According to legend, the world was originally dark. After 48,000 years, there was a giant god Pangu who opened up heaven and earth and transformed mountains and rivers; another 48,000 years passed before Nüwa created humans.

  Legend has it that the first ray of light in the universe was born in the darkest place.

  Zhang Xiaofan only felt that his whole body was very cold, the chill had penetrated to the bone marrow, a kind of coldness that seemed not only to be physical, but also to have chilled his heart, as if he were about to die.

  But he didnt feel afraid, nor did he have any fear, only an unprecedented fatigue, as if he didnt even have the energy to open his eyes. It was very strange that when his body was extremely weak and tired, his mind gradually became clear.

  It seemed that something was enveloping him, gentle and careful, yet cold as ice, slowly sucking the heat from his body, while bringing a strange sense of comfort, making one want to fall asleep in such comfort.

  If not, in his right hand, there was a familiar and icy breath, like a guardian rising to protect its master; if not, he suddenly felt that in his left hand, he still held an icy and soft hand.

  He struggled to open his eyes bit by bit in his drowsiness!

  That is a beam of light in eternal darkness!

  In the endless and boundless darkness, a faint light quietly appeared in front of Zhang Xiaofan. It was a kind of faint, white-colored soft glow that floated uncertainly in the darkness, entwining Zhang Xiaofan like the most gentle woman, embracing her beloved with such tenderness.

  It was like a wisp of smoke, carrying some ethereal and elusive quality, in mid-air, beside Zhang Xiaofans body, gradually materializing into a beautiful yet melancholic face, leaning towards the young mans lips, kissing him!

  Between those lips, there is a faint fragrance, a thread of confusion, and some, however, are left with only coldness!

  A chill that pierces the heart!

  The firework suddenly rose, and the dark green light blocked Zhang Xiaofans body. The beautiful face of the white light that was like a wisp of smoke seemed to be intimidated by this, and involuntarily retreated backwards. Zhang Xiaofans body shook, and he quickly got up, immediately realizing what had happened, and let out a startled cry: "Yinling!"

  It has been passed down from ancient times that in human life, only the soul is indestructible. When ones lifespan comes to an end, the soul leaves the body and transmigrates into a new life, reincarnating endlessly. However, there are vengeful spirits in this world who, due to the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, or due to fear, hatred, and terror, cling to the mundane world, reluctant to move on to the next life, these are known as "yin spirits".

  Its only natural that the yin spirit is a creature of yin energy, so it would naturally like to dwell in damp and gloomy places. This dead spirit spring is dark and humid, so its not surprising that there are such ghostly creatures here. But Zhang Xiaofan had never seen such things before. When he was young, he heard the adults in Caomiao Village say that there were ghosts in this world. Later, on Dazhu Peak, he heard his fellow disciples mention that they were called yin spirits, and he felt a little fearful in his heart. Now, suddenly seeing one, he really felt a chill from head to toe.

  His cry only echoed far away in the darkness, and his voice seemed light and airy in the surrounding blackness. After a long time, there was a faint echo that came back. Also with this cry, as if he had startled something, in the darkness around him, it lit up silently again.

  Zhang Xiaofan only felt his heart skip a beat, and then it was as if the heart in his chest had stopped beating. He held his breath and stared at a beam of pale white light that was almost identical to the dark spirit from earlier, shining in the darkness ahead.

  Then, the left side lit up, the right side lit up, the front side lit up, the back side lit up, and even when he looked up, the top of his head also lit up, flashing out that faint white light.

  It was as if there were countless dark spirits, seemingly awakened from a long slumber, sensing the warmth of human flesh for the first time in hundreds of years, gathering here.

  Those wisps of white light, drifting aimlessly, transformed into countless faces, either male or female, old or young, beautiful or ugly. Yet at this moment, in Zhang Xiaofans eyes, there was only one feeling: icy coldness.

  The thought of these countless dark spirits rushing up and surrounding him made his scalp numb. Fortunately, after the initial shock, he suddenly realized that these dark spirits seemed to be afraid of the burning firewood in front of him, not daring to approach the mysterious blue light emanating from it. But before Zhang Xiaofan could breathe a sigh of relief, those floating dark spirits seemed to have discovered something and flew towards his left side.

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment, and then his face fell. The soft hand that his left hand had been holding onto had gradually cooled down. He quickly pulled it with force, and a splash of water sounded as he pulled 6 Xue Qi to his side. Relying on the dim lights around them, Zhang Xiaofan only saw that 6 Xue Qis face was pale, her eyes tightly closed, but after checking her breathing, it seemed normal. After roughly examining her, it appeared that she hadnt suffered any external injuries, and he finally felt at ease. He looked around, carefully observing their surroundings.

  He and Xue Qi, who was still unconscious, were now somehow by a body of water. In the darkness, he couldnt see the size of the waters surface, nor did he know if it was a small pool, a large lake, or the legendary vast underground sea. Zhang Xiao Fan didnt know why he suddenly had this thought, but as he floated in the water, he felt that the surface wasnt still - wave after wave of tidal waves rose up, like gentle hands caressing his body.

  But this water is really icy cold!

  Zhang Xiaofan struggled to get up, if he stayed there any longer, even if the yin spirits didnt harm them, he feared that the two of them would freeze to death in the water first. As soon as he stood up straight, he felt a wave of dizziness and his body couldnt help but sway slightly.

  When he was on the platform, his back was hit by Lao Da and Ye Gou Dao Ren, Liu Hong simultaneously, and his injuries were not light. At the same time, the dark green glow of the Huo Yan Gun seemed to be sensed, and it also dimmed slightly. Almost at the same moment, the countless yin spirits eerie glows around him lit up simultaneously, and on those faces that transformed into humans, infinite longing was revealed.

  Zhang Xiaofan was shocked, and he quickly calmed down, the light from the fire rekindled, stunning those dark spirits. Zhang Xiaofan struggled to pull Xueqi towards the shore, this short distance felt endlessly long to him.

  At last they arrived on solid ground, and Zhang Xiaofan sat down with a thud, panting heavily.

  Surrounding, countless dark spirits are drifting and wandering outside the circle of blue-green light of the burning incense.

  Zhang Xiaofan stared blankly at the drifting will-o-the-wisps, recalling the last memory in his mind before he fell unconscious. He remembered Xue Qi flying over to him, grabbing his hand, and the endless dark abyss beneath them as they plummeted down. He even vaguely recalled a familiar Buddhist mantra echoing on that platform just before he lost consciousness.

  That should be Master Fa Xiang and his three companions arriving.

  Zhang Xiaofan thought to himself, with the help of the four of them, plus Qi Huan and Zeng Fa, nothing should go wrong. If Master Qi is fine, then Linger Shijie shouldnt be too heartbroken either, right?

  But then, Zhang Xiaofan almost simultaneously asked himself a question: If I die, will Linger Shizi be sad? Maybe shell also feel some sorrow, after all these years of being together day and night, he deeply knew that this beautiful and strong sister actually had a gentle and weak side in her heart.

  If she heard that Zhang Xiaofan, her junior brother since childhood, had unfortunately died, would she not shed some tears? Would she not be heartbroken? Would she not build a tomb for him on the top of Dazhu Peak when his body could not be found?

  How many times will she come to his grave in the future years?

  If thats the case, Im afraid Ill become like the lingering spirits around here, yearning for her, unwilling to move on, and quietly waiting for the shadow of memories in front of the tomb.

  The youth sighed softly and secretly in the silent darkness!

  "Alas."

  She let out a soft cry and slowly came to, opening her eyes.

  For thousands of years, there has been an ancient question passed down: when you wake up from a long sleep, who would be the first person you want to see?

  No one knew if Xue Qi had ever heard this seemingly boring question, but at this moment, what was reflected in her eyes was Zhang Xiaofans concerned gaze in the dim white light.

  That was the only warmth in the darkness!

  Zhang Xiaofans face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed: "Youre awake, Sixth Sister!"

  Xue Qi didnt respond immediately, she seemed to be stunned for a moment, but soon recovered, her face returning from its initial confusion to its usual icy indifference. However, as she looked around, she couldnt help but be moved again.

  "Yinling!" Xue Qi exclaimed, just like Zhang Xiaofan had done earlier.

  Zhang Xiaofan nodded and comforted her, "Yes, but dont be afraid, they seem to be a bit afraid of my fire, so it should be fine for now."

  Xue Qi appeared at this moment, and the countless wandering spirits around her did not pounce on her, but instead hovered around the periphery, seemingly intimidated by Zhang Xiaofans black short rod. After calming down, she couldnt help but ask: "What is this treasure of yours called? How can it be so powerful?"

  Zhang Xiaofans face turned red as he said, "Call... call it... a firework. I also dont know how it became so powerful."

  Xue Qi said: "Burn incense?"

  Zhang Xiaofan looked at the woman in front of him, her skin as white as snow in the dim white light, although somewhat pale but even more beautiful, and involuntarily lowered his head, saying: "Yes, I am usually responsible for cooking on the top of the big bamboo peak, use it to make a fire stick."

  Xue Qi was speechless for a moment, staring blankly at the ugly black short rod in mid-air. After a long while, she said in a low voice: "A fire poker! I have been taught by my master, cultivated with hardship, and possess the Tianyue divine sword, yet I was defeated by a mere fire poker?"

  Zhang Xiaofans heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he felt that Xue Qis face had turned even paler in this instant, almost without any blood color. He couldnt help but say: "Sister, you actually won back then, and I heard that if it wasnt for the fact that your internal energy was depleted too much during our match, you might not have lost to Qi Huan in the final..."

  He spoke softer and softer, until he eventually trailed off into silence, only because Xue Qi quietly raised her head, looking at him coldly, which made him unable to continue speaking. A faint white light shone on the silhouettes of the two people.

  Xue Qi lowered her head again and took a deep breath, saying: "How could we have escaped so luckily?"

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment, and his heart was also quite bewildered. He said, "I dont know." Suddenly, he thought of something and pointed to the waters edge with his hand, saying, "However, when I just woke up, both of us were lying by the waters edge. Could it be that we accidentally fell into the water and didnt die, and then were washed ashore by the tide?"

  Xue Qi looked in the direction he was pointing, and against the faint white light of the yin spirit, she indeed saw water in the distance, and also heard the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Looking at herself, her clothes were dry for the most part, but still a bit wet, clinging to her body and feeling very cold. It didnt take much imagination to realize that if it wasnt for Xiao Fan pulling her ashore, she would have probably frozen to death before even waking up.

  "Thank you." Xue Qi suddenly said in a low voice.

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment, then hastily shook his head and laughed: "Its okay, it doesnt matter..."

  Suddenly, they both froze.

  Between two people, between two hands, until this moment, still tightly clasped together.

  Its as if they were connected by flesh and blood, its as if this has been the case for many years, yet there is no feeling at all, it seems that it should be so, its as if both of them have forgotten!

  Xue Qi slowly withdrew her hand, and Zhang Xiao Fan awkwardly smiled, waving his hand around to the left and right, but didnt know where to put it.

  After a while, Xue Qi spoke up: "Before you fell down, you were heavily attacked by the demonic cultivators. How are you feeling now?"

  Zhang Xiaofan was overjoyed as if he had been granted a great amnesty, and hearing that the icy woman didnt seem to be blaming him, he hastily said, "Its all right, its all right."

  Xue Qi said: "Can you still control your sword?"

  Zhang Xiaofan slightly moved his body and felt a sharp pain inside, like being pricked by needles. He bitterly smiled and shook his head.

  Xue Qi glanced at him and said, "Im not going to make it either. Lets get up and explore our surroundings to see if theres a way out. Otherwise, well be stuck here forever, surrounded by these dark spirits, and eventually theyll suck us dry."

  Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath in and nodded: "Yes."

  Xue Qi stood up, checking her body all over, and there were no major external injuries, but the internal meridians and blood were somewhat disordered, and she felt weak all over. It seemed that it was due to the backlash from the intense battle with Shanhe Fan. But what she was most concerned about, the Tianyue divine sword, had now returned safely to its scabbard on her back.

  She turned her head to look at Zhang Xiaofan again, but saw that he was struggling to get up, his movements still not very agile, obviously still troubled by his injuries, and also knew that earlier he had used a lot of spiritual energy to pull himself out of the water.

  "What level of Taichi Xuanqing Dao have you cultivated to?" Snow Chi suddenly asked Zhang Xiaofan.

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment and didnt speak, but Xue Qi thought he was intentionally not answering, so she turned her head away and said lightly: "You dont have to say anything, but I heard Master say that your cultivation is only at the fourth level. Its all because of that strange treasure being powerful back then, and I didnt believe it at the time. Today, seeing it with my own eyes, if you hadnt cultivated to a high level and had a solid foundation, you would have fallen into the hands of those demonic cultists long ago."

  Zhang Xiaofan scratched his head, momentarily unsure of what to say, because he himself was also somewhat confused about his own cultivation at this moment, so he glossed over it. In fact, Xue Qi didnt know that if only the cultivation of Taiji Xuanqing Dao was considered, Zhang Xiaofans current cultivation was indeed only at the fourth level, which was just enough to use magical artifacts. However, in Zhang Xiaofans body, there was another Buddhist supreme true law, "Mahavairocana", which was actually the key to everything.

  Buddhist cultivation emphasizes the realization of ones true nature, and Zhang Xiaofan has spent five years practicing Mahavairocana. Although his practice is still shallow, he has a solid foundation in his internal meridians, far surpassing that of his younger fellow disciples who have practiced both Buddhist and Taoist arts to an extraordinary degree. It was precisely this that allowed him to withstand the severe blow from the demonic cultivators, with Taiji Xuanqings protection blocking one layer and Mahavairocana blocking another, barely saving his life.

  As the two of them stood up, Zhang Xiaofan recalled the fire poker to his hand, and a mysterious blue-green light spread out, surrounding their silhouettes. Snow Chi hesitated for a moment, then pointed in the opposite direction of the waters edge, and the two of them walked into the endless darkness.

  They walked for a long time, and it was unknown how far they had gone. This direction seemed to have no bounds. After a long while, the two of them were still walking on the empty ground above the abyss of death. Except for the occasional shocking sight, there was not a single sign of life anywhere.

  Some of them just fluttered and wandered around, indulging in the bloody and fleshly taste of the yin spirits, floating up and down silently.

  Zhang Xiaofan and Liu Xueqi both looked increasingly somber as they walked, feeling the dark energy around them surge like a tide. Zhang Xiaofan felt his blood churning with anxiety, and was hit by waves of dizziness. Although he had a solid foundation, his cultivation level was not high, and he had suffered greatly from the blows dealt by Lao Da, Ye Gou Dao Ren, and Liu Huan, which had severely damaged the meridians in his body.

  After a moment, Xue Qi also noticed that Zhang Xiao Fan was not quite right and asked in surprise: "Whats wrong with you?"

  Zhang Xiaofan forced a smile and said, "Im fine, lets go."

  Xue Qi looked at him and said: "Do you want to take a break..."

  She had not even finished saying the word "rest" when Zhang Xiaofan suddenly swayed, his body went limp, and he fell to the ground. The burning incense stick in his hand also dimmed quickly as his body fell.

  Xue Qi was shocked, and hastily supported him. His hand felt icy cold, and she suddenly realized that Zhang Xiao Fan had fainted. In that instant, she, who was known for her calmness among her fellow disciples, also showed a hint of panic.

  She immediately thought of another even more frightening question.

  The fire poker has lost its effect, what can be used to resist the countless dark spirits around?

  Almost at the same time as Xue Qi thought of this question, the countless scattered and pale white ghosts around her seemed to have paused for a moment, and then, in front of them, two living flesh and blood bodies stood there without any defense.

  In the darkness, it seemed as if countless voices were laughing triumphantly and roaring with rage at the same time. Countless dark spirits appeared to have solidified in mid-air for a moment before they charged towards the two helpless people standing in the darkness like greedy beasts.