I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

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Chapter 388: Devouring the Serpent King, Hidden Undercurrents

At the border of the two sects.

As the hostile Nascent Soul cultivators of Great Snake Mountain retreated in defeat, Jiang Ziyan felt a mix of surprise and relief.

"Dalong, are you alright?"

"No major injuries. But using forbidden divine abilities just now drained me quite a bit."

Lan Chang'an’s face was slightly pale, and his breathing was heavy, as if he had endured an intense battle and was now struggling to recover.

Seeing his weakened state, True Monarch Purple Mist’s eyes gleamed with admiration, a smile of pleasant surprise forming on her lips.

"Dalong, you’ve only just entered the Nascent Soul stage, yet you managed to force True Monarch Red Serpent into such a miserable state. That alone is enough to shock the world."

Both she and Pagoda Wanderer had arrived too late to participate in the battle.

"It was just luck. True Monarch Red Serpent underestimated me, and his poison techniques were countered by my puppets."

Lan Chang'an responded modestly.

The recent battle had mostly drained his vital essence and lifeforce, especially after using Withering Divine Light. However, its unexpectedly powerful effect had surpassed his expectations.

"Ziyan, wait a moment. Let me retrieve the illusion formation and puppet army."

With that, Lan Chang'an flickered into the fourth-rank illusionary formation.

...

Inside the illusionary formation.

By the time Lan Chang'an re-entered, Puppet Master Wei had already finished clearing the battlefield, eliminating the stench of blood.

The massive corpse of the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King had been compressed and sealed with magic.

A fourth-rank serpent king with a heaven-grade bloodline was comparable to a jiao dragon, every part of its body was a treasure.

Its organs and bones could be used for fourth-rank puppets and spirit talismans.

And with the fourth-rank Demon King’s Essence Spirit Core, the spoils of this battle were immense, while also completing a personal vendetta.

Swish!

Lan Chang'an waved his hand, storing both the green-armored puppet and serpent king’s corpse.

But instead of immediately withdrawing the illusion formation and puppet army, he took out the sealed Essence Spirit Core of the Serpent King.

"A fourth-rank Demon King’s Essence Spirit Core is equivalent to a Nascent Soul spiritual body of a human cultivator… I wonder if it can serve as nourishment for the Nine Seal Stele?"

Lan Chang'an opened the jade box, carefully removing the outer seal.

He confirmed that the serpent king’s soul consciousness was still securely sealed by his divine soul technique.

Activating his quasi-fourth-rank body, he infused his lifeforce and mana into his hand, firmly gripping the Essence Spirit Core while establishing a direct link with the Nine Seal Stele.

Buzz—!

Deep within his consciousness, the dark, ancient stele suddenly lit up, radiating a murky gray-white glow.

The glow extended through his soul and body, swiftly enveloping the demon king's essence within the Essence Spirit Core.

Inside the Essence Spirit Core, the weakened, confused soul of the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King instinctively shuddered in fear, its consciousness screaming in terror. Before it could resist, it was ruthlessly sucked into the Nine Seal Stele.

Within the stele’s fifth seal, the serpent king’s soul was torn into fragments, reduced to spiritual particles.

From within the shattered remnants, a pure, radiant white energy emerged—

Slowly, it began to illuminate a small portion of the stele’s dark fifth seal.

"It can be absorbed! However, its effect is inferior to the Nascent Soul spiritual body of a human cultivator, and even less effective compared to otherworldly heavenly demons."

Though the results were not as potent, Lan Chang'an accepted this outcome. At the very least, this provided an additional means of accumulation.

The nourishment absorbed by the Nine Seal Stele was not just spiritual energy, but some sort of origin power that transformed the divine soul.

For example, the fragmented Hundred Abodes Soul Gu from the past, though it was at a lower realm, had served as a compatible energy source.

When demonic beasts ascend to the fourth level rank to gain humanoid forms, their Heart Demon Tribulation is somewhat weaker, and the Essence Spirit Core they condense differs in focus from a human Nascent Soul.

The bodies of demonic beasts rival magical treasures, imbued with innate talents, divine powers, and inherited bloodlines. Given these advantages, it is natural that their focus on the transformation of the soul at the fourth rank is somewhat weaker than that of a human Nascent Soul.

Certain heaven-grade bloodlines or True Spirit descendants, whose evolution focused on soul talent, might surpass even human Nascent Souls in value. But ordinary fourth-rank demon beasts were inferior in this regard.

"Even a mosquito’s leg is still meat. If the reincarnation energy nurtured within the Nine Seal Stele has an excess in the future, there would be many other wonderful uses for it."

After unlocking the fourth life, Lan Chang'an discovered that the Nine Seal Stele could not only autonomously initiate reincarnation but also had additional applications of reincarnation power.

The fifth frame seal corresponds to the Deity Transformation stage, with its reincarnation power being even more refined.

Excess reincarnation energy can be used in three self-initiated reincarnation methods.

For example, a customized reincarnation could enhance talents and fortune, as well as allow the choice of a better human realm, origin, and so on.

Another method of initiating reincarnation involves transforming an alternative self's life in another world into an experience akin to a fleeting dream of one's own. During this process, the reincarnation power can send dreams to offer enlightenment or teachings to the 'other self' in the dream.

Additionally, the basic use of reincarnation power enables tracing a cultivator's past life, helping them awaken the wisdom of their past life.

All in all, the accumulation of reincarnation energy within the Nine Seal Stele was a good thing.

However, at present, Lan Chang'an has yet to even unlock the fifth life, leaving no surplus energy for other purposes.

...

After stowing away the puppet army and fourth-rank illusionary formation, Lan Chang'an reappeared before True Monarch Purple Mist.

He had been gone for less than ten breaths, yet his disappearance still aroused suspicion in her mind.

Although the battlefield had been cleaned up, the traces of destruction and lingering battle aura could not be completely concealed.

"Dalong, were you fighting that fourth-rank demonic bird inside the formation when Great Snake Mountain ambushed you?"

Purple Mist’s elegant face took on a hint of frost, her voice laced with displeasure.

"Mm. Great Snake Mountain didn’t want me to become a fourth-rank puppet master. But this time, they fell right into my trap."

Lan Chang'an pondered for a moment before choosing not to conceal the truth about the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King’s death.

Great Snake Mountain wasn’t foolish, even if they hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, it was impossible for Lan Chang'an to deny responsibility after trapping and killing the Serpent King inside the fourth-rank illusionary formation.

Moreover, Yunxia Sect was already involved in this karmic entanglement, whether they liked it or not.

Rather than hiding the truth, it was better to be upfront with Purple Mist so that she was mentally prepared to handle any future repercussions.

"You actually planned the ambush and killed the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King?"

"That fourth-rank demonic bird… was actually a quasi-fourth-rank avian puppet that restrained the serpent king?"

"Dalong, when did you become a quasi-fourth-rank puppet master?!"

Hearing the truth, Purple Mist was utterly shaken. Though pleased, her shock far outweighed her joy.

She let out a bitter laugh, her tone carrying a playful complaint:

"Dalong, what else have you been hiding from me? Can you just tell me everything at once?"

"I’ve told you most of it."

Lan Chang'an chuckled, then reassured her:

"Ziyan, in all of Great Yuan cultivation world, you’re the one who knows the most of my secrets."

Revealing his quasi-fourth-rank puppet rank to a trusted ally was not a big deal to him.

Before returning to Great Qing, Lan Chang'an had already planned to craft a quasi-fourth-rank puppet for Jiang Ziyan to ensure that Yunxia Sect wouldn’t be lacking in top-tier combat power after his departure.

For Lan Chang'an, who had already stepped into the Nascent Soul realm, even his Evergreen Technique was no longer a top secret. Only Nine Seal Stele and the Xuanmu Vine Gourd were absolute secrets, revealing them would invite a fatal disaster.

"Hmph! ‘Most of it’?"

Purple Mist shot him a glare, her bright eyes narrowing, before rolling them in mild annoyance.

For the first time, she revealed a rare, youthful side, more akin to a playful maiden than a dignified True Monarch.

Having been kept in the dark multiple times, she didn’t believe a word of Lan Chang'an’s reassurances.

Still, she didn’t press the matter further.

In the cultivation world, knowing too many secrets was not always a good thing.

In any case, the strongest combatant of Great Snake Mountain, the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King, had fallen. For Yunxia Sect, this was a massive victory.

This entire ambush operation had been meticulously calculated by Lan Chang'an.

Through intelligence gathering and divination, he had confirmed that Jing Wufeng had successfully lured away Great Snake Mountain’s most powerful ally, True Monarch Netherwater.

With no reinforcements available, Great Snake Mountain had walked straight into his trap.

A mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like True Monarch Netherwater wasn’t a serious threat to Lan Chang'an on their own. But if Netherwater joined forces with multiple Nascent Souls, things would become problematic.

Now, by eliminating the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King, Lan Chang'an had effectively crippled one of Netherwater’s key allies in the Central Region.

However, True Monarch Netherwater was backed by the Black Sea Sect, one of the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects and knew many of the secrets of the Tinghai Pavilion. There was even a possibility that she had discovered the existence of a spatial rift or hidden teleportation passage.

Lan Chang'an needed to be careful with such a formidable hidden threat.

...

Within the Great Snake Mountain’s territory.

"To kill Ancestor Serpent King in such a short time… even with another early-stage Nascent Soul accomplice, it shouldn't have been possible."

"That fourth-rank demonic sparrow is suspicious, it’s likely a spirit beast belonging to that hidden expert. It was the key to luring the Serpent King out."

Inside a stifling, oppressive atmosphere, True Monarchs Red Serpent and Red Refinement wore dark expressions.

"The fourth-rank demonic bird must have restrained the Serpent King, and demanded the latter's Essence Spirit Core as nourishment, and thus its master allied with Yunxia Sect for a mutually beneficial deal.

They had considered whether the demonic bird belonged to Xiang Dalong, but the possibility was unlikely.

Raising a fourth-rank demonic bird had a huge demand for heaven and earth spirit energy and a large amount of beast food resources, it would be impossible to conceal it for so many years.

As the two True Monarchs flew through the air, True Monarch Red Serpent’s flying light suddenly faltered mid-flight.

His expression turned extremely dark.

The Serpent King spirit contract had confirmed the complete and irreversible demise of the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King.

The lingering uncertainty was now a cold, undeniable reality.

"Senior Brother…"

True Monarch Red Refinement saw the change in his expression and immediately realized the worst.

"Yunxia Sect lured and killed our sect’s sacred beast. This matter cannot be left unresolved!"

True Monarch Red Serpent’s eyes turned ice-cold, the serpentine markings on his face pulsating ominously.

Even with top-tier healing elixirs, the withered blood wound in his abdomen showed little sign of recovery.

"Senior Brother, Xiang Dalong’s battle prowess is no weaker than yours. He has even mastered the wood-element forbidden divine ability, Withering Divine Light. With his Earthfiend Rat Demon and puppet army, even the two of us together couldn't do anything to him."

True Monarch Red Refinement let out a bitter smile, his first battle against an opponent of equal rank had shattered his arrogance and confidence.

He suggested, "To truly pose a threat to Xiang Dalong, it would require a Nascent Soul mid-stage powerhouse to act. Why don't we wait for True Monarch Netherwater?"

"True Monarch Netherwater’s main target is True Monarch Jing Tian. She won’t be available anytime soon." True Monarch Red Serpent shook his head.

"Besides, she is greedy and cunning. Cooperating with her carries its own risks, we can’t rely on her too much."

Despite his rage and injuries, True Monarch Red Serpent remained clear-headed.

"However, in the Great Yu Kingdom, there are plenty of forces that can threaten and suppress Xiang Dalong."

True Monarch Red Refinement’s eyes flashed with realization.

"You mean… the Great Yu Imperial Family?"

Immediately, he understood his senior brother’s intentions.

Great Snake Mountain had suffered a severe loss, but they could still leverage the political landscape to target Yunxia Sect.

"We will submit an official complaint to the imperial court, exaggerating Yunxia Sect’s growing threat."

"Ancestor Serpent King is dead, I’ve suffered grievous injuries, and my lifespan has been reduced by ten years, these are all undeniable facts. By presenting evidence, the imperial family's methods will surely uncover the true culprit."

True Monarch Red Serpent’s lips curled into a sinister grin.

However, as he smirked, the movement pulled at his withered blood wound, causing him to groan in pain, his body drenched in cold sweat.

"A brilliant plan! We don’t need to lift a single sword."

True Monarch Red Refinement nodded approvingly.

"To prevent Yunxia Sect from growing too powerful, the imperial court will lean in our favor, and once we reestablish contact with True Monarch Netherwater, we can pressure them from both inside and outside. True Monarch Evergreen and Yunxia Sect will be struggling to survive."

The two True Monarchs made no effort to hide their discussion from Pagoda Wanderer.

Because this was not a hidden scheme, but an open and deliberate strategy.

The Great Yu Imperial Family would never allow a cultivation force within their territory to grow too strong and beyond their control.

...

Upon returning to Yunxia Sect, Lan Chang'an entered another period of seclusion.

True Monarch Purple Mist had a good idea of what he was doing, so she did not disturb him.

Inside a secluded chamber beneath Yunxia Peak, Lan Chang'an, Puppet Master Wei, and Lord Earthrock were gathered.

They were carefully dissecting and processing the massive corpse of the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King.

"The Serpent King’s venomous fangs, tendons, bones, and skin… all of these can serve as top-tier puppet materials."

"With these, I can even upgrade my own body to a higher level."

Puppet Master Wei, controlling the green-armored puppet, nodded in satisfaction as he discussed how to allocate the serpent king’s remains.

Lan Chang'an’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Can we use these materials to enhance the Exotic Spirit Peacock puppet?"

Puppet Master Wei shook his head.

"Only a small portion is useful."

"The Exotic Spirit Puppet mimics the form of an ancient True Spirit. The materials required are exceptionally rare and specific. If we use subpar materials, it will degrade into an ordinary fourth-rank puppet."

"Every bit that can be put to use should be used."

Lan Chang'an sighed but remained unbothered.

In the previous battle, the Exotic Spirit Peacock had demonstrated immense strategic value.

Even without fully reaching fourth-rank, its five-colored divine light had proven effective in countering many Nascent Soul-level spells and magical treasures.

"Be careful with the poison sac, it can be refined into a potent fourth-rank toxin."

Puppet Master Wei carefully removed the poison sac from the serpent king’s body.

Lan Chang'an and Lord Earthrock instinctively backed away, not wanting to risk contamination.

The Scarlet Abyss Serpent King had possessed many deadly abilities, and its most terrifying poison techniques had only been neutralized due to the puppet army’s resistance.

Additionally, the serpent king had a powerful escape technique, shedding its skin to fake death and flee.

Unfortunately, it had been trapped within the illusion formation, surrounded on all sides, with no chance to utilize its survival abilities.

Lan Chang'an planned to refine a potent poison from the serpent king’s poison sac and integrate it into the fourth-rank puppet under Puppet Master Wei’s control.

This would significantly boost the puppet’s lethality, and it might turn tides at critical moments.

The refined essence blood extracted from the Serpent King's body can be used as ink for crafting fourth-rank spirit talismans.

The snake skin, particularly the fine material from the abdomen, can be utilized to produce talisman paper.

Lan Chang'an’s talisman crafting skills were currently at a bottleneck, but with his past-life divine soul enhancement, his success rate in creating quasi-fourth-rank talismans was relatively high.

The serpent gallbladder, heart, and other parts were precious medicinal ingredients, suitable for refining spiritual pills. For Lord Earthrock, a fourth-rank Earthfiend Rat Demon, these parts were powerful supplements for increasing cultivation.

"Thank you for your generosity, Master."

Lord Earthrock’s rat-like mouth was smeared with fresh blood as it feasted on the serpent’s flesh.

In addition to large portions of blood and flesh, it also received the gallbladder and heart, both of which were invaluable to demon beasts.

It took the initiative to ask for the serpent king’s eyeballs as a snack.

And just like that, Lord Earthrock successfully pulled off a "mouse devouring a snake" reversal.

Most of the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King's flesh and organs became Lord Earthrock’s nourishment.

Its gigantic body provided enough food for Lord Earthrock to absorb over a long period.

For wild demon beasts, devouring stronger creatures was a primary method of cultivation.

Now, Lord Earthrock had successfully devoured two powerful serpents, the quasi-fourth-rank Scarlet Flame Serpent, and the fully-fledged fourth-rank Scarlet Abyss Serpent King.

Both originated from Great Snake Mountain.

Lan Chang'an silently mused, with this continuous stream of rare supplements, Lord Earthrock’s progress toward the peak of early-stage fourth-rank would undoubtedly accelerate.

The most valuable material, the fourth-rank Demon Core, was carefully stored away.

This core could either be used by the Lord Earthrock or the Profound Water Turtle to rapidly boost their cultivation or serve as a primary ingredient for refining a powerful fourth-rank spirit pill.

Unfortunately, since this demon core had lost its essence spirit, its effects were somewhat diminished.

Even if Lord Earthrock consumed it, it would not be enough to push him to mid-stage fourth-rank.

If the core had been fully intact, it would have increased his chances of breaking through by 20–30%.

As Lord Earthrock underwent mutation and absorbed a small amount of innate turbid qi, its bloodline grade became comparable to earth grade, with potential nearing its natural limit.

The Scarlet Abyss Serpent King had a heaven-grade bloodline, albeit on the lower spectrum.

Thus, the serpent king’s inherent strength and latent potential were greater than Lord Earthrock’s.

If the serpent king had devoured Lord Earthrock, including his intact demon core, its chances of advancing to mid-stage fourth rank would have been even higher.

...

Half a day later, Lan Chang'an completed the division of the Serpent King’s corpse.

"The leftover materials may be of lower quality, but they’re still useful for strengthening the puppet army."

His puppet army consisted of sixteen mid-to-superior-grade third-rank puppets. If they were all upgraded to superior-grade third-rank, their power and cohesion would significantly improve.

However, the materials required for such an upgrade were rare and could not be gathered easily in the short term.

Fortunately, as a Nascent Soul True Monarch and Honored Elder of Yunxia Sect, Lan Chang'an had access to the sect’s resources and influence.

With the ongoing demonic upheaval, he could accelerate material collection through sect missions.

Outside, the scale of the demonic calamity had expanded further, entering a full-blown outbreak phase.

During this period, Lan Chang'an remained in seclusion for nearly half a year, primarily focusing on upgrading his puppets.

Both the green-armored puppet and the puppet army were improved to a certain extent.

During his seclusion, a Nascent Soul representative from the Great Yu Imperial Court arrived at Yunxia Sect to investigate the death of the Serpent King.

For minor conflicts among Nascent Soul cultivators, the imperial court often turned a blind eye.

However, the death of an actual Nascent Soul-level combatant was a major event that could shake the entire kingdom.

It was impossible for the imperial court to ignore.

...

Yunxia Sect, Main Hall.

A graceful and dignified female cultivator in a crimson robe, exuding elegance and noble poise, sat in the highest seat.

This imperial family True Monarch had cold, piercing eyes and a businesslike demeanor.

“True Monarch Red Sleeve, what unfortunate timing. True Monarch Evergreen is currently in seclusion and likely unavailable to address the imperial family's inquiries,” Purple Mist True Monarch responded gently, her elegant hair coiled high as she sat gracefully in a pale purple gown that trailed the floor.

“True Monarch Jiang, I never expected Yunxia Sect to possess such capability, to successfully ambush and kill the Serpent King Ancestor of Great Snake Mountain,” True Monarch Red Sleeve said expressionlessly, her sharp gaze fixed on Purple Mist Fairy, once regarded as a sister.

In the past, she had advised Jiang Ziyan to become Dao companions with “Tianyuan Sword Monarch” Yu Yuanjin, promising a bright future. The imperial family had assured noninterference with Yunxia Sect’s authority and protection of the independence of its Dao lineage.

But Jiang Ziyan had declined her goodwill.

The imperial family had also attempted to recruit Xiang Dalong with generous terms, only to fail.

“Sister Red Sleeve has overestimated Yunxia Sect. Neither Ziyan nor Dalong has the strength to kill the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King. Besides, it was Great Snake Mountain that first tried to obstruct Dalong from hunting the fourth-rank demonic bird. Later, they fell victim to the schemes of a mysterious cultivator and unfortunately perished, they have no one to blame but themselves.”

Her voice was gentle yet unwavering, subtly deflecting all responsibility away from Yunxia Sect.

“Eliminating demonic creatures is the responsibility of all major forces in the Great Yu Kingdom. The incident took place in the border area between the two sects. How could Great Snake Mountain's actions be called obstruction? Fellow Daoist Red Serpent even swore a binding oath, asserting that Great Snake Mountain absolutely did not strike first. Instead, the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King fell victim to a scheme.”

True Monarch Red Sleeve let out a cold laugh, her presence commanding and her tone assertive: “Let me ask you this: without Yunxia Sect's cooperation, how could just one or two Nascent Soul True Monarchs have ambushed and killed the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King in such a short time?”

Upon hearing this, Purple Mist True Monarch fell silent briefly. It was difficult for Yunxia Sect to fully absolve itself of involvement, this was something both she and Lan Chang'an acknowledged.

“Great Snake Mountain has submitted critical evidence and is willing to testify in court. If your sect has a clear conscience, you should cooperate and allow this matter to be investigated,” True Monarch Red Sleeve declared firmly, making her purpose clear.

“At present, with the demonic calamity spreading wildly, True Monarch Evergreen is in seclusion. Once the demonic turmoil subsides, our sect will cooperate in investigating this matter,” Purple Mist True Monarch replied after some deliberation.

True Monarch Red Sleeve’s tone softened slightly as she spoke seriously: “Ziyan, with the imperial family’s methods, the truth will inevitably come to light given the existing evidence.

If your sect is forthcoming, the imperial family will not press too hard. Have Xiang Dalong hand over the Serpent King's remains and pay compensation. The imperial family will mediate to resolve the grudge between the two sects.”

Upon hearing this, Purple Mist Fairy felt a chill in her heart, recognizing the imperial family’s partiality.

The imperial family also had no desire to see Yunxia Sect produce a fourth-rank puppet master.

If the Serpent King’s remains were handed over and substantial compensation were paid, Xiang Dalong’s chances of advancing to the fourth-rank puppet master would be indefinitely delayed.

...

After seeing off True Monarch Red Sleeve, True Monarch Purple Mist couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of unease.

She immediately sent a transmission talisman to Lan Chang'an, who was still in seclusion.

"You handled the situation well, Ziyan. Delaying the matter as much as possible is the best approach."

Though Lan Chang'an had been in seclusion, his powerful spiritual sense had already picked up the conversation between Purple Mist and Red Sleeve.

The power of the fourth-life descent hadn't dissipated yet, allowing him to retain the spiritual sense of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Are you certain that stalling like this will work?"

Hearing Lan Chang'an’s calm and confident transmission, Purple Mist felt a bit more at ease.

The imperial court’s investigation was something Lan Chang'an had already foreseen in his divination and planning.

That was why he had informed Purple Mist in advance.

The only response was to delay.

Yunxia Sect was still part of the Great Yu Kingdom.

As long as they didn’t act too brazenly, the imperial court would not directly strike down existing Nascent Soul True Monarchs over the death of an already fallen fourth-rank demon king.

At most, they would apply pressure, forcing Yunxia Sect to surrender some benefits, restricting Xiang Dalong’s growth, and secretly supporting Great Snake Mountain to maintain a balance of power between the two sides.

However, what the imperial court didn’t know was that Lan Chang'an’s advancement to fourth-rank puppet master status was not an immediate concern.

This was because Puppet Master Wei was already a true fourth-rank puppet master, and he had even fused with a genuine fourth-rank puppet.

"It’s enough."

Lan Chang'an’s tone was steady, reassuring Purple Mist.

By the time he fully digested the Scarlet Abyss Serpent King and the gains from the demonic calamity, all of his followers, spirit pets, puppet army, and puppets would be significantly enhanced.

Even if a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert from the imperial court personally came to pressure him, he would not be intimidated, in fact, he wouldn’t mind revealing a bit more of his strength.

An even more delicate and opportune event was approaching.

At the end of the demonic calamity, Lan Chang'an would reunite with "True Monarch Jing Tian" to enter the forbidden zone in the Central Region to seal demons.

True Monarch Jing Tian was one of the most formidable figures in the Central Region.

Even though he had never openly revealed a pseudo-spiritual treasure, his combat strength already rivaled mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

If he truly possessed a pseudo-spiritual treasure, then his power would be enough to annihilate Nascent Soul sects.

Such a force could shake the entire Central Region.

Even top-tier forces such as the Great Yu Imperial Family or Beast King Valley would have to tolerate someone like him.

By then, Lan Chang'an wouldn't hesitate to showcase his friendly relationship with True Monarch Jing Tian, working alongside him on tasks, continuing to delay and stall.

At that point, would the imperial family dare to obstruct him? They wouldn’t be able to stop him even if they tried.

Lan Chang'an, as a one-man sect, would be formidable. With True Monarch Jing Tian as a powerful ally, he would be able to dominate the Central Region's cultivation world. While he didn't dare to call himself invincible, he would no longer need to act according to anyone else’s will.