I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 204

## Chapter 203: The Northern Migration of Jin Yang

A year later.

In the forest north of Fox Valley, in the heartland of Liang Kingdom.

Huff! Huff!

A burly man in sturdy clothes, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, gasped for breath as he held a Concealment Talisman, hiding among the dense foliage.

“Qi Feng! Don’t struggle in vain!”

“According to the Sect’s conscription order, fugitives like you can go to the front lines to atone for your crimes. If you’re lucky, you might be able to achieve a victory, earn a reward, and turn misfortune into good fortune.”

From above the forest, the voices of a man and a woman echoed.

They were two Sect cultivators, dressed in golden-trimmed black robes, standing on flying magical tools, their sharp gazes fixed on the movement within the forest.

Qi Feng remained silent, silently swallowing two pills.

His black hair was disheveled, his body riddled with injuries. He endured the pain, tending to the fracture in his ribs.

“Qi Feng, if you don’t come out, don’t blame us for setting the forest ablaze.”

The two Sect cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions impatient, but they didn’t dare enter the forest rashly.

Qi Feng, at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, was of comparable cultivation to the two. He was a seasoned warrior, a secular martial arts master, and his combat strength surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

Puf! Puf!

Several fireballs descended from the sky, engulfing the forest in flames and thick smoke.

“Boom!”

A sound of impact came from somewhere in the forest, accompanied by an unusual surge of spiritual energy. A large tree toppled over.

“He’s exposed his location!”

The female Sect cultivator’s eyes lit up. Together with her companion, they flanked the position, gradually closing in.

“No good, it’s a trap!”

They used their magical tools to cut away the foliage in that area. Both their expressions changed simultaneously.

At the spot, there was only a damaged human-shaped puppet, crushed by the tree.

Farther into the forest.

Whoosh!

A strong and agile figure dashed away a distance under the cover of the thick smoke. Then, he stepped onto a black saber-shaped magical tool and broke through the air.

“Chase!”

The two Sect cultivators hastily changed direction, but were affected by the black smoke in the sky and failed to catch him immediately.

“Qi Feng! Why are you so stubborn? Are you going to be a fugitive for the rest of your life, living in a dark ditch?”

The female Sect cultivator roared angrily.

“Protecting the border of Liang Kingdom, atoning for your crimes, this is the Sect’s benevolence, a chance for you to be reborn!”

“Atoning for my crimes?”

Qi Feng sneered, a sarcastic smile on his face. Ignoring his injuries, he channeled his spiritual energy wildly, his escape speed even faster.

He had read history books in the mundane world, knowing that criminals throughout the ages were often sent to the front lines as death squads, to be used as cannon fodder.

The Liang Kingdom Sect, conscripting these fugitives to resist the neighboring nation’s invasion, what was the fundamental difference between this and the secular dynasties?

Most importantly, he had committed no crime.

He was framed!

“I’m injured, and with my current spiritual energy, I can’t run for long. Once I encounter other Sect patrols…”

After flying a hundred miles, Qi Feng felt a throbbing pain in his body, a bitter taste in his mouth.

He couldn’t help but recall the map of Liang Kingdom in his mind, searching for any escape opportunities nearby.

“Fox Valley, to the northeast is Huang Long Immortal City. To the northwest is…”

In a flash, a familiar geographic location jolted Qi Feng awake. His face was filled with both joy and worry.

“Aunt Guan! Qi Feng is incompetent, I’m afraid I have to defy your wishes.”

Qi Feng took a deep breath, gritting his teeth resolutely. He slightly adjusted his flying direction.

Aunt Guan had instructed him not to see that person unless it was absolutely necessary.

Only if Aunt Guan died one day could Qi Feng take her urn to that place and bury her.

…

“Haha! That thief is weak!”

An hour later, the two Sect cultivators slowly closed the distance.

At that moment, they encountered a mountain range shrouded in clouds and mist, with abundant spiritual energy.

Qi Feng, piloting his magical tool, staggered and plunged into the mountains.

“Senior Brother Yue, that thief has escaped into Wu Qi Mountain.”

The female Sect cultivator was stunned.

“Wu Qi Mountain? That’s our Jin Yun Valley’s spiritual vein! Let the cultivators on the mountain cooperate with law enforcement and hand over the thief. Otherwise…”

Senior Brother Yue suddenly thought of something and swallowed the rest of his words.

“Let’s go in and have a look. We can handle it ourselves.”

Senior Brother Yue, at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, was the first to pass through the mist and enter the mountain range.

Within Wu Qi Mountain.

They quickly caught sight of Qi Feng. He was struggling to fly towards a relatively low and flat main peak.

Suddenly!

Qi Feng seemed to collide with an invisible wind barrier. His body staggered, then rolled down towards the middle of the mountain on that main peak.

Senior Brother Yue and the two laughed. They sped up, preparing to capture their target.

As they approached within a hundred meters.

The expressions of the two Sect cultivators changed dramatically. Their flying magical tools trembled.

“This is…”

They sensed a powerful spiritual pressure, accompanied by surging fluctuations of spiritual energy, emanating from that peak.

In the face of that rising spiritual pressure, they felt like small boats in a giant wave, in danger of being swallowed by the endless sea.

“The spiritual energy fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment cultivator! It seems to be at the final stage of breakthrough!”

“This spiritual pressure has overtaken Senior Brother Dongmen! Could it be a newly promoted late Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

The two Sect cultivators felt immense pressure, wary and fearful. They dared not approach easily.

They were afraid of disturbing the Foundation Establishment cultivator who was in seclusion, advancing in cultivation.

If it were an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, they wouldn’t be so cautious.

But a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, throughout the entire Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world, was a rare powerhouse, even capable of controlling several cultivation families.

Furthermore, this was the renowned Wu Qi Mountain, with three peak masters whose strength was outstanding, intimidating nearby villains. They had quite a lot of influence.

…

“Senior Brother Yue, that thief seems to have fallen onto Xiao Gui Peak, the ‘Turtle Talisman Master’s’ Daoist place.”

The female Sect cultivator whispered.

“How do you know?”

As soon as Senior Brother Yue finished speaking, he saw a large blue turtle, with blue water shimmering around it, flying down from the top of Wu Qi Mountain.

“A second-order spiritual turtle?”

“Could it be the legendary Xuan Shui Turtle?”

Under their gaze.

The dark blue turtle flew to the middle of the mountain, its half-body hanging on the mountain wall, catching Qi Feng.

“You are the Xuan Shui Turtle?”

Qi Feng was overjoyed. He sat on the broad turtle’s back, facing the mountain wind and the spiritual pressure of the late Foundation Establishment cultivator, flying steadily towards the top of the mountain.

The second-order turtle before him was larger than what Aunt Guan had described, with a shell at least eighteen meters wide.

He looked back.

The man and the woman, watching from afar, had complex expressions, not daring to cross the line.

Qi Feng breathed a sigh of relief. The suppressed emotions in his heart surged with excitement. He felt a sense of reverence for the ancestor, who was already famous, on the mountain.

“Senior Brother Yue, what should we do now? Should we go to Xiao Gui Peak to negotiate?”

The female Sect cultivator was anxious.

It was clear from the Xuan Shui Turtle’s intervention that Qi Feng had ties to Xiao Gui Peak.

“Let’s go.”

Senior Brother Yue remained silent for a moment, then turned and flew towards the outside of Wu Qi Mountain.

Looking at Senior Brother Yue’s clenched fist, the female Sect cultivator suddenly understood.

Negotiation was fine.

But, at their level, they weren’t qualified to talk to a late Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Senior Brother Yue hesitated for a moment, then took out a golden-trimmed blue talisman from his storage bag and infused it with spiritual energy.

The blue talisman shimmered with a faint light, and an invisible wave swept through the void.

…

On the top of Xiao Gui Peak.

The Xuan Shui Turtle flew to the side of the pool, and Qi Feng voluntarily climbed off its back.

“Turtle Senior, thank you for saving… Ah!”

Qi Feng, caught off guard, was knocked to the ground by the Xuan Shui Turtle’s head.

He felt a sharp pain in his chest and his head spun.

The Xuan Shui Turtle looked at him innocently, extending its large head and rubbing against Qi Feng’s chest.

After a while, Qi Feng regained his senses.

He thoughtfully unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a dark, semi-circular pendant that had been polished.

Looking closely, one could see that the luster and texture of the pendant were nine tenths similar to the shell of the Xuan Shui Turtle.

“What is your relationship with Qi Jingyun?”

A gentle and peaceful man’s voice sounded in Qi Feng’s ear.

At this moment, above Xiao Gui Peak, the surging spiritual energy was stabilizing.

Qi Feng was startled, quickly got up, bowed deeply towards the direction of the cave, and respectfully answered:

“Replying to Senior, Qi Jingyun is my great-grandfather.”

The gentle man’s voice only asked one question, and then there was silence.

As Qi Feng was feeling anxious, a reserved and polite lady in blue robes came forward.

“Young Master, recover from your injuries on the mountain first. These medicinal herbs are for you.”

“What is your name, maiden?”

“My name is Lan Rou.” The lady in blue robes was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, although she no longer had the beauty of her youth, she was still graceful and gentle.

Qi Feng thought to himself that even a servant girl on Xiao Gui Peak had an air that surpassed most female cultivators outside, and her cultivation was not inferior to his.

…

“Very similar…”

A low voice came from within the secluded chamber on Xiao Gui Peak.

Lu Chang An’s consciousness lingered on the burly man in sturdy clothes for a moment.

This Qi Feng was at least seven points similar to his adoptive father from his memory during his prime.

Counting back, Guan Qiaozhi had left Wu Qi Mountain for more than thirty years.

During the first few years, Guan Qiaozhi would occasionally send letters.

In those letters, Guan Qiaozhi had indeed mentioned a spiritual root boy named “Qi Feng,” supposedly a descendant of Qi Jingyun, the former leader of the Nu River Gang, his adoptive father.

This spiritual root boy, by chance, cultivated the “Opening Source Scripture” left behind by Lu Chang An. When Guan Qiaozhi found him, he had already been cultivating for several years.

Guan Qiaozhi discovered that Qi Feng’s background, aptitude, and character were similar to Lu Chang An.

So, like the Guan Daozhang of that year, she became Qi Feng’s “spiritual guide,” giving him some guidance and care.

“One hundred and forty years old, seventh level of Foundation Establishment!”

Three days later, Lu Chang An slowly finished cultivating, feeling his spiritual energy increase by a factor of two, he felt a sense of exhilaration.

With the advancement in his minor cultivation level, his consciousness had also grown significantly, comparable to a False Core cultivator.

His consciousness could now cover a radius of two or three miles.

You should know, ordinary peak Foundation Establishment cultivators have a consciousness of only a hundred meters or so.

With the surge in his spiritual energy and consciousness, the methods that Lu Chang An could use were far beyond what he had been capable of before.

For example, the treasure embryo he had been nurturing within his body for years could be used as a powerful weapon against enemies.

Its power would surely surpass that of the Black Night Fisherman from back then.

“Now, my body refinement and consciousness have both reached the level of False Core. Even my spiritual energy, which used to be my weakest point, has surpassed that of Jin Yun Valley’s inner disciples and is close to that of the true disciples.”

Even in times of war, Lu Chang An felt a sense of reassurance in his heart.

Leaving aside the treasure talismans and the Nine Seal Stele, his raw power was at least comparable to a False Core cultivator.

Throughout the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world, most cultivators who traveled outside were False Core cultivators.

False Core cultivators could travel to other countries relatively safely.

…

After emerging from seclusion.

Lu Chang An received Qi Feng in his secluded chamber.

“Junior Qi Feng, greets… greets Grandfather Lu.”

Qi Feng was strong and sturdy, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, looking to be thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, but his actual age was over fifty.

At this moment, he was like a bear cub, kneeling on the ground, truly prostrate.

Qi Feng was shocked to the core, unable to believe that this seemingly handsome young man in white robes was his “half-ancestor.”

Lu Chang An was the adopted son of Qi Jingyun.

In terms of seniority, he was like Qi Feng’s bloodless great-grandfather.

“Get up.”

After the bow, Qi Feng dared not sit down. He said that he had committed a crime and had brought trouble to Wu Qi Mountain.

“First, tell me your situation.”

Lu Chang An smiled faintly, without making a judgment.

“Replying to Grandfather Lu, this junior was wanted by the Sect. It all started with that escort mission a few months ago…”

Qi Feng fell into memory, a look of humiliation and resentment in his eyes.

For the past ten years, Qi Feng had maintained his cultivation in the surrounding area of the market town controlled by the “Jiang family,” one of the seven great families in Liang Kingdom’s southwest.

Qi Feng’s source of spiritual stones came from two main sources.

First, he would process the raw materials for drawing talismans, making talisman paper and spiritual ink.

This was the low-level skill that Guan Qiaozhi had taught him.

Qi Feng didn’t have Guan Qiaozhi’s dexterity, and he couldn’t make much spiritual stones just by processing materials.

So, Qi Feng would occasionally take on the job of a “bodyguard.”

This was his second source of spiritual stones.

It was risky, but the income was good.

Bodyguards were attached to legitimate escort organizations, mostly acting in groups, taking on the responsibilities of protection and escort.

“…On that escort mission to Liao Yuan Immortal City, several of the merchant clients and a dozen or so bodyguards, including the leading Foundation Establishment captain, were all killed by bandit cultivators!”

Speaking of this, Qi Feng looked terrified.

“You’re the only one alive?”

Lu Chang An looked at him with amusement.

“Yes.” Qi Feng said through gritted teeth.

“This junior being able to survive, besides being lucky, there are mainly two reasons.”

“This junior is a martial arts master, from the martial arts world to the cultivation world, I’ve been through countless battles, and I have a lot of experience in escaping. Plus, Aunt Guan gave me life-saving talismans, which is how I barely escaped with my life.”

Lu Chang An nodded, without asking further.

He had just used his False Core level consciousness to briefly scan Qi Feng, and there were no obvious signs of fortune on him.

It was simply that he had a good martial arts foundation, and he had good fighting talent.

In the cultivation world, spellcasting was also a kind of talent.

Some cultivators were naturally better at spellcasting than others, they were sharp-minded and quick to adapt to combat situations.

Qi Feng was probably this kind of cultivator, naturally suited for the profession of a bodyguard.

“So, you were suspected of being in league with bandit cultivators and were wanted by the Sect?”

Lu Chang An laughed.

“Yes! They didn’t care about evidence at all. They directly put this junior on the Sect’s wanted list, making me suffer from a wrongful accusation.”

Qi Feng gritted his teeth, quite indignant.

“Do you have any proof to clear your name?”

“This…”

Qi Feng was embarrassed and shook his head.

Lu Chang An chuckled inwardly. In this special period, it was perfectly fine to put a major suspect like you on the wanted list.

In the cultivation world, there was no such thing as presumption of innocence.

Because there were too many ways to investigate suspicion.

…

At this moment, on the border of Liang Kingdom, several major Sects were facing off against the cultivator army led by the Jin Yang Sect of Feng Kingdom.

In just one year.

Liang Kingdom, which had been a schemer and an invader a few years ago, had become the weaker cultivation country being invaded.

Who could have imagined.

Feng Kingdom, which had been at war for twenty years, suddenly initiated peace talks, and surprisingly smoothly.

The several Nascent Soul True Lords of Feng Kingdom, Yan Kingdom, and Chen Kingdom reached an unknown agreement, even establishing a fourth-order soul blood contract.

The cause and process were unknown.

The ultimate result was that the other power structures remained unchanged – the Jin Yang Sect moved north.

Of course, the slogan of the Feng Kingdom’s Jin Yang Sect was “a war of self-defense.”

This was the intelligence that Lu Chang An had learned through Zheng Wu Gong and his Sect friends over the past year.

The Jin Yang Sect only sent out one Nascent Soul True Lord, with the other one staying behind to guard the Sect.

The Jin Yang Sect, along with its vast affiliated cultivation forces, were steadily gathering towards the border of Liang Kingdom.

In the small-scale skirmishes on the front lines, the Liang Kingdom cultivation world suffered a defeat, losing one True Core cultivator and four to five False Core cultivators.

To resist the Feng Kingdom’s “war of self-defense.”

The front lines of Liang Kingdom were under pressure. They were forcefully conscripting cultivators from major immortal cities, families, and chambers of commerce.

This was completely different from the attitude of the Sect during the expedition a few years ago. Their tactics were tough, akin to iron-fisted rule.

Several cultivation families that paid lip service but acted against their interests were severely punished.

One Foundation Establishment family that tried to flee and migrate was accused of collaborating with the enemy and was completely wiped out.

Even Lu Chang An’s Xiao Gui Peak, as a Daoist place for scattered cultivators, was also assigned a certain number and quality of talisman-drawing tasks each month.

Thankfully, Lu Chang An didn’t have to provide the materials himself.

Essentially, he was working as free labor for wartime logistical production.

But Lu Chang An had a very high success rate in drawing talismans.

Tasks that other talisman masters of the same level could barely break even with, he could actually make a small profit from.

Against this backdrop of war.

Qi Feng, a mere scattered cultivator, was falsely accused and wanted. Who would care about the truth?

The Liang Kingdom Sect would welcome more of these fugitives, all forcefully conscripted to the front lines to fight.

(End of Chapter)

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