I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 278: Ten Years Later

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”Years ago, through my cousinʼs connections, I managed to exchange for a Core Dissolution Technique. I also prepared medicinal elixirs to aid in the process,” Xing Peng said respectfully, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

For most Nascent Soul-level sects, having a Core Dissolution Technique was standard.

The Six Demonic Sects, being top-tier Nascent Soul factions in Great Qing, had numerous such methods in their collection. These methods were categorized into several tiers.

In the Unseen Gate, mid- and high-level members could exchange for a Core Dissolution Technique if they contributed enough.

Obtaining an ordinary Core Dissolution Technique was not too difficult. However, acquiring a superior technique would require one to be at the level of the Shadow Hall Chief or higher.

The most difficult part, however, was obtaining the protection of a Nascent Soul True Monarch during the process.

In theory, it was possible to attempt Core Formation without a True Monarch as a protector, but the risks were exceptionally high.

”Unfortunately, my resources were limited, and I couldn’t afford heavenly treasures that could improve the success rate of forming a True Dan,” Xing Peng lamented with regret.

Certain heavenly treasures, such as Yin Yang Water, could significantly increase the success rate of Core Reformation and yield better results.
Even without a True Monarchʼs protection, these treasures could allow for a successful transformation into a True Dan.

”What is the success rate of the technique you exchanged for?” Lan Changʼan asked.

”Without a True Monarchʼs protection, only 20%,” Xing Peng admitted cautiously, not daring to hide anything.

Failure in Core Formation would result in two outcomes:

First, perishing on the spot.

Second, severe damage to one’s foundation, making any subsequent attempts to condense a Core futile—even a Fake Dan would be out of reach.

Twenty percent?

Lan Changʼan pondered. The Core Dissolution Technique that Xing Peng had obtained was far inferior to the ”Returning Dust Core Transformation Method” that he had acquired from Zhang Tieshan.

The Six Demonic Sects ruled vast territories and had a large population of cultivators.

Although a 20% success rate was low, there were always a few lucky individuals who succeeded in forming a Core without a True Monarchʼs protection.

Moreover, this wasn’t even the most advanced Core Dissolution Technique of the demonic sects.

”Did the Shadow Hall Chief stop you from attempting Core Reformation?” Lan Changʼan asked.

”He didn’t. With a 20% success rate, I made plans early on and was willing to take the gamble,” Xing Peng replied.

”Iʼm already 148 years old. If I delay any longer, my body will deteriorate, my potential will drastically decrease, and my chances will become even slimmer.”

Hearing this, Lan Changʼan nodded slightly.

Xing Peng, leveraging some of his connections and background in a top-tier Nascent Soul faction, managed to secure a 20% chance at Core Reformation.

Ordinary Fake Dan cultivators wouldn’t even have this opportunity.

Aside from the Core Dissolution Technique, other factors such as opportunities, heavenly treasures, and luck could also increase the chances of success.

Xing Peng likely assumed that Lan Changʼanʼs ”Core Reformation opportunity” had come from the ancient ruin.

”This set of insights on Core Reformation comes from Tianfeng Immortal. Study it thoroughly, and do not pass it on to others,” Lan Changʼan said, handing Xing Peng a jade slip.

Lan Changʼan had personally attempted Core Reformation three times and had accumulated vast experience. The insights recorded in this jade slip were actually his own.

They were even more comprehensive than the ones from Zhang Tieshan.

”Thank you for your generosity, Master Lan,” Xing Peng said gratefully, immediately swearing a heart demon oath to seal his loyalty.

Lan Changʼan’s greatest restraint on Xing Peng came from the Gu God Seal, which was difficult to undo for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

If Xing Peng was fortunate enough to advance to True Dan, the heart demon oath would still bind him significantly.

Three days later.

Xing Peng had thoroughly digested the Core Reformation insights.

Lan Changʼan returned to Xing Pengʼs small courtyard in the outer sect, set up a formation, and prepared to observe the Core Reformation process.

Seven days later.

The gray Core in Xing Pengʼs body was successfully dissolved, transforming back into pure liquid mana, though it had been a close call.

At the moment when the Core dissolving backlash was at its most severe, Lan Changʼan flicked his wrist and sent a green pill into Xing Pengʼs abdomen.

Without this intervention, Xing Peng would have suffered severe injuries, spitting blood and damaging his foundation, which would have affected the rest of the process.

”Compared to dissolving a True Dan, dissolving a Fake Dan is indeed easier,” Lan Changʼan remarked calmly.

To Xing Peng, however, the experience was akin to walking through the gates of hell.

Had the Core dissolving process spiraled completely out of control, it would have resulted in a catastrophic explosion and instant death. Even Lan Changʼan wouldn’t have been able to save him.

After all, Xing Peng neither possessed third-rank body refinement nor the protection of a True Monarch.

”Thank you, Master Lan, for your life-saving grace!” Xing Peng said, his voice trembling with gratitude. Overcome with emotion, he knelt and kowtowed.

Having successfully dissolved the Fake Dan, Xing Pengʼs injuries were relatively mild. With proper recuperation over the next year or so, along with consuming precious medicinal treasures, he would be ready to condense a Core again.

”Where do you plan to form your Core?” Lan Changʼan asked, showing no intention of using his Evergreen secret spell again to expedite Xing Pengʼs recovery.

The green pill used earlier was a third-rank healing pill, enhanced with the Evergreen secret spell, which cost Lan Changʼan three months of his lifespan.

Thanks to his advancement to Golden Dan, the effectiveness of the Evergreen secret spell had also increased significantly.

”The Unseen Gate has secret strongholds, including infiltrated immortal cities, which can be used for Core Formation,” Xing Peng replied.

”The matter of forming your Core is up to you to decide!”

”The Elder behind me, ʼElder Xuan,ʼ is on the verge of condensing a Nascent Soul, and the seal in your mind is unbreakable by anyone nearby,” Lan Changʼan said before leaving the outer sect.

...

Returning to the cave abode on Yunlai Peak.

Lan Changʼan pondered for a moment, analyzing the success rate of assisting others in dissolving their Cores.

If it was a Fake Dan being dissolved, and Xing Pengʼs case was taken as a baseline, then based on the ”dosage” he had just used, the estimated success rate would be around 50-60%.

Increasing the dosage could improve the success rate, but it couldnʼt guarantee zero risk.

Ultimately, dissolving the Core largely depended on the individual, as the spiritual pressure field during the process was highly unpredictable. Lan Changʼan, not being a Nascent Soul True Monarch, couldn’t completely suppress these changes to ensure survival without risk.

Moreover, the idea of investing his lifespan multiple times into someone else’s attempt was something Lan Changʼan was unwilling to consider.

He then shifted his theoretical simulation to Zhao Siyao, considering her as a potential candidate for Core Reformation.

After a long time, he sighed and shook his head.

Zhao Siyao was significantly older than Xing Peng, now nearing 180 years of age.

In terms of cultivation technique and spiritual sense, Xing Peng far surpassed Zhao Siyao.

If Lan Changʼan were to invest even more of his lifespan, he might be able to help her through the Core dissolving stage.

However, when it came time for her to condense her Core again, the chances of even forming a Fake Dan would be slim.

If the attempt to condense the Core failed, given her age, the likelihood of her dying on the spot would be very high.

To summarize, Lan Changʼan could achieve a relatively high success rate for helping Fake Dan cultivators dissolve their Cores, akin to a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

However, he couldn’t influence the success rate of subsequent Core Formation or the quality of the resulting Core.

This was precisely why Nascent Soul True Monarchs rarely offered their protection during Core Reformation, except for close bloodline descendants or personal disciples.

After dissolving the Core, significant investments in rare medicinal treasures were required to repair the damaged foundation. If the Dao Foundation suffered severe harm, even fourth-rank heavenly treasures might be necessary.

Moreover, condensing the Core again would require a completely new set of resources for Core Formation, with no guarantee of success.

Within the sect, Core Formation resources were limited and highly competitive.

Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs could only provide assistance sparingly, as excessive support would provoke dissatisfaction among the sectʼs members.

After assisting Xing Peng in dissolving his Core,

Lan Changʼan returned to his daily routine in the Jin Yun Valley.

He spent his time cultivating, drawing talismans, refining magical treasures, and nurturing his stock of treasure talismans.

In secret, he continued searching for Life Extension Pills and accumulating materials for creating third-rank puppets.

As long as he remained within the Jin Yun Valleyʼs sphere of influence, the bounty issued by the Xie Family of Chen Kingdom was effectively meaningless.

Unless the Six Demonic Sects launched a full-scale invasion and overran the cultivation world of Liang Kingdom, there was no other reason that could force Lan Changʼan out of his sanctuary in Jin Yun Valley.

...

Ten years flew by in the blink of an eye.

To the outside world, Lan Changʼan had not taken a single step outside the gates of Jin Yun Valley during this decade.

The legend of ”Turtle Immortal” spread across the surrounding cultivation nations, becoming a topic of lighthearted conversation among low-level cultivators during their idle moments.

On this day.

At 190 years of age, Lan Changʼan completed his daily cultivation routine and slowly retracted his magical power.

Over the decade, his Evergreen mana had grown significantly stronger.

By now, it had been more than a decade since he had advanced to the Core Formation stage.

However, he was still far from reaching the peak of the early Core Formation stage.

Currently, he had only achieved about a quarter of the progress required for this stage.

After his daily cultivation, Lan Changʼan circulated his core energy to nurture the seventy to eighty treasure talismans in front of him.

As a sect Elder, Lan Changʼan no longer had to personally gather materials. Instead, he could issue missions for others to complete on his behalf.

Over the past decade, he had acquired two additional pieces of third-rank spiritual wood, which were used for crafting treasure talismans.

With sufficient rewards, anyone in Jin Yun Valley—from Qi-Refining disciples to Core Formation Elders, and even the sect leader—might be willing to run errands for him.

Of course, to avoid attracting too much attention, Lan Changʼan kept these activities within a reasonable scope.

Occasionally, he would venture out secretly under a different identity to collect vital resources.

As long as the Grand Elder was not present in Jin Yun Valley, neither the other Elders nor the sect leader would notice any discrepancies.

Over the years, Lan Changʼan had quietly saved up materials and successfully crafted another third-rank puppet.

It was only because Lan Changʼan was carrying a huge amount of spirit stones that he could afford to squander so much.

...

Lan Changʼan’s search for Life Extension Pills never ceased.

Currently, his lifespan had reached 1126 years.

Seven years ago, the Grand Elder had traded a third-rank Life Extension Pill and another third-rank material with Lan Changʼan in exchange for the Crystal Condensation Pill.

A third-rank Life Extension Pill typically extended the lifespan of a normal cultivator by around 30 years.

For Lan Changʼan, however, the pill extended his life by a full 60 years!

Third-rank Life Extension Pills were highly sought after by high-level cultivators, which caused their value to skyrocket.

While the Crystal Condensation Pill was considered a strategic resource, it held little practical use for Core Formation cultivators.

Even if used during Core Formation, the chances of success were low, and the resulting Core was likely to be a Fake Dan.

Third-rank Life Extension Pills, on the other hand, were completely different.

If a late-stage Core Formation master could live an extra 30 years, it would have an impact on the surrounding landscape of cultivation factions.

If not for the fact that the effects of the same type of Life Extension Pill couldn’t be stacked, the value of third-rank Life Extension Pills would far exceed that of Crystal Condensation Pills.

After all, life was the root of cultivation.

In addition to the third-rank pill,

Lan Changʼan had secretly obtained two superior-quality second-rank Life Extension Pills, which extended his life by 15 years and 11 years, respectively.

However, moving forward, the effects of second-rank Life Extension Pills would gradually diminish.

To avoid exposing his identity, Lan Changʼan planned to reduce the frequency of his pill collection in the future.

…

Exiting seclusion, the secret chamber door opened.

“Master, this is the latest war report from the frontlines,” the dirt-yellow Earth Burrowing Rat said as it scurried over, holding a jade slip in its mouth.

Lan Changʼan took the jade slip, and scanned it with his spiritual sense, and his expression darkened.

On the battlefield, several more territories with third-rank spirit veins had fallen.

In the past decade,

Half of the territories of Yan Kingdom and Chen Kingdom had been conquered on the frontlines.

The good news was that no Nascent Soul True Monarchs had fallen so far.

However, the number of True Monarchs sustaining serious injuries wasn’t insignificant.

The True Monarch of Chen Kingdomʼs Heavenly Net Sect had narrowly escaped death by ejecting the Nascent Soul out of their body.

When Lan Changʼan learned of this, he had felt a surge of satisfaction.

Unfortunately, they didn’t die.

If they had, the Xie Family of Chen Kingdom would have been dealt a devastating blow, presenting an excellent opportunity to kick them while they were down.

For Nascent Soul cultivators, killing one outright was incredibly difficult due to their spirit-bodyʼs rapid escape speed.

Even if their physical body was destroyed, their Nascent Soul could inhabit a suitable new body, restoring their strength quickly without needing to rebuild their cultivation from Foundation Establishment or Core Formation.

“It seems I must make a trip to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. If Chen Kingdom falls, Jing Kingdom will be next,” Lan Changʼan muttered, his heart tightening as he made a decision.

The shortest route to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance was through Jing Kingdom.

Another option would be to take a longer detour through Chen Kingdom, but with half of it already in enemy hands, this route was no longer feasible.

Alternatively, he could go north through the Black Fog Mountain Range, but that path was even longer.

Moreover, traveling quickly through the Black Fog Mountain Range as a Core Formation cultivator would inevitably attract the attention of powerful demons or flocks of flying beasts.

The war against the demonic sects looked increasingly grim. Fortunately, Jin Yun Valley in Liang Kingdom was located deep in the rear and wasn’t under immediate threat.

Lan Changʼan estimated that the Righteous Dao Alliance would hold the line for at least 30 years.

The true battlefield would likely center on the Feng Kingdom, a vast territory with numerous cultivation factions.

As long as the Feng Kingdom could withstand the pressure, the flames of war wouldn’t spread to the Liang Kingdom.

In the past, during the Golden Sun Sectʼs Northern Migration War, the weaker Flame Departing Palace had held out for nearly 20 years by leveraging its defensive advantage on home soil.

If not for Chu Tianfeng pressuring Master Lihuo to prematurely duel to the death, the conflict might have dragged on for several more years.

This was because defenders had the advantage of spirit vein formations.

Especially for Nascent Soul-level sects, activating a fourth-rank grand formation made it nearly impossible for invaders to break through without overwhelming force or advanced methods to breach such defenses.

“Contact Little Peng. I want to see him tonight,” Lan Changʼan ordered.

Squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat vanished in a flash of dull yellow light.

...

Jin Yun Valley – Inner Sect

In a cave abode on a small peak.

”Greetings, Master Lan,” said Xing Peng, bowing deeply. He appeared as an unremarkable disciple clad in green robes.

Over the years, Xing Peng had successfully established himself as an inner disciple of Jin Yun Valley.

In truth, he was now a cultivator at the early True Dan stage.

Xing Pengʼs path to True Dan was a mix of ability and luck.

Ten years ago, after his lucky success in dissolving his Core, his Dao Foundation didnʼt suffer damage. His cousin, the Shadow Hall Chief, upon learning this, gifted him a spirit item perfectly suited for Core Formation.

The Shadow Hall Chief was already a late Core Formation expert, with strength likely surpassing Lan Changʼanʼs former life.

Leveraging his wealth and connections in the Unseen Gate, Xing Peng obtained a genuine Crystal Condensation Pill.

When he first condensed his Core years ago, he had been just an ordinary cultivator with no such resources, relying on an inferior Crystal Condensation Pill.

After successfully dissolving his Core, his mana had become more refined, increasing the quality of his next condensation attempt.

With all these advantages, even though Xing Peng was no longer in his prime and his potential had decreased, he still managed to form a low-tier True Dan.

Learning about the factors that led Xing Peng to form a True Dan, Lan Changʼan couldn’t help but sigh.

Having connections really made all the difference.

Such successful Core Reformations were out of reach for most ordinary cultivators.

According to Xing Peng, the leading faction among the Six Sacred Sects, the Nether Spring Sect, possessed a legendary ”Holy Spring” that could directly improve the quality of oneʼs Core.

Even True Dans that had been stagnant for years could be slightly enhanced. However, it couldn’t elevate a True Dan to a Golden Dan.

Formation of a Golden Dan requires the descent of Dao Rhythms unique to the Golden Dan.

That said, even Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Six Sacred Sects found it difficult to obtain such a supreme treasure.

“Little Peng, Elder Xuan is preparing to return to Great Qing’s Central Region. To get there, he must pass through the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. The demonic sects forces in the surrounding regions have made travel perilous. A safer route is urgently needed,” Lan Changʼan said calmly, his tone even and unhurried.

Return to Great Qing’s Central Region?

Xing Peng was startled. Could it be that the Core Formation pinnacle expert backing Lan Changʼan was a cultivator from the Ten Sects of the Xuan Gate?

“From Liang Kingdom to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, I can acquire a safe route. Beyond that, however, I won’t be able to help…” Xing Peng replied with an increasingly respectful demeanor.

“Good. I’ll give you half a month,” Lan Changʼan said.

Lan Changʼan felt even more at ease with Xing Peng after his advancement to the True Dan stage.

First, the heart demon oath binding Xing Peng had become even more effective.

Second, the Gu God Seal that Lan Changʼan had placed on him had been further refined over the past decade.

During these years, while Lan Changʼan himself never stepped outside Jin Yun Valley, many other cultivators had come to visit him.

For example, the Beast Taming Zhou Familyʼs Grand Elder, Zhou Qingxuan, had visited several times to exchange insights on beast taming.

Using the opportunity, Lan Changʼan studied the Gu insect restriction in her sea of consciousness, further perfecting the Gu God Seal.

Additionally, Fairy Shi had visited twice.

Each time, they spent at least three days and nights discussing formations and restriction techniques.

...

Returning to Yunlai Peak’s cave abode.

Within the quiet confines of his cave abode, Lan Changʼan used his Evergreen true fire to refine and nurture the three Barbed Arrows.

For nearly a decade and a half, these three Barbed Arrows had never been used. They were constantly suspended near his Golden Dan, absorbing its mana and undergoing slow, continuous refinement.

Lan Changʼan could faintly sense that the quality of the arrows was approaching that of superior-grade magical treasures.

This wasn’t because his Golden Dan True Fire was extraordinarily effective for refinement.

The key lay in the materials used in the original crafting of the Barbed Arrows. Their primary material had been fourth-rank Soul-Nurturing Wood.

However, due to Zhang Tieshan’s inadequate crafting skills and the lack of supplementary fourth-rank materials, the arrows’ grade had been somewhat reduced during their creation.

“After over a decade of nurturing with Golden Dan true fire, the power of a fully-charged strike from these Barbed Arrows could rival that of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator,” Lan Changʼan muttered, his eyes reflecting the cold light emanating from the arrows.

The three Barbed Arrows trembled faintly, emitting an invisible, piercing chill that caused a ripple of unease to stir within Lan Changʼan’s own spirit.

The attack method of the Barbed Arrows was sinister and deadly.

As long as a strike landed, it would be nearly impossible for a Core Formation cultivator in the early or middle stages to escape unscathed.

However, this “charged state” was a one-time ability. Once unleashed, the arrows would revert to their normal power level, requiring extensive nurturing again to regain their potency.

...

Two weeks later.

Xing Peng delivered a route map engraved on a jade slip.

“According to this route, it would take a True Dan cultivator traveling at full speed about a month and a half to make a round trip to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance,” Lan Changʼan calculated.

After a moment of deliberation, he decided to give himself three months for the journey.

The situation on the other end wasn’t reassuring. The Seven Kingdoms Alliance was also fending off invasions from the demonic sect forces.

The longer Lan Changʼan stayed away from Jin Yun Valley, the higher the risk he faced.

Leaving a decoy behind in his cave abode to emit a false aura would only last so long before someone might discover the truth.

Three months wasn’t much time. If something came up on the road, it simply wouldnʼt be enough.

...

To address this risk, Lan Changʼan made preparations.

”Merge!”

Closing his eyes, he activated the power of the Nine Seal Stele, summoning the shadow of his second life to descend and merge with his own soul.

These days, illuminating his second life only required a single year of time, so there was no need to finesse it.

The fusion of his two souls made his spiritual sense unprecedentedly powerful, surpassing the realm of ordinary Core Formation cultivators.

With heightened spiritual perception, Lan Changʼan could foresee and avoid potential dangers on his journey well in advance.

Combined with the detailed route map provided by Xing Peng, his chances of success were significantly improved.

A few days later.

Lan Changʼan crafted an overabundance of talismans and handed them to Jin Yun Valley as part of his regular contributions.

He then announced to the public that he was entering closed-door cultivation, leaving behind a third-rank Illusory Truth Talisman infused with his aura to simulate his presence in the cave abode.

This talisman was specially crafted to release his exact mana signature, creating the illusion that he was deep in seclusion.

With this cover in place, Lan Changʼan left Jin Yun Valley unnoticed, embarking on his journey to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

...

Two months later.

Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

Within the ruins of a mortal castle destroyed by war, a stone palace had been hastily constructed from the rubble.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a streak of purple light shot across the sky, piercing through the clouds and descending like a comet from the Nine Fiery Heavens.

“Demonic thief! I’ve finally found your hiding place!”

The light dissipated, revealing a sharp-featured and imposing man with a heroic aura. He was dressed in a robe of violet silk adorned with jade patterns, with a white jade pendant hanging from his waist.

In his hand, he brandished a Scarlet Feather Fan, a magical treasure that summoned fiery clouds stretching across three layers of the heavens, blanketing the air above the ruined stone palace.

“Junior Brother Wang, long time no see.”

From within the stone palace, a slightly familiar male voice rang out.

Wang Feng scanned the palace with his spiritual sense, finding no protective formations within. Inside, there was only a young man in blue robes with sword-like brows and starry eyes.

Next to the blue-robed youth was a small, open chest containing a pile of women’s embroidered shoes and silk stockings.

“Junior Brother Nie?”

Wang Feng was stunned, his expression turning to disbelief.

His spiritual sense repeatedly probed the scene, confirming what he saw.

Overjoyed, he descended into the stone palace.

“Junior Brother Nie, you stole my wife’s shoes and stockings just to lure me out for a meeting? Why not just return to the Flame Departing Palace openly and face me directly?”

Wang Feng glanced at the chest, his face turning awkward.

Two days ago, his dao companion’s shoes and stockings had repeatedly gone missing without any clues.

Residual traces of demonic energy at the scene suggested some sort of low-level demon beast was the culprit.

In an attempt to catch the thief, Wang Feng had secretly marked his wife’s shoes and tracked the trail all the way here.

“Junior Brother Wang, I have found my own opportunities outside and have the hope of achieving the Dao. I have no intention of returning to Flame Departing Palace to suffer alongside you, fending off the demonic sects’s invasion,” said the blue-robed youth flatly.

“Junior Brother Nie, why do you suddenly call me Junior Brother? You’ve always called me Senior Brother,” Wang Feng asked cautiously, spiritual sense probing once again to ensure the man was indeed Nie Yuan.

“I have attained Golden Dan and I am a few years older than you. Naturally, the way I address you must change,” Nie Yuan replied matter-of-factly.

As he spoke, he exuded Golden Dan-level mana fluctuations from his body.

“Nie.. Senior Brother, you’ve really formed a Golden Dan? Ten years ago, when we heard rumors of your success, we thought it was an impostor,” Wang Feng exclaimed.

After his initial surprise, his feelings grew complicated.

Wang Feng was a genius with earth spiritual roots, supported by a Core Formation Elder grandfather. He had painstakingly cultivated with the Flame Departing Palace’s greatest resources and endured countless hardships before finally forming his Golden Dan.

Nie Yuan, an ordinary inner disciple who hadn’t even been worth his attention, had also formed an Immortal Golden Dan and now stood on equal footing with him.

Nie Yuan had always been competitive, and now, after forming his Golden Dan and also being older, he clearly had no intention of returning to Flame Departing Palace.

Seeing Wang Feng’s reaction, Lan Changʼan secretly relaxed.

When he assumed the identity of Nie Yuan, he hadn’t inherited a complete set of memories, only knowing that the two had little interaction.

However, he had learned that Nie Yuan had once treated Wang Feng’s injuries and knew Nie Yuan was older by a few years.

Such minor age differences were details that only fellow disciples within the same sect would be privy to.

“This time, I’ve come to offer my assistance to Flame Departing Palace, to repay the karma of their past nurturing,” Lan Changʼan said calmly.

Hearing this, Wang Feng’s expression shifted as a thought occurred to him. He hesitantly asked, “A few days ago, when Immortal Luo Yun of Tianxing Pavilion mysteriously died and disappeared… was that your doing, Senior Brother Nie?”

Tianxing Pavilion, a former Nascent Soul-level faction of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, had been overrun by the demonic sects, resulting in the death of even their Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Their plight was similar to that of Flame Departing Palace, and their strength was comparable.

Flame Departing Palace had been vying for a quasi-fourth-rank spiritual vein and had paid a significant price in the process.

When Tianxing Pavilion had interfered in the competition, relations between the two sides turned hostile, with conflicts escalating rapidly.

“That’s correct. Luo Yun died at my hands,” Lan Changʼan replied with a faint, confident smirk.

“You… killed him by yourself?”

Wang Feng’s expression froze, filled with disbelief.

Luo Yun was an experienced early-stage True Dan cultivator who had been at the Core Formation stage for over a hundred years.

Such a seasoned Core Formation cultivator was not easy to kill.

Wang Feng, as a Golden Dan cultivator, could easily defeat him in a fight, but outright killing him would be far more difficult.

Even more so, killing him without leaving any trace.

“Killing him was simple,” Lan Changʼan said indifferently, observing the disbelief on Wang Feng’s face.

Privately, Lan Changʼan wondered: Was this Luo Yun actually that strong?

He honestly hadn’t thought so.

At the time, Lan Changʼan had been lurking near Tianxing Pavilion’s mountain gates, scouting the area.

By sheer luck, he encountered a lone Core Formation cultivator wandering nearby.

Following silently, Lan Changʼan had ambushed him from behind.

The Barbed Arrow shot forth instantly, pinning Luo Yun’s soul in a single strike.

The True Dan cultivator hadn’t even managed to summon his magical treasure before dying.

In fact, by the time the Barbed Arrow had pierced his body, Luo Yun’s mind had already been severely damaged.

“... Simple?”

Wang Feng’s expression twitched as a sour feeling brewed in his chest.

Though he felt like Nie Yuan was bragging, his instincts told him that Senior Brother Nie wasn’t lying—and had no reason to.

How could the gap in strength between two Golden Dan cultivators be so vast?

Wang Feng couldn’t help but wonder if he had somehow formed a “fake” Golden Dan.