The bamboo shadows swayed gently, and the scattered sunlight shone down, falling on the empty ground in the bamboo forest.

  Zhang Xiaofan gazed at the distant bamboo forest and said in a low voice, "Actually, I sometimes think I'm really stupid. Shizhi obviously likes Qi Huaoshi, but I... But at that time, I saw her standing in front of Kui Niu, and my head was all muddled, so I rushed up."

  Biyao leaned against him and suddenly said: "If I were in danger, would you come to rescue me like this?"

  Zhang Xiaofan smiled awkwardly, scratched his head, and after a while said: "I, I don't know," but after pausing for a moment, he thought carefully and said: "Should be okay!"

  Bixiao smiled, gave him a sideways glance, withdrew her gaze, looked into the distance and said quietly: "If you were in danger, even if it meant giving up my life for yours, I would be willing!"

  Zhang Xiaofan was startled and turned his head to look at her, only to see Bi Yao looking calm, but seemingly not joking, murmuring: "What did you say?"

  Biyao smiled and suddenly seemed to think of something. She said to Zhang Xiaofan: "Xiaofan, come with me!"

  Zhang Xiaofan furrowed his brow and said, "Where are we going?"

  Bi Yao said: "Anyway, the world is so big, we can go wherever we want. If you don't want to join our Holy Sect and become enemies with my master's sect, then we won't either. Let's travel together to the ends of the earth, otherwise if you stay in Qing Yun Men, with those old antiques' temperaments, I'm afraid you'll be in for a lot of trouble."

  Zhang Xiaofan fell silent, Bi Yao looked at him worriedly and waited.

  Finally, Zhang Xiaofan looked over at her, and Biyao was about to say something when she saw Zhang Xiaofan slowly shake his head.

  "No, I won't leave Qingyun's side, Biyao."

  Biyao's face suddenly turned gloomy and she said: "Are you going to wait for death here?"

  Zhang Xiaofan fell silent for a moment, then said: "Bi Yao, you don't know that Qingyun is my home. I was raised by Master and Mistress, I cannot betray them."

  Bi Yao angrily said: "Your master scolds you and punishes you every day, yet you still say they're good?"

  Zhang Xiaofan stood up, smiled faintly and said: "Biyao, maybe I seem a bit foolish to others, but these things, I can still see through them. My master is usually strict, but he's really good to me, I know that he treats me sincerely." He said in a low voice: "Now these things are actually all my fault, it was me who deceived him, so whatever punishment I receive, it's deserved, but I absolutely cannot betray the sect."

  Bixiao was stunned for a while, then suddenly sighed and said: "Where did you become stupid? You're smart! No wonder my dad always told me that you seem dull on the surface, but actually, you're very talented inside!"

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned, his face turned red, and he said: "He, your father said that about me?"

  Bi Yao smiled but didn't answer, walking to his side and saying: "I know your temperament, and can't force you to leave. However, now that you possess our Holy Sect's precious artifact and have ties with the Tian Yin Temple, it's truly very dangerous. Have you thought about what to do?"

  Zhang Xiaofan sighed and said, "Let's just follow fate!"

  Bi Yao gazed at him and said softly: "You'd better be fine!"

  Zhang Xiaofan smiled, looked up at the sky and said: "You've been here for a long time, it's better to go back quickly, in case something unexpected happens. We... we'll meet again if fate permits... goodbye!"

  Bi Yao's body trembled slightly, and Zhang Xiao Fan's heart also felt a bit bitter. As for the trip to Tongtian Peak tomorrow, he really had no idea what the outcome would be.

  He turned around and slowly walked out of the bamboo forest.

  Just as he had walked a few dozen feet away, he suddenly heard Bi Yao's voice behind him: "Xiao Fan, I have something to ask you."

  Zhang Xiaofan turned around and said in surprise: "What?"

  Bi Yao seemed to hesitate for a moment, but finally said: "In the past, in the forest outside Xiao Chi Town, you once looked at an ancient well on a full moon night. I want to know, what did you see inside the ancient well?"

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned and asked in surprise: "How did you also know about this?"

  Biyao unconsciously felt a bit tense and scolded: "You said so!"

  Zhang Xiaofan frowned and said: "What's so strange about that old well that you're all so interested?"

  Bi Yao smiled but didn't answer.

  Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to think of something and blushed again, surprisingly not saying it out loud. After a while, he said: "I... I'll tell you next time we meet."

  Bi Yao paused for a moment, then smiled. After all, she had heard Zhang Xiaofan's meaning and didn't seem to have any intention of being controlled by the sect. She smiled and said: "Alright! You'd better remember that!"

  Zhang Xiaofan smiled and, after this conversation with Bi Yao, his mood improved a lot, and he felt much more relaxed. He stretched out his hand to wave at Bi Yao, then turned around and walked out of the bamboo forest.

  Not far away, the little monkey Xiao Hui jumped down from the top of a large bamboo and landed on Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder, looking back at Bi Yao.

  Deep in the bamboo forest, Bi Yao stood still, gazing at the back of the figure that was gradually disappearing into the distance.

  Every other day, early morning.

  The mountainside was still carrying the damp air on Dazhu Peak when everyone on Dazhu Peak had already gotten up.

  The fields were not easy to tidy up, and Su Rou walked slowly with him to the empty space in front of the Shou Jing Tang, where everyone was already waiting. Zhang Xiaofan stood at the last position among the crowd.

  Tian said calmly: "Daren, you bring Lao Qi with you, the others don't need to go."

  Song Daren nodded and responded, the others' faces all showed disappointment, but Tian Ling'er alone stood up and said to Tian Bu Yi: "Dad, I want to go too."

  Tian didn't knit his brow and said: "What are you doing here? You're just causing trouble!"

  Tian Ling'er bit her teeth tightly and looked at Su Rou with a pleading gaze, calling out: "Mother."

  Su Ru sighed and said to Tian Naiyi, "Forget it, let her go!"

  Tian did not easily wrinkle his brow, finally still reluctantly nodded, and immediately no longer looked at her, towards the distant Zhang Xiaofan glanced, said: "Let's go!"

  As he spoke, his sleeve robe fluttered and he mounted a celestial sword, flying away first. Su Ru followed closely behind him.

  On the ground, the disciples gathered around, He Dazhi coughed and said to Zhang Xiaofan: "Hmm, little brother, you, be careful yourself."

  Zhang Xiaofan saw for the first time that all his senior brothers had worried expressions on their faces, and he felt a surge of emotion in his heart. He said softly, "Yes."

  Song Daren sighed and said, "Little Shidi, let's go!"

  Zhang Xiaofan responded with a sound, walked to Song Daren's side, and couldn't help but look at Tian Ling'er standing beside him. He saw that she was also looking at him, her eyes full of concern, but ultimately didn't say anything.

  With a whooshing sound, Zhang Xiaofan once again stood behind Song Daren, soared into the air and shot straight up to the sky.

  Looking at the increasingly blue color in the sky, it seems like everything is starting again as it was when we first met seven years ago, but there's no longer that initial excitement.

  Tongtian Peak, towering into the clouds, majestic and upright, still with that ethereal aura, still untainted by even a hint of worldly vulgarity, as if also opening its arms to welcome their arrival.

  Song Daren brought Zhang Xiaofan, and Tian Ling'er together fell on the cloud sea, in the distance mountain top's Yu Qing Palace, still floated out a distant bell sound.

  Tian Ye and Su Rou were nowhere to be seen, probably having gone up to the Jade Clear Palace earlier. However, on the Cloud Sea, many disciples from various sects had gathered. As soon as they saw Song Daren and others arrive, there was a commotion, and many eyes turned to Zhang Xiaofan standing behind them.

  Innumerable whispers, on the sea of clouds, like those drifting clouds, drifting back and forth.

  Song Daren and Tian Ling'er both had their faces tense, pretending to ignore the gazes of the people around them. After a moment, someone walked out from the crowd and approached the three of them.

  Zhang Xiaofan looked at him and recognized the person, who was Chang Jian, a disciple of Longmen, whom he had met when he went to Tongtian Peak last time, and also the one who had fought with Song Daren in Qimai Conference.

  Song Daren also knew this person and saw him walking over. He bowed his hands and said: "Master Chang, it's been a long time."

  Chang Jian hastily returned the courtesy, but out of the corner of his eye, he still glanced at Zhang Xiaofan a few times, then said: "Brother Song, just now Tian Bu Yi Tian Shu has already arrived here and specially instructed me that once you all arrive, I should lead you directly to the Jade Clear Hall."

  Song Daren nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Sheng Shi Xiong."

  Chang Jian smiled faintly and said sideways: "Those few people, please follow me!"

  He led the way, followed by Song Daren, Tian Ling'er and Zhang Xiaofan. They walked through the sea of clouds, passing through the gaze of countless Qingyun disciples, and arrived at the Rainbow Bridge, walking up onto it.

  At this time, the first ray of sunlight in the morning finally shone on the world, gently sprinkling on Tongtian Peak, and the clear water waves on both sides of Hongqiao Bridge appeared a beautiful rainbow in the rippling layers.

  Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath and gazed out at the distance, where the endless sky and earth seemed like an unimaginably vast painting, and he was just a small ornament within it.

  They walked like this, passing over the Rainbow Bridge and arriving at the edge of the Azure Water Pool. They also saw the wide stone steps leading directly up to the Jade Clear Palace, but they didn't see the Qīng Yún Mén Zhèn Shān's Ling Beast - the Water Qilin. It was probably still in the Azure Water Pool!

  "Clang!......"

  The Yuqing Temple at the top of the mountain also transmitted a clear and crisp bell sound.

  Chang Jian smiled at them and said, "We're almost there, let's go!"

  Song Daren responded with a sound, but couldn't help taking a glance at Zhang Xiaofan, only to see his younger brother staring blankly at the mountain top, expressionless.

  It's much quieter here than in Yunhai, and on the way, I hardly see any Qingyun disciples. A few young Taoist priests who are sweeping the floor see Changjian and salute him with their palms up.

  One step at a time.

  Zhang Xiaofan slowly walked upwards, the higher he went, the more his heart sank. The place in front of him with a strong aura of immortals was getting closer and closer, but it made his heartbeat faster and faster.

  An unknown and inexplicable tension enveloped him. And what would be waiting for him again?

  Another distant bell chime echoed from the Jade Clear Temple at Tongtian Peak, drifting among the mountain peaks...

  Under the Qingyun Mountain, in a secluded place, four people stood in a row, three men and one woman, gazing quietly at the Qingyun Mountain.

  After a while, the oldest Poison God suddenly smiled and said, "I didn't think that in my lifetime, I would actually return to this place."

  The Ghost King standing beside him smiled faintly and said, "With a senior like you in charge, it's not just that we can return here, but even if we reach the top of Tongtian Peak soon, it won't be surprising."

  The Poison God shook his head immediately, laughing: "Ghost King younger brother, didn't we already discuss this earlier? This time, the great affair will be presided over by Jade Yangzi of Changsheng Hall. We are just vanguard troops."

  As he spoke, he turned his head and said to the man on the other side: "Isn't that right! Younger brother Yuyangzi, haha."

  One of the four major sects of Demon Cult, the master of Changsheng Hall, Yuyangzi, has a pair of eyebrows that are deeply embedded in his temples, and his appearance is extremely handsome. He looks like a man in his thirties, but he is actually a Demon Cult practitioner who has been cultivating for hundreds of years.

  In the Demon Sect, Changsheng Hall is a very special branch. Because all along, this branch has been responsible for guarding the most important sacred place of the Demon Sect - the Holy Temple - in the wilderness. The purpose of this vein is also like its name, only to pursue longevity. However, they are listed as one of the four major branches of the Demon Sect, and when they act, they often do not choose their methods, which is completely opposite to the orthodox way of seeking the path of longevity.

  This time, the Demon Sect made a big move to come to Qingyun Mountain. Yu Yangzi arrived at this place and after several secret discussions, he was elected by everyone as the person in charge of this major event of the Demon Sect. He couldn't help but feel a little proud in his heart, and smiled: "Qingyun Gate has been oppressing us Holy Church everywhere for a hundred years, today we must get justice from them."

  The Demon King smiled and said, "Well said."

  After finishing, he turned his head and smiled at the woman who had been standing beside him all along, the only female leader of the four major sects, San Miao Xian Zi of the He Huan Sect: "Wait a moment, I also want to see your magical skills."

  San Miao Xian Zi was born in the He Huan Sect, one of the most notorious sects in the demonic teachings. She is extremely beautiful, but when you look at her, there is not a hint of lewdness, her complexion is pale and she doesn't wear makeup, yet she has an ethereal beauty that seems to be from another world. In fact, she bears some resemblance to Xue Qi from Qing Yun Mountain's Xiao Zhu Peak.

  Upon hearing the Ghost King's words, the Three Miao Immortal Maiden smiled faintly and said: "The three of you are all seasoned veterans who have seen the world, far superior to me, a mere little woman. However, we have all sworn a heavy oath before the Holy Mother Ming Wang's throne. This time, it is essential that we work together with one heart and mind to avenge the humiliation of our Sacred Temple in the past. I hope that the three of you will put aside your past grievances and not betray your previous words."

  The three demon kings looked at each other and said: "Don't worry, fairy maiden, we have no ulterior motives."

  The three fairy maidens smiled slightly and turned to face the King of Ghosts, saying: "Brother Guiwang, I've been here for several days, why haven't I seen my niece?"

  The Demon King was taken aback and said: "You're talking about Bi Yao, that little girl is so playful, who knows where she's run off to? I wonder what the fairy wants with her?"

  The three Miao Xianzi said faintly, "There's nothing much, it's just that I recently heard that the young lady has obtained a treasure, which is the He Huan Ling passed down by Jin Ling Furen. Is this true?"

  Du Shen and Yu Yangzi both slightly moved, it's clear that the name Jin Ling Furen is one that even for such powerful demonic cultivators as themselves, cannot be treated lightly.

  The Demon King's face changed, and his eyes flickered with a hint of sharp light as he said, "I wonder where the immortal got this news from?"

  The three Miao Xianzi stretched out her jade-like hand, gently combing her temples, and said expressionlessly: "I naturally heard it. Gui Wang Dao brother, Jin Ling Furen was 800 years ago, our He Huan Pai's predecessor ancestor, the He Huan bell she left behind is still our He Huan Pai's town treasure, this, I suppose you also know?"

  The Demon King fell silent, but he stood with his hands behind his back, his demeanor calm and composed, without a hint of retreat. The atmosphere that was once harmonious had suddenly become tense.

  Yu Yangzi coughed and glanced at the Poison God, but unexpectedly, the Poison God turned his head away, gazing into the distance at the Qingyun Mountain peak. It was clear that he didn't want to get involved in trivial matters. Yu Yangzi silently cursed in his heart. If it were any other day, he would have been delighted to see these two great enemies fight each other to the death. However, considering his current status as the host of this gathering, he took a step forward and said, "Gentlemen, why did you suddenly become angry? You are both accomplished individuals, and with important matters at hand, why not put this aside for now and resolve it among yourselves after we've taken care of our current business?"

  The three Miao Xianzi looked at him for a moment, nodded slightly, and shifted their gaze away; the King of Ghosts had no expression on his face, but in his heart, he sneered: this Yu Yangzi is indeed not a good person, constrained by his own status, he cannot help but advise, yet with an underlying intention to provoke the two factions to fight each other after the major event.

  But the Huahuan Bell is indeed a treasure of great importance, and has always been known alongside the "Fulong Ding" of the Guiwang Sect, the "Xueyuzhu" of the Lianxuetang, and the "Wandu Guizong Bag" of the Wandumeng as one of the four great treasures of the demonic sects. What's more, it has long been rumored within the demonic sects that many of the Huahuan Sect's strange and wondrous techniques require the use of this bell in order to achieve their greatest effect.

  This treasure is so precious that the King of Ghosts would not willingly hand it over even if he were foolish, and after Bi Yao obtained this strange treasure from the dripping blood cave under the Dead Spirit Abyss, he specifically instructed her not to make a sound about it. However, it turns out that these three Miao Xianzi have considerable divine powers and somehow found out about this matter as well.

  The Demon King thought of the people around him for a moment, but a faint smile appeared on his face, and he said: "What Brother Yuyangzi said is right, let's talk about this after we've dealt with the matter at hand."

  Jade Boy saw that these two people who were usually arrogant and unruly had actually listened to his words this time, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his heart.

  Just then, the Poison God suddenly said: "Ah! The sun is out."

  Everyone heard the words and looked towards Qingyun Mountain together. Sure enough, they saw a red sun rising slowly from the top of Qingyun Mountain in the distance, spilling sunlight into the world.

  That warm sunlight also shone on the four of them, casting long shadows behind their backs.

  After walking up the last step, Zhang Xiaofan finally arrived at the outside of the Jade Clear Palace once again. This magnificent and solemn hall stood tall in front of him, with an aura of grandeur that made people standing before it feel like ants.

  "Let's go in!" said Changjian Dao.

  Song Daren and Tian Ling'er both nodded in agreement, Zhang Xiaofan took a step forward just as he was about to leave, when suddenly his body shook, his gaze turned sideways, and he saw that on the other corner of the stairs, there was someone leaning against the railing sitting on the ground. His clothes were still clean, but because he sat down carelessly, the hem of his pants had gotten dusty. A pair of eyes stared blankly at Zhang Xiaofan's direction, muttering something under his breath.

  He was Wang Ershu who had gone mad for many years.

  Zhang Xiaofan felt a pang in his heart, and was about to walk over, but was pulled back by Song Daren, who whispered: "Younger brother, let's go inside first! Don't keep the masters waiting. As for Wang Ershu, you can...you can come visit him again after you come out, it won't be too late."

  Zhang Xiaofan stopped in his tracks, a pang of sadness in his heart, but ultimately knew that Song Daren's words were the truth. He nodded slightly and forced a smile at Song Daren. Standing to the side, Chang Jian spoke up quietly, "If there's nothing else, shall we go in to pay our respects to the elder masters?"

  Song Daren responded with a "yes" and walked forward with Zhang Xiaofan, while Tian Ling'er furrowed her brow and said: "Shizhang front generation? Chang Shixiong, could it be that there's another school's predecessor who has arrived?"

  Chang Jian hesitated for a moment, saying: "Yes, Tianyin Temple has sent several divine monks, and also some seniors from Fengxiang Valley have come to ask us about Zhang... Zhang Shidi's situation."

  Tian Ling'er's face turned pale, and Song Daren's eyebrows furrowed tightly.

  Zhang Xiaofan quietly walked forward and said: "Chang Shixiong, let's go in!"

  Chang Jian looked at him and nodded: "Alright, follow me."

  As he spoke, he walked in first, Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath and followed with his own somewhat heavy footsteps. Behind him, Song Daren and Tian Ling'er exchanged a glance, both seeing the anxiety and worry in each other's eyes, but also the helplessness, and could only follow suit.

  Just as they had just walked into the Jade Clear Palace, Wang Ershu, who was originally sitting in the corner, looked at Zhang Xiaofan's figure with his eyes. At this time, seeing Zhang Xiaofan disappear into the Jade Clear Palace, he unknowingly stood up shaking and staggering, like a child, somewhat confused, scratching his head, and also walked towards the Jade Clear Palace.

  These years, Wang Ershu has been taken care of by Qingyunmen. His madness has never recovered, and he spends his days wandering around Tongtian Peak. Even the Jade Clear Palace, which is sacred in the eyes of ordinary Qingyun disciples, he often enters, but he has never caused any major trouble. As time passed, no one paid attention to him anymore.

  At this time, he also walked in smoothly and disappeared into the Jade Clear Hall.