I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 315: Innate Turbid Qi

Read 30 Chapters Ahead On Patreon :D /zilawere

Inside the cave abode.

Lan Changʼan, who was in the middle of drawing talismans, suddenly sensed an invisible shift in the heaven and earth energy around him.

He froze for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening. His spiritual sense swiftly swept toward the secret chamber twenty zhang below and saw the withering and falling fledgling gourd fruit.

Lan Changʼanʼs heart thudded violently. There was no time for him to intervene immediately.

He could only watch as the gray-black withered fruit fell into the large vat of Five Element Earth.

The Profound Water Turtle widened its dazed, innocent green eyes, momentarily frozen in place, unwilling to touch the withered fruit, as if instinctively wary of it.

Once the withered fledgling mystic fruit hit the soil, it quickly dissolved.

Hiss—

More gray, hazy turbid qi began to spread into the air, seemingly about to merge into the soil.
The Profound Water Turtleʼs eyes gleamed as it instinctively opened its mouth to absorb the gray turbid qi spreading through the air.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Nearly forty percent of the gray turbid qi was absorbed by the Profound Water Turtle, which was in close proximity to the source.

“Stop!”

Lan Changʼan shouted. Though he didn’t yet know what the gray turbid qi was, since it involved the Xuantian relic, it had to be extraordinary and could not be left entirely to the turtle.

The Profound Water Turtle reluctantly stopped absorbing, looking longingly at the remaining gray turbid qi as it sank into the Five Element Earth.

Squeak, squeak!

A faint yellow radiance flickered, and the Earth Burrowing Rat emerged from the ground, arriving at the scene almost simultaneously with Lan Changʼan.

However, the remaining gray turbid qi in the air had already merged into the Five Element Earth and disappeared entirely along with the withered fruit. ṛÀŊố₿Еş

Not a trace remained!

“Bastard!”

The Earth Burrowing Rat’s eyes turned red as it glared at the innocent-looking big turtle, realizing it had missed an enormous opportunity.

Smack, smack! Thump, thump!

The furious Earth Burrowing Rat lunged at the turtle, waving its claws in a flurry of blows to vent its frustration.

The Profound Water Turtle, however, remained silent, retracting its head into its shell and enduring the rat’s onslaught without resistance.

Lan Changʼan was stunned but didn’t intervene.

The gray turbid qi just now gave off a hazy and cold sensation to his spiritual sense, an instinctive rejection.

Based on this reaction, he deduced that the gray turbid qi was likely useless—or even harmful—to him or any human cultivator.

“Could it be the legendary Innate Turbid Qi?”

Lan Changʼan pinched his fingers and began calculating, deep in thought.

At the beginning of heaven and earth, two primal forces were born: one clear and one turbid.

The clear qi ascended, while the turbid qi descended.

The withering and falling of this Xuantian relic seemed to align with the principle of turbid qi sinking.

In the world of cultivation, turbid qi does exist in various regions, often containing yin-fiend energy that benefits ghostly entities and many demonic creatures.

However, most of that turbid qi is Postnatal Turbid Qi.

True Innate Turbid Qi is exceedingly rare.

Let alone the Primal Turbid Qi from the dawn of creation.

Xuantian relics, which are often companions to the act of creation itself, contain a trace of the world’s laws and origin power.

When such a relic withers and returns to the heavens and earth, it releases a faint amount of Innate Turbid Qi during its dissolution.

From this perspective, it seemed logical.

However, Xuantian relics, even the lesser ones, are comparable to ancient mythological treasures in the cultivation world.

From ancient times to now, how many cultivators have had the chance to truly come into contact with such things?

The records in ancient texts are vague at best, and often inaccurate.

Only by personally witnessing this event did Lan Changʼan realize that the withering of a Xuantian relic could produce Innate Turbid Qi.

Given that this involved a creation-related relic, its quality should far surpass ordinary Innate Turbid Qi, approaching the original turbid qi from the dawn of creation.

…

Huff, huff!

The Earth Burrowing Rat finally grew tired, sitting on the turtle’s shell and panting heavily.

As for the Profound Water Turtle, its head remained tucked inside its shell, where it had dozed off, letting out soft snores.

“This dumb thing… After guarding and nurturing the vine gourd for so many years, it finally stumbled into some good fortune.”

Lan Changʼan cast it a sidelong glance.

The Profound Water Turtle had spent over a hundred years diligently caring for the Xuanmu Vine Gourd, far more time and effort than its master, Lan Changʼan, had ever contributed.

One sip and one bite—it seemed as though fate had arranged everything.

Using the simplest method, and by being in close proximity, the Profound Water Turtle had reaped a tremendous opportunity.

In the beginning, it likely hadn’t even known what benefits guarding the vine might bring—it had only followed its instincts, sensing that it might be beneficial.

Lan Changʼan approached the large vat containing the Five Element Earth and observed the Xuanmu Vine Gourd.

The vine gourd itself had not changed; its life force remained stable.

The withered Xuan Fruit, however, had completely dissolved into the soil, leaving behind no trace other than the dispersal of Innate Turbid Qi.

Yet, the area of soil where the fruit had fallen now seemed slightly unusual—the aura was denser, the color deeper, and faint gray-black glimmers were visible.

Squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat drooled as it stared longingly at that seemingly “polluted” patch of Five Element Earth.

“As expected of the Five Element Earth, the universal soil source. It can bear and absorb the residual blessings of the fallen Xuan Fruit. If it had been ordinary soil, the Xuantian relic would have completely returned to Heaven and Earth, leaving behind almost nothing.”

Lan Changʼan’s face lit up with joy.

This indicated that the current soil and the Xuanmu Vine Gourd had become even more suitable for cultivating a Lesser Xuantian treasure.

“Re-cultivate? No, wait—”

Lan Changʼan suddenly remembered an obscure record in the Xuantian Mysteries.

Whether Lesser Xuantian or Great Xuantian treasures, they are unique and one-of-a-kind once born in a given realm.

His expression darkened as he turned to look at the vine gourd, now mostly restored to its verdant green state.

He immediately activated the Evergreen secret spell, burning a large amount of his lifespan in the process.

Buzz!

Lan Changʼan’s palm radiated an ancient, verdant-green light, akin to newly-sprouted buds, which he channeled into the Xuanmu Vine Gourd.

In an instant, a massive halo of light enveloped Lan Changʼan entirely.

“Fifty years… one hundred years… one hundred and twenty years!”

Lan Changʼan sacrificed 120 years of his lifespan in one go before ceasing the Evergreen secret spell.

When he had first advanced to the mid-stage of the Core Formation, he had tested that it required sacrificing 120 years of lifespan to fully restore the vine gourd’s vitality.

Now, at the age of 266, after nearly thirty years of nurturing and watering the vine, he only needed a little over a century of lifespan to achieve the same result.

Once again, Lan Changʼan examined the vine gourd, now completely restored to its lush green state and brimming with vitality.

Not only that, but the vine seemed slightly sturdier than before.

Lan Changʼan still had 1,064 years of lifespan remaining.

For someone who had been in the mid-stage Core Formation for many years, as long as his total lifespan stayed above 1,000 years, it was completely enough.

“With the vine gourd fully restored and the soil enriched by the residual blessings of the Xuan Fruit, the basic conditions for cultivating another Lesser Xuantian treasure should now be met.”

Lan Changʼan fell into deep thought.

Whether it could successfully produce another Xuantian Gourd would ultimately depend on fate.

…

Heaven Honoured Continent, Central State Territory.

Ethereal Sect, a Fifth-Rank Spiritual Vein Holy Land.

“Quick! Report this to the Sect Master! And notify the Supreme Elder!”

In the restricted area of the spirit garden, a barefooted, dark-skinned man with the appearance of a farmer was in an extremely excited state, his puffy eyes brimming with fervor.

Before him, inside a glowing barrier, there was a segment of a vine gourd planted in viscous milky-white spiritual liquid and colorful soil.

“Master Kou, this matter is of utmost importance and must be absolutely confirmed. The Supreme Elder has not appeared for a century—disturbing him lightly…”

The caretaker of the garden was a boy who appeared to be only seven or eight years old, but his voice carried a distinct ancient tone. The faint but profound fluctuations of his aura revealed that he was a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator.

“There’s no mistake! There is a change in the Xuanmu Vineʼs Qi—it faintly shows signs of new growth! Do not miss this opportunity!”

The farmer-like man, Master Kou, spoke solemnly, his tone tinged with urgency.

Master Kou was the chief spirit plant cultivator of the Ethereal Sect, possessing a superior fourth-rank spiritual planting expertise. He was responsible for tending to this mysterious vine gourd.

The Ethereal Sect, being one of the oldest orthodox sects in Central State, had long stood as the leader of righteous cultivation in the mortal world through countless eras.

“Understood.”

The child-like garden caretaker swiftly took out a command token and sent out a message.

Then, he solemnly took out another jade token and entered the key information.

Within moments…

Several terrifying auras erupted one after another from the sacred grounds of the Ethereal Sect.

Each of these auras was at least a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator capable of dominating an entire remote province.

The final aura to appear was even more terrifying, as it seemed to overlook the mortal world itself, subtly distorting the surrounding void.

“Deity Transformation Realm Heavenly Lord!”

“The Supreme Elder has emerged!”

Countless cultivators within the Ethereal Sect’s sacred grounds trembled in their hearts, their internal spiritual energy spiraling out of control.

The Spirit Garden Forbidden Zone.

Four figures with unfathomable, vast presences appeared before the mysterious vine gourd, observing it intently.

“Greetings to the Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord, and the Sect Master…”

Master Kou and the child-like garden caretaker bowed deeply, their heads nearly touching the ground, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The four figures, however, paid them no attention.

After a long silence, the figure in the center, a woman dressed in a colorful gauze dress with an aura of green mist and leaves swirling around her, finally spoke.

“Master Kou, the Xuanmu Vine Gourd shows signs of regrowth. Are you confident in cultivating a Xuantian Treasure from it?”

Her face was indistinct, shrouded in mist, her entire being dreamlike and ethereal. Her voice was cold and lofty like it came from the clouds of the Nine Heavens.

“Replying to the Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord,” Master Kou responded with utmost respect. “At present, the vine gourd only possesses the possibility of cultivating a Xuantian Treasure. No one can say for sure whether it will succeed. After all, the Xuanmu Vines scattered across the world are not limited to just this one.

”Unless all other Xuanmu Vines are destroyed, only then, with the superior environment of the Ethereal Sect’s sacred grounds, can we have some certainty.”

Master Kou’s words were cautious but carried weight.

“However, our sect’s vine gourd has the second-highest success rate, only behind the vine that may have obtained the Xuantian’s remnant blessings.”

Hearing this, the Ethereal Sect Master, a majestic man clad in a cloud-patterned robe, nodded.

“That vine, which once bore a semi-formed fruit, is currently unaccounted for. According to our intelligence, it is not in possession of any major power on the Heaven Honoured Continent.

”If the current owner lacks sufficient foresight and plucks the fruit prematurely, or lacks the ability to cultivate it properly, then our sect’s chances of success will not be small.”

“If we succeed in cultivating a Xuantian Treasure, the Ethereal Sect will undoubtedly dominate Central State. In the future, we will have a far greater chance of countering the ‘Nine-Five Supreme Treasure Dragon Artifacts’ from the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty,” an elderly late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator said with a smile.

The ancient orthodox sects of Central State, including the Ethereal Sect, held a deep wariness—and even hostility—toward the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty of Fenghua State.

The Great Jin Immortal Dynasty proclaimed:

”Under heaven, all lands belong to the sovereign.”

In the dynasty’s eyes, all sects, whether righteous or demonic, were deemed illegal organizations that must be subjugated or assimilated.

The Great Jin Immortal Dynasty had swept through and unified an entire great province, establishing ironclad rule. It now sought to expand into neighboring provinces, aiming to unify the Heaven Honoured Continent—a feat unprecedented in history.

The Nine-Five Supreme Treasure Dragon Artifacts was a set of fourteen supreme treasures used to suppress the dynasty’s fortune. Once the artifacts were refined into a complete set, they would become unparalleled in power, capable of dominating the world.

It was said that if the Xuantian treasure did not appear, no one would be able to rival it.

“Opportunities related to Xuantian treasures are beyond human control,” the Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord said in a calm, ethereal tone, her voice lingering like an echo. “Do not harbor any delusions.

”If our sect fails to cultivate the treasure, we must quickly deduce and locate where the Lesser Xuantian Gourd will be born.”

“Supreme Elder, Xuantian items disrupt and obscure their heavenly secrets. It is impossible to deduce their location,” the Sect Master in the cloud-patterned robe said with a troubled expression.

The Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord turned gracefully, a faint smile on her face.

“All things in the world follow a pattern of movement.

”The moment a Xuantian Treasure is successfully born, its law energy will resonate with the heavens and the earth. During that moment, the effect of the heavenly secret obscuration will temporarily weaken. At the very least, we will be able to calculate its approximate location.”

“We understand!”

The Nascent Soul cultivators present revealed expressions of reverence.

“Qingchuan, have there been any major events in the past century?”

As the Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord prepared to leave, she casually asked.

“In this world, very few events are worthy of the Supreme Elder’s attention. Recently, however, there is one,” the Sect Master said with a solemn expression, pausing briefly.

“It is rumored that the nine great disciples of the Heavenly One Sect are about to enter the world for training, vying for the position of the next ‘Heavenly One Divine Sovereign.’”

“Heavenly One Sect? Has that person revealed any signs of activity?”

The Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord rarely showed emotion, but this time, her tone carried a trace of unease.

“No news. Based on estimates, the current Heavenly One Divine Sovereign still has more than 300 years of lifespan remaining,” the Sect Master replied, shaking his head.

“When that person’s lifespan nears its end, I fear…”

The Nascent Soul True Monarchs present lowered their voices, not daring to meet the Ethereal Sky Heavenly Lord’s gaze.

They understood why their Supreme Elder was so wary—even fearful.

The Heavenly One Divine Sovereign was one of the most enigmatic figures in the Worldly Wonders series and was hailed as the number one cultivator in the human realm.

The Heavenly One Sect was a mysterious group with very few members—sometimes fewer than ten. It could hardly be considered a sect, and its location was unknown to the world.

The world referred to this small group as the Heavenly One Sect out of respect.

For generations, each Heavenly One Divine Sovereign, before the end of their lifespan, would pave the way for their successor by slaying one of the most powerful Deity Transformation Heavenly Lords in the human realm.

This was not out of personal grievance—it was simply tradition.

For tens of thousands of years, this tradition had never been broken.

After the previous sovereign paved the way, the next successor would inevitably ascend to the Deity Transformation Realm and become the new Heavenly One Divine Sovereign, reigning supreme over the Heaven Honoured Continent.

Even the ancient Ethereal Sect could not guarantee a Deity Transformation cultivator in every generation, and it had experienced occasional periods of decline.

Whenever the Nine Disciples of Heavenly One were born, it would mark the beginning of a 300-year competition for the sole position of successor.

This also signified that the current Heavenly One Divine Sovereign had limited lifespan remaining and would soon pave the way for their successor.

The next two to three centuries would likely become an era of dark silence for Deity Transformation Realm cultivators.

The closer the time came, the higher the likelihood that the Heavenly One Divine Sovereign would act.

…

The Fengyuan Kingdom, deep in the Endless Desert of Great Qing.

Xuan Yin Pavilion, Underground Chamber.

While observing the changes in the Xuanmu Vine, Lan Changʼan had no idea that on the same day, several of the top forces in the human realm were drawn to the disturbance he had unwittingly caused.

The Ethereal Sect, Starmoon Palace, Nine Dragons Hall, and even the Great Jin Imperial Family…

Lan Changʼan instinctively performed some divinations but didn’t sense any danger.

The Xuanmu Vine Gourd’s ability to obscure heavenly secrets was still intact.

As long as this key feature remained active, Lan Changʼan had nothing to fear.

Unless, of course, he foolishly leaked information himself and revealed the vine’s secrets to the outside world.

Squeak, squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat, now the size of a small dog, rubbed against Lan Changʼan’s robe, looking up at him pitifully.

“Fine.”

Lan Changʼan reached out and dug out a small piece of the Five Element Earth that had been “polluted” by the withered Xuan Fruit.

He noticed that the black sheen left behind by the soil’s absorption of the residual blessings was slowly fading.

If he missed this chance, he might never encounter the opportunity provided by Innate Turbid Qi again in this lifetime.

“Thank you, Master, for your generosity!”

The Earth Burrowing Rat was overjoyed. It swallowed the small piece of polluted Five Element Earth and immediately burrowed underground.

Snore, snore!

The Profound Water Turtle, meanwhile, was still asleep, snoring loudly.

Lan Changʼan had observed that the turtle’s internal spiritual energy and bloodline aura were undergoing subtle, gradual changes.

As for what the ultimate transformation would be, even Lan Changʼan couldn’t be certain.

On the other hand, the Earth Burrowing Rat, perhaps due to absorbing less Innate Turbid Qi, didn’t fall into a deep slumber.

Even with the piece of soil gifted to it by Lan Changʼan, the rat’s fortune was clearly inferior to that of the Profound Water Turtle.

However, the Earth Burrowing Rat’s cultivation had already reached the peak of the mid third-rank a few years ago.

At the late stage of Core Formation, there was an obvious bottleneck that even a Half-Step Golden Dan could not easily break through.

Lan Changʼan planned to have the Earth Burrowing Rat spend a few more years to consolidate before attempting to seize the opportunity for a breakthrough.

...

Three months later.

Within the Xuan Yin Pavilion, the cave abode of the pavilion’s chief guest elder was shrouded in a fourth-rank illusion array.

Despite the array, the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy was abnormally restless, catching the attention of Pavilion Master Ni Yue.

Deep within the cave abode, in the cavern beneath…

The Earth Burrowing Rat had resumed its massive form, its body radiating immense demonic energy. As it breathed, clouds of fiendish energy roared and surged around it like muffled thunder.

The rat’s internal demon core, which was partially adorned with golden patterns, had grown even more condensed, expanding by nearly an entire circle.

“A late-stage third-rank great demon!”

Lan Changʼan, meditating inside his cave abode, felt a chill under his feet. The demonic energy raging below the cavern was so violent and frigid that even he, as a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, felt a trace of pressure.

The quality of the Earth Burrowing Ratʼs Core was equivalent to a half-step Golden Dan. Even though it had just broken through to the late stage, the pressure it exuded surpassed that of Fang Zhen from back then.

Meanwhile, in the underground chamber, the Profound Water Turtle had awakened. Its previously vibrant green eyes had grown deeper in color, now an intense dark green.

Pop! Pop!

The bubbles it spat out were no longer light blue or green but instead carried a faint black hue, exuding an icy, eerie aura.

Bang!

When one of these faint black bubbles fell to the ground, it struck with surprising weight, creating a corrosive pit.

Lan Changʼan had conducted some tests. Ordinary third-rank materials couldn’t withstand the Profound Water Turtle’s faint black bubbles at all.

He was now certain that the turtle’s bloodline had mutated to a heavenly grade, not losing to the Five-Colored Peacockʼs bloodline.

The turtle’s innate abilities had also undergone some changes.

Its water-element spells now carried the corrosive power of ultimate yin energy.

Additionally, they had gained characteristics associated with the Heavy Water Divine Ability.

Both of his spirit beasts had made significant progress due to the opportunity they had seized. As their master, Lan Changʼan was both delighted and slightly pressured.

Fortunately, his own body refinement was not far from reaching the late third rank.

After its breakthrough, the Earth Burrowing Rat retracted its demonic energy and focused on stabilizing its new realm.

Several days passed, and the Earth Burrowing Rat remained in secluded cultivation.

As Lan Changʼan sat in meditation, a faint sense of connection suddenly arose in his heart.

Pinching his fingers for a divination, his expression changed.

Lan Changʼan sighed softly, his gaze drifting in the direction of the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world.

There, two old acquaintances and juniors with karmic ties to him were nearing the end of their lifespans.