I'm determined to become an immortal!

The shattering of the shimmering blue waves was only the beginning; the poisonous water that exploded from the water clumps immediately poured down like a torrential downpour.

Wherever the poisonous rain passed, the once lush and verdant spiritual trees instantly withered and turned yellow and charred, and the hard bluestone ground emitted a "sizzling" sound of corrosion, rising up puffs of nauseating yellow smoke.

Some members of the Liu clan on the island who were unable to escape, even if only a tiny bit of poison got on their clothes, had their protective aura melt away like thin ice meeting fire.

follow closely,

Their flesh and blood rapidly rotted in the toxic water, which was like strong acid. Their entire bodies were like wax figures thrown into a furnace, turning into a pool of pus and blood in extreme pain.

In an instant, screams echoed across the island, as if it were a living hell.

At the same time, after the venomous dragon finished spewing its venom, its scales and feathers trembled slightly, and it returned to its original ferocious appearance.

The Blood Poison Mother-Child Blade drew a strange arc in the void, dragging a poisonous water dragon body several dozen feet long, and like a serpent, it pierced into the island, coiling tightly around Liu Qingsong and Wen Xun.

Although they did not come into direct contact with the poisonous water dragon, the foul and malevolent aura it emitted was enough to make Liu and Wen tremble with fear.

Liu Qingsong was only a few feet away from the water dragon, but the terrifying pressure was like a heavy burden, making him tremble so much that his soul almost froze.

Cold sweat soaked through his Taoist robe, yet he dared not even move a fingertip, fearing that the slightest mistake would result in his being shattered to pieces.

At this moment, Liu Qingsong understood perfectly well that he had ignored Sheng Wancheng's warning, tried to take risks, and easily intervened in the He family's affairs, thus provoking such an insurmountable force.

Death and the extermination of their clan are imminent!

"Please calm your anger..."

Liu Qingsong's Adam's apple bobbed laboriously, his voice dry and hoarse. He knew that at this moment, only by bowing his head could he find a way out. His voice trembled as he said:

"Liu Qingsong, a rustic cultivator, has offended the superior cultivator. He is willing to atone for his sins through the superior cultivator's arrangement!"

Before he finished speaking, he lightly patted the storage pouch at his waist, and a sword light shot out from it, slashing straight at his right arm...

Swish!

Blood splattered as Liu Qingsong's right arm fell from the sky. Ignoring the gushing blood from his severed arm, he dragged his old and broken body to his knees in mid-air and kowtowed to He Sheng, who was still in mid-air, begging for mercy.

He Sheng watched this scene from afar, knowing that he had achieved his goal.

However, the power of the Thousand-Condensed Poison Dragon Break was somewhat beyond his expectations when he used the Blood Poison Mother-Child Blade.

Looking at the poisonous rain pouring down from the sky, and the apocalyptic scene on the central island of the Liu family,

He Sheng knew that this was one of the reasons why Liu Qingsong knelt down and begged for mercy so quickly.

"The combined power of the Blood Poison Mother-Child Blade and the Thousand Condensed Poison Dragon Breaker surpasses that of the Talisman Treasure, and is even slightly stronger than the prototype of a magic treasure."

Moreover, this move has an extremely wide range of effects, and it deals overwhelming damage to those below the Foundation Establishment stage, making it a devastating move that can destroy sects and clans during the Foundation Establishment stage.

...

He Sheng turned his head and looked at Liu Qingsong, saying calmly:

"Furthermore, three days later, send all the proceeds that the Liu family has embezzled from the He family during this period, along with a gift of apology, to Changyang Mountain and present them to Lord Xuangui."

Remember, don't be perfunctory, or you'll know the price of being perfunctory!

"I dare not refute this! I will certainly do my utmost!"

Liu Qingsong knelt down and bowed his head, responding hastily, his posture so humble it was almost groveling.

Seeing that Liu Qingsong was completely subdued and had no intention of resisting, He Sheng turned his gaze away and coldly glanced at Wen Xun not far away.

That one glance made Wen Xun feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave; a chill ran from his tailbone to the top of his head, and he hurriedly said in a trembling voice:

"Senior...it's none of my business. I didn't do anything to the He family!"

"roll!"

He Sheng gave a soft shout, which was as loud as a thunderclap.

Wen Xun felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He disregarded everything else and transformed into a streak of light, hurrying away towards the horizon, afraid that if he was even a step too slow, he would follow in Liu Qingsong's footsteps.

Now that the Liu family's matter had been resolved, He Sheng did not intend to stay any longer.

Just as he was about to leave, his gaze inadvertently swept over He Linxue and her child, only to find that the child had woken up at some point and was looking at him with a pair of big, dark eyes, curious and fearless.

He Sheng's heart stirred slightly, feeling that this child was destined to be with him. He flicked his finger, and a warm, spiritual light pierced through the air and landed in the child's arms. It was a token.

"Go back to the He family. From now on, you are He Jingxing."

He Sheng left a word indifferently, then raised his hand and the poisonous water dragon that had been suffocating Liu Qingsong instantly dissipated. The Blood Poison Mother-Child Blade turned into a stream of light and disappeared back into He Sheng's arm.

next moment,

He transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky towards Changyang Mountain.

......

Changyang Mountain

Between the main peak and the back mountain lies a wide valley, where large medicinal fields have been cultivated, with lush and fragrant medicinal plants.

Beyond the medicinal herb field, not far from the back mountain, there is a lush bamboo forest, its verdant greenness almost dripping with moisture.

Surrounded by bamboo groves, numerous bamboo houses are scattered about, exuding tranquility and elegance. This is the "Green Bamboo Courtyard," built under the supervision of the patriarch He Weixian.

At this moment, in the main hall of Qingzhu Courtyard, dozens of teenagers sat upright like pine trees.

At the head of the table, a middle-aged man in a blue robe with a long beard emitted a ray of light from his fingertips, which he used to write an ancient and obscure character in the air.

Do you know what this character means?

Most of the children in the hall looked at each other and shook their heads.

Only one boy with thin eyebrows had his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes fixed on the words in the air, seemingly recognizing them and deep in thought.

This boy is none other than He Ziyang.

The middle-aged man in the blue robe did not call on anyone to ask a question, and continued his explanation:

"This is called 'Etching Script,' a script that has been passed down from ancient times."

It is said that the array restrictions involved in the formation, the forbidden patterns that are essential for refining weapons, and the Dao patterns outlined by talismans are all derived from the Erosion Script.

Therefore, some ancient books record that,

"He understands the principles of eclipse, cultivates spiritual practice, and is proficient in all arts..."

The middle-aged man in the blue robe spoke eloquently, and most of the teenagers listened very attentively, but a few were not paying attention to the lesson.

A large, chubby boy beside He Ziyang, without moving his lips, whispered:

Have you heard?

That vixen from the second wife's family is really going to make a move against Qingzhu Courtyard.

She said the clan elders were wasting spirit stones on us distant, collateral relatives, like throwing spirit stones into water, calling us ungrateful wretches.

These words infuriated all the boys around who heard them, and even He Ziyang, who was listening attentively, was somewhat affected.

"The second wife's family members are all incredibly vicious!"

That's right!

The second wife, for her own selfish gain, even let a wolf into the house.

"That Liu-surname witch is trying to ruin our He family."

...

The disgruntled teenagers began to mutter angry curses, and the once quiet classroom suddenly became noisy.

"Snapped!"

The middle-aged man in the blue robe slammed his gavel and shouted sternly:

"If you're not interested in class, leave now and don't disturb others!"

The tall, chubby boy did seem to have some sense of responsibility; he stood up and bowed his head, saying:

"Master Yun, it is my fault."

Hearing that the demon... was going to demolish the Green Bamboo Courtyard, I felt troubled and flustered, and had no heart to study. That's why I wanted to confide in someone.

"snort!

If even a few rumors can disturb your peace of mind, what will you do when you later embark on your spiritual path and encounter obstacles, feeling as if you're in a dark wilderness, lost and confused?

The middle-aged man in the blue robe rebuked him, then softened his tone and spoke earnestly:

"The path of cultivating immortality is never simply about sitting in meditation and breathing exercises, nor is it about mastering a few spells or a skill."

Those are all external factors!

Spiritual practice is also about cultivating the mind.

It's about whether you can stay true to your original aspirations when you're feeling lost;

It tests whether you can still go forward without hesitation when you encounter difficulties and obstacles;

It's about whether, when you've crossed a mountain peak and look up to see even higher peaks piercing the clouds, you choose to stop and enjoy the view, or continue the arduous ascent...

The hall fell silent, save for the steady voice of the middle-aged man in the blue robe.

"You are all descendants of distant branches of the clan, selected by the elders of the great clan, and possess spiritual roots."

You are not like those noble descendants of the main branch, who are born with abundant resources for cultivation.

And what about you?

You are more like independent cultivators; you have to fight for whatever you want!

But for true independent cultivators, no one teaches them what Erosion Runes are, no one teaches them the taboos and tricks of cultivation, and no one enlightens them on various arts.

So cherish it. As long as Qingzhu Academy exists, study diligently every single day. Even just one more day of study will benefit your future.

After speaking, the middle-aged man in the blue robe looked at the tall, stout boy and asked:

"Are you able to focus on your studies now?"

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Master Yun."

The tall, chubby boy bowed solemnly and replied.

The middle-aged man in the blue robe nodded, about to continue his lecture, when his gaze suddenly sharpened and he looked toward the window frame at the back of the hall.

Suddenly, a monkey, slightly larger than a fist, appeared there, squatting and staring blankly at him.

Just as the middle-aged man in the blue robe was wondering what was going on, a voice suddenly rang in his ears:

"You can continue."

The voice was unfamiliar, yet it carried an astonishing spiritual pressure, rendering him utterly powerless to resist, as if he were facing an insurmountable mountain.

The middle-aged man in the blue robe felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately composed himself, took a few deep breaths, and then continued explaining the erosion text as if nothing had happened.

The morning classes didn't end until almost noon.

The middle-aged man in the blue robe glanced at the monkey still sitting by the window, said nothing, packed up his lesson plan, and headed straight for the back mountain.

"Huh? What's that little monkey doing here?"

It's unclear which boy first spotted the monkey by the window behind the hall, but a group of boys immediately gathered around it.

He Ziyang was also curious when he heard this and was about to turn his head to look when, unexpectedly, a hunched old man appeared in front of him.

The old man had a weathered face, but was in good spirits, and was looking at him with a smile.

He Ziyang was not surprised but delighted, and blurted out:

"senior?!"