My Longevity Simulation

Chapter 1063: Dao One Swallows Heaven and Earth

In Shilin Prefecture, the first change the cultivators noticed was that the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to have grown slightly thinner.

This was no small matter. After receiving feedback from the cultivators, Shilin Immortal City immediately dispatched investigators.

The measurement results confirmed that it was not an illusion on everyone's part.

Rather, the spiritual energy concentration across the entire Shilin Prefecture had truly decreased compared to before.

Though the reduction was not substantial, it still filled the cultivators of Shilin Prefecture with unease.

Moreover, this anomaly appeared to be confined solely to Shilin Prefecture. With no precedents to reference, the cultivators there could only investigate the cause on their own.

The results were shocking.

In the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven of Shilin Prefecture, that vast underground cavern on the provincial border, a type of black insect had emerged at some unknown point.

These insects swarmed densely, occupying nearly the entire underground cavern.

They greedily devoured and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, multiplying and proliferating at a terrifying speed.

The sight of those black insects filling the field of vision sent chills through the hearts of all who witnessed it.

Once the cause of the anomaly was identified, the cultivators of Shilin Prefecture swiftly mounted a response.

They organized forces to head to the Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven and launch a large-scale extermination of the black insects.

They had originally assumed that with the cultivators' power to move mountains and overturn seas, wiping out these bugs would be effortless.

But the severity of the situation far exceeded the imagination of Shilin Prefecture's cultivators.

First, the black insects' vitality was unimaginably tenacious.

Feeding on spiritual energy, they would devour a portion of any spiritual power bombardment directed at them, thereby weakening its might somewhat.

This meant that the more numerous the black insects, the greater their "resistance" to spiritual techniques.

Given the density of the black insects in the underground Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven, even a Nascent Soul True Lord intervening would barely make a ripple. Instead, they risked being swarmed and drained of their internal spiritual energy, leading to a tragic death.

And how many Soul Transformation True Monarchs were there in Shilin Prefecture? Before the ocean-like horde of underground black insects, a dozen or twenty such figures amounted to little more than a drop in the bucket.

By rights, only a Dao Integration Immortal Sage could resolve this impasse.

Unfortunately, the Dao Integration cultivator stationed in Shilin Prefecture had, for some unknown reason, departed the prefecture some time ago and had yet to return.

All communications sent out had sunk into the sea without reply.

Thus, Shilin Prefecture's insect extermination campaign fell into deadlock not long after it began.

The only consolation for the Prefecture's cultivators was that the black insects showed no intention of leaving the underground to expand outward.

Yet the knowledge that such a terrifying horde lurked below would unsettle anyone, robbing them of sleep and appetite.

In utter helplessness, Shilin Immortal City had no choice but to seek aid from the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

Deep within the underground Hundred Stone Cave-Heaven.

The illusory form of the Dharma-Transmitter Zhou surveyed the black insects crawling over the cavern walls, a flicker of wariness in her eyes.

This thing was something she had watched with her own eyes, from a single specimen proliferating to its current state.

At first, she had not taken Li Fan's mention of "a slight bit of danger" very seriously.

But now, she was desperate to avoid it and dared not approach this place herself.

"Fellow Daoist, this thing truly won't go out of control?" she asked, her expression gloomy.

Li Fan stroked the Dao-One Insect Mother lying in his hand and smiled: "Relax. The Xuanhuang Realm is our shared homeland. How could our Federation of All Worlds possibly use it rashly without absolute certainty?"

"All the black insects are born from this Dao-One Insect Mother in my hand. Their lives are all tied to the mother insect. As long as it is killed, this insect calamity will collapse on its own."

As if sensing the killing intent in Li Fan's heart, the plump insect mother rolled over in place and uneasily wriggled its body against his palm.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou stared at the insect mother for a long time before finally nodding slightly.

"It is estimated that within a month, the spiritual energy concentration in Shilin Prefecture will drop to its lowest point. The resulting spiritual energy vacuum will trigger massive spiritual energy storms in the surrounding prefectures. At that time, we will lift the [Spirit-Sealing Barrier]."

"Then, riding these storms, the black insects will spread across the entire Xuanhuang Realm in an extremely short time."

An illusory light and shadow simulating this calamity appeared before Li Fan.

"The entire process is expected to take no more than seven days."

"By the time the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance reports layer by layer and reaches a decision through layers of resolutions, it will already be too late."

"At that point, the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm will face a sudden descent into the End of the Dharma Age."

There was a hint of excitement in Li Fan's tone as he once again explained the full plan to Dharma-Transmitter Zhou.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou narrowed her eyes, and for some reason, a foreboding premonition suddenly arose in her heart.

However, the Federation of All Worlds was such a vast organization; there was no reason it would allow the Xuanhuang Realm to truly perish. Everything must be under control.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou felt slightly reassured.

"Though these black insects are terrifying, they can at most catch everyone off guard. Once the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators react collectively, exterminating these black insects will not be too difficult."

Li Fan knew she spoke the truth and smiled faintly: "All we need is that window of opportunity."

"If it were merely an insect calamity, Dharma-Transmitter Jiang would certainly not appear in person."

"But if the spiritual energy mutates after recovering and threatens the lives of all cultivators, he will likely have no choice but to show himself."

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou nodded: "That kind of spiritual energy does indeed have an effect of disturbing the mind. Even with my temperament, after absorbing some of it, I could hardly suppress the urge to fight Huang fiercely."

"If it spreads across the Xuanhuang Realm..."

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou seemed to already envision a scene of blood everywhere.

"With just two kinds of small insects, such a massive threat to the world can be created. Your Federation of All Worlds..." Dharma-Transmitter Zhou's illusory form stared at Li Fan, her expression inscrutable.

"A threat? Hardly, hardly." Li Fan shook his head firmly in denial.

"As soon as Jiang appears, I will activate the clues I prepared in advance to lure him here. At that time, he will be yours to handle."

"As for the spiritual energy issue in the Xuanhuang Realm, there is no need to worry."

"After the black insects die, the devoured spiritual energy will return to heaven and earth. Everything will revert to its original state," Li Fan said calmly.

Dharma-Transmitter Zhou had verified this matter herself, so she raised no objections.

What she did not know, however, was that beyond the public information, Li Fan had concealed many things.

For instance, there were actually two Dao-One Insect Mothers.

Only if both died simultaneously would this mutated Dao-One Insect Clan truly perish.

For instance, the Dao-One Insects would indeed return the vast majority of spiritual energy upon death.

But a small portion would still be transferred to the insect mothers' bodies as nourishment and reserves.

And for instance...

Spiritual energy was to the Xuanhuang Realm as blood was to the human body.

Replacing all the blood in the body in a short time.

What changes might occur in the Xuanhuang Realm as a result was truly hard to say.