Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

"What Senior Brother says is absolutely right." Lu Yuanfeng nodded in agreement. Those who actually held power within the Qingyun Sect did not care about the lives of those at the bottom.

In their eyes, the sect has nurtured you for so many years, it's time for you to serve them.

"However, the threat of the demonic path cannot be left to our Qingyun Sect alone! Go and inform the other sects to get involved as well."

"Junior Brother Lu, this time you should make the trip yourself and take this opportunity to give them a warning," Sect Leader Lu said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Senior Brother Sect Leader!"

Lu Yuanfeng soared into the sky, transforming into a streak of silver light and disappearing from sight.

The disciples withdrew, leaving only one true disciple and two elders.

"Sect Master, the threat of the demonic path cannot come out of thin air; someone must be plotting something sinister."

The speaker was named Lu Chuanxuan. He was of the same generation as Lu Chuanxing from the outer sect, but his cultivation had already broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

He is the most outstanding prodigy in the sect in recent years.

Rumors circulated that Sect Leader Lu had long ago designated him as the next leader of the Qingyun Sect.

"Nephew Chuanxuan is quite right. It's possible that this matter was orchestrated by Biluo Valley and Lingxu Sect."

An elder of the Liang family spoke up.

"Sect Leader Lu, we must be on guard!"

"I know what I'm doing, there's no need to worry," Sect Leader Lu said with a smile, stroking his long beard.

"This demonic calamity, though seemingly fraught with danger, is actually an opportunity for our Qingyun Sect."

"That Biluo Valley True Man is nearly two thousand years old and has reached his limit. Perhaps we can find an opportunity to devour Biluo Valley and add another Golden Core stage True Man to our Qingyun Sect."

Sect Leader Lu's words sent a shockwave through everyone present!

These people are all in the late Foundation Establishment stage. If there's anything that could excite them, besides the Longevity Pill, it would be breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

"But Sect Leader Lu, although the Happy Immortal is nearing the end of his life and will soon pass away, he is still a Golden Core stage Immortal."

"Our Supreme Elder Lu Zhenren of the Qingyun Sect disappeared ten years ago while exploring a secret realm. Now we are powerless to antagonize a Golden Core stage cultivator."

These words were spoken by another elder present, Elder Ma.

He was a cautious person and knew how terrifying a Golden Core cultivator was.

Even if all thirty-odd Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Qingyun Sect were combined, they wouldn't be enough to kill a Golden Core cultivator.

The Golden Core stage cultivators are capable of using supernatural powers!

"That's precisely why we must take the initiative!" Sect Leader Lu said in a deep voice.

"The news of the Supreme Elder's disappearance will spread sooner or later, and then our Qingyun Sect will be a piece of easy prey!"

The principle of striking once to avoid a hundred blows is something all Foundation Establishment cultivators understand.

"Elder Liang, Elder Ma, our three great families share the same fate, and we all suffer together! We must unite at this time. This puppet incident might just be a test by Biluo Valley."

"They are testing us. How is the Supreme Elder?"

"Now we need to test them!"

Elder Liang and Elder Ma understood that what Sect Leader Lu said was true.

Now is a critical moment for the survival of the Qingyun Sect. We must unite as one and work together against external threats.

"Sect Leader Lu, just tell us, what do you need the Liang family to do?" Elder Liang said directly.

"If necessary, I will need to use a magical artifact! That will require a large amount of spirit stones, so I'll have to trouble the Liang and Ma families."

The Lu family possesses a top-grade spiritual artifact, left behind by the Five Elements Master.

It is said that at its most powerful, it can injure a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

This high-grade spiritual artifact requires a large amount of spirit stones to activate; the more spirit stones consumed, the greater its power.

Every time the Lu family uses this top-grade spiritual artifact, they face a life-or-death moment.

While the inner sect was discussing the matter, trouble was brewing in the outer sect as well.

"You're settling a personal score! Junior Brother Jiang is only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Sending him to patrol the mountain and investigate demonic traces is practically a death sentence!"

Zhou Yuan stood in front of Jiang Shi, shouting through gritted teeth.

Of the fellow disciples who came from the same courtyard, only a few remain, and Zhou Yuan doesn't want to lose another junior brother.

"I'm just settling a personal score, what can you do about it?" Liang Yunlei said arrogantly.

"You useless drudges, did the sect raise you for nothing? Serving the sect is your blessing, and even death would be an honor!"

"If that's the case, why don't you do your part? We'll give you this blessing!" Zhou Yuan retorted.

"Stop talking nonsense with me. He has to go tomorrow, whether he likes it or not! Otherwise, Jiang Shi will be a traitor to the sect, and I can kill him on the spot." Liang Yunlei took out a low-grade magic weapon, which flashed in front of everyone, and said sternly.

He actually hoped that Jiang Shi would dare to disobey orders, so that he would have a reason to kill Jiang Shi.

"You people are the same! Anyone who dares to stop us will die!"

"You...!" Zhou Yuan wanted to say something more, but Jiang Shi stopped him.

"Alright, I got it. I'll pack up and we'll leave tomorrow," Jiang Shi said.

There was no way to avoid this. He had originally planned to reveal some of his talisman-making talents to escape this incident.

But I didn't expect that I still couldn't escape it.

It's too late to say anything now; we can only take it one step at a time.

"Don't try to cheat me later! Or you'll be sorry!"

Liang Yunlei made a harsh statement and then left.

"Senior Brother Zhou, it's alright. I'm lucky and have a long life. This matter may not be dangerous at all," Jiang Shi comforted Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan was too sad to speak. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Jiang Shi was one of his few junior brothers, and he was very sad that Jiang Shi was going to patrol the mountain.

In his view, investigating such a major incident immediately would be a death sentence.

Jiang Shi returned to the house and began making talismans.

He wanted to take advantage of the time he still had today to make several more top-grade first-rank spirit talismans for protection.

The night passed, and the next morning...

Jiang Shi made thirty first-grade superior fireball talismans and thirty first-grade superior water shield talismans.

Including those he made before, he now has hundreds of top-grade level one spirit talismans.

Jiang Shi put the talisman into his storage bag and went out.

Senior Brother Hu, Zhou Yuan, and Li Ze were waiting at the door early.

"Junior Brother Jiang, please be extra careful when you go on this patrol. This is a map of our Qingyun Sect's mountains." Senior Brother Hu took out a map made of animal hide and handed it to Jiang Shi.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Hu," Jiang Shi said, immediately accepting the map without any hesitation. This animal hide map might save his life at a crucial moment.

"Senior Brother Zhou, Senior Brother Li, I'm leaving." Jiang Shi said goodbye to the two.

Li Ze's eyes were bloodshot, and his mental state was not very good, but compared to the days when his Dao heart was shattered and he lost his mind, his current state was much better.

"Have a safe journey!" Li Ze said, his voice choked with emotion.

Jiang Shi bid farewell to his fellow disciples and left, perhaps never to return.