A second life, An Eternal journey to Immortality

As Jiang Cheng and Liu Ying cautiously observed from above, the poisonous spiders below scuttled around with menacing clicks. Their bodies were the size of grinding stones, their venom dripping from grotesque fangs that could melt rock.

Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows. "These two beasts… They're stronger than us. Even if I throw all my talismans, I might not be able to take them down."

He glanced at Liu Ying. Her face was pale, her hand trembling slightly on her sword hilt. Suddenly, a sinister smile crept across his face.

"Wait… we have a tool person here, don't we?" he thought. "And she's beloved by the Dog Author. With her boundless protagonist-tier luck, even if she trips and falls, she'll probably accidentally awaken an ancient bloodline or tame the spiders into her pets. Why should I risk my life?"

He wiped the smirk from his face and replaced it with a kind, sage-like expression the classic "senior expert guiding the younger generation" look.

"Little girl, your chance to shine has come. I will entrust these monsters to you as a training opportunity."

Liu Ying's eyes went wide with horror. Tears welled up almost instantly as her voice cracked.

"Brother Jiang! Those monsters are stronger than me! I… I've never even killed a chicken before! How can you be so heartless to send such a delicate, beautiful, well-behaved cute sister like me to die?"

Her voice trembled as if reciting lines from a tragic play, but Jiang Cheng's heart was unmoved. He even added a nod of encouragement, like a master watching his disciple face her "fated tribulation."

Of course, deep inside, he was already preparing to run the moment something went wrong.

Jiang Cheng shook his head in deep disappointment, letting out a heavy sigh like a master who had seen the decline of an entire generation.

"Little girl, how can you say such cowardly words? We monks why should we be afraid of fighting.

If we fear mere spiders, how can we ever hope to transcend mortality and touch the Dao?

Seeing Liu Ying still trembling, he pressed on, his tone growing more solemn, eyes gazing into the distance as if he were recounting the hardships of ancient sages

"Do you know how our ancestors paved the way for us? Thousands fell battling these foul beasts so we could stand here today! They braved poison, claws, and fangs with nothing but their bare hands and righteous hearts! Did they hesitate? No! Did they weep? Perhaps! But did they back down? Never!"

He pointed toward the venomous spiders below, as though they were the ultimate trial of heaven.

"These creatures are the sworn enemies of our human race. Each one you slay is a step toward safeguarding the future of our kind. Each drop of their poisonous blood is a badge of your bravery!"

He narrowed his eyes, lowering his voice as if revealing an ancient secret.

"Moreover… battles like these temper your fate. Who knows? Perhaps, at the brink of death, you will awaken a hidden bloodline, comprehend a peerless technique, or even draw the attention of a mysterious senior expert who will take you as a disciple!"

He paused, letting her imagination run wild.

"But… if you shrink back now… you will be nothing but a flower vase. And worse… the Dog Author will definitely be disappointed in you."

Liu Ying's face paled even further. Her lips quivered. Being called a flower vase was already unbearable, but disappointing that damned Dog Author? That was a fate worse than death!

Jiang Cheng folded his arms, feeling quite pleased with his speech. He had perfectly blended righteousness, guilt-tripping, and the ultimate threat—the wrath of the Dog Author.

Liu Ying sniffled, clutching her sword with weak determination, cursing both the spiders and this dog-hearted brother.

"B-brother Jiang… if I survive this… you owe me …"

Jiang Cheng chuckled kindly, masking his inner scheming.

"Of course, of course. Now go. Make our ancestors proud."

He took two discreet steps backward, ensuring his escape route was clear, just in case.

"B-Brother Jiang... they're stronger than me. How can I possibly take them down?" Liu Ying's voice trembled, her red eyes already brimming with tears, like a bullied rabbit about to be fed to wolves.

Jiang Cheng felt a brief pang of guilt as he looked into her pitiful face. His conscience stirred just for a moment before he quickly looked away, pretending to gaze thoughtfully at the distant mountains.

Clearing his throat, he spoke in a gentle, reassuring tone, "Don't worry. How could your Brother Jiang possibly sacrifice you I mean, send you to train without any backup?"

With a flourish, he took out forty middle-grade talismans , their spiritual light flickering faintly in his hand.

He handed her twenty stacked Fireball Talismans and twenty Piercing Wind talismans, practically stuffing them into her trembling hands like a street vendor forcing samples on a passerby.

"Silly girl," Jiang Cheng said, his face now wearing the warm, encouraging smile of a seasoned elder, "you are proficient in the Dao of Space and Void. How can mere brainless beasts like these spiders possibly touch you? You must have confidence in yourself!"

Then, with an expression of magnanimous righteousness, he added.

"Besides, if something unfortunate does happen and you… uh… die, rest assured. Your Brother Jiang will definitely avenge you once I break through to Foundation Establishment."

He smiled even more kindly, as though he had already prepared her memorial tablet in advance.

Liu Ying: "…"

Her lips twitched. Her tears almost stopped from anger.

"So you're sending me to die, but you'll avenge me later? What kind of saintly brother logic is this?" she thought, but dared not say it aloud.

She looked down at the talismans in her hand—the pile was indeed hefty, yet she still felt like she was being pushed onto the battlefield as cannon fodder.

"This Dog Author… this Dog Brother… are they working together to ruin me?"

Her inner complaints grew louder, but her feet had already started moving forward.

Jiang Cheng let out a long sigh and said seriously, "Liu Ying, don't worry. You will definitely succeed."

He looked at her calmly, his tone sincere. "If I had your ability to teleport, I would go myself without hesitation."

After a brief pause, he continued, "You only need to teleport four or five meters near those two beasts while they're not paying attention. Once you're close, throw ten talismans at once. Even if they don't die, they'll be seriously injured. After that, teleport back here immediately. We'll retreat together."

He glanced down at the spiders below, ensuring they were still unaware of their presence. Then, he looked back at Liu Ying with firm eyes.

"They haven't noticed us. This is our best chance for a surprise attack. Trust in your strength and your abilities. You can do this."

Liu Ying looked at Jiang Cheng as he encouraged her, her expression hardening with resolve. She nodded firmly, "I understand."

Taking a deep breath, she focused all her energy into her next move. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from her spot, teleporting in front of one of the monstrous spiders.

Without hesitation, she activated all ten talismans in a single moment, their spiritual power exploding to life. She throw them with precision toward the beast.

The moment the talismans made contact, a massive explosion tore through the air. The ground shook violently, and a blinding flash of light erupted from the impact site. The force was so overwhelming that it sent shockwaves rippling through the area, cracking the ground and throwing debris into the air. The air itself seemed to crackle with energy, the intense pressure threatening to crush everything in its path.

For a moment, the area fell into an eerie silence. The beast had been caught completely off guard, the full force of the talismans striking it before it could even react. The spider shrieked in pain, its body trembling violently from the blow.

Before the talismans even exploded, Liu Ying had already disappeared, retreating far from the scene. Jiang Cheng barely had time to react when he saw her sudden movement, and a curse escaped his mind.

"She escaped before I could even do anything!"

He gritted his teeth, but quickly refocused. Looking toward the aftermath, he activated his spiritual eyes to their fullest potential, seeking to examine the scene with heightened clarity.

What he saw made him curse again under his breath.

In a deep pit, several meters down, one of the poisonous spiders lay crumpled, its body twitching in pain, clearly badly injured but still alive. "What a damn strong vitality..." he thought in frustration.

Its partner, however, was far from being in any state of weakness. Its furious killing intent filled the air, its sharp eyes scanning the area, searching for the source of the attack. "Fortunately, they don't seem to know where we are yet," Jiang Cheng thought .

There was no time to waste. Without hesitation, he activated his last remaining Thunderbolt talisman and crushed it in his palm. The very air seemed to crackle with energy as a thick, blinding bolt of lightning shot forward, slamming into the injured spider.

The bolt struck with the force of a divine punishment, obliterating the spider's soul from within, leaving nothing behind but a smoldering carcass. Its massive body crumpled to the ground in an unceremonious heap, the last of its struggles fading into nothing.

Jiang Cheng exhaled slowly, the storm of tension in his chest dissipating.

Before Jiang Cheng could think of what to do next, his eyes suddenly met those of the giant spider on the ground.

His heart tightened—"Not good!"—he muttered under his breath. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and swiftly retreated.

The spider let out an ear-piercing roar filled with rage, its massive body launching forward with shocking speed as it gave chase.

Jiang Cheng dashed wildly through the dense forest, branches whipping against his face as he pushed his Wind Step technique to its limit. However, no matter how fast he ran, the spider followed closely behind, its legs tearing through the underbrush like blades.

" Fuck, Why is this thing faster than me? Did it cultivate the Wind Step Technique too?"

Sweat drenched his back as he glanced over his shoulder—its enormous figure was practically breathing down his neck.

"So this is the gap between mid-Qi Refining and late-Qi Refining stage!" Jiang Cheng's heart pounded in both fear and disbelief.

He was using his movement technique at full capacity, yet the spider was still closing in as if it were merely toying with him, like a hunting beast playing with its prey.

"Damn it… I'm like a piece of plastic being chased by a rabid dog!" he cursed inwardly.

Jiang Cheng was sprinting through the forest like his life depended on it—because it did. The spider was right behind him, its eight legs pounding the ground with terrifying speed, closing in like debt collectors after a broke cultivator.

He pushed his Wind Step technique to the limit, his feet barely touching the ground as he zigzagged between trees. His heart was racing, his breath ragged, but he dared to glance back—yup, the spider was still there, eyes full of murder, as though Jiang Cheng had set its ancestral grave on fire.

"Damn it, why is it only after me?!"

Just then, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight—Liu Ying!

She was also running in the same direction, but with far more composure, like a young lady taking a brisk morning stroll. When she noticed Jiang Cheng, she gave a slight wave.

"Brother Jiang, you're running too?"

Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up—"Perfect, a distraction!"

But before he could even alter his path, the spider also noticed Liu Ying. Its eyes locked onto her for a brief moment… and then—it just ignored her.

It didn't even slow down. It simply adjusted its eight-legged trajectory and continued charging at him with undivided hatred.

Jiang Cheng almost tripped over his own feet.

"WHAT?! She was the one who threw the talismans! I'm innocent!"

He gritted his teeth, his face twisted with injustice as he dodged a tree.

"Dog Author, this is too much! Is this bullying the Taoist priest to death? Even now, you still gave the heroine the Blindness Halo?!"

Liu Ying's flawless protagonist aura had shielded her like an invisibility cloak, while he—just an ordinary, hardworking, tax-paying Qi Refining monk—was being treated like the world's greatest sinner.

"Thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi, don't bully the young and poor!" Jiang Cheng shouted in despair as he fled for his life, his voice trembling yet filled with righteous indignation.

At that moment, somewhere across the vast heavens, in another world entirely, a young man named Xiao Yan, who had once suffered under the mocking gazes of the Jia Nan Academy elders and the Nalan family, paused. His eyes softened as he gazed into the distance.

"I understand you, fellow Daoist… everyone is one of their own."

He let out a deep sigh, the kind shared only between two souls who had tasted the bitterness of being treated as stepping stones by fate.

Though worlds apart, for a fleeting second, a bridge of suffering connected them—the Taoist priest fleeing from a spider, and the alchemist who had once been called "trash" for three years.