Become a true immortal by emulating all demons.

Chapter 125 A Fortune of 30,000 Strings of Cash

The blue phoenix soared through the sky, flapping its wings and stirring up gusts of wind.

With the help of this gust of wind, the nearly two hundred disheveled cultivators and disciples were able to increase their speed considerably.

The crowd rushed along the official road, their expressions filled with fear, and not a single person uttered a word.

The Demon Mountain erupted in rebellion, and hordes of demons attacked the pass.

Even more, a Golden Core Immortal from the Zhao family of the Great Shun Dynasty came to steal the mirror!

Faced with such a terrifying catastrophe, all they wanted was to leave that majestic borderland as quickly as possible, which resembled a giant beast crouching and ready to devour its prey.

The last vestige of security in his heart was entirely tied to that blue phoenix.

This newly adult Uncle-Master Yu Sheng is the disciples' only hope for survival!

"ah!!"

The last disciple suddenly let out a terrified scream.

He staggered forward, his eyes fixed on what was behind him, bloodshot as if he had seen a demon.

Demonic energy soared into the sky, and the sound of swords clashing was like thunder.

The rampant sword light resembled a blue phoenix spreading its wings.

Even from a great distance, one can feel the chilling sharpness that seems to want to tear one apart completely!

"Uncle-Master Yu Sheng, a powerful demon is catching up!"

The disciples were in a state of chaos, all making hand seals.

Even with the azure phoenix's wind-riding ability, how could they, with their mortal bodies, possibly outrun the sword light of a Core Formation demon?

They looked desperate, but they had already expected it.

With such a large group of people gathered together, how could there not be any demons chasing after them?

The demons only caught up now, which is already considered slow.

Suddenly, a piercing buzzing sound tore through the sky.

Countless sword lights bombarded the area, causing the mountains behind to collapse and the official road beneath everyone's feet to tremble.

Dust and sand swirled like tornadoes.

Amidst the disciples' astonished and uncertain gazes, a slender, dark blue figure suddenly emerged from the dust and mist.

Keep going, don't stop.

A gentle and steady voice rang out from the air, but everyone present could hear the weakness that was being tried so hard to hide.

The young man's handsome face was sickly pale, and his dark blue robe was already soaked with blood.

His clothes were disheveled, and his exposed chest was covered with chilling wounds, revealing the stark white bones beneath.

Such severe injuries suggest the person had been through countless battles.

He fell like a kite with a broken string, swaying and wobbling, showing signs of exhaustion.

"Lin Shu!!"

Yu Sheng's shocked and angry sobs echoed in the air.

Even though she had received the message beforehand, she still couldn't help but cry when she saw the other person in such a miserable state. She quickly scooped him up and carried him on her back.

Qingluan's heartfelt sorrow instantly infected the disciples below.

"Senior Brother Lin!"

The earlier chaos had left everyone still reeling.

Lin Shu, as the only disciple of Uncle Yu Sheng, did not flee with them.

The reason why no demons have come after us yet is because Senior Brother Lin has been covering our retreat?!

The other party was seriously injured and barely breathing.

But the great demon also remained silent, presumably it was not doing well either.

"Senior Brother Lin has already formed his core..." They all looked up at the blue phoenix.

They were also trial disciples.

There are many who have honed their skills for four or five years, achieving perfect jade essence and having the opportunity to reach the core formation realm.

However, Lin Shu had only been there for a few months, yet he had not only successfully entered the Core Formation Realm, but was also able to stand on his own and protect others.

The disciples were moved to tears, but their hearts were filled with mixed emotions.

Why are there so many cultivators present?

It was precisely because the moment news of the demonic calamity spread that their celestial master had already abandoned them and fled.

On the contrary, the master and apprentice from Shihu City, who had never met before, risked their lives to protect everyone and help them escape back to Yongzhou!

"Senior Brother Lin is exhausted. Everyone, it's our turn to escort him on his way!"

Someone let out a long howl, gritted their teeth in anger, and put away their previous panicked appearance.

Two hundred cultivators responded loudly, forming several rows to defend against demonic attacks from all directions.

At first glance, it does have a certain grand and imposing presence.

"..."

Lin Shu lay among the soft feathers, feeling the gentle breeze enveloping her body.

He gazed into the distance at the increasingly distant Yongzhou Pass, exhaling a breath of hot blood.

Just as he once said to Chang Yi.

Humans are not gods; how can they be perfect in every way, leaving nothing out?

To do things as perfectly as possible, one must inevitably pay a higher price.

Being struck by a palm from a Golden Core Immortal descendant made Lin Shu experience that feeling of being infinitely close to death once again.

While the spiritual root of nourishment is powerful, it is not omnipotent.

Spiritual power can repair the body, but it cannot bring the dead back to life.

However, even in that near-fainting state, Lin Shu still managed to stand up and stand in front of Zhao Zhiyue again.

He dared not gamble on whether the tiger could find him; he had to rely on the power of the other two demon lords to severely injure it, or even kill it within Yongzhou Pass.

Hearing the cheers from below, Lin Shu smiled self-deprecatingly.

The claim that Senior Brother Lin went to cover the retreat is false.

But it's true that your Senior Brother Lin was exhausted and almost died.

First, during the struggle to seize the Mountain God Mirror, his soul was tormented to the point of convulsions.

Then his body was almost torn apart by Zhao Zhiyue, and the remaining shimmering light in his body greatly slowed down the repair speed of his nourishing spiritual root.

He's held on until now, and all he wants to do is lie quietly, not even wanting to lift his eyelids.

Life and death are determined by fate. Even if death is snatched from the hands of Yama, saving a worthy disciple will be rewarded with six thousand taels of silver and one qian of gold essence for relieving suffering.

Initially, it was described as "rotten" and "cheap".

Later, in the "mortal" stage, and even at the Golden Core stage, even the proud prompt panel was renamed "Mysterious".

"Um?"

Lin Shu raised her eyelids slightly.

He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered the final change in the Cloud Dragon Demon Lord's expression.

In order to stop Zhao Zhiyue, did this great demon forcefully use some method with extremely strong backlash?

Thinking of this, a touch of emotion appeared in Lin Shu's eyes.

If it weren't for the fact that I was a disciple of a celestial being, which made it easier to investigate matters related to the wolf spirit, I could have simply followed this demon lord and lived a rather leisurely life.

At least this person is a genuine individual who would step in to support the sky if it fell.

Whether they can withstand it or not is another matter, but they probably won't use their subordinates to fill the gaps.

Alright, let's take stock of the harvest first.

Lin Shu lay on Yu Sheng, gently patting her back to soothe the trembling little chick: "Alright, it's all over. For the next few days, you can probably start lazing around and waiting to die."

"No way... I don't want to just laze around and wait to die."

Yu Sheng held back her sobs, but tears welled up in her clear, jewel-like eyes.

She flew towards Yongzhou with all her might.

If she continues to act like a child, the other person will still not tell her if the same thing happens again.

You need to grow up quickly so you can truly help Lin Shu!

"..."

Lin Shu smiled, her gaze falling upon the countless silver ingots scattered across the sky.

After killing many immortal descendants, he earned 2,800 taels of silver, enough to upgrade either his Divine Soul Technique or Body Tempering Technique to the first-grade perfection level.

But the real challenge is yet to come.

Yu Qiheng certainly did not disappoint the risks he had taken.

If Lin Shu could digest all eight thousand taels of silver, he even felt that he could deduce the true Golden Elixir Immortal Technique.

Besides bad money, there are also many good deeds.

It should be noted that almost three months have passed since the last time people were sent to Yongzhou Pass.

With the help of the Crimson Heart Pill, even the weakest Qi Refining cultivators at the time had basically succeeded in establishing their foundation, not to mention the disciples who had stayed at the border for many years.

Yu Sheng saved more than 200 people, ranging from the early stage of Foundation Establishment with Spiritual Liquid to the complete stage of Foundation Establishment with Jade Liquid, and the total value was more than 800 taels.

The monkey, accompanied by a group of lesser demons, darted through the mountains distributing black umbrellas, saving countless laborers—at least over 100,000.

Roughly calculated, saving one person would bring Lin Shu about five merit points.

This amounts to over six hundred taels of merit.

In addition, the two demon generals rescued from under the Mountain God's Mirror are worth 950 taels.

A total of over two thousand four hundred taels of silver.

Including the six thousand taels from the Cloud Dragon Demon Lord, that makes eight thousand four hundred taels.

"hiss."

Ten thousand taels of corrupt silver! Nearly nine thousand taels of virtuous silver!

It's surprising how quickly she realized that after taking stock, Lin Shu suddenly felt grateful that she hadn't run away back then.

If he misses this opportunity, with his mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, it will be almost impossible for him to earn back such a large amount of merit money.

"Oh, and this too."

Only after he had traveled far from Yongzhou Pass did he have time to observe the new information that had appeared in the prompts.

With a slight shift in his mind, two tiny golden lights emerged, each smaller than a soybean.

The former appears to be enveloped in black flames and is called the Fire-Gold Essence, while the latter is entirely shimmering with white light and is called the Calamity-Releasing Gold Essence.

"What? You guys can eat this too?"

Lin Shu sensed the restlessness of the Filthy Moon Wolf Lord and the Calamity-Crossing Azure Phoenix, an excitement far exceeding that of seeing the Good Deeds and Evil Money.

Just from the name, he thought it was a material used for refining weapons.

That's true. Whether it's money for good or bad deeds, there seem to be many uses. This new thing is probably no exception. We'll have to study its specific effects gradually.

"You only get this little bit after killing a Golden Core expert."

"Do you even understand the value of a Golden Elixir?"

Lin Shu looked at the two little golden beans and couldn't help but mutter to herself.

He wanted to see what this thing actually did.

The application of Karmic Fire Essence is still a matter of consideration, but the Release of Calamity Essence is not so troublesome.

He glanced at him.

The golden essence, shimmering with white light, merged into the illusory image of the Azure Phoenix.

The next moment, a notification appeared.

[The Azure Phoenix that has overcome calamity has consumed one coin of the Essence of Calamity Relief, resulting in a slight improvement in its immortal status...]

[Half-Immortal. The Azure Phoenix that Crosses Tribulations]

Lin Shu was stunned for a long time.

I only sensed a subtle change in the internal technique of the Azure Phoenix Na Yuan Palace.

But it's not particularly obvious.

It is completely unworthy of the preciousness that can only be obtained by killing a Golden Core expert.

However, he stared blankly into the air, his face tightening slightly.

From the time I first saw the prompt until now, almost everything on it has changed.

The rank of the immortal technique, its name, its proficiency, and even the name of the immortal descendant... but the first three characters remain unchanged.

Half-Life Immortal

At this moment, Lin Shu felt a surge of astonishment.

He noticed that the three unchanged characters trembled silently right under his nose!

No, wasn't this thing bestowed by Heaven and Earth?

It can transform?!

Lin Shu withdrew her gaze, a bold guess forming in her mind.

He reached out and pressed the Filthy Moon Wolf Lord back down, then summoned the Golden Lion Statue and tried to throw the Karmic Fire Essence into it.

[A carefree wild demon, who consumed a coin of karmic fire essence and stole half a lifetime's worth of immortal power, yet has no immortal rank but possesses the initial qualities of an immortal.]

[Half-Immortal. Jade Bone Golden Lion]

[Half-Immortal, Third-Grade Core Formation, Mad Lion Blood Burning Technique: Perfected]

"..."

Before Lin Shu could even be surprised, a warm sensation surged through her limbs and bones, even dispelling the mysterious light above.

This body tempering method allows for a fundamental leap in the speed of breathing!

He clenched his fist tightly. Clearly, the proficiency and grade of his body tempering technique had not changed at all, but the strength within his body had inexplicably increased by at least 50%.

More importantly, this change is not limited to the present; it also elevates the path forward.

The Mad Lion Blood Burning Technique, originally a technique of a wandering immortal, has been transformed into a technique of a half-life immortal!

Even if the Karmic Fire Essence only has this one use, it is already worth its high price and rarity.

"Well."

As his physique became stronger, Lin Shu discovered that the speed at which his Body-Nourishing Spirit Root repaired his injuries had increased several times over.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and without changing his expression, tugged at his collar to cover his rapidly healing wound.

The atmosphere among the disciples below had already reached this point, so I figured I might as well lie down for a while longer; it was quite comfortable anyway.

"This is too little. It's just enough to taste, it's not very interesting. We'll store more so you can eat your fill later."

Lin Shu looked encouragingly at the Lord of the Filthy Moon Wolf and mentally painted a bright future for him.

The wolf cub, who had been somewhat disappointed, became excited again upon hearing this, sticking out its tongue and nodding repeatedly.

"Your turn."

He shifted his gaze to the little bluebird.

Lin Shu first summoned the wisp of immortal energy given to her by Yu Sheng and tried to put it into the phantom of the Azure Sparrow.

The bird phantom was born from the aura that Yu Sheng left in the dilapidated courtyard. The two were of the same origin and quickly merged into one.

The Azure Phoenix of Calamity devoured Yu Qiheng's soul, and its upper limit reached the Golden Core stage.

Then, by investing more in good deeds, we can help it grow and gain another object to whom we can learn from the Dharma.

Moreover, this little blue phoenix grew up consuming merit, and its magical power is more in line with its identity as a disciple of the immortals, which will help it in its future journey to Yongzhou.

As jade-colored silver ingots soared into the air, the surging white river roared and poured into the body of the blue sparrow.

[Fifth Grade Core Formation. Azure Phoenix Nascent Soul Palace: Minor Success]

Improving one's immortal technique grade with silver is much slower; it takes nearly a thousand taels just to break through one barrier to reach the middle third grade.

Not to mention that you also need to simultaneously improve your proficiency in the skill that represents your level of mastery.

The consumption is extremely high.

But even the greatest consumption can't withstand a large quantity.

As the thousand taels of merit were absorbed into it, the internal energy cultivation quickly reached the fourth grade limit, which also marked the beginning of its great success.

"..."

Upon breaking through to the late stage of Core Formation, Lin Shu's Mountain and Sea Immortal Abode within his body trembled violently.

The immense aura was completely locked within his body by the Tribulation-Clearing Spirit Root. Not only the many disciples below, but even Yu Sheng, who was right next to him, did not notice anything unusual.

The nine crimson blood dragons grew extremely thick, tightly connecting to the immortal palace.

This is the limit of "diverting water from the Nine Streams"!

Another three thousand taels of merit were swallowed up by the Azure Phoenix that saved people from calamity.

Roar!

Suddenly, blood dragons leaped up from the spiritual sea formed from the essence of the Dao, their momentum overwhelming, and they all rushed into the immortal palace.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of dragons soared through the sky, seemingly taking over the heavens!

[Chapter 3 of Core Formation. Azure Phoenix Nascent Soul Palace: Perfected]

Lin Shu closed his eyes and, in an instant, had completed the path to Core Formation.

Possessing the perfect inner power of the third rank, he created the extraordinary phenomenon of "embracing all rivers".

If it weren't for the loss of his heart and the lack of fire in his Five Elements, he would have been 50% confident that he could successfully obtain the Six-Turn Dragon-Tiger Treasure Pill with this foundation!

But now, he can only continue to deduce and seek that last kind of vision.

"Four thousand have already been spent..."

The inner cultivation method has been perfected, and the realm has reached its limit. The only remaining goal is to improve the rank.

Therefore, the amount of silver consumed has decreased significantly, and it is only a little over two thousand to break through a barrier.

"Heh."

Looking at the dwindling amount of silver left, Lin Shu felt a surge of nervousness.

Finally, when only six hundred taels remained.

The final prompt suddenly appeared.

[First-Grade Core Formation. Azure Phoenix Nascent Soul Palace: Perfected]

Above the spiritual sea, a hundred blood dragons roared and dissipated, turning into streaks of crimson.

Like a spider web, or like the veins of stars.

In an instant, heaven and earth seemed to reverse, with the spiritual sea as the sky, enveloping this immortal abode nestled among the towering mountains!

"Is this the Starry Sky?"

Lin Shu closed her eyes tightly and focused on introspection.

But a hint of shock still flashed across his pale face.

Let alone ordinary cultivators, even those Golden Core experts have rarely seen this strange phenomenon in person.

"Come!"

Lin Shu, in one go, took advantage of the moment when her spiritual energy was at its peak and poured the remaining hundreds of taels of silver into it.

The scarlet veins also shimmered, as if countless blood vessels were expanding and undulating.

Within the immortal abode, the already formed mud ball was swallowed up by the Dao essence surging in from all directions.

Its rough surface gradually became shiny.

No longer as lifeless as before, it seemed to have a spirit, gently undulating with a hint of joy.

When the essence of the Dao is completely exhausted.

A new, obscure line has appeared on this round pill.

The Three-Turn Spirit-Stabilizing True Pill is used to stabilize a cultivator's spirituality, allowing them to completely shed their mortal form.

At this moment, Lin Shu's mud ball had clearly undergone a tempering process.

This can be called "a turn".

Although it couldn't truly transform him into an ordinary person, it did give him a little bit of spirituality.

They are still some distance from reaching the Golden Core realm, but they are already fundamentally different from beings below the Golden Core realm.

"Understood, half-step Golden Core Great Perfection."

"I wonder if Jin Dan will invite me to the meeting."

Lin Shu was in a good mood, and even made a self-deprecating remark to herself.

The Nine-Turn Purple Heaven Golden Elixir remains elusive and unattainable.

However, as long as one accumulates enough merit and refines the Niwan point three times, one will have the ability to obtain the Three-Turn Solidifying True Pill at any time.

If you encounter an opponent you can neither defeat nor escape from, you can make a breakthrough on the spot and explode directly with them.

[Murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, those who repair bridges and roads leave no remains, those who kill a spirit are rewarded with six thousand taels of silver, plus one coin of Karmic Fire Essence.]

Just then, the appearance of another notification brought even more joy.

Lin Shu lay on Yu Sheng's body, looking towards Yongzhou Pass with a hint of surprise.

Zhao Zhiyue's death was something he had expected.

Even if the Cloud Dragon Demon Lord is injured, the Red Silk Demon Lord alone could easily deal with a ferocious tiger that had been blasted away by the Mountain God Mirror.

To his surprise, he was able to receive money obtained through illegal means.

"So the criterion for judgment is whether my participation can play a decisive role?"

Lin Shu recalled her first ill-gotten money. If her predecessor hadn't intervened, Old Lady Chen wouldn't have died because of this.

The same principle applies this time.

If it weren't for the Mountain God Mirror severely injuring him, Zhao Zhiyue wouldn't have died at Yongzhou Pass.

But if it were like when a group of demons besieged Yu Duchuan, whether he intervened or not, that immortal descendant would die, so he would probably have to get his head to count.

No matter how you look at it, they made a fortune.

The amount of counterfeit silver has reached 16,800 taels. Once it's all digested…

Lin Shu stopped looking in the direction of the majestic border pass and instead turned her head to look at Yongzhou on the other side.

He stared at the dense clouds of calamity, and in addition to the original fear, a faint hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.