I forge eternal life with the Dao seed

Midway up Niu Jiao Mountain, within a secluded forest—

Zhao Heng waved away the buzzing flies swarming around him, shifted his numb legs, and stared at the empty mountain path in front of him with a puzzled expression.

"What's going on? Why haven't they shown up yet?"

Zhao Heng's original plan was to circle around the side of Niu Jiao Mountain to the back, setting up ambushes along the way. Once he was ready, he would appear on the mountain path connecting the front and back hills, luring Liu Hong and his group into his traps.

According to his calculations, Liu Hong and the others should have arrived here by now after failing to find him on the front mountain.

Yet, after waiting for an entire hour, there was still no sign of them.

"Could they have lost my trail? Or did they run into a Tier-3 Mystic Beast on the way and get wiped out? Or maybe…"

Zhao Heng's thoughts raced, considering various possibilities.

"Could those guys still be lying in ambush at the base of the mountain, waiting for me to come down?"

After going through numerous potential scenarios in his head and waiting a while longer, Zhao Heng finally decided to change his strategy.

He would start collecting materials on the back mountain and use the opportunity to monitor for any signs of his pursuers. If he spotted them, he could then lead them into his traps.

It seemed Zhao Heng's luck was in his favor.

In just half a day, he managed to gather several materials needed to refine the Bone Tempering Pill. Although he encountered a few Tier-1 Mystic Beasts, they were easily dealt with.

By evening, as the sky began to darken, Zhao Heng found a concealed tree hollow to use as shelter.

He blocked the entrance with loose stones, spread some hay to make a mat, and took out a roast chicken from his bag. Pairing it with some still-warm wine from his flask, he enjoyed a hearty meal.

The warmth of the food and drink spread through his body, filling him with a sense of comfort and contentment.

After eating his fill and letting out a satisfied burp, Zhao Heng sat cross-legged and began meditating.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain—

By a damp and chilling mountain stream, a few figures huddled in the corner of a rocky valley.

The biting cold wind howled through the area, occasionally accompanied by eerie wolf howls in the distance.

The combination of hunger, exhaustion, and the constant threat of mystic beasts left fear written across their faces.

One of them couldn't hold back any longer and muttered, shivering, "Liu Steward, where do you think Zhao Heng has gone? And don't forget the demonic cultivators from Hehua Sect—they're probably still hunting us. Add to that the mystic beasts on this mountain… And with our provisions lost, maybe we should consider heading back down the mountain?"

"Shut up!"

Liu Hong, who was sitting cross-legged in the corner, snapped coldly.

Under the pale moonlight, his face looked as though it was covered in frost, his expression grim and dark.

Liu Hong was in a terrible mood.

When he had set out that day, his plan was to quickly take care of Zhao Heng. He didn't expect to lose Zhao Heng's trail, and things had only gone downhill from there.

On the way up the mountain, they had been ambushed by demonic cultivators from the Hehua Sect.

For some reason, the moment they heard his name, the demonic cultivators charged at him like mad dogs.

Fortunately, their strongest members were only at the ninth level of the Body Refinement Realm. Despite being outnumbered, Liu Hong and his group managed to repel them.

Liu Hong thought that once they had fended off the Hehua Sect's forces, they could resume their search for Zhao Heng without issue.

But to his dismay, the Hehua Sect had more than one ambush waiting for them. Along the mountain trail, they encountered numerous traps—and worse still, a Bone Refinement Realm cultivator from the Hehua Sect had joined the fray.

Liu Hong and his subordinates fought fiercely, narrowly escaping the encirclement. They eventually found this rocky valley as a temporary hiding place.

To make matters worse, much of their gear and provisions had been lost during the battles.

Now, unable to venture out to hunt mystic beasts at night, they could do nothing but endure the cold and hunger.

Recalling the day's events, Liu Hong felt an overwhelming sense of frustration, anger, and helplessness.

He let out a long breath, his gaze sweeping over his battered group. **"It's too late to descend the mountain now. We'd risk running into mystic beasts, not to mention those Hehua Sect scoundrels.

"We'll rest here for the night. At first light, we'll find some food, recover our strength, and resume searching for Zhao Heng."

Though his subordinates wanted to protest, they had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

Elsewhere, in a hidden cave on Niu Jiao Mountain—

The flickering light of a fire illuminated the cave, where a group of fierce-looking men and women in gray-black robes had gathered.

At the center stood a one-eyed, bald man, his piercing gaze sweeping over the group.

"Brothers and sisters!" he barked in a harsh tone. **"The Hehua Sect has been in decline for far too long. Now, under the leadership of our Young Sect Master, we have the chance to reclaim our former glory!

"The Yuhua Sect has gone too far—killing our disciples and insulting our sect. We must strike back and show the world that the Hehua Sect is not to be trifled with!"

"Strike back! Make them pay!" the crowd roared in agreement.

Someone asked, "Senior Brother, what are our next steps?"

The one-eyed man's gaze turned icy. **"That steward, Liu Hong, may be formidable, but we have numbers on our side.

**"We've already blocked the path down the mountain, and our sentries are stationed across the front peak. They're surrounded.

"Tomorrow at dawn, we'll launch a full-scale search. We'll crush them and send a message to anyone who dares to insult the Hehua Sect!"

The next morning—

Zhao Heng emerged from his tree hollow, feeling refreshed and energized after a night of rest.

After hiding the entrance to his shelter, he spent the morning combing the back mountain for herbs.

Yet, despite his efforts, he still found no trace of Liu Hong or his group.

"Seriously? How are these guys so slow? They couldn't catch up with a steaming pile of dung!" Zhao Heng muttered to himself, a mix of exasperation and amusement.

He considered venturing into other areas to search for them but decided against it, wary of potential ambushes. Instead, he resolved to stay on the back mountain and continue gathering resources while keeping an eye out.

Three days passed.

Thanks to his exceptional strength, Zhao Heng scoured the outer areas of the back mountain, collecting over half the ingredients needed for the Bone Tempering Pill. He also killed more than a dozen Tier-1 Mystic Beasts, making significant progress.

Yet, to his frustration, there was still no sign of Liu Hong's group.

"By now, they should've expanded their search to the back mountain after not finding me on the front peak. Why hasn't that happened?"

The situation felt increasingly strange.

After some hesitation, Zhao Heng decided to head toward the front mountain to investigate.

Moving cautiously, he followed a steep, hidden trail toward the front peak, using his Qi Observation Technique to stay alert for any movements or traces.

Before long, Zhao Heng began to notice signs of a struggle—trampled ground, broken branches, and scattered footprints.

Following the trail further, he came across several corpses.

Most of them were dressed in gray-black robes, their appearance marking them as demonic cultivators. Among them, however, were two disciples from the Yuhua Sect's Servants' Peak.

Both sides bore the marks of fierce combat, with grievous injuries evident on their bodies.

Curiously, their belongings had not been looted, suggesting that the battle was still ongoing rather than having concluded.

Piecing together the evidence, Zhao Heng quickly deduced what had happened.

Liu Hong's group hadn't been avoiding him; they had been locked in a bloody conflict with another party on the front mountain—likely the Hehua Sect.

"What terrible luck for Liu Hong. Of all the people to run into, it had to be his enemies."

Still, Zhao Heng couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"The crane and the clam are at each other's throats… and I'm the fisherman poised to reap the benefits."

An opportunity like this to capitalize on the chaos was not something Zhao Heng would let slip through his fingers.

Zhao Heng followed the trail of the fighting parties, tracking their movements while scavenging for spoils along the way.

As he progressed, he discovered numerous corpses of black-clad individuals. Most of them had purple lips and darkened foreheads, clear signs of having been poisoned.

This made Zhao Heng wary. He quickly took precautions against poison and continued his pursuit.

After tracking them for seven or eight li (miles), Zhao Heng had reaped a considerable haul from scavenging the battlefield.

When he approached a clearing in the woods, the sounds of clashing weapons and furious combat reached his ears.

Hiding behind a large boulder and some wild grass, Zhao Heng peeked out. He saw two groups locked in intense battle about ten zhang (thirty meters) away.

One group consisted of seven individuals, all dressed in gray-black combat attire. The other group had only four, each wearing the uniform of the Yuhua Sect's servant disciples.

Although the Yuhua Sect disciples were outnumbered, the seven gray-clad fighters seemed to have been poisoned. Their movements were sluggish, causing them to fall back repeatedly.

Within moments, the four servant disciples overwhelmed and killed all seven opponents.

The leader of the group looked at the fallen enemies and couldn't hide his excitement.

"Liu Steward's poison is incredible! These demonic scum barely had any combat strength."

Another person replied, "Enough talk! Let's go help Liu Steward finish off that Hehua Sect leader, then we can find Zhao Heng."

A third chimed in angrily, "Right. We've suffered so much because of that brat Zhao Heng. When we find him, we'll skin him alive and make him wish he were dead!"

The four were practically seething with rage, blaming all their recent misfortunes on Zhao Heng.

As they prepared to move to another battlefield and sprinted toward the other side of the clearing—

"Whoosh!"

From a dense patch of grass, a blade flashed like lightning, striking with sudden fierceness.

One of the four disciples, a Body Refinement Realm warrior at the eighth level, was caught off guard. The blade pierced his throat, and blood sprayed out like an arrow.

The attack was so abrupt that the remaining three disciples instinctively retreated, staring at the patch of grass in shock.

"Who's there?"

The grass parted, revealing a young man in black clothing with a lean build. His bright, dark eyes gleamed as he stepped out, holding a blood-stained short blade.

With an innocent expression on his face, he looked at the three disciples and said, "Senior brothers, were you looking for me?"

The moment the three saw the young man's face, their pupils contracted sharply in shock.

"Zhao Heng!"

But after the initial shock, murderous intent filled their eyes.

"You brat! You actually dare show yourself!"

"Brothers, let's kill him! Then this mission will be a complete success!"

The three immediately lunged at Zhao Heng. Their movements were swift and precise, revealing that all three were at the ninth level of the Body Refinement Realm.

For this operation, Liu Hong had not only come personally but had also brought his most trusted and elite subordinates, aiming to ensure Zhao Heng's death without any slip-ups.

Though they were aware of Zhao Heng's cunning, their confidence in their ninth-level Body Refinement abilities made them fearless. Even against a Bone Refinement cultivator, they believed they could hold their own in a fight.

Facing the combined assault of the three, Zhao Heng instinctively adopted a cautious stance.

He moved deftly, his feet shifting smoothly to control the battlefield. With his fists ready to block from all sides and his blade poised to counter, he kept powdered lime and Soft Tendon Powder at hand, prepared to use any means necessary.

However, after just a brief exchange of blows, Zhao Heng realized something peculiar.

The strength of his opponents was mediocre at best.

Their movements, while quick, felt clumsy compared to his own agility. They couldn't even touch the hem of his clothing.

Seeing that the trio was already showing signs of exhaustion, Zhao Heng decided to stop holding back.

Activating his Bone Transformation Steps, his figure became a blur, weaving like a ghost through the three of them.

His short blade, the Black Gold Leopard-Head Dagger, gleamed with a dark light as it slashed through the air, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

In one fluid motion, he slit the throat of one opponent. As his blade passed through, he spun it around and drove it into the chest of a second disciple.

The second disciple let out a muffled groan, his eyes widening in disbelief. Even as the light faded from his gaze, his hands desperately clung to Zhao Heng's blade.

The third disciple seized the moment to strike, channeling all his strength into a powerful palm strike aimed at Zhao Heng's face.

This was an entry-level palm technique, but the raw force behind it was impressive.

Zhao Heng, however, remained unfazed. He raised his left hand and countered with a punch.

The punch was simple yet robust, carrying an unstoppable momentum.

"Crack!"

The sound of bones snapping echoed as Zhao Heng's punch shattered the disciple's wrist, dispersing the force of the palm strike.

But Zhao Heng's punch didn't stop there—it continued forward like a cannonball, slamming into the disciple's chest.

"Boom!"

The disciple was sent flying several meters, blood spurting from his mouth. His chest caved in, and his lifeless body hit the ground with eyes wide open.

In the blink of an eye, a Body Refinement Realm warrior at the eighth level and three at the ninth level were all slain by Zhao Heng.

The entire exchange lasted no more than a few dozen breaths.

After finishing the fight, Zhao Heng calmly pulled his dagger from the chest of the second disciple. As he wiped the blood from the blade, he muttered to himself:

"All of them were at the ninth level of Body Refinement… Why were they so weak? Well, at least I didn't need to waste my lime powder."

[--------------------------------------------]

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