Fellow Daoist, Why Is Black Vapor Pouring Off You?

Lifeless Valley.

The world here seems to have been twisted violently by an invisible giant hand, presenting an absurd and chilling stillness.

The valley entrance looked as if some unimaginable force had forcibly "carved" a piece away from the continuous mountain range.

A thin, grayish-white mist hangs over the valley year-round.

The sunlight filtering in made the scene appear bleak and lifeless.

There was no wind, no insect chirping, not even the slightest sound of dust rolling; only an oppressive silence.

According to some ancient Jade Slip or oral traditions, this place was once the place where a True Lord attained enlightenment.

That True Lord seemed to Dao Path, his Golden Nature exhausted, with no possibility of ascending again. He passed away here in despair and resentment.

However, when he passed away, his resentment soared to the heavens, and he angrily cursed the heavens, which brought about an indescribable calamity.

It not only accelerated its own demise, but also distorted this place, extinguishing all life and turning it into a desolate wasteland where no living beings exist.

Whether the rumors are true or false has long been lost to the Long River of Time.

Only the Lifeless Valley itself, with its eternal stillness, speaks of some kind of ominousness.

At this moment, things are far from peaceful outside the valley entrance.

The dark, imposing Southern Yin World-Suppressing Army stood in a strict formation, like a crimson iron wall, completely sealing off the entrance to Lifeless Valley.

The military formation exuded Sha Qi aura, creating an eerie standoff with the deathly gray mist that permeated the valley. Yet, no one dared to easily step into the clearly defined valley entrance, instead setting up camps around the perimeter and maintaining strict vigilance.

A dozen or so powerful auras belonging to Foundation Establishment True Person appeared above the military formation.

It was clearly a high-ranking cultivator from the military in charge.

Several miles away from the World-Suppressing Army's defensive line, behind a rocky slope, dozens of streaks of light, each with a different aura, quietly descended and revealed their forms.

It was a group of righteous sect True Person, led by True Person Huchan, True Person Qingzhi, and True Person Lingfeng.

They ignored Li Xuanqing's order to "remain in place and await further orders."

They each relied on their own intelligence networks and their concern for the "Imperial Weapon".

They tracked them here almost simultaneously.

"This is it. It seems that the main force of the World-Suppressing Army has already gone in."

True Person Huchan squinted, gazing at the eerily silent valley entrance and the army standing guard outside. He stroked his bushy beard with his large hand, his voice low.

Although there were troops stationed at the camp near the valley entrance.

However, the overwhelming Qi and Blood and Sha Qi of the main force of the army, like a prehistoric behemoth, were greatly weakened.

They clearly divided their forces and entered the valley.

"Li Xuanqing is decisive, shaking us off and making his move first." True Person Lingfeng snorted coldly, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes sharp as an eagle.

"The Lifeless Valley has a notorious reputation; for him to be so eager, there must be a major discovery within."

"Gentlemen, things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more." True Person Qingzhi solemnly, looking around at everyone.

"The dangers within the valley are unknown, and although World-Suppressing Army entered first, it may not be easy for them."

Now that we've come this far, there's no reason for us to leave empty-handed.

As agreed on the way, to prevent any accidents and to facilitate reconnaissance, we will pair up and look out for each other.

"Okay, let's do it that way!"

True Person Huchan responded loudly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before a warm smile immediately spreading across his face. He strode towards Qi Yun's location.

"Brother Yun Zhongzi! We two brothers are a perfect match—"

Seeing True Person Huchan approach, Qi Yun an eyebrow, reached out, and very naturally placed his hand on the arm of True Person Moshou, who was intently observing the valley and had a stern face.

"Fellow Mo Shou," Qi Yun said with a gentle and sincere smile, his gaze fixed on the somewhat bewildered True Person Moshou.

"The dangers of this journey are known to all."

"With the two of us working together, we can look after each other and be perfectly safe. What does Fellow Mo Shou think?"

True Person Moshou was suddenly called out, was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously looked at Qi Yun Yun's hand on his arm, and then met Qi Yun's clear and sincere eyes, which seemed to be full of trust.

His habitually furrowed brows twitched slightly, and the string of suspicion in his heart instinctively tightened.

However, in such a desperate situation, cooperating with a talisman cultivator with sharp attack methods is indeed a complementary choice.

Moreover, after observing for this period of time, it is clear that Fellow Daoist "Yun Zhongzi" has indeed established a very upright character and made significant contributions.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, his voice hoarse. "Well... alright."

"Then Yun Zhongzi said."

True Person Huchan paused in his tracks, glanced at Qi Yun, then at the expressionless True Person Moshou, opened his mouth, and finally his full beard seemed to droop slightly, as if to say, "Brother, why are you like this?"

But he couldn't insist, so he turned around and strode towards another familiar True Person: "Brother Chiji! Come on, let's team up!"

Qi Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched True Person Huchan's somewhat "tragic" figure disappear into the distance.

Good grief, I almost got stuck with that brute again.

With a slight sense of calm, Qi Yun to the still somewhat dazed True Person Moshou beside him and smiled again, "Fellow Mo Shou, I will be relying on your guidance from now on."

Looking at Qi Yun's incredibly sincere smile, True Person Moshou felt a slight unease creep into his heart, a feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He could only nod politely, "Of course. We'll look out for each other."

The two thus temporarily became partners.

The other True Person quickly found their own partners: True Person Qingzhi and True Person Lingfeng, and True Person Huchan and True Person Chiji.

Without further delay, everyone used their methods to conceal their forms and auras, transforming into Flowing Light that were difficult to detect. They silently made their way towards the infamous Lifeless Valley from different flanks.

Just as the righteous True Person had seen before.

Aside from its utterly desolate landscape, this Lifeless Valley seems utterly unremarkable.

There were no ancient battlefield ruins as imagined, no lingering True Lord aura fluctuations, and not a trace of any special aura or unusual phenomenon related to the "Imperial Weapon".

The mountains were deathly white, and the land was hardened.

Even the air seemed to be thick with the smell of decay.

However, the unusual mobilization of the Southern Yin World-Suppressing Army, Li Xuanqing's resolute decision to risk estrangement from his allies, and the intelligence gathered from their respective channels regarding the recent "mysterious disturbances" in Lifeless Valley all clearly pointed to this place being extraordinary.

"Could it be that the time is not yet right? Or is a special method required to trigger it?" True Person Qingzhi frowned and guessed.

"It may be hidden too deeply, beyond the reach of brute force." True Person Moshou's usual caution was tinged with a hint of obsession.

So, everyone had no choice but to suppress their doubts and use their own methods to meticulously examine and explore this vast, desolate valley, inch by inch, like combing through a net.

Talisman detection, Formation Art resonance, Sword Qi sensing, divine sense sweeping, and even joint deduction of cause and effect----

Despite trying every method, except occasionally stirring up the even thicker, lifeless dust that had accumulated in the valley for countless years, nothing was gained.

Time slips away quietly, and several months pass in the blink of an eye.

As the number of people in the valley gradually increased, it did not become more lively. On the contrary, the mutual distrust and the mixed factions added a touch of eerie silence and undercurrents.

An even stranger phenomenon was gradually noticed by a few observant individuals.

This Lifeless Valley seems to "grow".

Although the area had been estimated when they first entered, as the exploration deepened and more people entered, the edge of the valley seemed to be silently expanding outwards.

What seemed like the end of the cliff face turned into a new, equally deathly white valley stretching out behind it a few days later.

What was thought to be an area that had been explored before, when explored from a different angle, turned out to be unexpected side roads or depressions that were not remembered.

This discovery was both alarming and strengthened everyone's belief that "this valley must hold a great secret."

The search continued in an increasingly tense atmosphere, a mixture of confusion, anxiety, and inexplicable anticipation.

Until one day...

There was no warning whatsoever.

The entire Lifeless Valley, a valley that had been silent for countless millennia, along with the bleak light of the sky and the stagnant air above it, suddenly trembled without warning!

All the cultivators in the valley, regardless of their cultivation level or location, experienced a violent tremor in their minds and their Purple Mansion hummed in that instant.

At the same time, a grand, indifferent voice rang in my ears:

[The Yin and Yang Chessboard is set, all pieces are in position!]

The sound faded, its lingering resonance echoing in the void, carrying an ancient and cold sense of order.

Before everyone could recover from this sudden and dramatic change...

That grand voice rang out again, like the proclaiming of an inviolable divine decree:

Good and evil are separated, Yin and Yang stand side by side; yin devours yang, righteous and evil fight and kill each other!

These sixteen words of wisdom, each as powerful as thunder, resonate deep within the Divine Soul of every living being!

Then, an astonishing change occurred—

All the demonic cultivators in the valley, no matter how well they had disguised themselves, were now uncontrollably surrounded by black mist rising from their bodies.

All cultivators who practice righteous methods naturally radiate pure white spiritual light.

Good and evil, yin and yang, are forcibly distinguished and marked under the mysterious and unpredictable "Yin and Yang Chessboard" Principle.

Black and white became the most striking and contrasting colors in Lifeless Valley at this moment.

"This—this valley actually contains such—such immense power?!" True Person Moshou exclaimed in shock, his usually stern and calm face filled with horror.

At this moment, white light was uncontrollably emanating from his body.

In shock, he almost instinctively turned to look at his partner beside him.

That fellow Daoist "Yun Zhongzi," whose Talisman Art were exquisite, whose temperament was upright, and who was deeply trusted by everyone.

But upon closer inspection, the color drained completely from True Person Moshou's face, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

Beside him, the Daoist "Yun Zhongzi," with his flowing blue robes and gentle smile, not only failed to emit the slightest righteous white light, but instead—

Thick, pure black energy, like boiling ink, surged continuously from its body.

"Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi?!"

True Person Moshou's voice was filled with disbelief, horror, and bewilderment.

"You—why are you emanating black energy from your entire body?!"