A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"this......."

Zhou Ping stared blankly at his reflection in the bronze mirror, lost in deep thought.

This animal hide artifact is so unusual; it can actually change a person's face to be so eerily handsome.

This made Zhou Ping, who was used to his ordinary appearance, suddenly feel very awkward.

If he were to appear in public with that face, who knows how many lovesick young girls he would attract strange looks from.

With a swipe of his hand, Zhou Ping removed the animal hide from his face and put it away with a wry smile.

He made up his mind that he would never use the animal skin mask unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, it would not only fail to conceal his identity, but might even make him the center of attention!

"This old man Qin Zhong doesn't seem to be a good person either. He actually gave me this body. I wonder if there are any hidden dangers."

Zhou Ping pondered for a moment, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the old man had no good intentions, fearing that there was some unknown entanglement behind this mask.

Just as he was pondering this, footsteps sounded again at the door, and a familiar voice drifted over.

"Young friend Zhou, if you don't have anything urgent to attend to, I'll take you to complete the entry procedures."

Yuan Zhengze stood silently outside the house, showing no intention of going in. After speaking, he fell silent.

"I've just arrived here and am quite idle, so I'll have to trouble Senior Yuan."

Zhou Ping hurriedly opened the door and went out. Seeing Yuan Zhengze standing quietly outside, he quickly performed a disciple's salute.

"No need to be so formal. From now on, we can address each other as master and nephew."

With a flick of his robe, Yuan Zhengze gently lifted Zhou Ping's body and then jumped onto the Green Leaf Flying Boat.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Ping was startled. The way the other party used his magic in every gesture already filled him with admiration.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are indeed unfathomable; their mastery of magic power far exceeds Zhou Ping's comprehension.

On the flying boat, Yuan Zhengze curiously sized up Zhou Ping before asking a question.

"Junior Nephew Zhou, did you manage to obtain the item you desired from Old Man Qin?"

"Reporting to my master, I have failed in my mission and have not obtained enough spiritual fruits."

When Zhou Ping heard that the other party had asked about the previous transaction, he honestly replied and then told the other party about the transaction in detail.

Originally, Yuan Zhengze reminded him to exchange for as many Purple Jelly Thunder Fruits as possible, because this was the most precious item in the Qin family, so that Qin Zhong would truly feel the pain of losing money.

However, Zhou Ping was self-aware. He knew that these two didn't get along, and if their open and covert struggles dragged him into it, he would have a very difficult time in the Qinglian Xuanzong sect.

He was just a lowly Qi Refining cultivator, at the very bottom of the Azure Lotus Profound Sect. With the Qin family's power, Qin Zhong could easily manipulate him.

"That old man Qin is cunning. He's trying to get rid of you with these few cheap things. Well, you're just a lowly Qi Refining cultivator, so it's really hard to refuse."

Yuan Zhengze said angrily after hearing Zhou Ping's words.

He also understood that Zhou Ping was a newcomer with neither background nor strength. Although he and Qin Zhong disliked each other, they could only secretly sabotage him out of consideration for their fellow disciples, and could not actually help Zhou Ping much.

"From the very beginning, I never thought I could possess that puppet. I am already quite satisfied with what I have gained."

"That Golden Marrow Pill is a precious medicine for cultivation. I had been struggling to improve my cultivation level, but now, with the support of my uncle, I was able to exchange it for this item from Uncle Qin. I am already very fortunate."

Zhou Ping wore a grateful expression, seemingly extremely satisfied.

Seeing this, Yuan Zhengze said no more, pursed his lips, and then piloted the flying boat towards a distant mountain.

Jingxin Peak, one of the seven peaks of the Qinglian Xuanzong sect, is the main activity area for the sect's disciples.

Zhou Ping learned from Yuan Zhengze that this peak was the secluded cultivation place of Jingxin Zhenren, one of the seven Core Formation Ancestors of the Qinglian Xuanzong.

In the Azure Lotus Profound Sect, whenever a Core Formation cultivator appears, a separate peak is created for them as their place of seclusion and cultivation.

The Seven Peaks of Azure Lotus represent the seven Core Formation cultivators of the Azure Lotus Profound Sect.

Although each peak has its own responsibilities, most of these Core Formation cultivators spend their days in seclusion, rarely interfering in sect affairs, and mostly entrusting them to their Foundation Establishment disciples.

As one of the main peaks, Jingxin Peak is responsible for the daily scheduling and cultivation of the disciples in the sect, and it is also the place with the most visitors in the Qinglian Xuanzong.

Zhou Ping followed Yuan Zhengze to the Daowen Pavilion located on Jingxin Peak, and along the way he saw many fellow disciples passing by.

These people were all Qi Refining stage cultivators, and their cultivation levels were almost all much higher than his.

There are almost no people like him at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Upon seeing Yuan Zhengze, everyone respectfully bowed and greeted him. After all, his Foundation Establishment cultivation level was undeniable, and regardless of whether they knew him or not, everyone treated him with utmost respect.

In contrast, when people saw Zhou Ping, they adopted a curious and scrutinizing attitude. A cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining was truly rare in the Azure Lotus Profound Sect.

Apart from the young descendants of those important figures, ordinary disciples like them were almost all selected through rigorous processes. The lowest level of cultivation among them was at least the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining, which was between the middle and late stages of the realm.

At the very lowest level, extremely few people can pass the Qinglian Xuanzong's assessment and selection, let alone successfully join the sect.

Therefore, upon seeing Zhou Ping, this unconventional individual, everyone couldn't help but show curiosity, speculating about his origins and background.

The two passed through several gate towers and arrived at a huge building.

Yuan Zhengze did not linger after arriving, and led Zhou Ping in with a swagger.

"Junior Brother Li, I've brought you a new disciple, aren't you going to come out and invite me for a drink?"

As soon as Yuan Zhengze finished speaking, a wooden door in the hall opened, and a thin man in a blue robe walked out with a bitter face.

"Senior Brother Yuan, do you think I'm not free enough? Look at how many disciples there are on Jingxin Peak! And you're still trying to squeeze more in? You should treat me to a drink!"

"Hahaha! Junior brother is joking. No matter how busy you are, you still have many disciples to assign to you. Unlike me, your senior brother, I'm stuck in Guiyuan Pavilion every day. That's truly a situation where I can't call for help from heaven or earth."

Yuan Zhengze laughed heartily, quickly stepped forward, patted the man in the blue robe on the shoulder, and joked.

The man in the blue robe was named Li Qiming. He was a disciple of Master Jingxin and was responsible for various affairs of Jingxin Peak. The disciples of the sect frequently traveled here, and almost everyone knew him.

"Senior Brother Yuan is also a man with a hard life. In a few more years, it will be time for him to take over. I am very envious."

Li Qiming gestured for Yuan Zhengze to enter the main seat, which gave him time to examine Zhou Ping.

"Who is this?"