The Legend of Immortality

For over a month, Liu Lei had been living a carefree life at Christopher's home, enjoying free meals and lodging. In his leisure time, he explored the scenic beauty of France. On occasion, Christopher would invite him to informal gatherings, and no interference from the Church or any exorcism organizations disturbed his peace. Life was most pleasant. He had transformed a basement of Christopher's house into a laboratory, and the "Spiritual Corpse Project," which he had personally devised, was already in the implementation stage.

Finally, with some free time on his hands, he thought about examining the two strange meteorite crystals. However, he was in no rush, for preparation was necessary. If he were to simply remove them and break the seals, the president of the Dark Association would certainly notice. If that happened, his comfortable life would come to an end. Before leaving the country, he had searched through the Heaven and Earth pouch that Master Feng and Elder Da Sha had given him, for the treasures they had gifted were all contained within. He found a set of the Chaotic Great Zhou Heaven Formation. Originally an excellent defensive formation, Liu Lei made slight adjustments to turn it into one that concealed all traces and fluctuations. 

It would be too dangerous to conduct the research at Christopher's house—it would be easy for the old fox to detect it. So, he decided to go out. He gave the butler a quick word and left, instructing the driver to take him to the city center and then return. Liu Lei checked into a hotel, instructed the staff not to disturb him, and then, with a puzzled look from the attendant, closed the door.

He set a restriction on the door, then inside the room, he arranged five defensive formations and seven magical traps. Once everything was in place, he moved the bed and furniture aside to reveal a clear space. Sitting cross-legged in the center of the "revised" Chaotic Great Zhou Heaven Formation, he activated the array.

Taking out the smaller of the two crystals, Liu Lei sent his soul into it. Inside, it was pure—there were no longer any traces of the terrifying lifeform that had once inhabited it. He exhaled three True Flames from his hands to melt the crystal, then used the "Heaven Purifying Sword" to remelt the sword body. He fused the molten crystal into the sword, and the two gradually merged. Liu Lei continued to pour True Flames from his hands, and as the remelting of the "Heaven Purifying Sword" neared completion, he felt a tremendous surge of energy pour into his Golden Core. The sword, now remade, swelled to the size of a football before exploding in a burst of green mist, enveloping his body. 

Liu Lei was overjoyed—what was originally a long-term goal, the "Qi Sword" state, was suddenly achieved thanks to the powerful energy of the meteorite crystal. The energy from the Qi Sword refreshed his mind and spirit, alleviating the exhaustion accumulated from long periods of using the True Flames.

After wandering around the city for a while, he planned to return to the old master the next day. That night, he found himself yearning for the "If" bar and visited a charming little bar for a few drinks. True to the reputation of Paris as the City of Romance and the birthplace of wine, even a random bar had a wonderful atmosphere, and the wine was authentic. Like in the "If" bar, he drank alone until late into the night, leaving with a slight buzz.

However, as he walked along, he suddenly realized a fact he had to face: he was lost. Unable to speak French, he asked a few people for directions. They were very friendly, but the language barrier made things impossible. After wandering around, he found himself in a narrow alley. Just as he was about to turn back, a figure appeared from the shadows: wearing a black high-top hat, a black suit with gold patterns, and a gold-trimmed cloak. The attire gave Liu Lei an odd sense of familiarity. The person spoke: "Friend, do you seek the eternal, undying flame of life? Do you desire the terrifying power that makes the night itself tremble? Come, join us, the Blood Clan Club, and all this may be yours!" Liu Lei stood stunned, realizing that the person was dressed like a medieval vampire. This individual, it seemed, was a fanatic of the Blood Clan and had formed some sort of club. Since he could speak English, Liu Lei decided to follow him and see where it led.

After following the imposter vampire for half an hour through the alleyways, they arrived at an old warehouse. Inside, the lighting was dim, and a crowd had gathered. Liu Lei was gestured to sit down as the ceremony began. A man stood on a platform in the center, his pale face, neat attire, and well-maintained beard and nails suggesting a certain fastidiousness. Though Liu Lei couldn't understand the words, the speaker's cadence and animated expression made it clear he was reciting some form of praise for the Blood Clan. 

The man who had led Liu Lei there whispered something to the speaker, who then switched to English: "Today, we welcome a new member." He pointed to Liu Lei, and the crowd turned to look at him. Liu Lei offered a polite smile, which was met with approval from the assembled members. The speaker continued, "He is British. Let us speak in English to show our welcome, shall we?" "Yes!" the crowd cheered.

What followed were strange rituals that even Liu Lei, a true member of the Blood Clan, could not comprehend—truly, he wondered how they had come up with such things. Eventually, someone wheeled in a cart with a large barrel. The lid was removed to reveal it was filled with fresh blood. Liu Lei was taken aback—this was the first time he had felt moved that evening. The man on the platform raised a cup of blood, calling out, "Eternal life!" Everyone in the room took a cup and raised it, chanting, "Eternal life! Eternal life! Eternal life..." before drinking it. Liu Lei detected a drug-like substance mixed into the blood, likely a hallucinogenic. Gradually, under the influence of the drugs, the people began to lose their senses, imagining themselves as immortal vampires. Medieval dance music echoed in the warehouse, and pairs of people danced wildly, as if walking on clouds.

As Liu Lei observed these people lost in their delusions, a sense of bitterness rose in him: immortality, again with immortality! Chinese cultivators spent millennia seeking immortality, an old man sacrificed everything to study necromantic magic for it, and he himself had become a vampire for the same purpose. But what was the use of immortality? Here he was, in the world's most romantic city, yet unable to find a trace of romance. Was this the immortality he had desired? No, it couldn't be. How had things turned out this way?

The drugged individuals didn't notice as Liu Lei slipped away. Although they relied on drugs for a fleeting sense of the "eternal life" they sought, they were content. Yet, Liu Lei, who had truly achieved immortality, was not happy.

Two days later, he returned to Christopher's home, though no longer with the exhilaration he had felt upon achieving the "Qi Sword." The butler informed him that the old master had been looking for him. When he entered Christopher's study, the old man didn't ask where he'd been, just motioned for him to sit. Liu Lei asked, "Why did you call for me?" 

Christopher removed his glasses and gazed at him for a moment before speaking, "How have you been here?" Liu Lei sensed that something was on his mind. With a slight smile, he replied, "Not bad. We've been through a lot together. Just tell me what's going on." Christopher, slightly embarrassed, came out from behind his desk and sat across from Liu Lei. He began, "You probably know the structure of the Church. At the top is the Pope, followed by twelve Cardinals, then other clerics. The Pope commands three Holy Knights, with twelve Golden Knights under them, and a group of Silver and Bronze Knights beneath that. There's also a large Crusader Legion, commanded by the Legion Leader, who answers directly to the Pope. The leader has three deputies, each with three captains under them... But you probably don't know much about the Dark Association, do you?"

Liu Lei nodded, and Christopher continued, "At the top of the Dark Association is the president. Beneath him are twelve councilors, then forty-eight regular council members, and below them, the rest are just ordinary members—no limit to their numbers." He glanced at Liu Lei, who gave a subtle nod for him to continue.

Christopher's expression became serious. "We're facing a problem. The even-numbered councilors often cause issues during votes. So, we've decided to add another councilor. As long as someone is competent enough to be above the regular council level, it's just a matter of merit. Last time you helped me recover the meteorite crystal, and everyone is very pleased. The president is happy, and before long, I'll be the thirteenth councilor." He looked at Liu Lei eagerly. "Oh, congratulations! You should treat us to something!" 

Liu Lei decided to continue playing the fool.

"Christopher," the old man said in frustration, "You saw it yourself at the airport—my subordinates are useless. I'm new to the position and have little influence. I'll be taken down soon if I don't have support. Liu, help me, please."

Liu Lei fell silent, gazing at Christopher's pleading eyes. After a long pause, he finally said, "You know I prefer a carefree life. This kind of struggle is not for me..."

"Carefree?" Christopher interrupted. "Do you think you can still live carefree now? After taking the meteorite crystal from Hackman and killing the top hunters on the list, can you really go back to the way things were?"

"But..." Liu Lei began.

"Enough," Christopher sighed. "Why are there three sacred laws in the dark world? Because we are weak in the light world. To survive, we must do these things. Liu, think about it. For the lowly werewolves thrown into the fire at birth, for the last generation of Blood Clan who never tasted human blood but were staked through, for the hundreds and thousands of dark creatures like us who live in the shadows of this modern city—don't you think you, with your immense power, someone who no longer needs to worry about survival, should do something for them?"

"But..." Liu Lei said bitterly, "Have you forgotten that both you and I were once human?"

"We don't fight against humanity. The Blood Clan doesn't need human blood to live, werewolves are not born killers, and dark mages' research, though terrifying, can be used for good. Why has religion freed us for so many years, yet people still don't understand us? They are still trapped in the false image created by the Church. We just want to live normal lives, without fear of persecution, and even help them with things they cannot do... What do you think?" 

Liu Lei rested his chin in his hand for a long time, finally raising his head: "I have one condition."

"Speak!" Christopher asked eagerly.

Liu Lei grinned oddly. "I want your vineyards and wineries in France."

"That's impossible!" The old fox cried out. "That's my lifeblood! With them, my gatherings are so popular in Parisian society, attracting so many beautiful women to my villa... No, absolutely not!"

"Christopher, as a councilor, don't you think someone in a high position should do something for our fellow kin?" Liu Lei asked calmly.

To comfort the old master, Liu Lei agreed to let him host one more gathering before the wineries would be transferred to his name. In the days leading up to the event, Christopher even had custom-made outfits prepared for the gathering by a professional tailor. When Liu Lei asked in surprise, the old man muttered reluctantly, "It's to commemorate my little treasure."

Liu Lei promptly spat.