Seeking Immortality

He gently reached out and pushed open the courtyard door in front of him, or because the courtyard door had not been opened or closed for a long time, there was an extremely obvious and harsh "squeak" sound.

The courtyard was covered with dust and looked a bit lonely and decadent. However, this was because Zhang Hualing had prohibited anyone from entering his courtyard over the years. The courtyards where other sect leaders and monks lived had arranged for low-level monks to clean them regularly, but only Zhang Hualing's did not. .

Xu Qingfan sighed slightly, but he could understand the pain that Zhang Hualing suffered from the invasion of evil spirits after resisting the transformation of the secret method over the years. Zhang Hualing had already arranged a way out for himself, which was to give his soul beads to Xu Qingfan. In this way, Xu Qingfan Not only can the extent of Zhang Hualing's evil invasion be judged by the changes in the soul bead, but when things are irreversible, Xu Qingfan can also use the soul bead to restrain Zhang Hualing and then kill him...

Because of this decision, Xu Qingfan began to truly believe in Zhang Hualing and truly understood the sacrifices Zhang Hualing had made for Jiuhua.

Over the years, Xu Qingfan has often observed the situation of Zhang Hualing's soul bead. The blue soul bead has been penetrated by red threads, which means that Zhang Hualing's situation is no longer optimistic. However, under Zhang Hualing's strong resistance, , but it is far from reaching the point of no return.

It has to be said that Zhang Hualing's resistance to the evil spirit was beyond Xu Qingfan's expectation. It has been nearly a month since Zhang Hualing was invaded by the evil spirit, but he still resisted the invasion of the evil spirit, so much so that... Now, the evil energy that makes ordinary monks change their colors after hearing this invades the mind, but it still has no particularly obvious impact on Zhang Hualing.

It's not that the invasion of evil spirits into the mind is not as troublesome as Xu Qingfan imagined, but under Zhang Hualing's seemingly ordinary appearance, there is hidden pain and effort to resist that is beyond ordinary people's imagination. That kind of great perseverance, Xu Qingfan thought about it, I don't think I can do it myself.

Because of this, Xu Qingfan also admired Zhang Hualing even more. I admire his perseverance and the sacrifice he has made for Jiuhua.

I sighed in my heart. Xu Qingfan strolled to the small house in the courtyard and was about to knock on the door again to ask. Zhang Hualing's voice sounded again inside the door.

"No need to be so polite, come in."

When I pushed the door open, the "squeaking" sound was still there.

Inside the door, in the room, on the bed, in the shadows, Zhang Hualing was sitting cross-legged. Looking through the shadows, Xu Qingfan seemed to be able to see Zhang Hualing's deep fatigue through his eyes and body as he fought against evil all the time. Deep into the soul.

Speaking of which, the last time Xu Qingfan saw Zhang Hualing was a year ago. At that time, Xu Qingfan looked at Zhang Hualing's fatigue and wondered whether Zhang Hualing could continue to hold on. See you again in a year. Zhang Hualing held on. . The evil spirit still failed to control him, but the fatigue became more profound. undoubtedly. The invasion of evil spirits became more and more violent.

And Xu Qingfan, looking at Zhang Hualing's old face, but still the same as a year and a half ago, secretly thought: "Zhang Hualing, how long can he last?"

Or faith and perseverance can represent his strength and resilience when resisting the invasion of evil spirits, but faith and perseverance have an end after all.

At that time, Zhang Hualing wanted to save his life. And use secret techniques to transform your body. He regained his youth for a time, but was also invaded by evil spirits. After suffering a period of pain, his body only regained its youth for less than a period of time before aging faster due to pain again.

Yes? Is it a loss?

And Xu Qingfan only knows that Jiuhua has been stable for the past sixty years because of Zhang Hualing, or is this enough for Zhang Hualing? Or, whether it is worth it or not, only the person involved will always know best. If Zhang Hualing thinks that his life and pain are worth it, then to him, it is indeed worth it.

Xu Qingfan looked at Zhang Hualing in the shadow with complicated eyes, but Zhang Hualing seemed unaware, or in front of Xu Qingfan, he did not want to show his pain, and the dignity of the leader and elders still needed to be maintained.

Xu Qingfan also understood this. After entering the room, he did not ask about Zhang Hualing's situation. Instead, he reported to Zhang Hualing the situation between him and Jiuhua in detail over the years. He didn't know whether Zhang Hualing had devoted himself to resisting evil spirits over the years and whether he cared about it. Live some.

After listening to Xu Qingfan's words, Zhang Hualing was silent for a moment and said slowly: "You have done very well. If it were me, I might not be able to do better. Although I have shown some sharpness, it will be very important to you in the future." It is beneficial to control Jiuhua, but it cannot be said to be wrong. "

Then, Zhang Hualing seemed to remember something and asked again: "The Xingyin Sect hasn't done anything in the past two years, right?"

Xu Qingfan replied respectfully: "No, there are not many monks in the Xingyin Sect's alchemy stage. After the destruction of the Xingyin Sect team, the strength of this sect has been greatly reduced, and it has gradually lost its status in the Righteous Alliance. For me, The door no longer poses a threat."

The Jiuhua Squadron suffered heavy casualties that year. In addition to the reason why several elders of the older generation ignored Xu Qingfan's command and led everyone to take action without authorization, the Xingyin Sect Squadron, which was supposed to support each other and the Jiuhua Squadron, was also a major reason for not saving their lives.

Originally, with Xu Qingfan's temper, although he would be angry at the behavior of the "Xingyin Sect" team, he might retaliate, but it would never be violent. It is strange that the "Xingyin Sect" disciples were gloating after they suffered heavy losses in Jiuhua. Even make some sarcastic remarks, such as "Jiuhua is so unbearable as a holy land. It can kill and injure half of the people in one action. It really does not deserve to continue to be a holy land. The real holy land should be those powerful sects, such as our Xingyin Sect." .

Xu Qingfan also planted the seeds of hatred towards the "Xingyin Sect" because of this, and in the operation to wipe out "Ying" soon after, he designed the "Xingyin Sect" team to become cannon fodder, so that Xu Qingfan could successfully complete the mission. , but it also greatly offended the "Xingyin Sect", so Zhang Hualing asked this question.

Seeing that Xu Qingfan's expression was dull and he didn't seem to take the Xingyin Sect seriously, Zhang Hualing was silent for a while. In order to better train Xu Qingfan, or because he was concerned about his own hidden evil, Zhang Hualing no longer interfered in many things. Let Xu Qingfan do what he did, and sometimes even though he felt it was inappropriate, he would not refute. For example, this time, Zhang Hualing just said lightly after silence: "Hate makes people scary. It's better to be careful."

Xu Qingfan bowed and said respectfully: "Disciple knows that I have been sending people to monitor the Xingyin Sect these years."

Zhang Hualing nodded. When he spoke again, there was doubt in his voice, and he asked: "Since everything goes well, why do you come to my place this time?"

Indeed, either he didn't want to see Zhang Hualing's tired look, or he wanted Zhang Hualing to feel at ease and resist the invasion of evil spirits for the past seven years. Unless something big happens, such as planning to attack the Xingyin Sect or punishing the older generation of elders in the sect, other than that. Xu Qingfan has never been to this courtyard again.

Sometimes, Xu Qingfan also wonders, is he doing this because he subconsciously wants to control Jiuhua alone, wants to get rid of Zhang Hualing's influence, and let Jiuhua move along the trajectory he envisioned?

Of course, this thought is just a fleeting, subconscious thought in my spare time. Who can tell?

However, after hearing Zhang Hualing's words, Xu Qingfan couldn't help but feel a flash of shame in his heart. But he did not show these four shames, but his voice became more respectful, and he frowned in a low voice and said: "It is the disciple who encountered some strange things in the past two days."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan slowly told Zhang Hualing how he and the strong man met and separated, and even how he met the little beast later. These things were so strange that only Zhang Hualing could explain them to him so far. Got the idea.

However, Xu Qingfan hesitated slightly during this period, but he replaced the "Heaven-Defying Sword" as "an important thing that was obtained by accident in the past. If it is obtained by evil means, it will cause catastrophe." But Zhang Hualing also knew Xu Qingfan's concerns. It seems that he has no confidence in whether he can resist the evil spirit in the end. So I didn't ask in detail, I just frowned and listened carefully to Xu Qingfan's story. There was a look of surprise and uncertainty in his eyes. He seemed to be surprised by Xu Qingfan's experiences these days.

"Generally speaking, with the character and arrogance of the Mahayana master, the reason why he kept those four treasures is not to make you owe him a favor, because doing so is undoubtedly tantamount to trying to please you. I think he So doing this seems to be simply to help you grow, but the purpose is not something I can think of. "

Zhang Hualing frowned and said.

"Are you saying that I can use these four treasures with confidence?"

Xu Qingfan asked.

Zhang Hualing nodded and said: "As you thought, you can take those three Immortality Pills first. Although they are precious, I, Jiuhua, cannot afford to repay this favor. The Summoning Dragon Order is also very useful. With that, It means that I, Jiuhua, have a Mahayana master to help me within a certain period of time, which is of great help. At worst, I will pay him back."

It seems that Zhang Hualing strongly agrees with Xu Qingfan's rogue behavior, or as a leader, he must be more or less rogue.

After a slight hesitation, Zhang Hualing added, "It's okay for you to know this matter and for me to know it. Don't say anything to Gongsun Huasuo."

Xu Qingfan said: "Disciple naturally understands."

Over the years, Xu Qingfan's reputation has greatly increased, but Gongsun Huasuo's attitude has become weird. He is almost more supportive of Xu Qingfan than Zhang Hualing on weekdays, but he has gained the trust and favor of many younger generation elders. In this way, Zhang Hualing stayed away all year round, and Gongsun Huasuo acted like Xu Qingfan. Jiuhua had almost always relied on Xu Qingfan's decision-making in the years of being in the Righteous Alliance.

However, Xu Qingfan and Zhang Hualing also knew that although Gongsun Huasuo's attitude had changed drastically, he still often told the elders of the older generation who could not understand Xu Qingfan how domineering and immature Xu Qingfan was, and the reason why he supported Xu Qingfan was just for stability. With this in mind, in addition to gaining the favor of the younger generation of elders, he did not lose closeness with the older generation of elders who were originally at odds with Xu Qingfan.

What's strange is that although Gongsun Huasuo has concealed his flattery behavior from almost all Jiuhua elders, he has no intention of hiding it from Xu Qingfan and Zhang Hualing, but they don't know what he is thinking in his heart. What.

Because of this, Xu Qingfan, who was originally wary of Gongsun Huasuo, and Zhang Hualing, who was determined to pave the way for Xu Qingfan to take over Jiuhua, became more and more wary of Gongsun Huasuo.

After settling Xu Qingfan, Zhang Hualing began to look at the little beast in Xu Qingfan's arms. After listening to Xu Qingfan's story, in Zhang Hualing's view, this seemingly cute and harmless little beast was extremely elegant and majestic in its actions. The mystery is no less mysterious than that of the Mahayana master.

The quiet room was disrupted by the faint roar of earthly pets coming from various places in "Ronghua Mountain".

After looking at it for a while. Zhang Hualing suddenly frowned and asked: "Qingfan, just now you said that you had laid up a total of several layers of barriers in order to hide the aura of this little beast?"

Xu Qingfan was slightly stunned, not knowing why Zhang Hualing asked these questions, but he still replied: "Thirteen ways."

As he said that, Xu Qingfan's eyes followed Zhang Hualing's. Looking towards Xiao Jin in his arms, he was surprised to find various aura-hiding barriers surrounding the little beast. There are only two or three left.

This mysterious little beast can actually swallow the barrier around it unconsciously? But when he heard the increasingly obvious roars of the spiritual pets outside the house, he seemed to be losing control again. Recalling the previous scene of the large group of spiritual pets rushing toward him, Xu Qingfan's face turned pale, but he couldn't care less about being surprised. The changes continued, but more than ten barriers were placed on this little beast. After a while, the roar of wild beasts outside the house gradually subsided. Only then did Xu Qingfan let out a long breath again.

After running around in a hurry, he looked at Xiao Jin with even more curiosity. How many secrets was hidden in this little beast?

Zhang Hualing sighed: "This little beast seems to have never appeared in the world of immortality. Looking back on the monsters I know, none of them are similar to it, but it itself is so magical. It is really incredible. ”

After a pause, Zhang Hualing continued: "Although I don't know what kind it is, since it is so magical, it may be useful in the future. What's more, this little beast still has the potential to evolve into a heaven-level monster. But it can't Feel free to give up. It’s just that this little beast can make the beasts go crazy, and it’s so magical. It’s also troublesome. I won’t need you to bless it from time to time.”

Thinking about the barrier that he had given to Xiao Jin before, it disappeared within just two sticks of incense. Once there was no barrier to hide the aura, it would cause the beasts to go crazy. Xu Qingfan couldn't help but feel a pained expression on his face. Could it be that in the future? Is it necessary to keep an eye on this little beast every day and apply a hundred blessings to form a barrier?

Zhang Hualing also thought about the trouble, frowned and thought about it, but he took out a green and red jade pendant from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Qingfan, and said slowly: "Hiding this square jade pendant on this little beast can help You hide its aura and save yourself some effort."

Hearing what Zhang Hualing said, Xu Qingfan's face lit up with joy, he hurriedly bowed to express his thanks, took the jade pendant and tied it around Xiao Jin's neck.

Xiao Jin seemed to be very interested in this decoration and kept twirling it with his little paws.

A butterfly flapping its wings in the East China Sea may cause a terrifying storm in Xisha. Now Zhang Hualing and Xu Qingfan don't know what kind of havoc their unintentional decision has brought to the vast land of China...

After doing all this, Xu Qingfan frowned and said: "Uncle Master, since the disciple has obtained these three elixirs, it will take a certain amount of time to refine them after taking them, but he can no longer lead the team. Uncle, I don't know. Can you talk to the other leaders and ask the Jiuhua team to suspend operations for some time? "

As he said that, a trace of guilt appeared on Xu Qingfan's face, and he added: "There is also Junior Brother Jin. His cultivation at this time should have been in retreat and broke through the Golden Core stage, but he kept delaying it because he insisted on taking action with me. But it’s also time for him to retreat and practice properly.”

"Indeed, it's time for Jin Qinghan to break through to the golden elixir stage. And under Mr. Liu's instructions over the years, your understanding of the way of heaven has become increasingly profound. You just lack some improvement in spiritual energy skills." Zhang Hualing pointed. He nodded, but suddenly remembered something, and said: "I'm afraid not yet. As far as I know, the next mission of Jiuhua Team has been decided. If you want to retreat, you still need to complete that mission now. OK."

"What mission?" Xu Qingfan asked.