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  Zhang Xiaofan never thought that when he opened his eyes, he would see a world like this.

  Everything in front of him was not a hidden cave deep in the mountains as he had imagined, but another ancient, desolate and strange place.

  A vast expanse of desolate Gobi stretched out before him, with no trees or flowers in sight, only deep gray rocks and sand. The strong wind blowing across the Gobi carried a mournful whistling sound. Above his head was a strange sky, with thick, dark purple clouds that seemed to suffocate the world, making it hard to breathe. Within the clouds, massive white lightning bolts continuously flashed down from the sky, streaking across the horizon.

  The farthest horizon is a dark green halo, where the special brightness seems to be the end of darkness with a radiant glow, and countless shooting stars streak across the sky, emitting a scorching and dazzling light, in the sky curtain, transformed into a magnificent and spectacular star language.

  After a while, Zhang Xiaofan slowly withdrew his gaze, and his shocked emotions gradually subsided. Looking ahead, on the desolate Gobi Desert, there was indeed an altar in front of him, not far away. The base was made of deep gray stone, with eight levels of steps on all sides, seven layers up and down. On top of the altar were seven giant pillars, each a different color, tens of feet high, and it would take three people to encircle one pillar. Ordinary people looked like ants compared to this altar. In the center of the altar was an ancient cauldron with a simple shape, but at this moment, there was someone leaning against the cauldron, his face filled with exhaustion, looking incredibly old, staring straight at Zhang Xiaofan.

  Zhang Xiaofan's body shook violently, and this extremely old-looking person was actually the current head of the Qingyun Gate, Daoxuan Zhenren.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren's surroundings were devoid of any dark, cold aura at this moment. He didn't look like his usual self, the one who commanded the heavens and was revered as a Daoist immortal. Instead, he seemed to be panting softly, his eyes fixed on Gui Li as he walked over. Suddenly, he smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be able to traverse the 'Fantasy Moon Path' all by yourself. That's truly impressive."

  Zhang Xiaofan fell silent for a moment, then turned around to look back at where he had come from. He saw that there was a stone gate standing tall and wide, which was different from the desolate scenery of this world. The stone gate was one zhang high and six chi wide, with a dark interior. Looking far into the distance, it seemed as if the misty water vapor could still be seen swirling around, and the passageway didn't seem to be very long.

  He simply looked at the darkness, recalling the scene just now, and still had a lingering fear in his heart. However, after a moment, a faint smile floated up to the corner of his mouth, and he turned around again, looking at Dao Xuan Yuan Zhen Ren.

  The person in front of him can be said to have directly killed his lifelong respected and talented teacher, Tian Buyi, and indirectly caused the death of his wife, Su Rou. However, at this moment, looking at the weak but not resentful Daoxuan True Person, Zhang Xiaofan's heart seemed to have no desire for revenge.

  "Are you okay?"

  He slowly walked in front of Daoxuan Zhenren and quietly said

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren looked at him, a strange smile suddenly appeared on his tired face, but he didn't ask about past grievances. Instead, he asked: "Why have you come to this place?"

  Zhang Xiaofan fell silent for a moment before saying lightly, "I felt I should come, so I came."

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren looked at him, slowly breaking into laughter. His laughter grew louder and more intense, shaking his head as he laughed: "Ah, a person who should have come has finally arrived, hahahaha..." He laughed wildly and crazily, as if his emotions were also gradually becoming more intense. Zhang Xiao Fan didn't ask anything else, nor did he interrupt him, but simply looked at him quietly.

  It wasn't until a long while later that the laughter of Dao Xuan, the True Person, slowly came to a stop. His complexion still looked extremely fatigued, but in his eyes, an unusual radiance had already begun to shine brightly and sharply.

  "Don't you want to avenge your master?" Dao Xuan Zhen Ren suddenly said calmly to him.

  Zhang Xiaofan didn't respond, still quietly looking at Dao Xuan Zhenren. His gaze was calm and peaceful, as if it still carried a hint of subtle compassion. However, the little monkey Xiao Hui in his arms seemed somewhat uneasy, moving slightly before leaving his embrace and climbing back onto his shoulder to sit down.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren's body seemed to tremble slightly, his complexion also slowly changed, the tired expression gradually disappeared, and the sharp light in his eyes became brighter. The aura that once looked down on the world seemed to return to his body like a tide.

  That one strand of terrifying and intangible power, even if Zhang Xiaofan stood beside him, could clearly be felt emanating from Dao Xuan's body.

  He slowly stood up, threads of black air emerging from his body, swirling around him at high speed, and a fierce aura reappeared. He stared at Zhang Xiaofan, smiled again, but this smile seemed somewhat ferocious.

  "Or are you afraid?"

  "Boom!" Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted from behind Dao Xuan Zhenren's body. The ancient cauldron was instantly shattered by an enormous force, with fragments flying everywhere. Amidst the smoke and dust, Zhang Xiaofan's pupils slightly constricted.

  A broken sword, in the original position of the ancient tripod, was inserted upside down on a hard stone base, looking like a stone but not a stone, like jade but not jade, with an ancient and clumsy shape but having a majestic aura, it was indeed the formal Heavenly Sword for slaying immortals.

  "Hahaha..." At this moment, a thick black aura had already enveloped Daoxuan True Man. Amidst his maniacal laughter, he stretched out his hand, and as if the sword had a spirit of its own, the ancient sword Xian Jian quivered and slowly emerged from the ground, flying into Daoxuan True Man's hand.

  "Since you're so useless, I'll send you to meet your master, hahaha...". Daoxuan True Person's sinister laughter echoed as he tightly grasped the hilt of the Exterminating Immortal Sword. In an instant, the massive altar shook violently, and a powerful force burst forth. On the altar, the seven gigantic stone pillars seemed to be summoned, lighting up one by one, their radiance growing increasingly intense.

  Finally transformed into seven seven-colored red lights, dazzling and eye-catching, rushing straight up to the sky.

  The majestic light soared into the sky, piercing through the deep purple cloud layer. In an instant, the thick and heavy clouds above the altar began to change, countless clouds started to rotate rapidly, electric lights flashing in the clouds, slowly opening a huge gap, revealing the true face of the sky.

  Zhang Xiaofan looked up at the sky and held his breath until this moment, he finally truly understood why this place was called "Fantasy Moon Cave Mansion"!

  High up in the sky, a brilliant light burst forth from the rift created by the mighty sword of the Immortal Slayer.

  Under the flickering and changing moon, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, various colors of light are flashing on this illusory moon, emitting beautiful and mysterious rays.

  When the ancient sword of exterminating immortals activated the seven giant pillars, their radiance shot up to the sky. The seven-colored rainbow light instantly pierced through the clouds and merged into the illusory moon above. In an instant, the illusory moon's radiance greatly increased, with its seven-colored lights flashing incessantly. A moment later, a seven-colored astral sword suddenly materialized in mid-air. Wherever it passed, all the dark clouds hastily retreated and dispersed, exuding an aura of invincibility.

  Zhang Xiaofan's face changed color, this momentum was all too familiar to him, it was the invincible Xianjian sword formation, only there were no small flying swords dancing in the sky at the moment, but under the illumination of Huan Yue, the power of this main sword seemed to be even greater than the Xianjian sword formation that was sacrificed on the top of Qimeng Mountain Peak back then.

  Dao Xuan Zhenren's eyes were now completely shrouded in a dark aura, and an icy laughter came from within, sending chills down one's spine. "In this Fantian Cave Mansion, the power of the ancient sword technique is increased tenfold. Even if you are the Great Luo Golden Immortal, this is still a place where you will die without a burial ground. Accept your death!"

  As soon as the words fell, the ancient sword of slaying immortals in his hand had already moved, and in an instant, the heavens and earth changed color, loud thunderclaps shook the sky and earth. The terrifying giant sword above the vast expanse slowly turned its head, facing Zhang Xiaofan.

  The sword had not yet fallen, but the fierce wind had already arrived. Zhang Xiaofan knew that this kind of destructive power was not something that human strength could withstand, and he intended to dodge, but unexpectedly, the illusory moon in the sky flickered, and as soon as his body moved, a rainbow light had already descended upon him. In an instant, it was like Mount Tai pressing down on him, actually forcing him back, and after the pressure, it even made him unsteady on his feet, causing his entire body to slowly kneel down. The ground where he stood made a loud "cracking" sound, and within tens of meters around Zhang Xiaofan, the earth cracked open in countless places.

  The giant sword has not yet arrived, but its power is already so great. After the ancient sword of the Immortal Slayer was broken, under the illusory moon, its power seems to be even more formidable than before. With such a terrifying force, even if the Great Luo Golden Immortal were to come here, he would be reduced to ashes. It's just unknown how such a fearsome and awe-inspiring power can exist in the mortal world?

  Although Zhang Xiaofan's Taoist practice was extremely high at this moment, and after experiencing life and death and thoroughly understanding the cycle of reincarnation, his mental state had advanced to another level. However, this heavenly extermination power was not something that belonged to the mortal world, nor could it be resisted by human strength. He was left with no choice but to let out a light sigh, and wait for his demise with his hands tied.

  At this critical moment of life and death, his heart was calm and peaceful, without a hint of fear, as if he were about to return home, with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

  But it seemed that fate did not want him to die like this. When Zhang Xiaofan himself gave up, another voice rang out in the distance.

  "Senior brother, stop it..."

  The voice was young and calm, but the tone of speech seemed to give people a faint sense of excitement and flight, as if this speaker could easily move people's hearts with just one sentence, making their blood boil.

  The destructive power that could destroy heaven and earth, which even gods and demons couldn't stop, suddenly came to a halt. The Daoxuan True Person, who seemed to hold the power of life and death in his hands, looked at everything with disdain. At this moment, the black air on his face suddenly dispersed, revealing an unbelievable expression. He stared blankly at Gui Lie's back, his voice even becoming hoarse:

  "You... Wan Shi Di..."

  The pressure on Zhang Xiaofan suddenly dissipated, and the cracks under his feet silently closed by themselves, as if they had never appeared before. He didn't have time to be surprised at this, and he quickly turned around to look back.

  A white figure stood beneath the stone gate through which he had just entered this world.

  He was a young and handsome youth, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his face wore a faint warm smile, but in his eyes, there seemed to be a constant passion. The strong wind on the Gobi Desert blew by, his white clothes fluttering, an indescribable elegance, he simply stood there carelessly, yet Zhang Xiaofan suddenly felt a sense of reverence from deep within his heart, as if all he had to do was say one word and he would follow him through the battlefields of heaven and earth with iron and blood.

  The sky is vast and profound, with the moon shining brightly.

  The former Qing Yun Shuang Jiao, in this dreamlike years of space, in the chaotic and lost memories, met again.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren's body began to tremble slowly, the raised Exterminating Immortal Sword slowly lowered, he stepped down from the altar step by step, walking towards that white figure, and never looked at Zhang Xiao Fan again.

  A white robe fluttering, a handsome face just like the passionate years in memory, emitting youthful radiance.

  That light, warm and scorching, was once the most precious place in his heart.

  In his eyes, dry and withered as they were, a slow tear began to well up.

  "Junior brother...... is it really you?"

  That young man in white stood there, without leaving the range of the stone gate, with a smile on his face, and said to Daoxuan Zhenren: "Brother, it's been a long time since we last met."

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren's body swayed slightly, and although he was still holding the Xuanshen Ancient Sword, the black energy on his body quickly dissipated after seeing Wan Jian Yi's figure. At the same time, the deep fatigue that Zhang Xiao Fan had initially seen on his face returned once again.

  He seemed to have aged ten years in this short period of time, as if the life force within him had been sucked away by the Heaven-slaying Sword in his hand.

  Obviously, Dao Xuan Zhen Ren didn't notice the changes in his own body at all. All his spirit was placed on that mysterious white-clothed youth who had appeared. He slowly stretched out his hand to touch the body in his memory: "Younger brother..."

  His voice trailed off halfway, his hand passed through that body, and he felt nothing but emptiness.

  Dao Xuan Zhen Ren stumbled, seemingly unsteady on his feet, and only managed to stand up with the help of the stone gate. He was panting heavily, but a hint of despair and pain flashed across his eyes.

  Like a fleeting light, the white figure that had just vanished as he reached out to touch it reappeared silently before his eyes, still within the range of the stone gate. The young shadow smiled and said, "Senior brother, why haven't you woken up yet?"

  Daoxuan Zhenren looked up and gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with confusion, muttering to himself: "Awake, what awake?"

  The young man in white robes gazed at him and said quietly, "Senior brother, you have been clever for a lifetime, it's time to awaken thoroughly. Let go, let go of your worldly attachments, let go of the useless pursuit of power. The two of us cultivated together back then, was it all for these things?"

  Dao Xuan Zhen's body slowly began to tremble, at this moment he looked like a completely withered old man, in the final moments of his life, in confusion and desperation, struggling to see the road ahead.

  "What...are we cultivating for?"

  The young man in white clothes showed that warm smile again, his facial expression was so warm that even Zhang Xiaofan standing beside him was shaken. The white-clothed man didn't say anything else, he just lightly swung his sleeves, a gentle breeze blew from between the collar, blowing away the fine dust on the ground, leaving nothing but emptiness.

  He looked at Daoxuan Zhenren's old and tired face with peace and quietness, and said warmly: "Senior brother, let go."

  "Bang!"

  The Exterminating Immortal Sword, containing the supreme law power capable of destroying heaven and earth, fell from the hands of Dao Xuan True Person, like an ordinary mortal long sword, broken copper and rotten iron, thrown to the ground.

  A smile slowly appeared on Daohuangen's face, that smile was peaceful and calm, exactly the same as the one on the white-clothed youth's face.

  "I'm really... stupid, to have waited so long to realize it..." He muttered softly, taking a step forward, stretching out his hands as if wanting to embrace something, but after a moment, his body slowly tilted over and he fell weakly to the ground.

  All life faded away from that body, yet no matter what, it was impossible to take away the faint and gentle smile on Dao Xuan's face.

  The world is quiet, in an instant, only the distant howling wind remains.

  The figure who once dominated the world has gone quietly like this, Zhang Xiaofan stood silently by, watching everything that happened.

  The white-clothed youth's figure became somewhat blurry, but it didn't disperse. Instead, he silently gazed at Dao Xuan True Man's corpse for a while before turning around and looking towards Zhang Xiao Fan.

  Zhang Xiaofan's heart vaguely knew what identity this white-clothed figure with a seemingly real and illusory appearance was, and involuntarily felt a general sense of reverence in his heart, saying in a low voice: "Senior."

  The young man in white clothes still had a warm smile on his face, and his eyes looked at Zhang Xiaofan with a few points of appreciation, smiling slightly: "Kid, you're good, really good."

  Zhang Xiaofan was momentarily baffled as to why he was being praised, and didn't know what the "good" referred to in his words. He felt a little stunned, but the white-clothed youth seemed to have no intention of explaining. With a light wave of his hand, the Xian-erasing ancient sword that had been lying on the ground suddenly flew up, as if pulled by an invisible force.

  The young man in white gazed at the ancient sword, then looked at Zhang Xiaofan and said quietly: "Child, this power of slaying immortals is a supreme divine art that steals the mysteries of heaven and earth. It can slay immortals and demons, destroy heaven and earth, and should not exist among humans. But since it's already here, it ultimately needs an owner."

  As they spoke, the ancient sword of exterminating immortals floated gently like a floating duckweed, but it was blown by the wind and drifted to Zhang Xiaofan's front.

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned, looking at the young man in white clothes, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. After a while, he said: "Senior, you..."

  The young man in white smiled and said: "Do you think you can come here? In fact, it was this sword that summoned you, so to speak, you are the one with fate."

  Zhang Xiaofan shook his head repeatedly and said, "Senior, you and Daoxuan... Shibo are both extraordinary talents with unparalleled wisdom, surpassing me by thousands or tens of thousands of times. Neither of you can truly grasp this power to slay immortals, how can I, a dull and foolish disciple, undertake such a great responsibility?"

  The young man in white smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry about it. Once you pick up this ancient sword that slays immortals, you'll understand. The power of the immortal-slaying sword is not something that can be grasped by human means or mortal principles."

  Zhang Xiaofan was taken aback and looked at the young man in white, saying: "What does this mean?"

  The young man in white smiled and said, "Since ancient times, those who have been able to comprehend the five volumes of the 'Heavenly Book' are only four people, and you are the only one among them. If it were not so, why would you be the only one among the billions of living beings in the world who can feel the call of the Exterminating Immortal Sword?"

  Zhang Xiaofan listened with increasing shock and blurted out: "What? Are you saying that the ancient sword of exterminating immortals is actually..."

  The young man in white smiled and said, "Exactly, the Exterminating Immortal Ancient Sword is indeed the legendary Fifth Volume of the Heavenly Book!" As he spoke, his face suddenly darkened again, but quickly returned to its calm state. He continued lightly, "Moreover, the key to truly grasping the power of exterminating immortals does not lie in one's cultivation level or the height of their Daoist path. The most important thing is actually the heart."

  Zhang Xiaofan was puzzled and asked: "Why is this?"

  "The power of the Exterminating Immortal is far beyond the ordinary, and with it in hand, one can easily dominate all under heaven. However, such a fearsome and awe-inspiring power often leads to unconscious indulgence, ultimately resulting in being enslaved by the very power that was once wielded."

  He let out a soft sigh and said, "In the past, I and Daoxuan Shixiong were both confident that we were unparalleled in the world, looking down on everything. But in the end, neither of us could withstand the demon in our hearts. Only those who have truly experienced a thousand hardships and failures, with a heart tempered like steel, can be the true master of this Exterminating Immortal's power!"

  The ancient sword of the Immortal Slayer slowly floated in front of Zhang Xiaofan, while in the distance, the figure of the young man in white began to sway and gradually became blurry. However, his voice still came through clearly, "Child, grasp this power well. When you truly understand the meaning of that sentence in the Heavenly Book, you will understand everything..."

  The next moment, the white shadow dissipated, and almost at the same time, Zhang Xiaofan solemnly stretched out his hand to grab the hilt of the Exterminating Immortal Sword.

  Fists clenched!

  "Boom!"

  Like a thunderclap, it suddenly exploded beside his ear, tearing the entire sky asunder. Electric lights flashed wildly, and the clouds rolled in turmoil. On the horizon, a magnificent moonlight appeared, shining brightly with seven colors that never stopped flashing. They converged into a gigantic pillar of light that descended from the heavens, enveloping Zhang Xiaofan's figure within it.

  "Ah..."

  A long whistle, the sound entered the clouds, Zhang Xiaofan flew upside down and landed on the altar, seven colorful pillars lit up at the same time, the light pillar was like a dragon, leaping and flipping in mid-air, as if cheering and howling wildly.

  In the depths of Guanghua, Zhang Xiaofan's figure seemed to be getting a bit blurry, only to see his movements vaguely, slowly raising the ancient sword of exterminating immortals. As the ancient sword rose higher, the wind and clouds above the sky rotated more and more urgently. That one handle representing the absolute power of exterminating immortals, the colorful energy sword, reappeared, looking down on the world with an air of invincibility!

  In the surroundings of that gigantic sword at the horizon, under the radiant glow of the illusory moonlight, in the vast and empty sky, a row of gigantic golden characters slowly emerged, each one hundred feet tall, stretching from the horizon down to the ground, majestic to the extreme.

  Heaven and earth are not benevolent, regarding all things as straw dogs!

  The winds howl and whip up, the heavens are desolate and barren, in the depths of the radiant light, that one gaze, deeply and intently stares at the vast expanse of heaven and earth!

  Qingyun Mountain, Tongtian Peak.

  Looking out from the top of Tongtian Peak, the distant sky no longer has the same vast blue expanse as before. At this moment, a fierce and bloody red glow envelops the horizon, transforming into heavy dark clouds that are pressing down on Tongtian Peak.

  Inside the Qingyun Gate, chaos erupted. The demonic sect's sudden invasion was more ferocious than anyone could have predicted. In a short period of time, the righteous path had suffered heavy losses, with eight or nine out of ten elite members falling. What was most terrifying was that these fallen elites were not killed by the demonic sect, but rather were bewitched by the mysterious and sinister evil spells of the Ghost King Sect's leader, causing them to lose their minds and become the Ghost King's minions, turning against their former comrades and slaughtering them mercilessly.

  The original righteous path had an absolute advantage over the demonic teachings, but suddenly the situation was reversed. The Demon King seemed to think this was not enough and used even more evil methods, causing all the civilians who were on their way to Qingyun Road and near the Qingyun Mountain range to become confused and turn into his mindless killing machines, with a total number of over 100,000 people. The scale of this was even greater than the legendary "Heavenly Calamity" caused by the beast demons in the past.

  The Qingyun Gate here is only the Qingyun Gate's own disciples and a few remaining Taoist friends, the elite of the prestigious sects have all been emptied, even the Tianyin Temple, which is one of the largest temples, has only sent over a dozen monks, including Master Puhong, Master Pukong, and younger generation monks like Fasheng and Faxiang. Among the crowd of monks, there was also an old monk who was dry and taciturn, standing silently beside Master Puhong.

  As soon as the monks from Tianyin Temple arrived, Qingyun Gate was immediately stirred up. For many years, Tianyin Temple had always been on good terms with Qingyun Gate, and whenever they encountered great difficulties, they would fight side by side against their enemies. At this moment, everyone rushed out to welcome them, but after seeing the monks from Tianyin Temple, they were all stunned into silence.

  Standing at the forefront of the crowd in front of Qingyun Gate, aside from Xiaoyu Men's temporary caretaker Xiao Yicai, were the current highest-ranking members of Qingyun Gate: Feng Hui Peak's leader Zeng Shu Chang and Xiao Zhu Peak's leader Water Moon Master. As Zeng Shu Chang looked around, he saw that the monks from Tianyin Temple had a worn-out look on their faces, which was understandable, but what caught his attention was that most of them had bloodstains on their bodies, indicating they had been through one or several intense battles before arriving here. Thinking about the large number of monks at Tianyin Temple, he wondered...

  Zeng Shu took another step forward. He hesitated for a moment, then said: "Pu Huan Master, you... this..."

  Pu Hui Master was very calm, and returned the courtesy with his hands clasped together. He said lightly: "This time the great calamity has arisen again, and all living beings are suffering. The monks of our temple originally wanted to save the common people, but the way is high by an inch, the devil is high by a foot, and more than half of my disciples have already passed away."

  Having said that, he lightly chanted a sentence of "Amitabha Buddha", Zeng Shu was stunned, and immediately showed a painful expression on his face. Xiao Yi forced himself to calm down, although his heart also slowly sank, but still forced a smile and said: "No matter what, the masters have arrived, please come in first."

  Pu Huan Dashi and the monks of Tianyin Temple joined their palms together in response, and immediately the crowd surged back to the Yuqing Hall. Behind them, the blood-red cloud at the horizon pressed forward a few more inches.

  Shui Yue Dashi walked a few steps, suddenly as if he had realized something, turned his head and took a look. He only saw Lu Xueqi, who was following behind him, standing by the railing of the stone stairs, gazing into the distance with a dazed expression, seemingly lost in thought. Just as Shui Yue Dashi was about to call out to her, his expression suddenly turned gloomy, as if he had thought of something. He quietly walked over and stood behind Lu Xueqi, softly calling out: "Xueqi."

  Lu Xueqi's body moved slightly, and she woke up with a start. She turned her head to look at Master Shuiyue, and said in a low voice: "Yes, Master, I'll go in now."

  As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and was about to head towards the Jade Clear Palace. But unexpectedly, Master Shuiyue's face flashed with a hint of pain and regret, and he reached out to grab Lu Xueqi's hand, holding her back.

  Lu Xueqi was slightly surprised and turned her head, saying: "Master, what's wrong?"

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī let out a soft sigh, looked around to make sure no one was listening, and lowered his voice, saying: "Xuě Qí, you can go now."

  Lu Xueqi was taken aback and said: "Master, where are you sending me?"

  "Leave Qingyun Mountain, go to the place you want to go, and be with the person you miss in your heart. Have a good life." She slowly turned her head to look at Lu Xueqi and said, "Don't come back again."

  Lu Xueqi's face turned pale, and her eyes suddenly shone with tears, but after a moment, she slowly shook her head and said in a low voice: "Master, I won't leave, I want to be with you."

  The Water Moon Master let out a bitter laugh and said, "Foolish child, I've lived for so many years, even if I die it's nothing, but you're still young and have someone who truly loves you, listen to me, leave Qingyun and be with him."

  Lu Xueqi's teeth were clenched, her lips trembling slightly, as if Master Shuiguo's words were an irresistible temptation to her, haunting her dreams and etching themselves into her heart - wasn't that the kind of life she had always yearned for?

  She slowly shook her head, as if it was extremely difficult, but eventually turned around and walked towards the Jade Clear Palace. Master Water Moon looked at her thin and fragile figure, let out a long sigh, shook his head slowly, and his expression was shocked.

  She stood still for a moment, then let out a soft sigh and also walked towards the Jade Clear Palace. She had only gone halfway when she suddenly stopped again and looked towards another corner of the railing in the distance. There, in that quiet place, was a man and a woman standing together, whispering to each other in low voices, it was unclear what they were saying.

  The two of them, the woman was Wen Mian, a disciple under Master Shui Yue, and the man was Song Da Ren from Da Zhu Peak. Looking at their expressions, they seemed to be filled with tender emotions, without much fear of impending death, but rather as if they cherished the brief time they had left.

  At least, their faces all wore a faint warm smile.

  Shuǐ Yuè Dà Shī's heart seemed to ache again as he gazed at the two of them for a long time, speechless and silent, before slowly walking into the Jade Clear Hall.

  In the Jade Clear Palace, everyone had taken their seats. The Venerable Pu Huan was highly respected and everyone urged him to take the main seat, but he declined repeatedly. In the end, the main seat remained empty, with everyone sitting on either side in order.

  Zeng Shu coughed and said, "Master, I'd like to ask, has the Tianyin Temple nearby also been invaded by the demonic cult?"

  "I Buddha's mercy protects, the evil demons' claws have not yet harmed the people near Tianyin Temple. Our temple monks heard that the demon cult was reborn to kill and harm, so we went to stop them to protect all living beings. Who knew this time the demon cult's magic was so powerful, it has harmed many of our disciples... Alas, my guilt is deep."

  The people of Qingyunmen all showed a painful and regretful expression on their faces. Xiao Yicai advised, "Master, don't blame yourself. The deceased fellow disciples have died in vain and should go to the Western Paradise. For now, we must deal with the current crisis."

  Pu Heng let out a sigh, nodded his head, and immediately showed a hopeful expression. He looked at the people of Qingyun Gate and said: "At present, the situation is critical, and the common people are in dire straits. Looking around the world, only your noble sect's Dao Xuan Shixiong can display the Exterminating Immortal Sword Formation, greatly displaying his divine might, to turn the tide of the crisis and save the masses. I'm counting on you!"

  He finished speaking and made a deep bow, but who would have thought that as soon as he spoke, the crowd of people in front of the Qingyun Gate were all staring at each other in dismay, each one woodenly silent, not knowing what to say. Very quickly, Pu Heng Shangren discovered that the situation was not right and asked in surprise: "What's going on?"

  Xiao Yizai let out a bitter laugh and said, "Master, you are unaware that our Qingyun Sect has also encountered changes. My master has been missing for many days."

  The monks of Tianyin Temple were shocked, and Pu Hong Shangren exclaimed: "How can this be?"

  Xiao Yicai's face showed a helpless expression, and he said: "Now that things have come to this point, I won't hide it from you masters anymore. Since the year the beast demon was defeated by Master Shi's Xianjian sword array, he has become somewhat strange. His actions were very different from before. Originally, being a bit eccentric wasn't a big deal, but after Master Shi did some... strange things, he disappeared and there was no news of him again."

  Pu Heng Shangren was speechless, stunned and unable to utter a word. Dao Xuan Zhenren's cultivation had reached the level of spiritual transcendence, astonishing everyone under heaven. How could he have ended up in such a state? It was truly unthinkable. But Xiao Yicai and others were clearly not lying, judging from their embarrassed expressions. Apparently, the "strange" events they spoke of were not something that could be easily tolerated. However, what was most important now was that after Dao Xuan Zhenren's disappearance, what should be done next?

  Pu Hong suddenly changed his expression, looked up at the people of Qingyun Gate and said: "That... I don't know if the Xian Jian ancient sword is still there, is there another wise and capable person in your sect who can urge on this Xian Jian sword array?"

  This time, Xiao Yi didn't speak up, and Zeng Shu beside him let out a sigh, saying: "The Master doesn't know, the Exterminating Immortal Sword has always been kept by only one person, the True Person of our Qingyun Gate, passed down through generations. Outsiders can't touch it, and now the sword is also missing along with Daoxuan Shixiong; Moreover, to control the Exterminating Immortal Sword Array requires the Taiqing Divine Ability, which cannot be achieved by anyone but an extraordinary talent. In our sect's over a hundred years... only Daoxuan Shixiong can achieve this level, we are ashamed, having the heart but not the ability."

  Pu Hong's last shred of hope was shattered, and he was stunned for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "If it is indeed so, then isn't the outcome already decided, and won't great calamity befall all living things under heaven?"

  The people of Qingyunmen were silent, their faces solemn and their heads bowed.

  Inside the Jade Clear Palace, the air suddenly became heavy and oppressive. Just then, a desperate cry echoed from afar, followed by a cacophony of fierce howls and roars, like the thunderous approach of ten thousand wild beasts.

  A young disciple of Qingyun Sect rushed into the Jade Clear Hall with a desperate look on his face, shouting in a trembling voice:

  "The demons, the demonic cultists and the evil spirits are coming up the mountain..."

  Everyone suddenly stood up together, each with a look of shock and incredulity on their faces. Slowly, a desperate atmosphere spread over the majestic Jade Clear Hall.

  Is it really going to be completely destroyed without a glimmer of hope?

  Behind the crowd, Lu Xueqi quietly turned around and gazed into the distance, her face without fear, but with a faint gentle nostalgia.