I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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In the third-rank spiritual vein district of Wangyue Immortal City.

Lan Chang'an’s chosen cave dwelling was roughly twenty li away from the location where Zhu Yuting was forming her Core.

The cave-dwelling came equipped with a third-rank formation, offering a degree of defense against spiritual sense detection.

Within the cave, Lan Chang'an had installed the quasi-fourth-rank illusion formation that Fairy Shi had modified and repaired.

Originally a true fourth-rank formation acquired from Master Lihuo, after being repaired by Fairy Shi it now rivaled fourth-rank arrays in its ability to defend against spiritual sense probes, even those at the early Nascent Soul Realm.

Lan Chang'an sat cross-legged, calming his breath and replenishing his energy.

Half a day later.

His vitality reached its peak. His eyes shone brilliantly as he began activating the "Returning Dust Core Transformation Method".

Within him, his mid-tier True Dan trembled with a low hum, emitting the overwhelming spiritual pressure of a high-rank cultivator.

Fortunately, the formation concealed this pressure, ensuring that the aura released during the Core Reformation process would not leak out.

With the experience of two prior Core Reformations, Lan Chang'an’s technique had become far more refined.

As the secret Core Dissolution Technique circulated, the immense spiritual pressure within his body gradually began to subside.

The True Dan trembled faintly from within, vibrating incessantly and swelling slightly. It formed an oppressive force field, causing the core energy to leak out.

The force of the backlash was like a horrifying wave, surging upwards in waves, washing over the five viscera and six bowels.

“Argh!”

Lan Chang'an let out a muffled groan as a sharp pain appeared between his brows. The early phase of the Core Reformation was proving to be unexpectedly challenging.

Transforming a mid-tier True Dan was an entirely different level of difficulty.

Crack! Crack!

The "Hundred-Refinement Vajra Art" activated, causing his bones to emit crisp, crackling sounds. His muscles swelled, and his physique became taller and more robust. A fine layer of golden, intricate patterns appeared across his skin.

At first glance, he resembled a heavy, gilded bronze statue.

The pressure from the Core Reformation eased considerably.

Lan Chang'an then consumed the specially-prepared elixir that corroded and loosened the True Dan, aiding in its dissolution.

The spiritual pressure within his body continued to decline.

The vibrations of his True Dan became more rapid, radiating an increasingly unstable aura. The backlash intensified, doubling in force compared to the initial stages.

The dark cyan surface of the True Dan began shedding tiny crystalline particles, each the size of sand grains.

Boom!

The shed particles dissolved into liquid mana under the reduced spiritual pressure, releasing an enormous surge of wood-element spiritual energy and life essence stored within his body.

The high-frequency vibrations of the True Dan caused it to resemble an over-inflated balloon, growing increasingly unstable as it expanded.

A faint sense of danger filled Lan Chang'an’s senses. Even with his powerful physical body, micro-level internal injuries had begun appearing deep within his body.

"Merge!"

His eyes gleamed with divine light, and with a movement of his mind, the soul imprint of the white-bearded elder from the second life of the Nine Seal Stele separated and fused with his present body.

In an instant, his spiritual soul grew to an unprecedented level, faintly surpassing the limits of the Core Formation stage and brushing against the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm.

After all, he had yet to completely dissolve his True Dan. At this moment, the combined power of his two lifetimes’ worth of Core Formation-stage soul strength had merged into one.

At this peak state, Lan Chang'an’s spiritual will reached an unparalleled level!

Every detail of the Core Reformation process fell under his absolute control.

He could perceive and manipulate even the most minute fluctuations in his mana, blood energy, and even the subtle vibrations of his hair with precision.

The turbulent and expanding True Dan, seemingly subdued by his overwhelming spiritual power, finally stabilized and began rotating in a relatively balanced state.

"No major issues. At least I won’t die from this," Lan Chang'an muttered with relief.

The accumulated experience from his two previous Core Reformations was proving invaluable.

Otherwise, even with his third-rank body refinement and the aid of his second life's soul shadow, he would have found the process unfamiliar and risky.

As long as the True Dan didn’t explode instantly, his survival was assured.

He immediately sacrificed some of his lifespan, activating the Evergreen secret spell to repair the deep internal injuries within his body.

The damage to his internal organs and the blood seepage began healing at a visible speed, as though a miracle had occurred.

This regenerative technique was indeed astonishing.

However, its reliance on lifespan consumption to fuel its effects was relatively balanced within the cultivation world and not considered overly heaven-defying.

After all, lifespan was the lifeline of every cultivator.

Many powerful secret techniques and divine abilities in the cultivation world relied on the consumption of lifespan as their foundation.

...

Seven days later.

The spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Lan Chang'an’s body had shifted, returning from the early Core Formation stage to the peak late stage Foundation Establishment.

“Three Turn Core Reformation... success!”

Soaked in sweat, Lan Chang'an let out a long breath of relief, a faint smile of satisfaction gracing his face.

He had overcome the most difficult hurdle.

This third Core Reformation was not yet his absolute limit, but he wasn’t interested in pushing himself to that extreme.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Besides, with each subsequent Core Reformation, the increase in power diminished.

The mana of the Foundation Establishment Stage, no matter how refined or concentrated, had its limits.

“The refined liquid mana boosted my power by another ten percent compared to before!”

Lan Chang'an circulated his mana, evaporating the sweat from his soaked clothes.

He then consumed a portion of his lifespan to fully repair the lingering effects of the Core Reformation backlash, leaving his body flawless and unscathed.

This third Core Reformation consumed an entire year of his lifespan, significantly more than the previous two attempts.

Afterward, Lan Chang'an took medicinal pills to restore his vitality and replenish his essence, carefully adjusting his physical state.

Ten days later.

His condition was restored to its peak, and he prepared to attempt his final Core Formation.

Just then, he felt a sudden change in the surrounding energy and opened his eyes to gaze in a certain direction.

Above a cave-dwelling twenty li away...

A massive cloud of spiritual energy began forming, swirling and condensing as it absorbed the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy, spreading across an area roughly two and a half li in diameter.

“Another True Dan cultivator is about to emerge in Wangyue Immortal City,” Lan Chang'an murmured.

In the city, numerous cultivators watched the spectacle from afar, their expressions ranging from admiration to envy.

Half a day later.

The phenomenon above Zhu Yuting’s cave dwelling gradually dissipated, and the spiritual energy that had gathered like tidal waves returned to the surroundings.

“She’s formed her True Dan!”

Outside the cave, Granny Yan, who had been guarding the area, let out a deep sigh of relief. Her aged and wrinkled face revealed a gratified smile.

“Pity, if her fortune had been slightly better, she might have formed a mid-tier True Dan,” Granny Yan muttered, a trace of regret flickering across her mind.

She had already forgotten that when they first arrived in Wangyue Immortal City, the only goal she and Zhu Yuting had dared to hope for was the formation of any kind of True Dan.

With her Core successfully formed, their return to Heng Kingdom would allow them to resolve all sorts of troublesome matters with ease.

“Granny, I’ve successfully formed my True Dan. Please don’t worry,” Zhu Yuting’s clear and melodious voice rang out from within her cave-dwelling, carrying a note of joy.

“Yuting, don’t rush! Stabilize your realm first,” Granny Yan replied, her tone warm and encouraging.

“Forming a True Dan is already a great blessing,” she murmured softly to herself, her expression kind and gentle.

The slight regret she felt stemmed from her lingering hope that Zhu Yuting might one day reach the Nascent Soul Realm, though she knew this was an extravagant wish.

Hm?

Suddenly, Granny Yan’s gaze shifted sharply as she sensed another disturbance in the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth.

“Is someone else forming a Core?”

The thought crossed her mind, and she couldn’t help but make a guess.

Just a few days ago, Zhu Yuting and Lan Chang'an had both collected their Core Formation tokens from the city’s officials.

“That boy waited until Yuting had finished forming her Core before starting his own attempt. At least he’s thoughtful. Perhaps he can share in Yuting’s good fortune,” Granny Yan thought approvingly.

Forming cores simultaneously, while possible in areas with abundant spiritual energy, could lead to minor disturbances for both parties due to the competition for heaven and earth spiritual energy and the comparison between the two processes.

...

Above Lan Chang'an’s cave dwelling, a new Core Formation phenomenon began to emerge.

Unlike Zhu Yuting’s, his phenomenon was calm and powerful, steadily rising in strength with no signs of faltering.

In just three days, the spiritual energy cloud above his cave grew to two to three li in diameter, swirling with vitality.

“That fast?”

Granny Yan stepped out of Zhu Yuting’s cave, staring toward the distant phenomenon twenty li away. Her aged eyes widened in astonishment.

“Such a Core Formation phenomenon could it be a mid-tier True Dan?”

Lan Chang'an’s process was astonishingly stable and quick.

In three days, his progress had surpassed Zhu Yuting’s ten-day effort.

The speed of Core Formation varied greatly among cultivators.

Some moved quickly, like a sharp sword cutting through all obstacles. Others advanced slowly but with a steady momentum, gaining strength over time.

Granny Yan knew better than to jump to conclusions based on speed alone.

“As long as it stabilizes, there’s no doubt he’ll form a mid-tier True Dan,” she thought.

“After all, he’s a talented disciple from a Nascent Soul-level sect. It’s only natural that his foundation is deeper than Yuting’s.”

This realization calmed her heart, and she accepted the gap between the two cultivators.

Meanwhile, within her cave, Zhu Yuting had also noticed the increasingly powerful phenomenon above Lan Chang'an’s cave.

“That Core Formation phenomenon, it’s already surpassed mine in just three days”

The joy and pride she had felt after successfully forming her own Core dissipated instantly.

A higher-quality core signified a greater chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm in the future.

An unspoken bitterness, envy, and sense of inadequacy began to take root in Zhu Yuting’s heart.

She had never been fond of “Nie Yuan”. Now, knowing that his Core Formation had surpassed her own, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of discomfort.

As time passed, the Core Formation phenomenon above Lan Chang'an’s cave continued to intensify.

Two days later.

The spiritual energy cloud in the sky had expanded to three and a half li then close to four li in diameter.

“Is he trying to form an upper-tier True Dan?”

Within her cave, Zhu Yuting’s heart was gripped with tension. Her clear eyes glimmered with a mix of astonishment and doubt.

An upper-tier True Dan, it was an achievement she hadn’t even dared to dream of before reaching the Core Formation stage.

“Even in a Nascent Soul-level sect, only core disciples have the opportunity to form an upper-tier True Dan,” Granny Yan muttered, unable to hide the shock on her face.

Nie Yuan’s accomplishments had completely exceeded her expectations.

High in the sky above Wangyue Immortal City, the massive cloud of spiritual energy exceeded four li in diameter, swirling with incredible force.

“Such a phenomenon has stabilized. He’s forming an upper-tier True Dan.”

The scene captivated countless cultivators across Wangyue Immortal City.

While Core Formation was not uncommon in the city, the formation of an upper-tier True Dan was a rare and extraordinary event.

...

In a remote cave dwelling within the Third-rank Spiritual Vein District

Lan Chang'an had already consumed a Crystal Condensation Pill, followed by the superior Core Formation item Tianjing Water, and had refined and absorbed the earth essence from the Five Element Earth.

In addition, he had utilized two ordinary Core Formation items, though their effects were negligible compared to the first two.

The portion of Five Element Earth he used was harvested from the soil near the Xuanmu Vine he cultivated.

“The Earth Burrowing Rat used Five Element Earth as its Core Formation item, its effect were much better than mine...”

Lan Chang'an was aware that, in terms of external resources for Core Formation, he was slightly inferior to the Earth Burrowing Rat.

He also acknowledged that his innate talent, based on spiritual root quality, was no match for the Earth Burrowing Rat.

The Earth Burrowing Rat was a superior-grade mutated bloodline, equivalent to a human with a high-grade spiritual root.

However, Lan Chang'an’s foundation in the Evergreen Technique, combined with three successful Core Reformations, had granted him a base power comparable to an earth spiritual root—if not even stronger.

Coupled with the techniques and experience inherited from his previous life, Lan Chang'an’s overall conditions for Core Formation were superior to the Earth Burrowing Rat’s back then.

Hum!

A perfectly rounded cyan-colored core began to take shape inside Lan Chang'an’s body, gathering an immense amount of heaven and earth spiritual energy.

Even in this emergent stage, the energy radiating from the embryonic core already exceeded the mid-tier True Dan he had formed in his previous life.

“Upper-tier True Dan phenomenon, I have already surpassed my previous life...”

Excitement surged in Lan Chang'an’s heart, but he wasn’t satisfied yet.

The spiritual pressure around him grew increasingly intense as he absorbed more and more spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, converting it into pure wood-element spiritual energy.

The torrent of energy continued to cleanse and temper his body and mind.

Without an unshakable will and a solid mana foundation, it would have been impossible to control the chaotic and violent heaven and earth spiritual energy during this transformation.

Whoosh!

The spiritual energy cloud surrounding his cave dwelling expanded, rotating with increasing speed and faintly trembling as it relentlessly grew larger.

At a certain point, the phenomenon reached a radius of five li, nearly ten li in diameter!

The sheer scale of the phenomenon left the nearby cultivators breathless and on edge, as if the sky itself were about to collapse.

“This this phenomenon could it be...”

“An Immortal Golden Dan?”

The minds of those watching, including Granny Yan and Zhu Yuting, were struck by waves of shock.

Zhu Yuting stared blankly for a moment, her pink lips trembling slightly as she fell into a daze, momentarily forgetting her efforts to stabilize her cultivation.

...

In the Fourth-Rank Spiritual Vein District of Wangyue Immortal City.

An elegant and ancient pavilion stood amidst a lotus pond adorned with tricolor petals. Spiritual fish swam freely, and the fragrance of lotus flowers filled the air.

On the pavilion’s terrace, a refined scholar in green robes and headwear was playing chess with a red-faced, barefooted old monster with a prominent nose.

Two Foundation Establishment maidservants, dressed in white skirts, knelt on either side of the chessboard, serving tea and water.

The game was nearing its end. The green-robed scholar, calm and composed, steadily pressed his advantage, cornering the black pieces of the barefooted old monster.

“Humph! That little brat forming their core disrupted my concentration. Otherwise, how could you turn the tide against me!”

The red-faced old monster snorted in frustration, steam puffing out of his nostrils and causing the two maidservants to tremble in fear, their faces pale.

“Hehe, chess mirrors the heart. To think that an unconfirmed Golden Dan could shake your focus—how laughable for a Nascent Soul old monster with centuries of cultivation,” the green-robed scholar teased mercilessly as he saw victory within his grasp.

“It’s just an Immortal Golden Dan! I was only curious about the identity of the one forming it, yet that brat’s formation blocked my spiritual sense. How infuriating!” the barefooted old monster grumbled, clearly annoyed.

“‘Just an Immortal Golden Dan,’ you say? If I recall correctly, Old Xu, didn’t you form only a Half-Step Golden Dan back then?” the green-robed scholar remarked with a faint smile.

“What of it?”

The barefooted old monster retorted proudly.

“Plenty of Golden Dan cultivators never make it to the Nascent Soul Realm. The final Heart Demon Tribulation during the Nascent Soul breakthrough disregards one’s aptitude, mana, or even the quality of their core...”

Forming a Golden Dan was no guarantee of advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm. It only offered a greater hope than ordinary Core Formation cultivators.

Success still depended on one’s perseverance, fortune, and state of mind.

Whoosh!

A transmission talisman flew into the pavilion and landed in the hand of the green-robed scholar.

“Nie Yuan, an elite cultivator fleeing from the Flame Departing Palace... interesting!”

The scholar’s eyes flickered with amusement as he read the message, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

“As long as they’re not from the Six Demonic Sects, it’s fine. Another addition to the Righteous Dao Alliance’s foundation is welcome.”

As the manager of Wangyue Immortal City, the scholar hoped to prevent the expansion of the demonic factions, which threatened to engulf the surrounding cultivation nations.

The Six Demonic Sects were tyrannical and unreasonable. If they conquered the Righteous Dao Alliance, Wangyue Immortal City’s neutral status would not be spared.

“Flame Departing Palace? Speaking of which, that old Master Lihuo still owes me a favor” the barefooted old monster mused, his expression distant as he reminisced.

...

Another day passed.

The spiritual energy cloud above Lan Chang'an’s cave dwelling stabilized at a radius of five li, lingering for an extended period.

Until a certain moment,

The center of the spiritual energy vortex twisted to the extreme, and a translucent five-colored divine light descended. It carried an ethereal resonance, as if imbued with the essence of the Great Dao itself.

“An Immortal Golden Dan, the rhythm of the Great Dao.”

An unknown cultivator murmured in awe, their mind resonating with the celestial phenomenon.

The five-colored divine light radiated brilliant golden hues, resembling the dawn breaking over the horizon. It seemed to bypass the boundaries of material space, descending directly into Lan Chang'an’s cave dwelling.

Moments later, the massive spiritual energy cloud in the sky collapsed like a receding tide.

Inside the cave.

Lan Chang'an held his breath, focusing his spiritual sense inward.

A perfectly round cyan-colored Golden Dan, adorned with golden crystalline patterns, appeared within his dantian.

Every golden vein on the surface of the core resembled natural carvings of the Great Dao itself, exuding a profound and mystical aura.

“So this is the Golden Dan Dao Fruit?”

Lan Chang'an inspected the core for a moment, sensing that something was slightly off.

The Evergreen Golden Dan in his dantian wasn’t a perfect sphere—it was subtly oval-shaped, radiating an intoxicating fragrance that was both dreamlike and surreal.

As he stared at it, Lan Chang'an found himself unconsciously salivating, overcome with a bizarre urge to take a bite out of it.