I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 434

## Chapter 429: Celestial Assistance, Wartime Decision (Dragon Boat Festival Break, Leave of Absence)

According to Lu Changan’s original plan, he would proactively attack and head towards the Central Region within a century if the Azure Wood True Monarch did not come looking for him.

As it turned out, the Azure Wood True Monarch was quite confident and once again arrived in the Eastern Region of Great Qing.

Based on the response from the Chang Qing Dao Fruit, the Azure Wood True Monarch was currently lingering around the Seven Nation Alliance, and had not yet approached the Righteous Path Alliance.

The situation in the Seven Nation Alliance was dire.

With the overt and covert support of the Nether Spring Sect, the Seven Nation Alliance suffered consecutive defeats in the demon path war.

Including the losses from previous wars, the Seven Nation Alliance had now lost three nations to the Blood Spirit Gate and the Illusive Demon Palace.

The Blood Spirit Gate or the Illusive Demon Palace, individually, were not as powerful as the Beast King Valley. However, their combined strength was significantly greater.

Lu Changan ended his daily cultivation.

“Master, this is the latest intelligence from the Righteous Path Alliance headquarters.”

Outside the secret chamber, the Earth Rock Monarch handed Lu Changan the selected important artifacts.

Lu Changan received an encrypted jade token, broke the enchantment, and retrieved the intelligence from the Righteous Path Alliance headquarters.

“After the Seven Nation Alliance contracted their defensive lines, the situation has eased somewhat, and they have managed to stabilize things for now.”

“Furthermore, the Azure Wood True Monarch appeared in the Seven Nation Alliance openly, heavily injuring a demon path Nascent Soul, which also had a positive impact.”

After reading the intelligence, Lu Changan’s eyes flickered with contemplation.

It couldn’t be denied that the timing of the Azure Wood True Monarch’s appearance was very opportune.

Unconfirmed rumors suggested that he might have been invited by the Seven Nation Alliance for assistance, or possibly had tacit support from the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path.

The Azure Wood True Monarch did not directly belong to any of the Ten Great Sects, but came from a righteous path sect on the periphery of that faction.

Moreover, he joined a declining Nascent Soul sect midway through his cultivation journey.

This situation was somewhat similar to Lu Changan.

The difference was that the Azure Wood True Monarch spent a longer time in that sect and had been cultivating in the Central Region for a long period.

Due to his unique status, the Azure Wood True Monarch’s appearance in the Eastern Region, influencing the war situation, made it difficult for the Six Great Sects of the Demon Path to question the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path.

The Azure Wood True Monarch was not a direct descendant of the Ten Great Sects, and more than a century ago, during his “travels” to the Eastern Region, it was a demon path Nascent Soul who first attacked him, thus creating a grudge.

Based solely on intelligence analysis, the Azure Wood True Monarch’s main objective seemed to be not for Lu Changan.

But his intuition told him that the Azure Wood True Monarch’s true target was himself, and his surface actions were merely in line with the general trend.

…

Seven days later.

No one noticed that the Chang Qing True Monarch had disappeared, entering the Wind Yuan Kingdom within the boundless, sand-filled wasteland.

Even fewer people knew.

On the Snowy Mountain Holy Land, two fourth-order divination masters secretly met, officially forming a partnership.

Of course, this was limited to celestial divination, as Master Zhong would not leave the Wind Yuan Kingdom to personally participate in external matters.

“Another debt of gratitude owed to this old fox.”

Lu Changan chuckled, feeling quite satisfied as he returned to Liang Kingdom.

Celestial destiny, formless and intangible, could provide assistance across space.

Henceforth, even if Lu Changan was in the Righteous Path Alliance, he would still receive the Master’s covert support.

This agreement primarily targeted the Azure Wood True Monarch.

Personal goals would have less resistance.

If it involved the entire demon path war, with its wide-ranging scope and numerous karmic implications, Master Zhong would not want to bear too much karmic retribution and could only provide limited assistance.

With the Master’s invisible help, Lu Changan had the upper hand, and could advance or retreat freely.

As long as the Azure Wood True Monarch did not possess the combat prowess of a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator, it would be difficult for him to truly threaten Lu Changan.

…

Shortly after returning to Liang Kingdom.

The Righteous Path Alliance headquarters convened an important meeting, inviting Nascent Soul True Monarchs from various forces.

The Sky Maple True Monarch was patrolling and defending the front lines.

Lu Changan, with his unique status and position, participated on behalf of the Golden Cloud Valley.

The Righteous Path Alliance, the Mountain City Headquarters.

Lu Changan and Summer Fairy appeared together, resembling a pair of divine lovers.

Over the years, Xia Wenyue, as a newly-promoted Nascent Soul, had focused on cultivating magical powers and had not participated in front-line defense.

The two would meet monthly for discussions, mostly in the Proud Moon Palace or the Righteous Path Alliance headquarters.

Therefore, their reunion lacked intense longing and was more filled with a quiet affection.

In the headquarters’ main hall.

Alliance Leader Chu sat at the head, with familiar faces present.

Summer Fairy was the only new face, representing the Proud Moon Palace. Her master, Golden Moon True Monarch, was also stationed at the front lines.

“According to reliable information, the demon path battlefield in the Seven Nation Alliance area, although the Beast King Valley’s Nascent Soul cultivators have not officially deployed, they have used support in the form of a group of specially-abled spirit birds and beasts, including two fourth-order beast kings for siege, which significantly affected the battle situation.”

“That’s why the Seven Nation Alliance’s situation crumbled so quickly.”

Chu Tianfeng spoke with a heavy tone, revealing a sense of self-blame.

Lu Changan nodded, apologetically saying:

“It seems that our previous actions of preparing for war and engaging in a stalemate were too conservative, not putting enough pressure on the Beast King Valley. The Seven Nation Alliance doesn’t expect our support, they only wanted us to hold back the Beast King Valley, and we couldn’t even do that.”

Hearing the conversation between Chu Tianfeng and Lu Changan, the Nascent Soul representatives present were slightly stunned.

Currently, the top two figures in the Righteous Path Alliance were both advocates for war.

The newly-promoted Nascent Soul, Summer Fairy, was also fostered by Lu Changan.

In other words, the war proponents held a clear advantage.

“Alliance Leader Chu, could it be that True Monarch Lu’s intention is to proactively provoke a war with the Beast King Valley?”

Six Yang True Monarch, as the leader of the peace faction, frowned and asked in response.

“Our Righteous Path Alliance has been in a truce with the Beast King Valley for six to seventy years. Due to the unequal trade agreement and the disparity in legacy and foundation, the strength gap between the middle and lower ranks of the two sides has widened.”

“If we continue to be bled dry by trade and wait for another few decades for the Seven Nation Alliance to collapse completely, losing morale and fighting spirit, we might not even have a chance to fight.”

Chu Tianfeng’s sharp gaze swept over the cultivators present:

“In the current situation, besides becoming dependent on the Beast King Valley, the only option is to choose a battle.”

“Our Righteous Path Alliance now has three Nascent Soul combatants: True Monarch Lu, Earth Rock Monarch, and Summer Fairy. Our top-level strength has never been stronger, and the gap with the Beast King Valley is not as large as it used to be.”

After listening to Alliance Leader Chu’s statement, the Nascent Soul cultivators in the hall remained silent, lost in thought.

If they were to choose a battle, now was indeed the best opportunity.

Six Yang True Monarch’s face was gloomy, his expression fluctuating, feeling the powerlessness of the peace faction, which was outnumbered and outmatched.

Especially after Summer Fairy ascended to Nascent Soul and balanced the influence of Golden Moon True Monarch in the Proud Moon Palace.

“Do we have to fight to the death? Isn’t there a compromise solution for the time being?”

Six Yang True Monarch’s voice was low, filled with reluctance.

“There is.”

Lu Changan smiled faintly. “If Daoist Six Yang could break through the demon path blockade and support the Seven Nation Alliance, stabilize the situation there, or even gain an advantage. We wouldn’t have to rush into a war.”

Hearing this, Six Yang True Monarch was secretly irritated but remained silent.

This plan was indeed feasible, but extremely risky. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator acting personally could be in danger of losing their life.

Currently, the Righteous Path Alliance was losing many scout elites every year while obtaining intelligence from the Seven Nation Alliance. They were facing blockades from the Beast King Valley and the No-Gap Gate, and even faced encirclement from the Blood Spirit Gate and the Illusive Demon Palace on the other side.

…

In fact, Lu Changan was highly confident in achieving this.

With the help of the “Black Wind Cloak,” he was confident in traversing the demon path blockade and launching a surprise attack to support the Seven Nation Alliance battlefield.

However, if he got too close, even if he deliberately concealed his energy and didn’t use his magical power, he might be detected by the Azure Wood True Monarch, who also practiced the “Chang Qing Skill.”

The Azure Wood True Monarch had considerable connections and a high status in the Seven Nation Alliance.

If he encountered the Azure Wood True Monarch there, with the advantage of home ground, he might even find help.

On the other hand, Lu Changan had the advantage of home ground in the Righteous Path Alliance, with stronger allies.

“Actually, I, Lu, am also a cultivator who seeks peace.”

Lu Changan’s tone softened, his smile gentle.

“But in many cases, the best way to stop a war is to fight.”

“As long as we don’t suffer a crushing defeat, even if we manage to reach a stalemate for a while, it will make the Beast King Valley hesitant to act. At that time, if we reopen negotiations, wouldn’t our bargaining chips be more abundant, allowing us to negotiate better terms?”

“Daoist Six Yang, perhaps you should consider, if we easily submit and become dependent on the Beast King Valley, what kind of treatment will we receive in the future?”

With the words reaching this point.

Six Yang True Monarch sighed with a bitter smile, finally choosing to compromise and could only follow the will of the war proponents.

If the battle situation was still acceptable, it would actually be beneficial for him, a rational peace advocate.

On that day, the top level of the Righteous Path Alliance reached a preliminary consensus, deciding to restart the demon path war, fully tying down the Beast King Valley, and sharing the pressure for the Seven Nation Alliance.

As for Golden Moon True Monarch, who didn’t attend the meeting, her personal opinion was no longer important.

Summer Fairy, representing the Proud Moon Palace, agreed to the war plan.

…

After the meeting.

Chu Tianfeng kept Lu Changan behind for a private conversation.

Lu Changan, with his influence over multiple Nascent Soul combatants, was the second most important figure in the Righteous Path Alliance, and Chu Tianfeng needed to discuss many decisions with him.

“At this point, Alliance Leader Chu choosing to restart the demon path war, is that a suggestion from the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path?”

Lu Changan directly probed.

According to his calculations with the Master, the next ten years were the best and possibly the last chance for the Righteous Path Alliance to make a decisive move.

“Yes, the higher-ups behind the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path are secretly supporting the Righteous Path Alliance. Besides intelligence and celestial divination, they have also promised to provide strategic resources aimed at the Beast King Valley.”

Chu Tianfeng did not hide anything, revealing some secrets to Lu Changan.

Without the covert support of the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path, even with Chu Tianfeng’s great talent, it would be difficult for him to lead the Righteous Path Alliance for so long.

The stronger Seven Nation Alliance, likely received even more support.

The Azure Wood True Monarch’s arrival at this juncture was probably facilitated by the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path.

Through Chu Tianfeng, Lu Changan learned the attitude of the top leaders of the Ten Great Sects.

Although the Ten Great Sects of the Righteous Path were the most powerful faction in Great Qing, surpassing the Six Great Sects of the Demon Path, they were not united internally and had serious internal strife.

At present, the internal struggles within the Ten Great Sects had not ceased, and their opinions were not entirely unified.

The Central Region was relatively more prosperous, with abundant resources, leading many of the large sects of the Ten Great Sects to be complacent. After driving away the Six Great Sects of the Demon Path, they lacked a united purpose.

Due to the distribution of benefits and age-old grudges, some of the large sects in the Ten Great Sects even engaged in infighting.

Therefore, the actual support provided by the Ten Great Sects was actually limited, and they were unlikely to directly send powerful Nascent Soul to participate in the war.

The leader of the Ten Great Sects, “Supreme Sky True Monarch,” was concerned because his hometown was in Jing Kingdom, part of the Righteous Path Alliance.

If the overall situation collapsed and Jing Kingdom eventually became dependent on the Beast King Valley, Supreme Sky True Monarch would have no valid reason to intervene.

…

“If the war resumes, will True Monarch Lu and Earth Rock Monarch, working together, be able to contain a mid-stage Nascent Soul from the Beast King Valley?”

Chu Tianfeng’s tone was serious, raising his most important concern.

“If it’s just a matter of simply blocking a mid-stage Nascent Soul, I have a 50-60% chance.”

Lu Changan answered without hesitation.

Chu Tianfeng was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t even specified which mid-stage Nascent Soul Lu Changan was supposed to contain.

Among the Six Great Sects of the Demon Path, the leader of the Demon Path and other mid-stage Nascent Soul had a certain level of disparity in strength.

For example, the Grand Elder of the Beast King Valley had superior magical power and supernatural abilities compared to the Sect Master, who was also at the mid-stage.

This was not even considering the Grand Elder of the Beast King Valley’s Soul-Bound Heavenly Silkworm, which could almost revive him once at a critical moment.

For Lu Changan, the two mid-stage Nascent Soul giants of the Beast King Valley did not pose a real threat, and it wouldn’t make a difference which one he faced.

Since they were a beast-taming sect, both the Beast King Sect Master and the Grand Elder had the primary advantage of additional beast-taming methods, such as fourth-order spirit pets.

This advantage would be significantly diminished against Lu Changan, who excelled in positional warfare.

Over the years since his return to Great Qing, he had gathered intelligence and made every effort to perform divination.

The two mid-stage Nascent Soul of the Beast King Valley, in terms of offensive power, were not top-tier among their peers.

At least, they were not as formidable as Emperor Yu, who possessed the luxurious equipment and the “Azure Dragon Sword.”

Nor were they like Old Monster Jin Kun, whose metallic-type supernatural treasure posed a certain level of restraint against Lu Changan.

Thus, Lu Changan had no pressure facing either of them.

Moreover, in the years since his return to Great Qing, his supernatural abilities had significantly improved. Compared to the period when he made a name for himself as the “Central Region Double Dragons” in Great Abyss, his overall strength had increased by more than a few levels.

“That’s good.”

Chu Tianfeng smiled, feeling relieved.

Lu Changan wasn’t even afraid of the Grand Elder of the Beast King Valley, his power must be even stronger than he expected.

…

That night, Lu Changan stayed at the elder’s residence in the Righteous Path Alliance headquarters.

Summer Fairy accompanied him in his service.

Given their relationship, it was perfectly legitimate, requiring no need for avoidance.

A few hours later.

After some intimate moments, the boudoir was filled with fragrant flowers,

Lu Changan lay lazily on the bed, gently stroking the icy and jade-like back of Summer Fairy who lay beside him. A soft and melodious voice reached his ear:

“Once the demon path war begins, the future situation is uncertain. Has my husband considered a future path, such as leaving behind a bloodline heir?”

Hearing this, Lu Changan’s heart stirred. Had Summer Fairy mentioned bloodline heirs to genuinely leave behind descendants, or was it a hint of a wife’s status?

“Wenyue should know that your husband has traveled far and wide, and has made too many enemies among powerful forces. For example, the Beast King Valley, the No-Gap Gate, and the Azure Wood True Monarch.”

“The world of cultivation is ever-changing, even though we are Nascent Soul True Monarchs, wielding the power of nature. However, in the face of the great destiny of the world of cultivation, we are also powerless, subject to fate’s whims. A slight misstep could lead us to fall from grace. Only by achieving Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator can we truly dominate a region of the world of cultivation. Without reaching such a level of unparalleled power, how dare Lu truly take a wife and have children?”

Lu Changan sighed, revealing his woes.

If an ordinary cultivator heard these words, they might scoff.

But Xia Wenyue was also at the Nascent Soul stage, facing the great destiny of the demon path war, she could somewhat empathize.

She thought to herself, her husband refused to give her the status of wife, and was unwilling to leave behind a child, because he was worried that his wife and children would be targeted in the demon path war.

If it was just a concubine, who was also a Nascent Soul cultivator, it wouldn’t be worth the effort to target her.

“My husband has lofty ambitions, and this concubine believes that day will come.”

Summer Fairy’s cold and snowy face displayed a rare smile, words of encouragement.

Lu Changan opened his mouth, she wouldn’t truly believe that, would she?

Xia Wenyue’s innate divine physique was suitable for dual cultivation, and she benefited greatly from the “Dragon Phoenix Double Cauldron Skill,” her cultivation progress was even faster than her master’s back then.

This was also why Lu Changan treated her relatively equally, not fully considering her as a secondary cauldron, and the Chang Qing Skill often reciprocated.

Therefore, Xia Wenyue had some confidence, if she could survive the demon path war and obtain some opportunities in the future, she might not be without hope in striving for the mid-stage Nascent Soul.

She had some hope in striving for the mid-stage Nascent Soul, so naturally, her husband, who was even more extraordinary and possessed karmic destiny and fortune, also had a chance of achieving Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator.

Lu Changan sighed, realizing he had misjudged the admiration and worship that Summer Fairy had held for him since her youth.

…

Half a month later, the Righteous Path Alliance entered a state of full combat readiness, with a tense atmosphere.

However, the middle and lower-ranking cultivators of the Righteous Path Alliance had become accustomed to this over the years of “tempering.”

The war was about to truly break out, but to their surprise, there were fewer cultivators who ran away at the last moment.

Lu Changan, as the second most important figure in the Righteous Path Alliance, made his first trip to the front lines to patrol and preside over the situation.

The Righteous Path Alliance deployed more high-ranking cultivators, which naturally alerted the Beast King Valley, who responded in kind.

Shortly after Lu Changan arrived at the front lines, a Nascent Soul-level black wind遁光 (Dun Guang) (A technique that allows the practitioner to teleport using wind, similar to a teleportation spell), like a domineering demonic meteor, arrived from the territory controlled by the Beast King Valley.

A newly-joined demon path True Monarch, a young man with cold features and dressed in a black robe, appeared.

“Hmm? This fellow has rebuilt his Dharma Body and has recovered to the Nascent Soul cultivation level?”

Lu Changan narrowed his eyes, a smile curving his lips.

His personal presence at the battlefield front lines was to create trouble, intentionally provoking a war.

The Righteous Path Alliance’s foundation was far inferior to the Beast King Valley. If they proactively attacked, their chances of victory were low.

Defensive warfare was different, the Righteous Path Alliance was experienced, and particularly skilled in this area.

Therefore, Lu Changan and Alliance Leader Chu’s strategy was to create trouble, forcing the Beast King Valley to attack by taking the bait.

(End of Chapter)

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