Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"Little sister, did you really not notice even a hint of a clue?"

Zhu Dayou propped his feet on the table, tilting his head back slightly as if enjoying the astonished gaze from Zhu Hongxia.

"A clue—what do you mean?"

Upon hearing her brother's words,

Zhu Hongxia first showed a trace of confusion in her eyes, then it was as if lightning had suddenly streaked across her mind.

She seemed to realize something, and her expression immediately froze.

Gulp!

Zhu Hongxia swallowed hard, cautiously pointed towards Zhang Jing's manor, and asked in disbelief,

"You mean... Daoist Li? How could that be possible!"

"Why couldn't it be possible?"

Zhu Dayou suddenly stood up, his every pore exuding a greedy aura.

"Think about it carefully. We've been in the market district for so long, have you ever seen any ordinary cultivator at the Unity Realm Stage who goes about alone like Daoist Li? Those who dare to wander alone are at least Feathering True Immortals!"

"But that doesn't prove anything, what if it is—"

Zhu Hongxia was still trying to speak on Zhang Jing's behalf, but before she could finish, Zhu Dayou interrupted her.

"There's more!"

He said in a lowered voice,

"One can't cultivate inside the manor, yet he has stayed for months, never leaving the door. It's obvious that Daoist Li, no, Zhang Jing, has noticed too many enemies searching for him outside, and thus he is hiding in the manor to buy time."

"The intelligence report states that over the past few years, Zhang Jing has appeared several times inside Diandao Mountain, which fits perfectly with Daoist Li's familiarity with the various terrains and rules of Diandao Mountain."

"Moreover, so many people have been searching Diandao Mountain for so long, and yet they haven't found the slightest clue. There remains only one possibility, that the other party has already blended into our search party."

As he spoke,

Zhu Dayou seemed to realize something, and he had a sudden epiphany.

"No wonder he previously led us around, making left and right turns on Diandao Mountain, constantly avoiding others we encountered on the road... What an excellent act."

Across from him,

the look of suspicion on Zhu Hongxia's face gradually faded.

After listening to her own brother's analysis, she suddenly felt that Daoist Li did indeed seem full of doubts.

"But why would Daoist Li join us?"

She asked, puzzled.

"Silly girl, didn't I just tell you? He wants to use us as cover to avoid suspicion since the intelligence report says that Zhang Jing always acts alone,"

Zhu Dayou tapped his little sister's head, speaking with frustration.

Just now, he had left out one more reason.

That was, he had previously seen Daoist Li secretly pocket a treasure.

And if Zhu Dayou was not mistaken, that treasure was none other than the highly valuable Nine Space Weak Water.

Such a treasure that could command a city's worth, for someone to dare take it alone, it must surely be that Zhang Jing.

"But... but Daoist Li has saved us after all, if you attack him, wouldn't that be—"

Zhu Hongxia hesitated to continue, her eyes filled with indecision.

"Don't you understand? He did that for self-preservation, not out of any real desire to save us!"

Zhu Dayou roared in a low voice, exuding a wild, beastly aura.

The Opening God Seal is mine, the Nine Space Weak Water is also mine; this is an opportunity bestowed by heaven.

To not seize what heaven offers is to suffer the consequences!

With these thoughts,

"Remember, only you and I can know this secret; no one else must be told! We'll act separately, purchase spiritual treasures and Formations, and then figure out a way to lure Zhang Jing out, and then..."

He did not continue, but the implication was very clear.

"I understand."

Zhu Hongxia responded gloomily.

Initially, she had a good impression of that Daoist Li who had helped them, but now, the Opening God Seal was more important.

…

…

Time flowed by quietly, and before anyone realized it, two months had passed.

The manor became peaceful once more.

Zhang Jing slowly stood up, holding a seven-foot five-color flag in his hand. The flag fluttered without wind, emitting strands of an indescribable, terrifying aura.

The five-colored divine light was like a prison, threatening to break through the layers of heaven and earth to suppress all things.

This Five-Color Cloud Flag—had somehow been refined by him into a half-step postcelestial Spiritual Treasure.

Moreover, once he went back, he just needed to refine it once more with higher-tier innate materials of metal, wood, fire, and earth, and it could break through the barrier, transforming into a full postcelestial Spiritual Treasure!

He was involuntarily filled with waves of amazement.

This result was far beyond what Zhang Jing had anticipated.

He originally thought that the Five-Color Cloud Flag he would end up crafting would only be slightly better than a top-grade immortal treasure.

"Having such a result owes partly to the Nine Space Weak Water, but the most important factor is—"

Zhang Jing unconsciously looked at the three-eared bronze immortal furnace.

He knew very well that the power of Nine Space Weak Water was formidable, but it was far from sufficient to support the birth of a half-step postcelestial Spiritual Treasure.

"What exactly are you?"

Zhang Jing whispered to himself, his mind somewhat absent. He had a vague feeling that he hadn't truly refined this bronze immortal furnace.

Not long after.

Thoughts slowly returned to reality.

Zhang Jing waved his sleeve, directly retrieving the bronze immortal furnace, and then walked straight out of the cave abode.

Now that the Five-Color Cloud Flag had been refined, the opportunity to pluck that Inverse Realm Immortal Bamboo had also arrived.

With this item on his person, plus the innate gift of an untraceable and formless cloud-like body, even if the Mysterious Pavilion's spells reached the heavens, they would no longer be able to track him down.

Rumble—

The heavy stone door of the cave abode slowly opened, and a long-missed ray of sunshine shone through the crack, directly onto Zhang Jing's face.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment.

The weather had cleared up!

...

...

At the entrance of the market.

Sets of eyes intently watched every creature coming in and out, with dozens of figures filled with a formidable presence blocking the entrance, meticulously inquiring about something.

They were particularly strict when searching those leaving the market.

Clearly, unable to find a trace of their target for such a long time, this group of Cultivators at the Unity Realm Stage was already hovering on the edge of madness.

"Has it really come to this state?"

Not far away, Zhang Jing stopped in his tracks, a seriousness that others would find difficult to notice flashing through his eyes.

The Five-Color Cloud Flag within him trembled non-stop, as if brewing an earth-shattering strike.

To the side.

Zhu Dayou keenly observed Zhang Jing's movements with the corner of his eye, especially the unnatural hint that was fleetingly visible on him.

A glint suddenly flashed in the depths of his eyes.

In a moment.

Five figures blocked the path of the three companions, among them the Human Race and other species.

The leader of the group asked with a smile, "May I ask what brings the three honored friends out on this occasion?"

As the words fell, dozens of gazes focused intently on Zhang Jing and his two companions, as if ready to strike like thunder at the slightest misstep.

Seeing this.

Zhang Jing's eyes shifted slightly, and he was about to step forward to say something, but to his surprise, Zhu Dayou stepped forward to negotiate before he could.

"Fellow Daoist, we ventured out to try our luck in hopes of encountering that Zhang Jing."

"We would appreciate your accommodation."

While speaking, Zhu Dayou covertly slid a mustard seed bag to the lead man.

The man extended his Divine Sense into the bag, and satisfaction immediately showed on his face.

"Tsk, just with you guys?"

He weighed the mustard seed bag in his hand, speaking disdainfully.

Zhu Dayou's gaze involuntarily followed the bag's movement, a twinge of pain flashing in his eyes.

It contained nearly all his wealth!

He comforted himself over and over in his mind, "Compared to the Nine Space Weak Water and the Opening God Seal on Zhang Jing, such losses are nothing, nothing at all..."

Regaining his composure.

Zhu Dayou forced a smile and said, "We are aware of that despicable Zhang Jing's elusive hiding techniques, but what if? We must still try."

"Off you go then, may good fortune be with you, Daoist Zhu."

At this, the lead man and the many creatures around him exchanged glances before waving their hands, allowing them to pass.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

Zhu Dayou's face brightened with delight, and he immediately led Zhang Jing and Zhu Hongxia away at a brisk pace.

Once away from the market.

The trio aimlessly continued to walk on.

In just a few days' time, they had encountered over a dozen waves of beings frantically searching for Zhang Jing's whereabouts.

The number was astonishingly high.

Keep in mind, these were Unity Realm beings whose traces were hard to find in the outer world.

On this day.

Zhu Dayou was still pondering how to convince this Zhang Jing, who was concealing his identity, to bring the two siblings to a secluded, uninhabited region, so they could make their move.

However, behind him.

Zhang Jing's eyes were deep with thought.

Through his recent secret observations of the siblings and Zhu Dayou's abnormal behavior when they were leaving the market, he was nearly certain that they had developed thoughts they shouldn't have.

"Could it be they have guessed my identity? But my performance was without any mistakes," Zhang Jing muttered to himself.

Of course, given the situation, he would have to take action and erase these two. Fortunately, he had managed to refine the Five-Color Cloud Flag; otherwise, he might have truly struggled.

Yet, before their destruction, these two could still prove useful for one last time.

His eyes flashed, and he suddenly spoke,

"My two fellow Daoists, I know of a special region in Diandao Mountain, difficult for ordinary people to find, where that Zhang Jing might be hiding at this very moment."

Upon hearing this.

Zhu Dayou and Zhu Hongxia stopped in their tracks.

They hadn't misheard, had they? This guy took the initiative to speak?

They couldn't help but exchange glances, each catching the fleeting look of joy on the other's face.