I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Chapter 406: The Great Qingʼs First Battle, The Peacockʼs Shock

The dark water-like light behind her surged like a monstrous tidal wave, pressing down on Zhu Yuting with suffocating force.

She had already exhausted a great deal of her vitality, pushing her escape technique to its limits and even using a superior-grade third-rank escape talisman. Yet, the distance between her and her pursuer was closing rapidly.

The sound of crashing waves echoed above her head, and the shadow of a massive spirit turtle loomed over Zhu Yuting, enveloping her completely.

On the turtleʼs back stood a familiar figure in white robes, his gaze fixed on her.

Boom!

A deep, dark water sphere shot toward her, smashing into her defensive treasure and sending it flying. Her protective barrier shattered like paper, collapsing instantly.

Zhu Yuting let out a cry, blood spilling from her lips as she collapsed to the ground. Her shoulders and back were caved in, her elegant palace robes stained with blood, and her bones were shattered.

”True Monarch Lan, spare me! I admit my wrongs!” Zhu Yuting, pale and trembling, knelt and kowtowed.

The power of the Profound Water Turtle was far more terrifying than she had imagined. With just a single strike, it had left her, a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, severely injured and utterly defenseless.

”Fairy Zhu, what wrongs have you committed?” Lan Changʼan, seated on the turtleʼs back, asked with a faint, mocking smile.

”In my early years, the country I belonged to, Heng, was overrun by the Beast King Valley. I had no choice but to reluctantly join the demonic faction. Later, I was coerced by an elder from the Beast King Valley to infiltrate the Jin Yun Valley as a guest elder, acting as a spy and providing them with information.”

”The scheme to deceive you, True Monarch Lan, was orchestrated by True Monarch Ten Thousand Crane. I was merely a pawn, forced to act against my will...”

Zhu Yutingʼs face was filled with sorrow, her delicate features trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She spoke of her plight with a voice that could move even the hardest of hearts.

Listening to her explanation, Lan Changʼan couldnʼt help but find it amusing.

With just a few words, Zhu Yuting had shifted all the blame away from herself, painting herself as the true victim.

The Righteous Dao Alliance had seen more than one or two of its member nations fall to the demonic faction. Many cultivators and sects, their countries destroyed and families lost, had retreated to the remaining three nations of the alliance, yet they had not surrendered.

Zhu Yuting had simply chosen to bet on the demonic faction, believing in the Beast King Valleyʼs strength. All her other excuses were nothing but empty words.

Years ago, when Lan Changʼan had assumed the identity of Nie Yuan, he met Zhu Yuting and her grandmother in the Wangyue Immortal City. They had both reached the Core Formation stage at the same time.

After Nie Yuan had formed his Immortal Golden Dan, Zhu Yuting had dropped her previous aloof demeanor and began addressing him as ”Big Brother Nie.” She had even given him a token, inviting him to visit Heng Kingdom in the future.

At the time, Lan Changʼan had thought that Heng Kingdom, being behind the front lines, might serve as a potential retreat in the future.

But he had never expected that the Beast King Valley would later flank the Feng Kingdom and swiftly conquer Heng, which had no Nascent Soul-level forces to defend it.

”Fairy Zhu, since you admit your guilt, you will accompany me to Jin Yun Valley to face judgment,” Lan Changʼan said, his expression cold and unyielding.

”True Monarch Lan, you canʼt do this!” Zhu Yutingʼs voice trembled, her face pale with fear. Her delicate fingers clawed at the dirt beneath her.

If she were taken back to Jin Yun Valley, as a traitor and spy, she would face certain death. Even if she managed to cling to a sliver of life, she would be reduced to a slave or laborer, living in perpetual darkness.

”True Monarch Black Feather of the Beast King Valley is this concubineʼs lord! The Righteous Dao Alliance and the Beast King Valley have signed a peace treaty for trade. You canʼt go against the rules and take me away...”

Zhu Yuting, in her desperation, revealed her backer.

”Go against the rules?” Lan Changʼan sneered. ”The rules of the Great Qing cultivation world are set by us Nascent Soul cultivators. Do you truly believe the Beast King Valley would go to war over a mere outer-circle Core Formation cultivator like you?”

Before she could respond, a wave of dark water transformed into binding ropes, wrapping around Zhu Yuting and rendering her immobile.

Slap!

With a crisp sound, Fairy Zhuʼs disheveled and battered body was thrown onto the hard shell of the turtle.

Lan Changʼan pointed a finger, and a streak of emerald light shot out, sealing Zhu Yutingʼs cultivation.

”Mmmph...”

Bound and gagged by the dark water, Zhu Yuting could only let out muffled whimpers.

...

The Profound Water Turtle continued its journey across the waves, drawing closer to the borders of Jing Kingdom.

Suddenly, Lan Changʼan sensed something and turned to look behind him.

A streak of black light was approaching at an astonishing speed, like a blazing meteor of demonic fire, cutting through the clouds and covering hundreds of li in an instant.

Where it passed, a dark, howling wind followed, and within it, a pair of majestic black wings, spanning several meters, could be seen.

The wings extended downward, revealing a young True Monarch clad in black feathered robes, his shoulders sharp as blades.

”What wild cultivator dares to lay hands on this lord’s woman!” True Monarch Black Featherʼs voice was cold and sharp, his gaze like that of a hawk as it locked onto the distant figure of the Profound Water Turtle and the white-robed youth.

His speed far surpassed that of an ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivator, and he quickly closed the distance.

At first, Lan Changʼan was startled, thinking it might be a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

But upon closer inspection, he realized it was an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, though one exceptionally skilled in movement techniques, aided by the black-winged magical treasure on his back.

”This woman is a traitor and spy of the Righteous Dao Alliance. I am taking her back to my sect for judgment. Do you have a problem with that?” Lan Changʼan narrowed his eyes, studying the man and silently calculating his strength.

”So, itʼs the Turtle Immortal who fled all those years ago?” True Monarch Black Featherʼs spiritual sense swept over Lan Changʼan, confirming his Nascent Soul cultivation. He was slightly surprised.

He had once been a Saint of the Beast King Valley and was quite familiar with the Peacock Saintess. As such, he had some knowledge of the Turtle Immortal from a century ago.

”I am True Monarch Black Feather, an elder of the Beast King Valley,” the black-robed man declared, his tone domineering. ”Zhu Yuting is my concubine. Hand her over, apologize, and I may let this matter slide. Otherwise, I will not overlook your previous killings and transgressions.”

As an elder of the Beast King Valley, with speed unmatched in the eastern region of the Great Qing, True Monarch Black Feather had little regard for a newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivator from a backwater area.

On the turtleʼs back, the bound Zhu Yuting looked up at True Monarch Black Feather in the sky, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Due to various constraints, the Beast King Valley had been unable to fully conquer the remaining three nations of the Righteous Dao Alliance. Feng Kingdom, the largest of the three, had only a third of its territory seized.

The Righteous Dao Alliance, being relatively weaker, had been forced to sign an unequal trade agreement after the war.

Cultivators from both factions could now trade in designated areas, but the Righteous Dao Allianceʼs channels were heavily restricted. They could either trade internally or sell their goods at low prices to the Beast King Valley. Meanwhile, the Beast King Valley faced no such restrictions, their trade routes extending across the eastern region.

In this context, the status of a Nascent Soul elder from the Beast King Valley was naturally higher than that of one from the remaining three nations of the Righteous Dao Alliance.

”Even if the Beast King Valleyʼs sect master were to appear before me today, I would still take this woman back to Jin Yun Valley to face justice,” Lan Changʼan replied calmly, standing his ground.

Returning from the Great Yuan, he was not one to be intimidated by an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Beast King Valley.

”Very well! Since you insist on being stubborn, donʼt blame me for overstepping and teaching you a lesson on behalf of Alliance Leader Chu,” True Monarch Black Featherʼs eyes turned icy, and he extended a hand, his Nascent Soul-level power gathering as he made a grasping motion toward the ground below.

Whoosh!

A storm of black sand and wind erupted, plunging the area into darkness. At the center of the swirling black wind, sharp black feathers spun like blades, cutting through everything in their path.

The ground was torn apart, leaving deep ravines, and nearby hills were reduced to rubble.

Both Lan Changʼan and the Profound Water Turtle were caught in the storm.

Zhu Yuting, still bound, felt True Monarch Black Featherʼs killing intent and realized with horror how little he cared for her life.

True Monarch Black Feather had long admired the Peacock Saintess since his Core Formation days.

His primary wife and Dao companion had perished in the Demonic War decades ago.

Rumors had it that True Monarch Black Feather wished to make the Peacock Saintess, Pei Shuyuan, his new Dao companion, forming a powerful alliance with True Monarch Ten Thousand Craneʼs faction.

His earlier domineering attitude had not been for the sake of a mere Core Formation concubine like her.

He had sought to use this opportunity to teach Lan Changʼan a lesson and gain favor with Pei Shuyuan and True Monarch Ten Thousand Craneʼs faction.

...

”True Monarch Black Feather, thereʼs no need to be eager. A mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator isnʼt enough to make Lan flee.”

Lan Changʼan, enveloped by the storm of black wind and sand, saw through True Monarch Black Featherʼs intentions. The man was clearly worried that Lan Changʼan would avoid a direct confrontation and simply run away.

It seemed that the tales of the ”Turtle Immortal” from a century ago had left a deep impression on the Righteous Dao Alliance.

The Profound Water Turtleʼs body shimmered with a thick layer of water, and it summoned several heavy, dark water orbs to collide with the spinning black feather blades.

The Profound Water Turtle, with its mutated Heavenly-grade bloodline, had refined some of the Profound Nether Heavy Water from True Monarch Netherwater, granting it combat power far beyond that of most late-stage Core Formation cultivators.

However, the gap in cultivation realms meant it could only barely hold off the attacks.

Lan Changʼan stood calmly on the turtleʼs back, his hands forming seals. A verdant light swirled around him, giving rise to thick, dragon-like emerald vines that coiled around the water barrier, blocking the most threatening black feather blades.

The spinning black feather blades, sharp as the winds of the heavens, cut through the emerald vines with ease.

Yet, Lan Changʼanʼs Evergreen Technique was unyielding, and more vines sprouted endlessly, wrapping around the barrier and rendering True Monarch Black Featherʼs attacks ineffective.

”This ʼTurtle True Monarchʼ isnʼt as weak as the rumors suggest,” True Monarch Black Feather thought, raising an eyebrow. The large-scale spell he had unleashed was quite taxing, yet his opponent had countered it with ease.

The Profound Water Turtleʼs mutated bloodline, comparable to a Heavenly-grade spirit beast, also caught True Monarch Black Featherʼs attention.

He set aside his earlier disdain and tapped the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

Screech!

A piercing cry echoed through the sky, accompanied by a violent gust of wind that tore through the air.

A massive black owl-like bird appeared in the clouds, its cat-like head and wingspan even larger than the Profound Water Turtle.

”A quasi-fourth-rank Black Owl,” Lan Changʼan noted, unsurprised. The strength of Beast King Valley cultivators lay not only in their combat prowess but also in their ability to control spirit beasts.

”True Monarch Lan, trying to gain an advantage with a spirit beast in front of a Beast King Valley cultivator is a mistake,” True Monarch Black Feather said with a cold smile.

At his command, the Black Owl stirred up a violent gust of wind and dove down from the sky with speed comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator. Its sharp claws aimed directly at the Profound Water Turtleʼs head.

To prevent Lan Changʼan from intervening, True Monarch Black Feather summoned an ancient longbow. As he poured his spiritual power into it, a golden arrow nearly ten feet long materialized on the bowstring, locking onto Lan Changʼan.

Whoosh!

The golden arrow shot forth like a bolt of lightning, reaching Lan Changʼan in an instant. Its sharp aura carried a faint sense of threat.

Lan Changʼan had already summoned the Dragonwood Staff, which transformed into a towering ancient tree nearly a hundred zhang tall. The surface of the staff was etched with the image of a blood-red dragon, and a low dragonʼs roar emanated from it.

Boom!

The golden arrow, though incredibly penetrating, collided with the heavy staff and exploded into a burst of golden energy, which was easily blocked.

At the same time, the Profound Water Turtle retracted its head into its shell. The thick water barrier around it was torn apart by the Black Owlʼs claws, but the metallic clang that followed indicated that the turtleʼs shell had withstood the attack.

The dark green patterns on the turtleʼs shell, resembling leaf veins, were only slightly scratched by the Black Owlʼs claws. The damage was negligible, not even qualifying as a minor injury.

Whoosh!

The Profound Water Turtle manipulated several heavy, dark water orbs filled with yin energy, hurling them at the Black Owl.

The Black Owl, agile and swift, flapped its wings and easily dodged the orbs, preparing to retreat.

But at that moment, the four late-stage puppets on the turtleʼs back formed a formation, unleashing a crystalline beam of light that intercepted the Black Owlʼs escape route.

”A puppet army formation!” True Monarch Black Featherʼs expression changed drastically.

The four puppets were all superior-grade third-rank, each a rare treasure in the eastern region. When combined into a formation, their attack was powerful enough to threaten the Black Owl.

Boom!

The Black Owl was struck by the crystalline beam, leaving a charred wound on its wing. Its body swayed, its speed drastically reduced, and it nearly lost its balance and plummeted.

Though spirit birds were highly mobile, their physical strength and defense were far inferior to scaled beasts of the same level.

As the Black Owl struggled to stabilize itself, it was soon bombarded by the Profound Water Turtleʼs water-based spells and heavy water orbs. It was quickly overwhelmed, unable to break free.

”Hmph, a quasi-fourth-rank spirit bird should be worth more than Fairy Zhu,” Lan Changʼan quipped with a smirk, as if he had stumbled upon a ”buy one, get one free” deal.

He formed a seal with his hands, and the Dragonwood Staff transformed into a massive pillar of shadow, crashing down toward the Black Owl with immense force.

”Stop!” True Monarch Black Feather shouted, firing another golden arrow from his ancient bow in an attempt to force Lan Changʼan to defend himself.

Such a massive staff-like magical treasure would place a heavy burden on both spiritual power and spiritual sense.

Lan Changʼan initially considered using his quasi-fourth-rank physical strength and wood-based spells to deflect the golden arrow.

”But itʼs rare to encounter a lone Beast King Valley Nascent Soul...” he thought, changing his mind.

He activated a fourth-rank treasure talisman, creating a brilliant metallic barrier.

Though fourth-rank talismans were less powerful than magical treasures of the same level, they could still absorb most of the attackʼs force. The remaining energy from the golden arrow was easily blocked by Lan Changʼanʼs protective barrier.

True Monarch Black Featherʼs plan failed, and the quasi-fourth-rank Black Owl paid the price.

Boom!

The Black Owl was struck by the Dragonwood Staff, letting out a mournful cry as its feathers scattered and blood sprayed.

Lan Changʼan held back slightly, then formed another seal. The surface of the towering ancient staff glowed with emerald light, and vines sprouted from it, wrapping around the severely injured Black Owl and binding it tightly.

The Dragonwood Staff, having been refined and nurtured over the years, had grown even more powerful than when Lan Changʼan first obtained it.

...

”How dare you—!”

Seeing his Black Owl spirit beast captured and his attacks failing, True Monarch Black Feather was both shocked and furious. For the first time, he felt a sense of urgency.

Raising a quasi-fourth-rank spirit beast required an immense amount of time and effort.

True Monarch Black Feather stowed his ancient bow and flapped the black wings on his back, closing the distance to Lan Changʼan in an instant.

He then drew a bronze halberd, a weapon infused with ancient treasure materials, perfect for close combat.

Hum!

The bronze halberd shimmered with dark green patterns, expanding to twenty or thirty zhang in length. It radiated a fierce, metallic aura, resembling an ancient divine weapon, and thrust toward Lan Changʼan with immense force.

True Monarch Black Featherʼs strategy remained the same: he needed to force Lan Changʼan to retreat in order to rescue his Black Owl. Directly attacking the Dragonwood Staff risked harming his own spirit beast.

”Impressive speed!” Lan Changʼan praised, glancing at the black-winged treasure on True Monarch Black Featherʼs back. It seemed to have been fused with his flesh and ribs through some beast-taming secret technique.

The bronze halberd posed a greater threat, and Lan Changʼan couldnʼt ignore it.

At this moment, the Dragonwood Staff was busy restraining the Black Owl, consuming a significant amount of spiritual power and spiritual sense. If Lan Changʼan were to recall it, it would play right into True Monarch Black Featherʼs hands.

Lan Changʼan stepped forward, his body glowing with emerald light as he prepared to meet the halberdʼs strike head-on, relying on his physical strength and cultivation.

Splat!

The emerald light shattered, and Lan Changʼanʼs figure was pierced by the bronze halberd, exploding into a shower of wooden fragments.

”Not good, itʼs an illusion technique!” True Monarch Black Featherʼs expression changed drastically as his full-powered strike hit nothing but air.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two figures of Lan Changʼan, both glowing with emerald light and exuding the aura of early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, appeared on either side of True Monarch Black Feather.

True Monarch Black Feather used his spiritual sense and spirit eye technique to inspect them, but for a moment, he couldnʼt determine which was real.

A sinking feeling settled in his heart. This was bad.

Earlier, he had been fooled by a hastily conjured wooden clone. But now, even in a direct confrontation, he couldnʼt see through the illusion. This meant either Lan Changʼanʼs cultivation and spiritual sense surpassed his own, or Lan Changʼan had mastered this illusion technique to an extremely high level.

And techniques with the word ”illusion” in their name usually required exceptional spiritual sense to master.

Just as True Monarch Black Featherʼs attention was focused on the two wooden clones, a sudden explosion erupted behind him.

Boom!

A nearby hill shattered, releasing a surge of earth demonic energy.

In an instant, a storm of yellow sand and wind enveloped True Monarch Black Feather, his protective barrier creaking and flickering as tiny cracks began to form.

With his spiritual power focused on controlling the bronze halberd and his attention divided by the wooden clones, his defenses were weakened, and his reaction was delayed.

”A fourth-rank demon king!” True Monarch Black Feather exclaimed, realizing the danger he was in. Cold sweat dripped down his back.

A fourth-rank earth-attribute demon king had been hiding here, and he hadnʼt noticed it at all?

Whoosh!

One of the wooden clones closed in on True Monarch Black Feather in an instant.

Ten Thousand Withered Vine Hand!

Lan Changʼan swung his arm, which swelled and extended into a massive vine-covered hand, over ten zhang long, reaching out to grab True Monarch Black Feather.

This wood-based demonic technique, which Lan Changʼan had been practicing since his Core Formation days, was highly refined. It could capture enemies and drain their life essence.

Under normal circumstances, True Monarch Black Featherʼs mobility would have allowed him to activate his Black Heaven Wings and evade the attack with ease.

But now, he was entangled in the yellow sandstorm conjured by Lord Earthrock, and a pulling force from the ground, an earth-binding technique that further restricted his movement.

”Break—!”

In a desperate move, True Monarch Black Featherʼs eyes turned bloodshot as he unleashed a burst of spiritual power and spat out a mouthful of blood essence.

Whoosh!

The black wings on his back flapped, releasing a wave of black wind and demonic flames that blocked and burned away the ”Ten Thousand Withered Vine Hand.”

Even the sandstorm and earth-binding force were mostly dispelled.

A Nascent Soul cultivator in a state of explosiveness was naturally far more powerful.

True Monarch Black Feather channeled his spiritual power into his Black Heaven Wings, and a fierce wind began to swirl around him. He was on the verge of breaking free, ready to escape with speed comparable to a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Lan Changʼan smirked, forming a hand seal and summoning the Cold Ice Divine Chain.

A silver-glowing chain, radiating icy cold, extended dozens of zhang and slowly coiled toward True Monarch Black Feather.

But given True Monarch Black Featherʼs speed, it seemed he would escape before the chain could reach him.

Just then, an unexpected change occurred.

As True Monarch Black Feather was about to soar into the clouds, his body suddenly faltered. His spiritual power circulation was blocked, and his face turned a sickly shade of blackish-red.

”Fourth-rank poison!”

True Monarch Black Featherʼs scalp tingled as he felt dizzy and weak, his spiritual power failing him.

”Too late to realize now,” Lan Changʼan said coldly, his eyes flashing with killing intent.

He immediately activated the Cold Ice Divine Chain, which wrapped around True Monarch Black Feather, whose speed had drastically decreased. A layer of frost began to spread across his body.

The poison and frost worked together, thoroughly suppressing and binding True Monarch Black Feather, leaving him unable to escape.

Earlier, when Lord Earthrock had launched its sudden attack and breached True Monarch Black Featherʼs protective barrier, the yellow sandstorm had been laced with fourth-rank poison.

To ensure Lord Earthrock remained hidden, Lan Changʼan had even lent it the Black Wind Cloak, allowing it to remain undetected even by Nascent Soul Great Cultivators while underground.

...

At the border of Righteous Alliance Jing Kingdom.

The intense battle between the two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, along with their spirit beasts, naturally drew the attention of both factions due to the massive disturbances and spiritual energy fluctuations.

Warning formations and barriers were triggered repeatedly.

”A True Monarch battle! Run for your lives—!”

Cultivators from both sides within hundreds of li fled in panic.

At this level of combat, even the residual shockwaves from the True Monarchsʼ battle could easily kill ordinary cultivators who got too close.

At one point, a long, resonant crane cry echoed from the direction of the demonic faction.

”Greetings, Immortal Pei!”

”Salutations, Peacock Immortal!”

Scouts and patrol cultivators from the Beast King Valley bowed respectfully.

A third-rank white spirit crane gracefully flew over, carrying a woman in colorful, flowing robes. Her beauty was peerless, worthy of being called a nationʼs treasure. Her every movement exuded elegance and aloofness.

She sat sideways on the crane, her crystal-clear calves and jade-like feet visible beneath the hem of her colorful skirt.

”That turtle Lan, has already reached the Nascent Soul stage...”

The Peacock Saintess, sensing the battle from afar, clenched her teeth. Her moon-like eyes revealed both humiliation and hatred.

To be precise, the title of ”Peacock Saintess” was now a thing of the past.

Her age had surpassed the limits for being a Saint or Saintess, and without breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, she could no longer bear the title of a prodigy.

Pei Shuyuan had been with True Monarch Black Feather, inspecting the border area, when they received news of the Profound Water Turtle. She had followed closely behind.

”With True Monarch Black Featherʼs unparalleled speed, as long as he can keep Lan Changʼan occupied until reinforcements from the Beast King Valley arrive...”

The Peacock Saintess tilted her swan-like neck, her heart filled with anticipation.

Her path to Nascent Soul had been cut off, and her greatest wish was to exact revenge. Every time she recalled her humiliating defeat and the days of captivity, she would silently curse Lan Changʼanʼs name.

”Where there is persistent longing, there will be an echo.”

After a hundred years, Lan Changʼan, who had disappeared from the eastern region of the Great Qing, had finally reappeared!

”Not good! A fourth-rank demon king...”

From her vantage point, Pei Shuyuanʼs beautiful face suddenly paled.

She bit her lip and tried to reassure herself, ”No need to worry. Even with two Nascent Soul-level combatants, they canʼt do much to True Monarch Black Feather.”

However, just a few breaths later, the spiritual energy aura of True Monarch Black Feather within the storm of yellow sand began to dim rapidly.

”How... how is this possible?”

Pei Shuyuanʼs stunning face showed an expression of utter disbelief.

Even if True Monarch Black Feather were to lose, it shouldnʼt happen this quickly, right?

Suddenly!

A piercing scream echoed across the sky, carrying a soul-rending roar:

”Lan Changʼan, you cunning turtle! Today, with your underhanded schemes, poison, and ambush, youʼve destroyed my physical body and stolen my treasures and spirit beast... The Beast King Valley and the Six Sacred Sects will never let you go!”

Turtle Lan back in action babyyy!