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

Canglin City, at the entrance of the City Lord's Mansion.

"Quiet down, form two lines, and enter in turn." Butler Luo from the City Lord's Mansion came out to maintain order.

There were nearly twenty cultivators at the entrance of the city lord's mansion.

Most of these cultivators were late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and a few were even at the ninth level of Qi Refining. However, they were all very obedient, and none of them dared to cause trouble in the City Lord's Mansion.

Jiang Shi also mingled among them, changing his form and disguising himself as a cultivator at the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage.

His cultivation level was neither high nor low, and he did not attract much attention.

Some mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators were eliminated because their cultivation level was too low; the lowest level to be selected was the seventh stage of Qi Refining.

Jiang Shi was also selected and assigned to the city lord's mansion.

"This is your residence. Tomorrow morning, come to the front yard to find me, and I will assign you tasks." After saying this, Butler Luo left.

There are thirteen late-stage Qi Refining cultivators selected for the City Lord's Mansion this time.

They were gathered together, discussing the future, but Jiang Shi ignored them and chose to go into his room to cultivate as soon as possible.

Jiang Shi wasn't really there to act as a bodyguard. His true purpose in entering the City Lord's Mansion was to find an opportunity to use the "Hundred Illusions and Thousand Faces Technique" to replace a key figure within the mansion and seize its resources for Foundation Building.

Relying on alchemy and talisman making would be a waste of time and would also attract attention.

Even if he changes his appearance, he will be discovered sooner or later. He understands the principle that if you walk by the river all the time, you are bound to get your shoes wet.

Why not just pull off a big heist, then run away and once you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage, everything will be fine.

Just as Jiang Shi was sitting cross-legged in his room, Butler Luo returned.

"You two, come with me." Butler Luo casually pointed to two cultivators in the courtyard.

"Steward Luo, what do you need us for?" a cultivator asked Steward Luo.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. Do I need to tell you that?" Butler Luo glared and shouted angrily.

The two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators dared not ask any more questions and quietly followed behind Butler Luo.

Jiang Shi, inside the room, extended his spiritual sense outside and observed this scene, thinking to himself:

"It seems that the city lord's mansion has ulterior motives in recruiting rogue cultivators."

The next day, Jiang Shi got up early and went to the front yard to find Steward Luo with the other cultivators in the courtyard.

Jiang Shi investigated and found that the two people who went out yesterday were indeed nowhere to be found.

In the morning, Butler Luo arranged some patrol tasks and ordered everyone not to leave the city lord's mansion before turning and leaving.

Jiang Shi obeyed the order and began patrolling. Nothing happened along the way, but when he came to a small courtyard, he suddenly stopped and stared blankly.

"This house!" In Jiang Shi's eyes, the room was surrounded by black mist that lingered for a long time, clearly indicating that it was tainted by demonic energy!

There is a demonic cultivator inside this room!

"New guy, what are you looking at!" Butler Luo suddenly appeared out of nowhere and angrily blocked Jiang Shi's way.

"I'm sorry, Butler Luo, I'll be leaving now." Jiang Shi knew there was something wrong with this courtyard, but he didn't dare to make a sound. He quickly lowered his head and walked out.

"Go? Where to go? You're so ignorant of the rules on your first day here. If I don't discipline you properly, people will think it's my fault." Butler Luo took out an iron whip, which looked menacing and clearly had been used to kill many people.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Shi immediately took out several second-grade superior water lock talismans from his storage bag, preparing to take down Steward Luo.

The two were locked in a fierce confrontation, each exuding hostility.

Just as tensions were rising, a voice as melodious as a silver bell came from the side.

"Wait a moment."

Jiang Shi looked up at the sound and saw a beautiful young woman in a red dress walking over.

"Miss Hua." Upon seeing this person, Butler Luo was so frightened that he immediately knelt down on the ground.

"Miss Hua, I'm so sorry to have disturbed you. This servant deserves to die."

His words were pleading.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Shi knew that this girl was no ordinary person.

Knowing that the other party was extraordinary, he quickly tried to follow Butler Luo's example and bow to her.

But as soon as he moved, a pair of soft, delicate hands supported him.

"You're welcome, you're welcome." The girl bloomed like a flower beside Jiang Shi.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, they would probably be captivated on the spot.

Jiang Shi was single-mindedly pursuing the Dao, and his resolve was firm. How could he be disturbed by women?

Moreover, this Miss Hua looks like she has serious problems and should not be messed with.

Jiang Shi stepped back, not daring to approach Miss Hua.

"Why are you running so fast? Do you think I'm going to eat you?" Miss Hua said in a coquettish tone.

"Miss Hua, I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." Upon hearing Miss Hua's words, Jiang Shi just wanted to leave as soon as possible and didn't want to stay here any longer.

Who would have thought that Lingxu Pavilion, one of the three major sects of the City Lord's Mansion, would also be related to the demonic path?

Both the courtyard shrouded in demonic energy and this eerie Miss Hua are extremely dangerous and should not be approached.

"It seems we'll have to find other ways to acquire resources."

There was something seriously wrong with the city lord's mansion, so Jiang Shi didn't dare to linger. He walked along the road, knocked a guard unconscious, hid him, transformed into the guard's appearance, and headed out of the city lord's mansion.

Just as he reached the entrance of the city lord's mansion, a head poked out from the gate, and Jiang Shi quickly retreated.

"Guard, I need your help, could you please?" Miss Hua leaned forward and pleaded with Jiang Shi in a sweet, coquettish tone.

"Damn it! What kind of filth have I encountered?!"

What others find captivating—a beautiful young woman—is seen by Jiang Shi as a terrifying monster.

He knew in his heart that this woman could not possibly be as delicate as she appeared.

Anything is possible in the world of cultivation. What appears to be a delicate and frail young girl might actually be an ancient monster thousands of years old.

At the very least, this person actually saw through his "Hundred Illusions and Thousand Faces Technique".

It should be noted that Jiang Shi had mastered the "Hundred Illusions and Thousand Faces Technique" to perfection.

In theory, no cultivator at or below the Foundation Establishment stage could see through him.

Unless this person is at least at the Foundation Establishment stage!

Jiang Shi found it increasingly terrifying. He calmed himself and smiled.

"Miss, what can I do for you?"

Jiang Shi was extremely respectful and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"Come on, walk with me." Miss Hua smiled even more happily. She gently took Jiang Shi's hand and they walked together into the city lord's mansion.

Miss Hua's hands were soft and boneless, the most beautiful hands Jiang Shi had ever seen.

But Jiang Shi felt as if he were holding a blade, and he dared not move at all.

He pondered how to survive this situation.

The more he thought about it, the less he could see a way out, so he could only take it one step at a time.

Miss Hua pulled Jiang Shi along, and people along the way seemed not to see them at all.

They walked until they reached the entrance of the courtyard filled with demonic energy, and then stopped.