Qinghe Immortal Clan.

Faced with the conditions proposed by Song Qingming, the golden dragon outside the hall hesitated for a moment before finally asking a question.

Then, with a flash of light, the golden dragon transformed back into the white-clad woman's appearance.

Seeing that the other party's attitude had softened and was no longer as arrogant as before, a smile finally appeared on Song Qingming's face.

"We've known each other for so long, and I still don't know how to address you?"

"I am Ao Xing, a member of the Dragon Abyss Sea and a member of the True Dragon Clan!"

“Fellow Daoist Ao, this is my method for refining demon puppets. The Heavenly Mystery Sumeru Worm that I gave you was refined using this method.”

With a gentle lift of his hand, Song Qingming conjured a jade slip that had been prepared beforehand and sent it directly to Ao Xing.

Looking at the jade slip in front of him, Ao Xing's face showed a slight hint of doubt.

Before she could speak, Song Qingming's voice came again.

"When I trade with others, I always value integrity. Fellow Daoist, you can first confirm whether this is what you want, and then I will tell you what you need to trade."

Above this jade slip, there is a restriction that I set up, which can only be viewed here in person.

Otherwise, without the incantation I provided, this item would instantly self-destruct, and you wouldn't be able to take it with you.

"You human cultivators always like to try these novel tricks. I thought you would be different!"

After chuckling, Ao Xing immediately released his divine sense to probe into the jade slip, and soon a look of excitement and satisfaction appeared on his face.

"Yes, this is exactly what I wanted."

"Speak! What kind of spiritual item do you want in exchange?"

Seeing that Ao Xing had confirmed the jade slip in his hand was genuine, Song Qingming's eyes flickered slightly before he slowly spoke:

"I've heard that your True Dragon Clan has a pure bloodline and is descended from ancient True Spirits. I'm cultivating a technique and happen to need a bottle of True Dragon essence blood."

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Ao could fulfill this wish of mine."

"What? It's just a secret technique for crafting demon puppets, yet you dare to ask me for a bottle of true dragon blood essence? You really have the nerve to ask for that."

Upon hearing Song Qingming propose a trade involving spiritual items, Ao Xing's eyes flashed with displeasure.

"If one bottle isn't enough, half a bottle will do!"

"No, the blood essence of our clan's true dragons is extremely precious and cannot be traded casually with outsiders. I advise you to choose something else."

"this."

Seeing that the other party refused and it seemed there was no room for negotiation, Song Qingming hesitated for a moment before sighing with disappointment and saying:
"If that really doesn't work, then let's exchange two pieces of Purple Cloud Jade for the secret technique. Surely you won't find that difficult!"

"True Dragon Essence Blood" is extremely precious to the Dragon Clan, and Song Qingming was well aware of this even if the other party did not say so.

The reason he dared to make such an outrageous demand for "true dragon essence blood" from Ao Xing was simply to pave the way for what he truly wanted next.

The opponent, being a Nascent Soul True Dragon, was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

If you state your bottom line directly from the beginning, it will be difficult to overwhelm the other party with your presence and achieve the desired result.

Sure enough, when Song Qingming agreed to exchange for the "Purple Cloud Jade", Ao Xing quickly nodded in agreement.

"The Purple Cloud Jade is acceptable, but I only have one on me!"

"It's a bit too little to exchange a single piece of Purple Cloud Jade for a secret technique. If Fellow Daoist Ao can't even offer this much sincerity, then I, Song, will be at a great disadvantage in this transaction."

".

"Fellow Daoist Song, this is Dragon Jade Spirit Water, refined by my True Dragon Clan using stalactites from the seabed that have been there for ten thousand years. It can assist cultivators in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm in their cultivation."

"I'll use this bottle of spiritual liquid in place of a piece of Purple Heaven Jade. You shouldn't be at a disadvantage, right?"

After a conversation, seeing that Song Qingming was still shaking his head and speaking with a firm tone, Ao Xing finally took out a bottle of spiritual liquid from his person and placed it in front of him.

"Dragon Jade Spirit Water!"

Upon hearing that the spiritual water Ao Xing had taken out could actually assist Nascent Soul cultivators in their cultivation, Song Qingming was immediately filled with excitement.

Upon receiving the jade bottle, Song Qingming opened it and a surge of rich spiritual energy instantly emanated from it, far exceeding the pills and spiritual items he had previously consumed during his Nascent Soul stage.

Although he had never heard of this object before, Song Qingming could roughly tell from the rich spiritual energy it emitted that the other party was not deceiving him.

After a brief moment of thought, Song Qingming finally agreed to complete the deal with Ao Xing.

Using the secret technique of refining the demon puppet in his hand, he traded with the other party and obtained a piece of Purple Cloud Jade and a bottle of "Dragon Jade Spirit Water".

After confirming that there was nothing wrong with the spiritual item in his hand, Song Qingming took out another scroll and tossed it to Ao Xing outside.

"Fellow Daoist Ao, this is the incantation to unlock the secret technique. As long as you follow this incantation, you can remove the restrictions above."

"Now that our deal is done, and I have other matters to attend to, I will take my leave of you."

"Fellow Daoist Song, please wait a moment!"

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard the other person shout again, and Song Qingming immediately stopped and looked at Ao Xing in mid-air with some confusion.

"Fellow Daoist Song, regarding the Sacred Star Compass, both you and your friend might want to reconsider."

"If you are willing to hand this over to me, I can trade you a magical treasure in return, and you will definitely not suffer any loss."

"A magical treasure!"

Although the "Sacred Star Disc" can deal with spatial rifts, its quality is still only that of a replica spiritual treasure with relatively special supernatural powers.

When Song Qingming heard Ao Xing offer to exchange a more valuable spiritual treasure for him, he was clearly tempted.

But after a moment, he shook his head.

"I am truly sorry, but I cannot agree to this request, fellow Daoist."

Seeing that Song Qingming rejected him again, his tone remained resolute.

After standing silently for a moment, Ao Xing finally spoke:

"The Sacred Star Compass is very important to me. I'm open to discussing how to exchange it for anything."

I live in the Dragon Abyss Sea, in the True Dragon Palace.

"If you ever come to a realization about this matter, you are welcome to come to the Dragon Palace to find me at any time!"

Having said that, Ao Xing's body flashed with spiritual light, and he vanished from the spot.

Seeing this, Bai Yuxian, who had been nervously waiting for a long time, finally spoke up and asked:
"Junior brother, she's already gone?"

"Yes! That should be it."

Finally, this problem is solved, and we can go back safely!

Having advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, Song Qingming's divine sense could easily cover the entire Heavenly Palace, and he did not detect any unusual spiritual energy fluctuations.

Seeing that they had finally seen off the Nascent Soul True Dragon, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Song Qingming's supernatural abilities were far greater after breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, he also possessed two powerful spiritual treasures.

However, when facing Ao Xing, a powerful member of the "True Dragon Clan," Song Qingming's current strength is clearly slightly weaker.

If you really fight head-on with the other party, it's hard to gain any advantage.

Fortunately, Ao Xing's main purpose was to obtain the "Demon Puppet Secret Technique" and the "Sacred Star Compass," and he did not really want to fight him to the death.

After the deal was struck, the other party's trip wasn't in vain, as they obtained the secret technique they desired most.

However, the strength that Song Qingming demonstrated during his advancement to the Nascent Soul stage was also crucial in achieving this fair trade.

Otherwise, if the two sides are not evenly matched, Song Qingming will have little room to bargain with Ao Xing, and it will be impossible for this deal to be fair.

Thinking of this, Song Qingming slowly exhaled.

After cultivating for so many years, I have now reached the Nascent Soul stage. I finally have the qualifications to trade fairly with these old monsters at the Nascent Soul stage and be on equal footing.

Wherever he goes in the future, he will always be a high-ranking Nascent Soul Ancestor.

There's no need to worry about these potential threats.

My next goal is to ascend to the upper realm and explore the true path to immortality.

".

Inside the "ice palace" in the open sea.

With a flash of white light, two figures appeared on the stone platform, accompanied by a round "ice glass beast".

The two glanced around at the familiar surroundings, realizing they had successfully returned to Huayang Realm, and a smile immediately appeared on their faces.

When Song Qingming and Ling Zhentian returned from the Heavenly Palace for the first time, they almost encountered considerable danger because they had exhausted their magical power.

However, Song Qingming's cultivation has now broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, allowing him to easily withstand the external gales during teleportation.

His return from this place had no impact on him or Bai Yuxian whatsoever.

Only the little "Ice Glass Beast" is still in a daze after experiencing a tremendous teleportation from outer space.

Seeing this, Bai Yuxian had no choice but to put it back into her "spirit beast pouch" at her waist.

As soon as the two stepped down the stairs, they saw two streaks of light from the depths of the "Ice Palace" heading straight for their location.

"Who are you people, daring to trespass into my royal residence!"

The two demon emperors who arrived, one male and one female, were both at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. They were both surprised when they saw Song Qingming and his companion suddenly appear.

He really couldn't understand how two human cultivators had suddenly appeared in his cave.

But a moment later, as soon as they saw the cultivation level of the person in front of them, the two demon emperors were shocked.

"You are a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!"

".

In less than a quarter of an hour, Bai Yuxian had already sorted out the monster materials on the ground.

He then happily took the "storage bag" and returned to Song Qingming's side, who was busy next to the array platform.

"Junior Brother Song, these are yours!"

"They're just some materials from demonic beasts, why are you being so polite with me? Just keep them."

Faced with the "storage bag" handed over by Bai Yuxian, Song Qingming smiled and waved his hand, then used magic to plant the array flag in the middle of the array platform.

Once the restriction took effect, the array platform leading to the "Purple Sun Heavenly Palace" vanished from their sight.

The "ice palace" in front of us is so cold that it is very suitable for ice-attribute monsters to cultivate.

Even if Song Qingming and his companion kill the demon emperor who is entrenched here on the spot, it will probably not be long before a new demon emperor is attracted to occupy this place.

"Ziyang Heavenly Palace" is a good place for cultivation. In the future, Bai Yuxian and others will inevitably have to return to the Heavenly Palace.

Just in case someone were to damage the array platform leading to the Heavenly Palace, Song Qingming set up a magic array on it to conceal it before leaving.

Seeing that Song Qingming did not want to share the monster materials in his possession, Bai Yuxian, knowing his intentions, did not say anything more and smiled as she put the "storage bag" back.

"Then, thank you very much, junior brother!"

".

Having finished their business, Song Qingming and Bai Yuxian retraced their steps and left the "Ice Palace," quickly returning to the sea.

Smelling the familiar scent in the surrounding sea breeze, Bai Yuxian couldn't help but say:

"Junior Brother Song, we're finally back!"

"Hmm! I've been in seclusion for so long, and I don't even know how the sect is doing now. I should go back as soon as possible!" When Song Qingming left Qingyun Mountain for Ziyang Heavenly Palace, his original intention was to help Bai Yuxian comprehend the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

He just didn't expect that the two of them would encounter so many unexpected events in the Heavenly Palace, and in the end, he actually forced himself into seclusion there and successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul realm.

For years, Song Qingming and Bai Yuxian have been trapped in the "Ziyang Heavenly Palace" and know almost nothing about what is happening outside.

Now that they have returned, they are still unaware of the passage of time.

How is the situation at the sect? Are Song Qingyu, Huang Siyuan, and the others safe and sound?

Knowing that Song Qingming was anxious to return, Bai Yuxian quickly used her magic to take out the purple flying train and boarded it, only to find that Song Qingming remained standing in the same spot without moving.

"Junior Brother Song!"

"Senior Sister Bai, it's too slow for us to go back like this. I'll take you a shortcut."

The two were in the boundless outer sea, with no place to teleport. When Bai Yuxian heard that Song Qingming wanted to take her a shortcut, she was puzzled.

Before she could think further, Song Qingming used magic to take out a blue wooden plaque from his body.

The cyan wooden plaque rapidly grew larger, instantly transforming into a jade shuttle several meters long.

Then Song Qingming reached out and took Bai Yuxian up with him. The jade shuttle quickly transformed into a streak of green light and shot straight up into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Yuxian, who was standing next to Song Qingming, found herself thousands of feet in the air, surrounded by an endless sea of ​​clouds.

Just as Bai Yuxian was pondering, the cyan jade shuttle suddenly passed through a boundary restriction and arrived once again in the outer void beyond the Nine Heavens.

The fierce winds, thunder, and fire from all sides were easily blocked outside the protective barrier by Song Qingming's protective qi.

Only at this moment did Bai Yuxian realize Song Qingming's purpose in coming to the Nine Heavens.

This was her first time traversing the outer void like this, and a hint of excitement couldn't help but show on her face.

Unlike Nascent Soul cultivators, Deity Transformation cultivators can easily resist the external winds, thunder, and fire, and travel through the outer void beyond the Nine Heavens.

Using the "Huayang Realm" to rotate in reverse, the two could easily traverse a distance of tens of thousands of miles in an instant.

This speed of travel was many times faster than the journey there.

Before long, the "Azure Jade Shuttle" controlled by Song Qingming once again crossed the interface and returned to the Huayang Realm.

".

"Fuyun Mountain Range" is a high mountain located tens of thousands of miles southwest of Qingyun Mountain.

Inside the main hall atop the mountain, an elderly man at the Golden Core stage paced back and forth, while a slightly younger-looking cultivator sat beside him.

Suddenly, a disciple rushed in from outside the hall, holding a letter in his hand.

"Sect Leader, Uncle Yu has sent word that more demons are heading this way from the west."

"What? More monsters are coming from the west! Just what I feared has come true!"

Upon hearing the message, the old man, who was already slightly nervous, suddenly looked extremely unpleasant.

At this point, the young man sitting to the side couldn't help but stand up.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, things have come to this point. The fate of the sect is paramount. Let's make a decision quickly!"

“This, Junior Brother Zhao, the Free and Unfettered Sect has not yet replied.”

If we rashly withdraw from Bailing Mountain without the protection of the mountain's protective formation, so many disciples will be vulnerable to attack by demons.

The sect's centuries-old foundation may be destroyed in our hands.

"Sigh, Senior Brother Sect Leader, how come you still don't understand?"

Qingyun Mountain and Chiyun Mountain are barely able to protect themselves, so how could they possibly rescue us? Otherwise, we wouldn't have been without any news from Xiaoyao Sect for so long.

I heard a few days ago that the western gate of the Ziyun Sect had been breached by demons, and only a few dozen people escaped.

While the surrounding monsters haven't completely surrounded the mountain gate yet, there's still a glimmer of hope for us to retreat south.

Otherwise, if we drag this out any longer...

Once surrounded by demons, no one will be able to escape, and they will inevitably suffer the same fate as the Purple Cloud Sect.

"So be it! Since things have come to this, there's nothing we can do."

"Junior Brother Yang, go and inform the sect disciples that everyone should gather at the mountain gate."

Don't worry about the spiritual items in the sect's treasury. As long as everyone can escape, I will have lived up to my master's expectations.

There will eventually be a day when the mountain gate will be rebuilt.

".

With the sect leader's order, the disciples of "White Spirit Mountain" quickly sprang into action, and thousands of them gathered at the mountain gate.

Not long after Sect Leader Situ Liang led all the disciples of Bailing Mountain out of the mountain gate formation.

Suddenly, a dark mass of demonic creatures appeared from the western Heavenly Palace, instantly sending a chill down the spines of many disciples of "White Spirit Mountain".

Unexpectedly, the group encountered so many demons as soon as they left the great formation.

"Sect Leader, what should we do? Should we retreat or continue forward?"

"We've come this far, there's no way out for us."

"Gentlemen, let's fight our way out."

Faced with the attacking demons, Situ Liang led thousands of disciples from "White Spirit Mountain" in a fierce battle, fighting their way south while retreating on the battlefield.

Just as the disciples of "White Spirit Mountain" were about to fight their way out, a dark cloud suddenly appeared from the distant Heavenly Palace.

From within the dark clouds, hundreds of high-level demonic creatures instantly blocked their path.

In a short time, many disciples of "White Spirit Mountain" suffered heavy losses, and in the end, the sect leader Situ Liang could only lead everyone back to the mountain gate formation.

The entire "White Spirit Mountain" was now surrounded by countless demons.

Outside the great formation, the demons were menacing.

With more than half of the sect's disciples injured, it was difficult for them to gather the strength to break through. A look of despair immediately appeared on the faces of the "White Spirit Mountain" members.

Sect Leader Situ Liang could only gather all the promising young disciples of the sect in the Ancestral Hall.

"Junior Brother Yang, these are all people I personally selected. Tomorrow, you take them on a flying boat and head south to break through the encirclement. I will try to buy you some time!"

Remember, after you escape, go and meet up with Junior Brother Yu.

No matter what, we must leave behind a seed for the sect.

"Sect Leader! The mountain gate can no longer be defended. Why don't you come with us?"

"I am nearing the end of my life and my path to immortality is over. Even if I escape, I will not have much time left."

When I accepted the position of sect leader, I swore before my master that I would protect the sect for life.

With so many disciples still on the mountain, how could I break my vow and abandon them to leave alone?

Faced with the reminder from his fellow disciples, Situ Liang turned to look at the woman in the portrait of the patriarch beside him, but shook his head calmly.

"Senior brother! As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."

If our founder was able to establish White Spirit Mountain, then as long as we can escape, we will surely find a way to restore our sect!

"Sect Master Uncle!"

"Ancestor!"

".

Hearing the calls from his fellow disciples, Situ Liang remained calm and refused them outright.

Even knowing that the sect was about to be destroyed, the sect leader still wanted to stay and live and die with his many disciples.

Soon, a mournful sound rang out in the main hall.

As everyone was filled with grief, a loud noise suddenly came from outside Mount Ling, interrupting the many White Spirit Mountain cultivators in the main hall.

Before they could react, the entire "White Spirit Mountain" began to shake violently, and the ground seemed about to crack open.

The tremors lasted for about 15 minutes before gradually subsiding.

"What's going on? Has the mountain-protecting formation been breached?!"

"How could it be so fast? Could it be that a Nascent Soul demon has arrived!"

".

Just as Situ Liang and the others rushed out of the main hall with puzzled expressions, they witnessed a scene that shocked them greatly from the battlefield in the distance.

The thousands of demons that had surrounded the foot of the mountain had mostly turned into charred corpses.

Hundreds of monsters that had escaped were still in the distance, trying to flee quickly.

Several white bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, instantly annihilating them, and a deafening tremor resounded from the ground beneath their feet once more.

Before long, a figure in white descended from the sky and landed in front of Situ Liang and the others.

The immense pressure emanating from the opponent instantly enveloped the entire "White Spirit Mountain".

Looking at the powerful figure before him who seemed somewhat familiar, Situ Liang, who had just been filled with despair, hurriedly knelt down heavily.

"Situ Liang, the head of Bailing Mountain, pays respects to the Ancestor!"

"I kowtow in gratitude to the ancestor for saving my life."

"Thank you, Ancestor!"

".

"No need for formalities, please get up!"

The woman in white glanced at the crowd before her, then quickly waved her hand, signaling them to rise, before continuing:

"I just returned from the open sea, and there are some things I need to ask you. Just answer truthfully."

These demons came from the north. What's the current situation at Qingyun Mountain? If you know anything, please tell me.

"Reporting to the Ancestor, these demons came from the Northern Frontier decades ago."

Qingyun Mountain has also been besieged by demons, and we haven't been able to contact them recently, so we don't know the specific situation yet!

".

Hearing Situ Liang and the others slowly recount their story, the woman in white, who had just returned to the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range," learned quite a bit about the demonic calamity.

At this moment, her expression was also somewhat solemn.

A moment later, another figure shattered the void and arrived beside the woman in white.

The two quickly disappeared from the spot.

Only after the other party left did Situ Liang and the others come to their senses, staring blankly in the direction where the two had disappeared.

"Sect Leader, that person just now looked like Elder Bai from the Free and Unfettered Sect!"

"Yes! That's right, it's Ancestor Bai. I saw her once from afar during the Ancient Yang Mountain celebration back then, when I was with my master."

"Could the person beside Elder Bai be that person who has come in person?!" (End of Chapter)