I forge immortality with a pagoda.

In Dongling Prefecture, in the southern region, on the border of the Yu Kingdom, amidst countless mountains.

The green mountains stretch endlessly, and the forests are as deep as the sea, presenting a vibrant and thriving scene.

A stream of true qi enveloped the two as they moved through the treetops.

It was a boy and an old Taoist priest.

The young man was dressed in a blue robe, his hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, he had a tall and handsome figure, bright eyes and relaxed eyebrows, and one could tell at a glance that he had an extraordinary demeanor.

He still retained a touch of childishness in his eyes, clearly indicating that he was not very old.

The old man was dressed in a blue Taoist robe, with a thin face, white hair and beard, and a kind and gentle demeanor.

Shen Yu frowned deeply, looking worried. "Master, this is already the border of the Yu Kingdom. Beyond that are countless mountains. Even if there are demons, they could never harm the people of the Yu Kingdom. Is it still necessary for us to go?"

After pondering for a moment, Daoist Yunhui said, "It's alright. Slaying demons and eliminating evil is the duty of righteous cultivators. Even if Yu Yihu didn't say anything, we would still subdue him."

Yu Yihu was the ruler of the Yu Kingdom, but he was only at the third level of the Kaiyuan realm, the "Hundred Bodies Clear" realm, and his cultivation was mediocre.

However, the territory of Yu State was too remote and its spiritual energy was extremely scarce, so no sect was willing to take it under its rule.

As a result, it was common for demonic beasts to harass the people. When powerful demonic beasts raged, King Yu Yihu had no choice but to ask the only Qi Refining cultivator in the Yu Kingdom to take action and eliminate the demons.

This person was none other than Shen Yu's master—Taoist Yunhui.

Shen Yu had a vague sense of foreboding. Although he had tried to exorcise demons before, those demons had indeed harmed many ordinary people.

Now that the monster's lair is far from the Yu Kingdom, it is still uncertain whether it poses a threat to the people of the Yu Kingdom. There was no need for the master and disciple to take this risk.

No matter how you calculate it or think about it, there's a sense of a "trap" in it.

Turning his head to glance at the old Taoist beside him, Shen Yu calmed down a little.

Old Daoist Yunhui is now at the ninth level of Qi Refining and possesses a high-grade talisman. He can fight against any monster except those in the Foundation Establishment stage.

not to mention...

Shen Yu subconsciously touched the space between his eyebrows, where a glimmer of light appeared and then dimmed instantly.

"What's wrong? Didn't you get enough rest last night?" Daoist Yunhui asked casually when he saw Shen Yu make a move.

"No, no," Shen Yu quickly replied, "It's just that I still feel a little uneasy."

"Hey, you little rascal, why are you being so cautious today?"

"This time, slaying demons and eliminating evil is not just about doing what is called the righteous path." Old Daoist Yunhui chuckled and continued, "That fellow Yu Yihu agreed to lend you that spiritual spring. Now that you are about to open your cultivation, you need a place with abundant spiritual energy. Apart from the spiritual spring in the imperial palace, it is probably hard to find another place like the impoverished Yu and Xian kingdoms."

"Moreover, you can hone your Taoist skills and solidify your cultivation while battling demons. Look at all the True Immortals who roam the world today—which one of them didn't crawl out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood?"

Shen Yu was slightly moved. His master had gone to great lengths for him, even borrowing the spiritual spring.

However, his doubts deepened. Spiritual springs and spiritual veins are places where spiritual energy gathers in the world. Grade A spiritual veins are the most precious, while Grade B spiritual veins are the most common and frequently seen. In total, there are ten grades.

The same applies to the grading of spiritual springs, but the spiritual energy contained in a spiritual spring is weaker than that in a spiritual vein.

Although the Gui-level spiritual spring ranks last, it is still considered precious in the barren regions of Yu and Xian.

Yu Yihu is a man who is meticulous and stingy, yet he is willing to lend out the spiritual spring without worrying about any loss. The reason for this is self-evident.

Before Shen Yu could speak, he heard the old Taoist Yunhui say in a deep voice, "We've arrived!"

He looked up and saw a rocky mountain peak sitting in front of him not far away, standing out starkly in the lush green mountains.

The mountain is filled with towering peaks and craggy rocks, with winding paths forming between the peaks, leading into the interior of the mountain.

Within that stone forest, there was a pitch-black cave, its bottom unseen. Even with Shen Yu straining his eyes to the limit, he could not discern the scene within. He could only see wisps of blood emanating from the cave, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

Master Yunhui withdrew his true qi, and the two slowly descended from mid-air, standing at the foot of the stone mountain, not daring to get too close.

"Such a strong demonic aura. The master of this demon's lair is no weaker than me." Daoist Yunhui narrowed his eyes. "However, judging from the desolate and unkempt state of this lair, this demon has not yet gained intelligence. Even if its cultivation is higher, it will not amount to much."

Even with Shen Yu's cultivation level, he couldn't sense any demonic aura.

He added, "Master is absolutely right, but this time the demon is not as easy to subdue as it used to be. We must be extra careful."

"That is certainly true," Daoist Yunhui replied calmly.

This wasn't the first time the master and disciple had encountered a demonic beast comparable to a Qi Refining cultivator, but if it was truly as Yunhui Daoist said, its strength was no less than theirs, then this time there would definitely be a bloody battle.

Of course, with Yunhui's experienced strength, Shen Yu believed he could handle it.

Provided that no other unforeseen events occur...

Just as he was thinking this, the deep, dark hole suddenly changed.

First, a thick aura of blood emanated from the cave, shrouding half of the stone mountain in a crimson mist. Then, a pair of enormous pincers emerged from the cave, a truly terrifying sight.

A rumbling sound shook the entire rocky mountain, causing rocks to tumble down.

A three-tailed rock scorpion slowly emerged from the cave.

This beast is robust, with a huge jaw, and its back is covered with layers of rock armor. Its six pairs of legs are as thick as stone pillars, and its three tails do not have pincers at the end, but instead have three rock-hard hammer-like prongs.

This monster doesn't look like a scorpion at all; it's clearly a stone that has come to life!

"It really is a three-tailed rock scorpion, but this beast is much more powerful than Yu Yihu described. It is obviously not an ordinary Qi-refining beast."

Shen Yu was secretly alarmed. If he were to face this ferocious beast himself, he feared he would not be able to leave with a complete corpse. If Daoist Yunhui could not defeat this rock scorpion, he would have no choice but to use that thing... even if it would expose it to Daoist Yunhui.

Before the two could react, the rock scorpion charged down from the mountaintop with ferocious momentum and unstoppable force, clearly intending to kill them on the spot.

Ordinary Xuanmen cultivators do not focus on physical training like martial arts cultivators. Although their physical strength will increase as their cultivation level rises, they are still worlds apart from demonic beasts.

If you don't use your true qi and let this beast hit you, you'll be half dead, if not killed.

Upon seeing this, the old Taoist Yunhui exclaimed in surprise, "What a ferocious beast!"

He quickly channeled his true qi, and the two of them immediately rose into the air, dodging the imminent collision.

Then a stream of clear and pure Qi was separated to lift Shen Yu up, and in a moment it sent him off the field.

"Disciple, it's not your turn to make a move this time. Let's see how powerful my magic is!"

As soon as he finished speaking, three tail hammers came whistling through the air, smashing towards Daoist Yunhui from three directions. The demon's tail could extend and retract at will, and the scorpion tail, which was originally one zhang long, extended to several zhang.

Master Yunhui was taken aback, but showed no sign of panic.

He made a hand seal, and a beam of iron-colored light appeared above his head, instantly transforming into a light curtain that enveloped his figure completely.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

The barrier had just been formed when it was hit three times solidly, causing it to sway and its light to flicker, barely managing to withstand the three heavy blows.

This Iron Shield is a mid-level Daoist technique, and its rank among defensive Daoist techniques is quite high. Its defense is astonishing, not to mention that Daoist Yunhui has already mastered it and can manipulate the technique at will.

Even so, the Taoist magic could only withstand this immense force for a moment, which shows how incredibly powerful the three-tailed rock scorpion was.

Knowing the implications, the old Taoist Yunhui switched from defense to offense, making hand seals and spitting out a breath.

A blazing firestorm surged from his mouth, turning his entire body crimson. The fiery energy within that raging wind swept down towards the rock scorpions below.

The raging flames instantly enveloped the rock scorpion, burning fiercely on its rock-covered body and rapidly scorching it.

The wind fanned the flames, and the fire was fueled by the wind. This fierce wind turned all the flowers, plants, and trees within several feet of the Three-Tailed Rock Scorpion into a raging inferno, with waves of heat hitting people and blinding light.

Even though they were far apart, Shen Yu couldn't help but squint and cover his face with his hand to shield himself from the heat and the light from the flames.

The three-tailed rock scorpion's body was charred black in a short time, indicating serious injury. Layers of stone skin peeled off, eventually revealing its brown carapace.

Once engulfed by the fire, it became ferocious and, disregarding the flames burning on its body, suddenly exerted force with its six legs, causing its massive beast body to leap high into the air, bursting out of the fireball and attacking the old Taoist Yunhui directly.

A pair of enormous pincers slammed down.

...