My longevity simulation

Just as everyone thought the battle was about to become one-sided…

Squad after squad of black-clad cultivators arrived at the battlefield through teleportation formation across various regions.

Their origins were unknown.

Yet, each of them was at least at the Nascent Soul Realm, with Soul Transformation cultivators as the backbone and Dao Integration experts leading them.

Their combat prowess was terrifying.

It had been centuries since the Xuanhuang Realm last saw a large-scale war.

However, these cultivators carried a heavy aura of slaughter, as if they had been battle-hardened through countless life-and-death encounters.

Their coordination was flawless, and their attacks were swift and ruthless.

A small squad of four to five Nascent Soul cultivators could surround and kill a Soul Transformation expert.

Meanwhile, the Dao Integration leader of these black-clad cultivators was so powerful that even the Dao Integration experts of the Five Elders Association were forced to retreat in succession.

The tide of battle shifted in an instant.

Hiding in Shilin Prefecture, Li Fan happened to witness the power of these black-clad cultivators.

What impressed him the most was, of course, their Dao Integration leader.

It was as if he had condensed the heavenly thunder into a silver spear in his hand.

In an instant, the entire Shilin Prefecture was illuminated.

The silver spear roared like a dragon, stirring the heavens and the earth.

Even though Li Fan was only observing from a distance, he was still affected. It felt as if he had been caught in a stormy sea, with the surrounding spiritual energy roaring in turmoil. His internal spiritual energy was forced into resonance, causing his movements to slow.

Before the attack was even unleashed, countless Five Elders Association cultivators were already plummeting from the sky.

In the end, a single wooden fan blocked the silver thunder, preventing the Five Elders Association from being completely annihilated.

“This technique… looks familiar. Wu?” Li Fan narrowed his eyes.

Before he could dwell on it further, an unexpected change unfolded on the battlefield.

Despite suffering a minor setback, the Five Elders Association immediately chose to retreat in an orderly fashion—without hesitation, as if they had anticipated this outcome.

It was clear they had a contingency plan.

Aside from the Dao Integration expert wielding the wooden fan, another individual, a man seated in a wooden wheelchair, calmly unfurled a formation scroll.

In mere moments, numerous formations were deployed across the battlefield, delaying and obstructing the Immortal Alliance’s pursuit.

The Five Elders Association’s retreat was precise and disciplined.

Within moments, they withdrew like a receding tide.

All that remained was the devastated battlefield, a silent testament to the brutal clash that had just occurred.

“This wasn’t an all-out war—it was a probe. If they could win in one decisive strike, all the better.”

“If not, they would withdraw immediately.”

Li Fan gazed at the battlefield, where the Immortal Alliance cultivators—having narrowly survived—still bore expressions of shock and fear.

Meanwhile, the black-clad reinforcements, rather than pursuing the retreating Five Elders Association, remained hovering in the air, wary of a counterattack.

Only after the frontline defenses were fully reorganized did they finally vanish into the night as streaks of black light.

Although the timely arrival of these black-clad cultivators had prevented a complete collapse of the battlefield, the sheer swiftness of their previous defeat left the entire Immortal Alliance furious.

First, all defensive formations across the regions were rapidly upgraded, replacing the Tianyuan Transformation Formation with the Ten Thousand Miles Mountain and River Formation, which was far more defensive in nature.

Then, the Strategy Formation Hall of the Immortal Alliance initiated a top-down internal investigation.

There was no doubt—the Five Elders Association’s ability to breach the Immortal Alliance’s defenses so effortlessly was linked to a security breach in the defensive formations.

Ordinary formation masters could only grasp a small portion of a grand formation.

But for someone to know every weakness and vulnerability of the entire formation…

It had to be someone from the upper ranks of the Strategy Formation Hall!

If this traitor was not eliminated, no matter how many times they modified their defensive formations, they would remain completely exposed in the enemy’s eyes.

The gravity of this matter was undeniable.

Not only at the Immortal Alliance headquarters, but in every regional Strategy Formation Hall, formation masters were being taken away for investigation.

Although the Five Elders Association had temporarily retreated, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was plunged into intense turmoil.

Congyun Sea, Haixuan Island.

On Haixuan Island within Congyun Sea, Ji Shaoli was enthusiastically welcoming the cultivators who had come to attend the gathering.

Most of them were stationed as guardians of various islands, while others held official positions on Ten Thousand Immortal Island.

Even though they were not overwhelmed with responsibilities, given the tense circumstances of the current situation, they were still extremely busy.

The fact that they were able to make time to attend today’s banquet was already a great show of respect for Ji Shaoli.

“It’s a pity that the Fellow Daoists from the Formation Hall were unable to honor us with their presence today,” said Ji Shaoli’s clone with a look of regret.

“Haha, they are currently overwhelmed with various investigations and reviews. They truly have no time to spare,” a cultivator immediately sighed in response.

“To think that even the top-secret [Defensive Grand Formation] could be sold out. It’s clear that the upper echelons of the Strategy Formation Hall have become thoroughly corrupt.”

“I heard that, in order to quell this incident, the chief formation master of the Strategy Formation Hall, Lu Xichan, has voluntarily applied to step down. Tsk tsk…”

“In my opinion, it’s not just the Formation Hall. The entire upper leadership of the Immortal Alliance…”

“Ahem, Daoist Zhang, be careful with your words…!”

Everyone present was employed within the structure of the Immortal Alliance. Ji Shaoli had merely brought up the topic, and it immediately sparked an intense discussion among them.

However, as the conversation progressed, the topics became increasingly sensitive and taboo.

Sensing the potential danger, everyone tacitly chose to drop the subject.

“By the way, Daoist Ji, have you changed your habits? In the past, your island was always filled with stunning female cultivators attending to you. But today, not a single one is in sight?”

“Haha, a while ago, Daoist Ji dismissed a whole group of them. I thought he had found a new love elsewhere, but surprisingly, even after all this time, he hasn’t taken action. That’s quite unusual!”

Faced with the curiosity and inquiring gazes from all around, Ji Shaoli let out a long sigh and said:

“Nothing more than growing tired of it all.”

“After indulging in pleasures for so long, I eventually felt a sense of emptiness.”

“Especially after the sudden outbreak of war not long ago… A good friend of mine from Shilin Prefecture suddenly perished, and it served as a wake-up call for me.”

“Compared to indulging in entertainment, my own cultivation and realm are far more important.”

“The situation is shifting by the day, and no one knows which direction things will head next. The higher one’s cultivation realm, the greater one’s chances of survival in the future!”

Ji Shaoli’s words immediately resonated with many of those present.

“Even though Congyun Sea is on the borderlands, it still shares a boundary with the territory of the Five Elders Association. Who knows when they might suddenly launch an attack? We must be prepared!”

However, others expressed concern, their faces filled with unease:

“Most of us are only at the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stage. If a major war truly breaks out… we would be nothing more than leaves drifting in the wind…”

Ji Shaoli sighed at the right moment and said:

“Life and death are beyond our control!”

This single statement deeply moved the cultivators present.

Their expressions varied, each lost in thought.

Ji Shaoli then changed the topic:

“This is also one of the reasons I invited you all here today.”

“You all know that I once won the grand prize from [Fixed Fish], earning a considerable fortune.”

Immediately, all eyes turned to him.

Indeed, if he weren’t wealthy, these people wouldn’t have treated him with such respect.

Wasn’t it because they were hoping that, in a critical moment, they could borrow some contribution points from him to get by?

“Furthermore, I have some knowledge of investment. Over the years, despite indulging in extravagance and spending a lot, my net worth has actually doubled.”

Ji Shaoli spoke with a hint of pride on his face.