Ji Xiaoxiao didn't care at all. She wiped the blood from her forehead with her sleeve. Once her eyesight improved, she saw a large iron gate. The gate was sealed tightly. Being underground, forcibly breaking through might backfire.

After circling the large iron gate several times, Ji Xiaoxiao placed her hand on the gate's leaf. The spiritual energy in her palm quickly passed through the physical defenses, and after many twists and turns, she finally opened the gate.

With a click, the large iron gate opened, and white mist surged out like a mountain. Ji Xiaoxiao had no idea what that thing was, so she gestured for everyone to hold their breath.

After waiting a while, the fog dissipated, and Ji Xiaoxiao went inside.

“Little girl, you’re quite something, you even managed to get through the Hundred Ghosts Demon Cave.” An old man with white hair said to Ji Xiaoxiao with his back to her.

Ji Xiaoxiao stared intently at the old man, her body trembling slightly, indicating that the old man was probably also a cultivator, and that his cultivation level was even higher than Ji Xiaoxiao's.

"You are also a cultivator seeking the Dao, so you should understand how much it will hinder your cultivation by aiding and abetting evil and accumulating unnecessary karma. What goes around comes around. When you attain the Dao and ascend to immortality, aren't you afraid of perishing and your Dao being destroyed by the Nine Heavens Tribulation?" Ji Xiaoxiao asked.

“I know, of course I know.” The old man was surprisingly calm. “However, a man’s word is his bond. I promised the Leng family ancestors to protect the Leng family for a hundred years, so I cannot give up halfway.”

A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold? Willing to exhaust one's cultivation, even if there is no next life?

Men are creatures that women cannot understand.

“Young lady, if you had come a few years later, after the century-old vow had been broken and I had left, what you wanted to accomplish would have been easy.” The old man turned around, his white hair revealing a youthful face. “In one’s position, one must fulfill one’s duties. A century has not passed, young lady, you will die by my hand.”

As soon as the old man finished speaking, he flashed forward, and eight fire dragons roared towards Ji Xiaoxiao. At this moment, Ji Xiaoxiao's spiritual power was somewhat depleted. She wanted to sweep away the fire dragons with all her might, but found that she was willing but unable. Helpless, she rolled on the ground and narrowly escaped death.

"Little girl, you're a good person," the old man's voice came from the void, accompanied by a helpless sigh.

Ji Xiaoxiao ignored him and continued running around in her small treasure trove. Lacking spiritual power and stamina, Ji Xiaoxiao was still struck by the old man's fire dragon.

"Pfft." Ji Xiaoxiao spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at the distance with eyes full of regret.

We can't give up, we're just one step away.

Ji Xiaoxiao kept hypnotizing herself, gritting her teeth and crawling tremblingly.

"Hey, the sooner you die, the sooner you'll be free. I'll take care of you right now."

The old man sheathed his fire dragon, formed a blade in his hand, and swung it towards Ji Xiaoxiao's neck. Ji Xiaoxiao sensed the impending danger, her eyes widening in terror. In this extremely perilous situation, her potential exploded; Ji Xiaoxiao shot a small ball of spiritual energy from her palm, which landed where she desired.

The blade was just a millimeter away from Xiao Xiao's neck when the underground secret vault began to shake, startling the old man. By the time the old man reacted, Ji Xiao Xiao was standing in the center of a circular array, clutching her chest.

The center of the circular array was covered with mysterious runes that rose from the ground and then quickly spread outwards, embedding themselves into the ground.

"Cough cough... To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I secretly set up a formation along the way." Ji Xiaoxiao coughed up blood.

"What a profound formation!" The old man exclaimed in surprise. "Young lady, what school or sect do you belong to?"

Ji Xiaoxiao smiled but remained silent, speeding up the operation of the formation. At this moment, the old man shook his head slightly and took out a large paper bag from a small compartment.

"Here's what you wanted."

The old man tossed the large paper bag to Ji Xiaoxiao, who caught it. The large paper bag flashed with white light, and an ethereal palm struck Ji Xiaoxiao in the chest.

"you……."

Ji Xiaoxiao had only uttered one word when she couldn't help but spit out mouthfuls of blood.

"The contents of the paper bag are all genuine."

“I knew I would face this calamity long ago, having aided and abetted evil and committed countless atrocities.” The old man shrugged. “However, I still have to keep my promises.”

It took Ji Xiaoxiao quite some time to temporarily stabilize her injuries. However, her pale face and unsteady gait were all aftereffects.

"Hurry up!" the old man said calmly.

Ji Xiaoxiao's eyes widened suddenly; he was courting death.

She opened her mouth, then turned and left.

As we stepped out of the secret vault, the sounds of explosions echoed continuously.

Ji Xiaoxiao thought it was over, but when she returned to Zhou Jiangchu's side, the tiny black dots hidden throughout her body began to frantically absorb her remaining spiritual energy. Before long, the tiny black dots reached their limit.

"Old ginger is spicier, but in the end, I still got cheated."

Ji Xiaoxiao did her best to control the explosion, preventing it from affecting Zhou Jiangchu. Although she survived, her cultivation level vanished like smoke, leaving no trace.

Having suffered numerous injuries, her body was no longer capable of cultivation. Countless pieces of bad news weighed heavily on Ji Xiaoxiao's shoulders. If it weren't for the Qiao and Zhou families joining forces to suppress the Leng family, and the Leng family collapsing and falling apart a year later, Ji Xiaoxiao would have collapsed long ago.

Ten years after the Leng family's decline, in a dilapidated little wooden house, the plight of impoverished people unfolds.

---Aside---

Thank you Shenyu_Qingchen for the three flowers! Thank you for the flower from "Where Does True Love Come From in an Era of Cheating"!

Thank you Shenyu_Qingchen for the three flowers! Thank you for the flower from "Where Does True Love Come From in an Era of Cheating"!

Thank you Shenyu_Qingchen for the three flowers! Thank you for the flower from "Where Does True Love Come From in an Era of Cheating"!