?、、、、、、、

  A coughing sound came from beside, the voice was not loud, but it seemed a bit urgent, everyone looked at the place where the sound came from, but only saw Tian Bu Yi sitting on the stone steps with a painful expression on his face, constantly coughing.

  Lu Xueqi slightly furrowed her brow, a hint of worry flowing from her eyes. With Tian Naiyi's previous cultivation, he had already reached the point where no illness could invade his body, let alone this minor cough. It was clear that at this moment, Tian Naiyi's body must have suffered some internal injury.

  Lu Xueqi hesitated and didn't speak, but Xiao Huan quietly walked up to her. Tian Bu Yi felt a little surprised, looked up at Xiao Huan, and saw that she was smiling as she said: "Thank you so much for saving me, my grandfather, and Daozhang the other day."

  Tian's face showed a hint of a smile, and he said wearily, "It's just a small matter, not worth mentioning. This place is inauspicious, it's not suitable for you to stay here for long. If there's nothing else, it's best to leave quickly."

  Xian nodded repeatedly on Monday, saying: "Yes, yes, he's absolutely right. Let's hurry up and go, Xiao Huan."

  Xiao Huan glanced at her grandfather and said to Tian Nanyi: "Senior, are you okay? Is there anything I can help you with?"

  Tian shook his head and said, "I'm fine, you all just leave, otherwise if that person comes back, I'm afraid you won't have such good luck to escape again."

  As soon as he finished speaking, a faint blackness flashed across his chubby face, and the painful expression reappeared on his face. He couldn't help but cough again, and his voice seemed even hoarser than before.

  The lonely witch stood by, her eyes fixed on Tian Naye, watching every move of Tian Naye. On the face covered with black cloth, only a pair of eyes revealed a thoughtful expression.

  She couldn't help but glance back at Wuyao, who was standing to the side, and seemed to have discovered something. She paused for a moment, then turned to Zhou Yixian and said, "Grandfather, look at that person, why is he wearing the same clothes as... my master?"

  On Monday, the fairy was still in a daze and stuttered: "What master... uh!" After a pause, Zhou Yixian narrowed his eyes, took a closer look at Wu Yao, hesitated for a moment, and said: "There are too many strange people and monsters under this sky. It's hard to say that there won't be a few who are similar to your... that master who pretends to be a god. Let's just ignore him and leave quickly."

  Xiao Huan responded with a sound, followed by walking, but still couldn't help but turn her head to take another look at the witch, only to see that the witch seemed to have not noticed Zhou Yixian and the other two people on this side, silently standing there, staring at Tian Buyi.

  Soon, Zhou Yuxian, Xiao Huan and Ye Gou Dao Ren also left the abandoned Yi Zhuang. The originally desolate place suddenly became even more deserted. Tian Buyi and Lu Xueqi's attention soon turned to that mysterious black-clothed man.

  Tian faintly said: "Sir, is there anything else?"

  The witch doctor fell silent for a moment, his gaze shifting from Tian Naye to Lu Xueqi and finally back to Tian Naye. After a slight pause, he seemed to want to speak but ultimately didn't say a word. His body floated backward, quietly merging into the darkness of the deep night.

  The night wind was cool and refreshing, blowing from afar. The entire abandoned temple was quiet for a moment, without even the sound of insects chirping in the wilderness outside, a deathly stillness.

  Lu Xueqi suddenly felt a wave of unease in her heart for some unknown reason.

  ※※※

  Tian didn't easily lift his head to look at the sky, and after a while, he seemed to be thinking about something. Lu Xueqi didn't know why he suddenly became distracted, and for a moment, she didn't dare disturb him. After a long time, Tian still didn't make any movement, and Lu began to worry if he was injured somewhere on his body. Just as she was about to ask, Tian suddenly lowered his head, followed by an even more violent cough than before.

  Lu Xueqi was startled and didn't know what to do, so she asked: "Master Tian, are you okay?"

  Tian coughed for a while before slowly stopping, seemingly having caught his breath. He shook his hand slowly to indicate that he was fine. Lu Xueqi couldn't help but say: "Master Tian, this place is not far from our Qingyun Mountain, I think we should first return to Qingyun and discuss it further with the other masters after seeing them."

  Tian didn't listen to Lu Xueqi's words, furrowed his brow, as if suddenly remembering something, turned his head to look at Lu Xueqi and said: "During the time I was away, are Dazhu Peak and your Master Su Rou still doing well?"

  Lu Xueqi nodded and said: "They're all fine, it's just that everyone doesn't know where you've gone, Master Tian, so they're all very anxious."

  Tian didn't easily smile slightly, as if he had put down a stone in his heart, but that smile revealed a hint of bitterness.

  Lu Xueqi saw the look on Tian Bu Yi's face, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked: "Tian Shu Shu, earlier those people mentioned that you had a showdown with a demon head, who was that demon head?"

  Tian didn't say a word and furrowed his brow after giving Lu Xueqi a glance.

  Lu Xueqi met his gaze and suddenly discovered that on the face of this Tian Shu, apart from being haggard, there seemed to be a hint of something else.

  The black air that shouldn't be on his body appeared and disappeared faintly.

  Was it the strange and evil magic that had been suppressing him that injured his internal meridians? Lu Xueqi's heart was secretly worried, but in front of her, there was another more pressing matter that she couldn't avoid facing.

  She hesitated for a moment before asking Tian Bu Yi in a low but clear voice, "That person... is it the Master of the Dao Xuan Sect?"

  Tian's body shook slightly, and a piercing light suddenly shot out of his eyes. In a cold voice, he said: "What did you say?"

  Lu Xueqi hastily said: "Before the disciple came down from the mountain, he was fortunate enough to receive a letter from his master, who told him about an incident that year when she and Shifu Tian and Shifu Su were in the ancestral hall."

  Tian was taken aback for a moment, with a look of surprise on his face, but it soon subsided. After a while, he let out a long sigh and said, "I didn't expect Shui Yue to have told you."

  Lu Xueqi said, "Master is because the leader of Daoxuan Shibo and Tian Shu are missing at the same time, Qingyunmen is in chaos, and she is very worried that Daoxuan Shibo has been trapped by heart demons. However, Changmen Xiao Yicai Shixiong clearly didn't know about this matter, so she had to make a decision on the spot, letting her guard the situation on Mount Qingyun, and instructing her disciples to go down the mountain to find the two of them."

  Tian hesitated for a moment, then said: "If you were to find the Zhenren of the sect at the foot of the mountain, and if he really was as your master feared, did Shuixue tell you what to do?"

  Lu Xueqi's face turned slightly pale, as if this secret was also a huge burden for her. Under Tian Buyi's gaze, she took a deep breath and said firmly:

  "Before the disciple descended the mountain, he had already gone to Tongtian Peak with his master and stood before the ancestral tablets of the ancestors in the Qingyun Gate, making a solemn oath: if it was truly impossible to do so, for the sake of the reputation of the Qingyun Gate for thousands of years, the disciple would rather die than yield, absolutely not showing any mercy, and for the rest of his life, he would never reveal even a hint of this matter."

  Tian Ye gazed deeply at Lu Xueqi, finally nodding slowly and letting out a long sigh: "Although I don't like Shui Yue's character, I have to say that she has indeed taught a good disciple."

  Lu Xueqi's face was expressionless, she lowered her head and said: "Master Tian, you're overpraising me."

  Tian Yidao said faintly, "Among the second generation disciples of Qingyunmen, there are no less than a thousand people. Looking around, how many can take on such a heavy responsibility? Alas..." He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "You guessed correctly earlier. The person I fought with in this place some days ago was indeed your Master Daoxuan."

  Although Lu Xueqi had already vaguely guessed, she still couldn't help but feel a shock when she heard Tian Nanyi say it out loud. After a while, she spoke in a low voice: "That... that Master Shibo's health..."

  Tian hummed and shook his head, sighing: "He's already deeply mired and can't pull himself out."

  Lu Xueqi was speechless.

  Tian hesitated for a moment, then continued: "The twists and turns in between are long to tell, but since you already know the original story, I don't have anything good to hide from you. At that time, I first discovered that Daoxuan Shixiong indeed had some signs of going crazy, so I went up to Tongtian Peak. As a result, at the Zushi Temple, I found out that he really... Later on, we started fighting in the Zushi Temple, but although he was possessed by the devil, his Taoist powers hadn't decreased much. In the end, after one round of fighting, I was still subdued by him."

  Lu Xueqi listened quietly, but was secretly shocked in her heart. Tian Bu Yi and Dao Xuan Zhen Ren's cultivation of Taoism, she knew about it and had seen it with her own eyes. The two top figures of Qing Yun Men were fighting fiercely behind the mountain of Tongtian Peak, and the intense battle scene could be imagined. Although Tian Bu Yi seemed to describe it lightly at this moment, the scene at that time was not hard to imagine.

  Tian did not easily reveal a wry smile, saying: "I went there that day, also made preparations, if I could awaken Dao Xuan Shixiong it would be the best. If not, then I can only do my best to fight once. In those years at the ancestral temple, when you and your master Water Moon secretly heard this secret, we also heard Master Wan say that after entering the devil's path, one's cultivation will decline due to the invasion of demonic energy, and their vitality will be damaged. I naturally knew that Dao Xuan Shixiong's cultivation was deeper than mine, so at that time, I thought it would be a last resort, fighting him until we both perish. After all, this matter is absolutely not to be spread outside."

  Lu Xueqi felt a surge of respect in her heart and sincerely said, "Master Tian's heart is something that can be proven by the sun and moon, our ancestors will definitely bless you."

  Tian shook his head and said, "Who would have known that after I fought with Dao Xuan Shixiong, I discovered that although he had entered the demonic state, his cultivation was still as deep as ever. After several rounds of intense fighting, I was still no match for him and was captured. But strangely, he didn't intend to kill me, instead, he secretly brought me down the mountain and took me to this abandoned temple filled with eerie energy, where I've been imprisoned."

  Lu Xueqi was reminded by his words and hastily asked: "Then, Master Tian, are you injured? I see that your complexion is very poor?"

  Tian was taken aback for a moment, seemingly not understanding the meaning of Lu Xueqi's words, but soon came to his senses and said with a hint of self-mockery: "Being stuffed into that coffin and locked up for so many days, naturally no one would have a good temper."

  Lu Xueqi furrowed her brow, still feeling a little uneasy in her heart, but for the time being couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong, so she remained silent.

  Tian glanced at her and said, "You basically know what's going on now. What are your plans?"

  Lu Xueqi furrowed her brow and asked, "Excuse me, Master Tian, where is... Daoxuan Shibo now?"

  Tian shook his head and said, "After he became a demon, his actions were completely unpredictable. He would often leave us behind and return after several days. It seems that he just left the righteous manor yesterday, so it's likely to take a few more days for him to come back. But you never know, sometimes he might even return the next day."

  Lu Xueqi hesitated for a moment, then said: "Master Tian, why don't we head back to the mountain first? Although this matter shouldn't be spread around, as long as we find my master and Su Rou Master, the three of you can discuss it together and surely come up with a better solution."

  The field did not easily remain silent for a moment, but finally shook his head and said: "It's not suitable. Firstly, Daoxuan Shixiong has now entered the devil deeply, his mind has changed greatly, and no one can predict what he will do; secondly, if we return to the mountain this time, but lose his trail from then on, how can that be good?"

  He paused for a moment and said: "Alright, why don't you go back to the mountain first and tell Shui Yue and your master Su Ru about what happened, and have them come quickly."

  Lu Xueqi hesitated for a moment and said: "What if Master Daoxuan returns tonight?"

  Tian did not immediately speak, but slowly stood up with a faint smile.

  He was short and stout, his appearance was not impressive, but for some reason, he stood there so casually, yet with a sense of authority, standing tall against the wind, commanding respect.

  "A lifetime of cultivation, what's the point of it all?" Tian Bu Yi said in a low voice, "A man's body, can he really be timid on the battlefield?"

  Lu Xueqi also quietly stood up behind him, and for a long time, in her eyes, Tian Naye was just the teacher who had taught that person, but at this moment, she really admired this senior fellow.

  She gritted her teeth and said loudly, "Tian Shifu, you've just escaped from danger and need to rest quietly for now. Tonight, I'll protect you, and tomorrow morning, I'll rush back to Qingyun to inform Master and Su Ru Shifu about descending the mountain. If by any chance Dao Xuan Shibo really returns tonight..."

  Tian didn't expect it and looked at Lu Xueqi with a surprised expression, saying: "How is that?"

  Lu Xueqi smiled slightly, her face looking even more beautiful in the gentle night breeze, and said: "Among the young masters of the Qingyun sect, it's not just you, Master Tian, who can view death as a return home!"

  Tian Bu Yi gazed at Lu Xue Qi for a long time before slapping his palm and laughing: "Well said, well said! What a great phrase - to look upon death as one's homecoming."

  Lu Xueqi smiled faintly and said, "Master Tian, you'd better sit down and rest for a while."

  Tian did not say much, just nodded and sat back on the stone steps covered with moss, closing his eyes. Lu Xueqi looked around, only to see that the night was bleak and cold, the wind was whistling, there were no human shadows, let alone ghostly shadows.

  The night is deep and dark, who knows what tomorrow will be like?

  She didn't want to think more and sat down at the foot of Tianyi, closing her eyes.

  ※※※

  Nor did she know how long she had been sitting, but Lu Xueqi's mood gradually became more transparent, although her eyes were not open, the breath in her body was flowing, and it seemed that she could feel the distant trees and woods outside her body, as if she had seen them with her own eyes.

  She felt somewhat comforted in her heart, these days have been turbulent, and she has experienced the bitterness of longing, but this cultivation seems to have made more progress, and has not been abandoned. However, she soon discovered that although she was spiritually aware, for some reason, Tian Naye, who had been sitting beside her all along, seemed to be unaffected by her spiritual awareness, and she couldn't even detect his heartbeat.

  Lu Xueqi suddenly had another wave of respect for Tian Noyi in her heart, it seemed that these seniors from the Qingyun sect were indeed all extraordinary.

  She was thinking like this in her heart when she suddenly heard Tian Bu Yi's voice beside her ear, saying: "Lu Shizhong..."

  Lu Xueqi opened her eyes and said hastily: "Master Tian, you can just call me Xueqi."

  Tian Ye looked at her, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes, as if there was profound meaning, and he slowly nodded, saying: "Xue Qi."

  Lu Xueqi smiled and said: "Yes, Master Tian, what's up?"

  Tian didn't immediately speak, his gaze seemed to drift away, staring at some unknown place. After a while, he suddenly said: "You were acquainted with that useless seventh disciple of mine, weren't you?"

  Lu Xueqi was startled, for a moment the normally calm her actually had a feeling of being at a loss, even under her pale face, there were inexplicably two faint pink flushes rising.

  Forcing down her racing heartbeat, Lu Xueqi barely calmed herself, but still looked a bit embarrassed and shy, saying in a low voice: "Yes, Master Tian, why did you suddenly ask about this?"

  Tian Bu Yi's face was expressionless, making it impossible to discern whether he was happy or angry. He seemed to be talking about something that had nothing to do with him, and said calmly: "I heard that in recent years, you've been traveling at the foot of the mountain, and your relationship with Lao Qi is not shallow. Because of Lao Qi's relationship, you were scolded by your master several times, and even once, you refused the personal proposal of the Valley Master of Huo Xiang Gu in front of many people, including Dao Xuan Shixiong and your master?"

  Lu Xueqi was completely baffled by Tian Naiyi's sudden words, but her own cheeks were burning, and she seemed to have turned bright red. Her heart was even more flustered, as if discussing this matter with the usually unfamiliar Tian Naiyi made her more anxious than talking to her usually revered teacher, Shui Yue.

  "... is," Lu Xueqi hesitated for the first time, stuttering and pausing for half a day before saying in a low voice: "But I refused the proposal, not all for his sake, I just didn't like it myself, so..."

  Tian Ye suddenly interrupted her and asked directly: "Do you like my seventh brother?"

  Lu Xueqi's mind buzzed with a sudden noise, and she felt her face burning even more. She looked at Tian Nanyi, only to see his piercing gaze fixed on her. Under that gaze, Lu Xueqi suddenly found an inexplicable surge of courage, sat up straight, took a deep breath, and looked directly at Tian Nanyi with clear and crisp voice:

  "Yes!"

  This sound was like cutting ice and snow, crisp and pleasant to the ear, without a hint of hesitation or repetition, just like the clear gaze in her eyes, never with any impurities.

  Tian didn't smile easily, but he burst out laughing loudly. He laughed unscrupulously and was genuinely delighted.

  Lu Xueqi heard him laugh, but it was a wave of shyness. However, without realizing it, her feelings towards this short and stout master uncle became even more intimate.

  When the laughter in the field gradually subsided, and he looked at Lu Xueqi again, Lu Xueqi smiled slightly, but then a strange sadness welled up, and she said softly: "It's a pity that now... I'm afraid the various masters won't be able to tolerate him. If only he could return to his former glory, how wonderful would that be!"

  Tian's eyes narrowed slightly as he replied coldly, "What return? I never said I'd already driven this useless guy out."

  Lu Xueqi was taken aback and didn't understand Tian Naiyi's meaning for a moment. She raised her head to look at him.

  Tian said calmly: "I know, you're worried about your master, aren't you?"

  Lu Xueqi lowered her head and said after a while: "Master, she is also for my own good, and she is not wrong, the one who is wrong is me, I understand."

  Tian Bu Yi suddenly let out a rude "hmmph" sound, which startled Lu Xue Qi. She looked up at Tian Bu Yi, who rolled his eyes in the direction of the distant Qing Yun Mountain and said: "I just think that your master is becoming more and more like your ancestor, Empress Yu Zhen. She can't even figure out her own affairs, yet she still likes to interfere with everything, especially the thoughts of her disciples. Is it possible that she's also become senile like her own master?"

  Lu Xueqi rebuked: "Tian Shu, why are you talking nonsense?"

  Tian glanced at Lu Xueqi, chuckled and waved his hand, saying: "You can rest assured, after this matter is settled, your affairs will be taken care of by me."

  Lu Xueqi was taken aback and said: "What?"

  Tian smiled coldly and said: "Speaking of which, it's not just you alone. Don't you have a senior sister named Wen Min?"

  Lu Xueqi nodded and said, "Yes, Wen Min shijie... she actually has a bit of a relationship with Song Daren, the big brother from Da Zhu Peak." As she spoke, her mouth also couldn't help but reveal a few hints of a smile.

  Tian glared at her and said in a bad temper: "Song Daren is also a wooden fish brain."

  Lu Xueqi burst out laughing and said: "When our Wen Minsi Shijie privately talked to us about Song Shixiong, she indeed always said so."

  Tian shook his head, seemingly quite dissatisfied with the foolishly loyal big disciple. He didn't know if it was because he felt that Song Daren had lost face for him. Then he said: "Don't worry, in the future I will personally go to Xiao Zhu Peak and ask your master on behalf of these two useless disciples."

  As soon as this was said, Lu Xueqi's face turned bright red, it was really something she had never experienced before. In her anxiety, she could only scold: "Tian Shibo, if you tease your disciple like this again, I...I will get angry."

  Tian glanced at her and said, "I'm telling the truth, when have I ever joked with you? Don't you want to marry our Seventh Brother?"

  Lu Xueqi hastily said: "No... ah, no, I didn't mean that, I meant..."

  On Tian Bu Yi's chubby face, his eyes blinked a few times, and he said seriously: "What do you mean?"

  Lu Xueqi was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to say, her face a mix of anxiety and shyness, with a flush of pink on her pale skin, making her look even more breathtakingly beautiful.

  Tian did not easily smile slightly and said: "Okay, I won't say much either. I think you're also a clever woman. What I mean, you should understand, right?"

  Lu Xueqi took a deep breath and slowly calmed down, but her beautiful face still had a faintly pale complexion, however, her eyes were as clear and bright as before. After a moment, she nodded slowly and firmly, saying: "Yes, disciple understands."

  Tian didn't dare to stare at her, and immediately asked: "Are you willing?"

  Lu Xueqi's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink, but this time she spoke calmly and slowly, just like before:

  "Yes!"