Becoming a leader of the immortal path begins with sowing the seeds of inner demons.

"Master, today I met with the Sect Master of the Jade Flower Sect, and he said..."

"I know everything."

In the Record of Inner Demons, Lu Ming looked at the nervous Zhou Jiangyuan and said calmly, "What are you thinking?"

Zhou Jiangyuan hurriedly said, "Master, this disciple had no intention of doubting you, it's just..."

"I understand," Lu Ming interrupted again, "You just don't know which path to take."

You want to go further on the path of spiritual practice. You are afraid of going astray. Even if you have to go first, you want to be on the right path first.

"The mention of the sweet spring has made you hesitate."

Having his thoughts exposed by Lu Ming, Zhou Jiangyuan could no longer resist and knelt on the ground, saying with some shame, "This disciple is deeply indebted to Master, yet I harbored such presumptuous thoughts. Please punish me, Master!"

Lu Ming gestured, and Zhou Jiangyuan involuntarily stood up. Just as he was feeling uneasy, he heard Lu Ming say, "What wrong have you done?"

Zhou Jiangyuan was stunned upon hearing this, becoming even more at a loss.

A look of satisfaction slowly formed on Lu Ming's face as he chuckled and said, "Conflicts on the path of cultivation, the respect for oneself and the belittling of others, are common occurrences on the path of cultivation."

I have been cultivating with Liquan for so long that I have long since transformed into the Dao within myself. There must be a reason why he said that.

However, his path is not without flaws. When you study the "Taiyin Xuanshui Jing" later, I will be able to find some faults in it.

But why do you think we did this?

Zhou Jiangyuan suddenly remembered what Bai Riliquan had said and cautiously asked, "For...the younger generation?"

Lu Ming laughed loudly: "The struggle for the right path is not about fighting to the death to determine who is superior, but about learning from each other's strengths and making up for each other's weaknesses, and finding a righteous path to leave for future generations."

This is the true meaning of the struggle for the Way.

What you think today is not only correct, but also proves that you already know that you should not blindly seek the Way.

Cultivation is about constant reflection and practice, discarding the dross and retaining the essence.

When you reach my level of cultivation, if you see that my practice has gone astray, do not remain silent.

The confusion in Zhou Jiangyuan's eyes vanished, and he bowed firmly, saying, "This disciple understands!"

Thank you for your guidance, Master!

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Jiangyuan returned to her room. Touching the Yin-Yang Reversal Fruit on her chest, she felt ashamed in her heart.

As expected of my master, he is broad-minded and didn't get angry even when the sect leader of Liquan said those things.

I actually thought that way; I really failed in my duty as a disciple.

I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness...

Lu Ming ignored Zhou Jiangyuan's thoughts, exited the Heart Demon Record, and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the note in his hand.

Zhou Jiangyuan's inner knot has been untied, but his own inner knot is still unresolved.

What exactly does this note mean?

Is it a warning? Or advice?

Is that sweet spring truly the kind of cultivator I described...?

Three days later.

"Make way, make way! Don't linger on the mountain path, be careful!"

"Freshly refined wild pheasant eggs, three for one spirit stone!"

"A top-grade protective magic artifact! A top-grade protective magic artifact! Usable by those below Foundation Establishment level, only two high-grade spirit stones required. The last one available!"

"Golden Core Cultivation Technique! Golden Core Cultivation Technique! Obtained by my ancestor from the cave of a thousand-year-old evil dragon, it's the real deal! Buy now and get a free Dragon Essence Blood Divine Pill..."

"Hey you selling martial arts techniques, stop right there!"

Don't run away!

At the entrance of Yuhua Sect Mountain, crowds thronged.

Amidst the crowd, watching the staggering figure fleeing in disarray in the distance, and the Jade Flower Sect cultivators relentlessly pursuing them, Lu Ming remained remarkably calm.

After all, it's not surprising that a cultivator like Li Quan, whose cultivation level is hard to discern, is somewhat unreliable. It's not unusual for a low-level cultivator to earn some spirit stones through sect selection.

The only thing I'm worried about is that note.

Since things had come to this, Lu Ming did not choose to flee Yujiang Prefecture overnight.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great; running away would be pointless and would only make him appear guilty.

It would be better to take the initiative and probe their strength.

Thinking of this, Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Since we've already decided to do it, there's no need to hesitate or look back. Instead, we should think about how to do it better.

Lu Ming was multitasking, moving forward with the long queue on the mountain path while repeatedly revising his plans and statements in the "Guide".

Before they knew it, he and Zhou Jiangyuan had reached the end of the line.

Name, Place of Origin

The man sitting at the desk, exuding an air of "I don't want to do this job," was actually a Golden Core cultivator.

"Zhou Jiangyuan, Lin Yue." Zhou Jiangyuan pointed at Lu Ming and said, "They are from Yujiang Prefecture."

"Did you have a teacher?"

They both shook their heads.

After noting it down, the man handed over two jade tokens. "Do you have any spirit beasts or pets?"

After attending classes for three days, Lu Ming decisively shook his head.

He was worried that bringing Da Jin might cause an accident, so he simply left Da Jin at the Zhou residence and would bring him over after he passed the selection.

"Take the left path." The man casually pointed to the left, then waved to the person behind him.

"So... it's passed?" Lu Ming looked at the jade tablet in his hand.

The jade is of good quality; judging by its quality, it is a specialty of Yujiang Prefecture.

Shouldn't the first step in sect selection be testing one's physical constitution or talent?

What's the point of just giving them a jade pendant?

Lu Ming looked at Zhou Jiangyuan and found that she was also completely confused.

Zhou Jiangyuan had heard that the selection process of the Jade Flower Sect was extremely strict, and that the first round alone could eliminate 80% of the candidates.

Now she has easily registered her identity.

Could it be because she has met the sect leader?

Why can't I?

A commotion arose, and Lu Ming and his companion turned around to see a woman, clearly from a prestigious family, pointing at them and saying with displeasure, "What's wrong with me...?"

As she spoke, the woman looked up, paused for a moment when she saw Lu Ming's face, then subtly moved her arm, pointing at Zhou Jiangyuan, and continued, "Where is she inferior to her?!"

The Golden Core cultivator sighed and repeated the words he had said countless times: "Our Jade Flower Sect treats every candidate equally."

But we also have minimum requirements.

Those without a master must be no older than twenty.

Those who already possess skills must not be older than forty years old when seeking a master, and their cultivation level must not be lower than Foundation Establishment.

Your cultivation level is only at the Qi Refining stage, yet you've been practicing for over fifty years. You should seek another path.

The woman's face paled as she sensed the sudden burst of golden core energy emanating from the other person, and she silently swallowed her words.

Zhou Jiangyuan's face darkened. He looked at Lu Ming, then touched his own face, and silently began to roll up his sleeves.

"Forget it, there's no need for that." Lu Ming grabbed Zhou Jiangyuan. "There's no point in arguing about this. Justice will prevail."

Lu Ming didn't really think that way; his main concern was that Zhou Jiangyuan might get killed with one punch, which would ruin the selection process.

Now that Zhou Jiangyuan's physique has undergone multiple reverse cultivations, judging from the feedback after the feedback, Lu Ming felt that killing an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator with one punch should not be a problem.

"Lin Mei, I really do look better than you..." Zhou Jiangyuan looked at Lu Ming, but swallowed her words before finishing them. The dissatisfaction on her face disappeared, and she led the way up the mountain.

However, she maintained a considerable distance from Lu Ming throughout the rest of the journey, seemingly as if they didn't know each other...

at the same time.

Above the gate of Yuhua Sect.

Several high-level cultivators surrounded Li Quan like stars around the moon, offering their congratulations.

"Congratulations, Master, on your remarkable progress in cultivation after your seclusion. The Jade Flower Sect is poised for prosperity."

"I think the one who should be congratulated the most is Master's mastery of array formations."

"Look at this grand formation on the mountain! It will save us so much trouble in the future. Just having them walk the mountain path once will not only test their innate talent but also their perseverance—a double benefit!"

Li Quan was beaming with delight, but raised his hand and said in a serious tone, "Don't say that. I have only gained a little knowledge."

I wanted to set up this formation back then, but unfortunately I was not capable enough. Now I am finally able to set it up, so you should study hard.

This is a grand formation in Zhongzhou; you must pay close attention to master its essence.

The disciples all agreed, and Li Quan nodded in satisfaction before drifting away.

The moment he disappeared, the smiles on the disciples' faces vanished, and they all looked at the middle-aged man who had remained silent until now.

One of them asked worriedly, "Senior Brother, can Junior Brother Seven hold on?"

"He has to consider both age and cultivation level, and also secretly maintain the grand formation. Isn't that putting too much pressure on him?"

Chen Mo closed his eyes slightly, and the next second, the Golden Core cultivator who was registering breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky with gratitude.

"Alright, I'll maintain the formation; it won't collapse anytime soon. You all go about your business, observe carefully, and don't miss any promising talents."

Remember, don't let Master find out. The sect's spiritual materials can't withstand any damage.

Anyone who lets slip the secret will have to go and find the spiritual materials needed for Master's research on array formations.

"yes!"

The group suddenly became serious and used various methods to descend down the mountain path...