Re-entering Lesser Morality Temple

Using a calm mind to wield the saber, and the might of a fierce tiger to intimidate the enemy!

The fiend from the Five Poisons Cult only felt a blur before his eyes, as if he wasn't fighting a young constable, but a magnificent tiger, a beast that surpassed even elephants and lions in its ferocity.

Its claws and fangs were sharp, its gaze piercing, its physique imposing, capable of uprooting mountains.

Fear crept into his heart, the short saber in his hand lost its edge, his once terrifying feints forgotten, he met the attack with only two-tenths of his strength.

The saber light sliced through, shining silver, he felt intense pain throughout his body, only then realizing that his opponent wasn't a fierce tiger, but just a youth.

He had been careless!

After that, he knew nothing more.

Xiang Yuan brought his saber down, seeing the corpse on the ground with wide-open eyes, he felt a numbness in the tiger's mouth of his right hand holding the saber, a lingering fear.

"Strange, what just happened, suddenly..."

It was as if his saber technique had improved.

Thinking of how he had learned from Liu Jingsheng, mimicking him perfectly, and how he had grasped the imposing aura, almost flawlessly executing the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber, he couldn't help but suspect he was a martial arts prodigy.

Xiang Yuan didn't have time to think too much. Overexerted and startled by the grotesque corpse, his legs felt weak, and he stumbled, leaning on his saber as he sat down.

"Not bad, kid. You've earned a reward for killing an enemy."

Old Liu hurried over and, seeing Xiang Yuan's pale face, patted him up and down. "It's nothing. You're just too startled. It's like this the first time. You'll get used to it."

Anyone who has killed often knows that a few more kills will make you accustomed to it.

Xiang Yuan nodded stiffly. After Old Liu helped him up, a strong gust of wind blew from ahead, violently dispersing all the poisonous miasma in the forest. Over ten constables, identifiable by their Six Doors attire, quickly appeared. Seeing the situation in the clearing, their faces turned grim.

Despite the tight cordon, the criminals had escaped. This was partly the fault of the Six Doors for their carelessness and partly the fault of the local constables for their lack of strength.

When investigated, everyone would bear responsibility.

Now was not the time to shirk responsibility. Capturing the fiend from the Five Poisons Cult would salvage everything.

"Where is your Captain Liu Jingsheng?"

"Captain Liu he..." An old constable stepped forward and explained the situation.

"Chase! Everyone, get up and chase!"

Liu Jingsheng protected his constables, treating his subordinates exceptionally well. The Six Doors, however, cared only about solving cases and apprehending criminals, not the lives of local constables.

Forget "never enter a forest," forget "don't pursue a cornered enemy." None of that mattered. If the criminals escaped, they would be held accountable!

Of course, the Six Doors wouldn't be too harsh. Injured constables could rest on the spot, and those who weren't injured were each given a Spirit Clearing Pill.

Placed under the tongue, it could ward off poisonous miasma.

It couldn't cure all poisons, but it was better than nothing.

Xiang Yuan was unharmed and, along with Old Liu and other constables, was dispatched by the Six Doors. This was a privilege of the Six Doors; as long as their token was shown, all yamen in Western Chu had to obey and cooperate.

Soon, a vast net of encirclement spread out. Scattered torches, numbering over a hundred, dotted the mountains and forests, searching for any trace of the fiend from the Five Poisons Cult.

Zhao Family Village had yielded many good things: Pills from White Cloud Manor, sharp weapons from Forget Sword Manor, and martial arts manuals purchased from two shops. This was a major case, affecting the livelihood and security of the entire Western Chu and Southern Border. The ringleader must be apprehended. Only by capturing him could they use torture to interrogate who the Five Poisons Cult was working for.

Xiang Yuan followed Old Liu, holding a torch to light the way. The mountain wasn't high, but it was rugged with dense undergrowth, and infested with poisonous insects and snakes, making it extremely dangerous. At first, he could still see Old Liu's torch, but later, his vision went black, and there was no one else around.

The absence of people wasn't the problem; it was the fear of ghosts. He had heard that this wretched world truly had ghosts and monsters.

In the sky, dark clouds gradually thickened, the crescent moon was hidden, and the vast mountain forest grew even darker.

Xiang Yuan walked for an unknown amount of time. The Spirit Clearing Pill under his tongue had dissolved, and he felt dizzy, unsure when he had been affected. The torch in his hand had also extinguished, and he just wanted to find a safe place to rest.

A familiar mountain path appeared before him. He looked up and saw a dilapidated Taoist temple.

Lesser Morality Temple.

"How long have I walked? How did I end up here?"

Xiang Yuan, groggy and unable to stand, forgot even the important matter of divine skill opportunities. He slung his umbrella and saber over his shoulder and walked into the Lesser Morality Temple, sitting cross-legged in a corner.

To conceal himself, he borrowed the offering table of the Heavenly Venerable of Morality to surround the corner.

Although, the clay statue of the Heavenly Venerable of Morality was long gone.

The land of the Southern Border was vast and boundless, with rolling mountains stretching endlessly.

It was wild and vast, shrouded in mist, mysterious and rarely visited by humans.

Although there were no sky-piercing peaks, there were treacherous ravines. The mountains were filled with strange rocks and secluded valleys, dense forests, and ancient vines intertwined, creating a deep and awe-inspiring landscape.

This place was home to a myriad of poisonous insects, each with its unique form, hiding in the grass, perched on treetops, or lurking in rock crevices, present everywhere. The fangs of venomous snakes were as sharp as needles, their venom capable of sealing a throat with a single drop; the pincers of poisonous insects possessed immense strength, capable of tearing flesh with a single strike.

There were also buzzing mosquitoes and flies, whose bites caused redness, swelling, and unbearable pain.

Poisonous miasma permeated the valleys, appearing and disappearing like smoke and fog.

The miasma was formed from decaying leaves and grass in the mountains, combined with the evaporation of heat and humidity, creating poisonous fog. If inhaled carelessly, it could cause dizziness, or worse, unconsciousness and even death.

Where there were many poisonous insects, there were even more ferocious beasts.

These were no ordinary beasts; many possessed extraordinary bloodlines and could transform into human form to deceive travelers.

The area was rife with ferocious beasts and many malevolent spirits, not to mention hidden Demonic Beings, converging all the world's great evils.

This was why Western Chu had not occupied Southern Border, yet remained constantly on guard against it.

Within the dense forest of the valley, two Daoists faced each other from a distance. One possessed an ethereal air, with white hair, a long flowing beard, and robes that remained unstained by dust; his presence was extraordinary, truly like that of an Immortal.

The other Daoist's attire and appearance were casual, neither sloppy nor particularly noteworthy, simply plain and unremarkable.

The plain and unremarkable old Daoist was Old Daoist Quexin, who had come for Xiang Yuan's divine skill opportunity and to purge the sect.

He slowly spoke, "Senior Brother Lingguang, ten years have passed, and you are still so sanctimonious. At first glance, one might mistake you for a human."

"Que Xin, it has been ten years. I thought you wouldn't come."

Daoist Lingguang placed one hand on his horsetail whisk. "What brings you here today? Don't speak of purging the sect. In these ten years, I have become the Left Emissary of the Yellow Springs Path. If we were to fight, it would surely cause celestial phenomena, and the heroes of Southern Border would all arrive. With more helpers, you would surely die."

He then let out a cold laugh. If the sect wasn't purged ten years ago, it was hard to say who was the legitimate successor now.

"Senior Brother speaks wisely, which is why I consulted the divination before coming. This journey is fraught with peril but no real danger, only one calamity."

"What calamity?"

Old Daoist Lingguang's brow furrowed. While he wouldn't admit it, he was quite wary of his junior brother Que Xin when it came to divination.

"Within the Sect Gate, there is a senior brother named Lingguang who faces a Disaster of Bloodlight today..."

Old Daoist Quexin's face showed grief. "Because I must personally intervene, Senior Brother... he, there is no solution, he is doomed to die!"

"How dare you, demonic Daoist, boast with your words!"

Daoist Lingguang flew into a rage. He swung his horsetail whisk, and three thousand white strands shot up into the sky, parting the dark clouds to reveal the bright moon and pointing towards three thousand stars, drawing forth infinite radiance.

He tugged at the whisk, pulling down boundless brilliance. The three thousand stars warped space, and in an instant, a grand formation descended.

Within the formation, profound mysteries were hidden, it lurked in the void, stars flickered, now bright, now dim. Each star contained endless energy, and guided by the formation, a destructive nebula vortex devoured all things.

The terrifying pressure, even from outside the formation, caused a tremor deep within one's soul, as if a crushing weight bore down, making it impossible to breathe.

"Do you recognize this formation!"