Everlasting

 

“Strange, Heartless Heaven Sect's offensive this time is much weaker than before. They are not sending out those Sacred artefacts.”

“It’s really strange. Why aren’t the half-step Human Immortals taking action? Are they planning something else?”

Although the attacks from Heartless Heaven Sect’s side had weakened considerably, they still could not afford to be careless. On the contrary, they continued giving their all to defend the city. To their dismay, they found that, even though the half-step Human Immortals from Heartless Heaven Sect were not taking action, the defending forces for Azuresieve City had reached its limit. Without the addition of experts, the city would surely fall.

“It is as we had predicted yesterday, our forces have reached a point where the city could be broken through today. However, something seems to have happened to Heartless Heaven Sect’s side.” Tie Jian walked back and forth across the city walls. He did not take action. Instead, he kept gathering his strength, wanting to take action only during critical moments.

The two sisters, Jian Qingwu and Jian Qingling, were also patrolling the city. Whenever a portion of the walls was on the verge of falling, they would rush forward. As each of them possessed the Sword Spirit Constitution and a cultivation base of level 8 of the Sky Human stage, they represented a considerable force for Azuresieve City.

As for Chen Feng, he did not take action at all. He did not even leave the small courtyard. He knew better than anyone the reason behind what was happening today. The divine senses of Liu Yuan and the others had been badly damaged by the Blood Mustering Bead. Unless they possessed Sky-tier divine sense-restoring pills, it was something that they could not restore anytime soon. Unlike the fleshly body, it was difficult to restore the divine sense once it was damaged. Even after taking medicinal pills, some time would be needed to restore it. Not doing so would leave behind a potential for disaster.

Chen Feng was also not particularly caring as to whether or not Azuresieve City would fall. He had already rendered too much aid. The half-step Human Immortals of Heartless Heaven Sect were already wounded to the point where they could no longer attack. If Azuresieve City could still fall under these circumstances, then it would simply be Heaven’s will. Additionally, Chen Feng had no delusions that he could save Azuresieve City on his own. Although he would be able to do so by bringing out the Longevity Tower, he would not do so. While the Longevity Tower could suppress everything here, it would consume too much energy. Additionally, Tower had warned him before that doing so might cause his former enemies to notice him. These were existences that could beat the Longevity Tower to such a terrible state. No imagination was needed for Chen Feng to know that those were not the type of existences that he could make contact with. 

In the beginning, Tie Jian and the others had been worried that Heartless Heaven Sect was plotting something. Thus, they dared not be careless. After engaging in a battle for the whole day, both sides suffered from casualties. Then, Heartless Heaven Sect withdrew their troops. Throughout it all, the half-step Human Immortals from Heartless Heaven Sect did not appear at all.

Azuresieve City did not fall. It had endured for yet another day.

As the defenders of Azuresieve City breathed a sigh of relief, they were also feeling puzzled. They did not understand what had happened to Heartless Heaven Sect.

In the middle of the night, Jian Qingwu and Jian Qingling came to Chen Feng’s small courtyard. It just so happened that Chen Feng had reached the end of one of his cultivation sessions. Thus, he opened his eyes and smiled at them.

“We had been fighting desperately outside, but you sure are making yourself comfortable.” Looking at Chen Feng’s undamaged appearance, Jian Qingling could not stop herself from speaking up.

“Looks like Azuresieve City managed to hold today.” Chen Feng smiled, ignoring the implications behind her words.

“Chen Feng, have you been practicing cultivation here all this time?” Jian Qingwu suddenly asked.

“Yes. After coming here, I suddenly had this stroke of inspiration. Thus, I did not leave. At any rate, my strength alone will not be able to change much. Excuse me for that.” Chen Feng nodded.

Jian Qingwu regarded Chen Feng, not knowing how to forward her question. The half-step Human Immortals from Heartless Heaven Sect had not taken action at all. Thinking about it carefully, the two sisters kept getting a faint feeling that it was connected to Chen Feng. The reason they came here was to ask Chen Feng about it.

“You were behind what happened yesterday night, right?” Seeing her older sister not saying anything, Jian Qingling brought up what happened yesterday.

“Yes, I was refining a magic treasure.” Chen Feng nodded without going into the details.

“Did anything else happened?” Jian Qingling tried asking.

Chen Feng smiled to himself and said, “What else? What are you talking about? I was focused on my cultivation practice. So, I do not know about anything else.”

“Oh!”

Chen Feng did not appear to be lying. Thus, Jian Qingwu and Jian Qingling simply chatted with him casually for a bit before leaving.

My actions last night gave Azuresieve City some time. However, I wonder if it can endure until reinforcements arrive. Chen Feng shook his head as he brought out the Blood Mustering Bead again. Mobilizing it, the blood and killing energies floating in the air converged once again upon Chen Feng’s small courtyard.

“Just what is he doing? Should we head back and spy on him?” Jian Qingling suggested.

“Forget it. It is not good to spy on others while they are cultivating.” Jian Qingwu shook her head, rejecting the idea.

The days went by and the group of half-step Human Immortals from Heartless Heaven Sect continued to stay away from the battle. Thus, Azuresieve City continued to endure. However, the number of wounded defenders kept rising and the cultivation supplies kept decreasing. Even the spiritual energy in the sky had been cut off by Heartless Heaven Sect using their magic arrays. Only some of the stronger cultivators could extract the power of earth or stars to replenish their energies. Those Concealed stage cultivators, possessing an insufficient level of strength, could only take medicinal pills after getting wounded. The number of medicinal pills kept decreasing while there was no more spiritual energy to absorb. As the days went by, they could not even heal their wounds.

While cultivating, Chen Feng had also released his divine sense out. Naturally, he was able to perceive what was happening. He could not stop himself from sighing.

It has been so long, but Heavenly Sword Faction has yet to send reinforcements. Something must have happened. Originally, I was thinking of absorbing the blood and killing energies here to cultivate for some time. However, it seems I can only charge out to investigate what is going on, Chen Feng thought.

On this particular day, Chen Feng went to find Jian Qingwu and Jian Qingling. He brought out some spirit stones.

“So many spirit stones! And they are all Sacred crystals! There are 10,000 pieces of them. Heavens! Chen Feng, how could you have so many high-grade spirit stones?” Jian Qingling cried out in shock.

Tie Jian, who had come over, was also looking at Chen Feng with an astonished gaze. Sky Human stage cultivators would often use Prized crystals for their cultivation. Generally speaking, Sacred crystals were spirit stones that only Human Immortals would use. For those at the Sky Human stage to be able to use Sacred crystals for cultivation, they were either those blessed with great fortune or those with a great background.

Take Tie Jian for example. He had the backing of Heavenly Sword Faction, a first-rate sect. He was also a half-step Human Immortal. Even at his richest, he would be incapable of bringing out 10,000 Sacred crystals just like that. Thus, his feelings of gratitude outweighed his surprise.

“These spirit stones can help you fellows slow the enemy down. I am planning to leave Azuresieve City to get reinforcements.” Chen Feng informed them his plan.

“What, you want to leave Azuresieve City? But there are so many soldiers outside. It is simply impossible to break through,” Jian Qingling said.

“How about this? The two of us will charge out with you,” Jian Qingwu said.

“It’s better for me to leave alone. It will be easier that way.” Chen Feng refused.

“Humph! What do you mean by that? Do you think we will become a burden? We came here together, so we’ll leave together! Do you really think you can charge out alone?” Hearing Chen Feng’s words, Jian Qingling became displeased.

In the end, Chen Feng had no choice but to agree to the two sisters coming together with him. Thinking about it, he would still need their help in contacting those from Heavenly Sword Faction after getting out from the city. Thus, Chen Feng did not object.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to hold on until reinforcements arrive,” Tie Jian whispered as he watched their three figures disappear.

Next, Tie Jian began instructing the other cultivators. “Bring out a portion of these spirit stones to repair the walls. Distribute the rest to the wounded disciples.”

…

“Chen Feng, do you have a way to leave?”

“Naturally, follow me!”

After rushing out from Azuresieve City, Chen Feng secretly mobilized the Blood Mustering Bead. In a flash, the Blood Mustering Bead’s bloodthirsty aura condensed to form a sphere, which pierced through space to arrive at Heartless Heaven Sect’s barracks.

A ghastly scene played out. Blood began spraying out from the pores of the soldiers who were resting and they were swiftly reduced to sheets of human skin.

The Blood Mustering Bead was a Dao artefact that had condensed the dao laws. Under Chen Feng’s control, it had utilized dao laws to silently devour blood essence, bringing them back through space and into the Blood Mustering Bead. Not even the two sisters were able to detect what had happened.

What happened to the barracks immediately alerted the other cultivators. Some of the higher-ranking cultivators rushed over. Even Liu Yuan and the other half-step Human Immortals, who were recuperating, were alarmed.

“Up ahead are their restrictive arrays. Once we break through it, we will end up alarming the men from Heartless Heaven Sect,” Jian Qingwu said.

“I’ll break it,” Chen Feng said, mobilizing the Blood Mustering Bead, which transformed into a beam of bloody light to charge forward. Everywhere it went, the restrictive arrays enveloping Azuresieve City would break apart and a pathway was opened.

“Not good! Someone is trying to break out!”

The men from Heartless Heaven Sect who were on guard duty were alarmed and they quickly gathered up.

“Don’t worry. No matter who comes, they will not be able to escape. They came here only to die!”

“Eh, what kind of magic treasure is that? It is capable of breaking the restrictive arrays. Everyone, be careful!”

“Heh! Consider this bad luck on your part.” With a thought from Chen Feng, the Blood Mustering Bead that had flown out suddenly released a dazzling blood-coloured light. The rays of bloody light were like water droplets spreading out into its surroundings. Any cultivator who made contact with the light would immediately howl out. Then, the cultivator would blow up like a popped balloon. The resulting mist of blood immediately gathered up, forming streams of bloody waters which flowed into the Blood Mustering Bead like rivers flowing into the sea.

In just one breath’s worth of time, almost all of the hundred plus cultivators who were stationed outside the restrictive arrays had been killed. Some cultivators, having only just arrived, saw what happened and were scared off their wits. After recollecting themselves, they quickly screamed out and ran. This was too horrifying. None of them were willing to step forward and die.

It wasn’t just the cultivators from Heartless Heaven Sect. Even Jian Qingwu and Jian Qingling, who were following Chen Feng, stared with widened eyes. They could not believe what they were seeing.

“What are you two spacing out for?” Chen Feng could not stop himself from shouting. Due to the sudden change in circumstances, the two sisters involuntarily faltered in their actions. When they heard Chen Feng, they quickly continued to follow Chen Feng.

After having absorbed a large amount of blood essence, the Blood Mustering Bead seemingly grew more violent. Streams of blood energy pervaded every corner of the place as they roiled about. Bloody light shone all over the place. A massive ball of blood, looking like a small mountain, flew through the sky. Be it the restrictive arrays or the cultivators from Heartless Heaven Sect, anything or anyone standing in the path of the Blood Mustering Bead would be smashed into bits.