I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 461: Outsmarting Two Monarchs, Great Luo’s Defeat and Fall

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”This is the promised reward.”

”The imperial court is strict in matters of reward and punishment. No meritorious subject will ever be shortchanged.”

The Yu Emperor’s voice was slow and deep, laced with hidden meaning.

”Thank you for Your Majesty’s generous reward.”

Lan Changʼan stowed away the Golden Scale Blood and the Azure Sparrow Plume, delighted enough to offer his gratitude and fealty without reluctance.

This was payment for slaying a Nascent Soul cultivator of an enemy nation, it was not something to be bartered away cheaply.

The imperial court had, after all, kept its word. Despite the unexpected death of the Red Refinement True Monarch, they had honored the promised reward without any complications.

Of course, this was mainly because the court still needed him, one of their great pillars of power. They wouldn’t burn the bridge just yet.

Lan Changʼan surmised that the court merely suspected his involvement in the Red Refinement’s death, they weren’t entirely certain. Their earlier words had been a veiled warning, not an accusation.
”Your Majesty’s sudden arrival at the Water Moon Mountain battlefield, does it mean the situation has shifted?”

Lan Changʼan’s eyes flickered slightly as he probed.

The Yu Emperor was the Great Yu’s sharpest spearhead in the campaign against Great Luo. Every move he made influenced the entire battlefield.

”This matter is also related to you, True Monarch Xiang.”

The Yu Emperor nodded, his expression easing into a rare faint smile as he revealed the current situation.

On the primary battlefield, the Yu Emperor’s distant presence had been enough to menace the heartland of the Great Luo Kingdom.

True Monarch Cloud Thunder and a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator from Yaqi Mountain had joined forces to pin the Emperor down, tightly restraining his movements.

Otherwise, the threat he posed to ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators would be too great.

Even a single mid-stage cultivator was no match for the Emperor. Though their lives might not be at immediate risk, prolonged combat would almost certainly end with them gravely wounded.

But then, Lan Changʼan had slain Fairy Luo at the strategic chokepoint of Water Moon Mountain, shaking Great Luo to its core and forcing the agile Cloud Thunder True Monarch to rush to reinforce the front.

With Cloud Thunder gone, the mid-stage Yaqi cultivator had no choice but to focus on defense, however in the end, they couldn’t withstand the assault of the Azure Dragon Sword.

Ultimately, they chose a strategic retreat, falling back to Great Luo’s imperial capital.

The capital was guarded by a mid-grade fourth-rank formation and an aging Nascent Soul cultivator from the Luo imperial clan. It would not be easily breached in a direct assault.

Thus, the Emperor had shifted focus to capturing Water Moon Mountain first. Once the rear was secured, he would gather his full might to encircle and attack Great Luo’s capital.

”I see.”

Lan Changʼan understood, that Great Yuʼs campaign was entering its final siege phase.

”If Your Majesty appears on this battlefield, I assume another of Yaqi Mountain’s heavyweights will arrive soon as well?”

If reinforcements didn’t come, not even Cloud Thunder could hold out. Not with both the Emperor and Xiang Dalong launching a joint assault.

”Correct. Yaqi’s ‘Monarch Nine Willows’ is on their way. Theyʼre a wood-element cultivator, skilled in defense and endurance.”

”In the coming battles, True Monarch Xiang need only keep Cloud Thunder occupied. As for rewards rest assured, I promise they’ll exceed our previous agreements.”

The Yu Emperor was fully aware that Xiang Dalong never moved without incentive, so he issued the mission directly and guaranteed further payment.

”Cloud Thunder’s escape techniques are swift and elusive. I can’t make any promises but I’ll do what I can.”

Lan Changʼan appeared somewhat reluctant, agreeing only after a show of hesitation.

The Emperor glanced at him sideways and asked coolly, ”Does True Monarch Xiang have any other concerns?”

”Fighting a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator consumes a great deal of vital energy and blood essence. I’ve heard rumors of a secret imperial technique, the Blood Refining Demon Scripture which extracts essence from demonic beasts to strengthen the body and refine vitality. Perhaps such a method could aid me?”

Lan Changʼan smiled warmly as he spoke.

”The Blood Refining Demon Scripture? That technique is obscure even within the imperial archives. It’s not something outsiders should know. How did you...?”

The Emperor’s eyes flickered with surprise, nearly suspecting a mole within the imperial court.

After a moment’s contemplation, however, he agreed to Lan Changʼan’s request, albeit to be fulfilled after the war.

...

Shortly after, Lan Changʼan left Emperor Yuʼs palace in high spirits.

He had learned of the Blood Refining Demon Scripture from Fairy Luo’s memories.

The Great Yu imperial ancestor, a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator in his time, had once hunted sea beasts in the outer seas, acquiring this foreign secret art.

Inside the palace…

The Yu Emperor stood still in the grand hall, divine light flashing across his eyes as he watched Lan Changʼan’s departing figure.

Xiang Dalong had already asked for the sacred body-refining medicine Golden Scale Blood, and now he sought the Blood Refining Demon Scripture, this only confirmed their suspicions.

Xiang Dalong clearly intended to deepen his cultivation along the body-refining path.

Far from discouraging him, the court welcomed it. They would be happy to see him pour more of his time, effort, and resources into such a difficult path.

Ever since the ancient Heaven Honoured world fell, the path of body cultivation had become incompatible with heaven and earth, its restrictions greater, and breakthroughs far harder to achieve.

Its ceiling was also lower than that of orthodox qi cultivation.

Hence, fourth-rank body cultivators were exceedingly rare, almost as rare as Nascent Soul Great Cultivators.

Reaching late-stage fourth rank in body refinement was almost as difficult as producing a Deity Transformation Heavenly Lord in the human realm.

If Xiang Dalong remained focused on proper cultivation and his mastery of puppet arts, his future advance to mid-stage Nascent Soul would make him a towering threat.

But now, his ambition had gotten the better of him, he wanted to master body refinement as well.

If such distraction stalled his advancement, preventing him from ever reaching mid-stage, the court would be all too pleased.

...

Floating War Fortress, True Monarch’s Residence.

”This Azure Sparrow Plume contains a trace of the True Spirit Azure Phoenix’s bloodline. Once Fellow Daoist Lan completes the spirit nurturing, it can serve as a key wing feather for the Exotic Spirit Peacock Puppet. It’s a pity it’s a solitary material, and our puppet-refining skills fall short, otherwise, we might have elevated it to mid-grade fourth-rank.”

Puppet Master Wei examined the Azure Sparrow Plume in hand, showering it with praise, though his tone held a tinge of regret.

At present, the two of them lacked the ability to craft a mid-grade fourth-rank puppet, not merely due to material limitations.

”The Exotic Spirit Peacock’s power already exceeds most puppets of the same rank. Infusing it with the Azure Sparrow Plume will further enhance its strength, especially its speed in flight.”

Lan Changʼan had no grand expectations from the beginning.

Avian beasts specialized in flight and escape; when the Exotic Spirit Peacock went all out, its fleeing speed could rival that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

After their assessment, the two concluded that, once the upgrade was complete, the Spirit Peacock’s speed could be compared to Lan Changʼan himself while using the Black Heaven Wings.

During the campaign, time was tight, and Lan Changʼan didnʼt dare consume lifespan to nurture the Azure Sparrow Plume. It wasn’t something that could be accomplished in a short span.

He then took out the Golden Scale Blood, contemplating briefly.

Years ago, he had used the Blood Dragon Fruit in an attempt to break through to fourth-rank body refinement but failed, achieving only a quasi-fourth-rank level.

The two medicines were of similar grade.

However, Golden Scale Blood was a fully refined grand medicinal elixir, incorporating many rare ingredients, its theoretical efficacy was greater and better suited to human cultivators.

The current imperial lineage of Great Yu lacked exceptional body-refinement geniuses. No one could fully withstand the potency of this medicine, and the imperial family was disinclined to see its heirs misled into delving too deeply into the path of body refinement.

Were it not for this, the court would never have offered Golden Scale Blood to Lan Changʼan as a reward.

In the short term, Lan Changʼan could consider using it, alongside the many rare body-refinement elixirs he’d gathered over the past two centuries, to make another attempt at reaching true fourth-rank body cultivation.

”Sixty to seventy percent chance…”

After a rough calculation, Lan Changʼan shook his head.

The imperial court’s Blood Refining Demon Scripture allowed one to refine the blood of fourth-rank demonic kings to strengthen one’s body and essence, boosting the odds of advancement.

The court’s reputation was reliable enough, obtaining the Scripture would not be difficult.

As for fourth-rank beast blood…

The Great Yuan region bordered the sea. Unless one needed a vast amount, it could be sourced from within the central region, there was no need to venture into the outer seas.

”In theory, the higher the bloodline grade of the demon king, the better the result...”

Lan Changʼan thought of an ideal target:

Profound Water Monarch.

That turtle had absorbed more remnant aura of the ancient Xuantian relic and evolved into a variant bloodline of heavenly grade.

Profound Water Monarch tended the Xuanmu Vine Gourd year-round, and its blood might even contain traces of auspicious fortune.

Of course, there was an even better candidate, the Human-faced Flood Dragon of the Black Fog Mountain Range in the Eastern Region of Great Qing!

That creature was a direct descendant of a True Spirit, its bloodline truly surpassed the heavenly grade.

Once a creature’s bloodline reached even ten percent of a True Spirit’s, it could be called a True Spirit Descendant, possessing the innate legacy of a divine beast.

These descendants could awaken their ancestral powers through cultivation and, in theory, evolve into complete True Spirits, rivals of True Dragons and Phoenixes.

But that was merely theoretical.

In the human realm, with its depleted spiritual essence, a True Spirit Descendant was like a dragon stranded in the shallows, its path of advancement was harder than that of humans.

Only in a world like the Fallen Immortal Realm was there even a faint chance of this becoming reality.

Lan Changʼan suspected that even if he reached mid-stage Nascent Soul, he might not be able to defeat the Human-faced Flood Dragon. Trying to obtain its blood essence was pure fantasy.

Hmm... best to stick with Profound Water Monarch.

...

Half a month later.

The Yu Emperor personally arrived at the frontlines, rallying seven True Monarchs and an army of hundreds of thousands to launch a direct assault on Great Luo’s strategic stronghold, Water Moon Mountain.

Spirit boats and magical warships darkened the skies, their murderous aura shaking the very mountains.

The Yu Emperor stood atop a cloudborne dragon-beast chariot, his Imperial Dragon Robes billowing as he looked down on Water Moon Mountain, now protected by a fourth-rank formation.

Behind him, the seven True Monarchs including Lan Changʼan stood ready to back the assault.

Lan Changʼan felt fortunate that he stood on the Emperor’s side, not against him.

Once the Emperor appeared on the battlefield, the once-arrogant “True Monarch Cloud Thunder” cowered within Water Moon Mountain, not daring to utter a word.

The Yaqi Mountain giant, “Monarch Nine Willows,” also remained within the formation, her eyes filled with dread.

Monarch Nine Willows was a modest-looking female True Monarch. Her dark cyan vine armor was embroidered with winding black willow patterns, and beneath her feet, dark green willow tendrils extended deep into the mountain forest, continuously drawing spiritual power.

The Yu Emperor launched the first strike.

Roooar—!

A dragon’s roar and a sword’s cry rang out across the heavens.

With a dominating gaze, the Emperor unsheathed the Azure Dragon Sword, his Imperial Dragon Robes flaring as the phantom of a five-clawed golden dragon surged behind him.

Lan Changʼan could sense the flood of Great Yu’s imperial dragon fate coalescing around the Emperor, part of it fusing into his robes, but even more pouring into the Azure Dragon Sword.

With one slash, a dragon-wreathed sword light cleaved the skies, its roar shaking the soul. It transformed into a beam of verdant brilliance, as if splitting heaven and earth.

In that instant, countless cultivators and high-tier defenders within Water Moon Mountain felt an overwhelming pressure, as though suffocating.

Chi! Boom!

The fourth-rank formation that shimmered like clear water rippled violently, torn open by a green gash under the might of the Azure Dragon Sword.

”Not good—!”

Thousands of formation masters atop Water Moon Mountain raised their banners, pouring spiritual power into the formation to stabilize and repair the breach.

Monarch Nine Willows extended her arms, the bark of her dusky cyan skin creaking like deadwood under pressure.

Whoom!

Two massive, hundred-zhang-long rotted willows burst from her sleeves, forcibly plugging the gap in the formation. Tens of thousands of blade-like willow leaves flew out, only to be shredded by the Azure Dragon Sword’s aura.

Several Nascent Soul cultivators joined in, bolstering the formation with their spiritual power.

The Yu Emperor’s single blow with the Azure Dragon Sword matched the might of the Sky-Cleaving Axe when Lan Changʼan and Jing Wufeng had combined their strength during the Demon Sealing Battle.

Such destructive force could not be taken lightly, even by Nascent Soul Great Cultivators.

”The Imperial Dragon Armament draws upon the nationʼs dragon fate, its spiritual power consumption is far less than a pseudo-spiritual treasure!”

Lan Changʼan observed and evaluated quietly.

”Everyone, do your part, expend some of their strength.”

The Emperor casually sheathed the Azure Dragon Sword, refraining from pressing the attack.

Each activation of the Imperial Dragon Armament consumed national dragon fate, it could not be recklessly expended.

The farther one was from the imperial heartland, the heavier the consumption.

Lan Changʼan summoned his Thunderwood Stake, unleashing bolts of annihilative lightning to bombard the fourth-rank formation of Water Moon Mountain.

As a newly ascended giant, he didn’t need to take the lead, he had to just stand behind the Emperor, offering support and symbolic effort.

...

Half a day later.

The first wave of the Great Yu Kingdom’s assault had ended.

Though Water Moon Mountain bore tremendous pressure, it ultimately held its ground.

As the attackers, since the formation was not breached, the losses fell heavier on the Great Yu side.

Over the following half-month, Yu Emperor personally led further assaults, launching several waves of attacks.

During this time, the imperial family deployed various formation-breaking methods, Restriction-Breaking Talismans, Formation-Crushing Treasures, Dragon Roaming Cannons, and the like.

The fourth-rank grand formation of Water Moon Mountain was, at one point, torn open in several places.

At the breaches, fierce battles broke out between the two nations’ high-level cultivators.

Monarch Nine Willows used the divine ability Giant Willow God, her body spreading hundreds of zhang wide, transforming into a colossal willow entity with countless branches.

The Willow Godʼs limbs could stretch for miles.

Two early Nascent Soul cultivators from the Great Yu Kingdom were ensnared by these massive limbs, unable to break free.

Lan Changʼan, with his swift escape speed and exceptional spiritual awareness, narrowly evaded one of the willow arms.

In her Willow God state, Monarch Nine Willows’s combat power surged, particularly in terms of defense.

Even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to bring her down.

The drawback, however, was that in this form, her mobility was drastically reduced, making the giant willow sluggish and cumbersome.

The Emperor Yu expended a considerable amount of essence energy, cleaving through the endlessly regenerating branches, before managing to rescue the two early Nascent Soul cultivators.

During the siege, Lan Changʼan kept True Monarch Cloud Thunder occupied, covering the Great Yu forces’ retreat and minimizing further losses.

Even so, the brutal assault came at a heavy cost to both sides.

More than a dozen Core Formation cultivators perished.

Two of the Great Yu’s Nascent Soul cultivators were gravely injured, while the rest suffered varying degrees of wounds.

Only the Emperor Yu and Lan Changʼan emerged unscathed.

“Monarch Nine Willows’s divine ability cannot be used again in the short term, and it has severely drained her vitality. Unfortunately, we also need time to recover, striking in one decisive blow is no longer feasible,” said the Emperor with some regret.

“As long as His Majesty remains resolute, breaching Water Moon Mountain is only a matter of time,” Lan Changʼan replied firmly.

The next time they attacked, Monarch Nine Willows would no longer have a trump card to fall back on.

Yet who could say for sure whether the other giant, True Monarch Cloud Thunder did not have his own hidden killer move? Variables still remained.

Of course, the imperial family, with deeper reserves of power, certainly had its own trump cards.

Even though Lan Changʼan had experienced it all firsthand, he merely fulfilled his assigned duties, approaching the matter with a detachment akin to a third party.

“This emperor will return to the rear to recuperate and restore vitality, while awaiting the imperial family’s siege weapon.”

After a pause, the Emperor gave his orders:

“True Monarch Xiang, your speed and spiritual sense are exceptional. Over the next half-month, remain at the frontlines and monitor the movements of Water Moon Mountain’s two Nascent Soul giants.”

Leaving Lan Changʼan no room to argue, the Emperor returned to Qingfeng City at the rear.

…

A siege weapon?

Lan Changʼan thought of the imperial clan’s guardian sacred beast.

If a mid-fourth-rank sacred beast joined the assault, Water Moon Mountain would fall in days.

But after all this time, Great Yu had yet to deploy the rumored guardian beast.

Some speculated that the beast had perished or could not be moved lightly.

Many believed it would only be used in the final assault on the Luo Imperial Capital.

Seven days later.

While stationed at the frontline fortress, monitoring Water Moon’s movements, Lan Changʼan noticed growing unrest among the enemy cultivators.

Even with only one major figure present, Cloud Thunder dared not provoke.

Before long, only Lan Changʼan and two other Nascent Soul cultivators remained on the floating fortress.

The Yu Emperor, imperial elders, and other cultivators had all retreated to strongholds in the rear.

“Fellow Daoist Cloud Thunder, I suspect the Yu Emperor and the others may have shifted the battlefield.”

Monarch Nine Willows, having recovered some spiritual energy, sensed something was off.

“True dragon imperial qi still lingers in Qingfeng City. Perhaps the Yu Emperor is trying to distract us. If we strike first, we may fall into his trap.”

True Monarch Cloud Thunder gazed toward the fortress and Qingfeng City, uncertain.

Three more days passed.

“Retreat three thousand li.”

Lan Changʼan seemed to sense something and ordered the floating fortress to withdraw.

“True Monarch Xiang, we cannot act without the Emperor’s command…”

A Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Ye objected.

“Enough noise!”

Lan Changʼan’s shout carried the pressure of a mid-stage Nascent Soul, turning the Ye cultivator’s face crimson.

He issued the order by force.

Just as the fortress began moving, the imperial qi over Qingfeng City dissipated, it had all been a façade.

With qi observing arts and divine sight, high-level cultivators could easily detect the shift.

“The Yu Emperor is gone!”

“Xiang Dalong was just a decoy! Three Nascent Soul cultivators kept us here for days!”

Shock swept over Monarch Nine Willows and True Monarch Cloud Thunder. They flew to the edge of the Water Moon formation.

Seeing Great Yu’s hastily retreating fortress, spirit ships, and siege weapons confirmed their suspicions. Their expressions darkened with fury.

Inside the floating fortress.

The disappearance of the imperial aura stirred panic among the high-level cultivators.

“True Monarch Xiang, what’s going on?”

The Ye cultivator guessed the truth but dared not speak it aloud.

“To put it nicely, we were decoys meant to hold back two major enemies and twice our number of Nascent Souls. To put it bluntly, we’re expendable pawns for Great Yu’s dominance.”

Lan Changʼan sneered.

At those words, the Ye cultivator and another honored elder both looked grim.

Days earlier, Lan Changʼan had sensed something was wrong.

His divinations failed, some unknown force had veiled the heavens.

He had his suspicions then, but without proof, a premature retreat would’ve meant open defiance.

Now that the truth was unfolding, the retreat order was not only justified, it likely had tacit imperial approval.

At that moment, Monarch Nine Willows, True Monarch Cloud Thunder, and other enemy Nascent Souls, burning with rage, descended upon the floating fortress.

Qingfeng City was still thousands of li away, too far to reach in time!

“True Monarch Xiang, what now?!”

The two Nascent Soul cultivators forced calm, while the Core Formation cultivators panicked.

“The imperial family abandoned us first. I have no obligation to safeguard your lives. Giving the retreat order early was already mercy.”

Lan Changʼan’s voice was flat, almost casual.

“Two Fellow Daoists, if escape proves impossible, prepare for your Nascent Souls to exit your bodies.”

Before he finished speaking,

Whoosh—

The Black Heaven Wings unfurled behind him, stirring a tempest of dark winds and radiant shadow as he soared above the fortress.

As one of the central region’s giants, he moved freely between advance and retreat.

Later, he would demand answers from the imperial family with full justification.

The two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators might escape, if they paid a price.

But within the forward base, floating fortress, spirit ships and over a hundred thousand cultivators now faced annihilation.

...

”True Monarch Xiang! We beg you, don’t abandon us...”

A white-haired cultivator bowed tremblingly, his voice choked with emotion.

“We’ve fought and bled for decades. Even if it’s not yet the final moment, we plead that you grant us one last hope.”

Among the tens of thousands of cultivators, the Core Formation elders stood with their disciples, some were young and strong, others old and weary, even fathers and sons, dao companions, all preparing to face death together.

The Nascent Soul surnamed Ye couldn’t help but plead, “True Monarch Xiang, let us try our best to hold on. If we can escape to Qingfeng City, reinforcements from the imperial family will meet us.”

In cultivation wars, a Nascent Soul expert would only abandon his forces as a last resort. This army still carried disciples and juniors of several Nascent Soul elders.

Unlike Lan Changʼan who stood alone, free to walk away without the weight of kin or sect ties, others could not simply leave.

Of course, if Lan Changʼan were willing to make a stand, delaying two or three enemy Nascent Soul experts, he could buy time for tens of thousands to escape.

“Everyone, remain calm.”

As Lan Changʼan calculated in his mind, the fog of fate parted, revealing glimpses of truth.

The Black Heaven Wing flashed, slicing through the clouds.

He gazed at the approaching Monarch Nine Willows and Cloud Thunder True Monarch.

“Xiang Dalong, don’t tell me you plan to imitate the Yu Emperor, standing alone against the two of us?” Cloud Thunder’s voice was low as he snorted coldly.

Lan Changʼan let out a soft, scornful laugh. “Heh, and yet you two still fight for Great Luo, not realizing you’ve already been sold out?”

“What do you mean?” Monarch Nine Willows’s brows furrowed slightly, her expression shifting.

“The Yu Emperor, the old patriarch, and the guardian sacred beast, along with several Nascent Soul experts, have already stormed the Luo imperial capital.”

“There are traitors within the Luo imperial family, bought off by the Great Yu. If my guess is correct, the core of the Luo leadership has already escaped through secret tunnels, abandoning the cultivation empire they’ve spent millennia building.”

Lan Changʼan’s calm words struck like thunder.

The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Great Luo side were shaken, faces shifting between fury and doubt.

“Even if what you say is true,” Cloud Thunder replied coldly, “it’s too late to retreat. We’ll crush your army first, there’ll be no fault in that.”

He half-believed Lan Changʼan, half-suspected a bluff.

After all, Great Luo’s decline and Profound Sky Palace’s opportunity to co-rule the world were hard truths to accept.

“Monarch Nine Willows, I don’t know what promise the Luo family offered you that you would risk your life so readily in their service but I doubt they’ll be around to fulfill it.”

Lan Changʼan gave her a calm smile, noting the storm of emotion flickering across her face.

“Spare me and the others this day for the sake of the ‘Twin Dragons of the Central Region’ and end this bloodshed.”

Monarch Nine Willows let out a cold laugh instead.

“Xiang Dalong! You and True Monarch Jing Tian killed one of our Nascent Soul cultivators from Yaqi Mountain, and now you ask me for mercy?”

“I’ve said what I had to say.”

Lan Changʼan replied coolly, and his Black Heaven Wing fluttered open, parting the air.

At that moment, Cloud Thunder and several other Great Luo True Monarchs received urgent messages via their communication tokens, their faces all changed.

“True Monarch Xiang... for the sake of the Twin Dragons reputation, I won’t use numbers to overwhelm you today.”

Monarch Nine Willows turned and flew back toward Water Moon Mountain, her rage erupting as she smashed and plundered in fury.

“True Monarch Xiang, I’m not afraid of your reputation but our skills are too evenly matched. Let’s simply watch from the sidelines.”

Cloud Thunder’s face was stiff as he spoke in a flat voice.

“Fine.”

Lan Changʼan sneered inwardly: If I weren’t conserving strength to guard against the imperial family’s next move, you think you’d even be standing here talking nonsense?

...

The two mid-stage Nascent Soul giants ceased their pursuit.

The remaining Nascent Soul cultivators of the Great Luo Kingdom lost their morale, some turned back to aid the capital, others simply fled.

In the end, their pursuit became merely symbolic.

The army of the Great Yu Kingdom, under the protection of the two True Monarchs, abandoned countless flying boats, spirit ships, and siege weapons, but the vast majority of cultivators managed to retreat safely to Qingfeng City.

“Many thanks to True Monarch Xiang for saving our lives!”

“This grace is as vast as a mountain, we shall remember it with all our hearts!”

The surviving Core Formation cultivators bowed in gratitude to Lan Changʼan, their voices echoing through the halls.

“True Monarch Xiang’s great virtue has saved over a hundred thousand lives! We shall report this to the imperial court and request meritorious recognition.”

Two Nascent Soul True Monarchs also bowed deeply, offering their sincere thanks.

By leveraging his prestige as a central region giant, Xiang Dalong had convinced two hostile powerhouses to stand down, though the situation itself helped push the outcome.

Had it been ordinary two or three Nascent Soul cultivators fleeing pursuit from two mid-stage giants of the central region, they would have had to pay a steep price to survive. With bad luck, some would surely have perished.

“I simply acted in accord with the tides. I, too, once climbed up from the bottom.”

Lan Changʼan responded mildly, waving his hand.

“By the way, True Monarch Xiang, you were at the frontline near Water Moon Mountain. How did you learn of the imperial family’s secret plan and of the Great Luo imperial clan’s abandonment and flight?”

The Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Ye asked curiously.

All the high-level cultivators stationed on the frontlines had been kept entirely in the dark regarding the true intentions of the imperial family.

“You truly want to know, fellow Daoist?”

Lan Changʼan gave a mysterious smile.

“I admit, I’m quite curious.”

“Mm. Then I’ll tell you: someone within the Yu imperial clan was bought off by me. Just don’t tell anyone else about this secret.”

…

At that very moment.

Within the imperial capital of the Great Luo Kingdom, the impregnable mid-grade fourth-rank grand formation cracked and collapsed.

ROAR!

A colossal ancient dragon-crocodile, over a hundred zhang long, thundered with a sky-shaking roar. Its spine bore nine rows of serrated dragon fins, each fin bone glimmering with a dark golden hue, like blades forged from bronze and gold.

The dragon-crocodile’s overwhelming might was second only to the strongest beast king of Beast King Valley, exuding a faint trace of true dragon bloodline. Even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dared not meet its charge head-on.

Ordinary attacks from Nascent Soul cultivators barely scratched its scale-armored hide, any wound would heal within moments.

Crack!

With coordinated strikes from inside and out, the dragon-crocodile tore open a massive gap in the city’s defenses.

The elite cultivators of the Great Yu Kingdom led a tidal wave of cultivators, storming into the imperial capital.

“Luo Rui! You dare betray the Great Luo imperial clan-”

“Hahaha! The patriarch planned to flee long ago, abandoning us like pawns. Why else would the most gifted Ninth Prince and Princess Luo Qianshui be secretly sent out of the city ahead of time?”

Chaos engulfed the capital as the formation’s foundation pillars crumbled.

Elder Luo Rui of a Luo side branch had betrayed the clan, he not only destroyed the core of the grand formation but also ambushed the fourth-rank formation elder of the imperial household.

…

Above the mountains and rivers a thousand li to the rear of the capital.

Vast waves of Nascent Soul aura clashed, even more catastrophic than the battlefield at Water Moon Mountain.

Six Nascent Soul cultivators of the Great Yu imperial house had surrounded three from the Great Luo clan, forcing them into a valley basin below.

The Yu Emperor wielded the Azure Dragon Sword, sending out brilliant sword light that tore rivers asunder and leveled mountains.

Blood dyed the earth, and dragon roars echoed.

Yet the strongest presence on the field wasn’t the Yu Emperor himself.

At his side stood an aged man in yellow robes, face ruddy yet gaunt and withered, his aura nearing that of a Great Cultivator.

“Rather than perish, why not have pledged your allegiance to the Great Yu imperial family earlier?”

The old man’s tone was flat. Flames blazed from his body as his hands released six golden dragon-shaped spells, which poured into a translucent jade seal engraved with dragons.

From the neighboring Great Yu Kingdom, surging national destiny and dragon qi gathered into the Jade Dragon Seal.

A sovereign’s might radiated across the field.

Boom!

The three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Luo imperial family below, including the mid-stage Luo Patriarch, were crushed under the oppressive force, their breath faltering.

Several Core Formation juniors behind them dropped to their knees and died in humiliation.

Under the suppression of the Jade Dragon Seal, any cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage had their spiritual power completely sealed and became no different from mortals.

Early Nascent Soul had their power suppressed by 40% and mid-stage Nascent Soul had their power suppressed by 20%.

“Hahaha… Yu Dazhi!”

“Your lifespan is nearly spent. You’ve used a forbidden technique to forcefully regain your peak state! After this battle, you’ll suffer backlash, your strength will plummet, and you won’t live more than a few years.”

The Luo Patriarch’s face was pale as he laughed bitterly.

His shoulder had been severed by the Azure Dragon swordlight, yet he didn’t even flinch.

“A counterfeit Jade Dragon Seal, and yet it bears some divine charm. But how could the Immortal Jin Dynasty’s true Nine Dragon Seal ever allow a rival imperial power to exist?”

“I have already sent my most trusted aide to the Jin Immortal Dynasty. We’ve established contact with Marquis Tianwu, one of the seventy-two disciples of the Confucian Saint himself! Cough… I hadn’t thought you’d strike so soon, old dog. After you die...”

Author Note on 25th July; Iʼll take two days to adjust, and the update will be on the 29th; Iʼm not running away.

TL/ Another break, hopefully not as long as the last 😮‍💨 Check back in a few days for any updates. Adios!