I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Lan Chang'an stayed behind the scenes, supporting the Star Moon Merchant Association, influencing the power structure of the oasis, and cultivating quietly in peace.

How can one tolerate others snoring by one’s bedside?

If Fang Zhen were to target the descendants of Master Lihuo residing in this oasis, it would inevitably disrupt Lan Chang'an's cultivation plans.

The options were clear: either flee or eliminate the threat.

Inside the manor, the black-clad youth was at a critical juncture in breaking through to the Core Formation realm. Elder Duan was serving as a protector, remaining unaware of any potential threats lurking nearby.

Above the clouds, in the Nine Fiery Heavens...

A middle-aged man clad in iron armor, with thick eyebrows and a square face, stood unmoving. His expression shifted between hesitation and resolution. The astral winds around him dared not approach, and the air seemed inexplicably heavy.

"The timing is not yet right."

"This large oasis houses formidable Core Formation experts. The descendants of Master Lihuo in this area might not only include the True Dan Duan Zhengyu."

After some deliberation, Fang Zhen quietly left River Source Oasis without alerting anyone.

His true objective was not to exterminate Master Lihuo's descendants, but rather to seize the opportunities and resources that could aid him in advancing further in cultivation.

Years ago, during the collapse of the Flame Departing Palace, betrayal, the ambush of Master Lihuo's Dao companion, offspring, and disciples, as well as the looting of treasures, had brought him significant benefits.

Without those resources, Fang Zhen would not have been able to elevate his cultivation to the current level over the past sixty years.

Flying several dozen li away from River Source Oasis, Fang Zhen suddenly sensed something. He glanced back at the layers of earth beneath the yellow sands, faintly detecting a trace of unusual demonic energy that quickly dissipated.

"Could this be a contingency left behind by the Supreme Elder?"

Frowning, a trace of wariness flickered in Fang Zhen's eyes as he hastened his departure from the oasis.

Previously, Fang Zhen had discovered another dwelling place of Master Lihuo's descendants. However, due to similar concerns, he had refrained from taking any rash actions.

Back at the Mountain-Water Manor...

"He's gone?"

Lan Chang'an let out a small sigh of relief.

If it wasn't absolutely necessary, he had no intention of fighting a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

A late-stage Core Formation expert was far superior to an average Core Formation cultivator. Even mid-stage Core Formation cultivators, without exceptional magical treasures and divine abilities, would struggle to be a match.

Not to mention that ordinary early- or mid-stage True Dan cultivators were completely outclassed.

A peak Core Formation cultivator also fell into the late-stage category, having reached the pinnacle of that minor realm with no room for further advancement.

Against such a formidable opponent, even with the assistance of formations, puppets, and his Earth Burrowing Rat, Lan Chang'an could defeat him but not easily. There was even a chance the enemy could escape.

When Fang Zhen departed, Lan Chang'an had deliberately allowed the Earth Burrowing Rat to release a faint trace of powerful demonic energy, causing Fang Zhen to hesitate and not act recklessly.

In a few years, once Lan Chang'an advanced to the mid-Core Formation stage, dealing with opponents like Fang Zhen would be far less troublesome—as long as they weren't late-stage Core Formation top-tier geniuses like the Peacock Saintess.

...

Half a day later.

The Core Formation phenomenon over the Mountain-Water Manor dissipated.

The black-clad youth brought by Elder Duan had merely formed a Fake Dan instead of a True Dan.

Lan Chang'an was indifferent to this outcome, focusing instead on analyzing Fang Zhen's intentions. He had begun to form a rough understanding in his mind.

The descendants of Master Lihuo who remained in Fengyuan Kingdom had been left some treasured resources.

However, the core resources truly capable of nurturing a Nascent Soul cultivator were mostly located within the Flame Departing Palace on the side of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance territory.

Of the treasures left behind on this side, there were only one or two that would help Nascent Soul breakthroughs, and they were not very attractive to Lan Chang'an.

One was Master Lihuo's detailed insights into breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, which held no meaning for Lan Chang'an.

The second was an ordinary spiritual object, which was far less beneficial than an Infant Transformation Pill or the Taiyin Jade Essence.

By the time Lan Chang'an reached the late-stage Core Formation realm, with sufficient wealth, such an ordinary spiritual object could easily be purchased in the Wangyue Immortal City.

Ten days later.

Elder Duan, along with the black-clad youth who was stabilizing his cultivation, bid farewell to Lan Chang'an.

As for the potential threat of Fang Zhen tracking them, Lan Chang'an chose not to warn them directly, not wishing to become too entangled in their affairs.

As the highest-ranking descendant of Master Lihuo in the Fengyuan Kingdom, Elder Duan had the life-saving cards left behind by his Nascent Soul ancestor. Although he couldn’t match a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, he had the means to protect himself.

Based on Lan Chang'an's calculations, Elder Duan was likely already aware of Fang Zhen's presence and had taken precautions.

During this Core Formation attempt, Elder Duan had not asked Lan Chang'an to avoid the area. Perhaps he intended to pull Lan Chang'an into his faction, using him to share future risks and fight against powerful enemies together.

"This grandson has a cunning heart."

Lan Chang'an pondered his next steps, planning to leave after advancing to the mid-stage Core Formation realm.

He would relocate to a place with a better spiritual vein and cultivation resources.

As a third-rank Alchemist, his status was highly sought after and revered all over Fengyuan Kingdom.

...

Two years later, the River Source Oasis remained tranquil.

The Star Moon Merchant Association had steadily expanded, not only clearing all of Lan Chang'an's debts but even managing to hire a True Dan cultivator as a patron.

On this day, Lan Chang'an, now 232 years old, was in peak condition as he finally began refining the Crystal Condensation Pill.

Inside the alchemy room, Lan Chang'an sat cross-legged, his eyes closed as he communicated with the Nine Seal Stele. He summoned the soul shadow of his peak Core Formation second life.

In an instant, the robes on his body began to stir despite the absence of wind. His soul power surged dramatically, momentarily exceeding the limits of the Core Formation realm.

Seven days later.

The alchemy room was bathed in radiant light. The pill furnace opened, and three pills resembling glass-like snow jade shot out, faintly exuding spiritual pressure.

“Three pills formed! Two genuine and one inferior with only minor flaws,” Lan Chang'an assessed, his face lighting up with satisfaction.

It was worth noting that back in the day, even "Morning Pill Immortal", a mid-grade third-rank alchemist from the Jin Yun Valley, could only produce two Crystal Condensation Pills at most when giving his all.

However, it wasn’t that Lan Chang'an’s alchemy skills surpassed Morning Pill’s.

He simply wasn’t in a rush. He waited until his condition was at its peak and deliberately summoned the soul of his second life to significantly enhance his spiritual sense control.

With a bit of luck, he managed to produce three pills.

Even the inferior one, while slightly flawed, was not far behind in quality compared to the genuine ones.

"What a pity. The third-rank Longevity Fruit hasn’t ripened yet," Lan Chang'an thought with slight regret.

His current state of peak performance could not be immediately channeled into refining the third-rank Life Extension Pill, which were the ones truly valuable to him.

The Crystal Condensation Pills, by contrast, were mainly meant to be traded for other rare resources.

In fact, Lan Chang'an's Evergreen Technique allowed him to nurture and accelerate the growth of rare spiritual herbs and heavenly treasures.

Over the years, he had tested this ability.

For low-tier spiritual herbs, even without sacrificing his lifespan, nurturing them with the Evergreen Technique significantly sped up their growth.

However, for third-rank rare herbs, he had to consume his lifespan to achieve any noticeable acceleration.

The spiritual plant that bore the third-rank Longevity Fruit had been planted in soil enriched with a diluted amount of Five Element Earth to ensure its survival.

Lan Chang'an had once sacrificed a year's worth of lifespan to double the growth rate of the plant in a single year.

For second-rank herbs, he could accelerate their growth by tenfold.

But after calculating the costs, Lan Chang'an found that this lifespan-burning method was not worth it for most cases.

The higher the herb’s grade, the greater the cost to accelerate its growth.

For low-tier herbs, while the acceleration effect was impressive, they were of little use to him. Spending lifespan on them was simply a waste.

Only when it came to spiritual objects of critical importance—those tied to his chances of forming a Nascent Soul—would Lan Chang'an consider burning his lifespan for cultivation.

After all, there were many things that required his lifespan.

Priority was given to divination improvement and nurturing the Xuanmu Vine Gourd.

The Xuanmu Vine Gourd, after his investment of over a hundred years of lifespan, had begun to slowly regain its vitality.

For now, Lan Chang'an and the Profound Water Turtle only needed to continue sustaining it with nourishment.

He planned to reinvest lifespan into the Xuanmu Vine Gourd after reaching the mid-stage Core Formation. By then, his mana quality would have improved, and the effect of the Evergreen secret spell would be better.

...

After successfully refining the Crystal Condensation Pills, the soul shadow of his second life could still remain active for another ten months.

Lan Chang'an planned to visit Gutian Immortal City to purchase and trade for necessary resources.

In addition to the Crystal Condensation Pills, he still had a stash of materials brought from the Liang Kingdom, including a batch of beast cubs and beast eggs.

Gutian Immortal City was a high-tier immortal city under the Outer Sect Alliance, primarily controlled by the Mysterious Mechanism Tower.

The surrounding oases and spiritual lands, big and small, all relied on Gutian Immortal City as their trade center.

Six months later, the city would host a once-in-a-decade large-scale auction, one of the largest in the region.

The Mysterious Mechanism Tower was one of the event’s organizers.

This organization was rumored to have been founded by defectors from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect in the Fengyuan Kingdom. Its main business revolved around puppets.

Lan Chang'an, intending to upgrade his puppet clone and craft more mid-grade third-rank puppets, found himself intrigued by the auction.

Nearly a month before the auction, the Yun siblings visited again.

“Mister Xu, Granny Yun is taking us to broaden our horizons by attending next month’s grand auction in Gutian Immortal City. Would you like to join us?” Yun Ling asked expectantly.

“Hmm, that works. I happen to need to sell some pills and purchase some resources,” Lan Chang'an replied after some thought, not refusing the invitation.

With his puppet clone, Lan Chang'an didn’t need to personally handle all transactions in the immortal city.

He could use his public persona to trade ordinary resources openly, while his puppet clone operated in the shadows to sell and acquire items discreetly—even venturing into the black market without fear of being double-crossed.

Half a month later.

At River Source Market, Lan Chang'an met up with Granny Yun and the Yun siblings. Together, they set off for Gutian Immortal City.

Granny Yun only revealed the cultivation of a Fake Dan expert.

Lan Chang'an summoned a flying carpet magical treasure he had crafted as practice. The carpet spanned five or six zhang, providing ample comfort as it carried the four of them toward Gutian Immortal City.

On the flying carpet, the white-haired, wrinkled Granny Yun sat across from Lan Chang'an, remaining largely silent.

She could sense that Lan Chang'an wasn’t particularly interested in conversing with her.

Her cloudy eyes shifted to Yun Ling, who was chatting happily with Lan Chang'an.

The refined and handsome Mister Xu displayed extraordinary patience toward Ling’er, smiling warmly and devoid of the usual airs carried by a Core Formation Immortal.

Granny Yun found Lan Chang'an’s gentle demeanor strangely appealing.

Her gaze lingered on his pleasing and comforting features, evoking a faint desire to grow closer to him. Even a trace of envy toward Ling’er surfaced in her heart.

Faced with this "unequal" treatment, Granny Yun, despite her age and experience, felt a rare discomfort. She even toyed with the idea of revealing her true youthful appearance.

Though Yun Ling was young and beautiful, Granny Yun knew her own charm as a mature woman far surpassed that of a naive young girl.

However, Lan Chang'an was not intentionally distancing himself from Granny Yun.

As the last legitimate Dao companion of Master Lihuo, Granny Yun’s identity tied her to too many karmic entanglements. Lan Chang'an preferred to avoid deep involvement with her.

Additionally, Granny Yun's insight and knowledge far exceeded that of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, making Lan Chang'an cautious about revealing any flaws.

...

Gutian Immortal City was only a few thousand li away.

Lan Chang'an, controlling his flying carpet magical treasure, carried the group at a moderate speed, arriving at their destination in less than an hour without even going full speed.

As they approached, a vast expanse of cultivated spirit fields came into view. At the center of the land stood a large, peculiar city atop a massive sand dune. The city was a mix of steel and machinery, exuding an air of ancient ruggedness and ingenuity.

“A city transformed by puppet techniques?”

Lan Chang'an’s eyes brightened with intrigue.

From a distance, he could already see puppet turrets extending from the battlements, as well as giant puppet sentinels patrolling the city’s perimeter.

The towering puppet giants were four to five zhang tall, with an estimated rank of quasi-third rank. Their massive size and thick armor made them formidable in direct combat—enough that even Fake Dan cultivators would tread carefully when facing them.

These puppet giants served as both a display of Mysterious Mechanism Tower’s military strength and an advertisement for their puppet products.

Puppets, while powerful, were expensive to create and required a skilled puppeteer to unlock their full potential. They also divided the spiritual sense during combat, making them a niche choice in the cultivation world.

The Mysterious Mechanism Tower, a branch of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, had brought a flourishing puppet culture to Fengyuan Kingdom.

In the Outer Sect Alliance region, puppeteers were relatively more common, with puppet-related materials and inheritances easier to acquire than in the Liang Kingdom.

As the large auction approached, Gutian Immortal City saw a surge in visitors.

Floating in the air outside the city were numerous pavilions, carriages, spirit beast mounts, and magical treasures, exuding streams of light as they carried cultivators from various regions.

One particular flying palace, designed in a classical style, emitted melodious music that captivated nearby onlookers.

“I heard that the owner of the Xuan Yin Pavilion, Fairy Ni Yue, has personally arrived to attend this grand auction. I wonder which auction item has caught her eye?”

“Ah, it’s a pity that my cultivation is too shallow. I have no chance to enter her palace and witness Fairy Ni Yue’s celestial beauty. Only well-known Core Formation experts might receive such an invitation.”

“Well, we lowly ones can only spend spirit stones to visit the city’s Xuan Yin Hall, the branch of the Xuan Yin Pavilion. There, we can admire the graceful female cultivators of the pavilion, listen to their ethereal music, and cleanse our minds.”

Cultivators from all over discussed and gazed longingly at the dreamlike flying palace.

Lan Chang'an, with his powerful spiritual sense, probed the situation briefly but wasn’t surprised by the Xuan Yin Pavilion’s presence.

The pavilion had moved to the Outer Sect Alliance territory many years ago, with branches like Xuan Yin Hall established in most nearby immortal cities.

Most of their new disciples were recruited locally.

Controlling the flying carpet, Lan Chang'an guided it into Gutian Immortal City.

Granny Yun had a kind face and opened her mouth to test the waters. “I’ve heard that Mister Xu has some ties with a True Dan elder from the Xuan Yin Pavilion. Why not take the opportunity to visit and reconnect? We wouldn’t mind if you left us for a while.”

“Oh no, Madam Yun is mistaken,” Lan Chang'an replied calmly. “My connection with the pavilion is purely transactional—mostly related to alchemy transactions.”

Granny Yun smiled knowingly but did not comment further.

She had heard from Yun Ling that this Mister Xu had once flirted with Fairy Jiang from the Xuan Yin Pavilion and even hosted her overnight at his manor.

In truth, before the downfall of the Flame Departing Palace, Granny Yun had been acquainted with the previous master of the Xuan Yin Pavilion and even with Fairy Ni Yue.

She was well aware of the pavilion’s reputation: its female cultivators were renowned for their beauty, elegance, and talent in music, making them irresistibly attractive to male cultivators.

...

On that day, Lan Chang'an and the Yun trio checked into a local inn.

Late at night, under the cover of darkness, Lan Chang'an released his mid-grade third-rank puppet clone.

In order to differentiate it from the assassin avatar code-named “Black Lord,” this puppet clone had been given a completely new appearance.

It now resembled a wandering Daoist merchant, wearing a bamboo hat. Its outfit bore a 60–70% resemblance to that of "Daoist Tianshu," a mysterious figure Lan Chang'an had encountered in his earlier years.

Of course, this was only one of the puppet clone’s many disguises. It could take on various forms to blend into the city.

With ten days remaining until the auction, Lan Chang'an and his puppet clone split their efforts into two fronts: the public side and the hidden side.

While Lan Chang'an publicly purchased and sold ordinary resources to maintain his cover, the puppet clone worked in the shadows, engaging in transactions and even venturing into the black market.

Several days passed.

The puppet clone visited several major shops within the city and even attended underground black markets, liquidating a large amount of spirit stones.

The spirit beast cubs and eggs obtained from Huang Lang Immortal were particularly popular in the city. The prices they fetched exceeded Lan Chang'an’s expectations, as many of these species were unavailable in the desert regions of Fengyuan Kingdom and could only be brought in by outsiders.

So long as Lan Chang'an avoided overselling, he had no concerns about exposing himself.

The Outer Sect Alliance region was a melting pot of cultivators from various factions and regions, including loose cultivators and those from other kingdoms. It was not uncommon to see puppeteers, poison masters, body cultivators, and beast tamers mingling, making it difficult to trace origins.

In addition to the spirit beasts, the puppet clone also sold various rare materials brought from the Liang Kingdom. These fetched high prices due to their scarcity in the region.

Meanwhile, Lan Chang'an himself sold low-grade third-rank pills that were inconspicuous and aligned with his alchemist identity.

In just a few days, Lan Chang'an and his puppet clone amassed over 100,000 spirit stones.

The resources sold, including the spirit beasts, accounted for less than half of his inventory, leaving much to be used in the future.

The bulk of the spirit stones was spent on materials for third-rank puppets and more advanced puppet technique inheritances.

With limited connections in Gutian Immortal City, Lan Chang'an often had to pay high prices or rely on the puppet clone to make purchases in the black market.

By two days before the auction, he had gathered nearly all the materials needed for crafting another mid-grade third-rank puppet, using some items from his own stockpile.

The remaining rare materials could potentially be obtained at the auction.

Additionally, Lan Chang'an acquired a puppet inheritance from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, albeit only of quasi-third rank level.

"The Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s puppet inheritances truly stand apart," Lan Chang'an mused as he delved into the techniques.

Even studying this lower-rank inheritance provided him with considerable insight and inspiration.

Compared to the puppet techniques he had obtained from the Righteous Dao Alliance, the depth of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s inheritances was far superior.

This only deepened his desire to obtain higher-level puppet inheritances to further refine his puppet clone.

The puppet clone, cautious in its dealings, kept interactions brief and used strong spiritual sense barriers to prevent others from probing its true nature.

...

The night before the auction.

Suddenly, shocking news spread throughout Gutian Immortal City.

“Mister Xu, have you heard? They’ve added a new item to the grand auction’s finale!”

The Yun siblings hurriedly came to inform Lan Chang'an of the latest development.

“What is it?” Lan Chang'an asked with a calm expression.

“It’s a Crystal Condensation Pill!”

“A genuine Crystal Condensation Pill is something rarely seen in auctions across Gutian Immortal City. It’s a treasure that only appears once in a century!”

The Yun siblings were visibly excited, their expressions full of awe.

According to the initial auction announcements, the finale items were supposed to include a third-rank Puppet, a third-rank Water Spirit Pearl, and a mid-grade magical treasure. The addition of a Crystal Condensation Pill was completely unexpected.

Seeing their reactions, Lan Chang'an gained an even deeper appreciation for how scarce high-ranked pills were in this barren Fengyuan Kingdom.

Not to mention the Crystal Condensation Pill that increased the probability of forming a Core. It was practically unheard of in local auctions. Every time one appeared, it would spark a frenzy of competition and potentially even deadly conflict.

That's right!

That Crystal Condensation Pill that was featured in the finale actually came from Lan Chang'an.

Through his puppet clone, disguised as a mysterious individual, Lan Chang'an had consigned the pill to the auction.

His goal wasn’t just to liquidate assets but to prioritize trading for third-rank Life Extension Pills or Thousand Mechanisms Sect puppet inheritances.

As for whether the auction of this pill would trigger chaos or bloodshed in this barren desert had little to do with Old Lan.

(End of chapter)