Idol Cracks, Assaulting Kunlun!

Shushan.

This place was not much different from the fairyland Luo Bei had imagined in his mind. After the young man in the green outfit exclaimed, he didn't say much more. With a casual sweep, he and the middle-aged man in the blue robe conjured sword light and rushed towards a mountain peak with Luo Bei. Whether these two didn't know the spell Yuan Tianyi used to cover Luo Bei entirely, or they simply didn't bother, the fierce winds at high altitudes made it impossible for Luo Bei to open his eyes, let alone breathe. But upon landing, Luo Bei found himself before a main hall colored vermilion. Huge vermilion pillars supported black glazed eaves, and the hall's floor and surrounding railings were all white marble. The hall wasn't large, resembling a pavilion in an ordinary wealthy household. However, this pavilion was situated between two steep gorges. Against the backdrop of the precipitous cliffs, the hall resembled a pearl in an oyster shell. A thin waterfall cascaded down from a nearby cliff face, adding a touch of dynamism to the structure.

"Master, Uncle-Master," the young man in the green outfit and the middle-aged man in the blue robe called out respectfully in unison before the slightly ajar door.

"Come in," a warm voice responded. The door opened wide, revealing a foyer much like any ordinary temple entrance. Hanging on the wall was a faint ink wash painting of a landscape. In the foyer, furnished with eight rosewood chairs, were six or seven people in various attire. However, only two were seated. One, clad in a purple Daoist robe, had his hair casually tied back with a black ribbon. Luo Bei's gaze swept over him, and he felt that this person's demeanor bore a striking resemblance to Yuan Tianyi's – impeccably clean, devoid of any worldly dust. But while Yuan Tianyi was aloof and cold, like a white lotus growing alone on a high mountain cliff, this young man in the purple robe exuded an extreme warmth, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze upon first sight. The other person, dressed in a long black robe, had a somber expression. His long, narrow face held an indescribable sharpness, making it immediately clear that he was no ordinary individual.

As Luo Bei observed these people with a hint of curiosity, Yu Ruochen, the purple-robed, black-haired man, smiled faintly. Like Yuan Tianyi, the passage of time had left few traces on this genius, ranked second in Shushan's aptitude for the past five hundred years. He had been temporarily acting as the Shushan Sect Master since Tian Xiyue went into seclusion thirty years ago.

Sitting beside him, clad in a black robe with a somber expression, was his junior brother, known in the cultivation world as Asura, Yan Jingxie, who managed the Ge Li peaks of Shushan. Yu Ruochen glanced at Yan Jingxie, who was dressed in black and looked grim, then turned his warm gaze to Qin Feng, who stood respectfully beside Yan Jingxie, and asked, "When you arrived at the Purple Micro Daoist Temple, was this child the only survivor?"

"Yes, Uncle-Master," Qin Feng, who had an honest face, a broad sword on his back, and appeared much older than Yu Ruochen, replied respectfully, nodding.

"Seeing that you have no Dao power on you, you are not a disciple of the Purple Micro Daoist Temple?" Yan Jingxie, his face still grim, suddenly asked Luo Bei.

Luo Bei nodded. "I was just accepted as a disciple by True Master Qingxu and haven't received any teachings yet."

"You were just accepted as his disciple?"

"Yes."

Under Yan Jingxie's persistent questioning, Luo Bei recounted in detail how True Master Qingxu had saved him from vicious dogs, how he was led into a secret chamber, and what he saw regarding the Purple River Rebirth Pill. As for himself, Luo Bei, just as he had told True Master Qingxu, claimed to be a child from the nearby mountains.

"It seems there's no doubt. Qingxu must have been secretly refining the Purple River Rebirth Pill. Seeing this child's exceptional aptitude, he intended to use his body. However, he was discovered by a powerful expert, resulting in his complete annihilation. I never thought Qingxu could be so wicked; he brought it upon himself! What a pity for Qingxuan. He must have opposed his actions and was imprisoned to death!" A cold glint flashed in Yan Jingxie's eyes, and the entire room seemed to flicker with an electric spark. Luo Bei couldn't help but pause.

"Master, why would True Master Qingxu kill his own disciples, using their blood and living souls to refine the Purple River Rebirth Pill?" Ao Huang, Yan Jingxie's sixth disciple, who had brought Luo Bei here, couldn't help but ask.

Yan Jingxie sneered, "The blood and living souls of cultivators would naturally yield better results in refinement. If he feared discovery, such a frenzied individual would inevitably eliminate his own disciples."

Ao Huang nodded, appearing to be somewhat shaken. "I just wonder who that expert was. The residual aura alone is enough to make one's heart pound."

"Besides the Luofu Sect Master Yuan Tianyi, who else could casually unleash the Glazed Golden Light Annihilation, a technique with the power to slaughter gods and annihilate immortals?" Yu Ruochen said calmly.

"Luofu Sect Master Yuan Tianyi? It was him?!"

Apart from Yan Jingxie, everyone else gasped upon hearing Yu Ruochen's words.

"Master saved me?" Luo Bei's heart also jolted violently, and he couldn't help but look towards Yu Ruochen. However, he saw Yu Ruochen gazing out the window at the clear blue sky, lost in thought.

"Yuan Tianyi acts solely on his whims, but he is noble and aloof. This time, the news of his intervention will certainly not spread from his lips." A moment later, Yu Ruochen turned his head. "Although the Purple Micro Daoist Temple is merely affiliated with my Shushan, and within a hundred-mile radius of our sect, we are also responsible for not knowing about the refinement of the Purple River Rebirth Pill. In the future, we should instruct our disciples to pay attention to the conduct of these affiliated sects and prevent such incidents from happening again."

Yan Jingxie and the others nodded. Yu Ruochen's warm gaze then settled on Luo Bei. "Do you have a name?"

Luo Bei nodded. "My name is Luo Bei."

"Luo Bei, a good name," Yu Ruochen said, looking at Luo Bei. "The Purple Micro Daoist Temple is considered an outer sect of my Shushan. As a disciple of the Purple Micro Daoist Temple, even though Qingxu committed a grave mistake, you are, in a way, my Shushan disciple. Since you are already in Shushan today, would you be willing to become a Shushan disciple?"

All flying swords originate from Shushan!

Recalling the sword light that had sliced through the sky that day at the graveyard, and remembering Yuan Tianyi's words about returning to Luofu only after cultivating his Natal Sword Essence, Luo Bei nodded without hesitation. "I am willing."

Yu Ruochen smiled and turned to Yan Jingxie. "Since Luo Bei was discovered by your disciple, he shall be under your tutelage."

"Good," Yan Jingxie nodded. A hint of excitement flickered in his cold eyes, and Ao Huang and the others around him also looked pleased.

Anyone could see that Luo Bei possessed excellent potential. Having such a junior brother might even bring them more prestige in the future.

With Yan Jingxie's nod, Luo Bei officially became a disciple of Shushan!

***

Yuzhao, a once-peaceful seaside fishing town, was bustling with activity under the midday sun.

More than three hundred villagers from the surrounding areas, all dressed in their finest clothes, paraded with gongs and drums, dancing with kirin figures and carrying offerings like roasted pigs, heading towards the Mazu Temple by the sea.

This was Yuzhao's grand annual temple fair.

On this day, villagers from all around would gather before the Sea God Temple to offer incense and pray for favorable weather, safe voyages, and abundant harvests.

The Mazu they worshipped was a goddess statue, similar to Guanyin.

According to legends in this coastal region, the Mazu in their hearts possessed a broad and compassionate spirit and noble virtues of saving the suffering and aiding the distressed. Almost every fishing boat carried her statue.

These fishermen were devout, as their lives were arduous. If they encountered misfortune at sea or had a poor harvest, their livelihoods would be precarious. The more they prayed for, the more respect they showed to the deities. Thus, the temple was built magnificently, and the statue, which seemed to see all the world's suffering with kind eyes, shone with golden light.

After the most respected elder from the vicinity lit the first incense, the more than three hundred villagers prostrated themselves before the temple, burning incense and offering prayers. However, no one expected that at this very moment, a sharp cracking sound, "cī liè," would emanate from the golden statue in the center of the main hall.

Hundreds of villagers looked up at the sound, only to see a deep crack, over ten feet long, appearing on the chest of the golden statue!

It turned out that the sound was the noise of the golden statue's chest splitting open!

How could such a fine golden statue crack without reason? Was it an ill omen? Did the statue possess sentience and foresee terrible events about to unfold in the world?!

The faces of hundreds of villagers turned pale.

Just then, all these villagers suddenly felt a dazzling golden light, brighter than the midday sun, which seemed to dim in comparison.

A vast, dazzling golden radiance streaked across the sky like golden lightning, heading west at an ever-increasing speed. The golden light grew brighter and brighter, blinding to the eyes! Even the surface of the distant sea seemed to be parted by the sheer power of this light, forming a deep trench.

Waves of inexplicable pressure poured down from the sky, causing all the villagers to prostrate themselves on the ground, trembling uncontrollably!

Just this wave of nameless pressure made the villagers feel the world-destroying power contained within the golden radiance!

Was this a coincidence?

Or was the statue truly sentient, "cracked with shock" in the face of this world-ending power!

"Who is it!"

In the Divine Land, cultivators were as numerous as the stars. On an island less than a hundred miles from this fishing town, there were also cultivators. These individuals were gathered before an alchemical furnace, jointly channeling their Dao power to refine a batch of pills. However, under the pressure of the golden light, their minds were shattered, and they lost control of the heat. With a boom, the entire alchemical furnace exploded into pieces.

Looking up at the sky, these people, still with flames on their bodies, saw that the golden radiance emanated from a person flying through the air. The direction this person, radiating terrifying power, was heading was towards Kunlun, a place unknown to the world!