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

The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding scene changed abruptly.

In the center of the dark and narrow stone chamber, a skeleton dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe sat cross-legged, its hands forming an incomprehensible mudra, its empty eyes staring straight at Feng Zai.

Feng Zai's eyes glazed over again. He looked at the skeleton, then at Lu Ming, who stood expressionless to the side, and suddenly his face showed fear.

His death was imminent.

His essence is depleted and his vital energy is waning; now even his spirit is failing, and he has begun to go astray and become possessed by demons.

So... what should the sect do?

What should the junior students do?

Without my help, how could they establish themselves in Yujiang Prefecture?

Feng Zai slumped to the ground, two lines of clear tears silently rolling down his cracked face.

Seeing this, Lu Ming said nothing, slowly stepped forward, and reached out his hand to Feng Zai, but encountered an invisible barrier in mid-air.

Lu Ming wasn't surprised; he simply withdrew his hand silently, stood aside, and stared at Feng Zai in a daze.

Even at this point, Feng Zai's mental defenses remained completely intact... His unwavering resolve must have stemmed from the immense effort he put into his cultivation.

If we can plant a demon in his heart, the demon should be able to reach the third level very quickly, right?

It would be a shame to give up such a rare host.

But where should we start?

Lu Ming frowned slightly and subconsciously looked around the stone chamber.

It can be confirmed that Feng Zai's master has passed away, which is a breakthrough point.

However, I am currently only using Master Feng Zai's identity as a cover. If I speak rashly without understanding Master Feng Zai, I will definitely not be able to break through his defenses.

I need to start with what he cares about most... I've got it!

Seeing that Feng Zai was still in a daze, Lu Ming slowly retreated into the darkness and tore off his right hand.

In an instant, his right hand transformed into three flowing streams of "ink," which quietly drifted out of the stone chamber.

next second.

The stone chamber was suddenly smashed open, and three figures rushed in.

"Senior brother!"

The familiar voice brought Feng Zai back to his senses. He turned around and stared blankly at the sound.

Two junior brothers, with long swords stuck in their chests, collapsed to the ground as soon as they entered. Their eyes, which were gradually losing their luster, still held a trace of helplessness and fear.

Zhou Qianqian, who had lost an arm and a leg and was covered in blood, crawled to Feng Zai's side, grabbed his clothes, and cried tremblingly.

"Senior brother, save me! The sect..."

Before she could finish speaking, she remained in a pleading posture, just like when she was young, and lay down on Feng Zai's lap.

Feng Zai was stunned. By the time he came to his senses, the three of them had already stopped breathing.

He sat motionless on the ground, trembling as he held Zhou Qianqian's cold hand, staring blankly at the tragic scene before him, his mouth agape, tears streaming down his face, yet unable to utter a sound.

Lu Ming rubbed his throbbing temples, and seeing that the time was right, he walked to the prayer mat, blocked the skeleton, leaned down and gently pressed down on Feng Zai's shoulder, and whispered.

"Accept your fate?"

Feng Zai stiffly turned his head, his eyes almost numb as he looked at Lu Ming, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"The path to immortality is long and arduous, fraught with obstacles."

Aside from those with extraordinary abilities, no one can predict whether the next step will bring fortune or misfortune.

Teachers are no exception.

These past years have been tough on you.

"You?" A flicker of emotion finally appeared in Feng Zai's eyes. He looked at the white bones, then at the gentle-looking Lu Ming. He was about to speak when Lu Ming interrupted him.

"My spiritual life is nearing its end."

"I will only ask you one question: We cultivators of immortality emphasize the 'death of the heart, life of the spirit,' what is the meaning of this?"

Feng Zai subconsciously said: "When the mind is dead, it means only hoping to stop delusions and break free from self-attachment; when the spirit is alive, it means that the body and mind are refreshed and connected with the Dao."

"Since I began my cultivation, I have never been negligent in this..."

Lu Ming shook his head, interrupting him, "What you said is correct."

But what have you done?

Feng Zai was about to answer, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't say anything.

Lu Ming didn't give him a chance to think, and sighed, "You are my most outstanding disciple."

But as your teacher, I don't want you to end up like me; I only want you to go further on your path of cultivation.

Go and see the even more beautiful scenery for your teacher.

Stop torturing yourself.

You are the future of the sect.

As long as you live up to today's expectations, I will be very gratified.

After saying that, Lu Ming's body twisted and disappeared.

A few breaths later, Feng Zai finally came to his senses and crawled around on his knees, calling out anxiously.

"Master? Master!"

Please tell me clearly, how can I have lived up to your expectations today?

My injuries are becoming uncontrollable, and the pills you left behind are almost used up. If I were to perish... there would be no one left to guide my fellow disciples.

This disciple is not being reckless. If the sect does not have a Golden Core cultivator to guard it, it will lose its blessed land sooner or later!

The sect is the culmination of your life's work and the foundation upon which we all stand. I cannot stand by and watch it fall into the hands of others!

Master, please, guide your disciple one last time!

"This disciple truly, truly... has exhausted all other options."

Feng Zai clenched his fists and slammed them heavily on the ground, pressing his head against the ground, holding his breath and waiting for the familiar voice to appear.

But after waiting for a long time, the stone chamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Feng Zai finally despaired.

He let out a long breath, slowly stood up, looked at the withered bones on the futon, and murmured.

"Master, I can only repay your kindness in raising and teaching me your skills..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed that there seemed to be something extra in front of the prayer mat.

He stepped forward for a closer look and discovered that it was a pure white crescent-shaped jade pendant.

What is this?

In the face of several dramatic changes, Feng Zai had no time to think and rushed forward to grasp the jade pendant tightly in his hand, as if it were a lifeline.

The next second, Feng Zai's figure began to distort, quickly merging with the jade pendant...

in reality.

Having successfully planted the seed of his inner demon, Lu Ming had no time to celebrate. He turned and shouted, "Da Jin, help me look... what are you doing lying on the ground?"

The giant goldfish was lying on its back, its tongue lolling out, its claws flailing in the air.

"Daddy, save me!" Seeing Lu Ming open his eyes, Da Jin immediately twisted and struggled. "I can't breathe!"

"Can't breathe?" Lu Ming asked, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that Da Jin had two extra arms under his double chin.

"You won't even touch a hair on my senior brother's head!" Zhou Qianqian's tearful voice came from under the golden statue. "You're not allowed to eat my senior brother!"

I'll fight for you!

Lu Ming: ?

He knew Da Jin best. He was a bit greedy on a daily basis, but eating people... eating dried fish the same weight as a person was more like it.

"Meow, no!" Big Gold stuck out its neck and pulled a porcelain bottle out of its belly. "Meow's hungry. This smells good. Meow, have a taste!"

I won't let you finish it!

As they spoke, Da Jin began to drool, his eyes brightening. He nimbly rolled his body, opened the porcelain bottle, and poured out a white pill that emitted a delicate fragrance.

With a flick of its tail, the pill soared into the air, while the porcelain bottle fell to the ground.

The hollow clanging sound suddenly made Lu Ming realize the problem.

Elixir?

Feng Zai mentioned a pill to suppress the injury?

The last one!

Gan!

My inner demons!

Seeing that the pill had already been rolled into Da Jin's mouth by his tongue, Lu Ming burst out with unprecedented speed, pounced forward, and grabbed Da Jin's fleshy face.

"Listen to me, throw up, it's poisonous." Lu Ming tried his best to sound sincere.

"Meow?" Da Jin responded vaguely.

"..."

Lu Ming's face darkened, and he knocked the bewildered Zhou Qianqian unconscious with a backhand. Then he held Da Jin upside down and closed his eyes slightly.

"Meow!"

The familiar scream echoed throughout the forest...