My Simulated Road to Immortality

"Giant Rat! You are the biggest giant rat in the Immortal World!"

"Your Majesty, spare my life!"

"Even if you devour me, I will turn into a resentful soul, waiting for the day you fall!"

...

At first, he would still listen to those voices in his heart.

As the number of immortals devoured increased, the Giant Rat Immortal's heart instinctively grew more indifferent. Towards the end, he simply stopped caring altogether.

Just before the Immortal World was utterly destroyed and the Path-obliterating Tide engulfed all things.

The Tao twisted into forms, and the Immortal Coffin descended from the sky.

The Giant Rat Immortal, with surviving True Immortals, hid within it.

What followed was an extremely lengthy period. So long that the Giant Rat Immortal's memory became somewhat blurred.

Inside the coffin, there was absolute darkness. Outside the Immortal Coffin was the world-destroying Path-obliterating Tide.

The Emperor Shuoshu could clearly perceive the Dao Yan constantly wearing down the Immortal Coffin in this process.

He could only secretly pray to reach the Other Shore before the Immortal Coffin was completely corroded.

But perhaps being an Overlord of the Immortal World for three hundred million years exhausted his Qi Destiny. Who knows how long had passed, he hadn't even encountered a safe place, let alone the Other Shore.

The Immortal Coffin drifted with the tide, floating amidst the Path-obliterating waves.

It seemed like hope was never in sight.

And the Giant Rat Immortal also underestimated the difficulty of maintaining the fusion of myriad paths.

Perhaps, in a normal Immortal World environment, it could be maintained. But within the Immortal Coffin surrounded by the Path-obliterating Tide, maintaining balance became increasingly difficult.

He was utterly unwilling to devour the group of immortals.

But could only watch helplessly as his body fused with his former subjects.

He seemed to have truly become the "Giant Rat" cursed by billions.

The last bit of light in his heart gradually extinguished. The Eternal Immortal Emperor fell into endless darkness...

Who knows how many years passed, when the Immortal Coffin was thoroughly decayed and could no longer resist the Tide.

Amid a great roar, the Giant Rat Immortal felt as if he had been moved to another starry sky.

This starry sky, though also filled with the remains of the ravaging Path-obliterating power.

But was temporarily safe.

...

Li Fan and Cheng Dao, the two fellow disciples, looked at the scene presented before them, speechless for a long time.

"If it were me, I couldn't have done any better than this Eternal Immortal Emperor."

"Although he tried his best, alas the situation was beyond saving." Li Fan sighed.

Cheng Dao also commented, "His situation is pitiable, and his actions forgivable. If he were not so aggressive, perhaps there would be no need to take his life."

Li Fan showed a look of regret, "I was reckless. I never thought that within this terrifying exterior of the Giant Rat, there was such a past."

Cheng Dao waved his hand, "Junior Brother, do not blame yourself. The vast majority of Giant Rat Immortals are not good. Do not change your perception because of this unusual Eternal Immortal Emperor."

"Elder Brother's lesson is right."

Next, Cheng Dao began to thoroughly recount to Li Fan the path he comprehended from the Giant Rat's Dao Dan. He even added his own insights into the Tao from time to time.

This Spirit Stone by the Mountain Sea, disciple of the Guardian Hill, possessed extraordinary comprehension. Li Fan even suspected that even if he consumed the Dao Dan himself, the effect would not be better.

While listening to the teachings, Li Fan also silently observed Cheng Dao.

It seemed that after ingesting a Dao Dan, the other party showed no unusual signs.

"But now, it's not wise to jump to conclusions. It's still best to feed him a few more."

"Guangwu Star Sea, hmph..."

On the ninety-ninth day, Cheng Dao finished bestowing the law.

"Elder Brother, don't you feel that the possibility where the Eternal Immortal Emperor found himself seemed to have a weaker path than ours?" Li Fan, after savoring it with eyes closed, suddenly frowned and asked with some uncertainty in his tone.

"It is not your illusion. It is indeed so." Cheng Dao nodded.

"Why is this?"

Cheng Dao squinted his eyes, remained silent for a while, and then slowly said, "Perhaps it's because, in that possibility, an unparalleled figure has already emerged."

"Hmm?"

"This is just my speculation, not confirmed by our Master."

Cheng Dao first stated this, before continuing: "Leaving aside the Three Saints, in some possibilities, there seems to be an upper limit to the number of strongmen that can emerge."

"It's not merely a matter of numbers, but a combination of factors such as the number and the cultivation realm that together determine it."

"Of course, the strongmen I refer to are those transcendent strongmen who can leap out from their own possibility."

Cheng Dao used his finger as a pen, drawing a circle in front of Li Fan.

"It's like a fixed-size pool, with each strongman born, a section is carved out of this pool. Once the pool is completely occupied, even those with extraordinary talent cannot reach the realm of transcendence anymore."

Li Fan intently stared at the circle in front of him, which was continuously being divided, showing a pensive expression: "Senior Brother, in the world where the Eternal Immortal Emperor resides, the Three Saints actually disappeared. Could it be that its potential has already been exhausted, and no more transcendent strongmen will be born?"

Cheng Dao glanced at Li Fan with a half-smile but didn't answer.

Seeing this, Li Fan already had the answer in his heart.

He continued examining the small circle in front of him, waving his hand to redefine those hundreds of subdivided areas.

"In that world, not to mention strongmen like our Master. Even those in the realm of transcendence are extremely rare."

"So, how powerful was the strongman born previously?"

"Did they almost exhaust all the potential of an entire possibility?"

Li Fan temporarily used [potential] to refer to the small circle in front of him.

"Could it be that his power surpasses even our Master?" Li Fan couldn't help but click his tongue.

Cheng Dao, however, was very calm: "Back in the day, when Master resolved the Path-obliterating Calamity and saved the Immortal World from disaster, he was revered by the Immortal Emperor and the group of immortals, yet Master remained very humble."

"The old man never considered himself a strongman between the Mountain and Sea."

"In Master's own words, he merely considered himself a [Immortal of the Guarded Hill Sheng De]."

Upon hearing this, Li Fan immediately felt a sense of solemnity. He nodded in agreement and said: "Master is not only strong enough to be a teacher but also possesses a breadth of mind and demeanor. Even if one day, Senior Brother's strength surpasses his, I believe you would still respect him as your teacher."

"Naturally!" Cheng Dao did not deny it.

"Between Mountain and Sea, the strongmen are truly as numerous as trees in a forest." Li Fan's gaze returned to the small circle in front of him and looking at the circle within a circle, which almost occupied the entire area, he was stunned and lost in thought.

"I truly wonder what the legendary Other Shore is like, where so many unimaginable strongmen gather together."

Cheng Dao chuckled: "Junior Brother, do not worry. With the talent of us brothers, it's a sure thing that we will set foot on the Other Shore one day."

Li Fan burst into hearty laughter: "Then here, let me first thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother."

"Let's not talk about the Other Shore for now. If you want to see visitors from other possibilities, you can do so now." After a moment of silence, Cheng Dao suddenly spoke.

"Senior Brother, are you referring to the Guangwu Star Sea?"

"Exactly." Cheng Dao presented a completely new scene before Li Fan's eyes.

A total of nine Heavenly Pillars, arranged in a circle.

In the center surrounded by the Heavenly Pillars was absolute darkness. From it, Li Fan felt a familiar Dao Yan aura.

And beyond the nine Heavenly Pillars, there were at least a hundred pillars reaching the sky densely distributed from sparse to dense!

Although not every Heavenly Pillar necessarily sealed a Nameless.

Nevertheless, the grandeur of the Heavenly Pillar project could still be felt.

-----------------

It quickly reverted back.

Cheng Dao chuckled: "Junior Brother, do not worry. With the talent of us brothers, it's a sure thing that we will set foot on the Other Shore one day."

Li Fan burst into hearty laughter: "Then here, let me first thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother."

"Let's not talk about the Other Shore for now. If you want to see visitors from other possibilities, you can do so now." After a moment of silence, Cheng Dao suddenly spoke.

"Senior Brother, are you referring to the Guangwu Star Sea?"

"Exactly." Cheng Dao presented a completely new scene before Li Fan's eyes.

A total of nine Heavenly Pillars, arranged in a circle.

In the center surrounded by the Heavenly Pillars was absolute darkness. From it, Li Fan felt a familiar Dao Yan aura.

And beyond the nine Heavenly Pillars, there were at least a hundred pillars reaching the sky densely distributed from sparse to dense!

Although not every Heavenly Pillar necessarily sealed a Nameless.

Nevertheless, the grandeur of the Heavenly Pillar project could still be felt.