Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

In the center of the grand hall.

Senior Brother Ding's eyes were filled with cracks of regret starting to emerge from his heart.

He never expected this beast to escape from his grasp due to his momentary carelessness.

The consequences of the Black Tiger Demon, which he could barely fight to a standstill with the help of his final cards, charging at junior sisters and brothers whose cultivation was only at the initial stage of Qi Refinement, were impossible for him to imagine.

The image was too gruesome, he dared not to think about it!

Senior Brother Ding discarded all thoughts, squeezed the Spiritual Energy from his Dantian, and drove his Magic Artifact in his hand to chase after it with all his might.

If he could save one, he would save one!

However, the next moment.

The tragic figure of the Black Tiger Demon being blasted into the air by a small sun suddenly appeared before his eyes.

What an opportunity!

Regardless of the surprise in his heart, Senior Brother Ding roared and directly took out a pill and swallowed it. The spiritual power in his Dantian instantly erupted, pouring into the green bamboo staff.

In an instant.

The dense Dao Patterns on the green bamboo staff lit up section by section with the bamboo knots, emitting an aura as heavy as a mountain.

Everything in the grand hall seemed to be stagnant at this moment.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The bamboo staff, carrying an immeasurable mighty force, struck on the Black Tiger Demon's forehead thrice in succession.

In an instant, the giant tiger's lantern-like eyes turned white directly, and the crimson blood sprayed from its seven orifices, forming a mist of blood.

Boom!

The huge body of the black tiger slammed heavily onto the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Its breath quickly weakened.

Eventually, it stubbornly raised its tiger's head, glaring at Zhang Jing who was not far away, and cursed, "You.....sneaked up on me! You're really not virtuous! Despicable and shameless! Curse you..."

Before it could finish speaking, it breathed its last breath.

The vast hall fell into silence.

Step by step——

Senior Brother Ding stepped over the tiger's corpse and slowly walked to Zhang Jing. He looked at him with a complex and guilty gaze.

"Junior Brother, I'm sorry. It was my negligence that caused you to lose so many talismans."

At the same time.

Hisss——

A series of audible gasps suddenly formed around Zhang Jing.

"My——Junior Brother... Senior Sister said to be prepared, but you didn't need to buy so many talismans, did you?" Tong Yao stared at Zhang Jing in amazement, murmuring, "You're too ruthless. How many Tao Merits is that? Your method of carrying out the task could wipe out your...robes completely."

Regaining his senses.

With a trace of terror remaining on his face, Senior Brother Zhou said with regret:

"Fortunately, Junior Brother Zhang was well prepared, otherwise, all of us would have been corpses by now. Don't worry, Junior Brother, I will share the loss of the talismans with you."

"Right!"

Senior Brother Xia slapped his chest, assuring Zhang Jing, "Junior Brother, we don't need to thank each other for big favors! Count how many talismans you used this time and we, senior brothers, will find a way to repay you."

"Well, Senior Brother, actually——"

Zhang Jing wanted to explain something but was interrupted by Senior Brother Ding:

"Junior Brother, stop talking. All the gains from this Black Tiger Demon corpse are yours."

"The hide, teeth, and claws of this Qi Refinement middle-stage Demon Tiger, along with its bones, are all excellent materials. They should fetch about twelve or thirteen Tao Merits in total. Although it doesn't compare to the value of the talismans you've used, it's a type of compensation. The rest, once the task is complete, I'll pay you back."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jing felt a warmth in his heart and quickly did a mental calculation.

His current success rate for making lower-quality talismans is 40%, so the cost of these thirty Scorching Sun Charms wouldn't exceed ten Tao Merits.

The materials from the Demon Tiger corpse can offset the cost and even earn a small profit.

Considering how these senior brothers and sisters had been looking out for him all the way, Zhang Jing felt he shouldn't be too calculating.

After careful consideration.

Zhang Jing gave a shy smile, and said softly, "Senior Brothers, and Senior Sister Tong, the materials we can get from the Demon Tiger alone are plentiful, you don't have to compensate me."

"How can this be?" Tong Yao, always bluntly honest, objected, "We can't just take advantage of you like that."

"Actually, all those talismans were created by me. If what Senior Brother Ding said earlier is true, the materials from the Demon Tiger should be enough to cover the cost of those thirty Scorching Sun Charms."

Zhang Jing quickly explained.

When his words were spoken, all became silent.

For a long time.

"What! All those talismans...you made all of them yourself?" Tong Yao exclaimed in disbelief.

"Junior Brother Zhang, you've only been at the Dao Institute for two months. Although I can barely understand your cultivation reaching the third stage of Qi Refinement, I still cannot comprehend your capability in talisman making...and so many of them"

Senior Brother Xia pointed his hands in mid-air, his mind in a cloud of confusion.

"What a freak of nature!"

Senior Brother Zhou sighed, then suddenly thought of something very important.

Junior Brother Zhang mentioned that the cost of twelve Tao Merits could be offset by the cost of thirty lower-quality talismans, yet all the talismans were of superior quality... No wonder the talisman masters in their Luodu team were so high and mighty.

This is a huge profit! No, it is a real pitfall!

I am still young, can I save some Tao Merits and exchange them for a talisman making legacy?

What if I am successful?

At this moment, Senior Brother Zhou was deeply moved!

Wait! All of them are of superior quality?

He looked at Zhang Jing in shock.

On the other side facing Zhang Jing, the look in Senior Brother Ding's eyes subtly changed.

...

"The Demon Core! This beast actually has a Demon Core! Junior Brother Zhang Jing has struck it rich."

Senior Sister Tong's surprised voice suddenly rang out, startling Zhang Jing, who was about to inspect the storage bag in the Demon Tiger's mouth.

"Demon Core?" He turned his head and asked doubtfully.

"Yes, Junior Brother, take a look."

Senior Sister Tong handed a thumb-sized, smooth and round bead exuding a strong spiritual energy vibration to Zhang Jing, explaining:

"Demon Cores are valuable, and they fetch high prices. This mid-stage Qi Refinement Demon Core alone can be sold for at least fifty Tao Merits. Junior Brother, you are really in luck."

Her voice was filled with joy.

"Haha, it's not that Junior Brother Zhang is lucky, it's mainly because my talismans caught this beast off guard, and I was fast enough to prevent it from completely dissolving the Demon Core. I suspected there would be a Demon Core, but I didn't mention it to you guys, in case it turned out to be false hope."

Senior Brother Ding's voice echoed

Playing with the Demon Core in his hand, Zhang Jing couldn't help but ask:

"May I ask, Senior Brother, what exactly is a Demon Core?"

"Junior Brother," Senior Brother Ding gave a slight smile and patiently explained, "Unlike us, the Human Race, who have Dantian to store spiritual energy, demons distribute their monster power throughout their bodies. The Demon Core is a self-created transfer point for monster power, and the place where the most concentrated monster power in their body gathers."

"Of course, the 'monster power' I mentioned is essentially spiritual energy, but it is mixed with the lingering ill-will and evil-mindedness at the time of their death, as well as some 'impurities' unique to demons."

"Alas, I was too slow to act. I had such a good opportunity to kill that beast with one blow, and the Demon Core wouldn't have time to retain any perceived grievances, thus doubling its value."

"Why would people purchase it at such high prices?"

"Haha, it's mainly because those Pill Masters buy them. They use a special method to remove the residual thoughts and impurities in the Demon Core, transforming it into a pure Demon Core, and then can refine Spirit Pills."

"Most of the advanced Spirit Pills sold in the Thousand Law Pavilion are diluted and refined from Demon Cores."

"This... isn't it said that the advanced Spirit Pills are refined using those rare and precious materials?"

Zhang Jing's face showed a hint of strangeness.

"Indeed, there are rare and precious materials, but one portion of such materials can only yield several dozens of furnace loads of pills. Otherwise, where would all the advanced Spirit Pills come from?"

Senior Brother Ding said teasingly.

Zhang Jing fell silent, tucked the Demon Core away, and didn't want to speak any further.