Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"How much do you want?"

He asked calmly.

However, the few drops of cold sweat oozing from his temples barely concealed the turmoil far from the calm appearance he presented.

Before him stood four beings at the mid-stage of Dharma Phase!

The First Hammer understood that it was absolutely impossible for him to face four at once and still emerge victorious, as he had previously done against Patrol Yaksha.

This time, if he could protect himself and his people, it would be reason enough to be thankful.

Unless... Immortal Qingyun!

At this thought.

The First Hammer couldn't help but sneak a glance at Zhang Jing standing behind him. Seeing his ever-calm face, a slight sense of reassurance settled in his heart.

On the other side.

A figure from the middle stepped forward.

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, we also know the rules. How about this, you take all the River of Time Golden Sand in the box, and we'll just take this River of Time Gold Crystal,"

As soon as these words fell, the complexions of everyone on the scene instantly changed.

The value of the River of Time Golden Sand in the box, at best, was around one million in terms of luck movement, which was incomparable to the value of the River of Time Gold Crystal, differing by more than ten thousand times.

Clearly, these men were here to rob them.

And more so...

In the twinkling of an Escape Light.

The four had already positioned themselves with practiced ease at four corners, their formation resembling a net, tightly surrounding Zhang Jing and his companions.

Threads of icy killing intent began to permeate the air.

Obviously, what these men were plotting was far more than just the River of Time Gold Crystal.

"That girl in green surely carries a great many treasures, and these others must be scions of noble families, equally well-endowed with valuables. This time, it should be a windfall for the four of us brothers, and we can't let any slip by."

"Later, I, Second Brother, and Third Brother will join forces to attack that Dharma Phase brute. Fourth Brother, you quickly deal with the rest,"

the eldest of the four brothers secretly instructed through transmitted voice.

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

"Wait, Big Brother, those two girls are pretty good looking; can I..."

Fourth Brother pleaded.

"Fine, but make sure to leave no witnesses afterward."

"Don't worry, Big Brother, I understand,"

Having received consent, Fourth Brother's face immediately filled with glee as he vigorously patted his chest.

Across from them.

Zhang Jing stood still, his gaze growing colder moment by moment.

The True Immortal trade fair was imminent, time was already pressing, and these people were wasting his time.

With that thought in mind, Zhang Jing took a step forward.

He didn't want any further delays.

But at this moment.

An imperceptible sound quietly reached his ear.

"Immortal Qingyun, your concealment technique is quite profound; these people likely have not yet detected your true cultivation level. Later, they will certainly focus their attack on me. At that time, you can take advantage of their unpreparedness to inflict heavy damage on one or two of them, and only then might we have a chance to survive this ordeal,"

The First Hammer secretly communicated to Zhang Jing.

"No need, I—"

Having decided to make a move, Zhang Jing was about to decline The First Hammer's proposal, but unexpectedly, a cry for help interrupted what he was about to say.

He looked toward the source of the sound.

There he saw Lei Hong, kneeling on the ground, crawling toward a dark-robed figure in the front while crying with sobs and tears:

"Great one, great one, please spare my life. I know of a place of fortune not far from here, the Jinchan Palace, which contains the remains of a Harmonized Dao True Immortal."

"Oh? You're not lying to me?"

Upon hearing this, the dark-robed figure's eyes immediately lit up, asking in a tone tinged with disbelief.

"Should I deceive you in the slightest, may the heavens strike me with thunder!" Lei Hong vowed fervently.

"Well then, stand behind me,"

Suppressing the excitement swelling in his heart, the dark-robed figure tried to sound calm as he spoke.

He hadn't expected to catch such a big fish this time; could it really be his turn of luck?

The remains of a True Immortal, the four brothers could soar to the heavens with such a treasure.

Wait! Why should four people share? What if I kept it all to myself; wouldn't I then have the chance to ascend to Harmonized Dao? But, this will require careful planning.

A flicker of murderous intent briefly crossed the man's eyes.

While he was still pondering.

"Great one, might I deal with that person later?"

Lei Hong cautiously stepped in front of the man and asked.

The man came back to his senses, immediately following Lei Hong's pointed gaze, and laid eyes on a quiet figure in green robes.

"You may," he nodded without hesitation.

"Thank you, great one!"

Lei Hong gratefully expressed his thanks and then gazed at Zhang Jing with malevolent intent.

"Immortal Qingyun, let's have a good chat when the time comes."

He uttered each word deliberately.

Bitter hatred permeated his words.

Unexpectedly, there wasn't the slightest sign of disturbance on Zhang Jing's face in response to these words.

For some reason.

The sight of that utterly serene face suddenly brought a wave of unease to Lei Hong's heart.

"What's this? Courting death with his power?"

A sense of peculiarity unfoundedly surfaced in Zhang Jing's mind.

Although this guy kept provoking him, he actually didn't take it to heart, choosing instead to view it as a joke.

After all, the gap between them was so vast that it didn't even stir a shred of anger in him.

But that couldn't stop the other from seeking his own doom.

At this moment.

Chang Zizai and the other two just stared blankly at Lei Hong across from them.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, too swiftly for them to even react.

"Lei Hong, you—"

Ji Xiaoyun's slender fingers pointed at Lei Hong on the other side, her pretty face flushed with anger, her chest heaving, yet for the moment she was at a loss for words.

She had thought him superior to Qingyun before.

Ha, it seems now that, though Immortal Qingyun may be timid in battle, at least he didn't defect at the critical moment.

The atmosphere grew tense.

The leader of the first hammer gripped his wolf-tooth hammer tightly, with the projection of a towering war god clad in iron armor faintly visible behind him.

A surging will to fight.

Zhang Jing silently stepped forward, a deep azure sword light slowly leaping from his fingertips.

Ever since his main body's cultivation made a breakthrough into the half-step Dharma Phase, Qingyun's realm greatly expanded, and the shackles limiting his cultivation were gradually loosening.

The Immortal Qingyun at this moment was dozens of times stronger than when he last went to the Beast Territory.

Now was a good time to test his sword on these four obscure Dharma Phase Realm creatures.

The next moment.

As if he saw something, the sword light in Zhang Jing's hand quietly dissipated, and his breath was even completely retracted into his body.

Nothing else.

In the middle of the group, no one knew when a gray-robed old man suddenly appeared, his face bearing a chilling smile.

"Hey, old man, shouldn't there be an order to claiming treasures?" a man in a black robe shouted carelessly from behind the elder.

As his voice fell.

The leader among the four went pale and immediately scolded, "Third Brother, you mustn't be so disrespectful to an elder!"

Soon after.

He cautiously approached the old man, bowed respectfully, and said:

"My brother lacks discretion, please don't take offense, senior. Once we return, I shall discipline him properly. Since the senior has taken a fancy to this treasure, our five brothers will take our leave now."

As he spoke, his robe was already soaked with cold sweat.

He didn't know the level of cultivation of this being, but merely by the fact that the other could appear here undetected by his Divine Sense, he knew that it was not someone he and his brothers could dare to provoke.

For the sake of their lives, it was best to leave this place immediately.

"You did well."

Hearing this, the gray-robed old man turned his stiff neck, his gaunt face like a ghoul flashing a smile.

"Thank you for the compliment—"

The man's heart swelled with joy, and he hastily expressed his gratitude, but before he could finish, the old man casually waved his sleeve.

His voice abruptly cut off.

In the next instant.

The four black-robed men turned into a spread of human skin, silently laying on the ground.

"But I don't like it."

The old man's hoarse voice echoed eerily.

Hiss—

Seeing this scene.

The four beside Zhang Jing, as well as Lei Hong across from them, all involuntarily took a sharp breath of cold air, and deep fear flickered in their eyes.

"Definitely a True Immortal-level existence! And with such ruthless methods, I'm afraid we are finished this time."

The leader of the first hammer felt a chill in his heart.

Against the four black-robed figures, he still held some courage to fight, but facing this elder...

He forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart, mustered courage, and respectfully bowed to the elder, asking:

"Esteemed one, may I know if there is anything we can do to serve you?"

The other didn't answer.

As time trickled on, the fear enveloping everyone's hearts grew heavier and slowly turned into despair.

At a certain moment.

The old man spoke indifferently, his gaze piercing straight towards something behind everyone.

"Zhang Jing, my nephew, you're at least a True Teaching of the Tao Sect, how much longer do you intend to hide back there?"