726 - My Longevity Simulation

# Chapter 726: Chaos from the Immortal Realm Within the space of the Tianxuan Mirror, Xu Bai listened to the slightly metallic mechanical voice emanating from the mirror, while his mind was awash with turbulent thoughts. "Even if the Tianxuan Mirror isn't the body of the Xuantian Treasure Mirror, there must be an extremely close connection between the two." "Since the Tianxuan Mirror originates from the Xuantian Sect, does this imply that the Preceptor of the Heavenly Doctrine is as well?" "Is it to avenge the annihilation by the ten immortal sects of the past?" Xu Bai suddenly remembered that for thousands of years, the Tianxuan Mirror had been continuously spawning derivatives. "Even though the Xuantian Sect has been destroyed for many years, it can still be detected through the 'Extermination Xuan' secret technique. Does this indicate that the Tianxuan Mirror has not completely escaped the sect's control?" "That's why the All-Immortal Alliance has spent so much effort to find the Xuantian Sect's Dharma King hidden in the Purple Cloud Sect—to gain ultimate control over the Tianxuan Mirror." "And the cause can be traced back to my earlier prediction while impersonating a disciple of the Heavenly Machine Sect: 'The lock of spirit by the Tianxuan, the unification of the Xuanhuang.'" In that instant, events began to align, connecting in Xu Bai's mind. Looking beyond the surface, he grasped the deeper reasons hidden beneath. "And now, as the Alliance proactively ushers in the era of great exploration, attempting to facilitate the Tianxuan Mirror's further transformation, does this imply that they have successfully acquired the treasure left by the Heavenly Doctrine Preceptor?" Xu Bai's eyes flickered with understanding. Once, he speculated that the true masters in the shadows of the All-Immortal Alliance were not cultivators, but the Tianxuan Mirror. Later, chance revealed to him the existence of the preceptors, leading him to deduce that they and the Tianxuan Mirror mutually restricted each other, jointly steering and ruling the All-Immortal Alliance. Now, it seems that the cultivators have ultimately triumphed in this struggle? Xu Bai's mind suddenly flashed back to Shuo Feng and Lu Xi Chan's images. "The Xuan family..." A phrase Lu Xue Jing had uttered upon meeting his true form echoed once more: "Whose child are you? You look so unfamiliar! Could it be that you approached Brother Shuo on purpose, as a spy for the Five Elders to seek the Tianxuan Mirror's location? You don't seem like a good person at all; Brother Shuo has never deceived me before..." Like a bolt of lightning dispersing the fog, understanding dawned upon Xu Bai. As the saying goes, there are no factions outside, but within, myriad sects flourish. Not all cultivators stand with the preceptors. Based on current information, the chief of the Tactical Formation Hall, Feixue Immortal Venerable, and those from the Xuan family side with the Tianxuan Mirror. Preceptors attempt to fully seize control of the Tianxuan Mirror through Xuantian Sect methods. In contrast, cultivators loyal to the mirror seek ways to counter this. Unable to thwart the preceptors' actions directly, they explore alternative paths. By hastening the mirror's transformation and elevation, they aim to resist the sect's secret technique. But such grandiose efforts, mobilizing the entire All-Immortal Alliance's power to encourage cultivators into the White Fog, suggest the highest ruling echelon, the preceptors themselves, must have granted their approval, a notion Xu Bai finds incomprehensible otherwise. "Unless scouring the mist is a decision driven by higher will, one even preceptors can't defy. The Tianxuan Mirror's elevation would merely ride this eastern wind." "In the Xuanhuang realm, only one entity could compel preceptors to bow..." The analysis left Xu Bai deeply shaken. "The Preceptor of the Heavenly Doctrine!" "He hasn't left? He's still within the Xuanhuang realm?" Crushing pressure overwhelmed Xu Bai as he recalled how, before the era of exploration, Liu San had already seen many alliance cultivators venturing into the mist. At that time, he surmised that the alliance sought clues associated with the 'Chaos Inscription.' Thus, linking everything together: Xu Bai felt a chill of fear creep over him: "When I used the Chaos Inscription, was the vast consciousness that observed and descended that of the Heavenly Doctrine Preceptor?" Quickly, however, Xu Bai frowned, dismissing his previous thought. Despite his stellar performance that day, he doubted he could fool the preceptor's eyes. Moreover, the time elapsed from using the Chaos Inscription to the spirit's arrival seemed too long. If it truly were the preceptor, given his cultivation, reaction wouldn't be so delayed. "It must've been the clash with Mo Sha and the subsequent explosion of the Chaos Inscription that ultimately caught his attention." Xu Bai's thoughts abruptly halted. "Or perhaps, at that time, the preceptor wasn't in the Xuanhuang realm. It was my use of the Chaos Inscription that brought him back..." This notion sent Xu Bai into a fresh wave of trepidation. Despite extensive contemplation, he couldn't disregard this possibility. "It seems the Chaos Inscription, though powerful, isn't something to be used lightly." "Once might be a fluke, but if it happens again..." Even before a heavenly doctor, he could bear the brunt. If met by the Preceptor of the Heavenly Doctrine, who has suppressed Xuanhuang for millennia, Xu Bai had no confidence to use the 'True Return' technique in front of him. "It's best not to use it unless absolutely necessary," Xu Bai silently cursed. Another thought crossed Xu Bai's mind: if his assumptions are correct, and the preceptor, who has achieved longevity and stands beyond worldly affairs, still shows such interest in the 'Chaos Inscription'... "Could 'Chaos' also be an authentic immortal teaching?" Xu Bai was startled by this notion, pondering on it first. Images from his experience in the Folded Domain replayed rapidly in his mind—those peculiar, terrifying corpses littering the ground, and the monument inscribed with the word 'Chaos' at the domain's core. A conjecture emerged. "Is that cultivation realm within the domain doomed due to the influence of the Chaos Inscription?" "And the 'Chaos' inscription originates from..." "The Immortal Realm!" "As for why that creature mistook me for the fisherman 'Heavenly Annihilation' elder after swallowing the truth, blaming the Heavenly Doctor..." Xu Bai recalled something Di San Mo had mentioned to Lu Ya. "Sometimes, what one sees with their own eyes isn't the truth." "Under the Chaos Inscription's influence, misidentifying someone couldn't be excluded." "In the Celestial Palace of Cloud and Water, during the standoff between Heavenly Annihilation, Heavenly Doctor, and Heavenly Oracle, Heavenly Annihilation himself admitted to slaughtering everyone there." "Perhaps the Folded Domain faced a similar fate." ... "The Devouring Fog teems with bizarre phenomena. It's hard to say there's no influence from the Chaos Inscription." "The Chaos Inscription, it seems, hasn't only appeared in the Xuanhuang realm. It might've manifested in other cultivation realms too." "And perhaps caused immense disasters." "This likely explains why both the preceptors and today's All-Immortal Alliance, alongside the Five Elders, hold it in such high regard." While Xu Bai was deep in thought, in the Valley of Longevity, Li Fan, who had been idling, was suddenly roused by Liu San. "Master, does the Tianxuan Mirror have ties to the Xuantian Sect?" He inquired.