Before Qin Si of the Shenqi Academy became a mountain master, Hu Yu was the youngest mountain master.
Although she was from the gradually declining Xuantian Sect, she decisively rebelled against the sect when she gained fame at a young age. Later, she found the incomplete Tianxing Chessboard, which initiated her smooth cultivation path.
She achieved Core Formation in a hundred years, Nascent Soul in five hundred years, and entered the early Mahayana stage in a thousand years, becoming the Mountain Master of Qunyu Mountain. Hu Yu had rarely encountered insurmountable obstacles in her life; even if she did, they were all resolved under the Tianxing Chessboard.
It wasn't until twenty years ago that she was alarmed to find her cultivation stagnant.
Even Li Tingyun had surpassed her, reaching the late Mahayana stage, while she remained in the early Mahayana stage. So, she stood atop Qunyu Mountain and activated the Tianxing Chessboard.
She would never forget that moment.
The heavens seemed to collapse, the mountains and rivers appeared to be pouring in, demonic energy ran rampant, and the world underwent immense changes. Qunyu Mountain was split open by a sword wielded by a red-robed cultivator, turning into smoke in time...
The sword light, carrying the chill of frost and snow, seemed to pierce through the chessboard, making her scalp tingle.
"No, we have to go and see. I have a bad feeling about this." Hu Yu twitched her fingers, a look of worry on her face. "Look at that dark curtain in the sky. Doesn't it resemble the demonic energy surge in the far west?"
In the Shenqi World, there were two places that people disdained: one was the Shenqi Continent, which they looked down upon, and the other was the far west, where demonic energy ran rampant.
Since ancient times, righteousness and evil were irreconcilable. Major sects, holding onto their righteous identities, branded demonic cultivators, ghost cultivators, soul cultivators, and other such practitioners as evil cultivators, believing their cultivation methods to be unorthodox and wicked. Most of these evil cultivators congregated in the far west.
Unlike the spiritual energy that permeated the continent, the far west was filled with demonic energy, making it difficult for orthodox cultivators to survive.
Every ten years, the demonic energy in the far west would surge. The most recent surge had occurred five years ago.
As soon as Mountain Master Hu Yu said this, even the Kuli Zen Master found it difficult to insist on leaving.
He chanted a Buddhist verse, "Then why don't we go and investigate together? If it is harmful to the world, we cannot simply ignore it."
"Hmph! Indeed, it's possible that some people have done things that defy heavenly principles behind our backs," Li Tingyun said, looking towards Qing Lan's direction with his hands behind his back, his words carrying a veiled taunt.
As he spoke, everyone followed his gaze and noticed that Daoist Qing Lan, who had always been taciturn, had a terribly distressed expression.
Qing Lan, always appearing indifferent as if nothing could move him, now lowered his eyes, furrowed his brows, and tightly pursed his lips.
He quickly formed a hand seal, deducing something. Hearing Li Tingyun's words, he abruptly stopped and looked at him coldly.
"Are you referring to Daoist Honglian, Sect Leader Li?" Qing Lan asked indifferently. "Are you finally remembering to explain to everyone why Daoist Honglian, one of the Three Daoists of Wushang Sect, is actually a demon lord?"
"Boom!"
Thunderous roars followed from the sky, as if in response to Daoist Qing Lan's words. The pale lightning reflected on Li Tingyun's face, making his expression appear sinister and terrifying.
"Qing Lan, what nonsense are you spouting?" Li Tingyun flicked his sleeve, his voice filled with anger. "I respect you as an elder, which is why I'm giving you some face. If you continue to spread lies, we'll settle this today!"
Qing Lan cast him a cold glance, and his green robe swept through the air.
An image slowly appeared before everyone, showing Daoist Honglian leading a group of cultivators in the Sanghai Secret Realm. As Daoist Honglian moved, black demonic energy scattered around him.
"Sect Leader Li, do you have an explanation?" Hu Yu looked at Daoist Honglian's red robe, her heart startled. Could she have been mistaken? Was that red-robed cultivator not Qin Si, but Liu Tianyun?
Mountain Master Hua Ling also chimed in, "Sect Leader Li, when did Daoist Honglian become demonized?"
Hua Ling Mountain Master's words seemed to remind Li Tingyun. Li Tingyun, who had been momentarily stunned by the image summoned by Qing Lan, immediately stiffened his neck and said, "Fine! Liu Tianyun, that scoundrel! I didn't even realize he had been demonized! Could he be a spy sent by the demonic cultivators to our Wushang Sect?"
At this point, with irrefutable evidence, Li Tingyun would rather Daoist Honglian be a spy and embarrass the Wushang Sect than be associated with him.
Demonic cultivators were, after all, despised by everyone.
As everyone surrounded Li Tingyun with questions, they failed to notice that Qing Lan, who had caused all of this, had already vanished from his spot. Simultaneously, Yue Bufan of Yueqing Mountain also disappeared.
"Huh? Where did Daoist Qing Lan and the Mountain Master of Yueqing Mountain go?"
"Where did they go?"
"Never mind that, let's first figure out why these celestial phenomena are happening." Mountain Master Hua Ling looked at the Kuli Zen Master. "Zen Master, what do you and the Demon King think?"
Lin Qingyu fanned himself, his gaze thoughtfully falling on a spot not far away, where faint wisps of smoke rose from where Daoist Qing Lan had just vanished into thin air.
He then refocused, smiling sweetly, "This king will follow the Zen Master's lead."
The Kuli Zen Master spun his prayer beads. "If that is the case, then let us go and see together. If there is a surge in the far west, we must also be prepared to prevent it from affecting this year's grand event."
...
Within the shattered space of the Sanghai Secret Realm.
Qing Lan abruptly stopped, turned his head to look at the person behind him, and said coldly, "Why are you following me?"
Having been discovered, Yue Bufan no longer hid and walked out directly.
"Hehe, Daoist, please don't be angry. I just thought it was too dangerous for you to run around alone. If I follow you, I can lend a hand and help out, right?"
It could only be said that Qing Lan had never encountered such a persistent person. Looking at Yue Bufan's smiling face, he couldn't help but twitch his lips.
He couldn't refuse someone who greeted him with a smile, especially someone who had helped him before. His clear eyes lowered, and he conceded, "If you want to follow, then follow. However, the place I'm going is extremely dangerous, so be careful yourself."
"Alright!"
With a cheerful reply, Yue Bufan followed Qing Lan forward and exclaimed, "Daoist, are you going into the芥子层 (Jie Zi Céng - Mustard Seed Layer)?"
Qing Lan's footsteps paused slightly. "Didn't you ask where Sheng Yi and the others were? They are in the Jie Zi Céng. If you regret it, you can still leave now."
"How can that be!" Yue Bufan quickly shook his head. It had taken him great effort to trick his son and run out alone.
"I came for Alchemist Bai, so let's go, let's go... Did Alchemist Bai and the others get into trouble?"
Qing Lan said helplessly, "I don't know either."
The Tiandao Mountain Ravine had never been so turbulent. Even he, who had long since left this place, was affected. Qing Lan also wanted to know what Bai Shengyi and Qin Si had been doing.
At this moment, within the Tiandao Mountain Ravine, the incessant booming of thunder startled Yun Youyue, who had been dozing on the back of a three-headed black dragon.
She had just gotten up when the ground beneath her shook, and she almost fell.
"Beast, what are you doing?"
Yun Youyue tugged at the Suo Gu Jade Ring. The three-headed black dragon hissed in pain and became still, but its body continued to tremble uncontrollably.
The oppressive force emanating from the direction of the swamp felt as if it could obliterate it with a single thought, instilling bone-deep fear and terror in it.
Yun Youyue realized something was amiss with the beast and jumped off its back.
It was unclear what kind of magical artifact she had used, but the worms on the ground, upon seeing her, all slithered away. In a short while, a clear space was made for her.
"The Black Dragon Bone Fruit is indeed effective. It's fortunate that I met this beast before it could fully refine it."
Yun Youyue placed a hand on her forehead, her eyes narrowed as she looked towards the source of the commotion. "Is it the swamp? Could it be Bai Shengyi... Wait, is that..."
Yun Youyue stood on her tiptoes and leaped up, standing on the head of the three-headed black dragon, gaining a clearer view. Then, her gaze sharpened, and a flash of brilliance appeared in her eyes.