Qiu Zu: From an apprentice in a medicine shop to an immortal ancestor.

Chapter 82: The Way of Thieves Leading Sheep! [Qingwei Calls Thunder to Immediately Respond to the Talisman]

"Moon Rong, what's wrong?"

At the entrance of the black market, the portly middle-aged man wearing a bull mask looked at the graceful young woman beside him, a little surprised, and transmitted his divine sense:

"When I asked you to pay earlier, why were you looking around, dazed and confused?"

"Moon Rong," wearing a peach blossom mask, shook her head:

"Uncle Mu Sheng, I don't know either. I had a sudden impulse and suddenly thought of my missing grandfather."

The man in the bull mask was a little surprised:

"You saw him?"

"Not yet."

"His soul lamp is extinguished, it's impossible for him to be alive. Don't think about it too much."

After the portly middle-aged man finished speaking, he left directly.

Seeing this, Moon Rong sighed faintly and followed without saying anything more.

The two entered a shop and, before long, led out about ten small sheep.

"Baa ~ Baa ~ Baa ~"

The small sheep were very excited when they saw the crowd, constantly bleating and struggling.

However, each of them was bound by a rope, and the more they struggled, the more painful it was.

"Crack!"

The young woman, Moon Rong, who was in a bad mood, looked fierce, flicked the long whip in her hand, and shouted:

"Looking for a beating!"

Whip after whip fell, causing the small sheep to cry out in pain repeatedly, no longer daring to struggle, and obediently following the two.

"Baa! Baa!"

Amidst the bleating of the flock of small sheep, Mu Sheng and Moon Rong quickly left the black market and turned into the gloomy green forest.

A mountain wind swept through, and mist filled the air.

The man and woman driving the small sheep disappeared into the night.

It's unknown how much time passed.

The man and woman drove the small sheep to a deserted valley near the large mountain.

In the mountain mist, the flock of small sheep was driven along, bleating "baa baa".

However, a terrified and tender cry sounded very abrupt.

Just then, among the flock of small sheep, a chubby boy in sackcloth had appeared at some point. He was looking around at the dark night with a terrified expression, appearing extremely frightened and crying loudly.

Moon Rong glanced at him, her expression displeased:

"The treasure hunters from the Way of Thieves here in Qingmu are really bad. Their 'Leading Sheep' illusion can suddenly fail. If this happened in the market, wouldn't it attract trouble!"

"It's not strange for the methods of minor sects in small places to be rough."

Mu Sheng shook his head, not surprised at all.

Recently, changes have occurred in Qingmu, attracting many people from minor and unorthodox sects. Their methods vary in quality, and some omissions are inevitable.

"If it weren't for the Sect Master wanting to achieve great things and urgently needing young boys and girls, we wouldn't have sought them out. With their rough methods, it's possible that one day we'll be implicated by them, and the Demon Suppression Division will track us down."

Moon Rong nodded slightly, but she wasn't interested in the local Way of Thieves in Qingmu. She was still thinking about her grandfather:

"Uncle, then we're not looking for my grandfather anymore? We need to see him alive or his body dead. We can't let my grandfather die in vain. He seemed to want to find that little divine physician Qiu that night, Uncle, how about..."

"This matter is not urgent."

Mu Sheng shook his head, his tone firm:

"Last time, some of our people were caught, so this lead is probably exposed. We must not act rashly. As long as the matter is successful and the Sect Master successfully subdues the demonic cultivator and obtains the immortal destiny, he can reach the Nascent Soul stage. At that time, our Wooden Puppet Sect will rise in Changle Prefecture, break away from the minor and unorthodox sects, and become a major cultivation power. This is the top priority!"

"This..."

Moon Rong was speechless, unable to refute...

"It's not impossible to help you with this matter. Once the major matter is settled, anything is negotiable."

Seeing the young woman with lowered eyes, a graceful figure, and youthful vitality, a greedy thought arose in Mu Sheng's heart, and he smiled wickedly:

"Moon Rong, you probably don't want your grandfather to die in obscurity..."

Moon Rong saw the meaning in Mu Sheng's burning gaze, lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then she looked at her uncle with a pair of pitiful eyes:

"Uncle, then after the matter is successful, will you be willing to help me..."

As she spoke, Moon Rong's voice became increasingly soft and delicate, making people involuntarily feel a desire to protect her.

Mu Sheng was walking by himself, but hearing the soft voice, he turned to look at the young and beautiful Moon Rong who had taken his arm.

A soft mass pressed against him, making him feel a little lightheaded.

Immediately, he understood, and his fat face was full of satisfaction, his mood joyful:

"Easy to say, easy to say. After the Sect Master's matter is successful and the fuss is over, I will definitely accompany you on a trip!"

"Thank you, Uncle."

The woman felt disgusted in her heart, but on her face, she gave a charming smile, looking around with grace.

"The Way of Thieves leading sheep..."

On a distant mountaintop, with a wide view, Qiu Zhen's [Thousand Mile Eyes] saw the scene of the small sheep turning into children from seven or eight li away.

Possessing [Heavenly Eye Sight], he had long seen through the illusion and was not surprised at all.

Earlier in the Qingmu pharmacy, he had heard from a martial artist who was a treasure hunter by origin that some people in their "treasure hunter" sect had vicious methods, disregarded rules, and were only interested in profit. They would take any "stray sheep" they saw, using illusions to easily take them.

Among the major minor sects in the world, the Way of Thieves is considered the largest.

Burglars and thieves, bandits and outlaws, grave robbers and gold diggers...

Among the various branches of the Way of Thieves, the江湖 (jianghu) treasure hunters are considered the most legitimate branch. They wander through suburban ridges and desolate plains, searching for treasures everywhere.

Legitimate江湖 treasure hunters have rules: they only steal ownerless items, heavenly spiritual treasures, and earthly treasures.

But there are also illegitimate江湖 treasure hunters who specialize in "leading sheep" and are only interested in profit.

As long as something is valuable, they can easily take it.

In the Qingmu area at present, after the disaster, refugees from all directions have flocked in. Everything is scarce except for people.

Whether you have an owner or not, they will easily take you.

Children from the countryside are considered quite valuable "stray sheep" and are also easy to dispose of, making them most likely to attract "unorthodox treasure hunters" to act.

He was wandering around the black market earlier, but he didn't notice that there was also human trafficking going on.

The fate of children falling into the hands of suspected "evil cultivators" is self-evident.

"Young Master, are we not going to make a move?"

Baizhu was eager to try.

"Naturally, we must make a move."

Qiu Zhen's tone was firm. He only wanted to cultivate quietly and didn't want to cause trouble.

Unfortunately, that young woman was a threat to him.

That old man, Yuan Hua, was severely injured and felt at ease letting the woman serve by his side. Even if they weren't true "grandfather and granddaughter," they were extremely close people.

Afterward, it was possible that the young woman would bear a grudge and cause him trouble, getting him involved in turmoil again.

For the sake of future peace, he had left the black market early with An Huayu, and after bidding farewell, he returned to look for that woman.

"Baizhu, just protect me."

In this situation, Qiu Zhen was definitely going to make a move, but it was inconvenient for his main body and Baizhu to act.

The identity of Qiu, the little divine physician of Medicine King Valley, was clean. Even if the young woman was captured alive by the Demon Suppression Division, he would have room to maneuver.

But if his main body, Qiu Zhen, were to act, any slight mistake would cause great trouble.

He could still grasp the measure of this.

As a cultivator, fighting was his strong point. He could determine the outcome from several li away, so there was no need to put himself in danger.

Speaking of which, that young woman was ordinary, only at the Houtian stage, not yet a force to be reckoned with. However, the aura of the portly middle-aged man beside her was extremely powerful.

He was suspected of cultivating the "Yin God."

If this had been a few days ago, this matter might have been a little tricky.

Qiu Zhen wasn't very confident about whether he could take down the opponent.

But now...

Qiu Zhen took down the sword-shaped wooden hairpin from his hair and casually threw it.

"Whoosh!"

"Young Master!"

The wooden hairpin turned into a small human-shaped tree stump and bowed to Qiu Zhen.

Seeing the small wooden spirit, Qiu Zhen was in a good mood.

His confidence came from the small wooden spirit.

On the high platform on the mountain, a simple altar was set up.

With a "tear," Qiu Zhen removed his brocade robe, divided it into five pieces, used branches as flags, placed them around the altar, corresponding to the Five Directions Thunder Gods.

"Little Jujube, transform into a sword!"

Qiu Zhen shouted in a low voice, and the small wooden spirit transformed into a wooden sword and flew into his hand.

With the Dharma sword in hand, Qiu Zhen, who was circulating the Thunder Qi within him, faintly discovered that the connection between his divine soul and heaven and earth had become purer.

"Tonight, the dark clouds are rolling, it's a good time to perform rituals and summon thunder!"

Qiu Zhen looked up at the sky, his heart surging.

The most powerful thunder technique he had was the [Golden Light Thunder Talisman], which posed a great threat to Xiantian martial artists and Yin God experts, and was one of his mainstays. However, the [Golden Light Thunder Talisman] could not injure people from several li away.

Unless, the Yin God left the body.

However, that was too risky, even more risky than his main body, Qiu Zhen, acting in person.

The best way was to control the thunder and kill the demonic and evil unorthodox cultivators from several li away.

In the "Qingwei Dan Jue," there is a technique called [Qingwei Calls Thunder to Immediately Respond to the Talisman], which can control thunder and summon thunder to eliminate demons.

Among all techniques, thunder techniques are the strongest. By controlling thunder, what demon or evil spirit cannot be eliminated.

In fact, with his current cultivation, he couldn't actually control thunder yet.

However, with the small wooden spirit, it was different.

The small wooden spirit was a divine wood struck by lightning, naturally gathering the extremely strong and pure power of the Five Thunders.

With the evil-warding Dharma sword as a medium, if the heavens were favorable and there was a thunder-generating weather phenomenon, he, who possessed the Nascent Soul Dharma Body, would have the hope of "using four taels to move a thousand catties," summoning thunder to eliminate demons and act on behalf of heaven.

Qiu Zhen held the divine sword made of jujube wood struck by lightning, performed the steps of the Big Dipper, recited the Pure Mouth Mantra, Pure Heart Mantra, and Pure Body Mantra, contemplated the "Yin and Yang Thunder Gods" within his body, and resonated with the Dharma sword transformed from the small wooden spirit.

"Sizzle sizzle!"

In the next moment, Qiu Zhen's clothes fluttered, the strong wind surged, and thunder wrapped around his body. Thunder talismans actually appeared out of thin air in the void, circling around him, making him look like a Thunder God.

Deep in his sea of consciousness, the Nascent Soul Qiu Zhen suddenly opened his eyes, which shone with golden light.

While performing the steps of the Big Dipper, a golden pattern appeared on Qiu Zhen's forehead, faintly revealing a vertical eye.

With the blessing of the Nascent Soul Dharma Body, at this moment, he was free from internal and external dust, pure and perfectly clear, his body and mind equal to the void.

Faintly, he even had a feeling of "I am heaven and earth, heaven and earth are me, forgetting each other."

"It's really working!"

Qiu Zhen's heart surged.

With the help of the Nascent Soul Dharma Body, the small wooden spirit, and the timing, he performed [Controlling Thunder] for the first time, and it went incredibly smoothly, reaching the state of "body and mind united, mind and heaven united."

It was precisely when Qiu Zhen was performing the ritual.

Several li away, suddenly, a strong wind blew through the mountain ridges, whistling and rolling.

In an instant, clouds and mist arose around Mu Sheng and Moon Rong, blowing away in all directions. The children's cries and the small sheep's "baa baa" bleating mingled together.

"Uncle, what happened?"

Seeing this, Moon Rong felt very nervous. Without the cover of clouds and mist for their figures and voices, the children's crying and the small sheep's bleating made quite a noise. If it attracted the patrolling martial artists of Qingmu, it would be big trouble.

"Someone performed a ritual to break our spell."

Mu Sheng's expression sank, but there was no fear on his face. He flicked his wide robe.

Two gray lights flashed, and two mechanical beasts, each ten feet tall, protected Mu Sheng's side.

One tiger and one leopard, each mechanical beast exuded a powerful aura, faintly possessing the momentum of Xiantian level demonic beasts.

Perhaps because he had the mechanical beasts protecting him, Mu Sheng became much tougher. He released his divine sense, observing in all directions, cupped his hands towards the surrounding hills in the distance, and transmitted his divine sense, reverberating around:

"May I ask which fellow Daoist has made a move? We are just passing by, please do not misunderstand, fellow Daoist."

In the void, an old voice transmitted through divine sense vibration.

"Associating with the unorthodox Way of Thieves and their sheep-leading, gathering young boys and girls, and practicing illicit techniques, do you people even deserve to be called fellow Daoists by this old Daoist?"

Mu Sheng and Moon Rong's expressions turned extremely ugly upon hearing these words.

A true cultivator with the Dao.

They had actually encountered a true cultivator with the Dao.

In today's cultivation world, unorthodox and evil paths run rampant, and cultivators have become "demons and evil spirits." It is truly the Age of Dharma Decline. Many cultivators, in such a cruel and dark environment, have given up on the "righteous path."

Instead of "consuming oneself internally" and cultivating one's character, it's better to control demons with demons. As long as one is more ruthless than the demonic cultivator, the demonic cultivator will also be obedient.

However, it must be said that in today's cultivation world, there are still true "true cultivators with the Dao." They temper their character, unify knowledge and action, and have the style of ancient cultivators.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh ~"

The surrounding wind was strong.

Sand and stones flew.

Clouds and mist rolled in.

Seeing this strange phenomenon, Moon Rong's beautiful face was full of surprise:

"Uncle, what path is the other party's Dao technique on? It actually has such momentum."

"I don't know."

Mu Sheng's expression was serious, looking around:

"Be careful of the surrounding clouds and mist. He might be trying to fish in troubled waters and abduct this group of little ones."

Several li away, on the hill.

Qiu Zhen stood on the altar, wrapped in thunder, his momentum like a rainbow. He looked up at the sky and saw that the time was right. He immediately drew the talisman [Qingwei Calls Thunder to Immediately Respond to the Talisman] with his eyes, and chanted the incantation:

"Thunder commands, summon all spirits. Up to the boundless, down to the netherworld. I obey the Emperor's command, summon you to come. If you disobey the Emperor's command, it is like disobeying Yuqing. Hurry, hurry, as commanded by the law."

As Qiu Zhen shouted loudly.

In an instant, the wind and clouds surged in the mountains.

Mu Sheng and Moon Rong's divine senses swept around, constantly watching the rolling clouds and mist, fearing that killing intent would suddenly appear in the mountain wind and clouds.

Especially Mu Sheng, his expression was fierce.

He had two great Xiantian wooden puppets protecting him. No matter what situation he encountered, he could handle it to some extent and was not afraid of fighting with others.

"Baa baa!"

The small sheep cried out in unison, all raising their heads.

Mu Sheng and Moon Rong also sensed something at the first moment, having a feeling before the small sheep discovered the abnormality. They immediately withdrew their divine senses that were observing the surroundings and looked up.

Just then, above the sky, after a rumble, thunder exploded.

Two white lights, twisted like snakes, descended from the sky.

The white lightning was unusually fast.

"Uncle, this thunder is coming towards us. His spell comes from the sky."

"Controlling thunder! How is this possible! Could it be that he is an old monster who has awakened his Nascent Soul!"

Mu Sheng was a Yin God expert, his divine sense was sharp. He immediately rose into the air to dodge, a black light appearing around his body to protect him, and he also summoned the two Xiantian level mechanical beasts in front of him to block the disaster.

"Boom!"

Two white lightning bolts descended from the sky, unusually fast, striking the two of them.

"Crack!"

The young woman Moon Rong's body, which was flying in the air, was struck by thunder. Her body instantly became stiff, as if suspended in the air, hanging in the air for a while.

With a "thump."

The young woman fell to the ground cooked, her beautiful face becoming even more charred.

On the other side, although the Yin God expert Mu Sheng had two large mechanical beasts blocking the disaster around him, under the thunder, the two large mechanical beasts were instantly blown to pieces. The terrifying power of thunder was unobstructed, striking his body, and the black light shield was like thin paper.

His body also stiffened, and he lay on the ground, his whole body burned and charred.

In front of heavenly thunder, as a Yin God expert, his fate was not much better than Moon Rong's.

"Sizzle sizzle ~"

In the mountain ridges, thunder qi was generated, purifying the demonic and evil ghost qi.

In an instant, the surrounding "baa baa" sounds disappeared, replaced by the children's exclamations:

"Immortal, we met an immortal."

"Immortal Grandpa!"

"Immortal Grandpa who saves the suffering and helps the needy!"