Qinghe Immortal Clan.

Several days later, near a sea area south of "Northern Underworld Immortal Continent".

As two beams of light flew from afar and stopped on the sea surface, two figures, one in green and one in white, were immediately revealed.

"We are tens of thousands of miles away from the monster's territory, and we can no longer see those annoying things. It seems we are safe now."

"Hmm! I also observed that those demons were acting very chaotically, so it seems they didn't intend to pursue us."

The old man in white looked around and his expression relaxed slightly.

The other man in the green robe standing next to him nodded in agreement.

The two people, one in green and one in white, were Song Qingming and "Yu Zhenzi," who had recently escaped from the demon territory.

In their previous battle against the "Nine Nether Demon," although the two defeated their opponent, their own magical power was also greatly depleted.

Fearing they might be out of shape and face pursuit from other opponents, the two did not immediately retreat from "Northern Underworld Immortal Continent".
Instead, after fleeing the battlefield, they first found a secluded place to hide and rest.

Only after their own magical power had been almost fully restored did they quietly withdraw from the place where the demons roamed and come here.

Seeing that the two had successfully escaped the crisis and escaped, thus fulfilling their purpose of treasure hunting.

"Yu Zhenzi" looked at Song Qingming beside him and said with a smile:

"During this exploration of the ancient secret realm, we not only successfully obtained the treasure, but also severely injured the Nine Nether Demon, allowing me to vent my long-standing grievances. It was truly a satisfying experience."

For years I have been in seclusion within the sect, and I have been quite ignorant, not knowing that Fellow Daoist Song's supernatural powers are so great.

"If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Song's presence, neither of us might have been able to escape so easily. This old Daoist truly admires you."

When Yu Zhenzi invited Song Qingming to explore for treasure, he only wanted to find a reliable helper to cooperate with, and did not know much about Song Qingming's supernatural abilities.

In his view, Song Qingming's cultivation speed was not slow.

However, it has only been three hundred years since he advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, so his supernatural powers and magic strength should be somewhat inferior to mine.

However, after a great battle between the two and the "Nine Nether Old Demon", Song Qingming was able to easily suppress the old demon's true form on his own, demonstrating a combat power that was no less than that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

After breaking through the Nascent Soul realm for three hundred years, one's supernatural abilities will be comparable to those of the mid-Nascent Soul realm.

Song Qingming's performance far exceeded Yu Zhenzi's expectations.

At this moment, his gaze toward his companion beside him held a hint of complexity.

Faced with Yu Zhenzi's praise, Song Qingming remained calm and returned the composure with a slight gesture of respect.

"This battle was not achieved by my own efforts; Fellow Daoist Yuzhen, you are exaggerating."

"If it weren't for your timely help in trapping the old demon, I probably wouldn't have been able to succeed so easily on my own. How can you attribute all the credit to me alone?"

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Song is young and promising, and yet he still has such a humble heart. It is truly rare."

"You're too kind, fellow Daoist!"

".

Both of them were Nascent Soul cultivators who had cultivated for many years, and they were already very skilled at exchanging polite words with each other.

After exchanging a few compliments, "Yu Zhenzi" immediately took out a storage bag from his person and handed it to Song Qingming.

"Fellow Daoist Song, these are some high-level classics that we found together before."

I made a copy yesterday, and I'll hand them all over to you now.

The remaining low-level books will need time to be copied. I will have them sent to Qingyun Mountain after I return to Leiyuan Sea and get them done.

"If you have no further questions, fellow Daoist, our agreement is fulfilled. This old Daoist will now return to my sect for secluded cultivation."

"Farewell, fellow Daoist!"

During their previous exploration of the ancient secret realm, the two had already distributed the many spiritual items they obtained on the spot, leaving only these ancient texts that they had not yet had time to copy.

Seeing that "Yu Zhenzi" had already completed the reproduction of the most precious fifth-level classics.

Song Qingming, realizing there were no problems, immediately nodded to the other party.

After the two bowed and took their leave, "Yu Zhenzi" quickly transformed into a streak of light and headed straight for the sky.

After the other party left, Song Qingming patted his waist, and a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air. It was "Qu Bai" who had come with Song Qingming earlier.

After glancing around and seeing that "Yu Zhenzi" was no longer there, Qu Bai quickly asked:
"Brother Song, has that person already left?"

"Hmm! This is an ancient weapon-refining manual that he and I found together before."

Take a look first. If it's useful, make a copy for me later. Xuan Yi and the others should be able to use it too.

"And these few Xuan Kong Stones, I obtained them in exchange with Yu Zhenzi. They should be enough to help you upgrade your spiritual treasure."

After giving a reply, Song Qingming immediately handed over the jade slip he had just obtained and a "storage bag" containing Xuan Kong Stones to the other party.

After receiving the items, "Qu Bai" glanced at the storage bag and immediately showed a hint of satisfaction.

"Hmm! That Yu Zhenzi is quite good to you, actually willing to take out so many high-grade Xuan Kong stones."

However, you've been inside for so long, you must have found more than just these few items!

Tell me quickly, what other good things are there?

Previously, when Song Qingming and "Yu Zhenzi" entered the secret realm to search for treasure, "Qu Bai" stayed outside and was unaware of what was happening inside.

Seeing that Yu Zhenzi had already left, Qu Bai was also a little curious and couldn't help but ask a question.

Seeing this, Song Qingming smiled slightly and took out several jade boxes.

As the jade box was slowly opened, a rich spiritual energy instantly appeared before the two of them.

"!"

Outside the "Nine Nether Sect", a crimson streak of light suddenly flew in from a distance and stood in mid-air.

The newcomer glanced at the mountain gate ahead, raised his hand, and a huge fireball descended from the sky, landing directly above the semi-transparent protective array.

A loud bang shook the entire Nine Nether Sect's mountain gate, and countless low-level cultivators were so frightened by this sudden attack that they almost lost their footing.

Before everyone could regain their footing, another telepathic message flew into the formation.

"Brother Jiuyou, I, Yan, have come to pay you a visit. I would like to invite you to come out and have a talk with me in person!"

".

"Ancestor! It's Old Demon Yan who's here."

Seeing that the visitors outside were hostile, several disciples of the Nine Nether Sect hurriedly went to the sect's main hall to report to their ancestor.

But when they rushed into the hall, they found the seats above empty, without a single person in sight.

"The ancestor is not here; he must be in seclusion in the back mountain."

"Everyone hurry and go find them, otherwise the mountain gate's great formation won't hold for long."

".

While many disciples of the Nine Nether Sect were searching for their ancestor.

In a secluded underground cave on the back mountain, a figure in black robes, sitting cross-legged, had also noticed the commotion outside.

He immediately raised his head, revealing a relatively young face.

This person was none other than the "Nine Nether Ancestor" who had been severely injured by Song Qingming and "Yu Zhenzi" not long ago and had managed to escape back to the mountain gate.

However, at this moment, not only has his appearance changed drastically, but his cultivation level has also dropped significantly, and he can only barely maintain the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"Old Demon Yan, you can't sit still any longer?"

"It's a pity that I still need time to recover my cultivation. I can't go out and fight him now, otherwise I would really be reluctant to give up this great mountain gate."

The demonic sects of "Northern Underworld Immortal Continent" have always been a place where the strong prey on the weak.

The previous defeat of "Nine Nether Ancestor" in battle against Song Qingming and others had already alarmed other demonic forces in the surrounding area.

Sure enough, before he could recover, one of the Nine Nether Ancestor's longtime rivals came knocking on his door.

After muttering something to himself, "Old Demon of the Nine Netherworlds" got up, glanced in the direction of the mountain gate, and then decisively walked into the depths of the cave behind.

At this moment, he did not choose to pay attention to the many "Nine Nether Sect" disciples outside who were like headless flies.

Instead, they went directly to a stone chamber located deep inside the cave.

As soon as the "Old Demon of the Nine Netherworlds" entered the stone chamber, a half-figure above the cauldron, who had been imprisoned there for many years, suddenly looked up at him.

"It's you!"

"You haven't spoken to me all these years, why are you suddenly talking to me today? Could it be that you've finally decided to cooperate with me?"

"Haha, you're right, we can definitely cooperate now!"

Looking at the "Nine Netherworld Old Demon" whose appearance had changed drastically, the man, despite his miserable state, revealed a hint of excitement in his tone.

Seeing this, the "Old Demon of the Nine Netherworlds" shook his head.

"Hmph! It's fine if you can figure it out, but I don't have time to talk about this with you now. Let's talk about it after we leave this place."

Having said that, "Old Demon of the Nine Netherworlds" raised his hand and summoned a black banner, from which wisps of black mist immediately rose and swirled around him.

Upon seeing the "Nine Netherworld Demon," he was about to cast a spell to trap the other party inside.

But when the old demon cast his spell, the other party's figure did not change at all, and a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Huh, you still dare to be dishonest!"

The "Nine Netherworld Old Demon"'s eyes turned cold as he raised his hand and drew up a wisp of green flame from the giant cauldron, intending to teach the other party a lesson.

Just then, the man with only half a body suddenly opened his mouth and shouted:
"You've been looking for that thing, haven't you? It's right here on me. Don't you want it anymore?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly spat out a cloud of blood mist, from which a somewhat broken black blade emerged.

Upon seeing this item, the "Nine Netherworld Demon"'s expression changed slightly, revealing a hint of excitement.

"I was wondering why I couldn't find this thing all these years. It turns out you really hid it in your natal spirit."

"You were unwilling to cooperate with me before, but now you've voluntarily handed over this item. Do you perhaps think you can turn the tables on me?"

"Hahaha, as a demonic cultivator, you lack even the courage to be so hesitant and indecisive. How will you achieve great things in the future?"

The opportunity is right in front of you. Once you get it, forget about the troubles outside, even ascending to the upper realm will be within your grasp.

"Since you want to cooperate with me, then come and get it yourself!"

Faced with the undisguised greed in the eyes of the "Nine Netherworld Old Demon," the man remained calm and showed no concern whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the "Nine Nether Demon" glanced at the person still firmly trapped by his own restrictions, then raised his hand and cast a spell to directly suck the person into the banner. After confirming that the other party was trapped inside and had not escaped his control, the cautious look on the "Nine Nether Demon's" face gradually faded.

He regained some of his confidence.

"You're right. As a demonic cultivator, how can one give up an opportunity that's within easy reach?"

However, dealing with an old geezer like you requires caution.

Having said that, "Nine Netherworld Old Demon" shifted his gaze to the top of the black blade and took it into his hand.

Just as he grasped the blade, bursts of black mist immediately emerged from above, quickly engulfing the entire "Nine Netherworld Demon".

At this moment, he also felt a powerful force trying to forcefully penetrate his body.

Upon seeing this, a look of solemnity immediately appeared on the face of the "Nine Netherworld Old Demon".

"Huh! Your natal spirit is inside here."

"Hahaha, you're wrong. This is just a small part of my primordial spirit that I hid inside beforehand, not my main soul."

With your supernatural powers, even if I gave you the Demon Blade, you wouldn't be able to unleash much of its power.

However, as long as you can merge with my primordial spirit, you can use my primordial spirit to control the demonic blade and unleash its true power.

I'm doing this to lend you a hand.

"To lend me a hand, you intend to devour my primordial spirit, don't you!"

"No, you're wrong. If I could devour your natal spirit, I would naturally be happy to do so."

Unfortunately, in my current state, I am not able to completely devour your primordial spirit, nor is it necessary to waste my energy on you.

What I want is to merge with your primordial spirit, so that we are one and inseparable, and that will achieve the same goal.

"Hmph! I might not be willing."

".

Enveloped in black smoke, the "Nine Netherworld Demon" suddenly emitted two different voices, seemingly vying for control of itself.

The two forces fought fiercely until the sound of the great formation shattering came from outside, at which point the voice of the "Nine Nether Demon" suddenly fell silent.

The next moment, a strange green light emanated from the other party's eyes, and a strange smile appeared on their face.

"Old Demon Yan has already broken in!"
This guy is my mortal enemy. If we don't leave now, he'll block our way and we won't have a chance to escape.

"Hmph! Don't worry, I don't take him seriously."

"Once my primordial spirit has taken control of this physical body, I can eliminate you, my mortal enemy, at any time."

After muttering a few words to himself, "Nine Netherworld Old Demon" vanished from the spot in a flash.

The underground cave quickly fell silent, and there was no further movement.

".

Several months later, outside a high mountain in "Xihua Immortal Continent".

On this enormous mountain peak, numerous magnificent palaces were built, far surpassing the prosperity of ordinary sects.

Even Song Qingming, a Nascent Soul cultivator, couldn't help but show a hint of amazement as he stood in front of the renowned Xiyuan Temple in Xihua Continent.

Before long, as the void in front of him shook, a familiar bald figure suddenly appeared in front of Song Qingming.

"Huh! It's you?"

"Senior Song, it's definitely me!"

After leaving the "Northern Underworld Immortal Continent", Song Qingming, who was passing through the Western Hua Immortal Continent, originally intended to stop by Xiyuan Temple to ask Zen Master Baiyue about some issues related to cultivation techniques.

Unexpectedly, he ran into an old acquaintance here.

The monk Jin Yun had made a promise with Song Qingming and had lived in the "Funiu Mountain" for quite some time.

After hundreds of years, the "Golden Cloud Monk," whose cultivation was only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage in the past, has now broken through to the late-Nascent Soul stage.

Upon seeing Song Qingming before him, "Monk Jinyun" also showed some excitement.

"Back then, this humble monk left without saying goodbye, traveled around for a while, and then came to Xiyuan Temple to cultivate. In recent years, I have also heard about the senior's advancement to the Nascent Soul stage."

"I've only been afraid that Fellow Daoist Qingyu would cause me trouble, which is why I haven't dared to offer my congratulations to you, Senior."

"Haha, Qingyu should have forgotten what happened back then long ago, so you don't need to worry about it so much."

It was a rare treat to see an old friend, and Song Qingming was quite happy. He took the initiative to have a long chat with "Monk Jinyun".

As the two got into conversation, "Monk Jinyun" finally spoke up and asked:
"Senior Song's visit to Xiyuan Temple must be about the Seven-Colored Blue Lotus, right?"

"I haven't even spoken yet, but I didn't expect you to have already guessed it."

To be honest, although I have accumulated a lot of merit over the years, the power of this treasure has not been able to be improved smoothly. I came to Xiyuan Temple this time to ask for your guidance in person.

The seven-colored lotus mentioned by "Monk Jinyun" was a Buddhist treasure that Song Qingming had stolen from the demon race when he traveled in Zhongyuan Immortal Continent.

Back then, in order to restore this Buddhist treasure, Song Qingming even specially sought out "Monk Jinyun" and formed a special connection with him.

Although this treasure helped Song Qingming deal with many troubles when he was at the Nascent Soul stage.

However, after advancing to the Nascent Soul realm, Song Qingming has refined a lot of evil energy over the years, but he has never been able to enhance the power of the "Seven-Colored Green Lotus".

As a result, the power of this treasure remains at the level of a replica of a magical artifact, and it has not been able to advance any further.

Passing through Xihua Immortal Continent, Song Qingming thought of visiting Xiyuan Temple to see if he could find a way to help him upgrade this Buddhist treasure.

The "Seven-Colored Green Lotus" possesses outstanding defensive capabilities, enabling it to counter many powerful spells in the cultivation world.

If he can successfully enhance the power of this treasure, it should be of great help to him when he enters the spatial node in the future.

Upon hearing Song Qingming state his purpose, "Golden Cloud Monk" immediately nodded and took out a scroll from his person.

“When I was performing divination, I already predicted that you would come looking for me.”

Besides refining evil energy and enhancing its power, the most important aspect of the Merit Lotus is accumulating one's own merit.

For Senior Song, there is no need to rush to enhance the power of this treasure. As long as one's own merits are sufficient, it will happen naturally.

This text contains techniques for increasing merit that I have collected over the years at Xiyuan Temple. If any senior has questions, they will find answers at a glance.

"I see. With the master's explanation, my trip was not in vain."

Seeing that "Monk Jinyun" had already presented a method to enhance the magic weapon, Song Qingming immediately stood up and bowed to him.

He then took out a bottle of pills from his person and handed it to the "Golden Cloud Monk" beside him.

"Senior Song, the reason why I was able to deduce this matter is ultimately because I owed Fellow Daoist Qingyu a debt from back then."

"Now that I've been able to repay this karmic debt, it's already a gain for me. How could I possibly accept any more spiritual items from you, senior!"

"What the master said is true, but I, Song, also asked the master for help back then."

In your Buddhist terms, repaying this karmic debt now should be considered a gain.

".

Despite feeling indebted to his old friend "Golden Cloud Monk," Song Qingming still insisted on giving him a bottle of pills that would help improve his cultivation.

Unable to refuse, "Monk Jinyun" eventually accepted the return gift.

Having achieved his goal, Song Qingming had no intention of staying at Xiyuan Temple any longer. He put away the scroll in his hand, stood up, and bid farewell to his old friend.

After leaving Xiyuan Temple, Song Qingming originally intended to visit Ling Zhentian at the "Heavenly Sword Pavilion".

Unfortunately, I only found out when I got there.

Ling Zhentian had left the sect a few years ago and went to Zhongyuan Immortal Continent with his friend "Jinluo Zhenren" to attend a trade fair.

Unable to see Ling Zhentian, Song Qingming felt a little regretful and went to the market town at the foot of the mountain.

Following the footsteps I remembered, I arrived at a shop that I knew well.

I originally just came here on a whim, thinking I'd give it a try.

When Song Qingming arrived at this place, he discovered that, hundreds of years later, the sign above was still exactly the same as it had been back then, without any change.

Just as Song Qingming was still hesitating about whether to go in and take a look, a woman suddenly strode out of the shop.

"Senior Song!"

"I thought I was seeing things, but it really is you."

"I never expected to see you again!"

Centuries have passed, and Zhou Jue before us has not only reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm, but has also become more mature in appearance.

At this moment, she looked at Song Qingming who had suddenly appeared in front of her, her eyes filled with undisguised excitement.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Jue remembered to invite Song Qingming into the shop.

"Back then, thanks to Senior Song's help, we were able to protect this shop and my mother and I were able to stabilize our situation. However, she failed to form her core and has been gone for over two hundred years."

Over the years, I've had people guarding this place, hoping that my predecessors might one day come back to visit.

Now that I've been able to meet my senior, I can say that my wish has been fulfilled.

Back when Zhou Jue had just successfully established his foundation, the mother and daughter were guarding the already precarious "Listening to the Rain Pavilion," and almost lost the shop.

Later, they met Song Qingming, who had come to the market to seek refuge. Song Qingming helped them stabilize the situation and also provided Zhou Jue with a lot of cultivation resources.

Zhou Jue's own spiritual root aptitude was not bad to begin with. After receiving some support from Song Qingming, he finally succeeded in forming a golden core and joined the "Heavenly Sword Pavilion".

Although he had joined a sect, Zhou Jue did not abandon the shop and still arranged for several of his family descendants to run it.

Having experienced some setbacks in her spiritual practice in recent years, she voluntarily moved back from the mountain. Unexpectedly, she ran into her former benefactor, Song Qingming, again.

Centuries passed in the blink of an eye, and when the two met again, they both looked much older and more weathered.

Having already experienced the hardships of cultivation, Zhou Jue would occasionally sigh as he talked about the things that had happened to him over the years.

Song Qingming sat quietly to the side, not interrupting the other party rashly.

Half a day later, Zhou Jue, who had been somewhat lost in thought, came to his senses and discovered that the person inside the room had disappeared.

Several bottles of pills and a bamboo scroll related to his cultivation technique were left on the table.

"Senior Song!" (End of Chapter)