I forge immortality with a pagoda.

A deafening roar shook the mountains and fields, lightning flashed, and electric snakes danced wildly.

As the light subsided, the dark cloud was completely dispersed. Master Wanxie and his disciple fell to the ground in a rather disheveled state, their bodies crackling with electricity.

Master Wanxie's face was as pale as paper, his body was charred black, his chest heaved violently, and he was panting heavily.

This thunderbolt depleted most of his true qi and caused him considerable internal injuries.

The young disciple beside him was not directly impacted, but was so terrified by the overwhelming divine power and his master's miserable state that he stood frozen in place.

The talisman in front of He Xing lost its spiritual light after unleashing its power, and quietly scattered into countless tiny pieces of paper.

The scene fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the pouring rain.

Yao Ying and the burly male cultivator Yue Shan looked at each other, their hearts filled with lingering fear and shock.

Although they knew that the talisman bestowed by their master was extraordinary, they never expected it to have such terrifying power, capable of severely injuring even a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single blow!

Meanwhile, Wan Xie Shangren's heart was filled with a storm of emotions, a mixture of shock, anger, and horror.

That talisman clearly contained the supernatural powers and magic of a Golden Core cultivator.

Since these four people possess talismans crafted with great effort by Golden Core cultivators, they must have Golden Core lineage!

Foundation Establishment and Golden Core are only one realm apart, yet they are worlds apart.

No matter how pure and abundant the true qi is, it is absolutely impossible to contend with the magical power of a Golden Core cultivator.

As a cultivator who had been at the Foundation Establishment stage for many years, he knew this all too well.

Chen Yile spoke in an unfriendly and aggressive tone: "My master, True Person Gongxuan, bestowed upon us four protective talismans, and we still have three left in our possession."

"If you insist on going further, please try these three talismans and see if they meet your standards!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already taken out a talisman from her Qiankun bag.

The talisman was a pale gold color, with ancient seal script outlined in cinnabar, its surface shimmering with spiritual light.

Yao Ying and Yue Shan understood each other perfectly and simultaneously took out their respective talismans from their pockets.

The three talismans were identical in form, and each exuded a mysterious pressure.

Master Wanxie's expression was unpredictable, his anger churning within him, yet he forcefully suppressed it.

He knew perfectly well that he had already been seriously injured by the previous attack, and if these three talismans containing the power of real people were to be used at the same time, he would have no chance of leaving this place alive today.

He chuckled twice, his tone softening: "Why are you four young friends so tense?"

"Just now, I was merely taking a moment to test this young friend's exceptional talent and aptitude. It was purely a friendly exchange between fellow practitioners, and I had no ill intentions whatsoever."

The four men remained expressionless and did not respond.

Master Wanxie cursed inwardly, but didn't show it on his face. He then changed the subject, saying, "I just heard you young friends mention the unusual earth veins. Could it be that you have also come here for this opportunity?"

Chen Yile's heart sank. "Also?"

She asked calmly, "What do you mean by that, senior?"

Master Wanxie gestured to Musheng, "Present the map so that my young friends may have a look."

Upon hearing this, the young cultivator beside him hurriedly took a few steps forward, but then immediately stopped, not daring to go any further. He simply turned back to look at Master Wanxie with a pleading expression.

He was clearly terrified by the talisman he had just seen.

Master Wanxie's face darkened, and an unnamed rage surged within him. He kicked the man several feet away, sending him crashing down in front of Chen Yile.

"You good-for-nothing! You've completely disgraced your teacher!"

Mu Sheng quickly got up, wiped the mud off his face, and then respectfully unfolded a map.

He had long since lost his previous arrogance and said meekly, "Fellow Daoist, please take a look."

Chen Yile lowered her eyes and glanced at it, only to find that the map was exactly the same as the one in her arms!

Now that things have come to this, it's futile to try to hide it; the other party has clearly overheard what they said.

She simply admitted frankly: "Yes, we do have the same map."

"Hmph!" Master Wanxie sneered, his words laced with sarcasm.

"As expected, that old devil Ou Ke is greedy by nature, promising this same opportunity to so many people! We've all fallen for his trick!"

Just as Chen Yile was pondering, a sound of wind breaking came from the distance, and a streak of light, swift as lightning, approached from afar.

"Hahahaha! How could such a lively occasion be complete without this old man?"

As the sound reached them, a sedan chair, shimmering with light, slowly descended and landed steadily in front of them.

The sedan curtain swayed slightly, and a Taoist priest stepped out slowly.

He was dressed in brocade robes, wearing a purple-gold hibiscus crown and yellow tassel shoes. He was adorned with jewels and exuded an air of nobility.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and the Taoist laughed loudly, "It seems that all of you fellow Daoists have come here for this opportunity?"

Chen Yile narrowed her eyes, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart. It seemed that obtaining the treasure smoothly this time would not be so easy.

...

the other side.

Shen Yu piloted the flying boat, chasing and fleeing with the unorthodox Taoist priest. Unknowingly, they had entered a place filled with water vapor.

The torrential rain poured down like a celestial river, the raging curtain of rain merging the sky and earth into a vast expanse of white.

The Taoist priest fled for his life, during which he activated no fewer than ten escape talismans and barrier talismans.

His face was sallow and his lips were bloodless, clearly indicating that he had exhausted his vital energy and was at his last gasp.

He gritted his teeth and persevered, his gaze fixed on the silhouette of a majestic green mountain in the distance.

If one can escape into the mountains, rely on a thorough knowledge of maps, and take advantage of the complex terrain, there may be a glimmer of hope for survival.

After all, he had studied every part of the terrain in the map hundreds of times, while Shen Yu was unfamiliar with the place and was certainly not as comfortable as he was.

In the distance, a majestic peak pierces the rain curtain and rises abruptly from the ground.

The mountain was partially obscured by the torrential rain, resembling a primordial beast lurking between heaven and earth.

The Taoist priest was overjoyed and, urging the last of his spiritual energy, plunged headlong into the deep mountain forest.

Behind him, Shen Yu clung tightly to the Taoist priest. Seeing him flee into the mountains in a panic, Shen Yu maneuvered the flying boat to hover in mid-air.

This person has been fleeing for days, constantly burning his life essence to keep his distance from himself.

They fled into this mountain, presumably intending to use the terrain to their advantage and put up a stubborn resistance.

Perhaps this is the place marked on the map?

He gazed at the majestic mountains through the rain, secretly making plans.

He was confident that he could handle any tricks the Taoist priest might have up his sleeve in the mountains, as his own true qi was still abundant.

After a moment's thought, Shen Yu urged the flying boat forward, transforming it into a streak of light and disappearing into the forest.

However, after the airship had traveled only a few miles, Shen Yu suddenly stopped.

He vaguely sensed several powerful auras emanating from this mountain, whose cultivation levels were probably even higher than his own.

"Are there other people in these mountains? Are they accomplices of that Taoist priest?" Suspicion arose in Shen Yu's mind.

However, the direction the Taoist priest fled from was not the same as the location of these several auras.

Just as Shen Yu was hesitating, several streaks of light streaked across the sky and headed toward Qinggang Mountain.

"There are actually others? Those who know about this opportunity are probably far more than just that heretical cultivator and the Canglan Sect cultivators."

Shen Yu frowned, his body slumped, and he landed lightly on the flying boat, then put it into his Qiankun bag.

He then activated the true qi within his body, transforming it into an invisible qi shield that enveloped his entire body, and quietly descended upon Mount Qinggang.

As soon as he landed, he immediately absorbed all the true qi he had released into his body, and his spiritual energy was sealed off, his aura becoming more internalized.

Although this method is not a technique for concealing one's breath, it is extremely difficult to detect its existence unless one is determined to use their divine sense to carefully investigate.

Shen Yu had no intention of leaving, but instead decided to explore the increasingly chaotic mountains.

Firstly, that unorthodox cultivator must be eliminated. Although it's uncertain whether he knows about the Xuanqiong Pagoda, such a secret, concerning one's life and fortune, is better off being killed innocently than having even the slightest risk of being leaked.

Secondly, he also became somewhat interested in this opportunity that had attracted so much competition. If it could benefit his cultivation, he might as well try to seize it.

Not long after, a fierce battle broke out high in the sky above Qinggang Mountain.

The sounds of booming and howling came from many places, the flashing of swords and the crisscrossing of blades, and the rising and falling of various magical lights, making the rain curtain look bizarre and colorful.

Shen Yu concealed himself in the shadow of an ancient tree with gnarled branches, using the dense forest and dim light to hide his tracks.

He moved silently like a ghost, and soon approached a battle group.

Two cultivators, a man and a woman, were seen cornering a cultivator at the Kaiyuan Realm against a rocky outcrop, their murderous intent clearly indicating their intention to kill him.

The male cultivator's eyes flashed with malice as he shouted, "Boy, now that you're separated from your senior sister, let's see where you think you can escape to!"

"Why not surrender and return to my cave with you, sister, so we can enjoy our pleasures together..." The female cultivator stared intently at the cultivator before her.

He Xing's face was ferocious, and his hair was disheveled.

His face was covered in mud and blood, and he was staring at the two people in front of him with hostility. He spat fiercely, "Even if I die here, you won't lay a finger on me!"

The female cultivator's face immediately fell. "To cultivate alongside me is a blessing you couldn't attain in three lifetimes! You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit; even a great immortal couldn't save you today!"

Previously, He Xing and his group were confronting Wan Xie Shangren when three or four Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived one after another, all for this opportunity, intending to help their disciples quickly condense their true qi.

There were also several Qi Refining cultivators mixed in, either to help their elders or to improve their own cultivation.

The more people there are, the more out of control the situation becomes.

At first, they were able to maintain a stalemate, but then, without knowing who made the first move, the melee broke out like wildfire.

Normally, such an opportunity should not attract so much competition.

It is unknown how many copies of the map that Master Ou Ke made and distributed them everywhere.

"That old dog..." He Xing cursed inwardly.

Having exhausted his own life-saving talismans and separated from his senior sister and fellow disciples, he fears he will truly perish here today.

The male cultivator in front of him said no more. He raised his arm, and a fire dragon formed from surging flames roared out, rushing straight at He Xing's face.

He Xing hurriedly summoned a small shield that shimmered with light, narrowly blocking the fire dragon.

However, the female cultivator seized the opportunity and had already thrown out a shimmering silver net with fine silk threads.

With his back against the solid mountain rocks, He Xing had nowhere to escape and could only watch helplessly as the silver net descended upon him, binding him tightly and rendering him unable to move.

The two men's faces turned fierce, clearly indicating they had no intention of leaving him alive, and they were about to activate their magical artifacts to finish him off.

He Xing was already heartbroken. At this moment, his senior sister was being held back by several Foundation Establishment cultivators, and no one could come to his rescue!

He closed his eyes tightly and accepted his death with equanimity.

At this critical moment, a cold light suddenly appeared from nowhere, easily piercing the male cultivator's throat as if cutting through rotten paper, and blood gushed out like a spring.

The female cultivator was terrified and hurriedly summoned a jade plate talisman to try to block the attack.

However, the cold light continued its relentless advance, cleanly and swiftly slicing off the jade plate and half of the female cultivator's head without any hesitation.

He Xing's heart pounded wildly. All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and the situation had reversed so quickly that he could hardly believe it.

Shen Yu shook his head and stepped out of the shadows, his gaze sweeping over the shattered jade plate on the ground. He muttered to himself, his tone tinged with regret.

"What a pity about this talisman; five hundred talisman coins are gone just like that."

Then he turned to He Xing, who was bound by the silver net, and said calmly, "Speak."

There was no one else around. He Xing knew he was being questioned, and replied in a trembling voice, "Senior... what did you say?"

"Tell me about your origins, and what exactly is this fortuitous encounter in the mountains?"

He Xing was intimidated by Shen Yu's gaze, and his whole body trembled. He dared not hide anything and immediately told everything he knew.

However, he glossed over key information such as the origins of his sect, details of his fellow disciples, and the talismans bestowed upon him by his master, and dared not speak of them in detail.

"So it's a treasure that helps condense true qi..." Shen Yu realized.

Therefore, this thing is indeed worth fighting for.

With my current cultivation level, I should be able to withstand several rounds against a Foundation Establishment cultivator without any problems.

He didn't ask any more questions and picked up the scattered talismans, including the silver net that bound He Xing.

He then took the storage bags from the corpses of the male and female cultivators and stuffed them into his pocket.

Finally, he reached out his hand to He Xingyi and said calmly, "What about yours?"

He Xing didn't react for a moment, and asked blankly, "Mine? What do you mean, senior?"

Shen Yu's gaze fell on the storage bag on his waist.

He Xing immediately understood, hurriedly took off the storage bag, and respectfully handed it to Shen Yu.

Although the person in front of him had saved his life, his actions were unpredictable. He was already very lucky to have survived. How could He Xing dare to be stingy with these worldly possessions?

Shen Yu took the storage bag, put it away without even looking at it, and left without saying anything more.

He Xing was left alone, bewildered in the rain.

Shen Yu hadn't gone far when the mountain beneath his feet suddenly trembled, and a deafening roar, far more powerful than thunder, exploded from afar, as if the entire mountain was about to collapse.

Shen Yu immediately took to the air and gazed into the distance.

In the distance, deep within the dense forest, a huge crack had appeared in the earth, dark and bottomless, as if ghosts and vengeful spirits were about to emerge and devour anyone who might try to escape.

Several streaks of light, without a second thought, plunged straight into the abyss.

"The opportunity has arrived!"

Without hesitation, Shen Yu unleashed his true qi, transforming into a streak of light as he rushed to the abyss.

At this moment, a number of cultivators have gathered at the edge of this huge crevice, with varying levels of cultivation, ranging from the Kaiyuan stage to the Lianqi stage.

As he landed, several pairs of eyes, some bright and some dark, immediately swept over him, scrutinizing and cautious, trying to see through his true nature.

However, Shen Yu's aura was as restrained as an ancient well or a deep pool, and none of the cultivators present could discern his true nature.

Several more figures descended from mid-air. They merely glanced warily at Shen Yu before leaping into the crevice in the ground without a word, appearing impatient.

Everyone understood that if they made a move at this moment, the opportunity would surely fall into the hands of others, so they all tacitly kept a certain distance and did not want to cause conflict with others.

......

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