I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

The ancient road is swept by a west wind, yellow leaves carpet the ground, and the stone steps leading back to the mountain meander upwards.

Zhang Lingyuan turned her head, her gaze frequently falling on the elm wood sword box that Ou Yeheng was holding.

The box is rough, with barbs still hanging from the edges, clearly made by a rural craftsman.

"wood."

Zhang Lingyuan leaned forward with her hands behind her back, her voice tinged with curiosity: "What exactly is in the box? Why such caution? Can't even I see it?"

Ou Yeheng tightened his grip, his expression solemn:

"A magical sword was bestowed upon me for observation by a passing senior; it is of extraordinary value and must not be damaged in the slightest."

"senior?"

Zhang Lingyuan's bright eyes lit up slightly, and she smiled warmly.

"The master craftsmen at Danxia Peak are usually quite arrogant, I never imagined there would be someone outside who could recognize your exceptional skills?"

She didn't care about the quality of the sword; she was only happy that the young man's talent had been appreciated.

"That's natural. Although you look young, your insights into weapon crafting are even more profound than those of the elders in the peak."

Ou Yeheng responded in a muffled voice, his tone revealing a hint of undisguised arrogance.

"Alright, alright, since you're so amazing..."

Zhang Lingyuan nodded, then abruptly changed the subject, posing a probing question:

"When do you plan to return it? What is your honorable name, senior? Where is your immortal abode?"

The wind stopped.

Ou Yeheng's body stiffened and turned into a stubborn stone.

broken.

I was in such a hurry that I was so excited that I forgot about this important matter!

All he knew was that the other person was a "senior," and he dressed as a scholar.

But where can one find the cultivators who come and go in Jiping Town?

"What's wrong?"

Zhang Lingyuan waved her hand in front of him.

"Are you stupid?"

Ou Yeheng slapped his thigh in frustration, his face flushed: "I was so afraid of being late for returning to the mountain that I grabbed it and ran off without even having time to ask your name!"

If we turn back now, the person will probably be long gone.

Even if they are still here, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack in the vast sea of ​​people.

What was thought to be a "gift of treasure" now seems more like a "scam of the sword."

Just as Ou Yeheng was scratching his head in frustration, a commotion suddenly arose on the mountain road ahead.

Several streaks of light pierced the sky; these were the inner sect stewards who flew using magical artifacts.

Closely following behind, groups of outer disciples hurried along.

Two elders dressed in dark robes, their faces grim, rushed down the mountain.

"Something happened?"

Zhang Lingyuan's joy vanished, and her expression changed.

With her sharp eyes, she reached out and grabbed an inner disciple who was coming down the mountain.

"Junior Brother Chen, wait!"

The disciple who had been pulled back looked anxious, but upon seeing that it was Zhang Lingyuan, he softened slightly: "So it's Senior Sister Zhang, you've just returned to the mountain?"

"Just got back from leave."

Zhang Lingyuan pointed to the chaos and asked:

"What happened? Why are all the elders coming down the mountain?"

Junior Brother Chen raised his sleeve to wipe his sweat:

"Major event! We've heard that the Sect Leader and the Supreme Elder have decreed that an unprecedented 'Mountain God Festival' will be held at the foot of Qinglu Mountain!"

"In order to express our gratitude for the nourishment of heaven and earth, we disciples need to prepare the ritual site in advance and clean it to welcome guests."

"Mountain God Festival?"

Ou Yeheng and Zhang Lingyuan looked at each other, both of them bewildered.

When did our sect begin to believe in the ethereal and illusory path of gods?

Before the two could think further, the storage bag at Zhang Lingyuan's waist trembled.

A pale blue communication talisman flew out, exploded in mid-air, and transformed into spiritual script:

[Return to Cuiping Peak immediately; there is important matter to discuss.]

"My master called me."

Zhang Lingyuan looked stern and dared not delay.

She turned to look at Ou Yeheng, speaking very quickly:

"Brother Ouye, this matter is strange. You must return to Danxia Peak immediately to report, and do not wander off. I'll go ahead!"

After speaking, he made a hand seal, and with a gust of wind beneath his feet, he transformed into a green shadow and swept towards the mountain peak.

Ou Yeheng stood there, sword case in hand, watching the beautiful figure disappear into the distance, before finally continuing on his way with his head down.

......

Jiping Town, guesthouse room.

The atmosphere inside the room was eerie.

"Are you really comfortable entrusting your natal magic sword to that hothead?"

The Iron-Maned Demon King held two ordinary iron swords between his fingers, his face full of confusion.

Even if the iron sheet has a decent appearance, it is still an ordinary object, and it will be dulled by the slightest bump.

Did Xu Sixing get struck by lightning and damage his brain?

Juexin held the sword with both hands, concentrating intently on its observation:

"A fine sword."

"Although it lacks spiritual essence, its 'meaning' is seven-tenths accurate. The old craftsman was able to replicate several parts of the spirit of 'Zhenli' based on just a few words from Benefactor Xu, which is truly remarkable."

As Xu Sixing's roommate who has been inseparable from him these past few days.

He knew perfectly well what the Zhenli sword meant to Xu Sixing.

The foundation of the Tao is life itself.

Xu Sixing leaned against the window railing, toying with the empty cup in his hand, and waved casually:

"Why not?"

"He's a simpleton, with clear eyes. Giving him the sword won't be a loss for me."

"And then..."

He lightly touched his chest with his fingertips, a hint of arrogance flashing within him:

"Zhenli is a spiritual embryo, only a thin layer of paper away from becoming a spiritual artifact."

"The vessel is imbued with intelligence, and the mind and spirit are connected."

"Even if separated by a hundred miles, a single thought is enough to sheath the weapon and kill in an instant; how could it possibly be lost?"

Iron-Maned Demon King rolled his eyes.

The human race's intricate thoughts are truly difficult for it to understand.

If you lend out your life-saving possessions, and then encounter an enemy at your door, do you have to first perform a hand seal and call out "Sword, come!"?

Wouldn't that be troublesome?

He is slandering himself.

Oh!

The void inside the room was torn apart.

A burly figure stepped across the crevice.

Bare-chested, his muscles were like iron.

Chai Wu.

"Everyone's here? Perfect."

Xu Sixing nearly dropped the teacup from his hand, and Juexin nervously uttered a Buddhist chant.

The most tragic one was the Iron Mane Demon King, who was truly traumatized by Chai Wu.

Upon seeing the god of death, it instinctively reacted, letting out a "roar," and its massive demonic body displayed astonishing agility as it shrank behind the bed.

Only a pair of terrified pig eyes were visible, trembling with fear.

"Senior...Senior Brother? Why have we come to this?"

Xu Sixing chuckled twice.

Chai Wu looked around, not bothering to dwell on his unauthorized descent from the mountain:

"I don't have time for idle chatter."

"Something's off about the atmosphere around Qinglu Mountain."

"Several powerful auras have already reached the outer edge of the great formation, including at least three Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"ah?!"

Xu Sixing and Juexin's expressions changed drastically.

Three Foundation Establishment cultivators?

It would be enough to wipe out a small sect on ordinary days!

"If you don't want to die a violent death out there, hurry up and come back with me."

Chai Wu waved his hand, his voice tinged with impatience: "The feast is about to begin, and flies are already swarming by the smell. We'll have to go back and prepare a big net to wipe them all out!"

The group exchanged glances, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

Not daring to utter a word, the Iron-Maned Demon King disregarded his fear and scrambled out from under the bed, following Chai Wu as they fled back into the void.

......

"Wow, it's quite lively."

Qingyuan crossed his legs, his gaze fixed on the few extra scarlet dots on the map.

These韭菜 (leeks, a term for inexperienced investors) arrived faster than expected.

"Mount Dingji, Floating Jade Gate... and the Imperial Sword Gate."

Qingyuan chewed on grapes while browsing the faction tags that popped up in the system.

Normally suppressed by the Imperial Sword Sect, they now see three Foundation Establishment cultivators emerging from Qinglu Mountain and want to sound them out and fish in troubled waters.

Of course, even among the small fry, there are some tough nuts to crack.

The mouse hovers over an icon that shimmers with a dark gold glow.

[Master Yuanlian (Sword Master/Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage)]

"An old acquaintance."

"Old Ghost Yu Zhang didn't personally intervene, but instead released you?"

"It seems Wen Zhibai was quite frightened last time and wants you to test the waters, to gauge the depth of the 'Mountain God Festival'?"

After thinking for a moment, Qingyuan realized it made sense.

Yuan Lian had no opinions of his own in the Imperial Sword Sect's elders' council, and his cultivation was at the bottom. He was the only one who could do these dirty and tiring jobs.

"Since we're already here, we can't leave empty-handed."

Qingyuan sneered.

Besides these few eye-catching bags, the Taoist Canon once again went viral through this "gathering".

[Detected and included the "Floating Jade Sect" fourth-grade secret technique, "The Immovable Body of the Supreme Hua," which has been added to the collection.]

[The fifth-grade classic text of "Dingji Mountain," titled "Beichen Dingyuan Locking Pass Record" (incomplete), has been detected and added to the database.]

......

A series of prompts entered the ear, crisp and pleasant.

Among them are many fourth- and fifth-grade dried goods.

"The material storage for refining cultivation techniques is overflowing."

Shu Yan's "Thousand Rivers Flowing Moon Reflecting the True Scripture" is marked with "can be further refined", indicating unlimited potential.

As for Chai Wu, his "Mount Sumeru King View" was powerful, but he had no follow-up and stopped at the peak of the Mercury Blood Realm.

"Either continue melting, or..."

Qingyuan's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the northern end of the map.

The monks of Da Miao Temple emphasize the dual cultivation of Buddhism and Buddhism, and they must have some rare and valuable secrets hidden away.

The construction of Guanlu Peak has already begun under the supervision of Qin Ranqing and He Qin.

Once the road is open, it will be perfectly legitimate to go to the bald man's territory to "beg for alms".

In contrast, Xu Sixing, who joined the sect the latest, had no shortage of martial arts techniques because of Zhu Ming's assistance.

Needless to say, enlightenment comes from within.

The young monk who cultivates his vows is unconventional, and the Shangmiao Temple behind him is unfathomable. It is unknown what connection he has with the Damiao Temple.

Looking at the screen full of to-do items, Qingyuan didn't feel a headache; instead, he felt inexplicably excited.

The beginning is always the hardest, but now that the work is done, it's time to really put our skills to good use.