Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

Upon hearing Huang Tian Lao Zu's words, everyone exchanged glances, their hearts filled with a newfound trust.

They are at least two Core Formation cultivators; they shouldn't be treated like fools.

"If that's the case, then we have no problem."

"Indeed, with two true masters leading the way, what dangerous place can't we venture into?"

"When do you plan to leave?"

"..."

Seeing the crowd respond enthusiastically, Master Qingming was even more satisfied.

"Please don't be anxious, everyone. The Black Miasma Forest is a dangerous place after all!"

The news of the establishment of Zemeng has not yet spread, and we need more support.

After today's ceremony, please spread the word when you return home. If you can bring along a few friends, wouldn't that be an extra layer of protection?

And I'm sure you all need some time to prepare your methods... How about we set it for ten days from now?"

Master Qingming's words awakened everyone.

Yes, this Black Miasma Forest expedition has gathered so many people.

If you are not well prepared, how can you stand out and win the treasure?

Many people gritted their teeth in secret, preparing to go on a shopping spree as soon as they got back!

Healing pills, offensive magic weapons, life-saving talismans... buy them all if they can enhance your strength!

On the high platform.

Qingming Zhenren and Huangtian Laozu exchanged a smile and secretly communicated.

"Fellow Daoist Qingming, your strategy of killing three birds with one stone is truly ingenious. No wonder Old Ghost Tianming passed on the position of Palace Master to you before he died."

Not only are there people helping us scout the way for free, but we can also take the opportunity to boost the sales of magical treasures and elixirs in Huangze City, making us incredibly wealthy.

the most important is……"

Qingming Zhenren responded calmly:

"Master Huang praised them, saying that it was thanks to your final appearance that they were so enthusiastic."

The Huang family naturally shares in the profits earned by Huangze City.

As for that matter... this time it will definitely be settled!

No one paid attention to their conversation.

Or rather—no one in the room could overhear the private conversations between the two Core Formation cultivators.

The banquet lasted until the ceremony ended and the banquet was over.

Most people are still immersed in the beautiful dream woven by the Heavenly Palace.

.........

As soon as Jiuyou stepped out of the city lord's mansion.

He then saw the crowd scatter like locusts, flocking to Tianbao Tower, Danxia Pavilion, Shenbing Pavilion... and various merchant guilds throughout the city.

They seemed determined to sweep away all the magical treasures and pills!

"Tsk tsk... Looks like this is going to be really fun."

Jiuyou clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Once this group of cultivators who participated in the Core Formation Ceremony return and spread the news, even more people will join the Ze Alliance.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be even more teams exploring the Black Miasma Forest in ten days!

However, Jiuyou was quite looking forward to it.

Although we still don't know what Tianming Palace and the Huang family are planning.

But Jiuyou's confidence comes from its own ample strength!

For the strong, it's easier to fish in troubled waters.

"Buy, buy... The more treasures you have, the more I will gain."

Jiuyou licked his lips, revealing a sinister smile.

Although his personality resembled Lu Zaian's original form, he also possessed some of the evil qualities of a demonic fetus.

In the past, when he ventured into the marshes to hunt demons, he often deliberately played dumb to lure out the enemy and set traps, and he killed quite a few cultivators...

Therefore, every time Jiuyou returns to the mountain, he can bring abundant resources to his main body.

Speaking of returning to the mountain.

After a moment's thought, Jiuyou decided to return to the mountain first.

After all, the Black Miasma Forest area spans thousands of miles, and it's uncertain how long it will take to explore this place.

If we linger inside for too long, it will inevitably cause concern for the main body.

This is a good opportunity to send the Emerald Light Spirit Water back first.

.........

Yunli Mountain.

It is blocked by a naturally barren mountain range called Changli Mountain, and protected by a second-order perfect formation.

Regardless of the turmoil and chaos outside, things remain the same here.

White clouds drift lazily, peaceful and serene.

On the edge of the cliff, the branches of the Seven Treasures Tree are so dense that they can barely provide shade.

Under the tree, Lu sat comfortably in a rattan chair he had crafted himself, leisurely turning the pages of a book.

After improving his weapon crafting skills, Lu Zaian upgraded the rattan chair to a second-tier low-grade item, making it even more comfortable to sit on.

The scent of green wood was refreshing and nourishing, allowing him to concentrate better on his reading.

The scroll in his hand was "The Crimson Fire Alchemy Technique," presented by the Crimson Forging Immortal Workshop.

"So that's how it is. I never imagined that such a simple process of extracting poison into pills would be so complicated. I underestimated the abilities of the cultivators from the Liushi Domain."

Using top-notch fire control techniques, the flames are transformed into threads that penetrate the fire poison crystal ore. Only by keeping the frequency consistent with that of the external forging hammer can the fire poison be extracted little by little.

"The caster could be poisoned by the fire if they are not careful, which is even more dangerous than alchemy..."

During the month that followed, Lu spent his leisure time cultivating and studying this scroll.

Now I fully understand the principles of the Crimson Fire Alchemy Technique.

Su Xuanhuo and others also secretly started mining under Lu Zaian's orders, producing Yang Yuan Pills in a continuous stream.

The Yang Yuan Dan—as Lu Zaian later learned, was not only applicable to cultivators with fire elemental roots.

The so-called Yang Yuan refers to the source of harmony between Yin and Yang.

Cultivators are born with the two energies of Yin and Yang.

They are mutually opposed yet mutually harmonious, and do not conflict with the attributes of spiritual roots.

Taking this pill allows one to embrace yin and yang, harmonize qi, and thus enhance cultivation. It can even be beneficial for body cultivators!

Otherwise, this pill would not have spread throughout the Liushi Domain.

Most importantly, although this pill is called a pill, it has no pharmacological properties and no toxicity.

Only 30% of the toxins are from the fire.

The cultivators in the Liushi Domain rely on Yangyuan Pills for cultivation, so their techniques generally include methods to expel fire poison.

Lu Zaian himself cultivated water and refined the Xuanbing Hanzhong Water, so he was not afraid of mere fire poison and could refine and expel it from his body in an instant.

Therefore, Lu Zaian now eats Yangyuan Pills like beans whenever he has free time, as it's another way to increase his cultivation.

Suddenly, Lu Zaian felt something and got up from the rattan chair.

Jiuyou has already come in from outside.

"Why did you return after only a month this time?"

Lu Zaian was surprised.

The next moment, he read Jiuyou's memories and was speechless.

“Spiritual water… Golden Dragon Thunder Spirit… Core Formation Ceremony… Black Miasma Forest, so that’s how it is.”

Lu Zaian was surprised that Jiuyou had experienced so much in just one month.

"So... you're planning to explore the Black Miasma Forest with Ze Meng and that Qingming Zhenren?"

Lu Zaian frowned slightly.

With his cautious nature, he naturally noticed the trickery involved.

"Hehe, don't worry, who cares what tricks they have up their sleeve? We'll deal with whatever comes our way."

My physical body and supernatural abilities have been tempered by heavenly lightning, making me even stronger. Even if I were to be defeated by a Core Formation cultivator, I could still escape.

Jiuyou grinned.

“…That’s true.” Lu Zaian nodded, then continued, “However, I’m worried about the dangers inside the Black Miasma Forest. After all, there are too many unknowns in the swamp.”

Lu Zaian pondered for a moment, then made a hand seal and waved it.

"Ee-hoo???"

A chubby little figure flew out from his body.

It was Xiao Yi, whom I hadn't seen in a long time!

Suddenly woken from a sweet dream, the little guy was still a bit dazed, rubbing his sleepy eyes with his little hands.

"In that case... the little guy is only a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the late stage of the second tier. It is a water spirit, so taking it with you on your explorations in the water might be of some use."

It would be even better if it could also break through to the late stage of the second tier.

Lu Zaian recalled his first time entering the marshland.

Thanks to Xiao Yi's keen senses, he avoided a lot of danger.

Later, he even discovered a white magnolia in the mine, which enabled him to successfully establish his foundation...

Currently, I am living in seclusion on Yunli Mountain, where I am protected by a powerful array and am extremely safe. For the time being, I have no opportunity to use my skills with Xiao Yi, nor do I have any extra resources to support her growth.

It would be better to let Xiao Yi go with Jiu You's clone to explore the waters first; perhaps she'll gain something unexpected.

Jiuyou's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"That's good. With this little thing helping me, I'm even more confident!"

With a flick of his wrist, Jiuyou pulled Xiaoyi into the kidney space within his body.

The kidneys govern water, and Jiuyou and Lu Zaian share the same origin, so Xiao Yi can also reside within Jiuyou's body.

"Normally, let it stay inside your body and communicate with you. Unless absolutely necessary, don't let Xiao Yi take action, and if it does, it's best not to leave any evidence against it..."

Lu Zaian then solemnly gave the instructions.

Enlightened spirits are extremely rare in the cultivation world.

Lu Zaian didn't want to be constantly on people's minds.

"I know."

"Also, this is a Yang Yuan Pill, of second-tier quality, which can help you improve your Qi and blood and restore your physical strength..."

As Lu Zaian spoke, he took out several white jade bottles from his storage bag.

The bottle was filled with the latest batch of Yang Yuan Pills forged by Su Xuanhuo.

The higher the quality of Yangyuan Dan, the stronger its effect.

It can be used for refining Qi, strengthening the body, replenishing blood, and healing injuries... It is a panacea.

Jiuyou quickly accepted it.

Each bottle contains twenty pills, totaling over a hundred, enough for him to squander.

"Don't worry, I definitely will..."

Jiuyou swore an oath, but the promise was not yet uttered.

Lu Zaian patted him on the shoulder, interrupting him.

"I haven't finished yet. I'll also give you an extra three hundred drops of longevity essence blood as a hidden energy source, to be used in case of dire straits..."

Three hundred drops of immortal essence blood were injected into the clone.

For Lu Zaian, it was only a slight weakness; after a period of rest, his Longevity Body would recover on its own.

For the clone, however, it is an absolute huge improvement.

"..."

What else could Jiuyou say?

I accepted it with tears in my eyes (it's so good!), I can only say that the original owner was too cautious.