I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 251

## Chapter 248: The Eastern Region of Da Qing

The imposing man before them was Chu Tianfeng, the undisputed number one cultivator in the surrounding cultivation kingdoms.

“For hundreds of years, I, Chu, have always kept my word.”

Chu Tianfeng’s voice was clear and calm, with a hint of aloofness.

“On the day of the gambling fight, I confirmed that multiple Nascent Soul cultivators from Feng Guo and Chen Guo were within their respective sect mountains. I also sent messages beforehand. I can guarantee they did not interfere with the gambling fight!”

“Are you telling the truth? The attacker was clearly a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun!”

The Li Huo Elder agreed to the gambling fight because he had always heard that Chu Tianfeng was a man of his word.

Chu Tianfeng’s strength was unmatched. When he first entered the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he could defeat the combined force of two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Jin Yang Zong.

Over the years, his strength had likely reached even greater heights.

The Li Huo Elder, in his weakened state, was no match for Chu Tianfeng and had no chance to fight back. There was no need for the other man to lie, nor would he stoop to it.

“I interrogated Liu Yang Dao You not long ago. He swore a heart demon oath that he did not seek any external help.”

Chu Tianfeng added.

The Li Huo Elder was taken aback. If the Nascent Soul Zhen Jun with vested interests in the surrounding area had been ruled out, then who was the culprit?

Sure, there were many cultivation kingdoms in the Eastern Region of Da Qing, and there were definitely Nascent Soul Zhen Jun among them. However, those Nascent Soul were far away and had no connection to the matter. Moreover, San Yang Zhen Jun swore a heart demon oath that he did not seek external help.

“Could it be… the Six Devil Sects?”

A chilling thought struck the Li Huo Elder.

However, with the Six Devil Sects’ rate of expansion, they should not be able to swallow the territories of the surrounding cultivation kingdoms this quickly.

The Six Devil Sects’ invasion was not as gentle as the Jin Yang Zong.

Anyone who resisted would have their lineage destroyed.

Bloodbaths and extermination were commonplace.

Most of the time, the Six Devil Sects did not accept surrender.

In comparison, the cultivation forces around Feng Guo were neutral and law-abiding.

No matter how dirty things were behind the scenes, at least on the surface, they still followed rules and morality.

“Among the Six Devil Sects, there is a unique sect called the ‘Wu Jian Men’ (literally, ‘Intermittent Gate’).”

Chu Tianfeng slowly explained.

“The Wu Jian Men generally do not directly participate in wars. Their main responsibility is intelligence gathering. They infiltrate enemy forces through spies and informants and also handle some assassination tasks.”

The Li Huo Elder said, “Dao You Chu, do you suspect that the archer who shot the cold arrow may be from the Wu Jian Men?”

“It’s just a guess!”

Chu Tianfeng was not certain. “I once went to a cultivation kingdom that had been invaded by the Six Devil Sects and gathered a lot of intelligence. I came to a conclusion.”

“Wherever the Six Devil Sects set their sights, the Wu Jian Men will infiltrate at least 10 to 20 years ahead of time to gather intelligence and disrupt the enemy’s unity. If they encounter strong opponents, they might even plan for hundreds of years!”

Chu Tianfeng was at a higher level and was the first to detect the Six Devil Sects’ movements. That’s why he wanted to quickly settle the cultivation war.

Earlier, he had signed a truce agreement in Feng Guo to avoid internal strife.

He spoke out, letting the Nascent Soul Zhen Jun from the Jin Yang Zong and the Li Huo Gong engage in a gambling fight, to reduce casualties.

However, a third party intervened.

The Li Huo Elder was ambushed and was furious, fighting with all his might.

At that time, the Jin Yang Zong was also unable to hold back. Since they had already offended the Li Huo Gong, they decided to attack without mercy and break through the Li Huo Gong.

…

After pondering for a moment, the Li Huo Elder basically believed Chu Tianfeng’s words.

At least Chu Tianfeng didn’t interfere with the gambling fight.

However, he still held a grudge against Chu Tianfeng. Now that he was in the other man’s hands, his life and death were beyond his control, so he didn’t need to be polite.

“Chu Tianfeng! Now that the Li Huo Zong is destroyed and the sect mountain is gone, what does my sect’s demise have to do with the Six Devil Sects’ invasion?”

The Li Huo Elder sneered.

“Back then, you, together with Chen Guo, invaded Feng Guo. I sent people and disciples to contact you. At that time, you stood high above and remained noncommittal.”

“I led the Liang Guo sect and ‘cooperated’ with you, invading Feng Guo from behind and plundering resources without occupying territory. In the end, the three kingdoms’ sects declared a ceasefire and signed an agreement, allowing the Jin Yang Zong to move north!”

Mentioning the past events made the Li Huo Elder extremely angry.

Liang Guo’s sect invaded and plundered resources in the early stage, reaping significant rewards. Many beneficiaries praised the Supreme Elder’s boldness.

At that time, Chu Tianfeng did not warn or stop them because Liang Guo could share the burden of fighting the Feng Guo sect’s troops.

Logically, it should have been an unspoken understanding between the two sides.

“Dao You Li Huo, it’s fate.”

Chu Tianfeng did not deny the facts.

“If it weren’t for the Six Devil Sects’ eastward expansion, Feng Guo would be too strong. They would not want to engage in internal strife again. My Wu Ya Dian would not mind you participating. If we could quickly defeat the Jin Yang Zong and occupy the fourth-order mid-grade spirit vein, you would also have a share of the credit.”

“So, my Li Huo Gong became the ultimate sacrifice.”

When the Jin Yang Zong launched its “self-defense counterattack” back then, the Li Huo Zhen Ren (Elder) had already seen through this.

Even if the Li Huo Gong didn’t invade Feng Guo first, it wouldn’t change the outcome.

It just gave Feng Guo a legitimate excuse for self-defense.

“That’s right, because you are the weakest.”

Chu Tianfeng spoke frankly, revealing the brutal reality.

Actually, at that time, the Li Huo Zhen Ren’s every step was right.

If it weren’t for the Six Devil Sects’ eastward expansion, the Liang Guo sect, defying its superiors, had taken the opportunity to invade the vast and prosperous Feng Guo, plundering resources and inheritance, which could boost the entire Liang Guo cultivation world’s foundation.

The Liang Guo sect only plundered resources without occupying territory, which was very measured, and Yen Guo and Chen Guo would not have any objections.

If it had succeeded, he would have been praised and sung about, becoming a great man in the Liang Guo cultivation world.

During the subsequent Liang Guo war, the Li Huo Gong also played a steady and defensive role, holding out for many years without fault.

However, the difference in strength was too great.

The Jin Yang Zong had a long history. Thousands of years ago, it had three Nascent Soul cultivators, and now it was in a relatively weak period.

“That’s right, among the surrounding Nascent Soul sects, my Li Huo Gong is indeed one of the weakest. Even the Six Devil Sects’ choice of breakthrough point was my Li Huo Gong.”

The Li Huo Elder looked dejected and let out a bitter smile.

Although Chu Tianfeng’s words were harsh, they were the ironclad law of the cultivation world.

No matter how cunning your calculations are, no matter how seemingly perfect your every step, if your strength and luck are not on your side, your fate is already determined.

…

“Chu Tianfeng, let’s cut to the chase. How do you plan to deal with me? I’ll take whatever you decide.”

The Li Huo Elder knew that in his current wretched state, there was no chance of escape.

If he had been at his peak, he could have escaped by using his Nascent Soul to leave his body, achieving speeds several times faster than cultivators of the same stage.

During the Nascent Soul battle at the Li Huo Gong, he was ambushed and fought a bloody battle with Liu Yang Zhen Jun, suffering serious injuries, and his Nascent Soul was also damaged.

Not long ago, he was robbed by Liang Shao Tian and other numerous Zhen Ren (Elders), wasting his vitality, adding insult to injury.

Fortunately, he activated a secret technique, unleashing his potential and suppressing a dozen Zhen Ren on his own, allowing Elder Wang and others to escape.

In order to showcase the prestige of a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun, he went all out, forcefully breaking through the “Xuan Yin Heavy Water Grand Formation” that restrained him, killing two or three Zhen Ren, venting his anger.

As a result, his physical body was almost completely destroyed, and his life force was dwindling. He almost fainted.

“Dao You Li Huo, if I wanted to take your life, why would I need to do so today?”

Chu Tianfeng shook his head and smiled lightly:

“The previous gambling fight was my oversight, which caused your sect heavy losses.”

Huh?

Hearing this, the Li Huo Elder was surprised and vaguely guessed the other man’s intentions.

Chu Tianfeng, with a hint of apology, took out a long jade box.

“This fourth-order thousand-year-old Soul-Nurturing Wood will help you cultivate your Nascent Soul. Find a good body and you can soon restore your peak strength.”

The Li Huo Elder had overdrawn his life force, and his body was too badly damaged. Even if it was repaired, he would not be able to achieve 50% of his strength.

His Nascent Soul was also damaged, but it was better than his body.

The fourth-order Soul-Nurturing Wood could nourish the soul and slowly repair the Nascent Soul’s injuries. It was a rare celestial treasure even for Nascent Soul cultivators.

Chu Tianfeng taking out this kind of treasure to express his apology showed that he did have some sincerity.

The Li Huo Zhen Ren did not hesitate. He took the jade box and scanned it with his divine sense.

Chu Tianfeng was one of the main reasons for the Li Huo Gong’s downfall, and his resentment only subsided slightly.

With this Soul-Nurturing Wood, he could nourish his damaged and withered Nascent Soul, and his remaining lifespan might be extended a little.

“After my Wu Ya Dian moves north and occupies Feng Guo, I can let the Li Huo Gong occupy the fourth-order spirit vein that used to belong to the Yen Guo sect mountain, so you can live there and cultivate.”

Chu Tianfeng suggested.

Giving him Soul-Nurturing Wood and providing a fourth-order spirit vein’s sect mountain?

Could there be such a thing as a pie falling from the sky?

The Li Huo Zhen Ren saw through the other man’s intentions and said with difficulty, “My Li Huo Gong has suffered heavy losses. Members have scattered, and I am afraid we cannot hold down the fourth-order spirit vein in Yen Guo.”

Once the Six Devil Sects invaded this area, Yen Guo’s geographical location would be one of the first cultivation kingdoms to be affected.

Chu Tianfeng wanted to occupy Feng Guo.

He did not only covet the Jin Yang Zong’s fourth-order mid-grade spirit vein to maintain his mid-Nascent Soul cultivation.

Feng Guo was vast and prosperous, with abundant resources and a deep strategic depth, home to numerous Nascent Soul forces with ancient lineages.

Only by sitting in Feng Guo and directing the overall situation would he have a better chance of resisting the Six Devil Sects’ invasion.

“If the Li Huo Gong is willing to go, my Wu Ya Dian will persuade the major sects to provide material assistance. If you don’t want to, I have other candidates.”

Chu Tianfeng did not force him.

“I plan to cultivate for a few years in Jing Guo and then go west to join my friends in the ‘Seven Kingdom Alliance’.”

The Li Huo Elder saw that Chu Tianfeng was not being hypocritical and no longer concealed his intentions.

This region had made him so miserable, and with his lifespan not much longer, he had lost his spirit.

Now, the Li Huo Elder just wanted to cultivate his lineage well and pass it on.

“The Seven Kingdom Alliance is strong, but it is currently being invaded by two major sects from the Six Devil Sects. If Dao You Li Huo goes there, you can also contribute your strength.”

Chu Tianfeng sighed.

The Seven Kingdom Alliance was located west of Jing Guo and Chen Guo, separated by a desolate, spiritless wasteland, with numerous mortal kingdoms scattered in between.

The Seven Kingdom Alliance had a more developed merchant force, while their sects were much weaker, almost non-existent.

Each kingdom had at least one Nascent Soul cultivator, and the Seven Kingdom Alliance also had a leader in the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

The merchant alliance in Jing Guo actually imitated the model of the Seven Kingdom Alliance. Some of the merchant associations were relocated from the Seven Kingdom Alliance.

Unfortunately, they only learned a superficial part of it. In Jing Guo, the merchant alliance and sects are on an equal footing.

Jing Guo had applied many times to join the Seven Kingdom Alliance to form the Eight Kingdom Alliance.

Unfortunately, the Seven Kingdom Alliance did not want to have anything to do with them.

One reason was the distance, and the other was that Jing Guo was relatively weak and did not have a fourth-order spirit vein.

Perhaps the Li Huo Elder didn’t want to stay in this desolate place, and perhaps he had more faith in the Seven Kingdom Alliance, which is why he chose the latter.

In fact, he didn’t have many options.

Liang Guo was located in the northeastern part of the Eastern Region of Da Qing.

To the southwest was the Six Devil Sects’ eastward expansion route.

To the north, beyond the Black Mist Mountain Range and the Liu Yun Zong, lay a vast desert, with a harsh geographical environment and scarce spirit veins. It was difficult for outsiders to integrate.

To the west, there was Jing Guo and the Seven Kingdom Alliance.

To the east, there was a boundless poisonous swamp, filled with all sorts of venomous creatures, extremely dangerous.

Further east was the territory of the Five Poison Sect and the Thousand Mechanism Sect.

These two were quite ruthless. Even the Six Devil Sects did not want to provoke them easily.

Therefore, when the tide of the Six Devil Sects swept across the Eastern Region of Da Qing, there were actually not many peaceful places to go.

…

“Dao You Chu takes on a heavy responsibility, wanting to lead the surrounding kingdoms to resist the invasion of the Six Devil Sects. I admire your heart and vision.”

Before parting ways, the Li Huo Elder saw that Chu Tianfeng was indeed going to let him go, and he admired his broadmindedness and vision.

He decided to speak the truth.

“The Six Devil Sects entering the Eastern Region of Da Qing and becoming the masters of this place is likely to be the future trend, an irreversible trend.”

“Oh? Do you have any good strategies, Dao You Li Huo?” Chu Tianfeng’s face was impassive.

“In my opinion, there are only two ways to resist the Six Devil Sects.”

“First, seek help from the Ten Xuan Men in the Central Region.”

“Second, a Yuan Hou (literally, ‘Origin Emperor’) will emerge from our Eastern Region.”

After listening, Chu Tianfeng frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed.

“Seeking help from the Ten Xuan Men, the cultivation forces that were destroyed before have already tried.”

“Three hundred years ago, the leader of the righteous path in the Central Region, that Nascent Soul Great Cultivator led the Ten Xuan Men to defeat the Six Devil Sects, which led to the Six Devil Sects’ eastward expansion.”

“Now, that leader of the righteous path has disappeared without a trace, and the Ten Xuan Men are a fractured group, with serious internal strife, not worth mentioning!”

Chu Tianfeng had no hope for the Ten Xuan Men.

Perhaps the Six Devil Sects’ eastward expansion was a compromise with the Ten Xuan Men after their defeat.

As for the second method, a Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator emerging.

In the Eastern Region, for tens of thousands of years, there has not been a single Yuan Hou Great Cultivator born here.

Don’t underestimate him being a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, intimidating the surrounding kingdoms.

But a Yuan Hou Great Cultivator is a whole new level, a major figure in the entire Tian Heng Continent.

Moreover, Da Qing would find it difficult to keep a Yuan Hou Great Cultivator.

It is said that when one becomes a Yuan Hou Great Cultivator, they will enter the field of vision of the top forces of the Tian Heng Continent.

Such a Great Cultivator might even be invited by the Central Region’s Holy Land or even the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty.

After bidding farewell to the Li Huo Elder, Chu Tianfeng turned into a white rainbow, piercing the sky, entering the Nine-Gang Heaven, a place ordinary cultivators could not enter, ignoring the wind and the rain.

A moment later, his profound and insightful gaze fell on a certain direction on the border of Jing Guo.

Liang Shao Tian and his group of Devil Sect cultivators, hidden in the formation, were easily found by his divine sense.

“The Xuan Yin Devil Sect’s predecessor was once one of the Seven Great Devil Sects. It split off for unknown reasons, leaving only the Six Devil Sects.”

“Before the Six Devil Sects invade, they might let the ‘Wu Jian Men’ try to win over the Xuan Yin Devil Sect.”

“The Devil Sect’s sect leader, Liang Shao Tian, has amazing fortune. He has achieved such a feat with a mere upper-grade spirit root, and he is also extremely talented. He has cultivated the ‘Black Gang Devil Flame’. Given time, if he advances to the Nascent Soul stage, he may even be able to fight against a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.”

At this time, Chu Tianfeng had a choice: to eliminate this devilish genius in the cradle.

Hidden inside the formation, sitting cross-legged to heal his injuries, Liang Shao Tian suddenly opened his pitch-black pupils.

“Ugh! Damn! Why is it so cold all of a sudden?”

Xiang Jinglong, whose arm was bandaged, huddled in the corner and shivered involuntarily.

…

Half a year later.

Qing Sha Bay, Qiu Feng Island.

Above the manor, the vortex of celestial spiritual energy, accompanied by faint clouds, slowly dissipated.

“Fortunately, my innate celestial body breaking through to a major realm didn’t have any special phenomena.”

Lu Chang’an sat in the courtyard, watching the entire process of Xia Wen Yue’s Zhu Ji (Foundation Establishment).

Inside the secret room, Xia Wen Yue’s entire body was covered in a layer of crystalline ice, resembling a divine maiden’s ice sculpture.

This was a special situation of cultivating the “Ice Seal Ancient Scroll”.

The “Ice Seal Ancient Scroll” was the core cultivation technique of a destroyed Nascent Soul sect in Da Kun in the previous life, with its own unique features. Every time it broke through a key stage, it would freeze itself and undergo a transformation.

At the same time, the “Ice Seal Ancient Scroll” contained a mysterious ice-sealing secret technique that could allow oneself to fall into eternal ice-sealing.

Even cultivators who were far stronger than her would find it difficult to break through it head-on.

In the state of eternal ice-sealing, it could also greatly slow down the decline of one’s lifespan.

The “Ice Seal Ancient Scroll” had extremely high requirements for aptitude. Xia Wen Yue’s innate celestial body was a perfect match, and the cultivation techniques she cultivated could be enhanced by her celestial body.

Crack!

The ice layer on Xia Wen Yue’s body shattered, and her robe also shattered, revealing her icy skin and jade-like flesh.

Her eyes opened, filled with the cold gleam of autumn water. Then, they returned to their usual gentle and peaceful state, filled with joy.

Soon, she realized that her dress and robe had been shattered. Thinking of something, her face flushed red, and she immediately put on a new robe.

“Mr. Lu said that he would secretly protect me when I reached Zhu Ji. It shouldn’t be that coincidental, and Mr. Lu is a righteous gentleman.”

Xia Wen Yue comforted herself. She immediately circulated her cultivation technique to solidify her newly established Zhu Ji cultivation.

As a righteous gentleman, Lu Chang’an immediately withdrew his gaze.

Because he wasn’t considering a nurturing path, he had no thoughts about Xia Wen Yue.

In this life, before achieving Nascent Soul, Lu Chang’an did not consider finding a Dao partner.

But as a long-lived being, with such a long life, he didn’t exclude casual relationships that were mutually agreeable.

With Xia Wen Yue’s aptitude and potential, and her future noble status, she wouldn’t stoop so low.

Even if Xia Wen Yue didn’t mind, it would attract resentment towards Lu Chang’an.

…

Half a month later, the Xia clan held a Zhu Ji celebration for Xia Wen Yue, but it was relatively low-key, without any grand announcement.

Even so, the flow of cultivators coming to Qing Sha Bay to attend the Zhu Ji celebration was still endless.

In addition to the cultivators from the five major families of the Five Fortune Merchant Association, there were also representatives from the cooperative merchant associations.

As Xia Wen Yue’s nominal medical teacher, Lu Chang’an couldn’t refuse.

He was arranged to sit in the best seat, next to the clan leader Xia Hong Yu.

During the celebration, Lu Chang’an drank a lot of spiritual wine and chatted with the clan leader Xia Hong Yu.

There were many cultivators who came to congratulate them, including accompanying cultivators. It was inevitable that there would be some unknown cultivators among them.

Lu Chang’an noticed that some cultivators were secretly observing Xia Wen Yue or asking the clan members about her during the celebration.

This was unavoidable.

Lu Chang’an and the clan leader could only let things take their course.

Fortunately, innate celestial bodies are not noticeable when they are not actively fighting or using their talents.

…

In the evening, after drinking quite a bit of spiritual wine, Lu Chang’an returned to the manor on Qiu Feng Island.

During the celebration, the Di Yan Shu (Earth Rock Rat) had eaten a lot of delicious food and drank a lot of wine. It was now sleeping soundly in a certain cellar.

Just letting it have a day off.

He walked from the courtyard into the master bedroom.

Lu Chang’an looked at the twisted shadows on the ground and sensed something was wrong.

“Lu Chang’an, you’re in trouble!”

A deep, hoarse voice came from the shadows of the room, belonging to a mysterious man.

(End of Chapter)

(Note: This chapter was a bit longer than usual. I decided to preserve the original style and tone of the novel, including the use of some Chinese idioms. I’ve provided explanations for some of these idioms and cultural references in parentheses. I hope you find this translation helpful.)

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