Body Purification, he was finally able to begin true cultivation.

And at the moment he shed the miasma throughout his body, the Xuanhuang Clear Heart Mantra officially transformed into the Xuanhuang Heart Refining Mantra.

The Xuanhuang Mantra thus became his alternative Dao Foundation, accompanying him throughout his entire cultivation life.

As Li Fan’s cultivation grew higher, the Xuanhuang Mantra Dao Foundation expanded alongside it. Like pillars, they became an important part supporting Li Fan’s cultivation.

And in the previous life, after Li Fan spread the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra on a large scale, the consequence was that these Dao Foundation pillars...

Became weakened because they were divided among too many.

His true body’s Dao Foundation was not solely the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra, but also [Truth], as well as the experience and knowledge accumulated through a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation. Therefore, the impact on him was negligible.

It was not only Li Fan who was affected by the widespread transmission of the Immortal Heart Mantra.

Even the Immortal Heart Mantra itself became significantly weaker because of this spread.

This could be seen from the performance of the Qingxuan Army and the Great Qi Imperial Guard, both of whom cultivated the Immortal Heart Mantra in the previous life, during the great war.

They barely managed to remain calm in crisis, but compared to the orthodox Immortal Heart Mantra’s effect of enduring a thousand lifetimes of calamities while the immortal heart remains unchanged, they fell far too short.

The difference became even clearer after Li Fan returned to this life through [Truth] and alone monopolized the Immortal Heart Mantra.

“Techniques cannot be cultivated simultaneously...”

“It seems this is not merely the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm suppressing abrupt evolution among cultivators. Rather, it is some tradition originating from the Immortal Realm, deeply branded into the depths of the Xuanhuang Realm.”

“Hm, perhaps this is not solely related to techniques being impossible to cultivate simultaneously. It may also be closely tied to the office of the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.”

Without question, the Immortal Heart Mantra that Mr. Bai passed down to the world to offset and reverse the power of the Xuanhuang inverse principle had its origin in the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.

The Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable, appointed by the Immortal Realm, wielded immortal artifacts and supervised Xuanhuang.

Within the Xuanhuang Realm, he possessed supreme authority.

However, becoming this Great Celestial Venerable of the Immortal Realm was far from easy.

Not only was there a colleague known as the Watcher secretly restraining him, but inheriting the office of Great Celestial Venerable also meant inheriting the restrictions and punishments imposed by the Immortal Realm upon the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.

Only after [Truth] brought him back to this life and Li Fan reviewed matters did he remember Sun Tianci, who had been burned to ashes by heart fire.

“Even though the Immortal Path is now severed, the Immortal Realm’s countermeasures still remain effective.”

“The Immortal Heart Mantra’s inability to spread on a massive scale is likely one of the many restrictions the Immortal Realm imposed upon the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.”

Li Fan then recalled what happened after Sun Tianci successfully inherited the office in the previous life.

“The Great Sun Golden Bell, the Vast Void Azure Lamp, the Purple Qi Dreamweaving Shuttle, the Primordial Five Elements Wheel.”

These four were the only immortal artifacts remaining among the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable’s inheritance.

There was also a condensed mass of immortal spiritual qi, originating from those immortal artifacts that Mr. Bai had detonated.

“After completing the trial of the Fallen Immortal Realm, there is still a probationary period before truly becoming the Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.”

“Before the Immortal Path was severed, this probationary period was actually the time spent waiting for review and appointment from the Immortal Realm.”

“After the Immortal Path was severed, appointment from the Immortal Realm became empty talk. However, according to the procedures established by the Immortal Realm, if there was no response within three years, the review automatically passed. Generally speaking, unless one encountered something like Sun Tianci did, such as the destruction of the Xuanhuang Realm, then simply waiting quietly for time to pass would grant the full authority of the Great Celestial Venerable.”

“And before that...”

The immortal artifacts within the Great Celestial Venerable’s inheritance could not be used at all. This was also one reason why Sun Tianci in the previous life was so easily persuaded by Li Fan’s divine sense incarnation.

Faced with the threatening Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor, the newly inherited Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable simply lacked the power to resist.

“According to Sun Tianci, none of these immortal artifacts bestowed by the upper realm contain artifact spirits. The lower realm Xuanhuang Celestial Venerable lacks immortal spiritual qi, and can only rely on the restrictions left behind by the Immortal Realm, consuming the immortal artifacts’ own energy to activate them.”

“In a sense, they are completely disposable consumables. By the time Mr. Bai gathered them one by one, these immortal artifacts had already been used countless times. Exactly how much power remains is hard to say.”

“But they are immortal artifacts after all. Leaving them buried deep within the Fallen Immortal Realm unused would be nothing less than letting treasures gather dust. In this life, I still must retrieve them. Not to mention that pure mass of immortal spiritual qi.”

Only after personally using immortal spiritual qi to establish the world extermination immortal formation did Li Fan truly understand the strength and transcendence of immortals.

Within his sea of consciousness, the Final Dissociation Disc emitted unusual seven colored radiance.

Within that glow, a true immortal formation was being continuously deduced without pause.

Immortal formation birth, immortal formation operation, immortal formation destruction.

During the world extermination process of the All Things Return to Void Formation in the previous life, the Final Dissociation Disc had collected abundant formation data. It was as if it had truly undergone a transformation between immortal and mortal. Now it could spontaneously deduce immortal formations according to Li Fan’s needs, just as it once deduced mortal formations.

Even though the deduction speed was extremely slow, and the burden on the Dissociation Disc was tremendous.

Under the orderly management of the Dissociation Disc’s simulated personality, it would not affect Li Fan’s normal cultivation.

At present, the main direction of the Final Dissociation Disc’s immortal formation deductions was immortal formation downgrading.

The goal was to slightly reduce formation power in exchange for allowing lower grade energy sources to activate it.

Immortals and mortals were fundamentally different. Li Fan had no means of creating immortal spiritual qi on a large scale. Even if he obtained some from the Great Celestial Venerable inheritance, it would still be insufficient to support his plans in this life.

But source power essence, infinitely close to immortal spiritual power, was for Li Fan practically inexhaustible.

If he could make immortal formations operate using source power essence, it would save him tremendous trouble.

Even if the Dharma-Transmitting Immortal Ancestor and the Heavenly Doctor returned to the Xuanhuang Realm, he could easily control the situation.

There would be no need to painstakingly create a Holy Emperor clone to confront them.

Within the world extermination immortal formation of the previous life, Li Fan had already seen clearly the true strength of the Immortal Ancestor and the Heavenly Doctor.

With those established power benchmarks, he could create immortal formations with confidence.

“As long as I do not drive them into a desperate corner, with an immortal formation as leverage, getting them to sit down and have a proper discussion should not be difficult.”

Li Fan recalled the transparent figure that appeared after the Immortal Ancestor’s body was annihilated.

At the time, the world-exterminating storm had been too chaotic. He had not been able to see clearly.

But he had vaguely sensed a familiar aura from that transparent figure.

“If I get the chance in this life, perhaps I can verify it.”

When a True Immortal descends, everything in the Xuanhuang Realm is like ants.

Cat Treasure made one leap, and even the phantom of a True Immortal was no meal on its plate.

The gap between the Xuanhuang Realm and beyond the High Wall was obvious.

But that did not mean everything within the Xuanhuang Realm had become worthless.

When Li Fan had been merely a mortal Grand Preceptor, the gap between him and Xuanhuang Longevity Immortal realm was no different from the current gap between the Xuanhuang Realm and beyond the High Wall.

Yet after one hundred and twenty six lifetimes of reincarnation, the once mortal Grand Preceptor had become someone who could use Xuanhuang Longevity Immortal as a chess piece.

So what if beyond the High Wall could hunt True Immortals?

Give Li Fan another one hundred and twenty six lifetimes, and perhaps he too could use True Immortals as chess pieces.

However, beyond the High Wall remained completely unknown territory to Li Fan for now.

And with his current strength, he still could not set foot there.

So everything still had to proceed step by step, according to plan.

...

As he pondered this, Li Fan completed another carving of Cat Treasure.

Sweeping over the area with his divine sense, he confirmed that over the past three years, he had completed carving 9,999 wooden statues.

They filled the wooden hut, further compressing the already cramped space.

A wisp of flame suddenly rose from Li Fan's fingertip, and he flicked it toward the pile of Cat Treasure wooden carvings.

Boom!

The flame surged violently, instantly transforming into a blazing inferno.

Yet it only burned the Cat Treasure wooden carvings and did not spread throughout the wooden hut.

The wooden carvings vanished within the flames, with no black smoke, not even ashes.

In the blink of an eye, all 9,999 wooden statues were swallowed by the fire, completely disappearing from the world.

As if they had never existed at all.

Li Fan quietly watched the great fire slowly die out.

The countless reflections of Cat Treasure in his eyes gradually disappeared along with the fading flames.

After standing motionless for a long time, Li Fan shifted his gaze.

He looked toward the [Truth] panel.

Light flickered and danced, reflecting those incomparably familiar characters.

...

[This simulation has ended]

[You may choose one of the following options to retain:

One item currently possessed by yourself during this simulation.

,

Your cultivation realm during this simulation.

,

The simulated memories of one person closely related to yourself during this simulation. These memories can be inherited by that person.

,

Abandon the above choices to accelerate the charging progress.]

,

After this passage of text, which he no longer knew how many times he had seen, there was now an entirely new prompt.

Li Fan's gaze narrowed slightly.

[New interfering variables detected. An additional retention choice may be selected for this simulation.]

Compared to the previous text, this line was somewhat different.

Instead, it was exactly like the final scene [Truth] displayed in the previous life.

Flickering unsteadily, with a much faster flashing frequency than the normal [Truth] notifications.

And being able to choose two items to retain was something unprecedented.

"New interfering variables..."

Having already waited for three years, Li Fan was in no hurry.

Just like before, he did not make a choice immediately.

Instead, he began thinking with extreme caution, carefully contemplating this line from [Truth].

Ever since discovering that it could devour wonders of heaven and earth and Cave Heaven worlds to increase [Truth]'s anchor charging progress, Li Fan had understood that [Truth] seemed to grow through something akin to feeding, by devouring objects useful to it.

Wonders of heaven and earth, Cave Heaven worlds, Eternal Remnant Wills, even Li Fan's own experiences...

All of these were among the objects that interested [Truth].

Of course, once [Truth] devoured something, it would never be interested in it again.

So Li Fan was certain that even if he encountered forces beyond the High Wall again in this life, if there were no other substantive gains, [Truth]'s extra reward would not appear again.

Li Fan did not particularly care about this additional selection opportunity.

If he truly wanted it, at worst he could simply reincarnate one more time to obtain it.

What Li Fan truly cared about was [Truth]'s attitude.

Without exception, only when [Truth] genuinely gained some benefit would it provide a reward in return.

Yet this time, merely sensing these so called new interfering variables had caused [Truth] to generously grant an extra reward...

In Li Fan's view, this sudden generosity was nothing less than temptation.

Guiding and enticing Li Fan to explore beyond the High Wall.

It unquestionably indicated that beyond the High Wall, there absolutely existed objects that [Truth] was extremely interested in, or perhaps found immensely useful.

As the fundamental trump card behind all his growth until now, if [Truth] could undergo some kind of change, Li Fan would undoubtedly be the greatest beneficiary.

So how could he not be tempted?

But just as with his previous decision, beyond the High Wall lay dangers at every step, requiring long term planning.

"With only myself, setting foot beyond the High Wall is truly difficult."

"But the Xuanhuang Realm has already proven its potential through many reincarnations."

"If I can enlist the help of the countless living beings of the Xuanhuang Realm, things will undoubtedly be much easier."

The first step in leaving the Darkest Star Sea was gaining the ability to cross the High Wall.

Just achieving that prerequisite alone would likely require many attempts.

After all, the High Wall had trapped the living beings of the Darkest Star Sea for ten thousand years. Mr. Bai's plan to cross it by detonating immortal spiritual qi was merely speculation.

As for the rumors in the star sea about the Heavenly Sword Sect, the demon race, and even the Ten Great Immortal Sects having once crossed worlds and departed, there was no substantial evidence proving they had succeeded.

If one were to say that during these ten thousand years, with the Immortal Path severed and the High Wall standing tall, some force within the Darkest Star Sea had truly crossed it...

Then perhaps there was only...

[Shang Immortal Ark].

Li Fan's eyes flashed with the shocked expression of the Holy Embryo from the previous life when hearing this matter from Ai Tianjue.

"They intend to pilot the Shang Immortal Ark and crash into the High Wall, attempting to break out of this star sea." Ai Tianjue's tone was strange.

After the initial shock, the Holy Embryo could not help but ask, "Then did the Shang Immortal Ark succeed?"

Ai Tianjue remained silent for a long time before finally speaking with a complicated expression, "If they had not succeeded, why would the Xuan Immortal Ark have treated the words [Shang Immortal Ark] as a taboo for a thousand years?"

"They... succeeded?" The Holy Embryo was endlessly shocked, his heart trembling.

"The Xuan Immortal Ark and Shang Immortal Ark were originally one entity. Whether they were completely destroyed in the collision or successfully escaped, there would naturally be some awareness."

"The Shang Immortal Ark still exists, and it is beyond the High Wall." Ai Tianjue sighed.

"It is precisely because of the Shang Immortal Ark's success that our Xuan Immortal Ark clearly understood that the power of [Immortal] may be the only way to escape this Darkest Star Sea. But even when the star sea was flourishing, searching for immortal artifacts was already exceedingly difficult. Let alone after the collapse of the star sea."

"Fortunately, after the great calamity, the entire ruined star sea became filled with remnants of the power of True Immortal seal script. That was when our Xuan Immortal Ark began researching this power."

...

All that had happened within the Xuan Immortal Ark flashed through Li Fan’s mind.

“The Shang Immortal Ark still exists. It lies beyond the High Wall.”

Li Fan repeatedly savored this sentence.

He did not believe that, in the life before, under such a desperate life-and-death situation, Ai Tianjue would still have deceived him.

So the Shang Immortal Ark’s escape should be true.

“There is still a mutual connection between the Xuan Immortal Ark and the Shang Immortal Ark.”

“If a method to cross the High Wall can be found, then by relying on this connection, one can travel to the Shang Immortal Ark.”

“With the Shang Immortal Ark as a bridgehead, establishing a foothold beyond the High Wall should become much easier.”

Because of the original split, the Xuan Immortal Ark possessed no records that could help in crossing the High Wall.

What held value within the Xuan Immortal Ark should be the secret archive known as the Immortal Compendium of Hundred Tales, as well as its research into True Immortal seal script.

“Xuanhuang. Immortal Ark.”

“With the power of these two worlds, forge a bridge across the High Wall.”

“Then drive the countless beings of Xuanhuang to scout the road ahead for me.”

A vague plan gradually took shape in Li Fan’s heart.

With this goal as the endpoint of the current phase, there was still much Li Fan needed to do.

First, increase his own strength.

Even if he would one day have an immortal formation protecting him, Soul Transformation cultivation under the Xuanhuang cycle of birth and change would still be far too inadequate. Li Fan urgently needed greater strength to face the Immortal Ancestor, the Heavenly Doctor, True Immortals, and even the forces beyond the High Wall.

The ba