Late at night.

  Qingyun Mountain, Xiao Zhu Peak.

  The sky was dark, with no moon or starlight in sight. The boundless darkness enveloped the small Bamboo Peak. Lu Xueqi, dressed in white, stood alone on the Moon-Watching Pavilion behind the mountain of Small Bamboo Peak.

  The Moon Viewing Pavilion here is actually the most famous one on Xiaozhu Peak, and it is listed as one of the "Six Scenic Spots of Qingyun" along with "Sea of Clouds" and "Rainbow Bridge" on Tongtian Peak.

  The back mountain of Xiaozhu Peak is also covered with dense bamboo forests, but unlike the "black-jointed bamboo" on the back mountain of Dazhu Peak, Xiaozhu Peak is rich in another kind of strange bamboo - tear bamboo. This bamboo is emerald green in color, slender and long, with nearly half fewer nodes than ordinary bamboo, but its quality is extremely tough, known as the best in the world, and ordinary woodcutters cannot cut it off. But what's most famous about tear bamboo is that on the emerald green trunk of the bamboo, there are small pink spots all over, like the gentle tears of a sad woman, which is extremely beautiful.

  The name of Xiaozhu Peak also originated from this.

  As for the Moon Viewing Pavilion, it is actually a cliff suspended in mid-air, except for the rear half which is connected to the mountain body, most of it is suspended high above. It is said that on nights when the moonlight is bright, the moonlight will slowly rise from the foot of the mountain, slowly climbing up the Moon Viewing Pavilion, and at the moment when the moonlight completely illuminates the Moon Viewing Pavilion, it is also the time when the moon is directly overhead.

  The most beautiful time of the Moon Viewing Platform is also at that moment, when the moonlight suddenly shines brightly and pours down from the smooth rocks of the platform, illuminating the entire small bamboo peak in an instant. At that moment, people standing on the platform are almost like they are standing in a fairyland; what's more, legend has it that on the night of the full moon that appears only once every sixty years, one will feel as if they are standing on the bright moon itself, and the excitement is truly something to be longed for.

  However, tonight is a dark and windy night, obviously not the time to appreciate the beauty of the moon. At this moment, not only the rear mountain's Moon Viewing Platform behind the small Bamboo Peak, but also the front mountain where the disciples reside, is all pitch black, it's clear that everyone has gone to sleep early.

  Only Lu Xueqi somehow came alone to this desolate and quiet place.

  The Tianyue that never left her side was still behind her, softly emitting a gentle blue light in the darkness, illuminating some of the surrounding area. The night wind blew coldly, lightly blowing her snow-white clothes.

  By her temples, a few soft strands of hair were blown into disarray by the breeze, brushing against her pale face, yet she seemed entirely oblivious, standing silently at the very edge of the Moon-Gazing Pavilion's cliff, lost in thought as she gazed out at the distant horizon.

  The mountain wind gradually grew stronger, and her clothes began to flutter in the wind.

  Going forward further is just a piece of darkness, it's an abyss of ten thousand feet.

  On the cliff edge, in the faint light, a woman in white stood alone.

  Little by little, what emerges from the depths of my heart is originally a gentle affection, but how it slowly turns into sorrow.

  Suddenly, suddenly, like an invisible knife edge, it pierced deeply in the heart.

  The mark carved in the depths of one's heart turned out to be someone's face.

  Longing, carved into bone...

  She stood in the desolate darkness of night, in a secluded and uninhabited place, slowly spreading her arms, before her lay endless darkness, as if the sky and earth were boundless.

  The wind was so urgent, rushing into her arms as if to tear her apart. The darkness under her feet suddenly stirred, and from an unknown place, dark hands stretched out, wrapping around her body, trying to pull her into the abyss.

  She seemed to be in a trance, silently gazing ahead, the wind blowing against her slender and fragile body, like a lily blooming in the darkness.

  Deep night color.

  That inexplicable chill, penetrated into every cell of the body, only in the brain, only in the mind suddenly intense heat, that deep hidden deep in the heart of tenderness at this moment suddenly like a burning flame, burst out, and then condensed into -

  A face.

  "Hmmph..."

  A sharp sound suddenly rang out in the dark night, echoing far and wide.

  The Tianyue divine sword emerged from its scabbard, bursting forth with brilliant light in the darkness. A white figure rose to meet it, catching the Tianyue in mid-air as a fierce mountain gust swept up, accompanying the white figure on the Moon-Gazing Pavilion, beginning an exquisitely beautiful and unparalleled sword dance.

  Autumn water falls from the long sky, transforming into a boundless silver river. In slender white hands, it twists and turns, flowing joyfully in the black night. Sometimes it rushes to the sky, sometimes it falls to the ground, sometimes it transforms into a silver robe with flowing light, yearning for that peerless beauty; sometimes it disperses into scattered stars across the sky, shining brightly.

  Lu Xueqi stood on the Moon-Watching Pavilion, biting her lip deeply and closing her eyes. Her body seemed to drift with the wind, like a floating feather or a cold flower, dancing out a poignant beauty in this world.

  She transformed into a white floating light, exhausting all her energy, her face as pale as if she still saw faint sweat beads, yet she didn't stop, perhaps only when her body was tired could she forget everything!

  So she danced and danced, a figure in the night, mysterious and beautiful...

  "Ding!"

  A faint crisp sound, the Tianyue divine sword slowly fell from his hand, its sharp blade completely ignoring the hard rock, like a snowflake, silently and quietly piercing into the stone.

  A resplendent and beautiful white figure slowly crouches down, darkness quietly surging up.

  Who is breathing softly in the darkness?

  There are water droplets, gently dripping down, falling on the stone, perhaps it's sweat after fatigue?

  She breathed softly, gasping, and then slowly calmed down, her eyes lifted, but with a faint sense of confusion.

  At some point, she danced to the back of the Moon Viewing Pavilion, in front of her was a bamboo forest, and before her were slender and gentle weeping bamboos.

  Under the faint light, a little by little tear stain, like a woman with a broken heart.

  She stared blankly, then suddenly burst out laughing, laughing silently, as if still with a hint of bitterness. She didn't care about the dust on her body, nor did she mind the white clothes getting dirty, and leaned against the weeping bamboo, sitting on the ground.

  Look up and gaze at the sky!

  The sky is vast and endless...

  The night wind blows in, with a faintly familiar scent.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  After being exhausted, the appearance in one's heart is even more profound.

  Past events, every detail, seem to be carved in my heart, and can never be erased.

  It was just like that day outside the Tian Di Treasure Vault, where he impulsively grabbed her hand to save her, completely forgetting about his own danger.

  She still had her eyes closed, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Then, she thought and thought...

  Until the moment when mysterious characters flying around them appeared, it was discovered that those words were deeply engraved in their minds. Perhaps, this way they can forget him?

  She said to her own heart, although she didn't believe it herself, but still softly murmured:

  "Heaven and earth are not benevolent, regarding all things as straw dogs..."

  In the dead of night, ancient words seemed like a magic spell, echoing softly in the darkness.

  ※※※

  Qingyun Mountain Tongtian Peak, Ancestral Hall of the Founder

  The light in the great hall was still somewhat dim, as it had been during peacetime. The Sect Master Dao Xuan Zhen Ren held three sticks of incense and respectfully paid his respects to the countless ancestral spirits' memorial tablets, then took a step forward and inserted the sandalwood incense into the censer on the offering table.

  By his side, only stood the dispirited old man who took care of the ancestral temple. The dim yellow light shone on his face, with deep wrinkles that seemed to be carved into his cheeks.

  Dao Xuan turned his head and his eyes fell on his face, suddenly saying: "You seem to look a few years older."

  The old man's face was expressionless, and he said lightly: "Time hurries people into aging, what's strange about that?"

  Dao Xuan smiled and seemed to want to say something, but suddenly a voice came from outside the temple: "Senior, disciple Lin Jingyu is back, come to ask for your well-being."

  Dào Xuán's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he remained silent. The old man took a slow step forward but didn't leave the temple, only raising his voice: "Is that you? When did you come back?"

  Lin Jingyu bowed his head respectfully and said, "I returned yesterday and after reporting to the sect leader, I first went to Longshou Peak to pay my respects to Eldest Senior Brother. As soon as I had a chance, I came to pay my respects to you, Senior."

  The old man's lips seemed to curve into a faint smile as he said, "Oh, I see. Well, you wait outside for a bit, I have another guest here."

  Lin Jingyu seemed to be stunned for a moment outside, usually this ancestral hall had no one coming, unexpectedly today there were guests. However, he had been studying under the mysterious old man for ten years and had long regarded him as his benevolent master, so he responded with a sound and quietly waited aside.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren walked slowly for a few steps and stood in the shadow of the grand hall, looking out from the gate. Under the warm sunlight, Lin Jing Yu was standing on one side of the ancestral temple with his back to the dragon-slaying sword, wearing a long robe, with a jade belt around his waist, his face handsome and refined, his demeanor respectful as he waited patiently.

  He looked at him silently for a while and said: "This child is good material, whether it's talent or temperament, he's top-notch."

  The old man's footsteps seemed a bit slow as he walked to his side and also looked out, saying: "Then why didn't you take him in back then?"

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren's eyes gazed afar at Lin Jing Yu standing outside the ancestral hall, that young man was in his prime, no matter from which angle you looked, he exuded a vigorous and refreshing aura, with an air of sharpness that made people feel he was different from others.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren suddenly smiled, a very calm and gentle smile. He turned around and said to the old man: "Because he is too similar to someone else, his temperament, expression, even his qualifications are all so similar to that person. If I let him stay by my side, I won't be able to sleep at night."

  The old man beside him suddenly twitched his facial muscles.

  Daoxuan Zhenren turned his head, looked at him, gazed at him lightly, and after a long while, suddenly shook his head, then smiled: "I was just joking with you!" Before he finished speaking, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he immediately stroked his chest, coughing softly several times.

  The old man glanced at his chest, then looked at Daoxuan Zhenren's face, which had turned slightly pale, and said faintly: "It's been ten years, your injury isn't healed yet?"

  Daoxuan Zhenren didn't say a word, but his coughing grew louder and louder. His complexion also gradually turned unsightly. After a while, the cough finally subsided slowly.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren let out a sigh, turned around, and no longer looked at Lin Jing Yu outside the door. He walked to the spirit platform where countless ancestors of Qing Yun Men were enshrined, stared blankly for a while, then quietly said: "I didn't expect the backlash power of 'Xian Jian' to be so severe!"

  The old man walked over slowly, took a rag and began to gently wipe the heavy incense table, saying: "The power of the Excalibur is so great, plus the 'Excalibur Array', it can reverse the sky, such a fierce and evil thing, greatly violates the will of heaven, you should have known when you used the Excalibur."

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren said calmly, "I naturally know that on the stone tablet in the Huan Yue Dong Fu, from Qing Ye Zu Shi and below, all the ancestors have left strict orders, unless absolutely necessary, this sword cannot be used!"

  The old man slowly wiped the altar, his movements very slow, as if he had been doing this for many years and was completely focused. His eyes looked at the table and suddenly smiled, saying: "Actually, I also thought that maybe you would use the Exterminating Sword a few more times, perhaps you would die even faster than me."

  Daoxuan Zhenren gazed at the old man's hunched back, his pupils suddenly constricting. After a while, he slowly turned around and walked away.

  "Are you leaving?" The somewhat desolate voice came from behind him.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. After a moment, his voice slowly came over: "Do you still remember what I said when I saved you back then?"

  The old man stood in the dark shadow and did not answer.

  Daoxuan Zhenren didn't turn his head, and in this ancestral hall, a strange aura seemed to be floating around. After a while, only the voice of Daoxuan Zhenren was heard faintly saying: "I saved you because I owed you, but I won't let you live longer than me!"

  The old man's body had already disappeared into the shadows, motionless. Dao Xuan Zhenren immediately walked out and left this ancestral hall.

  ※※※

  Lin Jingyu was waiting patiently outside when he suddenly saw the Sect Master, Daoxuan True Person, walking out of the ancestral hall. He was startled and quickly paid his respects. Daoxuan True Person glanced at him with an unusual glint in his eyes, nodded slightly, and then left.

  Lin Jingyu watched as the Sect Leader True Person departed, but for some reason, from the moment Dao Xuan True Person emerged from the Ancestral Temple earlier, he suddenly felt that the Sect Leader's complexion seemed somewhat pale.

  Lin Jingyu was thinking to himself when he heard the old man's voice coming from the ancestral hall, saying slowly: "Is it Jingyu? Come in."

  Lin Jingyu hastily responded with a "yes" and walked into the temple.

  As soon as Lin Jingyu entered the ancestral hall, he felt a chill run down his spine, and the surroundings also darkened. He couldn't help but furrow his brow; for the past decade, he had been following this mysterious old man to take care of the ancestral hall, but from the day he arrived, he felt that this place was strange, always giving off a gloomy and dark feeling no matter what time it was. It wasn't pitch black here, but rather in front of the ancestors' spirit tablets, many incense candles were lit as offerings. However, the faint glow of these dim candle flames seemed to exist solely to accentuate the deeper darkness of this place, unable to dispel the gloomy and ominous atmosphere within the grand hall.

  However, he had been living here for ten years and was deeply respectful of the old man standing in the shadows. He no longer paid attention to the strange places here. At this moment, he respectfully bowed to the old man's shadow and said: "Senior, I'm back."

  For the past decade, Lin Jingyu had also thought of addressing this old man as "Shifu" more than once, but was rejected every time by this mysterious old man. So Lin Jingyu continued to address him as "Senior". Anyway, seeing that even the Palm Door True Person sometimes looked at this old man with a different gaze, it seemed that he must have also been an elder in Qingyunmen back then.

  The old man smiled, walked out of the shadows, and looked Lin Jingyu up and down. Seeing that he had been away for several months, his face showed some signs of wind and frost, but as a whole person, he seemed more spirited. The old man's eyes also showed a hint of comfort, and he said in a gentle voice: "This time out, you didn't get hurt, did you?"

  Lin Jingyu smiled and said: "As for being injured, it's not that there weren't any, but they were just minor flesh wounds, not worth mentioning. It's just a pity that this time going to the Dead Marshes was a return without accomplishment."

  At this time, he simply mentioned the death of Ze Yi, and the news that the three major factions of the Demon Sect had jointly destroyed the Longsheng Hall had already spread throughout the world. Lin Jingyu also heard it on his way back and said it to the old man at this moment.

  However, the old man obviously didn't care about the survival of Changsheng Hall. When he heard that one of the four major factions of the Demon Sect was destroyed, his expression didn't change at all, and he just quietly listened to Lin Jingyu's words.

  After Lin Jingyu finished speaking, the old man fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying: "You said that this time the other three major sects of the demonic teachings, including the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, all sent large numbers of troops?"

  Lin Jingyu nodded and said, "Yes."

  The old man seemed to hesitate for a moment, but finally said: "Have you seen Cang Song?"

  Lin Jingyu's body shook slightly, and he was stunned, but he immediately fell silent, his face expression extremely complex, and after a long time, he said: "No, senior."

  The old man looked at him with a serious expression and suddenly said, "Do you hate him very much?"

  Lin Jingyu's eyes flashed with a hint of pain, and he said slowly: "I don't know either, but good and evil cannot coexist. Anyway, even if we meet again, we will already be sworn enemies!"

  "Hmph!" The old man suddenly sneered.

  Lin Jingyu was startled and asked, "Senior, what's wrong?"

  The old man slowly shook his head, turned around, and looked up. In front of him were the countless ancestral tablets of the Qingyunmen ancestors, high above. The dim candles in front of their tablets seemed to be their eyes, silently watching the people in the temple.

  "He raised you from a young age, taught you the way of Tao, instructed you on how to be a person, and in the end, even passed down the Dragon-Slaying Sword to you. Has he ever wronged you?" The old man suddenly said calmly.

  Lin Jingyu slowly shook his head and said in a low voice, "He has always been very good to me. In the past, I really respected him like a god, looked up to him as a father, and revered him extremely. But..."

  Lin Jingyu stopped talking, and the old man suddenly fell silent. After a long time, the old man let out a bitter smile, filled with endless sorrow, and said in a low voice to the spirit tablets in front of him: "Actually, Cang Song was just a poor guy who took the wrong path..."