I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 440: Super Puppet Formation, Fivefold Perfection

Lan Changʼanʼs flying speed was outstanding; he had already selected an injured Demonic faction Nascent Soul cultivator as his target.

Before he could strike, a stream of cloud-white light shot over, blocking his path.

The terrifying spiritual pressure of a mid-stage peak Nascent Soul cultivator made several Nascent Soul experts of the Righteous Dao Alliance feel chills down their spines, forcing them to hurriedly avoid it.

”Hehe, True Monarch Lan, donʼt bully the small with the big. Your opponent is this old man.”

The Grand Elder rubbed his round belly, wearing a gentle and amiable smile.

As a fourth-rank divination grandmaster, the Grand Elder had determined that Lan Changʼan was the greatest threat and variable.

When the decisive battle began, he personally intercepted Lan Changʼan.

Now, during the retreat, he once again locked onto Lan Changʼan.

This scene, falling into the eyes of the True Monarchs from both sides, caused them to be secretly astonished.

This leader of the Beast King Valley’s Demonic Sect clearly regarded Lan Changʼan as a rival on the same level, the greatest threat.
If Lan Changʼan were to strike against other early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from the Demonic faction, it would in the Grand Elder’s eyes, be an act of bullying the weak and demeaning his status.

”Grand Elder, you think too highly of me; this is simply killing me with praise.”

Lan Changʼan sighed, not wanting to fight this ”turtle shell” of a Grand Elder.

Among all the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators he had encountered in Great Qing and Great Yuan, the Grand Elder was undoubtedly the strongest shield.

Even after the war, after absorbing magical treasures like the ”Azure Profound Sword Formation” and greatly increasing his strength to the point he could threaten some mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he still couldn’t do anything against the Grand Elder of Beast King Valley.

This Demonic Sect leader’s eyes were simply too sharp.

Although Beast King Valley had lost the war, in Lan Changʼanʼs view, there hadnʼt been a single wrong decision made by the Grand Elder.

”That Fellow Daoist Lan could rush to reinforce so quickly truly exceeded this old manʼs expectations. No matter what happens today, I must block Fellow Daoist Lan.”

The Grand Elder’s face was calm as he slowly drew a line with his finger.

Dozens of blood-colored, semi-transparent crystal threads emanated a dangerous aura as they flickered and weaved through the void, enveloping the area where Lan Changʼan stood.

”Grand Elder, I fear you will be disappointed again today, once again losing by a single move.”

Lan Changʼan remained unhurried, raising his hand to produce sixteen puppets.

A purple-blue puppet array diagram formed a lightning-arc-shimmering light barrier, blocking most of the blood-colored crystal threads.

”Sixteen puppets?”

The Grand Elderʼs expression shifted slightly; he remembered that during their first clash, Lan Changʼan had only twelve puppets.

An army formation composed of sixteen puppets was enough to contend against an old veteran at the peak of early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation.

Adding Lan Changʼan himself, who could summon treasures and cast defensive spells, the Grand Elder would not be able to break through in a short time.

On the other side, Fairy Xia had already recovered most of her spiritual power after taking medicinal pills and was preparing to come and assist.

”Wenyue, Lord Earthrock, follow Alliance Leader Chu and pursue the Demonic faction Nascent Souls and Beast King Valley’s main forces.”

Lan Changʼan’s face remained expressionless as he transmitted his voice.

”Yes, Master.”

Lord Earthrock turned into a beam of earthy-yellow light and departed from Lan Changʼan’s side.

”Be careful, husband.”

Fairy Xia softly responded, her eyes filled with worry, and she joined Lord Earthrock and the rest of the Nascent Soul powerhouses led by Alliance Leader Chu.

Chu Tianfeng glanced toward Lan Changʼan, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.

If Evergreen True Monarch could hold off the Grand Elder alone, it would free up the combat power of both Lord Earthrock and Fairy Xia.

Then, the Nascent Soul combat strength on the Righteous Dao Alliance’s side would surpass that of the retreating Demonic faction Nascent Souls.

...

”Fellow Daoist Lan, are you being a bit overconfident, thinking you alone can contend against this elder?”

The Grand Elder showed a trace of displeasure as he looked at the departing Lord Earthrock and Fairy Xia.

According to his expectations, at least one of Lord Earthrock or Fairy Xia should have stayed behind to assist Lan Changʼan; only that would have shown proper respect to him as the Demonic Sect leader.

After speaking, the Grand Elder’s gaze turned cold and stern. He raised his hand and summoned two treasures, one a magic treasure, the other a rare artifact.

The first was the compass magic treasure that had appeared before. It flew into the air above Lan Changʼan and the puppet formation, releasing intangible ripples that siphoned mana and spiritual power.

Lan Changʼan immediately felt his mana consumption spike; the control over his treasures and puppets became sluggish, and his overall strength was weakened.

The second was a bronze bas-relief engraved with beast totems, its material simple and ancient.

Wuuu—

After absorbing a massive amount of mana, the bas-relief transformed into a ten-zhang-tall ancient bronze beast. It opened its crimson eyes, its body covered in flowing beast totem patterns, and it emitted a soul-shaking beast roar.

The bronze ancient beast resembled a primordial wild beast. Its metallic bronze fists smashed down with a force not inferior to a fourth-rank demon king.

With divine abilities and magical treasures fully unleashed, the Grand Elder exerted immense pressure.

Crack!

Lan Changʼanʼs protective shield and the puppet formation’s protective barrier around him both showed signs of fracturing, struggling to hold on.

”I am not alone! I still have some confidence in blocking Grand Elder for half a day.”

Lan Changʼan remained composed, and from his storage artifact, a chilling green light shot out.

At the center of the sixteen puppets, another figure appeared, a towering puppet clad in green armor, several zhang tall.

This puppet had a green face and fanged teeth; ghostly flames flickered in its eye sockets, and the puppet pressure it exuded was comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Buzz!

With Puppet Master Wei as the core, the entire puppet army formation burst into a dazzling light of puppet force. The formation’s protective barrier was restored, arcs of electricity crackling and flashing everywhere, greatly enhancing its might.

Boom!

The ancient bronze beast that had charged forward was blasted away by the powerful spiritual light of the puppet formation. Its bronze outer shell split open with a crack.

”A fourth-rank Puppet King!”

The Grand Elder of Beast King Valley cried out in shock, locking his gaze onto the green-armored puppet at the center of the formation.

A fourth-rank Puppet King plus a sixteen-puppet army formation created a defense as solid as a fortress, enough to withstand a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator’s attack for a long time.

This was the strongest form of Lan Changʼanʼs puppet army formation, the Super Puppet Formation!

”True Monarch Lan, you hid very deeply. You actually stepped into the level of a Puppet Crafting Grandmaster?”

The Grand Elder took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart.

Throughout this cultivation war, he had thought he had estimated Lan Changʼan highly and treated him with utmost caution.

But he had never expected that Lan Changʼan still had such unimaginable trump cards. No wonder even True Monarch Cyanwood couldn’t stop him.

”Haha! The world doesn’t know, among all the immortal cultivation arts, my greatest talent has always been puppet crafting!”

”In the nearly one hundred years I disappeared, I secluded myself in the Land of the Two Sects, where I obtained great fortunes and, by chance, achieved the realm of a fourth-rank Puppet Crafting Grandmaster.”

Lan Changʼan laughed boldly. With the addition of the green-armored puppet, he easily fended off the Grand Elder’s full-strength attacks.

The green-armored puppet was a genuine fourth-rank puppet. With Puppet Master Wei as the formation core, it also helped Lan Changʼan share the burden of spiritual sense and mana.

Not only could Lan Changʼan hold off the fierce assault, but he even had the strength to counterattack.

”This young man is truly a monster! Iʼm afraid itʼs really a great power possessing him or reincarnating...”

The Grand Elderʼs expression turned grave, his heart filled with deep apprehension. He also recalled certain rumors about Evergreen True Monarch.

Achieving the level of a fourth-rank Puppet Crafting Grandmaster was even harder than reaching the same level in talisman crafting or artifact forging, and in all of Great Qing, aside from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, such figures were exceedingly rare.

The difficulty and rarity of this achievement was perhaps second only to a fourth-rank Divination Grandmaster.

What the Grand Elder didn’t know was that Lan Changʼan was also a Divination Grandmaster and a Talisman Grandmaster.

The Grand Elder was simultaneously casting his crystal thread divine ability and operating two powerful treasures, causing massive mana consumption. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Especially the bronze ancient beast in its spiritualized state, the mana consumption was terrifying, meaning it could only be used for a short time.

Buzz!

The Grand Elder formed hand seals and summoned the bronze ancient beast back. Its radiance dimmed, and it reverted to a dead, totemic bas-relief, assuming the defensive form of a bronze statue standing in front of him.

The tides of battle shifted.

Lan Changʼan, leveraging the ultimate defense constructed by the fourth-rank Puppet King and sixteen puppets, stood unshakable.

At the core, the green-armored puppet gathered the power of the puppet formation and fired a pillar of purple-blue light, electric arcs swirling around it, forcing the Grand Elder into a defensive stance.

Its offensive power was not much inferior to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator; the Grand Elder could not take it lightly.

Lan Changʼan deftly manipulated the Dragonwood Staff, attacking or defending, advancing or retreating with ease.

Lan Changʼan himself seemed to be taking it leisurely.

But the Grand Elder did not dare to relax even slightly, wary of Lan Changʼan’s lifespan-reducing divine ability and other unknown means.

”Martial Nephew Meng, you must handle the rest with caution! This old man can only hold off Lan Changʼan alone.”

The Grand Elder transmitted a message with a helpless heart to Sect Master Meng.

The Grand Elder continued to tangle with Lan Changʼan, covering for the elite forces of the Demonic faction below who retreated as they fought.

Lan Changʼan’s puppet army, with the genuine fourth-rank puppet Wei at the core, was no longer limited to stationary formation combat; it could now manage a certain degree of aerial combat and pursuit battles.

When Lan Changʼan pursued, Puppet Master Wei led the power of the sixteen-puppet army formation to follow along.

The Grand Elder, needing to cover the retreat of the Demonic faction Nascent Souls and elite army, could not maintain the full escape speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

If he moved at speeds above the early-stage Nascent Soul level, the puppet army would not be able to keep up.

Lan Changʼan had no intention of seriously injuring or defeating the Grand Elder; he retained some strength during the battle.

He focused on monitoring the ongoing pursuit and confrontation between the Righteous Dao Allianceʼs Nascent Souls and the retreating Demonic faction forces, waiting for the opportunity to pick off a suitable target.

...

The battle between Lan Changʼan and the Grand Elder of Beast King Valley left the Nascent Soul cultivators of both sides deeply shaken.

”A fourth-rank Puppet King! Lan Changqing is actually a hidden fourth-rank Puppet Crafting Grandmaster!”

”Evergreen True Monarch hid so deeply. Battling the Grand Elder alone without falling behind in the slightest, his strength probably even surpasses that of Chu Tianfeng!”

The True Monarchs of the Demonic faction camp were all shocked.

If not for the Grand Elder intercepting him, once Lan Changʼan mixed into the fray and charged over, those unaware would hardly be able to defend against him, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

”Even without relying on spirit pets, Evergreen True Monarch can still contend with the leader of the Demonic Sect without defeat!”

On the side of the Righteous Dao Alliance, the Nascent Soul cultivators were both shocked and delighted.

”This... this is the true strength of Lan Changqing!”

Yin Yuanhai drew in a cold breath.

His heart felt faint as he thought back to when he had first met Lan Changʼan and had even volunteered to spar with him.

”Haha! True Monarch Lan truly kept his word! Everyone, follow me to pursue the routed troops and slay these devilish fiends!”

Chu Tianfeng laughed heartily, his voice shaking the clouds.

His tall and heroic figure led the charge at the forefront, clashing fiercely with Sect Master Meng of Beast King Valley, the roar of battle constantly echoing.

The True Monarchs of the Righteous Dao Alliance followed Alliance Leader Chu in pursuit of the Demonic Nascent Souls.

On todayʼs battlefield, although Lan Changʼan had arrived later, the tremendous impact he brought and his overwhelming combat strength had greatly boosted morale.

Even True Monarch Golden Moon who was heavily injured gritted her teeth and joined the battle, enduring her pain.

She knew clearly when Beast King Valley was in retreat, the pursuit stage was the best opportunity to earn merit and seize resources.

”Fortunately... I didnʼt make that choice...”

True Monarch Golden Moon looked at Lan Changʼan battling the Grand Elder and buried her past resentment deep in her heart, feeling a wave of gratitude.

She would never have imagined that the ”Turtle Immortal” who once offended her would reach such heights, now resembling a hidden worldly expert of the immortal cultivation world.

On the other side, Fairy Xia and Lord Earthrock were entangled by two blood-fiend berserk quasi-fourth-rank spirit beasts that lunged at them desperately, disregarding all costs.

The blood-fiend berserk state boosted these quasi-fourth-rank beasts to the threshold of Nascent Soul-level strength.

But ultimately, they were not complete demon kings; in their berserk state, their intelligence had greatly diminished.

Lord Earthrock transformed into its demon king form, viciously beating a giant crab beast; its armor shattered, flesh and blood flying.

Fairy Xia’s Cold Ice Divine Chain trapped the other berserk spirit beast. Snowy-white frost continually condensed and spread across its body.

Boom! Boom!

One after another, crystalline lotus flowers of ice blossomed like eternal glaciers, bombarding the berserk spirit beastʼs head, sending shards of ice, blood, and flesh flying.

”To stop us, Beast King Valley didn’t hesitate to sacrifice two quasi-fourth-rank spirit beasts.”

Fairy Xiaʼs gaze was cold and sharp; her mana surged wildly, snowflakes swirling all around her as she fought to quickly finish off the obstructing targets.

Lan Changʼan observed the situation calmly, secretly nodding.

The blood-fiend berserk state could not last long for spirit beasts; afterward, they would fall into extreme weakness.

If severely injured, the collapse would happen even faster.

Once Fairy Xia and Lord Earthrock dealt with their targets and joined the ranks of Nascent Soul cultivators led by Chu Tianfeng in the pursuit, they would be able to suppress Sect Master Meng and the other Demonic faction Nascent Souls head-on.

The Grand Elder also saw the situation clearly, his brows furrowing slightly.

Fairy Xia and Lord Earthrock were breaking through their obstacles faster than Sect Master Mengʼs side had expected.

The Grand Elder had the intention to assist them, but helplessly, Lan Changʼan remained the greatest threat before him, a veritable great demon king.

...

”True Monarch Lan, could you tell this old man where that far-traveling True Monarch Cyanwood is now?”

The Grand Elder’s gaze flashed as he probed.

The result of Lan Changʼan’s encounter with True Monarch Cyanwood was currently shrouded by the fog of destiny, preventing any divination from peering into it.

If he could obtain some clues, the Grand Elder’s heavenly calculations could then make a more precise judgment of the situation.

Logically speaking, even if True Monarch Cyanwood had been defeated by Lan Changʼan, he should still have retained enough strength for self-preservation.

After Lan Changʼan returned to the main battlefield, Cyanwood should have been able to hide in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

”Youʼll be disappointed, Grand Elder! True Monarch Cyanwood was heavily wounded and defeated by me. He won’t be showing up to cause any trouble on the frontlines.”

Lan Changʼan said indifferently.

He didnʼt mention that he had completely destroyed Cyanwood’s physical body. After all, Cyanwood’s head had been given to True Monarch Jueying.

Lan Changʼan had sealed away most of Cyanwood’s corpse, intending to use it as a medium to later track the real Nascent Soul spirit body of Cyanwood through divination.

The Grand Elder believed most of it, inwardly sighing in regret having lost a strong potential ”ally” from the outside.

Thus, Beast King Valley’s defeat today would inevitably bring unavoidable losses.

Just as the Grand Elder was calculating and strategizing, a simple black feather fan appeared in Lan Changʼanʼs hand. Five primary feathers shimmered with spiritual light in green, blue, red, purple, and cyan.

A sharp and chaotic screech of birds tore through the sky.

Whoosh! Boom!

Five distorted and compressed blasts of multi-colored poisonous flames swept toward the Grand Elder in a fan-shaped pattern. The poisonous fire roared furiously, causing the nearby blood-colored semi-transparent crystal threads to dim and shatter by half.

The five-colored poisonous flames exploded in front of the Grand Elder, but were blocked and buffered by the bronze statue. His protective barrier trembled but did not suffer injury.

”Replica of the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan!”

The Grand Elder found it somewhat troublesome; the poisonous flames from this fan severely restricted the power of his crystal thread divine ability.

Fortunately, it was just a replica, otherwise, even his life-bound heavenly silkworm would have been countered.

The replicas of the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan were not unique in the cultivation world, and their quality varied.

Lan Changʼan’s current poisonfire fan had already been remodeled since he first obtained it, upgraded from four-colored flames to five-colored flames. And given the vast distance from the original place, the Grand Elder couldnʼt recognize its origin.

Just as the Grand Elder dispelled the poison flames around him, a sudden change occurred.

Shoo shoo shoo!

Three feathered poison needles shot out from the hidden mechanism inside the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan, borrowing the cover of the smoke, arriving instantly and striking the Grand Elder’s body.

”Trivial tricks!”

The Grand Elder roared, activating his Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Robe.

Dense, white silken threads shimmered with luster across the surface of the robe, forming a misty protective layer that blocked the three flying needles.

Puff puff puff!

These needle-type treasures specialized in penetrating defenses, all striking the same area on the Grand Elder’s chest.

That area happened to be where the treasure robe had previously been damaged by the Withering Divine Light.

The misty protective layer trembled violently. After the three needles struck in succession, a hole was finally pierced through.

The final feathered needle, using its remaining force, left a shallow wound on the Grand Elder’s body before being shaken off by the vast mana of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

”Lan Changʼan, this level of ambush is meaningless against this old man.”

The Grand Elder raised an eyebrow slightly, though his long-stilled heart had stirred with a faint irritation.

Lan Changʼan had nearly injured him again, even with his guard up.

If it weren’t for his body refinement cultivation on the side, he might have been wounded by the poison needles.

”How would I know if I didn’t try?”

Lan Changʼan said lightly, revealing a strange and subtle smile as he stared at the punctured barrier of the treasure robe.

Taking advantage of the still-unhealed hole, a Barbed Arrow hidden within his sleeve shot out instantly.

This was a Barbed Arrow that hadnʼt been nurtured.

However, at this moment, Lan Changʼan was still in his ”Fourth Life Possession” state; his soul power far surpassed that of most mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

A sharp metallic tearing screech pierced the soul, causing the Grand Elder’s Nascent Soul consciousness to feel a chilling sting.

Material space seemed frozen, the image of a long arrow shadow shot through, reflected vividly in the pupils of the Grand Elderʼs plump Nascent Soul.

”What a vicious soul-killing nail!”

”How can a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator possess such terrifying soul strength!”

The Grand Elder felt a hint of threat, astonishment flashing through his eyes.

Inside his body, his fat Nascent Soul stood unmoving like a mountain, forming hand seals rapidly, causing countless transparent silken threads to cover its surface.

In that instant of the spiritual level, the plump Nascent Soul was wrapped up like a white cocoon, almost resembling a mummy.

Puff!

The long arrow pierced the surface ”cocoon wrapping” of the Nascent Soul, and its soul-destroying force was gradually neutralized layer by layer.

Ultimately, the fat, elderly Nascent Soul groaned in pain, his face turning slightly pale.

”As expected of a Demonic Sect leader! His soul strength rivals my possessed state, and he’s even cultivated a soul defense technique using his life-bound heavenly silkworm!”

Lan Changʼan was not surprised by the result.

When facing targets whose spiritual sense had reached mid-stage Nascent Soul and who possessed soul-defense measures, such as True Monarch Cyanwood’s ghost-mask skull, the Barbed Arrowʼs killing power would be drastically weakened.

Not to mention, the Grand Elder had the cultivation foundation of a peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, far superior to Cyanwood.

At this moment, the Barbed Arrow strike at most lightly injured the Grand Elderʼs mind, causing some chaos and pain.

His life-bound heavenly silkworm would soon heal its masterʼs wounds, so the real threat was limited.

”But it’s enough!”

Lan Changʼan formed a series of hand seals, and the black wings behind him unfolded. Emerald-green light rippled all around him.

At the moment when the Grand Elder’s mind was shaken by the Barbed Arrow, in the center of the puppet formation, the Puppet Master Wei revealed a sinister grin and spat out two blackish-green fangs wreathed in ghostfire.

Just as the Grand Elder stabilized his mind. The two blackish-green fangs had already stabbed toward the hole in his heavenly silkworm treasure robe.

”Another ambush!”

The Grand Elder’s heart seethed with frustration. Having no time to dodge, he hastily mobilized mana to unleash a burst of spiritual light to block.

Boom!

A blackened bloodstain appeared on the Grand Elder’s chest as he forcibly withdrew backward, preventing Lan Changʼan from executing more techniques.

The green-armored puppet retrieved the two painstakingly refined fangs, maintained the puppet army formation, and once again fired a puppet-force light pillar, assaulting the battered Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder stabilized his blood and qi; his treasure robeʼs barrier reformed and he found that Lan Changʼan had no follow-up attack.

”Not good!”

Within his sight, Lan Changʼan, bathed in emerald light, remained motionless, it was clearly not his real body!

At the same time, a streak of black-winged light tore through the clouds, speeding twenty li away.

Tricked!

The Grand Elderʼs face darkened, his heart thudding violently with an ominous feeling.

The green-armored puppet, drawing on the puppet formationʼs strength, continued to assault and entangle the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder broke free from the formation and unleashed his full speed.

But he was still one step too late, he could only watch helplessly as Lan Changʼan dashed toward the retreating Demonic faction Nascent Soul group who were still fighting while falling back.

...

Lan Changʼan sped through the air at full speed, locking onto a wounded Demonic faction Nascent Soul cultivator engaged in battle.

It was a burly man in a purple python-patterned robe, currently being fiercely pursued and attacked by Liang Shaotian, who was engulfed in raging demonic flames, barely managing to hold on.

”True Monarch Guo! Be careful—!”

The Grand Elder and Sect Master Meng transmitted warnings almost simultaneously.

Go!

Lan Changʼan didnʼt hold anything back; he flicked another Barbed Arrow from his sleeve.

A long arrow shadow, flickering with dark-gold ghostly light and exuding an aura that could extinguish even gods and demons, shot through the space almost ignoring the material plane, directly piercing toward True Monarch Guo’s Nascent Soul.

True Monarch Guo felt an unprecedented sense of mortal danger and was terrified out of his wits.

Even though he had received the warning, he was currently locked in a duel with Liang Shaotian and being heavily suppressed, there was simply no way to guard against such a sudden ambush.

Puff! Boom!

True Monarch Guoʼs mind went dizzy and chaotic. The tearing agony from his soul made his consciousness briefly black out.

”True Monarch Lan, you came just in time!”

Liang Shaotian, brimming with a sinister aura laughed loudly, manipulating his Black Dipper Demonic Flames to envelop True Monarch Guo’s body, grinding away his protective shield and spiritual light.

True Monarch Guo’s physical body immediately crumbled into pitch-black ashes.

His consciousness suddenly snapped awake, realizing his physical body had been destroyed. Instinctively, he tried to activate a Nascent Soul escape technique.

However, his near-collapsing, weakened Nascent Soul made his technique sluggish and delayed by half a beat.

Whoosh!

Just as True Monarch Guoʼs Nascent Soul shifted upward, he was caught head-on by a large ghastly green spiderweb.

A numbing, chilling aura seeped into him, making his consciousness heavy and his strength drain even faster.

”Finally caught one!”

Lan Changʼan laughed heartily, remotely retrieving the Ghost Spider Soul Net, within which the Nascent Soul was tightly bound and strangled.

Pretending to take out a sealing talisman, he acted as if he was sealing True Monarch Guo’s weakened Nascent Soul into a jade box. In truth, he secretly used the Nine Seal Stele to devour it.

Buzz!

Deep within his consciousness, the fifth frame of the Nine Seal Stele was suddenly filled with bright, crystalline white light—all five seals lit up completely.

Lan Changʼan didn’t have time to explore it further; behind him, the Grand Elder, furious beyond reason, had already caught up and was chasing after him.

Lan Changʼan was intercepted again, but he remained unconcerned.

A victorious smile spread across his face as he calmly withstood a fierce barrage from the Grand Elder.

...

From the moment Lan Changʼan lightly wounded and repelled the Grand Elder, to when he flew across and cut into the fight between True Monarch Guo and Liang Shaotian, and to the moment he struck and captured the Nascent Soul, all of it took only a few breaths of time.

The high-ranking cultivators on the Beast King Valley side faced this disastrous development without any time to react, some still hadn’t even fully processed what had happened.

At that moment, a shrill rebuke from an elderly woman echoed across the battlefield.

”Zhang Tianfeng! How dare you ambush me—!”

The voice belonged to the Nascent Soul old woman whose physical body had just shattered. She had previously controlled a sky full of ”flying locust swarms.”

A faint black metal rod, crackling with faint red arcs of lightning, smashed the old woman’s physical body and flew back into the hand of Zhang Tieshan.

This insect-cultivator old woman had previously gravely injured True Monarch Golden Moon during the earlier battle.

Not long ago, she had been simultaneously pursued by Golden Moon and Yin Yuanhai.

Zhang Tianfengʼs opponent was True Monarch Fang of the Nether Spring Sect.

True Monarch Fang had been promised rich rewards by the Sect Master of Beast King Valley and the Grand Elder, tasked with keeping Zhang Tianfeng tied down, preventing him from using his remnant spiritual treasure to kill the Demonic faction Nascent Souls.

Fangʼs cultivation techniques grew stronger the stronger his opponent was, and his master had given him life-preserving trump cards, so he reluctantly agreed.

However, no one expected that Lan Changʼan would wound and drive back the Grand Elder, rush across, and instantly kill True Monarch Guo.

This terrifying slaughter shocked all the Demonic faction Nascent Souls, stunning them into hesitation.

True Monarch Fang also lost focus for a moment.

In just that instant, Zhang Tianfeng, replicating Lan Changʼan’s method and learning from it on the spot, unleashed his remnant spiritual treasure to attack the insect-cultivator old woman locked in a desperate fight.

The old woman had also been terrified by Lan Changʼan’s thunderous actions and had been focusing on defending herself during the fight, she didnʼt even have time to react, let alone withstand a spiritual treasureʼs assault.

”Good! True Monarch Tianfeng has also taken down a Demonic Nascent Soul!”

The Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Righteous Dao Alliance were greatly boosted in morale, some even showing traces of envy.

Even during a pursuit battle, killing a Demonic Nascent Soul was still extremely difficult.

”True Monarch Zhang has always been upright, fair, and aboveboard. To think even he would suddenly launch an ambush today…”

Several Nascent Soul cultivators familiar with Zhang Tianfeng, such as Chu Tianfeng and Six Sun True Monarch, looked over in astonishment.

Zhang Tieshan coughed lightly. His slightly tanned face showed no particular expression.

He quickly raised his hand, collecting the scattered treasures, spirit beast pouches, and storage rings left behind by the old woman.

Because the sudden ambush had been too fierce, the spiritual treasure had destroyed her physical body instantly. The old woman was terrified and hadn’t even had time to retract her storage artifacts before her Nascent Soul fled.

Zhang Tianfeng thought secretly:

”Since the remnant spiritual treasure has already been exposed, I might as well learn from old Lan to use any means necessary to hunt down Demonic Nascent Souls and seize even more treasures and resources.”