I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 327

## Chapter 323: Conversation with the Celestial Master

Three years later.

In the secluded chamber of his subworld, Lu Chang’an, now 285 years old, installed the last refined leg part onto the lower body of the hooded assassin.

The hooded puppet assassin’s eyes emitted a dark, cold gleam, and the soul fluctuations it emitted were almost indistinguishable from those of a human cultivator.

*Swoosh!* *Pfft!*

A illusion flickered, and a hand-held sword shot out from the hooded puppet’s sleeve, slicing through Lu Chang’an’s mid-Golden Core stage’s mana shield.

*Ding!*

The remaining momentum of the hand-held sword struck Lu Chang’an’s arm, emitting a metallic clang, but it failed to penetrate further.

“Finally reached the threshold of a high-grade third-order! If it wasn’t for being a high-grade third-order artificer, the materials would have been barely enough.”

Lu Chang’an smiled, his expression slightly relieved.

In the past four or five years, using his advantage as an artificer, he had finally managed to elevate the assassin puppet to a whole new level through refining and modification.

The hooded assassin’s strength had barely reached the threshold of a late-stage Core Formation stage, slightly weaker than Fang Zhen back then.

However, it could easily defeat two mid-stage Core Formation stage cultivators.

In the short term, Lu Chang’an wouldn’t be able to gather enough materials for a second high-grade third-order puppet. Even if he had ample financial resources and some connections, it would take him decades under normal circumstances to gather enough materials for a high-grade third-order puppet. Even if he managed to gather them, there was no guarantee that crafting it would be successful. The risk of failure was significant.

His other puppet, the魅女 (魅女, Mei Nu, meaning seductive woman), had the potential to be upgraded to a high-grade third-order as well. The魅女 (魅女, Mei Nu, meaning seductive woman) puppet’s illusion techniques mainly relied on the soul power of the Second Life (第二世, Di Er Shi) attached to it, so there was no immediate urgency. Together, the two puppet avatars would be enough to suppress ordinary Core Formation stage cultivators.

“Unfortunately, I still lack some materials for crafting the異靈孔雀 (异灵孔雀, Yi Ling Kong Que, meaning extraordinary spirit peacock) puppet. And with the current puppet techniques and legacy resources, the success rate is too low.”

Lu Chang’an was somewhat regretful. He had to figure out a way to obtain the core puppet legacy of the Thousand Mechanism Sect, including the puppet formation techniques.

…

After Lu Chang’an emerged from seclusion, his maid, Yun Ling, presented him with a jade slip.

“Master Xu, this is the latest intelligence on the demonic war sent by the Sect Master.”

Nowadays, Lu Chang’an didn’t have to personally gather routine intelligence about the demonic war. The Xuan Yin Pavilion had a well-established intelligence organization. Due to Lu Chang’an, the Pavilion Master, Ni Yue, would pay special attention to such intelligence.

The demonic war had restarted four or five years ago.

“The ‘Ling Yu Zhen Jun’, the son of destiny of the Jing Kingdom, has been missing in this war.”

Lu Chang’an checked the intelligence in the jade slip. Among them, the Ling Yu Zhen Jun who influenced the war’s situation was his main target.

Although Ling Yu Zhen Jun hadn’t appeared, the Beast King Valley hadn’t launched a large-scale invasion of the Jing Kingdom. Instead, they had focused some of their efforts on the Heng Kingdom, located in the eastern rear of the Feng Kingdom.

The Heng Kingdom, similar to the Jing Kingdom, was a medium-sized cultivator nation without a fourth-order spiritual vein.

Lu Chang’an had encountered Granny Yan and Zhu Yu Ting, cultivators from the Heng Kingdom, when he forged his Indestructible Golden Core in the Moon Viewing Immortal City.

Lu Chang’an had considered it as a backup option for escaping and cultivating in seclusion. Now, it seemed that it wouldn’t escape the fate of being invaded by the demon path.

“The old Sect Master of the Ao Yue Palace, the ‘Long Yue Zhen Jun’, died on the demonic battlefield, killed by the Grand Elder of the Beast King Valley.”

This was the first news of a True Monarch from the Alliance of Righteous Path falling since the demonic war restarted.

Lu Chang’an mused. Thankfully, the Ao Yue Palace had successfully passed on their legacy ten years ago, producing a new Nascent Soul Zhen Jun, the master of Xia Wen Yue. Otherwise, the Ao Yue Palace’s Nascent Soul legacy would have been in danger of being cut off in the current environment.

“Zhang Tian Feng was promoted to late-stage Core Formation a few years ago. A year ago, he severely injured a well-known demon path Core Formation stage cultivator and killed two True Dan cultivators from the Beast King Valley. He became famous on the demonic battlefield.”

At the same time, Lu Chang’an also learned about the situation of an acquaintance.

Zhang Tie Shan had gained a lot of prestige in the Alliance of Righteous Path, currently ranking third on the Core Formation stage battle merit list!

The Alliance of Righteous Path provided substantial rewards to those with outstanding battle merits. On the battle merit list, there were valuable resources that could be exchanged for, even tempting Lu Chang’an.

“Nascent Soul Spirit Object! Tribulation Object!”

The top-tier Nascent Soul stage opportunities held great appeal to Core Formation stage cultivators, and major sects were also eyeing them.

The highest reward was a low-grade 化婴丹 (化婴丹, Hua Ying Dan, meaning Transformation Pill)!

Hearing this, Lu Chang’an’s heart skipped a beat, almost giving him the urge to earn battle merits.

After all, his strength was unmatched among Core Formation stage cultivators. Liang Shao Tian and the Peacock Saintess, the top Core Formation stage cultivators, were no match for him.

“Don’t fall for the Alliance of Righteous Path’s ploy!”

Lu Chang’an understood that the Alliance of Righteous Path was trying to motivate cultivators to fight bravely, alleviate the discontent among lower-level cultivators, and give them a glimmer of hope for advancement.

Simply relying on conscription wouldn’t be enough.

If they didn’t offer some incentives, no hope of rising to the top, would those middle and higher-level cultivators be willing to risk their lives on the battlefield?

Lu Chang’an estimated that the 化婴丹 (化婴丹, Hua Ying Dan, meaning Transformation Pill) and Nascent Soul Spirit Object would most likely end up in the hands of Core Formation stage cultivators from major sects. Scattered cultivators had practically no chance.

Moreover, the top performers on the battle merit list would surely be targeted by the Beast King Valley, perhaps even by Nascent Soul Zhen Jun.

…

Lu Chang’an’s established plan remained unshaken!

To obtain more accurate intelligence.

After his late-stage third-order puppet was completed, he quietly left Feng Yuan Kingdom and had the hooded assassin puppet go to the Liang Kingdom to meet with Xing Peng.

This time, Lu Chang’an received astonishing news.

According to Xing Peng, the Beast King Valley had spent a hefty price to enlist the help of the mysterious and supreme leader of the No Gap Sect.

The son of destiny of the Jing Kingdom was likely being contained by the No Gap Sect’s leader.

The No Gap Sect’s leader possessed a “Faceless” disguise treasure that allowed them to transform into countless identities, making them extremely difficult to guard against.

Over the past few hundred years, the No Gap Sect’s leader had rarely made a move. Every time they did, an opposing Nascent Soul Zhen Jun would fall, including some at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

“The clash between the son of destiny and the No Gap Sect’s leader, I wonder who will prevail.”

Lu Chang’an was intrigued.

Unfortunately, this level of conflict and strategy was beyond his ability to fathom.

While he was back, the puppet avatar conveniently stabilized the “Gu God Prohibition” in Zhou Qing Xuan’s sea of consciousness. Lu Chang’an’s unique prohibition, perfected at the Nascent Soul stage, had reached a new level, making it difficult for ordinary True Monarchs to unravel.

The Zhou family, known for their beast taming skills, had both good and bad news.

The good news was that the Zhou family had produced a True Dan stage cultivator in recent years.

It was undeniable that the outbreak of war had made the circulation of certain upper-level resources easier.

The bad news was that Zhou Qing Xuan, the Zhou family’s ancestor, only had a few decades left in her life. Moreover, the family’s third-order spirit beast, which had been their prized possession, had died on the battlefield due to old age, earning them a bit of battle merit.

Lu Chang’an had calculated that Zhou Qing Xuan was twenty years younger than him, so she would live at least until he reached the late-stage Golden Core stage.

On the other hand, Master Xianzi, even after taking a third-order Longevity Pill, extending her life by twenty years, now only had a dozen years left.

…

Upon returning to the Xuan Yin Pavilion’s Oasis Mountain Gate, Lu Chang’an continued to cultivate, gather materials, and strengthen the high-grade third-order puppet.

Three years passed again. Lu Chang’an was now 288 years old.

One day, Qiu Xianzi, who had been out, brought back an extraordinary guest.

It was a graceful man with silver hair and a snow-white robe, walking side by side with Qiu Xianzi, like a divine couple.

“Sect Master, this is Mister Xue Song, an elder from the Snow Mountain Sacred Land.”

Qiu Xianzi, usually cold and aloof, seemed to have her winter snow melt, with a gentle smile in her eyes.

Ni Yue Xianzi took a deep look at Qiu Xianzi, suppressing the discomfort in her heart. She naturally noticed that the youngest True Dan stage female cultivator of the Xuan Yin Pavilion was no longer a virgin.

As a True Dan stage elder of the Xuan Yin Pavilion, she had dared to act on her own, bringing someone from the Snow Mountain Sacred Land of Feng Yuan Kingdom back to the mountain gate.

“This Qiu Xianzi has been bewitched by the Celestial Master, unable to distinguish priorities.”

Before the two arrived, Lu Chang’an sensed something subtle and noticed this scene.

It could only be said that the Celestial Master’s level was high enough. Qiu Xianzi’s previous attitude towards “Master Xu” had been lukewarm and rather reserved, but now she seemed to be turning her elbow towards the outside.

“Mister Xue Song, please come in.”

Ni Yue Xianzi smiled and welcomed Mister Xue Song into the Xuan Yin Pavilion’s main hall.

Regardless, the Snow Mountain Sacred Land had connections with the Xuan Yin Pavilion, and it was important to maintain a good relationship.

Currently, Mister Xue Song was a late-stage Core Formation stage cultivator.

In the main hall, Ni Yue Xianzi and Mister Xue Song talked privately for a while.

Lu Chang’an didn’t dare to probe with his divine sense.

Mister Xue Song didn’t leave that day but stayed at the Xuan Yin Pavilion.

At night, Ni Yue Xianzi found Lu Chang’an and explained Mister Xue Song’s intentions.

“Elder Xue Song came to propose a marriage, wanting Little Qiu to become the Celestial Master’s concubine.”

Ni Yue Xianzi was worried, unsure if this was a blessing or a curse. If Qiu Xianzi left, the Xuan Yin Pavilion would lose a True Dan stage female elder.

Even if the Snow Mountain Sacred Land offered a generous dowry, including a Ning Jing Dan, it wouldn’t be easy.

“Propose marriage? That’s good news. The Xuan Yin Pavilion has found a powerful backer.”

Lu Chang’an spoke with a light tone. He was a semi-outsider and didn’t care much.

“At the same time, the Snow Mountain Sacred Land is willing to lend a hand to help the Xuan Yin Pavilion establish a high-grade third-order spiritual vein mountain gate. But the Xuan Yin Pavilion has to follow the Snow Mountain Sacred Land’s orders and carry out certain tasks.”

Ni Yue Xianzi added.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chang’an couldn’t help but chuckle.

The Celestial Master wasn’t actually taking a concubine; he was essentially wanting to take over the entire Xuan Yin Pavilion, making it a subsidiary force of Feng Yuan Kingdom.

Currently, the Xuan Yin Pavilion was located in the Outer Sect Alliance region, enjoying relative freedom and successful development.

The Outer Sect Alliance was located on the edge of Feng Yuan Kingdom’s tribal territories, in a newly opened desert frontier.

This area attracted all sorts of cultivators from third-rate and ninth-rate sects, including Feng Yuan Kingdom’s native migrants and fugitives.

The Outer Sect Alliance didn’t have a fourth-order spiritual vein and didn’t have a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun presiding over it.

However, behind the scenes, there were two Nascent Soul Zhen Jun from the Two Teachings Territories who supported it.

The Snow Mountain Sacred Land’s influence over the Outer Sect Alliance was actually quite limited. It was nominally part of Feng Yuan Kingdom’s sphere of influence.

The Outer Sect Alliance had previously fought a war with Feng Yuan Kingdom’s tribes, which eventually ended in a stalemate.

The existence of the Outer Sect Alliance promoted Feng Yuan Kingdom’s trade prosperity. As long as it didn’t affect its core interests, the Celestial Master would turn a blind eye.

…

The next morning, Elder Xue Song visited Lu Chang’an’s subworld.

Lu Chang’an had anticipated this.

Elder Xue Song, representing the Celestial Master’s will, would inevitably come to test him.

At this time, it was crucial not to appear weak.

Lu Chang’an generously welcomed Elder Xue Song into his subworld and engaged in a secret conversation in the tea room.

Elder Xue Song was elegant in his actions. His snow-white robe was exquisite in craftsmanship, free from any dust or dirt.

Even the tea water served by Yun Ling, he would gently flick, shaking off any hidden dust or particles from the bottom of the teacup.

Lu Chang’an suspected that this man had a cleanliness fetish.

“Mister Xue Song, please enjoy the tea.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Xue Song took a sip of the spirit tea, his brow furrowed slightly before he refused to touch it again.

“What is your connection with ‘Li Huo Shang Ren’? Why would you help his descendant for no reason?”

Elder Xue Song set down his teacup, glancing at the direction where Yun Ling had left.

This seemingly casual remark went straight to the point.

Lu Chang’an sensed a subtle feeling of being watched but maintained a calm and composed expression.

“Celestial Master Senior, you have used the ‘Attaching Spirit Technique’ and honored me with your presence. I am overwhelmed.”

Lu Chang’an didn’t hold back either, directly exposing the Celestial Master’s identity and situation.

The Elder Xue Song, currently possessed by the Celestial Master, was a late-stage Core Formation stage cultivator, but at critical moments, he could allow the Celestial Master’s divine powers to descend from afar, temporarily reaching the Nascent Soul stage strength.

“Mister Xu, you truly are an extraordinary recluse. My ‘Attaching Spirit Technique’ is difficult to detect for cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage unless they are in combat.”

Elder Xue Song’s expression showed slight surprise as he admitted frankly.

It turned out that the current Elder Xue Song was the Celestial Master’s true will.

“I have been in the Outer Sect Alliance region for years, but I’ve never heard of the Celestial Master visiting this place. Have you made any agreements with the Nascent Soul Zhen Jun from the Two Teachings Territories?”

Lu Chang’an asked curiously.

“Although there is no clear agreement, this Celestial Master has a tacit understanding with those two old fellows, a mutual non-interference policy.”

Elder Xue Song nodded.

There was another reason: his divine powers were weakened when he left the Feng Yuan Kingdom’s tribal territories.

Most of the Nascent Soul Zhen Jun in the vicinity were aware of this.

The Liang Kingdom was one of the closest cultivator nations to Feng Yuan Kingdom within the Alliance of Righteous Path.

The former Li Huo Zhen Ren had a certain understanding of the Celestial Master.

This was why Lu Chang’an dared to confront the Celestial Master’s possessed body.

The Celestial Master, also a recluse, was even more introverted than Lu Chang’an, rarely leaving his territory.

As long as he stayed in the Snow Mountain Sacred Land and Feng Yuan Kingdom’s core region, he could rival a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator, and no Nascent Soul Zhen Jun nearby could threaten him.

If he left this area, there would be some risks.

“Mister Xu, you haven’t answered my question.”

Elder Xue Song had just answered one of Lu Chang’an’s questions, but he pressed on.

Based on his calculations, this question might reveal something about Lu Chang’an’s background and origins.

“The answer is simple.”

Lu Chang’an chuckled lightly, truthfully saying, “Yun Ling’s past life was my attendant on Little Turtle Peak in my previous life. We met again, so I simply helped her out.”

“Reincarnation?”

This answer surprised the Celestial Master.

Identifying someone’s reincarnation, confirming their previous life, wasn’t something ordinary Nascent Soul stage cultivators could do.

The Celestial Master, as a fourth-order Divination Grandmaster, could only make a general judgment of a person’s past life identity through divination after meeting them and having some感应 (感应, Gan Ying, meaning feeling) of their reincarnation, as well as by divination.

Lu Chang’an, whose divination technique hadn’t reached the fourth-order level, could still confirm this identity with certainty.

This was a barrier of information built using the “Nine Seals Tablet” and the secrets of reincarnation, creating a natural blockage to divination.

If the Celestial Master followed this line of thought, he would only be more and more entangled, becoming increasingly confused.

As long as he couldn’t see through Lu Chang’an’s background, the Celestial Master, with his cautious nature, would become wary and hesitant to threaten Lu Chang’an.

Furthermore, Lu Chang’an now had the initial means to protect himself and escape when facing a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun.

Even if the Celestial Master personally visited the Outer Sect Alliance, his powers would be greatly diminished. Lu Chang’an wouldn’t be afraid and wouldn’t be helpless.

“The vast world is full of wonders. Mister Xu has opened my eyes.”

The Celestial Master opened his eyes. After reverse-calculating, he discovered that what Lu Chang’an had said was true.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder, and his tone became more respectful.

After this round of calculations, he faced an impenetrable fog of fate. He couldn’t fathom Lu Chang’an’s origins.

Perhaps only the combined efforts of the Xuan Men Ten Sects in the Central Region could achieve that.

“Celestial Master, you flatter me. When it comes to divination, I am merely a speck of dust at your feet.”

Lu Chang’an replied politely.

Excess is as bad as deficiency. He didn’t have to put on a false front.

Even if he managed to deceive the Celestial Master, he had to remain humble and low-key.

The ensuing conversation became more amicable, with both parties interacting as equals.

The Celestial Master’s topics circled around the Xuan Men Ten Sects, attempting to probe Lu Chang’an’s intentions.

Lu Chang’an remained tight-lipped about the “Xuan Men Ten Sects,” but he expressed that he considered the Celestial Master a friend, not an enemy, and was against the Six Demon Sects.

They chatted for half an hour.

The Celestial Master discovered that Lu Chang’an was knowledgeable and insightful, at least at the Nascent Soul stage level.

He even knew some about the regions beyond “Qingzhou (青州, Qing Zhou, meaning Green Province),” including their human history and geography.

This made the Celestial Master, who was always at home, feel inferior.

He was now convinced that even if Lu Chang’an wasn’t a part of the Xuan Men Ten Sects’ plan, he must be a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun who had either undergone a body snatching or reincarnation, and he was definitely not a simpleton.

…

That afternoon, Elder Xue Song took his leave without bringing up the matter of taking a concubine or making the Xuan Yin Pavilion a vassal force.

In his subworld, Lu Chang’an let out a sigh of relief.

After “chatting” with a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun for half an hour, he felt mentally exhausted. Every word had to be chosen carefully, airtight.

If he hadn’t experienced a fourth life as a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, his conversations and knowledge wouldn’t have been convincing enough to fool the Celestial Master.

Those fictional stories where Foundation Establishment stage or Core Formation stage cultivators, without any relevant experience or knowledge, manage to intimidate Nascent Soul Zhen Jun were simply ridiculous.

When facing a real Nascent Soul Zhen Jun, even a slight ripple in one’s mind, any flaw in one’s words, would be seen through instantly.

Through this conversation, Lu Chang’an learned two crucial pieces of information:

Firstly, the Celestial Master’s situation was not as detached and transcendent as he had imagined, as if he was watching the world from above, unfazed by the changes below.

The Celestial Master wasn’t only wary of the Six Demon Sects but also had some concerns about them.

Furthermore, a few Nascent Soul Zhen Jun from the Two Teachings Territories were secretly interested in and exploring the fringes of Feng Yuan Kingdom.

The situation in the Two Teachings Territories was chaotic. A few Nascent Soul Zhen Jun couldn’t make a living there and were trying to migrate to Feng Yuan Kingdom.

Lu Chang’an suspected that there might be important secrets in the Snow Mountain Sacred Land that were drawing outside attention.

The Two Teachings branches in the Outer Sect Alliance were secretly supported by some Nascent Soul Zhen Jun.

However, the Celestial Master was adept at divination and rarely left his homeland, making it difficult for the Nascent Soul Zhen Jun from the Two Teachings Territories to find a breakthrough.

Secondly, regarding the core legacy of the Thousand Mechanism Sect.

The Celestial Master was forthcoming with information about the Two Teachings branches in the Outer Sect Alliance.

Lu Chang’an sensed that the Celestial Master might want him to help proactively resolve the crisis in the future rather than passively defending himself, staying locked in his territory.

“The Thousand Mechanism Sect branch in the Outer Sect Alliance region possesses near-fourth-order puppets and also has third-order puppet formations. Even if a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun attacked, they could still hold their ground.”

“The Five Poisons Sect’s branch even has fourth-order potent poisons and soul-destroying poisons that could threaten a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun.”

Upon learning of the Two Teachings branches’ trump cards, Lu Chang’an was quite surprised.

If he had thought that he could intimidate the Outer Sect Alliance when he was barely a mid-stage Golden Core and had subdued a late-stage Core Formation stage cultivator, such as Fang Zhen, then he was greatly mistaken.

Lu Chang’an suspected that the Celestial Master’s willingness to reveal so much was a ploy to tempt him into taking action against the Two Teachings branches and weaken their strength.

But this was a kind of open secret.

Even though Lu Chang’an was aware of this, he needed to seek out the corresponding resources to improve his ability to resist a Nascent Soul Zhen Jun.

Lu Chang’an planned to wait until he reached the late-stage third-order in body tempering or advanced to the late-stage Golden Core stage before considering this matter further.

In previous chapters, I’ve noticed that some readers have an overly high opinion of reincarnation. As soon as they encounter a slight hint of it, they feel it’s exaggerated. But the specific details depend on the novel’s settings.

In “The Immortal World,” even when Han Lao Mo reached the Nascent Soul stage, he encountered several reincarnated acquaintances. I remember the array master, Xin Ru Yin, and a few others whose names I’ve forgotten.

In our classical Chinese mythology, such as “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,” some female ghosts or scholars, who weren’t powerful cultivators or immortals, also had the opportunity to renew their past life relationships. These are examples of reincarnation that are more grounded.

In “Journey to the West,” the underworld, which controls the six realms of reincarnation, isn’t that high-level either. It’s simply a rule for the normal functioning of the world, similar to the Five Elements.

In this book, the protagonist’s golden finger, the Nine Seals Tablet, is a treasure related to reincarnation. When he becomes a high-level cultivator and begins to learn the basics of reincarnation, it’s logical for him to encounter acquaintances from his previous lives.

(End of Chapter)

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