Yang Xiao didn't care if Master Kong Kong lived or died.
Even if the old monk died a thousand times over, Empress Dowager Xiao wouldn't bat an eye.
But if Zi Yu were to be left to die—
Yang Xiao absolutely refused.
Then she could only stand stunned on the spot, daring not to step outside half a step.
Li Wuji didn't dare to move either, so he could only stay in the room with Xiu Zi, accompanying Empress Dowager Xiao, waiting patiently.
Who knew how long had passed.
Feeling her lack of face, Yang Xiao quietly cursed, "Old bald donkey. How dare you."
Dare to what?
She had just uttered these two words when suddenly!!
Aow—
A long, drawn-out howl, like a dragon crossing the setting sun, suddenly came from the direction of the Bronze Sparrow Platform in the Dragon Ruins.
People who had been tired all day, upon hearing this clear, ethereal, and continuous howl, all subconsciously put down their tasks and looked in the direction of the Bronze Sparrow Platform.
"It's Xiao Ge'er!"
Yang Xiao and Li Wuji's expressions changed drastically once again.
Sister Xiao Bai, who was dining with Su Qi Qi and others, exclaimed, "A dragon crossing! What on earth has happened to make the Dragon Lord expend such great effort, howling continuously at the dangerous hour of dusk?"
Sister Xiao Bai was Master Kong Kong's direct disciple and had some knowledge of Xuanmen arts.
From a Xuanmen perspective, the location and architecture of the entire Dragon Ruins complex were very significant.
Especially the Bronze Sparrow Platform, where the Lord of the Dragon Ruins resided, was the "dragon's eye" of the Dragon Ruins complex.
Unless absolutely necessary, the Lord of the Dragon Ruins was not to ascend the Bronze Sparrow Platform and howl to the heavens to dispel crises unknown to ordinary people.
Especially now, at dusk, when vitality wanes and death energy awakens.
If the dragon crossing fails—
The Lord of the Dragon Ruins would suffer a terrible, powerful backlash, with vomiting blood being the least of it!
What could have happened?
Although Su Qi Qi and the others didn't understand Xuanmen arts, seeing Sister Xiao Bai's pale face and her nervously biting her lips, they all held their breath in fear.
Buzz buzz buzz—
Just as the winding, continuous howl, like a dragon, was about to run out of strength and could stop at any moment, everyone in the Dragon Ruins seemed to hear a buzzing sound, whether it had actually happened or was an auditory hallucination.
This reverberating buzzing sound, like a Buddhist chant, seemed to come from beyond the nine heavens.
It instantly swept away the inexplicable tension in people's hearts.
Especially those who were leading patrols in front of the four gates of the Dragon Ruins experienced powerful hallucinations.
They "saw" the Eight Great Vajras guarding the four great gates of the Dragon Ruins sway, as if about to ascend to the heavens.
Only then did they hear this buzzing sound, like a Buddhist chant.
"The Vajras have responded, the Dragon Lord is safe."
Sister Xiao Bai, her face pale, exhaled a long breath and slumped into her chair.
At this moment, Li Xiao, standing on the roof of the Bronze Sparrow Platform, with Master Kong Kong's support, slowly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
His complexion was sallow.
His spirit was extremely weak.
This was the reaction after he had exhausted all his strength, howling his best on the Bronze Sparrow Platform at Master Kong Kong's instruction, without knowing what was happening.
Master Kong Kong raised his right hand high.
His right hand must not fall, the howl must not cease!
Just as Li Xiao was about to collapse, Master Kong Kong's right hand finally swung down fiercely.
Li Xiao felt a great relief, yet he no longer had the strength to sit cross-legged.
This showed how powerful that howl had been.
But Li Xiao, who was resting with his eyes closed, could hear Master Kong Kong's phone ring.
Master Kong Kong knew he wanted to hear too, so he turned on the speakerphone.
Daoist Master Du's panicked voice came from the phone: "Someone just tried to spy on the hidden mechanism!"
Master Kong Kong replied, "Yes."
Daoist Master Du: "Are you at the Dragon Ruins now?"
Master Kong Kong: "Yes."
"Fortunately!"
Daoist Master Du: "Only you can make the Lord of the Dragon Ruins, with his 'dragon crossing' howl, invite the Eight Great Vajras guarding the four celestial gates in a timely manner, thus ensuring the safety of the hidden mechanism. Otherwise, even if the pagoda forest of our Baiyun Temple completely collapsed; the Xuanlong banner in front of the Li family village ancestral hall fell; the water weeds in Misty Township all rolled backward; it would not be enough to ensure the absolute safety of the hidden mechanism."
Master Kong Kong: "Who was trying to spy on the hidden mechanism?"
Daoist Master Du: "The east and south at the beginning of the month."
Master Kong Kong immediately understood: "That demon, Zhuang Wu Jian?"
Daoist Master Du: "She is currently in Hancheng."
Master Kong Kong: "With her abilities, how could she suddenly spy on the hidden mechanism that we can no longer see?"
Daoist Master Du: "There is only one possibility."
Master Kong Kong: "The 'Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam' formation itself has undergone a change."
Daoist Master Du: "Previously, the eldest of the Four Phoenixes had spread its wings, and the starlight in the southeast surged! But two nights ago, the starlight dimmed. The eldest of the Four Phoenixes showed signs of retracting its wings. It can only be said that those two people realized something and restrained themselves in time. What a pity, what a pity, what a pity!"
Daoist Master Du cried out "what a pity" three times in succession, followed by the sound of him stomping his foot.
Alas.
Master Kong Kong's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he sighed, "Perhaps this is fate's arrangement? Originally, the eldest of the Four Phoenixes was about to spread its wings and soar into the heavens, but due to some reason, it urgently retracted its wings. The wanderer's journey home is long, long."
Daoist Master Du: "The eldest of the Four Phoenixes urgently retracted its wings the night before last, and the starlight plummeted. It must be that the colleagues from Japan and the other two regions played their part. Although it is a pity, it is unavoidable. Especially the colleagues on the wanderer's side, their arrangement, even if limited by the small geographical area and unable to exert its full influence, is the most potent."
Master Kong Kong pondered for a moment: "Fellow Daoist, do you still remember what Benefactor Phoenix (Lan Fenghuang) said before she left?"
When Daoist Master Du spoke again, his voice trembled slightly: "My body reduced to ashes, scattered into the sea; at the cost of eternal damnation, to overpower the wanderer's Xuanmen?"
Master Kong Kong remained silent.
The wind blew.
It blew away the setting sun, and ruffled Master Kong Kong's white eyebrows.
It blew open the eyes of the Lord of the Dragon Ruins.
Master Kong Kong glanced at Li Xiao, whose complexion was gradually returning to normal, and then said into the phone, "You and I join forces, Buddhism and Taoism working together. First, we send off Benefactor Phoenix's soul to the abyss of eternal damnation."
"Here! I will light the Seven Stars Everlasting Lamp; immediately notify the Li family village to open its ancestral hall, and raise the Xuanlong banner at midnight to bid farewell to Resident Phoenix! Misty Township has likely taken the necessary measures. What a pity, what a pity, what a pity!"
Daoist Master Du cried out "what a pity" several more times before loudly chanting: "Infinite Heavenly Venerable!"
"Namo Amitabha."
After putting down the phone, Master Kong Kong also chanted a Buddhist name, sat down on the ground, and closed his eyes.
His fingers rapidly counted the prayer beads, murmuring words.
Li Xiao quietly accompanied him.
Although he did not believe in Buddhism, he could hear from Master Kong Kong's chanting that he was performing a ritual to ferry souls.
Li Xiao could also imagine—
That at Baiyun Temple, thousands of miles away, Daoist Master Du was meditating before the Seven Stars Everlasting Lamp, chanting the supreme Daoist mantra for reincarnation.
The ancestral hall of Li family village was wide open, and the Xuanlong banner that had suddenly fallen was slowly being raised again.
And in Misty Township, Lingnan, those women with fox tails would quickly leave the township and enter the sea, with Shen Yue presiding over the water dragon's eye!
Su Zi Yu was injured.
Master Kong Kong forced Li Xiao to perform the 'dragon crossing' and invite the Eight Great Vajras to emit Buddhist chants.
Baiyun Temple's pagoda forest collapsed.
The Xuanlong banner of Li family village fell!
Misty Township's water weeds rolled backward—
All because the eldest of the Four Phoenixes in the 'Four Phoenixes Circling the Beam' formation retracted its wings and fell, leading to so many events.
It even forced Master Kong Kong and Daoist Master Du to reduce the already buried Lan Fenghuang to ashes and scatter them into the sea, at the cost of eternal damnation, to break the formation set by the Xuanmen experts of the wanderer.
This price was indeed too great!
The sky grew darker and darker.
The lights of the Dragon Ruins were all lit.
Even the lights in the basement were turned on.
But only the Bronze Sparrow Platform where they were sitting remained pitch black, completely swallowed by the night.
This was the Dragon Ruins!
Li Xiao could faintly see the petite Bai Hong passing by in a hurry from a distance.
Although Sister Xiao Bai was only half-knowledgeable in Xuanmen arts, she possessed a root of wisdom that was unparalleled.
When she saw Master Kong Kong sitting cross-legged from afar, she knew what to do.
She turned on all the lights in the Dragon Ruins.
Using all the light to attract the surrounding darkness, she made the 'dragon's eye' of the Dragon Ruins, the Bronze Sparrow Platform, completely disappear into the darkness, imperceptible to the external darkness.
Only by hiding in darkness could the dragon's eye maintain maximum vigilance and keenly capture crises from all directions!
"Lord Li Dragon."
Master Kong Kong spoke, his tone bitter: "Guanyin resident must be with your son."
He stopped speaking here.
Li Xiao understood and lowered his head to ask, "Master, were they together a few days ago?"
Master Kong Kong replied, "The divine spirits were together."
The divine spirits were together, but the people were not.
Li Xiao was confused.
Master Kong Kong picked up his phone and gestured.
Li Xiao understood: "Now, for some reason, the divine spirits have also separated?"
Master Kong Kong: "Namo Amitabha! What a pity, what a pity, what a pity. Just a little more, and the eldest of the Four Phoenixes would have soared into the heavens. She paid the ultimate price to reach this point. After this setback, she immediately restrained herself and reflected. Alas, what a pity, what a pity, what a pity."
Daoist Master Du had consecutively said "what a pity" three times, and then another three times.
Master Kong Kong now said it again, a total of six "what a pity."
Li Xiao became nervous: "Will people die?"
"Yes."
Master Kong Kong nodded. "Tonight, many innocent people will die tragically."