I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 214

## Chapter 212: The Mysterious Hu Luo Vine

“Little thief! How dare you—!”

Tan Zhenren roared in anger, wary of Lu Chang An.

The needle-shaped Fu Bao that Lu Chang An used to kill Hu Zhenren possessed power comparable to that of a False Dan cultivator, ideal for surprise attacks. Against someone prepared, or in a direct confrontation, it wouldn’t pose much threat to a False Dan cultivator, let alone a top-tier one like Tan Zhenren.

Tan Zhenren flew towards the treasure vault, immediately activating a protective aura to guard against the needle-shaped Fu Bao. In his eyes, Lu Chang An was a treacherous individual, a turtle with a hard shell, difficult to crack, and skilled in firing cold arrows.

However, Lu Chang An’s attack this time completely exceeded his expectations. It was like a ferocious beast launching a frontal assault.

Whoosh!

A black shadow flashed in his field of vision. Lu Chang An’s speed surpassed that of a False Dan cultivator, generating a powerful gust of wind as his legs shimmered with a greenish wind pattern. His physique seemed to grow slightly, radiating the oppressive air of a beast. In an instant, he was right before Tan Zhenren.

“As a False Dan cultivator, are you capable of receiving this blow from Lu?”

Lu Chang An held a black-gold curved blade, imbued with the aura of a genuine treasure, using it as a melee weapon. Combined with his monstrous strength and speed, enhanced by the Longevity power, he struck with a thunderous blow.

In a flash, the dazzling, crescent-shaped, black-gold blade light filled Tan Zhenren’s pupils.

Bang! Crack!

Tan Zhenren’s protective aura, confident in its ability to withstand the attack of a Fu Bao, swayed violently, its luminescence rapidly dimming, before finally cracking open.

“You…”

Tan Zhenren’s face turned pale with shock. The powerful force threw him back towards the ground.

“Terrifying!”

The two Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators, who were also rushing towards the damaged array gate, couldn’t help but feel a shiver down their spines.

“He cut back a False Dan cultivator with a single strike? Is this Lu Chang An a peerless genius of our time?”

The Foundation Establishment peak cultivator with a high nose bridge, broke out in cold sweat. He realized that he had dared to attack such a person.

While surprised, Miss Wei couldn’t help but feel relieved. Luckily, she had always avoided conflict with Lu Chang An.

Swish! Swish!

The two Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators, terrified, didn’t dare linger, let alone take a closer look. They didn’t even bother turning their heads, and seized the opportunity to fly into the closing array gate hole.

They couldn’t wait for Lu Chang An and Tan Zhenren to fight, hoping to buy them more time to retrieve treasures.

…

“Lu Chang An, you hid it so well. A mere Turtle Fu Shi, yet you cultivated Body Refinement to the near-third-tier!”

Tan Zhenren roared, a torrent of blue Dan force surging around him, his tall figure solidifying in mid-air.

Hum!

He spat out a black treasure ruler, which expanded to tens of feet in the wind, gathering a vast deep blue radiance. It struck towards Lu Chang An with the force of thunder.

To guard against Lu Chang An’s other tricks, Tan Zhenren also summoned a jet-black, top-tier artifact, a shield, encircling himself.

“Hehe, how can I call myself a ‘Turtle Fu Shi’ without some self-preservation skills?”

Lu Chang An chuckled.

Seeing the tens-foot treasure ruler approaching, he moved with the swiftness of the wind, like a illusion on a gust, retreating rapidly.

As he retreated, the black-gold curved blade cleaved through the air, colliding with the black treasure ruler. It held on for only a second or two before retreating in defeat, its brilliance dimming.

A treasure in its nascent form and a genuine treasure, a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator and a False Dan cultivator, the gap was simply too vast to bridge.

Lu Chang An seized the opportunity to escape the range of the treasure ruler’s attack, using the surrounding ancient buildings to constantly dodge and weave.

If Tan Zhenren were an ordinary False Dan cultivator, Lu Chang An wouldn’t mind playing with him a few more rounds, relying on his Body Refinement and magic skills. But this was a top-tier False Dan cultivator, and there was no point in directly confronting him.

Other False Dan cultivators could only manipulate one treasure, while Tan Zhenren could still control a top-tier artifact for defense.

“Lu Chang An! Why are you acting like a shrinking turtle? Didn’t you just act so imposing?”

“Dare you face me in a direct battle?”

Tan Zhenren chased after Lu Chang An, wielding his treasure and artifact, his voice filled with fury.

The embarrassing fact was that he couldn’t catch Lu Chang An. Lu Chang An’s Body Refinement technique focused on speed, and with the assistance of his magic, he was a bit faster.

In the sky, Tan Zhenren might still have a chance. But near the ground, amidst the complex ancient buildings, a natural barrier formed. The construction materials of the ancient ruins were extremely sturdy. Even a cultivator couldn’t easily shatter them with a single blow.

“You, as a False Dan cultivator, have abundant Dan force and long-lasting Qi flow. If you chase for a while, you can exhaust me.”

Lu Chang An sneered.

Tan Zhenren’s mind flickered. That was indeed the case. But he sensed something amiss. There was no reason for Lu Chang An to be so kind as to remind him.

Suddenly, Tan Zhenren, flying in the air, stumbled, his Qi flow stagnating, his Dan force becoming sluggish.

“No good! When did I get poisoned?”

A trace of bluish-black blood pattern appeared on Tan Zhenren’s forehead. His breath was scorching, his chest throbbing with pain.

“Those third-tier poisons from the medicinal vault, I don’t know how much of their potency was lost. But it seems to be activating now.”

Seeing this, Lu Chang An sighed and shook his head.

If he hadn’t intended to poison him, he wouldn’t have “shown off” by directly cleaving through a False Dan cultivator’s protective aura. It was during that close-range opportunity that Lu Chang An had secretly administered the poison.

Earlier, when he selected items from the medicinal vault, he had obtained a black jar containing a colorless and odorless third-tier poison. Regular third-tier pills in the vault had lost a considerable amount of potency.

The poison Lu Chang An had chosen could also serve as a medicinal catalyst. As a second-tier Pill Master, after examining it, he confirmed that the loss of potency was significantly less than that of other pills.

Over time, even poisons would deteriorate, their potency changing unpredictably. Lu Chang An could only assess that it should have an effect on a False Dan cultivator. The exact extent needed to be verified through practice.

…

“You treacherous little thief!”

Tan Zhenren was furious. After confirming his poisoning, he suppressed his anger, no longer daring to chase after Lu Chang An.

Earlier, when Lu Chang An had charged at him directly, he had thought they were going to have a fair fight. But, like Hu Zhenren, he had been tricked.

Swish!

Tan Zhenren, using his escape technique, turned around and flew back, suppressing the third-tier poison within his body using Dan force.

“No good, the poison is activating faster the more Dan force I use!”

The bluish-black blood pattern on Tan Zhenren’s face expanded further. He quickly realized that the poison he had ingested was a slow-acting one, highly concealed, lurking in his body.

After the fight, this slow-acting poison was spreading at an alarming rate.

Tan Zhenren swallowed a few antidote pills, but their effects were minimal. His condition continued to worsen, his blood vessels and internal organs slowly being corroded.

Tan Zhenren’s heart sank. He suspected that the poison he had ingested was an ancient, rare poison. Only a third-tier antidote specifically designed for this poison could effectively neutralize it.

“Hmm, this third-tier poison is surprisingly effective.”

Lu Chang An, following from a distance, showed a look of surprise.

Through this practical application, he had come to understand the nature of this poison. If detected early during its latency phase, there was still a chance to force it out or isolate it.

At that time, Lu Chang An had attacked directly, posing a threat and a shock to Tan Zhenren, who hadn’t noticed it immediately.

Tan Zhenren found a corner to hide, trying to neutralize the poison in his body.

“Resting to heal? Don’t be so naive.”

Lu Chang An’s face wore a mocking smile, as his powerful divine consciousness easily located the spot where Tan Zhenren was hiding, trying to detoxify. He didn’t need to do it himself. He manipulated puppets from a distance, continuously harassing Tan Zhenren, preventing him from healing in peace.

If Tan Zhenren fought back, using his Dan force and treasures, it would worsen the poison.

Tan Zhenren could only run around in a panic, using talismans to strike back, constantly changing locations to heal.

To prevent Tan Zhenren from engaging in a desperate, last-ditch effort of retaliation, Lu Chang An didn’t push too hard, focusing on harassment.

In the short time it took, Tan Zhenren’s Dan force aura had already weakened to a point inferior to that of a normal False Dan cultivator.

“He’s no longer a threat.”

Lu Chang An smiled faintly. Even if Tan Zhenren managed to detoxify, his strength would be greatly diminished. He then turned his gaze toward the hexagonal palace building.

Above him, the seventh array gate hole that had been opened had already healed. Lu Chang An had previously obstructed Tan Zhenren, with the minimum requirement being to prevent him from entering the treasure vault and disrupting Shi Xianzi’s acquisition of treasures. Now that he had poisoned and forced back Tan Zhenren, it could be considered a successful outcome.

…

He waited for a while longer. The blue crystal ball hovering above the hexagonal palace building, embedded in the halo of light, flickered.

Hum!

A hidden array gate opened, and a beam of white light shone down, revealing a familiar, curvaceous figure within.

“Shi Daoist, how did it go?”

Lu Chang An let out a sigh of relief, looking at Shi Xianzi, whose face was filled with joy.

“Lu Daoist, I entered a miniature secret realm space, and it is indeed the secret vault left by the ancient sect, ‘Listening Sea Pavilion’.”

“Inside the vault space, there are some remaining treasures, but they are divided into different tiers. My token only allows me to take one item, the top-tier treasures are out of reach…”

“Oh, were there any opportunities for Dan Formation within the vault? What did you take, Shi Xianzi?”

Lu Chang An had no reason to doubt her, and he inquired.

“There were opportunities for Dan Formation within the vault. However, I chose to take a formation inheritance.”

Shi Man Rong said, taking out a jade tube.

“A formation inheritance?” Lu Chang An couldn’t help but feel surprised.

“My choice was not wrong.”

Shi Man Rong smiled, “This formation inheritance is among the top in Liang Guo’s cultivation world. With just a little contemplation, I’m confident I can become a third-tier Formation Master at Foundation Establishment peak.”

“I see.”

Lu Chang An understood. With Shi Xianzi’s wealth, she should have already prepared some Dan Formation opportunities. Once she became a third-tier Formation Master, acquiring a Dan Formation opportunity would be much easier. At that time, her status and standing would be no less than that of an ordinary True Dan cultivator, surpassing even a False Dan cultivator.

“This jade tube, I’ll make a copy for you when I have the time. If you don’t trust me, you can search me.”

Shi Man Rong said solemnly.

“There’s no need for that. We’ve been friends for so long, there’s no need to search.”

Lu Chang An chose to trust Shi Xianzi. What mattered was that he also had a token, a relic left by the Listening Sea Pavilion Nascent Soul Zhenjun.

This token was also obtained with Shi Xianzi’s help in breaking the seals.

Now, even if they each got their own treasures, Lu Chang An could accept it.

“Hmm, where is Tan Zhenren?”

Shi Man Rong scanned the surroundings, looking puzzled.

“Tan Zhenren is either detoxifying or trying to break through the formations to escape the ruins…”

Lu Chang An briefly explained Tan Zhenren’s situation.

Shi Xianzi’s expression was quite interesting. Her clear eyes stared at Lu Chang An, her body instinctively tightening, wanting to move back unconsciously.

“Shi Xianzi, what do you mean? Do you not trust me?”

“Lu Daoist, you’ve misunderstood. I’m just overwhelmed. I never expected that two False Dan cultivators would be… …defeated by your brilliant strategy.”

“It was just a bit of luck. It was just a matter of the environment being special, and those two cultivators underestimated me.”

Lu Chang An said modestly.

“Right, when I go into the vault, Shi Xianzi, please keep an eye on Tan Zhenren. I’ll have the Earth Rock Rat assist you.”

“Understood.”

Shi Man Rong readily agreed. Tan Zhenren was now a defeated dog, posing little threat.

…

With that settled, Lu Chang An took out the dark golden token left by the Listening Sea Pavilion Nascent Soul Zhenjun. This token, compared to the bronze tokens held by Shi Xianzi and Hu Zhenren, felt more substantial.

“Lu Daoist, the hidden seventh array gate is loosening further. You only need to launch an attack close to that of a False Dan cultivator, and you can break it. At that moment, I’ll help you sever the connection of the trap array.”

Shi Man Rong instructed.

“Alright.”

Lu Chang An soared into the air, summoning the black-gold curved blade, a treasure in its nascent form. Due to his powerful divine consciousness and decades of nurturing with Dan force, Lu Chang An could control this treasure in its nascent form with significantly less energy expenditure than a normal Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator.

Swoosh!

The black-gold curved blade slashed out a crescent-shaped blade light, striking the weakness in the array gate pointed out by Shi Xianzi.

Boom!

The array lights shimmered and shattered, creating a larger hole. Shi Man Rong cast a second-tier, high-grade Breaking Seal Talisman to help Lu Chang An sever the connection of the array’s restriction.

Shi Man Rong noticed in surprise that the token in Lu Chang An’s hand didn’t emit the faint red light it had previously.

“As expected.”

Lu Chang An remained composed. He passed through the array gate hole, enveloped in a beam of white light, and vanished in an instant.

…

Lu Chang An’s body sank, feeling a sense of imbalance as if falling into an abyss.

“Such rich spiritual energy.”

The next moment, he found himself in a miniature space, about a mile in diameter. Before him was a desolate, ancient garden landscape. In the center of the garden space was a spiritual well, several feet wide, spewing forth a gushing stream of clear spiritual spring water.

Centered around the well, there were stone platforms scattered around, a total of over eighty. Some of the platforms were covered with inverted transparent domes, within which floated objects of different colors. They were divided into three circles, from the inside out.

The innermost circle had only four platforms. The second circle had sixteen platforms. The third circle had sixty-four platforms. However, most of the platforms were empty, with no domes.

Of the four platforms in the first circle, only one had a dome. The second and third circles combined had only a dozen platforms with objects under domes.

According to Shi Xianzi, her token only allowed her to take one item from the third circle.

“Hu Luo Vine… Yin Yang Water… High-Quality Crystallization Pill… Beast-Taming Mirror…”

Each platform had an inscription describing the name and uses of the object. Lu Chang An quickly scanned them, his eyes burning with desire, his heart pounding.

Among them, the “Yin Yang Water” and “High-Quality Crystallization Pill” were the ones that intrigued him the most. They were both inside the domes in the second circle.

The third circle’s platforms contained common treasures, Dan Formation materials, jade tubes, and other items.

Lu Chang An took a deep breath and walked towards the platforms in the second circle. He reached the platform with the High-Quality Crystallization Pill, gazing at the jade bottle floating inside the dome.

This bottle contained a pill he had coveted for two lifetimes, the High-Quality Crystallization Pill.

On the nearby platform, within the transparent crystal bottle under the dome, flowed a black and white liquid, the treasured celestial item, Yin Yang Water.

Yin Yang Water could help a cultivator safely dissolve their False Dan or True Dan, returning their Dan force to liquid form, similar to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. This would allow them to slightly enhance the quality of their Dan when they attempted Dan Formation again.

“If I can obtain both the Yin Yang Water and the High-Quality Crystallization Pill, I have a chance this lifetime to achieve the Immortal Golden Dan.”

Lu Chang An’s breathing quickened. He activated the Longevity Art to stabilize his mind. In such a crucial moment, he must stay calm and collected, and not become careless.

He connected his divine consciousness to the token in his hand, and a simple message arrived.

“You can take one item from the platforms in the first circle.”

“You can take two items from the platforms in the second circle. You can take four from the third circle…”

This was the information Shi Xianzi had previously discovered.

To take an item, one needed to touch the dome of the platform with the token. If it was not compatible, the dome wouldn’t open. If you didn’t have a token and touched the dome, it would trigger the array restriction and attack. The destructive power of the restriction here was comparable to that of a Nascent Soul Zhenjun.

Shi Xianzi said that the Foundation Establishment peak cultivator with the high nose bridge had been killed by the array restriction when he tried to take a treasure. He was reduced to ashes, leaving no trace behind.

Lu Chang An didn’t immediately take a treasure. His gaze swept over the surroundings of this miniature space, as he said calmly:

“Come out.”

“Lu Senior! I have no intention of offending, please spare me.”

Behind an ancient tree, a hundred feet away, crawled out a long-haired, beautiful woman in a silk dress, looking disheveled and distressed. It was Miss Wei, who had entered earlier.

“Why aren’t you dead?”

Lu Chang An’s tone was cold. He had no sympathy for Miss Wei, who practiced demonic arts.

“I… I can’t get out! I don’t have a token, so I’m enduring the immense pressure of this space. I’ll die from a burst of Qi soon.”

Miss Wei’s face flushed red, covered in cold sweat. She lay on the ground, even breathing and talking were difficult.

“Why are you calling me Lu Senior?”

Lu Chang An’s eyebrows furrowed as he pondered.

“My Master once mentioned you casually, instructing us to show deference when we meet…”

“Your Master, is he Liang Shaotian?”

Lu Chang An’s eyes flashed. From the demonic arts practiced by this woman, he sensed a similar energy, as if they originated from the same source.

“Yes! Please, Senior, be merciful and take me out. I am willing…”

Before she could finish her last sentence, Miss Wei’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted, blood seeping from her nose and mouth.

Lu Chang An’s divine consciousness scanned her. He walked forward, hesitated for a moment, and planted a restriction in Miss Wei’s Dan Tian. Then, he took the lowest quality, second-tier protective talisman from his body and stuck it on her face, just covering her eyes.

“It’s up to you now.”

Lu Chang An turned back and walked towards the four platforms in the first circle.

…

The information from the token indicated that Lu Chang An could only take one item from the first circle. However, of the four platforms in this circle, only one had an object under a dome.

It was the legendary celestial item, the Hu Luo Vine.

Within the dome, a withered, yellowish vine was planted in dull five-colored soil. Beside the soil, a hole in the platform spewed forth spiritual spring water, continuously nurturing the withered vine, but it seemed to be a futile effort.

The withered vine had only a small patch of green left, less than one-tenth of its original size. Lu Chang An also noticed a small, dead gourd fruit on the withered vine’s branch.

Looking at this Hu Luo Vine, Lu Chang An couldn’t help but think of the peach branch he had once traded with Tian Shu Daoist, using his lifespan to help maintain its vitality.

There seemed to be a similar energy between the two, but there were also differences. According to Tian Shu Daoist, that peach branch was a material used in crafting one of the “Nine-Five Supreme Treasures” of the Great Jin Dynasty of the Sealed Hua Zhou, a dragon artifact.

“The Hu Luo Vine, obtained from a mysterious ancient cave, is said to be a companion vine from the beginning of time…”

“The Heavenly Gourd cultivation failed, nine out of ten of its vitality was lost. It is difficult to transplant it again, it will not survive.”

A simple description was inscribed on the platform.

“What is the Heavenly Gourd?”

Lu Chang An had never heard of it in his three lives.

“This withered Hu Luo Vine, even the ancient sect, ‘Listening Sea Pavilion,’ could not revive it. Even with my Longevity Art, though unique, I don’t know how much it would cost to revive it and use it as the embryo for a Wood attribute treasure.”

Lu Chang An estimated the strength of the Listening Sea Pavilion from the information in the jade tube. It must have been far superior to the Nascent Soul-level forces around Liang Guo. Because, just in the jade tube, there were over three Nascent Soul Zhenjun of the Listening Sea Pavilion mentioned.

Such a colossal force could not achieve this, and Lu Chang An did not want to try.

“Forget it, it’s not worth it.”

Lu Chang An shook his head and turned towards the platforms in the second circle. Compared to the Hu Luo Vine with its faint hope of survival, the Yin Yang Water and the High-Quality Crystallization Pill were more reliable gains.

(End of Chapter)

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