Starting with warding off evil and disaster, one can ascend to immortality after countless tribulati

Jiang Ming's sudden closeness startled Tuoba Youyou.

Feeling the firm arm press against her under her elbow, she blushed and said weakly, "Ouch, what are you doing?"

"Senior sister, come with me to Furnace Peak."

Jiang Ming's serious tone contained no hint of flippancy.

Seeing this, Tuoba Youyou could only suppress her embarrassment and let him hold her so intimately.

With a forced gentle smile, Xu Youwei slowly approached, a whiff of perfume wafting towards her. "What a coincidence, Junior Brother Jiang."

"I happen to have some private matters to discuss with you, Miss Tuoba. Could you please excuse me for a moment?"

"Let's talk about it another day. I'm a bit tired. I'll go back to Furnace Peak and rest for a few days."

Hearing Jiang Ming's firm refusal, she sensed something was amiss.

Tuoba Youyou stood guard in front of Jiang Ming like a fierce mother hen protecting her chicks. "First come, first served, understand? I also have something to discuss with Jiang Ming, so you can wait in line."

"Please, Junior Brother Jiang, I really have something urgent to attend to. Miss Tuoba, please excuse me, okay?"

"Give me an hour, that'll be enough. It won't affect you."

Xu Youwei's sincere gaze made Tuoba Youyou waver for a moment. She was an easy-going person, and upon hearing this, she immediately felt troubled.

Idiot, why are you so easy to talk to!

Seeing that Tuoba Youyou's attitude was not firm, Jiang Ming reached out his small hand and poked her pert buttocks hard.

The girl appeared slender, but she actually possessed considerable talent.

Upon touching the incredibly soft and elastic material, Tuoba Youyou immediately turned her head, her almond-shaped eyes filled with anger.

Now, even if Jiang Ming wanted to leave, she couldn't let him go. "No, we have urgent business to attend to."

After giving the two of them a long look, Xu Youwei smiled bitterly and had no choice but to suspend her plans.

She couldn't understand why these two had gotten together, and she couldn't fathom why the usually proper Tuoba Youyou was so thirsty in broad daylight.

You little slut, are you itching for a beating? Is it so hard for me to take care of Jiang Ming for just a little while?

"Alright then, you all go ahead with your work. Junior Brother Jiang, I'll visit you again in a few days."

This concerns the Liu family; don't keep me waiting too long.

With a slightly threatening look at Jiang Ming, Xu Youwei turned and left, her plump buttocks swaying angrily.

With a flushed face, Tuoba Youyou tilted her head and glared at Jiang Ming, feeling annoyed.

However, she had a very good temper, and Jiang Ming had saved her life, so it was difficult for her to turn her back on him for a while.

With tears welling in her eyes, she weakly scolded, "Junior Brother Jiang, you went too far just now!"

Jiang Ming gently rubbed Tuoba Youyou's tender, delicate face, feeling deeply apologetic, and tentatively offered an explanation.

"Senior Sister Tuoba, there's a reason for this. I'll tell you the reason later, okay?"

Staring at Jiang Ming's handsome face, Tuoba Youyou swallowed her anger like a wronged child.

After a moment's hesitation, he sighed softly and said, "Alright, I'll wait then. Do I still need to escort you back to Furnace Peak?"

Worried that Xu Youwei hadn't left and was still lurking in the shadows, Jiang Ming said decisively, "Yes, we'll help her to the end."

"If Senior Sister Tuoba ever needs me in the future, I will certainly do my utmost."

Finally, Jiang Ming said something that was somewhat acceptable.

After careful consideration, Tuoba Youyou agreed wholeheartedly.

The girl escorted Jiang Ming all the way to the outside of the blacksmith's workshop before leaving. Before departing, she reminded him, "Remember to give me an irrefutable reason."

Otherwise, I won't forgive you easily.

Go play somewhere else, you little minx senior sister.

Ignoring Tuoba Youyou, Jiang Ming was overjoyed to sense the faint scent of fire emanating from a furnace in the attic.

When Zhou Yi went into seclusion a while ago, he couldn't sense any spiritual energy fluctuations.

It now seems highly likely that Zhou Yi has already emerged from seclusion.

"You're back. Let's go upstairs. I have something to tell you."

Hearing Zhou Yi's tired and weak voice, Jiang Ming immediately guessed that this seclusion would most likely end in failure.

With a heavy expression, Jiang Ming walked up to the attic. Unsure whether Wang Xiaogang's mental cultivation method would work, Jiang Ming couldn't help but feel uncertain.

Upon entering the room, they saw Madam Zhou, neatly dressed, collapsed on the floor.

Jiang Ming's heart skipped a beat. He bowed and asked, "Grandpa, did your seclusion go smoothly this time? Also, what is this?"

Without keeping him in suspense, Zhou Yi waved his hand, gesturing for Jiang Ming to sit down. He slowly stood up, his disheveled hair revealing an unprecedentedly aged appearance.

Although he is not yet seventy, he looks very old, and his body exudes a sense of death.

"I succeeded, and I failed. More than 20 years of accumulation allowed me to successfully break through to the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm."

However, the attempt to switch cultivation methods failed, and without the aid of cultivation methods, the spiritual power in this body could not be accumulated for long.

"Son, now your grandfather really needs you to take care of him in his old age. There are some things I need to make clear to you."

Catching his breath and resting for a moment, Zhou Yi pointed to Madam Zhou on the ground, his eyes filled with vigilance, and patiently explained.

"You should know that I am not interested in women. In fact, I was injured when I was young and have suffered from a hidden illness ever since."

No woman is attractive to me. The reason I took Tao Niang as a concubine was mainly to seduce the evil spirit of the Great Forest.

Simply put, Tao Niang was originally a cultivator, but she lost herself due to being possessed by evil spirits.

The Madam Zhou you usually see is just a part of Tao Niang's consciousness under the control of evil spirits.

I made a deal with the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood. It will help me switch cultivation methods. In return, if I succeed in switching, I will have to collect the treasures of origin for it.

If the transfer to a higher cultivation path fails, she will take all my spiritual power after my death and use it to improve my cultivation.

Fearing that it would threaten your life after my death, I recently broke my promise and used all my strength to subdue the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood.

However, this also backfired, and now he probably only has a few months to live.

After hearing Zhou Yi explain the truth, Jiang Ming suddenly realized the truth, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a touch of emotion.

If it weren't for his sake, Zhou Yi wouldn't have needed to turn against the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood, much less risk his life and end up in this predicament.

This old man is a good match!

Without concealing what he had gained, Jiang Ming interrupted Zhou Yi's incessant chatter and bluntly handed over the mental cultivation manual that Wang Xiaogang had given him.

"Grandpa, I obtained this item by chance, and it is somewhat beneficial for cultivating the Great Forest Wood Technique."

You might as well give it a try; perhaps you'll have a chance to turn danger into safety and survive.

Shaking his head, Zhou Yi looked at Jiang Ming with a kind expression, sighed, and said softly, "It's no use. In my current state, I have no choice but to wait for death."

If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening. I have lived most of my life and have long lost my attachment to the world. It is just a pity that my lifelong plans have failed to come to fruition.

Tao Niang's three souls and seven spirits have already merged with the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood. Now that I have subdued the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood, she has no chance of survival.

Find a propitious burial site and bury her there.

Seeing that Zhou Yi had lost the will to continue struggling, he kept giving his last instructions.

Jiang Ming steeled his resolve, raised the white bone sword to his neck, and said eloquently, "Grandpa, I beg you to try, what if it works!"

If you don't agree, I'll die right now...