My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

"hey-hey……"

The young man slowly stepped out of the shadows, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes filled with a sinister glint.

"Interesting. Colluding with demons and murdering your comrades... You've got some nerve."

Lu Ming looked at the uninvited guest in front of him, his expression darkening slightly.

Now that he is seriously injured, and has run into the Taiping Dao people at this time, his luck has really hit rock bottom.

However, there was no sign of panic on his face. He simply coldly scrutinized the other person before tentatively speaking:

"Taiping Dao Zhu? You collude with demons and monsters, yet you dare to spew such slander. If you wish to take my life, then come at me... Why waste your breath with words?"

The sinister young man's smile remained unchanged, but he paced back and forth at a leisurely pace:

"I didn't realize you'd become so resourceful."

Lu Ming was taken aback... He knows me?

The sinister-looking young man stopped a few steps in front of him, his smile fading slightly as he stared into his eyes:

"Five hundred Yin Tiger Guards went on the expedition, and now they are all dead, only you escaped... And you still say you didn't collude with demons?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming felt reassured.

He doesn't know that I fought with demons here.

He looked directly at the other person, his tone cold and hard:

"You wicked Taoist priest, you're crying wolf! I don't have time for a verbal argument with you. If you've got the guts, come at me!"

The sinister young man's smile slowly faded as he stared directly at Lu Ming.

Two gazes met silently in the night sky, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

The night wind passed between the two, stirring up fine dust and withered leaves.

In fact, the sinister young man only came to check because he sensed that the Demon-Locking Array had been activated to its final form and realized that the demon that the Dao Lord had sealed away was about to be born.

They happened to catch a glimpse of a golden light on the road and followed it here.

He truly did not know the specific details of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

What I'm saying now is just an attempt to probe Lu Ming's true intentions.

The bookworm he remembered was now surprisingly quick-witted.

After reading it, a smile returned to his face:

"Heh...just kidding. Besides, so what if you've colluded? You and we are all one."

Lu Ming remained expressionless, clearly not believing his nonsense.

The sinister-looking young man didn't seem to care and chuckled softly.

"What? Have you forgotten... when your mother was critically ill and on the verge of death, who gave her the talisman water that cured her? And when Zhang Yuheng was targeting you at every turn, who stood up for you?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's expression changed slightly, and he abruptly raised his hand to cover his forehead.

When he transmigrated, he basically inherited all of the original owner's memories.

The only thing that remains unclear is the memory of the period before and after the time travel.

However, for some reason, he always subconsciously ignored that blank space and never felt that there was anything wrong with it.

Now that the other party has pointed it out, those long-suppressed images suddenly surged in his mind, with countless fragmented memories flooding back.

With a formidable enemy at his side, he forcefully suppressed these surging memories, looked up at his opponent, and said coldly:

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

The sinister-looking young man's smile remained undiminished: "It seems... the effect of the summoning talisman is even more domineering than I imagined."

Before he finished speaking, he moved swiftly and appeared in front of Lu Ming.

It was so fast that it left almost no afterimage.

Lu Ming's eyes narrowed sharply... Before I developed the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Network, my speed was far inferior to his.

He forcibly suppressed his shock, and at the same time confirmed one thing: the other party's cultivation was also at the Marrow Refining Realm.

Judging from the sheer strength and power of his aura, he was far superior to Shi Lei.

He fully activated the Yin-Yang Dao Robe and the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Network, using the abilities of these two supreme talents to suppress his aura at the Bone Forging Realm level, without leaking the slightest bit.

"It's okay..."

The sinister-looking young man patted him on the shoulder with a smile, calmly reassuring him:

"You'll remember soon enough. Then you'll know that I'm a friend, not an enemy."

He paused, a mixture of pity and fervor surfacing in his eyes:

"You solemnly swore under the yellow sky that you would dedicate everything to the Way of Peace. The Grand Master and I have always had high hopes for you."

Seeing that Lu Ming remained silent without making a move, he nodded with considerable satisfaction.

"Go back and recover from your injuries. We'll have more missions for you later. Your ability to cultivate to the Bone Forging Realm on your own is truly beyond our expectations."

"If you perform a great service this time, I will request the Chief Priest to bestow upon you the Marrow Refining Chapter of the Yellow Heaven Great Law. This is a top-grade spiritual classic, a unique skill that only direct descendants of the Dao can cultivate."

Lu Ming lowered his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips.

You think I'm good?

They have faith in me, and they asked me, "You're still alive?" when we first met?

Will you bestow upon me the cultivation method?

They made no mention of the dangers of the Seven Realms Path, clearly treating me as a expendable resource.

The sinister young man clearly took Lu Ming's silence as a sign that he still harbored feelings for the Way of Peace.

He chuckled inwardly: This fool, he was so easily fooled after just a few words earlier. Even after escaping death, he's still so easily deceived.

He looked at Lu Ming again, his tone full of expectation:

"For the sake of peace, we have an unshirkable duty. I look forward to you once again dedicating everything to the Taoist school and to the Great Teacher."

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind:

How can I squeeze this idiot and his family dry again, so as to give myself another boost?

What a useful tool!

He sighed inwardly.

Immediately, Lu Ming felt a lightness on his shoulder, and the other person had disappeared.

Lu Ming stood there, gazing in the direction where the sinister young man had disappeared, his eyes filled with a deep, unfathomable look:

"The Way of Peace...? How can it be so divided?"

He recalled the gentle and compassionate face of the Great Sage in his heart seal, the strange and ingenious demon-locking array, and the Taiping Dao that was now colluding with demons... His heart was filled with confusion.

But then, a cold smile appeared on his lips:

"However... what does the oath taken by the original owner have to do with me?"

He staggered toward the training ground, his expression returning to calm.

……

Outside the training ground, in a secluded corner.

Lian Feng gently waved his feather fan in his right hand, while his left hand rapidly calculated within his sleeve.

His expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly looked up at the night sky—

"The celestial phenomena are in turmoil; the demonic star of the Western Realm has broken free of its restraints; fierce energy surges through the heavens, celestial orbits shatter... a demonic star has fallen in the Western Wilderness!"

His pupils contracted sharply, and his gaze was fixed on the western horizon.

Suddenly, a star shone brightly in the gloomy night sky, its light as brilliant as a torch, illuminating half of the heavens.

It then suddenly plummeted, trailing a long, fiery tail as it plunged into the depths of the earth.

"Hahaha……"

Lian Feng couldn't help but burst into laughter, his usual composure and calm replaced by an almost manic joy:

"Very well! One of the pillars of the nation has fallen... I have finally made a move on the chessboard of the Great Teacher!"

As the most outstanding disciple of the Tianji Sect in this generation, his greatest wish has always been to participate in the game of that unparalleled master.

But he was also well aware of his own limitations. Unable to detect any trace of the Great Master's moves, he chose the most foolish method... to follow his own intuition.

He chose Yinhu County, one of the sealed places that the Great Teacher of Virtue had once set foot in, based on his spiritual intuition.

He then used his intuition to place several pieces in this place, one of which was Lu Ming.

Today, he has finally gotten what he wanted.

He slowly suppressed his wild joy, regained his composure, and chuckled softly:

"Now, it's time to finish what Liu Zhiyuan asked us to do."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure disappeared, leaving only a wisp of breeze at the tip of the feather fan brushing against the grass.

……

Inside the chief's tent, the lights were on full display.

Two rows of copper lamps illuminated the entire tent as bright as day, and the charcoal fire in the brazier burned brightly, making the air dry and warm.

Two handsome young soldiers were carefully wiping the body of the enormous thing on the bed.

The person on the bed was bloated like a mountain, with hideous scars crisscrossing his bare chest, clearly from being injured by sharp claws.

The fat face was covered with layers of fleshy folds, and only from the neck could one vaguely discern that this bloated body was actually a woman.

"call--"

A night breeze suddenly seeped into the tent, causing the candlelight to flicker.

"Hehe..."

The two young soldiers suddenly clutched their necks at the same time, their faces turning from rosy to deathly pale.

Blood gushed from between their fingers, their lips trembled twice, and they collapsed to the ground in utter despair.

The plump woman suddenly flipped herself up, her rough voice booming out:

"Who goes there!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

"Strategizing for the common people... Lian Feng."

The obese woman's expression changed drastically: "Where's Shi Lei? How did you get in?"

Lian Feng gently waved his feather fan, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"Lin Hongying, stop worrying about your lover and worry about yourself first."

Lin Hongying's face was ashen.

She knew that she was likely in grave danger today.

The most outstanding disciple of the current generation of Tianji Sect, a prodigy on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, has personally come here, completely blocking all her paths to survival.

She stared intently at Lian Feng, her tone icy:

"Colluding with evil cultivators... What exactly does your Heavenly Mystery Sect want? Don't forget, it is us powerful clans who support the Great Zhao Dynasty."

"What benefits did Zhang Jiao promise you that made you work so hard?"

Lian Feng's smile remained unchanged, but a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

He did not answer, but slowly took something out of his pocket.

A yellow talisman, its surface streaked with cinnabar, each stroke exuding a chilling sharpness, as if it might burst forth from the paper at any moment.

The moment Lin Hongying saw the talisman clearly, her pupils contracted sharply:

"Peaceful Sword Talisman!"

She suddenly flipped herself up, her massive body bursting with astonishing speed in that instant—

He transformed into a blur and charged towards the tent entrance.

"Good insight."

Lian Feng remained calm, only letting out a soft laugh.

The blood energy in his hand instantly surged, and the talisman burst into flames in the air.

The yellow paper was curled up and charred black, but the cinnabar became even more vivid, like blood.

Immediately, the talisman transformed into an unstoppable golden light, piercing through the back of Lin Hongying's head and exiting from between her eyebrows.

"Uh...uh..."

Lin Hongying's throat moved twice, emitting a muffled, breathy sound.

The last glimmer of light in the tiger's eyes quickly faded, and its bloated body crashed forward.

Lian Feng walked past her without stopping, leaving only a cold remark:

"Colluding with evil sorcerers? No, we only wish to invite the Great Sage Teacher to ascend to heaven."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and left.

In no mood--

"Thump!"

He scrambled to his feet, glaring hatefully at the stone beneath his feet.

"Here we go again... You think I'm easy to bully, huh!"

He spat out the mud from his mouth, cursing as he disappeared into the night.

Moments later, chaos erupted within the camp.

Exclamations, footsteps, and horn calls rose and fell.