The rain has stopped for the time being, but the dark clouds in the sky are still pressing down very low, layer upon layer, making people feel like they can't breathe. The north gate of Heiyang City is wide open, and countless civilians are pouring out of the city, heading north, with cries and wails filling the air all along the way. No one knows where this journey will lead to.

  Xiao Yizai led the Qingyun disciples to maintain order all the way, constantly comforting the anxious and frightened people, telling those around him again and again that this time was just a temporary departure, as long as they defeated the beast demons after a few days, the disaster would pass, and everyone could return home once more.

  After a busy day, he was truly exhausted and parched. Looking at the slow-moving crowd in front of him, Xiao Yi silently shook his head. Just as he was about to take a break, he suddenly saw Lin Xingyu standing not far away, also looking tired. He was familiar with Lin Xingyu, so he walked over and gently patted Lin Xingyu's shoulder.

  Lin Jingyu turned his head and smiled slightly, opening his mouth to speak, but unexpectedly his voice was hoarse: "Senior brother, you're also here......"

  Xiao Yicai responded with a single word, and the two exchanged glances, then looked at the surrounding villagers, who all shook their heads in dismay.

  The ancient road heading north, looking far away, seems to be the same gloomy sky, without a single ray of light.

  Monday Fairy, Little Ring and Wild Dog Taoist were also mixed in the crowd. The Wild Dog Taoist covered most of his face with a cloth hat because there were too many Qingyun disciples around him and he looked strange. He followed behind Monday Fairy and Little Ring. Monday Fairy walked in the crowd, looking left and right, frowning, occasionally sighing.

  "Grandpa, what's wrong?"

  On Monday, Xian shook his head and said: "This battle is related to the fate of the people of the world, but I'm afraid that the righteous path on top of Qingyun Mountain has little chance of winning."

  Xiao Huan was silent, knowing why Zhou Yi Xian spoke this way. Since the beast demon appeared in the human world, it had swept across the land from the southern border to the central plains, unstoppable and leaving a trail of destruction wherever it went. The disaster it caused had already surpassed all natural disasters of the past. Now, the last resistance of the people was concentrated on Qing Yun Mountain, and most of their hopes were pinned on the legendary invincible sword array of Qing Yun Gate.

  Xiao Huan smiled and said, "Isn't there still the Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation? There's still hope."

  Monday Fairy shrugged and said, "This... Hehe, forget it. As small people like us, we can only follow the will of heaven." After saying this, he paused for a moment, suddenly turned his head to look at the distant Qingyun Mountain, which was hidden in the dark clouds and looked somewhat eerie. Then he slowly said, "However, these righteous people should not have their backyard on fire..."

  "What's going on in the backyard?"

  On Monday, the immortal monster laughed and shook his head without answering, walking forward. Xiao Huan glared at him but didn't bother to ask again. After all, in this situation, who still had the mind to think about those righteous things? Only the wild dog Taoist following behind Zhou Yixian and Xiao Huan's two people, his body seemed to shake slightly, the pair of eyes hidden under the shadow of the cloth hat flickered constantly.

  This queue of common people walked for a whole day, and Lin Xingyu and the other Qingyun disciples were busy all day long. As they watched the large group of people mostly pass by, Lin Xingyu finally let out a sigh of relief, truly feeling that doing these things was more exhausting than facing three to five ferocious beasts. Just as he was thinking about taking a good rest, a little kid suddenly walked by beside him, staring at Lin Xingyu all the while.

  Lin Jingyu found it somewhat strange, and upon looking at the child, he saw that his clothes were tattered and worn out, clearly not from a wealthy family, but his face was delicate and his eyes shone brightly, making him quite lovable.

  Lin Jingyu smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice, "Little brother, what's wrong?"

  The little boy hesitated for a moment, raised his hand and handed over a note, saying in a timid tone: "Just now an uncle asked me to give you this note."

  Lin Jingyu was taken aback, took the note from the child's hand, unfolded it and saw that there were only four words written on it:

  "Fire in the backyard!"

  Lin Jing's eyebrows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked the child, "What does this mean? Ah, yes, what about the person who gave you the note earlier?"

  The little boy turned his head to the front, and suddenly there was a puzzled expression on his face. "Huh? It's gone," he said. "Just now it was an uncle wearing a hat who asked me to give it to you."

  Lin Jingyu looked at the note in his hand, his brow furrowed, and after a moment, he raised his head to look around, but saw only a vast sea of people, and wondered where to find the mysterious figure with a hat that the little boy had mentioned.

  ********

  Qingyun Mountain, Xiao Zhu Peak.

  "Ah-choo!"

  Her voice was like a dragon's chant, the room was filled with magnificent light, and the Tianyue divine sword lay horizontally in her hand. Lu Xueqi's face was expressionless as she grasped the sword and gazed at it. On the autumn-water-like blade, her peerless beauty was reflected, truly surpassing frost and snow.

  She gazed deeply at the sharp sword, and the horizon seemed to feel something too, with a slight tremble, as if excited.

  "What are you thinking?" Wen Min's voice came from beside her, Lu Xueqi silently gazed at the sword in her hand, and after a long while, she said: "I don't know how many days will pass before this sword blade is stained with whose blood."

  Wen Mian slowly walked to her side, patted Lu Xueqi's shoulder and said softly: "Alright, my good junior sister, now that the disaster is imminent, Master will no longer pursue your disobedience. As long as we do our best in this battle, I'm sure there will be a way out."

  Lu Xueqi nodded, but somehow, there was a lingering gloom in her heart that she couldn't shake off. She replied softly, "Yes."

  Wen Mian smiled and said: "That's good, Master is still waiting for us to go to Tongtian Peak together, let's go."

  Lu Xueqi nodded again, put away Tianya, took a deep breath, and followed Wen Mian out.

  Along the winding corridor, they arrived at the front mountain of Xiaozhu Peak. Shuǐ Yuè Dàshī was already standing there, accompanied by several female disciples of Xiaozhu Peak. Wen Mǐn and Lù Xuěqí walked forward, with Wen Mǐn speaking first: "Master, I've arrived with Snowy Sister."

  Shui Yue Dashi stood with his hands behind his back, slowly turning around to face them. His gaze swept over Wen Mian before landing on Lu Xueqi. Lu Xueqi lowered her head, not daring to meet her master's gaze, and softly said: "Master, I've come. Your disciple was unfilial and made you angry."

  "I don't have time to get angry."

  Lu Xueqi's face turned even paler, and the people around her didn't dare to speak. Wen Mian slightly shook his head, looking at Master Shuimeng with a hint of pleading in his voice, calling out: "Master..."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī hummed and suddenly let out a sigh, saying: "Forget it, forget it, let's put all this aside for now. This time in the great war, if we can keep our lives intact, we'll talk about it later."

  None of the disciples dared to respond, and Master Shuimeng waved his sleeve and turned around calmly, saying: "Let's go, the True Person of the Sect is still waiting for us on Tongtian Peak."

  As soon as the words fell, a white light enveloped her figure and shot up into the sky. Wen Min looked at Lu Xueqi, who forced a smile, and Wen Min said in a low voice, "It's nothing, don't think too much about it."

  Having said that, she turned around and said to everyone: "Let's go too."

  For a moment, the small bamboo peak was dazzling with light, and several beautiful rays of light flew up towards the dark clouds in the sky, adding a few colors to them. However, the dark clouds soon swallowed up these rays of light again.

  ********

  Qingyun Mountain, Dazhu Peak.

  Song Daren led five junior brothers to stand outside the Guardian Hall, waiting for Tian Buyi and Su Ru's appearance. It seemed like a long time had passed, but Tian Buyi and his wife still hadn't come out.

  The sixth disciple, Du Bi Shu, was getting a bit impatient and whispered to Song Da Ren: "Big Brother Master, why haven't Master and Mistress come out yet? What are they doing inside?"

  Song Daren glared at Du Bishu and said in a bad temper: "How would I know? If you're so curious, why don't you go take a look yourself?"

  Du Bishu bumped into a nail, and shrunk back, complaining: "I know, I know, you can't even get your own wife, no need to take it out on me."

  Song Daren's ears perked up and he suddenly heard it, becoming furious, slapping Du Bishu on the back of his head with a loud "slap", angrily saying: "What did you say?"

  Du Bishu was startled, he had always been timid, except for his reverence for his master and mistress, it was this senior brother. However, Song Daren was usually very easy-going, but it seemed that this time with Wen Min's good things going wrong, the blow to him was not small, and he actually got angry. The several fellow disciples beside him were all holding back their laughter, looking at Du Bishu with a slanted gaze, Du Bishu's face was embarrassed, waiting to seek help from the other senior brothers, but unexpectedly, when his eyes looked over, He Dazhi, Wu Dayi and others were either looking up at the sky or gazing into the distance, with an air of being detached from the world, exactly like a god who didn't ask about worldly affairs.

  Du Bi Shu fiercely stared at these unrighteous senior brothers, and finally could only dryly laugh a few times at Song Da Ren, saying: "Elder, Elder Brother, you don't need to be anxious either. After this disaster passes, I'll immediately go down the mountain and invite the best matchmaker to help you propose..."

  Before the words had fallen, Song Daren's face turned purple with rage and he kicked out with one foot, sending Du Bishu flying far away with a loud "thud". The people beside him, including He Dazhi, couldn't help but stifle a laugh and shook their heads. Only Du Bishu looked dejected, sitting on the ground.

  The faint sound of laughter came in from outside the hall, and both Tian Naye and Su Rou heard it. A rare smile appeared on Su Rou's solemn face, followed by a sigh, and she said softly, "Naye, the disciples are all waiting."

  Tian stood before the three deities in the Guardian of Silence Hall, his face solemn and his long robes fluttering behind him. He nodded silently to himself, then stepped forward, taking up the three incense sticks from the altar and lighting them on the candles. With a serious expression, he made a ritual offering, bowing deeply three times.

  After inserting the incense into the incense burner, Tian Bu Yi stood silently for a moment, and Su Rou also bowed three times with a solemn expression. Just as they were about to turn around, Tian Bu Yi suddenly thought of something again, stopped in his tracks, and Su Rou looked back at him in surprise, saying: "What's wrong, Nianyi?"

  Tian Bu Yi furrowed his brow, suddenly turned around and walked away in big strides, but instead went behind the three Qing gods' statues. Su Rou's face changed color as if she understood something, but looking at her expression, it seemed like she was hesitant, yet still followed Tian Bu Yi past them.

  After the statue, there was also a small altar table, but it was much smaller than the front one. Next to it, there were yellow curtains hanging down, covering more than half of it. Tian Bu Yi stood in front of this small altar, looked at it for a while, but didn't make any moves to worship. After a while, he reached out his hand into the curtain and gently felt around, and unexpectedly took out a wooden spirit tablet from the edge of the altar, on which was carved:

  Senior Brother Wan Jian's spirit tablet!

  Su Ru watched from the side as Tian Naiyi gently wiped away the dust on the spirit tablet with his sleeve. The dust wasn't thick, clearly someone had been cleaning it regularly. After it was clean, Tian Naiyi solemnly placed the tablet on the altar and took three incense sticks from the side, then bowed three times in front of the tablet again.

  Su Rou's face was indifferent, and she said in a low voice: "It's not easy, what are you doing? Do you still want Master Wan to bless Qingyun at this critical juncture?"

  Tian said coldly, "After all, Master Wan is a proud and arrogant person from the Qingyun sect. He values his sect the most. If he knew about today's events, he would definitely protect the Qingyun lineage."

  Su Ru was silent for a long time, then shook her head gently and sighed.

  Tian Ye looked at this plaque for a long time before slowly saying, "Let's go."

  The two of them came out of the Quiet Hall, and at the gate, Song Daren and other disciples were already waiting outside. Tian Bu Yi's gaze swept from Song Daren to Du Bi Shu, nodding slightly. Meanwhile, he couldn't help but glance again at the distant, quiet disciple quarters with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

  Perhaps it was because of the impending disaster and the war that was about to break out, Tian Ye's expression was not good, and he didn't say much. Looking at the many disciples who had been waiting for a long time, he finally just nodded and said, "Let's go, to Tongtian Peak."

  A strange light flashed, Tian Bu Yi rode his horse to the front, Su Rou closely followed behind him, and the disciples of Da Zhu Peak hurriedly caught up. In the dark and somber sky, several dazzling lights streaked across, only to disappear into the clouds immediately after.

  ********

  Xiao Yizai, Lin Jingyu and other Qingyun disciples were exhausted to the point of death. Finally, on this day when the sky was about to turn dark but not yet dark, all the people in Heiyang City were sent onto the ancient road heading north. At the same time, from outside Heiyang City, there were still occasional gatherings of people coming together and heading north.

  It was only a short day and night, but Xiao Yi and Lin Jingyu and the other young disciples of Qingyun all looked like they had lost weight, extremely tired. Every time someone spoke, their throat was almost hoarse.

  Standing on the city wall of Qingyun, looking out at the gradually disappearing silhouette of the long queue of people in the distance, Xiao Yi finally put his heart at ease, let out a bitter laugh and said hoarsely to Lin Jingyu standing beside him: "Finally sent them off."

  Lin Jingyu also let out a breath, and his tense expression temporarily relaxed, but his eyebrows were still furrowed, unlike Xiao Yicai who was completely relaxed. It seemed like he still had something on his mind. Xiao Yicai was an astute person and quickly noticed the hint of seriousness between Lin Jingyu's brows. He slightly paused and asked: "What's wrong, Lin Shidi? Do you think there's still something not right?"

  Lin Jingyu was taken aback for a moment, shook his head and said: "Elder brother misunderstood, I don't feel anything wrong, it's just that I'm worried about this great war in front of me."

  Xiao Yicai nodded, patted his shoulder and said: "I know, in fact I am no exception. However, as the saying goes, 'evil cannot suppress justice', 'heaven will not cut off a person's path'. You and I are both from the Orthodox Sect, for the sake of all living things under heaven, let us have a decisive battle tomorrow, we will do our best, no need to think too much."

  Lin Jingyu smiled and nodded: "What Shixiong said is right."

  Xiao Yicai smiled slightly and said, "Then I'll go take a look over there." As he spoke, he left Lin Jingyu and walked to the side. He actually wanted to go back into the city of Heyang to take another careful look, in case any ordinary people were missed. Otherwise, if the beast demons came, most would not be able to escape. But just as he had taken a few steps, he suddenly heard Lin Jingyu's low muttering voice behind him:

  "After... fire... , after..."

  Xiao Yizai was taken aback, turned his head to look, and saw Lin Jingyu frowning with a puzzled expression on his face. He stood still, muttering something under his breath, but when Xiao Yizai listened carefully, it seemed like some vague words about "after" something.

  Xiao Yicai raised an eyebrow and said, "Lin Shidi, what's wrong with the back mountain?"

  Lin Jingyu was startled and looked up: "Hou Shan, what Hou Shan?"

  Xiao Yizai was taken aback and said, "I've been listening to you talk about the back mountain all along, I thought something had happened in the back mountain of our Tongtian Peak's ancestral temple where you often helped with sacrifices over the years!"

  Lin Jingyu's face was slightly embarrassed, and he hastily said: "No, no, it's just me talking nonsense to myself, don't worry about it, Shixiong."

  Xiao Yicai smiled and said, "It's all right then. Lin Shidi, the big battle is imminent, you must take care of yourself."

  Lin Jingyu smiled and nodded, just about to speak when suddenly a loud cry came from afar, it was one of the Qingyun disciples. Xiao Yi Cai and Lin Jingyu were shocked, almost simultaneously they leaped into the air and flew towards where the cry had come from.

  The sound came from the south gate of Heyang City, where several Qingyun disciples were making their final rounds, but at this moment they were all on high alert, their magical tools at the ready and their faces tense. On top of the city wall, a ferocious beast with the head of a lion and the body of a wolf, its eyes gleaming with savagery, let out a low growl as it stared at the Qingyun disciples, but it seemed to know that these people were not ordinary civilians, so for the time being it did not make any sudden moves.

  Xiao Yicai and Lin Jingyu fell to the ground, at this time other Qingyun disciples also rushed over, everyone looked at it clearly after that, they all took a deep breath, Xiao Yicai let out a long sigh and said in a low voice: "It's a beast demon."

  Suddenly, a Qingyun disciple beside Lin Jingyu shouted loudly, "Outside, outside..."

  The sound of terror, everyone heard it in their ears, and suddenly their hearts were lifted up, almost simultaneously looking in the direction that the Qingyun disciple pointed to, far outside the city of Hezhou.

  Under that dark and oppressive black cloud, at the horizon, a low rumble of thunder came, lightning flashed silently yet pierced through the sky. The earth was slightly trembling, the low and muffled roar seemed to slowly seep out from the depths of the underworld, but directly rushed into the deepest part of one's soul, echoing endlessly.

  Innumerable demonic beasts converged into an endless black tide, surging from afar with a rumble like thunder that had already surpassed the heavenly thunderclap. The heavens and earth were stern and murderous, electric sparks darting about like monstrous snakes. The oppressive aura that threatened to suffocate one's heart was already upon them, even from a distance.

  The disciples of Qingyun Sect were all pale-faced, Xiao Yi clenched his teeth and shouted: "Go, go quickly, immediately return to Qingyun Mountain."

  Among his loud and urgent cries, the numerous Qingyun disciples did not dare to slack off, and one after another took out their immortal swords and flew up into the sky. The lion-headed wolf-bodied monster on the wall let out a loud roar, its appearance ferocious.

  Lin Jingyu followed at the end of the crowd, turning his head back in mid-air to gaze out, only to see endless demonic beasts rushing frantically towards him. The entire earth seemed to have already become an ocean of ferocious beasts, with not a single hint of human presence anywhere.

  This calamity has finally reached its most critical moment!

  ********

  After hearing the urgent report of Xiao Yicai and others rushing back, the full hall of Qingyun Mountain's Tongtian Peak Yuqing Temple fell silent for a moment.

  Silence shrouded this grand hall, what was destined to come, finally arrived.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren slowly stood up, his face solemn and serious. He said slowly: "Everyone, the fate of all living things in the world is at stake here. At present, the beast demons are occupying River City, and they will attack Qingyun soon. I don't have much to say here either. Please go back and rest well, and we will decide life and death with the beast demons tomorrow."

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, and after a moment, they slowly got up. The Jade Clear Hall gradually became filled with whispers, and it was amidst this subdued murmur that the crowd dispersed. Daoxuan Zhenren turned to Pu Hong Shangren and Yun Yiluo who were sitting beside him and said: "You two please rest as well, I have some matters to discuss with a few other leaders of Qingyun Gate."

  Pu Hong Shangren and Yun Yi Lan both stood up and returned the courtesy: "Immortal, please proceed."

  Dao Xuan Zhenren returned a courtesy, greeted Xiao Yicai with a wave of his hand, and Xiao Yicai hastily followed him. As they entered the back hall, some of the other senior elders of Qingyunmen were already waiting for them. Lin Jingyu saw them off, then walked out of the Yuqing Hall alone, strolling to the railing outside the hall, where he gazed out at the horizon. The sky was a deep, foreboding grey, with dark clouds that seemed to swallow all light. A sharp wind howled like a knife, cutting into his face and making it ache.

  He stood silently, only in his mind, suddenly thought of that mysterious note again, and the four inexplicable words on it.

  A fire broke out in the backyard...

  The backyard is on fire, the backyard is on fire? What backyard is on fire? Lin Jingyu turned countless thoughts in his mind, and finally, his thoughts slowly converged to one point, which was Xiao Yicai's words that still lingered in his ears with a hint of surprise: "What's wrong with the mountain behind, Lin Shidi..."

  Back mountain?

  Lin Jingyu's eyebrows furrowed again, although his eyes sparkled, he slowly shook his head and became confused once more. He didn't know how long he stood there lost in thought, but when he came back to himself, he found that there was no one around him anymore. Lin Jingyu let out a sigh and slowly walked down the steps.

  ********

  Since the emergence of the beast demons, Qingyun Gate has strengthened its power to guard Mount Qingyun, especially in the front mountain. No one knows when the countless ferocious beasts will suddenly rush up. However, Mount Qingyun is steep and precipitous, especially Tongtian Peak, which is high and enters the clouds, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Although this is not a big obstacle for cultivators who have achieved success, it is an excellent barrier for many beast demons that cannot fly.

  It has been the case all along that wherever the beast demons pass, they are invincible, and there have been countless shocking and frightening rumors about them. No one can guarantee that these beast demons will not come up with unexpected methods of attack, let alone the legendary beast god, whose true nature remains unknown to this day, adding to everyone's doubts.

  Compared to the mountain in front of Qingyun Gate, the mountain behind Qingyun Gate is almost entirely steep cliffs, making it difficult for even monkeys to cross. Nevertheless, Qingyun Gate has arranged many disciples to patrol the skies on their swords, just in case. However, there is one strange thing: at the restricted area of Xuan Yue Dong Fu and the ancestral hall near the edge of the restricted area, the number of Qingyun disciples guarding it is extremely small, as if Qingyun Gate doesn't care about these two places at all.

  At this moment, the dark night had just passed, and the sky was just beginning to brighten. On the towering Tongtian Peak that pierced the clouds, a small path leading to the Zushi Temple and the Fantian Cave's forbidden area was shrouded in a thin mist. With the gentle mountain breeze, it drifted lightly, entwining itself among the branches of the pine trees on both sides of the road.

  At this moment, even the birdsong is inaudible, the moist air condenses into sparkling dewdrops, slowly flowing down the edges of the emerald green leaves, quietly dripping.

  Not even a shadow of a person!

  Suddenly, a figure appeared on this small path, it was Gui Li.

  His face was indifferent, and he couldn't see any fear or anxiety about being in enemy territory. He didn't show any tension as he approached the forbidden area either. He simply walked forward slowly with a blank expression.

  He had also walked this road ten years ago...

  Ten years later, the scenery seemed to remain the same, nothing had changed, the cypress and pine were evergreen, the grass was lush, even the soil under his feet seemed as moist and soft as it was back then.

  It's just him who has changed.

  The mountain wind blew through the branches of the trees, blowing over his collar, ruffling his hair, and the little grey creature on his shoulder was still drowsy, rubbing its eyes with its paws, its tail wrapped around Gui Ye's arm. But Gui Ye's eyes were unusually bright.

  This small path winds its way, heading deep into the mountains. The thin fog disperses lightly in front of him and gathers quietly behind him. He walks through this bewildering scene, always moving forward, never looking back once.

  All the way here.

  Arriving at the three-forked road, slightly leaning to the left is still a secluded small path. The path going to the right, behind the forest, faintly reveals several temple eaves and house ridges.

  That was the ancestral temple, Gu Lian thought to himself. Ten years ago, right here, he had joined forces with Lin Jingyu to resist the powerful enemy of the Demon Sect, and it was also here that Lu Xueqi had confronted him.

  But now he is already a stranger to these years and these people.

  "Shhh, shhh..."

  A faint sound came from the depths of the forest, as if someone was sweeping something early in the morning. The soft and gentle rustling seemed to mesmerize him, making him lose himself in thought, as if the passage of time had been quietly rippling and flowing away with the soft "shhh" sounds.

  He suddenly seemed to wake up from a dream, turned his head abruptly, the silent atmosphere instantly solidified, even the faint rustling sound in the distance seemed to stop, and fell silent.

  Behind him, at some unknown time, stood a man in black, with a black veil over his face - Mr. Ghost.

  The ghost's pupils slightly contracted, and he said in a low voice: "You've come too."

  "The demon master quietly said: 'Yes.'"

  "Ghostly Daoist said: 'What brings you here?'"

  The ghostly gentleman shook his head and said, "I am here to lend you a helping hand."

  The ghost let out a cold laugh and said, "What did you say?"

  "Sir Ghost said calmly: "You don't need to be suspicious, there are some things you don't know about, I came specifically to inform you. Outside the Fantian Cave Mansion, there is no mechanism, but inside, there is a superior formation, which is the guardian of the ancient sword that slays immortals. Its origin is the same as the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. If an outsider wants to forcibly enter and trigger the formation, it's like disturbing the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, the consequence is simply death with no chance of survival. If you think you can defeat the ancient sword that slays immortals on your own, then I have nothing more to say."

  The ghost's pupils contracted, and in the distant fog, that faint mist seemed to have trembled slightly.

  The Demon Master glanced at Gui Li with a stern expression, saying: "Originally, it's extremely difficult for someone from our demonic sect to enter the Illusory Moon Cave Mansion, but you're an exception. Looking around the world, apart from the leader of the Qingyun Sect, only you can gain entry."

  The ghost's expression turned cold and he asked in a low tone, "What do you mean?"

  "The formation must be entered with the Taichi Xuanqing Dao's Upper Clarity Realm, which has been passed down through generations of the Qingyun Gate. Only by grasping the key to the formation can one enter, and after entering, illusions will arise like rain. Whether or not you can firm your will depends on yourself."

  The ghost stared deeply at the black figure, silent for a long time, and said: "Why did you tell me so much?"

  The ghostly gentleman smiled faintly, his black figure swaying unsteadily in the thin mist, like a specter. He said lightly, "You don't have to worry about so much, anyway I've said all I need to say, whether you believe it or not is up to you."

  ********

  In front of Tongtian Peak on Qingyun Mountain, a young Taoist monk was sweeping the fallen leaves to one side. Just as he was about to take a break, he saw a figure slowly walking up the stairs from below. The person was dressed in Qingyun attire, and although there were many disciples under Qingyun's gate, this person had walked through here countless times over the past decade, and they had long been familiar with him.

  "Lin Shixiong." Dao Tong said with a slightly childish tone, smiling at Lin Jingyu who was walking up: "You came so early, are you going to the ancestral hall in the back mountain again?"

  Lin Jingyu smiled slightly and nodded: "Yes, I didn't sleep well last night, always feeling annoyed in my heart, as if something was going on, so I came early."

  The Taoist youths who were also sweeping the ground nearby came over, gathering together. One of them asked, "Lin Shixiong, I heard that the beast demons have arrived at the foot of the mountain in Heiyang City. Will they come up and fight?"

  The other Taoist children beside him suddenly started talking, but they were still young and didn't have the same worries as those famous figures. Although they also had some concerns about the beast demons, they were more optimistic. Infected by their mood, Lin Xingyu's emotions improved a lot, and he smiled:

  "Hmm, this beast is ferocious and evil, it must be the one that will attack Qingyun."

  "What?" The lid was blown off and the Taoist children started making a racket.

  Lin Jingyu smiled and comforted them, gesturing for them to calm down. "However, aren't there seniors on our Qingyun Mountain who possess great magical powers and profound moral integrity? They're certainly not afraid of beast demons. Moreover," Lin Jingyu's face revealed a hint of mystery as he said, "we also have the invincible Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation, have you all forgotten?"

  The Taoist boys all got excited, haha laughed, and said: "Yes, yes, we have the Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation, we will definitely win!"

  "Right, when the beast demons come up, let them all die under the ancestor's sword array and avenge the people of the world!"

  Listening to the words, Lin Jingyu's face was filled with smiles and frequent nods. In the end, he reminded the children a few words before continuing on his way towards the back mountain. After leaving those carefree young boys, his expression suddenly turned solemn. He walked silently for a while, then suddenly let out a sigh, shook his head, and muttered to himself: "I'd better hurry up to the back mountain and ask for advice from my seniors."

  As he spoke, he quickened his pace and headed towards the Zushi Temple behind Tongtian Peak. Just as he walked with his head down, the thin fog on the back mountain was also layered and drifting gently, like a dream that had not awakened from last night.

  ********

  At the three-forked road, Gui Li and Gui Xiansheng stared at each other for a long time, with strange lights flashing in their eyes. However, Gui Xiansheng did not back down either, staring straight at him.

  After a while, Gui Li made no sound, suddenly turned around and walked towards the deep and quiet path, Mr. Gui sent him off with his eyes behind him.

  But just at this moment, a hoarse voice came from the direction of the ancestral hall, drifting gently from the white mist in that direction, with an inexplicable sense of vicissitude and weariness. An old man's voice said: "You two, where are you going?"

  Gui Li and Gui Xiansheng both felt a sudden jolt, turned around to look back, and saw that on the small road, thin fog was drifting away, and a hunched figure slowly emerged. He was slightly bent at the waist, as if the years had already pressed him to the point of being out of breath, with wrinkles like knife cuts etched across his face, seemingly telling the story of years of hardship. Even the broom in his hand looked worn out, just like its owner.

  The old man walked slowly, stopping six feet in front of Gui Li and Gui Xiong. As he slowly raised his head, a pair of piercing eyes gleamed brightly, fixing intently on the two men before him.

  "On a chilly morning, when birds are still sleepy, would you two gentlemen like to have a bowl of hot tea with an old man?"