Kitsune-yama, the main temple of the Oniō-ji school.

  The great wizard has passed away, and it's been three days now. The young dragon had the old man's body cremated and stored in an urn. At this moment, the small blue-and-white porcelain urn is quietly placed on the table beside his hand.

  Qing Long gazed at the small jar for a long time, let out a soft sigh, and shifted his gaze. For the past three days, all the major and minor matters of the Gui Wang Sect had been handled by Qing Long and You Ji. Three days ago, after that unexpected event, both Gui Wang and Gui Li had retreated to their own rooms and hadn't come out since.

  Qing Long still clearly remembers that three days ago, when the heavy stone gate creaked open with a "creak" sound and slowly opened, the two men who walked out from inside were like they had lost their souls, their expressions dazed and sorrowful.

  The King of Ghosts was fine, and said in a low voice: "Within three days, no one is allowed to disturb me!" As soon as he finished speaking, he walked straight back to his bedroom and never came out again.

  As for that ghost, the whole person was disheartened and speechless, not saying a word. As he walked, he actually bumped directly into the hard stone wall, causing his forehead to bleed profusely. And yet, as if he had no awareness at all, he slowly turned around, his feet somewhat stumbling, and walked back to his own room.

  The crowd, stunned by the eerie scene, had already guessed the outcome, but when they looked into the stone gate, the blood flowing all over the ground, and the great witch who sat in the bloody puddle with his head bowed and dead, the scene was so tragic and terrifying that it was shocking.

  Only Bi Yao remained, lying on the ice stone platform, her serene and lifelike face still calm as usual, while the Huanyin Bell in her hand was emitting a faint golden glow.

  The sound of footsteps came from the side, interrupting Qing Long's thoughts. He raised his head and saw that You Ji's figure had floated in like a ghost, standing beside him. However, she didn't look at him directly but instead glanced towards the room behind him and said softly, "Has the Sect Master not come out yet?"

  The blue dragon slowly shook its head and said in a low voice: "It's been three days, and there's no news at all."

  Yuè Jié's face was veiled in a black gauze, her expression subtle and silent.

  Although they didn't witness everything with their own eyes, both of them could fully imagine the desolation of that scene.

  If there's anything more heartbreaking than despair in this world, it's seeing hope, even when that hope is right in front of you, yet still falling into despair!

  Just as the two of them were speechless, a faint sound suddenly came from behind Qing Long's back, from the direction of the gate.

  The door slowly opened.

  Qing Long and You Ji's bodies shook, and they hastily turned around to look.

  The simple wooden door slowly opened inward, emitting a low and slight "creak", with a few years of vicissitudes, perhaps also telling the owner's sorrow.

  A foot stepped out quietly from that room. The silhouette of the Ghost King slowly appeared before them.

  Qing Long and You Ji gazed silently at the man who seemed to be from another world.

  Three days of white hair!

  The Demon King's hair had all turned snow white.

  The voice of Qing Long suddenly became hoarse and hesitant for some reason. Even he himself was in doubt, wondering if this was really his own voice:

  "Master Zong... are you alright?"

  The devil king's mouth moved slightly, but he didn't speak. Instead, he closed his eyes, tilted his head back slightly, and took a deep breath.

  Yuè Jié said suddenly from under her black veil, "Master, you must take care of... your body." As she spoke, she suddenly thought of Bi Yao and her voice choked with sobs.

  The Demon King's shoulders trembled slightly, but soon calmed down. When he opened his eyes again, although the vicissitudes and sorrow were still etched on his face, there was a faint light in his eyes.

  It seemed like a gaze that had seen through the vicissitudes of life.

  "I've grown old!" He said with a slight movement of his mouth, a faint smile on his face, but it was full of bitterness.

  Qing Long and You Ji simultaneously lowered their heads, unable to bear looking at this man anymore.

  The Demon King took a deep breath again, exhaling the air in his chest, and his gaze shifted to land on the small blue-glazed vase on the table beside Qing Long.

  "What's inside..." he asked faintly.

  The Azure Dragon took a step forward, picked up the small urn and handed it to the Ghost King, saying: "After the great witch doctor passed away, I took the liberty of having the old man's body cremated. This small urn contains his ashes."

  The Demon King silently took over the small vase with green flowers, his hands stroking it for a long time, and let out a soft sigh. "This great master may not have saved Yao'er back," he said, "but with his dying body, he disregarded everything and exhausted his energy to collect Yao'er's soul completely. Although he ultimately failed, he is indeed our great benefactor."

  He handed the small urn back to Qinglong and said, "You prepare yourself, with my sacred teaching as a gift, respectfully send Master back to Nanjiang."

  Qing Long took over the small vase with blue flowers and nodded: "Yes."

  The Demon King fell silent for a moment before asking, "And what about Gui Li? How is he?"

  The Azure Dragon hesitated for a moment, but You Ji had already spoken up beside him: "After coming out of the Ice Stone Room, he seemed to have collapsed entirely, his soul lost and scattered. He stumbled all the way back to his own room, and hasn't come out since." She paused here, then continued in a low voice: "It's been three days now."

  The King of Ghosts' face turned sallow, and he slowly put his hands behind his back. After a while, he whispered: "A decade's worth of heartache, all in one evening! Alas, let's go take a look at him."

  After finishing speaking, he slowly walked away with his hands behind his back. Qing Long and You Ji exchanged a glance, silently following behind him.

  Looking back from behind, the King of Ghosts had a head of white hair, and his figure was strangely desolate.

  The room of Gui Li was quite far from the place where the Ghost King lived, but it was very close to the icy stone chamber where Bi Yao was. This was because the Ghost King did not want to be more heartbroken, so he kept a distance from his daughter's stone chamber, and Gui Li would almost go to visit Bi Yao every day if she were in Huqi Mountain.

  As the three of them walked through the corridor and gradually approached Gui Lie's room, Qing Long and You Ji, who were walking behind, clearly noticed that Gui Wang's body was somewhat unusual, and didn't know if it was because they had approached that sorrowful place again.

  But they didn't say another word.

  Finally, he arrived at the solitary stone gate outside, where Gui Li lived. There was no one else around, as he had always liked to be alone. However, standing far away outside his gate was a disciple of the Gui Wang Sect.

  The King of Ghosts walked forward, opened the stone gate and went in, and immediately felt a sense of unease. Qing Long and You Ji also found something was off, walked in to take a look, but only saw that the room was empty, not only did they not see Gui Li's shadow, even Xiao Hui was nowhere to be seen. Everything in the room was as usual, without any signs of being disturbed, except for the bed, which had some disarray on it.

  The green dragon furrowed his brow, turned around and went out to call out, the Ghost King sect disciple standing outside the door hastily ran in, knelt down in front of the Ghost King and saluted: "Greetings, Master!"

  The Demon King turned his head to look, and the Green Dragon whispered beside him: "I have been waiting outside the Sect Master's gate these past few days while handling matters within the sect. As for here, just let these disciples guard it carefully."

  The Demon King nodded slightly and turned his head to ask the Demon King Sect disciple: "Where is the Deputy Sect Master?"

  The Ghost King Sect disciple was clearly fearful of the Ghost King, and even his voice trembled slightly as he spoke: "Reporting back to the Sect Master, the Deputy Sect Master locked himself in his room for three days and three nights without making a sound. Just when I was worried, this morning he suddenly came out with that grey-haired monkey and left directly."

  The Demon King was taken aback for a moment, and Qing Long frowned: "Where did he go?"

  "The disciple bowed his head and said: 'I've been following the deputy sect master, I only saw him walk out of the mountain's belly, then suddenly break through the air and leave. I looked at his expression and it was very frightening, I didn't dare to go forward and ask questions, so I came back here to wait...'"

  The green dragon's face flashed with anger, but the ghost king in front suddenly said "hmm" and took a few steps forward, picked up a sealed letter from the head of the bed, glanced at it, and handed it to the green dragon, saying: "It's for you."

  The green dragon hesitated for a moment, took it over and looked at it. It was indeed written by Gui Li to himself. He felt puzzled in his heart and glanced at the Ghost King. However, he saw that the Ghost King had no expression on his face and was looking elsewhere. The green dragon furrowed his brow, tore open the seal, and read the letter once.

  The letter was not long and he soon finished reading it. His face suddenly turned somewhat gloomy, and he said in a low voice: "Master."

  The Demon King said calmly: "What's wrong?"

  "He asked me in his letter to take the trouble of sending the ashes of this great witch doctor back to the seven-li stockade of the Miao nationality in Nanjiang."

  The Demon King slowly shook his head and suddenly let out a sigh, saying: "Forget it, forget it!"

  The Azure Dragon was shocked, but the Ghost King turned his head and said to that Ghost King's junior disciple: "You may leave."

  The man was overjoyed as if he had been granted a great amnesty, and he kowtowed three times in succession before hastily retreating.

  The Azure Dragon gazed at the Ghost King and said: "Sect Master, that ghost is fierce..."

  The Demon King gazed at the empty room with a hint of desolation in his eyes, and after a long while, he turned around, without calling out to Qing Long or You Ji, and silently left. A low, mournful voice echoed from behind him:

  "We're all heartbroken..."

  ※※※

  Nanjiang, Fenxiang Valley.

  The Orthodox Sect, which has been changing rapidly in recent days, has another shocking news today that spread throughout the valley instantly. From the depths of Xiangxi Valley, "Tianxiangju" Tian Gu Qi Ming, resonating far and near, indicating that the closed-door master of Xiangxi Valley, Yun Yiluo, will come out of seclusion today.

  All the disciples of Fengxiang Valley returned to their posts, and no one dared to be slow. In the main hall "Shanhe Hall" of Fengxiang Valley, with Shangguan Ce, Lü Shun and others as the leaders, Li Xuan and other disciples lined up behind them, standing in front of the hall, waiting patiently.

  Among the crowd, a woman standing beside Li Xuan was particularly eye-catching, and it was Yan Hong. Since the night when the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox escaped from the Xuanhuo Altar not long ago, Shangguan Ce had recognized Yan Hong as an imposter in the chaos, and later proved to be Jinping'er of the Demon Sect's Hehuan Branch in disguise. The real Yan Hong was found in a cellar of a house in Fengxiang Valley just three days ago.

  This was naturally the case when Jin Bao'er didn't know what to do, using her cunning and magical skills to subdue Yan Hong and hide him in this place. For several days, everyone from Fengxiang Valley came out in full force, searching all around the big and small mountains nearby, but they didn't notice the house in the valley at all. It wasn't until three days ago that a male disciple went down to the hidden medicine cellar to search for a missing medicinal herb that Yan Hong was discovered; otherwise, no one would have known how long this poor woman would have had to wait in that cellar.

  These days of torment had clearly taken a toll on Yan Hong, but no one was paying attention to her at the moment. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the side door of the main hall, where Yun Yiluan would emerge from according to custom after being released from prison.

  Shangguan Ce, still dressed in black, stood calmly at the forefront of the crowd, but in the depths of his eyes that no one could notice, there was a hint of unusual glint.

  For him, these years, every time he met with his senior brother, Gu Zhongyun, there was always a screen between them, and when they spoke, it was as if they were out of breath. Recently, he had become even more haggard. At first, he didn't dare to believe it, but until recently, he had gradually come to accept in his heart that this senior brother who had always been above him was truly on his last legs.

  Unexpectedly, today in Tianxiangju, the drum sounded like thunder, and Yun Yiluan was shocked on the spot. Cloud Yi Luan actually came out of the pass!

  Was he really in seclusion practicing his Taoist skills or was he hiding something?

  Shangguan Ce's heart was in a state of utter turmoil and unease.

  Behind Shangguan Ce, Li Xuan, who stood at the forefront of the younger generation of disciples, had an irrepressible excitement in his eyes. All along, he was Yun Yiluo's most favored disciple and was also the pride of Fengxiang Valley. However, a few years ago, Yun Yiluo suddenly went into seclusion without any warning or signs beforehand, and from then on, she did not see anyone again.

  Although Li Xuan himself was still treated specially by Yun Yiluo, along with Shu Shangguan Ce, they were the only two people in Fengxiang Valley who could meet Yun Yiluo. But it is unknown whether it was because Yun Yiluo thought that Li Xuan was after all young and not powerful enough, so he let Shangguan Ce take charge of major events in Fengxiang Valley. In this way, without realizing it, Li Xuan's status had actually decreased a lot.

  But now that Yun Yiluan has come out of seclusion, the situation has naturally changed greatly. He is the most favored disciple of the current Valley Master and the next in line to take over as Valley Master. When he speaks, his words naturally carry more weight. Moreover, what's even more important is that just yesterday evening, the night before Yun Yiluan came out of seclusion, he had already been secretly summoned by Yun Yiluan and knew beforehand that his master would be coming out of seclusion.

  And with the master leaving the pass, a long-held wish of his may finally be fulfilled. At this thought, Li Xun's handsome face could no longer suppress his excitement.

  Shangguan Ce's body moved slightly, and he slowly turned back, the young disciple behind him, although trying his best to remain calm, couldn't hide the joy and excitement that came from the bottom of his heart, which was impossible for someone of his age and experience to conceal, and even more so, it couldn't escape Shangguan Ce's eyes, which were as sharp as an eagle's.

  "Hey......" He slowly let out a cold laugh in his heart, thinking to himself: "Young man, the road you're going to take is still so long!"

  Just as everyone was lost in thought, the sound of drums suddenly echoed, as if flying from outside the sky, swirling around the grand hall. Shangguan Ce and others were shocked, adjusted their clothes and looked towards that side door.

  Only a red shadow flashed, and a figure slowly appeared. The fiery red robe was the traditional attire of the Valley Master of Fengxiang Valley, representing the faith of this fire-worshipping sect.

  No one felt the heat of the flames, nor was there a dazzling light, but somehow, as everyone's eyes turned red, they all had a feeling that a ball of red flame was walking towards them.

  When everyone came to their senses and saw the figure in the red light, including Shangguan Ce, who was usually calm and composed, they all let out a low, disbelieving cry of surprise.

  The man who came was only a middle-aged man in his early forties, with bright red hair that wasn't tied up, casually fluttering on his shoulders, and had a hint of elegance and abandon.

  Everyone was stunned, Yun Yi Lan had closed himself off for many years, and everyone clearly remembered that he was already an old man with a head full of white hair at the time. But now, looking at this person, he looked younger than Yun Yi Lan by who knows how much, and his face was smooth and unblemished, without even a single wrinkle.

  It was just the outline of this person's face, but it was clearly a resemblance to Yun Yiluan. Especially for Shangguan Ce, he had spent more time with Yun Yiluan than anyone else and could recognize that this was indeed the young Yun Yiluan. The face was even more stunning than his youthful appearance, leaving everyone speechless in shock.

  It was Yun Yilan who walked into the main hall with a nonchalant expression, her eyes gleaming with spirit as she swept her gaze across the crowd. Suddenly, a smile spread across her face and her voice, which had been hoarse from being confined in the secret chamber, rang out clear and melodious: "What's wrong, don't you recognize your Valley Master anymore?"

  Everyone's body shook, and Li Xun was the first to come back to his senses. He knelt down and said loudly: "Disciple welcomes Master out of seclusion, congratulates Master on successfully cultivating the true law after closing the mountain!"

  The crowd suddenly came to their senses and bowed in unison. Shangguan Ce's eyes, which had been filled with a look of astonishment, gradually returned to normal, and he too lowered his head and bowed.

  Yun Yi Lan obviously looked well, with a good complexion and an excellent mood. She waved her hand and said, "Alright, alright, it's been a long time since we've all seen each other, let's get up and talk."

  Everyone responded in unison, standing up one after another. Yun Yiluan smiled and looked at everyone, finally fixing his gaze on Shangguan Ce, laughing: "Younger brother, I've been troubling you with trivial matters in the valley for years, haven't I?"

  Shangguan Ce shook his head and smiled, "Since Shixiong is not here, it's only right that I, as his junior brother, take care of this matter. It's just that the other day, something unexpected happened at the Xuanhuo Altar, and I..."

  Yun Yi Lan suddenly burst out laughing, interrupting Shang Guan Ce's words, saying: "Past events, why must you, my junior brother, hold onto them so stubbornly? The future is long, let us plan carefully from now on."

  Shangguan Ce's face flashed a hint of surprise, but he didn't say anything else and nodded: "Yes."

  Yun Yiluan looked at the crowd, only to see that everyone's eyes were filled with respect and astonishment, it was clear that her current appearance, which seemed to have turned back time, had left them utterly stunned.

  He didn't say much more and turned to ask Li Xuan who was standing by: "Is there anything going on in the valley recently?"

  Li Kun took a step forward and said respectfully, "Early this morning, the leader of the Qingyun Gate in Central Plains, Dao Xuan Zhenren, sent over a letter, which is a reply to Master's previous letter."

  He said so with a calm expression, but the face of Shangguan Ce standing beside him changed. During Yun Yiluan's closed-door period, all major events in Fengxiang Valley were handled by him. Communicating with the head of Qingyunmen was also extremely important, yet he knew nothing about it. This reply letter arrived early this morning, and Li Xun somehow intercepted it halfway and didn't let him know. It was clear that this matter was intentionally not allowed to be intervened by his master brother Yun Yiluan.

  Shangguan Ce's anger grew in his heart, but his face remained unchanged, with a strange expression flashing by.

  Yun Yi Lan nodded, took the letter from Li Xuan, and examined it. The envelope was written with neat numbers: "To Master Yun Yi Lan of Fengxiang Valley".

  The signature reads: Qingyunmen Daoxuan Baitouhui.

  It was indeed the handwriting of Dao Xuan, the true person of Qingyun Gate. Yun Yilang smiled slightly and tore open the seal, pulling out a thin paper, reading it from head to toe with a smile on his face all along.

  Finally, he nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, put the letter away in his bosom, and said loudly to everyone: "Today is just here, you go back and prepare, not long after that, I will lead the outstanding disciples of Fengxiang Valley to enter the Central Plains to visit the Qingyunmen and Tianyin Temple two factions, to discuss the great plan for the world!"

  Everyone was shocked, and the Huoxiang Valley made a big move into the Central Plains, which had been a long time ago. Unexpectedly, today, as soon as the valley master Fuyi came out of the pass, he gave this extremely great order. Only Yun Yilun has always been deeply respected, and the people of Huoxiang Valley didn't think much about it. After everyone saw the ceremony, they retreated one after another, each preparing without mentioning it, only Li Xuan was left behind by Yun Yilun.

  After the crowd left, only Yun Yiluan and Li Xun were left in the Shanhe Hall. With no one else around, Li Xun was more relaxed and smiled: "Master, what kind of cultivation method did you practice during your closed-door meditation? It's incredibly effective!"

  Yun Yi Lan smiled and said: "This is a unique skill passed down by the ancestors of Fengxiang Valley, when your Taoism is sufficient in the future, are you afraid that I won't pass it on to you?"

  Li Kun was taken aback, but saw Yun Yiluan's eyes filled with a warm and profound smile, as if there was a deeper meaning. After a moment of contemplation, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed, hastily kowtowing and saying: "Thank you, Master, for your great kindness! Your disciple will definitely not disappoint your expectations!"

  Yun Yi Lan smiled and helped Li Xuan up, looking him up and down before sighing: "You have a rare and extraordinary foundation, you're indeed a great talent for cultivating the Way. However, I see that you're still young and vigorous, your heart is still somewhat flighty and restless, you need to grasp yourself more tightly. Only then can you diligently cultivate and become a great vessel."

  Li Xun nodded repeatedly and said: "Thank you, Master, for your guidance. By the way, Master, why did you ask me to stay behind? Is there something I can do?"

  Yun Yiluan looked at him and said, "Alright, I want you to go to Zhongtu first."

  Li Kun was taken aback and said: "Zhongtu? Where is that?"

  Yun Yi Lan said faintly: "Qingyun Mountain. We will write a reply letter later, you immediately set off and deliver this letter to the hands of Dao Xuan Zhenren on Qingyun Mountain."

  Li Xun nodded and said, "Yes."

  Yun Yi Lian walked back and forth a few steps, then said: "After Dao Xuan True Person sees this letter, he will probably ask you to stay in Qing Yun Mountain for a few days. You don't need to decline, just stay in Qing Yun for a few days, I'll bring the others over afterwards."

  Li Kun nodded, but felt a little bewildered, and said: "Master, you're in such a hurry to enter the Central Plains, is there something urgent?"

  Yun Yi Lan smiled slightly and said: "Isn't it what you've been asking me for a long time?"

  Li Kun's body shook slightly, and then his face revealed an uncontrollable excitement. He immediately knelt down again and said loudly: "Thank you, Master, for your help."

  Yun Yi Lan shook her head and smiled: "Alright, alright, you go back and prepare first, come over later to take my letter, then we can set off directly."

  Li Kun excitedly answered and walked out in big strides.

  As the young monk's figure disappeared, the smile on Yun Yiluan's face also gradually faded. He turned to the south and gazed far into the distance in the direction of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. After a while, he suddenly let out a cold hum:

  "Since you want to come out, I'll let the whole sky block your way. You want me to take on this burden alone? Ha! I'm not that foolish!"