This Dao Ancestor is too young.

"In this weather, I still have to come out and patrol the mountains."

"Becoming a bandit in the mountains is not as good as farming for a large clan before; both are jobs where you risk your life."

"Yes, every time we rob, we're always the ones at the forefront, and we never know when we'll die in some corner. If only we could live under the rule of the Dao Ancestor."

Several burly men carrying swords walked through the jungle.

Everyone's face was filled with discontent, and every now and then someone would brandish their weapon to vent their emotions.

The burly men moved forward at a slower and slower pace, their voices growing softer and softer, until they came to a complete stop.

They stared at the gaunt figure leaning against the tree trunk in front of the cave, their expressions turning ferocious:

"This is the place I found half a year ago, and it's been taken over by a beggar."

"We'll kill this beggar later and then thoroughly clean the cave."

Zhang Yuanzhu's head was lowered, his arm casually resting on the hilt of his knife. As if he hadn't heard the bandits' voices, he spoke to himself:

"What territory is this?"

"Boundary?"

The leader was a burly middle-aged man who held a sword in one hand. He took a step forward and chopped down on the head.

The sword light was violent and extremely fierce.

"After you die, go to the underworld and ask the spirits of the dead."

Who are they? Mountain bandits who burn, kill, and plunder, and they actually dare to ask them for directions? They're courting death!

Zhang Yuanzhu slowly raised his head, his five fingers gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.

He raised his arm, and with a short knife in his hand, he slashed out in reverse!

The slash, seemingly slow but actually swift, dodged the longsword and struck the man's neck.

stab~

The head flew off, blood gushed out, and the headless corpse fell face to face.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and the remaining bandits still wore their sinister smiles.

They stared at the wreckage on the ground, then blankly looked at the boy's double pupils, their bodies trembling, their mouths agape, letting out a desperate roar:

"Dao Ancestor!"

The blade flashed, like a warm spring breeze, slicing across the necks of the bandits.

In just a few breaths, only one person remained standing opposite Zhang Yuanzhu.

The boy asked the same question again:

"What territory is this?"

"It's...it's outside Jiao Yuan City, at Little Snake Mountain!"

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly.

He had never heard of this city, neither in his future memories nor in this world.

The remaining bandits seemed to sense the boy's confusion and cautiously spoke:

"Dao... Dao Ancestor, Jiao Yuan City is in chaos."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanzhu's lips twitched.

At that moment, he knew where he was.

Immortal Soldier Valley has two kingdoms under its command: Yuan and Qian. The Chaotic Land is the border between the two kingdoms. Due to the scarcity of spiritual energy and spiritual objects, no major forces are stationed here, making it a no-man's-land.

In his future memories, he had spent some time in this place.

I also ran into a friend!

"Dao Ancestor, you know this land. It's either you kill me or I kill you. We common people, if we don't want to die, have no choice but to..."

"You talk too much nonsense!"

The boy leaned forward, raised his arm, and brought his short knife down on his head.

The noise stopped abruptly, and the body collapsed to the ground.

His cold gaze swept over the corpses on the ground, without the slightest pity in his eyes.

Whether in the past or in this life, Zhang Yuanzhu always believed in one sentence.

Be as ruthless as winter ice to your enemies, and as gentle as spring breeze to your friends.

Since we've determined they're enemies, there's no need for further words; it's simply a matter of life and death.

He strode forward, examining each corpse one by one. Only after confirming that no one had survived did he begin searching to see if he could find anything.

Soon, a long sword, a long knife, some silver, and a clean cotton coat were placed in front of him.

He first moved the spoils into the cave, then searched for a large number of dry branches and grass, and piled the corpses and flesh on them.

He took out a flint from his bosom.

bang~

The flint struck, sparks flew, and the withered grass burst into flames.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood before the fire, gazing at the rising flames and the bones slowly turning to ash.

Given his situation, he had to do everything he could to minimize the chances of being discovered.

After all, the magic in this world is mysterious, and there are too many ways to find the answers in flesh and blood and the dead.

As the flames gradually died down and the remains turned to ashes, the boy turned and strode into the cave.

Inside the cave, Zhang Yuanzhu lowered his gaze, looking at the long sword lying on the ground.

The sword is snow-white with a sharp edge, while the hilt is jet black with simple patterns engraved on it.

Both the hilt and the blade were very clean, showing that the owner had taken good care of it, and the bandits clearly valued this sword.

Most importantly, a stirring rose in the depths of the boy's heart: this longsword could unleash supernatural powers.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were deep, and various thoughts surged in his mind.

The fragment of the bronze furnace and an ordinary longsword are fundamentally different, but both can unleash supernatural powers.

The boy had already made some guesses about the special item that could activate the supernatural power [Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns].

People leave their shadows as they pass by, and swallows leave their traces as they fly by; in the end, someone can leave their mark on the world.

Some people use books as a medium, so that even after thousands of years, seeing the words is still like seeing the person; others use swords as a medium to entrust their life's ambitions.

And this sword, along with the fragments of the bronze furnace, are all like this.

Zhang Yuanzhu had a sudden realization, and a glimmer of inspiration struck him.

At this moment, instead of picking up his longsword to unleash his supernatural powers, he sat down cross-legged, raised his arms, and formed hand seals.

"Below the Nine Netherworlds, there lies a spring called Yellow, which the living avoid as if it were a curse, while the dead return there as if it were their home..."

Zhang Yuanzhu silently recited the scriptures in his heart, comprehending the Tao and principles contained in each word.

The boy closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and the chanting in his heart grew louder and louder.

Driven by instinct, the body entered a state of semi-consciousness, with the kidneys and flesh trembling slightly with a unique rhythm.

In my consciousness, the ethereal image of a deep pool is emerging.

This illusory spring, as time passes, becomes clearer, revealing a sense of profound tranquility, and also carrying a feeling of vastness.

Time passed second by second, from dawn to nightfall, and the pool water was almost completely visible in his consciousness.

At the same time, the tremors in the kidneys and flesh became more intense.

"Now is the time!"

Zhang Yuanzhu thought to himself, "This is a very quiet thought."

In an instant, the calm pool water rippled, and my kidneys trembled violently.

A wisp of dark blue energy emerged from the kidneys, flowed throughout the body, and settled into the dantian.

Then, wisps of dark blue energy continuously formed, and according to the scripture, they all flowed into the dantian.

At the same time, muscles, skin, and bones also begin to transform as the breath flows.

His thin body gradually became stronger, his muscles became more toned, and the scars on his skin began to disappear.

When the dantian has stored a full five strands of qi, the kidneys will stop producing qi, and the transformation of the body will come to an end.

Zhang Yuanzhu slowly opened his eyes, his double pupils radiating a deep blue light.

Tranquil and peaceful!

He raised his arm, spread his fingers, and a faint blue light shone forth, making the air in the cave feel damp and sticky.

The Qi Gathering Realm has been achieved!

In less than seven days, he stepped into the Qi Condensation Realm, which is quite remarkable even among high-ranking sects.

Zhang Yuanzhu's lips curled up slightly, a hint of pleasure in his expression.