I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 314: Vine Transformation

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At the center of Fengyuan Kingdom, atop the Sacred Mountain blanketed by snow and shrouded in mist.

In front of a bamboo grove and a modest thatched cottage—

A gaunt, serene-looking Daoist, clad in a pristine white Diviner's robe, was dozing soundly beneath the eaves

The Daoist had silver-white hair and eyebrows, resembling an elderly man in his seventies at first glance. However, his skin was delicate, and his vitality radiated the youthful aura of a man in his late twenties or early thirties.

“Hmm? Who's scheming against this Heavenly Master?”

In his slumber, the Heavenly Master of Fengyuan suddenly opened his tranquil, ancient eyes.

His jet-black pupils resembled two drops of concentrated ink, swirling slowly like the black dots within a Yin-Yang diagram.

"Achoo!"

After awakening, the Heavenly Master sneezed, his lean body shivering slightly.

His expression turned serious as he calculated with his fingers, murmuring incantations under his breath.

During this process, the Heavenly Master’s brows furrowed. He sensed an intangible resistance—the enigmatic fog of fate obscured the heavenly secrets.

The matter involved multiple Nascent Soul-level entities, significantly increasing the difficulty of his divination.

“Sigh, the world has truly gone astray! This Heavenly Master stays out of sight, fights for nothing, avoids conflict and karmic entanglements as much as possible, yet somehow, people still have their sights set on me.”

The Heavenly Master sighed deeply, his tone filled with helplessness and melancholy.

Through his divination, he had already discerned the key events: the capture of the Peacock Saintess, the death of a fourth-rank Demon King...

The ultimate outcome had exceeded his initial expectations.

Though he had intended to remain uninvolved, he still ended up bearing some karmic consequences.

The Righteous Dao Alliance suspected that he was the mastermind behind the scenes. The Beast King Valley would likely hold similar suspicions.

As for the precise reasons, his calculations couldn’t pinpoint them. The roots of the matter intertwined with the actions of several Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and the critical details were cloaked by the fog of fate. ꭆaΝoʙĘṥ

Applying common logic, the Heavenly Master deduced:

“If it wasn’t because Lan Chang'an had some mysterious Nascent Soul True Monarch backing him, then it must be that someone skilled in divination, either from the Righteous Dao Alliance or Beast King Valley, saw through the traces and exposed me.”

If one doesn’t wish to be discovered, they simply shouldn’t act.

In the end, the Heavenly Master had indeed stirred the pot from the shadows. Though he had been discreet and could obscure heavenly secrets, he couldn’t completely prevent others from drawing logical conclusions.

Now, with this metaphorical “black pot” placed firmly on his head, the Heavenly Master had no good way to argue his innocence.

"When yellow mud falls into your pants, whether it's mud or not, it's still treated as shit."

Fortunately, the final result was acceptable.

Having the Righteous Dao Alliance deal with the demonic woman within their own territory was reasonable. The Beast King Valley was clearly at fault and would have no grounds to argue.

Even if trouble arose, the Righteous Dao Alliance would bear the brunt, leaving him out of the spotlight.

The grievances and conflicts between the two major factions would only escalate further.

This lesson served as a warning to others: Beast King Valley or any other major forces would now think twice before stirring up trouble in Fengyuan Kingdom’s territory.

“No wonder, when the Peacock Saintess stepped into the Fengyuan Kingdom, I noticed her fate was turbulent, her beauty destined for misfortune...”

The Heavenly Master reflected deeply, untangling the web of cause and effect. A hint of pity surfaced on his face.

...

Half a month later.

Liang Kingdom, Jin Yun Valley's mountain gate.

It was early morning, the sky just beginning to brighten, and the dew carried a biting chill.

At the foot of Qunying Mountain, before a tombstone engraved with the words “Jade Moon Immortal”—

A young disciple dressed in white, his presence nearly imperceptible, quietly paid his respects at the grave.

His offering consisted of two severed heads.

One belonged to a human cultivator; the other, to a bird.

Nearby, the gravekeepers were deep in slumber, completely oblivious to what was happening.

“Jade Moon Immortal...”

The young man in white murmured softly. This was the Daoist title of Zhao Siyao during her lifetime.

Because their relationship had been so close, they rarely addressed each other by their titles, making the name feel somewhat unfamiliar to him.

According to the rules of Jin Yun Valley, only cultivators who had reached the True Dan were eligible to have their tablets placed in the sect’s ancestral hall.

Unless, of course, they had performed monumental service for the sect.

As for Qunying Mountain, it was reserved for sect members who had made significant contributions or died in battle.

The descendants or disciples of those interred here can enjoy certain preferential treatment.

For example, the widely circulated 'Ascension Order' in the cultivation world, many times, is leaked through such means.

Hoo~

With a flick of his finger, Lan Chang'an ignited the two severed heads—one human, one bird—before the tombstone.

The human head belonged to Black Crow Immortal, the direct culprit responsible for Zhao Siyao’s death.

Combined with the tragic fate of the Peacock Saintess, Lan Chang'an had thoroughly avenged Zhao Siyao.

The offering of the Five-Colored Peacock’s head was merely a bonus.

When Lan Chang'an captured the Five-Colored Peacock, it still had a trace of life left—a chance for a miraculous recovery.

But Lan Chang'an made no effort to save it.

Instead, the Earth Burrowing Rat got its wish and feasted on the exquisite bloodline of the noble beast.

Lan Chang'an preserved only the key materials for refining an exotic spirit puppet—such as its feather crown, skeleton, and essence blood—for future use.

It wasn’t that Lan Chang'an didn’t want a spirit bird with a heavenly bloodline, the Five-Colored Peacock was immensely powerful, capable of using the divine ability beam of light to break through barriers and restrictions. It even carried a faint trace of a true spirit bloodline.

However, this peacock had been the Peacock Saintess’s life-bound spirit pet. It was nearly impossible to truly tame and would never be loyal, always harboring the potential to turn against its master.

Moreover, keeping the Five-Colored Peacock alive would allow Beast King Valley’s secret arts for controlling beasts to track its whereabouts, leaving a hidden danger.

Faced with such risks, Lan Chang'an decisively reduced it to materials and sealed them away.

Additionally, the Peacock Saintess’s beast-taming cultivation method was intricately tied to the Five-Colored Peacock.

By slaying this spirit beast, Lan Chang'an had effectively crippled the Peacock Saintess’s future prospects of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.

As the raging fire consumed the two offerings, Lan Chang'an left Jin Yun Valley without a sound.

Just as his figure disappeared—

Jin Yun Valley, Sect Master’s Hall

Seated cross-legged in quiet meditation, Zhang Tianfeng, dressed in a heavy black robe, suddenly felt a strange sensation.

His face was slightly tanned, his expression calm and commanding, his physique tall and sturdy like an unshakable mountain guarding its territory.

“Greetings, Sect Master!”

Under the respectful gaze of the tombkeeper steward, Zhang Tianfeng took a few steps into Qunying Mountain and approached Zhao Siyao’s grave.

Ever since taking on the Daoist title Tianfeng Immortal, the outside world had gradually forgotten his original name—Zhang Tieshan.

Through the long years and successive generations of disciples, the younger cultivators only knew their sect master by the title Tianfeng Immortal. His birth name, Zhang Tieshan, had become a relic of history.

Just as many knew Li Erqing only as “Second Ergou” in his youth or Master Lihuo as the once-named “Duan Daniu.”

Those who remembered such old names were mostly old acquaintances, cultivators from the same era.

At this moment, in front of the tombstone—

The two burned heads had just been reduced to ash and were drifting away on the wind.

“This is...”

Zhang Tianfeng’s expression turned surprised. His eyes flickered as he stared at the fading ashes, lost in thought.

Connecting this to the recent actions of the Righteous Dao Alliance, who had captured the Peacock Saintess and slain a fourth-rank Demon King, Zhang Tianfeng began piecing together the truth.

Furthermore, Lan Chang'an had acted as a "pawn" in the Heavenly Master’s scheme, causing the Peacock Saintess to suffer a crushing defeat—an outcome that aligned perfectly with the Heavenly Master’s interests.

Logically, emotionally, and in terms of shared interests, the Heavenly Master had no reason to target Lan Chang'an.

If he had even a sliver of suspicion that the Heavenly Master harbored hostility, Lan Chang'an, with his heightened senses and Nascent Soul attachment, would have detected it. If so, he would have decisively turned and left.

If it came to that, activating the fourth-level escape technique of the Crimson Sun Blood-Escape Technique, even the Heavenly Master wouldn’t be able to catch him.

Moreover, Lan Chang'an knew from his intelligence gathering that the Heavenly Master disliked physical confrontation. He was even more reclusive than the old turtle, and rarely ever stepped outside.

If the Heavenly Master wanted to eliminate someone, he could easily set a trap with his divination abilities, rendering direct action unnecessary.

For someone of the Heavenly Master’s stature to personally pursue a mere Core Formation cultivator would tarnish his dignity and go against his usual style.

A few months later.

Taking a slightly circuitous route through the outskirts of Fengyuan Kingdom, Lan Chang'an finally returned to the Xuan Yin Pavilion in the Outer Sect Alliance.

The Fragrant Grass Oasis, home to the Xuan Yin Pavilion, was calm and undisturbed.

On the day of the Peacock Saintess’s arrival, the inner area of the Xuan Yin Pavilion’s mountain gate had been concealed by the fourth-rank illusion array. As a result, other cultivators were unable to see what had transpired there.

The conversation between Lan Chang'an and the Peacock Saintess had been witnessed by only one person: Fairy Ni Yue.

Currently, in the Fengyuan Kingdom, only a select few could guess or knew the true identity of "Mister Xu."

Among them were the Heavenly Master and Fairy Ni Yue.

Lan Chang'an still chose to stay in Fengyuan Kingdom because the Kingdom Master’s fourth-rank divination protection made it difficult for Beast King Valley to continue their investigations beyond the desert.

Fearing the Heavenly Master’s interference, Beast King Valley wouldn’t easily send anyone to track or threaten Lan Chang'an, the supposed "pawn" or "bait."

As long as the Heavenly Master remained neutral or amicable, Lan Chang'an saw no issue with staying in this region to cultivate until he reached late Core Formation.

...

It was night when Fairy Ni Yue met with Lan Chang'an in her cave residence.

The two conversed at length, their discussion gradually delving into deeper topics.

Two hours later—

Fairy Ni Yue’s face was still flushed as she leaned weakly against the edge of the bed. Draped in nothing but a single white silk robe, her long legs rested atop the scattered garments on the floor, half-kneeling in exhaustion.

“Ni’er, tomorrow you should prepare a generous gift and have an elder travel to Ice and Snow Sacred Mountain to express our gratitude to the Heavenly Master,” Lan Chang'an instructed, sitting upright with an air of composure.

“Ni’er understands! Xuan Yin Pavilion survived this calamity thanks to the Heavenly Master’s protection,” Fairy Ni Yue replied, her breathing still uneven as she rested against his knees.

Through Lan Chang'an’s earlier explanation, she had learned that the eventual capture of the Peacock Saintess had been orchestrated by none other than the Heavenly Master.

Without his intervention, Xuan Yin Pavilion might have faced total annihilation.

Lan Chang'an had candidly admitted that he would have been unable to directly stop the onslaught of a fourth-rank Demon King.

“Which elder should we send?” Fairy Ni Yue asked.

“Send Fairy Qiu,” Lan Chang'an decided after some thought. The newly promoted Core Formation elder, Fairy Qiu, had no direct association with him, ensuring no sensitive information would be inadvertently exposed.

The next day.

The Xuan Yin Pavilion dispatched Fairy Qiu, their newly appointed Core Formation elder, to Ice and Snow Sacred Mountain to convey their gratitude to the Heavenly Master.

Half a month later.

Fairy Qiu returned safely and in perfect condition.

She reported that she had been granted an audience with the Heavenly Master, who had accepted their gifts.

Not only that, but the Heavenly Master had also sent a return gift—a local special product—to bring back to Xuan Yin Pavilion.

The return gift turned out to be a rare third-rank mountain bamboo, suitable for crafting divination tools.

This outcome pleasantly surprised Lan Chang'an, finally putting his lingering concerns to rest.

The Heavenly Master’s act of reciprocation was a clear sign of goodwill.

“This was the right move!”

Lan Chang'an realized that this exchange of courtesy had been a resounding success.

After all, in the cultivation world, gestures of respect and gratitude were rarely unwelcome. One could never know the result without trying.

Unless the recipient was a demonic cultivator or a reclusive True Monarch with a peculiar disposition, such tokens of respect were generally well-received.

Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs were still human, not true immortals. Even as higher-level beings, they too are subject to the seven emotions and six desires.

If the Peacock Saintess had been willing to set aside the arrogance of a top-tier sect and shown proper respect to the Heavenly Master, her fate might not have been so tragic.

In contrast, Lan Chang'an had perfectly aligned himself with the Heavenly Master’s intentions, expressed his gratitude afterward, and showed sufficient deference.

With no conflicts of interest between them, the Heavenly Master naturally viewed him favorably. There was even a chance that the Heavenly Master might offer him assistance in the future.

In the cultivation world, a single decision could often lead to vastly different outcomes.

“Fairy Qiu, please recount every detail of your meeting with the Heavenly Master. This concerns the fate of Xuan Yin Pavilion.”

In the grand hall, Lan Chang'an gazed intently at the solitary and composed Fairy Qiu, seeking answers.

Fairy Ni Yue gave her an encouraging look.

Fairy Qiu hesitated briefly before recounting her conversation with the Heavenly Master. Their discussion had been mostly about music, cultural curiosities, and other lighthearted topics.

Lan Chang'an detected nothing unusual. The Heavenly Master’s demeanor seemed refined and amicable overall.

“The Heavenly Master seemed to enjoy listening to music. He requested that I play for him throughout the night. Afterward, in high spirits, he cut a segment of mountain bamboo as a gift of gratitude,” Fairy Qiu added, her expression slightly unnatural.

“Throughout the night? Cough! And he only listened to music the entire time?” Lan Chang'an asked with a peculiar look.

Fairy Qiu’s cheeks flushed as she shot him a glare, clearly displeased by the insinuation.

Fairy Ni Yue quickly pulled Fairy Qiu aside, set up a barrier, and spoke with her privately.

After Fairy Qiu left, Fairy Ni Yue explained the truth to Lan Chang'an.

“Throughout the entire night, the Heavenly Master merely listened to her music. He only admired it and did not force anything upon her. Fairy Qiu remains pure and untouched,” Fairy Ni Yue said solemnly.

Lan Chang'an had harbored some doubts, but his powerful spiritual sense had caught the private conversation between the two, confirming there had been no deception.

“However, despite only meeting him briefly, Fairy Qiu seems to have been deeply impressed by the Heavenly Master’s refined demeanor. She might even be infatuated,” Fairy Ni Yue remarked with a sigh, her expression tinged with worry.

“From the looks of it, the Heavenly Master is indeed a man of great refinement and class,” Lan Chang'an said, cupping his fists in the direction of Ice and Snow Sacred Mountain, his tone full of respect.

He was now convinced that the Heavenly Master was in the same category as himself and like him pursued higher spiritual ideals, having long since transcended mere carnal desires.

...

In the following half a year, Lan Chang'an cultivated peacefully within Xuan Yin Pavilion without any unexpected incidents.

His divinations showed smooth and favorable fortunes, with no signs of looming danger.

Finally, Lan Chang'an felt completely at ease.

Building a good relationship with the Heavenly Master ensured a worry-free existence in the Fengyuan Kingdom.

As long as no major upheavals occurred in the cultivation world, he could safely train here for many years to come.

Fifteen years later.

Lan Chang'an was in the middle stage of Core Formation, his cultivation steadily advancing.

Focused on cultivating and honing his skills, he paid little attention to external matters.

One seemingly ordinary day—

In the underground chamber of his elder’s residence, a peculiar event took place.

Within the large vat containing Five Element Earth, the long-dormant Xuanmu Vine Gourd that had been silent for an unknown number of years suddenly stirred.

“Hiss—”

On the vine, a shriveled gourd-shaped bud, blackened and decayed, suddenly emitted a thick, lifeless aura accompanied by a grayish mist.

The Profound Water Turtle, which had been sleeping soundly nearby, jolted awake with a start.

Its large eyes widened as it stared intently at the Xuanmu Vine Gourd’s abnormal changes.

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the withered gourd-like bud snapped off from the vine, falling to the ground in a state of complete decay.