Qiling Mountain lay in the western Tian Luo Kingdom, stretching for tens of thousands of li. Its terrain was treacherous, with countless steep peaks and vast swathes of mist and poisonous miasma. Innumerable spirit beasts and strange insects lived within it. This was where the Spirit Controlling Sect made its home.
One day, a stern-faced middle-aged man in an ocher robe, whose cultivation was at late Foundation Establishment, arrived unhurriedly before the Spirit Controlling Sect's entrance on a round bowl-shaped magic tool.
"Oh? Senior Brother You, why have you returned? Is your guard assignment outside over?" A flash of spiritual light appeared beside the entrance restriction, revealing a seedy old man with a drooping mustache, who addressed the middle-aged man.
"Ah, Junior Brother Tao. Something urgent came up recently, so I needed to return. I'll be heading back to the Yue Kingdom in a few days. Sorry for the trouble, but please open the restriction for me," the middle-aged man said calmly. At the same time, he tossed over a dark green token engraved with intricate patterns.
"Of course. Please wait a moment, Senior Brother!"
After replying, the old man took the middle-aged man's token, then pulled out another plaque of a similar design, though somewhat larger.
He cast a series of spells on the plaque, and a ray of green spiritual light shot out of it, striking the middle-aged man's token.
The green light shimmered across the token before sinking into it and disappearing.
"Senior Brother, the secret key has been infused. Your token can now open the restriction!" the old man said, returning it.
"Thank you, Junior Brother!" After taking the token, the middle-aged man swept it across the entrance restriction, and a passage large enough for a person to enter appeared without a sound.
He then flew