I forge eternal life with the Dao seed

Three days later, Zhao Heng woke up early. Today was the day he would set out to complete the sect mission.

He had already requested leave from Yun Qingxue, so he wouldn't need to tend to the herb garden for the time being.

After quickly packing his belongings, Zhao Heng hurried to a pavilion at the southeastern border of the sect. This was the meeting point for the four members of their team.

When Zhao Heng arrived, he spotted two familiar figures standing in the pavilion from a distance.

As he approached, he was surprised to see who they were.

"Senior Brother Ye, Senior Sister Xiao!"

The two were none other than Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er, who had ranked in the top three alongside Zhao Heng during the servant disciple assessment.

Zhao Heng's Qi Observation Technique had now reached a minor mastery level, and with a single glance, he could sense the vigorous life force within their bodies, far surpassing their previous levels. It was clear that both had also stepped into the Bone Forging Realm.

However, since both had already been on the verge of entering the Bone Forging Realm, their advancement wasn't particularly surprising.

Compared to Zhao Heng's mild surprise, Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er were utterly shocked when they saw him.

"Junior Brother Zhao, you... why are you here? Did you also sign up for this mission?"

Zhao Heng nodded with a wry smile. Seeing that both were still dressed in servant disciple attire, he guessed that they had recently broken through and were now completing their outer sect assessment mission.

This mission was one of the simplest human-grade tasks recently issued, so it made sense that they had all chosen it.

When Zhao Heng confirmed, Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er scrutinized him for a long time, still unable to believe it.

Xiao Chun'er couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Zhao, have you also entered the Bone Forging Realm?"

Zhao Heng nodded modestly. "Just luck, really."

Hearing this, Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er exchanged glances, their emotions visibly unsettled.

Previously, even though Zhao Heng had ranked in the top three during the assessment, they had looked down on him, considering themselves superior due to their higher cultivation. They had never treated him as an equal.

Now, seeing Zhao Heng reach the same realm as them and on the verge of becoming an outer sect disciple, their attitudes underwent a significant shift.

Ye Bufan forced a stiff smile and glanced at Zhao Heng. "Junior Brother Zhao, since we're all familiar with each other, I'll give you some advice.

Cultivation should be taken step by step. Relying on pills to forcibly boost your cultivation will only lead to an unstable foundation. You won't get far."

Zhao Heng immediately understood that Ye Bufan thought he had used pills to artificially raise his cultivation level.

Xiao Chun'er chimed in with a strange expression, "Junior Brother Zhao, you've got quite the skills. Just after becoming Senior Sister Yun's servant, you've already latched onto her coattails. How does it feel to rely on a woman for your success?"

The two of them took turns mocking and belittling Zhao Heng.

Zhao Heng chuckled dryly and didn't bother explaining. He knew it would be pointless.

In his past life, he had encountered plenty of people like this—those who couldn't stand to see others succeed. They were the type who would pity their friends' struggles but secretly resent their successes.

As long as he could complete the mission, he didn't mind letting them indulge in their petty superiority complex.

Sure enough, seeing that Zhao Heng didn't deny their accusations, the two began to flaunt their own achievements.

One boasted about mastering a new martial technique, while the other talked about a new breakthrough opportunity...

As they engaged in mutual admiration, they also exchanged flirtatious glances, clearly developing a connection.

Zhao Heng cursed them silently as "shameless lovers" and turned away.

Just then, he noticed a graceful figure approaching from a distance.

It was a young woman in a green dress, her hair tied in a delicate bun. Her skin was as fair as jade, her features as exquisite as fine porcelain. Her slender waist and pearly teeth complemented her elegant figure, which was just beginning to blossom into maturity.

The girl's beauty was striking, her pure and charming demeanor unforgettable at first glance.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Sisters... Are you also heading to Autumn Moon City for the mission?"

Her voice was soft and melodious, like the sound of pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Not only Zhao Heng, but Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er were also captivated by her.

Ye Bufan's eyes lit up, and he immediately stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting. "I am Ye Bufan, the top scorer in this year's servant disciple assessment. You seem unfamiliar, Junior Sister. May I ask your name?"

The girl blushed slightly under Ye Bufan's intense gaze and took a small step back.

"I... I'm Xu Yanran. My family sent me to Yuhua Sect to participate in the outer sect assessment."

"Xu Yanran? From a family?"

Hearing these keywords, Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er's expressions changed slightly. Observing the girl's attire and demeanor, Ye Bufan seemed to realize something.

"Miss Xu, could you be from one of the Five Great Families, the Xu family?"

In the True Martial Realm, aside from the major sects of the righteous and demonic paths, there were also several ancient martial families with considerable influence.

Among them were the Five Great Families, which had close ties to the righteous sects and had been prominent for centuries.

Unlike Zhao Heng and the others, who came from humble backgrounds, the Five Great Families would send their young members to the seven major righteous sects each year to directly become outer sect disciples.

Faced with the question, Xu Yanran whispered, "Y-yes, that's right."

The girl clearly had little social experience, her face reddening after just a few words, revealing her social anxiety.

Confirming her identity, Ye Bufan's eyes gleamed even brighter, almost glowing with excitement.

"Haha... So Junior Sister is a prodigy from the Xu family. No wonder you carry yourself with such grace and elegance.

Junior Sister Xu, let me introduce you. This is Xiao Chun'er from Qingyun Peak, and this is... oh, never mind, you'll get to know him later."

Zhao Heng: "..."

With the team assembled, the four of them set out that day for the small city of Autumn Leaf City to the southeast.

In the southern region of the True Martial Realm, numerous dynasties existed, with the two most powerful being the Black Flame Dynasty and the Cloud Wind Dynasty.

These two dynasties were essentially proxies for the conflict between the righteous and demonic sects.

The Black Flame Dynasty served as the stronghold for the four demonic sects, while the Cloud Wind Dynasty aligned itself with the seven righteous sects.

Although there was a clear boundary between the sects and the secular world, their connections remained strong.

When troublesome issues arose in the secular world, the sects would often intervene.

For example, the group of bandits currently occupying Autumn Leaf City had proven too much for the city's lord to handle. With no aid from the imperial court, he turned to Yuhua Sect for help, leading to Zhao Heng and his team's mission.

Yuhua Sect was located over three hundred miles from Autumn Leaf City. The four of them purchased horses and would need nearly two days to reach their destination.

Along the way, they traveled by day and rested at night, inevitably engaging in many conversations.

Among them, Ye Bufan was the most active. Ever since Xu Yanran joined the group, he had been showering her with attention and flattery.

To showcase his abilities, he often boasted in front of Xu Yanran, using Zhao Heng as a foil to highlight his own superiority.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chun'er, who had previously been close with Ye Bufan, grew increasingly resentful as she watched her lover's attention shift entirely to another woman. She was seething with anger.

Xu Yanran was not only more beautiful than Xiao Chun'er, but she also came from one of the Five Great Families. Xiao Chun'er didn't dare to offend her, so she directed all her frustration toward Zhao Heng, constantly mocking and belittling him.

Although Zhao Heng felt somewhat annoyed by the unjust treatment, he didn't let it bother him too much.

"You can belittle me all you want. The more you make me seem incompetent, the more justified I'll be in staying behind during the mission while you two take the lead," he thought to himself.

Of course, if Zhao Heng sensed any real malice from them, especially if it threatened his safety, he wouldn't hesitate to add their names to his "little black book."

After all, missions always carried the risk of unexpected accidents.

What Zhao Heng didn't expect, however, was that his passive, easygoing demeanor would catch Xu Yanran's attention.

The young girl often came to comfort Zhao Heng and defended him in front of Ye Bufan and the others, clearly showing her kind-hearted nature.

However, her behavior only made Ye Bufan dislike Zhao Heng even more.

Fortunately, by sunset on the second day, the four-member team arrived at their destination.

Autumn Leaf City!

As a small border town of the Cloud Wind Dynasty, Autumn Leaf City had a population of only a few thousand. It had two gates, one at the front and one at the back, and a small river cut diagonally through the city. The surrounding area was lush with trees, making for a picturesque landscape.

As the four entered the city, they noticed that the streets were eerily quiet. Most of the shops and taverns were closed, and the few pedestrians they encountered hurried past, casting nervous glances at the strangers.

Seeing this, Ye Bufan puffed out his chest and declared, "The mission mentioned that there are troublemakers in the city. It seems things are indeed unsettled here. But now that we've arrived, those troublemakers are in for a bad time!

Junior Sister Xu, you should be careful. It's best to stay close to me..."

As Ye Bufan spoke, he glanced to his side, only to find that Xu Yanran was no longer there.

Turning around, he saw her walking side by side with Zhao Heng, who was lagging at the back of the group. The two seemed to be deep in conversation, which made Ye Bufan frown.

At that moment, Xu Yanran was curiously asking Zhao Heng, "Senior Brother Zhao, what are you looking at?"

Ever since they entered the city, Xu Yanran had noticed that Zhao Heng's head kept turning as if on a swivel, constantly scanning their surroundings.

Zhao Heng chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just checking the city's feng shui."

"Senior Brother Zhao, you know about feng shui too?" The girl's eyes widened in surprise.

"Just a little, just a little," Zhao Heng replied evasively, though his mind was racing.

"There are only two city gates, about two miles apart, and only one waterway near the southeast corner. If something goes wrong, there aren't many escape routes. I'll need to plan a few backup paths just in case."

He then glanced up at the overcast sky and couldn't help but ask Xu Yanran, "Junior Sister Xu, since we entered the city, have you felt uneasy, as if something's wrong? Like you're on edge and want to avoid something?"

Xu Yanran thought for a moment, then blinked her big, beautiful eyes and said, "Senior Brother, are you scared and thinking of running away?"

"Cough, cough..."

Zhao Heng was momentarily speechless, having been seen through so easily.

For some reason, ever since entering the city, Zhao Heng had felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

Noticing Zhao Heng's unease, Xu Yanran reassured him, "Senior Brother Zhao, don't be too afraid. I know you're not very strong, but if we run into danger during the mission, I'll protect you."

"You'll protect me?"

"Of course!"

Xu Yanran clenched her small fist, trying to look brave.

"Senior Brother Zhao, don't worry. Before coming here, my family and older brother gave me lots of protective treasures to deal with the bad guys."

"Protective treasures?" Zhao Heng's eyes lit up.

Without needing further prompting, Xu Yanran began counting on her fingers, listing them off without hesitation.

"Yes, I have two protective talismans, a defensive magical artifact, some spirit crystals, and some pills..."

"Alright, alright, I get it!"

Zhao Heng quickly stopped her. He realized that this girl was probably leaving home for the first time and interacting with outsiders. She was naive and had no idea how dangerous people could be.

With that, Zhao Heng began his second analysis.

The team consisted of two overconfident "reckless fools" and one sheltered "little saint."

"Wait a minute... this situation doesn't look good!"

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

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