Qinghe Immortal Clan.

A flash of light appeared, illuminating the surroundings.

After a long while, Song Qingming slowly put down the talisman in his hand and sighed softly.

"So many years have passed, why haven't we seen them yet? Could something have really happened to them?!"

After returning from the cultivation world of the East Sea, Song Xuanfeng, who had broken through to the third level of the Nascent Soul realm, left his cave dwelling and went out to travel around.

Song Qingming had previously instructed the other party not to go too far and to return as soon as possible.

Decades have passed, and Song Xuanfeng is still nowhere to be seen. He has not returned yet, which is quite unexpected.

When Song Qingming first heard that a Nascent Soul demon had appeared in the Song Kingdom, he was somewhat worried that the evildoer might be Song Xuanfeng.

Now it seems that the talisman has no effect at all, and Song Xuanfeng seems to be completely out of the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range".

I don't know why he hasn't come back all these years.

Did he go to other cultivation worlds to travel, or did he encounter some trouble?

The communication talisman in Song Qingming's hand can only transmit messages to the other party within a certain range.

Once you leave the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountains," it becomes useless.

Seeing that he couldn't contact Song Xuanfeng at all, Song Qingming, looking somewhat disappointed, could only turn around and leave the cave, returning to "Red Cloud Mountain".

Song Qingyu is still in the sect protecting Zhou Ziyang as he forms his Nascent Soul. With her and Bai Yuxian there, they are more than capable of handling this matter, and there shouldn't be any unexpected situations.

Song Yuanhao went to the East China Sea to oversee the "Spirit Stone Mine," and there has been no movement from "Golden Feather Mountain" at the moment.

After resolving the matter of "Monk Jinyun," Song Qingming returned to the mountain with nothing pressing to deal with for the time being.

After spending several days strolling through the market with Li Xuanyi, he soon entered his secluded cultivation cave.

Now, there are only a little over a decade left until the once-in-a-century "monster turmoil".

Song Qingming also plans to go into seclusion and cultivate diligently for a period of time.

The "Seven-Colored Green Lotus" in his hand is still not completely cleansed of its malevolent energy, so it cannot unleash the full power of this magical treasure.

While I can still cultivate in peace, I should seize the time to resolve this matter thoroughly.

It would be good to improve my strength a little before the "monster turmoil" arrives.

Furthermore, more than thirty years have passed since Song Qingming broke through to the eighth level of the Nascent Soul realm, and he has accumulated nearly half of his internal magical power.

Upon returning from "Zhongyuan Immortal Continent," Song Qingming also brought back a considerable number of pills that could enhance his cultivation.

Besides clearing away the evil energy of the "Seven-Colored Green Lotus," one's own cultivation should not be neglected.

This period of seclusion is a good opportunity to focus on cultivation and improve my skills.

".."

North of the "Floating Clouds Mountains" is the Boyun Mountains.

As the two streaks of light descended, the "Mad Lion Demon Emperor," dressed in a yellow robe with a face full of scars, and the "White Dragon Demon Emperor," clad in white armor, quickly revealed themselves on the mountaintop.

Not far in front of the two demon emperors, a middle-aged man was already waiting there.

"Fellow Daoist Gu Yun, why are you in such a hurry to summon us here? Is it because you have already decided to discuss with us how to go south together to besiege Jin Yu Mountain?"

As I told you last time, Old Ghost Song has gone into seclusion, and now is the perfect opportunity for us to take over Jinyu Mountain.

"If we don't act soon, the time to expand southward will arrive quickly. The Free and Unfettered Sect will surely be on guard then, and we'll have little chance left."

Faced with the anxious "Mad Lion Demon Emperor", "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor" simply shook his head at the two of them.

"Fellow Daoists, please don't misunderstand. It wasn't me who sent the message to bring you here."

"If it wasn't you who sent the message, then who was it that falsely issued the order for us to retreat? Are you perhaps just making a fool of us?"

Upon hearing the explanation from "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor," both "Mad Lion Demon Emperor" and "Mad Lion Demon Emperor" changed their expressions slightly, clearly not understanding what the other meant.

"It was I who sent someone to summon you here!"

Just as they were filled with doubt, a voice suddenly came from behind the "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor", and then a young figure dressed in a red robe appeared in front of them.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the "Mad Lion Demon Emperor" and the "White Dragon Demon Emperor" were immediately surprised and hurriedly stepped forward to bow respectfully.

"Greetings to Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, why did you come here in person? Why didn't Fellow Daoist Gu Yun inform us beforehand so that we could greet you?"

"Do I need to inform you beforehand that I'm coming here?"

"Your Highness, I misspoke!"

Seemingly sensing a cold glint in the red-robed man's eyes, the "Mad Lion Demon Emperor" shuddered and hurriedly bowed in apology.

After a while, the man in the red robe finally looked away, stood on the mountaintop, and turned to look south.

Gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, the man in red robes slowly asked, "Less than ten thousand miles south of here should be the territory of the Free and Unfettered Sect, right?"

Unexpectedly, in just a few thousand years, human cultivators have returned here once again.

Your presence here has truly brought honor to our demon race.

"If I don't come and check soon, will the human cultivators from the south be planning to march back to the northern frontier in a few years?"

"Your Highness, we are truly innocent!"

"Yes, Your Highness, you may not know this, but we have been fighting against human cultivators every year for years, and we have never dared to slack off in the slightest."

Unfortunately, the human cultivators of the Free and Unfettered Sect were truly cunning, and that old ghost Song was even more unpredictable. Countless fellow cultivators had perished at his hands, and even the patriarch had met with misfortune a few years ago.

We were no match for them, which is why we lost a lot of territory.

We humbly request Your Highness's assistance in this territorial expansion, so that we may atone for our crimes and reclaim the territories lost over the years from the "Free and Unfettered Sect."

Facing the seemingly innocent "Mad Lion Demon Emperor," the red-robed man glanced at him, his expression softening slightly as he continued to ask:

"Is the old ghost Song you're talking about the newly promoted late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Free and Unfettered Sect?"

Tell me, who is this person? What powerful abilities does he possess? And how exactly did Bo Yun perish at his hands back then?

"Your Highness is right. That old ghost is named Song Qingming. He was a Nascent Soul elder of the Xiaoyao Sect who successfully formed his Nascent Soul over three hundred years ago. He even fought against Mo Long back then."

This Song Qingming is not only cunning, but also possesses various high-level magic treasures, puppet formations, spirit insects, and even keeps a Nascent Soul Fire Dragon as a pet.

A hundred years ago, this child somehow obtained some kind of fortuitous opportunity, and his cultivation suddenly advanced to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Lord Boyun and the Iron Wall Ancestor of Taiyue Lake in the south joined forces, but they were no match for him. We suffered a great defeat and lost Golden Feather Mountain.

"To reach the late Nascent Soul stage in just two hundred years after forming the Nascent Soul stage is quite remarkable for a human cultivator."

Magical artifacts, puppet formations, spirit insects—these all sound somewhat familiar.

Do you have a portrait of this person?

"portrait!"

Upon hearing the person before them request a portrait, both demon emperors beside them were slightly taken aback.

The quick-thinking "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor" soon realized what was happening and hurriedly cupped his hands in response:
"Your Highness, rest assured, we will recognize this old ghost Song even if he were reduced to ashes."

If you require a portrait, Your Highness, please grant us some time. Once it's finished, we will immediately send it to you in the Northern Frontier.

"There's no need to send it to the northern frontier. I'm going to meet this person personally during this expansion of territory, so I won't be leaving here for the time being. Just bring it to me whenever you've finished drawing it."

"What? Your Highness, you intend to take action personally?"

Upon hearing what the man in red robes said, "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor" and the two demon emperors beside him showed a hint of surprise again, looking at the person in front of them in disbelief.

The other party nodded seriously, and the demon emperors showed joy and excitement.

"Thank you for your help, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will immediately gather our troops and prepare for battle. This time, we must reclaim Golden Feather Mountain and all the lost territories."

"With your personal intervention, Old Ghost Song and the people of the Free and Unfettered Sect will certainly be no threat. We finally have a chance to avenge our ancestor."

In recent centuries, the demon race, mainly from "Boyun Mountain," has repeatedly failed in its southward expansion attempts against human cultivators.

Not only did they suffer heavy losses and lose a lot of territory, but they also lost many demon emperors, such as the "Ink Dragon Demon Emperor" and the "Crimson Cloud Demon Emperor".

Even the late-stage Nascent Soul Great Demon Emperor, "Ancestor of Parting Clouds," who had dominated the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" for thousands of years, perished in the last great battle to besiege Song Qingming.

Now, the northern demon clan forces of the "Floating Cloud Mountains" have suffered heavy losses, and with only a few remaining demon emperors, they are simply powerless to confront the "Free and Unfettered Sect" head-on.

Their only hope was that the various demon clans of the "Northern Frontier" would come south to their aid.

Now that reinforcements have finally arrived, the demon emperors who were previously beaten down by the Xiaoyao Sect finally have smiles on their faces.

Especially the "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor," who was so excited at the thought of avenging his ancestor, was filled with excitement.

However, compared to the "Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor" and others in front of him, the man in red robes remained calm and composed, showing no sign of joy.

"Send a message to Qing Tong and the others to prepare for their southward journey as soon as possible, and to join us once the northern army arrives."

"In this expansion, I will completely eliminate the entire human race of the Floating Cloud Mountains in one battle."

"I'll wait for the order!"

".."

"Tianhai Immortal Cultivation World", "Qingyang Mountain" Main Hall.

Several cultivators were sitting in the main hall, discussing something in hushed tones.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew in from outside the hall, and an old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom appeared at the entrance of the hall and strode inside.

"Greetings, Grand Elder!"

"Please rise, everyone!"

After waving to everyone, Yuan Luohua walked to the front and sat down cross-legged at the head of the table. Then his gaze swept over a middle-aged Taoist priest in front of him.

"Junior Brother Yang, you sent word to summon me here, but what trouble has arisen at the Yunyang Sect this time?"

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, nothing major has happened at Yunyang Sect. This news came from Shenhuo Sect in the south."

In recent years, monsters from the southern seas have frequently attacked. Fellow Daoist Zhou and his companions suspect that the demon race may take action ahead of schedule, so they sent a message to us yesterday asking for our help.

"Do you think we should notify other sects and send some people over to provide support?"

"The demon race in the south... judging by the timeline, it shouldn't be that soon. Could it be that something has happened again in the Falling Star Sea?"

After sitting there for a moment and thinking, Yuan Luohua slowly said, "We cannot be careless about the matter of the demon race in the south. Immediately send a message to the Jade Sword Sect and the Golden Cloud Palace about this."

As for the sect, I'll trouble Junior Brother Yang to take some people there first.

Also, send a message to Fellow Daoist Jin of the Yunyang Sect, asking them to head south to help as soon as possible.

"Senior brother, Fellow Daoist Jin hasn't officially joined the Tianhai Alliance yet. If we send a message now, he might not obey orders. Also, with so many of us heading south to provide support, shouldn't we leave some people in the north as a precaution?"

Otherwise, if the Floating Cloud Mountains take the opportunity to advance south, we might not have enough time to deal with it.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Luohua simply waved his hand.

"Our relationship with the Floating Cloud Mountains is, after all, an internal matter for the human race. At this point, they are unlikely to take action against us."

Furthermore, the northern part of the Floating Cloud Mountains is also being restrained by the demon race, so their current situation is probably not much better than ours.

As for the Yunyang Sect, regardless of whether they join the Tianhai Alliance, as long as they are in the Tianhai cultivation world, they must fight against the demon race together with us.

Tell Jin Xuanyao that if they dare disobey orders and don't come, don't blame me for being ruthless.

Having said that, Yuan Luohua suddenly exuded an undeniable air of authority.

".."

In a pavilion in Tai Nan Fang, Nanzhou, in the "Donghuang Kingdom".

A woman in red danced gracefully, accompanied by melodious and clear piano music.

Dressed in white, Zhou Daoping was swiftly moving with his paintbrush in hand, and soon a portrait of a beautiful woman dancing appeared before his eyes.

After carefully examining the calligraphy and painting, and glancing at the woman in red in front of him, Zhou Daoping finally showed a hint of satisfaction.

"Ancestor, a message has arrived from the Yunlong Mountain family!"

Just as Zhou Daoping was admiring his masterpiece with a serious expression, a maid suddenly rushed into the pavilion, holding a communication talisman she had just received.

With a slight sigh, Zhou Daoping put down the portrait in his hand and used magic to receive the talisman from the other party.

Just one glance at the "transmission talisman" and Zhou Daoping, who was usually calm and composed, suddenly showed a change in expression.

The next moment, before anyone could react, the Nascent Soul Ancestor vanished from the spot.

Several days later, Zhou Daoping appeared in a cave on the back mountain of "Yunlong Mountain".

Besides him, there was Li Mengliang, who had been waiting there, as well as more than a dozen Golden Core elders from the Li family.

Not far away, on a futon, sat Li Boying, whose hair was completely white.

At this moment, although he still had a smile on his face, he was completely still and had no breath left.

"Ancestor, when did Third Uncle pass away?"

“When I visited him last month, my third uncle was still in good health. He said he needed to go into seclusion for a few days to recuperate and told us not to disturb him.”

It wasn't until a few days ago, when I came to ask him some questions, that I discovered he had already passed away.

It should happen within the next two weeks.

Li Boying has cultivated for over a thousand years, and his lifespan is nearing the limit for a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Although he had taken a longevity pill given to him by Li Xuanyi a few years ago, which extended his life by several decades, he eventually reached the end of his lifespan.

This patriarch of the Li family, who had devoted his life to his family and had a rather fiery temper, passed away quietly in his cave.

After Li Boying passed away, the Li family immediately sent a message to Li Xuanyi, who was still at Chiyun Mountain.

Seeing that Song Qingming was still in seclusion, Li Xuanyi did not disturb him, but returned to Yunlong Mountain alone to see her ancestor off.

Because of the relationship between the Li family and the great cultivator Song Qingming, the major sects in Nanzhou gave Li Boying a lot of face after his death.

Without exception, they all sent their Nascent Soul Ancestors to Yunlong Mountain to offer their condolences.

Although it was their own Nascent Soul ancestor who had passed away, the Li family members did not show any tension on their faces compared to other sects.

After all, the entire Southern Continent had been placed under the administration of the "Free and Unfettered Sect," and there was also the connection with Li Xuanyi.

Even though a Nascent Soul ancestor has fallen in the family, no one dares to underestimate them.

While the "Yunlong Mountain" was bustling with activity, tens of thousands of miles away in Nanzhou...

On the turbulent sea, several figures stood high in the sky, gazing into the distance.

Before long, a streak of light flew over quickly and stopped in front of everyone.

"Greetings, Your Highness Haoyun!"

The man dressed in white glanced at the crowd and spoke softly:

"The Ancestor has decreed that you may lead your troops northward and sweep away all the islands occupied by humans along the coast."

"I'll wait for the order!"

As numerous demon emperors issued commands, countless demon beasts soon appeared on the originally turbulent sea.

These monstrous beasts, carrying towering waves, rushed forward at breakneck speed.

".."

"Donghuang Kingdom," outside a market town on the northern border.

A sword light flew swiftly towards them and landed outside the market gate.

A middle-aged man emerged from the beam of light, took out a waist token from his person, and immediately shouted loudly at the gatekeeper:
"The sect has issued an order: the northern demon race has made unusual movements. Immediately report to Uncle Liang and activate the mountain-protecting formation to strengthen defenses!"

"The demon race is making unusual movements! Activate the mountain-protecting formation immediately!"

".."

As soon as the order arrived, a protective shield of spiritual light quickly rose up, and the entire market instantly became tense.

Such orders appeared almost simultaneously in major markets and towns along the northern border.

This also reminded many of the older cultivators in the city of the horrific scenes of the great battle many years ago, causing their expressions to turn solemn.

"Wasn't there supposed to be ten years? How come it's here so soon!"

".."

On the "Floating Clouds Mountain Range", on "Ancient Yang Peak".

Sitting in the stone pavilion, Song Qingyu slowly withdrew the blue spiritual light that enveloped her, and her magical power quickly surged out to cover it.

The blue ball of light trembled and suddenly shattered, turning into countless water droplets that fell into the air.

Seeing this, Song Qingyu quickly raised her hand and made a hand seal, and soon another talisman appeared out of thin air in front of her.

"Slay the heavens and the six directions, raise your sword!"

As Song Qingyu murmured something, all the water droplets fell into the talisman she had just formed, and dozens of beams of spiritual light reappeared in front of her.

Where the spiritual light gathered, streaks of sword light condensed and took shape.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into thirty-six flying swords, automatically circling around Song Qingyu and forming a powerful sword formation.

Thirty-six sword lights surrounded Song Qingyu, significantly enhancing her aura.

At this moment, apart from those late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, she probably has no one who can surpass Song Qingyu in terms of aura.

"The Six Harmonies Heaven-Slaying Sword Formation! It is indeed quite powerful. No wonder Fellow Daoist Li was able to cause the Qi family so much trouble back then."

Since Li Xianyun passed the array diagram to him, Song Qingyu has patiently collected materials and conducted careful research over the years.

Having put a lot of effort into this, Song Qingyu has finally successfully set up the sword formation.

Although his research on this sword formation was far inferior to that of Li Xianyun back then, the power of the sword formation he set up was obviously weaker.

However, Song Qingyu was able to successfully set it up, so this time she didn't waste so much time and spiritual resources.

Now that she has reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul realm and possesses this sword formation, her combat abilities have reached a new level.

With more practice in the future, it shouldn't be long before I can unleash the sword formation with even greater power, just like Li Xianyun.

At that time, she might be able to fight against a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator on her own, and hold him back, thanks to her sword formation.

Thinking of this, a smile couldn't help but appear on Song Qingyu's face.

After manipulating the sword formation at will, Song Qingyu had just withdrawn the sword formation into her body when she suddenly felt an unusual vibration coming from the spiritual energy in front of her.

"It's time."

With a look of surprise on her face, Song Qingyu, who had just cast a spell to remove the concealment array in front of her, looked up at the sky.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and countless spiritual energies were rapidly gathering at a cave dwelling in front of them. In an instant, the strange phenomenon of heaven and earth had already spread hundreds of miles away.

Around "Guyang Peak", many of the disciples with lower cultivation levels also noticed the commotion and showed surprise when they saw the strange phenomenon in the sky.

Even in a major Nascent Soul sect like the "Free and Unfettered Sect," many people had never seen such an earth-shattering phenomenon before.

Only the older cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage or above recalled the familiar scene from their memories, and their faces showed a hint of shock.

"Could it be that another ancestor is about to undergo tribulation?"

Looking at the scene before him from mid-air, Song Qingyu's expression also became tense.

He quickly took out a talisman from his person, cast a spell, and threw it out.

Before long, several streaks of light quickly arrived from the distance, led by Bai Yuxian, who had just received the news.

"Qingyu, are you Ziyang's junior disciple?"

"Senior Sister Bai, Junior Nephew Ziyang has already triggered the tribulation lightning. Quickly tell everyone to prepare."

In response to Bai Yuxian's question, Song Qingyu nodded slightly, then stood up and came into the air, staring intently at the cave in front of her.

Xu Ziyan and other Golden Core elders from the sect, who had received the order quickly, also rushed over.

Under their arrangement, all sect disciples within dozens of miles of "Guyang Peak" were quickly cleared away from the area.

Just as everyone from the "Free and Unfettered Sect" was busy, thunder resounded in mid-air.

A figure flew out of the cave below and stood high in the sky.

At this moment, Zhou Ziyang exuded an aura that was no less than that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, causing the crowd below to look on with excitement.

"Senior Brother Zhou, it's really time for him to undergo tribulation!"

".."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, lightning flashed across the sky.

Before long, the first lightning tribulation had already formed and headed straight for Zhou Ziyang in mid-air.

Faced with the overwhelming white lightning, Zhou Ziyang remained calm and methodically raised his hand to quickly cast a spell.

Embrace this divine baptism that belongs to you. (End of Chapter)