I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 422: Controlling the Storm, Imitating Evergreen

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Chapter 422: Controlling the Storm, Imitating Evergreen

The next day, Lan Changʼan revealed his presence and entered the Feng Kingdom’s cultivation world. The aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator triggered the sensing formation.

Within the Righteous Dao Alliance, Lan Changʼan didn’t need to worry about ambushes or schemes from Beast King Valley. That level of difficulty would be equivalent to entering Beast King Valley’s territory and killing a Nascent Soul powerhouse there.

Moreover, as a fourth-rank divination grandmaster, if he intentionally concealed himself, it would be nearly impossible for others to track his movements precisely.

“True Monarch Lan.”

With the sound of rushing wind, Yin Yuanhai arrived in a windmill-like vehicle to receive him.

Compared to his previously warm attitude, Yin Yuanhai now wore a solemn expression, showing no emotion.

After exchanging formal greetings, Lan Changʼan boarded the windmill and spoke in a low tone:

“I deeply regret what happened to your junior martial brother. I’ve come to the Feng Kingdom on behalf of Jin Yun Valley specifically to pay respects at Endless Palace.”
“Junior Brother Situ’s funeral was already held simply at Endless Palace. There’s no need for True Monarch Lan to attend personally, each sect has sent people to convey condolences.”

Surprisingly, Yin Yuanhai didn’t intend to take Lan Changʼan to Endless Palace.

Lan Changʼan silently reflected: this could either mean Endless Palace held resentment toward him and didn’t welcome him, or they wished to handle things low-key, avoiding attention and giving others something to gossip about.

“True Monarch Lan came at just the right time. My master has recently invited the Righteous Dao Alliance leadership to the main headquarters to discuss important matters.”

Yin Yuanhai explained his reason for coming.

Lan Changʼan nodded slightly, so it was the second possibility.

Making a grand show of Situ Lan’s funeral and stirring up hatred would actually serve no purpose.

Doing so would elevate public expectations and put the Righteous Dao Alliance in the spotlight. If they failed to take strong action afterward, it would only make them seem loud but weak, tough in words but soft in reality.

Secondly, it would place Lan Changʼan in an awkward position.

After all, on the surface, Situ Lan had been killed because of Lan Changʼan, as part of Beast King Valley’s revenge.

Chu Tianfeng’s invitation to the Righteous Dao Alliance’s upper echelon was likely to discuss concrete countermeasures—a practical move, not to turn his disciple’s death into a public argument with Beast King Valley.

On the way, Yin Yuanhai added solemnly:

“My master asked me to relay this message: Situ Lan’s death has nothing to do with True Monarch Lan, it was the scheme of Beast King Valley. When we arrive at the main headquarters, there’s no need to bring up this matter again.”

“Alliance Leader Chu is truly magnanimous. I, Lan Changʼan, feel ashamed.”

Lan Changʼan clasped his hands in apology, while inwardly feeling relieved.

On his way here, he had still been pondering how to speak to ease tensions with Endless Palace and the alliance leader.

He hadn’t expected Chu Tianfeng to quietly hold the funeral and take the initiative to dispel any resentment.

This kind of calm and rational handling was easy to understand, but hard to practice.

If it were one’s own child, even the most composed parents would find it hard to stay level-headed.

In the cultivation world, bonds between master and disciple that had lasted for centuries could, in some cases, run deeper than blood ties.

...

Upon arriving at the Righteous Dao Alliance’s headquarters, a golden moon-like streak of Nascent Soul light appeared in the skies over the Feng Kingdom.

“Palace Master Golden Moon has arrived too.”

Yin Yuanhai and Lan Changʼan paused outside the headquarters to wait.

The Nascent Soul light descended before the two of them, revealing True Monarch Golden Moon, wearing a phoenix crown atop her head. After brief formalities, she addressed them.

“Fellow Daoist Yin, my condolences. Situ Lan had extraordinary talent and an innate Dao body. To fall victim to Beast King Valley’s retaliation is a great loss to the Righteous Dao Alliance.”

True Monarch Golden Moon sighed in sorrow and pity.

Then, turning her phoenix eyes toward Lan Changʼan, her gaze cold, she spoke bluntly:

“True Monarch Lan, if you had listened to this palace’s advice back then, the relationship between the two factions wouldn’t have deteriorated to this point. The demonic sects are known for repaying every slight, how could they possibly let this go?”

A few years ago, when Lan Changʼan had visited Proud Moon Palace, she had suggested a compromise:

Since the Black Heaven Wings weren’t something Lan Changʼan could fully utilize, it would be better for the Righteous Dao Alliance to purchase it from him, and then return it to Beast King Valley during negotiations to ease tensions between the two factions.

The current outcome seemed to confirm the “foresight” of True Monarch Golden Moonʼs suggestion at the time.

“But now that things have come to this, there’s no point in discussing it further. My master has already made a firm decision, Junior Brother Situ’s death has nothing to do with True Monarch Lan.”

Yin Yuanhai spoke expressionlessly, brushing past the topic.

“Sigh, I cared too much about my personal interests, not as broad-minded as Fellow Daoist Golden Moon, who keeps the big picture in mind.”

“One day, if Beast King Valley makes even more excessive demands, I trust that Fellow Daoist Golden Moon and Proud Moon Palace will step forward, willing to sacrifice and contribute for the sake of the Righteous Dao Alliance.”

Lan Changʼan gave a light, sarcastic reply, not continuing the debate with True Monarch Golden Moon.

After all, he was planning to poach someone from Proud Moon Palace, namely, taking Fairy Xia as a concubine, so there was no need to get into a petty squabble with her now.

...

Upon entering the main hall of the headquarters city atop the mountain, Lan Changʼan saw that besides Chu Tianfeng sitting in the lead position, there were also the two elderly Nascent Soul cultivators who had lost their sects.

“My condolences, Alliance Leader Chu.”

After exchanging formal greetings, everyone took their seats in the grand hall.

Chu Tianfengʼs expression remained calm, no sign of grief was visible. Only a slight weariness and traces of hardship could be seen etched on his face.

Since Chu Tianfeng had already made a prior statement on the matter, Lan Changʼan didn’t mention any “responsibility” of his own, nor did he offer formulaic regrets or apologies.

After waiting for a little less than half a day, Six Sun True Monarch of the Golden Sun Sect and Li Hai of the Xuan Yin Sect arrived one after the other.

Jing Kingdom had only one Nascent Soul cultivator, who was currently stationed at the frontlines. Li Hai, a Core Formation cultivator, came to mourn on behalf of the Xuan Yin Sect. He received the invitation midway and came in his master’s place.

“Junior Li Hai greets True Monarch Lan.”

Li Hai was respectful in attitude, deliberately paying his respects to Lan Changʼan and presenting himself as a junior.

Lan Changʼan looked over at Li Hai.

Now appearing middle-aged, he wore a black robe and stood tall and sturdy, having reached the peak of Core Formation.

From his facial features, Lan Changʼan faintly recalled that hundreds of years ago in the Green Underworld Mysterious Realm of Liang Kingdom, this had been the once-sharp and high-spirited top disciple of the Xuan Yin Sect.

Li Hai was an earth spiritual root talent, actually even more gifted than his master. Unfortunately, due to the Xuan Yin Sect’s limited foundation over the years, they couldn’t produce a second set of Nascent Soul breakthrough resources during his generation. As a result, he missed the optimal age to form a Nascent Soul.

Once all the high-ranking representatives had arrived, Chu Tianfeng finally began the main discussion: how to respond to Beast King Valley’s counterattack.

It wasn’t only about Situ Lan’s assassination.

The Six Demonic Sects had been stirring significantly in recent years, with Nether Spring Sect now able to send support to the others.

Right at this juncture, Beast King Valley launched a hardline counterstrike.

“Situ Lan was killed by a newly risen Nascent Soul cultivator of Unseen Gate in recent decades, True Monarch Jue Ying.”

“Jue Ying is extraordinarily gifted and specializes in stealth and assassination. He’s mastered a shadow-based divine ability that allows him to remotely manipulate shadows to kill, a threat that borders on Nascent Soul level. For a lone Core Formation cultivator, it’s nearly impossible to resist such an attack.”

“During this assassination, Endless Palace uncovered an internal traitor among their core disciples. An Unseen Gate stronghold was raided in the Feng Kingdom, but their key members had already been relocated. Only a Fake Dan cultivator and several Foundation Establishment members were captured.”

Chu Tianfeng first explained the internal details of the incident.

Had it not been for the intelligence leak and the backing of a Nascent Soul-level assassin from Unseen Gate, Situ Lan as Chu Tianfeng’s direct disciple, would not have been so easily taken down by a few Core Formation cultivators.

“True Monarch Jue Ying?”

Lan Changʼan murmured the name, recalling Xing Peng’s elder cousin, the former Shadow Hall Master.

During the battle with True Monarch Shazhai back in the day, Unseen Gate had suffered heavy losses, and only the Shadow Hall Master had survived.

Out of regard for Xing Peng’s dying plea, Lan Changʼan had once spared the unconscious Shadow Hall Master, offering him a chance to live.

At the time, Lan Changʼan was only at late Core Formation and had seen that this man’s fate was unusual, clearly a top talent favored by Unseen Gate’s upper echelons. He had some reservations.

So, under the alias “Daoist Tianji,” Lan Changʼan gave him healing pills and left him with only a name and a back view.

Now, a century later, the Shadow Hall Master had indeed achieved greatness, he had become one of Unseen Gate’s major figures.

...

In the grand hall, there was a clear divide between pro-war and peace factions on how to respond to Beast King Valley’s counterstrike.

Six Sun True Monarch frowned in thought and said, “Alliance Leader Chu has already uncovered the traitor and struck at an Unseen Gate stronghold, that’s a decent result. In the next few years, the three nations of the Righteous Dao Alliance can intensify investigations, rooting out Unseen Gate’s infiltrators. Once enough is achieved, we’ll have an explanation for the public.”

“Eradicating Unseen Gate’s spies has always been standard practice. How can it be brushed off like this?”

“A demonic sect broke the unspoken rules and mobilized Nascent Soul-level power. We must respond with equal force, make them pay an equivalent price.”

So said True Monarch Wei, formerly of Blood Sword Valley, whose sect had been destroyed. The wrinkles on his leathery face deepened as his displeasure grew visible.

True Monarch Golden Moon sneered coldly:

“Beast King Valley only retaliated because they found a justifiable excuse. One of their Nascent Soul elders had his body destroyed, of course the demonic sects would respond.”

“This palace agrees with Fellow Daoist Six Sun. It’s best not to escalate the conflict. We must avoid the outbreak of a full-scale cultivation war. Just have a public response, that’s enough.”

Li Hai, still at Core Formation, spoke more cautiously:

“In my view, Beast King Valley’s actions are likely tied to the broader strategy of the Six Demonic Sects. Even without the incident with Black Feather True Monarch, they would’ve found another excuse.”

“This move may well be a test of our bottom line, an attempt to divide the Righteous Dao Alliance from within.”

Chu Tianfeng’s face remained unreadable, like an ancient well without ripples. Occasionally, a thoughtful look passed over him, but he gave no clear opinion.

“True Monarch Lan, do you have any suggestions?”

The Alliance Leader’s calm, deep gaze finally landed on Lan Changʼan.

With both his own strength and that of his spirit pet, Lan Changʼan represented the equivalent of two Nascent Soul-level forces, giving him significant influence in the Righteous Dao Alliance.

Lan Changʼan responded with composure, but his words were startling:

“I suggest the Righteous Dao Alliance use this incident as a pretext to mobilize troops along the border, deploy high-level cultivators, and station Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Let the alliance enter a semi-war-prepared state, putting real pressure on Beast King Valley.”

True Monarch Golden Moon’s expression turned cold, her voice stern:

“True Monarch Lan must be joking! For the sake of so-called pride, you’d reignite a cultivation war, plunging millions of cultivators into misery and bloodshed?”

“One reckless move, and we lose the room to maneuver, it may become an abyss with no return! You would go down as a sinner across all the alliance’s nations for a thousand years!”

“Ahem… Fellow Daoist Golden Moon, that’s a bit harsh. My proposal isn’t about avenging Situ Lan’s death, nor simply a matter of face.”

Lan Changʼan couldn’t help but sweat a little, he hadn’t expected Golden Moon’s reaction to be this sharp.

Still, it was true. These Nascent Soul True Monarchs here each held immense power. The fate of countless cultivators, of all living beings in this region, hung in their hands.

The other True Monarchs were surprised but fell into thoughtful silence.

Even Golden Moon seemed to reconsider and eased her expression slightly.

“True Monarch Lan’s thinking aligns with mine.”

Chu Tianfeng’s face finally revealed a hint of approval, and he made his stance known:

“If the Righteous Dao Alliance remains passive, we won’t pose any deterrent. Beast King Valley may send one or two Nascent Soul elders, or even a fourth-rank beast war machine, to support the Blood Spirit Sect and Illusion Demon Palace.”

“If that happens, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance will be crushed from all sides, and the situation will collapse.”

“If the Seven Kingdoms Alliance is destroyed, the Righteous Dao Alliance will be next. At that point, we’ll have lost all bargaining power and become meat on the chopping block.”

These words sent chills through everyone present.

Even the peace faction couldn’t bear the thought of having no negotiating leverage, left to the mercy of their enemies.

“True Monarch Lan’s proposal is workable. It demonstrates a firm countermeasure and pressures Beast King Valley, perhaps enough to stop them from sending aid to the demonic sects in the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.”

Six Sun True Monarch’s deep voice added support, even though he leaned pro-peace, he chose to agree.

With the Alliance Leader, Lan Changʼan, and Six Sun True Monarch all in agreement, the other cultivators naturally couldn’t object.

Soon after, the Righteous Dao Alliance would begin mobilizing major sects, entering a state of semi-war preparation.

This was Lan Changʼan’s first time participating in a major strategic meeting of the Righteous Dao Alliance, a moment where he rose to become a master on the chessboard, influencing the grand fate of an entire cultivation region.

...

In the half-day that followed, the elders present discussed the personnel and resource allocations required for the state of war readiness.

Due to the complexity of the vested interests involved, only a general outline could be settled at first. Further detailed discussions and coordination among the various cultivation forces would be needed afterward.

After the meeting concluded, the representatives from each faction left the Righteous Dao Alliance headquarters.

Lan Changʼan chose to stay behind alone.

As an elder of the Righteous Dao Alliance, during a time of war preparation, it was perfectly reasonable for him to remain here and cultivate.

“I’ll trouble you, Alliance Leader Chu. I may stay at the alliance headquarters to cultivate for some time,”

Lan Changʼan said with a smile.

Chu Tianfeng couldn’t help showing a trace of surprise.

He had thought Lan Changʼan was going to raise some important matter for discussion, he didn’t expect him to actually intend to linger for a while.

After all, Chu’s own personal disciple had been assassinated as part of retaliation connected to Lan Changʼan. At this moment, their relationship was subtly strained; one would normally avoid close contact.

“There are two matters that bring me to stay at the alliance headquarters,”

Lan Changʼan said calmly:

“First, I’m willing to assist in exposing and eliminating any spies or hidden bases planted by Unseen Gate or Beast King Valley within our alliance. At the very least, we must root out mid-to-late True Dan cultivators from their upper ranks, only then will this match the scale of the demonic faction’s counterattack.”

“Unseen Gate excels at infiltration and concealment. Does True Monarch Lan have confidence in succeeding?”

Chu Tianfeng stood with his hands behind his back, posture as imposing as a mountain peak, his temperament noble. His otherwise tranquil face now showed a hint of delight.

“I’d say there’s a 50–60% chance of success,”

Lan Changʼan said with a light chuckle, his tone relaxed.

As long as the Righteous Dao Alliance provided him with sufficient intelligence and leads, his fourth-rank divination grandmaster skills could be used to uncover upper-level demonic infiltrators beneath the Nascent Soul stage. The difficulty wasn’t too high.

The key was that Beast King Valley and Unseen Gate had no idea Lan Changʼan possessed fourth-rank divination abilities.

At most, they assumed he was protected by fate or destiny, possibly shielded by the Heavenly Master’s blessing or a treasure that concealed his presence from divine calculations.

“These are intelligence reports the alliance has gathered.”

Chu Tianfeng, clearly trusting Lan Changʼan, took out a jade slip engraved with confidential information and handed it to him.

“There’s also a small matter I’d like to ask the alliance leader to assist with…”

Lan Changʼan then brought up the matter of taking a concubine.

“Now that we’re entering a wartime readiness phase, transferring Xia Wenyue to a post here at the alliance headquarters wouldn’t be hard to arrange. However, if Fellow Daoist Golden Moon finds out afterward, she may take issue with it.”

After hearing the details of Lan Changʼan’s clearly freeloading plan, Chu Tianfeng was taken aback, his expression twitching ever so slightly.

Lan Changʼan could have simply paid a price and taken a concubine openly and honorably.

Of course, Chu could also see that Lan Changʼan and True Monarch Golden Moon did not get along, he clearly didn’t want to let her benefit from anything.

“Heh… If the Righteous Dao Alliance has the chance to produce another Nascent Soul cultivator, surely we canʼt align with Golden Moon’s peace faction and lean completely toward Proud Moon Palace, would we?”

Lan Changʼan laughed lightly.

“True Monarch Lan, could it be…?”

Chu Tianfeng was visibly moved. For the first time, a hint of surprise appeared in his sharp eyes as he looked directly at Lan Changʼan.

Lan Changʼan gave a slight nod, confirming the implication.

“If that’s the case, then I will fully support it!”

Chu Tianfeng was overjoyed and immediately agreed.

As the leader of the Righteous Dao Alliance, Chu Tianfeng had long been deeply concerned about the lack of high-end combat power within the alliance.

Out of sentiment for his master-disciple relationship, he had given Situ Lan a chance, but the disciple still needed to secure part of the Nascent Soul formation resources himself.

Situ Lan failed, and the portion of resources he had prepared was taken by Unseen Gate after his death.

Though Chu Tianfeng was filled with grief, he had to maintain composure and handle matters impartially, without letting his emotions show.

Now, Lan Changʼan’s proposal was like a pillow arriving just when one needed sleep.

Beast King Valley had used a flimsy pretext to snuff out one of the alliance’s future Nascent Soul hopes. If the Righteous Dao Alliance could swiftly cultivate a new Nascent Soul, it would be the most powerful way to slap them back in the face.

Lan Changʼan, seeing that Chu Tianfeng had both the breadth of mind and the willingness to support talented cultivators outside his own sect, decided to confide in him about the plan.

...

Half a month later.

The Righteous Dao Alliance had officially entered a state of war preparation and strategic deployment. Among the three cultivation nations, unease was inevitable, and various disruptions began to appear.

Some low and mid-tier cultivators, unaware of the real situation, tried to flee after hearing rumors.

As a result, they were caught red-handed by law enforcement cultivators, who had already been prepared for such incidents.

These false mobilizations turned out to be incredibly effective in flushing out hidden issues, exactly as Lan Changʼan had predicted.

The cultivators caught trying to flee were, of course, subject to strict punishment.

Among them, some tried to justify themselves, shouting:

“We’re not running away! We’re just following the example of Evergreen True Monarch! First, we protect ourselves, then, when our cultivation is complete, we’ll return to repay our homeland!”

This immediately stirred up a chorus of echoing voices:

“Exactly! Our spiritual power is too weak now. Our determination to resist the demonic path is reserved for the future!”

Smack! Smack!

A Fake Dan law enforcer immediately responded with a few crisp slaps across their faces.

“You dare tarnish the name of Evergreen True Monarch? That’s an added offense!”

“Ah?!”

The cultivators who had just tried to ride on Evergreen’s name were stunned on the spot.

The same thing Evergreen True Monarch could do but they couldn’t.

Mentioning his name not only failed to earn them leniency, but it actually made their punishment worse?

“Hmph! Ignorant juniors… You dare to dream of imitating the Legend of Changqing?”

The Fake Dan law enforcer sneered with disdain.

“Why not go and inquire where the strategy to capture so many of you runaways came from?”