I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Within the thunder formation.

The White Jade Python's body spasmed and hissed in pain, large scorch marks appearing on its freshly frostbitten body.

Chain after chain of crackling lightning wrapped around the enormous python.

Zhao Siyao took the opportunity to counterattack, transforming her Iron Trellis Umbrella into a spear and stabbing a bloody hole in the python's head.

Thud! Thud!

The Earth Burrowing Rat unleashed its innate spell, the summoned earthspikes pierced its abdomen, one after another, each two zhang high.

The White Jade Python struggled for a long time encaged inside the thunder formation, its body turning black and charred, covered in numerous wounds, and its breath growing shallower and shallower.

Lan Chang'an stood behind the heavy-armored puppet.

Aiming the White Bone Bow at the White Jade Python, he was concerned that the bone arrows' poison might affect the quality of the demon core, so he settled for a few first-rank premium talismans instead.

After a brief battle, the power of the talisman formation was exhausted. At last, the White Jade Python ceased to move, its burnt carcass shrinking into itself.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lan, for slaying this python and achieving your goal," Zhao Siyao smiled sweetly as she looked towards the charred corpse of the White Jade Python, ready to put away her Iron Trellis Umbrella.

Lan Chang'an raised his hand, signaling her to hold her ground.

The moment he struck down the White Jade Python, his heart had pounded wildly, and a chill ran down his spine—as if something was watching him.

The feeling lasted only an instant, it seemed like an illusion born of excessive caution and suspicion.

Fortunately, neither Lan Chang'an nor Zhao Siyao, nor even the Earth Burrowing Rat, sustained any injuries in the battle against the White Jade Python, all were in good condition.

...

Lan Chang'an looked at the python's corpse and cast a few wind blades and fireballs, which landed right on the wounds of the python's corpse.

Hiss! Roar!

The python's corpse suddenly straightened, towering three stories high, whipping up a tempest of sand and wind.

Its icy eyes fixed on Lan Chang'an, the python opened its bloody maw and spat out a twisted blood arrow.

"Watch out!" Zhao Siyao shouted, but it was too late to intervene.

The speed of the blood arrow was such that even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would find it hard to dodge, with a lethality nearing the mid-Foundation Establishment Realm.

Thud! Boom!

The twisted blood arrow pierced through the heavy-armored puppet in front of Lan Chang'an.

The tall and sturdy puppet's exterior rapidly decomposed, rotting away in an instant. It was hard to imagine what would happen if it hit flesh and blood.

After passing through the heavy armor puppet, the blood arrow's force diminished, scattering remnants of its power in all directions

Lan Chang'an quickly retreated, holding a white pearl that emitted a layer of protective light around his body.

A few remnants of the blood arrow hit the protective light, producing a sizzling sound and emitting thick smoke.

Lan Chang'an also held a few second-rank defensive talismans.

Hmm?

The protective shield from the Exotic White Pearl was more effective than Lan Chang'an had expected, blocking all the remnants of the blood arrow.

It's worth noting that the remnants still had the lethality at the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

The Exotic White Pearl was not particularly effective against heavy and sharp weapons, nor physical attacks.

But it had strong resistance against spells, poisons, and similar forms of attacks.

After spewing out the blood arrow, the White Jade Python closed its cold eyes in resignation, and its massive body fell to the ground with a thud, creating a shallow pit.

...

This time, Lan Chang'an confirmed that the White Jade Python was truly dead.

He had the Earth Burrowing Rat scout and break open the python's corpse to retrieve the demon core inside.

"Wait!" There were sounds of the air being torn apart from outside the canyon as a pair of man and woman hurriedly arrived.

It was the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Qingzhu Sect they had met two months ago, Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, we have been searching for this White Jade Python's hiding place for months. Can you sell its corpse to us?" Chen Fuhai asked urgently.

Before Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue could draw near, Lan Chang'an swiftly scooped up the translucent white core, just in case.

*To hell with it, let's bag the prize first.*

Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue's faces darkened, their eyes fixed on Lan Chang'an.

"The corpse of the White Jade Python belongs to Fellow Daoist Lan. You two are a step too late." Zhao Siyao said coldly, shielding Lan Chang'an behind her with her Iron Trellis Umbrella held up high, her white dress fluttering in the wind.

Lan Chang'an's line of sight was blocked by Zhao's graceful figure and the Iron Trellis Umbrella. At such close proximity, a faint, elegant fragrance wafted over with the wind.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Lan Chang'an patted Zhao's fragrant shoulder and stepped forward.

The two stood side by side, facing the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Qingzhu Sect.

Squeak! Squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat, upon receiving its master's signal, bristled, its eyes glowing red, emanating a powerful demonic aura.

Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue looked at each other with grave expressions.

Judging by the demonic aura, the Earth Burrowing Rat seemed slightly stronger than an ordinary second-rank early demonic beast.

In that case, it was two against two.

However, this "two" did not include Lan Chang'an.

"If you want to buy the White Jade Python's corpse, you may take it at the market price." Lan Chang'an said generously.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, we won't speak in riddles, we wish to buy the White Jade Python's demon core from you." Xiao Yingxue said with a gentle smile, her voice soft and delicate, her demeanor demure.

"My son needs a Foundation Establishment Pill urgently, so I hope you will be a man of honor. We are willing to pay fifty percent above market price."

"May I ask how old your son is?" Lan Chang'an asked calmly, looking at the elegant female cultivator.

"Forty-eight," Xiao Yingxue replied. "He cannot wait any longer.".

Lan Chang'an responded, "I am sixty-seven. Can I delay a few more years?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yingxue was shocked, and she turned to Chen Fuhai, both of them looking at each other in dismay.

Generally speaking, the younger one was when attempting to reach Foundation Establishment, the better.

According to ancient records, the oldest cultivator who had ever reached Foundation Establishment was eighty-two years old.

But in the cultivation world of Liang, there hasn't been a single case of someone over seventy successfully ascending to Foundation Establishment in thousands of years.

Once above fifty, one missed their peak and the success rate would gradually decline with each passing year.

Looking at the young-faced elderly man, Xiao Yingxue hesitated to speak.

"If you are just seeking a Foundation Establishment Pill, we might be able to collaborate." Lan Chang'an suggested.

"You mean cooperate to refine the pill?" Chen Fuhai's eyes lit up.

Lan Chang'an nodded. "We could jointly gather the raw materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and with a reliable second-rank alchemist we can get two or three finished pills. However, since I have the key main ingredient, I will have priority in choosing a Foundation Establishment Pill."

Lan Chang'an had gathered all the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill. But as a loose cultivator it would be too conspicuous if he pulled out all the materials by himself.

Even without Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue, Lan Chang'an planned to find someone to collaborate with in refining the pills.

Having the key main ingredient, like the Young Master Zhou back then, ensured he could secure a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Fellow Daoist Lan is truly righteous!" Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue exchanged a brief conversation and smiled amicably.

"If this works out, my wife and I will owe you a debt of gratitude." Chen Fuhai said with hands cupped in respect, Xiao Yingxue also gracefully bowed.

The tense atmosphere eased immediately.

Zhao Siyao and Lan Chang'an exchanged smiles.

A life-and-death duel nearly broke out.

Through negotiation, the imminent conflict between the two parties was resolved, turning hostility into amity.

In the cultivation world, settling disputes and maintaining social graces could prevent many conflicts.

There were no eternal positions in the cultivation world; even enemies could become allies.

If one were to cling to the idea that all gods blocking their path would be killed, or that they would defy the heavens regardless of consequences, they would soon find themselves with enemies all around, making it impossible to pursue the path of longevity.

In his previous life, Lan Chang'an read in ancient texts about a mythical battle where a "True Immortal" descended, proclaiming invincibility, wantonly slaughtering beings of all races and plundering the resources of a realm.

The result? The True Immortal had attracted the ire of top-level Mahayana cultivators, Earth Immortals, and ancient True Spirits, who banded together to besiege and ultimately defeat them, leaving the True Immortal to lament their hubris as they perished.

...

Of course, Lan Chang'an's ability to turn enemies into friends and have the two Foundation Establishment cultivators owe him a favor also required both skill and cunning.

The display of the Earth Burrowing Rat's power was one factor.

But that alone wasn't enough!

A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator is much stronger than an early Foundation Establishment one.

Theoretically, Chen Fuhai could fight two early Foundation Establishment cultivators and still have a chance of winning.

Chen Fuhai and his wife didn't know that Lan Chang'an himself had Foundation Establishment level of strength and even had means to threaten a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lan Chang'an revealing his age of sixty-seven was another factor.

Such an advanced age for an ordinary Qi-Refining cultivator indicated a final desperate effort. It implied he would fight to the death if necessary.

Though confident of their chances, Chen Fuhai and Xiao Yingxue had no desire to take risks in the Black Fog Mountain Range.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, might I ask who your alchemist is?" Chen Fuhai asked amicably, "I happen to have a close friend who is a top superior-grade second-rank alchemist in the Qingzhu Sect, and he often produces three standard Foundation Establishment Pills per batch."

"Lan will seek out Alchemist Hua of Huanglong Immortal City. His attainments have touched the tip of second-rank." Lan Chang'an replied.

Lan Chang'an declined the offer to go to the Qingzhu Sect for pill-refining.

He had been keeping an eye on the alchemist of the Huanglong Immortal City, Alchemist Hua, for many years; the man's skill and character were satisfactory, so there was no need to look elsewhere, even if the alchemist of the Qingzhu Sect was more skilled.

"Alchemist Hua isn't bad," Xue Yingxue said with a smile. "I wonder what other ingredients Fellow Daoist Lan has collected."

The two began discussing the matter, and the atmosphere grew quite amiable.

Lan Chang'an only listed some of the abundant ingredients, especially those he had in excess. As it turned out, Chen Fuhai and his wife possessed all the ingredients he intentionally withheld.

Lan Chang'an surmised that these two Foundation Establishment cultivators had gathered all the remaining materials save for the Xuanling Fruit or a special demon core.

After they reached an agreement, the two parties happily set off on their return journey to Huanglong Immortal City.

In this part of the Black Fog Mountain Range, deep within the fog, they dared not fly too conspicuously and thus could only restrain their mana fluctuations as they glided along slowly at low altitude.