I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 177

## Chapter 177: The War in Feng Guo

A group of Jin Yun Valley cultivators, while exploring within Feng Guo, were ambushed by enemy cultivators.

The ambushers outnumbered the Jin Yun Valley cultivators by three to one, led by a formidable late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

At that time, the group of cultivators, numbering dozens, were trapped from both sides, nearly wiped out. The three leading Foundation Establishment cultivators, none returned.

Lin Lu, unfortunately, was among that group.

In Zhao Si Yao’s letter, she described: Lin Lu didn’t perish immediately. With his high-quality Escape Talisman, he managed to break through for a short distance, but then he was hunted by the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After that battle, Lin Lu didn’t return, disappearing into the Feng Guo battlefield.

Zhang Tie Shan searched tirelessly, inquiring everywhere, but without any news.

Lu Chang An sighed, realizing the situation was grim.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator of ordinary strength, trapped in the enemy territory during a war, being hunted and cornered.

If he didn’t return within a short time, he was basically gone forever.

Personally, Lu Chang An felt regret and even a hint of pity. After all, he was a junior he had nurtured for many years.

However, from a neutral perspective, or from the standpoint of Feng Guo cultivators, this matter wasn’t worthy of sympathy.

After all, Liang Guo sects, including Lin Lu, belonged to the invading side.

“I wonder how the battle in Feng Guo is going now?”

Lu Chang An mused.

He always paid attention to the bigger picture in the cultivation world.

Zhao Si Yao, even if she knew the specific information of the battlefield, wouldn’t reveal it in her letter.

In the end, Zhao Si Yao mentioned that it was inconvenient for her to leave the sect, hoping Lu Chang An would visit Jin Yun Valley.

From this, Lu Chang An deduced that Zhao Si Yao was on the second batch of cultivators to be dispatched, entering a “locked” state of war preparation, unable to leave Jin Yun Valley easily.

Lu Chang An couldn’t help but feel a little worried about this female cultivator friend he had known for over a hundred years and trusted deeply.

On the cultivation battlefield, surviving depends not only on strength. Battlefield situations and luck are also crucial factors.

…

The day after receiving the letter, Lu Chang An left Wu Qi Shan discreetly and flew towards the western part of Liang Guo.

After seven or eight days,

Lu Chang An, standing on a green escape light, arrived at the gate of Jin Yun Valley.

Compared to before, the atmosphere in Jin Yun Valley was rather solemn. Most of the cultivators passing by had urgent expressions.

After reporting himself,

Zhao Si Yao emerged from the gate.

The mountain wind rustled her white dress, outlining her graceful figure.

Zhao Si Yao appeared to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a phoenix hairpin, her features like a painting, clear and elegant.

Compared to past years, even when she first entered Foundation Establishment, she appeared more serene and composed.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, you’ve arrived.”

“Fellow Daoist Zhao.”

The two looked at each other, nodding and smiling, without excessive greetings or pleasantries.

Lu Chang An and Zhao Si Yao flew side by side, entering the latter’s cave abode.

In the center of the cave was a lotus pond, its fragrance wafting in the air. Pavilions and waterside terraces were interconnected around it.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, I’m grateful for you coming here this time.”

Zhao Si Yao dismissed her maidservant, with a graceful demeanor, took the mountain spring water flowing within the cave abode, and brewed a pot of spiritual tea for Lu Chang An.

After chatting casually for a while, they inevitably touched upon the matter of Lin Lu being trapped in the Feng Guo battlefield, feeling regretful.

Based on the available intelligence, Lin Lu was most likely dead.

Even if he survived by some miracle, he was probably captured, and his fate wouldn’t be much better.

…

Then, Lu Chang An got straight to the point, asking about the situation on the Feng Guo battlefield.

Zhao Si Yao pondered for a moment, “Two years ago, the Liang Guo sects mobilized various forces, and the first batch of cultivator armies invaded Feng Guo from south to north. In the early stages of the war, Feng Guo was fighting on two fronts, overwhelmed, and the cultivating forces in the rear suffered consecutive defeats…”

The first part of her account was known to cultivators paying attention to the battlefield.

Liang Guo’s expedition was relatively smooth, occupying celestial cities and spirit lands, plundering a lot of resources.

Continuous good news came in, boosting morale.

“However, Feng Guo is vast, with numerous cultivating forces and deep foundations, far surpassing Liang Guo. When the first batch of cultivator armies ventured deeper into Feng Guo, they faced immense resistance.

“If they were unable to defeat the enemy cultivating forces head-on, they resorted to scorched-earth tactics. Liang Guo’s cultivator armies often found themselves attacked from the flanks, ambushed, or their rear bases raided by cultivators…”

Zhao Si Yao’s voice was clear, but her tone grew grave.

“A small country invading a larger one, there’s a gap in the foundation of cultivating civilization.”

Lu Chang An thought to himself, not surprised by the current situation.

Feng Guo’s territory was larger than the combined area of Yan Guo and Liang Guo.

Its strategic depth was vast.

Inherited foundations and fighting on home ground were Feng Guo’s advantages.

Besides the original three Nascent Soul-level forces, Feng Guo also had numerous powerful sects, and the strength of cultivating families far exceeded that of Liang Guo.

“Has the Nascent Soul True Monarch of Li Huo Palace taken action?”

Lu Chang An asked.

The two or three Nascent Soul cultivators currently in Feng Guo were restrained by the Nascent Soul True Monarchs of Chu Tian Feng and Chen Guo on the main battlefield, and wouldn’t readily intervene.

“It is said that he once took action, capturing an important celestial city. However, due to certain considerations, he hasn’t directly intervened in the war since then.”

Zhao Si Yao replied.

“Certain considerations?”

Lu Chang An looked puzzled.

Only a threat of equal level could make a Nascent Soul True Monarch hesitate.

On the main battlefield of Feng Guo, it was impossible to permanently dispatch a Nascent Soul cultivator to deal with the invasion of Liang Guo sects. They could only intervene occasionally in emergencies.

Otherwise, a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator left alone for too long would be susceptible to a sneak attack by Chu Tian Feng. Even if he was only seriously injured, it would have a significant impact on the situation.

“According to rumors, it has something to do with the sword cultivator from Feng Guo’s Blood Sword Valley, who had his physical body destroyed and his Nascent Soul fled.”

Zhao Si Yao sounded unsure, speaking about hearsay.

Feng Guo’s Blood Sword Valley, located in a slightly remote area, was once attacked by Chu Tian Feng of Yan Guo, in collaboration with sects from Chen Guo.

“The Blood Sword Valley sword cultivator was once Feng Guo’s top Nascent Soul cultivator, the most powerful. When Yan Guo’s Nascent Soul Mid-Stage cultivator Chu Tian Feng attacked, he even took the initiative to engage, injuring Chu Tian Feng.”

“This great sword cultivator’s Nascent Soul fled, rumored to be operating behind the scenes, commanding the remaining forces of Blood Sword Valley. With assistance from the other two Nascent Soul sects, Blood Sword Valley has been lurking and defending in the southern part of Feng Guo.”

Hearing this, Lu Chang An had a general understanding of the situation on the front lines.

The Blood Sword Valley head cultivator, whose Nascent Soul had fled, was clearly no ordinary Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator.

If their sect had a late-stage Core Formation cultivator with a compatible cultivation technique, allowing the Nascent Soul to inhabit their body, they wouldn’t need to clash directly with the Nascent Soul True Monarch of Li Huo Palace. They only needed to launch attacks, which would be a dimensional strike against those below Nascent Soul.

With this Nascent Soul True Monarch directing things from behind, coordinating responses, it would pose a considerable constraint on Liang Guo’s invasion strategy.

There was even a possibility: the Blood Sword Valley Nascent Soul sword cultivator had reached an unspoken agreement with the Li Huo Palace Nascent Soul True Monarch, limiting each other’s actions to a certain extent.

“Overall, Liang Guo sects remain the aggressors, but the situation is not so smooth sailing.”

…

After discussing the neighboring country’s battlefield, Zhao Si Yao mentioned her own situation.

She was among the second batch of cultivators to be dispatched. As a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, her responsibilities were greater than Lin Lu’s.

Invading a neighboring country, opportunities and risks went hand in hand.

From the initial stage of the expedition, opportunities were clearly greater than dangers.

At least, Liang Guo’s casualties were far lower than those of Feng Guo.

Some Liang Guo cultivators involved in the invasion gained wealth and resources that would take lifetimes to accumulate.

This included the ancestral cultivation techniques and heritage treasures of certain sects, the personal opportunities and secrets of individual cultivators, etc.

During the war, the number of cultivators breaking through bottlenecks increased by several tens of percent compared to normal times.

All this was contingent on survival.

Zhao Si Yao, like Zhang Tie Shan, had a need for high-quality war materials.

“To purchase Fellow Daoist Lu’s high-grade talismans and puppets, Si Yao has been saving up spirit stones for years, including my reserves for Core Formation resources.”

Zhao Si Yao’s clear eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Over the past hundred years,

the talismans or puppets she obtained from Lu Chang An at key moments had exceeded her expectations, playing a good role.

“Then let’s see how thorough your preparations are.”

Lu Chang An smiled faintly.

He trusted Zhao Si Yao more, so he could show her some strategic materials that went beyond what he usually sold.

In the subsequent transaction, Zhao Si Yao lamented that her spirit stones were insufficient.

The high-quality talismans Lu Chang An brought out included top-tier second-order ones, even some that were almost third-order.

Among them, there were also some talismans with unique abilities, rare in the market.

For puppets, he brought out second-order top-grade ones, capable of holding back a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in a critical moment.

Zhao Si Yao had been saving up spirit stones for many years, yet she still didn’t have as much as Zhang Tie Shan.

After making difficult choices, she bought some top-grade second-order talismans.

She only bought one near-third-order talisman.

She couldn’t afford a second-order late-stage puppet.

“This turtle puppet is a second-order top-grade defective piece. Its defense is completely at the second-order late-stage level. If you need it, Fellow Daoist Zhao, I can sell it to you at a discounted price.”

Lu Chang An actively promoted it.

Back when he was trying to reach second-order top-grade puppet master, he had a failed turtle puppet, whose defense was impeccable.

The price Lu Chang An offered was only slightly higher than an ordinary second-order mid-grade puppet.

Zhao Si Yao was tempted, gritted her teeth, and squeezed her budget further. Using some pills and materials as a discount, she purchased this turtle puppet.

She sighed, “I guess I’m destined to be associated with turtles.”

“Back in the Qingming Secret Realm, that turtle puppet played a good role in dealing with a crisis at a critical moment. After you repaired it, Fellow Daoist Lu, I gave it to Tan’er to use some years ago.”

Lu Chang An joked, “My turtle puppets are cheap and durable, just not very befitting of Fellow Daoist Zhao’s temperament.”

“There’s nothing wrong with turtles. They’re good for longevity and protection.”

Zhao Si Yao smiled, her clear and delicate eyes looking at Lu Chang An, softening a bit, seemingly with a hint of envy.

Lu Chang An’s heart skipped a beat, almost thinking that she had seen through some of his secrets.

“Besides buying war materials, Si Yao has one more request.”

Zhao Si Yao suddenly stood up, her expression solemn, and she bowed gracefully.

“Fellow Daoist Zhao, there’s no need to be so formal. Just speak your mind.”

Lu Chang An also stood up, gently lifting Zhao Si Yao’s delicate hand.

“At our age, we no longer have close relatives in this world. Si Yao is going to Liang Guo on this expedition, and I can’t guarantee that I will return. Only Tan’er, my direct disciple, makes me worried.”

“Fellow Daoist Lu, you’re a steady and reliable person, understanding the ways of the cultivation world. If I don’t make it back, I hope you can take care of Zhao Tan’er and guide her a little.”

Zhao Si Yao’s words sounded like she was entrusting her final wishes.

“I promise you this. I believe that good fortune will favor her, and she won’t come to that.”

Lu Chang An nodded.

Based on the current battlefield situation, the death rate of the dispatched cultivators wasn’t particularly high, it was just that they were short-handed on the front lines.

But the battlefield was merciless and unpredictable.

Even a Core Formation True Monarch couldn’t guarantee they would return.

Zhao Si Yao’s advance arrangements for her affairs were rational behavior.

…

After finishing the main business, the two continued to chat for a long time until evening.

Over a hundred years of cultivating lives, there were countless memories worth recalling.

Especially since this was likely their last conversation, they cherished each other’s company.

During this time, their gazes would meet from time to time, gentle and understanding, occasionally they would laugh without a word.

As evening approached,

Zhao Si Yao didn’t show any intention of seeing him off, so Lu Chang An took the initiative to stand up and take his leave.

Zhao Si Yao softly hummed, gazing at the youthful, white-clad man, without politely trying to detain him.

She accompanied Lu Chang An outside the cave abode.

Under the hazy moonlight,

Lu Chang An turned around and found that the elegant, cool, and slender figure in a white dress was looking at him, silently seeing him off.

“Fellow Daoist Zhao, I wish you smooth sailing in Feng Guo, and that you obtain resources for Core Formation. When you return, we’ll have a drink together again.”

Lu Chang An waved goodbye and departed into the distance.

…

After leaving Jin Yun Valley,

Lu Chang An flew through the air, recalling their conversation, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face.

Zhao Si Yao was very similar to him in terms of emotions, and she was even more virtuous.

“That treasure talisman, I hope you never have to use it on the battlefield.”

Lu Chang An murmured in his heart.

It turned out that in the turtle puppet he sold to Zhao Si Yao, inside the chamber where the spirit stones were embedded, he had secretly placed a treasure talisman.

Zhao Si Yao was the only cultivator in this life to receive this gift.

(End of Chapter)

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