I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 280

## Chapter 277: Fostering the Xuan Tian Hu Teng

Inside the subworld.

Lu Chang An did not leave the Moon Gazing Immortal City rashly.

He sat with his eyes closed, seemingly cultivating and consolidating his cultivation.

In reality, he was merging with his Second Life, senses fully open, maintaining a state of high alert.

Lu Chang An needed to ensure that no Nascent Soul old monsters were paying attention to him before leaving the Moon Gazing Immortal City.

Three days later.

Another Nascent Soul level divine sense briefly swept over him, without lingering.

Such subtle divine sense exploration is difficult for ordinary Jie Dan cultivators to perceive.

Lu Chang An thought to himself, “Earlier, that Xu Old Monster sent me a voice transmission, with a hint of goodwill. Normally, I, as a junior, should pay a visit.”

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the real Nie Yuan, otherwise he could have relied on a Nascent Soul old monster as his backing.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a big problem if he didn’t go.

Not every cultivator likes to climb up to others and make connections. Some cultivators are thin-skinned, introverted, or aloof, and don’t want to do such things.

Half a month later.

No Nascent Soul level divine sense paid attention to him.

“No hurry.”

Lu Chang An simply left the subworld, purchased resources in the city, and still didn’t leave the Moon Gazing Immortal City.

While in the city, he maintained his keen senses.

The prices in the Moon Gazing Immortal City were higher, and Lu Chang An only bought some relatively scarce third-order materials.

The third-order subworlds in the city had even higher rental prices, costing several thousand spirit stones a year.

Perhaps due to the high-end approach, the number of cultivators that the third-order subworlds and inns in the city could accommodate was not high.

Due to the invasion of the demonic path, the situation was tense. It was said that the inns and subworlds in the city would increase in price in the future, and even implement flow control.

The Moon Gazing Immortal City didn’t allow outsiders to conduct business, not even street stalls.

Ordinary cultivators staying here would eventually run out of resources.

Lu Chang An had too many secrets, and couldn’t stay in the Moon Gazing Immortal City.

Now, his lifespan was as high as 1144 years, but he dared not nurture the Xuan Tian Hu Teng in the city.

He could only wait until he returned to the Golden Cloud Valley before making an attempt.

…

Another half month passed.

Lu Chang An confirmed that no Nascent Soul old monsters were paying attention to him.

On this day, he “changed his outfit” in the city’s inn, using the identity of a middle-aged Fake Dan cultivator, and left the Moon Gazing Immortal City.

The city didn’t check identities upon entry and exit.

Flying over a hundred miles from the city.

Lu Chang An took out a “Dun Di Fu” (遁地符, a talisman for earth遁, literally “earth escape”) and quickly escaped underground for a distance.

Finally, he used the Earth Rock Rat’s ability to travel underground.

The underground rock layers had a strong shielding effect on divine sense.

Plus, after leaving for a distance, the Nascent Soul old monsters in the city could no longer find him with their divine sense.

Thousands of miles away from the Moon Gazing City.

Lu Chang An changed his identity again, becoming a Jie Dan elder, and flew to the Nine-Star Sky.

Until he reached the Liang Kingdom territory, Lu Chang An’s heart finally relaxed.

This time, obtaining the Immortal Golden Dan, was finally successfully completed.

Afterwards, even if Nie Yuan’s identity was found out, it wouldn’t matter.

What mattered was that Lu Chang An not only formed the Golden Dan, but also successfully hid his identity.

The phenomenon of forming the Golden Dan was difficult to conceal, but concealing the quality of the Golden Dan after formation was easier.

Seven days later.

A white-clothed man riding a turtle, returned to the previous Huang Long Immortal City, from the direction of the Black Mist Mountain Range.

The direction of his appearance was completely opposite to the Moon Gazing Immortal City.

Unless one deduced the process from the result, it would be difficult to connect the two out of thin air.

For the previous two times of transforming and reforming the Dan, Lu Chang An used third-order “Huan Zhen Fu” (幻真符, a talisman for illusion, literally “illusion real talisman”) to create the alibi of cultivating in seclusion.

The last time he transformed the Dan, three years later, he did not use the same method to avoid repetition.

In the Black Mist Mountain Range, Lu Chang An relied on the powerful divine soul of his two merged lives to forcibly break free from the third-order spirit contract signed with Xie Wuji.

The scroll of the spirit contract in his hand turned to ashes.

“A third-order spirit contract was forcibly destroyed, the Xie Clan of Chen Kingdom will definitely receive the news.”

Lu Chang An expected this.

But now, he was no longer a helpless and homeless cultivator, but a True Dan Elder of the Golden Cloud Valley.

No matter how powerful the Xie Family was, they were far from here, and wouldn’t dare to act recklessly in the Liang Kingdom where the Jin Yang Zong had taken control.

Moreover, the Chen Kingdom was near the front line of the demonic path invasion, and wouldn’t have the energy to get involved in this matter.

…

Half a day later.

Lu Chang An returned to the Golden Cloud Valley.

“Elder Lu!”

“True Immortal Lu!”

Upon entering the mountain gate, the disciples on duty greeted Lu Chang An respectfully.

At this time, the Dan power aura on Lu Chang An was still that of a lower-level True Dan in the early stage of Jie Dan.

Lu Chang An’s trip out lasted only a few months.

For a True Dan cultivator, this was considered a relatively normal amount of time for a trip out.

In the heartland of the Golden Cloud Valley, on the mountain peak where the third-order spirit vein was located, there was a mountain called “Yun Lai Peak,” which was Lu Chang An’s cultivation place.

The territory under the jurisdiction of Yun Lai Peak was not just the main peak, but also a surrounding area of mountainous wild land and spirit fields.

These all belonged to Lu Chang An’s property, equivalent to the size of the entire Wu Qi Shan.

In the Elder Mansion on Yun Lai Peak.

Two Qi Refining disciples, one male and one female, waited by the side. They were the servants and maids Lu Chang An had chosen two years ago.

Lu Chang An called them Xiao Dong and Xiao Qiu.

The former had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was honest and simple; the latter was beautiful, with a willow waist and flower-like grace.

Both were Qi Refining disciples in their early twenties.

“Elder Lu, here are your letters.”

Xiao Qiu took out a jade box and presented it on her knees.

Click!

The jade box in her hand disappeared without a trace, replaced by an earth dog-sized spirit rat.

Lu Chang An opened the jade box. Inside were many letters, some jade slips and jade tablets, and some were paper or leather, most with restrictions.

As a Zongmen Elder and third-order talisman master, there were too many cultivators who wanted to make friends with Lu Chang An.

These letters that had reached Lu Chang An’s hands were already screened preliminarily.

Lu Chang An picked out some letters from those who he had some connection with, or those he was interested in.

Among them was a letter from Li Cong Ren of Xue Mei Mountain, mainly to greet his elders and send some local specialties.

Mu Bing Yun still kept the habit of writing to him, but not as often as before.

Either asking for advice on talisman cultivation, or confiding her feelings, reminiscing about the past.

Lu Chang An would occasionally reply to her when he was in a good mood.

This time, Mu Bing Yun mentioned in the letter that her husband had unfortunately gone to the front line, and she was a bit worried about it.

How could Lu Chang An care about these things? His past help to Mu Bing Yun was out of a sense of responsibility for the old days and regret.

Zheng Wu Gong’s descendant from the Iron Ridge Manor, unexpectedly also sent a letter, congratulating Lu Chang An.

There were also some strange letters.

For example, Lin Ye, the Dan Master of Wu Qi Shan back then, although he had passed away, had nurtured a talented Dan Master descendant.

That Dan Master descendant, now a second-order Dan Master, expressed his gratitude on behalf of his master for Lu Chang An’s care back then.

The last two letters were sent by Zhou Qing Xuan and Xia Wen Yue.

Zhou Qing Xuan extended an invitation to Lu Chang An, hoping he could go to the Zhou Family of Beast Control, to discuss the techniques of beast control.

Lu Chang An wasn’t interested in beast control, but he could study the insect restriction in Zhou Qing Xuan’s mind when he had time, and further improve his own unique restriction.

Xia Wen Yue’s jade slip letter was sent from the Ao Yue Palace of Feng Kingdom.

The surrounding immortal cultivating countries formed the “Wei Dao Alliance” (卫道盟, literally “Guardians of the Dao Alliance”), to jointly resist the demonic path invasion.

There was no war between Feng Kingdom and Liang Kingdom, so they could still communicate normally.

Besides congratulating Lu Chang An on forming his Dan, Xia Wen Yue mentioned her current situation in Ao Yue Palace in the letter, asking him not to worry.

Because of the Xie Clan of Chen Kingdom’s covetousness, the Ao Yue Palace had protected Xia Wen Yue well.

The Ao Yue Palace’s legacy was mainly centered on female cultivators, and most of their male cultivators were laborers, servants, serving the high-level people.

Xia Wen Yue’s master was a female Golden Dan cultivator, who took good care of her.

Xia Wen Yue was still cultivating the “Ice封 Ancient Scroll” (冰封古卷, literally “Ice 封 Ancient Scroll”), and the resources she enjoyed were incomparable to those in Qing Sha Wan.

Not long ago, her cultivation had broken through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, slightly faster than ordinary Earth Spirit Roots.

At the end of the letter, Xia Wen Yue vaguely revealed her yearning for Lu Chang An, and stated that she would repay his life-saving grace back then.

“It’s been over ten years since we parted, and this girl still has this kind of heart, which is indeed commendable.”

Lu Chang An nodded secretly, feeling a little comforted.

After thinking for a while, he did not reply to Xia Wen Yue’s letter.

Xia Wen Yue’s identity as a Heaven’s Will Physique was rather special, and the letters exchanged between them were easily intercepted and viewed.

Fortunately, Xia Wen Yue wasn’t stupid either, and her yearning in the letter was very subtle, more like the respect and concern of a student for her teacher.

“Until this girl reaches the mid-late stage of Jie Dan, try not to contact her, and let the outside world gradually forget our relationship.”

Lu Chang An only needed Xia Wen Yue to keep her promise of the mind demon oath, without any emotional entanglement.

The latter would only bring disaster to Lu Chang An.

He believed that under the long years of hundreds of years, this girl would see the world and her youthful infatuation would be worn away.

…

Several days later.

Lu Chang An arrived at the underground stone palace on Yun Lai Peak.

This underground stone palace, located deep underground, was built by the Earth Rock Rat, digging tunnels and building it gradually over the years.

The construction of the stone palace was initially funded by Lu Chang An, and he built it himself.

Later, he discovered that the Earth Rock Rat’s innate magical ability was better at building houses than he was.

So he simply drew up blueprints and let the Earth Rock Rat take care of it.

This underground stone palace was filled with restrictions.

Upon his return, Lu Chang An set up a near fourth-order formation here, while the third-order formation in the mansion above was sufficient for daily use.

The Xuan Tian Hu Teng was also transplanted to the underground stone palace, connected to the earth vein energy.

For this purpose, he specifically set up a room.

“It can begin.”

Lu Chang An drove away the Xuan Shui Gui, who was reluctant to leave, and stayed in the room alone.

He immediately offered his lifespan, performing the Evergreen Secret Art.

Hum~

Lu Chang An’s palm was surrounded by an ancient emerald green aura, like a newborn sprout, exuding a life force of four seasons, merging into the withered Xuan Tian Hu Teng.

The healing and restoration of the Evergreen Secret Art did not use lifespan as a medium.

The healing ability was the Evergreen Art itself.

Even without sacrificing lifespan, Lu Chang An’s Evergreen Art was still extremely proficient in healing, surpassing many famous doctors in the world.

Some serious injuries or ordinary hidden illnesses could be treated and healed by Lu Chang An without sacrificing lifespan.

Sacrificing lifespan, was to allow the basic ability of healing and restoration to achieve a qualitative leap.

Lu Chang An’s previous three transformations of the Dan, had not suffered serious injuries, sacrificing lifespan allowed the effects to be enhanced, greatly saving time.

Many secret arts in the immortal cultivation world, were to achieve a terrifying increase of several times, even ten times, at the cost of consuming lifespan.

“Four years of lifespan!”

Lu Chang An stopped, checking the changes in the Xuan Tian Hu Teng.

He saw that the withered part of the Hu Teng, less than half an inch long, was turning green.

Such a significant effect, was more than ten times that of the Qi Refining stage!

“Forming the Immortal Golden Dan, the nourishing ability of the Evergreen Art itself, has become a few points stronger than it was in the early stage of True Dan.”

Lu Chang An’s face was filled with joy.

At this rate, he could restore the entire Hu Teng to green in a few hundred years at most.

A few hundred years of lifespan seemed like a lot.

But the goal of nourishing and restoring was, after all, the Hu Teng that grew in the small Xuan Tian, a creature born alongside the heavens. To have this kind of effect, was already quite remarkable.

Lu Chang An measured it with his current early stage of Jie Dan cultivation, “About ten years of lifespan, can restore one foot of green to the Xuan Tian Hu Teng.”

If he reached the mid-late stage of Jie Dan, the nourishing effect of the Evergreen Art would have room for further improvement.

“Forty years of lifespan!”

Seeing the results, Lu Chang An offered another forty years of lifespan.

After a while, the withered area of the Xuan Tian Hu Teng, had recovered a few inches of green.

Huh?

At this moment, Lu Chang An frowned, looking at the dead black small gourd embryo.

To be precise, it was just an embryo, not yet truly formed.

“The Hu Teng has recovered some vitality, but this small Xuan Tian gourd, hasn’t changed at all.”

In Lu Chang An’s perception, the embryo of the gourd fruit was dead silent, without any sign of life.

He didn’t know if it was an illusion.

He felt that the dead black gourd was radiating an even stronger death aura.

Even the Evergreen Secret Art, couldn’t save it.

“Could it be that it’s dead and won’t come back to life? Do I need to wait for the Hu Teng to fully recover its green before nurturing the Xuan Tian gourd again?”

Lu Chang An pondered for a long time.

By this reckoning, he would spend hundreds of years of lifespan at most to restore the Xuan Tian Hu Teng.

Then, to grow the Xuan Tian fruit again, who knows how many years, how much lifespan it would take.

Nurturing the Xuan Tian gourd might require an even greater cost.

Lu Chang An realized that the lifespan of Jie Dan stage might not be enough.

He couldn’t possibly spend all his lifespan, at least he had to leave a few hundred years to spare.

Unless there were more sources of lifespan.

For example, lifespan extending items, second-order refined lifespan extending pills, third-order lifespan extending…

Or, consuming the fruits of other Evergreen Arts.

“No hurry, let’s observe for a while.”

Lu Chang An still had over eleven hundred years of lifespan, so he stopped for now.

…

Two months later.

Lu Chang An observed and found some good news.

As long as he used his Evergreen Art power to irrigate and nourish the Xuan Tian Hu Teng daily, the latter was slowly recovering its green.

The Xuan Shui Gui’s Yun Yu Shu (云雨术, literally “Cloud Rain Technique”) had a much weaker effect, but it could at least maintain the Hu Teng in a state of recovery.

This showed that the Hu Teng had at least reversed its vitality.

Theoretically speaking, even if Lu Chang An didn’t sacrifice lifespan and “transfuse,” as long as time was long enough, the Xuan Tian Hu Teng would eventually recover.

“The more parts of the Hu Teng that recover vitality, the faster the green should grow and recover on its own.”

Lu Chang An had a hunch.

He offered another hundred years of lifespan, leaving one thousand years of lifespan.

This time.

Before he could observe the results, an unwelcome visitor, whom he had anticipated, arrived at the Golden Cloud Valley.

…

“Xie Wuji of the Xie Clan of Chen Kingdom, Elder of the Heavenly Luo Zong of Chen Kingdom, is here to visit the Golden Cloud Valley!”

A huge iron fan treasure, tore through the Nine-Star Sky, carrying a handsome young man in brocade robes, arriving at the mountain gate of the Golden Cloud Valley.

After many years, Xie Wuji’s cultivation had reached the peak of the early stage of True Dan.

“Daoist Xie has traveled far, what brings you here?”

A clear laugh came, and a handsome man with a high crown and golden feathered robes, with a dignified bearing, flew out from inside the gate.

“Zong Master Xuan Xiao.”

Facing the Golden Cloud Zong Master in the middle stage of Jie Dan, Xie Wuji suppressed his anger and bowed in greeting.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Xie Wuji stated his intention:

“Please ask the True Immortal Lu of your valley to come out and meet me. This person is faithless and openly tore up a third-order spirit contract, and I, Xie, want to confront him.”

The visitor was, after all, an elder of a Nascent Soul sect. The Golden Cloud Zong Master sent a voice transmission instructing the disciples to inform Lu Chang An.

The Zongmen Reception Hall.

Lu Chang An soon flew over.

“Xie Wuji!”

Before Xie Wuji could speak, Lu Chang An roared angrily, “Back then, you took advantage of my low cultivation in the Qi Refining stage, forced me to sign a third-order spirit contract, and today, you dare to be the accuser and come to my door!”

Xie Wuji was interrupted before he could speak, and was stunned for a moment.

He couldn’t believe it. Lu Chang An, who had been polite and accommodating to him, had struck him head-on upon meeting him today.

“Lu Chang An, don’t slander me! You took my Jie Dan spirit item, after you became a True Dan, you signed another spirit contract, how could I possibly coerce a True Dan cultivator?”

Xie Wuji laughed angrily and refuted.

It had been five or six years since the second spirit contract was signed, and Lu Chang An had never been to the Ao Yue Palace.

“Back then, if I hadn’t agreed to renew the contract, I might not have been able to return to Liang Kingdom. It was just a temporary measure.”

“As for the early years, True Immortal Xie’s gift of a Jie Dan spirit item, out of both favor and coercion, I’m returning it to you.”

Lu Chang An said, and threw a porcelain bottle to Xie Wuji.

This was another water-type Jie Dan spirit item that he had purchased, worth about the same as the “Qing Jing Shui” (清净水, literally “Pure Water”) that Xie Wuji had given him back then.

“Lu Chang An! You’ve taken so many resources from my Xie family, and now you’re turning your back on your promise and trying to fool me with a Jie Dan spirit item?”

Xie Wuji’s face was gloomy, he sneered.

“So many resources?”

Lu Chang An’s heart skipped a beat, he chuckled, “I can take a mind demon oath, apart from that Jie Dan spirit item, I haven’t taken any other resources from the Xie family. Do you dare to swear that you haven’t embezzled the Xie family’s resources?”

Hearing this, Xie Wuji’s face slightly changed: “Shameless Turtle True Immortal, you dare to fabricate and confuse, twisting the truth and accusing me!”

Seeing the two of them spitting and cursing, the Golden Cloud Zong Master was stunned, and found an opportunity to slip away.

An hour later.

“Golden Cloud Valley, protecting this shameless scoundrel, will eventually suffer retribution…”

Xie Wuji left the Golden Cloud Valley, grumbling and cursing.

Until he flew to the Nine-Star Sky, the anger on Xie Wuji’s face disappeared, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Hey! That Lu Chang An was quite cooperative. After this uproar, the embezzled resources are off the books!”

It turned out that in order to persuade Lu Chang An and buy him off, the Xie family gave him a batch of True Dan-level supplies, including Ning Jing Dan (凝晶丹, literally “Crystallization Pill”).

Xie Wuji knew that Lu Chang An was playing a trick, and couldn’t convince him, so he simply embezzled it.

The purpose of confronting Lu Chang An today was to act.

As for the embezzled resources, he would blame them on Lu Chang An.

Anyway, with the war against the demonic path invasion, the Xie family wouldn’t have the energy to investigate this matter.

“That kid has quite an appetite. He actually sent me a voice transmission asking me to give him half of the embezzled resources?”

Xie Wuji sneered in his heart.

In his opinion, it was already a win-win situation for him not to pursue it and let the matter drop.

That Lu Chang An probably knew this, and would accept the olive branch, unwilling to continue to tangle with the Xie family.

…

Half a day later.

Xie Wuji flew to the wasteland between Liang Kingdom and Chen Kingdom.

As night fell, the Nine-Star Sky also sank into darkness, and the罡风 (罡风, literally “罡 Wind”) blowing was even more violent.

“With this embezzled resources, and a few more years of war merit, I can hit the mid-stage of Jie Dan…”

Xie Wuji flew towards the direction of the Heavenly Luo Zong of Chen Kingdom, making plans in his heart.

Suddenly.

A strange ball of black mist appeared in his field of vision, howling towards him with the罡风.

“Who is there!”

Xie Wuji roared angrily, in the blink of an eye, he was enveloped in a pitch-black night sky that covered miles.

From the outside, an inverted black dome separated Xie Wuji from the outside world.

Inside the black dome, the air was cold, and suddenly there were fluctuations of magic power that made the ghosts and gods weep.

Two flickering and strange shadows, about ten feet tall, each holding a shadow blade, pierced and attacked Xie Wuji from front and back.

“Wu Jian Men (无间门, literally “No-Interference Gate”)–”

Xie Wuji’s heart turned cold, his Dan power erupted, and a golden ring of light condensed around him, as solid as substance.

Whizz!

The iron fan treasure expanded like the Buddha’s hand, coated with a layer of dark gold light film, flipped up and down, swiped left and right, stirring the sky罡风 and clouds, enough to shatter mountains and destroy cities.

However, the two strange shadows were incredibly agile, occasionally disappearing mysteriously, their positions exchanging.

The iron fan treasure’s body, was like a palm fan swatting mosquitoes, missing again and again.

The remaining power, was unable to harm the two True Dan-level strange shadows.

Hiss!

The two shadows’ shadow blades, occasionally slashing out arcs of ghost-like blades, cut through Xie Wuji’s golden ring of light, leaving cracks.

As time passed, Xie Wuji’s magic power was greatly consumed, and deep wounds, visible to the bone, appeared on his shoulders, ribs, and legs.

The two strange shadows, their attacks were comparable to those of early stage True Dan, but their speed was comparable to those of mid-stage True Dan.

He couldn’t do anything about them, and he couldn’t escape either.

They were like a bane, lingering like a ghost.

“Which one of the Wu Jian Men, state your name.”

Xie Wuji’s face was pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, while speaking, he took out his remaining few broken restriction talismans and third-order mid-grade escape talismans from his storage pouch.

Puchi!

A sickle treasure, radiating a grayish-white aura, pierced out of the shadows of the night, piercing through Xie Wuji’s chest.

“Wu Jian Men, Absolute Shadow Pavilion Leader, as you wish!”

A man’s voice, like that of a Nine Nether cold spring, echoed in Xie Wuji’s ears.

Xie Wuji’s body convulsed, and he struggled to turn his head.

A mysterious man in a black cloak, with a chain wrapped around his hand, connected to a blood-stained sickle, merged with the night.

The magic power fluctuations emanating from him, had reached the peak of the mid-stage of Jie Dan.

Swish!

The two strange shadows, like ghosts, returned and merged into the shadow of the mysterious cloaked man.

“Absolute Shadow Pavilion Leader…”

Xie Wuji’s pupils dimmed, and his consciousness plunged into the abyss of darkness.

(End of Chapter)

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