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Chapter 417: Azure Dragon Hall Master, Ruthlessly Crushing an Nascent Soul
Lan Chang'an had no intention of revealing himself in the River Source Oasis or meeting Yun Ling privately, lest he alert the enemy and jeopardize the subsequent plans.
He merely revisited the old place in secret to understand the current situation.
Yun Yan, the Dao Companion of Master Lihuo, Granny Yun, had passed away at the end of her natural lifespan. This woman had nurtured Lihuo's descendants and passed on part of his legacy to the younger generation, remaining utterly loyal and devoted to Master Lihuo.
With his spiritual sense, Lan Chang'an caught a glimpse of one of Yun Clan's twin prodigies, the "Fairy Cloud Dream."
This Core Formation female cultivator had starry eyes, a jade-like nose, skin as fair as ice and snow, and wore a light cyan classical immortal dress with a white gauze outer layer that couldn't conceal her voluptuous curves. Her elegant and noble demeanor made her stand out like a banished immortal in this desolate desert of yellow sand.
"This girl has grown up quite a bit."
As Lan Chang'an observed with his spiritual sense, the Fairy Cloud Dream's eyes were cold and distant as she reprimanded a middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator, leaving him drenched in sweat, trembling with fear.
The commanding presence of a Core Formation cultivator in a high position, combined with the grace of a peerless beauty, made it difficult to connect her with the sweet, obedient maidservant from a hundred years ago.
Within the Outer Sect Alliance and even in the Fengyuan Kingdom itself, the Fairy Cloud Dream had countless admirers.
After scanning the area with his spiritual sense, Lan Chang'an quietly left the River Source Oasis.
After reprimanding her junior, the Fairy Cloud Dream suddenly felt an inexplicable premonition.
Her starry eyes turned toward a spiritual water garden at the back of the clan's territory.
That place was once where Mister Xu cultivated and where she had served as a maidservant all those years ago.
For some reason, the Fairy Cloud Dream suddenly thought of that person she hadn't seen in a hundred years.
She missed the giant turtle she had spent day and night with.
In recent years, rumors had spread from the Righteous Dao Alliance that the long-vanished "Turtle Immortal" had returned as the "Evergreen True Monarch" after forming his Nascent Soul.
Due to her many clan responsibilities, the turbulent situation in the Fengyuan Kingdom, and the vast desert separating them, the Fairy Cloud Dream had no chance to travel to the Liang Kingdom to explore.
Now, with this sudden premonition and the resurgence of long-suppressed longing, she secretly made up her mind.
...
The largest gathering near the River Source Oasis was the Gutian Immortal City.
The surrounding area belonged to the Outer Sect Alliance's territory.
Lan Chang'an's fourth-rank divination revealed that the Heavenly Master's fate-related arrangements had significantly weakened here.
The Heavenly Master's two arch-enemies both possessed rare treasures capable of obscuring heavenly secrets and divination, and their grades were quite high.
Both sides knew each other's strengths and had countermeasures prepared.
Once the Heavenly Master left the Fengyuan Kingdom's borders, his power would greatly diminish, leaving him only capable of dealing with one of them. Moreover, he had to worry about the Ice and Snow Sacred Mountain being raided and seized by others.
Fortunately, for this operation, Lan Chang'an benefited from the Heavenly Master's divination and heavenly secrets, tilting fortune in his favor while reducing the probability of unfavorable accidents.
The Heavenly Master's claim that he had performed divinations and prayed for luck in the Ice and Snow Sacred Mountain wasn't entirely false.
As Lan Chang'an approached Gutian Immortal City, he stopped hundreds of li away, observing and sensing while closing his eyes to perform a brief divination.
With the Heavenly Master's remote assistance, his divination skills improved significantly, surpassing most fourth-rank divination masters.
"Old Monster Wan is indeed not stationed in Gutian Immortal City or the Mysterious Mechanism Tower. He might be on his way back from the lands of the two sects or searching for materials in remote areas near the Outer Sect Alliance."
Lan Chang'an only had a rough judgment and couldn't pinpoint the exact whereabouts.
After all, Old Monster Wan was a third-rank divination master with a treasure capable of obscuring heavenly secrets.
The former puppet-armed city lord of Gutian Immortal City was still alive but had retreated behind the scenes, managing affairs in the Mysterious Mechanism Tower.
Even though Old Monster Wan wasn't in Gutian Immortal City, Lan Chang'an didn't enter the city or deliberately approach it.
To avoid being detected by special means sensing a True Monarch's aura, Lan Chang'an wore the Black Wind Cloak for this operation, and both he and the Lord Earthrock sealed their mana.
The Black Wind Cloak was made of fifth-rank materials, making its concealment abilities extremely powerful. As a result, it incidentally provided some resistance to heavenly secrets and tracking divinations.
This rare treasure would significantly increase the success rate of Lan Chang'an's mission.
Using his physical cultivation and talismans to travel, Lan Chang'an traversed another twenty thousand li, approaching the super-large oasis where the Poison Dragon Pool was located.
The Poison Dragon Pool was a top-tier force rooted in the Outer Sect Alliance, similar to the Mysterious Mechanism Tower, but it was an organization of poison masters.
The Nascent Soul old monster backing the Poison Dragon Pool was "Old Evil Shen," a fourth-rank poison master who was even more dangerous and troublesome.
In Lan Chang'an's eyes, this man was an upgraded version of the Red Refinement True Monarch—also a fourth-rank poison-refining master, but an older-generation Nascent Soul cultivator with a quasi-fourth-rank venomous jiao dragon.
"Old Evil Shen is indeed in the Poison Dragon Pool."
Lan Chang'an smiled faintly. Since the super-large oasis had a miniature fourth-rank spiritual vein, one of the two Nascent Soul old monsters was always stationed there.
...
"Go!"
Lan Chang'an sent out a third-rank puppet clone, infused with the shadow of his second life from the Nine Seal Stele, allowing him to share its senses.
This puppet clone was made of lifelike, human-simulating materials and possessed a soul aura, making it difficult for Core Formation cultivators to detect any flaws.
In the past, Lan Chang'an had used such a puppet clone to deceive the Beast King Valley's "Ten Thousand Crane True Monarch" during an ambush.
That day, a foreign hooded black-robed Immortal entered the super-large oasis of the Poison Dragon Pool.
This black-robed Immortal gathered intelligence, purchased cultivation resources, and sought to trade for top third-rank or even quasi-fourth-rank poisonous materials.
His actions didn't seem particularly unusual.
In the Fengyuan Kingdom and its surroundings, the Poison Dragon Pool's super-large oasis was the best place for cultivators seeking potent toxins or antidotes.
Some merchants from the Righteous Dao Alliance even crossed vast distances and the desert barrier to procure such materials.
However, the black-robed hooded Immortal's requested materials were of high grade, inevitably requiring interactions with the Poison Dragon Pool's high-ranking Core Formation members.
During negotiations, the black-robed Immortal displayed particularly enticing trade items, some of which were rare refining materials for toxins that were rare to find in the Great Qing's eastern region.
The highest-grade poison-refining auxiliary material reached quasi-fourth-rank, something not even native to the Great Qing, let alone the desert regions of the Fengyuan Kingdom.
This matter alarmed the Poison Dragon Pool's upper echelons and the oasis's intelligence networks, all of whom began investigating his identity.
The black-robed Immortal called himself "Black Lord," claiming to be procuring goods for a hidden faction, making his identity mysterious.
"Black Lord" stayed on the oasis for two days but failed to achieve his procurement goals. Rejecting the Poison Dragon Pool's eager attempts to retain him, he decisively left.
Because the poison-refining materials involved were too rare, some completely unheard of, the Poison Dragon Pool's upper echelons reported to Old Evil Shen, who was in seclusion.
Nascent Soul old monsters weren't so easily met. The Poison Dragon Pool's leaders had originally planned to delay before letting Old Evil Shen decide.
As a fourth-rank poison master, Old Evil Shen had long been collecting rare poison-refining materials, and the Poison Dragon Pool had a standing mission for such items.
However, Black Lord was cautious and swiftly left the oasis shortly after they reported the matter.
...
Inside a gloomy, miasma-filled cave abode in the Poison Dragon Pool:
"Reporting to the Pool Master, Black Lord Immortal concealed his tracks and quietly left the oasis, shaking off our surveillance operatives."
"Tsk tsk, that brat sure knows how to slip away!"
The Pool Master of the Poison Dragon Pool was a dark-skinned late-Core Formation male with black-green eyebrows and beard, sunken eye sockets, a high nose bridge, and a sinister face twisted in mockery.
The Pool Master was also a master poison-refiner who had once committed atrocities in the lands of the two sects, poisoning an entire Core Formation clan of hundreds to death.
Even his former Dao Companion had been refined into a poison corpse, supposedly to keep him company forever.
Whoosh whoosh!
Several blue-black fluorescent insects hovered above the Pool Master's palm.
He controlled a type of strange poisonous insect that had memorized Black Lord's soul aura, allowing him to sense its approximate location within several thousand li.
Moreover, the surrounding area was under the Poison Dragon Pool's influence, with countless spies and informants.
While waiting for Old Evil Shen's response, the Pool Master handed one of the tracking insects to a pursuit expert while remaining in the Poison Dragon Pool to oversee operations.
Half a day later, bad news arrived.
"Pool Master, something big is wrong! That Black Lord was hiding his strength, he's actually a peak Core Formation cultivator with formidable abilities. He killed two of our Core Formation Immortals! Even 'Earth Ghost Immortal' was dragged out and executed on the spot!"
Earth Ghost Immortal was a mid-Core Formation cultivator and one of the Poison Dragon Pool's top three tracking experts.
"Black Lord possesses such rare poison-refining materials, of course, he's no ordinary figure. I'm afraid that his abilities are no less than that of this Pool Master."
The Pool Master's expression turned grave, realizing the situation was thorny.
According to intelligence analysis, Black Lord seemed affiliated with a mysterious organization, possibly related to the short-lived "Azure Dragon Society."
Thus, the Poison Dragon Pool had only conducted covert investigations and tracking, avoiding outright banditry.
Just then, a Nascent Soul-level spiritual sense swept over.
"Pool Master Wu, those rare materials and poison-refining products you reported earlier aren't native to the Great Qing. I'm somewhat interested. Is Black Lord still near the oasis?"
A drawn-out, hoarse voice echoed in his ears.
"Replying to Senior Shen!"
Pool Master Wu immediately bowed, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he responded:
"Black Lord killed two True Dan Elders... and has already fled beyond the oasis's sphere of influence. He's a late-Core Formation cultivator, extremely vigilant, and skilled in counter-tracking. Our methods may no longer be able to catch up."
...
In the desert, a hooded man in yellow robes blended seamlessly with the sand.
Alert and suppressing his aura, he flew toward a remote desert region.
"Humph! Do you really think you can just walk away after killing Poison Dragon Pool cultivators?"
A cold voice descended from the Nine Fiery Heavens, accompanied by the spiritual pressure of a Nascent Soul True Monarch's flight.
"Damn it!"
The hooded man stiffened, slapping a quasi-fourth-rank escape talisman to flee.
"You think you can escape under my watch?"
The clouds churned violently as thick gray miasma swirled like a massive vortex around a majestic Nascent Soul cultivator.
The newcomer was a scholarly-looking man in gray-white robes, appearing to be in his forties or fifties, with a pale, sickly complexion—like an ailing physician.
Were it not for the darkening sky tainted with poisonous miasma, one might mistake him for a learned herbalist.
Old Evil Shen descended from the heavens, scanning the area with his spiritual sense to confirm no one else was present before curling his lips coldly.
"Hmm? A puppet? But how does it have a soul aura?"
Upon closer inspection, Old Evil Shen let out a surprised grunt.
This only piqued his interest further. Although the Thousand Mechanisms Sect in the lands of the two sects had spirit-possession puppet techniques, this was different.
Could it be some forbidden art merging a cultivator's divine soul with a puppet?
As thoughts flashed through his mind, Old Evil Shen raised his hand and unleashed a thick beam of crimson-black poisonous light. Even the dispersed mist around it could make Core Formation cultivators shudder, dizzy, and nauseated.
Boom!
The hooded man's talisman light shattered instantly. Despite dodging desperately, he was grazed by the poisonous light and plummeted from the sky.
His puppet body was scorched and damaged, black smoke billowing from its surface.
It was hard to imagine the damage it would inflict on a flesh-and-blood cultivator.
As the puppet fell, an unfriendly voice suddenly rang out:
"Old Evil Shen! How dare you harm my subordinate? You must answer for this today!"
On a sand dune several hundred meters away stood a black-robed middle-aged man with his hands behind his back, most of his figure shrouded in a dark cloak.
Old Evil Shen's pupils constricted, his heart pounding.
He had carefully scanned the area during his pursuit.
There had been no third party, so how had this person appeared out of nowhere?
The implications were obvious.
An early Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't achieve this. At the very least, it would require a mid-Nascent Soul expert skilled in concealment.
Yet in the remote, resource-scarce Fengyuan Kingdom, it was nearly impossible for a native mid-Nascent Soul cultivator to emerge.
"Who is your Excellency?"
Old Evil Shen's face was gloomy, as if he was facing a great enemy. His Nascent Soul mana surged, forming a translucent, dark poisonous barrier around him.
To his senses, the black-robed middle-aged man seemed like a mysterious void, his spiritual sense registering him as an ordinary mortal.
"I am the Eastern Region Branch Hall Master of the 'Azure Dragon Society.'"
As the black-robed man spoke, he summoned a sea banner magical treasure, radiating profound water-attribute spiritual light.
"Azure Dragon Society... Branch Hall Master?"
Old Evil Shen's spine chilled with dread. Had he provoked some terrifying hidden force?
"Wait, early Nascent Soul?"
Only when the other party activated his magical treasure did Old Evil Shen sense the black-robed man's true cultivation level.
Not even peak early Nascent Soul, in terms of mana, he was actually not as good as himself.
Old Evil Shen relaxed slightly, then grew furious, feeling mocked.
Both early Nascent Soul, what right did he have to act so high and mighty?
...
During this brief opening, the Azure Dragon Hall Master activated his magical treasure and struck first.
The blue sea banner swelled to a height of ten zhang in the wind, its dark watery surface revealing a lifelike turtle pattern.
Whoosh—BOOM!
A towering tsunami, accompanied by a raging storm, formed a small ocean that swallowed the desert within their line of sight.
"Filling the desert with an ocean? All show, no substance!"
This large-scale tidal wave technique lacked concentrated killing power, so Old Evil Shen didn’t feel particularly threatened. Water-based magical treasures couldn’t leverage the desert’s natural advantages, only increasing consumption.
With a wave of his hand, Old Evil Shen summoned a poison banner shrouded in miasma—his life-bound magical treasure, the Ten Thousand Poison Banner.
Whoosh!
As the banner swayed, vast clouds of poisonous miasma engulfed the area for miles, directly countering the ocean summoned by the sea banner, neither side gaining the upper hand.
The miasma from the Ten Thousand Poison Banner could melt bones and dissolve metal. Once it seeped into the tidal waves, it would disrupt their divine abilities, such as water-escape techniques.
Thus, in a prolonged battle between cultivators of equal strength, Old Evil Shen’s magical treasure would eventually gain the upper hand.
"Old Monster Wan is on his way back to the Outer Sect Alliance. If I drag this out, it’ll become a two-versus-one situation."
Thinking this, Old Evil Shen felt reassured.
Lan Chang'an, controlling the sea banner, surveyed the area shrouded in poisonous miasma and tidal waves, effectively isolating them from outside observation.
"Good, good!"
He nodded to himself, a faint smile curling his lips.
With the concealment of the Black Wind Cloak, Lan Chang'an could have chosen to ambush earlier.
But Nascent Soul cultivators had keen senses, any fluctuation in mana at the moment of attack would be detected. Even with the element of surprise, he would likely only severely injure his target at best.
In that scenario, Old Evil Shen would flee at full speed, turning the battle into a chase.
A chase would expose Lan Chang'an’s identity and methods to more onlookers.
Additionally, there was the risk of the opponent’s Nascent Soul escaping.
A stationary battle was different. By using the sea banner to summon a tsunami, Lan Chang'an obscured vision, and Old Evil Shen’s Ten Thousand Poison Banner added another layer of concealment.
"Are you the Heavenly Master’s hired help? Why doesn’t that old dog come himself?"
Old Evil Shen’s eyes flickered as he probed for information.
The Fengyuan Kingdom was remote and resource-poor, with only a handful of Nascent Soul cultivators. He couldn’t recall offending any others in recent years.
"I am the Azure Dragon Society’s Hall Master. Today, I’ll kill you alone, no second person needed!"
Lan Chang'an’s tone was arrogant as he lightly tapped his storage bag, releasing a streak of five-colored light.
A cold, ethereal cry echoed above them.
A resplendent five-colored peacock, its wings spanning over seven to eight zhang, circled overhead. With each flap of its wings, five-colored radiance dispersed the surrounding miasma.
"A five-colored peacock!"
"No! It's a fourth-rank avian puppet?!"
Old Evil Shen’s expression shifted rapidly. He immediately slapped his spirit beast bracelet.
Whoosh!
A burst of sickly green poisonous mist erupted as a massive dark-green venomous jiao dragon, over ten zhang long, coiled around Old Evil Shen, guarding against the peacock puppet in the sky.
"A fourth-rank venomous jiao dragon forcibly elevated through poison-refining techniques? No wonder you dare face this seat."
Lan Chang'an laughed heartily, his expression growing more exhilarated.
The venomous jiao dragon was similar to the Beast King Valley’s war machines—fourth-rank demon kings bred at the cost of lifespan and life potential, with a high mortality rate.
With such a powerful ally, Old Evil Shen wouldn’t panic even against two Nascent Souls, easily ensuring his own safety. He could even hold his own against a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator for a while.
Screech!
From the depths of the tsunami's towering waves erupted a formidable surge of earth-fiend demonic power. Massive rock spikes, each spanning dozens of zhangs, shot up from beneath the desert ground, hurtling toward Old Evil Shen.
Amidst the forest of stone pillars, a colossal fourth-rank rat demon king emerged, forming a pincer attack with the five-colored peacock from above.
"Another fourth-rank demon king?!"
Old Evil Shen’s face paled. The opponent’s endless tricks, laid out one after another, gave him an ominous premonition.
Had the enemy revealed all three Nascent Soul-level combatants from the start, he would have turned and fled immediately, avoiding this entrenched battle.
But now, trapped within the tsunami and surrounded by three Nascent Soul-level threats, escaping unscathed would be far harder.
Whoosh!
The five-colored peacock’s emerald eyes gleamed, exuding an ancient, chaotic bloodline aura. A twisting five-colored beam locked onto Old Evil Shen and shot down at blinding speed.
In this critical moment, Old Evil Shen ordered the venomous jiao dragon to intercept the Lord Earthrock charging from below.
He summoned an ancient black-feathered fan, pouring mana into it before spitting a mouthful of blood essence onto its surface. Instantly, four types of poisonous flames—azure, blue, purple, and crimson—erupted.
The four deadly flames, each exuding terrifying power, vaporized the surrounding seawater in an instant.
With a swing of the fan, two of the flames shot toward the five-colored beam, while the other two exploded within the tsunami, attempting to blast an opening for escape.
However, Old Evil Shen underestimated the five-colored light’s power. After dissolving two flames, half its force remained which shattered his protective poison barrier.
Such destructive force surpassed his understanding of fourth-rank puppets from the lands of the two sects.
Normal fourth-rank puppets were weaker than actual Nascent Soul cultivators.
Moreover, the replica Five Birds Venom Fire Fan he had just activated with his blood essence and vital energy unleashed a burst of power nearing that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Could this be… a legendary exotic spirit puppet?!"
Old Evil Shen, battered and disheveled, hastily activated a fourth-rank talisman to protect himself, buying a moment to breathe.
Meanwhile, the venomous jiao dragon below was struck down by the rat demon king, its scales cracked and bleeding.
Lord Earthrock, covered in stone-like armor that resisted poison, combined earth-based spells with close-quarters combat, mounting the jiao dragon’s back.
A true fourth-rank demon king was crushing the pseudo-fourth-rank jiao dragon.
Old Evil Shen’s heart sank. The mysterious Azure Dragon Hall Master hadn’t even exerted much effort, yet he and his jiao dragon were already at a disadvantage.
Though Lan Chang'an wasn’t attacking directly, he manipulated the sea banner, conjuring an abyssal whirlpool that exerted terrifying suction, pressing down on Old Evil Shen and preventing an easy escape.
Sensing danger, Old Evil Shen briefly considered fleeing with his Nascent Soul but dismissed the thought.
"With the five-colored peacock’s threat, this bastard can indeed trap me for a long time by focusing on the sea banner. But maintaining such a large-scale tsunami consumes immense mana."
"At early Nascent Soul, if he tries to unleash a killing technique or activate a stronger magical treasure, he’ll struggle, inevitably diverting some mana and spiritual sense from the sea banner. That’ll weaken the tsunami, giving me a chance to escape…"
Drawing on his vast combat experience, Old Evil Shen saw an opportunity.
Just as when he had activated the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan, diverting mana had weakened the Ten Thousand Poison Banner drastically, allowing the tsunami to overwhelm it.
...
Ten breaths later.
Old Evil Shen noticed the abyssal whirlpool summoned by the sea banner stutter briefly, and the tsunami’s power began to wane.
"Now’s my chance!"
With a venomous glint in his eyes, Old Evil Shen struck before Lan Chang'an could unleash a killing move.
Slap!
Burning mana and vitality, he slammed his palm onto the Five Birds Venom Fire Fan.
BOOM!
The four poisonous flames erupted again, blasting through the tsunami and collapsing the massive whirlpool above.
Not stopping there, a mechanical click sounded inside the fan.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three hidden feathered poison needles shot toward Lan Chang'an and the exotic peacock.
Though each needle’s attack power was only equivalent to an early Nascent Soul’s casual strike, they were coated in fourth-rank poison. A direct hit would pose a serious threat.
One needle forced the peacock to block with its wings, buying time.
The other two locked onto Lan Chang'an with terrifying speed.
As for the Lord Earthrock, it had thick skin and flesh, so Old Evil Shen didn't have time to worry about it.
After this explosive assault, Old Evil Shen was momentarily drained. Without waiting to see the results, he retrieved his magical treasurers and charged toward the collapsing tsunami, seeking to break free.
"Your timing is accurate, but it's a pity…"
Lan Chang'an’s cold laugh carried a hint of pity. Ignoring the incoming poison needles, he poured all his mana into a Barbed Arrow he had nurtured for many years.
Just as Old Evil Shen was about to escape the tsunami, his Nascent Soul trembled violently. A metallic screech, like a blade tearing through his soul, assaulted his senses.
"No! A Soul Path attack treasure!"
Old Evil Shen sensed extreme danger.
A nail-like arrow, its tip gleaming with dark golden light and radiating an aura of divine annihilation, flashed across his perception.
In his weakened state, he had no strength to resist or dodge.
BOOM!
Excruciating pain, as if his soul were being ripped apart, nearly knocked him unconscious. His Nascent Soul form was almost pierced by the intangible arrow, teetering on collapse.
In that moment of confusion—
Whoosh!
The five-colored peacock unleashed another twisting beam of light, striking Old Evil Shen’s head.
The remnants of his protective barrier shattered instantly.
As Old Evil Shen’s severely wounded Nascent Soul regained clarity, he realized his physical body was nearly disintegrated by the five-colored light.
Swish!
Instinctively, his Nascent Soul exited his body and moved out hundreds of zhang outward.
But another five-colored beam descended from the sky, intercepting the fleeing Nascent Soul with terrifying speed.
Pfft!
The already critically wounded Nascent Soul was struck, freezing in place.
Its glow dimmed rapidly before extinguishing entirely.
Lan Chang'an’s face lit up with joy.
But the next moment, the Nascent Soul trembled violently before exploding into nothingness.
Lan Chang'an’s expression fell as he sighed:
"Ah, I tried. Who knew his Nascent Soul was so fragile?"
The battle had proven that the five-colored light had a unique suppressing and damaging effect on Nascent Souls.
But the enhanced Barbed Arrow, combined with his fourth life fusion, had exceeded expectations.
Coupled with Old Evil Shen underestimating the five-colored light’s soul-destroying power, the total damage had overflowed, annihilating him instantly.
Hey everyone, due to DMCA concerns, I’ll be moving this novel to FenrirTL. Not much will change for you, just head over to the FenrirTL site to read the newest chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience, I'll be waiting for you on the other side!
https://fenrirealm.com/series/i-shall-be-everlasting-in-the-world-of-immortals
