Several days later, within Daze Country, wind and rain darkened the sky.
Rain poured down in torrents, pea-sized drops hammering urgently against the eaves of the dilapidated daoist temple with crisp crackling sounds, as though the heavens were pouring out endless sorrow.
At that moment, three streaks of escaping light pierced through the dark clouds at the horizon, shooting across the sky like meteors before landing steadily before the daoist temple's weathered gates.
"Senior Brother Cao, this place is so desolate. Why don't we go straight to River City? Why stop here?" A female cultivator with peach-blossom features frowned at their surroundings and asked in confusion.
"Junior Sister, the person we rescued said River City's situation was unclear and that Demonic Beasts might be running rampant there. This daoist temple may be ruined, but it lies outside the city and few people come here. It is just right for us to use as a temporary refuge," said the Black-clothed Man at the front.
The long-faced male cultivator at his side nodded in agreement.
Thus, the three entered the temple, only for their footsteps to stiffen in an instant.
There stood, in the main hall, a clay deity statue shrouded in dust and cobwebs, solemn and mysterious.
It was a statue of a female Daoist priest, her eyes slightly open and her expression dignified, inspiring fear in all who looked upon her.
Yet the statue seemed to have suffered the blows of blades and swords. Sword marks and saber scars covered its body, as though it had endured a fierce battle, leaving it somewhat broken and fragmented.
At that moment, a man in azure robes stood quietly before the statue, gazing upward as though searching for something.
His back looked so solitary and desolate, as if he were utterly out of