I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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This gathering resembled more of a social exchange than a typical trade event.

Take for example, Young Master Wang. His background was astonishingly powerful, with access to key resources. Merchants from the Jing Kingdom were all scrambling to befriend him.

"Fellow Daoist Wu! I just heard that Young Master Wang is looking to recruit two guards, preferably cultivators from Liang Kingdom. This way, he’ll have some subordinates at his disposal once we arrive in Jing Kingdom."

The burly man with a purple face spoke with noticeable excitement.

"Oh? If that’s the case, perhaps you should give it a try, Fellow Daoist Fang."

Lan Chang'an responded, going along with the flow of the conversation.

The purple-faced man was one of the few late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators among the Liang Kingdom cultivators on board the ship.

Being recruited as a guard offered him a certain advantage due to his cultivation level. If he could secure such a powerful connection, not only would he ensure safe passage to Jing Kingdom, but there might also be opportunities to rise through influence in the future.

"My abilities are average, and my temperament dull. I fear I wouldn’t be able to serve someone of importance well."

Lan Chang'an shook his head, uninterested. He had no desire to be bound by a contract that would restrict his freedom.

During the trade fair, some of the cultivators from the Liang Kingdom had signed contracts with the Jing Kingdom's Merchant Associations. Though they were exploited as cheap labor, it was still preferable to dying in the Liang Kingdom or being forcibly conscripted into the battlefield of immortal cultivators.

For example, the purple-faced man, who was a deserter from the battlefield and was now wanted by his sect. Staying in the Liang Kingdom would only lead to certain death.

Lan Chang'an speculated that the guilds likely had a limited number of contracts they could issue, and would have to pay a price to the Jiuchen Merchant Association to acquire them. Thus, they would naturally aim to maximize their benefit when signing these contracts.

At the trade fair, Lan Chang'an noticed the actions of Lady Wei. She had been negotiating with several skilled Foundation Establishment cultivators.

These cultivators matched the qualifications the Xinyue Merchant Association had mentioned earlier regarding "offerings." They possessed mid-grade second-rank skills, which were highly sought after by major guilds. For such skilled individuals, the contract terms offered by the guilds were often more lenient.

Lady Wei's behavior caused Lan Chang'an to ponder deeply, and he started to form some theories.

...

The next afternoon, the purple-faced man returned to his room, visibly dejected.

Lan Chang'an quickly learned that the man had failed to secure a position as a guard for Young Master Wang and didn’t even make it through the preliminary selection.

After a brief moment of thought, Lan Chang'an understood why.

The hunchbacked servant beside Young Master Wang was an enigma, but at the very least, he was likely a Fake Dan cultivator, with sharp instincts. The purple-faced man exuded a murderous aura, and as a deserter from the battlefield, his background was dubious at best, making him appear untrustworthy.

The purple-faced man soon gave up on the idea of becoming Wang's guard. The following day, he joined the Xinyue Merchant Association and signed a servitude contract, becoming one of their bodyguards.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, signing a contract with the guild may mean losing your freedom for a while, but it's better than losing your life," the man tried to persuade Lan Chang'an after joining the guild.

"Besides, sheltering under a big tree provides good shade. The guild will also provide cultivation grounds and resources."

"Steward Jia even mentioned that about ten years ago, a cultivator from Liang Kingdom performed exceptionally well during his contract and ended up marrying the guild master's daughter. He later became one of the guild’s leaders. His life now is far better than it ever was in Liang Kingdom!"

Lan Chang'an chuckled silently. This story likely had a grain of truth, but it was surely an extreme exception.

If the guild didn’t occasionally present such grand prospects, would anyone willingly sell themselves into hard labor?

"Fellow Daoist Fang, would you mind letting me take a look at your spirit contract?"

Lan Chang'an had a sudden thought and made the suggestion.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, what are you implying?" The purple-faced man, Fang Zhong, raised an eyebrow in hesitation.

"There’s a saying in the mortal world: 'There's no such thing as an honest merchant.' I just want to check if there are any hidden clauses in the contract."

Lan Chang'an said cautiously.

Fang Zhong laughed, "I’m not inexperienced. The terms in that spirit contract are straightforward."

With that, he pulled out a scroll made of yellowed leather and handed it over for Lan Chang'an to examine.

"A second-rank spirit contract... Fang Zhong... Xinyue Merchant Association…"

Lan Chang'an scrutinized the wording and the obligations of both parties but found nothing suspicious.

From the contract, Lan Chang'an learned Fang Zhong's full name, though it could easily be an alias. However, that didn’t affect the binding nature of the contract. As long as a cultivator left their mana imprint on the contract, it became effective.

This mana imprint contained a unique trace of the cultivator’s soul. Its binding force was nearly as strong as a heart demon oath, with additional effects of mana backlash and location tracking within a certain range.

Even if someone managed to escape, they would find it impossible to survive in Jing Kingdom, effectively becoming fugitives.

A second-rank spirit contract like this one, due to its effectiveness, cost between one and two thousand spirit stones, and was protected by the Jing Kingdom's Merchant Alliance.

"Indeed, there's nothing wrong here."

Lan Chang'an nodded and returned the contract scroll to Fang Zhong.

After Fang Zhong left, a faint smile crept onto Lan Chang'an's lips.

This type of second-rank spirit contract mainly restricted cultivators at or below the Foundation Establishment stage. If someone at the Fake Dan stage signed it, the penalties for breaking the contract were minimal.

Lan Chang'an’s spiritual sense and body refinement had both reached the Fake Dan level, so he naturally didn’t fear signing such a contract.

Moreover, his "Hundred Illusions Mask" could simulate someone else's mana signature, allowing him to deceive the spirit contract. After all, it was only a second-rank contract and had exploitable loopholes.

Lan Chang'an made up his mind to find a relatively lenient guild and sign a contract.

...

After several days of private interactions, Lan Chang'an found a suitable target.

A guest room on the second floor of the spirit ship.

"Fellow Daoist Wu claims to be a second-rank alchemist. Can you concoct some pills as proof?"

The man sitting in the main seat, a handsome young master dressed in silk robes and wearing a jade crown, spoke directly. He was the representative of the "Wufu Merchant Association," and the accompanying guild cultivators addressed him as Young Master Xia.

"Wu's skills are humble. I’ll refine a batch of second-rank recovery pills, which should be quick to complete."

Lan Chang'an had no intention of letting them set the challenge, mainly because his alchemy skills were rather lacking.

He avoided revealing his abilities in talisman crafting or puppetry, as he feared it would expose his identity.

After all, the ancient ruins and the incident where he killed a Golden Sun Sect cultivator still posed potential dangers. Since he was heading to an unfamiliar Jing Kingdom, it was better to be cautious.

In the Liang Kingdom, people only knew Lan Chang'an as a talisman master. Only a select few close to him knew that he also dabbled in puppetry.

As for his attainments as a second-rank alchemist, no one knew about it.

"Young Master Xia, please take a look."

A few days later, Lan Chang'an successfully refined a batch of three second-rank, low-grade Recovery Pills.

After inspecting the quality of the pills, Young Master Xia remained expressionless. He passed the pills to an elderly man with a thin mustache.

The mustached elder carefully examined the pills, sniffing them before furrowing his brows slightly.

"Young Master, Wu Fan is indeed a second-rank alchemist, but his techniques are rather mediocre, and he likely doesn’t have any particularly exceptional skills."

The mustached elder, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, whispered through a sound transmission to Young Master Xia.

"Well, as long as he’s a second-rank alchemist, that’s good enough for the guild and my clan. If he were any more skilled, the Wufu Merchant Association wouldn’t even stand a chance of recruiting him."

Young Master Xia sighed inwardly, replying via voice transmission.

After confirming Lan Chang'an's abilities, Young Master Xia proceeded to ask more questions, subtly probing into his background.

When recruiting cultivators from the Liang Kingdom, the guild had to guarantee their identities. If it turned out they were spies from enemy nations or notorious criminals causing trouble within Jing Kingdom, the guild would be held accountable.

"Young Master Xia, isn’t a twenty-year contract period a bit too long?"

Lan Chang'an voiced his dissatisfaction.

Young Master Xia explained, "All cultivators signing contracts on this ship, especially from your nation, have a minimum contract term of twenty years. This cannot be changed."

"Moreover, we’re offering you a second-rank spiritual vein cultivation ground, as well as basic spirit stones and resources. You’ll even have attendants and concubines to serve you if you wish..."

"We can also reduce your required annual pill output by thirty percent. Any extra pills you refine will be compensated at the standard rate."

Lan Chang'an engaged in some token bargaining. After some discussion between Young Master Xia and the mustached elder, they eventually agreed to his terms.

Lan Chang'an reflected that although this deal didn’t match the conditions of a full consecration, it was still a fair employment contract within reason. The only drawback was the low base compensation and the lengthy contract duration.

However, recruiting a cultivator required the Wufu Merchant Association to guarantee his identity and pay a fee to the Jiuchen Merchant Association. Purchasing a second-rank spirit contract was also an additional expense.

Therefore, among the guilds Lan Chang'an had negotiated with, Wufu Merchant Association's terms were relatively lenient.

This leniency was partly because the Wufu Merchant Association wasn’t very powerful and had a need for second-rank alchemists. In contrast, other larger guilds had far more stringent conditions.

...

A quarter of an hour later.

Lan Chang'an signed a second-rank spirit contract with Young Master Xia, who represented the guild.

The terms of this contract were much more flexible than the one Fang Zhong had signed.

Using the "Hundred Illusions Mask," Lan Chang'an simulated someone else’s mana signature and left his imprint on the spirit contract.

Thus, once they reached Jing Kingdom’s cultivation world, whether he honored the contract would depend entirely on Lan Chang'an's mood.

"Young Master Xia, now that I’m an external cultivator contracted to your guild, can you guarantee my safe passage to Jing Kingdom?"

Lan Chang'an asked.

"As long as we don’t encounter demonic cultivators, our guild guarantees your safe arrival in Jing Kingdom. Once you enter our nation’s borders, there will be a final identity check. With the spirit contract in hand, you’ll pass through easily."

Young Master Xia’s tone softened considerably as he patiently answered.

"What are the chances we’ll encounter demonic cultivators?"

Lan Chang'an had already inquired about this earlier on the ship and learned that the greatest danger came from encounters with demonic sects.

The Jiuchen Merchant Association had enough influence to buy their way out of trouble, but it wasn’t always a sure thing.

"Perhaps a ten to twenty percent chance."

Young Master Xia remained calm.

"If we’re unfortunate enough to encounter them, don’t panic. As long as you’re not a high-priority target for them, you can always pay a ransom to avoid trouble."

"Ten to twenty percent?"

Lan Chang'an thought of Lady Wei and felt that the probability was likely far higher than that.

...

Before he knew it, the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s spirit ship had been flying through the desolate lands between the two nations for a full month.

They were already halfway through the journey.

Lan Chang'an felt somewhat relieved. With less than half the journey remaining, even if they encountered unexpected danger and he had to make his way to Jing Kingdom alone, the risk would be significantly lower.

This region, closer to the Jing Kingdom, was less affected by the cultivation wars and posed fewer risks compared to the areas near the Liang Kingdom.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, you actually joined the 'Wufu Merchant Association'?"

"That guild’s prospects are bleak. Their businesses have been under pressure from the Xinyue Merchant Association for years and have suffered consecutive losses. They’re on the verge of collapse."

Fang Zhong had apparently gotten wind of the news from somewhere and felt that Lan Chang'an had made a poor choice.

Initially, Fang Zhong had invited Lan Chang'an to join the Xinyue Merchant Association alongside him, but the latter had refused and instead joined the weaker Wufu Merchant Association.

It was only now that Lan Chang'an learned that the Wufu Merchant Association and Xinyue Merchant Association were actually rivals.

Lan Chang'an chose the Wufu Merchant Association because they seemed more flexible and their terms were lenient—nothing more. He had no particular interest in joining the Xinyue Merchant Association, even if their terms had been less stringent.

After all, his ticket onto this ship had been obtained through the Xinyue Merchant Association’s channels, thanks to Li Congren. If Lan Chang'an joined the Xinyue Merchant Association, they would likely investigate his background. A deep enough investigation might lead to them discovering his true identity.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, I toast to you! Whatever the future holds, before we reach Jing Kingdom, I consider you a friend."

Fang Zhong downed a cup of spirit wine, speaking in a hearty, forthright manner, his face turning even more purple from the alcohol.

Lan Chang'an could sense the underlying meaning behind his words and responded with a smile, raising his own cup in return.

Meanwhile...

On the deck at the front of the spirit ship.

A refined young man in golden robes stood side by side with a veiled woman, both gazing at the sea of clouds below them.

"Young Master Wang, in just over ten days we’ll reach Jing Kingdom. Do you think the demonic sects will attempt to strike?"

Lady Wei brushed her hair aside, her dark eyes and smooth forehead faintly visible beneath the veil. Her cold, delicate features were slightly obscured, but still enough to hint at her beauty.

"Lady Wei, you need not worry."

Young Master Wang spoke confidently, his voice resolute:

"As long as I am here, even if demonic cultivators come, what of it?"

Boom!

A deafening, earth-shaking roar reverberated from the distant sky.

Young Master Wang's heart trembled violently, and his face turned pale in an instant, filled with a sudden sense of dread.

At that moment, every cultivator aboard the spirit ship felt their blood surge and ears ring.

"Not good!"

The hunchbacked elder, who had been meditating not far away, abruptly stood up, his expression changing drastically.

Whoosh!

He quickly rose to his feet, shielding Young Master Wang alongside a beautiful maiden, and hurried him back to the upper-class cabin.

"Ah..."

Lady Wei covered her face with her hands, seemingly panicked.

No one noticed the mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips beneath her veil.

...

Inside the cabin on the lower deck, both Lan Chang'an and Fang Zhong were startled by the sudden commotion.

"What was that sound?"

Fang Zhong hurried out of the room, anxiously looking toward the distance.

"A third-rank Great Demon? And it's accompanied by intense demonic energy?"

Lan Chang'an closed his eyes and used his spiritual senses to probe, his expression shifting.

Buzz!

The Jiuchen Merchant Association's spirit ship activated all of its formations, slowing down to maintain internal stability.

Moo—

From about six to seven li away, a black storm, mixed with strange mists, swirled in the sky, accompanied by a bone-chilling roar.

The cultivators aboard the spirit ship used their spiritual vision techniques to peer into the distance, their hearts pounding in fear.

In the distance, a massive dark iron-colored demon bull, as tall as a tower with hooves like giant pillars, stomped through the sky amidst black winds and fiery wrath. Its every step sent tremors through the earth, leaving trails of destruction for over a li.

Boom! Crack!

Under its enormous hooves, a Merchant Association's spirit ship over thirty zhang long began to split apart, the sound of tearing wood and metal resonating as the ship buckled under the pressure.

Inside the spirit ship, black winds and flames roared, and the agonized screams of dying cultivators were slowly swallowed by the chaos.

"The Black Wind Demon Bull! It's the sacred beast of the Xuan Yin Demonic Sect!"

Several knowledgeable Merchant Association cultivators turned pale, their voices trembling as they spoke.

The Black Wind Demon Bull possessed an upper earth-grade bloodline. Its body was as tough as steel, and its strength was overwhelming. It excelled in dark wind magic, making its attacks devastating.

Nearby, two teams of dark-robed cultivators were mercilessly slaughtering the injured survivors who had escaped from the wrecked spirit ship.

"Xiang Jinglong! You've joined the demonic sect and are aiding their atrocities! Liang Kingdom's sects will one day cut you down!"

A green-robed woman with a Fake Dan cultivation level, blood dripping from her lips and her spiritual energy dim, collapsed to the ground, powerless.

"Pah! Old hag, how mighty you were when you hunted me down back then!"

The wheat-skinned Xiang Jinglong, dressed in a golden-embroidered wide robe, stomped down on the female Fake Dan cultivator from the Flame Departing Palace.

The woman's ribs cracked as she lay there, her voice filled with despair: "Xiang Jinglong... you killed the descendant of an Elder... you won’t escape your doom..."

"What elder’s descendant? What are you talking about?"

Xiang Jinglong's face darkened, his expression growing sinister.

Years ago, he’d gotten into trouble at the Mo Family’s marketplace, his identity almost exposed over a trivial matter. Though the evidence was lacking, he was inexplicably placed on Flame Departing Palace’s wanted list.

Over the years, he had firmly established his demonic sect, trying to uncover the reasons behind this grudge, but had found no clues.

Now, hearing this from the green-robed woman, he felt he was closing in on the truth.

Xiang Jinglong lifted the woman, intending to question her further.

But to his dismay, she had already become a corpse, her body still warm.

To prevent further humiliation and torture, the woman had used her last remaining bit of spiritual power to shatter her heart meridian, ending her own life.

"How infuriating!"

Xiang Jinglong's face twisted with rage. He cast his gaze toward the massive spirit ship hovering several li away.

"Xiang Immortal, that’s the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s spirit ship."

The leader of the other team of dark-robed cultivators, a mid-aged Fake Dan cultivator, gave a knowing smile.

...

Onboard the Jiuchen Merchant Association’s spirit ship, the crew braced themselves for battle, trying to steer clear of the disaster zone.

However, the spirit ship was massive and far slower than Fake Dan cultivators or smaller, more agile flying vessels.

Moo—

The third-rank demon, the Black Wind Demon Bull, was impossibly fast. In just a few breaths, it had caught up.

Xiang Jinglong and the other demonic Fake Dan cultivator led their teams to encircle the spirit ship.

With Lan Chang'an's extensive experience in escaping danger, he knew this was no time for rash actions. Otherwise, they might attract the full attention of the third-rank demon and the Fake Dan demonic cultivators.

For now, the spirit ship had at least two or three hidden Fake Dan experts, both in the open and in the shadows.

It was best to wait until the situation escalated and the major players' attention was diverted. Only then would it be the optimal time to act.

Moreover, as long as Lady Wei was still on board, Lan Chang'an wasn’t overly concerned for his own safety.

The rest of the cultivators on the spirit ship, however, were in a state of panic.

Unlike Lan Chang'an, they were unaware of the underlying dynamics at play.

To their knowledge, the Jiuchen Merchant Association only had one visible Fake Dan cultivator aboard—the Confucian-robed middle-aged man who was currently in command.

"Xiang Immortal, we are legitimate merchants from Jing Kingdom. We’ve paid our dues every time we pass through. Could we not…"

The Confucian-robed middle-aged man greeted them with a strained smile.

He glanced up at the enormous shadow cast by the Black Wind Demon Bull overhead, his eyelids twitching.

"Cut the nonsense! Lower the formation! I’m only here to capture suspicious cultivators from Liang Kingdom’s sects!"

Xiang Jinglong growled impatiently.

The Confucian-robed middle-aged man gave a helpless smile and exchanged a few words with the stewards of the major guilds before finally ordering the formation to be deactivated.

"Everyone stay inside the spirit ship. Anyone who dares to step outside will be killed on sight!"

Xiang Jinglong and the other Fake Dan demonic cultivator boarded the spirit ship from the front and back, inspecting every room.

This inspection was far more thorough than the one conducted by the sects of the Liang Kingdom.

Every corner of every room, from the most modest to the most luxurious, was scrutinized without exception.

The Black Wind Demon Bull hovered menacingly in the sky, its terrifying, chilling wind sorcery suffocating the cultivators below.

The two demonic Fake Dan cultivators closely monitored the inspection process in each room.