I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 205: Beaten to the Punch

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Northwest of Huanglong Immortal City.

A light mist shrouded the boundless, dark mountain range.

A second-rank spirit boat streaked through the sky, gradually slowing down as it approached the outskirts of the Black Fog Mountain Range.

Onboard, a man and woman stood side by side, both dressed in black robes and appearing like a middle-aged Foundation Establishment couple.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, the risks of this trip might be no less than venturing into a battlefield. Have you made any final arrangements?"

Shi Manrong, dressed in a black gown, had disguised herself, making her features less conspicuous.

"I have no family or descendants, so there’s nothing to arrange," Lan Chang'an replied indifferently.

"Why? After attending Fellow Daoist Zheng's funeral, did seeing it stir something in you, Fairy Shi? Have you left matters unresolved?"

Just days ago, Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong had departed from Wuqi Mountain to attend the funeral of Zheng Centipede.

Though Shi Manrong didn’t know Zheng Centipede well, she used the funeral as an excuse to step out, allowing the two of them to secretly head toward the ancient ruin in the Black Fog Mountain Range.

During the funeral, the appearance of two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—even briefly—gave the Zheng Family great face and deterred potential enemies.

At the Zheng Family’s ancestral home, the two learned a grim detail:

Zheng Centipede had died on the battlefield, and no one had even recovered his body. His bones had vanished without a trace.

The dangers of exploring ancient ruin rivaled those of the battlefield. If they encountered misfortune, they might die without leaving a body behind, suffering the same fate as Zheng Centipede.

"Like you, Fellow Daoist Lan, I am also without attachments," Shi Manrong smiled lightly, then suggested, "Why don’t we make a pact? If one of us meets an untimely end, the other will help to recover the body and offer burial, as long as it doesn’t endanger their own life. And of course, the surviving party will inherit the deceased’s possessions."

Lan Chang'an agreed to the pact and reassured her, "With your talent in formations, and assuming you don’t let greed get the better of you, I believe we’ll both make it out alive."

...

As they ventured deeper into the Black Fog Mountain Range, the two slowed down, flying just above the treetops.

"There seem to be more cultivators here than usual," Lan Chang'an muttered.

The Black Fog Mountain Range, typically devoid of human activity, now showed clear signs of increased traffic.

Along the natural cracks in the mountains and the Black Blood Road carved by ancient sages, they even saw sect cultivators guarding certain points.

This phenomenon was a direct result of the ongoing cultivation war.

Some cultivators, seeking to escape the conflict, had fled to the outer reaches of the Black Fog Mountain Range.

Among the figures they passed, a few emanated a strong killing intent, likely fugitives wanted by their sects.

Half a month later.

As they pressed deeper, the number of cultivators they encountered dwindled.

The area they now traversed was far more dangerous than the outskirts of the mountain range. The occasional demonic beasts they encountered were basically of the second rank, with no shortage of powerful demonic beasts of the late second rank.

Their most perilous encounter was when a quasi-third-rank demonic bird streaked through the sky nearby.

Such beasts were much faster than Fake Dan cultivators. If one latched onto them, it would be almost impossible to escape.

Fortunately, Lan Chang'an reacted quickly, and together with Shi Manrong, they concealed themselves and suppressed their auras in time.

"When I came here in the past, the surrounding beasts weren’t nearly this powerful," Shi Manrong said, her heart still pounding from the close call. She continued leading the way based on her memory of the ruins’ location.

...

"We’re close," Shi Manrong said half a day later as a jagged peak came into view.

Deep within the towering peaks ahead, Lan Chang'an sensed a foreboding aura. It was possible that a Fake Dan or even a true third-rank great demon lurked nearby.

Thankfully, they wouldn’t need to venture much deeper, as the ancient ruins Shi Manrong remembered were located not far from their current position.

The two descended into a valley surrounded by the towering peaks.

Below, a vast, rotting swamp stretching across hundreds of acres appeared before them.

Even from a distance, Lan Chang'an could smell the foul stench emanating from the swamp, a result of the poisonous gases it emitted.

Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would feel dizzy after inhaling just one breath of the swamp’s noxious fumes.

The swamp was home to various poisonous creatures, such as snakes, insects, and scorpions, as well as hidden monstrosities.

Both humans and demonic beasts tended to avoid this place.

Perhaps it was the poisonous environment, but the swamp seemed to block out spiritual sense far better than ordinary rocky terrain.

"Someone’s been here before," Shi Manrong said, her gaze fixed on a steep peak adjacent to the swamp, her expression changing drastically.

The mountain walls were covered with thorny vines and weeds.

At that moment, Lan Chang'an felt a cold, covert spiritual sense probing the area.

"Careful!"

Before his warning had fully left his mouth, several figures appeared on the steep peak adjacent to the swamp, their movements blurred by light and shadow.

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!

A dozen strange, black-glowing lotus seeds flickered through the air, enclosing Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong.

The hastily activated protective barrier of Lan Chang'an’s mana managed to block only two of the lotus seeds before being shattered.

Rip!

Shi Manrong’s black robe was torn, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin, though she hadn’t been injured.

The surface of those black lotus seeds was clearly coated in a deadly poison.

"A set of special supreme-grade magic weapons!" Shi Manrong’s face grew serious as she formed a hand seal. The inner layer of her black gown, a supreme-grade defensive robe, emitted a black water-like barrier that enveloped her entire body.

Lan Chang'an summoned a silver shield that spun around him at high speed, deflecting several more of the incoming black lotus seeds with a series of sharp ding sounds.

However, the lotus seed attack was only the first wave.

Following right behind it, a fire-sheathed flying sword sliced through the air, creating a massive flame sword shadow five or six zhang long.

At the same time, a cloud-like silk veil expanded in the air above them, forming a rotating umbrella that emitted a powerful suction force, threatening to engulf the two of them from above.

These two supreme-grade magical weapons were being wielded by mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, but their coordination in this ambush made them a significant threat to Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

Above the swamp, a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy suddenly burst forth.

"To come out unscathed from Lady Wei’s 'Black Lotus Flash'... you’re no ordinary cultivators," a tall, high-nosed youth in a cloak, standing on the steep mountainside, commented with a hint of surprise. His hands were forming seals as his magical power surged.

In the air, a bronze spear with ancient patterns floated ominously, exuding pressure close to that of a true magical treasure.

"A magical treasure prototype! Peak late-stage Foundation Establishment!"

Now Lan Chang'an could see his attackers clearly.

They were four Foundation Establishment cultivators, their forms previously hidden by a third-rank formation. They only revealed themselves after launching their surprise attack.

Aside from the high-nosed peak late-stage Foundation Establishment youth wielding the magical treasure prototype, there was a long-haired, cold, and beautiful woman who controlled the set of black lotus tools. Her cultivation aura rivaled that of a true disciple from one of the major sects, though she practiced demonic cultivation methods.

The other two were mid-stage Foundation Establishment, an elderly man and a middle-aged woman, wielding the fire-shrouded sword and the cloud veil respectively.

Earlier, it was only the three lower-level cultivators who had attacked, and they had almost injured Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong.

Now, the strongest among them—the high-nosed youth—had activated his magical treasure prototype.

Crack!

The air trembled with a thunderous sound.

The bronze spear blurred and shot forward, tearing through space as lightning crackled around it, hurtling toward Lan Chang'an with Fake Dan level pressure.

This attack, following the rhythm of the ambush, had the potential to kill an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator on the spot.

"Did they take me for an easy target?"

Lan Chang'an, who had only recently broken through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, had noticeably less spiritual energy than Shi Manrong, who was at the peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment. It was clear he had been chosen as the weaker link to be swiftly killed or severely injured.

Feigning panic, Lan Chang'an slapped a top-grade second-rank defensive talisman onto himself, adding a layer of golden earth armor around his body.

Boom!

The earth armor cracked immediately, pierced by the bronze spear.

The silver shield hovering in front of Lan Chang'an flickered, its light dimming rapidly, on the verge of falling.

At the critical moment, Lan Chang'an summoned a heavily armored second-rank puppet, which wielded a large shield. With a heavy clang, the puppet managed to block the bronze spear, now down to just two or three-tenths of its original power.

Shh!

Lan Chang'an tilted his head just in time to avoid a black lotus seed that had been fired stealthily at him.

The black lotus seed missed its mark, piercing through a large stone behind him, leaving a deep, corroded hole.

Shi Manrong couldn’t help but secretly sweat for Lan Chang'an.

And this was with her doing her utmost to fend off the other three Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Hmm? Quick reflexes!"

The cold, long-haired woman blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting her stealthy lotus seed to miss its mark after Lan Chang'an had seemingly exhausted himself blocking the magical treasure prototype.

"The kid’s life-saving techniques aren’t bad,"

The high-nosed youth controlling the bronze spear was also secretly shocked.

Ordinarily, any other late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would have been forced to drink bitter defeat, perhaps even dying on the spot. At the very least, they would have had to pay a steep price.

Yet, Lan Chang'an—despite appearing to be in a panic—was still unscathed.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, let’s set up a formation to deal with them,"

Shi Manrong sent a message, her delicate hand waving as she dropped a formation disk on the ground, followed by several formation flags.

In an instant, a haze of wind and sand enveloped the area around them.

Fairy Shi, a master of formations, had quickly set up a temporary top-grade second-rank formation.

This temporary formation would rapidly deplete the spirit stones in the array disk and couldn’t last long.

The cloaked youth with the bronze spear struck the formation with his magical treasure prototype, causing it to shake but failing to break through quickly.

With the formation as their shield, Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong no longer feared being overwhelmed by the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

They summoned their own magical weapons to counterattack, with Lan Chang'an also deploying several superior-grade second-rank puppets to strike back from within the safety of the formation.

"Fairy Shi, it seems someone has already found this place. Didn’t you say before that aside from Qi Immortal, no one else knew the location of these ruins?"

"It’s been decades since I was last here. I don’t know the current situation. The concealment array I left at the entrance of the ruins must have long since disappeared."

Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong secretly exchanged thoughts.

"It seems someone has reestablished a third-rank formation here. The ancient ruins have likely been discovered. I suspect these cultivators aren’t even the ones in charge," Fairy Shi added.

In their fight, both had been holding back out of a sense of caution.

Shi Manrong had not yet used any of her trump cards, like her talismanic treasure or hidden magical treasure prototype.

Lan Chang'an’s powerful Earth Burrowing Rat had also not joined the battle.

"After so many years, it’s no surprise someone found this place, especially with the recent influx of cultivators into the Black Fog Mountain Range."

...

In the valley beside the swamp, both sides reached a temporary stalemate, unable to decisively overpower the other.

"You useless fools!"

An irritable, displeased voice echoed from beneath the swamp.

Boom!

A powerful Fake Dan aura burst forth as the poison-filled swamp was torn apart, revealing a towering figure bathed in a blue light.

"Tan Immortal!"

The four Foundation Establishment cultivators bowed deeply toward the newcomer.

The blue light faded, revealing a middle-aged man with a square face and a thick beard.

"Tan Immortal? Could he be the infamous traitor from Flame Departing Palace?"

Shi Manrong’s face paled as she scrutinized the figure in the sky, her breathing becoming erratic.

"So there really is a Fake Dan cultivator involved! The four just now were just minions guarding the gate."

Lan Chang'an noticed Shi Manrong’s tension.

This Fake Dan Immortal was the strongest Fake Dan cultivator she had encountered yet.

In Shi Manrong’s view, she and Lan Chang'an could hold their own against an ordinary Fake Dan cultivator, and they had ways to escape with their lives.

But this man was no ordinary Fake Dan cultivator.

Tan Immortal, a defector from Flame Departing Palace, had once defeated two Fake Dan cultivators single-handedly, killing one of them in the process.

On top of that, there were still four late-stage and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators supporting him, all of whom were no weaker than the two of them.

"Break!"

Tan Immortal gave a cold glance at the formation below and casually struck downward with his palm, unleashing a flood of Fake Dan energy in the shape of a giant hand.

Boom!

The top-grade second-rank formation instantly shattered, exposing Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong.

Both grunted in pain as their blood churned, their bodies forcibly pushed back by the residual shockwaves, but they barely managed to regain their footing.

"Tan Immortal, this humble one—"

Shi Manrong began to speak, bowing slightly as if to negotiate.

Tan Immortal sneered in disdain and formed another hand seal.

Roar!

A massive torrent of water in the shape of a dragon’s head surged through the air, roaring as it raced toward Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong, its overwhelming force shaking their very blood.

The protective lights around their supreme-grade defensive magical weapons flickered and dimmed in an instant, shattering within two breaths under the assault.

However, both Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong had protective talismans as backup, allowing them to block the remaining force of the water dragon’s attack.

"This man’s strength is close to the early Core Formation stage," Lan Chang'an assessed internally.

Tan Immortal frowned slightly and spat out a stream of cold light, which transformed into a dark, ancient-looking ruler.

This was a true magical treasure, exuding a pressure close to that of a True Dan cultivator.

The black ruler spun above them, gathering deep blue light as it hovered over their heads, creating the suffocating feeling of an impending mountain collapse.

One strike from this ruler could easily crush a mountain.

Lan Chang'an’s expression turned grim. This man was far more dangerous than either He Yuanwu or Xiang Jinglong had been.

He doubted even his quasi-third-rank defensive talismans could withstand a full strike from the man’s magical treasure.

Shi Manrong’s face paled as well. Her delicate hand produced a large blue talisman engraved with an intricately detailed ice spear.

Even so, she didn’t feel fully secure and secretly prepared another quasi-third-rank protective talisman.

"Are you trying to make such a ruckus that the whole world knows about this place?"

Suddenly, a grumpy voice cut through the tension.

"Hu Immortal!"

"Master Hu!"

From the steep mountainside connected to the swamp, a stone door swung open, and a short, black-bearded elder stepped out.

"A second Fake Dan cultivator?"

Lan Chang'an’s heart sank.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this second cultivator was a third-rank formation master, likely the one in charge of breaking through the defenses of the ancient ruins. Who knew how much progress they had already made?

Had they arrived even a year or two later, they might have found that the best spoils had already been claimed.

"Master Hu? Why are you here?"

Shi Manrong’s eyes lit up as she recognized the short, black-bearded elder, her voice filled with surprise.

"Huh? Little Shi, is that you?"

Master Hu squinted at Shi Manrong, momentarily confused, before realizing who she was, his expression shifting to surprise.

Both Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong had used disguises before coming here.

"Hu Immortal, what’s your connection with these two?"

Tan Immortal withdrew his black ruler and gave Hu Immortal a questioning look.

"Ah, there’s no need to worry, Tan Immortal. Little Shi here is a talented formation master I once taught, and this meeting is nothing more than a coincidence,"

Hu Immortal explained, then sent a few discreet voice transmissions to Tan Immortal.

After their exchange, Tan Immortal’s expression eased slightly. He glanced at Shi Manrong and asked, "How did you two know about this place?"

"To tell the truth, Tan Immortal, I actually knew about this place long before you did..."

Shi Manrong realized there was no point in trying to deceive them. Even if she pretended to be ignorant of the ancient ruins, neither Fake Dan cultivator would believe her, and they certainly wouldn’t let her and Lan Chang'an walk away.

"I see. It seems coming early isn’t as good as arriving at the right time."

Hu Immortal stroked his beard with a chuckle.

He turned to Tan Immortal and suggested, "Little Shi has great talent in formations and is quite familiar with the ruins. Why not let her join us and assist in breaking through the formations? What do you think, Tan Immortal?"

"That works."

Tan Immortal nodded. Adding another formation master would indeed expedite the process, and he didn’t mind giving Hu Immortal some face.

"What about this man? What’s his relationship to you?"

Tan Immortal’s gaze fell on Lan Chang'an.

"This is Talisman Master Lan of Wuqi Mountain. He’s a close friend of mine, and we originally planned to explore the ruins together,"

Shi Manrong replied truthfully.

"Talisman Master Lan’s skill with talismans is impressive. I believe he could be of use to the two seniors."

"We already have enough people. There’s no need for a talisman master."

Tan Immortal’s tone turned cold as his gaze swept over Lan Chang’an, his killing intent plain for all to see.

"Hu Immortal, could you make an exception...?"

Shi Manrong pleaded softly.

"Little Shi, I’m afraid Tan Immortal has already made a concession by allowing you to join. The more people we bring along, the greater the variables,"

Hu Immortal refused firmly, shaking his head.

With a subtle movement of his hand, he manipulated his Fake Dan power to separate Shi Manrong from Lan Chang'an.

The four Foundation Establishment cultivators who had attacked earlier moved to encircle Lan Chang'an without needing further instruction.

(End of chapter)