Cultivating immortality begins with formations.

Like a stray dog, the black-robed cultivator fled in panic.

The four talismans he just activated.

Two Fire Dragon Talismans.

Two incarnation talismans.

These are all expensive second-tier talismans.

But no matter how valuable it is, it's not as important as your life.

If that powerful Qi Refining Level 9 body cultivator were to free up his hands, even if he used talismans, it would probably be of no use against the two Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators who were besieging him.

At this moment, the black-robed robber, completely disoriented, was thinking of quickly escaping back to the market.

Unexpectedly, a large swath of mist suddenly burst open in the woods in front of them, and amidst the churning mist, two crimson flames swirled towards them.

"not good."

The black-robed cultivator, fleeing with all his might, had nowhere to run.

He had no choice but to raise his spiritual energy shield and grit his teeth and charge forward.

After plunging into the mist, they did not encounter the expected scorching flames.

The flames ahead vanished.

A burst of golden light erupted.

A crescent-shaped golden light pierced the night sky, striking his spiritual energy shield.

Ding!

The spiritual energy shield was shattered by the crescent-shaped golden light.

Both disappeared.

The black-robed cultivator was both shocked and furious. He barely managed to stop himself when three more ice spikes pierced through the thick fog.

He hastily summoned his defensive magic weapon.

Before the magical artifact's spiritual light could fully manifest, it was pierced by an ice spike, causing blood to spurt out.

"Damn it!"

The black-robed cultivator cursed in a low voice.

Suddenly, he realized that his feet had sunk into the mud.

Just as he was about to use his spiritual power to pull it out, several vines suddenly shot out from the side, binding his hands and legs in a few loops.

The black-robed cultivator's spiritual energy stagnated, and his figure paused for a moment.

Until this point.

The flames that had been seen earlier had just emerged from the mist when, in an instant, they enveloped the entire area.

"what!"

The intense pain from the searing flames made him cry out in agony.

But then a golden light flashed from behind, and a gilded hammer struck his lower back.

A snap.

The spine in the back was broken.

The black-robed cultivator collapsed to the ground, his body limp, letting out a pitiful scream amidst the flames, as he gradually sank into the muddy swamp.

……

at this time.

On the summit of the cliff.

"Ling'er, I just heard that fellow Daoist say he was entrusted by someone. Do you know her?"

The old man beside him asked in a low voice.

"Elder Tian, ​​I don't know either."

Even now, Liu Ling'er still doesn't know who it is.

The other young cultivators beside her, one holding a knife and the other a sword, both looked terrified.

One of them said, "Elder Tian, ​​Senior Sister Ling'er, that senior just chased after that tribulation cultivator. Should we follow him and lend a helping hand?"

"Yes. If it weren't for that senior saving us from danger, we don't know what would have happened to us now," another person chimed in.

The old man, whom they called Elder Tian, ​​pondered for a moment and shook his head: "That fellow Daoist is a Qi Refining Level 9 Body Cultivator with astonishing combat power, but Body Cultivators are not good at chasing, so he probably won't be able to catch up."

After a moment of contemplation, he instructed, "The three of you go and retrieve the Starfall Sand immediately. We'll make a decision once that fellow Daoist returns."

Liu Ling'er and the other two responded and were about to descend the cliff to retrieve the meteorite sand.

Suddenly, she noticed that in the distance, under the hazy moonlight, there seemed to be a thick fog slowly flowing.

In the Jiuling Mountains, many places are shrouded in thick fog and miasma.

She didn't find it strange, so she didn't pay any attention to it.

After the three descended the cliff, they were shocked to find that there were no more than a hundred meteorite sands left.

Returning to the mountain peak by air, Liu Ling'er said in a deep voice, "Elder Tian, ​​the Starfall Sand is gone."

"Um?"

Elder Tian's expression changed slightly.

I went to check again and found that there were indeed none left.

The old man was shrewd and immediately realized that the fellow Daoist he had just spoken to might have had an accomplice.

They also came for the meteorite sand.

"Alright."

After Elder Tian returned, he sighed.

If they make it clear that they will collect meteorite sand together, how to distribute it evenly will be another major problem.

After all, the other party had just saved them.

Now that he was no longer in this moral dilemma, Elder Tian suddenly felt much more relaxed.

"Let's go."

"Our mission ended in failure, which is truly the will of Heaven, and we cannot be blamed for it."

He was speaking.

But then he noticed Liu Ling'er staring into the distance, lost in thought.

"Ling'er?"

"What's wrong?"

Liu Ling'er seemed to be startled awake, her eyes flickered slightly, but she shook her head: "It's nothing."

Elder Tian glanced at her but didn't ask any more questions.

The two young cultivators standing to the side thought that their senior sister was feeling down because she hadn't gotten the Starfall Sand.

"Senior sister, let's treat this as a training experience."

"Yes. But I think since we're here, we can go to the outer perimeter and hunt a few more monsters, just to gain combat experience."

"Um."

Liu Ling'er answered softly, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

She was just thinking.

The thick fog in the distance vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed.

Little did Liu Ling'er know that Elder Tian was equally aware of the changes she could observe.

The latter pondered for a moment, then secretly shook his head.

Regardless of who the other party is, there is no reason for them to mobilize more people to harm and seize the Starfall Sand.

Ultimately, Ningcui Valley can be considered a reputable and righteous sect.

……

"after."

"If a similar situation arises between us again, you have to listen to my instructions and not act so recklessly."

Lu Yuan disregarded whether Jiang Zhi was older or more powerful than him, and scolded her in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi looked somewhat aggrieved: "I've analyzed it... no one on the field is my match. If I don't show myself and attract their attention, how can you avoid everyone and secretly retrieve the Starfall Sand?"

As she spoke, a sly look appeared on her face.

"Besides, your friend must be wondering who saved him. If you show up at the right time and reveal your identity, you will definitely win her heart."

"After all, you're not young anymore, it's time to find a partner."

"I'm not even as old as you, and you're not in a hurry, so why should I be?" Lu Yuan said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi turned and left.

Lu Yuan frowned and followed silently.

He wasn't a blockhead; how could he not know about Sister Jiang's hints and flattery along the way?

He even found his gaze lingering on Liu Ling'er, and generously played the hero to save her.

This, however, made Lu Yuan feel completely lost.

He's a normal man, he doesn't mind casual affairs to cleanse his mind and body, but he doesn't want to fall deeply in love too early.

Compared to matters between men and women, his heart yearned more for cultivating immortality and attaining eternal life.

However, his close contact with Gu Qingyao and Jiang Zhi during this period caused his Dao heart to waver several times.

The decline of free will inevitably bring trouble.

There is no doubt about that.

This is also the reason why he was able to uphold his Daoist principles.

Gazing at Jiang Zhi's swaying figure before him, Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "This is my first time in the Nine Ridges Mountains. I'd like to stay a few more days to practice swordsmanship. Sister Jiang, would you be willing to accompany me?"

He has now decided to let things take their course.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi turned her head with a look of surprise.

Previously, even when she was crafting magical artifacts for him, Lu Yuan acted as if he didn't want to owe her any favors, and offered to repay her with spirit stones.

Looking at Lu Yuan's cheerful and relaxed smile, he nodded emphatically: "Okay."

The atmosphere became lively again.

Lu Yuan then turned serious and said, "However, for some reason, we did not encounter the late-stage second-tier demonic beast you mentioned on this trip."

He also set up a Five Elements Mist Array at the edge of the cliff.

The plan was to trap the monster with an array if they encountered it while retrieving the meteorite sand.

Even after all the hundreds of meteorites were removed, the so-called earth monster did not appear.

Jiang Zhi also found it strange.

Monsters have a strong sense of territory.

Let alone obtaining meteorite sand from the cliff, even if a cultivator were to pass by, a demonic beast might appear.

Has it already been wiped out?

"Should we go back and check again?"

Jiang Zhi suggested, "The core of a late-stage second-tier demon beast is also one of the main ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills."

Lu Yuan understood the meaning behind her words.

Lu Yuan is not a body cultivator and has a low-grade spiritual root of the Five Elements, so his need for Foundation Establishment Pills far exceeds that of Jiang Zhi.

If we can hunt down another second-tier demon beast this time to prepare for future foundation building, the pressure of collecting foundation building pills will be much less.