I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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"Compared to our journey on the spirit ship three years ago, your cultivation hasn't advanced in the slightest, but your arrogance has certainly grown," Lan Chang'an remarked with a light chuckle.

He and Fang Zhong were both cultivators from the Liang Kingdom. They had once lived next to each other on the Jiuchen Merchant Association's spiritual ship, enjoying drinks together and forming a decent relationship.

After disembarking, the two went their separate ways.

Fang Zhong joined the stronger Xinyue Merchant Association and became one of their enforcers.

In terms of treatment and status, Fang Zhong's situation wasn't actually better than Lan Chang'an's.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, since you're so determined to block my path, don't blame me for showing no mercy," Fang Zhong said coldly.

A surge of violet-red spiritual light erupted around him, releasing the aura of a cultivator at the peak late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Whoosh!

With a snap of his fingers, several dark flame orbs expanded to the size of water jars and hurtled toward Lan Chang'an and Xia Shenglan like flaming meteors.

"Careful, Fellow Daoist Wu! This man's combat abilities are indeed formidable!" Xia Shenglan, pale-faced, warned as she strained her remaining spiritual power to activate her damaged robe.

Boom! Bang, bang...

The supreme-grade spiritual silver shield that Lan Chang'an had summoned dimmed instantly under the barrage, nearly slipping from his control.

Lan Chang'an showed a trace of surprise. Fang Zhong’s combat prowess was far stronger than he'd anticipated—truly worthy of someone who had fought on the battlefield for a cultivation sect.

"Hmph!"

Although it seemed as if Fang Zhong was attacking Lan Chang'an, his figure blurred suddenly, and in the next moment, he appeared several zhang away beside Xia Shenglan.

A black spear, wreathed in eerie blue smoke, thrust fiercely toward Xia Shenglan.

"No..."

Xia Shenglan's face turned ashen. Already severely injured from being hunted by a lean cultivator at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, she had no strength left to dodge.

Clang!

At almost the exact moment, a brown-black ore flew through the air, striking the tail of the black spear.

Crack!

The second-rank top-grade brown-black ore shattered on impact.

The black spear's trajectory was noticeably diverted, shifting by at least forty-five degrees.

Thud!

The mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator trembled violently, frozen in place.

Confused, he looked down at the black spear piercing through his chest, its eerie blue smoke curling around the wound.

"Fang Zhong... you..."

The lean mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator struggled to turn his head, his gaze filled with resentment as he glared at Fang Zhong.

Boom!

His internal organs burst apart, the poison taking effect, and his body fell lifeless to the ground.

"What... How is this possible?"

Fang Zhong's face darkened, his eyes wide with disbelief as if he'd just seen a ghost.

His gaze flickered towards Lan Chang'an, unsettled.

His first thought was that the scene had been a coincidence.

But the fact that Lan Chang'an had managed to throw the ore so precisely, intercepting his black spear, indicated a level of forethought. Otherwise, even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't have been able to accomplish such a feat, given Fang Zhong's advantage.

"Fang Zhong, after cutting down your own teammate, could it be that you're planning to defect to the Wufu Merchant Association?"

Lan Chang'an, after a brief moment of shock, stroked his beard and laughed, clearly pleased.

Fang Zhong noticed the mockery in his tone and became enraged.

"You'll die together!"

With a furious shout, Fang Zhong controlled the black spear, sending it flying towards Lan Chang'an.

Simultaneously, he vanished again, directly targeting the severely weakened Xia Shenglan.

Lan Chang'an understood Fang Zhong's intention. Having lost an ally, he was desperate to complete his mission.

Xia Shenglan was gravely injured, with only enough strength to maintain the power of an early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. A single strike from a peak late Foundation Establishment cultivator would easily kill her.

The battle was taking place near the Xia Family's territory in Qingsha Bay, and time was running short.

Lan Chang'an's throat tightened as he mustered his mana, his cultivation surging once more. He summoned the silver shield once again.

Clang!

This time, the silver shield held firmly, blocking the more powerful strike from the black spear.

"Has he taken some kind of secret medicine to boost his power to near the late stage of Foundation Establishment?" Fang Zhong's heart sank as he noticed the change in Lan Chang'an.

At the same time as blocking the black spear...

Lan Chang'an flicked his fingers, summoning a second-rank superior-grade defensive talisman, which materialized into a wall of water, assisting Xia Shenglan by deflecting Fang Zhong's frontal attack.

At that moment, the faint sound of rushing air came from the direction of Qingsha Bay.

Fang Zhong's expression changed dramatically as he looked at Lan Chang'an, whose spiritual power had surged to nearly match a late Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. He realized that the situation was no longer in his favor.

"A mere loose cultivator like Fellow Daoist Wu can actually hold his own in a battle like this? I underestimated you," Fang Zhong remarked with a cold stare that lingered on Lan Chang'an for a moment.

Realizing his chances were slim, Fang Zhong abandoned his pursuit of Xia Shenglan, activating a secret technique. Blood-red light rippled across his body, and he fled with a speed that nearly rivaled a Fake Dan cultivator.

...

"Fang Zhong, for the sake of our acquaintance on the spirit ship, I'll spare your life this time," Lan Chang'an's calm voice carried to Fang Zhong's ears.

The fleeing Fang Zhong shuddered upon hearing this warning.

Little did he know that he had just escaped from the jaws of death.

Lan Chang'an hadn’t killed him for two reasons.

First, they were both cultivators from the Liang Kingdom, and there was no real enmity between them, only a difference in stance.

Second, Lan Chang'an's identity in the Wufu Merchant Association was that of a mid-Foundation Establishment stage alchemist.

Taking a secret medicine to temporarily boost his spiritual power and skirmishing with a late Foundation Establishment cultivator was already impressive. The gap between mid- and late-Foundation Establishment was significant.

To kill someone like Fang Zhong, who was at the peak of late Foundation Establishment, Lan Chang'an would need the strength of a Fake Dan cultivator.

Even the prodigies of this era couldn’t achieve that level of power while still in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Splash!

Xia Shenglan finally collapsed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her tall figure, clad in a blue dress, wobbled as she plummeted toward the river.

"Miss Xia."

Lan Chang'an stepped on his flying light and caught her just in time.

Squeak!

Without needing Lan Chang'an's command, the Earth Burrowing Rat dove into the river, scavenging the loot from the body of the lean mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Wu..."

Xia Shenglan lay in Lan Chang'an's arms, her eyelids fluttering as she felt the warmth of the unfamiliar man holding her.

Lan Chang'an, hearing the distant sound of flying cultivators approaching, knew he didn’t want Xia Shenglan to pass out in his arms. It would only lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and explanations later.

He quickly pulled out two pills—one for healing and one for replenishing spiritual power—and gave them to Xia Shenglan.

Placing his other hand on her back, he used his spiritual power to guide the pills' effects.

In this life, Lan Chang'an had become a second-rank alchemist, his Evergreen mana was particularly adept at healing, and he was considered to be slightly experienced in medical arts.

Within moments...

A second-rank top-grade flying boat carrying three Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived at the scene of the battle.

Xia Shenglan, having recovered some of her mana, still looked pale and weak.

"Uncle Yong! Mingqu!" Xia Shenglan called out, her face blushing slightly as she remained in Lan Chang'an’s arms.

Her body was still too weak to move, and when she tried to use her spiritual power, it aggravated her internal injuries, causing her to let out a soft moan.

Xia Mingqu and his father, Xia Yongzhong, exchanged glances, their expressions slightly awkward.

Fortunately, Lan Chang'an personally helped Xia Shenglan sit on the flying boat to recover, easing the uncomfortable atmosphere.

...

"Shenglan, how did you end up in such a state?" On the way back, Xia Yongzhong, seeing that Xia Shenglan's injuries had stabilized, finally asked.

By now, Lan Chang'an had learned about Xia Shenglan’s identity.

She was a member of the Xia Family who had married into another family. By seniority, she was Xia Mingqu’s cousin.

Though she was married, it was more of a political alliance between her Xia Family and the second-ranking Xin Family within the Wufu Merchant Association.

"I returned from the Xin Family with important news to report to the clan leader," Xia Shenglan explained. "On my way near Qingsha Bay, I was ambushed by two Foundation Establishment cultivators. One of them, who was at the late stage, was especially terrifying..."

"I exhausted all my life-saving techniques and was severely injured. I thought I was going to die, but luckily, Fellow Daoist Wu here helped me hold on until reinforcements arrived."

At this, Xia Shenglan glanced gratefully at Lan Chang'an.

Since Lan Chang'an had been involved, he had to explain some of the details himself.

"I consumed a Wuxuan Pill, which boosted my spiritual power, allowing me to barely hold my own against a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was also pure luck that Fang Zhong's attacks accidentally killed his own ally..."

As Lan Chang'an recounted the events, Xia Shenglan confirmed his story.

The Xia Family cultivators were slightly surprised by Lan Chang'an's battle prowess but didn't overthink it. Given that Lan Chang'an was a second-rank alchemist, it was only natural for him to possess pills that enhanced his spiritual power.

Upon returning to Qingsha Bay...

Xia Yongzhong and his son privately spoke with Lan Chang'an, expressing their gratitude.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, for saving Shenglan today, my Xia Family owes you a favor. In the future, if you have any requests, feel free to ask."

Xia Yongzhong, the president of the Wufu Merchant Association, made this promise with the utmost sincerity.

"President Xia, you’re too kind."

He had saved her life in passing, and gaining the Xia Family’s favor was exactly what he had hoped for.

Lan Chang'an did have certain needs from the Xia Family and the Wufu Merchant Association.

At the very least, he required a stable cultivation site and a place to refine his alchemical skills.

Moreover, the Earth Burrowing Rat would soon need a high-grade spiritual vein to form its core, and the Xia Family’s quasi-third-rank spiritual vein was a strong candidate.

In the future, when Lan Chang'an attempted his own Core formation, he would need to apply for the use of a third-rank spiritual vein from the Merchant Alliance’s Immortal City. With the Xia Family’s support, it would be much easier.

Even if, one day, he broke his contract with the Wufu Merchant Association and left, that would settle the favor without any lingering debts.

...

Back at Autumnwind Isle, Lan Chang'an ordered the Earth Burrowing Rat to enter seclusion and adjust its condition.

The Earth Burrowing Rat had already reached the peak of the second rank, unable to advance any further.

At this stage, the key was to regulate its essence, energy, and spirit.

Once its realm and mental state were perfected, it would be ready to form its core.

During the Earth Burrowing Rat’s seclusion over the next few months, Lan Chang'an had two major tasks to plan.

The first was to finalize the location for the Earth Burrowing Rat's Core Formation.

The Xia Family’s quasi-third-rank spiritual vein or the special spiritual site offered by the Snow Fox Merchant Association were both options.

The latter’s effect might be slightly better, but the difference wouldn't be too great.

Lan Chang'an leaned toward the Xia Family.

This was mainly due to the Xia Family’s solid reputation, which Lan Chang'an had observed firsthand.

The Xia Family owed him a favor, which he could now use to his advantage.

If he went to the Snow Fox Merchant Association instead, he would owe them a favor or have to pay a hefty price.

The second task was to secure the spiritual object for the Earth Burrowing Rat's Core Formation.

The Earth Burrowing Rat had already acquired a Sha Yuan Pill, equivalent to the Crystal Condensation Pill, and it had a good cultivation site.

However, it still lacked a Core Formation spiritual object to improve the quality of its Core.

To be precise, it needed a superior spiritual object for core formation, such as the Tianjing Water that Lan Chang'an had once traded with Daoist Tianshu.

Lan Chang'an had once come across an ordinary spiritual object suitable for core formation in the Liang Kingdom cultivation world, but its effects were too weak to make much difference.

"Superior spiritual objects for core formation are as valuable as Crystal Condensation Pills, if not rarer."

Over the course of several months, Lan Chang'an had secretly ventured out of Qingsha Bay, disguising himself under various identities to try his luck in nearby immortal cities.

As expected, he found no trace of a superior spiritual object.

The Tianjing Water that Lan Chang'an possessed was reserved for his own core formation. He had no guarantee of obtaining a second one in the coming decades.

"Such is fate."

Lan Chang'an sighed deeply.

The Earth Burrowing Rat, with its second rank superior-grade mutated bloodline and the Sha Yuan Pill, had solid foundations and decent combat power.

If supplemented by a superior spiritual object, its chances of forming a True Dan would be quite high.

Otherwise, it would likely only form a Fake Dan and have less than a 30% chance of achieving a True Dan.

...

One day, Xia Shenglan, now mostly recovered from her injuries, came to Autumnwind Isle to visit Lan Chang'an.

"Please, come in, Fellow Daoist Xia."

Lan Chang'an stepped out of his residence to greet her.

Today, Xia Shenglan wore light makeup and a flowing Ice Silkworm Immortal Dress. Her already elegant appearance now exuded a stunning aura.

"There's no need to be so formal, Fellow Daoist Wu. I’ve come today for two reasons: first, to deliver a gift as a token of thanks, and second, to visit Aunt Wenyue."

Xia Shenglan smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

It wasn’t that she was shy, but rather that her makeup naturally included a light blush on her cheeks.

"You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Xia."

Lan Chang'an politely declined at first, but eventually accepted the gift box.

He didn’t expect to be surprised by any gift from an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. What mattered was the gesture itself.

Dressed in a plain robe, Xia Wenyue, a delicate woman as frail as a willow, entered the main hall to prepare tea for the two guests.

Though Xia Wenyue’s complexion was pale, her beauty still surpassed Xia Shenglan’s by a fair margin.

"Aunt Wenyue, let me take care of it."

Xia Shenglan, her eyes twinkling with amusement, took over the task from Xia Wenyue.

Although Xia Wenyue held a high rank within the Xia Family, Xia Shenglan’s respectful treatment of her surprised Lan Chang'an.

He simply invited Xia Wenyue to sit with them, and the three engaged in light conversation.

With Xia Wenyue helping to bridge the gap, Xia Shenglan and Lan Chang'an quickly grew closer, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Before sunset...

Xia Shenglan bid her farewells, and Xia Wenyue escorted her to the edge of Autumnwind Isle.

"Shenglan, do you... like Alchemist Wu?" Xia Wenyue hesitantly asked.

During this visit, she had noticed that Xia Shenglan seemed intent on growing closer to Lan Chang'an, even subtly displaying her charms.

Xia Wenyue felt that, as a married woman, Xia Shenglan's actions might be considered improper.

"Like? I suppose it's not that serious."

Xia Shenglan tilted her head, pondering for a moment, not entirely sure herself.

In her mind, the image of Alchemist Wu—a middle-aged man with a round face and yellow beard—floated to the surface. She didn’t dislike him, at least.

After being saved by him in a moment of danger, Xia Shenglan naturally felt a sense of gratitude toward him, which had evolved into a slight fondness.

But this fondness wasn’t necessarily the same as romantic attraction.

"Aunt Wenyue, there are some things you wouldn't understand."

Xia Shenglan sighed, her face showing a hint of bitterness.

"My marriage with Xin Zhijing is purely in name only—a political alliance between the families. Over the years, the conflicts between the Xia and Xin families within the Wufu Merchant Association have only grown. My relationship with him has long been dead."

"Hmm, I see. I misunderstood you then."

Xia Wenyue reflected on Xia Shenglan's past. She had carried so much responsibility for her family, it truly hadn’t been easy for her.

"No, you didn’t misunderstand at all."

Xia Shenglan left these parting words before flying away from Autumnwind Isle.

...

A few days later, the Earth Burrowing Rat emerged from seclusion, its essence, energy, and spirit in peak condition.

Lan Chang'an descended into the underground chamber to meet with the Earth Burrowing Rat.

"Have you fully absorbed the core formation method for demonic beasts from the Zhou Family?"

"Alright, here are your core formation items."

Lan Chang'an handed over the Sha Yuan Pill, two bottles of elixirs, and a piece of banana leaf to the Earth Burrowing Rat.

Squeak, squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat’s eyes gleamed with excitement as it eagerly swallowed the core formation materials, rubbing against Lan Chang'an in gratitude and joy.

"It’s a shame I couldn’t find you a superior spiritual object for your core formation," Lan Chang'an lamented.

The Earth Burrowing Rat paused, hesitating for a moment before cautiously spitting out a dull yellow crystal.

"A core formation spiritual object—Xuanyuan Crystal!"

Lan Chang'an was taken aback, staring in disbelief at the Earth Burrowing Rat.

The Xuanyuan Crystal was on par with Tianjing Water—a superior spiritual object for core formation.

"Not bad! You actually prepared your own core formation item!"

Lan Chang'an stroked the rat’s head, clearly pleased.

He had a rough idea of how the Earth Burrowing Rat had obtained the Xuanyuan Crystal, but he didn’t press for details.

After all, the Earth Burrowing Rat had been by his side for over a hundred years, frequently collecting loot from battles, including those against Foundation Establishment cultivators, Fake Dan cultivators, and Liang Kingdom's cultivators.

With its keen sense of smell, the Earth Burrowing Rat had trained in the Black Fog Mountain Range and even spent several months in the ancient ruins.

It also often stayed underground, where it might have come across some fortuitous encounter.

Seeing that Lan Chang'an wasn’t angry about its hidden stash, the Earth Burrowing Rat visibly relaxed.

Squeak, squeak!

It excitedly waved its paws, gesturing towards Lan Chang'an’s storage pouch.

"Oh? You think I still have another core formation spiritual object suitable for you? I can’t give you the Tianjing Water."

Lan Chang'an shook his head.

It was already generous of him not to covet the Xuanyuan Crystal for himself. In theory, combining multiple types of core formation spiritual objects could further enhance the effects.

The Earth Burrowing Rat waved its paws again, shaking its head.

"Not the Tianjing Water? Then what else could it be?"

"Wait, could it be—"

A flash of insight struck Lan Chang'an, and he slapped his thigh. How had he overlooked such a natural treasure?

(End of chapter)