Qinghe Immortal Clan.

A gentle breeze swept across the mountaintop.

Looking at Li Xuanyi standing alone in the distance, Song Qingming hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over to her side.

"Senior Sister Li, I didn't know about that letter just now."

"Yes! Junior Brother Song, actually Siyuan told me all this when she came to Yunlong Mountain to find me. You don't need to explain, I already knew about this."

When I heard the news of your disappearance at Mount Dangmo, I was terrified that I would never see you again.

You know, compared to seeing you return safely, nothing else really matters to me anymore.

Li Xuanyi turned her gaze to the side, a very sincere smile appearing on her face.

"Senior Sister Li, actually, Master left me a soul lamp in the sect. If you want to check if I'm alright next time, you can just go to Jade Profound Island and ask Fourth Senior Brother and the others. They should be able to find out."

If all else fails, you can send a message to Chiyun Mountain; Qingyu and the others also have ways to find out about this.

"There's no need. Coming all the way to the Qiyun Cultivation Realm for me? This place is far too dangerous!"

"Of course I know what you're saying, but I'm really scared, really scared of hearing bad news."

If you've just disappeared, I can search for you here for ten, twenty, or even a hundred years.

But if you're really no longer in this world, where do you think I should look for you?

".."

“Senior sister, our path of cultivation is to compete with the heavens for a chance at immortality. If you and I cannot ascend to the upper realm like our master, we will inevitably part ways one day.”

"But don't worry, no matter what happens in the future, I will definitely not let you look for me like this again."

"You said it yourself, you can't go back on your word, or I'll go to the senior brother and report you for deceiving your fellow disciples."

After saying that, Li Xuanyi turned and leaned closer to Song Qingming's shoulder, a smile already appearing on her face.

Seeing this, Song Qingming took the initiative to reach out and support the other person, while secretly flicking a faint spiritual light in front of the two of them with his other hand.

After the sword light flew past, a colorful spirit insect suddenly fell dozens of feet behind the two.

At the same time, Song Qingyu, who was sitting in the cave meditating with her eyes closed, suddenly changed her expression and opened her eyes.

"Hmph! You made me worry for nothing, and you won't even let me take a peek. How stingy!"

After muttering something to herself, Song Qingyu closed her eyes again, and her breath began to flow rapidly.
-

In a swampy underground cave in the northwest direction of the "Dark Cloud Mountains".

The green-robed man had his eyes closed, and a crimson light swirled around him as he slowly restored his magical power.

Just as the "green-robed man" was meditating and recovering, a strange black aura suddenly emerged from his sea of ​​consciousness, instantly startling him as he was casting a spell.

"Hahaha, your injuries haven't healed yet after all this time. You won't be so lucky next time you run into outsiders."

Why don't you use the healing method I taught you? As long as you absorb some cultivator's essence blood, you can recover and escape from here in a few days at most.

Then we'll find a place to hide and cultivate slowly.

"As long as you follow my guidance, you will definitely be able to cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm, and even breaking through realms and ascending to immortality will not be a problem."

"Hmph! I don't care about the Nascent Soul realm or breaking through to immortality, I just want you to shut up."

After speaking, the green-robed man's magical power surged rapidly, and bursts of blood-red light erupted from his sea of ​​consciousness, forcibly suppressing the emerging black energy.

"Haha, kid, you're the one I've chosen. Are you really content to be an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, spending your whole life growing old and dying in this low-level realm?"

Believe me, sooner or later, you will definitely come begging to me.

"Please, get back here."

As the "green-robed man" continued to suppress the blood-red light, the black energy in his sea of ​​consciousness gradually disappeared, and the expression on his face gradually relaxed.

Not long after, the "green-robed man" slowly got up and took out the white talisman he had been hiding on his body.

After checking the restrictions around him again, the "green-robed man" no longer hesitated and once again activated the talisman in his hand.

".."

Several days later, a streak of light flew swiftly through the air and arrived not far above the swamp.

Several sword lights descended from mid-air, and before a few low-level Azure Water Crocodiles, who were lazily sunbathing by the swamp, could react, they were enveloped by the sword lights and turned into a cloud of blood mist and disappeared.

After the light faded, Song Qingming, dressed in a silver-white robe, walked out.

After looking around and finding nothing unusual, Song Qingming immediately waved his hand and released several "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterflies" to guard the surroundings, and then jumped directly into the swamp in front of him.

Before long, Song Qingming, wearing a protective shield, arrived at an underwater cave.

After he had walked another hundred feet or so, a crimson protective shield suddenly appeared deep in the cave ahead, followed by a voice transmission that entered Song Qingming's ears.

"Third Grand Uncle, is that you?"

"Xuanfeng, it's me. Are you alright?"

After replying with a single sentence, the crimson protective shield in front of him disappeared on its own, and soon a figure appeared before Song Qingming.

The "green-robed man" who had been tracked down by Li Xuanyi and others for a long time was none other than Song Xuanfeng, who had recognized Song Qingming in the valley years ago.

Upon seeing that the person who came was Song Qingming, Song Xuanfeng, who had just been saved by him a few days ago, hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down.

"Xuanfeng, thank you very much for saving me the other day, Third Uncle."

"We are family, no need for formalities, please get up!"

The main reason why Song Xuanfeng was targeted by Li Xuanyi and the other person a few days ago was that Song Qingming had activated the communication talisman with him the day before.

A few days ago, Song Qingming and Song Qingyu had just arrived in the "Dark Cloud Mountains".

He had only wanted to confirm whether Song Xuanfeng was still nearby when he tried to activate the communication talisman in his hand. Unexpectedly, he received a reply from the other party in the vicinity.

Seeing this, Song Qingming made an excuse to go for a walk and found a relatively secluded place to invite Song Xuanfeng to meet.

Unexpectedly, just as Song Xuanfeng arrived by casting a spell, he was spotted by Li Xuanyi and her companion, who were searching for him.

Fortunately, Song Qingming arrived in time to intervene in the battle. Li Xuanyi and Zhu Qi were immediately drawn to his sudden appearance.

This allowed Song Qingming to use the "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly's" ability to disguise and transform, helping Song Xuanfeng secretly escape.

Later, thanks to Song Qingming's deliberate delay and the reminder sent by him, Song Xuanfeng was able to find a hiding place and use a magic array to seal his aura, temporarily escaping the pursuit of the crowd.

Although he had sacrificed several high-level spirit insects, Song Qingming was still somewhat relieved to see that Song Xuanfeng was safe and sound.

"Xuanfeng, didn't I tell you to leave this place first back then? How come you're still here after all these years?"

"Third Grand Uncle, Xuanfeng originally intended to escape and return to the Floating Cloud Mountains, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned."

Although Song Xuanfeng escaped the valley under Song Qingming's cover, he was unlucky and ran into two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World halfway through his escape from the "Dark Cloud Mountains".

After a fierce battle, he managed to escape but was seriously injured, so he found a secluded place in the "Dark Cloud Mountains" to heal his wounds.

Six months ago, Song Xuanfeng, who was recovering from his injuries, was exposed when several Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators happened to break in, which led to Li Xuanyi and Zhu Qizheng pursuing him.

It wasn't until Song Qingming returned and activated the talisman that connected him that the previous battle between the group took place.

This time, Song Qingming learned from the lessons of the previous days and chose to come to see him on his own initiative, instead of letting Song Xuanfeng go out and take risks.

"Xuanfeng, what exactly happened to you all these years? And what is your relationship with that Crimson Origin Saint Demon? How come you have a trace of his aura on you?"

Ever since he suddenly encountered the "dead" Song Xuanfeng during the battle in the valley, Song Qingming has been pondering what exactly happened to this younger member of his family.

Unfortunately, due to the urgency of the situation on the battlefield at the time, the two did not have time to discuss this matter.

Only now, when the time was right, did Song Qingming take the initiative to ask about what happened after he was kidnapped by the demonic cultivators.

Back then, Song Xuanfeng was first captured by the second disciple of the "Crimson Blood Demon," Master Kumu, who threatened to turn him into a blood corpse puppet and forced him to switch to demonic cultivation techniques.

Later, Master Kumu joined forces with another disciple of the Blood Spirit Sect to set up a trap and restriction on the Crimson Blood Demon, who had not yet recovered his strength after being possessed, in an attempt to surround and kill him and break free from his control.

After a fierce battle, the experienced "Crimson Blood Demon" proved to be the stronger one and successfully killed both of them.

Because of the betrayal of his disciples, "Crimson Blood Demon" was in need of manpower, so he spared Song Xuanfeng and others who had been forced to follow him, and took them in as his disciples.

It was also under the careful guidance of the "Crimson Blood Demon" that Song Xuanfeng was able to advance his cultivation further and successfully form his core.

Originally, "Crimson Blood Demon" planned to refine Song Xuanfeng and other disciples into blood corpse puppets after his cultivation level recovered to the Nascent Soul realm.

However, Gu Daoyun suddenly came to him and invited him and "Old Demon Cangyun" to explore the Demon Sect's legacy in Taiyue Lake.

After several old demons entered, they accidentally released the sealed "Crimson Cloud Holy Demon," and as a result, they all perished at the hands of the enemy.

Song Xuanfeng was only targeted by the Crimson Cloud Holy Demon after the great battle between the righteous and demonic forces at Taiyue Lake. At that time, they were guarding another location when they learned of the fall of their master, the "Crimson Blood Old Demon," who had controlled them for many years, and they were all surprised.

Subsequently, not wanting to be controlled by others any longer, Song Xuanfeng and the others fled all the way to the western Illusionary Sea Desert to hide.

As a result, Song Xuanfeng, who had not enjoyed a few years of peaceful life, was unlucky enough to run into the "Crimson Primordial Saint Demon" who had escaped into the desert and was forcibly possessed by the demon's spirit.

Because he disliked Song Xuanfeng's relatively low cultivation level at the time, the "Crimson Origin Saint Demon" did not possess him.

Instead, he took out his own advanced cultivation technique and taught it to him, claiming that he wanted to cultivate him to the Nascent Soul realm before taking him back to the Upper Realm by smuggling him back.

In reality, he wanted Song Xuanfeng to cultivate the technique and then mold him into a physical body that was compatible with his own natal spirit, so that he could possess it at any time.

Having spent so many years mingling under the tutelage of demonic cultivators, Song Xuanfeng was well aware of what the "Crimson Origin Saint Demon" was thinking, and he would not choose to sit idly by and wait for his doom.

Later, following the guidance of the Crimson Primordial Saint Demon, the two left the Floating Cloud Mountains and arrived at the Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World far to the west, where they found another group of demonic cultivators led by the woman in white.

The sudden demonic calamity that erupted in the "Dark Cloud Mountains" was orchestrated by them in secret, as they wanted to use it to launch some kind of plan.

However, after Song Xuanfeng arrived here, he was basically confined to the cave by the "Crimson Origin Holy Demon" to cultivate, so he didn't know much about what was happening outside and wasn't very clear about their ultimate goal.

It was also under the careful nurturing of the "Crimson Origin Saint Demon" that Song Xuanfeng was able to successfully break through his cultivation and advance to the Nascent Soul realm by taking advantage of the pure true demonic energy of this place.

Knowing that the other party might possess his body at any time, Song Xuanfeng secretly concealed a lot of true demonic energy within his body in order to resist the "Crimson Origin Holy Demon" taking over his physical body.

He had intended to use this opportunity to make a final, desperate fight with his opponent, but unexpectedly, "Crimson Cloud Saint Demon" perished prematurely at Song Qingming's hands, his natal spirit directly annihilated by the sword talisman.

Song Qingming's sword strike not only annihilated the demon, but also significantly affected the part of its primordial spirit that remained in Song Xuanfeng's body.

In the end, after a fierce battle, Song Xuanfeng emerged victorious by sacrificing his life to suppress the opponent's incomplete primordial spirit within his own body.

However, Song Xuanfeng was unaware that his success was due to Song Qingming's sword strike, and thought it was just good luck.

Hearing about Song Xuanfeng's experiences as a demonic cultivator over the years, Song Qingming was somewhat surprised that his junior had encountered so many dangerous situations.

At that moment, he couldn't help but sigh with regret.

"Xuanfeng, I never imagined that so many things had happened to you over the years. You must have suffered a lot."

I remember when you came up the mountain, I told my mother and fourth brother at their graves that I would definitely raise you to be a good person.

Unexpectedly, things didn't go as planned, and it turned out like this today.

Here, I, your third uncle, also want to apologize to you. Over the years, I, as your elder, have indeed neglected you.

Upon hearing Song Qingming's apology, Song Xuanfeng quickly shook his head and said, "Third Grand Uncle, please don't say that."

Xuanfeng should have died at the hands of the demonic cultivators along with Sitong and the others back then. He fell into the demonic path because he was unwilling to give up his life and had lived on until today.

Now that he has fallen into the demonic path, there is no turning back. He dares not ask for forgiveness from his uncle and clansmen. Xuanfeng only hopes that he will still have a chance to repay the family for their nurturing kindness.

After saying this, Song Xuanfeng knelt down heavily again, and the grievances he had held in his heart for many years finally turned into tears.

Back then, as a direct descendant of the family's patriarch, he received special care from family elders such as Song Qingyu and Song Yuanfang as soon as he arrived on the mountain, which made many of his peers envious.

He had already successfully established his foundation by the age of thirty, and advanced to the late stage of foundation establishment before he was a hundred years old.

As the most outstanding young member of the Song family, Song Xuanfeng was believed by almost all the clansmen to have a chance to successfully form his core in the future, and even replace Song Yuanfang in managing the family.

Unfortunately, the battle in the barren mountains of Qinghe County was lost.

The hero of the Song family, Song Xuanfeng, had long since died for the family in battle, and his portrait was hung in the Qilin Pavilion in the back mountain.

Now only this one remains, a Nascent Soul demon hated by everyone in the cultivation world.

“Xuanfeng, things have come to this point, and neither of us can easily change the past. In any case, I am still very gratified that you are alive and well.”

Whether it's the righteous path or demonic cultivation, good and evil, right and wrong, in the end it all comes down to whether the path you choose to take is right or wrong.

Even if my third great-uncle can't bring you back to the family right now, as long as you can control yourself and stop causing evil and chaos in the world, I will do my best to protect you.

Although the righteous and the demonic are irreconcilable in the cultivation world, almost all righteous sects are terrified of demonic cultivators and deeply hate them, and dare not associate with them.

However, after cultivating for so many years, Song Qingming already had his own concept of this.

There are countless hypocrites in the world who wear the skin of a good person to do evil deeds, and there are also many who claim to be loyal and righteous among those who bear the infamy of bandits.

Human nature has always been something that is difficult to define absolutely.

The reason why righteous sects are so hostile to demonic cultivators is because their cultivation methods are too insidious and they readily resort to blood sacrifices of cultivators and mortals, which is a cruel and immoral act that destroys the environment of the cultivation world.

However, not all so-called demonic cultivators are like this. There are also many cultivators like Song Xuanfeng who were forced into the demonic path for various unavoidable reasons.

These people, having cultivated demonic techniques, are unlikely to turn back and will not be accepted by righteous cultivators.

However, since their minds were not yet affected by the cultivation method, and they did not want to become a demon who would bring disaster to the world, they would find a secluded place to hide and cultivate alone.

Back then, his good friend Feng He also cultivated demonic techniques in order to avenge himself, and even used his own blood essence to summon a demon god to possess him, which enabled him to kill Qiu Daoping and take revenge.

Strictly speaking, if Feng He is considered a demonic cultivator, then Song Qingming has long been his accomplice.

If Song Xuanfeng can control himself and refrain from causing havoc on the world like other Nascent Soul demons, Song Qingming will not treat him as an outsider either.

However, in order not to affect the entire family, "Song Xuanfeng" in the Qilin Pavilion in the back mountain cannot come back to life for the time being.

"Third Grand Uncle, Xuanfeng promises you that he will never do evil again. If in the future I cannot suppress the primordial spirit of Chi Yuan in my body and am possessed and controlled by it..."

Please, without hesitation, help me to be freed from the cycle of reincarnation as soon as possible!

Although Song Xuanfeng successfully suppressed the incomplete divine thoughts left on him by the "Crimson Origin Saint Demon" by integrating the true demonic energy into his own primordial spirit, he was not possessed by it.

However, no matter what methods Song Xuanfeng has used over the years, he has been unable to erase this divine thought from the other party.

Moreover, after his last injury, a wisp of divine thought from "Crimson Origin Saint Demon" would frequently emerge to bewitch him with words.

Song Xuanfeng was also somewhat worried that he might one day lose control of the other party and be influenced and controlled by him, which is why he said these words to Song Qingming.

Upon hearing this, Song Qingming remained silent for a moment before nodding earnestly and saying, "If that's the case, then Third Uncle will personally send you on your way."

"But you don't need to worry too much. It's just a wisp of his divine will left behind. Once we return to the Floating Cloud Mountains, I'll try my best to help you resolve this matter."

After saying that, Song Qingming took out a special "storage magic item" from his body and threw it to Song Xuanfeng, who was not far away.

"I found this on Chi Yuan when I killed him. Keep it for now; the contents might be useful to you."

"What? You personally killed Chi Yuan, Third Grand Uncle?"

Looking at the familiar "storage artifact" in his hand, Song Xuanfeng was surprised. He never expected that Chi Yuan would die at the hands of Song Qingming, who was right in front of him.

Seeing this, Song Qingming didn't explain much, but simply nodded to him.

".."

A month later, south of the "Dark Cloud Mountains".

After searching for a long time in the mountains without finding Song Xuanfeng who had escaped, Song Qingming, Li Xuanyi, and the others finally boarded the large airship for their return journey.

Accompanying them was Zhu Qizheng, a Nascent Soul Elder of the Demon-Slaying Sect.

He had originally been entrusted by the Fourth Elder, Lü Yue, to help Li Xuanyi find Song Qingming and deal with the demons here.

Now that Song Qingming has returned safely, and the more powerful high-level demons in the "Dark Cloud Mountains" have been mostly cleared out, there is no longer much need for him to stay here.

Therefore, he also bid farewell to everyone and prepared to return to Donghuang Kingdom with Song Qingming and the others.

After the four returned to the territory of the Jade Spirit Sect by flying boat, they stayed for a few more days due to the warm hospitality of Huang Gucheng and others before setting off for the market town where the teleportation array was located in the south.

Upon reaching mid-air not far from the market, Song Qingming stopped his flying boat and gestured to Zhu Qizheng beside him, saying:

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, the three of us do not wish to use the teleportation array. We plan to return to Donghuang Kingdom via the Demon Cloud Canyon, so we will not accompany you into the city."

“Returning through the Demon Cloud Canyon is not only dangerous but will also take at least several more months. Why is Fellow Daoist Song choosing such a long and arduous route? Is there perhaps some other reason?”

Seeing that Song Qingming seemed to have something difficult to say, Zhu Qizheng, who was a little curious, immediately asked him a question.

".."

(PS: I saw everyone's comments yesterday and found that many readers seemed to dislike the name change. I had actually had a feeling about this for a while.)

To be honest, although the name "Qinghe Immortal Clan" was just something I came up with on a whim, almost no readers have said anything wrong with the title in the past two years, which shows that everyone accepts it very well.

The editor suggested changing the name because the book's sales had declined so drastically, and they wanted to see if they could attract new readers by changing the name. Overall, the consideration was still for the sake of the book's performance.

I am also a fan of traditional short book titles, and I understand everyone's feelings very well. I apologize again.

Since changing a name also requires a process, I'll try it for a few days first. If it really doesn't work, I'll consider changing the name back.

One more thing. I was supposed to add an extra chapter today, but I suddenly received a call from my father. An elderly person in our village passed away, and I need to go back. I'll try to make up for the extra chapter tomorrow. (End of Chapter)