A Ghost Lantern Appeared, a Peach Blossom Face

Wind Abyss Ruin Realm, Central Region, near the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect.

Since the arrival of the Cangxuan army, this land where swordsmanship flourished has become the most strange and peaceful place.

The two great dynasties were locked in fierce battle in the northern border, and the remnants of the Jiaolong clan and the Azure Luan tribe were fighting each other in the mountains and marshes. Only the Central Region was unusually quiet.

The wonders of heaven and earth gushed forth, along with the essence of the sun and moon.

True spiritual medicines are everywhere, but no one dares to take them. The divine sword is sharp and clear, and its Blood Qi is mournful and eerie.

Extremely abnormal!

The bluebird on Xie Qingying's shoulder folded its wings slightly as she gazed into the distance of the Central Region.

"How are the Ye Clan and Sima Clan?"

The Xie Clan elder behind him nodded. "The two families must be really fighting. Ye Anlan, Jinming, Jinxuan from the Ye Clan family have all made their moves."

Sima Clan's Firmament Heaven did recruit a cultivator with the most illustrious reputation, who had established a great name during the war between the two dynasties. He was a hunter from Cangxuan and was known as Youyan Fierce Bow, Zhengxian!

A golden light flashed, a sound suddenly broke through the silence, a hidden dragon appeared in an instant, celestial phenomena descended, the arrow defeated Ye Anlan, injured Jinxuan! Retreat Jinming.

"Finally, it was Ye Jinyu who made the move, using Yin Fire Bifeng to strike the soul, and only then..."

Xie Qingying listened and chuckled softly.

"Those who learn literary and martial arts can sell them to the emperor, gain control of the world, and the benefits of educating and transforming people's hearts are countless."

The imperial court is still the imperial court; heroes from all over the land flock to it like carp crossing a river!

"How is the contact with the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect on the edge of the Central Region? The Chen and Wang families have been trapped in the Central Continent since entering Wind Abyss, and there is not much news about them, except that we know what they are waiting for," the elder continued to answer.

"What are you waiting for..." Xie Qingying repeated softly, her eyes glistening with tears.

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits?! No, it belongs to the Chen Clan [mountain], but Chen Yi's Dao [Yellow Sand Cold Moon] is a fitting description of Yin, the resentment of the cold moon."

"Rain soaks white bones, blood stains the grass; Yellow Sand Cold Moon, ghosts guard the corpses!"

"What does Miss mean?"

"The way of the king and the way of the tyrant, both of which are extremely strong and masculine, require the dynasty's fortune as a guide to forge the imperial sword."

Why did Mingyang begin with doubt?

I believed that the sun and moon, yin and yang, were mutually generated.

Two dynasties fought, leaving behind piles of white bones. The overwhelming Blood Qi and sorrow, the wailing of the people, the joy, anger, worry, fear, love, hatred and desire of humankind—all seven emotions were manifested!

So what? To hide or to keep?

The underworld is subordinate to the Greater Yin).

How high the mountains are, how distant the Heavenly Palace is! Ten thousand ghosts roam the dark path, and a hundred spirits dwell in the desolate wilderness. (The mountains represent the boundary between Yin and Yang; the desolate wilderness represents the underworld; the dark path represents the road to the Yellow Springs; and the ten thousand ghosts are the souls of the dead.)

She paused.

"He probably has far more information than I do."

The elder hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"The Greater Yin has always been mysterious and hidden."

"If this realm possesses the Greater Yin, then the Cangxuan All-Heavens are likely... Miss, you must seek it out!"

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred in the Central Region.

It was an extremely light and faint mist.

At first, it was just a wisp, from the Sword Peak of the Central Continent.

The sun rose in the direction of the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect, its light tinged with a faint bluish-gray in the afterglow of the setting sun, as if someone had lit a censer of aged incense there.

The fog slowly spread.

It wasn't the usual surging and billowing of clouds and mist, but rather a silent, pervasive spread. Wherever it passed, the colors of heaven and earth gradually faded, sounds gradually disappeared, and even the light became dim.

"This is..." Elder Xie Clan's expression changed drastically.

The bluebird on Xie Qingying's shoulder suddenly flapped its wings and let out a sharp cry.

The cry was filled with fear.

"Retreat!"

Xie Qingying almost instinctively stepped back, but the fog moved faster than her.

In just over ten breaths, a vast expanse of bluish-gray mist enveloped the entire Central Region.

In the fog, there was neither sky nor earth, neither directions nor ups and downs.

Only silence.

The fog is getting thicker.

Xie Qingying looked at the mist, her eyes sparkling, and a slight smile appeared on her face.

Then he immediately crushed the teleportation talisman that was flashing with purple light in his hand, and the elders behind him did the same, their faces full of heartache.

Almost instantly, everyone was transported away from the spot.

It was only a breath after they left.

The fog swallowed and enveloped everything.

"Wait a little longer... wait a little longer... hehe..."

A sound as clear as a bell echoed.

The Entering the Night with the Wind, beneath the cool moonlight.

In the Central Region, at the heart of the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect, where mist surges, it seems like a pure land.

"Senior brothers, senior sisters, Master... you've all left..."

Wei Ming stood there, his voice very soft, so soft that only he could hear the sorrow and bitterness within it.

"I'm the only one left."

Overwhelmed with grief, Wei Ming was somewhat possessed, holding a sprig of peach blossom.

Things remain the same, the scenery unchanged, but Wei Ming knows that things have changed, and it is no longer the same as when he was young!

He slowly turned around, tucked the peach blossoms into his bosom, and looked down at the sword's edge.

"Have we had guests?"

A slight smile appeared on Wei Ming's lips.

At the entrance to Sword Peak Mountain, a figure stood with his hands behind his back.

The man was dressed in a dark yellow robe, carrying a heavy ruler on his back. He had a kind and handsome face and stood there quietly.

Where his feet tread, the yellow sand visibly surged, the fog dissipated, and all obstacles around him seemed to be isolated by some cold, invisible force.

It was Yingchuan Chen Clan of Chen Yi.

"My name is Chen Yi. Fellow Daoist, may I come out and meet you?!"

He spoke, his voice calm yet clearly carrying throughout the entire sect.

This place is deathly silent.

A moment later, an elderly man with white hair appeared out of nowhere, probably at the Foundation Establishment stage. His expression was extremely blank. He made an inviting gesture and said...

"My master has been waiting for you! Please!"

Chen Yi smiled, but a cold glint suddenly flashed deep within his seemingly honest eyes.

He pulled out a heavy ruler from behind him, held it in his hand, and slowly moved it forward.

Something seemed to be emitting light within the mist.

It was a lamp.

Or rather, it was a cluster of eerie green lights floating in the mist, flickering and drifting, like someone carrying a lantern walking through the fog.

Hozuki Ichisen.

Without hesitation, Chen Yi picked up the ruler and walked straight toward the light.

Only when I got closer could I see it clearly.

It was indeed a lamp, an ancient bronze lamp, its flame a ghostly green, suspended in the air.

Under the light, countless footprints were reflected, extending deeper into the mist, traces of their descent down the mountain.

The footprints were very shallow, as if they had been left many years ago, and their edges had been obscured by the fog.

Chen Yi squatted down and reached out to touch the footprint.

The moment his fingertips touched it, he heard a sound.

It was very light and indistinct, as if it came from a very distant place.

It was the sound of people, the voices of many people—laughter, banter, the clinking of swords, the shouts of those sparring...

The sound evokes the scene, allowing one to imagine someone treading on clouds and wielding a sword, their figure soaring through the air like a crane, concentrating their mind and breath, the sword moving with their body, stirring up the howling mountain wind.

It was as if thousands of sword lights intertwined, the sound of air being torn apart was resounding, the sword blades were drawn, the Sword Qi pierced through the clouds and split the mist, and the cold light made the mist even colder.

With his robes fluttering and a chilling sword intent emanating from him, the young man from the Yuanming Playing Sword Sect revealed a sharp glint in his eyes.

This is the noisy scene of the Yuanming Sword Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect before the Ruin Realm was broken, a scene from when the sect was at its peak.

Chen Yi abruptly withdrew his hand, then slashed the heavy ruler into the mist. Yellow sand swept through, ghostly wails echoed, and even the gods and spirits wept!

The sound suddenly disappeared.

"The Mist Pavilions, the yellow sand is cold, the moon is chilling and dark..."

It was as if a whisper had been sent, etched into Chen Yi's Divine Sense.

At that moment, the bronze lamp also flickered.

Then it hovered quietly behind Chen Yi, the dim green light illuminating Chen Yi's face, making him appear somewhat pale.

Chen Yi murmured.

"This is..."

"Did you hear that?"

Chen Yi suddenly turned around.

A person slowly emerged from the fog.

The man was dressed in a light blue robe, and his steps were so light that he made almost no sound.

His hair was somewhat disheveled, covering most of his face, revealing only his eyes. Those eyes seemed to lack the radiance of a living person, yet they were filled with an inescapable bloodlust.

Chen Yi activated his Dao Foundation, and yellow sand condensed around him to form an invisible barrier.

"Who's lurking around like that?!"

The man did not answer, but simply raised his head and gazed into the depths of the fog.

The moonlight shone on his face, revealing a young, handsome face, but it was too pale, as if he had never seen sunlight.

I hear it every day.

Wei Ming's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself, "I hear it every day. Their laughter, the clang of their swords, the sound of Master preaching..."

He then looked at Chen Yi.

"You'll hear it too. If you stay here long enough, everyone will hear it."

Chen Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he smiled, "You're actually a disciple of the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect?"

Wei Ming did not deny it, he just smiled.

The smile was faint, almost imperceptible, but Chen Yi sensed a different meaning in it.

Neither sad nor happy, it's more like... a sense of relief.

My name is Wei Ming.

"He is the last member of the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect."

"The last person?" Chen Yi put away the heavy ruler, placing it back behind him, his tone tinged with doubt. "What about the others...?"

"They're all definitely dead."

Wei Ming said calmly.

"Senior brothers and sisters, perhaps our master and sect leader are also dead."

My senior brothers killed many people from Cangxuan, including Rogue Cultivator and immortal disciples, and then they were killed by even more people. In the end, only I was left.

His tone was too calm, so calm that it didn't sound like he was talking about his own affairs, but more like he was recounting old news that had nothing to do with him.

Chen Yi remained silent for a moment.

"You're still alive, isn't that good enough?"

Wei Ming did not answer.

He turned around, and the lamp followed, walking deeper into the fog, seemingly to lead Chen Yi to the Sword Peak.

After taking a few steps, he stopped, turned back to look at Chen Yi, and smiled.

"You're here to find that thing, aren't you?"

Chen Yi nodded silently.