Qingyun Mountain, Dazhu Peak.

  Outside the Shou Jing Tang, a large group of disciples led by Song Da Ren and followed by Du Bi Shu stood in a line at the door, their faces filled with anxious concern as they occasionally looked inside.

  After a while, the Shou Jing Tang remembered the sound of footsteps and walked out a woman, who was Wen Min from Xiao Zhu Feng. Song Da Ren and other disciples of Da Zhu Feng immediately surrounded her, Song Da Ren was familiar with Wen Min, looked at her back and saw no one, asked in a low voice: "How is my master's wife?"

  Wen Min nodded and said in a low voice, "Su Shibo is fine now. Earlier when we were returning to the mountain, she suddenly fainted due to excessive worry. My master told me that she's awake now and my master is accompanying her inside."

  Song Daren and the others all let out a sigh of relief, but their faces didn't show any joy. Du Bishu said with a bitter face: "This is really a bolt from the blue! The master has lost contact, and now even the mistress almost got into trouble!"

  "Shut up!" Song Daren frowned and shouted, Du Bishu smiled wryly and shook his head without speaking. Song Daren turned to Wen Min and asked, "Did my wife ask you to entrust anything to us?"

  Wen Min shook his head and said, "No, Su Shibo just whispered to my master for a while, after saying a few words, my master let me out too, it seems like there's something he doesn't want me to know."

  Song Daren furrowed his brow and said: "This this"

  Wen Min saw him anxious and had a slight pang of sympathy, so he advised: "Song Shixiong, don't be too anxious either. After all, no matter how big the situation is, aren't there still Su Shibo and my Shifu around? Now that something unexpected has happened, Su Shibo is worried sick, you should take on more responsibility."

  Song Daren sighed, nodded and said: "What you said is true." After a moment of contemplation, he turned to the other disciples and said: "Alright, alright, since we know that our master's wife is safe, I think it's not necessary for everyone to stand here all the time. If Master's wife finds out, it will only add trouble for her. Everyone can go back to their own rooms first, you still need to do your homework, and I'll just stay here for now."

  Wu Dayi, He Dazhi and Du Bishu looked at each other, after a moment of silence, Wu Dayi nodded and said: "This is also good, we will listen to Big Brother's words." After finishing speaking, he turned to Song Daren and said: "Big Brother, I'll come over to replace you later."

  Song Daren was about to shake his head and decline, but He Dazhi patted him on the shoulder and said, "Big Brother Master, you told us to rest well, don't be careless yourself, Master's wife won't like it if you're like this."

  Song Daren smiled wryly and nodded. At this time, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only Song Daren and Wen Min standing outside the Quiet Hall, speechless for a moment.

  The two of them exchanged a glance, and Wen Min's face suddenly turned red as she slowly lowered her head. Song Daren coughed and felt his heart beating faster, quickly calming himself down with a dry laugh, saying: "Wen Shimei, didn't you just go to Nanjiang with Lu Xueqi from Xiaozhu Peak not long ago? How did you get back so soon?"

  Wen Mian shook his head and said, "I went to Nanjiang. I didn't plan to come back so early, but something unexpected happened there. After discussing with Lu Shimei, I felt that this matter was not trivial, so I came back first to report to the master and the elders. Lu Shimei is still in Nanjiang, waiting for an opportunity to act."

  Song Daren was taken aback and asked: "What's going on, it's so important?"

  Wen Min hesitated for a moment, looked around, and then leaned in close to Song Da Ren, whispering something in his ear. Before she finished speaking, Song Da Ren's expression had already changed. After Wen Min finished talking, he stepped back from her side, stood in front of him, and gazed at him with a low sigh, saying: "Now you know why I rushed back."

  Song Daren's face was overcast and uncertain, and after a long time, he slowly said: "This is indeed a troublesome autumn."

  Wen Min was silent for a long time, then said in a low voice: "Who says it's not? I also think that one wave has not subsided and another wave has risen. Moreover, after I came back, such a thing happened again in our sect, alas."

  She let out a sigh and stopped talking, Song Daren stood beside her, suddenly feeling that the woman next to him was thinner and weaker, and couldn't help but slowly move closer.

  Wen Min Zheng lowered his head in contemplation, seemingly unaware of anything, but the corner of his mouth moved slightly, yet he didn't speak, simply standing there quietly.

  Two figures stood quietly outside the Guardian Hall of the Great Bamboo Peak.

  In the distance, the bamboo forest of Dazhu Peak is swaying gently in the breeze, with warm sunlight shining down. The azure sky above is a beautiful sight to behold, with not a cloud in sight, casting a gentle gaze over this mortal world.

  ※※※

  In the quiet courtyard of Shoujing Hall, in a secluded bedroom, two women sat facing each other.

  Shui Yue Dashi remained silent for a long time before saying, "Disciple sister, why don't you go lie down on the bed for a while?"

  Su Ru slowly shook her head, although she looked tired, but still said in a firm and low tone: "I won't go, even if I lie down, I won't be able to sleep."

  "Ah, sister, don't worry too much," said Shui Yue Da Shi. "As I just told you, Tian Nai Yi and the sect leader's brother both disappeared at the same time. You haven't seen him encounter any accidents, so don't think wildly anymore. Besides, although Xuan Shi Xiong has been a bit off lately, his cultivation is far above ours, and his composure is also exceptional. Tian Nai Yi is his many-years junior, he definitely won't act rashly."

  Su's face remained calm, but her eyes had become slightly red again.

  Shui Yue Dashi shook his head, stood up, and walked back and forth in the room a few times, apparently also somewhat anxious. At present, the chaos of Qing Yun Men is something that even ordinary disciples can see, let alone these elder figures who know some inside information.

  Su Ru smiled and changed the subject, saying: "Sister, why did you also come to Tongtian Peak today?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī said with a bad temper: "It's all because of the broken things in Fēng Xiāng Gǔ Yún Yì Lán, originally we were going to find the Master to discuss it, but unexpectedly such a big thing happened, and in the end even the master of the sect disappeared."

  Su Rou furrowed her brow and said: "What does the master of Fengxiang Valley, Yun Yiluo, have to do with us Qingyun? What business does he have that concerns us?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī coldly laughed and said, "My disciples Lù Xuě Qí and Wén Mǐn have gone to the southern border to investigate the whereabouts of the beast demon, you should know this?"

  Su Ru nodded and said: "I know, I was just wondering why Wen Mian came back so quickly. Is Lu Xueqi also back?"

  Shui Yue Da Shi shook his head and said: "Xue Qi has not returned yet, this time it was the two of them who discussed and decided that Wen Mian would return to the mountain first to report back to me."

  "What's going on?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī said: "When they went to visit Yún Yì Lán in the southern border, Yún Yì Lán suddenly asked them if our Qingyunmen's Zhēnxiān ancient sword had been damaged!"

  Su Ru's face changed greatly, and she said in shock: "What?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī coldly smiled and said: "You're also surprised, right? When I first heard it, I was truly shocked. Yún Yì Lán was a thousand miles away, how could she have known this enormous secret? On that day, Dao Xuān Shī Xiōng had instructed us several disciples who were present to guard the sect's pulse like preventing thieves, fearing that this matter would be leaked out. Do you still remember?"

  Su Ru was silent for a long time, and the worried look in her eyes deepened again. She sighed: "This is really bad news that spreads thousands of miles."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī paced back and forth, saying: "Moreover, have you ever thought about why Yún Yì Lán would say such things to those few young ones?"

  Su Rou nodded slowly and said, "I was also thinking about this. If it's because he's on the same side as us, he shouldn't have mentioned it in public, but instead should have helped us keep it a secret; if not, then he must be harboring ulterior motives, and someone like him should be hiding his true intentions and waiting for the right moment to act."

  "Not bad!" Master Shuǐ Yuè hummed, saying, "The problem lies here. Yún Yì Lán this old man seems to have done something that only a fool would do, not pleasing either side, but we all know that this person is not a fool, but rather an old cunning and crafty one. However, what he wants to do is really beyond comprehension."

  Su Ru furrowed her brow in deep thought, but suddenly reached up to rub her temples, a pained expression on her face. Master Shui Yue was startled and quickly walked over to support her, self-reproachfully saying: "Look at me, you're already worried enough, and I still went ahead and told you all this... Alright, let's not talk about it anymore, let's just drop it."

  Su Ru smiled wryly and said, "Alas, if it were in the past, with Eldest Brother as the leader, we wouldn't have been afraid of these things at all. But now that Qingyun Gate is in disarray itself, and the outside situation is chaotic beyond measure, I don't know how many external enemies are lurking around, truly, I don't know what to do."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī frowned and immediately spoke in a gentle voice, "Disciple sister, don't say anymore. Look at how exhausted you are. Didn't I tell you? Although the sect leader's temper has been strange these past few days, different from before, his moral integrity is upright, his willpower is firm, we originally didn't need to be afraid of anything."

  Su Ru shook her head and said casually, "Sister, you don't understand. Although the sect leader's cultivation is high, the evil spirit of the ancient sword can actually be countered by meeting strength with strength. The stronger he gets, the more likely he is to become possessed."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī was taken aback and said: "What did you say?"

  Su Ru was shocked, and only then did she realize that she had misspoken. Just as she wanted to cover it up, Shui Yue Dashi's eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and he walked in front of her, his expression solemn: "Junior sister, what other secrets do you know about the Zhān Xiān ancient sword? Tell me quickly."

  Su Ru was silent for a long time, then sighed and said: "Forget it, anyway, now that things have come to this point, it's impossible to hide them any longer. Eldest sister, I'll tell you the truth. Actually, all of these things happened over a hundred years ago."

  ※※※

  The southern border of ten thousand great mountains, the ancient cave is deep in the demon town.

  After a long time, after the initial words were spoken, Xiaobai and Gui Li both had a feeling of not knowing what to say. Only the little monkey Xiao Hui, who was leaning on Gui Li's shoulder, seemed very happy to see Xiaobai, grinning from ear to ear.

  Gu Li suddenly paused, as if remembering something, turned his head to look back at the road they came from, but it was just a dark void. He couldn't help but furrow his brow and asked Xiao Bai: "The woman who came with me, what did you do to her?"

  Xiaobai hummed and said lightly: "What can I do with her? You really have a lot of worries."

  The demon was silent for a moment, shook his head, and didn't want to get entangled in this matter anymore. He said, "By the way, why are you here? After you left that day, I never heard from you again. This time I came to Nanjiang, I also secretly investigated, but couldn't find you either."

  Xiao Bai smiled, his figure seemingly swaying gently in the blue misty light. As he moved, he was full of charming and moving elegance. He said, "Didn't I tell you when I left that I would find that 'Eight Trigrams Mysterious Fire Formation' for you?"

  Guili Dao said: "I remember, so I've also been to the Xuanhuo Altar in Fengxiang Valley, but nothing was found. By the way, you haven't told me what brought you to this Zhenmogu Cave?"

  Xiao Bai shrugged and said, "I came here, of course, for that formation, and also to visit an old friend."

  The demon king looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Are you saying that this place..."

  Xiao Bai nodded and said, "That's right. After the formation of the Xuanhuo Altar in Fengxiang Valley was damaged, only this Town Demon Ancient Cave has a complete Eight Cruel Xuanhuo Formation left in the world. Moreover, my old friend is also here."

  The ghost's face changed, and he slowly said: "That old friend you mentioned, isn't it..."

  Xiao Bai smiled slightly and said: "It's the Beast God, the king of beast demons that you've been talking about."

  Although Gui Li had somewhat expected it, hearing Xiao Bai say it out loud still left him stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say next.

  After a while, Gui Li said slowly: "How did you become friends with him?"

  Xiaobai looked at him, still with a hint of a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes were clear as water, yet seemed to carry a few hints of mockery, saying: "Don't you know? I'm just an old demon now. As one gets older, they naturally know more things and recognize more monsters."

  The demon was silent for a moment, and Xiao Bai looked at him and said: "Then what about you? What are you doing here? You just said that the Ghost King's woman brought you here, what is he trying to do?"

  The demon lord shook his head and said, "The Ghost King ordered me to come here, but it's not to hunt down that Beast God."

  Xiaobai was taken aback and said: "If it's not to kill him, then why did you come all the way here?"

  Guili Dao said: "He wants me to capture a strange beast that is beside the Beast God and bring it back for him."

  "Gluttony?"

  Xiaobai was stunned again, furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment, muttering to himself: "Strange, when did he suddenly become interested in gluttony?"

  The demon's voice was cold and detached: "I don't know about that, in any case he gave the order like this, I just followed it."

  Xiao Bai hummed and said, "That Jiaolong is a spirit beast that has never left the Beast God's side for even a moment. If you want to capture it, you must first get past the Beast God. Do you have confidence in defeating the Beast God? Or do you think that since he was injured, you can take advantage of him?"

  The ghostly figure gazed at Xiaobai, not speaking a word. After a moment, it suddenly smiled faintly and stepped aside, walking past Xiaobai's side towards the deeper darkness of the cave.

  Xiaobai's face changed slightly as he followed beside him and asked, "What do you mean?"

  The little grey monkey on Gui Li's shoulder saw Xiao Bai beside him, let out a cry and jumped down from Gui Li's shoulder onto Xiao Bai's body. Xiao Bai caught the monkey and held it to his chest, stroking its head, and his eyes also showed a few hints of affection. Then he turned his head back to look at Gui Li.

  "The demon slowly said: 'You know, whatever the master orders me to do, as long as it's not too excessive, I will go and do it for him.'"

  Xiaobai hummed and said, "Have you ever thought that even if you feel comfortable doing things your way, the things you've done over the years may not necessarily be what Bixiao likes you to do."

  The ghostly footsteps suddenly stopped, and the whole person seemed to pause for a moment. Xiao Bai furrowed his brow and also stopped in his tracks, but he didn't look at Gui Li, instead lowering his head to slowly gaze at the little monkey Xiao Hui, gently stroking its fur. Xiao Hui blinked its three eyes, seemingly somewhat perplexed, looking back and forth between Xiao Bai and its master.

  The demon was silent for a while before speaking in a low voice: "Since you know that doing so would make me slightly more comfortable, why did you still say it?"

  Xiaobai sighed and didn't say anything.

  The eerie figure seemed to suddenly appear somewhat lonely, but he stood in the dim green light without turning back, as if he had long been accustomed to not looking back. He remained silent for a long time and finally only said one sentence: "I have never done anything that harms heaven and reason!"

  After that, he didn't say another word and continued walking forward, staring at the figure. Xiaobai also fell silent, and after a while, she looked down at the little gray in her arms, only to see the monkey's three eyes staring back at her.

  Xiaobai smiled wryly and said: "Your master, after all these years, hasn't gone mad, it's really strange!"

  ※※※

  Two figures walked for a long time in the depths of the Demon-Suppressing Cave, Gui Li didn't hurry on their journey, while Xiao Bai seemed to be deep in thought as well. Neither stopping Gui Li from searching for the Beast God nor offering directions, he simply followed behind him, lost in contemplation.

  Suddenly, Gui Li stopped in his tracks. In front of him, a faint green light suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead, flickering constantly, shining brightly several meters above the ground.

  The surroundings were silent, not even the smell of those ferocious beasts was present. At this time, Xiao Bai, who was walking behind him, let out a sigh and said: "We've arrived, under the green light in front is a door, and beyond that door is a large stone chamber, the person you're looking for and the spiritual beast are both inside."

  The ghost didn't say a word, but Xiao Hui looked at Xiao Bai's face, suddenly jumped up, and after a few jumps, jumped back onto the ghost's shoulder. Then he turned his head to Xiao Bai, grinned, and rubbed his head.

  Xiao Bai smiled faintly at Xiao Hui, then turned to Gui Li and said: "Listen to me, my relationship with the Beast God is not shallow, so asking me to help you deal with him is probably not going to work. His magical powers are extraordinary, I think even if you haven't fought him before, you should have some idea of his abilities. Although he was severely injured by the Exterminating Sword, he's still not someone ordinary cultivators can handle. So," she looked at him and said slowly, "really, it's not too late for you to back down now!"

  The demon's expression turned stern, and he fell silent for a moment, but it was directed at Xiao Bai. He slowly shook his head, took a deep breath, composed himself, and then walked towards the green light. As he watched him leave, Xiao Bai didn't follow him, but in his eyes, there flickered a faint hint of gentle resentment.

  Suddenly, she raised her voice slightly towards Gui Li's shadow and said: "Do you still have that Xuanhuo Mirror on you?"

  The ghost's expression changed slightly, and he stopped in his tracks, turning around to say, "Yes, what is it?"

  On Xiao Bai's face, there seemed to be a hint of helplessness, and he slowly shook his head, saying: "Remember this: Firstly, the Beast God can be defeated; Secondly, in times of crisis, you can try using the Xuanhuo Mirror."

  The ghost nodded slightly, although there were still a few points of confusion in his heart, but he didn't want to ask more questions either. He said, "Thank you." After that, he turned around and merged into the darkness. From far away, the sound of the little monkey Xiao Hui's soft calls could be heard, "Squeak squeak".

  Xiao Bai gazed into the darkness, standing still, silently lingering, as if she had been stunned, yet also seemed to be quietly waiting for something.

  ※※※

  Under the green glow, there was indeed a stone gate, but the door had long since disappeared. Only at this moment could one see clearly that the green light was actually a huge green gemstone inlaid on the rock wall of the stone gate.

  The ghostly figure didn't stop, walking in, and suddenly the space in front of him lit up. A burning brazier was placed alone on the ground far away, and around the firelight, it was pitch black again. He couldn't see how big this stone chamber was, but behind the firelight, he clearly saw a man, a man wearing bright silk clothes, leaning against a small stone pedestal sitting on the ground, smiling at him.

  The face of that person was once familiar, but beside the man, a ferocious beast slowly stood up, letting out a low growl full of hostility.

  That man, who looked somewhat enchanting, although his face was tired, but in his eyes, he seemed to still have a faint smile, smiling at the ghostly Ji standing at the door:

  "We meet again!"