My Longevity Simulation Chapter 1371: The Immortal Go Pieces Merge

"The first Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable was not an Immortal who descended into the lower realm..."

"He was an Immortal who transformed into a mortal?"

In an instant, Li Fan's mind trembled violently.

An Immortal descending into the lower realm and an Immortal transforming into a mortal seemed similar at first glance, yet they were fundamentally different.

An Immortal who descended into the lower realm was still a True Immortal. Their power was merely constrained by the maximum limit the lower realm could withstand.

But once they transformed into a mortal, then...

The Immortal was no longer an Immortal.

Becoming a True Immortal was the lifelong dream of every mortal cultivator. Yet in the ancient Xuanhuang Realm, there had actually been a True Immortal who willingly abandoned that status and descended into the mortal world.

'The Dao Annihilation Calamity!'

Other than avoiding the terrifying catastrophe that would later destroy the Immortal Realm, Li Fan could think of no other reason for making such a choice.

'When the first Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable transformed into a mortal, there should still have been quite a long time before the great catastrophe of the Immortal Realm.'

'Such foresight. Such determination.'

'This was a True Immortal descending into the mortal world.'

Li Fan could not help but inwardly marvel.

However, another thought suddenly crossed his mind.

'But I cannot rule out the possibility that he was forced into it. From the memories of the True Immortals I witnessed before, it is clear that the Immortal Realm also possessed an extremely strict hierarchy.'

'If his only goal had been to avoid the Dao Annihilation Calamity himself, then in theory he would never have accepted the position of Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.'

'It is obvious that the first Great Celestial Venerable descended in order to cooperate with some plan of the Immortal Realm.'

'And the Xuanhuang Realm was one of its testing grounds.'

Recalling the unstable rings and the Nine Star Red Beads within the Immortal Formation he had previously seen, as well as the countless frozen corpses controlled by the Watchers, Li Fan gradually connected all the clues.

'Perhaps the Immortal Realm established the Xuanhuang testing ground for more than simply seeking refuge.'

'They may also have hoped to discover a way to overcome the Dao Annihilation Calamity.'

'But judging from the final outcome, they failed.'

'The Dao Annihilation Calamity spread through the Immortal Realm even faster than anyone had imagined. Countless True Immortals perished.'

'Meanwhile, the lower realm Xuanhuang remained completely unharmed. That inevitably caused some Immortals to lose their resolve to resist the calamity.'

'And thus the Immortal Domain Fragment Plan came into existence...'

Li Fan narrowed his eyes as he contemplated.

An even greater question arose in his heart.

'Did that first Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable truly die?'

The True Immortal's remains had been passed down through the generations and remained under the control of each successive Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable.

But what about the first Great Celestial Venerable himself?

Since he had already transformed into a mortal and even left behind descendants, he should have become a completely mortal being.

Could such an extraordinary figure really have disappeared into the river of history like any ordinary mortal after exhausting his lifespan?

Or had he assumed another identity, concealed his name, and silently observed everything from the shadows?

'Now it seems that the close connection between the Xuanhuang Realm and the Immortal Realm absolutely cannot be separated from this first Great Celestial Venerable. As a fallen Immortal who had descended into mortality, he served as the bridge between the immortal and mortal worlds while secretly monitoring everything happening within the Xuanhuang Realm.'

'At the same time, he himself remained under the control of the Immortal Realm. Perhaps he became dissatisfied and faked his death to escape.'

'The second Xuanhuang Great Celestial Venerable was no longer an Immortal transformed into a mortal, but was instead selected from among the native beings of the Xuanhuang Realm...'

'Either the price of transforming into a mortal was too great to sustain repeatedly, or the Xuanhuang Realm project was an absolute secret even within the Immortal Realm, leaving too few True Immortals qualified to participate. There simply was no suitable candidate left to undergo the transformation.'

'Or perhaps both reasons were true.'

Recalling the mysterious character he had previously seen within the You Clan bloodline, Li Fan fell into deep thought.

'For an Immortal to transform into a mortal requires far more than merely lowering one's cultivation.'

'It also involves the Transformation Between Immortal and Mortal.'

'That is a power even greater than Creation...'

His thoughts surged.

Within moments, Li Fan had roughly reconstructed what might have truly happened between the Immortal Realm and the Xuanhuang Realm.

Most of these conclusions came from the similarities he had instantly noticed between the first Great Celestial Venerable and Xing Wuque after their descent in cultivation. Yet the fact that these deductions perfectly matched the clues he had previously uncovered already spoke volumes.

'A fallen Immortal who has remained hidden all this time...'

'Yet in my previous life, even after the High Wall collapsed and the Star Sea fell into chaos, he still never appeared.'

'It seems that by this point in time, even that fallen Immortal no longer exists within the Darkest Star Sea.'

'Of course, that does not necessarily mean he has died. More likely, he has already stepped beyond the High Wall!'

Since the Darkest Star Sea remained Li Fan's primary sphere of activity and appeared relatively safe on the surface, he felt somewhat reassured.

'Since the You Clan are descendants of the first Great Celestial Venerable...'

'I wonder whether I could use the Reveal character seal script to awaken the connection within their bloodline and thereby trace that fallen Immortal?'

A dangerous idea suddenly appeared in Li Fan's mind.

But he quickly suppressed it.

'For now, there is no need to take such an unnecessary risk. Perhaps in the future, after I possess the strength to explore beyond the High Wall, I can consider it again.'

Piecing together countless fragments of evidence had allowed Li Fan to glimpse only the tip of the iceberg of the former Immortal Realm.

It made him even more curious about the Immortal Realm itself, while also causing him to become extremely wary of the already collected, yet still unassembled, Immortal Domain Fragments.

'If there truly were True Immortals who once regarded the lower realm as a refuge from disaster, then the dismantled and sealed Immortal Domain could very well be where they are hiding...'

Li Fan silently pondered, hesitating over whether he should activate the Immortal Domain Fragments left behind by Sun Piaomiao.

After thinking for a long while, he finally made up his mind and cast aside his hesitation.

'This mystery box must be opened sooner or later.'

'If it has to be opened eventually, then sooner is better than later.'

'Now that I have mastered the method of downgrading Immortal Formations and possess numerous Immortal Formations at my disposal, even if something unexpected occurs, I can still calmly activate [Truth].'

'Besides, there is also a place within the Star Sea that specifically suppresses Immortals...'

A sharp light flashed through Li Fan's eyes.

He summoned Liu Ruchen and the descendants of Sun Piaomiao from the Medicine King Sect, instructing them to bring every Immortal Domain Fragment.

Under the cover of the Wooden Sword phantom, he carried them all toward the center of the Star Sea.

The phantom solidified, manifesting a bright blue sky and the scenery of an ordinary world.

The disciples of the Medicine King Sect noticed nothing unusual about their surroundings.

Only Li Fan alone could see the endless sea of black mist not far away that inspired instinctive terror.

'It is spreading faster than I expected.'

'And around the outer edge of this sea of black mist...'

After observing for a while and comparing it with what he had previously witnessed, Li Fan frowned slightly.

He had seen signs of the approaching Dao Annihilation Calamity here more than once before. Back then, they had been separated by an immense distance. Only while directly looking at the black mist would he feel a sense of danger.

But now, even after turning his gaze away and refusing to look directly at the endless black mist, waves of inexplicable dread continued to rise within his heart.

The feeling of danger refused to dissipate. Even the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra could not eliminate it.

Instead, the longer he remained, the stronger the sensation became.

Suppressing every instinct urging him to flee, Li Fan carefully examined the exact nature of this feeling.

'It is as though a crumbling wall is about to collapse, a towering building is on the verge of falling, and I am standing directly beneath them...'

Faced with such overwhelming danger, Li Fan advanced instead of retreating.

The Wooden Sword phantom almost reached the edge of the endlessly churning sea of black mist.

"Begin."

Li Fan calmly instructed Liu Ruchen and the others within the Wooden Sword phantom.

Completely unaware of their true surroundings, the disciples of the Medicine King Sect merely stared blankly at the floating spheres of light before them.

Entwined by golden chains floated one seven-colored Go piece, one white Go piece, and six gray Go pieces.

"These are the Immortal Domain Fragments left behind by our Ancestor!"

As the ancient Immortal Realm secret left behind by Sun Piaomiao was finally about to be unveiled, everyone from the Medicine King Sect was filled with excitement. Under Li Fan's instructions, they began merging the Immortal Realm fragments.

With Liu Ruchen's World-Saving Longevity Scripture serving as the core through its Evergreen Longevity Power, they first fused together the six gray Go pieces that each of them had been sealing.

The process went astonishingly smoothly.

Just as when Li Fan had previously controlled the fusion himself, the six gray pieces merged into a single seven-colored Go piece that was one size larger.

Now, only two fused seven-colored Go pieces remained, along with the most crucial white Go piece, the one transformed from the Medicine King Cauldron.

The white Go piece seemed to be stimulated by the other two fused pieces. Seven-colored light continuously rippled around its edges.

Although it was slightly smaller than the seven-colored pieces, it instead appeared to be the true core.

The golden chains binding it trembled violently, as though they could break free at any moment.

Li Fan rapidly retreated while simultaneously releasing the seal.

The eyes of the Medicine King Sect cultivators burned with fanaticism as they controlled the two seven-colored Go pieces, escorting them toward the white Go piece.

In a single instant, the halo surrounding the white Go piece suddenly expanded outward.

It swallowed both seven-colored Go pieces whole.

Only a single Go piece remained in the field.

A faint, deep humming sound slowly emerged from within it.

Looking through layer upon layer of immortal formations, Li Fan carefully observed the newly born Go piece.

Strangely enough, although all the Go pieces had completed their fusion, the Immortal Realm that he had expected did not immediately manifest.

However, Li Fan was certain the fusion had succeeded.

Because he could clearly sense that the "weight" of the nearby Immortal Realm was continuously increasing.

The Wooden Sword phantom and the surrounding immortal formations had already reached the brink of collapse.

Under the pressure of the Immortal Realm, they could shatter at any moment.

Just as Li Fan was about to pour in more power, intending at the very least to maintain everything until the true Immortal Realm appeared.

A peculiar protective force radiated outward from the final white Go piece.

It directly enveloped both the Wooden Sword phantom and the immortal formations.

It was as though they had entered another layer of space, and the pressure exerted by the Immortal Realm naturally disappeared.

Li Fan himself, however, still remained outside the Immortal Realm.

Using the Wooden Sword phantom as his eyes, he continued observing the scene within the Immortal Realm.

Strictly speaking, the Wooden Sword phantom had not truly entered the Immortal Realm.

Rather, the Immortal Realm had simply erected a protective support for it.

The astonished members of the Medicine King Sect received the same treatment.

Like a crumpled sheet of paper gradually unfolding.

The light released by the Go piece representing the Immortal Realm became increasingly brilliant.

At one point, it even forced back the endless black mist that had nearly spread over.

Li Fan immediately retreated again, ensuring that none of the light shone upon him.

The radiance from the Immortal Realm did not continue endlessly through the Darkest Star Sea like ordinary light.

Instead, after expanding to cover a certain area, it simply stopped. From afar, it resembled an enormous sphere of light.

Floating at the edge of the sea of black mist.

The white light was so dazzling that it even blocked the perception of the Wooden Sword phantom Li Fan had placed within it.

Through the brilliance, Li Fan vaguely perceived countless blurry, shifting images.

They seemed like people, yet not people.

They seemed like scenery, yet not scenery.

Just as Li Fan waited for the Immortal Realm to fully reveal itself.

The sea of black mist, which had previously been driven back by the Immortal Realm's radiance, suddenly began to churn violently.

The black tide surged, and its expansion accelerated dramatically.

The rolling black mist arrived in an instant, reaching the edge of the sphere of Immortal Realm light.

The Immortal Realm, which was on the verge of manifesting, seemed to sense something incomparably terrifying.

Its radiance abruptly contracted.

From the enormous sphere of light, it shrank back into the white Go piece edged with seven-colored light.

Then, before the stunned eyes of the Medicine King Sect cultivators, it transformed into a streak of white light, pierced through the heavens, and fled at incredible speed.

The heavens they saw were naturally the Wooden Sword phantom and immortal formation barrier established by Li Fan.

A method capable of temporarily trapping even the Heavenly Doctor could not stop this streak of white light for even a moment.

Just as the Immortal Realm Go piece was about to disappear into the Star Sea, an enormous finger suddenly descended from above, tearing through space and firmly pressing down upon it.

It was Li Fan's Nine Heavens Descending Mortal Finger.

Perhaps it sensed the imposing aura carried by the Nine Heavens Descending Mortal Finger.

Or perhaps the threat posed by the black mist had already disappeared.

In any case, after struggling only briefly, the white light stopped resisting.

It also withdrew every trace of its aura.

Quietly floating in midair.

"This reaction is far more intense than I expected."

"It was most likely the appearance of the black mist that triggered some kind of restriction."

"The expansion of the Immortal Realm has failed."

After observing for a moment, Li Fan immediately understood.

This temporary failure did not mean that the Immortal Realm Go piece had lost its usefulness.

It had merely entered a dormant state for the time being.

However, during the brief instant before the expansion failed, Li Fan had already glimpsed part of the Immortal Realm.

"I can now basically confirm that there are no living beings inside this Immortal Realm."

"The situation I feared, with a dormant True Immortal lurking within, will not occur."

"However, aside from the most fundamental Immortal Realm laws, the most obvious thing inside..."

Li Fan frowned deeply and raised his hand, unconsciously making a small gesture.

"Those drifting lights and shadows..."

"Could they be True Immortal seal script?"

Even Li Fan was not completely certain.

During the fleeting glimpse of the Immortal Realm, he had seen numerous black lines drifting about.

Having studied True Immortal seal script for so long, Li Fan recognized them immediately. Those lines were structural components that appeared within various True Immortal seal script characters.

"True Immortal seal script is essentially the manifestation of laws."

"And when manifested True Immortal seal script breaks apart and returns to becoming laws once again..."

"Is that the very process by which the Go piece unfolds into an Immortal Realm?"

Li Fan seemed to gain a new realization.

The Immortal Realm Go piece could essentially be regarded as the superimposition of countless True Immortal seal script characters.

At the same time, Li Fan's heart suddenly stirred.

A Go piece capable of constructing an entire Immortal Realm must contain an unimaginably vast number of True Immortal seal script characters.

"The True Immortal who created this Go piece back then was certainly no ordinary figure."