I'm here in the martial arts world just to find love.

As the old man surnamed He gazed at the vibrant young figure surging with life force within the formation, the greed in his eyes grew ever stronger.

Having obtained this physical body, he, He, will surely be able to resume his old profession after hundreds of years.

Perhaps this opportunity will allow him to regain control of the Xuanmen secret techniques and take his unfinished Daoist work to a higher level in this life!

As he pondered this in his mind, the old man, who believed he had victory in the bag, made a hand seal with his left hand, while the small black banner in his right hand rose into the air and slowly rotated.

This object was formed from his lingering attachment after his death, and can be considered one of his natal magical artifacts.

The reason he was able to cause a change in the world and bring a wisp of a soul back to life was entirely due to this magical artifact.

It is different from the martial arts path that tempers the body, condenses the true qi, and focuses on killing power.

Taoist practitioners emphasize the cultivation of Tao, techniques, methods, and tools, requiring the simultaneous development of all four, both internal and external, with none being dispensable.

The old man had extraordinary opportunities in his previous life. He first learned a skill through a fortuitous encounter, then joined a cult to cultivate diligently, obtained a magic method, killed countless living beings, and finally forged a weapon.

Although Heaven does not bestow talismans, with this vessel as the instrument of the Dharma, the Dharma has a solid foundation.

As the old man made hand seals, Qin Shaoling and Prince Nangong Hao had already fought to the point of exhaustion.

Both of them staggered and were breathing heavily.

Despite their still sharpshooting skills, both of them even made breakthroughs in this exchange.

Ultimately, this competition was not conducted under normal conditions.

As the old man activated the great formation, wisps of energy were drawn from the two of them and injected into the spinning black banner.

Zuo Xiaoqian watched this scene from afar.

The Imperial Censor of the Astronomical Bureau was now fully prepared.

She would act immediately once the boy in the formation destroyed all of the sorcerer's puppets.

Although the old man noticed her, he felt that she was just an ordinary woman, and he subconsciously ignored her.

This is precisely the artifact bestowed upon Zuo Xiaoqian by the Imperial Censor, which greatly reduces her own presence.

……

Inside the inn, Jiang Chao had destroyed countless puppets with his bare hands.

From being indistinguishable from real people to now being puppets whose outlines are only discernible.

The number of warlock puppets he destroyed was countless.

Yet, such puppets continue to emerge from the formation.

Jiang Chao was greatly disturbed, but he could not ignore it. Although the puppet was becoming more and more crude, the power it contained was becoming more and more formidable.

Gradually, Jiang Chao showed signs of fatigue.

The true energy surrounding his body was intermittent, seemingly about to run out, and he was about to give up. Facing a charging puppet, the boy staggered, revealing a weakness.

The old man who had been watching Jiang Chao had a barely perceptible glint of joy in his dark, uncanny eyes.

  

"Now is the time!"

With a sharp shout, he stretched out his thin hand, grabbed the natal magic weapon that was floating in mid-air in front of him, turned it upside down, and plunged it hard into his chest.

"puff!"

A plume of black smoke erupted from where the small flag had been inserted, and the old man's already gaunt body instantly became shriveled.

In an instant, he became a skeleton, with a layer of human skin hanging on the skeleton.

The body fell, but the banner broke free from the old man's grasp, circled once in the air, and flew towards Wei Yi, where Jiang Chao was.

The speed is astonishing.

Inside the inn below, Jiang Chao, who had been looking exhausted, suddenly raised his head.

Jiang Chao smiled as he watched the black banner flying toward his back.

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time!

The other party finally couldn't resist and fell for the trap!

Jiang Chao took a deep breath, preparing to use his remaining true energy to activate his bloodline power.

"Oh dear, where did this shameless old devil come from, daring to bully my young master? He should be executed!"

"Let me go first! Watch me tear him to pieces and avenge my young master!"

Two clear voices came from the distant sky.

Immediately afterwards, two streaks of light, one blue and one gold, smashed through the array barrier and fell from the sky.

Jiang Chao, who was preparing to fight with all his might, was slightly taken aback when he heard the two somewhat familiar voices.

But then the blue-gold light fell and transformed into two women.

The young woman in the green dress was in her prime, with skin as smooth as jade, bright eyes and white teeth, and looked charming and lovely.

The woman in the gold dress was sixteen years old, with skin as white as snow and beauty as lovely as peach blossoms; she looked charming and alluring.

The two stood before the black flag, facing the river tide, bowed gracefully, and said in unison:

"This servant, Qingling, greets the young master."

"This servant, Jin Yu, greets young master."

"My sister and I are late, please punish us, young master."

Jiang Chao was stunned for a moment when he saw the two people who suddenly appeared in front of him, but then he realized what was happening:

"Why did you come down the mountain? Is my mother here too?"

Jiang Chao was very familiar with these two maids.

They were his mother's trusted confidantes, Qingling and Jinyu.

The origins of the two were extremely mysterious, and Jiang Chao knew nothing about them.

However, he knew that these two were extraordinary in strength, and even his fellow disciples were somewhat wary of them.

It's not just a simple martial arts realm, but a mastery of special techniques that even Jiang Chao couldn't imagine.

Jiang Chao had seen these two make a move before, and the target of their attack was... him, the young master.

Thinking back to the situation, Jiang Chao felt a chill run down his spine. It wasn't that he was frightened by the methods used by the two maids, but rather that if he had been a little slower, his second brother would have been dead.

"The madam instructed that my sister and I come to serve the young master."

The younger sister, Qingling, looked at Jiang Chao, blinked her bright, beautiful eyes, and said in a very serious tone.

Jin Yu nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile, acknowledging Qing Ling's words.

Jiang Chao looked at the two women in front of him and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He dared to cause trouble when he was a child because his mother protected him enough that she never beat or scolded him.

And these two people in front of me...

They were never polite to him. If they felt that Jiang Chao had offended them, they would show no mercy and would make Jiang Chao suffer even if it meant being punished by the mistress.

Their methods were also quite unique.

Even with Jiang Chao's physique, he couldn't withstand the torture the two of them inflicted on him.

However, Jiang Chao was quite vengeful, so from a young age, he and these two were at odds, like oil and water, and would fight whenever they met.

If they can't win an argument, they go to their mother to complain.

Afterwards, the two sisters secretly retaliated, coming to settle scores later...

"Well, we'll talk about this later. Now that you two sisters are here, please help me get rid of this demon."

Jiang Chao pointed to the black flag emanating demonic energy behind the two of them and said solemnly.

"Oh, right!"

Qingling nodded emphatically and looked at her sister, Jinyu.

"Sister, let's go!"

Jin Yu nodded.

Without her making any move, the black flag floating behind the two of them suddenly burst into flames.

An aged human face emerged from the flames.

"Who are you?!"

An aged roar resounded, filled with overwhelming rage and extreme resentment.

However, it was too late.