My longevity simulation

“I see that fellow Daoist is merely at the Nascent Soul stage. How powerful could your so-called secret technique possibly be?” Xin Hongzhang lightly shook his head. “I tell you this secret not in exchange for anything. That so-called ‘Divine Descent Body,’ you should keep it for yourself.”

Hearing this, Li Fan’s expression darkened slightly.

He seemed about to lose his temper, but in the end, he restrained himself and patiently explained, “Fellow Daoist Xin, although I am only at the Nascent Soul realm, the divine manifestation I summon possesses combat power that surpasses my own. Even a Soul Transformation cultivator can hardly withstand it.”

“Oh?” Xin Hongzhang’s expression became far more serious.

“If you don’t believe me, fellow Daoist, we can test it right now,” Li Fan said earnestly.

A hint of sobriety returned to Xin Hongzhang’s eyes as he carefully observed Li Fan once again.

“He truly only has the cultivation of Nascent Soul. Even if he harbors malicious intent, I can easily slay him. Very well, let’s see what tricks he is hiding.”

He sensed no ill will from Li Fan, only pure sincerity.

After a moment of thought, Xin Hongzhang agreed to his suggestion.

The two left the defensive fortress, one after another, flying until they reached a desolate and uninhabited region within Nine Mountains Prefecture.

“Brother Fan, I think this place will do. Let me see that so-called ‘Divine Descent Body’ of yours,” Xin Hongzhang said as he halted abruptly and turned toward Li Fan.

Li Fan glanced around, nodded, and replied, “Alright. Fellow Daoist Xin, stand a bit farther away. I’m afraid you might get hurt by accident.”

Xin Hongzhang sneered inwardly but still complied.

He watched with interest as Li Fan’s expression grew solemn.

Li Fan began chanting under his breath, “Compassion of the mortal world, blessings upon all people. As I pray, the immortal body descends in sanctity…”

“Edict!”

“He’s really putting on quite the act,” Xin Hongzhang thought with mild amusement.

But soon, he sensed a strange and terrifying aura emerging. The mockery in his heart vanished completely, replaced by deep solemnity.

“This is…”

A goat-headed, human-bodied creature appeared before Xin Hongzhang, summoned by the so-called Daoist Fan Li.

The monster’s eyes were closed, yet Xin Hongzhang felt as if he was being locked onto by an invisible force.

Light and shadow interwove across the creature’s body, making it appear both bizarre and sacred.

“How about it, fellow Daoist Xin?” Li Fan’s voice came faintly.

Only then did Xin Hongzhang snap out of his daze.

He didn’t answer immediately, instead assessing the strength of the creature before him.

As if sensing his thoughts, Li Fan spoke calmly, “Just looking won’t help, fellow Daoist. Would you be interested in sparring with my divine manifestation?”

Xin Hongzhang narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

“Then be careful, fellow Daoist Xin!” Li Fan shouted softly.

The goat-headed creature vanished in an instant. The next moment, it appeared right behind Xin Hongzhang.

“What speed…” He had no time to be shocked before he felt the creature’s enormous hands clasp tightly around his neck from behind.

Before he could struggle, the scene before his eyes suddenly shifted.

It was as if he had fallen into an endless ghostly abyss. In the sky above hung five interwoven blood moons, while countless terrifying demons and gods stretched endlessly across the land, all casting their gaze upon him simultaneously.

Under the crushing and dreadful atmosphere, Xin Hongzhang’s very thoughts froze in an instant.

He completely lost the will to resist, becoming as helpless as prey waiting to be devoured.

“Fellow Daoist Xin?”

Until Li Fan’s shout jolted him awake from the nightmare, Xin Hongzhang had been trapped in that dreadful illusion.

“Y-you…” Xin Hongzhang looked around in alarm, only to realize that the ram-headed monster had already vanished. His expression flickered between confusion and disbelief as he looked at Li Fan, wanting to speak but hesitating.

“How was the strength of that Divine Descent Body?” Li Fan asked proudly.

Xin Hongzhang was silent for a while before slowly uttering four words, “I am not its equal.”

“It’s fine. This secret art has no restriction against being cultivated by others. If you wish, I can pass it on to you.” Li Fan said earnestly.

Having personally experienced the terrifying might of the Divine Descent Body, Xin Hongzhang instinctively wanted to agree.

However, the memory of that shadowy, ghostly abyss he had just witnessed made him hesitate.

This secret art… seemed a little sinister.

Moreover, for such a powerful divine technique, the other party was offering to teach it freely?

Xin Hongzhang’s mind was filled with suspicion.

Seeing his unease, Li Fan smiled, landed on the ground with him, and began to explain.

“Actually, I do have my own reasons for wanting to teach you this Divine Descent Body.”

“Oh?” Xin Hongzhang’s heart stirred, and he looked at Li Fan attentively.

“This matter begins with the origin of the secret art. It is said that in the Primordial Era, gods and demons rampaged through the world. The human race was merely their food, doomed to misery. Then a compassionate Saint appeared. He made a grand vow—to suppress all gods and demons beneath the heavens and restore peace to the mortal world…”

“You mean… the ram-headed creature you summoned just now was one of those ancient gods and demons that were suppressed?” Xin Hongzhang asked, his expression strange.

Li Fan nodded. “The Saint suppressed every god and demon, yet gods and demons are immortal. To prevent them from escaping, the Saint transformed his own body into a prison, eternally sealing them within himself.”

“But to avoid his own decay over endless ages, he left behind this secret art. Anyone who cultivates the Divine Descent Body can also act as a warden, suppressing infinite gods and demons. As a reward, they can summon the projection of those imprisoned beings to fight on their behalf…”

Xin Hongzhang’s mind spun.

A benevolent Saint, countless divine and demonic entities, a cosmic prison—he had never heard of such things before. It was completely beyond his understanding of the world.

But Li Fan continued calmly, “At first, I too thought it absurd. But once I cultivated the secret art and successfully summoned a divine-demon projection, I understood…”

“This secret art is not native to the Xuanhuang Realm. The events recorded in it did not occur here. But its power is absolutely real.”

Upon hearing that, Xin Hongzhang suddenly understood.

“Moreover,” Li Fan went on, “this secret art has a unique property. Every person who cultivates it bears a distinct mark. When the art is passed on, that mark remains. In fact, it allows the one who first taught it to draw strength from the later cultivators, enabling them to summon even more and stronger divine-demon projections…”

The words were somewhat mysterious, and Xin Hongzhang didn’t quite grasp their meaning.

Li Fan, however, demonstrated with a smile.

“For example…”

In an instant, three towering demonic gods filled with evil energy appeared beside Xin Hongzhang, surrounding him completely.

The oppressive aura made him swallow hard, frozen in place by sheer terror.

“I have already taught this secret art to over ten cultivators. Because of that, I can now summon three divine-demon projections at once.”

“The more cultivators who learn the art, the more divine-demon projections one can summon. That is why I don’t mind, and am even eager, to pass this Divine Descent Body to you.”

Li Fan smiled as he spoke.

Looking at the three majestic demonic gods encircling him, Xin Hongzhang’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.