Chapter 5

【This simulation has ended.】

...

Regaining consciousness, Li Fan was still immersed in the power of Daoxuanzi's final strike.

"This is what a perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator is like..." Li Fan was filled with awe.

Kou Hong's ability to destroy the capital city with a mere gesture had already amazed Li Fan, but Daoxuanzi's final strike made him deeply feel his own insignificance.

Like an ant facing a tidal wave, from Li Fan's perspective, he could not comprehend that strike, nor see its entirety.

Even a fleeting glimpse was enough to make Li Fan understand the gap between mortals and perfected Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"If it weren't for the Immortal Mortal Miasma, even if I were to reincarnate a hundred times and devise a hundred plans, I wouldn't be able to pose a threat to them." Li Fan felt fortunate but also deeply puzzled and alarmed.

"What exactly is this Immortal Mortal Miasma? Aren't cultivators supposed to grow step by step from mortals? How can mortal blood have such a terrifying effect on cultivators?" The implications behind this made Li Fan's mind race.

However, Li Fan quickly suppressed his many thoughts.

"First, I need to summarize the gains and losses of this life."

Watching the scenes flash by on the screen, Li Fan pondered in his heart.

"The ambush on Daoxuanzi and Kou Hong largely went as I expected. First, I used bullets soaked in the blood of death row inmates to wear down their strength, then I used the news of the Core Formation technique to unsettle them, and finally, I used the Blood Rain to finish them off, capturing them when they were at their weakest..."

"I didn't expect the Immortal Mortal Miasma to be so effective against cultivators, directly leading to Kou Hong's death."

"Even more unexpected was that the 'century-old brothers' they mentioned were not just a figure of speech. When attacked, Daoxuanzi warned Kou Hong, and when Kou Hong realized he couldn't escape, he willingly gave the Core Formation technique to Daoxuanzi."

"Seeing Kou Hong die from the ambush, Daoxuanzi, in his grief, abandoned his chance of survival and used a strike that would take both of them down, avenging Kou Hong... This all shows that there was indeed an extraordinary friendship between them..."

"Given this, how could they end up fighting over a Core Formation technique?" Li Fan became even more puzzled.

Suddenly, he recalled the scenes from their first encounter.

"Golden Core path, with me and not with others..." Li Fan suddenly had a thought, "Can't immortal techniques be cultivated together...?"

"Even if they are as close as brothers, what is the world of cultivation like outside?"

Li Fan had a premonition that the world of cultivation in this world might be very different from what he had imagined.

"No matter how dangerous the path ahead, I will not waver. Moreover, with the help of [Rebirth], as long as I am careful enough, nothing should be able to stop me."

After a moment of hesitation, Li Fan's resolve was rekindled.

"In this so-called Immortal Cut-off Land, if I want to seek the path of immortality, I need to find a way through Kou Hong and Daoxuanzi. Last time, I chose to attack them both simultaneously, but this time, I can choose to ally with one of them." His thoughts raced, and in a moment, he had thought of several ways to deal with them.

Although the other party was a high-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivator, Li Fan was not particularly afraid. In fact, he did not even treat them as formal "opponents."

It wasn't that Li Fan was arrogant, but the ability of [Rebirth] to restart was simply too powerful!

Just being at the Foundation Establishment stage, how could it compare to fifty years of foresight and countless opportunities to try and fail?

After the simulation ended, Li Fan chose to accelerate the Rebirth charging process.

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Mortal

Biological Age: 20/86

Mental Age: 216/1080↑

Rebirth Charging Progress: 30%

"This time, the upper limit of my mental age only increased by a few decades, indicating that I'm approaching the limit." Li Fan was well-prepared for this, so he wasn't particularly concerned.

"If I count the life before I was transported here, this is already my fifth life. The path to immortality is truly difficult." Li Fan sighed. "I hope these fifty years are not wasted."

Li Fan once again initiated a fifty-year waiting period.

Everything proceeded as if it were a pre-programmed routine.

Passing the imperial exams, becoming a juren, and then a zhuangyuan.

Becoming a county magistrate, mining minerals, and manufacturing guns.

After killing the Prince of Langya and taking his place, Li Fan became somewhat impatient.

Ten years was too long, and without controlling the entire empire, he had to remain confined to the Jiangnan region. If he could have more time to mobilize the entire empire's resources, his plan to capture the two cultivators would have a higher chance of success.

Thus, Li Fan decided to send a trusted subordinate to secretly poison the emperor with a slow-acting poison.

However, this decision caused unexpected complications.

Although his subordinate's actions were not discovered, the young and vigorous emperor suddenly began to decline in health, becoming increasingly paranoid.

He suspected that someone was trying to harm him, and his primary suspect was his closest brother, the Prince of Langya.

As a result, when the emperor was on his deathbed in the seventh year of the anchor, he did not pass the throne to the Prince of Langya but instead to the always somewhat frivolous Prince of Runan.

Fortunately, Li Fan's informant in the palace promptly relayed the news, and Li Fan immediately took action.

On one hand, he sent his subordinates to ambush the Prince of Runan on his way to the capital. On the other hand, he used the Prince of Langya's name to declare that the emperor had been harmed by traitors around him, raising the banner of "pacifying the nation's troubles" and leading the army he had built over the years to swiftly capture the capital and seize control of the government by force.

Such drastic measures naturally had many repercussions.

First, the ministers in the court were不服 (unconvinced). The emperor's will had passed the throne to the Prince of Runan. By doing this, the Prince of Langya was rebelling. Although the ministers could not openly resist due to Li Fan's military pressure, they could still act insubordinately and passively resist. Some even secretly contacted the various regional princes, urging them to lead their armies to the capital to "rectify the chaos." Li Fan did not show mercy and ruthlessly executed a large number of them to barely maintain control. With the help of his father-in-law, the chief scholar, it took several months to stabilize the situation.

During these months, the entire Great Xuan Empire was in turmoil. The regional princes declared independence and ignored the central government's orders.

Thus, Li Fan had to send troops to suppress them one by one.

Although firearms were powerful, their numbers were limited. Given the vast territory of the Great Xuan Empire, it took considerable effort.

The military and political affairs left Li Fan with a headache.

It took a long time, until the twenty-second year of the anchor, to completely resolve the internal and external threats.

In the end, compared to if he had been patient and followed the routine, it took him a few more years to fully control the empire.

"I need to be more cautious and patient." After everything was settled, Li Fan felt helpless and could only learn from his mistakes. "A small mistake can lead to a huge error. If there are too many variables, my advantage of foresight is greatly reduced."

Fortunately, these were just minor ripples and did not affect the overall situation.

As things gradually returned to normal, time moved quickly, and before he knew it, it was the thirty-fifth year of the anchor.

That year, Li Fan left the capital and traveled a long distance to the Eastern Ruins.