He became the True Lord of Ten Thousand Laws starting from Liaozhai.

There is a mountain forest a hundred miles away from Wude Prefecture, where many plants and trees have become spirits. Anyone who passes by at night always feels that there are whispers coming from behind them.

Precious medicinal herbs also grow in the mountains and forests, and there are even rumors that wild ginseng has been seen in the forests.

However, I've never heard of any herb gatherer bringing back wild ginseng. If such a person existed, he would have been famous throughout Wude Prefecture long ago, and the news would have been circulating for at least a month or two.

The trees in this mountain forest do not grow new leaves all year round, and have been there for more than two hundred years. They are all dead branches, hence the name "Ku Rong Lin" (meaning "Forest of Withered and Flourishing").

Among the mountain people, there is an unwritten rule that hunters, commoners, herb gatherers, and anyone who makes a living from the mountains and forests must not enter the mountains and forests from 7 PM to 5 AM the next day.

According to some elderly mountain villagers, about fifty years ago, a highly accomplished monk passed through this area. Out of compassion for the people and fearing that demons would indiscriminately kill innocents, he ventured alone into the depths of the withered forest.

That night, some people saw a sky full of Buddha's light and a glow covering the ground in the forest. For the first time, the forest, which had been barren for a hundred years, sprouted new leaves. But soon, the new leaves turned yellow and fell quickly, and the barren forest was once again shrouded in loneliness.

At dawn the next day, unbeknownst to anyone, a high-ranking monk covered in blood brought out a seven- or eight-year-old boy from the forest.

As dawn broke, the high monk spoke his last words to the boy: "After I die, I will turn into relics. Do not bury the relics in the ground. Place them in an earthenware jar, and put the relics and sand from the river into the jar together. Place it on a bluestone platform day and night, and offer incense for me on New Year's Day, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, the Prayer for a Good Harvest Festival, and the Universal Salvation Festival."

It has been fifty-three years since then.

Zhang Ping'er is sixty years old this year, which is considered an old man in the village. Although his wife has passed away for many years, fortunately his son married a virtuous wife and they had a son and a daughter.

Now he is surrounded by his children and grandchildren, with three generations living under one roof.

During these fifty-three years, Zhang Ping'er would fast and chant Buddhist prayers three days in advance for every sacrificial ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, she would wash her hands with dew, take three cypress incense sticks, and gently warm them over a candle flame.

When the smoke rises gently, hold the incense above your head with both hands, gently tap the incense with your thumb and forefinger, and hang down with the remaining three fingers together. After bowing three times, insert the incense into the incense burner.

After doing all this, Zhang Ping'er waited quietly beside the incense burner, her heart filled with piety, waiting for the incense to burn out completely.

Zhang Ping'er specially consulted the village schoolteacher about the method of offering incense, and he has kept it up for fifty-three years without fail. He has remembered this life-saving grace for the rest of his life.

However, he was unable to calm his mind today.

He had a premonition that something was about to happen, after the incense offering was finished.

Zhang Ping'er came to the courtyard, intending to tidy up the clutter in the house.

Suddenly a breeze blew by, and Zhang Ping'er, who was bending over to pick up farm tools, froze. A tingling sensation rushed to his head, giving him goosebumps all over his body.

"Young benefactor, how have you been?"

The familiar voice rang in his ears again, as if taking him back to that night more than fifty years ago.

Zhang Ping'er turned around, two lines of tears involuntarily streaming down his rough cheeks. He choked out, "Master, you said you would come back."

Bathed in the bright moonlight, a young monk in a yellow robe stood quietly before the door, watching Zhang Ping'er. He spoke, his tone kind and soothing:

"Young benefactor, fifty years of offerings of incense have been for nothing but a single day's work."

"Tonight, the withered forest will be swept by a spring breeze, and all things will be reborn."

The young monk's eyes were resolute as he gazed towards the distant, withered forest. He had cultivated the law of cause and effect, and today, it was time for a conclusion.

"Young benefactor, this humble monk shall take his leave now."

A gentle breeze swept by, and the young monk's figure vanished in the moonlight, transforming into a streak of light that flew towards the withered forest.

......

Deep in the withered and flourishing forest.

The Thousand Mile Tracking Talisman in Nie Xiaoqian's arms flashed with white light, but it went out after a short while.

She was filled with unease, yet at the same time, she was incredibly determined. She made up her mind that if even such a powerful expert couldn't deal with this demonic tree, she would risk her life to get a piece of its bark.

The outer layer of the Withered and Flourishing Forest is composed of various kinds of dead trees, crisscrossing and forming a natural labyrinth barrier. After being modified by the Withered and Flourishing Old Demon, it has formed the power of a natural formation.

However, after the monk forcibly broke through the formation more than fifty years ago, the formation's power was greatly reduced, and he himself was severely injured. To this day, he dares not leave the forest easily and relies on the essence and blood offered by little demons and ghosts to cultivate.

Ten years ago, the City God of Wude Prefecture was trapped in the Worry-Free Realm by his grandmother, but there was still a dragon guarding it in the Yangchun River. He had received offerings from the three prefectures for five hundred years, and his cultivation was unfathomable.

Grandma had specifically instructed him a few days ago to take advantage of the fact that the City God of Wude Prefecture was being held back by him and to speed up the expansion of the Kurong Forest. If he could move it forward another ten miles, it would be worth it.

Grandma spoke so casually, without considering his situation at all. This wasn't the first time the Old Demon of Withered Glory had harbored such resentment in his heart.

Although the dragon is a demon and doesn't concern itself with matters on land, if things progress too quickly and it consumes too many people, leaving the dragon without its offerings, it will likely face accountability.

Dragons are tyrannical and domineering; even Grandma wouldn't get away with it.

The withered and flourishing old demon leaned against a vine-woven chair, his feet on a floor piled with white bones that creaked as he walked.

As he pondered this, he accepted the essence blood offered by the female ghost who came to make offerings, and savored it carefully.

"The flavor is too weak."

"This person's blood is too thick; it sticks to my lips."

"Ptooey! What's this weird smell? Is this human blood?"

He was picky about his tastes, and a little demon kept a record of every comment he made. He would write down every comment in the little demon's notebook and mark it as unacceptable. If someone failed three times, they would be punished.

Until Nie Xiaoqian tremblingly handed over Ning Chen's blood.

When the withered and flourishing old demon drank the essence blood, he would smell it first. Before Ning Chen's essence blood even reached his nostrils, he had already caught the fragrance.

Overjoyed, he quickly sat up straight and carefully examined the bowl of essence blood. A strange light flashed in his eyes. He took a sip and found it sweet and refreshing. After drinking it all in one gulp, he looked at Nie Xiaoqian and said hoarsely:

"Where is the owner of this blood?"

Nie Xiaoqian was already on edge, and now that she was being questioned by the Old Demon Kuru, she almost burst into tears. She hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I am here, at Lanruo Temple."

"Alright, in a bit you'll lead a squad of yakshas to bring that brat over here. I want to enjoy him myself!"

The old demon Ku Rong tasted sweetness in this mouthful of blood, a taste he hadn't experienced in decades. This person must be blessed with great fortune; if he didn't die, his future achievements would be immeasurable. However, he was ultimately just a mortal, and being born with good fortune was merely a matter of resources.

Nie Xiaoqian knelt, her shoulders trembling slightly, and whispered, "Yes..."

The withered and flourishing old demon waved his hand, signaling her to leave. However, after drinking the essence blood, the rest tasted bland, so he simply lost interest.

He then ordered the Yaksha to collect all the remaining female ghosts' provisions and pour them into a large pot, where they were cooked together with various herbs and kneaded into a pill for consumption.

He was very troubled. Although the old wounds from years ago had healed, he had been feeling uneasy lately. Therefore, he had been extra careful in his work and had even been restraining his subordinates.

Fearing something might go wrong, he had three hundred years of cultivation and had followed his grandmother ever since he gained enlightenment. But the cultivation of demons was extremely difficult, and it was truly not easy for him to have reached this level.

At this point, he was already thinking about expanding the area of ​​the Withered Forest; how could he not want to go further?

......

The moonlight was bright and clear.

Xu Yi rode the green ox backwards, swaying and walking very slowly.

Yan Chixia, on a whim, rode a fine horse he had somehow found, and the two of them traveled through the mountains and forests, feeling quite like they were living the life of a wandering knight-errant.

The horse's hooves were imbued with cloud-like energy by Yan Chixia. At this moment, the horse strode through the wind, its four hooves flying like lightning. Its mane flew up as it ran, and in the blink of an eye, it had covered several hundred steps.

But Yan Chixia always felt a deep sense of powerlessness. No matter how fast he moved, he would always be one step behind Xu Yi.

No matter how hard he chased, Xu Yi was right in front of him, yet he seemed so far away, untouchable.

Now, Yan Chixia once again questioned his previous thoughts: Could it be that what Xu Yi said was true? Could it be that there really was such a person eight hundred years ago?

He shook his head, trying to banish these thoughts from his mind. Eight hundred years ago, his Xuanxin Sect had no historical records, so there was no way to verify such a thing.

None of that matters anymore. It might not be a bad thing that such a master has emerged in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If we can bring him to the Xuanxin Sect, the pressure our sect faces from the Yinyue Dynasty will definitely be reduced a lot.

Xu Yi has a free and easy personality and is definitely not someone who can be bound. The best course of action is to befriend him, as he might become a great asset in the future.

In front, Xu Yi sat on the green ox, swaying back and forth, closing his eyes to rest.

He brought the Myriad Demons Catalogue to his Niwan Palace and used his divine sense to peruse it.

The catalog not only records the monsters he killed and the spells he obtained, but most importantly, on the last page, Xu Yi could sense that the mysterious patterns drawn on that page were closely related to his cultivation level.

This mysterious vein pattern resembles the texture of a leaf, with five long branches of different colors extending from the root.

These five branches represent the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Each time a demon is slain, the corresponding branch will grow a little longer. If a new supernatural power is learned, the branch will grow a new fork, which will further connect the two main branches, and Xu Yi's cultivation will advance even further.

Aside from some unorthodox methods, Xu Yi's current skills are limited to a few: swordsmanship, the ability to travel between worlds in a short distance, and the ability to control the universe within a sleeve.

Swordsmanship belongs to the element of metal; "a short distance yet a vast horizon" belongs to water. "A universe hidden in the sleeve" belongs to earth.

Aside from supernatural powers, all other techniques are minor.

As for his specific cultivation level, Xu Yi didn't know what realm he was at.

He had asked Yan Chixia in detail that the path of cultivation should begin with refining essence into qi, then transforming qi into spirit, then returning to emptiness to nourish the primordial spirit, and then condensing the five elements of heaven and earth within the body. Once the five elements of qi are perfected, the five great supernatural powers cultivated will reach the realm of the Five Qi Returning to the Origin.

Only by elevating one's essence, energy, and spirit to their highest level, achieving the convergence of the three flowers at the top of the head, can one attain the ethereal realm of true immortality.

Xu Yi was confused. He could not actively absorb spiritual energy. Only through the feedback from the Myriad Demons Diagram could he improve his cultivation.

Each time his cultivation improved, it was as if water had flowed into a channel, as if he had taken back what was rightfully his, and everything seemed so reasonable.

If he couldn't figure it out, then he wouldn't think about it anymore. Since he had this level of cultivation, he wanted to do something meaningful and change some things that he had been helpless to do before.

The Myriad Demons Record kept guiding him to various places, whether ancient sites or large lakes.

The sword on his back was found in an ancient site. Back then, the sword was covered in rust, but after killing several demon queens, the sword was stained with some demon blood, and the rust disappeared on its own.

......

Both of them used their supernatural powers to travel at great speed, covering dozens of miles in just a few breaths, and arrived at the foot of the Withered Glory Forest.

This place is a mountain range, covered with withered trees, deathly still, with will-o'-the-wisps flickering in the forest and miasma permeating the air.

As soon as Xu Yi and Yan Chixia arrived, they saw a young monk waiting there.

Upon seeing the two arrive, the young monk clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, speaking in a deferential tone:

"This humble monk, Xin Jing of Tianchan Temple, greets the two seniors."

Seeing their confusion, Xin Jing spoke again to explain:

"Sect Leader Yan, this humble monk is a disciple of Patriarch Puji."

Yan Chixia suddenly realized and explained to Xu Yi, "Fellow Daoist Xu, Tianchan Temple is the Daoist lineage of Xuzhou, founded by Patriarch Puji, and has existed for six hundred years."

"However..." Yan Chixia changed the subject, "As far as I know, Patriarch Puji only accepted three disciples back then, namely Liaochen, Liaofan, and Liaowang, and there was no one like you."

Xin Jing replied, "Sect Leader Yan may not know this, but when my ancestor took me in, I was only seven years old. My ancestor instructed me that I must not leave the Sutra Repository before I turn twenty-five."

"You may leave the pass after the first Qingming Festival after you turn twenty-five."

"But after leaving the pass, I need to head north. The patriarch said that I have a preordained death, and I think it should happen here."

"Based on the theory of cause and effect, I deduce that in fifty years, the withered forest will grow new branches and leaves, and a mysterious master will end all of this."

"But I never expected that this expert would be Sect Leader Yan."

Xin Jing bowed again and said, "I have long heard that Sect Leader Yan has reached the Chaoyuan realm in martial arts, is a generous and magnanimous person, and is a rare chivalrous immortal in this world, so..."

"Please, Sect Leader Yan, slay the demon."

Yan Chixia was taken aback. Yes, Buddhism cultivates cause and effect, and Master Puji is one of the best among them. His supernatural powers of cause and effect are unfathomable. Even he had once asked Master Puji about cause and effect.

However, this matter should not belong to him. Yan Chixia looked at Xu Yi and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Xu, perhaps the person Xin Jing is waiting for is not me."

Xin Jing was puzzled and looked at Xu Yi. He had studied the classics in the Scripture Pavilion for eighteen years and knew all the famous experts in the land of Kyushu. Even some reclusive masters and ancestors had introduced him to many of them.

The person before him, who could travel with Yan Chixia and address him as a fellow Daoist, must be a highly accomplished master of the Chaoyuan realm, perhaps one of the newest figures to emerge from his fifty-year hiatus.

Xu Yi's gaze pierced through the miasma and the maze, and he immediately spotted the withered and flourishing old demon consuming a blood pill.

It resembled an old man who had been starving for a year, his face gaunt and his eyes bulging outwards like two copper bells hanging from his head.

The withered and flourishing old demon grabbed a handful of meatballs and stuffed them into his mouth, crunching them like he was chewing on cartilage.

Xu Yi withdrew his gaze and looked at Xin Jing. The latter felt a chill run down his spine. In front of this senior, he felt as if he had nowhere to hide.

Xu Yi suddenly laughed loudly: "The Withered Forest has not had spring for two hundred years, so today, I will borrow a sword from the spring breeze."

He took a step forward, drew his sword, and a gust of wind suddenly arose, causing his Taoist robe to flutter and his wide sleeves to billow.

The Taoist continued, "Borrow a sword to create all things."

A muffled rumble of thunder seemed to come from the horizon. Xu Yi's supernatural swordsmanship could sense the heavens and earth, and with the heavens and earth as his force, everything could become his sword.

A gentle spring breeze swept over him, and Yan Chixia sensed something. He stretched out a finger and caught a wisp of the breeze. The breeze swirling around his fingertip was both different and ordinary. He looked at Xu Yi with a complicated expression.

He had seen someone temper a sword with heavenly lightning; with a single swing, the sword energy, like the force of thunder, shattered illusions and vanquished demons.

He had seen people use their hearts as swords, wielding them without harming anyone, yet shattering their Dao heart and driving them to madness and insanity.

Killing that withered and flourishing old demon is easy, but the withered and flourishing forest has been eroded by death energy for two hundred years and has long since become a dead land. Even if he wants to restore this place, it will take a lot of effort and several years of nurturing.

But this sword strike, like a gentle breeze, truly captivated him.

Just look at the spring breeze, and the thirty-mile-long withered forest is once again full of life.

Where the spring breeze sweeps by, withered trees sprout new buds, which then grow rapidly, and the barren branches are instantly covered with a layer of fresh green, with the new leaves rustling in the wind.

Various flowers and plants spread out along with the sword energy, their fragrance mingling with the fresh scent of grass and trees, and life spread along with the sword energy, suddenly bringing the thirty-mile-long desolate land to life.

As the spring breeze blew, a muffled rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. Soon after, a light drizzle fell, landing on the back of Zhang Ping'er's hand as she stood in the courtyard lost in thought.

He looked towards the withered forest and murmured, "The spring rain came a little early this year..."

......

The sword energy swept forward, dispelling the miasma and releasing the breath of spring.

Deep within the withered forest, a group of busy yakshas and female ghosts were all stunned. They stopped what they were doing, and when they looked at each other, they all saw disbelief in each other's eyes. The same thought appeared in their minds at the same time:

The world is about to change in Kuronglin.

As Nie Xiaoqian was thinking about how to stall for time, she was also in a daze. Before her eyes were dead and silent old trees with withered branches, and a barren land where not even a single blade of grass could be found.

After a gentle breeze swept by, it was as if the world had transformed.

The withered old demon, who was enjoying a massage, looked horrified as he incredulously sensed the changes around him.

Suppressing his fear, he crushed the yaksha serving beside him with one hand and roared, "How is this possible!"

Having said that, he hurriedly stood up, but his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, muttering, "An illusion, this must be an illusion..."

Soft flowers and grass gently brushed against his dry cheeks, and the fragrance of the soil filled his nose. All of this reminded him that the withered forest was truly alive.

He was filled with despair. The Withered Forest had been dead for two hundred years. Even if Grandma herself took action, it would take three to five years to accomplish this. Could it be that he had offended some true immortal?!

After three hundred years of cultivation, although he has only developed one life-saving divine ability, even a Qi cultivator at the Two Qi Convergence stage might not be able to completely eradicate him thanks to the domain of the Withered and Flourishing Forest.

But now, without even seeing the enemy's face, their greatest reliance has vanished.

The Underworld of Wude Prefecture.

All the Yin Gods had appeared in the sky above Wude Mansion as soon as the spring thunder sounded.

......