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

"Someone sent me a message saying that the Liu family's eldest elder has entrusted you with a task..."

The moment those two uttered that one sentence, their expressions changed drastically.

The way they looked at each other was tinged with suspicion.

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and have a match with me. I won't kill you."

Knowing they were in the wrong, the two dared not make any move, even though Jiang Ming was being aggressive.

The reason is simple: Jiang Ming had just displayed his cultivation level at the mid-stage of the sixth rank!

None of them expected that Jiang Ming, who was originally behind them, could catch up and quickly improve his cultivation to overtake them in a short period of time.

"Senior Brother Jiang, my name is Bai Cheng. This matter has nothing to do with me. It was all Zhao Hao's idea."

Their business is controlled by others, so naturally they speak in favor of the Liu family. I was completely misled by them and blinded by greed. Please forgive me, Senior Brother Jiang.

Realizing that if today's situation is not handled well...

There was a risk of serious injury, so the disciple who hadn't spoken earlier immediately stepped forward, speaking with righteous indignation.

"You betrayed me? You were the one who delivered the letter." Upon hearing this, Zhao Hao's face stiffened, and a deep sense of suspicion arose in his heart.

Jiang Ming was not surprised when he heard the news.

From beginning to end, only the other party knew this information.

Aside from Bai Cheng informing on him, Zhao Hao couldn't think of any other reason why Jiang Ming would know about this.

"Stop pretending, are you trying to frame me?"

With the same thought in mind, she glared fiercely at Zhao Hao.

Bai Cheng was completely unafraid to turn against the other party at this moment.

It was all just an act anyway, and the thought that the other party was most likely to betray him, yet still acted so righteously, only made him realize that he was being betrayed.

Bai Cheng couldn't help but feel nauseous.

What he hated most in his life was this kind of hypocrite.

In order to quell Jiang Ming's anger, Bai Cheng volunteered, "Don't worry, Senior Brother Jiang, I'm willing to turn back from the wrong path."

From this day forward, I sever all ties with Zhao Hao. Listen, Zhao Hao, from this day forward, you are the enemy of the Bai family.

"I will never let you get away with this, you scoundrel!"

Seeing that his plan had succeeded, Jiang Ming stopped pretending to be a big shot.

Looking at Bai Cheng with a face full of trust, he said, "I see. Then you can solve this problem for me."

Keep an eye on him regularly. If he dares to cause me trouble again, I won't hesitate to make you disappear temporarily...

Hearing Jiang Ming's cold threat, Zhao Hao's face darkened, and he echoed, "Senior Brother Jiang, in my opinion, you've been deceived by him."

He should have been the one to deliver that letter.

Looking at the two people who were like fire and water, constantly distrusting each other.

Jiang Ming knew the time was right, so he kept a cold face and continued to threaten, "I don't know who did it, and I have no interest in knowing."

If you dare to do it again, then taste whether my sword is sharp or not!

After leaving behind a single sentence, Jiang Ming silently departed with Tuoba Youyou.

Looking at the two figures walking side by side, Old Qin's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and he murmured, "I underestimated this kid."

"She actually managed to fool the Tuoba family's daughter. This girl is really generous, willing to use her precious divination chances on Jiang Ming."

If Jiang Ming knew what Old Qin was thinking.

They would definitely chuckle to themselves, thinking that such a consideration was not a problem and was reasonable.

Unfortunately, apart from the correct result, the process was completely wrong and had absolutely no connection to the truth.

"I've thought about it. The two spirit talismans are worth about a thousand spirit stones in total. I can't just take your things for free."

If I obtain a treasure, I will share some with you as a reward.

"Junior brother, don't rush to refuse. Only then can I feel at ease."

Hesitantly, Tuoba Youyou grabbed Jiang Ming, her face serious, and offered a plan of repayment without room for doubt.

"Actually, there's no need to go to such trouble. If Senior Sister Tuoba insists on reporting back, you might as well help me find the whereabouts of the demon core."

I need an eighth-tier demon core.

With a gentle squint, Jiang Ming calmly stated his needs, which startled Tuoba Youyou.

After thinking for a moment, he asked in surprise, "Could it be that you have already tamed that little black snake? And plan to raise it as a spirit pet?"

But this is a huge expense; investing a demon core might result in nothing, like a stone sinking into the ocean…

Knowing the hardships of taming beasts, Tuoba Youyou couldn't help but offer some words of advice.

She had seen the elders of her clan wield beasts, and the amount of spirit stones they spent was simply extravagant.

Moreover, raising a spirit pet with an unknown bloodline is very cost-effective, especially if the little black snake doesn't have sufficient aptitude.

Even if you invest a huge amount of resources, in the end you will only end up with nothing, gaining no benefit whatsoever.

The best outcome would be to gain more helpers and increase combat strength by a certain percentage.

However, upon closer examination, the resources spent on raising a spirit pet could achieve the same effect if converted into magical artifacts or talismans.

In short, for Jiang Ming, raising spirit pets was entirely detrimental.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior sister, but unfortunately my mind is already made up and I want to give it a try."

If it becomes clear in the future that the little black snake will not have the chance to reach the peak of the Qi Absorption Realm, I will choose to give up on it.

Hearing Jiang Ming say this, Tuoba Youyou had no objections at all. She nodded and said helplessly, "Alright, it's always better to give it a try."

I will ask the elders of the clan to inquire about the demon core, and I will let you know as soon as I have any news.

"Thank you, senior sister. Goodbye."

After parting ways, Jiang Ming returned to his cave and waited patiently.

During this time, he focused on refining the few resources he had left, and inevitably developed a strong desire for spirit stones.

This stuff is really amazing; no matter how much you earn, it's never enough.

The thousand spirit stones on hand should be reserved for the demon core and not used lightly.

After all, if the Tuoba family doesn't have any information about the demon core, Jiang Ming will have no choice but to go down the mountain and try his luck.

For now, the only option is to refine the Qi-refining liquid and patiently wait for news about the demon core.

The Qi-refining liquid was contained in a small porcelain bottle.

Upon opening the bottle, a rich medicinal aroma immediately wafted out.

It smells like mentholatum.

This stuff is for external use only, so Jiang Ming quickly took off his robe, mixed it with a little water, and then jumped into the bathtub.

With my head resting on the edge of the wooden tub, I felt exceptionally relaxed.

The effects of the Qi Refining Liquid are very gentle. When you are in it, you don't feel the pain of tempering your body at all. On the contrary, you feel a sense of relaxation from the bottom of your heart.

As spiritual energy circulated throughout his body, Jiang Ming held his breath and concentrated, refining all the medicinal liquid in the wooden bucket. He then immediately took advantage of his good condition.

He began to consume the body-strengthening pills refined by Xu Youwei.

According to the "Scripture of Immortality".

This pill is called the Dharma Image Pill. Legend has it that after swallowing a hundred of them, one's physical body will be comparable to that of a dragon or an elephant.

If practiced in conjunction with wood-element techniques, it can have a synergistic and profound effect.

However, breaking through to the Dharma Aspect Realm with one's physical body is not an easy task.

At the very least, a drop of pure dragon blood is needed.

All the monsters in the world whose names are related to dragons have a trace of dragon blood in their bloodline.

However, pure dragon blood only exists in the bodies of flood dragons or true dragons.

Just like the black water python that transformed into a dragon in Longdi Cave not long ago, its essence blood, after being slightly refined, becomes a drop of pure dragon blood.

Therefore, obtaining this item is extremely difficult.

Jiang Ming dared not hope for anything in the short term.

We'll probably only get a clue about all of this once we enter the inner sect.

The most urgent task at hand is to master the "Small Furnace Fire Reaching the Heavens Technique" as soon as possible.

Then, with the help of the little black snake, he followed the trend and mastered the imagery of the fire in the furnace.

At that time, the only obstacle left for him to enter the inner sect will be his insufficient cultivation level.

After waiting anxiously for several days, Tuoba Youyou indeed brought good news.

"Junior Brother Jiang, the Tuoba family recently hunted some demonic beasts. I consulted with the family and they said they could sell them to you at cost price."

An eighth-tier demon core costs 1,200 spirit stones, but I'll pass on that for the sake of the spirit talisman.

"Oh, by the way, can I touch the little black snake?"

After taking the girl into the cave, Jiang Ming readily opened the ancient painting's protective barrier and released the small snake.

He quickly stepped forward, picked up the little guy, and gently stroked its head a few times with his fingers.

"Hiss!"

Seemingly disliking being touched, the little black snake hissed sharply, revealing its tender teeth.

"How fierce!" Tuoba Youyou reluctantly withdrew her hand, took the large bag of spirit stones from Jiang Ming, and carefully examined Jiang Ming's cultivation level, feeling slightly amazed.

"Give me another year and a half, and I'm sure you can break through to the seventh level. When that time comes, would you like to join the inner sect together?"

That way, we can look out for each other.

"Senior Sister's cultivation is unfathomable. She is currently at the late stage of cultivation. Could you tell me about the situation in the inner sect so that I can make a choice as soon as possible?"

Jiang Ming knew very little about the inner sect, so he didn't rush to respond and wanted to learn more before making any plans.

"I've already reached the sixth level of perfection. If I make good use of these resources, advancing to the later stage in another three months shouldn't be difficult."

According to the Tuoba family, the inner sect has three academies: upper, middle, and lower. The lower academy is responsible for instructing disciples at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm, the middle academy is for the eighth level, and so on.

Similar to the outer sect, the Wanfa Sect does not support idlers.

All disciples are responsible for some miscellaneous tasks or to complete various tasks issued by the inner sect.

As far as I know, Aoki-in is responsible for cultivating spiritual plants and raising spiritual fish, and so on.

As for the other academies, they also have different tasks to do, and the competition among disciples is even more intense.

So I thought I'd team up with Junior Brother Jiang, that way we can look out for each other.

After listening to Tuoba Youyou's explanation, Jiang Ming's expression gradually turned serious. After careful consideration, he decisively agreed, "In that case, I am willing."

"Alright, then it's settled then. Regardless of whether we end up under the same elder or not, we'll help each other out."

"Junior Brother Jiang, continue your cultivation. Senior Sister takes her leave."

Her eyes were full of joy. Although her cultivation was stronger than Jiang Ming's, Tuoba Youyou showed no contempt. She had cultivated the Earth Fruit position on the city wall.

One can observe a person's fortune and thus gain insight into their karma.

According to her prediction, Jiang Ming's luck is on the rise, even more so than hers.

Even if one enters the inner sect, whether one can break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm is still unknown.

In that case, it would be better to gamble on Jiang Ming's future achievements.

If the prediction is correct, she may also benefit from it.

This is the typical investment strategy of wealthy and powerful families.

The Tuoba family was no exception, and as a former royal family, they were often more cautious in their investments.

Everything is not based on their own perspective, but entirely on the guidance of the local officials on the city walls.

You might misjudge the people you choose, but you won't misjudge the position.

In some ways, the position of one's destiny is similar to the laws of heaven and earth.

No matter how high or strong a person's vision is, it cannot transcend the level of attainment.

Watching Tuoba Youyou leave, Jiang Ming was surprised by the girl's enthusiasm, but he was not worried at all.

The fact that the calamity warning has not appeared for a long time indicates that he is not in danger.

She placed the demon core in front of the little black snake, and the familiar mature female voice rang out again, tinged with surprise, "Hiss, this little girl is very dedicated."

This demon core should also have come from the Black Water Python's body. Since they share the same origin, it would be even more beneficial to me.

After refining all the spiritual energy here, my cultivation level will be comparable to the third level of Qi Absorption. Although it is still a bit weak, as long as I absorb more, I will eventually reach your level.

Compared to human cultivators, demonic beasts have one advantage: they almost never encounter bottlenecks in their cultivation process, except for each major realm.

As long as you provide me with a continuous supply of resources, I can guarantee that I will become a valuable assistant in the future. Let's put this matter aside for now.

I'll help you grasp the imagery of fruit, and let you witness the power of the metal element.

As soon as the words were spoken, a golden, sacred, and unparalleled light emerged from the top of the little snake's head, though it dared not reveal too much of its radiance.

After all, the metal element is extremely tempting to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Once discovered, it will most likely lead to a hunt.

At that time, with Jiang Ming's cultivation level, he would be completely unable to resist. Even a sigh could lead to his death by a single finger from the superior cultivator.

As the golden light entered his body, Jiang Ming's previously chaotic mind instantly became clear and transparent. When he looked around, he could even clearly feel the spiritual energy fluctuations. This feeling was very magical, and Jiang Ming was somewhat obsessed with it.

"Summon the fire from the furnace, then stare intently at the flames, and try your best to describe it with your most primal feelings."

You don't need to say it aloud; just think about it in your mind.

Just a heads-up, the little black snake's voice was gentle, guiding her patiently and persuasively.

With the blessing of the metal element, Jiang Ming's comprehension improved by leaps and bounds. Staring at the fire in the furnace, he fell into deep thought.

Although the light was not particularly strong, it was enough to illuminate the cold stone chamber.

It gives one the feeling of "when poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven."

Or, to put it another way, the light shines through the courtyard and illuminates the hall.

The image of fire in a furnace is just like that!

Although it may not reign supreme like heavenly fire, illuminating all directions, it can still shine its own light and bring warmth to people.

As Jiang Ming's ideas matured, the appearance of the fire in the furnace changed instantly.

The once calm flames gradually began to leap and dance, and beneath the light, a faint spiritual aura was constantly emanating from them.

This mysterious and profound feeling is the prototype of the imagery of the fruition position.

No, it's not mysterious; it can be perceived.

Just like one plus one equals two, a young child naturally wouldn't understand, but once someone is a little more mature, it's an easy question.

The reason I now find the imagery of the fruition stage so profound is perhaps because of this.

It wasn't that the imagery was too profound, but rather that he himself was too incompetent. After figuring things out, Jiang Ming's thoughts became increasingly clear.

Just as it was about to strike while the iron was hot, the little black snake slowly withdrew its golden nature and said wearily, "I can't do it anymore. I can't manipulate images with this body."

I'm so tired, I can't go on. I need to rest for a while.

Every two weeks thereafter, I will help you to perceive the imagery until you succeed.

The little black snake was taken into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner for nourishment.

Jiang Ming sat cross-legged on the ground. Several days later, there was a knock on the door.