In the morning, a gentle breeze blew on Qingyun Mountain, slowly turning over the thin fog that covered the entire mountain, like a light gauze floating in the dense forest. Outside the ancestral temple, at the three-forked road junction, Gui Li, Gui Xiansheng and Sao Di Lao Ren stood in a triangular formation, confronting each other in a subtle atmosphere.

  The old man's wrinkles moved, and he said in a hoarse voice: "You two are not people from this Qingyun Mountain, why did you come to this place privately? Is there something going on?"

  The ghost was silent, his eyes sizing up the old man for a moment before standing six feet away from him. With their respective abilities, they didn't have to fear anyone in the world, but between them, it was clear that neither trusted the other.

  However, at this moment, the eyes of Mr. Gui hidden behind the black veil were staring at the old sweeper, with a piercing and divine gaze, as if there was another kind of strange feeling.

  The old man felt something and turned around, looking at Mr. Gui and said: "This high-ranking person, you've been staring at me all along, don't you have anything to say?"

  The old master suddenly laughed and said, "You're just an old man guarding the Zushi Temple on Qingyun Mountain. Why bother with other people's business? This young man... He pointed to Gui Li, saying, "He has long heard of the reputation of the Fantasy Moon Cave Mansion on Qingyun Mountain and wants to go in and take a look. I don't know if you'll let him pass?"

  Guile stood in the distance, suddenly letting out a cold hum and said: "Before going up the mountain, you and I had already discussed it. I would enter the Huan Yue Dong Fu to attract the attention of Qing Yun Men, while you took the opportunity to sneak into the Qing Yun Shan ancestral hall and destroy all the ancestral tablets of Qing Yun Men's ancestors, giving Qing Yun Men a good show. How come you're still not going in?"

  Mr. Gui was taken aback, and he stared at Gui Jie, who had a solemn expression on his face, looking serious and sincere, making it hard for anyone to disbelieve him. Mr. Gui looked at him for a while, seemingly sighing, and slightly shook his head.

  The old man looked at Gui Jie and then at Gui Xiong, his face gradually turning cold, the sharp light in his eyes growing brighter. He said calmly, "It seems that no matter what, you two are not harboring good intentions towards Qingyun. However, Qingyun is a sacred place, and I have been guarding it for many years. If you want to wreak havoc here, you'll have to step over my body first."

  He said calmly, facing the two mysterious and unfamiliar figures in front of him, slowly straightening his body.

  In the mountains behind, in the dense forest, the clear and crisp bird calls that had been echoing far away suddenly seemed to stop and disappear, leaving only the thin mist that still lingered, swirling around them.

  Decades of life's fleeting moments, quietly slipped away in silence, transformed into fine lines at the corners of one's eyes.

  "Is your left hand all right?" Mr. Gui asked suddenly.

  Guilei and the old man were both stunned at the same time. Guilei didn't understand how Mr. Gui suddenly came up with this inexplicable sentence, but the old man's body shook violently, his eyes fixed on Mr. Gui, unable to move away again.

  In the early morning mist, the old man gazed for a long time, suddenly let out a long breath, and the look of shock on his face gradually faded away. He slowly said, "Is it you?"

  The ghostly gentleman smiled and said, "It's me."

  He paused, his eyes scanning the old man's face, and even his voice suddenly carried a hint of emotion as he said, "How did you age so badly over the years? Looking at you now, who would recognize that you're actually the once-famous Qingyunmen Wanjianyi?"

  When the old man heard the three words "Wàn Jiàn Yī", his body suddenly trembled, as if these three words were like three sharp blades, stabbing into his heart one by one. Even on his face, which had been deeply scarred by the years, a look of excitement that had not been seen for a long time now emerged.

  "Ten thousand swords as one, hehe, ten thousand swords as one..."

  He muttered the name in a low voice, his expression complex and tinged with pain. Gui Li frowned beside him, for he had heard of the name "Wan Jianyi" many years ago when he was still a disciple under Qingyun Gate, but never thought that this legendary figure who had been dead for many years would still be alive in the world, let alone become such an unremarkable old man.

  A cold wind blows by, sweeping across the three people's clothes. In this mountain where thin fog is like a dream or an illusion, past events seem to reverberate here as well.

  Until then, that former Wan Jianyi, who once looked down on the world with disdain, now a wrinkled old man, slowly lifted his head.

  "Puff", a soft sound, came from his hands, Gui Li and Gui Xiansheng looked at the same time, but only saw fine gray powder falling down, the broken broom in Wan Jian's hand was actually crushed into powder by him with great force when he was emotionally agitated, scattered all over the ground.

  The mountain wind blew, and the powder was blown away bit by bit. Wan Jian stared at something that had been in his hand just a moment ago, but now it was gone without a trace. Then, he looked up at Mr. Gui and said word by word:

  "If it weren't for you back then, I would have been a cripple by now. You did me a great favor and I've always remembered it."

  Mr. Gui said faintly: "You and I met for the first time as if we had known each other before, in the northwest wilderness there was also that monk Puzhi..."

  The ghost who had been standing silently beside him suddenly shuddered, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light.

  Mr. Gui and Mo Jian didn't notice the change in Gui Lie's expression at this moment, and continued: "Although our three families have different backgrounds, we are all connected after all. Now that Pu Zhi has passed away for many years, you also lost contact early on, unexpectedly able to meet again today, it was worth my trip to Qingyun Mountain."

  The words brought a surge of emotions, but it was hard to express them. Wan Jian's face, which had been tense until now, gradually relaxed, and he let out a sigh, saying: "Indeed, I didn't think I'd ever see an old friend again... Halt!"

  He had only spoken halfway when his voice suddenly became urgent, and he abruptly shouted to a stop. It was Gu Lian who silently turned around beside him, unwilling to listen to these two people's entanglement of past events, and was about to head towards the Huan Yue Dong Fu.

  Ten thousand swords let out a cold hum, and his body didn't seem to move at all. He simply raised his hand, and his originally withered palm suddenly seemed to grow thousands of times larger and longer, grabbing downwards from behind like a giant claw.

  The ghostly figure's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, without turning its head, the wrist shook, and above its head, a circular pattern flashed, in an instant, the light burst forth, it was the Taiji diagram, the green light shone brightly, and the myriad swords were held back by the green light, in an instant they were repelled, but just for this brief moment, the withered body of the myriad swords had already blocked the ghostly figure's path, only to have its face reveal a look of astonishment once again, saying: "Taiji Xuanqing Dao? What kind of person are you?"

  The voice of Mr. Gui came from behind, saying: "He is a big shot in the current Ghost King Sect of the Demon Cult."

  The ghost's eyebrows furrowed, but he still didn't speak. Wan Jian looked him up and down a few times, nodded, and said: "So you're the Zhang Xiaofan who was expelled from Qingyun Gate ten years ago and joined the Demon Sect?"

  His face was as cold as frost, and his voice was chilly as he said, "Get out of the way."

  Wan Jian didn't show any intention of backing down, but after sizing up Gui Lie for a moment, he suddenly let out a sigh and said: "Brother Tian is indeed impressive to have taught a disciple like you."

  The ghost's face moved slightly, but he immediately hummed and his expression became even more arrogant, as if looking at the once-famous Wan Jianyi as nothing. He lifted his foot and walked away. Wan Jianyi stood up straight, with his hands behind his back, but he didn't show any intention of retreating either.

  As the two of them drew closer and closer, Wan Jian's eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and his body shot up from the ground. Almost at the same time, the earth beneath his feet let out a muffled sound, and in an instant, it cracked open, revealing a dark, icy-blue glow that shot out from the ground beneath his feet, chasing after him.

  Ten thousand swords, one person in mid-air, body swaying, suddenly let out a loud shout, shaking the surroundings. Astonishingly, he reached out with his bare fists to grab the incoming Soul Devourer. The Blood Bead on top of the Soul Devourer's head suddenly glowed brightly red, and threads of dark red blood all lit up, mixed in with the black light. Without hesitation, it charged forward.

  Dark energy surged, red light flashed dimly, and in an instant the surroundings seemed to darken, but Wan Jian suddenly charged down, all the eerie auras seemingly having no effect on him. Gui Li's expression changed, this kind of person's moral integrity, it could be said that he had never seen before.

  Just as Wanjianyi was about to grasp the evil creature in his hand, a strange pattern suddenly emerged from the depths of the Blood Soul Pearl, growing larger and brighter. In an instant, it burst forth from the dark energy, shining with golden light - the Buddhist mantra "卐". A powerful and pure energy emanated from it, yet mixed with a hint of eeriness, causing Wanjianyi's palm to recoil in shock.

  Wan Jianyi and Gui Li simultaneously retreated, the Soul Devouring Treasure in mid-air also flew back into Gui Li's hands. Wan Jianyi stopped in mid-air, his face slightly pale, staring at Gui Li, saying word by word: "Mahavairocana!"

  The demon's face was expressionless, but his heart was shaken. The person in front of him had an extremely high level of cultivation, truly immeasurable. In over a decade, this was the first time he had seen someone who could defend against the Soul Devouring Demon's power with bare hands.

  He was shocked in his heart, but he didn't know that Wanjianyi was also greatly surprised. Wanjianyi himself was a stunning and extraordinary figure in his youth, with a Dao far surpassing that of his fellow disciples. Except for Daoxuan Zhenren, who could be mentioned in the same breath as him, he didn't put other figures in his eyes. Although he had suffered many misfortunes and his fate had been bumpy, when facing this young man today, the pride that was born with him remained unchanged.

  It was just a fight with Gui Li this time, but it made him extremely surprised. The Blood Sucking Pearl's power was strange and fierce, although its appearance was calm, it had already stirred up his vital energy, and the Buddhist true law that Gui Li displayed later, the Mahavairocana Buddha's wisdom, was even more integrated with the Taoist magic true law, seamless, even he couldn't think of a way to deal with it, being forced back, his heart was shaken.

  A chilly wind whizzed by, blowing across the field, a thin mist floated gently, and it had already begun to show signs of dispersing.

  Wan Jian looked at Gui Li for a long time, nodded and said: "Indeed, it's true that every generation has its own heroes. I didn't expect that in my twilight years, I would still meet someone like you. It seems that heaven hasn't let me down."

  The demon's eyebrows furrowed, not quite understanding the meaning of Wanjianyi's words. However, Mr. Gui stood behind him and let out a low sigh, as if also lamenting that after many years, his old friend's unyielding spirit remained unchanged. But at the moment he sighed, a strange light flashed in his eyes, staring tightly at Wanjianyi's body.

  "The demon coldly said: 'Get out of the way.'"

  He gazed at the young man, who stood before him with a cold and arrogant expression. The look in his eyes was suddenly so familiar. He burst out laughing, with a hint of bitterness in his expression, but it was soon replaced by a heroic passion. "Good, good, good! Indeed, you are a young man, and the people of the world should not be underestimated! If you want to pass, just use your own true skills!"

  A fierce cry, no more words, he leapt up, the swords converged into a single pupil, suddenly retreated, his body flew to the edge of the dense forest, his right hand grasped a pine tree as thick as a man's embrace, a loud shout, in an instant the surroundings shook, amidst the rumbling sound, the massive pine tree was actually pulled out by him with its roots intact, like a giant arm suspended in mid-air.

  With a sword in hand, he stood proudly in mid-air, his former timid and cowardly appearance nowhere to be seen. His spirit was high, his face flushed with excitement, his eyes wide open, exactly the same as when he was invincible years ago.

  "Come," Wan Jian shouted loudly, like a thunderclap, "since you have the Blood Devouring Bead, let's see how my Green Cloud Giant Tree fares!"

  His body swayed, and in an instant the giant trees danced, "Woo" sounds echoed, and in the blink of an eye they were swift and unmatched, with tree shadows filling the sky, rushing over like a tidal wave, the wind howling fiercely, and suddenly all other sounds became inaudible.

  The ghost's face changed greatly, and in the tree shadow, it was surging like a huge stormy wave, and also like an endless tide, one wave pressing over another, one wave higher than another, chasing under the blue sky, and even the thin mist on the mountain seemed to be trembling with fear.

  The wind swept through the treetops, transforming into a fierce gust that swirled in mid-air, devouring everything in its path. Gui Li stood at the center of the whirlwind, surrounded by swirling shadows of trees, with strong winds slashing his face like knives, as if one misstep would cause him to be cut to shreds.

  Ten thousand swords, one mad laugh that wouldn't stop, as if he had returned to the years when he was invincible. His face was filled with excitement, his eyes fixed intently on Gui Li. In the midst of the storm, Gui Li suddenly gritted his teeth and looked ahead at the tree shadows pressing in like a mountain range. This time, however, he didn't dodge or weave. He raised his right hand, and the Soul-Devouring Pearl shot out, flashing with dark red light, and landed accurately on the trunk of the tree with a loud "thud". In an instant, the demonic energy went wild, and streaks of red light rose from the pearl, wrapping around the tree trunk. Wherever it passed, the tree trunk split open, and fragments flew everywhere.

  In an instant, the trunk of the giant tree had been eroded by this demonic power for a third, but Wan Jian's face was not surprised, but smiled, and laughed long. His left hand cut through the air, and the trunk was cut off by that invisible gust of wind, instantly like tofu being cut open. The front trunk of the tree, shrouded in red light, seemed to let out a moan, turned into powder, and scattered in the wind.

  But the previous Wan Jian, with the remaining trunk of the tree held high, like holding up the sky, majestic and invincible, the shadow of the trees in the sky disappeared in an instant, the storm subsided, the strong wind stopped, and all things in the world held their breath for a moment, gazing at the figure flying in mid-air!

  He descended from the sky with a loud shout and struck down with his wooden staff.

  A strong gust of wind whistled, piercing the ears, and in an instant, a three-zhang radius of sand and rocks flew outwards, leaving only Gui Li's clothes fluttering, his face pale, staring fixedly at the giant tree falling from the sky.

  That strange whistling sound shook the air, and in an instant it arrived. The ghost's sharp teeth were tightly clenched, and suddenly its two hands danced wildly. The Taiji diagram spun rapidly without stopping, rising abruptly above its head, blocking the tree trunk that was like a startled thunderclap.

  Two powerful forces collided in mid-air, causing the land and mountains around them to tremble. The ground beneath Gui Li's feet shook, his legs sinking into the earth.

  The tree trunk in front of him was forced to burst by the mighty power of Taiji Xuanqing, and it shattered into wood chips that flew everywhere. In an instant, they turned into powder and disappeared without a trace. However, the remaining tree trunk continued to advance, piercing down from the Taiji pattern that flashed with blue light. The ghost's face turned even paler, and its sharp fangs grew even more menacing. The Buddhist mantra reappeared below the Taiji pattern, shining with golden light, and another layer was laid down.

  The strong wind howled, making it almost impossible to breathe in the arena. The fierce gusts raged on as the two men clashed in the dense forest of Qing Shan, lost in their intense battle. No one was visible, only a dark shadow flickering faintly.

  Ten thousand swords, one face, his expression was excited, and even the deep wrinkles seemed to have disappeared at this moment, as if the youthful years of many years ago had returned to him.

  Those were the days of excitement and laughter that defied the heavens!

  He looked up at the sky and let out a long howl, like a dragon's roar in the sun. The strong wind hit his face, making it feel as if all the hot blood in his body was burning!

  He burst out laughing and rushed down, all his Taoist practice bursting forth from the tree trunk, a lifetime of cultivation erupting like flames.

  The Buddha's true words have vanished in an instant!

  Layer upon layer of pressure, like a mountain range collapsing, pressed down on him. The ghost's mouth corners flowed with blood threads, his pale face suddenly surged with crimson, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, splashing it onto the Soul Devourer.

  A drop of fresh blood, silently dissolves into it, a cold breath, echoes from the depths of the heart.

  His eyes suddenly turned blood red!

  At this critical moment, the strong gusts of wind that filled the sky suddenly stopped, and the murderous intent that shocked the gods and ghosts disappeared. The majestic figure in mid-air, like a heavenly god, suddenly began to sway, gradually losing strength.

  A dark shadow flashed past from behind Wan Jianyi's body, and the true law that Gui Li had been accumulating for a long time suddenly lost its suppression and burst out instantly. The green light and golden light merged into a powerful force that defied the heavens and struck Wan Jianyi's chest with a loud crash. In an instant, the sound of shattering bones was like falling pearls, crackling non-stop. Wan Jianyi froze in mid-air, but his body suddenly went limp from the chest down, and all the muscles in his body seemed to have lost their strength, beginning an irreversible atrophy.

  The demon's face froze, and the next moment, he involuntarily hugged Wan Jianyi's body. As soon as his hands touched him, that old body told him again that this was such an old man. And when he turned over, he clearly saw a black palm print on Wan Jianyi's back.

  Kui Lie hugged Wan Jian and fell to the ground, he and panting Wan Jian turned their heads at the same time, the black shadow standing in the thin fog that was about to disperse, was surprisingly Mr. Gui.

  His eyes gleamed with an eerie light, like a ghostly flame burning fiercely, and he said coldly, "What are you doing?"

  The ghostly Mr. didn't respond to him, but instead looked at Wan Jianyi, the old man who was dying at this moment, and he too was staring back at him, only his eyes had a more complex expression.

  The black gauze on Mr. Gui's face fluttered lightly, and his voice was still as calm as ever: "After all these years, you're still like this, always believing in your friends without any guard?"

  Wan Jian opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but as soon as he did, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. His face was rapidly turning pale, as if life itself was quietly slipping away from him.

  Then he lightly laughed and smiled faintly in the blood and bitterness, turned his head and looked at Gui Li.

  Those eyes, at this moment, somehow have a few points of gentleness.

  The old man took a deep breath, and suddenly his eyes were hot. The old man who was fighting for his life just now made him dare not look straight at him. He silently put down the sword, stood up, and said in a low voice: "If you have the Dragon-Slaying Sword in your hand, I am definitely not your opponent."

  Wàn Jiàn yī zhe zhè ge nián qīng rén, tā shuāng shǒu jǐn jǐn wò zhe, shēn zǐ sì yě zài wēi wēi zhàn dǒu. Ránhòu, guǐ lì zhuǎn guò le shēn, dīng zhe guǐ xiānshēng. Guǐ xiānshēng méi yǒu huí bì tā de yǎn guāng, shèn zhì lián guǐ lì yǎn zhōng bù jiā yǐ xī háo de biǎn shì de yǎn jīng, tā sì hū yě wú zài yì.

  The ghostly figure stared at him in silence for a while, then turned around and walked towards the mountain road leading to the Phantom Moon Cave Mansion without saying another word. His figure soon disappeared from view.

  In the field, there were only two people left.

  Mr. Gui slowly walked to the side of Wan Jianyi, the weak old man lay on the ground, slowly raised his eyes, looked at him, and fresh blood continued to flow from the corner of his mouth.

  Just at this moment, suddenly, a sound of footsteps came from afar, and someone was walking up the mountain, passing through the thin fog, and was about to arrive here.

  Mr. Gui's face changed color, and his dark shadow flashed, disappearing instantly into the thin fog.

  A moment later, Lin Jingyu's figure flashed out of the thin fog and came into the arena, taking in everything.

  The faint smile instantly froze, an unbelievable expression occupied his eyes, the old man who had been with him for ten years was covered in blood, weakly lying on the ground.

  "Ah!......"

  Lin Jingyu rushed forward with a hint of despair, but completely failed to notice that behind him, a black shadow flashed by.