I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals
chapter-126

Over these years, he had nurtured many treasure talismans, and with the second life imprint of the Nine Seal Stele illuminated, Lan Chang'an no longer lacked the ability to kill Alchemist Hua.

What he lacked was an opportunity to clear himself of suspicion, which required a scapegoat appearing at the right moment. Otherwise, even if he killed Alchemist Hua without leaving any evidence, Fu Xuemei might still suspect him.

Today, Lan Chang'an finally met such an opportunity. He didn't know what made Alchemist Hua confident enough to target him, but this man was undoubtedly alone.

While Alchemist Hua's attention remained fixed on Lan Chang'an, he failed to notice that he himself had also become the target of a vicious cultivator at Late Foundation Establishment.

Lan Chang'an, Alchemist Hua, and the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator were roughly in a straight line.

Earlier, there had been a team led by a Core Formation cultivator flying overhead, so all three were flying at a low altitude.

As they approached the Black Fog Mountain Range, the surrounding peaks were undulating, making the view not so open.

This led to a situation where Alchemist Hua was watching Lan Chang'an, and the late Foundation Establishment cultivator was only seeing Alchemist Hua.

Only Lan Chang'an noticed both people behind him.

Slowly, Lan Chang'an lowered his flight altitude, weaving between the peaks and valleys below, where the thick vegetation provided some cover.

“Hmm!”

After circling a few mountain peaks, Alchemist Hua lost track of Lan Chang'an and used his spiritual sense to search.

In such complex terrain, it was common to occasionally lose sight of one's target. This had happened to Alchemist Hua several times before and he usually found his target quickly. This time, however, after nearly ten breaths, he still saw no sign of anyone, which was a bit odd.

“Has he discovered me, or did I just lose him?” Alchemist Hua found it strange.

This time when he saw Lan Chang'an, and the other party was alone, he had a sudden urge to kill.

This was mainly for two reasons.

First, Lan Chang'an and Senior Brother Lin Ye were both at Wuqi Mountain. Lin Ye held a grudge against Alchemist Hua, as the latter had sort of stolen the former's childhood sweetheart.[1]

Upon learning of this, Alchemist Hua became somewhat paranoid, suspecting that his assassination attempt back then had something to do with the two of them.

Secondly, upon this encounter, Lan Chang'an's cultivation progress was not as slow as expected, and his connections weren't bad either, he dealt with a number of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Lan Chang'an was younger than him, and if his cultivation and talisman skills continued improving further, it would be a grave threat if he teamed up with Senior Brother Lin Ye.

“As long as I catch him, Lan Chang'an is dead!”

Alchemist Hua, disguised as a gray-robed, straw-hat man, was filled with murderous intent and confidence.

At this moment, in the wilderness a li or two behind him, a nimble middle-aged man flew low through the mountain wilderness, draped in a thin layer of green gauze that made him blend seamlessly into the surroundings, steadily closing the gap between them.

The green gauze not only reduced his presence but also isolated his mana fluctuations and sound.

“A great opportunity, this fat sheep is all alone.”

The sturdy middle-aged man was Xiang Jinglong, a fierce cultivator from Liang's loose cultivator circle.

Xiang Jinglong had set his eyes on Alchemist Hua because the other party was wealthy, being able to buy the main ingredient for Youth Retaining Pill and a special demon core from him.

Alchemist Hua was flying alone in the wilderness with a pensive look, wasn't this giving him an opportunity to strike?

“Who’s there?” Alchemist Hua suddenly looked back towards the other side of the mountain peak.

He had just sensed a piercing gaze that seemed to be filled with killing intent. This feeling was too obvious; it was as if someone was staring straight at his back, unintentionally releasing murderous intent.

“This old geezer, his senses aren't bad.”

Xiang Jinglong, who was hiding at the back, was stunned. He had thought that he could still get a little closer.

Either way, they were currently in the middle of nowhere, so he donned a black mask and boldly charged forth with a big grin.

“Old fool! Hand over your storage pouch, and I'll spare your dog life!”

Xiang Jinglong's figure left a trail of afterimages, creating a whirlwind as he approached Alchemist Hua.

Xiang Jinglong had stood out in the secret realm, becoming the biggest winner among the loose cultivators, and his strength was superior to most late Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He was born with immense strength and practiced body refining on the side. Though he didn’t have much time to invest in it, his body was comparable to a mid-grade second-rank demonic beast.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Xiang Jinglong wielded a supreme-grade magical weapon, a blue crystal broadsword, which created a chilling wind with its blade.

“Xiang Jinglong! How dare you rob me.”

Alchemist Hua shouted angrily and quickly summoned a banner made of adamantine material. As it struck the ground, a golden film of light covered him within a zhang radius.

“Tricks of the trade!”

Xiang Jinglong, as a late-stage Foundation Establishment, his mana was twice as strong, and the power of the supreme-grade magical weapon was utilized to the extreme.

Clang! Thud!

The blue crystal broadsword and a pair of iron fists cracked the golden light shield.

Alchemist Hua's face changed, and he hastily activated two superior-grade second-rank talismans, one for defense and one for attack.

A solid earthen shield enveloped his body, providing an extra layer of protection.

A giant lightning serpent charged towards Xiang Jinglong, clashing with the blue crystal broadsword, sending sparks and icy winds flying.

The situation was temporarily stabilized.

Alchemist Hua quickly took out a black bottle and swallowed a reddish-brown pill.

In a few breaths, his mana rose by a large margin, approaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Instantly, the golden light shield formed by the adamantine banner became bright again.

Not only that.

Alchemist Hua then summoned a supreme-grade offensive magical weapon, a gourd that spewed explosive fireballs, launching a powerful counterattack.

A hundred zhang away, hiding in the shadows of the trees, Lan Chang'an revealed a hint of surprise.

“This old guy, no wonder he dared to come alone to kill me?”

Alchemist Hua was well-equipped, possessing two supreme-grade magical weapons and multiple superior-grade second-rank talismans.

The secret pill he took increased his mana by more than fifty percent and it wasn't the type with great side effects.

Lan Chang'an had just worried that Alchemist Hua would be easily taken down by Xiang Jinglong’s attack. In that case, it might as well have been Lan Chang'an who killed the man himself; either way, Fu Xuemei would likely get suspicious.

Xiang Jinglong’s strength was something even Lan Chang'an had difficulty dealing with. Thus, he had used a minor spiritual sense spell to stimulate Alchemist Hua's back, making him realize that there was someone behind him.

“Xiang Jinglong, you’re courting death, attacking in broad daylight!” Alchemist Hua shouted, trying to alert nearby cultivators.

Even with the secret pill, he could only contend with Xiang Jinglong for a short time, and was still not his match.

“Hahaha! I’ll finish you off within ten breaths. Who will come rescue you in time?”

Xiang Jinglong’s attacks grew more ferocious, wearing down Alchemist Hua’s magical weapons and breaking talisman after talisman.

Though masked, Xiang Jinglong's identity was revealed by Alchemist Hua, but as long as he swiftly defeated the enemy, there would be no evidence linking him to the crime afterward.

Lan Chang'an’s spiritual sense detected that there were cultivators several li away who sensed the battle over here and stopped to take a look but dared not approach.

Such fierce fighting could be vaguely felt by a Foundation Establishment cultivator dozens of li away.

He secretly sent a push, using his powerful spiritual sense to wrap the sound and send it miles away.

“Xiang Jinglong is attacking Alchemist Hua of Huanglong Immortal City!”

“Xiang Jinglong killed Alchemist Hua, everyone steer clear.”

...

The voice was directed at a fixed location far away.

Alchemist Hua and Xiang Jinglong were engaged in the fight, making it difficult for them to hear clearly over the sounds of battle.

“Xiang Jinglong, you’re asking for death!” Alchemist Hua, driven to desperation, said through gritted teeth, his voice icy cold.

He took out a talisman from his storage pouch, thicker and slightly larger than ordinary talismans. This talisman depicted a lifelike bronze spear, radiating an aura that struck fear into the hearts of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Talismanic treasure!” Xiang Jinglong cried out with alarm, falling back rapidly.

Hidden in the distance, Lan Chang'an's heart also skipped a beat.

Alchemist Hua was worthy of being a superior second-rank alchemist who had befriended the upper echelons and operated for a great many decades in Huanglong Immortal City. He could even take out a deadly weapon like a talismanic treasure.

Lan Chang'an finally understood how Alchemist Hua mustered up the courage to come kill him alone.

With such a trump card, not to mention an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, even mid to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were doomed for death.

“Alchemist Hua, let’s call it a day!”

Xiang Jinglong was sweating profusely, retreating while summoning a supreme-grade defensive magical weapon and slapping two superior-grade second-rank talismans on his body.

He was extremely frustrated, thinking, “If you had this talismanic treasure, why didn’t you use it earlier?”

“Ruined my plans!”

Alchemist Hua was furious, the bronze spear on the surface of the talisman in his hand radiated the aura of a magical treasure and looked about to fly away, but then settled down.

Talismanic treasures lay between ordinary talismans and full-fledged magical treasures; the difficulty of controlling and guiding them was greater, and activating them took longer than normal talismans.

Xiang Jinglong was stronger than most who had reached the Late Foundation Establishment, and he possessed plenty of experience. He immediately distanced himself from Alchemist Hua, throwing everything he had into defense mode.

In this situation, a single strike from an entry-level talismanic treasure could not guarantee an instant kill, at best, it would result in severe injury.

It couldn't kill Xiang Jinglong in one blow, but he immediately escaped fearing that it could. Thus, Alchemist Hua succeeded in scaring off his opponent.

This talismanic treasure of his could be activated no more than once or twice, and he didn't wish to waste it so easily.

"Get lost!" Alchemist Hua shouted, pushing Xiang Jinglong away as his mood worsened further.

After Xiang Jinglong stirred things up like this, both his identity and intentions were exposed, and the nearby Lan Chang'an must have already discovered them.

Going forward, Lan Chang'an was bound to be wary of him, making it difficult to find such a good opportunity again.

...

After the earlier battle, Alchemist Hua was weak as a result of consuming the secret pill to enhance his mana, so he took two pills to recover fully.

Once recovered, he no longer hid his identity, and he flew south towards the Black Fog Mountain Range.

"Alchemist Hua's blade is still sharp, he successfully drove off that villain Xiang Jinglong with a single sword."

Nearby, some Foundation Establishment cultivators who recognized Alchemist Hua stepped forward to greet him.

Alchemist Hua showed little interest in cultivators from small forces; he only offered a few perfunctory words before speeding on toward Huanglong Immortal City.

"Very well, there is now a suspect." The corner of Lan Chang'an's lips lifted slightly as he tailed Alchemist Hua behind his back.

If Xiang Jinglong easily defeated Alchemist Hua, or if he attempted to swoop in to capitalize on the situation, neither would achieve the desired effect.

After flying a certain distance, Alchemist Hua reached the edge of the Black Fog Mountain Range, the Black Blood Road opened up by the ancient cultivators lay beyond.

Through the Black Blood Road, one could reach Huanglong Immortal City at the other end. This location wasn't the same spot as the valley passageway where Lan Chang'an had entered through.

On the Black Blood Road, there were also cases of cultivators attempting to rob others.

Alchemist Hua slowed down his speed.

As he approached, mist filled his field of vision. A woman with long violet hair, delicate as an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, stepped out from within it: her icy skin and proud bearing unmistakable.

"Miss Fu."

Alchemist Hua unconsciously squeezed out a smile, slightly flattering.

"No! This is an illusion!" He jolted awake, biting down on his tongue and operating his cultivaion technique, while also spreading out his spiritual sense.

The mist before him and Fu Xuemei instantly dissipated.

Boom!

With the illusion shattered, his mind was severely damaged, leaving him paralyzed for a breathless moment.

In the following instant, spell fluctuations that were nearly at the Fake-Dan level swirled above his head.

A spiral of greenish wind blades rolled, imitating a ten-odd zhang green dragon, piercing through the upper half of Alchemist Hua's body.

"Ah..."

Alchemist Hua let out a mangled scream, his upper body riddled with countless bloodstains, splintered beyond recognition.

He had no time to summon his magical weapons or the talismanic treasure.

"I overestimated you; You didn't bring any soul path defense treasures," said a cold young man standing nearby, as he reached across the air to take hold of the storage pouch at the waist of the half-broken corpse.

At the same time, another hand activated a second-rank Demonic Qi Talisman.

A cloud of demonic energy struck into the remaining roll of green wind blades and stirred into Alchemist Hua's corpse again.

In order to ensure a clean kill and prevent Alchemist Hua from summoning his talismanic treasure, Lan Chang'an deployed a second-rank superior-grade Heart-Illusion Talisman, a divine sense attack under the enhancement of the first life soul imprint, as well as a treasure talisman that had been nurtured for many years.

"Such powerful mana fluctuations, close to Fake-Dan!!"

Spell movements of this level could be sensed by the Foundation Establishment cultivators nearly a hundred li from the entrance of the Black Blood Road.

"Demonic energy? Could it be Liang Shaotian's sect?"

Cultivators who were slightly closer sensed the demonic aura emanating from the site of the incident.

"I heard that Liang Shaotian's disciple, 'Li Hai', made a big mess and escaped from the Green Underworld Mysterious Realm, could it be..."

"Not good! Run!"

The cultivators who sensed the disturbance did not dare approach but retreated in panic instead.

At the scene of the crime, the cold young man remained only a few breaths of time.

Whoosh!

His figure darted swiftly like an arrow as he scurried into the Black Fog Mountain Range, swallowed by the fog that impeded spiritual sense.

(End of chapter)

[1] Yep, this was a TL error, Lin Ye is the senior brother, not Hua.