Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

at the same time,

Within the ancestral land of the Qingyun Sect.

At the summit of a mountain shrouded in mist, sits an ancient palace.

Inside the palace, an elderly man dressed in a gray Taoist robe sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

His face was gaunt, his eyes were closed, yet he exuded an unfathomable aura of power.

—He was none other than Jian Xiaotian, the patriarch of the Qingyun Sect.

Before him lay a figure covered in wounds, barely breathing—it was Zhuge Xiu, who had been rescued.

Below the palace, Xuanxiaozi, the sect leader of Qingyun Sect, stood bowing respectfully, not daring to even breathe loudly.

After a long time,

Jian Xiaotian slowly opened his eyes, a trace of weariness flashing in them, his voice aged and hoarse:

"Xuanxiaozi, Zhuge Xiu's soul is severely damaged, and his physical body is on the verge of shattering."

"Go to the sect's treasury and retrieve the remaining thousand-year-old Soul-Nourishing Grass and Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Pill. Make sure to save his life."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Xuanxiaozi quickly accepted the order.

Jian Xiaotian sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness and resentment:

"I never imagined that a mere pavilion like the Drizzle Pavilion would possess such power."

"If it weren't for the current restrictions imposed by Heaven's Dao, preventing me from freely unleashing my power, how could these ants have dared to run rampant?"

Upon hearing this, a flash of hatred crossed Xuanxiaozi's eyes:

"Ancestor, this is an irreconcilable feud! The Drizzle Pavilion slaughtered dozens of my Azure Cloud Sect disciples and two elders!"

"This has utterly disgraced our Qingyun Sect! This disciple begs the Ancestor to intervene and destroy the Xiyu Tower!"

"No!" Ancestor Jian Xiaotian waved his hand and said in a deep voice.

"Since the spiritual energy has not yet recovered, if I force my way out, I will surely suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Dao."

"Let's put this matter aside for now! When the spiritual energy recovers, I will personally take action and reduce the Fine Rain Pavilion to ashes, and skin the person behind it all alive!"

"Yes..." Although Xuanxiaozi was unwilling, he dared not disobey the ancestor's order.

Jian Xiaotian closed his eyes and waved his hand: "Go down! Pass down the order that no Qingyun Sect disciple is allowed to set foot in Qingzhou City for the foreseeable future."

"At the same time, closely monitor the movements of Xiyulou, and report immediately upon any important news!"

"Disciple obeys!" Xuanxiaozi bowed and withdrew.

After leaving the palace, Xuanxiaozi went straight to the sect's council hall.

Inside the main hall, several elders dressed in magnificent robes were discussing the matter with furious expressions, each one filled with righteous indignation and exuding murderous intent.

"Sect Master! How can the matter of Qingzhou City be left like this?!"

"The Drizzle Pavilion has gone too far! They killed my Qingyun Sect disciples and beheaded my Third Elder and Fourth Elder. If this grudge is not avenged, how can my Qingyun Sect maintain its reputation?!"

"Please, Sect Master, give the order to mobilize the sect's strongest warriors and raze the Drizzle Pavilion to the ground!"

Xuanxiaozi looked at the elders who were indignant, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Shut up! The Ancestor has ordered that we must not provoke the Drizzle Pavilion in the near future!"

"We will exact our revenge when the spiritual energy recovers!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell completely silent.

The elders looked at each other, their faces showing astonishment and resentment, but they could only shut their mouths in frustration.

They knew that no one dared to disobey their ancestor's orders.

However, swallowing this insult is really hard!

The sky over the Eastern Region appears calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents are already surging.

.....

Qingzhou City, West District.

Yuan Tiangang stood in front of the abandoned house in the middle of the alley, his fingertips brushing against the rusted copper lock, the lock core snapping with a "click".

Behind him, the seven members of Jing Ke's group concealed their presence to the extreme, their figures almost overlapping with the shadows on the wall—this was the result of their day-long selection process.

This place is adjacent to the dense forest outside the city, with a maze of streets and alleys. The population is much sparser than in the central area, but it is well-connected in all directions.

They could conceal their whereabouts by taking advantage of the bustling city streets, and also escape directly outside the city in times of crisis, combining both concealment and accessibility.

"This place is extremely well-hidden and close to a dense forest, making it ideal for both offense and defense, and perfect as a stronghold."

"Jing Ke, put him away." Yuan Tiangang nodded as his gaze fell on the open space in the center of the courtyard.

Jing Ke stepped forward, holding the small, dark pavilion in his palm.

Although the pavilion is small, one can clearly see the dark patterns on the eaves and the three characters "Xiyu Lou" on the lintel, which is the foundation of the stronghold entrusted by Ye Junlin.

He ran his fingertips along the base of the pavilion, feeling the faint energy flowing within it—the power of the formation inherent in the pavilion itself.

Jing Ke took a deep breath, channeled his spiritual energy into the pavilion, and uttered a low shout: "Rise!"

In an instant, the entire building was illuminated with eerie blue light patterns, as if it had come to life.

He raised his hand and tossed the pavilion into the air, where it transformed into a streak of light and landed steadily on the open ground in the center of the courtyard.

hum-

The pavilion suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, and a powerful spatial force swept outwards, distorting the surrounding air currents.

Everyone instinctively took a few steps back, and from within the light, a magnificent pavilion with carved beams and painted rafters rose from the ground.

The main building has three floors, supplemented by east and west wings connected by corridors, forming an overall shape resembling the Chinese character "品" (pin).

The eaves and corners are upturned, carved with ferocious demon faces, and above the lintel, a black plaque with gold characters shines brightly.

The inscription above reads three powerful characters: "Xiyu Lou" (细雨楼), with a subtle air of menace permeating the characters.

In the blink of an eye, the once empty space was filled with this pavilion.

Yet, strangely, it didn't intimidate the surrounding earthen walls and old trees, blending perfectly with the atmosphere of the entire alley.

It's as if this building has stood here for thousands of years.

This is the "Thousand Illusions Concealment Array" that comes with the attic. It can not only block divine senses, but also distort vision, so that it still looks like an abandoned mansion to outsiders.

"What a fine formation!" Linghu Chong couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

He walked to the pavilion door, reached out and touched it. The moment his fingertips touched it, the patterns on the door lit up, revealing a semi-transparent barrier.

Sharp energy fluctuations flowed across the barrier—it was the "Eternal Calamity Defense Array."

It can automatically defend against attacks from those below the Celestial level without any additional drive, and if a powerful opponent tries to force their way in, it will trigger a counterattack with lightning.

"Ingenious craftsmanship!" Di Yun gazed at the Misty Rain Pavilion before him, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.

Yuan Tiangang stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings of the pavilion, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Next, Jing Ke and Yao Li will stay here to guard this place, while the rest of you will return with me to the Eternal Night Space to report back."

The crowd responded in unison. Immediately, Jing Ke and Yao Li stayed at the Fine Rain Pavilion, while the rest of them turned into several afterimages and quietly disappeared at the end of the street.

After an incense stick has burned,

Within the Eternal Night Space,

Ye Junlin sat upright in the main hall, his eyes slightly closed, sorting out his cultivation experience of the Emperor Seal Technique.

Yuan Tiangang and his entourage entered silently.

"My lord, the Xiyu Tower stronghold in Qingzhou City has been set up."

Yuan Tiangang bowed and reported, his tone calm and composed.

Ye Junlin slowly opened his eyes and nodded slightly:

"Well done. Do you have any plans regarding the establishment of intelligence networks?"

"I already have a preliminary idea," Yuan Tiangang said, stepping forward in a deep voice.

"Among the spoils of war captured this time, there are a large number of spirit stones and pills. My subordinates plan to divide them into three parts."

"Firstly, it is used to recruit idle cultivators and vagrants from Qingzhou City, selecting the most astute and reliable individuals among them."

"To form a grassroots intelligence network, responsible for collecting rumors from the streets and alleys and the surface movements of various forces;

"Secondly, recruit a group of high-level cultivators, train them, and have them infiltrate major cities in the Eastern Region to establish secret contact points."

"Thirdly, we will use some resources to lure cultivators from various powerful forces into a trap, then control them to investigate the core secrets of each sect."

Ye Junlin nodded repeatedly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes:

"Having thought it through, we'll do as you say. You're fully in charge of this matter; just ask for the resources you need."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Yuan Tiangang bowed and accepted the order.

[Ding! Side Quest: Establish the Drizzle Tower Outpost, Completed!]

[Quest Rewards: Bronze Summoning Card *1, Special Item *1]

[Already distributed to system space, the host can retrieve and use it at any time!]

The system's voice suddenly rang out!

"Oh! The mission is complete? It seems that my Eternal Night Heaven will gain another Void Realm expert."

"System, use Bronze Summoning Card." Ye Junlin silently recited in his mind!

[Ding! Instruction received]

[Consuming 1 Bronze Summoning Card, begin summoning powerful beings from all realms...]