I tamed beasts and achieved immortality in the world of cultivation.

Meanwhile, in the Qian Kingdom.

In a secluded valley, miasma lingers, and bones are scattered everywhere—human bones, animal bones, and countless other bones of all sizes. After years of weathering, their origins are no longer discernible.

Deep in the valley, palaces adorned with white bones are built against the mountainside, their grandeur and imposing presence awe-inspiring.

This is the Golden Core sect of the Qian Kingdom—

The Palace of Dry Bones.

Although it has only been established for a few decades, the sect has a True Monarch in the late stage of Core Formation, making it a regional hegemon in the Qian Kingdom.

At this moment, on a cliff behind the Dry Bone Mystic Palace, a figure stood with his hands behind his back.

Qi Xuan was wearing a black robe embroidered with white bone patterns. The robe still had dust on it from his trip back from Yunzhou a few days ago. His face was paler than usual, and his brows were tightly furrowed. He was staring at the distant horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

Lin Ping has been in Yunzhou for three months now.

According to the plan, he should have returned to report a day ago, but Qi Xuan went to the sect's deacon hall yesterday to inquire about Lin Ping's whereabouts. As a result, the disciples of the deacon hall told him that Lin Ping's soul lamp had gone out!

"What a pity. I thought he knew how to survive, but I didn't expect him to still perish there."

Qi Xuan was speechless. It seemed he would have to make a trip to Yunzhou himself to find out how Lin Ping had died.

Just then, I heard light footsteps behind me, accompanied by a faint fragrance.

"elder brother."

A woman's voice rang out, clear and melodious like pearls falling onto a plate.

Qi Xuan turned his head, his brows relaxing.

The newcomer was a woman in her early twenties, with skin as smooth as jade, eyebrows like distant mountains, a pair of peach blossom eyes that shimmered with water, a delicate nose and cherry lips, and features so exquisite that she seemed like a fairy in a painting.

She wore a moon-white dress with a silver-threaded soft armor around her waist, which accentuated her slender figure. As she walked, the hem of her dress swayed gently, like a fairy descending from the moon palace, exuding a cool and otherworldly aura.

It was Qi Xuan's younger sister, Qi Yao.

"Yao'er." A hint of gentleness flashed in Qi Xuan's eyes. "You're back from Mingzhou? Were you alright this time?"

Qi Yao stepped forward and stood beside Qi Xuan, shaking her head with a smile: "Don't worry, brother. I'm extremely cautious in Mingzhou. If I encounter anything suspicious, I turn around and leave immediately, never lingering for a moment longer. Besides, I always carry the talisman you gave me with me. Even if I encounter any trouble, it's enough to save my life."

Qi Xuan nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this, and gently patted Qi Yao's shoulder: "You did the right thing. In this world, only those who are careful and cautious can survive long. Those who are reckless and act arrogantly just because they have some skills are long gone."

"I know," Qi Yao replied obediently.

Qi Xuan withdrew his hand, his gaze returning to the distance. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, "Yao'er, have you noticed... that the Ancestor has been acting strangely lately?"

Qi Yao was slightly taken aback: "Something's not right?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it." Qi Xuan frowned. "I feel like the Ancestor has become a different person these past few years. He's become much more impatient than before, and he's paying extra attention to the Blood Soul Sect. In the past, the Ancestor never interfered with these border disputes; he left everything to his subordinates to handle. But this time... he's actually personally intervened several times."

"And the Blood Soul Sect is also acting strangely. They've suddenly become very interested in the Martial Kingdom. Judging from their posture, they're probably going to launch a major attack."

After listening, Qi Yao tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said softly, "Really? I don't know much about the Ancestor; I've only seen him a few times from afar... But speaking of which, since the Ancestor took charge of our Qi family, we've grown from an insignificant little family to the present-day Kugu Xuan Palace, becoming one of the most prestigious Golden Core sects in the Qian Kingdom. The Ancestor's contributions are undeniable. Last time, the Ancestor went into seclusion for over ten years to break through to the late Golden Core stage. Perhaps because it's been so long since we've seen him, and with the Nascent Soul stage on the horizon, even if there have been some changes, they should be a good thing, right?"

"Besides, none of the clan elders seemed to find anything wrong, so it's probably because our cultivation levels are too low and there are some hidden secrets we don't know."

Qi Xuan did not respond, and began to recall what he had seen and heard over the years.

The demonic path is different from the righteous path. The Blood Soul Sect does not interfere too much with its subordinate forces. It is a kind of breeding model, but there is still a limit. Once this limit is exceeded, they either actively merge into the Blood Soul Sect or are swallowed up by it. After all, the Blood Soul Sect rose up by stepping on the corpse of the previous "predecessor".

The patriarch of the Qi family, whose original name was Qi Lingxiao, called himself "True Lord of Dry Bones".

Three hundred years ago, he obtained a copy of the "Dry Bone Mystic Scripture" from the depths of the Blood Spirit Abyss. It was said that one could cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage. Since then, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and his temperament has gradually become more profound and ruthless. His methods are decisive, and he kills at will. What is most rare is that he also has a trace of steadiness. He fought his way out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood for the Qi family.

Fifty years ago, Qi Lingxiao broke through to the late stage of the Golden Core realm after going into seclusion. After emerging from seclusion, Qi Lingxiao's methods became even more swift and decisive.

Not only did it quickly integrate the Qi family internally, but it also expanded its power with an iron fist, swallowing up several small and medium-sized sects in the surrounding area and establishing the Dry Bone Profound Palace. In just a few decades, it stood out from the many Golden Core sects in the Qian Kingdom and became a top-level force second only to those few with Nascent Soul ancestors.

Furthermore, through its power and certain undisclosed deals, the Dry Bone Mystic Palace has also established connections with their nominal superior sect—the Blood Soul Sect, a giant of the demonic path. Qi Lingxiao himself even seems to have developed some acquaintance with a Nascent Soul ancestor within the Blood Soul Sect.

Qi Xuan felt a strange unease about this.

He was cautious by nature, even suspicious, a trait that led him to narrowly escape death many times in the perilous world of demonic cultivation.

He always felt that after the ancestor came out of seclusion that time, although his cultivation was stable at the late stage of Golden Core and his aura was even stronger, some subtle things... seemed to be different from the way of doing things that the clansmen had told him and that he had learned from various sources.

But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different; it was just an instinctive, unease that felt like a thorn in his side.

Qi Xuan shook his head, temporarily suppressing these chaotic thoughts.

His ancestor's grand ambitions were beyond his control. Although the Qi family had become a sect, its growth brought more resources and protection. He could only bury his unease deep in his heart and make preparations in secret.

In any case, better safe than sorry.

When faced with a dilemma, the best course of action is to run away!

Qi Xuan remained silent for a moment, then took out a handful of talismans from his storage bag. They were of various kinds, shimmering with spiritual light, numbering at least a dozen, and stuffed them all into Qi Yao's hand.

"Take it."

Qi Yao looked at the extra handful of talismans in her hand, both amused and exasperated: "Brother, I already have enough talismans. I haven't even used up the batch you gave me last time, and I still have several life-saving trump cards..."

"You can never have too many life-saving things." Qi Xuan interrupted her, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Take them and use them. If you don't use them all, keep them. You'll always need them someday."

Qi Yao pouted, but still obediently put it into her storage bag.

Qi Xuan looked at her unmasked face, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Put on the mask, and hide your aura well. When you're out and about, don't let anyone remember your face."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yao glanced at her brother's pale but unremarkable face, nodded obediently, and took out a thin, silver mask from her storage bag, gently placing it on her face.

The moment the mask adhered to her skin, her stunningly beautiful face seemed shrouded in a thin mist. Her features remained clear, yet she became unremarkable, easily lost in a crowd. At the same time, her spiritual energy circulated within her body, and an ancient spell quietly took effect. Her aura also subsided, dropping from the ninth level of Qi Refining to the fifth level, inconspicuous yet not easily disregarded.

In just two breaths, the Moon Palace Fairy became an ordinary female cultivator.

"Is this alright now?" Qi Yao's voice came from behind the mask, tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Qi Xuan looked him up and down, then nodded in satisfaction: "That's more like it. We live in the treacherous world of cultivation, especially the demonic path. Only by remaining unnoticed can we live a long life and truly achieve immortality."

Qi Yao blinked, and her voice changed slightly: "Yes, yes, brother is right."

Qi Xuan's lips twitched, he turned around and stood with his hands behind his back, looking again at the deep valley in the distance. The night wind blew his robes, making them flutter.

Yunzhou...

Although he didn't care about Lin Ping, he had to find out why he had died there so mysteriously.