A sage master under the pine tree imparted the Dao and taught longevity.

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan's doubts deepened.

This was the second time someone had warned him to be wary of the Xuan Yin Cave.

He stopped at the valley entrance, turned to look at Lei Zhenshan, and cupped his hands, saying, "Lord Leiwu, I have a question and would appreciate your guidance."

Lei Zhenshan stood with his hands behind his back and said, "Sect Leader Chen, please speak freely."

Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and then asked, "What exactly is the origin of the Xuan Yin Cave? Why does everyone talk about it so evasively?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhenshan's gaze sharpened, and he remained silent for a long time.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Sect Leader Chen, it's not that I'm unwilling to talk about it, but the intricacies of this matter cannot be explained in just a few words."

Chen Chuan remained silent.

Seeing his solemn expression, Lei Zhenshan patted him on the shoulder: "Sect Leader Chen, I have said all I need to say. Your Songjian Sect is newly established and its foundation is still shallow. If you want to gain a foothold in this Southern Territory, the imperial edict from Qingyuan Sect alone is not enough."

He withdrew his hand and looked at Chen Chuan: "Some things you have to experience yourself, some hurdles you have to overcome yourself. I can only give you one piece of advice: speak only three-tenths of what you know to others, and never reveal your whole heart."

Chen Chuan took a deep breath, cupped his hands and bowed deeply: "Lord Leiwu's words of wisdom are etched in my heart."

Lei Zhenshan waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, alright, stop with the formalities. I'll send someone to deliver those hundred fire thunderbolts to your temple in ten days. Just go back and prepare your spirit stones."

Chen Chuan nodded in agreement, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then took his leave.

The mountain wind is getting stronger.

Chen Chuan affixed the talisman and sped off towards the Great Wilderness Mountain.

Lei Zhenshan's words echoed repeatedly in his mind throughout the journey.

He suddenly remembered the group of demonic cultivators who had roamed the Great Wilderness Mountain a few days ago, the madness of the one-legged cultivator before his death, and the evil jade slip he had found in that man's storage bag.

Could it be that those demonic cultivators are somehow connected to this Xuan Yin Cave?

Thinking of this, Chen Chuan felt even heavier.

If that's the case, then the power of the Xuan Yin Cave is probably even more unfathomable than he imagined.

While pondering, I kept walking until the moon rose over the eastern mountains, and the outline of Songjian Temple finally came into view.

Chen Chuan put away the talisman, straightened his robes, and stepped into the temple.

As soon as I stepped across the threshold, I saw Shu'er hurrying up to greet me, her little face showing a rare seriousness.

"Master, you're finally back." She lowered her voice and gestured towards the main hall. "Someone has come to visit and has been waiting for you for almost two hours."

Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Who goes there?"

Shu'er took a half step closer and whispered, "That man claimed to be a steward of Xuan Yin Cave, surnamed Wu. He said he had important matters to discuss with the sect leader. I noticed his unfriendly expression, so I had Junior Brother Xiao accompany him in the hall and didn't dare to be negligent."

Mysterious Yin Cave!

Chen Chuan felt a chill run down his spine.

Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.

He was just wondering about the secrets of the Xuan Yin Cave when, in the blink of an eye, they came knocking on his door.

He composed himself and nodded slightly: "Understood. Go to the kitchen and prepare some tea."

Shu'er responded and left.

Chen Chuan straightened his Taoist robe, stepped towards the main hall, pushed open the door, and scanned the interior of the hall with his eyes.

Xiao Jin sat upright on the left side of the platform, looking vigilant. When he saw Chen Chuan enter, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Master."

Chen Chuan waved his hand, his gaze falling on the person on his right.

The man was about forty years old, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face. He wore a dark purple brocade robe and exuded an indescribable chilling aura.

Upon seeing Chen Chuan enter, the man did not rise, but merely gave a forced smile and cupped his hands in greeting: "This must be Sect Leader Chen? I am Wu De, holding the position of steward of Xuan Yin Cave. I have come to pay my respects on the orders of the Cave Master."

Chen Chuan remained calm, strode to the head seat and sat down, saying indifferently, "So it's Steward Wu. I was out visiting a friend, and I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Wu De waved his hand and laughed, "It's alright, it's alright. The sect is newly established and busy with many things. It's only right that I wait."

As he spoke, he glanced around the hall and clicked his tongue twice: "Sect Leader Chen founded his sect with only Qi Refining cultivation. He must have some extraordinary abilities. I admire him."

These words were spoken politely, but their tone carried a hint of disdain.

How could Chen Chuan not understand?

He said calmly, "Steward Wu, you flatter me. May I ask what brings you here?"

Upon hearing this, Wu De's smile deepened.

He reached into his sleeve, took out a storage bag, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Chen Chuan.

"Upon hearing of the newly established Songjian Sect, and considering that both sects are located in the southern region and are close neighbors, the sect master has prepared a small gift to express his gratitude. He hopes that Sect Leader Chen will accept it with a smile."

Chen Chuan's gaze fell on the storage bag, but he did not reach out to take it.

Seeing this, Wu De reached into the storage bag and took out the contents.

The hall was instantly filled with a spiritual light, which made the four walls shine brightly.

Inside the hall, a small mountain of spirit stones was neatly stacked, and next to it was a small jade bottle with intricate spirit patterns engraved on its body.

"Twenty thousand second-tier spirit stones, plus a bottle of third-tier spirit pills [Rejuvenation Pill]."

Wu De pointed to the small jade bottle: "This pill is a secret recipe of my Xuan Yin Cave. Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator is seriously injured, taking one pill can stabilize the injury. If an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator obtains this pill, it is almost equivalent to having an extra life."

He looked up at Chen Chuan and said, "The cave master said that this small gift is just a token of goodwill between neighbors. From now on, our two sects will be of one mind and help each other. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The flickering candlelight cast Wu De's shadow long and short, swaying incessantly on the wall.

Xiao Jin stared intently at the spirit stone mountain, then shifted his gaze to Chen Chuan. His lips moved, but he ultimately dared not utter a sound.

Chen Chuan lowered his eyes, gazing at the shimmering spirit stone and the pill bottle, his expression calm as still water.

Twenty thousand second-tier spirit stones and a bottle of third-tier Rejuvenation Pills—this gift is undeniably substantial.

But Lu Huaiyuan's words still echoed in my ears.

"If one day the Xuan Yin Cave sends someone to your door, no matter how earnest their words may be, do not believe them easily."

Lei Zhenshan's words of advice were firm and resounding.

"Speak only three-tenths of what you know to others, and never reveal your whole heart."

Chen Chuan slowly raised his eyes, revealing a faint smile.

"I appreciate the kindness of the cave master."

"I cannot accept a gift without having done anything in return. Please take this gift back with you, Steward Wu, and convey my gratitude to the Cave Master on my behalf."

Wu De's smile froze slightly.

He clearly hadn't expected that this old Taoist priest, who was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, would so readily refuse such a generous gift.

"Sect Leader Chen."

Wu De pushed the storage bag forward again.

"The cave master is so sincere, are you really going to turn him away? This southern region is not like the area under the Qingyuan Sect's mountain gate. It's always better to have more friends than more enemies."

These words were already a blatant threat.

Chen Chuan remained seated, his voice as calm as still water: "I have never met the cave master before, and I dare not presume to presume. Although Songjian Sect is small, it does not lack these few spirit stones to make a living. If Deacon Wu has nothing else to attend to, please return."

Wu De stared at Chen Chuan for a full three breaths, then suddenly laughed, put the gifts back into his bag, stood up, and straightened his robes.

"Okay, okay, okay."

He said "good" three times in a row, his smile growing wider: "Sect Leader Chen has backbone, I admire him. In that case, I will not bother you any longer."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Chuan, said no more, turned around and strode out of the palace gate.

In the darkness of night, a dark light rose from inside the temple and vanished in an instant among the vast mountains.

Chen Chuan sat alone in the hall, gazing in the direction where the dark light had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

Xiao Jin stepped forward and whispered, "Master, that person..."

Chen Chuan raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.

"I know."

He slowly rose, walked to the palace gate with his hands behind his back, and looked at the moonlight in the courtyard: "From today onwards, the security in this valley will be doubled. When you are on night duty, be extra careful."

Xiao Jin bowed and replied, "This disciple understands."

……

Xuan Yin Cave.

Deep within the cave, a curtain hangs low.

Behind the curtain, a figure could be vaguely seen leaning against the stone couch, but his face was not visible.

Wu De knelt before the curtain, his forehead touching the ground, not daring to utter a sound.

"Cave Master."

He carefully recounted his experience at Songjian Temple in detail, concluding with a gritted tooth:

"That old scoundrel is ungrateful! I've already made myself clear, and he still dares to refuse! He's just a mere fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator; I think he's nothing special, easy to deal with!"

There was no response for a long time after the curtain was drawn.

Just as cold sweat poured down Wu De's forehead, a cold laugh finally came from behind the curtain.

"idiot."

Wu De trembled and lowered himself even further.

The person behind the curtain slowly sat up straight and said unhurriedly:

"What right does an ordinary Qi Cultivation cultivator have to establish their own sect? What right does the Qingyuan Sect have to grant them a mountain gate and allocate territory?"

Wu De was stunned.

"Do you think Qingyuan Sect is a charity?"

The man said coldly, "This old Taoist priest must have someone backing him up. You don't even have that much discernment, yet you dare to boast to me that he's 'easy to deal with'?"

Wu De's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your subordinate is foolish, your subordinate is foolish! Cave Master, please calm your anger!"

There was a moment of silence behind the curtain, then that cold voice rang out again.

"Since he doesn't appreciate it, then he can't be blamed."

"A mere Qi Refining cultivator, even with powerful backers, is not worth my attention. However..."

"If we're going to take action against him, we can't leave any evidence. In the end, we still have to give Qingyuan Sect some face."

Wu De raised his head and asked cautiously, "What does the cave master mean...?"

"Give him a lesson."

The person behind the curtain gave a cold laugh: "Let him know that in this southern region, a mere edict from the Qingyuan Sect cannot protect his Songjian Sect. Go, you don't need me to tell you what to do, do you?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Wu De's eyes as he kowtowed heavily, saying, "Your subordinate understands!"