Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

"Who did this, a devil?"

In the shop, Zhang Jing looked at the two people across from him, his voice devoid of all emotions.

"Junior Brother, you didn't leave the city, right?"

Tong Yao did not answer his question, just asking with concern.

"Senior Brother, what exactly happened?" Zhang Jing looked towards Senior Brother Ding.

On the other side.

Senior Brother Ding gave a wry smile and then told Zhang Jing all about what had happened to him and the others before.

Afterwards, he looked intently at Zhang Jing, and advised earnestly:

"Junior Brother, do not leave Langya City under any circumstances."

"Tong Yao and I are going back to Dao Institute tonight with several other Senior Brothers. You should find a way to go back with Senior Brother Li. It will be safer that way."

"Yes, Junior Brother, don't even think about going back alone,"

Tong Yao also advised.

Zhang Jing remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long while.

"Senior Brother Ding, Senior Sister Tong, in other words, when you were hunting a devil outside last night, you were suddenly attacked by a cultivator who then began to inquire about the whereabouts of the storage bag held by the Demon Tiger?"

"Subsequently, Senior Brother Zhou and Senior Brother Xia were interrogated with a soul refinement torture, leading the enemy learns that I possessed the item."

"Then you were saved by another Senior Brother who happened to pass by, and that person left in a hurry."

"So this is basically what happened, right?"

Zhang Jing asked in a deep voice.

Senior Brother Ding and Tong Yao nodded in unison.

"Was the other person dressed in a grey robe, with a hooked nose and deeply sunken eyes?" As if remembering something, Zhang Jing suddenly asked.

As soon as his words fell.

A look of surprise emerged on the faces of the two people across from him.

"How did you know?"

"Did that person find you?"

It really was that man in the grey robe!

A realization flashed in Zhang Jing's heart.

He had been wondering how the enemy would know that he held the Blood Mill. So, it turned out that they had contacted Senior Brother Ding and the others beforehand.

"It's such a pity about Senior Brother Zhou and Senior Brother Xia."

He sighed inwardly.

"Junior Brother, how exactly did you escape from that man?"

Looking at Zhang Jing, Tong Yao noticed that he was perfectly clean, without any signs of combat, and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"That man is already dead." Zhang Jing said calmly.

Upon hearing his words.

Tong Yao and Senior Brother Ding were taken aback.

"Junior Brother, you mean... that man is... dead?" Tong Yao asked stutteringly.

Sitting next to her, Senior Brother Ding also wore an incredible look on his face.

"Correct!"

Looking into their eyes, Zhang Jing nodded firmly in confirmation.

Boom——

It's as if a thunderbolt exploded in Senior Brother Ding's ears.

Despite not believing it deep down.

But their Junior Brother Zhang in front of them... He had accurately described that man's physical characteristics, and he couldn't be lying about it.

But how could this be possible?

A cultivator in the late-stage of Qi Refinement, lurking in the dark and targeting a cultivator in the middle-stage of Qi Refinement, ends up getting killed instead?

Wait a moment! Cultivation!

Only at this point did Senior Brother Ding noticed that he could not sense his junior brother's specific cultivation level.

And this could only mean one thing.

"Junior Brother, your cultivation... is it at the fifth level of Qi Refinement?"

He asked stupidly, his eyes filling with confusion.

"Senior Brother, I was just lucky enough to make a breakthrough."

"Ha-ha, lucky."

On the other side.

"What?! The fifth level of Qi Refinement!" Tong Yao exclaimed.

"Junior Brother, weren't you at the third level of Qi Refinement before? How come you're at the fifth level in such a short time?"

Looking at Zhang Jing, her eyes were filled with the same disbelief as if she was looking at a monster.

No, not a monster! Even monsters don't cultivate this quickly!

"So when I've been cultivating for three years and remain at the third level of Qi Refinement, where did I go wrong?"

Tong Yao's eyes lost focus as she fell into self-doubt.

But at this moment.

The door to Zhang Jing's shop suddenly shook.

The next moment.

Accompanied by a 'bang' sound, the two doors crashed down.

"Master, when can I enter——"

A big-deer head cautiously poked in from outside, staring dumbly at the door panels on the ground, seemingly puzzled as to why they had collapsed so easily upon contact.

Lu 38 could not help looking at Zhang Jing inside the house, shrinking its neck.

It seemed like... it had caused some trouble.

"Junior Brother, this... what is this?"

Senior Brother Ding pointed at the terrifying-looking Lu 38, his tongue tied.

"Senior Brother, this is Lu 38, my mount." Zhang Jing explained.

"Mount?"

Tong Yao looked at Zhang Jing blankly.

"Junior Brother, you..." Senior Brother Ding wanted to say something more, but he didn't know what to say, finally mumbling: "We're going first. Senior... Brother, take care."

"May you both have a smooth journey!"

Zhang Jing stood up to see them off.

He watched until they disappeared into the crowd.

Only then did he turn around and say to Lu 38 without good humor: "Come in."

"Yes, Master."

Lu 38 said happily, grinning ear to ear.

Then with a series of creaking sounds, its huge body squeezed itself in with great difficulty.

The door panels on the ground were crushed to pieces.

Looking at the empty gate.

Zhang Jing couldn't help but sigh,

"Thirty-Eight, since you've ruined my door, you'll be on guard here tonight. Anyway, there's no other place for you to be for now."

"I'm going out."

"Okay, Master."

Lu 38 responded, then promptly found a spacious place to lay down.

Its big eyes staring unblinkingly at the gate.

Zhang Jing didn't mind what Lu 38 was doing and walked straight out.

He had made up his mind to return to the Dao Institute tomorrow.

Now that he almost had enough resources, he naturally wanted to exchange them for a top-grade legacy as soon as possible, as it would allow him to upgrade his cultivation every day earlier.

Also, he needed to exchange for a technique for Lu 38 to change its size as soon as possible.

If not.

He was afraid that his cave dwelling would not withstand a few days of its meddling.

But before that, he should go and inform Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Yan.

Also, he needed to return the key of the shop to Senior Brother Yan.

Anyways, it's no use anymore...

...

...

At the Langya Prefecture Residence.

In a quiet courtyard.

The gaze swept over Zhang Jing standing in front.

"Going back tomorrow?" Senior Brother Li agreed, nodding his head: "That's good, the situation has been increasingly tense recently, and some inner court disciples have already transferred here early."

"The sooner you leave, the safer you'll be."

"That's exactly what Junior Brother is thinking, so I came today especially to bid farewell to Senior Brother."

Zhang Jing responded with a smile.

"Right, Junior Brother, remember to go to Luodu Tower at the center of Luodu Island when you return, Senior Brother Li will be waiting for you," Senior Brother Li reminded.

"Senior Brother Li?" Zhang Jing looked at him curiously.

"Haha, he's the current captain of our Luodu Team."

Senior Brother Li smirked.

Only then did he recall that Zhang Jing, who had just joined the Luodu Team for less than two months, knew very few people.

"Junior Brother understands, thank you for reminding me, Senior Brother."

Zhang Jing didn't ask further.

However, he had a vague feeling that it should be related to his Talisman Making.

Other than that, he really couldn't think of anything else the captain might want from him.

While Zhang Jing was in deep thought.

"What's your success rate in making Middle-Grade Charms now?" Senior Brother Li suddenly asked.

"Between thirty and forty percent."

Zhang Jing responded without hesitation.

"Haha, good!"

Upon hearing this, Senior Brother Li laughed out loud, then looked straight at Zhang Jing and instructed, "Junior Brother, after you go back and meet Senior Brother Li, don't forget to apply for the position of Deacon in the team."

"Deacon?"

"Yes. With a Qi Refinement of the fifth level, and a success rate of over thirty percent for making middle-grade talisman, you are now eligible to be a Deacon of our Luodu Team. Geez, becoming a Deacon in less than two months after joining the team, you are making history in Luodu team."

Senior Brother Li marveled.

Becoming... a Deacon?!

Zhang Jing was slightly stunned.

If he remembered correctly, Senior Brother Yangchu was a Deacon, wasn't he?

"I wonder what the expression on Senior Brother Yangchu's face will be when I see him again after I return..." Zhang Jing thought to himself amusingly.

Snapping out of his thoughts.

"Senior Brother, after becoming a Deacon, is it even cheaper to exchange items from the team's resource warehouse?"

Zhang Jing curiously looked at Senior Brother Li.

"Of course. Deacons of the team are allowed to purchase items from the warehouse at sixty percent of the original price, and they are also allowed to issue private tasks."

"However, due to the special nature of the top ten teams, these private tasks can be aimed at all members of the top ten teams, not just limited to our Luodu team."

Senior Brother Li patiently explained.

On the other side of him, Zhang Jing was completely dumbfounded.

The role of a Deacon can be played this way!

Purchasing cultivation resources at almost half price isn't enough, they can even issue private tasks to all members of the top ten teams?

Zhang Jing was getting excited in his heart.

"Junior Brother understands."

...

That night.

Zhang Jing, who was cultivating, was suddenly woken up by a huge noise.

Before he could react.

He felt several extremely oppressive and terrifying auras appearing one after another.

He turned his gaze to the window.

Only to see a gigantic figure several meters tall, shrouded in a crimson hue, suddenly appearing, gripping a massive bow, slowly pulling it open.

An arrow, wrapped in a flaming red flame, suddenly appeared.

Lighting up half the sky!

A terrifying, intensely hot aura flooded in all directions, as if a erupting volcano had appeared in Langya City in an instant.

It was all flames wherever his eyes could see.

Zing!

The flaming red arrow flew straight into the heavens.

In the next moment, a burst of fire surged, as if igniting the clouds.