I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 205

## Chapter 204: Late Bloomer

陆长安 knew what戚风 was going through. Changing the subject, he asked, “How is your Aunt Guan?”

Guan Qiaozhi left Little Turtle Peak thirty-three years ago, at the age of seventy-five. She had no hope of cultivation and was gradually growing old.

陆长安 had predicted that Guan Qiaozhi, if well-maintained and free from strife, could live close to the upper limit of a Qi Refinement cultivator’s lifespan.

“These years, Aunt Guan has settled in a mountain villa in the mundane world, taking in orphans. It’s a place of beautiful mountains and clear water, where she lives self-sufficiently and peacefully,” said戚风, a sturdy young man, with a touch of tenderness in his eyes as he spoke about Guan Qiaozhi.

Guan Qiaozhi had initially appeared as his Celestial Envoy, and her subsequent care and guidance had made her like a mentor to him. He treated Aunt Guan as his adoptive mother.

“Living out her days in the mundane world isn’t bad,”陆长安 murmured.

Cultivators can live comfortably in the mundane world as long as they keep a low profile and avoid trouble.

During the Cultivation War, some cultivators chose to hide in the mundane world to avoid death. This choice had both advantages and disadvantages.

The mundane world lacks spirit veins for cultivation, and the air is heavy with mundane Qi. Staying there for too long can stagnate a cultivator’s progress, even leading to a decline in their cultivation. The higher the cultivator’s realm, the greater the disparity.

Therefore, the mundane world is only suitable for low-level Qi Refinement cultivators seeking refuge, and they cannot stay for too long.

The Cultivation War could last for twenty to thirty years, which is a normal duration. Qi Refinement cultivators don’t have much lifespan to begin with. If they waste ten or eight years of their prime, they will be destined to never achieve Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, hiding in the mundane world isn’t necessarily safe. Cultivation sects have various methods to sense cultivators’ mana fluctuations. Only those with excellent Concealment Techniques can avoid detection.

Of course, the Cultivation War in Liang Kingdom hasn’t reached a desperate stage, where they would need to go to the mundane world to capture conscripts. The low-level cultivators hiding in the mundane world are of poor quality.

Currently, Liang Kingdom’s sects are targeting spirit veins and cultivation grounds in various locations. Large and small cultivation forces, such as families, celestial cities, and commercial guilds, all rely on spirit veins and cultivation grounds.

You can run away from the monk, but not from the temple.

Especially for those cultivation families with blood ties and dependents, they have no choice but to contribute manpower and resources.

…

“戚风, what are your plans now?”

“After recovering, I will…”戚风 stammered, a sense of uncertainty in his voice.

Little Turtle Peak was only a temporary haven. With Liang Kingdom engulfed in the Cultivation War, he, a wanted low-level Qi Refinement cultivator, was adrift, with no place to call home. He could only go with the flow, his fate hanging in the balance.

陆长安 said, “Little Turtle Peak needs a handyman to do chores and run errands. Would you be willing to stay and work for me?”

“Stay at Little Turtle Peak and do chores?”戚风 was taken aback, then prostrated himself in gratitude.

“I am willing! 陆爷爷, I will never forget your kindness in taking me in!”

Upon first arriving at Little Turtle Peak, he felt like he had entered a peaceful paradise, with spiritual beasts guarding it and beautiful scenery. In the depths of his heart,戚风 yearned for this kind of spirit vein cultivation ground, but he dared not harbor such extravagant thoughts.

Aunt Guan had forbidden him from coming to Little Turtle Peak easily, clearly not wanting to trouble this Foundation Establishment senior.

“Cultivating the *Opening Source Sutra* I left behind, you will have a chance to walk the path of immortality,”陆长安 said, gesturing for him to rise.

A hundred years ago, he had, in gratitude to his adoptive father, left the *Opening Source Sutra* in the Nujiang Gang, leaving a chance for their descendants to ascend to immortality. Combined with his connection to Guan Qiaozhi, 陆长安, out of consideration for their past kindness, made an exception and took in戚风.

“戚风, you’ve reached Qi Refinement Level 8. Have you ever used any breakthrough pills?”陆长安 asked about his cultivation progress.

“No,”戚风 answered truthfully.

陆长安 observed his solid foundation and nodded approvingly. “Take these pills and use them first. If you have any questions about cultivation, feel free to ask me.”

“Thank you, 陆爷爷, for your kindness,”戚风, suppressing his excitement and joy, bowed and took the pills.

Being able to cultivate in a second-order spirit vein cultivation ground and receive guidance from a late Foundation Establishment expert was a dream come true for him, who had experienced the hardships of a lone cultivator.

The pills 陆长安 gave him were some he had left behind from his previous pill-making practice, and their quality was still decent.

Currently, Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world was engulfed in war, and he had plans to flee to a foreign country. While preparing for the transition, 陆长安 didn’t mind guiding his adoptive father’s descendants.

…

戚风 walked out of the cave and took a deep breath of the fresh air at the mountaintop. The pure spiritual energy of the second-order spirit vein cultivation ground made him feel refreshed and invigorated, and the circulation of his mana was smoother.

“Sister Lan,” he found the maid, Lan Rou, to learn about the affairs of the mountain, even though his injuries had not fully healed.

There was only one maid on the mountain, so there was actually a shortage of manpower. Thankfully, there were spirit beasts and puppets on the mountain that handled most of the labor.

They discussed for a moment and clarified their responsibilities. “The world is in turmoil now. You’re responsible for guarding the mountain, helping Master go out and run errands, and sharing some of the chores on the mountain.”

“No problem. I used to be a bodyguard,”戚风 said, feeling comfortable doing his old job. Besides his rich combat experience, he didn’t have any other skills.

While they were chatting, a second-order flying boat carrying three cultivators flew straight towards Little Turtle Peak. A man with a long beard, about thirty or forty years old, stood at the bow of the boat. He was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. Behind him were a male and a female Qi Refinement cultivator, both at levels 8 and 9, respectively.

“Sect Inspection Cultivators!”戚风’s heart sank. He immediately recognized the male and female Qi Refinement cultivators from the sect who had recently been chasing after him.

The sect cultivators saw戚风 and whispered to the bearded man, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage. The bearded man glanced at him with a neutral expression.

戚风 was panic-stricken and dared not look directly at this Foundation Establishment cultivator. He was about to report to the cave, but he heard Lan Rou’s calm and gentle voice.

“Senior Liu, my master has informed me that he would like to see you. Please follow me.”

“Thank you, Miss Lan, for showing me the way.” The bearded man smiled kindly and entered the Little Turtle Peak cave under Lan Rou’s guidance.

He didn’t even look at戚风.

戚风, regaining his composure, noticed two details.

The sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivator had come in person, but 陆爷爷 hadn’t come out to greet him personally.

Furthermore, this Foundation Establishment cultivator, surnamed Liu, was polite even to Lan Rou, just a maid.

Outside the cave,戚风 stared at the male and female sect cultivators, both of them looking back at him, creating an awkward silence. 戚风 noticed that the two sect cultivators who had relentlessly pursued him a few days ago were no longer hostile.

“Fellow Daoist Qi, what is your connection to Senior 陆?” The female sect cultivator broke the silence, a subtle smile on her face, and asked.

“陆爷爷 is…”戚风’s mind raced, and he responded with a hint of wit. His tone was no longer flustered and appeared calm and collected.

Unconsciously, the three of them, who had previously been enemies, began to chat casually.

Half an hour later,陆长安 and the bearded man emerged from the cave, seemingly in high spirits.

“Fellow Daoist 陆, we are all one family. There is no need to be so polite,” the bearded man said, his face flushed, his tone cheerful.

Before leaving, he looked at戚风 and said, “Young Master Qi, you can just stay here at Little Turtle Peak from now on. The warrant out for you is based on insufficient evidence. Once it’s submitted to the Enforcement Hall, Elder Zhang will take care of it, and you’ll officially be removed from the list.”

“Thank you, Senior, for your concern.”戚风 bowed deeply, overjoyed, but also a storm brewing in his heart.

Without any investigation or questioning, his serious crime was simply dismissed? Perhaps, they didn’t care about the truth at all.

…

戚风, after working hard for half a day, presented a delicate fruit platter to Lan Rou, complimenting her briefly. “Sister Lan, why is the Foundation Establishment cultivator from Golden Cloud Valley so polite to 陆爷爷?” He didn’t dare ask 陆长安 directly.

“Senior Liu is asking a favor of Master,” Lan Rou said as she leisurely ate the spiritual fruit.

“Two months ago, Senior Liu requested that Master refine a near third-order talisman to share the sect’s workload. Master refused, saying he wasn’t capable enough. He didn’t give in to him.”

“Did that man not hold a grudge?”

“Master’s close friend, ‘Celestial Maple True Immortal’, is an outer elder of Golden Cloud Valley and a deputy head of the Enforcement Hall. He’d be eager to please Master. How dare he be angry?”

“An elder of Golden Cloud Valley?”戚风 was stunned. His non-blood related ancestor had such powerful connections.

As dusk approached, two Foundation Establishment cultivators flew from the two adjacent main peaks towards Little Turtle Peak. They were a man and a woman, both outstanding in appearance, with a faint aura of spiritual pressure that surpassed the previous Senior Liu.

Especially the female Foundation Establishment cultivator, wearing a moon-white dress, tall and graceful, refined and elegant, with an air of quiet grace.

戚风 was astonished. Being a lone cultivator, he had never seen such an elegant Foundation Establishment female cultivator.

“Master Shi and Master Ye are here.”

Lan Rou adjusted her appearance and hurried forward to greet them. 陆长安 also came out to greet them from the cave.

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist 陆, on your advancement to late Foundation Establishment,” said Master Shi and Master Ye, who had come to congratulate him.

陸长安 had just broken through and needed to consolidate his realm, so they hadn’t come immediately.

Master Ye was complicated about 陆长安’s advancement to late Foundation Establishment. He was surprised and envious.

No matter how old he was, taking this crucial step, 陆长安 had surpassed most Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Most Foundation Establishment cultivators never advance to the late stage in their entire lives.

Master Shi smiled gently. As his former lover, she had fought alongside him and had a deeper understanding. She wasn’t surprised.

At the age of one hundred and forty, advancing to late Foundation Establishment was indeed rare. However, 陆长安’s cultivation speed was steady, one step at a time, solid and without any unusual signs.

Many years ago, he had asked Huang Long Mountain to collect materials to refine breakthrough pills for late Foundation Establishment.

With ample financial resources, he was able to cultivate diligently, his foundation was deep, his state of mind surpassed that of ordinary people, and he had received breakthrough pills. All these factors combined, making 陆长安’s breakthrough reasonable.

The outside world could only guess that he had some sort of chance, but they wouldn’t think too much of it.

Which Foundation Establishment cultivator who had become a lone cultivator didn’t have some kind of chance?

Now, 陆长安’s ability to protect himself had greatly increased, and he had powerful connections with a sect elder. He didn’t even need to hide the Xuan Shui Gui’s second-order cultivation anymore.

…

In the cave, 陆长安 hosted a feast to celebrate, bringing out second-order spiritual wine to entertain the two peak masters.

After a few rounds of drinks. Master Ye, his face flushed, burped and said, “Fellow Daoist 陆, with your talent for talismans, why don’t you draw more high-quality talismans and try to earn some war merits to exchange for some rare resources?”

“Not worth it,”陆长安 shook his head. “To earn war merits, you need to go above and beyond the basic assigned tasks, and there are requirements for the talisman’s grade. I don’t lack spiritual stones or cultivation resources at the moment.”

“Moreover, at my age, I have no hope of forming a Golden Core. There’s no need to work myself to the bone.”

During the war, Liang Kingdom’s sects offered war merit exchanges for recruited cultivators, even those who were assigned logistical tasks.

However, this exchange system was quite cunning.

Those who went to the front lines to fight were given more generous war merits, making them relatively easier to obtain. But these cultivators were prone to death, the risk was high, and they might not be able to enjoy the benefits.

Craftsmen who provided logistical and combat resources received a lower proportion of war merits, and there were corresponding grade requirements.

If 陆长安 could steadily refine and supply near third-order talismans, the war merits he could gain would be considerable. He could even exchange for most of the rare materials needed for Condensation Crystal Pills.

However, 陆长安, having experienced several lifetimes, knew the truth of “the more capable you are, the more you’ll be asked to do.” If he showed off his abilities too much, he might be given more tasks and placed under higher expectations.

Therefore, 陆长安 adopted a strategy of slacking off and being a lazy bum. He only completed the basic assigned tasks and didn’t care about earning war merits.

He didn’t care about a small amount of war merits. Too many war merits would easily attract the attention of the sect’s higher-ups, making it harder for him to flee if he needed to.

“Forming a Golden Core is out of the question?”

Master Shi smiled faintly, her words filled with a hint of meaning. “Fellow Daoist 陆 is a prime example of a late-bloomer in Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world. You still have a hundred years left. If you encounter a great chance in the future, you might be able to break through another great limit.”

The theoretical lifespan limit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is two hundred and forty years. However, nine out of ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, excluding those who died prematurely, only live to be around two hundred years old.

Over the long centuries, most cultivators’ lives have their ups and downs. They experience great joys and sorrows, and encounter some accidents.

Apart from fighting, even a slight mistake in their cultivation techniques can affect their lifespan.

“Thank you for your kind words, Master Shi. If I can achieve a False Core in this life, it’s a blessing I’ve earned over eight lifetimes.” 陆长安 understood the implication in Master Shi’s words.

That so-called great chance referred to the ancient ruins in the Black Mist Mountains.

According to their agreement, this matter would be put on the agenda after 陆长安 advanced to late Foundation Establishment.

Master Ye echoed, “Fellow Daoist 陆 is getting stronger with age. With a hundred years left, there’s still some hope of achieving a False Core.”

…

Late at night, 陆长安 saw the two peak masters off at the cave entrance.

Master Shi stayed behind and had a brief private conversation with 陆长安.

“I haven’t seen the Earth Rock Mouse in the past few months,” Master Shi said, her clear eyes scanning the mountain, her voice tinged with surprise.

In the past, whenever she came to Little Turtle Peak, even if the Earth Rock Mouse wasn’t visible, she could still faintly sense its presence in the shadows.

“A few months ago, the Earth Rock Mouse was taken by Miss Zhou to the Zhou family to receive the ‘Blood Spirit Pool’ baptism. It should be coming back soon,”陆长安 explained.

陆长安 had carefully considered and ultimately given the Blood Spirit Pool quota to the Earth Rock Mouse.

The Blood Spirit Pool could significantly enhance a spirit beast’s cultivation and improve its physique, slightly increasing its bloodline.

The Xuan Shui Gui’s bloodline grade was high, so improving its bloodline had a negligible effect, with low cost-effectiveness.

As for increasing its cultivation, it didn’t need that much help.

The Xuan Shui Gui had been leeching off 陆长安’s Longevity Technique for years, and its cultivation speed was already very fast.

A few days ago, Zhou Qingxuan sent a message saying that the Earth Rock Mouse was living a comfortable life in the Zhou family, with many companions, so it hadn’t come back immediately.

陆长安 wasn’t worried about the Earth Rock Mouse meeting with any misfortune.

As long as he was safe and sound and didn’t go to the Zhou family to tame him, Zhou Qingxuan wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Fellow Daoist 陆, you’ve just entered late Foundation Establishment. You should first consolidate your realm for a year or two and prepare more methods,” Master Shi said through a voice transmission.

“During this time, I will contact Jiang Yechen and negotiate with him.”

“Oh, Master Shi, what strategy are you planning to use?”

The two strategies 陆长安 previously proposed were from the perspective of an outsider.

Which plan to use and whether to take action or not were up to Master Shi.

“I plan to use a strategy of being polite first, then using force if necessary,” Master Shi pondered, “However, Jiang Yechen recently returned to the Jiang family and encountered some trouble. He may be difficult to contact.”

“The Jiang family, one of the seven great families?”

陆长安 thought for a moment, recalling the location of the Jiang family on the Liang Kingdom map. He could guess what kind of trouble Jiang Yechen was facing.

(End of Chapter)

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