I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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“You will understand in time.”

Lan Chang'an gave no explanation and led him to the Little Pill Peak.

Ye Fei watched the serene and tranquil figure in white, suppressing the curiosity in his heart. He had a hunch that the reason why this rumored elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator chose himself should have some deep meaning.

Little Pill Peak was the highest main peak of Wuqi Mountain, majestic and beautiful, with clouds and mist swirling around the summit, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Ye Fei set aside his usual lazy demeanor and carefully observed every plant and tree on the mountain.

His eyebrows relaxed as he took a deep breath of the cool mountain air, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Not a bad environment.”

The previous owner of Little Pill Peak was a second-rank superior-grade alchemist, and the preserved garden architecture and layout suited his needs.

Ye Fei immediately paid a deposit of spirit stones and signed a temporary lease. A formal lease would need to wait until Shi Manrong returned to sign it before witnesses from Jin Yun Valley.

At the mountaintop, the two chatted for a while. Lan Chang'an got a better understanding of Ye Fei's situation.

Ye Fei was several decades younger than Lan Chang'an and had an outstanding talent for pharmacology since childhood. His parents were late-stage Qi-Refining loose cultivators, giving him a decent background.

After avenging his parents, Ye Fei had wandered through various marketplaces and immortal cities for decades, primarily working in pharmacies and accepting commissions from merchant associations.

In recent years, he had saved up a small fortune and wanted to find a stable and independent cultivation site. Wuqi Mountain was a good choice, with a good location and an acceptable co-rental price, and offered opportunities to earn spirit stones.

As a herbalist, Ye Fei could also refine pills, only his attainments were not as specialized as those of alchemists of the same rank. However, he excelled in treating illnesses, healing injuries, and detoxifying poisons. His abilities were quite comprehensive.

“Fellow Daoist Ye, do you know the artifact refiner ‘Kong Mao’ who competed with you earlier?” Lan Chang'an thought of the black-bearded old man who had hidden his cultivation.

“Fellow Daoist Kong Mao? I only have a passing acquaintance with him and don't know much.”

“Fellow Daoist Kong originally hailed from a marketplace within the sphere of Liuyun Sect's influence in the northern part of Liang Kingdom. Over a decade ago, the marketplace where Fellow Daoist Kong was based was attacked by rogue cultivators and fell apart. having lost his home, he came to Huanglong Immortal City, where he has been a low-profile and unassuming character for years.”

“I see.”

Lan Chang'an nodded, not delving further.

Previously, he had basic information that Kong Mao came from the vicinity of Huanglong Immortal City. It turns out he originally came from a marketplace north of the Black Fog Mountain Range.

“Fellow Daoist Lan, I must return home to pack and purchase some resources.” Ye Fei stayed for half an hour before getting up to leave.

...

Lan Chang'an returned to Little Turtle Peak and fell into thought.

“Kong Mao’s background can be traced, and there are no obvious flaws. But this person appears to be in the early Foundation Establishment stage, while his real cultivation is in the late Foundation Establishment stage.”

The ultra-thin mask Kong Mao wore was a disguising treasure, it was likely that his identity had been replaced by someone else.

Previously, Lan Chang'an’s mind merged with the Nine Seal Stele’s second life, amplifying his divine sense to match that of a Core Formation Immortal, thus detecting the anomaly. At the time, he didn’t try to break the mask treasure, as it would alert the other party.

In any case, “Kong Mao” coming to Wuqi Mountain to compete for the peak master position definitely had ulterior motives. Although he didn’t become the peak master, he still managed to gather information.

For Lan Chang'an, as long as the other party didn’t successfully infiltrate, there was no real threat.

Little Turtle Peak had double protective mountain formations. Lan Chang'an, in the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, was a senior second-rank talisman master and had a mid second-rank spirit pet.

Even with just his visible means, he wasn’t afraid of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator and even had a chance of winning.

Precautions were still necessary.

Lan Chang'an planned to raise the strength of Little Turtle Peak and his cave’s formations, which would increase the consumption of spirit stones accordingly.

He also instructed Guan Qiaozhi not to leave Wuqi Mountain unless necessary and to have the loose cultivators who are dependent on the main peak handle any matters.

...

A month later.

Shi Manrong returned to Wuqi Mountain to help the officially settled Ye Fei set up protective mountain formations.

While setting up the formations, Lan Chang'an watched from a distance, sensing Shi Manrong's significant progress in formation techniques and stable advancement in cultivation over the past few years.

This might be related to her joining Huanglong Mountain.

Once the formations were set up, Lan Chang'an looked for Shi Manrong to discuss some things.

“Fairy Shi, if the beast tide is large, some stray fish will inevitably break through the front line and impact the surroundings. At that time, there may be curmudgeons who fish in troubled waters.”

“I suggest strengthening the alert formations on Wuqi Mountain.”

The cost of alert formations wasn’t high, it was mainly a test of the attainments of the formation master.

Shi Manrong thought for a moment and agreed with Lan Chang'an's suggestion.

Although she didn't stay permanently at Wuqi Mountain, she had decades of hard-cultivated spirit assets on Xiao Pan Peak, which were still managed by her maids and servants.

Moreover, her cooperation with Huanglong Mountain was temporary; the future was uncertain, and she needed to leave herself a way out.

In the following days, Fairy Shi set up some hidden alert formations on Wuqi Mountain.

The cost of setting up these formations was borne by the three peak masters. Considering his own safety, the newly arrived Ye Fei did not object.

A few more months passed.

A Foundation Establishment deacon from Jin Yun Valley arrived at Wuqi Mountain, and the three peak masters re-signed the co-rental spirit contract.

After completing this, Shi Manrong immediately returned to Huanglong Immortal City.

Lan Chang'an had a feeling that Huanglong Mountain’s hefty recruitment of Shi Manrong wasn’t just to deal with the beast tide.

...

A year later, Lan Chang'an turned 106 years old.

On this day, he finished his daily cultivation and treasure talisman nurturing.

Stepping out of his cave, as usual, he gazed northward.

Vaguely, he sensed an invisible demonic wind and baleful energy spilling out from the ancient mountain range in the north.

“It’s coming.” Lan Chang'an murmured.

For the past six months, he had been observing the north, using his rudimentary qi observation technique from his previous life to judge the rough stage of the beast tide.

Wuqi Mountain wasn’t like Huanglong Immortal City, located on the front line of the beast tide. Its geographical location was some distant from the Black Fog Mountain Range, relatively safer. Even so, Lan Chang'an remained vigilant and cautious.

Ten days later, news from the front line reached Wuqi Mountain.

“Senior Brother Lan, a beast tide has erupted in the Black Fog Mountain Range. Huanglong Immortal City and the surrounding cultivation forces are under attack by beast hordes.” Guan Qiaozhi came to report, her expression serious and urgent.

“Hmm, it won’t affect us for the time being.” Lan Chang'an remained calm.

The essence of a beast tide was that numerous types of demonic beasts, with strong reproductive capabilities, were too abundant for the Black Fog Mountain Range to sustain internally. High-ranking demonic beasts would drive out lower level beast clans from the inside out. The driven beast hordes, with their innate cultivation needs, would first attack human territories with spiritual veins.

During a beast tide, high-ranking demonic beasts would secretly control the tide, attempting to expand their territory.

Thousands of years ago, when the demon race's power was strong, most of Liang Kingdom was occupied by demonic beasts. Immortal cultivators, too, were the target of beast hordes.

The blood and flesh of ordinary mortals didn’t appeal much to demonic beasts, who found them rather bland. But the flesh and blood of cultivators, nourished by spiritual energy, were rare tonics to demonic beasts, akin to torches blazing amidst the night.

...

During the first month of the beast tide’s outbreak.

Various cultivation forces adjacent to the Black Fog Mountain Range were attacked by waves of demonic beasts.

The first to bear the brunt were forces like Huanglong Immortal City and the Beast Taming Zhou Family. They had prospered by utilizing the Black Fog Mountain Range as a treasure trove and had the experience to deal with it.

These frontline forces were not fighting alone. Cultivation sects issued tasks, calling on disciples to go to the front lines to hunt demonic beasts. Additionally, demon beast hunters eager to profit from beast materials flocked to the front lines.

Besides defending the city and hunting demons, cultivators of the hundred arts provided logistical supplies, earning them higher compensation than usual.

Wuqi Mountain and its surroundings remained calm.

Lan Chang'an noticed an increase in cultivators coming to buy talismans. Even first-rank puppets became bestsellers. Ye Fei’s Little Pill Peak, newly established, also saw good business.

“Qiaozhi, starting tomorrow, raise the prices of all talismans and puppets by twenty to thirty percent.” Lan Chang'an handed a jade slip to Guan Qiaozhi.

In this special period, increasing supply wouldn’t attract attention. The signs of the beast tide had appeared several years ago. It was not uncommon for far-sighted craftsmen to stock up on "war supplies" in advance. Lan Chang'an's price increase was relatively reasonable.

Although he didn’t fight on the front lines, he provided war supplies from the rear, which was also considered a contribution to the human civilization.

...

Two more months passed.

News from the front lines indicated that the beast tide’s scale was unprecedented, with a marketplace and two Foundation Establishment cultivation families being overrun by the tide.

The market prices for talismans, pills, magical weapons, and other items continued to rise.

Lan Chang'an’s stock of first-rank mid and low-grade talismans was rapidly depleting. Fortunately, he had ample stock. He had previously purchased a lot of talisman materials in Huanglong Immortal City. However, at this rate, the talisman materials wouldn’t last long.

Lan Chang'an wasn’t worried.

He believed that it wouldn't be long before a large amount of materials would circulate from the frontline. Moreover, Wuqi Mountain’s location made it convenient to procure materials from frontline bases like Huanglong Immortal City.

One day, Outside the cave mansion, Guan Qiaozhi screamed in alarm, looking frightened.

In the sky above Wuqi Mountain, demonic winds swept.

Shadows of several demonic birds circled in the clouds, eyeing the spiritual vein below.

The leading black demonic bird, with a wingspan of five or six zhang, was an early second-rank demonic bird, while the other three were late first-rank.

“Do not panic. These are just normal strays. Demonic birds can more easily bypass the front lines and enter the Liang Kingdom.”

Lan Chang'an restrained his magical aura, instructing the Earth Burrowing Rat to stay hidden.

Three months into the beast tide, only now did they start seeing demonic beasts in these rear spiritual vein areas.

...

With demonic birds attacking, the nearby Little Pill Peak and Xiao Pan Peak activated their defensive formations.

Lan Chang'an intended to collect some talisman materials and didn’t fully activate his formation. The killing and defense formations on Little Turtle Peak were only partially activated.

Suddenly, the demonic wind intensified, and a sharp screech approached from afar.

The leading second-rank black demonic bird’s sharp gaze fixated on the Profound Water Turtle by the lotus pond.

Four demonic birds swooped toward Little Turtle Peak.

The Profound Water Turtle trembled, looking pitifully at Lan Chang'an at the cave entrance, who ordered it to stay put.

Splash!

The Profound Water Turtle sank into the water, leaving only its massive shell exposed.

The leading second-rank black bird swooped down on the mountaintop, its body abruptly halting with a wary look.

Whoosh!

Massive waves of water condensed around the mountaintop, while an illusory blue moon floated in the sky.

Centered on the illusory blue moon, a dark blue water curtain enveloped the mountaintop and the cave, isolating it from the outside.

This was the “Illusory Moon Water Killing Formation,” a second-rank mid-grade illusionary killing formation set up by Shi Manrong on Little Turtle Peak.

Swoosh~

Within the formation, a blue ripple tinged with black light, like a twisted net, swept over the demonic birds.

The three late first-rank demonic birds froze in midair, their bloody corpses plummeting down.