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

Old Qin's figure was like a dream, fleeting and uncertain.

The constant changes in location caused the second ancestor of the Liu family to suddenly change his gaze.

After a moment's hesitation, his tone turned serious, his previous composure completely gone, "Sir, you cultivate the Covering Lamp Fire, a level of attainment not suited for combat. Why then do you oppose me?"

"Not only that, when I kill you, I will use the Gold from the Sea."

With a calm demeanor, Old Qin revealed his figure and casually tossed out a gleaming golden cauldron to protect Jiang Ming.

Then, looking into the distance, he impatiently urged, "Stop testing him. This old fellow's life force is failing; he's already on the verge of death."

"With the two of us attacking, not even a wisp of his soul will escape!"

With a calm and composed demeanor, he revealed his true form: an old Taoist priest with an air of otherworldly wisdom, his gaze serene and unperturbed. He waved his whisk, exuding a chilling aura of killing intent.

"What's the rush? I just want to see if he has any helpers, so I can catch them all in one fell swoop."

"Let's get started, Old Ghost Qin. If it weren't for your invitation, I'd be bored to death in the inner sect."

Seeing the situation reverse, Cheng Qinglin, who had just recovered from the joy of surviving the ordeal, immediately took action to entangle Liu Changchun, afraid that he would escape.

With a grave expression, Liu Changchun gazed into the distance, his heart filled with anxiety.

The Second Ancestor is not in good condition; he is now facing two Perfected cultivators.

It was a truly perilous situation, yet Cheng Qinglin was still lingering there.

He couldn't run away, nor could he help, so he could only fight back, suffering greatly in his heart.

Having unleashed a palm strike and knowing that his chances of survival were slim, the second patriarch of the Liu family remained calm and tentatively asked, "Are you elders of the Myriad Laws Sect?"

I seem to have no grudge against you, so why are you pressing me so relentlessly?

"Who told you to mess with the wrong person? Just die now!"

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist chuckled, summoned the Tai Chi Formation, and placed it at his feet. In an instant, a mysterious light shot into the sky, completely surrounding the two ancestors of the Liu family.

This magic array has a mysterious function of enhancing the combat power of Elder Qin and the old Taoist priest, but it has a subtle effect of draining the life force of the second ancestor of the Liu family.

The two Liu family ancestors were already at a disadvantage, fighting against two opponents. With the tide turning and the tide shifting, they instantly revealed a fatal flaw.

At the same time, Qin Lao seized the opportunity and instantly appeared behind Liu's second ancestor, piercing through his heart with a palm strike.

The old Taoist priest followed closely behind, extracted the souls of the two ancestors of the Liu family, and chuckled as he put them into a mutton-fat bottle, then inquired about them briefly.

"The Liu family, with its three elements in perfect harmony: earth by the roadside, fire on the mountaintop, and ocean water, is quite interesting."

"We've cleared away the roadside soil. How about it, Old Qin? Do you need to go all the way and wipe them out?"

He waved his hand, turned around and killed Liu Changchun. Old Qin then crushed the two corpses to ashes and shook his head.

"There's no need to cause trouble. This is Tongzhou after all. We should behave ourselves. You should go back first."

"After a while, I'll send you a good apprentice."

"No problem, remember to give me what you promised, I'm leaving now."

With a gentle wave of his whisk, the old Taoist priest rode away on a cloud, disappearing in a short while as if he had never been there.

"Greetings, senior." Cheng Qinglin bowed respectfully and quickly introduced himself, fearing that Old Qin might get carried away and kill him as well.

Fortunately, the scenario he feared did not occur.

After retrieving the magic weapon, the old man silently stood in mid-air to protect Jiang Ming.

now.

The Liu family was in turmoil. The jade tablets of the First Elder and the Second Ancestor were shattered one after another, plunging the entire clan into chaos.

They gathered together, discussing things without any clear direction.

"How could this be? Wasn't it said that the Cheng family only sent the Third Elder to help protect them? How could Cheng Qinglin possibly cause any trouble?!"

"That can't be right. That bastard Cheng Si, could he have given us fake news?"

"How could that be? We've already got the lifeline of the Fourth Elder of the Cheng family under our control. Why would he lie?"

"Damn it, since we've come this far, we might as well fight the Cheng family to the death!"

"Sigh, we've lost two experts and completely broken ties with the Cheng family. This is a huge loss. Let's discuss it again after the patriarch comes out of seclusion."

With one less perfect member, the outcome of a real fight is uncertain!

……

Several hours later, the spiritual energy within his body gradually stabilized.

Jiang Ming sat up and stretched his back with great pleasure.

He immediately bowed to Elder Qin, his voice full of joy, "Grandpa said he would invite a master to oversee things, so it was you."

Old Master Qin is truly impressive; I admire him greatly.

"With the seventh rank and the imagery of fire in the furnace, you can now enter the inner sect."

"I still have some trivial matters to attend to. After I've taken care of them, I'll send you into the inner sect and find a suitable elder to pass on your skills..."

Ignoring Jiang Ming's flattery, Qin Lao shrugged Cheng Ya for a moment, then shook his head, revealing a helpless expression.

Seeing that there was no danger around, he patiently advised, "You should go back quickly and not linger here."

According to the soul search results, the fourth elder of the Cheng family was the traitor.

Out of respect for Jiang Ming, Old Qin offered a rare suggestion.

Then, he vanished from the spot like a ghost.

He bowed and watched Old Qin leave.

Jiang Ming looked at Cheng Qinglin with a respectful attitude and asked curiously, "Senior, what is the Fourth Elder's cultivation level?"

Having witnessed Jiang Ming's background, the Third Elder dared not be presumptuous. He sighed softly, his face extremely grim, and asked with some confusion.

"Seventh Rank, Fourth Brother has always been honest and upright, and the family has never mistreated him. How could he do such a stupid thing?"

"Go back to the family first. Don't let this get out. I'll inform the patriarch and capture him immediately."

Given the urgency of the situation, Cheng Qing immediately took Jiang Ming and the other person back to the Cheng family home.

Fearing unforeseen circumstances, the Third Elder even burned his own life force to rush back.

Outside the Cheng residence, he crushed the communication jade talisman.

The Fourth Elder clenched his fists, silently turned and left.

After a while, the Third Elder returned and went straight to the backyard to pay his respects to the Ancestor.

Unable to participate, Cheng Ya could only chat with Jiang Ming, her eyes filled with worry. "Sigh, I never expected that the Cheng family would have an undercover agent, and it was Fourth Uncle."

He had no children and never remarried, living a solitary life and rarely venturing out of his home.

I thought he was just neglecting clan affairs, but I never expected…

"There may be some secrets you don't know about this, so there's no need to speculate."

"Hmm, wait a minute, the Third Elder is back. Will the Fourth Elder stay?"

Coming to his senses and realizing the problem, Jiang Ming blurted out.

Cheng Ya's expression changed instantly. After a moment's thought, she quickly took Jiang Ming to check the situation.

"Where is the Fourth Elder? I need to speak with him. Where is he?"

As Cheng Ya entered the courtyard, she spoke urgently.

The servant was startled and quickly pointed to the door, "He just left. What happened? Should I go out and look for him?"

Rubbing her temples, her face pale, Cheng Ya knew she was too late. She sighed, "This is troublesome. Fourth Uncle knows a lot of Cheng family secrets."

If the Liu family finds out, things could get very bad.

Patting Cheng Ya on the shoulder, Jiang Ming didn't take it seriously and patiently comforted her, "If the sky falls, there are big guys to hold it up. You're just a seventh-level cultivator, don't get involved. Just behave yourself."

"Sigh, you're right. What are your plans after this? Are you going to enter the inner sect directly?" Cheng Ya sighed, deeply agreeing.

"No rush, there are still some things to finish. Thank you for your help this time."

"Since the Cheng family has their own affairs to attend to, I won't bother them any longer. I'll repay the debt once things have settled down." He smiled gently.

Jiang Ming bowed and left. This breakthrough was indeed thanks to Cheng Ya's kindness, and he would definitely repay her more when he had more resources in the future.

The School of Ten Thousand Laws.

Upon returning to the outer sect, Jiang Ming immediately went to find Zhou Yi.

As if he had expected it, he stroked his pale beard, his eyes filled with emotion, "Good, in less than two years, you have successfully reached the seventh level of cultivation."

Your future achievements will surely surpass mine. Now that you have met the requirements, you can enter the inner sect. When do you plan to depart?

They sat down for a long talk, and Zhou Yi looked at Jiang Ming, his eyes seemingly lost in thought.

"I have made an agreement with a disciple to enter the inner sect together. Once my cultivation is stable and I have taken care of other trivial matters, I will immediately head to the inner sect."

Calmly, Zhou Yi nodded in response.

He took out a small pagoda from his storage ring, his eyes filled with emotion. "My grandfather spent almost all of his savings over the years to break through to the next level."

I don't have much to give you, but I've sealed the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood within this magical artifact.

Since you have a need, let's take this opportunity to subdue him in one fell swoop.

Jiang Ming nodded emphatically. He had been looking forward to this for a long time. After subduing the evil spirit, he could feed it to the little black snake.

At that time, you will be able to gain more benefits from it.

In addition, after the evil spirits are eliminated, Madam Zhou's soul can be separated and she will regain her freedom.

At that time, Jiang Ming will have one more seventh-tier helper.

This is a win-win-win situation.

"How can I cooperate with you, Grandpa?" he asked curiously.

Zhou Yi remained silent, then waved his hand, and the small black tower instantly emitted a faint green light, followed by a cold snort, his voice filled with resentment.

"Zhou Yi, you bastard, you broke our agreement! I won't let you get away with this!"

Hearing Madam Zhou's stern words, Jiang Ming's gaze turned serious.

He was ready to make a move at any time. After reaching the seventh level, the fire in his furnace had become quite substantial. Fire overcomes wood, so he could make a move as soon as he made a move.

Even with its profound cultivation, the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood is destined to be no match for it.

"Use the imagery of your furnace fire to help me suppress it. When the evil spirit is exhausted, take out your magic weapon, store it inside, and silently refine it."

Calmly giving the order, Zhou Yi applied pressure again. Under the suppression of the powerful eighth-order spiritual energy, the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood quickly subsided.

Unable to make a sound, they silently engaged in combat, resulting in a stalemate.

Just as Jiang Ming was about to start using the fire in the furnace, Madam Zhou's familiar voice reached his ears, "Brother, don't be fooled by Zhou Yi."

He's not a good person; he's just deceiving you.

"Once you've dealt with me, you won't get away with it either."

"Be careful, the imagery of the Great Forest Tree is very effective at deceiving the eye and ear. Stay focused and don't fall for it."

With a muffled groan, a blue light flashed in Zhou Yi's hand.

It instantly dispelled the whispers in Jiang Ming's ear.

Coming to his senses, Jiang Ming dared not be careless and quickly focused his mind, using the imagery of the fire in the furnace to help Zhou Yi suppress the evil spirits.

The scorching heat from the furnace rushed into the iron tower, instantly making Madam Zhou extremely uncomfortable.

In an instant, they could no longer withstand Zhou Yi's offensive.

Completely defeated, unable to utter a sound.

He quickly activated the iron tower and pulled out a ball of green light.

Zhou Yi handed it to Jiang Ming, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes. "Take it with you. I've already refined most of its Great Forest Wood imagery."

Once you return, use that ancient painting to your advantage and quickly take control of it.

After bowing in thanks, Jiang Ming happily led the evil spirit away.

After returning to the cave, he stored it in the Myriad Souls Banner.

Immediately afterwards, he summoned the little black snake, his eyes full of anticipation, "devour the evil spirit of the Great Forest Tree, and then leave behind the souls it devoured."

Seeing that Jiang Ming brought such high-quality tonics.

The little black snake was unusually friendly, hardly uttering any nonsense, before twisting its body and swiftly swallowing the evil spirit, savoring the taste for a moment.

It emitted a beam of white light, which bounced it back into Madam Zhou's body.

Her full, voluptuous body twitched slightly, as if she were gradually regaining control of her body.

After removing Madam Zhou from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, Jiang Ming's gaze was filled with concern. "Sister, the evil spirits have been exorcised. Do you still remember me?"

"Of course I remember, thank you." She smiled weakly.

Madam Zhou raised her hand and flicked Jiang Ming's forehead, her voice gentle and kind.

"Sister, you remember everything. My name is Ye Tao. I am the legitimate daughter of the Ye Family Chamber of Commerce and the only late-stage cultivator in the Ye Family."

When I was cultivating, I went astray and was accidentally replaced by the evil spirit of the Great Forest Wood. I used my own power of imagery to block out the memories of the entire clan.

To completely erase any trace of their existence from the Ye family.

Later, after many twists and turns, I met Zhou Yi. The evil spirit made a pact with him, and I made a special trip to get to know you in order to break free from its control.

You are even more outstanding than I imagined. Without you, I'm afraid I would never be able to escape my freedom in this lifetime.

After praising Jiang Ming with a gentle, spring-like gesture, Madam Zhou embraced him warmly, her eyes filled with deep affection.

"From now on, you are my younger brother. If you need my help with anything, just let me know."

Feeling the gentleness in Ye Tao's eyes.

Jiang Ming smiled calmly, broke free from his restraints, and said, "Sister, let's go down the mountain. You've been away for so long, it's time to go home and visit."

"I was unable to accomplish the task you entrusted to me back then, but now I'm finally able to make amends."

"I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. If you ever need anything in the future, please come down the mountain to find me."

Physical strength and spiritual energy have been restored to about 70-80%.

Ye Tao smiled sweetly, affectionately rubbed Jiang Ming's cheek, and then left the cave to return to Tongzhou.

Seeing her leave, the little black snake looked slightly surprised, her charming, mature voice full of confusion, "She already said that she has no way to repay the life-saving grace."

If you need anything, just ask. Why don't you ask?

Wouldn't it be better to practice dual cultivation once and experience the imagery of the Great Forest Tree?

"It's different. If she had lost that memory, I might still have the nerve to do it."

But she remembers everything, and I'm not an animal..." She rolled her eyes at the little black snake and pinched its round belly.

Jiang Ming, not without curiosity, poked at it a few times and tentatively asked, "How much has your strength increased this time after refining the Great Forest Wood Evil?"

"After refining everything, I'll probably have a fifth-tier strength." He held his head high, swaying his body proudly.

The little black snake stuck out its tongue, its eyes filled with joy.

"Wow, I didn't expect that following you would be so good."

Hopefully, once you enter the inner sect, you'll have access to more resources.