Qinghe Immortal Clan.

Several months later, in a mountain range northeast of the Kunyu Mountains.

Several streaks of light flew swiftly through the air and landed directly on a high mountain on the east side of the mountain range, revealing four figures: three men and one woman.

A white-clad man standing at the very front of the group stepped forward, glanced at the valley shrouded in mist below, and then immediately turned to the "Fairy Youlan" beside him and said:

"May I ask, fairy, could Senior Zhou Xuan's cave dwelling be located down below?"

The "Fairy of the Orchid," who had changed into a black Taoist robe, stepped forward and nodded gently when she heard the other party's question. She said, "Fellow Daoist Yuan is right. The entrance to Senior Zhou's cave is located on the cliff below."

I learned about this place by chance from a rogue Golden Core cultivator when I came here several years ago in search of a spiritual herb.

I originally thought it was just the cave dwelling of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, but after arriving here, I discovered that the restrictions here are extraordinary.

After a careful investigation, it was confirmed that the owner of this cave was none other than Zhou Xuan Sanren, the great cultivator who was once renowned throughout our Xihua Immortal Continent.

"Hehe! When Zhou Xuan Sanren was alive, he was the number one Nascent Soul cultivator in our Northern Mountain cultivation world. I have long heard of his reputation."

"The fairy actually managed to find his cave dwelling; such an opportunity is truly astonishing, and I, Yuan, am deeply impressed."

Upon hearing the white-robed man's respectful words, the "Fairy of the Orchid" standing to the side quickly waved her hand and said, "Fellow Daoist Yuan, your words are a bit excessive."

This opportunity doesn't just belong to me alone. Fellow Daoists, your presence here is also a stroke of luck, isn't it, Fellow Daoist Song?"

Song Qingming, who was observing the situation in the valley below, suddenly heard "Fairy Youlan" mention him, and quickly turned around and nodded to her.

"Such an opportunity is indeed very rare, but the restrictions below seem to be extraordinary as well. It may not be easy for us to enter there."

"What Fellow Daoist Song said is correct. Zhou Xuan Sansheng was able to become the number one cultivator in the Northern Mountain cultivation world because his talent in array formations far surpassed that of ordinary people."

"Although I have successfully broken through several concealment formations outside in the past few years, there is another very troublesome restriction in front of the cave, which requires everyone's combined efforts to break."

As she said this, a hint of regret flashed across "Fairy Youlan's" face.

Seeing this, the white-haired old man standing at the back quickly stepped forward with a smile and said, "Hehe! Fellow Daoist, don't worry. Zhou Xuan Sanren has been famous for at least five thousand years now."

Even if the restrictions he left behind were powerful, their strength must have decreased considerably by now. With the four of us here together, we are sure we can successfully break them.

It will just take a little more time!

"Yes! Xuanjizi is right. Let's recover our magic power here first, and then go down to break the formation later."

After firmly uttering a sentence, "Fairy Youlan" took the lead and walked to the side to find a clean place to sit cross-legged.

The remaining Song Qingming and the others nodded slightly, each finding a place to take out spirit stones and begin meditating to recover their magical power.

Several months ago, the "Fairy of the Orchid" took the initiative to invite me to explore her cave.

Song Qingming initially had no intention of going out and wanted to refuse the other party directly.

However, upon hearing that there was a high probability that a level 5 "array master" inheritance existed in this cave, Song Qingming, who was struggling to break through his own "array level," couldn't help but be tempted.

It's important to know that improving "cultivation skills" at level four or above is extremely difficult at every step.

Over the years, Song Qingming has diligently practiced the "Way of Formations" and received guidance from fellow cultivators in places like the "Heavenly Dao Sect".

However, these measures were still very limited in improving his "array formation skills" and could not help him easily reach a higher level.

To quickly improve his "array formation skills," he would need to obtain higher-level inheritances to potentially help him advance further in this field.

However, the inheritance of these "cultivation skills" at level four and above almost always involves the foundation of major Nascent Soul sects, and cannot be easily exchanged with others.

When faced with the invitation from "Fairy Youlan" to find the inheritance of the formation, Song Qingming, after careful consideration, ultimately decided not to let go of this opportunity that had come to him and accepted the invitation to come here.

Besides him and "Fairy Youlan", there were two other people traveling with him.

One of them was the old Taoist Xuanjizi whom Song Qingming had met when he helped repair the teleportation array at the Azure Dragon Sect. Like the Fairy Youlan, he also came from the cultivation world of Nanshan.

Another person was a fellow cultivator whom "Fairy Youlan" found in the cultivation world of Beishan. His name was Yuan Zifang, and his cultivation level was even higher than Song Qingming's, having reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

Like the other three present, Yuan Zifang was also a high-level "array master", and his "array level" had reached the fourth grade, lower level.

After resting for an hour at the mountaintop, everyone quickly recovered their magical power.

Then, led by the "Fairy of the Orchid," they flashed down from the mountaintop and landed in the valley below, shrouded in white mist.

They had just descended a hundred feet or so when the clouds and mist rising from the valley completely obscured their figures.

Just as they were about to reach the bottom of the valley, "Fairy Youlan" conjured a silver array plate with a flick of her wrist and then shot a beam of silver light toward the cliff face ahead.

The next moment, the white mist surrounding Song Qingming and the others gradually receded, and soon the true scenery around them appeared before their eyes.

"Fellow Daoists, please follow me!"

After putting away the array plate in her hand, "Fairy Youlan" uttered a sentence and flew towards the cliff in front of her, landing in front of a pine tree hanging diagonally on the mountainside.

At this moment, Song Qingming, who had already arrived beside "Fairy Youlan", also sensed a trace of spiritual energy fluctuations in this place and immediately released his divine sense to scan the area in front of him.

A moment later, before Song Qingming could speak, Yuan Zifang said with some delight, "Judging from how profound this restriction is, it is definitely not something an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator could set up."

"It seems you were right, fellow Daoist. Even if the owner of this cave is not Zhou Xuan Sanren, he must be a formation master no less skilled than us."

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, rest assured. I have already investigated the records related to Zhou Xuan Sanren over the past few years, and I am at least 70 or 80% certain that it is his cave dwelling."

After responding with a single sentence, "Fairy Youlan" once again activated the array plate in her hand.

As several beams of light shot out, a circular passage quickly appeared before everyone's eyes on the side of the pine tree in front.

"go!"

Half an hour later, led by "Fairy Youlan", Song Qingming and his companions arrived at a cave, where they were blocked by a stone gate about ten feet high.

"Fellow Daoist Youlan, is this the last barrier?"

"I'm not sure if this is the final restriction, but don't underestimate this stone door. It took me two whole years to open it!"

Seeing that "Fairy Youlan" sounded very serious, the other three people present immediately became interested and began to scan the stone gate in front of them.

It should be noted that "Fairy Youlan" was already the most skilled in array formations among everyone present.

The fact that even she couldn't open the restriction after two years of effort was enough to draw everyone's attention, and they all began to study the stone door in front of them.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Yuan Zifang, who had been standing to the side, took the lead and walked to the stone gate, addressing the crowd:

"Gentlemen, why don't I, Yuan, give it a try first?"

Seeing Song Qingming and the others retreat to the side, Yuan Zifang used his magic to create five array flags that quickly appeared and were planted on the ground beside him.

Next, Yuan Zifang took out an array plate from his body and then gathered it into a golden rune above his head.

"go with!"

As Yuan Zifang shouted, the "golden runes" gathered above his head suddenly transformed into a golden sword that shot directly into the stone gate in front of him.

Just as the golden sword covered the stone gate in front, at the same moment, a circular array appeared on the stone gate, like a black vortex, and began to rotate rapidly.

As the "black vortex" ahead spun faster and faster, the "golden runes" covering the stone gate trembled violently, as if they were about to be swallowed up by the vortex at any moment.

Yuan Zifang, who was standing still, began to look rather unwell, and beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.

It lasted for less than a quarter of an hour before the spiritual light on the array plate in Yuan Zifang's hand suddenly went out, and the "golden runes" covering the stone gate were swallowed up by the vortex and returned to their original state.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, are you alright?"

Seeing that Yuan Zifang's expression seemed rather unpleasant, Xuanjizi, who was standing to the side, calmly asked a question, and the other party quickly waved his hand at everyone.

"This formation is indeed extraordinary. In all my years of cultivation, this is the first time I have seen such a powerful restriction. It is probably at least at the fourth-grade upper level."

"Hmm! Fellow Daoist Song, would you like to try a method to break the formation?"

Seeing that Yuan Zifang seemed to be at a loss, "Fairy Youlan" turned her gaze to Song Qingming, wanting to hear his thoughts.

Song Qingming, who had been staring at the stone gate ahead, also shook his head and said, "My level of array formation is not much different from Fellow Daoist Yuan's, and I also don't have a good way to break it."

"Since Fellow Daoist Youlan brought us along, you must have a solution in mind. Let us follow your instructions!"

“Fellow Daoist Song is right. Let’s listen to Fellow Daoist Youlan and save our energy!” As soon as Song Qingming finished speaking, Xuanjizi, who was standing to the side, immediately nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Fairy Youlan nodded slightly and sighed, saying, "Since no one has a good solution, then of course I will not give in."

I had already devised a solution, but I still need everyone's help and cooperation.

Before seeking help from Song Qingming and others, he had studied the "Fairy of the Orchid" which had been under restriction for several years and was already prepared.

Next, she took out a set of five-colored array flags from her person and distributed them directly to Song Qingming and the others, and taught them a technique for operating the array. "Everyone, although this method is a bit troublesome, as long as we are patient and spend more time, we are still very confident that it will help us break the array."

"Then I will have to rely on you fellow cultivators."

"We will definitely do our best..."

Led by "Fairy Youlan", Song Qingming and his companions spent another two months working in the cave.

With everyone's combined efforts, they finally managed to break through the magic array left on the stone gate, removing the last barrier that was preventing them from entering.

"Haha, after all this effort, it finally paid off!"

After successfully breaking the restriction, Yuan Zifang, who was already bursting with excitement, immediately stepped forward and used his magic to push open the stone door in front of him.

The next moment, a light breeze accompanied by some gray smoke and dust quickly emerged from the cave, directly obscuring everyone's view.

Seeing this, Song Qingming gently raised his hand and released a protective barrier in front of him, then followed the others into the stone gate.

After the smoke and dust dissipated, the group found themselves in a stone chamber several tens of feet wide, with tables, chairs, and stone benches placed around the room, some of which emitted faint spiritual light.

To Song Qingming and the others' surprise, compared to the dust scattered at the entrance, the stone chamber was as white as a mirror, not at all like a cave that hadn't been entered for thousands of years.

"Huh! It truly lives up to its reputation as the cave dwelling of a great cultivator. So much time has passed and there hasn't been a single change. If I couldn't sense the scent of the locust wood, I would probably think that someone still lives here!"
This place doesn't seem empty; it might truly be the place where that senior passed away.

Not only Zhou Zifang, but Song Qingming and the "Fairy of the Orchid" beside him also showed some excitement when they saw the magnificent decorations in the cave.

The main purpose of everyone's visit was to obtain the array formation inheritance from Zhou Xuan Sanren.

As long as what they are facing is not an empty cave, their chances of finding the inheritance will greatly increase.

"Gentlemen, there seems to be a hidden door here."

After scanning the stone chamber, Xuanjizi noticed something unusual on a wall and called out, quickly attracting the attention of the searching crowd.

With a forceful push, a three-foot-wide white light shield appeared on the originally smooth stone wall.

Seeing that the protective barrier in front of him did not seem very powerful, Yuan Zifang suddenly produced a sword light in front of him and slashed forward with force, instantly breaking the restriction in front of him.

Before long, the four of them entered a small, secret room.

This secret chamber was much smaller than the outer hall, only three or four zhang long and wide. The middle was empty except for a stone bed placed in the inner part.

After glancing around the stone bed, they found it completely empty and nothing to be seen. A hint of disappointment flashed across the faces of the group who had just entered.

"Gentlemen, it seems there's nothing here. I'll go look outside again!"

Seeing that the stone chamber was empty, Yuan Zifang, who was eager to find the spiritual object, sighed and walked out.

"Hehe! Since you're already inside, Fellow Daoist Yuan, why the rush?"

As soon as Yuan Zifang stepped out, Xuanjizi, who was standing to the side, immediately followed him out, leaving only Song Qingming and "Fairy Youlan" still searching the walls of the secret room with some unwillingness to give up.

After searching around, Song Qingming found no hidden door in the secret room, so he got up to leave.

Unexpectedly, a white light suddenly shone at the doorway, and the magic array that Yuan Zifang had destroyed suddenly lit up again, trapping him and "Fairy Youlan" directly in the secret chamber.

"Hey! What's going on?"

Upon seeing the sudden scene unfold before her, "Fairy Youlan's" expression changed instantly, and she got up and walked towards the door.

Smelling a strange odor, she quickly cast a spell to create a protective barrier in front of herself.

When she looked up again, she saw that Song Qingming, who was standing at the door, had suddenly disappeared and turned into a white skeleton.

"Fellow Daoist Song, who are you?"

Upon seeing this astonishing scene, "Fairy Youlan" frowned and immediately asked a question.

But the "white skeleton" did not answer her question. Instead, green light emanated from its dark eyes as it walked towards her.

"Hmph! Playing tricks."

Seeing this, "Fairy Youlan" had a cyan flying sword in her hand and swung it directly at the "white skull" not far away.

Just as a fierce battle erupted in the secret chamber, Xuanjizi, who was searching for spiritual objects in the outer stone chamber, also heard unusual sounds.

Just as he was about to go and investigate, a sword light suddenly flew from the side and stopped him.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, what are you doing?"

Seeing Yuan Zifang, whose eyes looked somewhat strange, attack him directly, Xuanjizi was immediately puzzled.

But the other party didn't explain anything to him, and the sword light attacked again.

Seeing this, Xuanjizi could no longer worry about the bigger picture and could only activate his magic weapon to fight Yuan Zifang.

".."

Inside the secret chamber, Song Qingming watched as the "Fairy of the Orchid" launched a frenzied attack on him. While parrying her attacks, his expression became extremely solemn.

He had only intended to leave the secret room, but unexpectedly a strange fragrance suddenly filled the room, and then the "Fairy of the Orchid" behind him began to attack him frantically as if she had gone mad.

"Fairy Youlan" herself had already reached the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage, and she also possessed several powerful magic treasures.

Faced with such a mid-stage Nascent Soul expert, Song Qingming could only use the "Myriad Spirits Puppet Formation" to withstand the opponent's attack and began to think about how to get out of the predicament.

He originally intended to break the magic array at the entrance and go outside to seek help from Yuan Zifang and his companion.

Unexpectedly, just as he was exchanging blows with "Fairy Youlan", sounds of fighting came from outside, indicating that Yuan Zifang and his companion were also in considerable trouble.

Having just felt a reaction from the "Azure Rhinoceros Jade Pendant" on his chest, Song Qingming knew that the other party had been affected by that strange smell, which was why he suddenly lost his mind.

To be able to control a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator so quickly and instantly, one has to admit that the opponent's illusion technique is truly remarkable.

If Song Qingming hadn't been wearing the "Azure Rhinoceros Jade Pendant," which helped him resist this strange illusion in time, the situation would probably have been even worse.

Faced with this situation, "Fairy Youlan" did not want to fight to the death with her, and could only try to think of a way to free her from the control she was under.

After fighting the opponent for dozens of rounds, Song Qingming, who had blocked the opponent's attack, changed his expression and directly manipulated the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror" to trap the opponent inside the mirror.

Before "Fairy Youlan" could react, Song Qingming's eyes turned cold, and the seven-star sword light in front of him had already gathered. Then he took the initiative to launch an attack.

Faced with Song Qingming's "Sword Light Array", the "Fairy Youlan" whose mind was controlled was immediately sent flying backward, crashing directly onto the floor of the secret chamber.

Even though she was seriously injured, the "Fairy of the Orchid" did not lose consciousness and managed to stand up again.

Just then, a mesmerizing bell rang in the distance, suddenly reaching the ears of "Fairy Youlan," causing her to pause for a moment as she was about to launch her attack.

In that brief pause, Song Qingming immediately flashed to the front of "Fairy Youlan," and the spiritual light emitted from the "Azure Rhinoceros Jade Pendant" in his hand struck the other's forehead.

"what!"

The "Fairy of the Orchid" who was interacting with the "white skull" in front of her was suddenly pierced through her sea of ​​consciousness by a force. She immediately felt a sharp pain in her soul and couldn't help but cry out.

The next moment, when "Fairy Youlan" opened her eyes again, she found that she had fallen to the ground, and Song Qingming was watching her carefully not far away.

"Fellow Daoist Song, you're back. Where's the skeleton?"

Seeing that the "Fairy of the Orchid" had recovered her expression, Song Qingming breathed a sigh of relief and put down the magic weapon in his hand.

"Fellow Daoist Youlan, you've finally woken up. It seems you were under an illusion spell, and I helped you break free."

"What? It's an illusion? No wonder I felt something was wrong with me when I was feeling dizzy."

Upon hearing Song Qingming's explanation, "Fairy Youlan" immediately came to her senses, recalling what had just happened, and couldn't help but show a hint of lingering fear on her face.

"This humble servant thanks Fellow Daoist Song for saving me, cough..."

Just as "Fairy Youlan" was about to get up and bow to express her gratitude, she realized that not only were her clothes disheveled, but she also had injuries in several places. She immediately showed a strange expression.

Seeing that she seemed a little embarrassed, Song Qingming didn't explain the origin of her injuries and quickly turned around and went to the door of the secret room.

Although I did go a bit too far and seemed cruel, it was a desperate measure to save the other person from their predicament, and there's no need to explain too much about it.

With a flash of inspiration, Song Qingming unleashed a sword beam at the "white light shield" in front of him, quickly breaking the barrier once again.

When he arrived at the outer stone hall, he saw a figure flying towards him from mid-air. It was Xuanjizi, who had fought with Yuan Zifang for a long time.

(PS: I'm leaving for Jiujiang for training tomorrow and will be returning from the 25th to the 27th. I'll need to attend classes then, so updates might be a bit uncertain. However, I'll try my best not to take any leave, and I'll make up for any missed updates when I get home!)
I heard that Fox Tail, the author of "The Mysterious Immortal," will also be participating. I'm a fan of his, so I'm a little excited, hahaha. (End of Chapter)