I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Lan Chang'an stepped into the underground stone hall.

He took out a few ancient copper coins, preparing to fully deduce the source of the impending crisis.

These coins, imbued with divination properties, could enhance the accuracy of his calculations.

According to ancient records, the shells of certain turtles, hundreds or even thousands of years old, could amplify the power of divination.

Some were even said to possess the effect of concealing one's heavenly secrets.

At the same time, in a neighboring hall, the Profound Water Turtle shivered uncontrollably, instinctively pulling its head back into its shell.

“The Beast King Valley?”

Moments later, as the divination concluded, Lan Chang'an frowned slightly.

During the era when the Beast King Valley invaded the Righteous Dao Alliance, most dangers faced by cultivators, whether directly or indirectly, were linked to the Beast King Valley.

When divination produced ambiguous results, it often meant that the matters involved, or the cultivator’s realm, vastly exceeded the diviner’s own skill level.

But when it came to his own safety, Lan Chang'an had to uncover the truth, no matter how obscure it was.

The divination shows a minor inauspicious hexagram, it suggested that the danger wasn’t overly severe, with less than a 30% chance of life-threatening peril—typically closer to 10%.

But in Lan Chang'an’s eyes, even a one-in-a-thousand chance of life-threatening danger had to be taken seriously.

He performed another divination.

This time, Lan Chang'an utilized the Zhou Tian Tui Bei Book, and did not hesitate to sacrifice a portion of his lifespan to achieve a more precise reading.

By shortening one’s lifespan, it was possible to forcibly divine higher-level fates.

Fortunately, with his long lifespan, Lan Chang'an didn’t mind losing a year or two.

In the past seven years, he had also obtained a second-rank superior Life Extension Pill, extending his life by nine years. His total lifespan now reached 1,134 years.

After sacrificing approximately two years of his life, Lan Chang'an obtained a clearer clue from the divination:

“Profound Water Turtle?”

Lan Chang'an froze for a moment, lost in thought.

Beast King Valley. Profound Water Turtle.

These two divination results were enough to lead Lan Chang'an to many possible conclusions.

“The Beast King Valley, as the ancestors of beast tamers, must have noticed the Profound Water Turtle’s extraordinary growth and its breakthrough to a Half-Step Golden Dan. Perhaps this has piqued the interest of higher-level cultivators in the Beast King Valley.”

It made sense that a high-level beast tamer would take an interest in the Profound Water Turtle.

Back then, when the Profound Water Turtle was forming its Core, Lan Chang'an had deliberately held it back, trying to reduce potential risks. Yet trouble had still found its way to him.

The turtle had barely met the most basic conditions for forming its Core and had lacked any high-quality materials or spiritual items for the process.

If it had managed to form an Immortal Golden Dan...

Not only would it have attracted the high-level beast tamers of the Beast King Valley, but even the ruling Golden Sun Sect of Liang Kingdom might have taken notice, bringing even more trouble to Lan Chang'an.

“Find out for me which high-level cultivator from the Beast King Valley has set their sights on the Profound Water Turtle.”

Without delay, Lan Chang'an contacted Xing Peng.

...

The next day, Lan Chang'an met with Xing Peng.

“The Elder Xuan behind me has already advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm and has divined the crisis looming over Lan. It appears that a high-level cultivator from the Beast King Valley has marked me and the Profound Water Turtle...”

“As for the specifics, my authority doesn’t allow me to know the details.”

Xing Peng, upon learning this, was momentarily dumbfounded and had no immediate clue about the situation.

Xing Peng promised to do his best to help Lan Chang'an investigate.

Although his rank as an Incense Master limited his access, Xing Peng had connections through his cousin who might be able to uncover more classified information.

Half a month later, Xing Peng hurriedly reached out to Lan Chang'an with the findings of his investigation.

“Master Lan, you’ve been placed on the Beast King Valley’s ‘Special Attention List.’”

Xing Peng’s expression was solemn, his eyes betraying shock.

“The ‘Special Attention List’?”

“It’s a list maintained during the Beast King Valley’s war campaigns. Those on it are flagged as high-priority targets for surveillance by the Unseen Gate, ensuring they don’t escape before the Beast King Valley invades.”

Xing Peng hesitated, then added cautiously, “When the Beast King Valley eventually reaches the Liang Kingdom... you will likely become one of their key targets for capture or elimination.”

Lan Chang'an’s heart sank as he pieced together the implications.

Being flagged by the Beast King Valley meant that once their forces arrived in the Liang Kingdom, they would actively seek him out. Until then, the Unseen Gate’s agents would ensure he couldn’t flee prematurely.

“Have you identified the person behind this? Do you know who’s targeting me?” Lan Chang'an asked gravely.

“We’re starting to have leads,” Xing Peng replied. “But I’m moving cautiously to avoid alerting the primary suspect. Investigating matters involving high-level beast tamers from the Beast King Valley requires extreme care.”

If the Beast King Valley discovered that Xing Peng was aiding Lan Chang'an and leaking classified information, his fate would be grim.

“Good. Take your time, and don’t alert the Beast King Valley.”

For the time being, Lan Chang'an didn’t face immediate danger.

The Beast King Valley would first need to breach the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation realm before they could directly threaten him.

Lan Chang'an resolved to stick to his original plan: avoid battlefields, remain in Jin Yun Valley, focus on cultivation, and quietly build his strength.

Without the divination, Lan Chang'an might have remained blissfully unaware of the looming threat.

The Beast King Valley’s Special Attention List was something that Xing Peng, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t have been able to access.

Had Lan Chang'an not learned of this danger, any future attempt to escape would have been fraught with peril, almost guaranteeing confrontation with the Beast King Valley.

Lan Chang'an felt fortunate. Transferring the memories of the Nascent Soul True Monarch had significantly increased his margin for error.

Even a humble third-rank divination technique had allowed him to prepare for potential threats well in advance.

“From now on, I need to allocate time to study the art of divination.”

Lan Chang'an made up his mind.

He already practiced numerous arts, and though his spare time was abundant, his mental and physical energy was ultimately limited. He would need to prioritize.

The art of divination now took precedence.

Other pursuits, such as alchemy and artifact crafting, could be set aside if necessary.

If he couldn’t find a proper talismanic inheritance in the future, even the path of talismans could be relegated to a lower priority.

...

Six months later.

After months of careful investigation, Xing Peng finally uncovered the truth.

“Master Lan, the ‘Peacock Saintess’ of the Beast King Valley has taken an interest in your Profound Water Turtle and your methods of cultivation. This could spell significant trouble,” Xing Peng said, taking a deep breath, a trace of fear flickering in his eyes.

“Peacock Saintess?”

Lan Chang'an took the jade slip that Xing Peng handed over and reviewed the detailed information.

Moments later, his expression darkened, his face grim.

The Peacock Saintess, whose Dao title was Peacock Immortal, was a late-stage Core Formation powerhouse.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

She was one of the top three inheritors in the Beast King Valley’s Nascent Soul cultivation lineage—a prodigy considered one of the sect's most likely seeds to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

The Peacock Saintess commanded two third-rank spirit beasts, one of which was a Five-Colored Peacock with a heavenly-grade bloodline.

Her Dao title, "Peacock," had a dual significance.

First, it came from the Five-Colored Peacock, the spirit bird with a heavenly bloodline.

Second, her beauty rivaled the magnificence of a peacock’s plumage. Her looks were famed across the Six Great Demonic Sects, earning her renown for both elegance and allure.

Moreover, her background was exceptional—she was the granddaughter of a Nascent Soul True Monarch. A true darling of Heaven, her noble lineage and extraordinary talent were like a peacock’s noble bearing, radiant and untouchable.

“She also has a Profound Water Turtle? Male or female?”

Lan Chang'an’s tone was icy as he asked the question.

“It’s female,” Xing Peng replied in a low voice. “The Peacock Saintess’s Profound Water Turtle is over two hundred years old. She’s poured significant resources into it, including many rare spiritual treasures, and it only recently reached the late second-rank stage.”

Lan Chang'an’s Profound Water Turtle, on the other hand, was male.

“Two hundred years to reach late second rank. That’s already far faster than the average Profound Water Turtle. But compared to mine, it’s still a step behind,” Lan Chang'an muttered as his eyes flickered with deep thought.

With his current insights as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he understood why the Peacock Saintess was interested in his Profound Water Turtle and his cultivation methods.

The Profound Water Turtle’s natural growth was extremely slow. If one forcefully accelerated its growth, it would severely weaken its Foundation Establishment base, which would directly impact the quality of its Core in the future.

Speed and quality were always at odds, unless one invested rare and priceless heaven and earth spiritual resources.

Lan Chang'an’s Profound Water Turtle not only grew rapidly but also maintained an excellent Core potential without any degradation.

As a beast-taming expert, the Peacock Saintess, already owning a Profound Water Turtle, would naturally notice this glaring disparity and become intrigued.

One word from her was all it took for Lan Chang'an to end up on the Beast King Valley’s Special Attention List.

“I’ve been cultivating quietly in the rear guard, my reputation limited to Liang Kingdom’s cultivation circles. How did the Peacock Saintess even hear about my spiritual pet?”

“Could this have been due to the intelligence provided by the Unseen Gate?”

Lan Chang'an was puzzled. The Peacock Saintess was an elite figure—there was no reason for her to randomly take notice of him.

Being targeted by someone like her left Lan Chang'an feeling immense pressure.

He couldn’t fight her; he couldn’t match her influence or background.

The Peacock Saintess, also being at a Golden Dan, was at the late stage and far beyond Lan Chang'an’s current strength.

Even their spirit pets couldn’t compare.

Even if it was a beast of the same bloodline and rank, under the guidance of a beast-taming expert like the Peacock Saintess, its strength would undoubtedly surpass that of Lan Chang'an’s spiritual pet.

Among late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivators, the Peacock Saintess was undoubtedly a top-tier figure.

In the Righteous Dao Alliance, only someone like Liang Shaotian, who was at the same level, could barely contend with her.

...

“The Unseen Gate only reports intelligence to its upper ranks and never leaks information privately to other sects. That would violate their regulations,” Xing Peng explained cautiously.

“However, during my investigation, I discovered some clues. It appears that the person who informed the Peacock Saintess about your situation might be Huang Lang Immortal of the Ten Thousand Beasts Merchant Association.”

“Huang Lang Immortal?”

A sharp light flashed in Lan Chang'an’s eyes.

It was most likely this devious merchant.

Huang Lang Immortal was notorious for his cunning and opportunism, adept at reading people’s minds and exploiting their desires.

Years ago, after conducting a deal with Fu Xuemei, she mysteriously disappeared.

Xing Peng had once speculated that the Ten Thousand Beasts Merchant Association might be a splinter group formed by certain rogue cultivators from the Beast King Valley.

This insider knowledge was nearly unknown among the various nations of the Righteous Dao Alliance.

It wasn’t difficult for Lan Chang'an to imagine that Huang Lang Immortal had sold information about him to the Peacock Saintess, all to curry favor with her and secure a powerful patron within the Beast King Valley.

Huang Lang Immortal would have reaped great rewards with minimal effort.

But in doing so, he had brought significant trouble and potential disaster upon Lan Chang'an.

The minor misfortune revealed by the divination had stemmed directly from this betrayal.

Huang Lang Immortal!

Lan Chang'an engraved this name in his memory.

A mere early-stage True Dan cultivator dared to scheme against him?

As for the Peacock Saintess, Lan Chang'an knew he couldn’t confront her in the short term. She had yet to take direct action, after all.

But this treacherous merchant—he would find a chance to exact revenge.

If not for his mastery of divination, Lan Chang'an might have already fallen victim to this covert trap.

...

“Master Lan, regarding this matter, I have a suggestion,” Xing Peng said hesitantly.

“Speak.”

Lan Chang'an looked at him with slight surprise.

“The Peacock Saintess is proud but has a reputation for being honorable within the Six Demonic Sects. If you were to offer her your cultivation methods for the Profound Water Turtle, she would surely reward you. In the future, when the Beast King Valley invades Liang Kingdom, with her protection, you could expect leniency,” Xing Peng suggested carefully, bowing as he spoke.

He was aware that this suggestion might displease Lan Chang'an.

But the fact was, the Six Demonic Sects would eventually annihilate the Righteous Dao Alliance.

Being targeted by the Peacock Saintess, the simplest way for Lan Chang'an to turn this crisis into an opportunity was to compromise.

“You’re suggesting I follow Huang Lang Immortal’s example and latch onto the Peacock Saintess’s coattails?” Lan Chang'an asked coldly, staring at him.

“No… no! That’s not what I meant!” Xing Peng stammered, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.

Lan Chang'an sneered inwardly. You think I don’t want to latch onto such a powerful thigh?

But the circumstances simply didn’t allow it.

Xing Peng’s suggestion was indeed a highly practical one.

Not only would it resolve the immediate danger, but it would also secure a powerful ally within the Six Demonic Sects.

However, the secrets behind the Profound Water Turtle’s cultivation involved both the Evergreen Technique and the Xuanmu Vine Gourd.

Lan Chang'an had no choice.

He was destined to stand on the opposing side of the Peacock Saintess and the Beast King Valley.

In the cultivation world, all disputes ultimately boiled down to a fight over interests—unrelated to personal grudges or notions of right and wrong.

...

After uncovering the source of his crisis, Lan Chang'an began preparing two plans to address the situation.

The first, naturally, was the runaway plan.

This plan had long been in preparation, but now Lan Chang'an needed to adjust it to allow for even greater contingencies to handle various unforeseen threats.

The core of this plan remained the same: wait until the Nine Seal Stele illuminated the fourth life. Unless the demonic sects invaded Liang's Kingdom, this timeline would not change.

However, Lan Chang'an knew better than to underestimate the top-tier demonic sects of the Great Qing.

Though Lan Chang'an possessed divination skills, he was certain that there were more formidable divination masters within the Six Sacred Demonic Sects.

While the Xuanmu Vine Gourd had the property of shielding heavenly secrets, It could only obscure its own position and avoid being deduced by great powers, but it couldn’t shield the karma and grudges tied to Lan Chang'an himself.

Even the Xuanmu Vine Gourd’s ability to shield heavenly secrets wasn’t invincible.

If a top-tier cultivator, such as one at the Integration Realm or Mahayana Realm, performed a divination and used rare divination treasures to assist them, it was still possible for traces to be uncovered.

The second plan, retaliate against the Huang Lang Immortal.

On the surface, Huang Lang Immortal was only an early-stage True Dan cultivator, making him seem like an easy target. The mid-third-rank Earth Burrowing Rat could take him down easily.

However, Lan Chang'an dismissed the idea of simply killing Huang Lang Immortal outright.

“Huang Lang Immortal reported my information to the Peacock Saintess. If he dies under mysterious circumstances, it might arouse her suspicions and lead her to connect the dots.”

At present, while the Peacock Saintess had taken notice of him, she didn’t pay special attention to him and viewed him as just a tricky character.

Lan Chang'an knew better than to escalate her interest in him.

Thus, there were only two safe methods for revenge:

First, find a scapegoat to take the blame for killing Huang Lang Immortal.

Second, kill Huang Lang Immortal as part of his escape plan when the time comes.

However, Lan Chang'an eventually came up with a third, more subtle approach:

Expose this traitor!

By revealing Huang Lang Immortal’s status as a spy, Lan Chang'an could ensure that the Righteous Dao Alliance would take action to eliminate him.

Previously, Huang Lang Immortal had attempted to sway the Beast Taming Zhou Family, demonstrating that he had already aligned himself with the Beast King Valley.

It was highly likely that similar operations had been carried out with other targets, leaving behind clues and traces of his betrayal.

Furthermore, the Ten Thousand Beasts Merchant Association had numerous enemies in the Jing Kingdom. The rival factions of the guild, such as the Snow Fox Merchant Association, would likely pounce on any opportunity to bring down Huang Lang Immortal.

If Huang Lang Immortal made a mistake and exposed himself as an insider for the Beast King Valley, it would be a perfectly natural outcome.

With his plan settled, Lan Chang'an decided not to act immediately.

He resolved to wait two years, allowing suspicion to shift away from himself. In the meantime, he instructed Xing Peng to quietly gather evidence and intelligence against Huang Lang Immortal.

...

Two years later.

At the age of 206, nearly 30 years had passed since Lan Chang'an had formed his Golden Dan.

On this day, deep within the underground stone hall, steam rose from a scalding black medicinal pool.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

Lan Chang'an soaked in the boiling medicinal liquid, his muscles swelling and glistening with a dark bronze hue. Golden, polished scales resembling ornate discs appeared on his skin, emanating a terrifying vitality and physical power.

“Re-cultivating the Golden Luo Overlord Body to third rank consumes far more precious materials and medicinal resources than the Hundred-Refinement Vajra Art—nearly double the cost,” Lan Chang'an muttered as his body greedily absorbed the medicinal energy from the pool, feeling a pang of pain in his heart for the expenditure.

Upgrading to mid-third-rank puppet beasts, switching to a more advanced body-refinement technique—all of these pursuits were insatiable pits that devoured spiritual stones and rare resources.

The Golden Luo Overlord Body was one of the finest body-refinement techniques from the memories of his fourth life, second only to pure body-cultivation methods.

This technique wasn’t just 20% stronger than the Hundred-Refinement Vajra Art in terms of overall performance—it also came with a unique attribute.

It granted strong resistance against negative effects, including curses and certain debuffs.

For example, it could counteract sound wave techniques that caused dizziness or confusion, and freezing spells that slowed a cultivator’s movements drastically.

The Golden Luo Overlord Body provided significant resistance to these kinds of effects, with immunity to most below the third rank.

The downside, however, was that the rare materials required for cultivating this technique were twice as expensive as those needed for the Hundred-Refinement Vajra Art.

Even so, Lan Chang'an felt that it was worth every penny.

The higher the peak of excellence, the greater the price to advance further—it was never a linear relationship.

The unique properties of the Golden Luo Overlord Body greatly enhanced his ability to protect himself.

“Now that the time is ripe, and I’ve already gathered enough dirt on Huang Lang Immortal and the Ten Thousand Beasts Merchant Association,” Lan Chang'an murmured to himself, his gaze sharp.

With a thought, the shadow of his second life, a peak Core Formation cultivator, descended from the Nine Seal Stele.

The purple-robed True Monarch's soul shadow from his fourth life was already more than half illuminated.

Putting on the Hundred Illusions Mask, Lan Chang'an adjusted his aura to simulate a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

...

In the following two months, Lan Chang'an, disguised as a mysterious late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator, executed his calculated plan to expose Huang Lang Immortal.

First, Lan Chang'an traveled to the northern region of Feng Kingdom. At one of the local branches of the Righteous Dao Alliance, he anonymously left a letter of accusation with the sitting True Dan cultivator in charge.

Next, he made his way to the border of Jing Kingdom and left the same letter to Liang Shaotian's Fake Dan disciple, Lady Wei, at the Immortal City market under the jurisdiction of the Xuan Yin Sect.

Through Xing Peng, Lan Chang'an had already confirmed that the Xuan Yin Sect had not been successfully infiltrated by the Unseen Gate and had instead been actively resisting the demonic forces. Thus, he left a similar report for them.

While the Righteous Dao Alliance as a whole was known for its sluggish bureaucracy due to its multinational nature, the Xuan Yin Sect was highly efficient and strong within the Jing Kingdom.

Whether it was Liang Shaotian himself or his powerful disciple Li Hai, either of them could easily deal with Huang Lang Immortal.

Having planted the seeds of his plan, Lan Chang'an returned to Jin Yun Valley and waited for the results.

The plan was simple: if it failed, he would lose nothing. But if it succeeded, it would be using a borrowed knife to kill and eliminate Huang Lang Immortal.

In either case, the mysterious cultivator who left behind the reports had no connection to Lan Chang'an himself.

Having lived through several lifetimes, Lan Chang'an knew all too well that the identity of the whistleblower must be kept absolutely secret.

Otherwise, what was reported in the morning would reach the ears of the accused by nightfall.

What Lan Chang'an didn’t anticipate was that his seemingly simple plan would end up altering the entire course of the demonic invasion war.

A few months later.

News arrived from the frontlines.

Both the Chen Kingdom and Jing Kingdom had experienced widespread betrayal from within their cultivation forces, with several factions turning against the Righteous Dao Alliance.

Chen Kingdom’s situation was especially dire.

Multiple late-stage Core Formation cultivators led the rebellion, with two cultivation sects and over a dozen families betraying the alliance simultaneously. These coordinated defections aligned with the invading demonic forces, plunging the Chen Kingdom into near-total collapse.

The Heavenly Net Sect of the Chen Kingdom suffered heavy losses and, following their contingency plan, retreated into the cultivation realm of the Jing Kingdom.

Jing Kingdom had also seen internal betrayal, with factions like the Ten Thousand Beasts Merchant Association among the defectors.

However, Jing Kingdom’s response was much quicker.

The Xuan Yin Sect, in particular, struck immediately, launching a decisive assault on the Ten Thousand Beasts Merchant Association.

Most of the top-level Immortals of the guild were either killed or captured.

Huang Lang Immortal himself suffered catastrophic losses—his spirit beasts were all slaughtered, and he was gravely injured, losing an arm.

Ultimately, using a top-grade third-rank escape talisman and secret techniques, he barely managed to flee the carnage. But he was now a fugitive, actively hunted by the Righteous Dao Alliance and other factions.

“Hmph, scheming against me? Let’s see how it feels to lose everything and spend the rest of your life running for your life,” Lan Chang'an sneered when he heard the news.

Although he hadn’t succeeded in killing Huang Lang Immortal outright, the significant blow to the man’s power and status gave Lan Chang'an a sense of satisfaction.

According to intelligence from Xing Peng, Huang Lang Immortal’s early exposure had forced the Unseen Gate to act prematurely.

Normally, their plans would involve carefully cultivated networks of spies and traitors to maximize their impact. However, due to the sudden exposure of Huang Lang Immortal—whose connections were wide and unusually active—the Unseen Gate was forced to trigger their plans ahead of schedule, leading to incomplete results.

Even if Huang Lang Immortal managed to flee into the lands of the demonic sects, he would remain a sinner in their eyes for botching the operation. His future prospects were bleak.

“The Righteous Dao Alliance must have been infiltrated by the Unseen Gate,” Lan Chang'an concluded after analyzing the simultaneous outbreaks of betrayal in Chen Kingdom and Jing Kingdom.

It was likely that his anonymous report to the Righteous Dao Alliance had been intercepted by a mole within the higher ranks. The delay caused by this internal leak had given the demonic sects time to manipulate the situation.

However, what disappointed Lan Chang'an most was the Chen Kingdom.

The Heavenly Net Sect and the Chen Family had proven themselves deeply compromised by demonic infiltration. Their inefficiency in handling internal rebellion was far worse than that of the Jing Kingdom, despite being a stronger nation on paper.

With the Chen Kingdom now in enemy hands, the remnants of its cultivation forces had retreated to Jing Kingdom.

Now, Jing Kingdom—a smaller, weaker nation—had become the new frontline against the demonic invasion.

The Heavenly Net Sect, the remnants of the Chen Family, and other survivors from the Chen Kingdom had joined forces with the Xuan Yin Sect, the Jing Kingdom Merchant Alliance, and the other major sects of the Jing Kingdom to resist the demonic tide.

“The Chen Kingdom has completely disgraced itself,” Lan Chang'an muttered in disappointment.

The Heavenly Net Sect and the Chen Family were ruthless toward their own people but utterly incompetent in war against external threats. Compared to them, even the much weaker Jing Kingdom had shown greater resolve.

The loss of the Chen Kingdom meant that Jing Kingdom now bore the brunt of the demonic invasion.

More importantly, the Jing Kingdom bordered the western frontier of the Liang Kingdom.

Jin Yun Valley, Lan Chang'an’s current base of operations, was located in Liang Kingdom’s western region—perilously close to the advancing frontlines.

Lan Chang'an realized with a sinking feeling that the demonic tide was no longer a distant threat.

The raging wave of destruction would soon reach the borders of the Liang Kingdom, and Jin Yun Valley was directly in its path.