The Legend (2)

Xie Qingying's gaze fell from the majestic figure of Emperor Mingyang, who exuded a trace of true spiritual Dao aura, and a thoughtful look flashed across her face as she spoke solemnly.

"The Goddess of the Greater Yin uses the moonlight as a guide, laying down a thousand illusions and a thousand mazes at the entrance. People are unaware of this and mistakenly believe they can find a way through, but in reality, every one of them leads to nothingness, and they cannot find the truth!"

I guess the goddess is conflicted!

They wanted Mingyang to find the way back, but they were also afraid that he would actually find it, because if he did, it would mean that he was dead too.

"So she set this up so that the imperial chariot would forever be searching along the way, never reaching its destination."

"In that way, the essence of Mingyang Daoist teachings will survive and never dissipate."

After Xie Qingying finished speaking, she looked into the distance and suddenly felt that someone was watching her in the moonlight.

"That yellow sand... that's the key to entering; perhaps, this place is exactly what we're waiting for."

Feigning sudden realization, Xie Qingying turned to Chen Yi with a smile.

Chen Yi nodded in acknowledgment and pulled out the heavy ruler from behind him.

"Yes, I am that path."

A ghostly green light floated out from behind Chen Yi, and yellow sand swept across the sky.

The clear moonlight gathered behind him, gradually forming a cold, illusory moon, which he held horizontally, pointing forward.

In just a moment, the aura around him changed drastically.

No longer the kind-faced, gentle young master Chen Clan, but... a lonely soul drifting at the end of the yellow sand, under the cold moonlight, his body stiffened like a corpse, with Chen Yi's spirit guarding him.

[Yellow Sand Cold Moon]'s exclusive Secret Method can actually enable one to achieve the unique ability of the soul to the Purple Mansion during the Foundation Establishment!

The Xie Clan family members exclaimed inwardly.

"My Chen Clan, the [Mountain] Elephant lineage, controls mountains and rivers, judges fate, and governs the netherworld."

Chen Yi's spirit slowly spoke, its voice calm.

"The more you see, the more you know. The more you know, the more you see that all living beings are confused and obsessed. They seek fame and fortune but cannot attain them, nor can they find true feelings and desires. The physical body is external, but the soul is internal."

"I will temporarily abandon this filth and strive to cross the Moonlight Labyrinthine Crossing!"

He raised his head and looked at the myriad illusions.

"When I Foundation Establishment, I used [Yellow Sand Lone Soul] and [Cold Moon Clear Radiance] as the base to forge [Yellow Sand Cold Moon]. At that time, the elders of the clan all said that this foundation was too cold and evil."

This is against the harmony of nature and may shorten one's lifespan.

He smiled, a smile that held an indescribable meaning.

"But they don't know that the Yellow Sand Lone Soul are the wandering souls that died in the desert and have no one to collect them."

The Cold Moon Clear Radiance, shining for millennia, yet unappreciated by anyone. These two things are, in essence, the loneliest existences in the world.

The spirit then raised the heavy ruler, as did the corpse, before striding forward.

Towards the direction where the moonlight spreads out in the sky like a thousand mazes, the bewilderment and ignorance of the Greater Yin have no effect, only the heavy pressure of all kinds of falsehoods and prohibitions.

The body of Chen Yi was broken and deformed, yet no blood was seen, and he felt no pain.

Then, the corpse was slashed heavily.

Yellow sand surged forth.

It was not ordinary yellow sand, but sand carrying countless eerie green flames, sand soaked in the clear moonlight, sand summoned from beneath the vast desert and from ancient lonely graves.

As the sand falls into the river, a thousand illusions tremble simultaneously.

The moonlight rippled, and the hazy light and shadow scattered and splashed everywhere. Those seemingly real waterways crumbled, dissipated, and turned into nothingness one after another.

In the end, only one remained.

A narrow, labyrinthine path, allowing only one person to pass at a time, lies silently across the illusion.

At the end of the ferry crossing, the fog swirls and rolls, and a solitary building can be vaguely seen.

"Walk."

Chen Yi's voice was slightly hoarse, and his face paled.

"Only half an hour."

He did not look back, but took the lead on the true path.

Xie Qingying smiled gracefully, bowed to Chen Yi, and led the Xie Clan family members to follow.

Reaching the center of the Moonlight Labyrinthine Crossing, Xie Qingying stopped and looked down.

Notice that the maze formed by the moonlight was not as clear and bright as it appeared from afar; in fact, it was pitch black inside. However, through that layer of ink, one could vaguely see something at the bottom of the river.

It's skeleton.

Countless skeletons, layer upon layer, piled up into a mountain. There were human skeletons, Demon Race skeletons, and some strange skeletons whose races could not be identified.

They lay quietly at the bottom of the river, drifting with the current, without a sound.

"These are..." Xie Qingying looked thoughtful.

"The cultivator who died in the illusion."

Chen Yi didn't turn around, but his voice drifted over.

"The Mingyang Decoy Tomb is actually protected by the Greater Yin Fivefold Heaven-Locking Illusionary Realm. Countless people have entered, but only a few have been able to leave. These are all people who have sought it but could not obtain it."

Desiring but not obtaining.

Xie Qingying silently recited these four words, and as if they possessed infinite magic, with just a single thought, countless thoughts surged into her mind like weeds.

An indescribable sorrow took root in her heart, and a ray of light shone from her soul, instantly alerting her!

"Don't even think about it!"

Xie Qingying shouted.

But before the words were finished, four members of the Xie Clan family, shrouded in an atmosphere of grief, had their souls and bodies burning in the moonlight, some numb, some insane!

In just a moment, it vanished into ashes, its spirit and soul scattered without a trace, leaving only the cultivated Law Power and foundation, which turned into a pool of water, either green or blue.

Upon seeing this, Xie Qingying immediately swallowed a crystal-blue pill, then chanted the [Calm Heart Emotionless Incantation], a spell of unknown rank passed down by her Lineage elders, her expression resolute as she quickly eradicated distracting thoughts from her mind.

The remaining Xie Clan family members and elders were also affected, but five of them turned into water.

The Xie Clan suffered heavy losses. Originally, there were more than 20 people, all of whom were elites. Now, after just passing through two illusions, nine people have died, which is almost half of their strength!

Now, including her, there are only thirteen people left!

Xie Qingying coughed up a mouthful of blood, and her pretty face turned pale.

Suddenly, I remembered that my family had been avoiding this lingering, eerie mist.

But then, by chance, she ran into Chen Yi and met Mingyang!

For a moment, he forgot to think of a response, and the fog remained completely still as soon as he appeared, behaving very obediently.

But a seed of doubt was planted in Xie Qingying's heart.

The ghost lantern, and that the Unseen gaze, are real.

Moreover, his phrase "desiring but not being able to obtain" was clearly a hint and suggestion!

Is Chen Yi a good person? Of course not!

Would he really cooperate with you out of pure goodwill and without any reason? And go to such lengths, revealing his trump cards to break through the illusion, without any ulterior motive?

Don't make your sister Xie laugh. Cultivating immortality isn't like hosting a dinner party. The Dao Path is fraught with danger, and if you make a mistake, you'll die and your cultivation will be extinguished!

The friendships among the immortal races of the Cangxuan Ancient Realm are insignificant when it comes to matters of core interest!

So, what exactly is he plotting?

Unless, of course, he needs something from me, or rather, I am also an important person in this situation!

Xie Qingying suppressed her thoughts and followed Chen Yi forward until the illusion disappeared, the true path ended, and she stepped onto solid ground.

Before this, the two remained silent, and Xie Qingying became even more wary of Chen Yi!

He secretly gave orders to the Xie Clan family to be prepared, and if anything changed, to swarm in and clear out several thousand of the tens of thousands of spirit talismans they had prepared!

Indeed, Xie Qingying had made ample preparations for this operation; she had nothing more than resources and connections.

Apart from those who were truly unlucky enough to die, the remaining thirteen people each carried a large number of talismans, pills, and Law Artifact.

He almost emptied his pockets of what he had gained in the Wind Abyss Ruin Realm, and even took a lot of the precious materials given to him by the Sima Clan to exchange with Ye Jinyu for scarce resources such as talismans and pills.

Even the Mystic Origin Heavy Water and Marsh Dragon Treasure Pearl that were previously lent out were used to extract a hefty sum of resources from Ye Jinyu.

Moreover, Chen Yi has just broken through the formation and has expended a lot of energy; his strength has not yet recovered. We should take him down while he is off guard!

You can also prepare for escape by having defensive talismans, teleportation talismans, and energy-accumulating offensive talismans ready in advance!

What came into view was a pavilion, similar to what had just been seen, yet different.

This pavilion is taller and older, and the lanterns hanging under its eaves are not a dark green, but a pure white, as white as solidified moonlight.

The crowd stood in front of the building, but they subtly surrounded Chen Yi.

"Miss Xie, there's no need for you to be so wary of me!"

Chen Yi turned around, seemingly having figured it out, and smiled faintly, saying...

"This Greater Yin Fivefold Heaven-Locking Illusion, each layer corresponds to a unified Greater Yin Dao Immortal Method. Similarly, the method to break through realms also requires five different and unique Immortal Foundations."

The Imperial Sword is the Key to Mingyang, and those who have achieved the Five Immortal Foundations are the destined individuals chosen by Greater Yin to receive its gifts.

"Greater Yin neither wanted anyone to disturb Mingyang, nor did she want her legacy to be buried forever, hidden from the world. Therefore, she set up these five illusionary realms. Only when five immortal foundations aligned with her will are gathered can one break through and enter."

"A celestial foundation that resonates with the will of Greater Yin?"

Chen Yi smiled slightly.

"Ye Jinyu's achievement of [Bifeng Yin Fire], with Yin Fire belonging to Yin and Bifeng belonging to Yin, can be considered a pure Yin foundation, capable of resonating with the Greater Yin Dao, and can break [Mist Pavilions]."

"Sima Ruiming's [Mystic Nether Dragon Lord], Xuanming is the water of the northern Yin, the Dragon Lord rules the netherworld, and is also of Yin nature. The fourth level, [Lone Lodge Cold], requires him to break through it."

Then, looking at Xie Qingying, he said, "Miss Xie's [Heavenly Luan Phoenix Cry], the Heavenly Phoenix is a divine bird that controls the sound of life and death, and the Phoenix Cry can reach the netherworld—the third level of Peach Blossom Spring Gaze, you must break through it."

Finally, Wang Maohong was mentioned. "The [Flowing Light Heavenly Fire] inherited by the Wang Clan, which seems to be extremely yang, is actually heavenly fire born from the Great Void Great Void, which is outside the Netherworld, the place where yin and yang meet."

The fifth layer of Setting Sun Dusk requires him to break through it.

Finally, Chen Yi turned his attention to himself.

"As for my [Yellow Sand Cold Moon], the yellow sand buries bones, and the cold moon illuminates the soul; it is the foundation of the path that is close to the netherworld in this world."

"And I have already broken through this Moonlight Labyrinthine Crossing."

The five people from Cangxuan who came to this world each have their own affiliations and their own destinations!

A strange feeling suddenly welled up in Xie Qingying's heart.

Is all of this really just a coincidence?

Chen Yi's gaze held a deeper meaning.

"We've been preparing in the Central Continent for a long time; now it's time to wait for the three of them to arrive!"

In the hazy mist of the pavilion, there seemed to be a woman's illusory figure.

Her face was like a peach blossom, her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, and there was a faint smile on her lips. Her temperament was aloof and could keep people at a distance. She was as pure and bright as the moon and could not be profaned.

"Mingyang... all the people you requested are ready."

This time, don't break your promise again.