I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 427

## Chapter 422: Reincarnation Nourishment, The Return of Two Sects (Taking Leave for Rest on the 26th)

**2024-06-02**

## Chapter 422: Reincarnation Nourishment, The Return of Two Sects (Taking Leave for Rest on the 26th)

The Outer Sect Alliance territory.

The aftermath of Shen Lao Xie’s demise and the splitting of the Poison Dragon Pool was still fermenting. Driven by those with ulterior motives, the situation would continue to be chaotic and turbulent for many years to come.

In a time of turmoil, the rise and fall of powers are inevitable.

Soon after, Xuan Yin Pavilion produced its second late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, expanding its industrial influence amidst the chaos, settling scores with those who had previously maliciously suppressed the Miao Yin Building. It gradually became one of the dominant forces in the Outer Sect Alliance.

…

In the Eastern Qing Region, the easternmost desolate lands belonged to the territory of the two sects.

Passing through the boundless poison swamp to the east of the Righteous Path Alliance, an area even more perilous than the endless quicksand chasm, one could reach the territory of the two sects.

From Feng Yuan Kingdom and the Outer Sect Alliance, traveling southeast, one could also reach the territory of the two sects, albeit with slightly less risk.

This desolate land in the easternmost region had richer spiritual veins and resources than the Righteous Path Alliance, but its harsh living environment was initially unsuitable for human cultivators.

Many years ago, the Five Poisons Sect dominated the surrounding area, expanding its territory. It was the leading sect of the Evil Path, not weaker than some sects among the Six Demon Sects.

About ten to twenty thousand years ago, the Thousand Mechanisms Sect emerged, said to be from the oldest cultivation lineage on the Tian Heng Continent, the Middle Region (Zhongzhou).

From then on, the easternmost desolate lands fell into a state of opposition between the two sects, becoming known as the territory of the two sects.

This was the area where the Six Demon Sects had not attempted to invade during their eastward expansion in the Eastern Region.

Half a year later.

In the outer perimeter of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, a series of rugged mountains and crimson-black rivers guarded a manor estate located on a quasi-fourth-order spiritual vein.

The manor garden was serene and picturesque, with beautiful scenery, forming a stark contrast to the surrounding harsh environment.

This was the ancestral home of the Teng family.

The Teng family patriarch, “Giant Elephant True Monarch,” was an elder of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect. Now in his twilight years, he spent his later days in his ancestral land.

With a Nascent Soul elder from the Holy Sect guarding the place, along with the rugged environment and protective formations, the Teng family ancestral land was a forbidden zone in the surrounding area, considered the most dangerous, but also the safest place.

On this day, the manor estate of the Teng family ancestral land suddenly shook, emitting a dazzling burst of light, causing chaos in the surrounding spiritual energy.

Immediately after, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded.

A towering hurricane, accompanied by vast waters, erupted from within the Teng family estate.

The foundation of the protective formation was destroyed from within. The protective array formation hadn’t lasted even a few breaths before collapsing from within, overwhelmed by the surging waters.

From the sky or from afar, the vast Teng family estate was swallowed up by the raging waters, with only faint bursts of spiritual light visible, making it impossible to see the specific situation inside.

…

Deep within the flooded ancestral estate,

A powerful and angry voice echoed:

“Who are you? Why attack the Teng family? Even if I perish today, I must know the truth!”

At the bottom of the flooded estate, an array of eight third-order top-tier puppet warriors protected an old man with white hair, withered and frail, with a single eye.

The shells of the eight puppets were severely damaged, the puppet power formation diagram dimmed to the point of exhaustion, showing signs of imminent collapse.

Elder Teng’s face was pale, his soul was splitting, his body was hunched, and venomous blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. One of his eye sockets was a bloody hole, as if pierced by some kind of long nail.

Furthermore, his torso and arms bore multiple wounds. There was a horrifyingly withered cavity in his abdomen, causing a massive loss of lifeblood.

Facing an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, Elder Teng had already lost hope.

A beautiful and majestic peacock hovered above his head, its wings spanning about twenty-four feet. Its previous strikes had easily extinguished his protective aura, causing the light of his defensive artifact to fade rapidly, making it difficult to resist.

His feet were stuck in a petrified mound of earth, with the ground pulling at him with immense force.

Numerous eerie black threads, controlled by the fourth-order demon king in the depths, tightly wrapped around his legs and were spreading towards his torso.

Those black threads were extremely strange, devouring spiritual energy and magical power. His body was bound and he couldn’t break free.

This was the “Devouring Spirit Black Threads,” a treasure Elder Teng had never seen before in the territory of the two sects. It was a prize captured from a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the Ghost Water True Monarch.

In actual combat, this was the first time that Earth Rock Monarch had used this treasure to attack, combining it with fourth-order poison and the soul-damaging “Nail-Headed Arrow” possessed by its owner. The results were surprisingly good.

In front of Elder Teng, a mysterious middle-aged man in a black cloak was surrounded by blue water.

With uncanny skills, he had infiltrated the heavily guarded Teng family ancestral land, disguised as a direct descendant, and attacked Elder Teng in his room.

This terrifying infiltration technique was unheard of in the territory of the two sects. Perhaps only the legendary leader of the Six Demon Sects, the leader of the No-Gap Gate (Wu Jian Men), could achieve such a feat.

“I am the leader of the Green Dragon Branch. I have come to the territory of the two sects today to seek justice for my subordinates and settle old grudges!”

Lu Chang An’s tone was indifferent as he controlled the sea flag artifact, engraved with a turtle pattern. A massive water vortex held Elder Teng in place.

For this operation, Lu Chang An adopted an infiltration and assassination mode.

The “Black Wind Cloak” combined with the “Hundred Illusions Mask” made him invisible in the Teng family estate.

Before attacking, Lu Chang An had also placed explosive talisman runes on the foundation of the protective formation.

The moment he attacked, Elder Teng sensed danger, but he still couldn’t avoid a “Nail-Headed Arrow.”

Following that, Earth Rock Monarch and the Spirit Beast Peacock attacked from above and below.

Combined with fourth-order poison and the Devouring Spirit Black Threads, they almost captured Elder Teng immediately.

Elder Teng was a Nascent Soul cultivator who was spending his twilight years in retirement, with declining physical functions and a lifespan of less than one hundred years. He was significantly weaker than Shen Lao Xie.

Lu Chang An’s goal was to capture a Nascent Soul. Worried about the damage spilling over as it had in the previous case, he directly destroyed the target’s Nascent Soul.

Therefore, his subsequent tactics were more conservative, focusing on encirclement while simultaneously guarding against the Nascent Soul’s escape.

At this moment, Elder Teng’s physical body and Nascent Soul had both suffered severe injuries, significantly weakening his strength.

Against such a senile cultivator, Lu Chang An did not hesitate to unleash the “Withering Divine Light,” further damaging his opponent, reducing his lifespan, and causing his vital energy to wither.

…

“Green Dragon Branch… subordinates?”

Elder Teng was perplexed, muttering to himself. He knew he couldn’t escape this day, so he just wanted to know the truth.

He had never heard of the Green Dragon Branch. Just a leader possessing such abilities, comparable to a mid-stage Nascent Soul, it was unimaginable to think of the hidden iceberg.

Elder Teng realized that the truth was related to the “subordinates” mentioned by the Green Dragon Branch leader.

However, he couldn’t remember any life-or-death grudges he had made in the last few hundred years.

“He he… It seems Elder Teng can’t remember Wei.”

Waves churned behind him, and deep heavy water spread out, revealing a tall, thick, black-faced, fanged, green-armored puppet.

Elder Teng was initially stunned, but then his face changed slightly. Long-forgotten memories flooded back.

“Junior Brother Wei?”

Having recognized the identity of Wei the Puppet Master, Elder Teng, as a fourth-order puppet refinement master, quickly noticed something unusual about the green-armored puppet.

“You… You still exist in this world? You have transformed into a ghost spirit, fusing with a genuine fourth-order puppet, turning into a puppet spirit! How did you do it?”

Elder Teng was shocked, as if he had seen a ghost.

According to his calculations, Wei the Puppet Master had been secretly attacked by him, his foundation severely damaged, and he had no hope of becoming a Nascent Soul. He shouldn’t be alive today.

“He he! Elder Teng, you didn’t expect this, did you? Wei has turned to cultivating ghost spirit techniques, significantly extending his lifespan. He has also received a gift from his master, creating a genuine fourth-order puppet, using a ghost spirit to transform into a puppet spirit. Wei not only lives to this day, but he can live longer than you.”

Wei the Puppet Master’s words revealed his pride, causing Elder Teng’s face to turn gloomy, his heart filled with unspeakable pain.

He would rather not know this truth.

“Elder Teng, I heard that you have crafted a fourth-order Giant Elephant Puppet in the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, an invincible war machine. Why didn’t you bring it out today to compete with this old man?”

Wei the Puppet Master hadn’t made a move earlier, acting as a backup.

Facing Wei the Puppet Master, who was seeking to show off his skills, Elder Teng was heartbroken and lost.

“That fourth-order Giant Elephant Puppet was funded by the Holy Sect. I, as the creator, only have the right to use it. Now that I’m in my twilight years and my condition is declining, that puppet has been handed over to the Holy Sect for safekeeping, to be exchanged for benefits for future generations. Even if the Giant Elephant Puppet were here, it would not be a match for your genuine fourth-order puppet.”

Elder Teng chuckled bitterly, then begged,

“Could Junior Brother Wei please leave some seed descendants for this elder?”

“Hmph! When you secretly attacked back then, did you show any mercy? Wei’s wife and children were all killed by you…”

Ghostly flames flickered in the eye sockets of the green-armored puppet. A puppet arm suddenly swelled, transforming into a giant green steel claw. It rolled up a ball of iron-grey罡 wind and slammed it towards Elder Teng.

“Since this person can’t bring out the Giant Elephant Puppet, then there’s no need to hold back.”

Lu Chang An gave an order, prompting Earth Rock Monarch and the Peacock Spirit Beast to launch their attacks.

It seemed that the Devouring Spirit Black Threads had wrapped around Elder Teng’s neck, restricting his magical power by half. He couldn’t struggle free.

The Spirit Beast Peacock in the sky once again released a beam of five-colored spiritual light.

Boom!

Elder Teng’s face was resolute. His magical energy and vitality burned, and he self-detonated his physical body. The resulting spiritual pressure was comparable to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul.

At the same time, the surrounding puppet array, with all eight puppets, self-detonated.

A terrifying tidal wave of spiritual light, accompanied by bloody vitality, puppet fragments, caused the surging water to churn, tearing open several gaps.

The attacks of the Green-Armored Puppet, the Spirit Beast Peacock, and Earth Rock Monarch were all neutralized, and they were forced back a distance.

Lu Chang An’s face was cold, with emerald green light circulating around him. Another nail-headed arrow appeared in his hand.

The five-colored spiritual light of the Spirit Beast Peacock in the sky condensed, staring intently at the area of the self-detonation.

…

Swish!

A Nascent Soul in the form of an elderly cultivator, taking advantage of the self-detonation, shifted a few hundred feet in a specific direction.

Elder Teng’s Nascent Soul was severely injured. He had experienced the “Nail-Headed Arrow” and had a psychological shadow, so he avoided Lu Chang An’s direction for his escape.

Second, the five-colored spiritual light of the Spirit Beast Peacock posed a threat to his Nascent Soul.

Excluding those two directions, Elder Teng escaped towards a gap that had opened in the surging water.

Even though Nascent Souls are not physical entities, escaping in the opponent’s surging water would still put pressure on them, consume more energy, and affect their speed to a certain extent.

However, as Elder Teng’s Nascent Soul just gained some distance, he discovered a blue illusion accurately intercepting him nearby.

“Hehe, my prediction was right!”

The blue illusion revealed the form of a black-winged man, his speed comparable to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul, and he was quickly intercepting with illusion-like movements.

On the other side, “Lu Chang An,” holding the nail-headed arrow, had his emerald green light retracted, revealing a lifelike spiritual wood clone.

It was just a false scare!

“No good! I’ve been tricked!”

Elder Teng’s Nascent Soul shuddered in shock.

Whoosh!

A ghastly green spider web spread out in the void above the Nascent Soul, stretching twenty feet long and wide, precisely covering its escape path.

Bang!

The elderly-looking Nascent Soul couldn’t stop in time. It couldn’t change direction and seemed to collide with the ghastly green spider web.

The Ghost Spider’s Binding Threads quickly formed a spider web cage, trapping the Nascent Soul. The threads of the web flickered with a faint, dark ghost spirit energy.

The Nascent Soul only felt a tingling cold sensation. It desperately tried to break free using Nascent Soul secret techniques, but it was tightly constricted by the Ghost Spider’s Binding Threads.

The surface of the Nascent Soul turned purple and black from the poison smoke, its consciousness became hazy and weak, and a sense of weakness washed over it.

“Hehe! A wounded Nascent Soul, poisoned by a fourth-order infant poison, how can you escape?”

Lu Chang An waved his hand, capturing the Nascent Soul trapped in the spider web in his palm.

The Nascent Soul trapped in the spider web was in various negative states, weak and powerless, and gave up struggling.

“Congratulations to the master, you have captured the Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s Giant Elephant True Monarch.”

Wei the Puppet Master congratulated him.

At this moment, his blood enemy, Elder Teng, had self-detonated his physical body, leaving only his Nascent Soul to be slaughtered.

“Old Wei, you take care of the aftermath. I’ll interrogate him.”

Lu Chang An instructed.

Wei the Puppet Master respectfully took his leave.

There were still some surviving cultivators in the Teng family ancestral estate. Naturally, Wei the Puppet Master would not allow any enemies to survive, so he eliminated them one by one, leaving no survivors.

…

“Elder Teng, our grudges are settled today. Hand over your hidden treasury and the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art,” and Lu will consider giving you a chance to return to reincarnation.”

Lu Chang An threatened in a harsh voice.

“Haha! You’re delusional! Even if you capture this elder, you won’t be able to obtain the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art.” The core of practicing this secret art in the Holy Sect, the related memories in the consciousness, are all protected by special, insoluble restrictions. Even a Nascent Soul Grandmaster may not be able to soul-search for the complete technique.”

Elder Teng vaguely sensed the screams from within the estate. Several of his talented direct descendants had hidden in the secret room, but they had all been captured and killed by Wei the Puppet Master.

Overwhelmed with despair, he couldn’t help but laugh, completely fearless of death.

“The Thousand Mechanisms Sect has a secret treasure that implants a unique aura in the consciousness of its core members. If you destroy this elder’s Nascent Soul, the Holy Sect will have a way to track and trace it.”

Elder Teng didn’t mind delaying, instead threatening him.

“Is that so? The Thousand Mechanisms Sect only has one mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and at most a fourth-order mid-grade ancestral puppet. It’s also being held in check by the Five Poisons Sect. I really don’t believe that your sect would risk everything for you, a senile Nascent Soul with a nearly depleted lifespan, and go to war with my Green Dragon Branch.”

Lu Chang An’s words made Elder Teng’s heart sink.

This Green Dragon Branch leader possessed more terrifying abilities and skills than ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. He had essentially no natural enemies in the Eastern Qing Region.

After Wei the Puppet Master and Earth Rock Monarch finished taking care of the aftermath,

Lu Chang An suddenly reached out and grabbed the Nascent Soul trapped in the spider web, simultaneously connecting with the “Nine Seals Monument” in his deep consciousness.

Buzz!

The mysterious ancient monument emitted a dim white light, following his conscious arm, enveloping Elder Teng’s Nascent Soul.

“What is this—”

Elder Teng’s consciousness screamed in terror. It was sucked into the “Nine Seals Monument” by an irresistible force, and his Nascent Soul was crushed into particles.

Within the fifth box of the “Nine Seals Monument,” a pure white light appeared, illuminating one-tenth of the area.

“Seventy-five percent!”

Lu Chang An saw the progress of the fifth life being lit up, and his heart couldn’t help but rejoice.

He didn’t have time to examine Elder Teng’s memories.

“Quick, retreat!”

Lu Chang An put away his puppets, spirit beasts, artifacts, and under the cover of the “Black Wind Cloak,” he quickly left the scene.

The moment Elder Teng’s Nascent Soul was crushed and devoured,

Tens of thousands of miles away, at the headquarters of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect,

Poof!

Elder Teng’s life soul lamp went out. The news immediately alarmed the Holy Sect’s head cultivator and several other elders.

This was also why Lu Chang An didn’t devour the Nascent Soul immediately.

He was stalling, wasting time. After taking care of the aftermath,

Of course, the Nascent Soul couldn’t be kept for long. The commotion at the scene would soon reach the headquarters of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect. They might have ways to sense and track the Nascent Soul of their elders.

…

Two months later.

Lu Chang An successfully circled back to the territory of Feng Yuan Kingdom. He didn’t visit the Snow Mountain Holy Land, and directly turned south, returning to the Liang Kingdom cultivation world.

Actually, he could have crossed the boundless poison swamp from the territory of the two sects, taking a straight line back to Liang Kingdom.

However, that would mean crossing through the territories of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect and the Five Poisons Sect, increasing the risks and unpredictable variables, which was not conducive to a quick escape.

As for the refining of the Nascent Soul Pill, the third-order high-quality longevity pills, and other spirit pills,

Lu Chang An had already used another late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator persona, through钟天师’s favor, to commission a fourth-order pill refinement master in the Five Poisons Sect territory to refine them.

The operation in the territory of the two sects was generally smooth, as he was essentially bullying an elderly cultivator with declining physical strength and declining strength.

However, capturing a Nascent Soul was more difficult than killing one. To achieve his desired goal, he had to act with full force, not allowing even the slightest mistake.

Jin Yun Valley.

Lu Chang An secretly returned to the Chang Qing Peak dojo, without alarming anyone else in the sect. At most, Zhang Tian Feng, who possessed a spirit artifact, might notice.

This trip had only lasted a year, so it wouldn’t attract attention.

Lu Chang An had been elusive in the past few years, making it difficult to determine his whereabouts.

As a fourth-order divination master, concealing his specific whereabouts, or intentionally misleading and guiding others, was not a difficult task.

In his cave mansion’s secret room,

Lu Chang An reviewed his trip, divined, and checked for any omissions.

“Although there are some minor doubts and loopholes, the distance between regions is vast, and information transmission and sharing are slow. Without any distinctive characteristics, it’s difficult for people from different regions to connect the dots.”

“This Green Dragon Branch persona should hold up for now.”

Lu Chang An intentionally manipulated the Heavenly Mandate, guiding and concealing information related to the Green Dragon Branch and the Green Dragon Branch leader, making the course of fate more favorable to him.

Of course, the main thing was that he didn’t leave any major clues. The artifacts and magical powers he displayed to the outside world were water-based, not wood-based life-preserving techniques.

The person who knew the truth best was钟天师.

But this fourth-order divination master was on the same side as Lu Chang An and would actually help to conceal the Heavenly Mandate.

Otherwise, if the Thousand Mechanisms Sect discovered the Snow Mountain Holy Land, even 钟天师 would find it difficult to deal with.

…

Lu Chang An once again carefully inventoried Elder Teng’s spoils of war and shook his head slightly, feeling a little regretful.

Elder Teng’s spoils of war were far less than those of Shen Lao Xie.

There were two main reasons.

First, the self-detonation of his physical body had damaged some valuable items.

Second, Elder Teng, as a Nascent Soul cultivator in retirement, didn’t have complete ownership of his most valuable fourth-order puppet. He returned it to the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, claiming credit for his noble character, in exchange for the Holy Sect’s special cultivation of his descendants.

Fortunately, Elder Teng, as a fourth-order puppet refinement master, had numerous precious materials for puppet refinement. Lu Chang An could use them, including for supplementing his puppet array.

Regular artifacts, spirit objects, herbs, talismans, and even some advanced strategic resources, were wealth that Nascent Soul cultivators could only dream of.

Having killed Nascent Soul elders frequently, Lu Chang An had long grown accustomed to the spirit resources needed for Nascent Soul cultivation.

What Lu Chang An truly longed for was the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art,” the Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s treasured sect secret.

Normally, even through soul-searching, it would be impossible to obtain such a top-tier secret technique involving the soul, or at least not the complete version.

However, Lu Chang An was an exception.

He closed his eyes and entered the fifth life of the “Nine Seals Monument,” exploring the newly illuminated one-tenth area, sorting through Elder Teng’s vast and disorganized memories.

On the way back, Lu Chang An had briefly checked. It contained fragments of the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art.” All he needed to do was spend some time organizing them.

Since becoming a Nascent Soul, Lu Chang An had become much faster at organizing these fragments of Nascent Soul elders’ memories.

From the memories, Lu Chang An learned that if he had normally killed Elder Teng’s Nascent Soul, the Thousand Mechanisms Sect would indeed have a way to trace the source. However, it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. It would require a considerable price, and if the distance was far, the effect would be greatly reduced.

Moreover, Lu Chang An had used the “Nine Seals Monument” to devour the Nascent Soul, eliminating certain hidden dangers related to karmic煞气.

This was a conclusion he reached by eliminating abnormal aura on his body based on the details in the memories.

…

Several days later.

Lu Chang An organized the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art” from the fragments of memories.

To increase the margin for error, Lu Chang An asked Wei the Puppet Master to study and research it together, to verify their findings.

As a puppet refinement prodigy, Wei the Puppet Master was extremely excited to have the opportunity to study the Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s treasured secret technique.

He wasn’t as excited as this when he was taking revenge on his family.

“The “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art” and the puppet inheritance we have cultivated before, the Thousand Mechanisms Sect’s puppet control secret art, are all from the same lineage. We already have a foundation, so it’s normal to transition to practicing this secret technique.”

After studying it, Wei the Puppet Master brought good news.

The “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art” was divided into nine levels, with the lowest cultivation requirement being at the Foundation Establishment stage. Only then was it considered entry-level.

At the Nascent Soul stage, one could be considered to have reached the threshold, involving soul cultivation and the numerous uses of divine consciousness power.

The “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art” had a variable effect on the enhancement of divine consciousness.

Ordinary high-level cultivators could enhance their divine consciousness by thirty to fifty percent.

Those with extraordinary talent could enhance it by over fifty percent.

Those with top-tier innate soul-related celestial bodies could increase their divine consciousness by nearly a small realm.

But such individuals with innate celestial souls were rare in the cultivation world throughout history, especially the top-tier ones.

Elder Teng’s puppet refinement aptitude was actually not bad, just inferior to Wei the Puppet Master.

However, he lacked soul talent, so his progress in cultivating the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art” was not fast. He had only reached the seventh level, and his divine consciousness had only increased by thirty percent.

That was during his prime. As he reached his twilight years, his physical body and Nascent Soul began to age, and his divine consciousness had actually declined somewhat.

Based on Wei the Puppet Master’s research, Lu Chang An tried cultivating the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art” and found his progress quite smooth, far better than Elder Teng’s.

“After experiencing several life cycles of reincarnation, my innate soul foundation is strong, which seems to be compatible with the “Thousand Mechanisms Derivation of the Divine Art.”

Lu Chang An was overjoyed. He estimated that once he reached the seventh level at the Nascent Soul stage, without the need for the fourth life to descend, his basic divine consciousness would hopefully be comparable to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul.

(End of Chapter)

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