Chapter 2: Reversal of Fate

  It's another stormy and dusty morning. The fierce wind is raging recklessly across the sky and earth. The morning light is dim, the wind is violent, and the world is filled with a desolate atmosphere, permeated with a solemn and murderous aura.

  A faint greyish-white sun was struggling to climb out of the yellow sand amidst the dismal clouds and mist.

  In the strong wind, the flag of Longmen Inn was torn and fluttering up and down, as if it would break free from its restraints. The long flagpole looked like it was made of good wood, but it was bent into a clear arc by the force of the wind and the flag. Compared to the inn itself, which was small, dilapidated, and seemed on the verge of collapse, the flagpole was incredibly strong.

  Who doesn't love the warmth and comfort of their bed on a windy morning like this? But for those who are poor and struggling, their lives are as cheap as ants, what does it matter to them what the weather is like? Of course they won't stop working. It's no surprise that the young errand boy is out here in the cutting wind and sand with his iron ladle.

  The young man who was running the errand held an iron shovel in his hand and was strenuously filling a large pit with earth. In such a strong wind, before the soil could even be filled into the pit, more than half of it had already been blown away by the fierce gusts. But this young man seemed to have a special skill, pouring the mud into the pit with precision, without being affected by the strong winds at all. Looking at his practiced movements, it was likely that he had done this kind of digging and filling work hundreds of times before.

  Look at the dense fine sweat on his temples, it must have taken a lot of effort to get out. He was probably digging holes and filling them with earth before dawn broke.

  The young man finally filled in the last shovel of soil, and then heaped it up several times, treading the earth flat. The frosty wind was very heavy here, and before long, the digging marks on the ground would be worn away by the sand, even if the iron-clad god of judgment were to search for them in the vast wilderness.

  The wind howls and the sand swirls, in the blink of an eye, the new earth is covered with yellow sand.

  Looking at the ground that had returned to its original appearance, the young man wiped away the sweat on his forehead and stood still for a while, unintentionally letting out a soft sigh. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of green stone. The green stone felt smooth to the touch, round and lovely. The young man examined it carefully, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that this piece of green stone was warm and lustrous, with a flowing light, slightly transparent, as if there was another world within the stone.

  Just then, a gust of cold wind brought a shout like the killing of pigs: "You little bastard! Where have you gone to die? It's taken so long to bury something. My buns have been steamed for several layers already! If you don't come back and die for me soon, the next batch of buns will use your meat as filling!!"

  This cry was not ordinary, thick and piercing, like a knife cutting through the air, clearly entering the young man's ears. It is unknown how the shopkeeper's wife cultivated such good vocal skills, with one shout powerful enough to reach over 100 meters away. In any case, this was beyond what ordinary people could achieve.

  The young man heard the shopkeeper's wife get angry, his face changed greatly, he didn't dare to delay any longer, hung the green stone back around his neck, shouldered the iron shovel and flew back all the way to Longmen Inn.

  He had just rushed into the store, when a large hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck. This grab was also very skillful, as if it came from nowhere, without warning, and left no trace, making it impossible to dodge. Such grasping skills were deeply cultivated, having reached a state of perfection, and in all these years, had never failed.

  The young man had no idea how many times he had been caught, and it was only natural that he knew exactly how to react. He immediately relaxed his body, allowing the large hand to lift him up, and smiled wryly: "Madam is wise and powerful, I never escape your grasp."

  The master of the big hand hummed satisfactorily and with a slight turn of his wrist, turned the young man around to face him.

  A man's voice is like his character.

  With such a physique, the shopkeeper's wife was indeed born with a heroic and majestic appearance, unlike ordinary people. The young man was only fourteen years old, but he looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth. However, the shopkeeper's wife was seven feet tall and had a waist circumference of ten feet, yet she effortlessly lifted the young man up with one hand, as if lifting half a piece of pork, without showing any signs of exertion. Looking at her thick eyebrows, big eyes, high nose bridge, and wide mouth, she indeed looked majestic and heroic, with an air of chivalry about her. Unfortunately, her face often revealed a murderous aura that couldn't be concealed.

  Although this shopkeeper's wife always referred to herself as "old mother", she was particularly fond of this young man addressing her as "madam".

  At this moment, she glared with her phoenix eyes and shouted: "The business in the store is bleak, it's not easy to catch a fat sheep like this for half a month. The meat is used as filling, the bones are simmered into soup, and the dough needs to be rolled out! So many things to do early in the morning, where does your lazy and cunning self come from? It's strange to say that there isn't even a single silver coin on this fat sheep...". As she spoke, the shopkeeper's wife suspiciously stared at the young man, her gaze becoming increasingly sharp and piercing. "Tell me honestly, did you secretly hide it when you were handling it?" The shopkeeper's wife's eyes were like torches, not letting go of a single expression on the young man's face.

  The young man was shocked and terrified, his fear spreading throughout his limbs. He calmed himself and hastily argued: "Madam is wise! How dare I? If I had dared to hide something, wouldn't you have searched it out long ago? Wouldn't I have been cooked into a meat soup by now? Besides, within the surrounding tens of miles, there are only a few households. Even if I had hidden silver, where could I spend it?"

  "It's better that you don't dare. It's not easy to deceive me." The shopkeeper's wife seemed quite pleased with the young man's words, and she hummed a tune as she loosened her grip and threw him to the ground. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a flash of red light caught her eye. She looked at the young man again, and her eyebrows suddenly shot up as she pulled out a red thread from his collar, with the small green stone hanging from one end.

  The mistress of the shop stared at the bluestone and frowned: "Where did this thing come from?"

  The young man's face was slightly pale, his heart racing with a burst of energy, but then he calmly and expressionlessly said: "I dug up the soil this morning and saw that this stone looked good, so I picked it up and put it on."

  The green stone was crystal clear and moist, with a hidden treasure light. Occasionally, auspicious clouds would flash inside the stone, which was no ordinary object, as could be seen at a glance. The young man had discovered this green stone by chance while pulling the wind, and originally he wouldn't have dared to touch anything on Fat Sheep's body even if he had ten times more courage. But that day, for some reason, he was possessed like a ghost and secretly put the green stone in his pocket. Now that it had been searched out by the landlady, although Longmen Inn only had him as a small servant who swept the floor, he wouldn't be boiled into a meat soup, but a severe beating was inevitable. He said it was just an ordinary stone he picked up, and this was just a desperate defense before death.

  The shopkeeper's wife stared at the bluestone for half a day, and unexpectedly threw it back to him, scolding: "You're such an useless little bastard, you can even treat these worthless stones as treasures. The newly steamed buns are almost done, why don't you go watch them? If they get overcooked, I'll skin you alive! You have no parents, and I took pity on you and brought you back home, raising you for six or seven years, not just to let you eat idly!"

  The young man, like a great amnesty, smiled and nodded in response, immediately taking to his heels and rushing towards the back kitchen. He was lucky to have escaped with his life, although the northern morning was cold, but his clothes were already soaked through with cold sweat. At this moment, he only hoped to get away from the shopkeeper's wife as far as possible. However, the lady's voice was unparalleled, and despite being separated by a wall, the sound of her fierce roar still lingered in his ears. Although the shopkeeper's wife exuded an aura of gold armor and iron horses, when she started nagging, she was no different from any ordinary village woman, saying things like "you ungrateful little scoundrel", "always lazy and cunning".

  The young man stayed in the back kitchen for a while, then picked up the towel and clear water, and walked towards the front hall to sweep.

  At this time, the sky was hazy and barely bright, with a faint sound of wind and sand. Objects that were slightly farther away could not be seen clearly. The Dragon Gate Inn was located in a desolate wilderness, extremely poor, with no large villages within dozens of miles, and outside the Sword Hilt Pass was a barbarous land, where bandits roamed freely, so there were very few travelers passing through. Even if travelers did arrive, it was usually at dusk. However, this young man was actually very diligent, rising early every morning to sweep the inn spotless, and had been doing so for years. He was also clever and likable in appearance, so as he grew older, the important task of attending to guests and identifying fat sheep fell on his shoulders.

  The young man had just walked into the front hall when he suddenly felt a flash before his eyes. The originally empty and spacious front hall had three people sitting around an octagonal table, as if they had been there for some time. The young man rubbed his eyes, looked again, and finally confirmed that he was not seeing things, and indeed there were three people sitting in front of him. But he clearly remembered that just a moment ago, when he walked into the front hall, there wasn't a single person here!

  Could it be that these three are evil spirits? As soon as this thought occurred to him, a chill ran through the young man's heart. The Dragon Gate Inn had stood by the official road for many years, and its human meat buns and bone soup had been sold in unknown quantities; if one were to say that they had provoked divine wrath and ghostly hatred, it would be more than enough.

  The three men were of medium build, expressionless, and dressed in a very unusual manner, not like people from the left village. The young man took one step into the front hall, and the three simultaneously raised their heads, six deep yellow eyes staring at the young man together. The young man was shocked, feeling that the three men's gaze had substance, as if six sharp blades were piercing through his body, for a moment he felt suffocated in his chest, feeling an indescribable sadness. His whole body was weak, and when his hand relaxed, the water bucket fell to the ground with a loud crash, splashing water everywhere, rushing towards the people inside.

  In the boy's astonished gaze, that splash of water suddenly hit an invisible barrier, and then rose into wisps of shallow blue smoke, looking incredibly eerie.

  Another tall and thin man frowned, stretched out his left hand to pinch a spell, and the blue smoke disappeared instantly. He said somewhat displeased: "We just came to find someone, don't make trouble! Your Soul-Breaking Smoke is released, others will immediately know we've been here. This is still okay, what if you destroy the person Mr. wants to find, how can you bear the responsibility?"

  "Earlier, that person hummed disapprovingly: 'I've already used my divine sense to search, and apart from the three people in this inn, there's no one else around. It can be seen that the person you're looking for must be here without a doubt. However, among the three people in this inn, two are old and definitely not it, only this young man has some possibility. But look at him, he doesn't have even half a hint of immortal energy on his body, how could he possibly be the person you want to find? If we don't test them, what if we mistakenly bring the wrong person, that great achievement will turn into a great mistake.'"

  The tall and thin man pondered, "There's also a point to this. This kid is indeed far from the person Mr. wants to find. Could he be hiding? If we search around again, it'll definitely take up a lot of time. What if some other guys come to stir up trouble too?"

  "That news is extremely secretive, and we were all cultivating outside the pass, not far from here, so we could arrive in time. Even if people from other sects have a way to know this news, they would be thousands of miles away, how could they rush over? Even if they arrived on time, what kind of powerful figures would appear in such a short period? Can't we handle them? Taking a step back, even if there are some troublesome characters, since we arrived first, shouldn't they give Mr. some face? What do we have to fear?"

  He had only spoken halfway when a soft and charming voice suddenly floated in from outside the door: "Mr. Fu Shi is certainly very famous, but what kind of people are these three English knights? How come I've never seen them before?"

  This sentence carries the Jiangnan accent, soft and sticky, not loud, but seems to have a strange magic power. The young man listened, only feeling that this voice directly invaded his bones, making him sour and soft all over, so it was just fine, but the tail tone still wanted to tremble slightly, suddenly letting the young man's lower abdomen rise with a hot flow, rushing straight to the brain gate. The young man's head was dizzy, in an instant, only this voice echoed between heaven and earth, his body involuntarily took a step towards the source of the sound. Just as he stepped out, a fine cold current suddenly penetrated into his chest, driving that gentle and charming voice away.

  The young man suddenly came to, his whole body sweating like rain, extremely soft and weak, almost unable to stand. He stumbled and grabbed the table beside him, only panting heavily, completely unaware of what had happened.

  "Huh? The little scoundrel isn't so bad after all! Nothing's wrong, what a rare thing!" As he spoke, a slender and elegant woman walked in from outside the door. Everyone looked up to see her, and their eyes widened in surprise as they took in the sight of her fiery red dress. Her hair was piled high on her head, with a flower-shaped hairpin at her temple, her eyebrows were like distant mountains in spring, her eyes were like autumn waves, and her gaze was full of charm and allure. She wore a long, crimson skirt that trailed on the ground, over which she wore a green satin jacket with a golden pattern, revealing a hint of cleavage. Over this, she wore a thin red silk cloak, and every movement she made was elegant and alluring, exuding a seductive charm that surpassed even that of the legendary beauty Daji.

  As soon as the woman entered the inn, her eyes were fixed on the young man and refused to move. The young man felt uneasy, as if he had been seen through from head to toe, with all his internal organs exposed to the woman's gaze. To make matters worse, he couldn't move even half a step, nor could he shift his gaze away.

  The woman gazed for a moment, then waved her slender hand, and the three jade bangles on her wrist collided with each other, producing a crisp tinkling sound that was very pleasant to hear. As soon as the tinkling sound began, the three people sitting beside her immediately changed their expressions, stood up together, stretched out their hands, and opened up their stances. What puzzled the young man was that he had clearly not seen any of them carrying any magical instruments on their bodies, but now each of them held a strange-shaped magical treasure in their hand - a jade ruler, a circular saw blade, and a purple gold ladle.

  The woman didn't put the three of them in her eyes at all, and directly stretched out her hand to grab the young man, with a smile on her eyebrows, a spring in her face, and soft words: "This little brother is so handsome, really a wonderful person. Come here, don't be afraid, sister will take you to a beautiful and fun place, from now on you won't have to suffer in this desolate and barren land."

  The three men's faces changed, and they exchanged a quiet glance. The tall, thin man coughed and said, "Jingyu Xianzi, this young man is the one Mr. Fu Shi specifically named as the person he wants. If you take him away, it might not be quite right."

  The woman smiled lightly and said: "If Mr. Su Shi wants someone, he can just go to the empty mountain to find him."

  The three of them exchanged a glance, and without saying another word, they suddenly raised the jade ruler, the circular saw blade, and the purple gold alms bowl in their hands. They chanted incantations, grasped the seals, and in an instant, the treasures emitted brilliant rays of light that illuminated the dark front hall, making it as bright as daylight!

  The woman's right hand, which was reaching out to the young man, suddenly slowed down, but still moved forward inch by inch. The three jade bangles on her wrist suddenly jumped up and down like they had gone mad, colliding with each other and making a sound like a fierce storm pouring into every corner of the front hall. Upon hearing such a deadly sound, the three people standing there were as if petrified, unable to move again. However, the woman was also apparently using all her strength, and after a moment, fine beads of sweat had already appeared on her forehead. But she gritted her silver teeth, and one of her slender white hands still moved forward inch by inch towards the young man.

  That young man felt as if his whole body was bound by countless iron chains, unable to even lift a little finger. Moreover, every time the crisp jade bangle struck, he would feel his body become heavier by another fraction. However, despite his upper body feeling like it had a thousand pounds of weight on it, and his legs being pressed down in unbearable pain, he still didn't fall, and could only watch as the woman's hand reached towards his throat.

  At that moment, the inn was filled with a violent gust of wind, and flashes of lightning illuminated everything. The young man felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, his vision blurred by a multitude of golden stars, and he could no longer see anything clearly. Just as the young man was about to collapse from exhaustion, the wind in the inn suddenly subsided, and the rain stopped. The pressure on his body vanished all at once, and for an instant, his chest felt sweet relief. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and fell backwards onto the ground.

  Just as he was in a daze, another voice like jade falling onto an ice plate rang out: "I want this man!"

  Poor mountains and evil waters, a small shop in the wilderness, at one time guests came in droves!

  The young man felt as if he had fallen into an endless abyss, with a vast expanse of darkness before him. Everything around him seemed to have vanished, and he was completely unaware of the situation in the store. Although he couldn't see anything, his senses became even more acute. In the midst of chaos, he only felt that his limbs were being roasted in a fiery furnace. The intense burning sensation pierced his heart and bones, making him wish he could just pass out from the pain. However, fate was not on his side, and the agony only intensified without any relief. Faintly, his nose seemed to pick up the smell of something burnt, and his ears were filled with the crackling sounds of roasting. The suffering was beyond words.

  Just as the boy was scorched with pain, a cool breeze swept across his face. The boy suddenly felt a refreshing coolness on his face, which made him feel extremely comfortable. He instinctively raised his body, wanting to put more of himself into the gentle cool breeze.

  The young man barely managed to muster up his remaining strength and lifted his body slightly, only to be met with a sudden surge of force that pressed him back onto the ground. Next to his ear, he heard that sweet and sticky Jiangnan accent again: "Want to take advantage of that little scoundrel's River Sword Wind to cool off? You really don't want to live, do you? Just stay obediently by sister's side, it's hot but not enough to burn you to death."

  The young man only felt that the object pressed against his face was surprisingly soft, and slightly carried a faint scent. He also didn't know why he could still feel so keenly at this moment of life and death.

  At that moment, he was only thinking: "I've long heard that the bodies of Southern Dynasty women are all fragrant and soft, it seems to be true... This sister, her name is Jing something Xianzi... Alas, I still recognize too few characters..."

  That young man was completely unaware that the atmosphere in the inn had become extremely heavy, the bowl rack on the front hall was at the edge of falling but not falling, it seemed to be about to crash to the ground at any moment, but it just hung in mid-air and refused to fall. Two soup bowls had already flown out of the frame, but they were floating strangely in the air, drifting back and forth, without showing any sign of being about to smash to the ground.

  The cold air in the store suddenly became stronger, and a young woman stepped in. She wore a black silk dress with seven-part water sleeves, revealing more than half of her slender arms as white as snow and ice. Her face was beautiful to the extreme, also cold to the extreme, her small face was pale to the point of being almost transparent, her eyebrows were calm and serene, and her whole body emitted an icy aura that could freeze people to death, like a female immortal carved from thousand-year-old ice. She had a huge sword on her back, with a hint of blue in her eyes, and a touch of purple on her lips.

  The three men had quietly retreated to the corner of the house as soon as the woman in black entered. They were completely uninterested in her snowy skin and icy muscles, but instead stared fixedly at the giant sword behind her, their eyes revealing a hint of fear, and their hands gripping their weapons even trembled slightly.

  The giant sword is four feet long and seven inches wide, with a scabbard that is completely black lacquered. The dark hilt seems to hold a hidden power, wrapped around it are four ancient seal characters 'Xuan Ming Fa Ni' in copper wire. This copper wire looks extraordinary, heavy and dark, with an aura of infinite power.

  That Jing Yun Xianzi glanced at the ancient sword behind the black-clothed woman, and her expression changed. She quietly retreated a step back, smiled and said: "Yun Wu Hua, your old man really is willing to part with it, even letting you bring out the ancient sword Tian Quan. It seems that victory is within reach. Although we are both among the Five Immortals under the Moon, we have never compared our strengths before. It appears that today, a confrontation is inevitable."

  "That black-clad woman coldly sneered: 'Moonlit Five Immortals? If I hadn't rarely ventured out, how could you be ranked alongside me? No need to say more, leave the person behind. Otherwise, the Heavenly Sword will be unsheathed, and there will definitely be bloodshed.'"

  At this time, the tall and thin man bowed to the woman in black and said: "Cloud Fairy, please, this young man is the one that Mr. Huishi has specifically asked for, our two factions have always been on good terms, if you take him away like this, we will not be able to explain ourselves to Mr. Huishi..."

  The woman's two eyebrows, like dark clouds and smoke, suddenly rose, her right hand beckoned to the void, and the ancient sword Tianquan immediately emitted a clear sound that pierced the nine heavens, and then jumped into her hand by itself!

  She raised her icy finger, and the ancient sword fell like a heavenly river waterfall, carrying the surging waters of the dark sea, chopping down towards that tall and thin man!

  That man was extremely shocked, and in the urgent moment, he couldn't dodge or flash away, so he had to suddenly bite his tongue tip, spitting a mouthful of blood mist onto the jade ruler in his hand. Then, he pinched his fingers together, recited an incantation, and faced the ancient sword Tianquan. His two companions also held up their magical instruments, blocking the way for the ancient sword Tianquan.

  Yunwu Hualei gave a cold smile, the ancient sword's momentum unabated, heavily striking the three magical artifacts! The guest house suddenly echoed with a loud rumble, and it seemed as if every corner was filled with the surging waters of the dark river. The dark river waves converged into one, suddenly triggering a massive tsunami-like wave! The dilapidated Dragon Gate Inn could no longer withstand such destruction, and with a crisp cracking sound, it suddenly turned into scattered fragments of wood and tiles, flying everywhere.

  Only the flagpole stands as before.

  At this time, two miserable cries came from the back kitchen. The shopkeeper and his wife were blown high into the air by the waters of the Nai River, and then fell to the ground far away. They struggled a few times with their hands and feet, but soon stopped moving. Dozens of white buns fell around them with a loud crash. They had originally seen that things were not going well and hid in the back kitchen, shivering with fear, praying for divine intervention, but they did not expect Yun Wu Hua to be so overbearing, and the power of his one sword would affect an area of hundreds of feet, where could they hide?

  In an instant, the waves subsided. The tall and thin man's face was as pale as earth, staring blankly at the ancient sword Tianquan pointed at his throat, not daring to move slightly. The jade ruler in his hand had already been broken into two pieces, and the magical instruments in the hands of the two companions were also split in two, completely destroyed. A layer of indeterminate black air hovered on the sword Tianquan, and whenever it swept across the thin man's throat, a fine blood line would be left behind.

  Yunwu's wrist trembled slightly, and the sharp tip of the Tianquan ancient sword immediately cut off the man's throat. Then he said coldly, "Now you can go and confess to Mr. Fu Shi."

  That tall and thin man's face turned iron-green, only repeatedly saying: "Good, good. Yunxianzi, I remember this sword's gift, we'll meet again later, let's go!" After finishing speaking, the three of them showed a hateful expression, turned around and flew away into the sky.

  A sword cut to the throat would be an incurable wound for ordinary people, but for these cultivators who have made achievements, it is just a superficial flesh wound. However, even so, after returning, they still need to recuperate for ten days or half a month.

  Yunwu Huamao ignored the three people who had risen into the air and were flying away, turned to look at Jingyu Xianzi, and said: "Leave the person behind, you go!"

  Jing Yun Xianzi let out a light laugh, suddenly took a step back, and with one hand lifted up the young man. Then she said: "Are you really so short of men that even someone like this young man is worth considering? However, he's now in my hands. If you try to attack me, I'll kill him first. If you insist on taking him by force, then go ahead and take a corpse back!"

  Yunwu's eyebrows slowly rose, and her icy fingers tightened around the hilt of the ancient sword Tianquan. She said coldly, "Master only told me to bring people back, but didn't say whether they were alive or dead. If you want to kill him, go ahead."

  The words had barely fallen when Gujian Tianquan burst out again with a massive wave of the Tiantian Minghe, sweeping towards Jingyuan!

  Jing Yun was greatly shocked, never expecting that Yun Wu Hua would attack without warning. The ancient sword's momentum was extremely fierce and violent, how could she dare to block it head-on? In her desperation, she quickly pushed the young man in front of her, intending to use him as a shield to avoid this unstoppable slash.

  Yunwu's lips curled up slightly, and a cold smile spread across her face. Her hand tightened, and the Tianquan sword suddenly emitted a clear hum, its momentum increasing rather than decreasing, shooting straight towards the young man's chest! From this momentum, the sword's edge didn't need to touch his body; just the aura of the Minghe sword alone was enough to pierce through both of them.

  Under the helpless circumstances, he had no choice but to push that young man away. He himself stepped on the ground and rose into a faint red mist, drifting towards the other side like a ghost, barely avoiding an attack from the ancient sword.

  It's strange to say, but as soon as the young man left Jing Yun's hands, the burning pain all over his body disappeared without a trace, and he immediately came back to his senses. However, he was pushed away by Jing Yun with great force, and before he knew it, he fell to the ground, dazed and confused. Having been through hardships since childhood, his body was tough and resilient, and being clever, he gritted his teeth, endured the intense pain, and quietly got up, intending to find an opportunity to slip away and leave this place of trouble behind.

  Not far away, he only saw a vast expanse of dark energy, with flashes of fiery red moving about, clearly Cloud Dance and Jing Yun were engaged in a fierce battle. Jing Yun's cultivation method relied mainly on transformation and movement, so she was still able to avoid showing signs of defeat, but she didn't dare to directly confront the ancient sword Tian Quan, so her defeat was only a matter of time.

  Yunwu Hua seemed to have lost patience with her and suddenly broke away from the battle circle, a sword slashing down at the young man's waist from afar! Although the sword edge was tens of meters away, the rolling waves of the Underworld River were enough to cut the young man in two thousands of times without any magical or Taoist protection.

  The scenery changed suddenly, and with a flick of her wrist, a jade bangle shot out like lightning, blocking the torrent of the River of Forgetfulness in front of the young man. As soon as the jade bangle came into contact with the river's waves, a brilliant green light burst forth, forming a barrier that held back the surging waters of the underworld, like a copper wall and iron fortress. However, when the waves dissipated, the jade bangle was already covered in cracks, its luster lost, clearly destroyed.

  Jing Yun was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the ancient sword Tian Quan, which seemed to have flown in from outside the sky. She only had time to curse: "You little scoundrel, you're so poisonous!" before she was unable to dodge.

  For the time being, Jingyu had no other way out, and could only resort to a hard block. With a clear shout, two emerald cuffs flew off her wrists, transforming into wheels of different sizes that met the ancient sword Tianquan head-on. Two flashes of green light vanished in an instant, and Jingyu's last two emerald cuffs were reduced to dust, but Tianquan's momentum was slowed down by this block, allowing Jingyu to narrowly avoid disaster.

  Yunwu Hua clearly did not want to give up, and with another swing of his sword, this time Jingyun was completely unable to counterattack. In a short period of time, Jingyun encountered danger several times.

  At this time, the young man had just calmed down from his fright and saw that the two were still fighting relentlessly. He immediately took off running. He sprinted forward for over a hundred steps, when suddenly he saw more than ten people appearing in front of him from who-knows-when. These people included both men and women, each carrying different weapons, and judging by their clothing colors, they apparently belonged to three different factions.

  At this time a long-whiskered scholar looked at the young man and frowned: "Could it be him?"

  A middle-aged woman beside him said in a low voice, "Brother, look at Jing Yun and Yun Wu Hua fighting so fiercely, it must be that young man, their eyesight is not bad!"

  The long-bearded scholar nodded and said: "This is reasonable, let's take him back to the mountain first."

  At this time, an old man with a green long gown beside him stroked his beard and said: "Li Tianjun's words are wrong. Although the Seven Saints Mountain is famous, if you want to take people away like this, it's not quite right."

  The long-whiskered scholar turned his head and said: "Luo Daojun, this time our mountain's goal is to obtain it at all costs. Is the Yunxia Cave Mansion preparing to block us?"

  The old man smiled and said, "It's just the Cloud and Mist Cave Mansion, of course, it can't stop Tianjun's good things. But since this kid is so important, I have no choice but to break the rules of the Taoist sect and join forces with Xuanxiang Valley."

  The long-bearded scholar's face changed, and he turned his head to look at another group of people. Xuanxiang Valley was mostly composed of women, the incense was not strong, and its power was far inferior to that of Qishan Mountain, but the Xuanxiang Valley's Taoist techniques were unpredictable and difficult to deal with. If combined with a sneak attack, it would be most suitable.

  The three factions arrived simultaneously, each with their own hidden agenda. Now that the truth has been revealed, they all drew their weapons and a tense atmosphere filled the air. Amidst the silence, a purple aura suddenly appeared, but it was unclear who made the first move. People from the three factions flew into the air, and in an instant, rays of light shot out wildly, with magical artifacts clashing everywhere, creating a spectacular display. Everyone knew that time was of the essence, and any delay would lead to more opponents arriving, so they all adopted a swift and decisive approach, unleashing their most powerful killing moves as soon as they struck.

  That young man stood still in the middle, on one side was Yunwu Hua and Jingyun fighting to the death, on the other side were three factions fighting in a chaotic group, the flying treasures and thunderbolts had great power, striking the ground and making stones fly everywhere, how could he dare to escape from under the battlefield?

  At this moment, Jing Yun was already at a disadvantage. She had originally been inferior to Yun Wu Hua in terms of her Taoist skills, and now that the three jade bracelets had been destroyed by her opponent's cunning plan, she no longer had anything to slightly hinder Gu Jian Tian Quan. If she didn't escape soon, it would only take another moment for her to be killed. In her desperation, she opened her mouth and shouted: "You may kill me, but you won't have the power to deal with the Seven Saints Mountain, Cloud Mist Cave Mansion, and Mysterious Fragrance Valley's three factions! Why not join forces and snatch the person first?"

  Her sword dance didn't slow down at all, she calmly said: "Since you called me a worthless person three times, I'll carve three swords on your face first."

  Under Jing Yu's helpless circumstances, he could only secretly press his hand seal, and a red light flashed, already flashing out of 100 zhang.

  Yunwu Hua looked back and saw that although the three factions were fighting fiercely, they had already stopped in this direction, and their movements had also slowed down. There were several formidable characters among the three factions, especially Li Zhaoyao, the Tianjun of Qishan Mountain, whose cultivation had reached a state of calmness and tranquility, making him difficult to deal with. Although the three factions were now fighting fiercely, once Yunwu Hua took action to capture someone, they would likely join forces to deal with her first before turning on each other again.

  She hesitated for a moment, already knowing the situation today. With her alone and swordless, it would be difficult to take this young man away. Without further hesitation, she held the Tianquan ancient sword vertically between her eyebrows, gently stroking the sword body with her left hand's five fingers, and reciting an incantation. In a moment, the Cloud Dance and Huasong curse were finished, and suddenly a clear shout was heard. One sword stirred up the surging tide of the heavenly river outside the sky, spanning hundreds of feet of empty space, and surged towards that young man!

  "Absolutely not!"

  "Save him quickly!"

  The voices of the three factions rose and fell in shock, never expecting Yun Wu Hua to be so ruthless as to attack this young man. However, among the people of the three factions, there were naturally those with exceptional abilities. Before the cries had even fallen, several people with high moral character had already flown up, swift as lightning, blocking the way before the young man, with Li Zhaoyao, the Heavenly Lord of Qī Shèng Mountain, at the forefront. Those who couldn't keep up also each took out their magical instruments, attempting to use their meager strength to block Yun Wu Hua's extremely fierce sword momentum.

  However, they never expected that Yun Wu Hua had just launched such a powerful sword, and yet still had the strength to spare. One sword after another, he changed his target, not towards the young man, but towards the three factions, cutting them off at the waist!

  The vast and majestic dark waves surged out again, sweeping across the sky and earth, rushing towards the three factions. Everyone's faces changed at once, seeing the power of the waves, knowing it was difficult to resist. To know that those with high moral integrity had flown to rescue the young man, while others who were slightly inferior had also taken out their magic treasures, how could they still have the strength to protect themselves? Seeing this sword breaking through the air, everyone could only concentrate their minds and spirits, sacrificing a large amount of their cultivation, using their hard-earned true yuan to protect their bodies, barely blocking the sword.

  At this moment, Li Tianjun had flown above the young man, borrowing the power of everyone. With a wave of his hand, he unfolded the Seven Treasures Cloud Parasol in mid-air, and a colorful rainbow light poured out continuously, instantly forming a light wall that stood before the young man, barely blocking the surging tide of the Dark River from reaching him, saving the young man's life. However, he did not expect Yun Wu Hua to have enough strength to launch a second sword attack. Startled and enraged, Li Tianjun hastily retracted his parasol and flew away to rescue his fellow disciples. He knew that turning back now would be too late, and everyone might not escape the disaster of being severely injured. Now, he could only hope that his fellow disciples could withstand Yun Wu Hua's sword aura for a moment with their own cultivation, giving him time to rush back and save them. Unfortunately, the two weakest fellow disciples were likely to suffer severe injuries and damage to their foundation. Fortunately, they had managed to save the young man from becoming a soul under Yun Wu Hua's sword, which was a small victory.

  The world is unpredictable, and it's hard to get what one wants. Just as Li Tianjun was flying back to rescue his fellow disciples, Yun Wuhua drew the ancient sword Tianquan once more and struck out with a third blow!

  The Tianquan ancient sword was as black as ink at this moment, and when it swung out, another wave surged out, rushing like thunder, and went straight to the young man!

  Li Tianjun's face changed color as he heard the sound of thunder, and he was shocked beyond recognition. He could no longer maintain his usual calm and composed demeanor. To be honest, he had already used up a lot of energy to block the first sword, and that was with the help of everyone else. That Cloud Dance Huo still had the strength to launch a second sword was shocking, but somehow acceptable. But how could Cloud Dance Huo possibly have the strength to launch a third sword?!

  Her cultivation is truly vast and profound, like a boundless sea of smoke, unfathomably deep.

  Hiding in the distance, Jing Yun witnessed the battle scene, her face pale and bloodless. Only then did she realize that the two of them had not used their full strength earlier, probably because they were considering the various factions secretly spying on them. Otherwise, there would be no chance for her to watch from the sidelines, fearing that she would have been killed long ago, her soul scattered.

  Yunwu Hua launched three swords in a row, and the people of the three factions were all exhausted, only able to defend themselves, without any strength to fight back. They were in a mess, unable to take care of themselves, let alone have the energy to pay attention to that young man? It seemed that he was about to be dissolved into nothingness by the waters of the underworld, his soul and spirit destroyed, forever trapped and unable to escape.

  At this critical moment, a sigh suddenly came from the air, and a voice like Hong Zhong sounded: "Good, good, Cloud Fairy is young, but the killing intent is so strong. I'm afraid there are not many grievances under the ancient sword Tianquan?"

  As soon as the voice rose, several Sanskrit mantras floated up on the young man's body, and a layer of golden light suddenly appeared, shining like crystal, wrapping his body tightly. As soon as the golden light rose, the waves of the underworld river rushed over, colliding with the golden light. Suddenly, the several Sanskrit mantras burst into radiance, and the momentum was like the thunderous waves of the underworld river, which instantly subsided. It was like the ebbing tide of the sea water. Afterwards, it disappeared without a trace. And those Sanskrit mantras also lost their luster, fading away in an instant, leaving no trace behind. Yunwu Hua's shocking blow was ultimately blocked.

  In an instant, the young man's life and death turned upside down several times! What he relied on, was it good fortune or disaster?

  Another strike missed, Yunwu Hua still maintained his usual calm and cold expression, standing with his sword in hand. The ancient sword Tianquan pointed towards the sky at an angle, and he said coldly: "What a great sorrowful mantra, is it Master Huishan of Nanshan Temple who has come?"

  The words of Yunwu Hua were like a thunderclap on a clear day, shocking the people of the three factions into staring at each other in astonishment. It is known that the Nanshan Temple has been passed down for over a thousand years, and the temple's great virtues and high monks, as well as the wonderful Dharma masters, are endless. If one were to discuss its influence, it is second only to the three orthodox factions of Daoism, Zhongjing, Yunzhongju, and Qingyu Palace. Moreover, Master Huaihai is one of the most accomplished monks in Nanshan Temple, with profound meditation skills and a reputation that has lasted for over a hundred years. However, the high monks of Nanshan Temple rarely leave the temple, so it was natural that Master Huaihai had come to this desolate and barbarous land at this time, also for the sake of this young man.

  Another loud shout came from the air, sounding like a lion's roar and thunder: "How dare you, you wicked woman! Is my master's dharma name also something you can call out casually?"

  Yunwu Hualang let out a cold laugh, and with a fixed gaze, saw three figures floating down from the spot where golden light was flickering in mid-air. In the center stood an old monk, wearing a large red embroidered cassock, with a string of South Sea incense beads hanging around his neck, holding a nine-ring purple gold demon-subduing staff, with white eyebrows and kind eyes, and a faint aura of Buddha's light, truly it was Huihai from Nanshan. On either side stood a middle-aged monk, seemingly his disciples. The one who had spoken to rebuke him was the tall monk standing on his left.

  Yun Wu Hua Dan said, "Master Hui Hai didn't travel far and wide just to enlighten this demonic woman, did he? I'm afraid the Master also came for the sake of this young man. Since you're both here to fight over him, what qualifications does a virtuous monk like you have to criticize me for injuring someone with my sword?"

  Huè Hǎi furrowed his brow and remained silent, but couldn't help thinking of Buddha. The tall and sturdy disciple beside him couldn't bear it any longer, took a step forward, glared with anger and shouted: "You wicked woman, how dare you speak nonsense here! My master has always been kind and compassionate, how could he just sit back and watch this ignorant young man fall into your evil clutches?! If you dare to utter another slanderous word, don't blame me for being ruthless with my precious staff!"

  Yunwu Hua gazed intently at the monk for a long time. With her extraordinary appearance and wielding the Xuanming sword, she was completely focused on him. The monk felt uneasy under her gaze, his heart racing with blood surging to his head, his thoughts swirling: "Why is she looking at me like this? Could it be that..."

  After a moment of silence, Yunwu Hua suddenly smiled and her cherry lips parted slightly. Her face, which had been as cold as ice, suddenly lit up like the snow melting with the return of spring. The monk's heart was stirred and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Then, she spoke to the monk in a soft voice: "Master, since your staff is emotionless, then please grant me a lesson on how to do it? Although Yunwu Hua has been through many battles and is exhausted, if I cannot cut off your head with ten swords, I am willing to commit seppuku to apologize. What do you think?"

  The monk's face turned red with rage, his anger growing deeper. However, he didn't dare to confront Yun Wu Hua alone. He had just witnessed the power of Yun Wu Hua's ancient sword and knew that he wouldn't last ten moves, let alone three. As a disciple of a renowned school, he had some self-awareness. The problem was that he had spoken harsh words earlier, and since South Mountain Temple was a prestigious orthodox sect, they couldn't afford to lose face. Therefore, the monk, although seething with rage, didn't dare respond. He feared that if he sought to gain an advantage through verbal sparring, it would lead to a disastrous outcome of bloodshed on the barren plain.

  Just as he was in a difficult situation, extremely embarrassed, another cold laugh came from the air: "The Eastern Capital Luoyang has suddenly dropped the Purple Fire Heavenly Thunder. The world is so big that it can measure yin and yang and know the heavenly machine. Can't there be only a few demon sects? If we don't come, won't you guys take advantage of us, letting you demons run wild here?"

  As they spoke, a auspicious cloud descended from the sky, with vague shadows of at least dozens of people, belonging to various factions of the Orthodox Way.

  Li Zhiyao's face changed, and he said in a low voice: "Today's matter cannot be done, let's go." He waved his hand, and led the people of Qishan to slowly retreat. As soon as they left, the other two factions also wouldn't stay, and they dispersed in all directions. Jing Yun and others were so cautious that they had already quietly left early. At this moment, only Yun Wuhua was left alone with his sword, remaining on the scene.

  Yunwu Huayuan glanced around, seeing that the Orthodox people were staring at her with a fierce gaze, but they all had a guarded expression, apparently also on guard against each other. She coldly laughed and sheathed her sword, turning to leave.

  At this moment, a plainly dressed middle-aged woman shouted: "You demoness, stop right there! You've harmed the innocent and caused the deaths of several people, do you think you can just walk away like that?"

  Yunwu Hua seemed to have not heard, her figure floating as she flew up and slowly left, completely ignoring the provocation of the woman in white. The woman in white was so angry that her face turned iron-green, but it could be seen that the people around her were all motionless, and she herself did not dare to chase after her alone. Gnashing her teeth for half a day, what else could she do but secretly nurse her grievances in her heart?

  "Gentlemen, today is a grand festive day for our sect, it's not suitable to see bloody scenes. Yunwu Hua may be arrogant, but she still knows when to advance and retreat. I kindly request that you all consider the face of our sect and spare her for today, what do you friends think?" The voice was thick and pleasant to listen to, like a cloud rising from the vast expanse of the sky, with a gentle breeze blowing across the land.

  At this time, purple clouds fell and the seven lights intersected, the scene was mysterious and difficult to describe. Among them, more than a dozen people slowly descended, each surrounded by clear wind, with dan energy shining brightly. In the center stood a true person, wearing a Taoist robe embroidered with the rising sun of the East Sea, with an ancient bronze sword on his back, his face radiant with precious light, his long hair fluttering in the wind, exuding an otherworldly aura, recognizable at a glance.

  Everyone's face changed slightly, whispering to each other and discussing it in a flurry.

  Hui Hai bowed his head and chanted a Buddhist mantra, raising his two long eyebrows. He said slowly: "It's actually Dao De Zong's Zi Yang True Person, I'm so sorry for the disrespect. Ah, Yu Xuan True Person and Tai Wei True Person have also arrived, it's truly a rare sight. With the arrival of the three True Persons' divine chariots, even this desolate and barbarous land has become a sacred mountain and precious realm."

  Ziyang Zhenren clasped his hands together in greeting and said with a smile, "Master Huishan is overpraising me. My Daoist learning is still shallow and I am not worthy of the title 'True Person'."

  At that time, the Taoist sect was the leader of the orthodox way in the world. In the Western Mystic Mountain, the Supreme Palace of Tao and Virtue was built, with a history of over 3,000 years. The Taoist sect has three main caves, nine branches, sixty sub-branches, and is known as the Three Million Taoists, its influence spreading throughout the world. The Purple Microcosm True Man, in charge of teaching, had been cultivating for thirty years without leaving the Supreme Palace of Tao and Virtue a single step. According to legend, if the Purple Microcosm True Man cultivates for another hundred years, he will be able to ascend to heaven with hope, or at least attain the fruit of liberation from the corpse, and is already the number one person in the orthodox way of the world.

  This time, the three who came were Ziyang True Person, Yuxu True Person, and Taimei True Person. They are all top-notch figures in the Daoist moral sect, and it's extremely difficult to meet them even once under normal circumstances. Today, the three true persons arrived together, which is a rare sight to behold. Moreover, the more than ten disciples they brought with them on this trip are all extraordinary talents, each capable of holding their own against others. It's clear that they came prepared, unlike other sects who hastily sent only a few people who were closest at hand.

  At this moment, the Dao De Zong has made a big move, taking the initiative to occupy the field and control the situation. The three true men appeared simultaneously in this barbaric land, their intentions are already clear.

  Huě Hǎi asked: "Zǐ Yáng Zhēn Rén just said that today is a grand festive day for your esteemed sect, but I don't know where the joy comes from?"

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren looked around and smiled, "The first piece of good news is that our sect's leader, Zi Wei Zhen Ren, has already left the mountain at Chen time yesterday."

  The crowd erupted in a loud murmur and began discussing again. Even Master Huihai's eyes widened, his long eyebrows moving involuntarily without any wind.

  The Zǐ Wēi True Person has been in seclusion for thirty years, and this time he has emerged from his retreat, which is a major event that has shaken all the realms. As early as when the True Person was in seclusion, there were rumors that the Zǐ Wēi True Person's cultivation this time was for the purpose of achieving ascension to heaven during the day. Now that he has emerged from his retreat, it is likely that he has already achieved something and can ascend to heaven at any moment. In the history of cultivation in all realms, the most recent person who achieved the fruit of ascension was the Qīng Yún Palace's Qīng Líng True Person. The Qīng Líng True Person had entered the Qīng Yún Palace for cultivation since he was young and was known to be intelligent and wise from a young age, with a great memory that allowed him to remember all the ancient scriptures and classics after just one glance. He also had great willpower, able to endure suffering that ordinary people could not bear; and he had great determination, vowing to save all sentient beings in the world. Later, the Qīng Líng True Person's cultivation deepened day by day, accumulating countless merits, until he finally received guidance from a immortal and was given the supreme secret formula. After thirty years of bitter cultivation, he achieved ascension and left. After the Qīng Líng True Person's ascension, he left behind the "Shàng Huáng Jīn Lù" in four volumes, as well as several magical tools and artifacts that he had used during his lifetime. At this time, even the jade pendant that the Qīng Líng True Person wore on his body had been imbued with the spiritual energy of the immortals for a long time and possessed spiritual awareness, not to mention the immortal sword and magical tools that the Qīng Líng True Person had refined with his heart and soul.

  Qingxu Palace was originally a small and weak temple, but after the ascension of Qingling Zhenren, many people admired him and sought the Tao, which became an unbroken stream, thus forming a major sect of the Orthodox Way.

  Then the Blue Spirit True Person ascended in flight, which was already a matter of a thousand years ago.

  Even if the moral integrity of Zǐwēi Zhēnrén is not enough, and his merits are not fully rounded, he can still achieve the result of becoming an immortal through liberation from the corpse. Although this level of cultivation is somewhat inferior, it is also considered to be a successful cultivation, and can be ranked among the ranks of scattered immortals, which is also an unprecedented prosperity in the three hundred years of cultivating the various realms. At this time, the Dao De Zong, regardless of its geographical advantages or talented individuals, or its collection of magical artifacts, are all at the forefront of the current era. If Zǐwēi Zhēnrén successfully cultivates to achieve his true goal, the Dao De Zong will inevitably rise to a higher level, and within a hundred years, it is likely to be firmly established as the leader of the Orthodox Way.

  Hui Hai shouted out a Buddha's name and said to Zi Yang Zhen Ren, "Zi Wei Zhen Ren has come out of his retreat, this is a major event for our righteous path. From now on, the leader of the Dao De sect will be the rightful leader of the righteous path, and evil spirits in the world will no longer be able to cause chaos. After I return, I will report back to Fang Zhang and choose a day to once again ascend Xi Xuan Mountain to congratulate Zi Wei Zhen Ren on his complete accomplishment."

  At this moment, everyone came back to their senses and congratulated Ziyang Zhenren one after another. They were not dull, foolish or rude, but they had been worried about the young man's return, and seeing Daode Zong lead a large army to come, the momentum was really too strong, fearing that they would end up with nothing after all their efforts, so they didn't think of getting any courtesy earlier.

  Ziyang True Person bowed in all directions, happily accepting the congratulations from everyone. Then he said: "The emergence of Ziwu True Person at this time is not just a joy for our Daoist sect, but a joy for the Orthodox Way. From now on, all evil will be subdued and the world will be clear and bright, which can be expected to happen soon. Therefore, I, as the leader of the sect, accept your congratulations on behalf of Zhuangzhu True Person first. But this is not the only joy." Ziyang True Person suddenly stopped speaking.

  Everyone immediately held their breath, knowing that Ziyang True Person was about to get to the crucial point.

  Ziyang Zhenren paused for a moment, then smiled and said: "After Ziwei Zhenren left the mountain, he told us that since his day of completing his cultivation was not far away, he had already chosen a successor to inherit his mantle."

  But when they heard this, everyone's face was stunned, and no one showed joy.

  Here is the translation:

  It's said that Zǐwēi True Man accepting a disciple is a grand event. Considering that Zǐwēi True Man has lived over 100 years, cultivated Tao for 90 years, and held the position of sect leader for 40 years, he had never accepted a single disciple before. Especially since he would often go into seclusion for 30 years at a time, his disciples in the pulse would have to be guided by other sect leaders. As a result, although the other eight pulses of the Taoist sect were thriving and producing talented individuals, this particular pulse was becoming increasingly weak. Therefore, when Zǐwēi True Man emerged from seclusion and began accepting disciples, it was naturally a major event. Whoever could receive personal instruction in Taoist methods and secrets from Zǐwēi True Man would be blessed with good fortune that might take several lifetimes to accumulate.

  Suddenly, a woman's shrill voice rang out from among the crowd: "The true person chosen by Zǐ Wēi to pass on his legacy wouldn't happen to be this young man, would it?"

  This question was indeed impolite, but Zi Yang Zhen Ren's cultivation was profound and his tolerance surpassed that of ordinary people; he didn't mind in the least and still replied with a smile:

  "It's this person."

  At this point, everyone on the right path was in an uproar and public sentiment was indignant. However, since the three true immortals of the Daoist sect were present, people's private discussions were many but their public accusations were few, and the clamor gradually subsided.

  Although everyone was deterred by the prestige of the Dao De Sect and didn't dare to ask directly, an old man still stepped forward from the crowd, stroking his beard and saying: "The leader of the Dao De Sect is upright and just, and I have long admired your great names, fellow true immortals. The merits of the Purple Microcosm True Person are complete, and he is a model for our generation. We are all fellow travelers on the same path, gathered in this barbarous land, even evil demons and external sects have assembled here, so what's the point of beating around the bush? Let's speak plainly, it's all because of this unusual young man. In any case, there is always a first and a last, if the Purple Yang True Person came to take this young man away as soon as he arrived, humph, although the Dao De Sect has a great reputation and the Purple Microcosm True Person has deep virtues, I'm afraid it's not quite right!"

  Ziyang Zhenren indeed has a high and profound moral character, his temperament and self-cultivation are not comparable to ordinary people. Even if this remark is close to direct accusations of relying on power to bully others, it cannot provoke him in the slightest. On the other hand, Yuxu Zhenren spoke up and said: "Fellow Daoist friends, this is an unfulfilled wish of our sect's leader before his ascension, we are in a difficult situation, I hope fellow Daoist friends can be more understanding."

  As soon as this was said, the crowd gradually became agitated. Another sturdy man spoke in a loud voice: "Consideration? Your noble family has its own difficulties, don't we have our own difficulties too? Why doesn't your noble family consider our difficulties and hand over this young man? You've made things sound too simple!"

  Yu Xujing said calmly, "This young man is the designated disciple of Zi Wei Zhenren. What his background and origin are, we do not know in general. We just follow the oral instructions of Zhu Jiao Zhenren to handle matters."

  "Great Han was furious and said: 'You pushed it clean!'"

  Yu Xujing said: "We have come under orders, and we must not betray the trust placed in us. If you gentlemen insist on detaining us, I'm afraid there will be some small trouble."

  Everyone heard the implication of Yu Xujian's words and stopped arguing, each secretly grasping their weapons and preparing their spells. The situation was on the verge of erupting. Although the Orthodox Sect outnumbered the Dao De Sect several times over, apart from Hui Hai who could fight against three True Persons, no one else was a match for the three True Persons. Once the battle started, they would likely suffer more losses than gains.

  A clear and melodious sound, Yu Xujian had already grasped his treasured sword in hand!

  Everyone was shocked, and they all concentrated their spirits and gathered their energy. For a time, precious light shot up to the sky, and immortal clouds swirled around, making quite a lively scene. Only Master Huihai lowered his head and recited Buddha's name.

  Yu Xujian smiled calmly, the seven-colored light in his hand flashed once, and the treasure sword suddenly returned to its scabbard. He then stood upright on the spot, without a hint of killing intent. The Orthodox cultivators were greatly shocked and momentarily froze in place.

  Everyone knows in their heart, just this one round, they have actually suffered a great defeat at the hands of Yu Xuxu Zhenren.

  Ziyang Zhenren suddenly smiled and said, "Although the Dao De Sect is prosperous, it has never used its power to oppress others. How about this: each of our sects will ask this young man a question, and whichever sect he chooses to follow will be his master. As the saying goes, 'The world belongs to those who possess virtue.' My Dao De Sect will ask last."

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, but this unexpected good fortune was something that no one would refuse, and so they all agreed without dissent.

  That young man was still standing in a daze, unaware of what was happening. He only saw that the many gods flying in the sky suddenly descended, with over ten of them stopping above his head about thirty feet away, each one asking him something. However, he could only see the gods opening their mouths but couldn't hear anything they were saying, and thus had a bewildered expression, unsure of how to respond. The gods left one by one in disappointment, and he became increasingly anxious, until finally, when the last god, dressed as a Taoist priest, opened his mouth, he suddenly felt enlightened, his mind clear, and heard a calm and thick voice.

  "Are you willing to follow me and cultivate the Taoist sect, practice the method of refining the Golden Elixir of Great Void, aspire to the splendor of the sun, and pick up the pearls of the moon to attain the Great Way?"

  The young man was tongue-tied, and he didn't know what "Mengua Tai Xū" or "Ri Hua Yue Zhu" meant. In his anxiety, he feared that if he answered incorrectly, the immortal would leave again, causing him to miss another opportunity for good fortune and escape from suffering. Just as he was getting anxious and sweating profusely, not knowing what to do, a soft voice suddenly entered his ears: "The true man wants to take you on as a disciple, teaching you the secrets of immortality and eternal wealth, are you willing?"

  Although he was young, he had been a guest for several years and had cheated many fat sheep. How could he not know how to deal with it? He immediately knelt down on both legs, knocked his head repeatedly, and shouted with all his might: "I'm willing! I'm willing! Please grant me the favor of the immortal!"

  Such an ending, of course, made the disciples of Dao De Zong reveal a joyful expression, while the orthodox Daoists were extremely disappointed. Fortunately, the gambler admitted defeat, and no one had anything to say. It was just that the reaction of the young man earlier was very strange. If it was said that the three old Daoists did not do anything behind the scenes, no one would believe it. However, the three true men of Dao De Zong, under the bright sun and in full view of everyone, actually dared to make a move, with methods that were so mysterious and unpredictable that they left no trace or clue. Even among the orthodox Daoists, someone as wise as Master Hui Hai could not tell what was going on, which shows how profound the cultivation of the three true men is!

  Although everyone was gnashing their teeth with hatred, since the Three True Men had shown their hand, even if they were to tear their faces apart and fight, it would only end in a bloody mess. With no other choice, everyone could only leave with hatred in their hearts, hating the Dao De Sect to the bone. Although they knew that cursing wouldn't kill anyone, the crowd still couldn't help but continue to do this useless deed, constantly scolding and swearing at the old cow nose of the Three True Men.

  There is no need to say more since there are even more brilliant insults in between.

  Ziyang Zhenren waited until the crowd had gone far away, then ordered a disciple to carry the young man on his back, drive the auspicious cloud of treasure light, and fly towards Xuanwu Mountain in the west.

  This time, the various orthodox and evil sects gathered in this desolate and barbarous land outside the pass, although there were not many people present, but they were all people with great backgrounds, and the gates and caves behind them could not be underestimated. This time, there are many accumulated grievances, and it is not necessarily impossible to avoid future troubles.

  In an instant, this desolate and barbarous land beyond the pass was deserted. Between heaven and earth, only a solitary flagpole remained, on which the guest-attracting flag of the Dragon Gate Inn still fluttered in the strong wind.