I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 276: Wrongly Accusing a Good Man

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Jin Yun Valley, Yunlai Peak.

After sending Xie Wuji away, Lan Changʼan shifted his focus back to the Xuanmu Vine Gourd.

After all, he had invested 144 years of his lifespan into it.

Through two months of observation, Lan Changʼan noticed that the vine’s natural recovery of greenness had more than doubled! Even without sacrificing more of his lifespan, by merely nourishing and cultivating it daily with the Evergreen Technique, the vine could fully recover its greenness within a thousand years.

This estimate was based on his current early-stage Core Formation cultivation.

As he advanced to the mid or late stages of the Core Formation, the natural recovery rate would improve significantly.

If he ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm, the recovery time could be drastically shortened.

If he wasn’t willing to sacrifice more lifespan, relying solely on time, perhaps just a few hundred years would suffice.

In addition, Lan Changʼan confirmed a certain phenomenon:
After his last sacrifice of 100 years of lifespan, the embryonic gourd on the vine further decayed, turning black with increasingly potent death energy.

This reminded Lan Changʼan of a vague legend recorded in the Xuantian Mysteries:

Whether it was the Lesser Xuantian or the Great Xuantian, after the creation of a realm, it was said to produce a singular, unique treasure of unparalleled value.

If one such Xuantian Treasure already existed or was in the process of growing, then even if other regions had nurturing vessels, they would be unable to produce another identical treasure.

With that thought, Lan Changʼan summoned the Profound Water Turtle and assigned it a task.

“This withered embryonic gourd fruit—whenever it falls, report to me immediately.”

Hearing its master’s order, the Profound Water Turtle blinked its watery green eyes. Its simple and honest demeanor remained unchanged as it stretched out its large head and nodded repeatedly.

Lan Changʼan sighed. Since the Profound Water Turtle had grown larger, it wasn’t as cute as it used to be when it was younger.

This turtle preferred stillness over movement, but it remained reliable and obedient.

...

With the Xuanmu Vine Gourd taking root, Lan Changʼan settled into a stable routine of cultivation at Jin Yun Valley.

The materials needed for crafting third-rank talismans were not overly abundant, so his task of crafting talismans was relatively light.

As an honorary elder, his other duties mainly involved managing secondary logistical resources and occasionally offering guidance to the sect’s talisman makers.

Now that he was in the early stage of the Core Formation, Lan Changʼan only needed to cultivate for one or two hours each day. Any time spent beyond that would not yield further progress in his cultivation.

The time limitations of the Evergreen Technique still applied even after forming a Golden Dan.

Nevertheless, Lan Changʼan’s cultivation speed during the early stage with the Golden Dan wasn’t considered slow.

“At my current pace, I estimate that it will take about one full cycle of sixty years to reach the peak of the early Core Formation stage.”

This was the timeframe Lan Changʼan calculated after stabilizing his cultivation.

Among Core Formation cultivators, this speed was considered normal—not particularly fast, but not slow either.

It was similar to how things had been in his previous life.

In his past life, he possessed high-grade spiritual roots and had formed a mid-tier True Dan.

Having experienced the steady progression through the Qi-Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, Lan Changʼan was content with his current rate of progress.

He speculated that after forming the Golden Dan, there might be some additional benefits.

Moreover, advancing through the minor stages within the Core Formation realm was relatively easier, and he wouldn’t be stuck at bottlenecks for long.

For Core Formation cultivators, the quality of their Core was the greatest determinant of their potential and foundation.

At this stage, Lan Changʼan no longer needed to rely on the Evergreen Technique to measure his foundation. His Golden Dan itself was the strongest testament to his Dao foundation.

Cultivators at this level typically practiced high-level techniques with extraordinary inheritances.

The current unique advantage of the Evergreen Technique was the improvement it provided to his state of mind, surpassing most other techniques in this aspect.

This enhancement to his mental state was a characteristic shared by many life-nurturing techniques, achieved at the expense of combat prowess.

Aside from the Evergreen Technique, Lan Changʼan remained diligent in his auxiliary practice of body refinement.

This allowed him to make full use of his spare time.

In the cultivation world, it was rare for someone to succeed in both body refinement and traditional cultivation.

The reasons were numerous: the extensive time and energy required, the scarcity of resources and materials, and the innate talent needed for body refinement.

But Lan Changʼan lacked none of these.

As a result, his progress in practicing the Hundred-Refinement Vajra Art was noticeably faster than his progress with the Evergreen Technique.

Currently, Lan Changʼan had over 400,000 spirit stones in his possession.

More than half of this wealth came from the storage ring of Master Lihuo.

The rest was accumulated through recent years of gains, most of which came from congratulatory gifts received from the multiple Core Reformations, some of which he had converted into spirit stones.

With such abundant wealth, Lan Changʼan had no shortage of precious materials for body refinement and medicinal baths.

Other body refiners would find their bodies fatigued or overburdened after more than two hours of daily practice, leaving them prone to injuries or damage to their physical foundations.

However, Lan Changʼan’s endurance and recovery abilities were exceptional, and he rarely experienced fatigue.

Even in the rare cases where his cultivation strained or damaged his body, he could swiftly heal himself using the Evergreen Technique, ensuring no lasting harm.

This allowed Lan Changʼan to train for longer periods with greater intensity, naturally leading to more efficient progress.

“If there are no external factors, like a demonic invasion, I could potentially stay in Jin Yun Valley for another century or two and cultivate to the peak of the late Core Formation stage.”

Lan Changʼan hoped that the Righteous Dao Alliance could hold off the demonic invaders, giving him more time to focus on his cultivation.

As an Immortal Golden Dan cultivator, as long as he reached the mid-Core Formation stage, he would be considered a powerhouse among his peers, with strength that far surpassed others.

If he advanced to the late Core Formation stage, he would be unmatched below the Nascent Soul level.

Among the peak Core Formation cultivators, the best of them could even stand their ground against a Nascent Soul True Monarch, with a chance of survival or escape.

...

On this day, after completing his regular cultivation routine, which included nurturing his treasure talismans, Lan Changʼan reflected on his progress.

Ever since forming his Golden Dan, the effects of nurturing his treasure talismans had improved by several degrees. Based on his calculations, there was a chance he could cultivate a fourth-rank treasure talisman within a century.

The best eight talismans in his possession were crafted using Tong Ghost Bamboo, a superior-grade third-rank material.

Among these, two were of exceptional quality, crafted from the pinnacle of third-rank materials. The other six, while slightly lower in rank, were still superior quality items within the third rank.

Since attaining Golden Dan, Lan Changʼan’s nurturing of mid- and low-grade third-rank talismans had shown consistent and visible progress.

In particular, treasure talismans with lesser foundations benefited the most from nurturing. For instance, a low-grade third-rank treasure talisman could be elevated to mid-grade within thirty years of cultivation.

In his past life, his inheritance of treasure talisman-making knowledge had been incomplete. Over the course of this life, Lan Changʼan had spent over a hundred years refining and perfecting those techniques.

By combining his improved techniques with the unique qualities of the Evergreen Technique, he had achieved remarkable results.

However, his treasure talisman-crafting inheritance was limited to the third rank. He could only produce third-rank talismans; techniques for fourth-rank talismans had been lost to time.

After carefully storing away over sixty treasure talismans, Lan Changʼan suddenly sensed activity from the Elder’s token in his storage pouch.

A faint white glow radiated from the token.

When his palm made contact with it, he received the transmitted message.

“Elder Lan, please come to the Sect Master’s Hall.”

The message was sent by Xuanxiao Immortal, the Sect Master of the Jin Yun Sect.

Such messaging techniques were primarily reserved for sect leaders and high-level elders in the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world, as the costs of crafting the communication devices were exorbitant.

Moreover, the range of transmission was limited, typically spanning several hundred to a thousand li.

Fortunately, the Jin Yun Valley’s territory was outfitted with hidden relay formations, which expanded the range of such transmissions.

As a result, high-ranking elders could stay connected and exchange brief messages as long as they were within the valley’s sphere of influence.

Without any hesitation, Lan Changʼan flew directly toward the Sect Master’s Hall.

...

“Elder Lan, take a look at this intelligence report,” the Jinyun Sect Master said with an impassive expression. With a flick of his finger, a jade slip flew into Lan Changʼan’s hand.

”Xie Wuji… Missing and Presumed Dead!”

Reading the contents of the jade slip, Lan Changʼan was momentarily stunned.

He was caught off guard!

He hadn’t even made a move yet, and Xie Wuji had somehow died under mysterious circumstances?

The grudge Xie Wuji bore against him had always been etched in Lan Changʼan’s mind. His original plan was to wait until the demonic invasion caused the decline of the Xie Family in the Chen Kingdom and then seek an opportunity to exact his revenge in the future.

The Chen Kingdom was located at the forefront of the demonic invasion. The Xie Family and their allied sect, the Heavenly Net Sect, were bound to suffer losses, potentially even facing destruction.

At the very least, Lan Changʼan planned to bide his time until he reached the mid or late Core Formation stage. By then, after nurturing the Barbed Arrow with true fire for decades or even centuries, he could ambush Xie Wuji and take his life in a single strike.

But plans often failed to keep up with reality. Who could have expected this man to die so soon?

“The intelligence report came from the Chen Kingdom, and the incident likely occurred about two months ago,” the Sect Master said in a deep voice. “At first, the Xie Family concealed the news of Xie Wuji’s death, conducting their own secret investigation…”

Two months ago?

Lan Changʼan’s expression shifted slightly. That was precisely when Xie Wuji had confronted him, and the two had exchanged heated words before parting ways.

“What conclusion did the Xie Family’s investigation yield?” Lan Changʼan asked, already sensing trouble.

“The Xie Family of the Chen Kingdom claims that you, Immortal Lan, are the prime suspect. They accuse you of colluding with the Xuan Yin Sect or the Unseen Gate to assassinate Xie Wuji,” the Sect Master replied, his expression subtly tinged with amusement.

Lan Changʼan froze for a moment before his expression darkened.

How utterly absurd!

“Preposterous! The Xie Family must be blind to accuse an innocent man!” Lan Changʼan said angrily, his voice laced with frustration.

He had been framed out of nowhere!

While Lan Changʼan had indeed harbored the intent to kill Xie Wuji, he had never actually acted on it.

In the short term, Lan Changʼan had no intention of provoking the Xie Family, which had a Nascent Soul cultivator backing them. His verbal clash with Xie Wuji two months ago had merely been a facade to smooth things over temporarily.

It was impossible for him to have killed Xie Wuji immediately after their argument—it would have been far too reckless, and the motive would have been glaringly obvious.

Even if Lan Changʼan had the capability to contact assassins from the demonic sects, it would have been impossible to arrange everything in such a short amount of time.

“Immortal Lan, you needn’t worry. Our sect is confident that this matter has nothing to do with you. Besides, the Xie Family has no concrete evidence,” the Sect Master reassured him.

It was clear to any rational observer that Lan Changʼan had likely been falsely accused and was not the true culprit.

Firstly, as someone who had only recently entered the Core Formation stage, Lan Changʼan would find it exceedingly difficult to pose a threat to Xie Wuji, an experienced cultivator at the peak of the early Core Formation stage.

Killing Xie Wuji without leaving any traces would require an individual of far greater strength.

Secondly, Lan Changʼan had a reputation for being mild-mannered and avoiding conflict. Furthermore, he had been within Jin Yun Valley during the time of the incident and had a solid alibi.

The Xie Family’s decision to suspect Lan Changʼan stemmed from a lack of other leads. The only clue they had was that Xie Wuji had died in the wilderness near the Chen Kingdom’s border.

The only remotely relevant connection was the verbal argument Xie Wuji had with Lan Changʼan shortly before his death—a tenuous link at best.

In mundane murder cases, investigators often scrutinized individuals who had prior conflicts with the victim. This principle seemed to apply here as well.

“The Taihu Xie Family of the Chen Kingdom is known for their arrogance and overbearing ways. They’ve made countless enemies over the years. Unable to find the real culprit, they’re simply using an innocent man as a scapegoat,” Lan Changʼan said with a hint of mockery in his tone.

After a moment of contemplation, he deduced the Xie Family’s likely motives.

In truth, the Xie Family probably suspected the Unseen Gate or the Xuan Yin Sect.

With the start of the war, the Unseen Gate had initiated several covert assassination operations. The Xuan Yin Sect’s Sect Master, Liang Shaotian, was more than capable of effortlessly eliminating Xie Wuji without leaving any traces behind.

Framing Lan Changʼan as a suspect, however, offered the Xie Family two key advantages:

For one, it provided an explanation both internally and externally, giving them a scapegoat to deflect blame.

Secondly, it gave them a pretext to pressure Xia Wenyue to intervene on Lan Changʼan’s behalf, thereby gaining some leverage.

“Immortal Lan, as an Elder of Jin Yun Valley, you have nothing to fear. Without irrefutable evidence, even the Heavenly Net Sect of the Chen Kingdom cannot lay a finger on you,” the Sect Master stated with calm authority, his words brimming with confidence.

Lan Changʼan expressed his gratitude and loyalty on the spot.

As long as Jin Yun Valley stood by him, the Xie Family’s reach would fall short. It was nearly impossible for them to pose a threat to an Elder of another sect in a foreign nation.

What’s more, the Liang Kingdom, governed by the Golden Sun Sect, was more powerful than the Chen Kingdom.

Jin Yun Valley was aligned with the Golden Sun Sect, making any attempt to harm its members a direct affront to the dominant sect of the Liang Kingdom.

Even if Lan Changʼan had belonged to a weaker sect in Jing Kingdom, as long as his sect was willing to protect him, the Xie Family would likely find themselves at an impasse.

In the cultivation world, international dynamics also played a role. Stronger nations could not easily bully the sects of weaker nations without facing backlash.

This was especially true during the current crisis, as the Six Demonic Sects rampaged across the region.

...

Returning to his cave abode, Lan Changʼan wore a dark expression.

In this life, this was the first time he had been falsely accused and forced to carry the blame for something he didn’t do.

The question of who killed Xie Wuji was secondary.

If anything, Lan Changʼan felt like he owed that mysterious killer a small debt of gratitude for avenging him in advance.

What truly infuriated him was the Xie Family of the Chen Kingdom!

They likely knew he wasn’t the real culprit, yet they still labeled him as the prime suspect.

“Fine. From now on, I, Lan Changʼan, won’t step a single foot outside the Jin Yun Valley’s sphere of influence. Let’s see what you can do about it!”

Lan Changʼan sneered coldly, his mind made up.

Now that he had formed his Golden Dan, as long as external circumstances didn’t force his hand, he was more than willing to remain in seclusion for a full cycle of sixty years, advancing to the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm.

With his long lifespan, he could afford to be patient.

“Strange… I haven’t heard from Xing Peng in the past few months.”

Lan Changʼan sat down to drink tea, his sharp intuition quickly picking up on something unusual.

Xing Peng was his informant, someone he had a special method of contacting within the vicinity of Jin Yun Valley.

Xing Peng had infiltrated Jin Yun Valley by assuming the identity of an outer disciple. The original outer disciple had died during a sect mission, and Xing Peng replaced him using the Green Face of the Unseen Gate.

While Xing Peng typically avoided meeting Lan Changʼan directly, he would send him periodic reports.

These encrypted reports were delivered by the Earth Burrowing Rat.

Several days later, Xing Peng finally re-established contact with Lan Changʼan.

At that time, Lan Changʼan was inspecting logistical resources under his jurisdiction, fulfilling his duties as an honorary elder. Through spiritual sense, he discreetly communicated with Xing Peng, who was disguised as an outer disciple.

“Master Lan, I’ve received orders from higher-ups to temporarily suspend the mission tracking you,” Xing Peng transmitted his report directly into Lan Changʼan’s mind using spiritual sense.

“Later, I found out that the higher-ups in the Unseen Gate carried out the assassination of Xie Wuji.”

“The one who executed the mission was likely my cousin, the Shadow Hall Chief. Soon, he will be promoted to the Unseen Gate’s sub-branch leader for Jing Kingdom.”

”The Shadow Hall Chief?”

Lan Changʼan frowned slightly. He remembered that there was no official Unseen Gate sub-branch in Jing Kingdom; previously, it had been managed by a sub-branch leader from Liang Kingdom, with only three hall masters overseeing operations in Jing.

“With the rise of the Xuan Yin Sect, Liang Shaotian’s advancement to the late Core Formation stage was faster than expected. The Unseen Gate has revised its evaluation of Jing Kingdom,” Xing Peng explained.

“My cousin has reached the peak of the mid-Core Formation stage, making him one of the top hall masters in terms of strength. He has earned the favor of the Unseen Gate’s higher-ups. This assassination was likely a test for him.”

After providing his detailed report, Xing Peng sincerely apologized:

“This was a failure on my part. I was careless and failed to anticipate the situation, causing you to be wrongfully accused.”

“The last operation was a decision made by the Unseen Gate’s upper echelons, completely beyond my capabilities.”

Lan Changʼan didn’t hold Xing Peng personally responsible but made a mental note to do a soul search on him later to confirm his loyalty.

Now that it was confirmed the Unseen Gate was behind the assassination, the situation became much clearer.

Xie Wuji had been a core figure in multiple power dynamics—he was a direct descendant of the Xie Family, a Core Formation elder of the Heavenly Net Sect, and the biological father of Xia Wenyue, who was affiliated with the Proud Moon Palace.

His death inevitably implicated the Xie Family, the demonic sects, Jin Yun Valley, and the Proud Moon Palace.

Even Xia Wenyue, now residing in the Proud Moon Palace, would find her mind preoccupied with this matter.

As for Lan Changʼan, he would definitely grow more resentful toward the Xie Family after being falsely accused.

In the intelligence gathered by the Unseen Gate, Lan Changʼan was far from an ordinary Core Formation cultivator.

“Stirring up chaos and causing infighting among the major factions of the Righteous Dao Alliance—that is precisely the Unseen Gate’s goal,” Lan Changʼan realized.

This false accusation was inevitable.

It was exactly like the saying: “The hunter who chases geese all day will eventually be pecked by one.”

At the very least, Lan Changʼan now knew exactly who had framed him. One day, he would settle this score.

...

That night.

Lan Changʼan, taking advantage of the lingering second life possession, conducted a soul-search on Xing Peng.

The process was overseen by the persona of the mysterious white-bearded elder at the peak of the Core Formation stage.

He only searched through the surface memories of the past year, ensuring minimal harm to Xing Peng’s sea of consciousness.

Xing Peng, eager to prove his loyalty, cooperated fully and did not display any signs of betrayal.

After completing the soul-search, Lan Changʼan reinforced the restrictions on Xing Peng’s sea of consciousness.

By using the Hundred Abodes Soul Guʼs restriction, he further refined his unique technique for controlling others, which he had named the “Gu God Seal”.

Lan Changʼan, with his long lifespan and abundant free time, was able to continuously improve this technique despite not being a prodigy in comprehension.

The restriction he applied this time was significantly stronger than the one he had used in the Jing Kingdom, as his recent breakthrough to attain the Golden Dan and the fusion of his second lifeʼs soul power had greatly enhanced his spiritual capabilities.

Moreover, his understanding of the Gu insect restriction had improved further in the years since he re-applied the restrictions on Zhou Qingxuan’s sea of consciousness during his time in the Liang Kingdom.

The old man persona delivered his verdict with a solemn tone, exuding an aura of inviolable authority:

“Junior, the restriction in your sea of consciousness is one that even an average Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to break.”

He paused before continuing, balancing reward and punishment:

“In light of your demonstrated loyalty, this old man shall bestow upon you an opportunity to reforge your core, valid for the next three years. Upon your return, prepare the necessary resources yourself.”

With those words, the white-bearded elder vanished from Xing Peng’s outer disciple quarters.

In reality, the so-called opportunity for reforging the core was merely Lan Changʼan’s way of using Xing Peng as a test subject.

Xing Peng was about thirty years younger than Lan Changʼan, making him still young enough to have a chance at successfully reforming his Core.

As a Unseen Gate operative holding the position of Incense Master, Xing Peng possessed some personal resources and connections, meaning he could gather the necessary materials on his own.

Even if the experiment failed and Xing Peng perished in the process, Lan Changʼan would suffer no loss.

...

A few months later.

The second life in Lan Changʼan’s mind had already dissipated.

Thanks to his Golden Dan-level soul combined with the nourishment of his Soul-Nurturing Bracelet, Lan Changʼan could reignite his second life ability at an impressive pace.

He calculated that it would take just a single year to fully reactivate it, and this time could be further reduced once he reached the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm.

While the time required to reactivate second life had significantly decreased, the boost it provided to his overall strength was far less impactful compared to when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage.

Still, the enhanced soul state brought by second life offered substantial benefits in specific areas, such as crafting talismans, applying the Gu God Seal, and simulating identities using the Hundred Illusions Mask.

On this day.

While Lan Changʼan was in seclusion, he sensed a powerful Core Formation aura approaching Jin Yun Valley.

“A late-stage Core Formation expert,” Lan Changʼan noted, immediately realizing that the visitor came with ill intentions.

The visitor was not the Grand Elder of Jin Yun Valley, which made their presence all the more suspicious.

The Sect Master of Jin Yun Valley, Xuanxiao Immortal, personally went out to greet the intruder.

The visitor was an emaciated old man in coarse hemp robes, his eye sockets sunken and his expression sinister.

During their confrontation, the Jin Yun Valley’s protective formation was briefly activated.

Observing from the shadows, Lan Changʼan learned that the visitor was a senior member of the Xie Family, here to pressure Jin Yun Valley into handing him over to the Heavenly Net Sect of the Chen Kingdom for investigation.

“Immortal Xie, say no more! Your sect has no concrete evidence. To falsely accuse one of our Elders is something Jin Yun Valley will not tolerate!”

Xuanxiao Immortal’s voice was firm and authoritative as he raised his hand, signaling the visitor to leave.

Lan Changʼan silently applauded.

His decision to join Jin Yun Valley had proven wise—having such a strong backing was invaluable.

He resolved to fulfill his duties as an honorary elder diligently. In the future, if he was unfortunate enough to run away, he would have to be polite and help when he could.

As long as he remained in Jin Yun Valley, the Xie Family and the Heavenly Net Sect would be powerless to touch him.

Furthermore, as the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation forces were stronger than those of the Chen Kingdom, the Xie Family’s influence was limited across national borders.

The hemp-robed elder, clearly displeased, had no choice but to retreat.

Before leaving, he requested to see Lan Changʼan in person, but Xuanxiao Immortal decisively refused.

After all the visiter was a late-stage Core Formation expert, and Xuanxiao Immortal was wary of any sinister methods he might use to harm Lan Changʼan.

“Lan Changʼan, are you so guilty that you lack the courage to show yourself?”

The old man’s voice, like rolling thunder, echoed across Jin Yun Valley.

Lan Changʼan, unbothered, calmly brewed tea in his cave abode.

“Uncle Lan, they’ve come knocking at your door! You’re not really the culprit who conspired with the Unseen Gate to assassinate Xie Wuji, are you?”

Sitting nearby and munching on spiritual fruits, Zhao Tan’er teased him with her playful gaze.

“‘Turtle Immortal,’ huh? If he’s so capable, why doesn’t he just stay in Jin Yun Valley forever?”

Unable to see Lan Changʼan, the hemp-robed elder left one last mocking remark before departing.

“Uncle Lan, he’s taunting you,” Zhao Tan’er said with a mischievous smile, her pearly teeth showing as her eyes sparkled.

“His advice is good!”

Lan Changʼan took a sip of his spirit tea and replied in a leisurely tone:

“Uncle Lan will stay in Jin Yun Valley. Tending to turtles, planting herbs, drawing talismans, and savoring tea—why not enjoy a life of peace?”

Zhao Tan’er burst into laughter, her chest rising and falling as her bright eyes twinkled with mischief.

“You’re really serious about this, huh?”

In her view, the Xie Family’s threats were mostly bluster to save face. They wouldn’t dare act recklessly in Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world.

As long as Lan Changʼan didn’t leave Liang Kingdom, he would remain safe.

“What do you think?” Lan Changʼan glanced at her.

“Fine! If you’re staying in Jin Yun Valley, I’ll request that my master be rotated back from the frontlines soon,” Zhao Tan’er said happily, her brows arching with delight.

“You have decent combat skills, but on the battlefield, open blades are easier to dodge than hidden arrows.” Lan Changʼan reminded her.

...

Not long after, Zhao Tan’er departed for the frontlines of the war.

Unfortunately, luck didn’t seem to favor her timing.

Around that period, the war with the demonic sects escalated into an unavoidable large-scale conflict.