My Longevity Simulation

Chapter 1013: The Immortal Ancestor's True Dao Method

"It is not something to worry about..."

As he spoke, it seemed he recalled the catastrophe of the immortal realm from many years ago, and the Master Qiaogong suddenly fell silent.

"It is hard to say. After all, the path to seeking the root of the Dao is fraught with unimaginable dangers. Even for ordinary immortals, those who are not Nameless True Immortals in harmony with the Dao, there is still the risk of perishing." The Master Qiaogong sighed.

With those words spoken, a long silence fell between the two once more.

Li Fan seemed to be digesting this information, his brows furrowed tightly, lost in thought about something unknown.

After a long while, he finally snapped back to attention and said, "What Fellow Daoist just mentioned, that those who do not believe will suffer backlash, refers to the consequences of seeking another root of the Dao?"

"Correct." The Master Qiaogong nodded. "Not only will it alert the source immortal, but it may even cause the root of the Dao itself to tremble."

"Because, from the materials we have at hand, each root of the Dao is quite pure, independent, and exclusive. Of course, perhaps beyond the realm of Nameless True Immortals, there exists an even more unimaginable state where the various Daos fuse. But that is purely baseless speculation, without even a shred of evidence."

"And the Dao Root Outcome Theory I mentioned earlier is a conclusion drawn by our Heavenly Mechanism Realm through research and analysis of the [Ancestor]'s body. Back then, it was the consensus of everyone and should not be wrong." A flicker of sorrow passed through the Master Qiaogong's eyes.

"I observe that the Vital Essence Technique of All Living Beings Technique created by Fellow Daoist seems to carry a shadow of this [Dao Root Outcome]." Li Fan spoke up at the right moment.

"Heh, Fellow Daoist has seen through it. Not only the Lingyuan Technique, but even the cultivation methods of this Xuanhuang Realm that defy the principles of heaven and earth to attain longevity immortality actually align with the true intent of the Dao root in a subtle way." The Master Qiaogong lowered his voice, his tone grave.

"The Immortal Ancestor, this person. Although he has not yet reached the Immortal realm, he has achieved control over the downstream cultivators through this method. It is truly terrifying and awe-inspiring."

"Though he is not an immortal, he possesses some of an immortal's authority. As I said before, either become his believer and cultivate his method, or kill him outright." Master Qiaogong clearly held great reverence for the Immortal Ancestor; he whispered this explanation.

Li Fan frowned upon hearing this. "Then, according to what you say, if the Immortal Ancestor were to die suddenly for some reason, it might even affect all cultivators in the Xuanhuang Realm?"

The Master Qiaogong shrugged. "That possibility cannot be ruled out. That is why I say he is extremely dangerous. I even suspect he is the reincarnation of an Immortal. Otherwise, it would be impossible to apply the Dao Root Theory with such perfect mastery."

Li Fan furrowed his brows deeply.

This was something he had never considered before. It seemed the difficulty of dealing with the Immortal Ancestor was far greater than he had imagined.

"By the way, I noticed that your two guardian Fortune Golden Figures look exactly like the Immortal Ancestor. Is there some profound secret behind this? Could it be that the Puppet [Ancestor] of your Heavenly Mechanism Realm also has this appearance?" After a moment, Li Fan suddenly voiced the question weighing on his mind.

The Master Qiaogong quickly shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. The [Ancestor]'s appearance is incomplete and unrecognizable. The reason I designed the Fortune Golden Figures in the likeness of the Immortal Ancestor is probably just to better align with the Dao of the Xuanhuang Heaven."

Fearing Li Fan might not understand, the Master Qiaogong took the initiative to explain. "Look at my Heavenly Mechanical Puppets: besides being forged from source power, they incorporate many components. But the Fortune Golden Figures are composed purely of source power."

"Although it is source power gathered through the practice of the Vital Essence Technique of All Living Beings, in the end, within the Xuanhuang Realm, it is inevitably influenced by the Immortal Ancestor. So, to maintain their structural stability, they were crafted in his likeness."

With just a few sentences, the Master Qiaogong's words dispelled the shock and doubt in Li Fan's heart.

If it was confirmed that the Immortal Ancestor was a reincarnated immortal, then in the future, within the Xuanhuang Realm, he would need to be even more low-key.

However, based on the current situation, even if he was not a True Immortal, he was not far off.

"With that said, what is Fellow Daoist's attitude toward joining our Federation?" After a long silence, Li Fan spoke again.

The Master Qiaogong did not hesitate in the slightest: "Of course, that is fine. Now that the immortal path is severed, ascension to immortality and pursuing the root of the Dao have long become illusory and ethereal matters. But having the opportunity to almost apprentice under this..."

"True Immortal of Salvation and Mortal Compassion..." The Master Qiaogong recited the title with full reverence.

"To become his disciple is an immense honor. One must know that, with calamities now rampant across the star regions, a surviving True Immortal is undoubtedly the backer that countless cultivators dream of." The Master Qiaogong's eyes were filled with longing and aspiration.

"If we can borrow the power of the True Immortal, then the various plans that stalled in the past due to insufficient conditions should be able to proceed smoothly." The Master Qiaogong's final words finally revealed the true reason for his willingness to join the Federation.

To avoid arousing Li Fan's suspicions, the Master Qiaogong quickly took the initiative to explain: "In our research on the Ancestor's puppets back then, we gained far too much. The Heavenly Mechanism Puppet was merely the most basic type in our conception."

"Fellow Daoist can also see that what drives its operation is source power, which is the Fruit of the Dao. And if we can harness the power of the Flower of the Dao to craft puppets..."

The Master Qiaogong's eyes lit up with light, full of aspiration: "we would surely create True Immortal puppets whose strength crushes ordinary cultivators."

"Although they cannot compare to True Immortals, it should be no problem to contend with Longevity Immortal cultivators."

The Master Qiaogong was full of confidence.

As he spoke, he looked once more at the golden vow power that had always swirled around Li Fan's fingertip.

That was the so-called power of the Flower of the Dao.

Hearing this, Li Fan slowly nodded.

He retracted the golden vow power back into his Calamity Body for storage.

"Since that is the case, come with me to pay respects to the image of the True Immortal of Salvation and Mortal Compassion!"

Master Qiaogong only felt a blur before his eyes, and he was already in a circular grand hall.

Ahead, a stone statue whose features could not be discerned stood imposingly.

And the aura sensed from the stone statue was very similar to the residual aura on the Ancestor from many years ago!

That was all the power belonging to an immortal!

The Master Qiaogong had no more doubts in his heart.

He willingly followed Li Fan in sincerely reciting the initiation oath.

Almost the instant the oath was completed, Li Fan felt the most devout power among all the new members connect with him.

It was even a few degrees stronger than Dao Xuanzi, who had previously been evaluated as a "Sincere Seeker of the Dao."

"Perhaps because he has truly witnessed the power of an immortal, his devotion has only deepened, and he cannot even harbor thoughts of resistance." Li Fan thought silently.

But to pursue the path of following an existing True Immortal in the mortal world, to become a mere lapdog.

That was clearly not something Li Fan would do.

Of course, occasionally in one or two lifetimes, to borrow power...

That was not out of the question.