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

No, how can a person be so optimistic?

Half of his fortune was stolen, and he almost lost his life. How can he still be laughing?

Jiang Ming didn't understand Xu Youwei's change of heart and didn't care about it. He was even less concerned about her grand ambitions.

If it weren't for the fact that Xu Youwei had been given a cult of witchcraft as a backing, Jiang Ming would have already decided to kill her based on her ulterior motives.

Jiang Ming took out some more spirit stones from his storage bag and put them away. He rolled his eyes at Xu Youwei and, not wanting to waste words with her, said indifferently.

"Hurry up and get the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. As for the rest of the nonsense, I have no interest in hearing it."

Seeing Jiang Ming open the cave and let her out, Xu Youwei snorted coldly and breathed a sigh of relief.

He immediately returned to the alchemy room and took out his most treasured possession, the Myriad Soul Banner.

This object is indeed terrifying in power, but it is also too sinister, and a slight mistake could lead to a backlash.

That's why Hsu Yu-Wei was willing to bleed.

Based on her understanding, Jiang Ming, a cultivator of the Furnace Fire, was extremely pure and yang. Even if such a magic weapon were handed to him...

It also doesn't have much effect.

Once she has achieved mastery of her cultivation, she can easily snatch this item back and report back to Gu Ling Zhenren.

A moment later, they returned to Jiang Mingshi's room.

Looking at the black, flag-like magic weapon in Xu Youwei's hand, Jiang Ming's eyes lit up. He immediately stepped forward, took it, and examined it as if it were a priceless treasure.

Jiang Ming tried to activate the magic weapon with his spiritual power, and in an instant, he sensed the ominous aura emanating from it.

This feeling is like being in a graveyard at night.

Despite rationally telling herself that this thing was not very dangerous, a sense of apprehension still arose from within.

It's best not to use this unless in a crisis.

Jiang Ming handed the storage bag to Xu Youwei, completely disregarding her whereabouts, and hurriedly waved his hand to urge her, "Hurry up and go, don't waste my time."

"..." After a long silence, Xu Youwei had no intention of saying anything more.

He immediately took what little money he had left and, gritting his teeth, resolutely chose to leave.

"Hiss? This is a good thing. This thing can perfectly replace your ancient painting magic weapon. After all, when you enter the late stage of the Qi Absorption Realm, the magic weapons in your hands should also undergo a major reshuffle."

How about we make a deal? You find me a demon core, or find a low-level evil spirit to refine.

In return, I will help you understand the imagery.

"Being able to master this technique at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm will not only improve your combat skills, but also help you enter the inner sect sooner. What do you say?"

Suddenly appearing out of nowhere, the little black snake, Black Charcoal, looked up at the black banner with a look of intense surprise in its eyes.

Upon hearing its terms, a hint of joy flashed in Jiang Ming's eyes.

How to master the imagery has always been a concern for him, and he hopes that the remnant soul of the Golden Core can help.

This undoubtedly lightened Jiang Ming's burden considerably.

"What is the value of a demon core? Why have I never heard of it before?" Jiang Ming first expressed his doubts before giving an answer.

Upon hearing this, the little black snake was somewhat surprised. "For hundreds of years, the demon race has been suppressed by human cultivators."

To this day, only two Golden Core True Monarchs remain, and the flesh of demon beasts has become food for cultivators. You don't even know about demon cores?

"I am currently in the outer sect, so my access to things is very limited. I have only heard that some cultivators in the inner sect specialize in raising demonic beasts."

"When I have time, I'll try to find out a bit about it for you. Could you first fulfill your promise and let me see how you can help me grasp the imagery of the fruition stage?"

After a long silence, Jiang Ming did not refuse the little black snake's request. In his mind, it was actually a very worthwhile deal.

Demon cores are something that can be obtained simply by spending some spirit stones or using a little bit of personal connections.

However, the imagery of the fruition is different, and according to Zhou Yi, everyone may perceive it in a different direction.

Therefore, few people can offer useful guidance.

Of course, this may also be related to Zhou Yi's low cultivation level.

Compared to the knowledge of a remnant Golden Core soul, the eighth level of the Qi Absorption Realm is truly insignificant.

"I can't give you any benefits right now. If you want me to help you fully comprehend the imagery of the fire in the furnace, you must first give me the demon core."

Only by restoring my own state can I utilize the metal element to assist your spiritual practice.

As far as I remember, demon cores are divided into different grades. Grade nine corresponds to the early stage of Qi Absorption, which is the lowest grade and the price is not too expensive.

One of them costs only a few hundred spirit stones, but with my current level, this amount of supplement is simply not enough.

"Give me at least one Rank 8 demon core, equivalent to a mid-stage Qi Consumption Realm cultivator, for me to devour."

With a look of reminiscence on its face, the little black snake pondered for a moment and then came to a conclusion.

A ninth-grade demon core costs five hundred spirit stones. After some estimation, an eighth-grade demon core would cost around one thousand spirit stones.

The treatment afforded by the Cheng family's purple-robed guest elders alone is sufficient.

In addition, Jiang Ming also had spoils of war that he had robbed from Liu Xin, totaling three hundred spirit stones.

The resources they just snatched from Xu Youwei were even more abundant, reaching a total of eight hundred.

In addition, there are various other resources such as elixirs.

Jiang Ming's current net worth is approximately two thousand spirit stones.

Although the resources required for the sixth tier are considerable.

However, with so many resources, breaking through to the mid-stage of the sixth rank is not a difficult task.

I have a sudden realization.

Close your eyes and imagine all the pills and spirit stones piled up in front of you.

Without any hesitation, Jiang Ming immediately began cultivating.

The next gathering is coming soon. This time, when Xu Youwei came down the mountain, the one with the strongest cultivation became Tuoba Youyou.

She has a small appetite and probably won't take too many Eight Treasures Pills. If Jiang Ming can break through to the mid-stage of the sixth rank, he can completely take control of the situation.

In turn, they can seize more benefits for themselves.

The world is hilarious, all come for profit.

The world is bustling with activity, all driven by self-interest.

Jiang Ming learned a lesson from his interactions with this group of inner sect candidates.

Some people are destined never to be friends.

Treat your friends better and your competitors worse; that's the way to survive in the outer sect.

He sat in the cave for ten days.

Jiang Ming's Qi Sea surged, and as he felt his spiritual energy replenishing itself, he also discovered that the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea was continuously dissolving into his limbs.

According to the late stage of the Qi Absorption Realm, this is the transition from absorbing Qi to refining Qi.

The late stage of the Qi Absorption Realm was also known as the Qi Refiner in ancient times.

Upon reaching this level, not only is the spiritual energy within the Qi Sea abundant.

The five internal organs and even the meridians throughout the body were all nourished by spiritual energy, and the person's lifespan was extended accordingly.

At this stage, mortals can live for 150 years.

In some remote and impoverished areas, where there is no tradition of cultivation, they can be considered to be among the immortals.

He opened his eyes and threw a satisfying punch from a distance.

The restrictions on the cave instantly emitted a strong echo, with a faint sense of impending collapse.

Today is another day for distributing resources.

After quickly packing his bags, Jiang Ming headed towards Zangjin Peak.

Looking at the different cultivation levels of the disciples in the crowd, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Tuoba Youyou's cultivation level was unfathomable. Of the previous fifth-tier late-stage disciples, two had advanced to the sixth tier, while the other remained stagnant.

As for the other disciples, their cultivation levels were even more appalling.

Looking around, Jiang Ming's cultivation level had already risen to second place.

It is often said that opportunity determines one's life, and that is certainly true.

Disciples like Sun An, even with the support of their families, unfortunately failed in their first competition for resources.

Falling behind by one step leads to falling behind by another, until one barely reaches the fifth-order perfection realm, and some people are even worse off.

He didn't even reach the fifth-order perfection level.

At this point, it's practically impossible to become an inner disciple.

In addition, after looking around, Jiang Ming noticed that the number of people present had also decreased significantly.

The first gathering had 15 attendees.

Now, apart from the dead Liu Xin and Xu Youwei, whom he had driven away, only nine people remain present.

Those people, it seems, have been forced to withdraw from the competition because they see no hope.

"Junior Brother Jiang, I'm still waiting for your reason."

Tuoba Youyou walked over with small steps and cast a serious glance at him.

Clearly, he was still holding a grudge against Jiang Ming for his rudeness last time.

Jiang Ming glanced at her apologetically, then leaned closer and whispered, "Last time, Xu Youwei tried to kill me to silence me."

In a moment of panic, I offended Senior Sister Tuoba.

This time, I'm still giving you my talisman as an apology.

"I see. So how did you handle it? What about Xu Youwei?"

With a surprised expression, Tuoba Youyou nodded seriously. After hearing the explanation and Jiang Ming's sincerity in admitting his mistake, she readily chose to forgive him.

Clearly, she didn't think being offended was a big deal.

Of course, this was also because Jiang Ming and she were fairly familiar with each other, and she didn't dislike him.

If it were anyone else, Tuoba Youyou wouldn't mind using the mysterious power of the city wall to verify that she wasn't entirely a compassionate person.

"The reasons for this involve some secrets, which I really cannot disclose."

But one thing is certain: she will no longer appear at the outer gate.

The veiled revelation of Xu Youwei's whereabouts caused Tuoba Youyou to frown slightly. Although she was very curious, she did not ask any further questions.

Jiang Ming has already made his point very clear.

Continuing to press her for answers would only make her seem immature.

After a long wait, Elder Qin finally arrived.

Looking at the dwindling number of people, he stroked his beard and said with a sigh, "More and more people are falling behind, so be it."

The inner sect does not accept any idlers. They cannot even pass my test. Even if they are lucky enough to enter the inner sect, they are destined to live a life worse than death.

If that's the case, it's better to give up sooner rather than later.

Since most of you have made significant progress in your cultivation, the pills I provided this time have also been greatly improved.

The original Eight Treasures Pill has been replaced with Qi Refining Liquid, which costs 200 spirit stones per serving.

There are only fifteen servings of this product, and each person can only take three servings per month.

Overuse can trigger drug side effects, which could be life-threatening.

After explaining the situation, he skillfully placed the Qi Refining Liquid and the talisman to open the cultivation secret realm on the stone table.

This time, the old man didn't rush to leave.

He sat to the side, silently observing how everyone was assigned tasks.

"How about we distribute them according to our strength, as per the old rules?" He glanced around and saw that no one spoke first.

Jiang Ming broke the silence, then looked at Tuoba Youyou and said in a kind tone, "Senior Sister Tuoba, please take your share first."

Seeing this scene, it seemed familiar.

Many people's expressions changed. Recalling the first allocation of resources, Sun An and other disciples with lower cultivation levels couldn't help but feel deep regret.

If we had been stronger back then, perhaps we wouldn't be in this situation now.

Too good for some jobs, too bad for others.

They wanted to climb higher but couldn't secure more resources.

They want to give up and quit the competition, but they can't get past their family's objections.

Looking at Jiang Ming, many people felt a mixture of envy and awe.

When Xu Youwei was at her peak, Jiang Ming had a good relationship with her and repeatedly humiliated Liu Xin, a rich young man.

Now, Liu Xin is dead, and Xu Youwei's whereabouts are unknown.

Jiang Ming and Tuoba Youyou became close friends.

It can be said that the current situation is very clear: as long as Jiang Ming is willing to compete, they will be completely outmatched.

"Three portions of Qi Refining Liquid, two spirit talismans."

Silently stating their needs and probing Tuoba Youyou's unfathomable cultivation level, the others immediately dared not doubt.

He just hung his head, resignedly acquiescing.

"I am also at the sixth level of cultivation, and I will also receive three portions of Qi Refining Liquid and two spirit talismans. Does anyone have any objections?"

After calmly finishing his speech, Jiang Ming unintentionally leaned closer to Tuoba Youyou.

The two were very close, and Tuoba Youyou did not flinch.

Seeing this, everyone fell silent again.

Damn it, why are you two so close?!

What else could we do? We gave it to them, we gave it to them...

Seeing that no one had any objections, Jiang Ming readily put away the resources, his heart completely unmoved.

He stuffed the two talismans into Tuoba Youyou's arms.

Jiang Ming said in a way that left no room for refusal, "Thanks to my senior sister last time, I managed to escape Xu Youwei's pursuit."

These two talismans are a token of my gratitude.

Taking the talisman, Tuoba Youyou pointed to himself blankly, his face full of disbelief, "Clearing a secret realm once will yield at least five hundred spirit stones."

"You're giving all of this to me? What are you going to do? I can't accept it."

Tuoba Youyou tried to put it back into Jiang Ming's hand, but Jiang Ming's attitude was very firm, and no matter how hard Tuoba Youyou tried, he refused to reach out and take it.

Watching the two holding hands and constantly deferring to each other, the disciples felt as if they had lost their parents.

His eyes were filled with despair.

Is there any reason?

My name is Jiang Ming. When you see this, I am already in dire straits and on the verge of death.

Under the influence of the Liu family, two disciples at the early stage of the sixth rank approached me under the pretense of making friends, saying they would host a banquet that evening to express the family's desire to win me over.

However, it was all a scam. They were entrusted by the Liu family's elder to go through great lengths to trick me out of the Wanfa Sect.

After that, I was ambushed by the Liu family's eldest elder. Under the terrifying strength of a ninth-level Qi Refining Realm cultivator, I died without any doubt.

Even corpses were turned into puppets.

If I had been more cautious and hadn't underestimated the situation, the outcome might have been very different.

Glance at the panel.

He turned to look at the two seemingly harmless young men in fine clothes.

Jiang Ming was conflicted; killing these two people was one thing, but not killing them was another.

Despite having no grudge against him, he willingly became a lackey of the Liu family to harm himself.

Why do you have to force me!

A fierce emotion welled up in his heart. Seeing the two go on stage and take away the resources that belonged to them, Jiang Ming walked over and blocked their way.

There was a hint of hostility in his voice, "You two are quite capable. Would you be willing to spar with me?"

You two can come at me together. If you beat me, I can give you my share of the resources.

If you lose, leave the stuff to me.

Don't worry, I don't mean anything by it. I just want to cripple you, or be crippled by you.

She glanced at Jiang Ming with surprise, and the two stared at each other for a moment, their eyes filled with confusion.

After a moment of silence, the cheerful and talkative leader gave a bitter smile. "Fellow Daoist Jiang, we have no conflict, so why are you targeting us...?"