I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 372

## Chapter 368: The Peacock’s Slaughter

陆长安 gazed at Ye Fanchen’s composed and relaxed demeanor, a hint of oddity flashing in his eyes.

The use of puppets and magical treasures as a defense was just a smokescreen.

Lu Chang’an didn’t want to expose his peak third-order body refinement cultivation in front of everyone.

“My use of wood-type divine powers just now did consume quite a bit of my essence. But, Ye Daoist, do you feel a slight ache in your Divine Consciousness Sea, or perhaps some emptiness and discomfort in your body…”

A sinister smile crept onto Lu Chang’an’s face.

“Hmm? Ssh! Could it be that you…”

Ye Fanchen focused his senses, his expression changing as he discovered a faint swelling pain in his Divine Consciousness Sea.

His internal True Essence was slightly disordered, and his body felt fatigued and empty.

Though he hadn’t confirmed any symptoms of poisoning, Ye Fanchen was sweating profusely and instinctively retrieved a precious detoxification pill.

In this brief pause.

Swoosh!

Lu Chang’an, in the field of vision, left only a illusion trail as he vanished from the clouds.

The next moment, the immense spiritual pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator, like ten thousand mountains, descended upon the third-order Spirit Ship below.

“Be careful!”

“How could Xiang Dalong attack!”

On the Spirit Ship, Elder Ye, the masked man, and Tie Danxin, three Nascent Soul cultivators, felt the terrifying roar of the powerful spiritual energy, their hearts skipping a beat.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators were attacking the mining field formation, and facing the sudden attack of Xiang Dalong, they were caught off guard.

Thousand Withering Vine Hand!

Lu Chang’an unleashed a wood-type, evil path secret technique. His arm suddenly inflated, extending withered yellow vines that transformed into a giant vine hand, several dozen feet long, which slammed down onto the three Nascent Soul cultivators on the Spirit Ship.

“Quick! Block it!”

Elder Ye’s scalp tingled. He summoned a flag-shaped magical treasure to shield his body, and also launched a third-order talisman.

The masked man summoned a third-order puppet to stand in front of him, and retreated rapidly.

However, he discovered that the giant vine hand, emitting a deadly threat, did not attack him or the puppet in front of him.

Bang! Bang!

The withered yellow vine hand swept past Elder Ye and Tie Danxin.

“Nephew Fanchen – Save me!”

Elder Ye, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, was sent flying. The protective flag-shaped magical treasure dimmed, and the light barrier of the third-order talisman was smashed apart.

Elder Ye was in a state of disarray, his turban falling off and his hair disheveled.

“Elder Xiang, please spare my life…”

Tie Danxin, at the early Nascent Soul stage, was the weakest. He let out a scream as the withered yellow vine hand grabbed his body, extinguishing his protective spiritual light and leaving him unable to resist.

Hu!

In an instant, Tie Danxin’s dark, sturdy body turned into a withered corpse.

The cultivators of the Ye family’s camp were horrified. Those with lower cultivation, like False Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators, all retreated.

“Tsk tsk, absorbing this fellow’s life essence is enough to make up for my previous consumption.”

After killing Tie Danxin, Lu Chang’an’s face flushed slightly, and his True Essence surged with renewed vigor.

“We’ve been tricked!”

Ye Fanchen’s face turned ashen. When he chased after, he discovered that Lu Chang’an had already recovered his full True Essence.

The “Thousand Withering Vine Hand,” a wood-type evil technique that absorbed a cultivator’s life essence, appearing on Elder Xiang was not unexpected for Ye Fanchen and the Nascent Soul cultivators present.

Unlike Da Qing.

In the entire Great Abyss, evil paths were rampant, and true righteous sects were rare.

Even Yunxia Sect could only be considered an unorthodox sect, not a true orthodox sect.

Lu Chang’an cultivating the “Thousand Withering Vine Hand” was actually also a smokescreen, serving as a damaging secret technique to cover his powerful Evergreen Technique’s recovery and stamina.

Back in Da Qing, when he was pursued by the “Green Wood True Monarch” who also cultivated the Evergreen Technique, Lu Chang’an developed greater vigilance.

The cultivation civilization of the Great Abyss was more ancient and powerful. He needed to disguise the characteristics of the Evergreen Technique as much as possible, especially during duels.

…

Clang!

Ye Fanchen’s face was gloomy, and he drew out the “Golden Scale Sword Pond” once again.

“Ye Daoist, don’t be hasty! I am always straightforward and upright, how could I use such a vile trick like poisoning against a descendant of the Sword Pavilion?”

Lu Chang’an spoke righteously, looking at Ye Fanchen with a gloomy face.

He genuinely didn’t poison him.

How rare were poisons that could threaten a Nascent Soul cultivator?

His previous words were simply a misdirection, to mislead Ye Fanchen.

“Cunning old fox.”

Ye Fanchen’s gaze flickered, and he now understood the reason.

Xiang Dalong, as a puppet master, had a stronger Divine Consciousness than ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. His previously deployed “Illusory Leaf Flying Sword” had caused a slight penetration into Ye Fanchen’s soul during their clash.

This slight soul injury was not a major problem, but coupled with his significant True Essence consumption during the clash, it coincided with Lu Chang’an’s description of the “symptoms.”

Understanding the truth, Ye Fanchen felt a sense of defeat and a long-forgotten humiliation.

He would rather have been genuinely poisoned than tricked by Xiang Dalong.

In the gaps of their confrontation, Lu Chang’an had killed off the important Nascent Soul cultivators of the Ye family’s camp, making him appear incapable.

“Come, come! The hundred breaths haven’t passed yet, Xiang shall engage in another three hundred rounds with Ye Daoist.”

Lu Chang’an, at his peak, once again activated the “Illusory Leaf Flying Sword.”

Pfft, Pfft!

Numerous leaves, emerald green and dripping with life, swirled around Lu Chang’an, transforming into illusory flying swords that were both real and unreal, actively attacking and entangling Ye Fanchen.

Six Royalties Heaven-Cleaving Sword!

The Golden Scale Ancient Sword in Ye Fanchen’s hand slashed through the air, transforming into a twenty-foot-long, transparent Golden Scale Sword shadow above Lu Chang’an’s head, splitting into two.

As one of the six major sword techniques of the Heaven Sword Pavilion, combined with Ye Fanchen’s swordsmanship talent, its deployment once again suppressed Lu Chang’an.

However, as Ye Fanchen clashed again, his heart sank, finding the situation difficult.

Lu Chang’an had regained his peak state, but he had not, and his soul was still slightly eroded.

He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but the “Illusory Leaf Flying Sword” Lu Chang’an was using again was not only endless, constantly regenerating like spring breeze, but also exceptionally resilient, bringing a stronger soul erosion.

In short, it was a case of one side gaining the upper hand while the other lost ground.

Once caught in a protracted battle, Lu Chang’an’s “Illusory Leaf Flying Sword” would further penetrate and affect Ye Fanchen’s Divine Consciousness Sea, gradually diminishing his sword intent.

“This Xiang Dalong, what kind of a being is he? Not only is he a third-order high-grade puppet master, but his battle prowess is also so troublesome…”

Ye Fanchen realized that he had missed his previous opportunity, and within the hundred breaths, it would be difficult to defeat Elder Xiang.

His current suppression was not enough to secure victory.

He had a mission back in the Central Region, and he was unwilling to activate the deadly double-sword form in a mere assisting role.

The cost was one aspect.

Xiang Dalong was not simple, he was deep and unfathomable, there was no guarantee that he didn’t have any trump cards.

For a while, Ye Fanchen was caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to advance or retreat.

“Ye Daoist, this battle will be considered a draw. The fate of the Tengling Mine, let’s leave it to the confrontation below.”

In the midst of their fierce battle, Lu Chang’an laughed heartily and proposed.

Hearing this, Ye Fanchen’s expression froze, his cheeks slightly burning.

Elder Xiang was “returning the favor,” giving him an opportunity to retreat with dignity.

…

Below the clouds, at the Tengling Mine, the confrontation between the two forces had reached a conclusion.

“Clan Chief!”

The death of Tie Danxin was a huge psychological blow to the iron clan’s split faction, causing their morale to plummet.

On the Ye family camp’s side, the lower-level cultivators accounted for one-third of the iron clan.

With one less Nascent Soul cultivator, Ye Fanchen was completely restrained, and the remaining cultivators of the Ye family’s camp couldn’t break through the third-order formation at the mine.

The cultivators at the Tengling Mine, relying on the formation, even launched a counterattack.

The third-order formation not only defended, but under sufficient load, it could also launch large-scale magical restrictions.

“The situation is hopeless…”

Elder Ye, after tidying his clothes, looked tired, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

Even though they hadn’t been completely defeated.

But for the Ye family camp, failing to capture the mine or inflict significant damage was a strategic failure.

The death of the iron clan chief was crucial.

The split faction of the iron clan had lost its soul. From now on, for the Ye family camp to compete for the Tengling Mine’s interests, their cause wouldn’t be as just.

Therefore, Lu Chang’an’s killing of Tie Danxin during the brief opportunity was a subtle move.

“Prepare to retreat!”

Elder Ye made a decisive decision and gave the order.

Two Nascent Soul cultivators and several False Core cultivators protected them, fighting and retreating, allowing everyone to withdraw to the third-order Spirit Ship and raise the protective formation on the Spirit Ship.

The cultivators at the Tengling Mine, their morale soaring, cheered and rejoiced.

Xiu Yu Zhenren received a voice transmission from Lu Chang’an, and seeing the opportunity, he stopped pursuing them. He only left behind some wounded prisoners, not truly pursuing them.

…

Among the clouds.

After a hundred breaths of confrontation between Ye Fanchen and Lu Chang’an, the battle had ceased.

Both of their clothes had some tears, and their complexions were not good.

Ye Fanchen remained silent, escorting the third-order Spirit Ship while guarding against any counterattacks from Yunxia Sect.

The third-order Spirit Ship changed direction, having just flown several miles away.

Whoosh, Whoosh!

From the territory of Yunxia Sect, there came the sound of air breaking, two Nascent Soul-level escape lights rushing towards the direction of the Tengling Mine, coming to provide reinforcements.

The Tengling Mine was on the edge of Yunxia Sect’s territory, so reinforcements could arrive quicker.

This was also the reason why the Ye family had to retreat.

Lu Chang’an glanced over, and the two Nascent Soul cultivators providing reinforcements were at the early and mid-Nascent Soul stages, and they were both old acquaintances.

The middle-aged woman at the mid-Nascent Soul stage was Yu Mei Zhenren, who was once arranged by the old Sect Master to be Lu Chang’an’s wife.

The other young man, handsome and elegant, with pure and condensed spiritual energy surpassing those at the same stage, was Hu Ang, who had achieved the stage of Half-Step Golden Core several years ago.

The cultivators of the Ye family camp had all returned to the Spirit Ship and were retreating at full speed.

“Ye Daoist, I shall yield.”

Lu Chang’an was unfazed, watching Ye Fanchen leave.

Before escaping into the Nine罡 Sky, Ye Fanchen looked deeply at Lu Chang’an.

Encountering a Nascent Soul cultivator who was his equal in the Great Abyss Central Region, Ye Fanchen was rather surprised, even a little delighted.

This kind of evenly matched confrontation between peers was rare for him.

“Alas, after this mission, I shall focus on striving for Nascent Soul. In the future, I may not have the opportunity to fight this man.”

Ye Fanchen shook his head, feeling a slight regret.

Lu Chang’an sighed in relief and flew towards the Tengling Mine.

With his insight, he could naturally see that Ye Fanchen still had trump cards.

However, Lu Chang’an didn’t want to fight Ye Fanchen, even if he had an absolute chance of winning.

In today’s battle, he could kill all the cultivators on the enemy side, but he couldn’t kill Ye Fanchen.

Once he killed Ye Fanchen, or seriously injured his foundation, he would cause trouble for himself.

The Heaven Sword Pavilion was the ruler of the South Region, one of the three most powerful cultivation forces in the Great Abyss.

The head of the Pavilion was a Nascent Soul grand cultivator who dominated the Great Abyss!

Even if Lu Chang’an reached the Nascent Soul stage in the future, he would still need to fear and respect such a powerful figure.

…

“Elder Xiang is back!”

The Nascent Soul cultivators at the Tengling Mine, seeing Lu Chang’an descend from the clouds, looked at him with reverence, flattered him with servile smiles, and actively came to greet him.

Hu Ang and Xiu Yu Zhenren, as disciples of Nascent Soul True Monarchs, dared not be negligent in the slightest.

“Haha! Elder Xiang’s divine powers are boundless, turning the tide of the battle, making the Ye family cultivators like stray dogs.”

“Elder Xiang suppressed the descendant of the Sword Pavilion, such an achievement, truly worthy of the title of the number one Nascent Soul cultivator in the Great Yu Country.”

Hearing the flattering and obsequious words around him, Lu Chang’an entered the mine, surrounded by stars.

“Xiang is merely a draw against the Sword Pavilion’s descendant…”

Lu Chang’an smiled, without explaining further.

Late Nascent Soul cultivators were already in a position of crushing dominance over ordinary True Core cultivators, holding a high status.

And he, could be considered to be at the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage.

Back to the Hidden Bamboo Pavilion.

Lu Chang’an received Hu Ang and Yu Mei Zhenren, who had come to provide reinforcements.

“Elder Xiang, in this battle, we eliminated one Nascent Soul cultivator, two False Core cultivators, Foundation Establishment cultivators…”

After clearing the battlefield, Xiu Yu Zhenren came to report and discuss with Lu Chang’an, dividing up the spoils of war and giving out rewards for merit.

The enemy had only lost one Nascent Soul cultivator, and the spoils of war were not very attractive to someone at Lu Chang’an’s level.

He only took Tie Danxin’s storage bag; the other spoils from the False Core cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators were distributed to the cultivators at the mine.

Besides the spoils of war, in this battle, the sect would award a large number of war merits, which would benefit all the cultivators.

As the highest authority at the mine, Lu Chang’an’s every word and deed would determine the distribution of resources for the lower-level cultivators, affecting the cultivation destiny of many.

…

“Elder Xiang, now we have a firm advantage over the Ye family camp’s invaders. If we seize the moment and pursue them, there are hundreds of miles of outposts and strongholds on the enemy side. Some of their resources haven’t been brought back in time, and we can take the opportunity to plunder and loot them.”

Hu Ang’s eyes gleamed with ambition, as he proposed actively.

“That’s right! Is our territory of Yunxia Sect, somewhere they can come and go as they please?”

“Even if we can’t completely annihilate the invaders, we can’t let them escape too easily.”

Hu Ang’s proposal was met with agreement from Xiu Yu Zhenren and Yu Mei Zhenren.

“Cough, cough… To be honest, Xiang just fought Ye Fanchen and my essence has been greatly depleted, and I have actually suffered some internal injuries.”

Lu Chang’an coughed twice, his breath weak, showing a look of difficulty.

“Since Elder Xiang is injured, then we can only forget about this.”

Hu Ang sighed lightly, showing an expression of regret.

The other two Nascent Soul female cultivators also gave up on the idea.

The Ye family’s retreating team was escorted by Ye Fanchen, a Nascent Soul cultivator. Without Lu Chang’an to protect them, they dared not pursue them.

The three present were not surprised at Lu Chang’an’s claim of internal injuries.

“This fellow is indeed injured! If he could easily repel Ye Fanchen of the Heaven Sword Pavilion, as a loose cultivator from a small place in the Outer Regions, he would be too overpowered.”

Hu Ang thought to himself.

His current body was a fusion with Yun Lan Zhenren’s Nascent Soul remnant, with the latter as the main body, rebuilding from scratch. Even though he had reached the late Nascent Soul stage, he wouldn’t dare say he could confidently defeat Ye Fanchen.

Now, at the early Nascent Soul stage, although he had inherited from the True Monarch, possessing various secret techniques of an ancient Nascent Soul, he was definitely no match for Xiang Dalong.

After all, Xiang Dalong and Ye Fanchen were among the top Nascent Soul cultivators.

“With another sixty years of patience, I will no longer need to fear this man.”

“At that time, I will settle accounts with Zi Yan, with the help of the sect’s resources, and return to the Nascent Soul stage.”

Hu Ang had a clear plan for his rebuilding journey.

The reason he hadn’t settled accounts with his Dao Companion yet was, on one hand, because his strength was not yet enough, and he was worried that he would be killed before he could get started.

On the other hand, hiding in the sect made it easier for him to discover problems within Yunxia Sect, including potential internal spies and those with ulterior motives.

His patience and forbearance were a silent support for his Dao Companion.

…

Half a day later, at dawn.

The Ye family’s third-order Spirit Ship flew out of the territory of Yunxia Sect, entering the outer periphery of the “Ye family,” one of the four great families in the Great Yu.

At this time, the third-order Spirit Ship slowed down its speed.

When a third-order Spirit Ship flies at full speed, it is faster than ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, but it consumes a lot of energy and has a high load, and cannot last too long.

In the previous siege battle, the third-order Spirit Ship was inevitably damaged somewhat.

“Uncle Xiang, Fanchen still has a mission and won’t be returning to the Ye family. The remaining half of the reward, Fanchen feels he doesn’t deserve it, please convey this to the Clan Chief!”

“Fanchen has done his best, there’s no need for guilt. This mission involves the whereabouts of that fiend, be extremely careful!”

Elder Ye Xiang smiled gently, exchanged a few pleasantries, and watched Ye Fanchen leave.

Ye Fanchen, stepping on a golden sword escape light, left briskly, and soon entered the Nine罡 Sky.

After flying several thousand miles.

Ye Fanchen inexplicably felt a sense of unease, and the two ancient swords on his back trembled slightly.

The swords were sentient, and their trembling conveyed a hint of fear.

“This is…”

Ye Fanchen’s heart trembled, and following the direction of the swords’ trembling, he looked back towards the Ye family’s third-order Spirit Ship.

…

Outside the Ye family’s territory, above the mountains.

The third-order Spirit Ship was flying through the clouds.

Suddenly, a hollow and icy peacock cry echoed from the Nine罡 Sky above the clouds.

“What sound!”

Elder Ye on the third-order Spirit Ship, the masked man, and several False Core cultivators felt a palpitation in their hearts.

The cultivators’ blood trembled, a primal terror emanating from the depths of their souls, spreading throughout their bodies with that faint peacock cry, as if a great calamity from the heavens was coming.

Elder Ye felt restless, scanning the area above the Spirit Ship with his Divine Consciousness, and couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle.

He saw a distorted beam of five colors, radiating an aura of forbidden destruction, descending from the heavens above, piercing through layers of clouds, and heading straight for the third-order Spirit Ship.

At the end of the five-colored beam, vaguely visible was the silhouette of a five-colored peacock, mysterious and ancient, elegant and noble…

“Five-colored Peacock?? Quickly! Run!”

Elder Ye gasped for breath, his entire body erupting with True Essence, barely managing to roar out a command.

However, as his voice echoed, the five-colored, barrier-breaking beam of annihilation had already struck its target.

Boom! Crack!

The thick materials of the third-order Spirit Ship, its powerful formation, were all rendered useless, easily shattered by the five-colored light.

The Spirit Ship, dozens of feet long, instantly had a large hole blown in it, almost breaking apart. Flames raged, and screams filled the air.

“Ah!”

In the blink of an eye, over a hundred cultivators were turned to ashes under the five-colored flames, or left behind as charred and fragmented body parts.

The mere blast wave, without any preparedness, could instantly melt a False Core cultivator.

The remaining cultivators, nearly everyone was injured, terrified.

With a “bang,”

Elder Ye, his clothes charred, coughed up a mouthful of blood and crawled out of the broken cabin.

“Five-colored Peacock! At least it’s a Heaven-grade bloodline, a legendary species with the diluted blood of a True Spirit…”

The masked man, being further away from the five-colored light, only sustained minor injuries. He looked up at the silhouette of the five-colored peacock high above the clouds and couldn’t help but gasp in horror, his heart pounding with fear.

The spiritual pressure of the five-colored light just now was almost as strong as a human Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Thankfully, it was a single-target divine power, not a large-scale spell, otherwise the destructive power would have been even more terrifying.

“Scatter and flee!”

Elder Ye, without looking back, dared not even look at the five-colored peacock in the clouds again, and launched a near-fourth-order life-saving escape talisman.

Swoosh, Swoosh, Swoosh…

His figure split into several purple illusory figures, moving to different directions within ten miles, at a speed exceeding that of Nascent Soul cultivators.

“This old dog, he runs fast!”

The masked man quickly summoned a third-order flying boat and flew towards the Ye family’s territory.

The Ye family, although one Nascent Soul True Monarch was in the imperial palace for negotiations, still had another True Monarch stationed at their ancestral lands.

Currently, this five-colored peacock could only be dealt with by a Nascent Soul cultivator.

At this moment.

A five-colored blade of feathers flashed through the clouds, nearly teleporting as it struck one of the purple illusory figures into which Elder Ye had split.

“Peacock Senior – ”

Elder Ye’s entire body turned cold, filled with despair. The speed of the five-colored feather blade was completely beyond his reaction and evasion capabilities.

Bang! Crunch!

The defensive magical treasure and protective light shield that Elder Ye barely managed to activate were like paper, shattering and extinguishing instantly, struck by the five-colored feather light. His body was split in two from head to bottom.

“Not good – ”

The masked man’s flying boat had just started, and upon seeing this, he couldn’t help but tremble.

He was about to summon his life-saving protective puppet, when his body suddenly stiffened, his eyes bulging.

Chi!

A smaller five-colored feather blade swept past the masked man’s back of the head, killing him instantly, leaving behind a relatively complete corpse.

“Peacock Senior, please spare me!”

The collapsing and falling third-order Spirit Ship, the flames of the explosion spreading, the surviving cultivators, either fleeing frantically or kneeling in supplication.

Hu Hu!

A mass of five-colored wind and mist, swirling around a peacock silhouette with spread wings that spanned several feet, emanated a chaotic and ancient bloodline aura, accompanied by the shadows of death and calamity, swept through the low air above the scene.

No creature dared to look directly at its majesty.

Divine Consciousness below the Nascent Soul level could not probe the true form within the five-colored wind and mist.

After a few breaths.

Another high-pitched and icy peacock cry pierced the clouds.

The noble figure of the five-colored peacock, with the speed of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, vanished into the Nine罡 Sky above the clouds.

The surviving cultivators at the scene, hearts pounding, left with a lasting impression.

No one paid attention to the storage bags that had vanished without a trace from Elder Ye and the masked man.

A few cultivators were amazed by the beautiful splendor of the five-colored peacock.

Years later, an old Foundation Establishment cultivator, nearing his end, wrote a treatise titled “Peacock Chronicle,” recounting a poignant tale of love between man and peacock.

(End of Chapter)

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