I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Inside the Secret Room.

A small pool of liquid mana had formed in Lan Chang'an's dantian region, glowing emerald green and pulsating with a vigorous, everlasting vitality, within it lay a sediment of the vicissitudes of time.

"Having reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, my lifespan has increased dramatically, and with the aid of the Life Extension Pills, I could potentially live for over four hundred years."

A weight was lifted from Lan Chang'an's mind. Having stepped into Foundation Establishment, he had truly made his footing in the cultivation world, possessing the ability to protect himself and enjoy a more extended lifespan.

Theoretically, an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator's lifespan was two hundred and forty years, but in actuality, two hundred years was about the limit they could expect to achieve.

With the Evergreen Technique, one's longevity could be extended by half, bringing a Foundation Establishment cultivator's base longevity to three hundred and sixty years. With three first-rank Life Extension Pills, his lifespan reached three hundred and eighty years.

This already exceeded the lifespan of a Fake-Dan cultivator.

Fake-Dan immortals did not complete the full Core Formation process, so their longevity was typically a hundred years beyond that of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The effect of a first-rank Life Extension Pill was not yet fully exhausted by Lan Chang'an.

A second-rank Life Extension Pill typically extends life by over ten years, with premium ones extending by around fifteen years.

Lan Chang'an estimated that if he were to consume both first- and second-rank Life Extension Pills to their limits, his maximum lifespan in the Foundation Establishment Realm could reach four or even five hundred years.

Living that long would qualify him to be called an ancestor.

...

Lan Chang'an operated the Evergreen Technique, successfully concealing his aura, mainly to hide his spiritual sense.

After advancing to the Foundation Establishment, the fourth layer of the body refinement manual became unremarkable.

As long as he didn’t extend his spiritual sense outward and kept it tightly guarded within his Niwan Palace, it was easier to conceal than cultivation level.[1]

"I have just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, considered the first level of Foundation Establishment, but my spiritual sense is approaching late Foundation Establishment, capable of covering a radius of sixty to seventy zhang." Lan Chang'an knew this was the benefit brought by the Nine Seal Stele.

Once a cultivator reached Foundation Establishment, it was rare to refer to themselves as being in first or second level, etc.

Foundation Establishment early, mid, and late stages were the normal terms.

The levels within these minor realms, while existent, only represented a difference of two to three-tenths in mana.

It was just a difference in quantity, with mana strength being similar, having little impact on combat power.

Only between minor realms, such as early and mid, was there a difference of about twice in mana! Both quality and quantity differed, greatly affecting combat power.

The levels only had significance for personal measurement, knowing what stage of the minor realm they were in.

For instance, Lan Chang'an was currently in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Although he was at the first level, his mana was not that far behind Zhao Siyao's.

Disregarding external factors such as skill and resources, the two were evenly matched.

In other words, Zhao Siyao had advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage twenty-six or twenty-seven years earlier, but was now nearly caught up by Lan Chang'an.

Unless she advanced to the mid Foundation Establishment stage, the gap wouldn't truly widen.

With Zhao Siyao's qualifications, without significant opportunities, advancing through the Foundation Establishment stage wouldn't be that smooth.

...

In the privacy of his room, Lan Chang'an spent a month in seclusion to consolidate his foundation.

During this period, he noticed the anomaly with the Profound Water Turtle.

When Lan Chang'an was breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the Profound Water Turtle was also absorbing aura, growing at an accelerated rate.

After advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, he tested it out.

As usual, he let the Profound Water Turtle absorb aura while he cultivated, feeding it Evergreen mana daily.

"Its growth rate is more than twice that of a normal Profound Water Turtle!" Lan Chang'an was surprised, yet found it reasonable.

After advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm, the quality of his Evergreen mana had increased several-fold, bringing about such an effect, which was logical.

"This growth rate..."

Lan Chang'an pondered. For a normal spirit creature, it was still considered exceptionally slow. The Profound Water Turtle's only unusual trait was its cultivation growth; its physical size remained within normal limits.

As long as Lan Chang'an didn't draw undue attention to it, there would be few problems.

A number of reasons could explain the Profound Water Turtle's abnormal growth:

For instance, it might have eaten some heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or there might be a secret formula for cultivation, or some secret technique might have spurred its growth, sacrificing part of its potential and having side effects.

The world of cultivation was full of strange things. As long as it didn't become a Core Formation beast in a few decades or centuries, it wouldn't be a huge temptation.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-rank talisman master, Lan Chang'an, with a second-rank demonic beast, could protect such a small secret without any issue.

Secrets and risks were determined by strength.

Which loose cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm didn't have a bit of opportunity or secret?

...

Upon reaching Foundation Establishment, Lan Chang'an faced a new problem: he had two leftover Foundation Establishment Pills.

He actually had two Foundation Establishment Pills left?

One standard, one inferior.

The inferior one was obtained from the Evil-faced Flying Eagle, kept as a backup from the beginning.

Originally, there were two standard ones, one used for breaking through, and one surplus.

"Two extra Foundation Establishment Pills." Lan Chang'an contemplated for a long while, recalling the decades of cultivation in this life, before making his decision.

...

After a month in seclusion, Lan Chang'an finally came out.

The first thing he did was meet Zhao Siyao.

During the Foundation Establishment period, she had guarded the door for a whole month without ever attempting to steal his Foundation Establishment Pills, her sincerity on full display.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, congratulations. After decades of hard work, you have finally established your foundation. You are undoubtedly a shining example of Liang's late bloomers in the cultivation world." Zhao Siyao's eyes were clear, her brows slightly raised, restoring her usual elegance and refined demeanor.

"I simply lead a healthy lifestyle, and luck has smiled upon me." Lan Chang'an said modestly.

"Senior Brother Lan, congratulations on establishing your foundation." Guan Qiaozhi greeted him with a smile, her eyes gleaming with joy.

Though she wore a radiant grin, the depths of her demeanor did not look like she was particularly happy.

Lan Chang'an did not pay attention to this detail.

This woman was entrusted by Master Guan, and she diligently carried out her duties without complaint.

If she remained diligent and loyal, cultivating to the ninth layer of Qi-Refining, Lan Chang'an considered rewarding her with the inferior Foundation Establishment Pill.

If she wanted to leave, even remarry, he would not object.

Even palace maids in the imperial palace, when they got older, had the chance to be freed and married off.

Lan Chang'an's attitude toward such matters was rather lax. He was a healthy man, but he had no interest in building a harem.

No matter how beautiful a woman, in the long years, there would be a day when beauty faded and bones withered.

This was why he viewed it lightly, never actively entangling with any female cultivator emotionally.

If a woman met his aesthetic standards and willingly pursued him without expectation of a commitment, he would entertain the affection, but he would not initiate such an affair himself.

As for going to brothels?

Lan Chang'an had a slight cleanliness obsession and hadn't been to one in his previous two lives.

...

Lan Chang'an and Zhao Siyao sat in the cave mansion.

Now that there was no gap in cultivation, there was no more barrier between their friendship.

The two had much in common.

Zhao Siyao was dedicated to the Dao, having long let go of worldly emotions, she naturally viewed such matters with indifference. Even if she did encounter someone she liked, she would never take the initiative to act.

"So many invitations?" Lan Chang'an took a large stack of invitations handed by Guan Qiaozhi.

These invitations were mostly from Foundation Establishment cultivators, representing the immortal cultivation forces behind them.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, don't be surprised. You established your foundation in your ancient age, breaking a millennium record in the Liang Kingdom's cultivation world, setting an of a man rising late in life." Zhao Siyao's lips pressed slightly, holding back laughter.

"So, I am now famous in Huanglong Immortal City?"

After understanding the situation, Lan Chang'an couldn't help but think deeply.

During his period of seclusion, the inspiring news of the elderly man successfully achieving Foundation Establishment at ancient age became a topic of interest in Huanglong Immortal City.

After all, Lan Chang'an had been in Huanglong Immortal City for more than twenty years. His personal background was no secret.

Establishing a foundation at one's ancient age was indeed rare.

But if one's gaze was cast beyond Great Qing to the larger cultivation world, it wasn't such an uncommon occurrence.

The Liang Kingdom was only a small part of the Great Qing, a medium-sized cultivation country.

"Your reputation extends far beyond Huanglong Immortal City. It won't be long before cultivators across Liang, including those who have reached Core Formation, know of your existence."

"Your deeds will, after all, be recorded in the annals of Liang Kingdom's cultivation history." At this point, Zhao Siyao couldn't help but feel a bit envious.

Being recorded in history was something an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't achieve. Even those weaker Core Formation cultivators could be forgotten by the long history of the cultivation world.

In today's Huanglong Immortal City, who didn't know the inspiring story of the "Talisman Master Turtle" who established his foundation at his ancient age?

This attracted the attention of various cultivation forces as well.

As a Foundation Establishment loose cultivator with a clean background and a second-rank talisman master, every major force sought to recruit him as their prized asset.

...

Lan Chang'an sighed. He didn't expect that his low-key self would become famous one day.

Fortunately, establishing a foundation at ancient age was not particularly newsworthy, as it was generally viewed as an inspiring underdog story.

An elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator represented limited potential, with a lower chance of advancing to Core Formation in the future.

Even if Core Formation Immortals knew about him, they would merely think that he had a strong foundation, practiced Life-Nourishing Techniques, and was blessed with some good fortune.

In other words, it was a relatively subdued form of fame.

By contrast, a young cultivator with exceptional potential might garner far more attention. For example, if their qualifications were merely average and they reached Foundation Establishment in their twenties, they would still draw the attention of the cultivation world's elite, who would suspect that such a person possessed great destiny.

As a cultivator who reached Foundation Establishment at their ancient age, what could Lan Chang'an possibly have to offer? It wasn't as if anyone coveted his kidneys.

In a certain sense, this reputation made him quite safe. His reputation as an inspiring underdog meant that anyone targeting him would have to consider the consequences carefully; moreover, harming an elderly cultivator who had reached Foundation Establishment would be widely condemned.

"Speaking of which, Fu Xuemei sent over a gift in thanks for the Foundation Establishment Pills. You were in seclusion at the time, so I accepted on your behalf." Zhao Siyao produced a small, exquisite gift box.

On the day they exchanged Foundation Establishment Pills, Fu Xuemei had mentioned offering additional thanks beyond the promised favor.

Footnotes:

[1]The "Niwan Palace" (泥丸宫) is a term from taoism internal alchemy, referring to a crucial area within the mind or spirit, often associated with spiritual or mental faculties. It is considered a central point for focusing and controlling one's spiritual energy and spiritual sense in cultivation practices.