I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals
chapter-185

In the northern part of Feng Kingdom's battlefield, at Jin Yun Valley's temporary logistics outpost.

The formation lights in the valley by the riverbank had dimmed, and the hastily constructed pavilions and stone houses had collapsed, leaving behind only ruins and rubble.

The surrounding area was riddled with pits and scorch marks, with black smoke rising intermittently.

"Senior Sister Zhao, we owe our survival to you."

A surviving male Foundation Establishment cultivator from Jin Yun Valley looked toward the blood-stained, white-robed figure with lingering fear.

Not long ago, this place had witnessed a fierce battle, resulting in the loss of nearly twenty sect cultivators. Thanks to the advantage of the formation, they managed to repel the attack from Feng Kingdom's cultivators.

"We barely held out. If even our logistics outposts are being attacked like this, I can't imagine how the cultivators on the frontlines are faring."

Zhao Siyao's face was pale, her hair disheveled, and her once-fair and delicate side profile bore a couple of dark red scars.

Her shoulder had been pierced by a black spike, and the blood around it had already coagulated.

Hiss!

Zhao Siyao groaned, cold sweat beading on her forehead as she struggled to sit down, swallowing a few pills to regulate her chaotic breath.

"Senior Sister Zhao, your injuries are serious; you need immediate treatment."

A white-robed Foundation Establishment youth with a medicine bag on his back approached with concern.

"Junior Brother Qin, my injuries aren't fatal, I am just a bit weak. You should attend to the critically injured first." Zhao Siyao forced a smile, declining his offer.

The nearby Jin Yun Valley cultivators glanced at Junior Brother Qin with disdain in their eyes.

Junior Brother Qin, who was in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, was barely considered a healer. Due to this and the fact that his elder was a Fake-Dan cultivator from Jin Yun Valley, he had been assigned to the logistics outpost.

The deep penetration of the Feng Kingdom battlefield meant that even logistics cultivators often faced attacks and weren't particularly safe.

However, this Junior Brother Qin always claimed the role of a "healer" during battles, refusing to fight on the frontlines and preferring to hide in the back and avoid danger.

"Senior Sister Zhao, you're the head of this outpost and the strongest cultivator here. No one is more important than you. If the enemy returns before you've recovered, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Junior Brother Qin insisted, moving closer to treat Zhao Siyao.

"Senior Sister Zhao, your injuries take priority."

Another male Foundation Establishment cultivator agreed.

Left with no choice, Zhao Siyao allowed Junior Brother Qin to help her remove the black spike from her shoulder, detoxify the wound, and bandage it.

Aside from being cowardly, Junior Brother Qin had no other faults. He openly pursued Zhao Siyao, always expressing concern and offering words of comfort.

While bandaging her wound, he didn't display any inappropriate behavior.

"Senior Sister Zhao, it seems your leg is also injured? Let me treat it for you as well." Junior Brother Qin noticed something off about Zhao Siyao's calf.

Though her skirt concealed it, her movements betrayed the injury to his keen eyes.

"It's just a minor injury; there's no need to trouble you further. Junior Brother Qin, please attend to the critically injured disciples." Zhao Siyao smiled as she declined.

"Alright."

Junior Brother Qin was a bit disappointed but did not press the issue.

He called over a female healer at the late stage of Qi-Refining to treat Zhao Siyao's leg injury.

In truth, Zhao Siyao's leg was fractured, and the injury was not minor.

The female healer reset the bone and used spells to treat the wound before bandaging it.

This scene triggered a sense of déjà vu for Zhao Siyao, causing her to fall into a state of reminiscence, silent for a long time.

...

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air interrupted Zhao Siyao's thoughts.

Two streaks of light, one chasing the other, sped toward the outpost.

The leading figure was riding a gleaming silver flying shuttle, emitting the aura of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, his speed far surpassing that of an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"It's Senior Brother Zhang!"

The figure in front was a disheveled young man with slightly dark skin.

"Trouble! A Fake-Dan cultivator from the enemy is pursuing him!"

The pursuer's light was terrifying, exuding the aura of an Immortal's Core power.

It was a Fake-Dan cultivator.

The remaining group of cultivators at this Jin Yun Valley's temporary outpost were thrown into panic.

"Hahaha! Zhang Tieshan, this time I've come prepared. Let's see where you can run to now!"

Laughter echoed from several li away as an elderly man with white hair and a purple robe, a Fake-Dan cultivator, rode a misty purple cloud, his face full of mockery.

"A temporary outpost of my sect?"

Zhang Tieshan, who was gravely injured, saw the Jin Yun Valley banner and felt a moment of joy.

If he could get help from two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from his sect, they might be able to hold off the Fake-Dan cultivator.

However, seeing the wrecked scene in front of him, the cultivators in that outpost, who had obviously just gone through a deadly battle, were mostly wounded, and their combat power was hardly something to look forward to.

He hadn't intended to lead a Fake-Dan cultivator here, as it could spell disaster for everyone.

"Zhang Tieshan, this disaster star! If he wants to die, that's fine, but why drag us down with him?" Junior Brother Qin looked desperate and cursed angrily.

"It's useless to talk about this now."

Zhao Siyao's face turned grim, but she forced herself to calm down.

She sent a voice transmission: "Senior Brother Zhang, quickly retreat into the formation! We'll join forces to resist the Immortal."

"Junior Sister Zhao, I've caused you trouble."

Zhang Tieshan forced a bitter smile, gritting his teeth as he flew toward the temporary outpost.

Even if he changed direction now, the pursuing Core Formation cultivator might not spare Zhao Siyao and the others, and could easily slaughter these wounded cultivators in passing.

Pfft!

As Zhang Tieshan landed, he stumbled and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Senior Brother Zhang, your injuries..."

"During the fight earlier, my internal organs were injured by 'Purple Maple Immortal,' but I took some secret medicine to temporarily suppress it..." Zhang Tieshan steadied himself and swallowed two brown-red pills.

Just as he caught his breath.

Boom! The formation of the temporary outpost shook violently, creating a gap.

Two screams were heard from Jin Yun Valley's side.

The shockwave from the Fake-Dan cultivator's attack killed two late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators who were healing their wounds.

"Senior Brother Zhang, the formation was damaged in the previous battle. To deal with the Fake-Dan cultivator, we'll have to rely on ourselves." Zhao Siyao reminded him.

As they spoke, the white-haired Fake-Dan cultivator activated a gourd-shaped magical treasure.

Boom! Boom!

The gourd spewed out deep purple condensed fireballs that exploded in the air and on the ground, creating massive clouds of fire.

Zhang Tieshan activated a metal sphere-like prototype magical treasure, consuming a large amount of his mana.

The metal sphere radiated a golden light, expanding to the size of a house, resembling a small sun with thousands of metal threads swirling around it, facing the gourd's fireballs head-on.

Zhao Siyao and the three other wounded Foundation Establishment cultivators each wielded their own supreme-grade magical weapons to assist in resisting the white-haired Fake-Dan cultivator's assault.

For the moment, they managed to withstand the first wave of the Fake-Dan cultivator's attacks.

However, both Zhang Tieshan and Zhao Siyao, the main forces at the late Foundation Establishment stage, were seriously injured and had consumed a lot of mana.

As for the early and mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, they could hardly pose a significant threat to a Fake-Dan cultivator.

"Purple Maple Immortal, we have come to assist."

At that moment, the sound of something breaking through the air came from the distant mountains.

Three injured Foundation Establishment cultivators laughed arrogantly as they returned, followed by several late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators.

"These are the cultivators from 'Golden Sun Sect,' the affiliated sect that attacked us earlier." Junior Brother Qin's face turned pale, and his heart sank.

With this, they lost even the numerical advantage and couldn't withstand the frontal assault led by a Fake-Dan cultivator.

"Fellow disciples, this is a life-and-death moment. If you have any means left, use them now." Zhang Tieshan sent a solemn voice transmission.

"Our only chance of survival is to seriously injure or even kill Purple Maple Immortal before his reinforcements arrive."

"Injure or kill a Fake-Dan cultivator?"

Junior Brother Qin's eyes widened, thinking Zhang Tieshan had lost his mind.

"Senior Brother Zhang, you're the strongest among us. We'll follow your lead." Zhao Siyao took a deep breath, her delicate hand subtly resting near her chest.

She had kept her strongest trump card close to her at all times, never revealing it to anyone.

"Magical treasures wielded by Fake-Dan cultivators cannot be sustained for long. 'Purple Maple Immortal' has also consumed a lot of energy while chasing me. When he starts to falter, that will be our chance!"

As Zhang Tieshan communicated via voice transmission, he and Zhao Siyao charged toward Purple Maple Immortal, one in front of the other.

"A mere remnant of troops, how can hope to injure this Immortal?"

Purple Maple Immortal, seeing through Zhang Tieshan and Zhao Siyao's intentions, sneered. Standing atop his gourd-shaped magical treasure, he activated his protective barrier and responded with confidence and ease.

Zhang Tieshan and Zhao Siyao's combined assault barely scratched Purple Maple Immortal.

Their all-out attack left them vulnerable, and Purple Maple Immortal's counterattack only worsened their injuries.

Zhao Siyao's white robes were now blackened by the flames, and her once flawless, snow-like skin was smeared with ash and soot.

"Is this all you’ve got, Zhang Tieshan?" Purple Maple Immortal stroked his beard with a mocking smile.

Years ago, Zhang Tieshan had managed to escape his pursuit, leaving behind a stain on his reputation.

This time, however, he was well-prepared, diligently refining his escape techniques and approaching the battle with careful precision, giving no room for complacency.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At this moment, three Feng Kingdom Foundation Establishment cultivators were rapidly approaching the scene.

Like Purple Maple Immortal, they wore confident smiles, certain of their impending victory.

However, those smiles quickly froze on their faces.

Crack! Boom—

Zhang Tieshan's metal sphere-like magical treasure prototype suddenly exploded, unleashing a torrent of metallic shards that engulfed Purple Maple Immortal and his gourd treasure.

The explosion's power exceeded even the full-force attack of an ordinary Fake-Dan cultivator.

But that alone wasn't enough to deliver a fatal blow.

At the same time, Zhao Siyao activated a talisman, releasing a surge of spiritual energy powerful enough to alarm even a True-Dan Core Formation cultivator.

No one noticed that this talisman was slightly larger than usual, imbued with a certain spiritual essence.

Roar!

In an instant, a dragon-shaped wave of water, thirty zhang long, took form, its roar reverberating through the air, sending chills down the spine. The dragon's head transformed into a towering pillar of water that streaked across the sky.

"A third-rank talisman, no—"

Purple Maple Immortal's scalp tingled with dread as his pupils reflected the dragon's head plummeting down from the sky.

His defenses, already breached by Zhang Tieshan's exploding metal sphere, left him utterly powerless against this water-based spell, which was slightly more potent than what a True-Dan Core Formation cultivator could typically produce.

Crash! Boom!

The dragon's head pillar, carrying an overwhelming force, engulfed Purple Maple Immortal, shattering the dim protective glow around his body in an instant.

Ugh!

The immense, unstoppable force was like a dam bursting, causing the Fake-Dan cultivator to cough up blood as his internal organs were nearly pulverized.

"The power of this talisman..."

Zhang Tieshan's eyes twitched as he looked at Zhao Siyao in disbelief.

His plan was to seriously injure the Immortal, win a chance of survival, and allow Zhao Siyao and the others to assist and slightly share the pressure.

But he had never expected to actually kill Purple Maple Immortal.

"We’ve really stirred up trouble now!" Zhang Tieshan muttered under his breath, barely audible.

Swish!

Purple Maple Immortal's body, flung by the torrent, was suddenly pierced through the heart by a gleaming fragment of metal.

The Fake-Dan Immortal of Feng Kingdom died with eyes wide open in disbelief, his body and magical treasure plummeting to the ground.

"A third-rank talisman! Run—"

The three approaching Foundation Establishment cultivators from Feng Kingdom were struck by the water dragon's wave, killing two of the more seriously injured ones on the spot.

Ugh!

Zhao Siyao spat out blood, her face as pale as paper.

Due to her inexperience, she had not perfectly guided the power of the Core Formation level talisman, almost injuring herself in the process.

"Cough, cough... Junior Sister Zhao, we've managed to kill a Fake-Dan Immortal, narrowly escaping death and earning a great merit."

Zhang Tieshan, blood-stained but smiling, staggered as he and Zhao Siyao landed on the ground.

"A Fake-Dan Immortal has fallen?"

The remaining Jin Yun Valley cultivators, including Junior Brother Qin, were either shocked or overjoyed.

Zhao Siyao stared at the ashes of the talisman in her hand, her heart surging with complex emotions, unable to speak for a long time.

The power of this talisman, quietly given to her by Lan Chang'an years ago, far exceeded her expectations.

For the first time, a hint of mystery arose within her heart towards this turtle friend who she had been friends with for a century.

"Fortunately, Junior Sister Zhao had a third-rank talisman; otherwise, today would have been much more dangerous." Zhang Tieshan remarked, though he didn't inquire about the origin of the talisman.

In Liang Kingdom's cultivation world, a few true disciples of major sects might be bestowed with such life-saving items from their elders.

"That talisman was something I found by chance in an ancient antique store years ago in the mortal world. Unfortunately, I only had the one."

Zhao Siyao said briefly, then quickly changed the subject, asking, "Daoist Zhang, you were chased to this place by a Fake-Dan cultivator. How is the situation on the frontlines?"

"We suffered a crushing defeat on the frontlines!" Zhang Tieshan sighed heavily, his face weary and weak as he sat down to recover.

"How could we suffer such a defeat when we clearly had the advantage?"

As they recovered, the two continued to communicate via voice transmission.

"Our army of cultivators was ambushed by forces led by the Blood Sword Valley when we attacked the 'Tantai Family,' the number one family of Feng Kingdom..."

"Several True-Dans from Liang Kingdom's sects perished, and even our Jin Yun Valley lost a mid-Core Formation Immortal."

"What's even more terrifying is that that battle erupted into a Nascent Soul-level battle. It's said that even the Supreme Elder of Flame Departing Palace..."

Zhang Tieshan's emotions wavered, and he almost didn't dare to speak further.

(End of chapter)