I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Lan Chang'an's heart stirred. As expected, Zhang Tieshan truly possessed a Core Dissolution Technique, and it was a superior one at that.

A thirty percent success rate was still a significant risk for individual cultivators.

Even if one successfully dissolved the Fake Dan into liquid and had a chance to re-condense the core, there was no guarantee that the second attempt would result in a True Dan.

After all, those who achieved the Fake Dan were often not the top-tier geniuses in terms of qualifications.

However, with the assistance of a Nascent Soul True Monarch and the support of rare heavenly treasures, the success rate of this method would become much more promising.

This was precisely why most complete and reliable Core Dissolution Techniques were controlled by Nascent Soul-level sects.

"May I take a look at a portion of this Core Dissolution Technique first, to verify its authenticity?" Lan Chang'an asked after some thought.

"Of course."

Zhang Tieshan took out a blank jade slip, placed it against his forehead for a moment, and then tossed it to Lan Chang'an.

The "Returning Dust Core Transformation Method."

After examining the content of the secret method in the jade slip, Lan Chang'an nodded to himself.

In his previous life, he had obtained a fragmented Core Dissolution Technique. When cross-referencing it with what Zhang Tieshan provided, it was clear that Zhang's method was far more advanced and complete.

"How does Tianfeng Immortal plan to conduct this transaction?"

After a preliminary verification, Lan Chang'an handed the jade slip back to Zhang Tieshan, not bothering with any more pleasantries.

Then, Lan Chang'an took out a jar of Five Element Spirit Soil and spoke directly:

"Without the protection of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, this Core Dissolution Technique still has considerable limitations on its own."

"And the Five Element Spirit Soil, known as the 'Universal Soil Source,' has extensive uses. Not only can it cultivate nearly all rare immortal plants with enhanced effects, but it is also a premium neutral material in artifact refining, capable of improving the quality and success rate of magical treasures."

Lan Chang'an speculated that Zhang Tieshan’s demand for the Five Element Spirit Soil was likely related to artifact refining.

However, since artifacts refined using the Five Element Spirit Soil would be of a high grade, Zhang Tieshan, with his current Fake Dan cultivation, wouldn’t benefit much from them.

Additionally, Lan Chang'an also considered the possibility that the soil might be used to repair high-grade treasures, given its properties.

"Fellow Daoist Lan speaks the truth. The Five Element Spirit Soil is indeed a rare and strategic resource. However, the Core Dissolution Technique is directly related to the path of immortality, something no external material can compare to."

"My 'Returning Dust Core Transformation Method' is superior even to the methods possessed by surrounding Nascent Soul sects. Besides myself, you won’t find another source."

Zhang Tieshan’s tone was calm, but his words hit the nail on the head.

Lan Chang'an understood clearly. Even if he could find another source, it wouldn’t be as secure.

Those in possession of a complete and reliable Core Dissolution Technique were, at the very least, elders of Nascent Soul sects, if not Nascent Soul True Monarchs themselves.

Lan Chang'an didn’t want to drag things out and risk losing more than he gained.

While ensuring the success of the transaction, he also sought to gain some additional benefits.

Zhang Tieshan was willing to trade the Five Element Spirit Soil for the Core Dissolution Technique and even offered compensation in the form of spirit stones or high-level cultivation techniques.

However, Lan Chang'an didn’t agree to this. He only offered to sell half a jar of the Five Element Spirit Soil.

The soil wasn’t the primary material for artifact refining; it was more like a rare additive, similar to rare earth elements, used to neutralize or enhance the refining process. Normally, not much was needed to craft a magical treasure.

To avoid suffering a loss, Lan Chang'an limited the quantity of soil he was willing to trade.

However, for an artifact refiner, the more Five Element Spirit Soil, the better.

"Fine, I hope Fellow Daoist Lan will refrain from selling the remaining Five Element Spirit Soil to others."

Zhang Tieshan sighed, clearly in urgent need of the soil, and made a concession.

Lan Chang'an smiled. "Rest assured, Tianfeng Immortal. I'm no artifact refiner. I’ll reserve the remaining soil for you for the next few decades."

Zhang Tieshan was clearly blessed with fortuitous encounters and had great potential, wielding a Core Dissolution Technique but only reaching the Fake Dan stage. His ambitions were great.

Lan Chang'an didn’t mind doing more business with him in the future to obtain other rare resources.

...

"I hope Fellow Daoist Lan will swear an oath to the Heart Demon that, after acquiring this Core Dissolution Technique, you won’t leak it to a third party."

Zhang Tieshan engraved the complete "Returning Dust Core Transformation Method" into the jade slip.

"Tianfeng Immortal, this request aligns perfectly with my own intentions. As for the contents of this transaction, including the acquisition of the Five Element Spirit Soil, I hope Tianfeng Immortal will likewise swear a Heart Demon oath not to reveal it to outsiders."

Lan Chang'an added this clause.

Both parties swore Heart Demon oaths, and the transaction was completed.

Zhang Tieshan inspected the half jar of Five Element Spirit Soil, and a hint of joy appeared on his face.

Lan Chang'an also examined the Core Dissolution Technique within the jade slip using his spiritual sense and was satisfied with the result.

Neither party delved into the other's secrets.

Zhang Tieshan didn’t ask how Lan Chang'an had acquired the Five Element Spirit Soil, and Lan Chang'an didn’t inquire about what Zhang Tieshan needed it for or where he had obtained the Core Dissolution Technique.

Both of them had less-than-stellar aptitudes, and their ability to reach this stage was likely due to fortuitous encounters. No one in the outside world would believe otherwise.

"I plan to retreat to a remote place to prepare for Core Formation. I’m not sure when I’ll return. After Fellow Daoist Zhao emerges from seclusion, I hope Tianfeng Immortal can inform her."

Before leaving, Lan Chang'an cupped his hands and made his request.

In this life, his two closest friends were Li Erqing and Zhao Siyao.

He had already met with Li Erqing at Feiyue Lake.

Zhao Siyao was still in seclusion, and her disciple had gone to the frontlines, so they hadn’t been able to meet.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, please take care. I will certainly pass on your message."

Zhang Tieshan nodded solemnly.

Standing atop the lonely peak, he watched as Lan Chang'an rode off into the distant horizon atop his turtle, vanishing into the sky.

Swish!

The half jar of Five Element Spirit Soil in Zhang Tieshan’s hands suddenly vanished, though the jar itself remained.

"Not bad. With this portion of Five Element Spirit Soil, plus the gold-iron materials and magical treasures collected over the years, the spiritual treasure fragment where this artifact spirit resides will be able to be repaired by sixty or seventy percent, which should speed up its restoration."

A childish yet deliberately mature voice echoed in his mind.

"With your artifact spirit’s spiritual awareness, were you able to discern any clues about Fellow Daoist Lan?" Zhang Tieshan asked curiously.

"This child’s cultivation aura feels somewhat familiar to me."

The artifact spirit's tone carried a hint of doubt.

"Unfortunately, due to the self-destruction of the spiritual treasure back then, it shattered into several pieces, and I was newly reborn. I’ve forgotten ninety percent of my memories."

"The strange thing is, during this meeting, that boy seemed to have some sort of obscure and unknown mystery that blocks deduction and spiritual perception. I couldn’t probe any deeper."

"An unknown mystery?"

"I’m not sure either. Perhaps once we gather the remaining fragments and I restore my peak state, we can investigate further."

Hearing this, Zhang Tieshan was shocked. It seemed that Lan Chang'an was hiding some mystery that even the artifact spirit couldn’t comprehend for now.

...

A month later.

A dark green giant turtle carried a white-robed man as it approached the northwest border of the Liang Kingdom.

"Senior Lan, the area beyond this point prohibits entry by our nation's cultivators, unless they hold a passage token signed by the major sects."

A squad of enforcement cultivators blocked Lan Chang'an's path. The mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator leading them spoke politely.

The identity token Lan Chang'an had obtained from Jin Yun Valley was no longer effective in this region.

"I’m not heading to the borderlands. I’m traveling north to visit an old friend," Lan Chang'an explained calmly.

The highest cultivation among these patrol cultivators was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Lan Chang'an was confident he could wipe them out.

However, the sect’s enforcement cultivators near the border had means of transmitting messages.

Even a minor skirmish could be detected by special artifacts from afar, which would summon higher-level cultivators from the sect.

Two days later.

Lan Chang'an arrived at a snow-covered mountain range, where the air was filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.

It was his first time visiting the land of the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain.

"Grandpa Lan!"

Soon, a burly young man in a fur cloak greeted him warmly.

Having lived in the bitterly cold northern region for many years, Li Congren was no longer the refined young man he once was. He had become more rugged and hearty, with a calm steadiness to him.

It had been many years since they last met, and Li Congren had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Though nearly a decade younger than Mu Bingyun, his Foundation Establishment fifth-level cultivation was not far behind hers.

In the main hall of the Li Family’s ancestral land at Snow Plum Mountain, Lan Chang'an also met a female cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

"This is my wife, Wu Yue’e."

Li Congren’s wife was ordinary in appearance, simply dressed, with slightly darker skin.

At first glance, she didn’t seem like a match for Li Congren.

"Greetings, Grandpa Lan."

Wu Yue’e greeted him with neither arrogance nor submission. Though her appearance was unremarkable, her bright eyes and pearly white teeth stood out.

Lan Chang'an knew that during Li Congren’s difficult years of pioneering in the north, this wife had been a great help to him.

Due to the ongoing war, their marriage had been very low-key, without a public ceremony.

At their first meeting, Lan Chang'an took out a set of high-grade second-rank talismans as a gift to Li Congren’s wife.

After a bit of polite refusal, the couple accepted the gift with thanks.

Several years ago, Li Congren had paid off his grandfather’s debts and had shown filial respect to Lan Chang'an. At a critical moment, he had also passed on important information about the border blockade to Lan Chang'an.

This time, Lan Chang'an came to the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain, intending to use Li Congren’s connections to obtain more information and find a way to travel to the neutral cultivation country of Jing.

"Congren, your Li Family has developed well here in Snow Plum Mountain. No wonder your grandfather praised you so many times."

Lan Chang'an spoke sincerely.

Besides Li Congren and his wife, the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain had another Foundation Establishment cultivator, someone with a life-and-death bond with Li Congren.

When it came to managing the clan, Li Congren was far more capable than his grandfather, Li Erqing.

Not only that, but he also had a knack for diplomacy, maintaining good relationships with the Beast Taming Zhou Family and Jin Yun Valley.

He had even established business ties with merchants from neighboring countries.

Before the war broke out, Li Congren had invested in mining rights, making a fortune from war-related profits.

...

Squeak! Squeak!

As they chatted, the Earth Burrowing Rat became restless, crawling out of its storage pouch and baring its teeth at Li Congren.

The aura of a peak second-rank demon beast startled Li Congren and his wife.

"The Earth Burrowing Rat is well-behaved. It won’t cause any trouble."

Lan Chang'an smiled.

Li Congren hesitated for a moment before patting his spirit pet pouch.

Squeak!

A sharper squeak was heard, and a pale golden rat demon with jewel-like eyes and sleek fur leapt out of the pouch.

In terms of looks, this rat demon was far more appealing.

By comparison, the Earth Burrowing Rat looked more like a scruffy rebel in the world of rat demons.

"A second-rank mid-stage rat demon with traces of treasure-seeking rat bloodline."

Lan Chang'an quietly observed.

The pale golden rat demon was slightly smaller than the Earth Burrowing Rat and appeared timid and uneasy.

Squeak, squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat let out a few soft calls, and after some communication, the treasure-seeking rat lowered its guard.

Before long, the two rat demons scurried off happily to play outside.

The Earth Burrowing Rat, though female, was the stronger of the two.

A short while later, the pale golden rat demon was dragged into the woods by the Earth Burrowing Rat, half willingly, half reluctantly.

Li Congren’s eyelid twitched.

Lan Chang'an didn’t pay much attention to this and shifted the conversation to the situation on the border between the two countries.

"Yue’e, go check on the little golden rat."

Following Lan Chang'an's voice transmitted instructions, Li Congren had his wife Wu Yue’e step outside to keep watch.

No longer concealing his intentions, Lan Chang'an revealed his purpose and asked Li Congren about the route to Jing Kingdom.

Li Congren glanced at Lan Chang'an without showing much surprise.

"Grandpa Lan, to be honest, I have contacts within the Jing Kingdom’s 'Merchant Alliance.' Two years ago, we even had a stable channel to send people to Jing Kingdom as refugees, but it required a hefty fee."

"What’s the current situation?"

Lan Chang'an thought to himself that he had indeed found the right person. Thanks to his business dealings with neighboring countries, Li Congren had established ties with cultivators from the Jing Kingdom’s Merchant Alliance.

Jing, as a neutral country, had a powerful merchant presence that could rival the influence of its cultivation sects.

"Over the past year, the sects of the Liang Kingdom have tightened their control. In the past, the Merchant Alliance’s caravans could bring a few cultivators back to Jing with each transaction. There were even dedicated escort organizations that used giant spirit ships to smuggle people across, selling tickets. But now, such activities have been severely cracked down."

"Just a few days ago, a spirit ship smuggling people was caught by the Liang Kingdom’s sects. Everyone aboard was slaughtered."

Li Congren’s tone was grave.

Lan Chang'an understood that he had missed the optimal window for escape.

One or two years ago, when he had just advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage and hadn’t yet entered the ancient ruins, things would have been much easier.

"If it’s just a matter of the sects cracking down, that would merely increase the risk. There would still be room for maneuvering."

"But in the past six months, a significant portion of the key border regions leading to Jing have fallen under the control of demonic sect forces."

"The Xuan Yin Demonic Sect?"

Lan Chang'an mused. Due to the surrounding wars between cultivation nations, the demonic forces led by Liang Shaotian had made a resurgence in the past two decades, taking advantage of the chaotic situation to thrive.

"Exactly! Merchants from the alliance only need to pay a toll to pass through demonic sect territory. But for Liang Kingdom refugees seeking to flee to Jing, it’s a different story. Even if they give up all their possessions, their lives may not be spared. Some are captured, others are killed outright..."

Li Congren sighed.

Between the sects’ crackdowns, the threat of demonic sects, and the predatory rogue cultivators, the situation was bleak.

Lan Chang'an began to piece together the bigger picture.

"One of the key routes from our area to Jing is controlled by a significant figure in the demonic sect. This person is brutish and unpredictable, making him particularly troublesome."

"Oh? And who might this demonic sect figure be?"

"His name is Xiang Jinglong. He was once a notorious rogue cultivator in the Liang Kingdom. Grandpa Lan, you’ve probably heard of him."

"I have."

Lan Chang'an’s expression didn’t change, but a strange feeling stirred in his heart.

Li Congren continued, "Years ago, Xiang Jinglong was wanted by the Flame Departing Palace. He then sought refuge in the Xuan Yin Demonic Sect, where he received training and favor from the sect leader. His strength has since surged."

"Now, his body-refining has reached the quasi-third rank. He’s far stronger than most Fake Dan cultivators, nearly unmatched below the True Dan stage."

(End of chapter)