My Longevity Simulation

Chapter 1262: Star Sea's Primordial Will

Matters related to the Dark Realm were top secret of the Immortal Alliance. This Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance envoy knew very little about any further information.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Li Ping did not make any further moves on him.

By the time the Immortal Alliance envoy named Jia Su gradually woke up, he remained completely unaware that the secrets in his mind had been seen through clearly by the person before him.

He continued to praise: “Sect Master, this divine technique of yours is truly extraordinary. Even when I read it, I unknowingly fell into a state of self-forgetfulness.”

Li Ping chuckled: “If it can be of use to the Immortal Alliance, that would be excellent. However, could we perhaps discuss lowering the proportion of source power to be submitted each year?”

Before he could finish speaking, the Immortal Alliance envoy’s expression changed slightly. He spoke earnestly: “Sect Master, most things can be negotiated. But the Immortal Alliance’s duties cannot be treated lightly.”

The envoy hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice: “To tell you the truth, the higher-ups originally planned to collect even more this time...”

Seeing Li Ping’s extremely ugly expression, as if he might erupt at any moment, the envoy hurriedly reassured him: “But since Sect Master has rendered meritorious service now, I will try to put in a word. We should be able to reduce it somewhat...”

Without waiting for Li Ping to lose his temper, the Immortal Alliance envoy quickly took his leave.

The anger on the Holy Emperor’s face slowly faded, replaced by complete calm.

He left the puppet behind to continue watching over the Lingyuan Sect members, while Li Ping returned to the Holy Dynasty.

The profound technique he had left for the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was indeed a superior method capable of better developing source power within cultivators’ bodies, and he had left no hidden moves in it.

After all, the matter involved the Dark Sea. The Immortal Alliance would never treat it lightly or fail to verify it repeatedly.

The reason Li Ping had passed this technique to the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was simply that, as its creator, he could roughly sense the corresponding locations of the cultivators who practiced it. He could even perceive the source power they cultivated under the enhancement of this technique.

The Dark Sea was endlessly black and swallowed everything. Even the You Clan only moved within the areas they were familiar with.

To locate the “Piercing Spear” that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance had driven into the Dark Sea naturally required some special means.

However, it would still take some time for this technique to be widely promoted.

Li Ping first continued with his previous unfinished plan of using the puppet body to comprehend the Dao outside the Xuanhuang Realm. After the final refinements over these days, the puppet body now fully met the Holy Emperor’s requirements.

Every time his consciousness descended upon it, the instinctive urge to switch bodies grew stronger and stronger.

Because of this, Li Ping reduced the frequency of testing this puppet body.

The large quantity of Voidbright Flow Crystals he had collected in the Hongze Realm was also sufficient for him to break free from the pull of the Immortal Ruins and successfully fly out of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Without informing anyone, under the cover of formations and the aura of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, a rainbow light flew silently toward the sky.

In an instant, he reached the edge of the world.

After losing the protection of the Xuanhuang Realm, the enormous suction force from the Immortal Ruins caused Li Ping’s expression to change slightly.

Knowing of the existence of True Immortal power and personally experiencing it were two entirely different matters.

Only when truly facing this vast, mountain-and-sea-like divine might of a True Immortal would one understand one’s own insignificance.

Even as the Holy Emperor, currently one of the strongest existences in the Xuanhuang Realm, it was the same.

“The path is blocked and long.”

The Holy Emperor sighed softly in his heart and released rainbow lights one after another to counteract the suction of the Immortal Ruins.

Meanwhile, the puppet body rapidly flew in the opposite direction.

The light of the Xuanhuang Realm gradually dimmed. All around, only darkness remained. Unlike the blackness of the Dark Sea, the Star Sea was one of utter deathly silence.

And...even though it seemed as if nothing existed ahead, the Holy Emperor instinctively sensed that danger was waiting for him there.

He decisively changed direction and detoured around that area.

On the subsequent journey, whenever any rampaging remnant True Immortal force in the Darkest Sea posed a threat to him, he could foresee it in advance and avoid it ahead of time.

It was as if he were not traversing this Star Sea for the first time.

The Holy Emperor’s puppet body narrowed its eyes and followed the vague direction in the darkness, continuing deeper into the Darkest Sea.

He had already sensed the fact that the upper limit of laws in the Star Sea was higher than in the Xuanhuang Realm.

But his destination was not the foot of the High Wall mentioned in the sword light’s message.

Instead, it was the place in this Darkest Star Sea where new upper-limit laws were being gestated. There, the efficiency of comprehending the Dao would be the highest.

The rainbow light shuttled rapidly, as if the concept of time had vanished. The Holy Emperor gradually stopped following the guidance of his premonitions. Instead, he followed the mysteriously surging profound rhythms in the dead-silent Star Sea and changed his direction of advance.

It was like truly being in a great ocean and finding the fierce undercurrents beneath the calm surface.

His speed suddenly surged, covering millions upon millions of miles in an instant. Immense forces tore at him from all sides. Even the protective rainbow light began to shatter and break apart under the pull of this unknown mighty power.

Li Ping remained focused, treating the crisis of possible body destruction as nothing. He calmly comprehended the profound and wondrous changes around him that he had never encountered in the Xuanhuang Realm.

“Destruction and rebirth.”

“People of the Xuanhuang Realm view this dead-silent starry sky as the Darkest Star Sea. Yet unbeknownst to anyone, vitality is slowly recovering within it.”

“However, it is currently still in the most primordial stage. Moreover, the entire process is far too slow. From the perspective of [humans], it is destined to be extremely difficult to detect.”

“This has nothing to do with comprehension. It is purely the difference that inevitably arises between different life forms at different scales...”

“But...”

A peculiar rhythm slowly awakened on the Holy Emperor’s puppet body. It carried the unique aura of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao!

Indeed, this time the Holy Emperor had secretly sent the puppet body out of the Xuanhuang Realm to comprehend the Dao without letting anyone in the Holy Dynasty know.

Yet how could he possibly hide it from the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao?

At its insistent request, and with the resolute determination that there might be no return, a strand of consciousness was separated and attached to the puppet body.

It left the Xuanhuang Realm together and arrived deep within the Star Sea.

Unlike its purpose from several years ago. This time, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao had also come to “learn the Dao”!

Before its destruction, the upper limit of laws in the Darkest Star Sea had already surpassed that of the Xuanhuang Realm. Although the Xuanhuang Realm had managed to survive until now, its own strength had not undergone sublimation over the long years.

Even after devouring many fragments of immortal cultivation worlds and being occupied by cultivators, it had only grown slightly overall compared to before. Yet the new laws being gestated in the Darkest Star Sea were naturally one level higher than those of the Xuanhuang Realm.

For the Xuanhuang Realm, observing these newborn entities in the Darkest Star Sea was likewise a great opportunity. Previously, there had been no trustworthy cultivator candidate to possess, and no method to escape the pull of the Immortal Ruins.

Therefore, even though the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao had such intentions, it could not carry them out.

But this time, with the existence of the Heavenly Mandate Holy Emperor, everything became different.

Li Ping completely handed over control of the puppet body to the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao. He himself acted only as an observer, feeling and comprehending alongside it.

Merely this simple point was something almost impossible for any other cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm to achieve. Like a young child who had not gone outside for a long time and suddenly saw a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

From the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, Li Ping felt cheerfulness, excitement, and throbbing anticipation...as well as the gradually brightening Darkest Star Sea.

To call it bright might be a slight exaggeration. It was merely occasional specks of light appearing here and there.

Yet in this originally pitch-black and deathly silent Star Sea, they stood out so clearly.

The puppet body seemed to disappear as the perspective suddenly zoomed out countless times.

The very center of the entire Darkest Star Sea, not in the spatial sense, but in the sense of life, appeared before Li Ping. It resembled a faintly beating heart. Though weak, it undoubtedly represented life, hope, and the future.

The Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao and Li Ping had arrived at the foot of this heart. They greedily seized and absorbed the reviving power of the Star Sea that radiated outward with each beat.

In an instant, countless images flooded into their minds. There were worlds being destroyed and the Star Sea rising and falling. There were living beings flourishing and receiving heaven’s favor. There were also terrifying beast-like shadows, like black mist, secretly watching and ready to pounce at any moment.

...

Amid these countless changes and constants, after destruction the Darkest Star Sea still remained stable and persistent, once again attempting to burst forth with vitality.

This was undoubtedly the primordial will of this Star Sea, yet it was also a stubborn determination that could bring tears to one’s eyes.

Unable to withstand such vast and pure primordial Dao intent from the Star Sea, the puppet body began to disintegrate inch by inch. Yet at this moment, the consciousness of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao and Holy Emperor Li Ping felt neither worry nor fear in their hearts.

“Compared with the entire Darkest Star Sea, what are the tribulations suffered by the Xuanhuang Realm?”

“Since the Star Sea can revive from destruction, the Xuanhuang Realm will surely be able to do the same.”

The two took advantage of the final moments to engrave as many insights as possible into their minds. Li Ping also knew that the primordial Dao intent of the Darkest Star Sea was not something he could fully glimpse at his current level.

The so-called insights he gained now were more like a blind man touching an elephant. Everything he saw and comprehended was merely the tiny portion he could perceive and wished to see.

Even so, this insignificant fraction of the entire Star Sea held profound significance for them.

Just as the puppet body was about to completely collapse and vanish. The primordial reviving consciousness of the Star Sea seemed to notice the existence of Li Ping and the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.

It cast down a strand of attention.

But clearly, the fragile puppet body could no longer bear this immense and unmatched power.

It was annihilated within the vast force.

However, before consciousness disappeared.

Li Ping, with the help of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, caught a fleeting, blurry image. It appeared and vanished so quickly that Li Ping could not even be sure whether it was an illusion.

The Immortal Path collapsed, the Star Sea was destroyed, and calamities spread. A figure whose face and details could not be seen grew fainter and fainter.

It completely disappeared.

Only his light laughter continued to echo for a long time in this Star Sea where calamity was about to spread.

“What does it have to do with me...”

“What does it have to do with me...”

“Hahaha...”

Boom!

The Holy Emperor suddenly returned to reality.

He let out a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of golden blood.

The sleeping Cat Treasure abruptly raised its head and flew at light speed to the side of the still-floating blood. It directly swallowed the blood into its stomach.

“Meow! Meow meow!”

Then, as if afraid Li Ping would scold it, Cat Treasure called out a few times in a flattering manner.

Li Ping circulated golden source power to slowly repair the injuries in his body and did not bother arguing with Cat Treasure. All his thoughts were concentrated on the scene he had just witnessed.

“That figure...”

The Holy Emperor’s heart was filled with solemnity.

Anyone capable of making this Star Sea remember them even in the midst of revival from destruction was definitely no ordinary person.

The mere existence of that figure lingering in his mind for a short while had already caused a faint sense of crisis to emerge in the Holy Emperor’s heart. He immediately felt a chill and slowly forced himself to stop thinking about it.

But soon the Holy Emperor realized he had worried too much. Because even if he did not deliberately try to forget, the memory of that figure was already fading uncontrollably.

“This situation...”

“It has not yet reached the legendary realm of the [Nameless True Immortal], yet it seems only one step away.”

The Holy Emperor carefully savored the meaning that the newborn Star Sea had tried to convey in that instant.

“If I am not mistaken, the true culprit behind the many calamities ravaging the Star Sea is very likely this person...”

The Holy Emperor frowned slightly as he tried hard to capture the memory that was about to disappear from his mind.

In the end, most of the details slowly faded away.

What remained were only the four large words: “What does it have to do with me.”

“He Ganxian.” The Holy Emperor’s expression was inscrutable.

Inside the Holy Emperor’s hall, Li Ping sat for a long time in silence. Cat Treasure also seemed to sense something. It lowered its body, scanned its surroundings with its head, and assumed a hunting posture.

It appeared to be searching for the existence that made Li Ping so wary. Yet it ultimately found nothing. Cat Treasure became lazy again and fell asleep on Li Ping’s shoulder.

The Holy Emperor began to digest the gains from this journey deep into the Star Sea.

Not only him.

Even the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, because of this long journey, had begun changes that had not occurred for a very long time. Like the newborn Darkest Star Sea, the changes were silent and moistening, still unknown to others.

But they were indeed happening. In the entire world, only a handful of people could detect them.

In Great Qi.

Shi Ban, who was chatting with others in a teahouse in the Holy Capital, showed a slight change in expression and looked into the distance.

In the Lifespan Refining Space, Ruomu, who was trimming his withered branches, stared blankly at the new buds sprouting from the yellowed tips, stunned with astonishment.

Deep underground for ten thousand miles, the Earth Vein Ancient Tree suddenly felt the surging power from the Xuanhuang Realm become inexplicably more vigorous, as if something was brewing. It left him both expectant and fearful.

...

“Beside a sunken ship, a thousand sails pass;

before a withered tree, ten thousand trees burst into spring.”

In the Derivation Law Jade space, these two lines of poetry suddenly surged into Li Fan’s mind.

“So, only by using the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao to comprehend the Dao in the Star Sea can one obtain the greatest harvest.”

“Because the perspective of humans and the perspective of Heaven and Earth are different.”

“Just like back then, when I used the Canghai Pearl to comprehend the [Formless Killing Intent].”

“Creating the Holy Emperor clone in this life and helping the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao was truly a fortunate coincidence.”

Li Fan felt immense joy in his heart.

Although the connection between him and the Holy Emperor had already become very weak.

Because the impact from the Star Sea’s primordial Dao intent had been too great, he had still gained some understanding of the insights obtained by the Holy Emperor and the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.

Most importantly, he had grasped the method. As long as he had the method, in the next life he could recreate it once again.