Starting with the Corpse-Eating Worm, he worked his way up to become the Left-Winged Immortal Lord.

Ghost city.

The eternal flame flickered in the breeze, seemingly about to go out at any moment.

"How is it?"

Li Huo stood with his back to Ning's father and son, who hurriedly entered the room. He held an oil jug in one hand and fiddled with the wick of the ever-burning lamp in the other.

Ning's father said happily, "I have already contacted Vice Abbot Shangwei's attendants using a communication talisman, and all the expressions of my loyalty have been made."

"However, Vice Abbot Wei's attendants did not say when he would return to the temple, nor did they make any promises to us," Chen's father added.

Li Huobing was not surprised by this result. "It seems that the value we can bring is too small, and Vice Abbot Wei does not care."

"What should we do then?"

"We simply don't have anything of greater value to offer right now."

Ning's father and Chen's father looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li Huo frowned and said, "Of course we have them, but we have to take some risks."

"What risks?" Ning's father looked at Li Huo curiously, but a sense of unease lingered in his heart.

Li Huo's eyes turned cold, and he said, "That is the essence of life! Only by quietly expanding our scale in the Ghost Market and obtaining more essence of life will Vice Abbot Wei take us seriously. Otherwise, we will be kicked out of the Ghost Market sooner or later."

"Don't think I'm exaggerating. Gu Qing is only willing to give us 30%, with no room for negotiation. As Li Feng's relationship with Gu Qing gets better and closer, do you think the Li family won't take action?"

Ning's father and Chen's father looked at each other again.

Expanding the scale of lifespan essence collection means secretly killing more people, and if the Wufeng Temple discovers this, they will face certain death. However, being kicked out of the Ghost Market, given the current situation in Changping County, they also have no way to survive.

The Heavenly Principle Sect will never let them go.

However, if they join the Heavenly Principles Sect, the Five Abundance Temple will not let them go.

"Done!"

"It's settled then."

Li Huo nodded, "Tomorrow morning, have Ning Zhi and Chen Zhan accompany my son to Gu Shenyan's residence again, and send some more gifts to lull Gu Qing into a false sense of security."

Chen's father and Ning's father immediately nodded.

But he just nodded.

A dark shadow suddenly flashed by.

Ning's father suddenly disappeared from the neck up, and blood gushed out, instantly staining the square table and chairs next to him bright red.

"Fellow Daoist Ning!"

Chen's father was greatly shocked.

however.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt everything go black before his eyes, and his consciousness faded away.

What's going on?

The thought flashed through my mind.

He completely lost consciousness.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Huo's expression changed drastically. He even considered using his magical artifact, but after sensing the terrifying aura of the Corpse-Eating Worms, he was utterly terrified. How could a late-stage Qi Refining stage alien worm come to the Ghost Market to kill him?

"save……"

Just as I was about to call for help, a voice suddenly entered my ear.

"I will take your lives on behalf of those innocent people who died tragically after their life essence was drained."

Li Huo immediately asked a question.

"Who are you?"

however.

As soon as he asked the question, he felt everything go black before his eyes, his life force rapidly fading away, and fear and doubt constantly intertwined in his mind.

A few breaths later.

All thoughts were completely cut off.

After swallowing the three corpses, Gu Qing then controlled the corpse-devouring worms to head straight for Li Huosheng and the other two's residence, easily eliminating them.

Compared to Li Huo and the other two.

Li Huosheng and the other two died without ever seeing what happened; they only knew that they suddenly died while they were talking.

All these years of planning, from the son of a miscellaneous cultivator to a Taoist acolyte at Wufeng Temple, and then to a disciple personally taught by the Dharma Protector, if it weren't for Gu Qing, the three of them would definitely have become the first Taoist acolytes to join Xuanqing Academy for cultivation at Wufeng Temple.

however.

Now it's all gone in an instant.

By the time the maid who brought tea to the room saw the blood on the floor and screamed in alarm, the corpse-eating worms had already quietly finished their looting and left the ghost market.

Gu Qing remained unmoved by the killing of Li Huosheng and the other six, and even took the opportunity to secretly admonish himself.

Don't be cheeky.

You must maintain consistency in public and private.

Talking about someone behind their back is fine if no one hears it. But if someone does hear it, Li Huosheng and the others will likely end up like him.

"However, to be fair, Li Huo and the other two are quite notable figures in the miscellaneous schools and unorthodox sects. Not only have they broken out of the circle of miscellaneous schools and unorthodox sects, but they can also directly contact Vice Abbot Wei. At the same time, they can be ruthless in order to achieve their goals."

If someone like that hadn't met me, they might actually have become a top expert in the unorthodox schools of thought.

pity.

There aren't that many "what ifs" in this world.

At the same time, news of the deaths of Li Huo and his six sons spread rapidly in the black market, causing widespread panic in the ghost market.

Everyone was worried that the Heavenly Principle Sect might have infiltrated their ranks.

Li Lin, who was located at the entrance of the Ghost Market, immediately led his men there. After repeatedly confirming that he could not find Li Huo and the others, he was both surprised and delighted.

With Li Huo and the others dead, the Ghost Market will become Li's territory.

No one can compete with them for profit anymore.

But they were also worried that it might actually be the Heavenly Principle Sect that had invaded.

If that's really the case.

The ghost market probably won't be open for much longer.

"Report this to Wufeng Temple immediately, and go find my brother again. Tell him never to come to the Ghost Market; it's not safe!"

After making the arrangements, Li Lin immediately led his men to surround the ghost market and meticulously checked every person who hurriedly left the ghost market.

He was on tenterhooks during the investigation, fearing that he might uncover something that would force the Tianli Sect cultivators to commit massacres.

……

at the same time.

Gu Qing controlled the corpse-eating worms to return to the temple.

But no sooner had they returned than a group of Taoist priests from Wufeng Temple hurriedly carried a number of people back to Wufeng Temple.

Not long after.

Lu Tong hurriedly arrived at the shady spot outside the back mountain.

"Master Gu... Master Gu..."

After repeated calls, Gu Qing had no choice but to leave the gloomy place.

"when?"

Lu Tong said with a grim expression, "Master Cheng and the others have brought Master Ding Xian back, but Master Ding's injuries are very serious."

"What happened?"

Gu Qing was startled and quickly headed towards Wufeng Temple.

Lu Tong followed up and explained, "I heard that they were attacked by cultivators from the Heavenly Principle Sect, and none of the Daoist disciples who were with Dongping Town survived. Fortunately, Daoist Cheng and his men arrived in time, otherwise Daoist Ding would have perished."

"It's the Heavenly Principle Sect again."

Gu Qing's expression froze.

He thought the Tianli Church would quiet down for a while after the Vice Abbot Xu was injured, but he didn't expect it to be quiet for a moment.

"What exactly are they trying to do?"

Filled with doubt, Gu Qing headed straight for the pharmacy.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the pharmacy, one would see that the area outside was already filled with monks from the Wufeng Temple, representing various halls.

His already unpleasant complexion became even worse now because of Ding Xian's serious injury and return.

"How dare the Heavenly Principle Sect do this?"

"Are they crazy?"

"Aren't they afraid that when the abbot returns, he'll bring back the high-ranking cultivators from Xuanqing Academy and wipe them all out?"

Amidst the murmurs and chatter, Gu Qing squeezed into the pharmacy.

After pushing through the crowd and going up to the second floor, they saw Cheng Xiu standing at the door, covered in injuries, with some Dharma Protectors beside her.

"I've done my best..."

Upon seeing Gu Qing arrive, Cheng Xiu suddenly offered an explanation.

It is clear.

This is a gesture of goodwill.

Just that one sentence was enough to make his master give him a break and also made the cultivators in the medicine hall no longer regard him as a mortal enemy.

have to say.

This is a very intelligent person.

However, Gu Qing had no interest in these things.

When they went inside the house, they saw Ding Xian lying there, his body mangled and his breath growing weaker.

"Senior Brother Ding!"

Gu Qing hurriedly went inside.