?、、、、、、、

  As the world drifted away, that beam of light seemed to be awakened, growing brighter and brighter, as if responding to something.

  On the platform, Mr. Gui's body moved slightly, as if he felt something, but couldn't be sure, and after hesitating for a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the Fulong Ding above.

  Gui Li's body moved slightly, slowly waking up from a daze, and sat up on the bed with a flip of his body. However, he still seemed to feel a bit dizzy, which was extremely rare given his current level of cultivation. But Gui Li didn't seem to mind this at all, calming himself down, taking a deep breath, and turning around. Suddenly, he froze, seeing a jade plate lying on the stone floor, emitting soft white light - it was the Qian Kun Wheel Plate. The little monkey Xiao Hui was also squatting beside the jade plate, seemingly curious about it, looking left and right several times, trying to reach out to touch the plate but withdrawing his hand halfway each time, as if he was a bit afraid of it.

  The ghost's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and he concentrated his thoughts, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember if he had dropped the jade plate to the ground. Not only that, but even he himself felt somewhat fuzzy about how he had walked back here from the Ice Stone Chamber. He thought it was probably because of the extreme disappointment earlier, which had affected his spirit. The ghost fell silent, then let out a bitter laugh, sighed, and quietly went downstairs, bent down to pick up the Dry Kunlun Wheel Plate on the ground. Xiao Hui sat on the ground, looked up at Gui Li, her three eyes shining with intelligence, who knew what she was thinking in her heart.

  Guili beckoned to the monkey lightly and said, "Come here, Little Gray."

  The grey creature chirped twice, jumped over and sprang onto Gui Li's body in a few quick movements. However, it seemed to still be wary of the Dry Wheel of Heaven in Gui Li's hand, so it didn't stay in his arms but instead hopped onto his shoulder, sat down, and kept glancing at the jade plate in Gui Li's hand.

  Gui Li didn't think much, reached out to touch Xiao Hui's body, this world only had this monkey that always accompanied him without leaving. After a while, his gaze fell on the Qian Kun wheel again, in the white soft light, the jade plate was still the same as before, on the central part of the jade plate, those countless small jade blocks were still sliding along their own mysterious and unique orbit, seemingly never stopping, as if nothing had happened.

  The demon's eyes were fixed intently on the jade plate in his hand, and the white light emanating from it also spilled onto his face, but what secrets lay hidden within was unknown.

  The demon king looked at it for a long time, and finally shook his head lightly, with a hint of disappointment on his face. He took the black cloth and wrapped up the Qiankun wheel, putting it back in his bosom. The little gray creature that was leaning on the demon king's shoulder had been watching the demon king's movements all along, and when it saw the demon king put the jade plate back in his bosom, it suddenly let out a "squeak" sound.

  The ghost turned his head, somewhat puzzled, and frowned: "What's wrong, Xiao Hui?"

  Xiao Hui scratched his head, but seemed to be unable to say what was wrong or urgent, so he spread his hands and shrugged. Gui Li patted Xiao Hui's head with her hand, not paying much attention, sat for a while, and suddenly said: "Xiao Hui, how long did I sleep just now?"

  Xiao Hui's three eyes rolled around, and it let out a series of "squeaks" while gesturing with its paws. Gui Li looked at it for a moment before slowly saying, "It's been so long, shall we go out for a walk?" He paused, stood up, and gently stroked Xiao Hui as he held it in his arms. His expression was somewhat melancholic, but after taking a deep breath, he said lightly, "No matter what, we still have to keep living, right?" Xiao Hui's three eyes darted back and forth, but it was unclear if it understood the meaning behind Gui Li's words. However, Gui Li didn't have the energy to think deeply about it either. He gently patted Xiao Hui on the back, and it climbed onto his shoulder. As they walked towards the stone gate, the low creaking sound of the door opening filled the air, and they stepped out into the passageway beyond. The tunnel stretched out in both directions, but the increasingly dense and large cracks served as a stark reminder to those present of the unknown, eerie existence and danger that lurked within. Gui Li stood at the entrance for a moment, his gaze falling upon the cracks of varying sizes on the walls of the passageway.

  Some of these cracks have become extremely large, extending from the top of the passage to near the ground, exposing the gray rock inside. The originally hard stone wall seems as fragile as thin paper after the appearance of these cracks. Gui Li walked slowly to a crack on the side stone wall, expressionless and staring at it for a long time.

  He then looked up at the top of the passageway, his brow furrowing slightly. These cracks had appeared in large numbers after he left Huqi Mountain last time, and he couldn't understand them in an instant. However, when he was in the ice stone room before, he clearly remembered that mysterious power that suddenly appeared, whose source was deep underground. But looking at the cracks on the surrounding stone walls, it seemed that the top of the passageway was damaged the most, with the two side walls being secondary. He swept a glance over the ground with a hint of impatience, his mood too bad to delve deeper into the strange cracks. Calming himself, Gui Li no longer looked at the crisscrossing cracks around him and walked towards a side passageway with Xiao Hui.

  The corridor stretched all the way, and unlike usual, it was much quieter than usual. The disciples of Gui Wang Zong seemed to be hiding in their own rooms, and not a single person was willing to come out and move around. In the vast corridor, only Gui Lie's figure remained.

  However, Gui Lie apparently didn't care about these things. Looking at the direction he was heading in, it seemed like he was walking towards the entrance of the cave, probably because his heart felt too stifled and he wanted to go out for a walk.

  The eerie footsteps echoed in the corridor, sounding louder than usual due to the excessive quietness. The monkey Xiao Hui perched on his shoulder, seemingly uncomfortable with this excessive silence, turning its head back and forth, looking around everywhere.

  Suddenly, Xiao Hui's head stopped moving and looked forward. Gui Li also felt something almost simultaneously, stopping his footsteps and gazing forward. The empty corridor ahead was still devoid of anyone, but after a moment, there indeed appeared a figure - a black silhouette floated over quietly.

  It turned out to be that mysterious and elusive Mr. Gui.

  Mr. Gui saw Mr. Gui Ke standing alone in front, seemingly also a proof, and stopped his footsteps. The two of them looked at each other for a while, but neither of them spoke, the atmosphere in the corridor became somewhat cold and awkward, finally Mr. Gui calmly said: "When did you come back?"

  The demon replied indifferently: "Just got back not long ago."

  Mr. Gui nodded, seemingly having nothing more to say, anyway, he had said a few words, which was enough as a greeting, and then walked forward slowly, while Gui Lie quietly stepped aside.

  It was just when Mr. Gui walked past Gui Lie's side that he suddenly stopped his footsteps again, looking at his movements as if he had some rare hesitation, and after a moment of contemplation, he said: "You're saying you've just come back not long ago?"

  "Is that so? What's wrong?"

  "Then... did you notice that something is off here?"

  The demon king looked at Mr. Gui and said, "What are you referring to?"

  Mr. Gui fell silent again, then shook his head and said faintly, "No, nothing. I'll go first." After that, he walked straight ahead without saying another word.

  The ghost looked back at his shadow, and saw Mr. Gui's black figure slowly walking away in the corridor, fluttering and uncertain, with a hint of eeriness similar to that of a ghost, but his pace was much slower than usual.

  In the eyes of Gui Li, Mr. Gui walked slowly and his route was not a straight line, occasionally leaning towards both sides of the stone wall, especially when he passed by the places where people lived in stone rooms, Mr. Gui would intentionally or unintentionally lean towards the entrance of the stone room, pause for a moment, before continuing on his way.

  Somehow, it seems like there's a hint of searching for something?

  Kui Ren turned around indifferently, even if Mr. Ghost really wanted to find something, it would be a matter of no concern to him. Continuing in the original direction, Kui Ren walked forward again, and this time he didn't meet anyone on the road, and soon arrived at the entrance of the cave.

  When Gui Li walked out of the cave, a ray of sunlight, with a hint of warmth, spilled onto his face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and in the sunlight, in the brightness, it seemed that the stone on his heart had finally lightened by a tiny bit.

  Qingyun Mountain, Tongtian Peak.

  As the days went by, Qingyunmen's leader, Daoxuan Zhenren, did not appear again. As the leader of the world's orthodox sects, this was naturally no trivial matter. Meanwhile, Xiaoye, a disciple of Changmen who had been secretly searching for him, felt increasing pressure on himself.

  Outside the Qingyun Gate, there were often people from various sects of the Orthodox Way coming to ask about news, but let's not mention that for now. Those were also easy to deal with. However, inside the Qingyun Gate, there were many factions to begin with, and Daoxuan True Person had not actually passed on the position of leader to Xiao Yicai. As a result, many things became difficult to handle for Xiao Yicai. The various branches of the Qingyun Gate had always taken Tongtian Peak as their center, and now that the news of the gate's leadership was suspiciously unclear for many days, the messages coming out of the Long Gate were all about closed-door meditation, until finally even that became an excuse that couldn't be used anymore. Xiao Yicai and others simply said that Daoxuan True Person had gone out to travel and calm his mind, and no one knew where he was.

  It's not that Xiao Yicao is to blame, but the situation with Dao Xuan Zhenren at this time is that among the thousands of people in Qingyunmen, only Shuiyue Dashi from Xiaozhufeng and Lu Xueqi truly understand what's going on. The couple Tianyi and Su Ru from Dazhufeng, who were originally a great help, have passed away one after another. If it weren't for Shuiyue Dashi and Lu Xueqi, no one else would know about the huge secret within Qingyunmen, so they can only ask Xiao Yicao about it.

  At this time, Xiao Yi's face showed a tired look, and the whole person seemed to have lost weight. Compared with his usual cleverness, strong ability and full energy, the difference was really big. It can be imagined how much pressure he shouldered at this moment.

  But he still can't rest, at the Tongtian Peak Yuqing Temple, the remaining six veins of the Qingyun Gate seem to be unable to bear it today, and they all come together to pursue the truth about what happened to the Palm Teachings True Man, why he has been absent for so long, this is something that has never happened before.

  Most of the leaders of the six major sects of Qingyun have arrived, except for Shuiyue Dashi, the leader of Xiaozhu Peak, who has not come. Lu Xueqi, her most famous disciple, is also absent, but Wen Min, Lu's senior sister, has arrived. The rest of the leaders are seated in the middle, among whom the most eye-catching one is the leader of the Dazhu Peak sect, who has finally been succeeded by his eldest son, Song Daheng.

  In the crowd, Song Daren was still wearing mourning clothes, apparently still in mourning for his teacher and teacher's wife. His face was somewhat gloomy, and occasionally when he glanced over the crowd, he inadvertently caught sight of Wen Mian standing opposite him, who lightly nodded at him.

  Song Daren was silent, his mouth slightly moved, and he smiled at Wen Mingsheng, but soon lowered his head again, obviously still immersed in sadness. Wen Min's eyes flashed with a few points of distress, and her face was also somewhat gloomy.

  Today's gathering is a convergence of six veins, but the leader is naturally not Song Daren, Qi Hao and other young second-generation disciples who have recently taken over as the first seat. The former head of Fenghui Peak, Xian Shu Chang and others are naturally the ones who should take the lead, and they all turned to Xiao Yicai with questions.

  Xiao Yizai had been handling the sect's daily affairs for some time, but since Dao Xuan True Person hadn't explicitly passed on the position of Sect Leader to him, he ended up having to stand and respond to questions in front of the various faction leaders, without a seat. The chair belonging to the Sect Leader of Qingyun Gate in the center of the great hall was empty, so Xiao Yizai stood beside it, his face bearing a bitter smile as he answered each person's questions one by one.

  They kept asking, although the atmosphere was not good, but they still couldn't get a clear answer. Xiao Yi finally bit his tongue and said he didn't know where the leader of the Daoxuan sect had gone. In fact, he really didn't know. He could only say that the leader's Dao method was mysterious and profound, maybe he had been inspired by his spiritual heart the other day and went out to travel.

  Each of the leaders and the elder of Qingyunmen found it hard to believe, Daoxuan Zhenren had been in charge of the sect for many years, and there was never a case where he would leave without leaving any news, but Xiao Yi kept repeating this answer, which also made people helpless, after all, they couldn't force him to say that since there wasn't one in the past, it wouldn't be possible now either.

  This inquiry went on from morning till noon, everyone's tongues were dry, and Xiao Yi was even more exhausted, but in the end it was still the same answer as at the beginning. The crowd of Qingyunmen people looked at each other in dismay. After a while, Feng Hui, the head of the first peak, stood up with a face full of anger, hummed coldly and left with his sleeves fluttering.

  The leader left, and Qi Huan, Song Daren and others were all called by these masters to make up the number, and naturally followed suit and left.

  Watching his fellow disciple leave, Xiao Yi finally let out a slow breath, but suddenly felt dizzy and had a feeling of faintness. Fortunately, he had a strong foundation and quickly stabilized himself. He secretly smiled wryly to himself and sighed in his heart: "Master, what's wrong with you? If you don't come soon, I really won't be able to hold on."

  Xiao Yicai didn't mention the bitter water in his heart for now, on the other side, Song Daren followed the crowd and walked out. The disciples of the Da Zhu Peak sect were in a mourning period, so not one person followed him here. He silently walked out of the Jade Clear Hall, the scene he saw earlier made him think of his master's passing, Song Daren's heart was even more bitter, truly unwilling to stay here for another moment, only wanting to quickly leave this place.

  Just as he walked out of the Jade Clear Palace, down the stone steps, and was about to cross the Rainbow Bridge over the Cloud Sea to return to the mountain, he suddenly heard someone call him from beside: "Daren."

  Song Daren turned around to take a look, and it was Wen Min standing beside him waving at him. Song Daren's heart warmed slightly, and he walked over. Wen Min looked at his haggard appearance, and her heart also felt a pang of sadness. Just as she wanted to say something, she hesitated, looking around at the people passing by, realizing it wasn't a suitable place for conversation. She gave Song Daren a signal with her eyes and walked forward.

  Song Daren nodded in agreement and followed her over the Rainbow Bridge to the Cloud Sea Platform, where they walked to a secluded spot. Seeing that there was no one around, Wen Min finally asked: "Are you... are you okay?"

  Song Daren sighed, hung his head and said: "You all know my situation now, alas..." He let out a long sigh, lowered his head and said: "But I still have many junior brothers under me, if I don't take on this burden, they will probably suffer even more."

  Wen's eyes were slightly red around the edges, and suddenly she reached out her hand to grasp Song Daren's large hand in hers. Song Daren was startled, and he looked up at her.

  Wen Rouyin said softly, "Daren, you are their senior brother, and now you have taken on the responsibility of being the first seat of Dazhu Peak. You need to take care of your junior brothers, although it's tough, but you must hold on."

  Song Daren only felt the softness and warmth in his hand, with a faint scent of fragrance coming from the woman's body in front of him. The eyes were also gentle, and he couldn't help but feel a little less pain in his heart. He gently grasped Wen Mian's hand, nodded, and said, "Yes."

  Wen Min nodded slightly and smiled lightly at him. Although they hadn't met for many days, their emotions seemed to have deepened at this moment. Song Daren fell silent for a moment before saying, "I originally came to ask Master and Mistress to act as matchmakers and propose to Shui Yue's aunt on my behalf in the near future. However, with things being the way they are now, I really..."

  Before he could finish speaking, a slender white finger pressed against his lips, stopping him from continuing. Song Daren looked up at Wen Mian, who said softly, "I understand. At this moment, it's not the time to think about these things. You can rest assured and return to the mountain for now. After this period of time passes, we'll discuss and handle it again. Anyway, my intention... you also know." As she spoke, Wen Mian's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice became even softer.

  Song Daren's heart was moved, and a surge of hot blood rushed up, he couldn't help but take a step forward and want to hold her in his arms. Wen Mian, however, was startled by him and hastily retreated a step, flashing past him, scolding: "Fool, aren't you afraid of being seen!"

  Song Daren finally came to his senses, turned around and looked at the surroundings. Indeed, although the place where the two were standing was secluded and deserted, there were still many Qingyun disciples in the distance on the sea of clouds. Although no one had noticed this place for the time being, it was hard to say that someone wouldn't "accidentally" take a look over here. Song Daren smiled awkwardly and said, "It's my fault, I...I'm a bit confused."

  Wen Min looked at him and suddenly felt a little unbearable, glanced at him and said: "I didn't blame you, why are you like this? Now the situation is not good, in the future as long as we have heart, we will eventually be together, do you know, silly?"

  Song Daren nodded repeatedly and said in a low voice: "Xiao Min, you are really good to me."

  Wen Min shot him a white look, but looking at his expression, she couldn't help but smile. Song Da Ren also burst out laughing. The two stood together, for a moment filled with tender affection, although the outside world was still stormy, but in their hearts they had beautiful hopes for the future.

  After half a moment, Wen Min said in a low voice: "I should go."

  Song Daren nodded reluctantly and said, "Alright, be careful on your way."

  Wen Min looked at him and said softly: "You have to take care of yourself, no matter what, everything will be fine in the future."

  Song Daren nodded and said, "I know, you should also cherish yourself."

  Wen Min gently grasped his palm, then released her hand and turned to walk towards the edge of Yunhai. Song Daren watched as she drove her sword into the sky and left, slowly waving goodbye to her back until her figure disappeared into the depths of the cloud sea, never to be seen again.

  Blue sky and white clouds, clear mountains and beautiful waters. Looking from high altitude towards the Qingyun mountain range's Xiao Zhu Peak, the entire mountain is covered with lush bamboo forests, the scenery is picturesque, like a fairyland.

  Wen Mian descended from the sky and returned to Xiao Zhu Peak, where several young female disciples were already waiting to greet her. One of them said, "Elder Sister Wen, Master told us that as soon as you return, you should go see her."

  Wen Min nodded and walked forward, asking at the same time: "Where is Master now?"

  A disciple beside him said: "Master is still in her bamboo forest hut, and it seems that Snow Chi is also there."

  Wen Min was taken aback and asked, "What? Are Xue Qi and Master together?"

  The young nun beside her said: "Yes, after you left early this morning, Master called Snowy over."

  Wen Min nodded and said: "Got it, I'll go now, you guys carry on with your own things!"

  The people around her responded in unison, laughing and walking away. Wen Mian looked at these young and inexperienced junior sisters, and couldn't help but feel a little envious of them. Perhaps simplicity is what brings happiness after all!

  He stood still for a while, watching their backs disappear, before sighing and quickening his pace towards the depths of the bamboo forest where Master Shuiyue's abode was located.

  The winding path in the bamboo forest, with tall and straight green bamboos on both sides, and the air seems to be filled with a hint of fragrance. After walking through several turns, the Bamboo Temple gradually comes into view.

  Wen Min arrived at the gate of the temple and gently knocked twice on the bamboo door, saying: "Master, disciple Wen Min has come."

  A faint voice came from within the room, "Come in!"

  As the voice of Master Shui Yue faded away, the door of the pavilion creaked softly and swung open, revealing Lu Xueqi's elegant figure standing before them. She smiled gently at Wen Mian and said, "Elder sister, you're back."

  Wen Min smiled at Lu Xueqi and walked in.

  Inside the house, Master Shuǐ Yuè sat on a simple bamboo bed, Lù Xuě Qí walked over and stood beside her, Master Shuǐ Yuè glanced at Wén Mǐn and said: "Just returned?"

  "Yes, I just returned from Tongtian Peak."

  Shui Yue Dashi fell silent for a moment before speaking in a light tone: "What was the scene like on Tongtian Peak today? Tell me about it."

  Wen Min nodded and said, "Yes." Then he roughly went through the situation of today, including the scene where Xiao Yi was asked by the crowd and answered awkwardly, without missing any details.

  Shui Yue Dashi listened quietly to Wen Mian's words, not uttering a single word. Beside him, Lu Xueqi also had no expression on her face. However, when she heard Wen Mian mention Xiao Yi's difficult situation, she couldn't help but turn her head and glance at Shui Yue Dashi. But Shui Yue Dashi's face remained indifferent, as if he didn't feel anything at all.

  Wen Min spoke for a while before roughly finishing the current situation, and after hesitating for a moment, he said: "Master, there's one more thing, I don't know if I should say it or not..."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī closed his eyes, seemingly pondering something after hearing what Wén Mǐn had just said. He replied calmly, "Whatever it is, just say it!"

  Wen Min responded, "Yes, the disciple has spoken. Today, the six factions gathered at Tongtian Peak, and the leaders of the other five factions all went, but you didn't go. Zeng Shishu from Fenghui Peak and a few others complained to the disciple, and also asked the disciple to pass on a message to Master, saying that everyone is from the same Qingyun Gate faction, sharing the same ancestors, and wanting Master to take a stand and speak out."

  After finishing speaking, Wen Mian carefully raised her eyes to look at Master Shuiyue, but saw that Master Shuiyue was indifferent and unresponsive, neither angry nor answering, just closing his eyes in contemplation.

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī didn't speak, and Wén Mǐn naturally didn't dare say anything either. After a moment, Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī slowly opened his mouth and said to Wén Mǐn: "You just said that except for me, the other five vein leaders have all gone?"

  Wen Min nodded after a brief moment of stunned silence: "Yes."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī looked at Wén Mǐn and said: "Who went to Dà Zhú Fēng?"

  Wen Min's heart skipped a beat, and he hesitated for a moment before answering: "It was the late Tian Shibo and Su Rou Shu who sat down with our eldest brother Song Da Ren."

  Lu Xueqi's face quietly darkened as she stood by, with a hint of bitterness flashing in her eyes.

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī's face also had some gloominess, and he sighed, saying: "Besides him, who else from Dà Zhú Fēng went?"

  Wen Mindao said: "All the fellow apprentices of Dazhu Peak are in mourning, so only Song Daren went, and even if it was Master Song, he would also be wearing mourning clothes."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī was silent for a moment before speaking softly: "They're not having an easy time either... Are you going to comfort that Sòng Dà Rén?"

  Wen Mian was startled, Master Shui Yue was usually strict with his disciples, and even more so when it came to such matters. Wen Mian and Song Da Ren had been secretly in love for many years, and it was already an open secret. He was worried that Master Shui Yue would scold him, and this time he suddenly brought it up, making Wen Mian break out in cold sweat. After hesitating for half a day, he finally said in a low voice: "Master, I...I just felt sorry for Song Shi Xiong, so I softened my heart and went to talk to him for a bit. Disciple will never dare to disobey Master's teachings."

  Shui Yue Dashi gazed silently at Wen Mian, whose heart was racing faster and faster, wondering if she would be scolded by her master. But after a moment, Shui Yue Dashi suddenly let out a long sigh and said, "Xiao Min, you don't have to be so afraid, Master doesn't blame you."

  Wen Min almost thought she had misheard, and asked in shock: "Master, what did you say?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī said calmly, "At present, Dà Zhú Fēng is in mourning on the other side, so it's impossible for a short period of time. After some days have passed, you can call Sòng Dà Rén over to propose marriage. Anyway, he is now also a first-rate master and won't humiliate you."

  Wen Min's mind was like a loud noise, as if he couldn't accept it all of a sudden, and he was so happy that he couldn't speak, but he didn't understand how his teacher, who had always been firmly opposed to this matter, suddenly changed his attitude.

  Master Shuizhuyue sat on the bamboo bed, looking at the disciple in front of him with a smile of happiness mixed with surprise on his face. He sighed silently in his heart and thought to himself: "Perhaps if she had understood earlier, she would have had more joy."

  Lu Xueqi walked over from the side, put her arm around Wen Mian's shoulder, and gently hugged her senior sister. Her eyes were also filled with happy light for her, and she said softly: "Senior sister, congratulations."

  Wen's eyes reddened slightly as she struggled to hold back tears, and she hastily wiped them away with her hand.

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī looked at him with a mixture of anger and amusement, scolding: "You're just happy because I agreed to it, how can you be so excited?"

  Wen Min felt a bit embarrassed, his cheeks flushing red, and he bowed to Master Shui Yue, saying in a soft voice: "Disciple thanks Master for your great kindness and virtue."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī gazed at Wén Mǐn Liáng for a long time, shook his head and said softly: "Alright, get up!"

  Lu Xueqi helped Wen Mian up from the side, and Master Shuiyue's gaze was gentle as she looked at Wen Mian: "In the future, Master can't make decisions for you anymore, so you need to learn how to take care of yourself."

  Wen's heart suddenly felt a pang of sourness, and for a long time she had regarded Shuǐ Yuè Dàshī as both her teacher and mother, she couldn't help but choke back sobs.

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī waved his hand and said, "Alright, you've been running back and forth all day and must be tired. Go back and rest!"

  Wen's voice was choked with sobs as she said, "Yes, I'll take my leave."

  She said, slowly backing out. Lu Xueqi followed behind her, seeing him off for a long way before returning.

  In the quiet room, the two masters and disciples sat silently facing each other. After a while, Master Shuiyue suddenly sighed with a bitter smile and said: "Was I wrong all along? It caused her to suffer from longing, and also harmed you."

  Lu Xueqi walked over and gently knelt down in front of Master Shuiyue, saying softly: "Master, we were all raised by you, taught and grown into adults, it's only our fault if we did wrong, we absolutely dare not have any thoughts of blaming Master."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī stretched out his hand and gently stroked Lù Xuě Qí's raven-black soft hair, sighed and said: "Get up!"

  Lu Xueqi responded with a sound and stood up. Master Shuimeng closed his eyes to meditate and didn't speak again.

  Lu Xueqi fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying: "Master, I have something to say."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī opened his eyes and looked at him with a serious expression, saying lightly: "You want to talk about something on Tōng Tiān Fēng, right?"

  Lu Xueqi nodded and said: "That's right. Now, both Tian Shibo and Su Shibo of Dazhu Peak have passed away one after another, while Daoxuan Shibo...

  I'm afraid it's really hard to turn back now, why don't we just tell the truth to the other fellow disciples? Even if it's for the sake of Qingyun Gate's reputation, at least let the leaders of the other six sects know that it was indeed Xiao Yicai, Elder Xiao, who did it on Tongtian Peak!

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī was silent for a moment before saying, "What you said is correct, I have thought about these things."

  Lu Xueqi was taken aback and said: "Master, then what about you?..."

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī gave a bitter smile and said, "Are you saying that since I've thought of it, why haven't I told them? Foolish child, have you considered this: after we speak out about this matter, how many people will believe us?"

  Lu Xueqi was stunned and speechless, unable to utter a word for a moment.

  Shui Yue Da Shi sighed and said, "You also mentioned earlier that among the thousands of people in Qing Yun Men, only you, Tian Shi Bo, Su Shi Shu, me, and you four know this secret. Now that those two have passed away, it's just us two who know about it. But even if we were to reveal it, do you think anyone in Qing Yun Men would believe that the revered Xian Jian contains evil spirits? Would they believe that the benevolent Da Shi, who has saved countless lives and achieved spiritual enlightenment, is actually a cruel and ruthless demon?"

  Lu Xueqi was stunned and couldn't say a word.

  "Shui Yue Dashi said in a low voice, 'This secret should have been passed down only among the successive generations of the sect leader. If it's revealed, no one in Qing Yun Men will believe it, let alone we don't have any evidence to prove it, so what's the point of saying it?'"

  Lu Xueqi gritted her teeth and said in a hoarse voice, "But now that things have come to this point, I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before the truth about Daoxuan Shibo comes to light. Even if we don't say anything, there will still be a day when he suddenly reveals himself. What are we going to do then?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, saying: "What to do? I also don't know what to do anymore?"

  Lu Xueqi was speechless and dejected, the room fell into a silence.

  Outside, the emerald green bamboo forest sways gently in the wind, sending out waves of pleasant rustling sounds, a feast for the eyes. But inside the bamboo forest's secluded hut, it seems even more oppressive.

  Kitsune-yama, Oniō-ji Temple

  In the following days, Gui Li tried to use the Qian Kun Wheel of Rebirth to save Bi Yao every day, but for some reason, except for the first time when the wheel unexpectedly made the Huan Xiang Bell change, every subsequent attempt was in vain. The Qian Kun Wheel of Rebirth remained the same, and the Huan Xiang Bell no longer reacted. Each time it fell straight into the jade plate like a small stone.

  Although Gui Lishi did not give up, he still held on to a glimmer of hope and tried again and again, but all that awaited him was countless failures. In the early days, Gui Wang would often wait in the Ice Stone Chamber, but after witnessing many failures, he seemed to have given up earlier than Gui Lishi, coming less and less frequently, and in recent days, he hadn't come at all.

  Perhaps for Gui Wang, watching Guili fail again and again is an even more painful thing!

  "Bang..."

  A faint crisp sound, accompanied by a slight echo, the harmonious bell fell from mid-air again, landing in the center of the Qiankun Wheel of Reincarnation, rotating gently for a few times before coming to a complete stop.

  His face was expressionless, even despair seemed to have been numbed, he didn't continue trying, silently sitting for a while, then put away the wheel of reincarnation, and carefully returned the Huawan bell to Dao Bixiao's hands.

  He gazed deeply at Bi Yao's serene face, ten years had passed, she was still so beautiful, just like when they first met, even the faint smile at the corner of her mouth could evoke countless deep memories.

  Only the chill of her skin where his hand touched it coldly reminded him that this was a different reality from the one he had known.

  Guilei quietly stood up, took a deep look at Biyao, his mouth moved slightly, but ultimately didn't say anything, then slowly turned around and left the icy stone room.

  Outside the icy stone chamber, the corridor was still empty and desolate. Gui Li walked slowly along the corridor, his eyes fixed on some point ahead. The cracks in the stone walls on either side of the corridor seemed to have grown more numerous and deeper, but they elicited no reaction from him. He simply continued walking silently.

  After Guili's departure, in a distant corner of the other direction of Tongdao Land, in a certain dark corner, the King of Ghosts stood silently watching as the young man walked further and further away. The King of Ghosts did not go forward to ask about the situation in Guili's icy stone chamber; after so many years, he could already tell from Guili's every move and expression what was happening with Biyao.

  Is there really no hope after all?

  A hint of desolation flashed across the face of the Demon King, and he turned around and walked into the darkness.

  When he reappeared, it was already a blood pool in the depths of the cave. He walked slowly onto the platform of the blood pool, just as he had imagined. Mr. Gui's black figure still stood alone there, thinking deeply. The Fulong Cauldron also floated in mid-air, but under the illumination of the crimson blood light that filled the sky, one could vaguely see a mysterious white light pillar on top of the ancient cauldron, which seemed to be brighter than before. The devilish face on the body of the ancient cauldron had become even more twisted and ferocious.

  The Demon King's heart suddenly surged with an inexplicable anger, his hands clenched involuntarily. His most beloved daughter showed no signs of improvement, and now even the Four Spirit Blood Formation, which had cost him so much effort, was stagnating due to some mysterious ancient divine law restriction.

  The ghostly gentleman in front seemed to have sensed something, his body moved slightly, and he slowly turned around, saying faintly through the black veil covering his face: "You've arrived."

  The Demon King took a few deep breaths, and only then did he slowly suppress the anger and killing intent in his heart, his face returning to normal. He walked over and said, "How is it? Have you thought of any way?"

  Mr. Ghost silently shook his head.

  Although he had expected this answer, the Demon King's heart still rose with another wave of anger. Recently, he seemed to be particularly prone to anger and murderous intent, if not for Mr. Gui being an indispensable person in activating the Four Spirit Blood Formation, the Demon King was afraid that he would really make a move against him.

  The King of Ghosts' expression changed, but it didn't escape the notice of Mr. Gui's eyes. However, Mr. Gui seemed to be completely indifferent to all this and merely said lightly: "Give me some more time, you've waited for so long already, what's another short wait?"

  The Demon King's body shook slightly, as if startled, and after a long while, he regained his composure, nodding slowly: "What you said is true."

  After finishing, he hesitated for a moment, seemingly also noticing that his expression was somewhat excessive, and forced a smile, saying: "These past few days I've been helping Gui Li treat Bi Yao, but it's still the same, her mood is too bad, don't mind it."

  Mr. Gui shook his head and said, "The bond between father and daughter is deep, I understand." He paused for a moment, slowly turned around, and looked at the Fulong Cauldron floating in mid-air again, especially that mysterious beam of light, and casually said, "Miss Biyao still hasn't shown any improvement, it's really been tried with all sorts of methods over the years!"

  The Demon King sighed and said, "It's just like this. Although Ghostly isn't very compatible with me, his intentions towards Biyao are genuine. Recently, he went somewhere to find a rare and strange treasure to try and save Biyao. At first, it seemed to have some effect and could resonate with the Huanxiang Bell. However, at the critical moment, the underground Blood Array's divine power suddenly activated, resulting in an unexpected change, rendering it ineffective..."

  The King of Ghosts spoke with a mouth but no heart, dazed and distracted, his mind once again recalling the daughter lying on the icy stone pedestal, his heart secretly aching, to the point where he didn't even notice that Mr. Gui beside him had heard what was said behind him, suddenly his body shook, as if the entire person had stiffened.

  After a moment, Mr. Ghost's voice seemed to be as calm and quiet as before, saying: "Oh? What kind of thing is that treasure brought by Gui Lian?"

  The Demon King's mind was still a bit gloomy, and he casually said: "It's the shape of a jade plate, looking quite warm and smooth, with several strange patterns engraved on it. The strangest thing is that there are many small jade pieces in the middle of the jade plate, among which there are strange characters that don't make sense, and they move automatically without stopping, and they never collide with each other..."

  The King of Ghosts said up to here, suddenly frowned and asked Mr. Gui: "Why are you suddenly interested in this matter?"

  Mr. Gui stood with his back to him, still gazing up at the suspended Fulong Cauldron in mid-air, and after a long silence, he quietly said, "Nothing. I was just casually asking."