I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Chapter 415: Thousand Machines Divination, Heavenly Master Reunion

The Proud Moon Palace Master could never imagine that the Black Heaven Wing would unleash formidable power in Lan Changʼanʼs hands after being modified and enhanced.

Thus, she proposed this solution that seemed to not harm Lan Changʼanʼs interests while easing tensions between the two factions.

Finding no common ground, Lan Changʼan soon took his leave.

Amidst the clouds, Lan Changʼan looked back at Proud Moon Palaceʼs mountain gate and began silently calculating with his fingers.

As an ancient Nascent Soul force, Proud Moon Palace naturally possessed mystical artifacts that interfered with external divinations to protect sect secrets.

Lan Changʼanʼs divination target was Golden Moon True Monarch, facing significant resistance and heavenly interference.

Because Fairy Xia faced a future calamity and her masterʼs stance was questionable, Lan Changʼan focused his divination on her.

”There is a certain karmic connection.”

After a while, Lan Changʼanʼs divination yielded preliminary conclusions.

As an Innate Dao Physique cultivator at the late Core Formation stage, Xia Wenyue faced few threats in a normally ordered cultivation world.

Her master, Golden Moon True Monarch, was a senior who could influence her fate.

Lan Changʼanʼs own karma was another factor.

As for the Proud Moon Palace Master herself, the divination results were unclear due to heavy heavenly interference.

Lan Changʼan only confirmed her pacifist stance, she didnʼt want an all-out war with Beast King Valley. If the situation became irreversible, Proud Moon Palace might join the demonic faction as a last resort.

But this didnʼt necessarily mean Golden Moon True Monarch had already colluded with Beast King Valley as a peace faction.

The Unseen Gateʼs two-century-long infiltration had secretly contacted countless forces.

From what Lan Changʼan knew, theyʼd approached the Beast Taming Zhou Family and the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain before.

Having suffered from traitors, the Righteous Dao Alliance had been strictly investigating Unseen Gate spies, even establishing specialized agencies.

If Golden Moon True Monarch were truly a hardline surrender faction, thereʼd been ample opportunities to defect during past demonic wars.

Until the last moment, no Nascent Soul force would willingly surrender sovereignty to become a demonic faction vassal. Normal Nascent Soul forces enjoyed immense benefits ruling their territories.

Moreover, betrayal carried risks.

While individuals could easily defect, bringing an entire sect along was extremely difficult.

The Righteous Dao Allianceʼs Chu Tianfeng, Liang Shaotian, and other war factions werenʼt pushovers.

This included defeated True Monarchs whose sects had been destroyed by demons, their blood feuds with Beast King Valley were irreconcilable.

...

Instead of returning directly to Liang Kingdom, Lan Changʼan suppressed his aura and disguised himself as a Fake Dan cultivator in an unremarkable corner.

Days later, he arrived at a trading city near Beast King Valley territory.

This city was located in the buffer zone between the two factions, originally part of Feng Kingdom.

”A neutral trading hub where both factions can freely trade.”

After registration checks, Lan Changʼan blended into the commercial city.

Merchants setting up stalls included both Beast King Valley and Righteous Dao Alliance cultivators.

Most were backed by merchant groups with ties to cultivation clans and sects.

High-end shops sold advanced resources like beast taming legacies, techniques and divine abilities, open even to Righteous Dao Alliance cultivators.

Rumors suggested top-tier merchant houses had connections to the Six Demonic Sects and even offered Nascent Soul-related treasures, though ordinary cultivators couldnʼt access these.

After observation, Lan Changʼan concluded that premium goods were dominated by Beast King Valley at inflated prices.

However, the Six Demonic Sectsʼ techniques and beast-taming legacies were reasonably priced, it was a form of cultural export.

Righteous Dao Alliance specialty goods, only salable to Beast King Valley, suffered depressed prices.

Meanwhile, cultivation resources imported by the demonic faction commanded premiums.

Less affected were crafted items like talismans, pills, and magical treasures, valued mainly by quality.

However, the Demonic faction hailed from the prosperous Central Region, where cultivation civilization was highly advanced. The artisans there possessed a higher overall skill level, and the competition was fiercer, giving them a clear advantage in terms of costs.

”The civilizational gap, plus trade blockades, leaves the Righteous Dao Alliance economically plundered and culturally invaded...”

Experiencing this firsthand, Lan Changʼan understood why the Righteous Dao Alliance had so many pacifists.

Through trade, the demonic faction showcased its superiority, its advanced cultivation opportunities indeed surpassed the backward Righteous Dao Alliance.

Given another century of this, how could the Righteous Dao Alliance fight back? There might only be fence-sitters and peace faction people left.

Lan Changʼan admired the Beast King Valley strategists behind this approach.

Reportedly, this strategy originated from their Grand Elder.

Lan Changʼan didnʼt suspect this demonic leader was a fellow transmigrator.

The cultivation worldʼs civilization spanned countless millennia, one shouldnʼt underestimate this worldʼs wisdom, especially among those Nascent Soul old monsters.

”Beast King Valleyʼs tactics directly harm the business interests of neutral Wangyue Immortal City.”

Lan Changʼan recalled the Core Formation site from his past.

Both he and Zhang Tieshan had reformed their cores there and Zhu Yuting also formed her core.

Wangyue City remained neutral with mysterious backing, possessing a fourth-rank spiritual vein and trading with Righteous Dao Alliance nations, catering to mid-high level cultivators.

Located between the Liang, Feng, and Heng Kingdoms, routes to Righteous Dao Alliance territories were now controlled by Beast King Valley, making access risky.

At his current level, Lan Changʼan knew Wangyue belonged to a mysterious Central Region merchant alliance, possibly backed by the Ten Xuan Sects.

The Six Demonic Sects wouldnʼt attack this neutral city to avoid provoking righteous factions, but neither would they accommodate it.

...

Returning to Liang Kingdom, Lan Changʼan considered the spatial teleportation channel he controlled at Tinghai Pavilion.

Theoretically, he could profit from arbitrage between regions where specialty goods might differ severalfold in price.

But the reality wasnʼt so simple.

First were risks, frequent large-scale transactions could draw attention.

Second, each teleportation wasnʼt free—it strained the spatial array, requiring rare spatial materials for maintenance.

Thus, without absolute strength, such cross-region trade was only viable for scarce top-tier resources, mainly for personal use.

Transactions would be limited to trusted high-level cultivators or small dispersed sales under hidden identities.

”Once my cultivation and abilities reach their limits, I can consider this properly.”

Lan Changʼan wasnʼt impatient, everything had to be done in its own time.

...

Two years later.

Jin Yun Valley, Sky Maple Mountain.

Within the refinement hall of the Supreme Elder:

”Fellow Daoist Lan, the three Barbed Arrows have been successfully upgraded. Had you not nurtured the main shaftʼs Soul-Nurturing Wood to peak fourth-rank quality, Zhang might not have succeeded.”

Zhang Tianfeng looked somewhat fatigued as the golden-red flames in his palm receded, revealing three upgraded Barbed Arrows.

Compared to their pre-upgraded state, the nails appeared largely unchanged—shafts like arrows, heads like spikes, far smaller than typical magical treasures.

The shafts now exhibited a dark, subdued blue-green aura, while the spike heads gleamed with a dull metallic sheen.

”Excellent. Fellow Daoist Zhangʼs forging talent is extraordinary, you could be called the Righteous Dao Allianceʼs top artifact refiner.”

Lan Changʼan traced the newly added refining patterns on the nails with evident satisfaction, offering generous praise.

Truthfully, Zhang Tieshanʼs upgrade was slightly flawed.

But all three Barbed Arrows now met the threshold for top-grade magical treasure standard, fulfilling Lan Changʼanʼs expectations.

With prolonged nurturing of his Evergreen Nascent Flame, their quality would gradually improve over time.

”You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Lan. This refinement fell short of perfection.”

Zhang Tieshan had indeed given his all, his forging skills werenʼt quite at the level to reliably craft top-grade magical treasures.

Fortunately, since heʼd originally forged the Barbed Arrows, and Lan Changʼan had invested seven-to-eight years of lifespan to nurture the shafts to peak fourth-rank, this was an enhancement rather than creation from scratch, reducing difficulty.

During the process of forging, with guidance from the artifact spirit, made Zhang Tieshan slightly stronger than an average fourth-rank artifact grandmaster.

His damaged spirit treasure contained materials which leaned towards gold and iron ores. The first generation owner of the original Spiritual Treasure happened to be a fifth-rank artifact refiner, allowing the artifact spirit to accumulate considerable forging knowledge.

”For the two spike materials provided on credit, Lan will craft quasi-fourth-rank puppets for Jin Yun Valley in the future.”

Lan Changʼan promised.

Zhang Tieshanʼs stockpile of metal-type treasure materials had saved him considerable time.

”Zhang looks forward to it.”

The Tianfeng True Monarchʼs eyes shone with anticipation, and he suspected that Lan Changʼan might already possess a fourth-rank puppet.

...

Returning to Evergreen Peak Dao Ground, Lan Changʼan descended through tunnels into the underground palace.

Behind layered arrays and restrictions, he tested one upgraded nail.

Beyond soul-attacking potency, its piercing and penetration traits had improved by several tenths.

However, mana and spiritual sense consumption increased noticeably.

As compact treasures, the Barbed Arrows werenʼt suited for direct clashes in combat—a tradeoff for material efficiency. Three nails combined barely matched a standard top-grade magical treasureʼs material volume.

Hence why Lan Changʼan had previously traded with Purple Mist Fairy for the sturdy Dragonwood Staff, which excelled in head-on battles.

”With upgraded Barbed Arrows and Black Heaven Wing, my combat capabilities have progressed markedly since the Seven True Monarchs battle and the demon sealing mission.”

Lan Changʼanʼs confidence swelled, certain he could now establish himself firmly in Great Qingʼs cultivation world.

When the Central Region Twin Dragons first rose to fame, his exotic spirit peacock hadnʼt reached fourth rank either.

Even Lord Earthrock had been given a set of armed treasures, now capable of rivaling veteran early Nascent Souls.

Previously, Lan Changʼan could only stalemate mid-Nascent Souls in prepared positional battles, posing limited threat.

Now with enhanced offense and mobility, he felt confident defeating many mid-stage opponents.

While such strength couldnʼt alter the Eastern Regionʼs overarching trends, it could influence, even dictate, local developments.

His magical treasure arsenal surpassed ordinary Nascent Soul monarchs, and could handle all sorts of situations:

Top grade were Black Wind Cloak, Barbed Arrows, and Black Heaven Wing.

Less frequently used treasures included the Purple Gourd and sea banner left behind by Shazhai True Monarch.

”Now that Iʼve returned to Great Qing, this treasure can be employed in specific environments.”

Lan Changʼan summoned a sea banner resembling the Ocean Sky Saint Banner.

Infused with mana, aquatic radiance swirled across its surface.

This sea banner was crafted by Shazhai based on their inheritance. Its quality was slightly inferior to the saint banner, but it consumed less spiritual energy, making it more suitable for cultivators in the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.

During their battle, Shazhaiʼs cultivation had regressed from peak condition, preventing full manifestation of its power.

Previously in Great Yuan, Lan Changʼan had sealed it away to avoid exposing characteristics recognizable by Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects.

...

”The demonic war wonʼt reignite immediately. During this peace, I should visit Fengyuan Kingdom.”

With treasures enhanced, Lan Changʼan planned to fulfill an old debt.

When leaving Great Qing years ago, heʼd owed the Heavenly Master a favor.

The Fengyuan Kingdom also held lingering connections—Fairy Niyue of Xuan Yin Pavilion, descendants of Master Lihuo, and Guan Qiaozhiʼs reincarnation Yun Ling.

From there, the Two Teaching Territory would be within reach to help Puppet Master Wei settle his vengeance per their agreement.

Summoning Puppet Master Wei, they mapped out itineraries and specifics.

”True Monarch Lan is indeed true to his word.”

Puppet Master Weiʼs excited voice carried gratitude through the puppetʼs eye sockets.

In appreciation, he disclosed a secret about the Thousand Mechanisms Sectʼs legacy:

”Thousand Mechanismsʼ heritage traces to Heaven Honoured Continentʼs Central State. Their supreme secret art, Thousand Machines Divine Transformation Art, is a sacred puppetry technique from the puppet crafting holy land.”

”It boosts puppet-crafting success rates and control precision. Most remarkably, it dramatically tempers and strengthens a cultivatorʼs spiritual sense.”

Lan Changʼanʼs heart raced at the description.

Merely the spiritual sense enhancement qualified it as a top-tier mental art.

His current puppet knowledge was fragmented—accumulated from collections, Nascent Soul memories, and Puppet Master Weiʼs teachings.

While Weiʼs legacy included advanced control techniques for more refined manipulation, it paled against Thousand Machines Divine Transformation Art—a diluted peripheral version at best.

Despite Weiʼs genius, heʼd been betrayed by allies after crafting his first fourth-rank puppet, his wife and daughter violated and murdered before reaching Thousand Mechanismsʼ inner circle to access the supreme art.

”Old Wei, donʼt worry! Should we obtain Thousand Machines Divine Transformation Art, weʼll study it together.”

Lan Changʼan smiled warmly, patting the puppeteerʼs shoulder.

By keeping promises and sincerely aiding vengeance, heʼd earned Weiʼs trust—enough to ”collude” with an outsider for the sectʼs supreme art.

Of course, Puppet Master Wei wasn’t without his own selfish motives, the Thousand Machines Divine Transformation Art held undeniable allure for a puppetry prodigy like him. No doubt he longed to study its secrets.

...

The next day, Lan Changʼan visited the sectʼs main hall to meet with the current sect master Huo Zhen.

Huo Zhen, a mid-Core Formation cultivator, and Zhang Tianfengʼs personal disciple, had previously met at Zhangʼs cultivation site.

”True Monarch Lan, this jade slip contains intelligence regarding Nightless City.”

Sect Master Huo performed a juniorʼs bow, his tone respectful as he presented the slip.

”Good. You have my thanks.”

Accepting the slip, Lan Changʼan scanned its contents with spiritual sense.

As the sectʼs grand Grand Protector, many tasks could be delegated to juniors rather than handled personally.

”Former Nightless Town, under the management of Nightless Immortal Jiang Yecheng, expanded into Nightless Immortal City. Today, it stands as a sanctuary for loose cultivators in the Liang Kingdom, also sheltering refugees who fled from other nations during the demonic war.”

”Eighty years ago during that very war, Jiang Yechen fortuitously obtained an opportunity to advance to late Core Formation, securing his position as Liangʼs top loose cultivator.”

Lan Changʼan arched an eyebrow, he hadnʼt expected Jiang Yechen to progress further.

The man had decent aptitude but lacked backing. Lan Changʼan had assumed heʼd remain stuck at mid-Core Formation like Huanglong Immortal.

”Shi Xiaochuan, Core Formation realm, inherited formation master Shi Manrongʼs legacy, surpassing his master. Now Nightless Cityʼs chief formation master overseeing city defenses.”

Shi Xiaochuanʼs achievements aligned with expectations.

With high-grade spiritual roots and formation talent, nurtured by Jiang Yechen and Fairy Shi, he qualified as an elite second-generation cultivator.

During Lan Changʼanʼs past visit to Nightless Town, gifting Fairy Shi life-extension pills, heʼd met the youthful Shi Xiaochuan who left a favorable impression of obedience.

They hadnʼt crossed paths since.

”Three years since my return to Liang Kingdom, yet this junior hasnʼt paid respects or even sent a visiting card?”

Lan Changʼan frowned. Surely he wouldnʼt lower himself to visit Nightless Town begging the youth to honor their promise?

”It seems Jiang Yechenʼs subsequent teachings fostered some prejudice against me.”

The reasons werenʼt hard to deduce.

Influenced by his adoptive father, Shi Xiaochuan possessed enough pride to avoid currying favor, even if there was a formal promise of a favor.

”The cultivation worldʼs winds shift endlessly, this True Monarch doesnʼt believe you wonʼt have the day you need to seek help.”

With detached amusement, Lan Changʼan dismissed thoughts of visiting Nightless Town.

If they refused to claim his pledged favor, he felt no guilt.

From what he gathered, Nightless Cityʼs position in the Liang Kingdom wasnʼt as glorious as imagined.

Representing loose cultivators and sheltering refugees inevitably created friction with mainstream sects.

The city fell within the Golden Sun Sectʼs sphere of influence.

With dual Nascent Souls maintaining deep-rooted power, Golden Sun controlled over two-thirds of Liangʼs territories.

Nightless Cityʼs growth faced Golden Sunʼs pressure, with merchant groups infiltrating to carve interests, mirroring Huanglong Immortal Cityʼs past.

But with demonic invasion threats and alliance restrictions, Golden Sunʼs tactics were more restrained than Flame Departing Palaceʼs overt takeover.

...

Half a month later.

Fengyuan Kingdomʼs border.

A scholarly middle-aged man in blue robes traversed endless sandstorms on azure light, arriving at the ancient desert civilization.

”A century later, Fengyuanʼs harsh environment remains unchanged.”

Xu Xuan gazed at distant oasis specks, insignificant amidst raging yellow tempests.

Returning here, the familiar sights felt like yesterday.

Yet perspectives differed.

His profound eyes discerned an invisible heavenly web woven over centuries, deeply rooted in this desert nationʼs fate.

”Heavenly Masterʼs divination path intertwines with national fortune, prospering and declining together, with both advantages and disadvantages.”

Compared to the past, Lan Changʼan perceived far more.

Whoosh!

Before him, desert winds howled as sands coalesced. A single snowflake crystallized amidst the scorching heat.

”Which uninvited True Monarch visits Fengyuan?”

The swirling sands and snow formed a statue-like figure—a frost-robed Daoist with hands clasped behind his back. Though lifeless, the sculpture seemed one with the desert itself, radiating natureʼs boundless majesty.

”Heh. Has the Heavenly Master forgotten Xu so quickly after a mere century?”

Lan Changʼan chuckled.

Boom!

As he stepped onto Fengyuanʼs soil, two fourth-rank divination forces collided through fateʼs threads, shattering the surrounding heavenly web.

Ripples spread through the mystical river of destiny, altering countless mortal livesʼ trajectories.

”So it is you!”

The statueʼs voice held no surprise.

Yet the ensuing shockwave of clashing destinies made the Heavenly Masterʼs consciousness quake with stunned realization:

”You... actually reached this realm as well...”

New novel thatʼs equally as fun^^ Five Immortal Sects