My longevity simulation

"Gathering more only provides one more layer of insurance."

"The most crucial factor is still the number of sacrifices required for the Equal Heaven Ritual..." Equal Heaven Ritual Zhong Daogong emphasized once again, his eyes blazing.

"If you feel the pressure is too great, you may choose a few elders to assist you."

Li Fan pondered for a moment before ultimately shaking his head.

"The Great Qi world protecting immortal artifact oversees heaven and earth. If outsiders were to intrude recklessly, it would certainly alert them. That would instead be detrimental to carrying out the plan."

"I alone am sufficient. The optimal opportunity will arrive within thirty years..."

"It will not take that long. If everything goes smoothly, I will certainly succeed within three to five years." Li Fan spoke with complete confidence.

"However..." Li Fan suddenly frowned.

"Speak freely. Whatever assistance you need, just ask. All the elders will certainly cooperate with you with their full strength." Having received Li Fan's assurance, Zhong Daogong spoke generously.

"My reason for leaving was to search for treasures among the relics of the Star Sea. If I return empty handed, it may arouse suspicion. I need to select a few items from the Immortal Ark Treasury to bring back. Of course, something from the first level of the treasury will be enough to satisfy appearances."

Upon hearing this, Jian Daosheng suddenly asked, "If the treasures you bring back are of greater value, would that not be more beneficial for arranging the ritual afterward?"

Li Fan answered almost instinctively.

"Naturally. However, to be honest, the help would still be rather limited. The academic aristocracy of Great Qi is even more rigidly entrenched than our Immortal Ark Council of Elders. A few treasures alone are far from enough. I still need time to slowly accumulate seniority."

The elders exchanged glances before Zhong Daogong finally spoke.

"Even one extra chance of success is worthwhile. You may choose from the second level of the treasury. The items stored there are all extremely valuable, yet none of them are essential to the Immortal Ark's continued survival."

Li Fan did not stand on ceremony. He cupped his fists.

"That is acceptable."

Surrounded by the elders, Li Fan once again arrived at the second layer of the Immortal Ark Treasury.

He looked over the rare treasures sealed within spheres of Heavenly Star Light Lotus.

The Council of Elders allowed him to choose two treasures here, then another three from the first layer of the treasury.

Five treasures in total.

Enough to dispel Great Qi's suspicions while also advancing the successful execution of the Equal Heaven Ritual.

After browsing for a while, Li Fan first selected a Yin-Yang Jade.

It had formed from an immeasurable quantity of yin and yang qi compressed into physical form after reaching an exquisitely balanced state.

Li Fan had a premonition that if these yin and yang energies were incorporated during the process of elevating the Xuanhuang Realm, they might produce unexpected results.

As for the second treasure...

It was naturally one of Sun Piaomiao's three remaining relics.

The three pronged divine tree that had caused [Truth] to react.

The elders of the Immortal Ark had all examined Sun Piaomiao's relics using the Character [Reveal].

Neither the gray bird with broken wings nor the three pronged tree displayed the faint connection to the outside world that the Medicine King Cauldron possessed.

Having ruled out the possibility that they were gray Go pieces, the elders concluded they were merely decoys left behind by Sun Piaomiao.

Li Fan explained, "This item may not possess any practical value, but it was also left behind by Sun Piaomiao. It originates from the same source as the bowing figurine that saved my life last time. My teacher will certainly be very interested in it."

The elders hesitated for a while before finally agreeing to Li Fan's request.

Afterward, Li Fan went to the first layer of the treasury and selected a black star stone, an ancient bronze mirror of strange design, and a liquid longsword.

Only then did he bid farewell to the Immortal Ark.

Sword light flashed as he disappeared into the pitch black Star Sea.

After Li Fan departed, the elders gathered together.

"Although he has given his guarantee, we cannot place all our hopes upon him," Zhong Daogong said gravely.

"Indeed. We should also prepare other methods to reduce the Star Sea backlash."

"Perhaps... it is finally time to open the third layer of the Immortal Compendium of Hundred Tales."

The moment these words were spoken, silence immediately descended over the gathering.

It seemed that something within the third layer of the treasury filled everyone present with extreme apprehension.

The elders wore different expressions, yet none of them voiced their approval.

"Let us wait a little longer. Five years. During that time, everyone should continue thinking about whether there is a better solution."

"If he successfully returns during that period, all the better."

"Otherwise..."

A trace of gloom flashed through Zhong Daogong's eyes as his gaze drifted toward the now sealed entrance to the Immortal Compendium of Hundred Tales.

...

After leaving the Immortal Ark, Li Fan did not immediately return to the Xuanhuang Realm.

Instead, he headed toward the Great Wall of the Remnant Worlds, where Yin Shangren and Hundred Flowers were located.

Along the way, Li Fan took out the three pronged tree.

The strange reaction from [Truth] appeared precisely at that moment.

Suppressing the desire rising within his heart for the time being, Li Fan first carefully examined the ancient creation before him.

The three pronged tree was forged from an unknown material.

It was neither entirely bronze nor entirely wood.

It possessed both the cold hardness of metal and the ancient vitality and weathered aura of primordial trees.

Each of its three branches did not grow ordinary limbs.

Instead, every fork gave birth to an entirely new tree.

Those secondary trees likewise branched again into new sets of three prongs.

Endlessly.

As though there were no limit.

Even with Li Fan's current divine sense, continuously tracing every branch, he could not determine in a short time exactly how many branches the tree truly possessed.

"Truly exquisite."

Li Fan nodded slightly before no longer suppressing [Truth]'s desire.

An indescribable force enveloped the three pronged tree.

A faint radiance surrounded the ancient creation.

It gradually became transparent before completely vanishing into thin air.

Li Fan stared intently at the changes on the [Truth] interface.

However, after waiting for a long time, the fortunate event from last time, when the Virtualization charging progress had instantly risen to four hundred percent, did not occur.

In fact...

Li Fan could not detect any tangible change whatsoever.

"Could it be that [Truth] simply consumed it for nothing?"

The thought flashed through Li Fan's mind.

But he quickly rejected the idea himself.

Based on everything he knew about [Truth], it had always been extremely selective.

Every time it consumed something, it inevitably brought about a substantial change.

This time was no exception.

Li Fan stopped observing the [Truth] interface and instead focused all of his attention on [Truth] itself.

He even halted the Wooden Sword void traversal technique. Standing silently within the void, Li Fan carefully contemplated.

Half a day later, he suddenly opened his eyes.

"As expected. This time, the change in [Truth] did not directly appear on the interface."

"But..."

Li Fan once again projected a phantom Wooden Sword.

To outsiders, there was no visible difference.

Only Li Fan, the one who performed the divine ability, could tell that this phantom sword movement technique had become slightly stronger than before.

To achieve such obvious improvement in such a short period of time.

It was entirely because Li Fan's understanding of the [Transformation Between Truth and Falsehood] had advanced another step.

"So it can actually help me comprehend the fundamental essence of [Truth] itself, the Transformation Between Truth and Falsehood?"

Li Fan's heart was greatly shaken.

The Transformation Between Truth and Falsehood was the highest level of power Li Fan had encountered throughout his countless reincarnations.

There was nothing above it.

Even for Li Fan, comprehending and utilizing it was extraordinarily difficult.

He could only rely on his connection with [Truth]. Every time he activated it and witnessed the world dissolve into illusion before reforming once more, he slowly accumulated understanding through his own insight.

There were no shortcuts.

Yet now, the three-pronged divine tree, one of Sun Piaomiao's relics, was actually capable of assisting one's comprehension of the Dao.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, carefully recalling exactly how this unbelievable event had occurred.

After a long while, a realization gradually surfaced in his mind.

'The Dao of Truth and Falsehood is like the supreme principle of heaven, existing high above all things.'

'Only when I activate [Truth] each time can I soar into the heavens and observe its transformation from close at hand.'

'As for absorbing this three-pronged divine tree...'

Li Fan fell silent for a moment.

Then a brilliant light suddenly flashed through his eyes.

'[Truth] activated a Simulation without my participation?'

'The birth and dissolution of the true and false worlds happened in but an instant. It did not even affect the present world at all.'

'It existed only within [Truth] itself.'

'Without anyone in the world noticing, another Transformation Between Truth and Falsehood was completed. Only because my comprehension of the Dao of Truth and Falsehood inexplicably increased was I fortunate enough to discover it...'

Having become the only person in existence aware of this secret, Li Fan felt not the slightest excitement.

Instead, an unprecedented heaviness settled upon his heart.

He even temporarily postponed his plan to meet with Yin Shangren.

'[Truth]...'

Li Fan silently called its name.

The surroundings instantly became dim.

It was an even deeper darkness than the already silent and pitch-black Darkest Star Sea.

Then seven brilliant characters appeared before him.

When Truth Becomes Falsehood, Falsehood Also Becomes Truth.

Everything was exactly as before. The power of [Truth] remained unaffected. It could still be activated at any moment.

Yet for some unknown reason, the unease in Li Fan's heart refused to subside. In Li Fan's view, everything in existence could be divided into two categories.

The first category consisted of everything that [Truth] could override.

The second category consisted of [Truth] itself, and anything capable of influencing it.

Everything within the Star Sea, even the High Wall, True Immortals, and Cat Treasure all belonged to the first category. As long as [Truth] remained in his possession, Li Fan believed that one day he would stand above them all.

But the second category...

Lay completely beyond his control.

Anything capable of affecting [Truth] meant that his greatest trump card was no longer absolute.

Although this incident seemed to benefit him rather than harm him...

The mere fact that such an uncontrollable event had occurred was itself a warning.

In the future, whenever [Truth] exhibited abnormal behavior, would he have to satisfy its desire to devour every single time?

And what exactly did this act of devouring represent?

These were questions Li Fan could no longer avoid.

[Truth] had awakened mysteriously after his transmigration, as though it had fused completely with his very existence.

To claim he was unafraid of one day losing it would be a lie.

Yet after so many smooth reincarnations, especially after successfully using [Truth] to establish part of his own foundation within the Xuanhuang Realm across hundreds of lifetimes...

Li Fan had gradually forgotten the anxiety he once felt.

Now, after [Truth] devoured the three-pronged divine tree and underwent this strange transformation, he was once again awakened to reality.

Only after a long time did Li Fan finally calm himself.

'At least for now, this is not necessarily a bad thing.'

'But I must determine as quickly as possible exactly what this three-pronged divine tree really is.'

'Why did it cause [Truth] to initiate a world's birth and destruction without my participation?'

'What exactly happened within that world that existed for only a fleeting instant?'

'And what is so special about it that it caused [Truth] to undergo such a change?'

Question after question flooded Li Fan's mind.

'Sun Piaomiao...'

Li Fan was now completely certain.

This three-pronged divine tree had also originated from the Immortal Realm.

'Its value may even surpass that of the gray Go piece.'

'Yet perhaps even Sun Piaomiao himself never understood the secret hidden behind it.'

Li Fan began considering methods of researching the divine tree.

He could not determine whether, in his next life, [Truth] would once again develop the desire to devour it upon seeing it.

Based on previous experience, [Truth] never devoured the same object twice.

But perhaps this incomparably bizarre three-pronged divine tree would prove to be an exception.

Which raised another question.

If [Truth] became abnormal again in the next life, should he allow it to continue devouring the tree?

For the first time ever, the usually decisive Li Fan fell into prolonged hesitation.

This indecision remained with him even after he found Yin Shangren and Hundred Flowers within the Remnant World Great Wall.

While continuing to contemplate the matter carefully, Li Fan employed the Wooden Sword phantom movement technique, enveloping the two of them, who were struggling under the influence of the echoing star force.

Their current location was one of the nodes Yin Shangren had previously mentioned, places naturally formed by the Remnant World Great Wall to maintain its own stability.

Here, the echoing star force crashed against the Node like gigantic waves smashing into reefs.

The violent fluctuations of energy were among the fiercest anywhere along the edge of the Star Sea.

They were even comparable to those beneath the High Wall itself.

With their current strength, exploring such a place remained extremely difficult.

"Well? Have you found any clues about Xu Ke?" Li Fan asked.

Yin Shangren first regulated the somewhat chaotic cycle of life and death energy within his body before replying.

"We have basically confirmed that Xu Ke was swept into this place. We found the final mark he left behind. Although it is extremely faint, it perfectly matches the signal we agreed upon beforehand."

Only then did Li Fan shift part of his attention toward the surroundings.

His perspective suddenly changed.

Instead of an ordinary viewpoint, he observed everything from a higher-dimensional perspective.

Only then did Li Fan discover that this node was not actually a raised platform within the Remnant World Great Wall.

It was a depression.

The majestic, continuous Great Wall suddenly broke apart here.

Yet this break somehow did not interrupt the wall itself.

It was as though...

Some invisible force within this depression continued maintaining the uninterrupted existence of the Remnant World Great Wall.

"Interesting."

Li Fan finally became fully alert.

Within the actual Star Sea, the depression occupied only a very small area.

Barely enough for a single person to stand.

To drift into it precisely amid such violent energy fluctuations would be extraordinarily difficult.

"Perhaps only someone favored by fortune like Xu Ke could possess such fortune."

Thinking this, Li Fan guided the Wooden Sword phantom forward like a lone boat floating upon a raging river, heading directly toward the depression.

The closer they approached the fractured region of the Great Wall, the stronger the interference acting upon the Wooden Sword phantom became.

Its light flickered continuously, as though it might burst apart like a bubble at any moment.

Li Fan frowned slightly and focused his mind completely, maintaining the stability of the movement technique.

Boom!

The instant the phantom completely left the intact section of the Great Wall and plunged into the fractured depression...

It felt as though they had suddenly fallen from the top of a towering cliff.

The tremendous impact nearly shattered the Wooden Sword phantom on the spot.

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