I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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A few hundred li away, a crimson blood cloud streaked through the sky, revealing the Blood Bat King with his massive blood-red wings stretched wide.

“Hm? Gone!”

The Blood Bat King’s flying light halted mid-air, his sharp senses detecting that Old Ancestor Heavenly Net’s escape light had abruptly vanished without a trace, several hundred li away.

A typical Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator could extend their spiritual sense to a radius of just over a hundred li. As someone at the peak of the early stage, the Blood Bat King could push his range to 150 li.

Raising his palm, the Blood Bat King drew a concentrated blood bead into his hand. The bead pulsated like a miniature heart, throbbing with life.

Using the blood-path secret technique to trace his target, he confirmed that Old Ancestor Heavenly Net hadn’t truly vanished but was hidden in a general area.

From the Blood Bat King’s experience, there were only two possibilities: either Heavenly Net had entered a separate dimension, like a small secret realm, or he was using concealment techniques, such as illusion arrays or stealth arts.

In this desolate wilderness, the odds of a secret realm existing were slim. Concealment methods were far more likely.

Slowing his speed, the Blood Bat King grew wary, his eyes coldly locked on the area where Old Ancestor Heavenly Net was hiding.

With his vast battle experience, he understood that this could very well be a trap. If Heavenly Net were desperate, he might stage an ambush in a do-or-die counterattack.

...

Inside the fourth rank Illusion Array.

“Immortal Xiang, please don’t joke around! If I had a Infant Transformation Pill, I’d have used it long ago to cultivate a new Nascent Soul cultivator. How could I still have it on me?”

Old Ancestor Heavenly Net let out a bitter laugh and denied.

He truly didn’t have a Infant Transformation Pill.

Even the well-established Golden Sun Sect had to pay a steep price and expend tremendous effort to obtain such a pill.

Let alone the Heavenly Net Sect, a sect with far less heritage that had been in decline for over a century.

Three hundred years ago, Old Ancestor Heavenly Net had managed to acquire a Infant Transformation Pill. Unfortunately, the nascent soul seed's attempt to break through with it had failed, leading to his death and the collapse of his Dao foundation.

“No Infant Transformation Pill? Then don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Lan Chang'an’s expression turned savage, his voice cold and domineering as he unleashed his quasi-fourth rank puppet and its puppet army into an aggressive assault.

Buzz!

The puppet army activated their combined puppet power, sketching out a violet-green array diagram in the air. A massive pillar of light shot toward Old Ancestor Heavenly Net with immense force.

“Immortal Xiang, stop! I may not have a Infant Transformation Pill, but I do have a Nascent Soul spirit item!”

Wielding the Wind Cloud Fan, Old Ancestor Heavenly Net conjured dense clouds of wind and mist. The undulating clouds absorbed and deflected the fierce attacks aimed at him.

“A Nascent Soul spirit item?”

Lan Chang'an wasn’t surprised. His earlier demand for a Infant Transformation Pill had been a calculated overreach. He had already guessed that Old Ancestor Heavenly Net likely didn’t have one.

“This bottle of Ziwu Clear Wind is a superior Nascent Soul spirit item. It can purify and cleanse both the body and one’s mana, providing a significant boost to one’s state during the critical moment of breakthrough. It slightly enhances the odds of breaking one’s core and forming a Nascent Soul.”

Old Ancestor Heavenly Net pulled out a transparent bottle about two feet tall. Within it swirled a translucent wind-like essence, its color resembling pale green bamboo leaves.

“If Immortal Xiang assists me fend off and repel the Blood Bat King, this bottle of Ziwu Clear Wind will be your reward,” Old Ancestor Heavenly Net offered.

“Haha! Just a mere Nascent Soul spirit item? And you expect me to risk my life for you and offend the Blood Spirit Sect? Do you think this seat lacks the means to obtain such a Nascent Soul spirit item?”

Lan Chang'an sneered in disdain, his tone dripping with mockery.

Outside the illusion array, the Blood Bat King’s aura grew closer, now within 100-200 li. He was cautiously advancing.

Dozens of blood-red bats flew ahead, probing the illusion array.

Even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn’t recklessly charge into a fourth rank illusion array, especially one guarded by an unknown Nascent Soul cultivator.

This brief window was Lan Chang'an’s chance to extort Old Ancestor Heavenly Net.

“Immortal Xiang, let's be forgiving!”

Old Ancestor Heavenly Net also sensed the Blood Bat King’s blood-path aura approaching, his heart growing increasingly tense.

Facing only the Blood Bat King, he still had some hope. He could maneuver and hold out for days.

The main strength of blood-path True Monarchs like the Blood Bat King lay in prolonged battles and attrition. Killing someone like him in a short time wasn’t easy. With certain Nascent Soul secret techniques, he could find a way to survive.

But if Lan Chang'an continued to entangle him here, his chances of survival would plummet to nearly zero.

“After this is over, I’ll compensate you with the main ingredient for the Infant Transformation Pill—Tianying Fruit!”

Old Ancestor Heavenly Net’s expression twisted with pain, as though he had made a monumental decision.

Lan Chang'an’s heart stirred. The Tianying Fruit was the most difficult-to-obtain primary ingredient for crafting a Infant Transformation Pill, ranking as one of the top three essential materials.

The Tianying Fruit required extremely harsh growing conditions. It needed to be cultivated on a fourth rank spiritual vein and had to be at least a thousand years old.

Even if weaker factions managed to obtain immature Tianying Fruit, they wouldn’t have the resources to cultivate it to full maturity.

“Enough talk! Hand over the Ziwu Clear Wind and the Tianying Fruit, and I’ll let you live!”

The burly middle-aged man grinned maliciously, his tone threatening.

“The Tianying Fruit isn’t on me. It’s hidden in a concealed location. Even if I had it with me, I couldn’t possibly entrust it to you unconditionally,” Old Ancestor Heavenly Net retorted.

“But I can give you the Ziwu Clear Wind as a deposit to show my sincerity. The Tianying Fruit will be delivered after this ordeal is over.”

His voice, transmitted through spiritual sense, was anxious yet firm, clearly compromising.

Thud! Thud!

At that moment, a few blood-colored bats penetrated the illusion array, only to be swiftly slain by the two cultivators.

“Fine! I’ll agree to your terms.”

Lan Chang'an knew when to stop. Time was tight; otherwise, he could have squeezed out more benefits.

The core Nascent Soul formation resources were not carried by Master Lihuo back then but were arranged separately and entrusted to Elder Wang. At that time, Lan Chang'an was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

As for Heavenly Net Ancestor, ever since the sect’s relocation, he had never put all his eggs in one basket.

“Here, take it!”

Old Ancestor Heavenly Net wasted no time, throwing over the bottle of Ziwu Clear Wind.

Sweeping it with his spiritual sense, Lan Chang'an quickly stashed it away, joy flashing across his face.

Just this single Nascent Soul spirit item was priceless in the Eastern Region of Great Qing, unavailable through normal channels.

In his previous life, he had fought tooth and nail for a lower-quality spirit item in ruins and ancient caves.

Outside, waves of blood-colored bats and torrents of blood surged into the fourth rank illusion array.

The once serene desert illusion was transformed into a crimson swamp.

Lan Chang'an, coordinating with his Earth Burrowing Rat, rapidly retracted the fourth rank illusion array and his puppet army.

In an instant, the surrounding blood cloud, accompanied by the swarming bats, surged forward like a tidal wave.

“Xiang Jinglong! What is the meaning of this? You dare go back on your word—”

Old Ancestor Heavenly Net roared in anger, waving his Wind Cloud Fan to sweep away the blood-water and the blood bats closing in.

“Xiang Jinglong is a rogue cultivator by nature. That was just a toll fee.”

With the array gone, Lan Chang'an leaped onto the shoulder of his quasi-fourth rank puppet and immediately fled the scene.

He had never intended to join forces with Old Ancestor Heavenly Net against the Blood Bat King.

Having obtained the spirit treasure for free, why risk his life?

The Blood Bat King’s techniques were primarily aimed at Old Ancestor Heavenly Net, Lan Chang'an was under much less pressure. Using his quasi-fourth rank puppet and his late-stage Core Formation-level mana, he smashed through the surrounding blood bats and safely escaped the blood-filled region.

Though Old Ancestor Heavenly Net cursed him, he had already prepared himself mentally for such a betrayal.

Once again, he spat out blood essence and true fire, infusing them into his Wind Cloud Fan. The skies churned, and violent winds howled as he transformed into a gust of cloud and mist, fleeing at high speed.

“Heavenly Net, let’s see how much more blood essence you can burn!”

The Blood Bat King locked onto Old Ancestor Heavenly Net, sparing only a glance at the fleeing Lan Chang'an.

The man’s strength was nearly at the Nascent Soul stage. The Blood Bat King wasn’t interested in creating unnecessary complications.

Xiang Jinglong?

The Blood Bat King memorized the name but chose to focus on chasing Old Ancestor Heavenly Net.

...

As Lan Chang'an flew several hundred li away, standing atop the shoulder of his green-armored puppet, his hand discreetly grasped a Barbed Arrow concealed within his sleeve.

If Old Ancestor Heavenly Net had attempted to stick with him and drag him into the conflict, Lan Chang'an would have cooperated with the Blood Bat King to pincer Heavenly Net from both sides, ensuring the latter would at least be gravely injured.

However, Old Ancestor Heavenly Net, wary of Lan Chang'an’s unpredictable nature, avoided such a move. Perhaps he feared that the Blood Bat King might persuade Lan Chang'an to work together and eliminate him instead.

Likewise, Lan Chang'an had no desire for Old Ancestor Heavenly Net to die too quickly, fearing that the Blood Bat King would shift his target and set his sights on himself.

Even if he joined forces with Old Ancestor Heavenly Net, they would only barely manage to contend with the Blood Bat King, but outright killing him was nearly impossible.

Blood-path cultivators like the Blood Bat King had extraordinary regenerative abilities and strong defensive measures.

Moreover, in a chaotic battle involving multiple Nascent Soul experts, trust was nonexistent, and schemes would abound.

Lan Chang'an was well aware of the potential presence of hidden threats, such as demonic cultivators from factions like the Unseen Gate, lying in wait like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Having the insight of a Nascent Soul expert, Lan Chang'an understood the risks of challenging someone a cultivation realm above him. Nascent Soul old monsters often possessed myriad hidden techniques and self-destructive retaliation methods, nearly impossible to guard against.

Even though the Blood Bat King appeared to crush Heavenly Net, a single moment of carelessness could lead to unexpected defeat.

Thus, Lan Chang'an ultimately chose the most prudent option: take what he could and retreat cleanly.

After all, getting something for nothing was already a win.

Flying several thousand li more, Lan Chang'an carefully inspected the Ziwu Clear Wind he had obtained from Old Ancestor Heavenly Net.

Finding no traces of tampering, he sighed in relief.

Next, he used the spiritual sense fused with the fourth life to scan his entire body.

Still, nothing unusual.

However, when he turned his attention to the green-armored puppet beneath him, his expression darkened.

Zzzzt—

Summoning a burst of Evergreen Truefire, he incinerated a faint crimson wisp hidden within the puppet’s core. The wisp took the shape of a blood bat sigil before dispersing into the air.

It should have been a trick quietly cast by the Blood Spirit Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarch during the earlier clash with the blood bats.

“This old shady bastard! He must’ve had his eye on my quasi-fourth rank puppet,” Lan Chang'an muttered grimly, cursing under his breath.

Fortunately, he had never truly intended to cooperate with either Nascent Soul expert.

In the grand scheme of things, as someone still at the Core Formation stage, he was ultimately the weaker party in any dealings with Nascent Soul cultivators.

After confirming that there were no other hidden threats, Lan Chang'an stowed away the green-armored puppet. He then activated a disguise, altering his appearance and aura to blend in better, and quietly made his way toward the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

While the puppet was a formidable asset, its costs were equally daunting. In an actual battle, the resources consumed by a single fight could easily exceed 10,000 to 20,000 spirit stones in crafting materials for replacement puppet cores.

...

Two days later.

Lan Chang'an gradually approached the border of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, drawing nearer to the spatial node of Tinghai Pavilion. At this point the disguised young cultivator Lan Chang'an slowed his advance.

In the desolate area near the Seven Kingdoms Alliance’s frontier, he spotted Blood Spirit Sect cultivators patrolling the region.

The border was only about 7,000 to 8,000 li away now.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four or five streaks of crimson light zipped through the mountainous terrain, led by a late-stage Core Formation cultivator of the Blood Spirit Sect.

“Don’t let him escape!”

“Killing the Heavenly Net Sect Master is a major merit!”

The five Blood Spirit Sect cultivators were chasing a middle-aged scholar in a robe the color of red clouds. The scholar, who had a late-stage Core Formation cultivation base, was clearly severely injured. His face was pale, and his aura was weak.

“Heavenly Net Sect Master, Wei Qing,” Lan Chang'an murmured, hiding under the cliffside and suppressing his presence. He immediately recognized the identity of the hunted man.

Although they had never met, Lan Chang'an knew about Wei Qing.

Wei Qing was originally a genius with earth spiritual root, but in pursuit of his Dao, he had married into the Xie Family.

The Heavenly Net Sect, in its early years, was not dominated by the Xie Family alone. But by Wei Qing’s generation, non-Xie disciples found it almost impossible to gain access to resources needed for higher-tier advancement.

Through gaining the Xie Family’s trust, Wei Qing steadily increased his cultivation and eventually became the sect master of Heavenly Net Sect.

However, his authority was limited. Old Ancestor Heavenly Net was overly controlling, and the sect was riddled with nepotism among the Xie Family’s direct lineage. Wei Qing’s position as sect master was more symbolic than practical, far less powerful than a true leader like Zhang Tianfeng of Jin Yun Valley.

“This man, as a Core Formation Great Cultivator of the Heavenly Net Sect and nominal sect master, is likely to be carrying significant resources. Even if he lacks a Nascent Soul opportunity, he surely knows plenty of secrets…”

Lan Chang'an contemplated.

Still, two days had passed, and he had no idea about the whereabouts of the Blood Bat King or the outcome of the pursuit of Old Ancestor Heavenly Net.

Making a move now was risky. He might end up surrounded by the Blood Spirit Sect.

Unbeknownst to Lan Chang'an, among the five Core Formation cultivators chasing Wei Qing, the blood-armored youth at the rear suddenly displayed a fleeting look of struggle in his eyes.

The moment of hesitation disappeared, replaced by faint cloud-like patterns and traces of phantom lightning.

“Fortune is on my side! Even with less than a 30% chance of success, I made it through,” thought Old Ancestor Heavenly Net, now secretly possessing the blood-armored youth. He let out a subtle sigh of relief.

Unable to shake off the Blood Bat King, Heavenly Net didn’t dare to possess his descendants, as doing so would allow the Blood Bat King’s blood-path secret techniques to lock onto him.

In a desperate gamble, Heavenly Net pulled away from the Blood Bat King by a short distance and used his Nascent Soul Out-of-Body Technique.

In the barren wilderness, where spiritual energy was scarce, finding a suitable body to possess was nearly impossible, leaving little chance of turning the tables.

Using a forbidden soul art, Heavenly Net burned part of his true body and permanently weakened his Nascent Soul by 10%. This allowed him to split off a false Nascent Soul aura.

The false aura flew toward the Righteous Dao Alliance’s direction, while his real Nascent Soul fled in another direction.

The real Nascent Soul could only fly for half an hour before falling into a weakened state, forcing him to possess a body. This method halved the success rate of possession.

If the Blood Bat King tracked his real Nascent Soul, Heavenly Net would have no chance of survival. The plan would be exposed, and his location inevitably locked down.

Luckily, the gamble paid off.

After escaping, he barely managed to possess an isolated Blood Spirit Sect Core Formation cultivator.

Due to his weakened Nascent Soul, the possession was almost a failure, and it also used up the last of his possession chances.

...

Under the cliffside, Lan Chang'an performed a divination. His expression darkened as he abandoned the idea of acting.

For some reason, as he drew closer to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, the results of his divination had changed.

What was once uncertain had now shifted to a minor calamity.

Deciding not to risk it, Lan Chang'an suppressed his greed and carefully navigated the remaining stretch of his journey.

Using his Nascent Soul-level spiritual sense, he avoided the Blood Spirit Sect’s detection techniques and secret arts along the way.

Finally, Lan Chang'an stepped into the territory of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance without any incidents.

In the last thousand li, however, he faintly sensed the violent aura of the Blood Spirit Sect’s Nascent Soul elder that was ferociously returning from the east.

He didn’t know what had happened but felt grateful he hadn’t acted against Wei Qing. If he’d been caught between Blood Spirit Sect cultivators coming from all sides, it would have spelled disaster.

This was Lan Chang'an’s second time in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

Flying for thousands of li, he began to see signs of local cultivators.

Lan Chang'an had assumed that entering the Seven Kingdoms Alliance would change the minor calamity indicated by his divination.

However, the result remained the same—if anything, it became more defined.

Lan Chang’an calmed his mind and sank his Qi into his Core.

Within his dantian, his Immortal Golden Dan, shaped like a small fruit, trembled faintly.

A sudden premonition surged through him. He sensed an unseen opportunity and a looming calamity ahead.

“…It’s coming!”

Following the guidance of his Evergreen Dao Fruit, Lan Chang'an’s heart skipped a beat as he looked southwest toward the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

There, a presence sharing the same source as his Dao interacted with him on a profound, inexplicable level.

It wasn’t far from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance!

This was the first time Lan Chang'an had sensed the Central Region's Evergreen Technique's movements.

What surprised him was how silently this presence had made its way to the Eastern Region of Great Qing, undetected until just now—truly cunning.

(End of chapter)