Southern Xinjiang, the Great Mountains of Ten Thousand

  In front of the vast black forest that Gui Li and Jin Ping Er had crossed, more than a dozen people were standing at this moment. Most of them were elite disciples from Nanjiang Fenxiang Valley led by Li Xun, with only two outsiders, Lu Xueqi from Qingyun Gate and Zeng Shushu. As for Wen Min, who was previously with Lu Xueqi and Zeng Shushu, he unexpectedly disappeared without a trace.

  Among these people, many of them had a slightly tired look on their faces. It was clear that although they were cultivators, entering the perilous and mysterious land of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was still not an easy task for them. Only Li Xun, Lu Xueqi, Zeng Shushu and others who led the way had deep cultivation and looked normal.

  At this moment, looking at that dark and eerie forest in front of us, no one can be happy.

  In the sky above this black forest, the highly toxic miasma is obviously rising ceaselessly, and it's clear that we can't fly over from above. The black forest is vast in scope, and it's also impossible to easily bypass it. Moreover, Li Xu, who has been guiding us along the way, has already clearly said that according to the legend of the Nanjiang tribe, the lair of the beast demon is located within the Town Demon Ancient Cave behind this black forest.

  This forest seems like it's going to be a must-visit!

  The Tianyao divine sword emitted a soft blue glow, gently flickering beside Lu Xueqi's hand, contrasting with her snow-white and slightly lonely figure. Wen Mian was not around, she rarely spoke to Li Xun and other Fengxiang Valley disciples, let alone Zeng Shu Shu who was also from Qingyun Gate. On this journey, the treacherous mountains, evil waters, poisonous insects, and ferocious beasts that made people tremble were often just invisible or souls under her sword for her. No one knew what she was thinking deep down in her heart.

  Li Kun didn't know, and Zeng Shu also didn't know. But at this moment, Li Kun suddenly coughed and asked in a low voice: "That Eldest Brother Zeng, may I ask what that Junior Sister Lu is thinking about, being silent all day?"

  Zeng Shu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly and said: "Brother Li, I think you've asked the wrong person too."

  Li Kan looked at him for a moment, then shook his head and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

  At this moment, everyone was resting before entering the dark forest after a day of hard work. Lu Xueqi stood alone on a rock in the distance, gazing at the distant mountains. Behind her, many eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, lingered on her slender figure.

  Li Kun and Zeng Shu stood aside, pondered for a moment, and said seriously: "Zeng Shixiong, let's invite Lu Shimiao over and discuss how to proceed next, okay?"

  Zeng Shu nodded and said, "That's right." He turned around and walked to Lu Xueqi's side, whispering two sentences in her ear. Lu Xueqi's face was expressionless, but after hearing Zeng Shu, she glanced at Li Xun, who felt slightly embarrassed and dryly laughed.

  Before long, Lu Xueqi finally walked back with Zeng Shushu. Li Xun coughed and said, "It's like this, the two of you, after passing through this black forest, are not far from the Beast Demon's nest. We"

  "Brother Li!" Suddenly, Lu Xueqi called out to Li Xun, interrupting his words.

  Li Kun was taken aback. Since entering the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, this could be said to be the first time Lu Xueqi had actively spoken to him. He asked in surprise: "What?"

  Lu Xueqi looked at him, with a hint of light flashing in her eyes, and said: "In the past few days, there is one thing that I have not understood, and I would like to ask for your guidance, Li Shixiong."

  Li Xuan nodded and said: "Please speak, Lu Shimei."

  Lu Xueqi didn't seem to soften her expression due to Li Kun's politeness, and instead spoke in a cold and detached tone: "In the past, when we heard news from Huixiang Valley, it was always about how treacherous and evil this place is, even you guys rarely enter. But somehow, this time you seem to be very familiar with this place, Brother Li. Have you been here before? Moreover, the Beast God's tracks are extremely mysterious, and its lair is even more secretive. How did Huixiang Valley know about these things?"

  Li Xun's expression remained unchanged, facing Lu Xueqi's questioning, as if he had long been prepared. He smiled and said: "Lu Shimei, I've already told you before that we didn't pay much attention to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains here in Fengxiang Valley, but after the Beast Calamity broke out, of course, we would notice this place. As for the beast demon's lair, it was discovered by our sect's disciples who were tracking down the remaining beast demons, and many of our elite disciples sacrificed themselves for this."

  Zeng Shu and Lu Xueqi both furrowed their brows, clearly not believing Li Xu's empty words. However, seeing his confident demeanor, they seemed unable to directly refute him and could only remain silent. Li Xu smiled and glanced at the two of them before saying, "Speaking of which, I just remembered that when we were about to enter the Ten Thousand Great Mountain, why did your sect's Wen Mianwen Shijie suddenly rush back to Qingyun Mountain?"

  Zeng Shu was taken aback, and couldn't help but glance at Lu Xueqi beside him. He then smiled and said, "Didn't we already tell Li Shixiong about this? Wen Min Shijie had something urgent come up, so she had to rush back."

  Lu Xueqi beside her slightly lowered her eyelids, not speaking. Wen Mian's reason for rushing back to Qingyun Mountain in a hurry was something that even Zeng Shu didn't understand very well. To be honest, it was also because of the question about the damage to the Zhu Xian sword that Yun Yiluan suddenly asked at the Shanhe Temple in Fengxiang Valley that day.

  Zeng Shu didn't know the truth and thought it was a joke, so he forgot about it. However, after discussing with Wen Mian, they both felt that this matter was not trivial. After careful consideration, they decided to let Wen Mian rush back to Qingyun Mountain to report to the elders and masters. The significance of the ancient sword for Qingyun Gate and the righteous path was too great. Moreover, the behavior of Yun Yilan, the master of Fengxiang Valley, who had always been friendly with Qingyun Gate, was unusual this time, and there seemed to be some unspoken meaning behind it, making people uneasy.

  However, the matter of the Beast God here is also very important and cannot be abandoned. After discussion, Wen Min hurried back to Qingyun, while Lu Xueqi and Zeng Shushu stayed behind. However, in the hearts of Lu Xueqi and others, the gate of Fenxiang Valley now seems to be full of strange things everywhere.

  At this moment, Li Xuan had already discussed with Zeng Shu Shu for a long time, explaining many things that needed attention when entering the Black Forest later. Zeng Shu Shu learned many unheard-of things from it, and couldn't help but broaden his horizons, nodding constantly, and having a great conversation with Li Xuan.

  Lu Xueqi heard those words in her ears, and for some reason, she felt a little annoyed, so she stood up and walked to the side again, gazing into the distance. In the distance, the faint outline of the mountains stretched out endlessly, with high and low undulations, under the vast sky, the cold wind whistled by.

  Who knows what lies ahead waiting for them?

  ※※※

  Qingyun Mountain, Dazhu Peak.

  This morning, the sun had just risen, and the sky was still a bit dark. The disciples on Mount Dazhu had not yet gotten out of bed. However, from the Shoujing Hall came the faint sound of footsteps. A moment later, surprisingly, Tian Buyi emerged from his quarters fully dressed in the early morning, which was unusual for him.

  In the morning light, Tian Naiyi's round face was solemn, his eyebrows furrowed, and he looked like he had a lot on his mind. Su Rou followed behind him, also walking out. Looking at the couple, it was unclear whether they had risen early or stayed up all night.

  Su Ru's face was filled with worry at this moment, and after walking out of the Quiet Hall, she first glanced towards the disciples' quarters. Seeing that it was quiet and deserted as expected, she said in a low voice: "Nie Yi, I still think what you're doing is not quite right. How about we discuss it again?"

  The field is not easy to face, sinking like water, the eyebrows do not have a slightest relaxation, and said in a low voice: "This matter can no longer be delayed. Since we returned from the ancestral hall, the situation of Daoxuan Shixiong has become worse and worse over the past few days. Yesterday's news from Tongtian Peak was that he actually used his hands on Fan Changlao and Xiao Yicai who went to persuade him."

  Su Ru was shocked and asked: "What? How could the sect leader's brother take action? What happened between them, how did they provoke the sect leader's brother, were they injured?"

  Tian hummed and said, "What else could they do? They naturally went to advise Daoyuan because of his strange behavior. I heard that Daoyuan was fine when talking to them at first, but suddenly became enraged for some reason, and with one palm strike, he severely injured Fan. That little kid Xiao Yi was quite alert and managed to escape unharmed."

  Su Ru furrowed her brow and said: "Xiao Yi Cai is actually fine?"

  Tian did not easily put his hands together and sank into thought for a moment, saying: "He has always been clever, and he has also followed Dao Xuan Shixiong for many years, so he understands more than others. Most likely, he discovered that the situation was not right from the start, so he grasped the initiative and barely escaped. Fortunately, he was quick-witted, which gave him time to rescue Fan Shixiong and treat his injuries; otherwise, who knows what might have happened?"

  Su Yu was silent for a long time, her face changing from cloudy to sunny and back again. After a while, she finally spoke: "He... he's all like this now, why do you still want to go see him?"

  Tian took a deep breath and said, "Others may not know, but don't you understand why I want to see him?"

  Su Rou said in a low voice: "But, his master brother is now possessed by the heart demon, no one knows what he's thinking, and his cultivation is so high, far surpassing you and me. This time you're taking a risk going there, I'm afraid, I'm afraid..."

  As the conversation went on, Su Rou's voice became softer and softer, until it was almost inaudible. It was clear that she herself did not want to say it out loud. Tian Bu Yi sighed, turned around, and gazed at Su Rou with a deep look, stretched out his hand to gently hold Su Rou's slender hand, and said softly: "You and I are husband and wife for this life, of course, I know what you're worried about. With your heart, even if something happens to me, it doesn't matter."

  Su Rou furrowed her brow and interrupted him, scolding: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

  Tian nodded slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then said: "You know that the secret of the Zhuxian ancient sword was originally the highest secret of the Qingyun Gate, known only to the headmaster. However, during the battle in the wilderness back then, I, Zeng Shu Chang, and several others followed Master Wan to fight against Huang Sha, and coincidentally learned about this secret. Later, we made a solemn oath in front of the ancestral tablets of our predecessors in the ancestral hall, vowing not to reveal even half of this secret for the rest of our lives."

  Su Ru sighed and said: "Why are you bringing this up again? I was there at the time, and I also made a vow with all of you. How could I not remember?"

  Tian Bu Yi suddenly said: "Since the green leaf ancestor left behind a handwritten warning monument, all generations of ancestors have repeatedly warned that the Exterminating Immortal Sword cannot be used lightly. In the green leaf ancestor's warning monument, it is even more clearly stated that the sword spirit of the Exterminating Immortal Sword is the most evil spirit, and if the person holding the sword does not have a firm heart and foundation, they will fall into the devil's path. Now, isn't Dao Xuan Master's strange appearance precisely verifying what our ancestors said?"

  Su Ru lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.

  Tian didn't easily raise his head to glance at the faintly bright sky. In the distance, where the morning mountain fog ended, a place shrouded in clouds and mist, the towering figure of Tongtian Peak appeared and disappeared.

  "These years, Master Daoxuan has worked tirelessly to restore our Qingyun Sect to its former glory, and now it stands proudly as the leader of all righteous sects. Tian Buyi's voice suddenly carried a hint of melancholy, "I've also thought that even if Master Wan had taken the position of Sect Leader back then, he might not have done a better job than Master Daoxuan."

  Su Rou's body trembled slightly, and she called out in a low voice: "Not easy" But the words behind her seemed to be left unspoken.

  Tian did not easily put his hands behind his back, and his face had a somewhat dazed expression. He said: "Over the years, although I have been secretly worshiping Master Wan's spirit tablet, as for Master Dao Xuan, to be honest, I really admire him more and more. Although we often quarrel on ordinary days, but for how he handles things, I have nothing to say. Even ten years ago, when he used the Exterminating Immortal Sword to slash Lao Qi..."

  "It's none of your business, just drop it!" Su Ru suddenly shouted out, and for some reason, as she looked at Tian Naiyi, her eyes became slightly red.

  Tian's facial muscles moved slightly, and he forced out a faint smile, but there was no hint of joy in it, only pain: "The person who understands me best is you. Ten years ago, that battle... I, I..." He let out a long sigh and said, "I really can't bear to part with Old Seventh! Among this group of disciples, although that kid looks the most displeasing, but in the end, I still..."

  As he let out a long sigh, the two of them fell silent, until after a while, Tian Bu Yi smiled wryly and said: "After what happened that day, I also had deep grievances against Dao Xuan Shixiong. Old Seventh was raised by me, these ten or so years, could it be that I still don't know what kind of person he is? If there's anything, it should be me teaching him, perhaps the situation would have turned out differently. But with that one sword strike, heng, Old Seventh wasn't even hurt, but first killed Bi Yao instead. This move was quite good, Old Seventh wouldn't rebel otherwise, but now he has to. With his stubborn personality, this lifetime is probably ruined because of that one sword."

  "But in these few years, I occasionally reflected on myself and thought about this matter. If I were in Daohong Shixiong's position, would I have made that sword strike or not?"

  Su Ru gazed at her husband, saying nothing, only silently and gently holding his palm, patting the back of his hand with a hint of comfort.

  Tian Ye smiled faintly, with a hint of helplessness, and said to Su Ru: "If it were me, I'm afraid I would still have to make that one sword move in the end."

  It was as if she had known the answer all along, Su Rou silently lowered her head and didn't say a word.

  Tian Bu Yi also fell silent, gazing in the direction of Tong Tian Peak. After a while, Su Rou suddenly said: "Since your mind is made up, why don't I accompany you to see Dao Xuan Shixiong?"

  Tian shook his head and said, "You'd better not go. With more people, it's harder to talk. Daoxuan Shixiong became like this today for the sake of all living things and Qingyun Gate. I wouldn't know if I didn't know the secret, but since I do, I must go see if there's still a chance to save him. I only hope that Daoxuan Shixiong's cultivation is deep enough to wake up from that evil energy. Otherwise..."

  He said that, but his voice suddenly stopped. Su Rou looked at him and smiled slightly, the worried look on her face disappeared instantly, replaced by a loving expression. She said softly: "Okay, don't say anything else."

  Tian Buyi didn't find it easy to get along with her, but after a long time, the two had already understood each other's intentions. At this moment, Tian Buyi gazed at Su Rou for a while, and in the end, he still didn't speak, only nodding his head slightly. A moment later, he turned around, his wide sleeves fluttering, and a bright red glow began to flash out from under them.

  Just as he was about to unsheathe the Scarlet Flame Sword and depart, Su Rou suddenly called out from behind him: "Nan Yi!" Although her tone wasn't particularly loud, it was filled with intense emotions and tender feelings, all conveyed in just those two words.

  Tian Bu Yi looked back, gazing at his wife, and saw that Su Rou's face was filled with reluctance to part, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. After a moment, Tian Bu Yi suddenly smiled, waved his hand, and moved his lips as if to speak, but still said nothing. He turned around, drew out the Chi Yan Xian Jian, and with a whoosh, soared into the sky.

  That fiery red light flashed across the sky, piercing through the clouds and fog. At first, the clouds and fog churned and retreated in disarray, but then they closed in from all sides, gradually engulfing his figure until it was no longer visible.

  Only Su Rou was left, staring blankly at the horizon, and she didn't know how long she had been standing there. On the cloud-like hair, she didn't know when a few morning dew drops appeared, crystal clear and translucent like pearls, falling silently.