I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Four months later.

The third-rank formation on Grand Sun Peak was still in operation.

No one knew that the cave abode on Grand Sun Peak had been abandoned—Evergreen Immortal and his spiritual pet had disappeared without a trace.

It wasn’t until six months later that the Core Formation cultivators of Jin Yun Valley finally realized:

“Immortal Lan has run off again…”

Having illuminated his fourth life, Lan Chang'an quietly left Jin Yun Valley without informing anyone, including Zhang Tianfeng.

However, six months earlier, Lan Chang'an and Zhang Tianfeng had concluded a transaction.

To be more precise, it was a matter of disposing of stolen goods.

Years ago, Lan Chang'an had killed True Monarch Shazhai and two others, along with several members of the Unseen Gate. The spoils of war, mostly magical treasures, were packed in bulk and sold to Zhang Tianfeng.

Of course, Lan Chang'an had modified the appearances of these treasures to disguise their origins.

When Zhang Tianfeng saw the pile of loot, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He estimated that at least two Core Formation Great Cultivators and numerous True Dan cultivators had perished for these items.

At the Core Formation stage, only late-stage cultivators could barely wield superior-grade magical treasures, as forging such magical treasures required fourth-rank materials.

Lan Chang'an offered a price below market value. Since Zhang Tianfeng needed metal and iron materials to expand his sect’s war reserves, the two quickly struck a deal.

From this transaction, Lan Chang'an obtained quasi-fourth-rank materials, as well as other non-metallic fourth-rank resources.

These materials were beneficial in crafting exotic spirit puppets, as well as upgrading the quality of the quasi-fourth-rank puppet.

In the months before his departure, Lan Chang'an upgraded his Pink Butterfly puppet to the top of the third rank, making it his second personally crafted superior-grade third-rank puppet.

Additionally, the quasi-fourth-rank green-armored puppet had its quality slightly improved after refinement with new materials.

Beyond the transaction, Lan Chang'an entrusted Zhang Tianfeng with leaving an opportunity for Zhao Tan’er.

This opportunity consisted of a custom-made magical treasure, a life-saving talisman, and a late-stage Core Formation advancement pill.

This advancement pill, far more valuable than the Crystal Condensation Pill, was considered a strategic treasure.

Lan Chang'an’s alchemy skills weren’t sufficient to refine such a pill; it had been part of the spoils of war from True Monarch Shazhai, who had intended to use it to motivate his subordinates.

While consuming the pill didn’t guarantee advancement to the late Core Formation stage, it significantly increased the odds.

However, using the pill would affect one’s future potential, making it harder to form a Nascent Soul.

Whether to consume it was a decision left to Zhao Tan’er, who had been stuck at the peak of the mid-Core Formation stage for over a decade.

...

Before heading to Feng Kingdom, Lan Chang'an made a few secret visits to places within the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world.

One of them was the Beast Taming Zhou Family.

Feeling somewhat responsible for Zhou Qingxuan’s death, Lan Chang'an decided to compensate the Zhou Family before his departure.

The turmoil from years ago had subsided. During a time of war, the death of a Fake Dan cultivator wasn’t significant enough to draw much attention.

Having ignited his fourth life, Lan Chang'an’s ability to protect himself had greatly improved.

He was confident that the Beast King Valley’s costly ambush had failed, leaving them unable to target him again anytime soon.

Aside from the Peacock Saintess’s grandfather, no one in the Beast King Valley would go to such lengths for her. After all, the selfish and ruthless nature of demonic sects far exceeded even the pragmatic sects of the righteous alliance. ℞Ά𐌽ȮBЕS̈

Even so, Lan Chang'an conducted investigations and divination beforehand to confirm that Zhou Tianchi, the Zhou Family patriarch, hadn’t been bought off by the Beast King Valley.

Only then did he send a superior-grade third-rank puppet to impersonate him for a nighttime visit to the Beast Taming Zhou Family, meeting with Zhou Tianchi.

“Tianchi greets Uncle Lan.”

Inside the clan head’s residence, Zhou Tianchi was startled to find a white-robed man suddenly appearing at his bedside.

After Zhou Qingxuan’s disappearance and presumed death, Zhou Tianchi had tried to contact Lan Chang'an, only to be met with silence.

Disheartened, Zhou Tianchi had assumed that Evergreen Immortal had abandoned the Zhou Family.

“Qingxuan died at the hands of assassins from the Unseen Gate. I bear some responsibility for this. Today, I’m here to compensate the Zhou Family.”

Lan Chang'an didn’t elaborate on the details, avoiding mention of the Tinghai Pavilion incident.

He went straight to the point, offering Zhou Tianchi two choices.

The first was immediate compensation: one third-rank puppet and one superior-grade third-rank talisman.

The second was a favor for the Zhou Family’s future descendants.

Zhou Tianchi didn’t hesitate and chose the first option, requesting immediate compensation.

In times of demonic war, power was paramount.

A third-rank puppet and a superior-grade third-rank talisman would significantly boost Zhou Tianchi’s personal strength.

“From this day forward, there is no debt between Evergreen Immortal and the Beast Taming Zhou Family.”

Lan Chang'an left behind a storage bag and departed without looking back.

When Zhou Tianchi opened the bag and scanned it with his spiritual sense, he was overjoyed.

With this fortune, his strength among Core Formation cultivators would surely stand out.

“Little Aunt Qingxuan exchanged the final years of her lifespan for this fortune. For the Zhou Family, it was a worthwhile trade…”

Zhou Tianchi murmured to himself, a trace of guilt flashing through his eyes, though it was quickly overshadowed by excitement.

...

That evening.

At the heart of the Liang Kingdom, within the Golden Sun Sect—home to a fourth-rank spiritual vein—an inner disciple of the Foundation Establishment stage returned to the sect.

However, rather than heading to his own quarters, the disciple made his way to a cliff near the sect’s scripture repository.

On a massive boulder lay a languid woman, basking in the waning sunlight.

Despite her plain servant’s garb, it couldn’t conceal her unparalleled beauty, as noble and resplendent as a peacock.

Her snow-white lotus-like feet were bare, and her slender, fair calves adorned a Nascent Soul-level restrictive shackle.

Whenever she moved her legs or walked, the chains on the shackle jingled softly, producing crisp "ding ding" sounds.

From several dozen meters away, the inner disciple curiously observed the exotic beauty.

Such scenes were not uncommon in the Golden Sun Sect. The Peacock Saintess had long grown accustomed to being gazed at.

Ordinary cultivators, however, were forbidden from approaching or speaking to her. Hidden experts of the Golden Sun Sect constantly monitored her.

Over the years, there had been no shortage of strange incidents involving the Peacock Saintess.

Once, a disciple of the Golden Sun Sect developed a habit of visiting daily just to catch a glimpse of her. Though he never spoke to her, he eventually fell uncontrollably in love.

One night, he confessed his feelings to her from afar, only to be seized by the sect’s disciplinary hall and expelled.

The Peacock Saintess had been bound by restrictive spells the entire time, without performing any spells whatsoever. The hidden experts of the Golden Sun Sect could attest to this.

Yet, even without words or actions, her natural grace and charm, expressed in every gesture and glance, were enough to stir such intense emotions. Her allure was undeniable.

At this moment, as she lay on the boulder, the Peacock Saintess suddenly felt an inexplicable sensation.

Lifting her eyelids, her tranquil, ethereal gaze fell on the inner disciple in the distance.

The disciple, whose appearance was average at best, was smiling slightly as he watched her.

Puzzled, the Peacock Saintess waved her hand and called out, “You there, junior brother, come and chat with your elder sister for a bit?”

“Saintess, your invitation flatters me,” the disciple responded, a hint of hesitation in his voice. “But without the sect’s approval, I’m not allowed to approach you.”

“Come here. Be obedient.”

The Peacock Saintess’s gaze turned soft and alluring. She silently communicated with the hidden experts monitoring her and received their approval.

This wasn’t the first time such an event had occurred. When bored, the Saintess would often summon someone for idle chatter.

“Your wish is my command.”

The disciple chuckled wryly, walking up to the boulder and sitting upright beneath the Saintess’s outstretched legs.

As they chatted casually, the disciple maintained a calm demeanor, meeting her enchanting gaze without flinching.

At this close distance, while gathering information through subtle means, the disciple marveled inwardly:

“The Golden Sun Sect truly fears the Beast King Valley and Ten Thousand Crane True Monarch so deeply? To think the Peacock Saintess has been held here as a hostage for over sixty years, yet remains untouched?”

“May I ask Saintess, do you miss your home in the Beast King Valley?”

The disciple’s question was curious, yet seemingly innocent.

The Peacock Saintess froze for a moment, then replied indifferently, “Once the Beast King Valley conquers Feng Kingdom and the Liang Kingdom, this Saintess will naturally return to the valley unscathed.”

Her expression turned cold as she glanced at the disciple. “Who are you, really?”

“Just a humble admirer of the Saintess.”

The disciple’s tone suddenly grew playful as he reached out with two fingers, touching the Saintess’s delicate, jade-like foot, tracing the graceful arch of her sole.

Caught off guard, the Peacock Saintess felt a ticklish sensation in her foot and was both startled and enraged.

“Bold!”

Her voice was drowned out by a thunderous shout.

Just as the disciple’s fingers brushed against the arch of her foot, his consciousness blacked out, and he collapsed unconscious.

“Apologies for this disciple’s insolence. The Saintess must have been startled.”

In the blink of an eye, several figures appeared, apprehending the unconscious disciple for interrogation.

A thorough inspection confirmed that his identity as a sect disciple was genuine. Hidden experts had already scanned him with spiritual sense while he conversed with the Saintess, finding nothing amiss.

However, upon deeper investigation, they discovered faint traces of a peculiar restrictive technique within his sea of consciousness.

In fact, similar methods had been used by the Beast King Valley in the past to communicate with the Saintess.

But those attempts were far more discreet. This brazen act of impropriety—openly harassing the Saintess—was unprecedented.

“Could it be… him?”

Though the blush on her face hadn’t completely faded, the Peacock Saintess’s expression grew uncertain.

Moments earlier, when the disciple’s fingers touched her sole, she had sensed a subtle wisp of soul energy entering her body, probing her.

…

In the woods a thousand li away from the Golden Sun Sect.

Lan Chang'an slowly opened his eyes and murmured, “Her cultivation has indeed regressed. Coupled with the death of her life-bound beast, her foundation is damaged. In this lifetime, the Nascent Soul stage is beyond her reach.”

It turned out that the inner disciple of the Golden Sun Sect just now had been temporarily controlled by Lan Chang'an using a secret art.

The Golden Sun Sect, as the oldest Nascent Soul sect in the surrounding region, was heavily guarded. Its fourth-rank grand formation posed a significant threat.

If one of Lan Chang'an’s puppets had tried to infiltrate, it might have been detected, and the risk of destruction would have been high.

Through the “indecent” contact just now, Lan Chang'an was able to assess the Peacock Saintess’s true condition.

Even if she lay low and bided her time, as long as she couldn’t advance to the Nascent Soul stage, her future threat to him would be minimal.

Lan Chang'an had indeed considered killing the Peacock Saintess.

However, the Golden Sun Sect’s heavy defenses, bolstered by a fourth-rank grand formation under the supervision of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, made any direct action exceedingly dangerous.

If he acted rashly, he would surely pay a heavy price—possibly even exposing his identity and drawing the attention of Six Sun True Monarch.

Once his identity was exposed and the Righteous Dao Alliance issued a bounty, obtaining the Taiyin Jade Essence in the Feng Kingdom would become far more troublesome.

It wasn’t worth the risk.

Compared to an opportunity to achieve the Nascent Soul stage, the potential threat of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator was insignificant.

At the same time, Lan Chang'an had come to the vicinity of the Golden Sun Sect to investigate opportunities related to the Nascent Soul stage.

Unfortunately, the sect’s defenses were incredibly tight. Anything related to Nascent Soul opportunities was strictly controlled by Six Sun True Monarch himself.

Facing a peak Nascent Soul expert who had defeated Master Lihuo in his prime, Lan Chang'an didn’t have the courage to pull the tiger’s whiskers.

Unless, of course, a better opportunity arose—perhaps if Six Sun True Monarch were gravely injured, or if the Golden Sun Sect faced the brink of collapse, allowing others to take advantage of the situation.

...

Leaving the perimeter of the Golden Sun Sect, Lan Chang'an flew southeast toward the border of Liang Kingdom, passing through Nightless Town—his last stop before leaving Liang Kingdom.

There, he sent a puppet clone to meet with Jiang Yechen.

Jiang Yechen had played a key role in delaying the trouble that had pursued Lan Chang'an, taking much of the heat in his stead.

Lan Chang'an couldn’t ignore his contributions and at least needed to offer some consolation.

At the same time, he planned to pay his respects to Fairy Shi.

At the top of the mountain in Nightless Town, inside the cave.

“Fellow Daoist Lan, you’ve broken through to the ranks of late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivators?”

Jiang Yechen was stunned as he sensed the profound, restrained aura of Lan Chang'an before him. The man’s figure was cloaked in the spiritual sense of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

To prevent Jiang Yechen, the top loose cultivator of Liang Kingdom, from noticing the puppet’s artificial nature, Lan Chang'an had to shield its presence with the power of his spiritual sense.

“Fellow Daoist Jiang, please keep this quiet. It’s just the late Core Formation stage—hardly worth mentioning,” Lan Chang'an replied humbly, smiling faintly.

To Jiang Yechen, however, the white-robed figure standing with hands clasped behind his back seemed like an immortal gazing down from the clouds, towering above the world of Liang Kingdom’s loose cultivators.

He had shattered a record that had stood for three thousand years!

In three millennia, only Lan Chang'an with a loose cultivator origin had managed to achieve the rank of a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator.

At that moment, Jiang Yechen became convinced that mysterious Core Formation Great Cultivator who had come looking for someone years ago must have been after Lan Chang'an.

Though he had harbored such thoughts before, he had never been entirely sure until now.

“You’ve endured great hardship, caring for the elderly Fairy Shi in her final years.”

Looking at Jiang Yechen, whose expression had turned bitter, Lan Chang'an offered words of comfort and lightly patted his shoulder.

Fairy Shi Manrong’s last two decades had been akin to those of Zhou Qingxuan—a time of decline, her once-beautiful features now withered, her body aged beyond recognition.

For Jiang Yechen to stay by her side until the very end spoke volumes of his sincerity.

Lan Chang'an held a measure of respect for Jiang Yechen. It was partly why he hadn’t come to visit Fairy Shi Manrong in her final days.

Together, Lan Chang'an and Jiang Yechen paid their respects at Fairy Shi Manrong’s grave in the back garden of the mountain cave.

Half an hour later, under the cover of night, Lan Chang'an left the territory of Nightless Town.

In his hands was a jade slip containing the inheritance of a quasi-fourth-rank formation.

This inheritance had originally been obtained from the ancient ruins site, later refined and organized by Fairy Shi Manrong.

According to Jiang Yechen, it had been her dying wish that the jade slip be handed to Lan Chang'an if he ever came by.

Lan Chang'an understood this was Fairy Shi Manrong’s repayment for the third-rank Life Extension Pill he had gifted her.

That pill had allowed Fairy Shi Manrong to fulfill her lifelong regrets, living out her days surrounded by a loving partner and her child—rather than dying alone.

To Lan Chang'an, this inheritance was of little significance. The memories of True Monarch Shazhai contained a complete fourth-rank formation inheritance that far superior in quality.

Before leaving, Lan Chang'an offered Jiang Yechen a promise to repay him for his years of hardship and the risks he had taken.

To his surprise, Jiang Yechen, full of pride, declined any personal favor from Lan Chang'an.

If Lan Chang'an truly wished to repay him, Jiang Yechen suggested transferring the promise to Fairy Shi Manrong’s adopted son, Shi Xiaochuan.

Shi Xiaochuan, a cultivator with high-grade spiritual roots and exceptional talent in formations, had been raised as if he were Fairy Shi Manrong’s own son. Jiang Yechen had also invested considerable effort in his education.

Lan Chang'an agreed, deciding to attach the promise to Shi Xiaochuan instead.

…

Three months later.

In the cultivation world of Feng Kingdom, near the rear of the battlefield against the demonic path, there was an immortal city known as the "Ice Moon Fortress."

Ice Moon Fortress was a major stronghold constructed by Proud Moon Palace to counter the demonic invasion. It was built with the assistance of advanced ice-elemental spells.

Combined with its unique ice-element grand formation, the fortress’s defensive capabilities were second only to the fourth-rank formations of Nascent Soul sects.

Despite being called a fortress, Ice Moon Fortress surpassed most immortal cities in scale.

While not located directly on the frontlines, it wasn’t far from them either. It served as a logistical hub, facilitating the transfer of supplies and the recuperation of cultivators.

Occasionally, the fortress would be infiltrated or harassed by small groups of demonic scouts and, in one instance, even attacked by a Nascent Soul expert from Beast King Valley.

As a result, Nascent Soul cultivators were often stationed at the fortress, ready to either reinforce the frontlines or retreat to defend Feng Kingdom itself.

On this day, a patrol team of Foundation Establishment cultivators returned to Ice Moon Fortress as part of a rotation.

With a whoosh, a lotus platform treasure with petals of three colors flew out of the fortress. Standing atop it was a female Core Formation cultivator clad in a moon-white palace dress, her demeanor as pure and frosty as snow.

She appeared to be around twenty years old, with a slender, willow-like waist, a serene and snow-white complexion, and delicate brows tinged with a faint sorrow, like a lonely fairy of an icy palace.

“The Fairy Xuanbing of Proud Moon Palace!”

Among the returning patrol team, several male cultivators couldn’t hide their amazement, their gazes filled with reverence as they watched the icy beauty disappear into the distance.

For a place as close to the battlefield as Ice Moon Fortress, the presence of Core Formation cultivators was hardly unusual. Being under Proud Moon Palace’s jurisdiction only made it more common.

The Fairy Xuanbing, Xia Wenyue, slightly furrowed her brows as she piloted the lotus platform treasure, flying several hundred li out of the fortress.

“Wenyue, your injuries have only just healed. Why are you heading back to Proud Moon Palace all by yourself?”

A voice suddenly rang out from behind her, accompanied by the aura of a peak mid-Core Formation cultivator.

Turning, Xia Wenyue saw a radiant woman in her late twenties or early thirties clad in a palace dress, her demeanor poised and elegant. A vermillion mark adorned her forehead, further enhancing her graceful aura.

“Senior Sister Nalan, I’m not actually returning to Proud Moon Palace. I’m going to visit Situ Lan. He’s recuperating in the rear, and I’ve been worried about him,” Xia Wenyue replied calmly.

“Situ Lan? Wenyue, are you truly fond of him? You even defied Master’s wishes and rejected her matchmaking attempts because of him?”

Senior Sister Nalan looked genuinely surprised, unable to believe that her junior sister, whose heart had been like frozen ice for a century, could have her icy walls melt and be moved by someone.

“Mm. Situ Lan has pursued me for many years. During a recent mission, we were ambushed by elite demonic cultivators, and he risked his life to protect me. He was gravely injured, barely surviving…”

Xia Wenyue nodded. Mentioning Situ Lan, a subtle ripple of warmth appeared in her otherwise cold, autumn-lake-like eyes.

“Situ Lan is indeed a good match for you. He’s a fellow with an innate Dao physique and the personal disciple of Endless Palace’s master, Alliance Leader Chu. You two are well-suited. I have no reason to object,” Nalan said with a faint smile.

“However, Master asked me to look after you. I can’t let you travel alone. I’ll accompany you so we can watch each other’s backs.”

“Hmph!”

Xia Wenyue’s expression turned frosty as the glow of her lotus platform intensified, her speed surpassing that of an ordinary mid-Core Formation cultivator. Clearly, she was trying to shake off her senior sister.

But Senior Sister Nalan was no pushover. With her solid cultivation, adept movement techniques, and the aid of talismans, she managed to keep up.

Flying several thousand li, Xia Wenyue arrived at a stunning region of mountains, rivers, and shimmering lakes.

Suddenly, a familiar beach and bay came into view.

Stopping midair, Xia Wenyue’s expression softened, tinged with nostalgia.

The scene reminded her of Qingsha Bay, a place from her family’s territory in the past.

“Junior Sister?”

Senior Sister Nalan caught up and stopped beside her, but her vision suddenly blurred.

In an instant, Xia Wenyue vanished without a trace.

The beautiful scene of the beach and bay morphed into an endless scorching desert.

“An illusion!”

Senior Sister Nalan’s expression darkened as she extended her spiritual sense and used various methods, but she was unable to break free from the boundless desert.

“Something’s wrong! Junior Sister isn’t going to see Situ Lan!”

She quickly realized that Xia Wenyue’s outing wasn't a usual trip.

...

Meanwhile, Xia Wenyue, surrounded by the familiar scenery, instinctively flew toward Autumnwind Isle, where Qingsha Bay was located.

At one time, she had spent many years recuperating and studying on Autumnwind Isle as a maid and apprentice.

This place had been the starting point of her journey to change her fate.

“You’ve come.”

On the island stood a serene and refined man in white robes, his tranquil and composed demeanor perfectly complementing his handsome features. He seemed almost unchanged from the faint, fading memories in her mind.

“Master Lan… After more than a hundred years, I thought you’d never return,” Xia Wenyue said, her autumn-water-like eyes locking onto the man not far away.

Lan Chang'an gazed at the Fairy Xuanbing in her moon-white palace dress, her figure swaying in the autumn breeze. He noticed the cold detachment in her eyes.

The youthful admiration and faint affection she had once shown were now entirely gone.

The emotions had faded completely.

There was even a subtle sense of estrangement between them, as if they were strangers.

Xia Wenyue’s personality had undergone a complete transformation—it was a far cry from what it once was.

Lan Chang'an wasn’t surprised.

After more than a hundred years, even deep friendships and tender feelings often withered away. This was human nature and the reality for most.

Only in rare exceptions—those that became the stuff of romantic novels or legends—did feelings persist across such spans of time.

Even if Lan Chang'an had once reciprocated her feelings and invested deeply, after such a long time, there would have been no guarantee against the changes wrought by human nature.

Let alone the fact that nothing had ever truly happened between them; at most, theirs was a nominal relationship between a teacher and a registered disciple.

“The promise we made back then—Lan hasn’t forgotten. I trust you haven’t either, Fairy Xia?”

Lan Chang'an smiled faintly and gestured for Xia Wenyue to sit.

When he planted the seed of their agreement back then, he hadn’t invested much emotion and never intended to rely on feelings to ensure its fulfillment.

“Naturally, I remember.”

At the mention of the "promise," Xia Wenyue’s expression shifted subtly. She bit her lip lightly and descended from the lotus platform, sitting cross-legged opposite Lan Chang'an, though somewhat uneasily.

(End of chapter)

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