My Longevity Simulation

Chapter 1263: Establishing Xuanhuang Orthodoxy

“Star Sea’s Primordial Dao intent...”

Li Fan savored repeatedly the faint insights transmitted from the Holy Emperor. At the same time he vaguely sensed the current state of the Xuanhuang Realm reviving from within outward.

“If there were no new-law cultivators devouring heaven and earth from inside and no Immortal Ruins from outside, perhaps the Xuanhuang Realm could truly regain new life.”

“Unfortunately... it is destined to treat the symptoms but not the root cause.”

While shaking his head slightly, a thread of doubt also surfaced in his mind. Logically the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao could not be unaware of this. Instead of accumulating this reviving power for a future decisive battle, it was impatiently spreading it out.

What was the purpose?

“Hmph. Let me wait and see.”

The perspective returned once more to the Holy Dynasty of Great Qi.

The moment Stone Tablet detected the disturbance in the Xuanhuang Realm, he immediately arrived inside the Holy Emperor’s hall. Upon seeing the Holy Emperor, who was also emanating profound auras, Stone Tablet was startled.

“You already know what is happening in the Xuanhuang Realm?”

“There is no need for alarm. It brings benefit without harm.” The Holy Emperor replied.

Stone Tablet’s expression eased slightly: “I thought the Xuanhuang Realm was facing great calamity and showing a final burst of vitality...”

“What you said is not entirely wrong. This reviving power, triggered by a momentary comprehension of the Dao, is destined not to last. But for us, it may be a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.” After a brief silence, the Holy Emperor spoke slowly.

“You mean the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy plan?” Stone Tablet was slightly stunned, then quickly understood.

“Correct.”

The Holy Emperor nodded. A miniaturized image of the Xuanhuang Realm appeared before the two.

The original core portions of the Xuanhuang Realm glowed with yellow light.

The Cave-Heavens and worlds captured by the Xuanhuang Realm’s native forces, the Xuantian Sect, and the Ten Great Immortal Sects using the Floating Across Starry Sky Grand Formation since the collapse of the immortal path appeared in an eerie green.

The remnants of other immortal cultivation realms forcibly stitched in by outsiders after the great calamity spread and the Star Sea was destroyed appeared in dead-silent black. This was information transmitted by the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao.

It could be seen that the yellow occupied only about one-thirtieth of the entire miniaturized landscape of the Xuanhuang Realm.

The green occupied one-tenth.

The rest consisted of vast stretches of pitch black.

At first glance, the yellow of Xuanhuang appeared to be the anomaly.

Yet unlike the green and black, the glowing color representing the Xuanhuang Realm seemed to possess its own living consciousness. It flickered and continuously overflowed and spread toward the surrounding alien-colored regions.

From a direct visual perspective, the green and black regions were not pure. They were mixed with specks of dim yellow.

Over several thousand years, however, this erosion in a certain sense had grown increasingly slow. There were even signs of it being pushed back.

But...with the recent sudden revival of vitality in the Xuanhuang Realm, the overflow of the Xuanhuang yellow suddenly accelerated.

“Xuanhuang Orthodoxy...”

Stone Tablet fell into thought: “The regions that originally belonged to the Xuanhuang Realm naturally require no further mention. Everything that occurs there is recorded in detail by the Genesis Stone Tablet. As for those green regions...”

Stone Tablet examined them carefully: “Some fall within the stone tablet’s recorded scope, while others do not.”

“As for the black regions, they are complete blind spots.”

Holy Emperor Li Ping said: “If we do nothing, the Xuanhuang Realm’s final fate will be to be swallowed by the black that holds an absolute numerical advantage. In the future, these black areas will likely transform into something else.”

“Therefore we must act first and deeply implant the Xuanhuang Orthodoxy into these external remnant domains.” The Holy Emperor’s voice was low, yet the resolve in his words was unmistakable.

“How shall we proceed?” Stone Tablet grew interested.

“Observe the Dao of heaven and carry out the actions of heaven...”

The Holy Emperor spoke slowly. Stone Tablet listened attentively and nodded from time to time.

After explaining the method in detail, the Holy Emperor’s tone grew somewhat grave: “When carrying this out, we must be cautious to avoid detection by the original perpetrator.”

Although the Holy Emperor did not name anyone, Stone Tablet understood his meaning.

Stone Tablet rarely showed a playful smile: “It is said that gentle rain moistens things silently. This method is so covert, and with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao actively cooperating to conceal it, even if that person possesses unmatched cultivation, I doubt he could detect it.”

The Holy Emperor said seriously: “We cannot be careless. Even if he is not in the Xuanhuang Realm, we must guard against the various contingencies he left behind.”

Stone Tablet nodded to show understanding.

“The fewer participants in this matter, the better. Ideally it would be handled by Ruomu for maximum efficiency. After all, as an innate tree spirit, it has a closer connection to the Xuanhuang Realm.”

“It is not that I distrust him, but every move Ruomu makes draws the attention of other powerhouses in this realm. As the acting party, it would be too conspicuous. On the contrary, everyone believes you are constantly oppressed by the Genesis Stone Tablet and remain under its weight at all times. They will subconsciously overlook you.” Perhaps because the matter concerned the future of Xuanhuang, the Holy Emperor spoke a few unusually lengthy sentences.

It seemed directed at the Stone Tablet, yet it also appeared to be spoken to Ruomu.

“This is what is called hiding in plain sight.” Stone Tablet nodded in agreement. “Now that I have shed the weight of the Stone Tablet, I shall make further changes. I guarantee that no one in the Xuanhuang Realm will associate me with my former image.”

“Then we shall wait a few days until the reviving power released by the Xuanhuang Realm this time reaches its peak before taking action. That way we can achieve twice the result with half the effort.”

Stone Tablet agreed at once.

He did not leave. He simply stood quietly inside the Holy Emperor’s hall, watching the miniaturized scene of the Xuanhuang Realm created by the Holy Emperor. The light at the center of Xuanhuang flickered continuously. Like a beating heart, it transported strands of Xuanhuang yellow to every corner of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Including those green and black regions.

Even within them, a trend of gradual assimilation had begun. Yet under the powerful reviving force being continuously transmitted at present, they could still temporarily maintain their original colors. Slowly but surely, even the pitch-black zones at the outermost edge of the Xuanhuang Realm became tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of Xuanhuang yellow.

“It is time to act.” The Faceless Holy Emperor said in a deep voice.

Stone Tablet smiled faintly. Its figure flickered, instantly splitting into two identical bodies inside the Holy Emperor’s hall. Then two became four, four became eight, and eight became sixteen. In the blink of an eye, countless identical Stone Tablet figures densely filled the hall.

“Change! Change! Change!”

Stone Tablets spoke in unison.

In an instant, the Stone Tablet clones transformed into various real, existing people of the Xuanhuang Realm.

There were carefree white-robed scholars, hunched woodcutters, women of unparalleled beauty, and irreverent old men...Each figure looked vividly alive, showing no sign that they originated from the same source.

“I will go now.”

They each bowed to the Holy Emperor with smiles on their faces before their figures vanished from the Holy Emperor’s hall.

At the same time, throughout every prefecture and region of the Xuanhuang Realm, unnoticed by anyone.

Certain special existences appeared.

When gathered together inside the Holy Emperor’s hall they had seemed rather crowded. Yet once dispersed across the Xuanhuang Realm, they raised not the slightest ripple.

“Observe the Dao of heaven and carry out the actions of heaven.”

“Heaven and man unite in action; the foundation of all changes is set...”

They chanted softly while heading toward the mortal cities and towns where ordinary people congregated in each prefecture.

The Holy Emperor’s plan was simple in description. It was in essence using human will to establish the heavenly foundation. Leveraging Stone Tablet’s ability to disguise itself as any form, he split into countless clones that infiltrated the mortal populace.

They would subtly and imperceptibly preach the existence of the “Xuanhuang Realm” to all mortal beings in the Xuanhuang Realm. Today’s mortals knew only the small corner of land where they lived. They had no particular awareness of the Xuanhuang Realm as a whole.

The very concept of the Xuanhuang Realm did not exist in their minds. The first step in establishing Xuanhuang Orthodoxy was to familiarize them with the fact that the world they inhabited was the Xuanhuang Realm.

Of course, this could not be accomplished in a single day. It would require years, even more than a decade, of dissemination. Moreover, to avoid arousing suspicion, they had to labor tirelessly and integrate personally into mortal society, spreading the message through word of mouth.

Yet with the Stone Tablet’s power, even splitting into thousands upon thousands of clones made the task far from difficult.

A single mortal, or even hundreds or thousands, might be as insignificant as an ant. But when all the mortals of the entire Xuanhuang Realm united in consensus, they became a force that could not be ignored.

Once the mortal populace of the Xuanhuang Realm reached consensus, the second step of the plan could begin.

Using the will of [All Spirits Of Heaven And Earth] to launch a synchronized counterattack, encircle, and devour the remnant consciousnesses of those external immortal world remnants.

This step would require the assistance of Yin Shangren. As an existence akin to a world’s ghost specter, he possessed profound knowledge of how to devour world consciousnesses.

After cooperating with the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao to complete the encirclement and suppression of the immortal realm remnants, the final step would be to help those remnants fully merge into the Xuanhuang Realm.

In fact, the vast majority of the Xuanhuang Realm’s regions had already achieved surface-level fusion. Only a very few prefectures still experienced frequent, bizarre anomalies due to improper integration.

Such “ulcerated sores” required thorough surgical cleansing: destruction followed by reconstruction. If the first and second steps could still be carried out undetected.

Then the third step would inevitably alert the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, and even the Immortal Ancestor beyond the Star Sea.

At that time, open conflict would be unavoidable.

Yet according to the Holy Emperor, as long as the second step was completed, even if the final outcome failed.

The general trend would already be set, and no one would be able to turn the tide. Unless they brought in even more immortal realm remnants and spent nearly ten thousand years performing yet another round of dismemberment and reassembly.

For this plan of the Holy Emperor, Stone Tablet, who had not grown excited over any matter for a very long time, actually felt his blood boil with enthusiasm.

Aside from the chance to save the Xuanhuang Realm, the benefits of success were self-evident. He would gain control over far more heavenly authority and become an existence even stronger than Longevity Immortal.

For whatever reason, Stone Tablet would not refuse this plan. A dozen or so years meant nothing more than the blink of an eye to it.

...

Inside the Holy Emperor’s Hall.

Li Ping summoned Ruomu.

A true wise man does not place all his eggs in one basket. Naturally he would not entrust the vital task of establishing Xuanhuang Orthodoxy to Stone Tablet alone. Even though the Stone Tablet was trustworthy and the plan carried low risk.

He spoke words identical in meaning to those given to the Stone Tablet, though phrased differently.

The main agent carrying out the goal became Ruomu. And the [All Spirits of Heaven And Earth] used to implant the concept of the Xuanhuang Realm became the ordinary grasses, trees, birds, and beasts of the Xuanhuang Realm.

“You are the ancestor of all living beings under heaven. Influencing them subtly and imperceptibly should also be within your power.”

“Establish the will of the [Xuanhuang Realm].”

To Ruomu, this was a trivial matter. Moreover, the recent fact that its withered branches had sprouted new buds had reignited its spirit. It rarely showed such motivation and readily agreed.

“Ruomu, Stone Tablet.”

“Even with both of them, it is still not enough.”

“This matter ultimately requires my personal involvement.”

“Only with three layers of insurance can it be considered foolproof.”

The Holy Emperor’s thoughts flowed slowly.

“Clashing spears with the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance is the open battlefield.”

“While establishing Xuanhuang Orthodoxy is the hidden war.”

“By comparison, this hidden war is even more important. There is only one chance. Losing it means total defeat.”

As the Holy Emperor pondered, a bulge slowly formed on his forehead. Flesh swelled, and a fleshy tumor continued to grow larger. Li Ping seemed completely unaware and remained motionless.

Only after half a day did the flesh burst open, releasing a cluster of Xuanhuang qi. Xuanhuang qi swirled around it, the internal image hazy. It bore some resemblance to Mr. Bai, and also to Li Ping himself.

“Cat Treasure.”

The Faceless Holy Emperor woke the drowsy Cat Treasure. He pinched the back of its neck, finally compelling the reluctant creature to activate its replication function.

Another cluster of Xuanhuang qi, identical in every way, appeared inside the Holy Emperor’s hall.

“Go!”

With a light command from the Holy Emperor, the two clusters of Xuanhuang qi tore through the void, left the Holy Dynasty’s small world, and flew toward different prefectures of the Xuanhuang Realm. They did not merge directly into the Heavenly Dao but lurked in concealment.

The Holy Emperor coughed lightly. Even with his power, he felt a brief moment of weakness. The Xuanhuang qi separated from his body could, in a certain sense, be viewed as the Xuanhuang evil thought he had swallowed in the past.

After being refined by him personally and blended with the Holy Dynasty’s fortune from the [Heavenly Emperor Qi Canon], it had become something akin to a materialized Xuanhuang fortune.

Had he not delved deep into the Star Sea and witnessed the Star Sea’s Primordial True Intent, condensing this materialized fortune would have been rather difficult.

“Each cluster of materialized fortune can merge with and govern roughly three prefectures.”

“Setting aside the Five Elders Association for now, covering the entire Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, with Cat Treasure’s assistance, will not take long.”

After a few breaths, the Holy Emperor’s aura returned to its peak of strength. Yet Li Ping knew this was due to the support of the Holy Dynasty’s fortune reserves and the feedback from his own Dao comprehension.

If he condensed it too frequently, recovery would not be this swift.

“Infusing Xuanhuang fortune into heaven and earth is equivalent to reasserting sovereignty.”

“Even if Ruomu and Stone Tablet fail, Xuanhuang Orthodoxy will still remain firmly under control.”

“Of course, if they succeed, that would be even better.”

In Li Ping’s deductions, the battle against the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance would ideally occur only after establishing Xuanhuang Orthodoxy.

By then, dealing with these “heretics” of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance would be like fighting on home ground. With a single thought he could ignore spatial distance, mobilize the power of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, and bring down endless heavenly punishments. Victory could be achieved without losing a single soldier.