Azure Mountain Twilight

With Zhao Yifan and Li Qingyun taking the lead, the merchant caravan felt much more secure, maintaining their vigilance and quickening their pace.

Perhaps it was the deterrent effect of the Daoist effigies' divine might, or perhaps it was the thunderous strike of Li Qingyun's Lightning Method earlier, combined with the caravan guards' thorough and flawless defense. For now, the Corpse Dogs and Rotten Wolves kept their distance, daring not to attack.

However, as the number of Corpse Dogs and wolves gathered grew, everyone knew that waiting like this would only become more dangerous!

Behind the pack of Corpse Dogs, shadowy figures flickered, their ghostly presence chilling.

Li Qingyun frowned, a sense of unease settling over him.

He sensed that as the caravan advanced, the lonely spirits and wandering ghosts from the wilderness were also being drawn by the human presence.

He gathered his Mana in his eyes and peered into the shadowy darkness, discovering they were all ghostly entities.

Before cultivating Mana, he couldn't discern the forms of these demons and strange monsters, not even the weakest wandering spirit.

Unless these malevolent spirits actively revealed themselves, ordinary people wouldn't see them even if they stood right in front of them. They would only feel a chilling cold, instinctively get goosebumps, and experience inexplicable fear.

These days, while staying at Lingbao Temple, Li Qingyun often meditated and cultivated outdoors at night without encountering a single ghostly shadow. This was why mountain gates and their surrounding forests were so coveted by the mortal world.

Now, having left the temple, his Spiritual Eye revealed countless ghostly figures in the darkness.

"In this world, how can there be so many demons and strange monsters? After hundreds or thousands of years, with so many temples, sects, and extraordinary families, they still can't be completely eradicated? This area is still within Lingbao Temple's patrol range, yet it's this unsafe!"

"Especially since these ghostly spirits are gathering in increasing numbers but aren't attacking, what are they planning?"

Li Qingyun was secretly alarmed and couldn't help but glance at Zhao Yifan.

Coincidentally, Zhao Yifan also looked at him with worried eyes, and Li Qingyun's heart sank.

"Junior Brother, something's not right. There are already over thirty wandering spirits and ghosts following us! We need to speed up and get to that abandoned temple; it should be much better there..."

Zhao Yifan transmitted his thoughts secretly.

Immediately after, he called out in a deep voice.

"Everyone, put more effort into your steps! We must reach the abandoned temple at the junction ahead before the Hour of the Boar!"

Qian Fuguan, the steward from the Four Seas Pavilion, with his extensive experience in the martial world, also sensed something was amiss and anxiously urged the caravan and other travelers to accelerate.

"Yes, everyone listen to the two Daoists and speed up!"

The steward, his eyes filled with fear, constantly wiped the sweat pouring down his plump face. He repeatedly reached up to wipe it and then silently recited prayers to the statue of the Nine Heavens Azure Dao Lord on top of the carriage.

As long as the statue's pure light remained, ordinary wandering spirits wouldn't dare to approach, lest they be burned to ashes.

But if the ghosts were fearless and charged forward, once the pure light was depleted, the Daoist effigy would just be an ordinary statue.

Everyone panicked and quickened their pace.

The group traveled in silent urgency, the sound of horse hooves, carriage wheels, and their increasingly rapid breaths clearly audible in the night sky.

Along the sides of the official road and behind the caravan, the following Corpse Dogs, Rotten Wolves, and ghostly shadows continued to increase.

Eventually, even the horses grew restless, agitated and neighing incessantly.

"Meow!" Yuanbao, the big black cat, also had its fur bristling, emitting constant low, warning growls.

"Fellow Daoists, please protect everyone and focus on traveling at full speed. I'll drive off a wave first..."

From the curtained carriage in the middle of the Four Seas Pavilion's caravan, a fair hand pulled back the curtain, and a beautiful female cultivator in a light green Daoist robe emerged. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with a refined appearance, a tall stature, and a heroic spirit in her demeanor.

Li Qingyun subconsciously looked over and, across the night, met the gaze of the female Daoist.

They both nodded in acknowledgment.

Then, the female cultivator's figure flickered, and she floated into the air.

A vermilion magic bead suddenly leaped from the Hundred Treasures Pouch at her waist.

She then grabbed the extraordinary bead, her Mana surging around her, and hurled it towards the dense shadows behind the Corpse Dog pack!

BOOM!

A bright red light flared, burning the night sky.

Raging magical flames instantly incinerated over a dozen wandering spirits and ghosts!

"Impressive! This female cultivator from Biyou Palace is skilled in fire magic, with a cultivation base of at least Qi Refining level seven..."

Li Qingyun was slightly surprised, estimating her cultivation based on the power of her Mana burst.

The female cultivator, appearing no older than twenty, possessed at least Qi Refining level seven cultivation. At Lingbao Temple, she would likely have already qualified as an inner disciple and be cultivating peacefully within the sect. Why would she be doing this kind of escort mission for a caravan?

It must be that Biyou Palace was indeed full of talented individuals, and perhaps the competition was too fierce, forcing such a disciple to lower her status, take on missions, travel the world, and accumulate resources.

Zhao Yifan's expression stirred upon witnessing the female cultivator's imposing magical might. He quickly bowed respectfully.

"Fellow Daoist, you have excellent skills! I am Zhao Yifan of Lingbao Temple, and this is my junior brother, Li Qingyun. May I ask your esteemed name?"

The female cultivator, floating in the air and appearing even taller, looked down, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Yifan and Li Qingyun. She nodded with a faint smile:

"Wang Muyun of Biyou Palace, greetings to both fellow Daoists!"

Her eyes lingered on Li Qingyun for a moment longer, seemingly appreciating his Lightning Method.

"Please, fellow Daoists, do your best to disperse the Corpse Dog pack and try to increase our speed..."

Wang Muyun requested seriously, while the vermilion magic bead in her hand flew out again, spitting flames and killing another dozen Rotten Wolves and Corpse Dogs.

"Alright, I won't hold back!"

Zhao Yifan, his arrogance completely gone, quickly agreed. With a pang of regret, he took out a stack of talisman paper from his satchel. Channeling his mana, he transformed them into fireballs, hurling them at the ever-growing horde of Corpse Dogs ahead.

Even though his cultivation wasn't as strong as the disciples from Biyou Palace, Zhao Yifan didn't want to let Lingbao Temple down. If his strength wasn't enough, talismans would have to suffice. For this mission, he had prepared a large quantity of low-level talismans.

Using talismans instead of casting spells could greatly reduce the burden on his mana.

"Wang Muyun, 'Cangshan Muyun'… quite a fitting name…" Li Qingyun mused briefly.

Boom! Boom!

Flames erupted continuously, leaving the Corpse Dogs and Rotten Wolves battered and bruised.

For the sake of discretion, Li Qingyun only unleashed a lightning spell or two from time to time, but every strike was accurate.

He also deliberately took out a Minor Grass Pill or two, pretending to consume them to recover his mana, when in reality, he wouldn't waste a single one, just putting on a show.

Occasionally, a Corpse Dog would break through Zhao Yifan's defensive line. Li Qingyun would then pat his big black cat, and with a meow, Yuanbao would move with lightning speed, swatting their heads into bloody messes with its paws!

For any "fish that got through the net," a flash of light from his bronze sword would appear. Infused with mana, the sword's glow became razor-sharp, and Corpse Dogs fell like weeds.

Zhao Yifan was reluctant to use the Thousand-Year Peachwood Sword on his back, relying mainly on throwing talismans. When Corpse Dogs got too close, he would swat them away with his palm.

His movement and footwork were quite something, and he was unwilling to waste even a sliver of mana, truly showing the seasoned veteran he was.

The two elders from the Four Seas Pavilion caravan, who had "entered the Dao through unorthodox means," also began to reveal their supernatural abilities.

One elder with a goatee bit his finger, drawing blood, and dabbed it on his forehead while chanting rapidly. His cheeks quickly sprouted dense white fur, his eyeballs turned increasingly red, and the nails on both hands stretched out considerably, becoming as sharp as fox claws.

He looked like a completely different person!

The elder let out a sharp cry like an old fox and moved with the speed of a fox's tracks. At the edge of the Dao Lord's purifying light, he swept his claws, overturning and tearing apart the Corpse Dogs and Rotten Wolves that were charging at the protective shield!

When a Corpse Dog lunged and bit the elder, green blood oozed from the wound, but the elder seemed oblivious, his actions unaffected.