I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 471: The Shame of Heavenly One, Storms over Sea Suppressing Sect

Central Heaven Honoured Continent.

In an unknown valley deep within the Central State.

Suddenly, the void distorted without warning. A warped spatial gate shimmered midair.

A man and a woman stepped out from the gate, landing gracefully.

The young man wore a robe of emerald silk, his eyes tinged with a pale cyan hue. His appearance was above average, and his demeanor carried an air of effortless charm.

“Senior Brother Jing, are you sure about traveling this far during the final stretch before the ultimate trial?”

The speaker was a stunningly beautiful girl in a lotus-green dress, appearing no older than fifteen or sixteen. Her figure was slender and graceful.

Her clear eyes brimmed with worry and reluctance. As they prepared to part, she held Jing Wufeng tightly, savoring this brief moment of intimacy.

“The rewards from the second trial have been exhausted. Staying in the sect now would bring little benefit. I might as well head out, try my luck, and clear my mind by the sea…”

Jing Wufeng patted her jade-like back and replied gently.

It had been decades since the second round of trials.

Each victory in the Heavenly One Trials earned lavish rewards, top-tier resources rare even across entire realms.

This ensured rapid breakthroughs in cultivation.

The sect’s sacred grounds preserved ancient landscapes, their spiritual energy density ten times that of typical Nascent Soul powers. Even the flow of time was altered.

Only the victors could enjoy such privileges.

Decades of cultivation within equaled centuries of harsh training outside.

The Nine Disciples of Heavenly One were prodigies, each one was a chosen talent of the heaven.

Those who won two rounds and advanced to the final phase, after enduring over three centuries of trials could practically guarantee a stable breakthrough to the late Nascent Soul stage, a dream to many outside.

“If I hadn’t been eliminated in the second round, I’d be joining you for a stroll by the sea. I’d even like to meet that old friend of yours who practices Evergreen Technique.”

The lotus maiden’s expression dimmed with regret.

Failing the trials meant being demoted to servant status, forever bound by sect orders, stripped of the freedom Jing Wufeng still enjoyed.

“Don’t worry, Junior Sister Lian. When I emerge victorious, I will bring you to see all the beautiful mountains and rivers of the human world…”

Jing Wufeng vowed with full confidence.

Yet as he recalled how their relationship had evolved, a tinge of shame stirred in his heart.

He’d narrowly defeated the Sacred Lotus True Monarch in the second round, by borderline underhanded means.

Only four now remained in the final competition.

The greatest threat was Senior Brother Ji, bearer of the Human Emperor’s bloodline.

He had crushed all opposition with overwhelming strength to claim his place in the last round.

Back then, the Sacred Lotus True Monarch had no faith in Jing Wufeng, coldly rejecting his offer of cooperation.

So Jing Wufeng spent endless effort to woo her, shameless persistence, romantic gestures, and relentless pursuit...

He made countless promises.

Including one to grant her freedom after he ascended as the Heavenly One Divine Sovereign, and help her break through to the Deity Transformation stage.

In the end, through sheer devotion and tenacity, he won her over.

From bitter rivals to almost a Dao couple, their bond now seemed almost unbelievable.

The Sacred Lotus True Monarch’s origins were extraordinary. Born of a divine lotus, she was suspected to be the reincarnation of a great power, holding fragments of inherited memories and esoteric knowledge.

With her unwavering support and guidance, Jing Wufeng’s strength surged in preparation for the final challenge.

Yet his shameless methods were viewed as disgraceful by the other Heavenly One prodigies.

The Shame of Heavenly One Sect!

Even the current Heavenly One Divine Sovereign had caught wind of the gossip, though he had not intervened.

For a time, Jing Wufeng couldn’t lift his head in front of his elders.

Was he not simply following in Xiang Dalong’s footsteps? Why did the public opinion differ so vastly?

Back in the Core Formation stage, Xiang Dalong had already been entangled with the famed Purple Mist Fairy, successfully clinging to a powerful backer.

Through Yunxia Sect’s fourth-rank spirit veins and abundant resources, both the Lord Earthrock and Xiang Dalong had ascended into the fourth realm.

Xiang Dalong captured a Nascent Soul fairy without commitment, living freely and unfettered.

Yet Jing Wufeng, after all his humiliating struggles, was scorned by his own sect.

“Senior Brother Jing, itʼs good to take a break and clear your mind. Don’t burden yourself. Even if you fail in the final trial, I’ll still be yours. And don’t listen to those rumors about someone being ‘preordained’.”

The Lotus Maiden released him with a smile, her voice warm with comfort.

“Mm.”

Jing Wufeng nodded seriously.

Those who triumphed in the second round were granted a personal lesson from their master.

Among them, Senior Brother Ji received the longest instruction, twice the duration of any other.

Thus, whispers began to circulate within the sect. With his Human Emperor bloodline, perhaps Senior Brother Ji had already been chosen as the next Divine Sovereign.

After all, the Human Emperor’s bloodline surpassed even most innate Dao bodies, and was rarer than the lineage of many true spirit descendants.

With such potential, the Heavenly One Sect might break all records and raise a cultivator who could reach the late Deity Transformation stage.

To say Jing Wufeng felt no pressure facing the final round would be self-deception.

He recalled the fortune of the first trial.

Xiang Dalong’s assistance had helped him complete the high-difficulty demon sealing mission, earning him bonus rewards.

The nourishing power of the Evergreen Technique had improved the physique and potential of the unborn Inkwater Qilin.

Before the second trial began, the Inkwater Qilin had broken through to the fourth rank, allowing him to barely overcome the second seed, the Sacred Lotus True Monarch.

Only after defeating Junior Sister Lian could he begin courting her, eventually winning her heart.

All these factors were intricately connected.

Thus, Jing Wufeng resolved to make another trip to the Great Yuan, not only to express his gratitude but to test his luck once more.

“Farewell.”

With a wave, Jing Wufeng vanished, leaving behind only a breeze in his wake.

The next moment, a flash of silvery windlight surged through the clouds, its speed enough to astound any Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

…

Southern Great Yuan, at the base of a deep mountain gorge.

Crack!

Lan Changʼan spread his fingers, shattering the sealed wooden box with a crisp snap.

His swollen bronze-gold hand radiated terrifying vital energy as it reached inside and grabbed the female Nascent Soul within.

“Xiang Dalong! The Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects will not let you go. I curse you with my dying breath-!”

Faced with inevitable death, the True Monarch of Netherwater knew pleading was pointless. Her final act of will sought to unleash a death curse.

Buzz!

A mysterious ancient stele lit up with pale, hazy light. Irresistible laws swept through, tearing the Netherwater True Monarch’s Nascent Soul into dust within an instant.

The Nine Seal Stele, sixth seal released a faint shimmer of crystalline white light, no different from when it devoured lesser Nascent Souls.

“Still trying to curse me with your last breath.”

Lan Changʼan felt deeply vexed. Fortunately, the Nine Seal Stele had activated in time to interrupt the unknown curse.

There exists a legendary death-curse, a spell of such wrath that it could be cast even while sealed, driven purely by obsessive hatred.

But the cost was the forfeiture of reincarnation.

“Her hatred toward me runs so deep, she’s clearly unfit to become one of my incarnations.”

Lan Changʼan muttered to himself.

It was for this reason he changed his mind at the last moment.

Replacing his first life with the Netherwater True Monarch would’ve been easy. The benefits far surpassed those gained from Master Lihuo.

However, for a soul to be reborn as one of his past lifes, merged without distinction, the karmic threads had to be resolved by fulfilling the final wish tied to their life’s greatest obsession.

Master Lihuo’s wish was to restore his sect, the Flame Departing Palace, and find a proper mountain gate to continue its legacy.

But what was the Netherwater True Monarch’s obsession?

From her final words, it was clear. Her hatred for Xiang Dalong bordered on madness.

Her dying wish was likely to destroy Xiang Dalong and seize the legacy of Tinghai Pavilion.

Am I supposed to kill myself?

Lan Changʼan shook his head. This woman’s final wish was clearly something he couldn’t accomplish.

…

After devouring and killing True Monarch Netherwater, the Black Sea Sect would undoubtedly sense her demise and confirm the news.

Some powerful sects were even capable of pinpointing the approximate location of one’s death.

Lan Changʼan did not linger and swiftly left the Southern Region of the Great Yuan.

Along the way, he had already destroyed any suspicious items from True Monarch Netherwater’s spoils.

These spoils included Profound Nether Heavy Water, silver-blue water pearls, and a half-finished Sea Banner, treasures all attuned to the water element.

The half-finished Sea Banner resembled a prototype of the Ocean Sky Saint Banner, though likely incomplete due to a lack of materials.

Other gains included water-element pills, spirit herbs, refinement materials, cultivation methods, and divine arts.

Since neither Lan Changʼan nor the Lord Earthrock cultivated the water path, these gains ultimately benefited Profound Water Monarch instead.

Still, Profound Water Monarch had played a key role in the ambush, serving as bait to lower True Monarch Netherwater’s guard.

The aquatic domain conjured by his Sea Banner provided excellent concealment.

Lan Changʼan’s Hundred Illusion Mask, bolstered by his late Nascent Soul spiritual sense, performed even better in disguise. With the added cover of the aquatic domain, he was able to momentarily fool True Monarch Netherwater without making a move.

Profound Water Monarch’s actual abilities also surpassed Lan Changʼan’s expectations.

Having absorbed the residual innate turbid qi of a dead Xuantian relic, his bloodline had mutated resulting in an unpredictable transformation.

This turtle’s water-element spiritual power now possessed a bone-chilling, corrosive yin energy that greatly enhanced his offensive power.

Once he finished refining the spoils, especially the Heavy Water, Profound Water Monarch’s abilities would grow even stronger.

…

Several days later.

Lan Changʼan, veiled in the shadows of the Black Wind Cloak, quietly returned to the Yunxia Sect.

This excursion hadn’t taken long.

Still, hiding it from Fairy Purple Mist, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, wasn’t exactly realistic.

Both Lan Changʼan and the Lord Earthrock had left together, causing a notable drop in spiritual energy demand on the sect’s fourth-rank spirit vein. Such a fluctuation would not escape the notice of the person at the helm of the sect, True Monarch Purple Mist.

However, since it was only a brief absence, Jiang Ziyan hadn’t paid it much mind.

Even if Xiang Dalong’s favorite pet completely disappeared into thin air, she wouldn’t be particularly surprised.

…

Within his secluded chamber atop Yunlan Peak, Lan Changʼan sat cross-legged, surrounded by strange items used for divination, ancient copper coins, bamboo lots, turtle shells, and jade slips.

At his fingertip, he drew a drop of essence blood to enhance the divination.

His eyes grew increasingly deep and unfathomable, and his long silver-streaked hair floated without wind.

He reached into the invisible net of fate that wove through heaven and earth, glimpsing countless threads of destiny and karmic ties.

Peeling back the fog, he stirred the power of destiny, subtly manipulating several seemingly insignificant threads.

Like a butterfly flapping its wings, he disrupted the causal weave, inviting more layers of heavenly obscuration.

”Unless they uncover a key medium or clue, the diviners of the Sixteen Sects won’t be able to trace this event any time soon.”

Lan Changʼan used a fourth-rank divination to shield his actions.

If the Sixteen Sects launched an investigation, this would reduce factors and developments that could work against him.

Lan Changʼan was certain that the Black Sea Sect would suspect him.

He didn’t need to divine that, they only needed doubt.

After all, True Monarch Netherwater had only a few enemies in life. And in the entirety of the Great Yuan, those capable of killing a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator were exceedingly rare.

Xiang Dalong alone might not be enough, but if Yunxia Sect’s two giants acted together or if the Twin Dragons of the Central Region joined forces, the odds of success increased greatly.

Lan Changʼan wasn’t afraid of groundless suspicion.

In a world where power determined everything, vast differences in cultivation allowed one to kill without evidence and still write the history afterward.

With Yunxia Sect having two mid-stage Nascent Soul giants, strong and influential, they could not be rashly provoked.

At this level, without solid proof, even Nascent Soul Great Cultivators would not act recklessly.

Though the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects were the strongest alliance in the Great Yuan, they did not reign supreme.

The Great Yuan still had two other ruling powers, whose interests did not align with the Sea Suppressing Sect and who likely coveted their wealth from the sea route.

…

Having masked the heavenly secrets through divination, Lan Changʼan began to reflect on the previous battle, its flaws and inadequacies.

“My strength… still isn’t enough!”

“Even with the bait and the ambush, we nearly let True Monarch Netherwater’s Nascent Soul spirit body escape.”

While he identified some shortcomings, he hadn’t made any critical errors.

Killing a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in a swift manner was extraordinarily difficult.

Even if a Great Cultivator made a move, without favorable timing and terrain, the chances of success were low.

A mid-stage Nascent Soul’s spirit body could flee at several times the speed of an equivalent-level physical body, its burst speed surpassing even that of Great Cultivators.

Once it escaped, pursuit became troublesome.

In theory, one could wear it down with relentless tracking and attacks.

But most Nascent Soul lords had strong backing, sects or powerful alliances offering sanctuary.

From this battle, Lan Changʼan tested the full might of his puppet army formation.

Though its fourth-rank attack power reached the threshold of a Great Cultivator, it still fell short of a full-fledged late-stage Nascent Soul powerhouse.

A full-force strike from the puppet formation equaled a casual spell from a Great Cultivator.

But that couldn’t compare to the sheer power of a true divine ability or magical treasure.

The difference was vast.

Not to mention the puppet formation’s greatest flaw: low mobility. It could only unleash its full strength in a stationary, defensive engagement.

The ever-shifting divine techniques of a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator far surpassed the puppet array’s singular method of attack.

“Not enough,” Lan Changʼan shook his head once more.

At present, the fourth-rank puppet formation was excellent for crushing weaker foes, anyone below late-stage Nascent Soul stood little chance.

Its defense was even stronger than its offense.

First, the puppets were made of materials as tough as fourth-rank demon kings. Second, the formation could disperse incoming damage across multiple puppets, a hallmark of defensive army formations.

But in the previous battle, True Monarch Netherwater never got the chance to fight back. The puppet formation’s defenses weren’t tested at all.

It would take someone like Emperor Yu, a top-tier mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator to truly challenge it.

“Fellow Daoist Lan, unless I myself advance to a mid-grade fourth-rank puppet, merely upgrading the others won’t result in a qualitative leap in power,” said the Puppet Master Wei as he appeared.

Creating a mid-grade fourth-rank puppet was extremely difficult, it required an even higher mastery of the craft.

Moreover, Wei himself was a genuine fourth-rank puppet. His path of advancement was rare and elusive.

“We’ll have to wait until both you and I ascend to mid-grade fourth-rank puppet masters,” Lan Changʼan sighed and set the idea aside.

Having forged so many fourth-rank puppets, his puppet-refining technique had reached the peak of the low fourth rank.

From here on, every advancement might be a bottleneck, one not overcome by mere passage of time.

Even if time alone could do it, the years required would be unimaginably long.

Lan Changʼan’s thoughts shifted to another avenue for improvement-

The Azure Profound Sword Formation!

Of the sixteen swords in the array, four were top-grade fourth-rank swords, while the rest were mid-grade.

These were forged by True Monarch Cyanwood, who had poured vast life force into laying a solid foundation.

Under normal circumstances, this array was more than sufficient against early and mid-stage Nascent Soul enemies.

If all sixteen swords were upgraded to top-grade fourth-rank, the mana and spiritual sense consumption would increase drastically.

However, Lan Changʼan’s spiritual sense already reached late-stage Nascent Soul, allowing him to wield the array with ease. His Evergreen Technique also granted him vast reserves and long-lasting endurance in battle.

“If I can upgrade all sixteen Azure Profound Wooden Swords to top-grade fourth-rank, their power will skyrocket, enough to pose a threat to Great Cultivators.”

Lan Changʼan was quietly excited.

He hadn’t pursued this before mainly due to limits in cultivation and spiritual power, which couldn’t support so many high-grade swords.

More importantly, nurturing those swords with the Evergreen Technique required consuming a tremendous amount of lifespan.

…

Half a month later.

In the cave-dwelling atop Yunlan Peak, Lan Changʼan was nurturing and cultivating the Azure Profound Sword.

True Monarch Purple Mist arrived in haste, bringing with her news that sent shockwaves across the Eastern Region of Great Yuan:

“Dalong! That old enemy of yours, True Monarch Netherwater has perished in the Ruins Coast in a fight with someone. I’ve triple-checked the source, it’s reliable.”

“It’s said that the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects are in an uproar, launching investigations. Even the Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, ‘Overturning Sea True Monarch,’ has taken notice.”

Jiang Ziyan’s tone was hurried, her heart clearly unsettled.

A Nascent Soul cultivator on par with her had died such a bizarre death!

For someone who had only recently stepped into mid-Nascent Soul stage, this was a tremendous shock.

She had always believed that as long as one didn’t provoke Great Yuan’s most supreme powers, mid-stage Nascent Soul giants were nearly untouchable, capable of shaping the regional balance with no threat to their lives.

“Oh? That Netherwater woman’s dead?”

Lan Changʼan gave a faint nod.

While delivering the intel, Jiang Ziyan also subtly observed his reaction.

But Lan Changʼan’s response was far too calm.

No surprise, no satisfaction at an enemy’s demise.

Combined with the fact that Xiang Dalong had briefly ventured out some time ago, she couldn’t help but grow suspicious.

True Monarch Purple Mist felt a chill in her chest, her mouth dry. She stared at him with a mix of shock and doubt.

“Could this... be related to Dalong?”

She still clung to a sliver of hope and asked cautiously.

“Ziyan, you are truly sharp.”

Lan Changʼan didn’t deny it. He smiled gently.

He had never intended to keep this from her.

She needed to be mentally prepared to face the potential pressure that might come with it.

Since she enjoyed the privileges of being aligned with the sect’s ‘lucky star,’ she naturally had to share in the risks as well.

True Monarch Purple Mist took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm in her heart. Her ample chest heaved with unease.

She hadn’t imagined that Xiang Dalong had, without a sound, eliminated a powerful mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Just how many secrets was this old lover still hiding from her?

“Why didn’t Dalong discuss it with me before making his move...”

Jiang Ziyan let out a bitter laugh but knew further words were useless.

What’s done was done, there was no turning back.

Xiang Dalong was now deeply bound to both her and the Yunxia Sect, their fates intertwined.

“Don’t worry, Ziyan. No obvious traces were left behind.”

Lan Changʼan pulled the Purple Mist Fairy into his arms, gently consoling her.

Jiang Ziyan relaxed her slightly tense body, resting her delicate head against his chest, quietly digesting the lingering shock in her heart.

“Dalong’s divine abilities are really this powerful! In the entire Great Yuan, few could achieve what you have.”

The Purple Mist Fairy’s tone was tinged with both admiration and unease.

At this level, Xiang Dalong’s strength had already surpassed most of the Central Region’s giants, nearing that of a true Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

Lan Changʼan smiled faintly. “One man alone could not have managed it.”

“Could it be that True Monarch Jing has returned?”

Jiang Ziyan’s eyes flickered. If that were the case, it would make perfect sense.

“Whether it’s the ‘Twin Dragons of the Central Region’ or the ‘Cloud Dragon Twin Monarch,’ such a feat isn’t beyond them.”

Lan Changʼan’s words were laced with deeper meaning, vague yet suggestive.

“Cloud Dragon Twin Monarch...”

True Monarch Purple Mist murmured the phrase to herself, her starry eyes gleaming, filled with yearning and expectation.

Was Dalong implying that the two of them would one day stand shoulder to shoulder, looking down upon the entire Great Yuan?

“There are rumors that the site of the incident held traces of a fourth rank water-type sacred beast...”

Jiang Ziyan looked at him again, her gaze uncertain.

“Oh, I happen to own a fourth rank Profound Water Turtle. From now on, it’ll cultivate at the mountain gate. The sect’s grand formation can help conceal its presence.”

Lan Changʼan revealed his hand that day, no longer hiding the existence of a second fourth rank spirit beast.

“A fourth rank Profound Water Turtle?”

Purple Mist Fairy was surprised, then couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy.

No wonder the spiritual energy atop Yunlan Peak had seemed unusually strained in recent years, it was being consumed in large quantities.

She requested to see the Profound Water Monarch, just to verify the truth.

Lan Changʼan had the turtle shrink itself to several zhang in size and brought it to the main hall.

Upon seeing it, True Monarch Purple Mist was instantly fond of the creature.

Compared to the Lord Earthrock, the Profound Water Turtle was far more aesthetically pleasing and boasted a superior bloodline.

More importantly it had a long lifespan, perfect as a sect-guarding sacred beast.

The Profound Water Monarch was a rare mutation with heavenly-grade bloodline, far surpassing its kin in longevity.

Watching Jiang Ziyan lovingly stroke the massive turtle’s shell,

From a corner, Lord Earthrock half-merged into the stone wall couldn’t help baring its teeth and pulling a face, visibly jealous.

…

A few days later.

After fully disclosing everything to Purple Mist, Lan Changʼan began a secluded cultivation session.

Though he had broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he still had a long road of accumulation ahead.

Aside from routine cultivation, Lan Changʼan devoted most of his energy to nurturing the Azure Profound Sword.

He poured his Evergreen mana into it day and night.

Each month, he would sacrifice a sliver of his lifespan to hasten the process.

The Heaven-Mending Spirit Cultivation Manual he’d traded from the artifact spirit of Zhang Tieshan turned out to be an excellent supplementary method.

Under its guidance, the quality of the Azure Profound Sword was rapidly improving.

Lan Changʼan wasn’t greedy, he didn’t intend to bite off more than he could chew.

He focused on nurturing just four swords first, aiming for quick success with small steps.

According to his simulations, once refined to top-grade fourth rank quality, eight such swords when used in a compact formation could unleash power a level higher.

Eight refined fourth rank swords wouldn’t overtax his mana reserves and could be paired with other magical treasures or magical abilities.

And more importantly, they weren’t limited to formation-based combat.

Deployed together as a single set, the eight Azure Profound Swords could unleash ferocious attacks with great flexibility.

Often, nimble and troublesome enemies avoided head-on battles.

When pursuing targets, the advantages of a fixed formation were rendered useless.

Lan Changʼan had managed to eliminate True Monarch Netherwater by relying on fourth-rank divination techniques to gain the initiative

and lure her into a carefully laid ambush.

…

Thanks to the Evergreen secret spell, the cultivation speed of the Azure Profound Sword was indeed astonishing.

However, the toll on his lifespan made Lan Changʼan wince.

He couldn’t afford to burn more than he could recover!

So, he ramped up his efforts to gather life-extending resources, not limited to third or fourth rank Life Extension Pills, but all forms of natural treasures that could extend life.

In the past, Lan Changʼan had kept a low profile, worried that his Evergreen Technique might be exposed.

Now, not only did he enlist Puppet Master Wei’s help in private, but he also tapped into the Yunxia Sect’s vast network of influence to make aggressive trades.

With the sect’s cover, his actions wouldn’t attract too much attention.

Besides, he didn’t much care what others speculated.

His wealth and influence were beginning to show their worth.

Over the last two years, Lan Changʼan had steadily acquired a number of longevity treasures, extending his life by nearly a hundred years.

The strain of cultivating the Azure Profound Swords was largely offset.

The four swords he prioritized had all reached the peak of mid-fourth rank quality, just a step away from superior-grade.

…

Nearly two years had passed.

Lan Changʼan continued to keep a close eye on the movements of the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects.

Through the intelligence network of the Yunxia Sect, Jiang Ziyan relayed all relevant updates to him in a timely manner.

The fall of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator had sent shockwaves through the cultivation world.

To the Sixteen Sea Suppressing Sects, it was nothing short of a massive earthquake.

As the most dominant alliance in Great Yuan, they had not encountered such a grave incident in many years.

The Great Cultivator ”Overturning Sea True Monarch” was personally overseeing the investigation.

The Sixteen Sects issued a bounty across the entire cultivation world of Great Yuan, hunting for the true culprit.

Any useful clues would be rewarded handsomely.

Once this colossal alliance moved, the coastal regions of Great Yuan were thrown into upheaval.

Their many affiliated factions rallied to the cause ranging from minor sects to major powers, involving tens of thousands of cultivators, unleashing a wave of influence and might beyond imagination.

The initial investigation began in the Eastern Region.

The site of the battle had been the Ruins Coast along the east.

According to reliable sources, the culprit had used primarily water-based techniques, and there were multiple distinct auras of water-type power involved.

Some cultivators even claimed to have sensed the presence of a fourth-rank water-type spirit beast.

Early speculation pointed toward internal strife, someone within the alliance making a move on True Monarch Netherwater.

After all, the Sixteen Sects were rife with powerful figures.

Theoretically, two or more mid-stage cultivators, with preparation and surprise on their side, could have taken down Netherwater.

Even Sea Suppressing Sect’s Great Cultivator had fallen under suspicion.

But most of these figures had alibis, and none bore any known enmity toward Netherwater.

Then came the theory that someone from overseas might have been responsible.

The Sixteen Sects wielded dominance over the coastal seas, controlling sea routes and trade, frequent contact with foreign forces made occasional clashes inevitable.

Before long, the investigation expanded from the Eastern Region to the South.

The site of the incident was, after all, very close to the Southern Region.

The Black Sea Sect claimed that Netherwater’s final demise had likely occurred within the South.

Lately, the investigation had even extended into the Central Region, reaching as far as the Great Yu Kingdom.

However, the Sixteen Sects conducted their inquiries discreetly, careful not to alarm local powers such as the imperial family or the Yunxia Sect…

Authorʼs Note;

”After thinking about it, I’ll explain a bit.

The original plan was to resume updates after the Golden Week in October, but after attending a wedding, I unexpectedly caught something like COVID, had a fever for a few days, and coughed for a long time.

After recovering, I stayed home to rest and planned to resume updates in November.

During that period, I went to an event in Wuhan hosted by Yuewen, met the editor-in-chief, and promised to resume updates as soon as possible.

However, after returning home, there was loud construction downstairs, which caused tinnitus for me—my old sudden hearing loss from years ago flared up, even worse than before.

I took medicine and rested for a while, and the tinnitus lessened somewhat, which delayed the updates until December.

Tinnitus has been a chronic problem. It first flared up during the later stages of writing King of Gods. Back then, despite good progress, I had to stop updating for quite a while.

Since then, poor sleep aggravates the tinnitus, which affects my hearing.

This is a major reason why my later works have slower updates, especially the last two books that frequently had breaks.”

TL// Author getting old... Anyways fellas long time no see. Updates will prob continue as usual as long as author keeps up!