I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals
Chapter 437: Evergreen Battle

Chapter 437: Evergreen Battle

Heads up! Updates have resumed on patreon(thanks to MarcTempesto form Fenrir!), and the update schedule will be adjusted to match the author's pace, a chapter every other day(Yes, the author started writing again last week for those who don't know yet lol). That's all, enjoy the chappy^^

Lan Chang'an carefully observed the green-robed man riding atop the fourth-rank Peng Bird.

The familiar aura radiating from the man stirred instinctive excitement and joy within the Evergreen Nascent Soul inside Lan Chang'an.

True Monarch Cyanwood’s cultivation had reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage, with magical power surpassing Lan Chang'an’s own.

During the Demonic War, Lan Chang'an had identified True Monarch Cyanwood as a latent threat.

Through his fourth-rank divination, he had even discerned Cyanwood’s general movements and secret plans.

Rather than letting this hidden danger remain in the shadows, suspended like a sword over his head, Lan chose to seize the initiative, to bring it into the open.

True Monarch Cyanwood also examined Lan Chang'an, his face expressionless, though his heart surged with anticipation.

If he could obtain this opportunity, not only would his breakthrough to mid-stage Nascent Soul be guaranteed, but his lifespan would increase significantly, and his foundation would deepen greatly.

Lan Chang'an suddenly turned his gaze toward the Grand Elder of Beast King Valley and said coldly:

“Grand Elder, after all this effort in putting on our little act, don’t you think it’s time we close the net?”

What?!

Hearing this, True Monarch Cyanwood’s heart lurched, his pupils narrowing to pinpoints.

His eyes flickered with wariness as he looked between the two, Lan Chang'an and the Grand Elder, who now seemed to be locking eyes knowingly. His body instinctively shifted into a defensive retreat posture.

“Don’t listen to his nonsense!”

The Grand Elder of Beast King Valley froze for a moment, then his expression turned grim as he clutched his not-yet-healed chest wound, extremely agitated.

He had lost ten years of lifespan to “put on this show,” it was indeed exhausting.

Unfortunately, True Monarch Cyanwood was unaware of the details of the fight.

While hidden earlier, in order to avoid detection by Lan Chang'an, a cultivator of the same Evergreen Technique, he had sealed his Nascent Soul and spiritual power, greatly reducing his senses, and remained over a thousand li away.

Looking at Cyanwood’s highly alert posture, the Grand Elder knew any explanation was now meaningless.

He and Cyanwood had only ever used each other, there was no real trust between them.

True Monarch Cyanwood was extremely cautious by nature.

Previously, he hadn’t even met with Beast King Valley’s higher-ups directly. All communication had been through indirect messaging.

The Grand Elder’s gaze flickered as he looked between the two cultivators who shared the same lineage, their spiritual auras were nearly identical.

Lan Chang'an’s lips moved subtly, accompanied by faint spiritual sense fluctuations, suggesting he might be secretly communicating with voice transmission.

The Grand Elder’s heart tensed. He grew wary.

After all, Beast King Valley was a mutual enemy of these two “brothers.”

Especially Cyanwood, he had nearly lost his life years ago when being hunted by a joint force from Beast King Valley and the Unseen Gate.

Who could say these two wouldn’t come to a temporary agreement to deal with him, the “outsider,” first, then settle their personal grievances?

Lan Changqing practiced a lifespan-reducing forbidden art, a massive threat to the Grand Elder. It was very possible that his “senior martial brother” Cyanwood possessed a similar technique.

“If these two joined forces…”

The thought alone caused the Grand Elder to feel a sense of crisis he hadn’t experienced in centuries.

Even if they were just ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, they wouldn’t be able to threaten his life.

But forbidden techniques that consumed lifespan were the bane of old monsters like him.

Even with his natal Heavenly Silkworm extending his life, and all sorts of rare pills and elixirs, he had only two to three hundred years of lifespan remaining, he could not afford to squander it.

...

The three Nascent Soul cultivators on the field fell into a brief standoff. Each eyed the others with vigilance and suspicion, maintaining distance. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense and strange.

Lan Chang'an secretly chuckled, he could sense that the triangle of mutual suspicion had fully closed.

Each of the three had no trust in the other two, and all regarded each other as potential enemies.

Among them, True Monarch Cyanwood bore the greatest risk and trust deficit.

This area was part of the battlefield between the Righteous Dao Alliance and Beast King Valley. Both Lan Chang'an and the Grand Elder had faction support and numerous allied Nascent Soul cultivators behind them.

Even if Cyanwood suspected Lan Chang'an of trickery, he couldn’t afford to drop his guard and risk being wounded, only to have the Demonic Sect forces swoop in for the kill, leading to another deadly pursuit.

While the three held their positions…

Two hundred li behind Lan Chang'an, the front-line stronghold stirred with motion.

The city’s great formation was fully activated as Fairy Xia led several Core Formation cultivators and elite forces in a swift retreat toward the borders of the Feng Kingdom.

It appeared she planned to return to the main command base deep within Feng Kingdom, then proceed to reinforce the southern front of the main battlefield, a safer and more direct route.

Lord Earthrock emerged near the stronghold to cover the retreat of Fairy Xia and the elite troops.

Before leaving, Fairy Xia looked back in the direction of Lan Chang'an.

Though they were always close and respectful to each other, she could never shake the feeling that her husband carried many hidden secrets.

“I’ll do as you say.”

She strictly followed Lan Chang'an’s instructions left in the jade slip.

At the front lines, the only person she was to trust was Zhang Tieshan. Any familiar cultivator she encountered alone, she must never trust completely.

The Grand Elder also noticed Fairy Xia’s movements.

True Monarch Xuanbing’s combat strength was on par with veteran Nascent Soul cultivators. If she managed to lead elites to reinforce the main battlefield, the impact would be significant.

He raised his hand, the thumb ring on his finger shimmered faintly, transmitting strategic information from the main battlefield.

The news wasn’t good.

The situation on the front lines was deteriorating, the pressure of attack was intense, and the casualties were severe.

The Grand Elder’s brows furrowed. Despite restraining the massive threat Lan Chang'an and stalling Fairy Xia, the frontlines were still in disarray.

The loss of True Monarch Black Feather and Elder Ten Thousand Crane had hit Beast King Valley hard.

And the Righteous Dao Alliance’s fighting spirit was nothing like it had been in past wars against the Demonic Path.

“Although the Grand Elder is a fourth-rank divination grandmaster, he's just one step short. Even if Lan doesn't join the frontlines, the chances of victory for the Righteous Dao Alliance are still much higher.”

Lan Chang'an smiled calmly, transmitting his voice as he spoke. In True Monarch Cyanwood’s eyes, the two of them seemed to be conspiring.

“Surely the Grand Elder doesn’t naively believe the Ten Great Xuan Sects won’t intervene in this cultivation war?”

“The Ten Great Sects? After the Sacred Sect’s eastern expansion, they’ve abided by the pact and never sent Nascent Soul cultivators to interfere directly in such wars.”

The Grand Elder shook his head, dismissing Lan Chang'an’s suggestion.

The Ten Great Sects without an external enemy had no unity, they were like a headless dragon, fragmented and consumed by internal strife. That powerful Great Cultivator from back then had long departed from Great Qing, and his lifespan must be near its end.

“Heh… Do you really think manpower is the only form of intervention? Grand elder should have heard of the ancient treasure Heaven-Shaking Drum? The extraordinary treasure Demon-Sundering Heavensteel Blade? And of course, the ‘Hunter King Grand Array’ of the Central Region…”

Lan Chang'an remained serene, his smile confident.

The Grand Elder’s heart sank. He began to calculate once more and found that the fog of fate that had once shrouded the battlefield had completely lifted.

Due to the precarious state of the Eastern Region’s native powers, the leaders of the Ten Great Sects had provided the Righteous Dao Alliance with unprecedented levels of strategic resources.

Some of these legendary treasures were particularly effective at countering Beast King Valley or Demonic Path cultivation methods.

Moreover, the Ten Great Sects may have even called in assistance from outside the sects, technically not violating the original pact, including providing strategic “skill guidance.”

In the past, Beast King Valley’s overwhelming strength had rendered such aid insignificant.

But now, every small edge would become a weight on the balance scale.

...

“Sigh, a single misstep!”

“Both of us are fourth-rank divination grandmasters, can that ‘Heavenly Master’ of Fengyuan Kingdom truly outclass this old man by so much?”

The Grand Elder sighed inwardly, finally realizing that with the Heavenly Master standing behind Lan Chang'an, his grand scheme had ultimately come up short.

He shifted his gaze toward True Monarch Cyanwood:

“Fellow Daoist Cyanwood! As we agreed beforehand, I fought with Lan Changqing, leaving his mind wounded and spiritual power greatly depleted.”

“From here on, it’s your turn.”

The Grand Elder spoke as if his conscience was clear, simply fulfilling his part of the agreement.

Whoosh!

A surge of immense spiritual power erupted from his body, and with far greater speed than before, he shot toward the main battlefield.

In truth, the Grand Elder had never intended to genuinely cooperate with True Monarch Cyanwood.

Now that the situation on the battlefield was turning unfavorable, he needed to return to defend.

Rather than remain here entangled in mental games and mutual suspicion, it was better to let these two “fellow disciples” fight it out and both suffer losses.

The outcome of this cultivation war, and the survival of Beast King Valley, remained his primary concern.

“That old bastard…”

The Grand Elder’s abrupt departure left True Monarch Cyanwood with a dark expression, he couldn’t shake the feeling of having been used and betrayed.

Then again, the Grand Elder leaving wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

With one powerful Demonic Sect leader gone, there was no need for political maneuvering, and the risk of the unknown was drastically reduced.

More importantly, it was a one-against-one situation now.

Though he didn’t claim absolute confidence, with the Grand Elder gone, even if he failed to take down Lan Chang'an, he was at least confident in escaping unscathed.

Lan Chang'an showed no emotion as he watched the Grand Elder vanish into the distance.

It was true that Beast King Valley was struggling on the frontlines and their casualties were mounting, but they weren’t yet on the brink of collapse.

The Grand Elder returning to the front was indeed the most rational and cautious move. At the very least, it spared him further risk.

But Lan Chang'an pursued maximum gains.

If he could quickly eliminate True Monarch Cyanwood, he could return to the battlefield in time.

At that point, with no more need to hide his strength or keep a low profile, he could strike decisively, a single hammer blow to settle the outcome!

Of course, there were risks but most of them would fall on the Righteous Dao Alliance.

Lan Chang'an dared to gamble, he wasn’t afraid of the Alliance suffering a defeat.

The Grand Elder, on the other hand, dared not gamble.

Moreover, with the Heavenly Master aiding him remotely, concealing fate, steering destiny, Lan Chang'an had long since planted a dark mine in Beast King Valley.

Whether or not he could secure the final great victory, and reshape the entire Eastern Region, this next confrontation would be critical.

...

“Fellow Daoist Cyanwood, where did you obtain the Evergreen Technique?”

Lan Chang'an took the initiative to ask, the Black Heaven Wings unfurling behind him, black winds coiling about as if he could retreat and rush to the frontlines at any moment.

True Monarch Cyanwood’s spiritual sense locked tightly onto Lan Chang'an.

The power of his spiritual sense was on par with mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators!

The fourth-rank Peng Bird beneath him shifted to the side, cutting off Lan Chang'an’s escape path.

“From an ancient cave dwelling. It’s said to have been a temporary abode of the legendary great cultivator Yan Donglai from ten thousand years ago.”

True Monarch Cyanwood replied unhurriedly as the Peng Bird subtly drew closer.

He then countered: “And where did Fellow Daoist Lan obtain the Evergreen Technique?”

“What a coincidence I also obtained it from a cave-dwelling once used by Yan Donglai.”

Lan Chang'an laughed boldly. He wasn’t lying.

In his previous life, Xu Xuan had acquired half a volume of the Evergreen Technique from Yan Donglai’s cave.

Now, hearing this confirmed by Cyanwood, Lan Chang'an couldn’t help but form some theories.

It seemed Yan Donglai had traveled extensively across Heaven Honoured Continent, perhaps even overseas.

“Fellow Daoist Cyanwood, you seem to have been stuck at the peak of early Nascent Soul for some time. Why haven’t you broken through to mid-stage?”

Lan Chang'an pressed further.

As Cyanwood inched closer, Lan Chang'an subtly shifted backward, maintaining distance.

Unknowingly, his route toward the Feng Kingdom and the Demonic battlefield was already cut off by Cyanwood.

“Haha! Precisely because I’m unable to break through, your senior brother has crossed regions to seek you out, Junior Brother for a good honest debate on the Dao!”

True Monarch Cyanwood smiled kindly, his tone intimate.

But before his words had fully landed, the fourth-rank Peng Bird shrieked sharply, its wings whipping up a gale of furious wind, closing the distance toward Lan Chang'an in a flash!

“Fellow Daoist Cyanwood! Wait!”

“I still have more to say! There’s no need for us to fight to the death…”

Lan Chang'an cried out in alarm as he hastily retreated.

“Cut the nonsense! Once I’ve subdued you, we’ll have all the time in the world to ‘discuss.’”

Being near the Righteous Dao Alliance’s territory, True Monarch Cyanwood couldn’t afford delays, the longer he stalled, the greater the risk of intervention.

Lan Chang'an’s evasiveness might well be a deliberate stall tactic, waiting for reinforcements from the Alliance.

...

Several hundred li away, within a mountain forest…

The faster fourth-rank Peng Bird and True Monarch Cyanwood finally caught up to Lan Chang'an.

Yi-Wood Sword Qi!

With a swipe of his finger, dozens of translucent green sword auras marked with wood-grain patterns shot forth like spring rain, enveloping the area where Lan Chang'an was.

The sword qi appeared gentle, but it carried a deadly killing intent.

Lan Chang'an’s skin chilled. His body split into several green afterimages, dodging rapidly.

Puff! Puff! Sssht!

All of his illusionary clones were shredded by the Yi-Wood Sword Qi.

Lan Chang'an escaped several li away in a single breath, his protective barrier damaged, looking quite disheveled.

True Monarch Cyanwood's spiritual power was stronger and, with the Yi-Wood Dao Body, his wood-element techniques, especially sword-based divine abilities were greatly enhanced.

Boom! Boom!

Lord Earthrock cast earth-type spells, raising mounds and peaks of stone around Lan Chang'an, blocking much of the Yi-Wood Sword Qi.

Many of those stone hills were shaved smooth by the sword qi, shocking to witness.

Lan Chang'an’s eyes gleamed. He quickly formed hand seals, condensing a flurry of green leaves around him, their emerald light surging.

Illusory Leaf Flying Swords!

The countless green leaves transformed into flickering flying swords, phantasmal and erratic in movement. Though they appeared slow, they struck toward Cyanwood in an instant.

“Wood-element sword qi fused with illusion techniques? That's rare in Great Qing.”

True Monarch Cyanwood felt a faint sting in his spiritual sense, his consciousness momentarily disturbed.

He quickly composed himself, slashing out more Yi-Wood Sword Qi, which swallowed and annihilated the flying leaf swords.

At the same time, the fourth-rank Peng Bird targeted Lord Earthrock, using either razor talons or powerful wind blades to suppress him, forcing him to retreat underground.

In Demon King form, Lord Earthrock’s rocky skin was marred with cracks. It clearly held deep fear toward the Peng Bird circling above.

In terms of cultivation, Lord Earthrock might barely edge out the Peng Bird.

But when it came to bloodline and species, the Peng Bird had the upper hand and even held some degree of natural suppression over Lord Earthrock.

For the moment, both Lan Chang'an and his spirit beast were being suppressed by True Monarch Cyanwood’s side.

Spirit pet versus spirit pet. Master versus master.

In one-on-one combat, Lan Chang'an was at a disadvantage in cultivation. Meanwhile, True Monarch Cyanwood’s Yi-Wood Dao Body enhanced his wood-based spells.

Even though Lan Chang'an’s Illusory Leaf Flying Swords were subtle and quite formidable, they were still easily suppressed.

Lan Chang'an then summoned his Dragonwood Staff, which transformed into a towering tree to block the endless flow of Yi-Wood Sword Qi.

True Monarch Cyanwood chuckled, summoning a strange, thick, charred wooden stake.

Zzzzt!

Blue lightning flickered across its surface, its aura fearsome and it resembled a divine Heavenly Tribulation.

“Thunderwood Stake! You actually possess such a rare innate treasure!”

Lan Chang'an’s expression changed drastically as his spiritual power surged in defense.

Amid lightning and thunder, the Thunderwood Stake struck the Dragonwood Staff like a lightning dragon crashing down. The blood-red dragon patterns along the staff's surface sizzled and smoked.

The Dragonwood Staff, in its tree form, dimmed in spiritual light and shrank rapidly, returning to Lan Chang'an’s side. Its engraved restriction patterns had been lightly damaged.

“True Monarch Cyanwood, you go too far!”

Lan Chang'an’s face darkened. He unfurled his Black Heaven Wings, dodging and retreating as he fought.

Now, he fully understood why Cyanwood had been so confident in crossing regions to come here.

Despite having the same cultivation art, Cyanwood had greater cultivation, a Dao Body, superior spirit beast, and even more refined treasures, all of which countered Lan Chang'an’s strengths.

...

“Lan Changqing, why haven’t you summoned your puppet army formation?”

True Monarch Cyanwood pressured Lan Chang'an with Yi-Wood Sword Qi and the Thunderwood Stake. Lan Chang'an could barely hold on, retreating repeatedly.

“And Your Excellency hasn't activated the ‘Azure Profound Sword Formation’ either.”

Lan Chang'an sneered coldly. If he deployed his puppet army formation, he would be drawn into a positional battle.

At that point, True Monarch Cyanwood would inevitably deploy his devastating Azure Profound Sword Formation.

Once the puppet formation was set, Lan Chang'an would become a fixed target, trapped within Cyanwood’s sword net.

That’s why Lan Chang'an kept retreating, skirmishing and never engaging in fixed formation combat.

“Lan Changqing, you are sharp indeed! But with this constant dodging, you don’t even have the courage to fight head-on. The fortune you carry was meant to be mine.”

True Monarch Cyanwood looked down from above, his tone cold and condescending. He extended a finger toward Lan Chang'an.

Whoosh!

A piece of radiant, green spiritual wood shot through the air like an arrow, landing just in front of Lan Chang'an.

“Hmm? What is that…?”

Lan Chang'an instinctively dodged.

Yet the green spiritual wood didn’t attack him. It stabbed into the grass a short distance away.

At that very moment—

The Peng Bird, which had been suppressing Lord Earthrock, transformed into a streak of wind and lightning, moving with mid-stage Nascent Soul-level speed, and rapidly closed in on Lan Chang'an.

Its massive wings stirred up a gale. At its core, a dark green wind vortex erupted, enveloping several li around Lan Chang'an.

The hurricane’s strong pull offset part of the lift provided by Lan Chang'an’s Black Heaven Wings.

His hair flew wildly. His protective barrier crackled and hissed, torn open by several wind blades.

Just like that, Lan Chang'an’s speed dropped sharply. He was forced to stay, unable to flee any longer.

“Master!”

Lord Earthrock’s face twisted in guilt. It burst from the ground, leaping like a radish from dry soil, hurling itself toward the Peng Bird, determined to entangle it to death.

Lan Chang'an knew Lord Earthrock was giving it his all.

But the Peng Bird’s high mobility, coupled with its racial advantage, meant Lord Earthrock couldn’t hold it for long.

And then something strange happened.

Buzz!

The piece of spiritual wood planted in the ground pulsed with green light. Its engraved lines grew increasingly refined and vivid.

From facial features to limbs and torso…

The wood radiated Yi-Wood essence and transformed into a lifelike wood-grain man, identical in appearance to True Monarch Cyanwood.

“That’s… the legendary wood-element divine ability, Yi-Wood Clone!”

Lan Chang'an exclaimed in genuine shock.

This was a real surprise, not acting like before.

Before the Deity Transformation Realm, creating a clone was extremely difficult.

To cultivate a Yi-Wood Clone, one needed a rare cultivation method or innate talent, as well as an extraordinary piece of Yi-Wood Spirit Timber of at least top fourth-rank.

...

The wood-grain man's face was stiff and emotionless. He formed hand seals as Nascent Soul-level wood-type spiritual power surged from his body.

Wood aura erupted like a tidal wave.

Thick green vines as wide as serpents unfurled, crisscrossing the area around Lan Chang'an and encasing it in layer upon layer of verdant bindings.

One vine had already coiled around Lan Chang'an’s ankle.

“Lan Changqing, still not surrendering—?”

True Monarch Cyanwood’s eyes gleamed with cold light as he spread his arms, summoning sixteen Azure Profound Swords.

The sixteen swords each grew to ten zhang in length, flashing with pale emerald light. Like silkworms weaving silk, they released interlacing sword qi, quickly forming the net of a sword array.

Once complete, the array would trap and kill Lan Changqing.

True Monarch Cyanwood’s heart surged with emotion. To master techniques like the Azure Profound Sword Formation, the Yi-Wood Dao Body, and others, he had poured in countless years of effort and lifespan.

Converting his life essence into power, he had kept a low profile in peacetime, then struck in key moments to kill and seize treasure, strengthening himself step by step.

This was his path to growth.

...

At the moment of crisis, Lan Chang'an remained calm as still water, allowing the vine spell from the Yi-Wood Clone to bind his legs.

He opened his palm. The Five Birds Venom Fire Fan floated above it as Evergreen spiritual power surged into this high-quality magical treasure.

All around him, thick vines closed in tightly, sealing off every path of retreat.

“Open!”

Lan Chang'an activated the Venom Fire Fan, swinging it viciously toward True Monarch Cyanwood, who was in the middle of deploying his sword array.

Boom—!

The ancient, black-feathered fan glowed with five colors of spiritual light, releasing five compressed and twisted balls of poisonfire colored green, blue, red, purple, and cyan, each emanating a deadly aura.

Along with a cacophony of five chaotic bird cries, the five balls of poisonfire swept out in a fan shape, blasting toward True Monarch Cyanwood and the Yi-Wood Clone simultaneously.

The exploding multicolored poisonfire instantly incinerated the vines around Lan Chang'an into charred dust, bursting apart into black powder that filled the sky.

The wood-grain clone formed hand seals and stepped in front of Cyanwood, erecting a foot-thick barrier of green spiritual light.

But under the continuous bombardment of the five poisonfire blasts, the wood-element barrier shattered violently.

Boom!

The clone was blasted into the air by the force of the explosions. His body was blackened and cracked, heavily injured.

The Yi-Wood Clone only had the spiritual strength of an early Nascent Soul cultivator, and its wooden body was inherently countered by fire-type spells, making it incapable of resisting the full force of the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan.

“Impressive… This fan seems to be an imitation of the legendary spiritual treasure Five Birds Venom Fire Fan.”

True Monarch Cyanwood’s Azure Profound Sword Formation was on the verge of completion. Azure-green sword lights flickered across the sky, opening up like a great maw preparing to devour Lan Chang'an.

Suddenly—!

From within the dispersing poisonfire, three Feathered Poison Needles shot out in total silence, as swift as thunderbolts.

The clicking of mechanical components inside the Venom Fire Fan only echoed after the needles had already been released.

“Careful!”

True Monarch Cyanwood’s face shifted, he hadn’t anticipated hidden poison needles being unleashed after the fan’s primary attack.

Of the three needles, only one aimed at Cyanwood himself.

The other two curved off along eerie trajectories, concealed by the lingering poison smoke, shooting straight toward the fourth-rank Peng Bird, which was still clashing with Lord Earthrock.

The Peng Bird and Lord Earthrock had already escalated into a fierce brawl.

By the time the Peng Bird heard its master’s warning, the two poison needles were already at point-blank range.

One aimed directly for its face, forcing the bird to react with explosive speed, flapping its wings furiously to dodge.

Sssht!

The second needle pierced its massive wing, striking clean through.

“Fourth-rank venom!”

A stabbing, numbing pain spread through the bird’s injured wing. The mixed poison rapidly spread along the wing, infiltrating its torso and throughout its entire body.

Despite being a fourth-rank Avian King, its physical body although stronger than that of a human Nascent Soul cultivator was still weaker than scaled beasts or demonic animals.

Now poisoned and wounded, the Peng Bird’s speed and strength rapidly deteriorated.

Whoosh!

Lord Earthrock, its eyes bloodshot, stirred up a sandstorm and lunged ferociously at the bird, locking on and refusing to let go, no matter the cost.

“This kid is truly insidious and treacherous!”

Hearing his spirit beast cry out, True Monarch Cyanwood’s expression turned grim as he maintained the sword array.

The poison needle aimed at him hadn’t even reached his body before a Azure Profound Sword flew forth and deflected it.

Still, at this critical moment, he couldn’t spare the energy to protect his spirit beast. He focused entirely on manipulating the interwoven sword lights of the Azure Profound Sword Formation, which now enveloped several hundred zhang, completely trapping Lan Chang'an.

Lan Chang'an did not hesitate to respond.

Around him, sixteen superior-grade third-rank puppets emerged, each channeling massive currents of puppet force lightning, forming a dense purple-blue light barrier that flashed with electric arcs.

These sixteen puppets represented the maximum scale of his puppet army formation, a setup capable of withstanding the attacks of even a peak early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in a positional fight.

“So he was hiding this deep… Earlier intelligence said he only had four puppets in his formation.”

True Monarch Cyanwood was mildly stunned.

The Azure Profound Sword Formation’s azure-green sword lights surged like a tidal wave, constantly striking against the puppet army’s energy shield.

The sounds of metal grinding against wood rang out in sharp, painful waves.

The puppet energy barrier trembled, its glow fluctuating. Occasionally, tiny cracks appeared, only to be rapidly repaired by reinfused puppet energy.

Even the formidable Azure Profound Sword Formation could not quickly break through a puppet formation of this level.

“Pity… I still haven’t tested all of his defensive means.”

Lan Chang'an felt a slight pang of regret as he retracted the three Feathered Poison Needles back into the Venom Fire Fan.

...

"Break the formation together."

With his spirit beast and clone both suffering losses, True Monarch Cyanwood sensed that something was going wrong, he could no longer afford to drag this out.

He took out a weathered ancient mirror, which transformed into a cold beam of light and flew into the hand of his Yi-Wood Clone.

The wood-grain figure received the mirror and channeled Nascent Soul-level wood-type spiritual power into it.

Buzz!

The mirror shimmered, gathering into a brilliant beam of mystic light, flickering with patches of green, blue, and red.

"Northern Polar Mystic Light!"

Lan Chang'an’s expression changed. He recognized the technique but, with his focus on defending against Cyanwood and the Azure Profound Sword Formation, he couldn’t intercept in time.

Pfft!

The thick puppet barrier was pierced through by the Mystic Light, leaving a gaping hole and striking one of the sixteen puppets directly.

Boom!

The puppet hit in the chest exploded on the spot, its core scorched black.

Thankfully, the rest of the formation remained unaffected.

Still, the puppet army’s combat strength immediately dropped by nearly ten percent.

"A mere clone dares act so wildly!"

Lan Chang'an scowled and turned his gaze toward the wood-grain man holding the mirror.

At this moment, he was essentially fighting two Nascent Soul cultivators at once.

And the more powerful the treasure, the greater the burden on one’s spiritual power and spiritual sense.

Lan Chang'an was already pushing his limits controlling the puppet army while also wielding the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan.

The Yi-Wood Clone however was capable of operating the magical treasure on Cyanwood’s behalf.

Lan Chang'an casually flicked his sleeves.

Swish!

From within the puppet army, a seemingly ordinary green-armored puppet stepped forward.

Cyanwood initially thought it was a spare puppet added to maintain the formation.

But in the next instant, the green-armored puppet blurred into a gray-green afterimage, moving with astonishing speed as it charged toward the wood-grain clone.

Green ghostly flames flickered in its eyes as it lifted its enormous thorn-covered puppet arm shield, wrapped in icy iron wind energy, and slammed it down hard on the clone.

Bang! Crack!

The Yi-Wood Clone, in the midst of channeling another strike from the ancient mirror, was caught completely off guard and struck square in the chest.

He was blown back dozens of zhang, nearly cut in half, and his body was riddled with fine, web-like fractures across the wooden surface.

The ancient mirror dropped to the ground.

The green-armored puppet immediately rushed to seize the mirror, but just as it neared, the mirror turned into a beam of cold light and flew back into True Monarch Cyanwood’s hand.

"A fourth-rank puppet?! You… you’re a fourth-rank puppetry grandmaster?!"

True Monarch Cyanwood’s expression shifted dramatically.

The devastating strike from the green-armored puppet, it's precise timing, and intelligent movements, clearly exceeded the limits of an ordinary fourth-rank puppet.

He couldn’t believe that Lan Chang'an, who was only a little over 400 years old, could not only master talismans and puppets but actually achieve fourth-rank mastery in the notoriously difficult field of puppet forging.

Now, with the Yi-Wood Clone severely injured, its combat power was nearly gone.

On the other side, the poisoned and wounded Peng Bird was being relentlessly pummeled by Lord Earthrock.

This sudden reversal of the battlefield sent an even stronger wave of unease through Cyanwood’s heart.

Lan Chang'an’s bottomless reserve of hidden cards and tactics… it felt like he was baiting a fish toward the hook.

...

With momentum turning in his favor, Lan Chang'an once again waved the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan, shouting loudly:

"True Monarch Cyanwood has nearly revealed all his techniques. The Azure Profound Sword Formation drains immense spiritual and mental energy."

"We must end this quickly, no more delays!"

That kind of confident tone immediately raised alarms in Cyanwood’s mind.

Not good!

A sudden chill shot down his spine, a bone-deep cold that pierced straight into his core.

Unnoticed by anyone…

In the shadow of a boulder behind True Monarch Cyanwood, a hooded silhouette emerged silently. One gloved hand rose slowly with no sound, no aura.

Shhhh!

A blade of pure shadow sliced through the shallow layer of space, flashing in a ghostly instant as it aimed straight for the back of Cyanwood’s head.

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