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

After putting away the storage bag, Jiu You was also seriously injured and was about to find a place to heal.

Suddenly, a sound of spiritual energy colliding and shouting came from the thick fog ahead.

He probed with his divine sense and saw three cultivators flying away rapidly, one in front and two behind.

Ahead fleeing was a young man in yellow robes who had reached the peak of Qi Refining.

Closely following behind were the beautiful woman in palace attire who had previously hurled insults at Jiuyou outside the Black Miasma Forest because of her disciple's death, and a burly middle-aged man.

"His pupils gleamed with golden light... Not bad, it's actually this kid?"

Jiuyou raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself.

The young man was none other than Jiang Feng, a junior member of a small Qi-refining family whom Lu Zaian had mentored more than ten years ago when Lu Zaian was away.

This child was born with the Golden Eyes of Truth, but they were reserved and obscure. Fortunately, he was enlightened by Lu Zaian and thus embarked on the path of cultivation.

Unexpectedly, more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, and he has already cultivated to the ninth level of Qi Refining, only one step away from Foundation Establishment.

Seeing that the three were about to turn onto another fork in the road, Jiuyou no longer hesitated and shouted:

"Kid, come this way!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng froze, his expression changing drastically.

He naturally couldn't recognize that this was Lu Zaian's clone, Jiu You, nor could he see that the other party had changed his appearance.

However, when he forcibly activated his Golden Eyes of Truth, he felt a faint stinging pain. He could sense the terrifying aura emanating from Jiu You, like that of a ferocious beast, as if a terrifying power was lurking beneath his skin!

"Behind every wolves and tigers... why am I so unlucky today!"

Jiang Feng inwardly groaned.

He was already struggling to deal with the two Foundation Establishment cultivators behind him—the aura of the one in front of him was even more unfathomable, making him unable to even entertain the thought of running away.

He suppressed his fear and respectfully bowed, saying, "Senior, may I ask what brings you here?"

"Come over here."

Without giving a chance to speak, Jiu You flicked his finger and a strand of blood and qi transformed into a snake emerging from its hole, instantly pulling Jiang Feng behind him.

The blood vessels, though seemingly thin, contained immense power, leaving Jiang Feng utterly powerless to resist.

In no time, the beautiful woman in palace attire and the middle-aged strong man had caught up with them.

"It's you?!"

The beautiful woman in palace attire looked at him with disgust, recognizing Jiu You.

"Senior Brother Wang, this is the person I was talking about who killed my disciple!"

Because of her disciple's death, she harbored resentment towards Jiuyou. Now, seeing that he was alone and seemed to be injured, a fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and she actually wanted to get rid of Jiuyou as well.

They didn't possess the extraordinary ability of the Golden Eyes of Truth, so they couldn't see through Jiu You's disguise and simply regarded him as an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"That's perfect, let's kill them all together!"

The middle-aged, burly man called "Senior Brother Wang" sneered, as if he didn't take Jiu You seriously.

Jiuyou coldly observed the two men and saw that their clothes were disheveled and their breathing was unstable, clearly indicating that they had suffered a loss at Jiang Feng's hands.

"Tsk tsk, two Foundation Establishment cultivators being walked like dogs by a Qi Refining cultivator, and they dare to complain?" Jiu You sneered.

"court death!"

The burly man was a body cultivator. With a roar, his muscles bulged, and he punched Jiu You straight in the face, as if he could already see the other's head burst open like a watermelon.

Jiuyou neither dodged nor avoided, but grinned, revealing a ferocious smile:

"Instead of running away, you're actively moving closer to me?"

To engage him in close combat would be tantamount to suicide!

The next moment, Jiuyou's blood and qi erupted, revealing his terrifying strength as a late-stage Body Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He raised his hand and slashed, unleashing a tremendous force accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air—

They actually overtook us after starting later!

Bang!

Before the burly man's fist could even reach him, he was blown apart into a cloud of blood mist, which scattered across the water!

The beautiful woman in palace attire froze on the spot, trembling all over.

"Senior Brother Wang... is he dead?"

Her senior brother's "Savage Bull Body Forging Technique" is known for its fierce and powerful nature, making his physical strength comparable to that of a second-tier magic weapon.

He was always the one who killed others; he never imagined that one day he would be blasted into a bloody mist with a single move.

She fell to her knees with a thud, her clothes disheveled, her snow-white skin faintly visible, and she begged for mercy in a trembling voice:

"Senior, please spare my life! I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I'm willing to be your slave and do whatever you want!"

As she spoke, she deliberately leaned forward, revealing a large expanse of her chest.

Jiang Feng, standing to the side, was dumbfounded.

Just moments ago, the Foundation Establishment cultivator was high and mighty, shouting for battle, but now he's so humble and begging for survival? It seems strength truly reigns supreme.

Jiuyou let out a sinister laugh, a mocking glint in his eyes:

"Is that so? Then I'll make you—die!"

Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman turned pale and suddenly leaped up to flee.

But Jiuyou's figure flashed like a ghost, appearing behind her. His five fingers, like hooks, easily pierced her heart from behind, crushing her still-beating heart.

Jiang Feng felt a chill run down his spine, terrified by Jiu You's ruthless methods, and quietly began to consider retreating.

But when he thought of the opponent's terrifying speed, he immediately gave up the idea.

Just then, Jiuyou turned around and his appearance changed. With a surge of blue light, he transformed into the "Blue-Clad Scholar - E'lai".

"It's...it's you? Senior?!"

Jiang Feng gasped in shock, his emotions soaring from the depths of despair to the heavens!

He would never forget that face—it was this scholar in blue robes who enlightened his eyes of enlightenment under the Seven Treasures Tree, giving him a new life.

Over the years, he had traveled far and wide to seek out the whereabouts of the scholar in blue robes, but to no avail. He never expected to meet him again in the ruins of the Black Miasma Forest, and was once again saved by his grace.

Jiuyou regained his appearance as a rogue cultivator of the demonic path and nodded slightly.

"Two Nascent Soul stage monsters are lurking in the ruins. We must conceal our identities and proceed with caution..."

As he spoke, he asked Jiang Feng why he was being chased.

Jiang Feng hurriedly took out a spirit fruit that shimmered with golden light from his bosom.

The fruit emitted a soft glow, and its surface was covered with flowing gilded patterns; it was indeed a second-tier Foundation Establishment spiritual object—the Gilded Fruit.

Jiang Feng was naturally not worried that this senior would be tempted by the money. With the other party's cultivation level, he would not even look at such a spiritual item, let alone the fact that the senior had shown him kindness.

Jiuyou nodded in agreement:

"The gilded fruit is indeed a rare metal-attribute foundation-building spiritual object, which can help cultivators condense golden qi and solidify their foundation. No wonder they are so persistent in their pursuit."

After saying that, he looked at Jiang Feng.

"Will you come with me from now on, or go alone?"

Jiang Feng scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, revealing a touch of youthful shyness:

"Of course, I'll go with my senior."

He ventured into the ruins to hone his skills, but if there's a powerful figure to rely on, why not take advantage of it!

Jiuyou smiled and said, "I was injured just now and need to rest for a while. Please wait a moment."

Jiang Feng quickly said:

"I was also injured by those two, and besides, my Qi Refining cultivation is really difficult to advance in the ruins. I want to take this opportunity to refine the Golden Fruit and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, so as not to be a burden to you, senior. I beg you to protect me!"

After speaking, he bowed respectfully.

Jiuyou couldn't help but chuckle.

This kid is straightforward and knows how to leverage his position, using him, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, to protect him.

He nodded and tossed a bottle of Yang Yuan Pills into his hand: "Use this, it's powerful!"

The second-tier Yang Yuan Pill has various effects such as healing, strengthening the body, and gathering Qi, making it a great tonic for Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng took a look, quickly uncorked the bottle and sniffed it. He felt a surge of intense, pure Yang energy rushing into his dantian, and his spiritual power and blood surged like a tide. He couldn't help but admire the senior's generosity.

He immediately found a flat spot, sat cross-legged, and began healing his injuries in preparation for a breakthrough.

.........

Half a day later.

Jiang Feng's spiritual energy surged, and his immense spiritual pressure rose steadily, forming a vortex of spiritual energy in the air that poured in.

Jiuyou watched from the sidelines, nodding secretly:

This kid is exceptionally talented, even more so than when I was building my foundation.

It took Lu Zaian a month to successfully establish his foundation, but judging from Jiang Feng's current state, he could probably do it in a day.

As expected, Jiang Feng's foundation was already incredibly solid, and he further broke through the barrier of his cultivation realm with his innate Golden Eyes of Illusion.

The three stages of essence, energy, and spirit were completed in one go!

Another half day later.

Jiang Feng suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shooting out golden light like two sharp swords piercing the air, striking the water surface dozens of feet away, stirring up waves several feet high, with terrifying power!

Jiang Feng stood up, his spiritual energy contained, clearly indicating that he had successfully established his foundation.

He bowed respectfully to Jiuyou:

"Thank you for protecting me, senior. I have delayed your journey."

Jiuyou waved his hand and laughed:

"It's alright, it's only one day. You have a solid foundation and your Foundation Establishment speed is rare. I didn't misjudge you!"

"Perhaps we'll need your Insightful Golden Eyes later on. Let's go, let's continue deeper!"

After saying that, Jiuyou turned around and took the lead into the depths of the ruins.

Jiang Feng quickly followed.