Cultivating immortality through titles, without bottlenecks.

"Master!"

"No!"

After the darkest hour comes the dawn, but the brightest hour is the gate to hell.

Despair is nothing more than this!

The sword wire cuts, the membrane tears, and the bones separate.

Fang Linfeng and Lin Ruxin were nowhere to be seen; all that remained were their mangled, dismembered bodies.

The soil was soaked with blood, and the strong stench of blood made even Wei Zhong, the "culprit," frown.

With the original owner dead, the two magical swords, one black and one red, fell from the sky, uncontrolled.

Wei Zhong casually put it into his sleeve and at the same time recalled the Rock Sword.

With a flick of his finger, the sword threads bound the two storage bags back into Wei Zhong's palm.

Before he could even inspect the spoils of war, Wei Zhong immediately sprinkled out the Corpse-Dissolving Powder and looked back at the sky.

There, Lin Qingyuan was confronting Dongfang Ji.

No, a standoff is not appropriate; it should be one-sided suppression.

At this moment, Dongfang Ji was unable to move his body; the only thing he could move was his facial features.

"Fellow Daoist, please show mercy. I only wish to save my two disciples and have no intention of harming you."

Not to mention Wei Zhong, the person involved, even Lin Qingyuan was amused by these words.

If someone kills with a knife, the guilty party is the knife used by Fang Linfeng and his companion, not Dongfang Ji, the person wielding the knife.

Lin Qingyuan had no interest in arguing; he simply looked down at Wei Zhong, seeking his opinion.

"My disciple, what do you think we should do?"

"Of course he should be killed. He witnessed the entire incident and poses too great a threat; he cannot be allowed to live."

Upon hearing Wei Zhong's words, a hint of panic immediately appeared on Dongfang Ji's face.

"No, no, fellow Daoist."

"I swear a solemn oath that if you spare my life, I will keep my mouth shut. If I break this oath..."

Before he could finish speaking, his head suddenly flew off, and blood gushed out like a fountain, carrying his severed head away.

With his head upside down, Dongfang Ji looked down at his headless body, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Is my glorious path to immortality truly over?"

Upon realizing this, the light in his eyes immediately dimmed.

With a flick of his sleeve, Lin Qingyuan unleashed a burst of sword energy, instantly pulverizing Dongfang Ji's remains.

His methods were even more swift and decisive than Wei Zhong's.

"You're quite decisive, aren't you!"

Lin Qingyuan smiled, seemingly very satisfied with Wei Zhong's choice.

Wei Zhong nodded:

"It would be best to kill such an enemy as soon as possible."

"If you're soft-hearted, you might suffer."

The look of admiration on Lin Qingyuan's face became increasingly evident:

"Indeed, although you often cultivate within the sect and have not delved into the cultivation world, you already possess the basic qualities of a cultivator."

He exclaimed in admiration, then abruptly changed the subject:

"Since killing is the best course of action, would you like your master to help you eradicate the entire Black Wind Sect completely to prevent future troubles?"

Wei Zhong was stunned by what he heard. He never expected Lin Qingyuan to say the words about annihilating the whole family so casually.

"This...isn't that unnecessary?"

"The enemies who knew about today's events are all dead; there is no need to escalate the trouble."

"Moreover, the Black Wind Sect is not a small force in the Cangwu Mountains. If it is suddenly wiped out, it may attract the attention of the Biluo Sect."

"At that time, people outside the East might find out, which would bring Master's enemies into trouble."

Lin Qingyuan nodded:

"You're quite thoughtful!"

He unleashed a sword aura, which transformed into a whirlwind that cleansed away all traces on the scene.

"In that case, let's leave now."

"You have grasped the true essence of the Qingfeng Sword Technique; all that remains is to spend time diligently practicing."

"There is no need to rely on this place where the wind blows."

The two flew away, one after the other.

Two full hours passed before the Black Wind Sect became aware of Ji Fenglin's unusual situation.

When Han Zongyan arrived at this place, there was no trace of him left.

His face was gloomy as he took out a talisman from his waist.

Han Zongyan had already sent several messages to his fellow disciples, but Dongfang Ji had not replied.

Recalling what the other party said before leaving, Han Zongyan already had a guess in his mind:

"Wei Zhong, Wei Clan Spirit Pavilion, has this businessman's business already reached the level of our Qi Refining Sect?"

Without much thought, Han Zongyan could guess that Dongfang Ji had already fallen on hard times.

"Or is it that the Green Cliff Sect still has hidden methods? Last time, Chao Wenhao of the Iron Sword Sect died without cause, and this time..."

Han Zongyan's heart tightened, and he immediately sensed that danger lurked everywhere in the black forest around him.

They quickly flew away and returned to the mountain gate.

The sect's formation was tightly closed, isolating both the inside and outside.

About a month after the deaths of the two from the Black Wind Sect, Wei Zhong finally discussed with Yang Chupei and lifted the closure of the Qingya Sect.

Disciples of the sect are allowed to go up and down the mountain.

The alchemy room was steaming hot. Wei Zhong sat cross-legged, shirtless, his expression slightly serious, his eyes fixed on the trembling furnace.

With a soft popping sound, Wei Zhong immediately slapped the furnace lid.

The lid was lifted, and a pill flew out of the furnace, which Wei Zhong caught in his palm.

Turn your palm over and you will see the elixir itself.

Its color is emerald green, making it a mid-grade Qi-nourishing pill.

Wei Zhong tried scraping off the powder, lightly licked it with his tongue, and immediately burst into laughter:

"Two parts poison, a high-quality elixir, finally done!"

While practicing swordsmanship, Wei Zhong also didn't forget to refine elixirs.

After several months of effort, the toxicity in the mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill was finally reduced to 20%.

Despite using some underhanded methods, only one pill could be successfully formed in the end.

However, Wei Zhong has the ability to maintain a high-quality elixir indefinitely. As long as he continues to refine pills, he can maintain the foundation of a good-quality elixir and gradually refine a second elixir.

"According to my master, as long as we can refine a mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill with 80% of its medicinal power, we will be able to secure a place in this Alchemy Conference."

"Even if we don't join the Medicine King Sect, we can at least obtain the inheritance of a great alchemist from within it."

"This will provide a foundation for future mastery of first-tier alchemy techniques or for breaking through to the second tier."

Wei Zhong calculated the time and realized that there were only two months left before the start of the Alchemy Conference.

"There's still time; let's see if we can make another breakthrough."

After sending a message to his elderly father and obtaining dozens of medicinal herbs, Wei Zhong closed the door of his alchemy room and began his final sprint.

Time flies, and a month before the start of the Alchemy Conference, clouds drift across the sky, and the disciples of Qingya Sect line up below, looking up at the sky with eager anticipation.

Finally, a figure fell from the sky. He was wearing a blue robe, his hair was covered in white frost, and he had a kind smile on his face. It was Yang Jingting, who had been away from the sect for more than half a year.

The eldest disciple, Wu Ang, stood at the forefront and immediately bowed in respect:

"Welcome back, Master!"

Liu Changqing, Yang Chupei, Wei Zhong, and others bowed in greeting behind him.

"Welcome back, Master!"

"Good, good, good!"

Upon seeing that his disciples were unharmed, Yang Jingting burst into laughter, his hearty laughter echoing around Qingya Lingshan for several rounds without ceasing.

After staying inside the gate for seven days, a spirit boat flew out of the mountain gate.

The two people sitting opposite each other in the boat were Yang Jingting and Wei Zhong, who were on their way to the Daoist Alchemy Conference.

The spirit boat had traveled no more than ten miles from the mountain when a figure stood on a blue magic sword at the bow.

He casually lifted the curtain of the spirit boat and stepped into the cabin.

Lin Qingyuan cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"By order of the Pavilion Master, we are here to ensure the young master's safety on this journey!"