Star Martial Soaring Cloud

Yun Qingyao stood in front of him, the moonlight shining on her pale blue skirt, making her look like a cold, lonely plum blossom, aloof and resilient.

"Young Master Lu," she said, her tone calm yet earnest, "I will bring Junior Sister Li Xin and my two senior brothers to apologize to Junior Sister Yue Yao again and promise that nothing like this will ever happen again."

Wang Xiao was taken aback, not expecting her to bring this up on her own initiative, and her feelings of goodwill towards her increased.

Before he could speak, Yun Qingyao changed the subject, her tone even colder: "However, can't we leave the matter of punishing the disciples of the Ni Chang Immortal Palace to ourselves? The disciples of my Ni Chang Immortal Palace are bound by our own sect rules, and we don't need outsiders to worry about it."

After saying that, she didn't wait for Wang Xiao's response, turned around and left, her black hair swaying gently in the night breeze.

Wang Xiao stood there, somewhat dumbfounded—was this... coming to stand up for the wronged?

Yan Zixi had somehow gotten close to Yun Qingyao and was laughing so hard she was shaking.

"Oh my, she's got a fiery temper, isn't she?" She leaned close to Wang Xiao's ear, lowering her voice, her tone full of mischief, "Young Master Lu, how about recruiting her into your beauty alliance? I'll train her for you, I guarantee she'll be completely obedient..."

Wang Xiao was at her wit's end. Knowing that getting entangled with Yan Zixi would only lead to endless trouble, she turned and left without saying a word.

Yan Zixi laughed even more heartily behind her, her laughter echoing in the night sky, exceptionally clear and crisp.

Wang Xiao had only taken a few steps when Xiao He called him back.

"Brother Lu Yang, wait a moment." Xiao He walked over with a smile. "Wen Wen, Li Yan, and Zhao Shuheng have been clamoring to see you since they heard you were here. Many disciples from the Haoqi Pavilion also want to catch a glimpse of you. How about we have a drink together and catch up?"

"How could you not invite me to a drinking party?" Ling Cheng appeared out of nowhere, hooking his arm around Wang Xiao's shoulder, his face beaming with a bright smile and his tone full of enthusiasm. "The more the merrier! Let's have a good drink so we'll have the energy to deal with that bastard Qin Wuming tomorrow!"

Wang Xiao was about to agree when he suddenly remembered something, turned to look at Yuan Kong who was slowly walking over from not far away, and called out with a smile, "Master Yuan Kong, would you like to have a drink together?"

Yuan Kong clasped his hands together, his face devout, and said solemnly, "Amitabha, Benefactor Lu, you are trying to make this humble monk break his vows. We Buddhists abstain from alcohol and women, and we forbid meat. How can we drink alcohol?"

Wang Xiao's lips twitched. Looking at his serious expression, she cursed inwardly—this monk, who usually cheats and shirks his duties, is now pretending to be devout.

Yuan Kong remained unfazed and added, "However, this humble monk may use tea instead of wine to share our friendship with you all. This would not violate Buddhist teachings and would not waste the opportunity for us to gather today."

Wang Xiao was speechless, but secretly thought to himself: You monk, you're getting addicted to pretending, aren't you?

"By the way, Brother Lu Yang," Xiao He suddenly remembered something, his expression instantly becoming serious, and his tone lowering, "We've sent people to search all over the Demon Island for that Mulan girl you asked us to keep an eye out for, but we haven't found any trace of her. Nobody has seen her, and she hasn't left any clues; it's as if she vanished into thin air."

Wang Xiao was stunned, the smile on her face vanished instantly, and her tone was filled with disbelief: "How is this possible? I clearly saw her enter the Demon Island, how come there's no trace of her? Am I seeing things?"

He was momentarily dazed, and the image of Mulan appeared in his mind. How could that girl with heaven-defying strength and inexhaustible energy have disappeared into thin air?

Miss Mulan, where have you gone?

Wang Xiao absolutely did not believe that anything would happen to her.

Her extraordinary abilities were enough to protect her on the Demon Island—her inexhaustible energy and tireless nature were enough to allow her to contend with anyone, and she would not be at a disadvantage even when facing the top experts of the Tianyi Sect.

After he regained his strength, he fought Mulan, and the result could only be described as "tragic"—he still couldn't survive a meal.

At first, he thought it was a difference in cultivation level, but when Mulan suppressed her cultivation to the minor completion stage of Fish Leap, he found that he was still no match for her.

His inexhaustible energy was too abnormal. Coupled with Mulan's innate fighting instincts and intuition, she directly chose a strategy of attrition. Once his energy was exhausted, Mulan would finish him off with just one punch.

"Let's drink!" Wang Xiao snapped out of his thoughts, suppressed his doubts, and strode towards the campfire.

Despite the dramatic changes on the island, the fact that old friends remain is a blessing, and we should celebrate with a toast.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, six figures emerged from the East Coast Alliance camp and sped toward Qingming Cliff in the northwest.

All six were top experts in the Fish Leap Realm, their auras concealed but their sharpness was undeniable.

Walking side by side at this moment, with synchronized steps, their momentum is as strong as a rainbow.

They firmly believed that with the strength of six people, they could easily deal with whatever conspiracy the Tianyi Sect might have.

Before setting off, everyone thought that the Tianyi Church had set up an ambush along the way, so they were very careful and on high alert. However, to their surprise, they traveled without incident.

There were no sentries, no traps, and not even a single Tianyi Sect disciple in sight. The only sounds along the way were the bleak wind and desolate rocks, creating an eerie silence.

Half a day later, they finally arrived at Qingming Cliff.

It was a solitary peak rising abruptly from the ground, with steep cliffs on three sides, the bottom of which was unseen. Clouds and mist swirled below the cliffs, and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks could be faintly heard. The terrain was extremely treacherous.

There was only one narrow path to the south, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. A slight misstep would send one plunging into an abyss and being smashed to pieces.

The six climbed to the summit and carefully explored every corner of the peak. However, the result of their exploration made everyone's hearts sink – there was no ambush, the summit was empty, and there was only one person standing on the edge of the cliff with his back to them.

Qin Wuming.

He stood alone on the edge of the cliff, his hands behind his back, his black clothes fluttering in the wind, the hem of his robes billowing, a faint aura of malevolence surrounding him, making him stand out from the cold, solitary peak.

Behind him lay a bottomless abyss, with howling winds threatening to sweep him in, yet he remained calm and stood tall.

Upon seeing the six people arrive, he slowly turned around, a faint, provocative smile playing on his lips.

"You've arrived?" he asked, his tone as relaxed as if meeting an old friend, yet it carried a nauseating arrogance.

Xiao He stepped forward, his Haoqi Sword faintly humming. His tone was icy and chilling, filled with intense killing intent: "Qin Wuming, what tricks is your Tianyi Sect playing? You lured us to this desperate place, and then only sent you alone. What are you up to?"

Yuan Kong also abandoned his usual gentle demeanor, clasping his hands together, his tone heavy and furious: "Amitabha, Qin Wuming, your Tianyi Sect has harmed the innocent and slaughtered cultivators, your hands stained with blood. We've come, so speak your mind directly, no need for pretense! Today is the day to settle your sins!"

Ling Cheng slung his longsword over his shoulder, his fighting spirit surging, and roared, "You bastard, you caused the deaths of so many of our disciples! This blood feud will be avenged today! Tell me, how do you want to die? I'll grant your wish!"

Lin Shisan didn't speak, but just stared at Qin Wuming quietly. His eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool, but they held a chilling coldness, as if he were looking at a dead man—a dead man who was destined to die by his hand.

Wang Xiao gripped the Seven Star Sword tightly, his aura sharp, his gaze fixed on Qin Wuming. He didn't say anything more, but the killing intent in his eyes was undisguised.

The six men surrounded Qin Wuming, their killing intent palpable, as if they wanted to tear the world apart.

Facing the overwhelming pressure of six top geniuses alone, Qin Wuming showed no fear, even letting out a light laugh, his arrogance growing even stronger: "Pursue my sins? You think you can do what you want?"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing a trivial matter, "I invited you all here today for no other reason than to invite you to see a performance."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly formed a hand seal, his ten fingers flying so fast that only afterimages remained, while he chanted incantations.

The incantation was obscure and difficult to understand. Each syllable seemed to come from the depths of the underworld, carrying a chilling aura that echoed across the empty mountaintop, making one's scalp tingle.

In an instant, the earth shook!

The entire Qingming Cliff trembled violently, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the rocks beneath our feet. Rock fragments tumbled down the cliff, emitting hollow and mournful echoes, as if the whole world was collapsing.

Wang Xiao's expression changed drastically, a strong sense of unease rising within him. He shouted sharply, "Back off! Back off now! Something's strange!"

The six men retreated in unison, gripping their weapons tightly and standing ready for battle. Their auras were raised to the limit as they warily stared at Qin Wuming.

With a deafening roar, the ground at the center of the peak suddenly split open, and a huge chasm instantly spread out, with rocks flying everywhere and dust billowing up.

Immediately afterwards, a huge altar burst forth from the ground, rising abruptly from the earth, carrying an ancient and evil aura that instantly enveloped the entire mountaintop.

The altar was built of huge bluestone, reaching a height of tens of feet. It was dark blue in color and covered with densely packed runes. These runes were not ordinary array patterns, but some kind of ancient and evil script, emitting a strange dark red light, as if fresh blood was flowing and writhing within them, which made people's hair stand on end.

The altar has a three-tiered structure, each tier covered with grotesque reliefs—there are bizarre beasts with their bellies ripped open, their entrails spilling out and blood dripping; there are decapitated cultivators, their heads rolling off, their eyes vacant; there are children sacrificed alive, their faces pale and filled with terror… Each relief is lifelike and shocking, as if telling a bloody and cruel story, the evil aura surrounding it growing ever stronger, suffocating the senses.

At the very top is a circular altar, with nine stone pillars standing around the edge. Each pillar is topped with a hideous demon, baring its fangs and claws, its eyes wide open, as if it wants to break free from the pillars' restraints and pounce down to devour everything.

Qin Wuming leaped and landed steadily on top of the altar, his clothes fluttering, his expression arrogant, and a strange smile on his lips.

He raised his hand and waved, and four dazzling rays of light flew out from his sleeves, carrying a massive amount of spiritual energy, and landed precisely in the four grooves in the center of the altar—the cores of the teleportation array, treasures they had painstakingly retrieved from the remnants of the teleportation array.

As the four array cores were simultaneously embedded into the grooves, the runes on the altar instantly lit up, and a dark red light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds and dyeing the entire sky a strange blood color. Even the sunlight was blocked, and the world was plunged into darkness, as if we had fallen into the deepest hell.

The entire altar seemed to come alive; it was breathing. Each flash of light was accompanied by a deep hum, like the heart of an ancient behemoth beating, or like some evil entity that had been dormant for millions of years slowly awakening.

"Stop him! We can't let him succeed!" Wang Xiao's unease reached its peak, and he shouted sharply. His figure shot out like an arrow, the Seven Star Sword already unsheathed, its blade gleaming with a cold light and carrying a sharp sword aura, straight at Qin Wuming!

The other five also attacked simultaneously without hesitation—Xiao He's Righteous Qi Sword unleashed a golden sword beam, carrying a chilling aura of righteousness, directly approaching the altar; Yuan Kong's pig-slaughtering knife, its blade gleaming with Buddhist golden light, imbued with Buddhist power, slashed towards Qin Wuming; Wuchen's longsword transformed into a purple stream of light, moving with lightning speed, directly piercing the altar's runes; Ling Cheng's sword flashed like a rainbow, its sword energy sharp and fierce, attacking Qin Wuming relentlessly; Lin Shisan's Frost Sword condensed a sky full of frost, its chilling aura penetrating to the bone, enveloping the altar.

Six attacks simultaneously slammed into the altar, their immense power enough to destroy everything, as if they intended to utterly shatter this evil altar.

But Qin Wuming did not dodge or even defend himself. He simply stood on the altar with a strange and arrogant smile on his lips, chanting incantations at an increasingly rapid pace, the chill of the incantations growing stronger.

"White bones serve as banners, ten thousand souls as guides, the White Bone and Ten Thousand Souls Formation, shatter this heaven!"