My Longevity Simulation Chapter 5: Flatland Ripples

[End of simulation]

...

Having recovered his awareness, Li Fan continued to be captivated by the overwhelming might of Dao Xuanzi's sword.

“Was that truly a Foundation Establishment cultivator?” Shock surged through Li Fan's heart.

Before, the feat of Kou Hong leveling Xuanjing City by himself had already left Li Fan in awe, yet Dao Xuanzi's ultimate sword strike plunged Li Fan into a profound realization of his own utter smallness.

Similar to an ant confronting a colossal wave, in Li Fan's perspective, he couldn't even begin to fathom that sword, much less comprehend it fully.

Even a mere fragment of it sufficed to reveal to Li Fan the vast chasm separating a mere mortal from a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.

“Lacking the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, I'm certain that no matter how many hundred rebirths I endure or how many schemes I craft, I could never threaten them in the slightest.” Secret joy bubbled in Li Fan's heart, yet simultaneously, a deep bewilderment and unease gripped him.

“What exactly is this Immortal-Mortal Miasma? Weren't Immortal Cultivators once mortals themselves? Why does mortal blood wield such a horrifying suppressive power over Immortal Cultivators?” The deeper implications inevitably stirred Li Fan's thoughts into turmoil.

Yet, Li Fan quickly reined in his swirling notions.

“For now, let's review the successes and failures from this lifetime.”

As the images flickered by on the glowing panel, Li Fan reflected deeply within.

“The trap set by Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong fell mostly as I anticipated. I first employed bullets drenched in the blood of condemned prisoners to drain their power, then unleashed the Golden Core secret to unsettle their resolve, and finally summoned the blood rain for the decisive strike, seizing the pair alive once they were utterly depleted...”

“The unforeseen part was how intensely the Immortal-Mortal Miasma curbs cultivators, resulting straight in Kou Hong's demise.”

“Even more astonishing was my initial belief that their mention of a century-long bond was mere idle talk. Little did I know their connection ran profoundly deep. Amid the assault, Dao Xuanzi promptly warned Kou Hong, and realizing his own doom was inevitable, Kou Hong willingly passed the method to Dao Xuanzi.”

“Moreover, witnessing Kou Hong perish in the snare, Dao Xuanzi abandoned his own survival odds and launched a desperate counter to avenge his comrade. These actions all underscore the remarkable bond they truly shared…”

“Given all that, how could these two turn on each other over a mere Golden Core technique?” Li Fan's confusion deepened further.

All at once, the memory of his first encounter with the pair resurfaced in his mind.

“A Golden Core technique practiced by no one else…” A sudden doubt struck Li Fan, “Can immortal arts not be cultivated concurrently?”

“If even such devoted brothers clash fatally over one method, what chaos reigns in the cultivation realm?”

A foreboding sense dawned on Li Fan that the world of cultivation diverged wildly from his assumptions.

“Regardless of the perils, I won't waver. Besides, aided by [Truth], provided I stay vigilant, no obstacle can truly block my path.”

After a brief hesitation, Li Fan's determination surged anew.

“Within this era dubbed the Land Immortal Extinction, pursuing the Immortal Dao demands leveraging Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi somehow. In the prior round, I targeted them together, but now, maybe I can try separating them.” Thoughts flashing rapidly, Li Fan instantly devised multiple countermeasures in his head.

Though his foes were imposing Foundation Establishment cultivators, Li Fan felt little fear. Truth be told, he scarcely viewed them as serious threats.

This stemmed not from hubris on Li Fan's part, but from [Truth]'s miraculous ability to reset endlessly, which was nothing short of divine intervention!

What chance did a simple Foundation Stage hold against decades of prophetic insight and endless retries?

Once the simulation concluded, Li Fan opted again to accelerate the recharge progression.

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Mortal

Physical Age: 20/86

Mental Age: 216/1080↑

Charging Progress: 30%

“This round, the mental age ceiling rose by just a few dozen years, indicating it's nearing the max.” Li Fan had anticipated this, so it didn't bother him much.

“Including the life prior to crossing over, this marks my fifth existence. The immortal path proves endlessly arduous.” Li Fan let out a sigh. “May these fifty years prove worthwhile.”

Li Fan launched into the fifty-year scheme once more.

Like a scripted sequence, events unfolded methodically.

Pass the imperial exams, triumph in them, and secure scholarly status.

Ascend to county magistrate, extract ores, and forge firearms.

Upon slaying Langya's king and assuming his role, Li Fan grew somewhat restless at last.

Enduring a decade to seize national command felt excessively drawn out, confining him perpetually to a remote area like Jiangnan. With an extra ten years to harness the realm's full might, his odds of ensnaring the immortals would soar dramatically.

Therefore, Li Fan resolved to dispatch a loyal agent to infiltrate the palace and covertly dose the emperor with slow-acting toxin.

Little did he suspect this choice would unleash unforeseen turmoil.

Though Li Fan's plot remained undiscovered, the youthful and robust emperor's inexplicable frailty bred mounting paranoia.

He grew convinced of covert sabotage against him. His prime suspect turned out to be his most reliable ally, Prince Langya.

Consequently, in his seventh year, upon dying, the emperor bequeathed the throne to the laid-back Prince Runan rather than Prince Langya.

Fortuitously, Li Fan's palace mole relayed the intelligence promptly, prompting Li Fan to spring into action right away.

He dispatched assassins after Prince Runan while, posing as Prince Langya, he accused the officials of treason against the late emperor and sanctioned the killing. Rallying under Prince Langya's standard, Li Fan marched his seasoned forces to the capital, striking swiftly before any could respond, seizing control of the government and imposing a lockdown.

These bold tactics inevitably sparked numerous repercussions.

Foremost among them, the court officials harbored doubts. The emperor's final decree named Prince Runan as heir; did Prince Langya's rise not constitute usurpation? Under Li Fan's iron rule, overt revolt was impossible, but covert sabotage, foot-dragging in administration, and even clandestine outreach to warlords to march on the capital “to restore order” persisted. Li Fan showed no quarter, executing scores to cow the survivors. Moreover, the Chief Grand Secretary's support helped solidify his grip.

  However, those initial months had already sparked rebellion across the realm. Regional lords carved out domains, proclaimed autonomy, and spurned imperial directives.

As such, Li Fan had no choice but to dispatch armies to crush them sequentially.

Though the guns packed formidable punch, their scarcity, paired with the empire's immense expanse, demanded substantial toil.

Juggling warfare and governance left Li Fan exceedingly occupied.

Only by the 22nd year did he fully quash the domestic and foreign threats.

This delay meant he lagged a few years behind in dominating the world compared to adhering patiently to past iterations.

“Caution and endurance remain essential.” With affairs finally stabilized, Li Fan ruefully absorbed the insight. “A tiny deviation can spiral into catastrophe. Excessive unknowns erode my edge from foreknowledge immensely.”

Thankfully, the disturbance proved minor, leaving the overall scheme intact.

With stability restored, time accelerated onward, and suddenly, year 35 dawned.

That year, Li Fan departed Xuanjing City, journeying over a thousand li to inspect the eastern Ruins Abyss in person.