I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals
chapter-171

The ice spear engraved on the blue talismanic treasure was so lifelike that it seemed as if it would leap out at any moment. The aura it emitted made even those at the Foundation Establishment stage tremble with fear.

Fairy Shi formed a hand seal, and her jade-like finger pointed forward.

Blue light burst forth, and the large talisman transformed into an ice spear, crystal blue in color and several zhang long.

Boom!

The golden light emanating from the prototype magical treasure cauldron clashed in mid-air with the crystal blue ice spear surrounded by chilling winds.

The resulting thunderous explosion caused Mu Bingyun, who had already retreated a distance away, to feel her blood churn. She staggered, almost losing her balance, her eardrums on the verge of rupture.

The powerful shockwave stirred up fierce waves on the lake's surface.

At the point of impact between the golden magical treasure and the crystal blue ice spear, one side was filled with golden ripples of light, while the other was engulfed in icy blue frost and cold winds.

For a brief moment, the two forces were at a standstill.

The veiled man grunted, his robes billowing as his magical power surged like a flood.

With a loud "bang," the crystal blue ice spear, transformed from the talismanic treasure, was knocked back several zhang.

The prototype magical treasure cauldron dipped downward, its brilliance dimming by more than half. But under the infusion of the man’s blood essence and magic power, its aura began to rise once more.

"Now's my chance."

Lan Chang'an did not retreat. Instead, he summoned a supreme-grade magic weapon, a long blade, and slashed at the veiled man from the side.

He knew well that when someone in the late Foundation Establishment stage takes control of a prototype magical treasure, they cannot handle other magic weapons.

Meanwhile, the Earth Burrowing Rat continued to use its Sandstorm Technique, waiting for an opportunity to sneak behind the veiled man.

At the same time, a mid-grade second-rank flying puppet flapped its wings, creating a whirlwind in the sky, blocking his path.

"Persistent as ghosts!"

The veiled man gritted his teeth, feeling a headache.

The previous display of the embryonic form of his magical treasure had not scared Lan Chang'an in the slightest.

Now, if he used the prototype magical treasure to contend with Fairy Shi's talismanic treasure, he would have no energy left to deal with the three-pronged attack from Lan Chang'an, the Earth Burrowing Rat, and the puppet.

Fairy Shi gave him no chance to breathe. The ice spear talismanic treasure, accompanied by a biting cold wind, pierced straight at him.

The veiled man had no choice but to control the prototype magical treasure cauldron to face the talismanic treasure head-on.

His spiritual sense and magic power were both tied up with the prototype magical treasure, leaving him no energy to control any other magic weapons. In desperation, he reluctantly summoned a quasi-third-rank defensive talisman.

A thick, sticky, spherical water barrier enveloped the veiled man.

Sizzling sounds echoed as the combined attacks of Lan Chang'an, the Earth Burrowing Rat, and the puppet were absorbed and nullified by the viscous spherical water barrier.

The water barrier, having endured the attacks of three mid-to-late Foundation Establishment cultivators, dimmed by about thirty to forty percent.

Boom!

At the same time, the prototype magical treasure cauldron once again knocked away the ice spear talismanic treasure.

The veiled man no longer cared about the now-dim golden light.

Under the protection of the water barrier, he formed hand seals, burning his blood essence. His mana surged and evaporated intensely.

Buzz!

A layer of blood-colored radiance enveloped his body, and under his legs, blood-colored flames flickered and trembled.

"He intends to escape!"

Fairy Shi's expression changed slightly, and she let out a low cry.

The talismanic treasure she wielded had just been repelled, and its light had dimmed by more than half. If she tried to launch another attack, it would be too late to stop his escape technique.

A talismanic treasure, being a hybrid between a talisman and a magical treasure, is harder to control and slower to activate than a simple talisman.

"Blood Shadow Escape?"

Lan Chang'an immediately flicked out a dark red talisman, striking the nearly-dimmed viscous spherical barrier.

Whoosh! Boom!

A fiery serpent, seven to eight zhang long, accompanied by blazing light, fiercely collided with the viscous spherical water barrier.

This was a top-grade second-rank fire-type attack talisman, which dimmed the viscous spherical barrier to the point of near-collapse.

Fairy Shi seized the opportunity to cast her spell, fully igniting the exotic treasure white jade bracelet in the sky, finally shattering the viscous spherical barrier.

"Jie Jie Jie... too late! When this old man wants to leave, he leaves!"

In the blink of an eye, the veiled man had already completed his escape technique. His entire form turned into a blood shadow and, with a speed surpassing that of a Fake-Dan cultivator, soared into the sky.

"Explode!"

Lan Chang'an, expressionless, commanded the mid-grade second-rank flying puppet to self-destruct above the man's head.

Boom!

The mid-grade second-rank puppet exploded, sending sparks and fragments flying, delivering an attack comparable to that of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The blood shadow tore through the explosion, letting out an angry roar as it tumbled through the sky, almost plummeting down.

Puff!

A mouthful of congealed blood, mixed with a few pieces of flesh, fell onto the lake's surface.

The blood shadow barely managed to stabilize itself before darting into the clouds, quickly distancing itself from Lan Chang'an and the other two.

"Cough, cough! Lan Chang'an... I'll remember today's grudge."

A sinister, raspy voice echoed from the horizon.

The blood shadow grew smaller and smaller as it disappeared into the distance.

...

Squeak! Squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat leaped onto the lake's surface, sniffing the bloodstains and devouring the few scattered pieces of flesh.

"Fairy Shi, this person is severely injured. After enduring a bitter battle, controlling the prototype magical treasure, and burning his blood essence and lifespan to use the Blood Shadow Escape, his vitality is greatly depleted. He won't get far."

Lan Chang'an glanced in the direction where the blood shadow disappeared and spoke calmly.

"Mm, he can at most escape a few hundred li." Fairy Shi nodded.

Lan Chang'an boarded Fairy Shi's top-tier second-rank flying boat, planning to use the Earth Burrowing Rat's sense of smell to track the enemy.

As for Mu Bingyun, she was still in decent condition, so Lan Chang'an instructed her to return to Wuqi Mountain first.

Aside from the Night Fisherman, there were no other significant threats in the surrounding area.

...

Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi piloted the flying boat, following the scent for over a hundred li.

Above a certain canyon, the flying boat came to a halt.

Squeak! Squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat hesitated, looking up at the sky, where three faint blood-colored trails extended in different directions.

"Fairy Shi, that Night Fisherman is skilled in tracking techniques and has mastered another blood-related secret technique related to Blood Shadow Escape, allowing him to create multiple decoy trails." Lan Chang'an pondered.

"Such advanced secret techniques are not something an ordinary loose cultivator could have learned." Fairy Shi remarked in surprise.

Lan Chang'an agreed with this point.

The Night Fisherman's magic power was deep, and the techniques he practiced even surpassed those of typical sect cultivators.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape from the encirclement of Fairy Shi, Lan Chang'an, and the Earth Burrowing Rat.

Although Lan Chang'an had held back earlier, his coordination with the puppet still played a significant role, second only to a late Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Given the situation, we should split up and pursue him."

Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi quickly agreed on a strategy.

Fairy Shi, Lan Chang'an, and the Earth Burrowing Rat each pursued one of the trails.

In the Night Fisherman's weakened state, with his life force drained and vitality severely depleted, his strength had fallen below fifty percent, possibly even weaker.

If Fairy Shi encountered him, she could likely take him down alone.

If Lan Chang'an or the Earth Burrowing Rat found him, they only needed to stall him without engaging directly and wait for reinforcements.

To facilitate communication, Lan Chang'an handed Fairy Shi a second-rank sensory talisman.

This talisman was divided into Yin and Yang halves and could not transmit specific messages. However, if one half was activated within a thousand li, the other would sense it.

Lan Chang'an and Fairy Shi each chose a direction to pursue.

The Earth Burrowing Rat took the remaining direction.

...

Lan Chang'an flew out for more than ten miles in the chosen direction before noticing that the aura gradually faded.

It seemed that he had been misled by a false shadow's aura.

In his previous life, Lan Chang'an had considerable expertise in the art of tracking and trusted his own judgment.

A drop of blood-red crystal the size of a grain of rice appeared in his palm. With the other hand, he formed a seal, closed his eyes, and began to sense.

The blood-red crystal hummed and trembled, consuming a portion of both his magical energy and spiritual sense.

A moment later, Lan Chang'an put away the blood-red crystal, revealing a look of surprise as he gazed southeast, in the direction leading to the heartland of the Liang Kingdom.

The Night Fisherman didn’t flee to a remote area?

Lan Chang'an activated the Evergreen Technique to conceal his aura and, relying mainly on his physical strength, skimmed low across the sky.

Every so often, he would merge his mind with the Nine Seal Stele, using his spiritual sense at the Immortal level to scan the surrounding several li.

"Found him."

Lan Chang'an discovered the traces of the Night Fisherman in an abandoned village.

The man lay in a cellar beneath the ruins, his aura weak and indistinct, as if in a state of hibernation. His life force was so faint it was almost like an ant’s.

Even an ordinary Fake-Dan Immortal might overlook him without careful inspection.

Lan Chang'an’s thoughts raced, considering several methods to kill the opponent without engaging in a direct confrontation.

For example, he could quietly release a colorless, odorless poison. Given the opponent's weakened state, he would surely be unable to withstand it. Alternatively, he could manipulate a puppet to approach and kill him up close.

If he wanted to keep things simple, he could sneak close and suddenly attack with a treasure talisman.

However, the power of a treasure talisman might be too strong, and damage the loot.

"Hmm?"

Lan Chang'an suddenly felt a disturbance and looked towards the southeast.

A dozen breaths later.

A streak of light from a Foundation Establishment cultivator cautiously flew through the night.

It was a tall, burly man dressed in black, trying his best to restrain his magical power fluctuations, yet he could not escape Lan Chang'an’s senses.

His cultivation had reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Though his spiritual power wasn’t as abundant as the Night Fisherman’s, it was more refined.

"Is it him?"

Lan Chang'an's spiritual sense swept over the man, seeing through his disguise. The man’s physique and bones had both been altered.

...

"Senior Brother Zhuo?" The man in black landed in front of the ruins and spoke in a low voice.

"Junior Brother Song, please come in."

From within the cellar came a weak male voice, completely different from the previously hoarse and aged tone.

The man in black moved aside a stone slab, entered the cellar, and then blocked the entrance again.

The veiled man removed his hat, revealing a pale, bloodless face with fierce eyebrows and tiger-like eyes. He appeared to be around forty years old.

The man in black's face and physique changed, returning to the appearance of a refined and elegant young man.

"Senior Brother Zhuo, how did you get so severely injured?" Song Wenshu asked with concern.

"It was Wuqi Mountain..." Senior Brother Zhuo gritted his teeth slightly, his eyes filled with resentment.

After hearing the whole story, Song Wenshu sighed softly, "Senior Brother Zhuo, didn't I tell you before? In my patrol area, as long as you don't target cultivators with influential backgrounds, you'll have nothing to worry about."

"The three peak masters of Wuqi Mountain are not pushovers. I mentioned this to you before. Besides, Junior Brother here has decent relations with them..."

"Senior brother misjudged. I initially thought that the three peak masters of Wuqi Mountain were, at best, slightly stronger loose cultivators, without any significant background." Senior Brother Zhuo sighed, explaining.

"Moreover, I didn’t directly attack anyone from Wuqi Mountain. Although Mu Bingyun has some connections with that 'Turtle Talisman Master' Lan Chang'an, the man is cowardly and avoids conflict. As long as there are no obvious loose ends, it shouldn’t be an issue."

"Mu Bingyun is an exceptionally rare female cultivator. If I offered her up, it might have pleased that person..."

Hearing this, Song Wenshu pondered for a moment.

From Senior Brother Zhuo’s perspective, there were indeed no significant mistakes; it was purely bad luck.

"Mu Bingyun was just bait, and you fell for it. Wuqi Mountain probably wanted to eliminate you all along."

"Tonight, Lan Chang'an and Shi Manrong's tryst in the cave mansion, I'm afraid it might have been staged for your spies to see."

As an outsider, Song Wenshu quickly pieced together the cause and effect.

"Forget it, I was careless. I’ll accept my loss today. I'll find another opportunity in the future..."

Senior Brother Zhuo smiled bitterly, temporarily suppressing his killing intent.

Song Wenshu handed a few bottles of healing pills to Senior Brother Zhuo and arranged a safe place for him.

"The identity of the Night Fisherman should not be used again for the next ten years. Find a quiet place to recuperate."

"Remember, in the Flame Departing Palace, you’re already considered 'dead'. If you let the other elders find out about your situation, not even the Palace Master will be able to protect you." Song Wenshu warned.

"Junior Brother Song, this is your share for the past year."

Senior Brother Zhuo chuckled, tossing a storage pouch over.

(End of chapter)