Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Amidst the vast expanse of misty waters, a small boat swiftly sped along a hidden waterway, cleaving through layers of ripples and gradually disappearing from the misty waters of the Medicine Island near Water Moon Pavilion, heading towards Laoshan Mountain. The boat moved lightly, gliding silently with the help of the water's spiritual energy, the only sound the soft rustling of the oars digging into the water, rippling across the still surface.

The journey was silent, the atmosphere oppressive and suffocating. Lin Yan sat upright in the boat, his palm tightly clutching the Pure Soul Lotus. The lotus petals were as white as glass, their veins shimmering with a clear, spiritual light, and wisps of pure spiritual energy emanated from them, cleansing away the chill and ferocity that had settled on him from days of travel and battle. Yun Xi stood beside the boat, her posture upright, her spiritual aura subdued, her gaze warily scanning the surroundings, guarding against any possible attacks along the way. Qing Yao, on the other hand, leaned against the railing at the bow, looking back towards the direction of the Water Moon Pavilion. The medicine island, gradually disappearing into the mist, filled her with an unyielding sorrow—though she had obtained the spiritual lotus, Su Lingyue's safety remained a constant worry.

Before long, the light boat sailed out of the misty marshes and entered the territory of Laoshan. In the distance, green peaks rose into the clouds, stretching endlessly. The protective spiritual light of Laoshan shone brightly, enveloping the entire sect. However, beneath that peaceful halo, there was a trace of barely concealed anxiety, which drifted quietly to everyone's noses on the wind.

The three disembarked and stepped ashore. As soon as they entered the grounds of Laoshan Mountain, several disciples on duty rushed to greet them, their faces anxious, sweat beading on their foreheads, their eyes filled with urgency. Upon seeing Lin Yan's return, the disciples' faces instantly lit up with joy, but this joy was quickly replaced by urgency. They hurriedly stepped forward, bowing and reporting, their voices trembling slightly: "Senior Brother Lin Yan, Senior Sister Yun Xi, you're finally back! Junior Sister Su Lingyue's injuries have worsened; the Bone Demon's Corrosive Bone Poison has invaded her heart. This poison is insidious and domineering; ordinary pills and spiritual energy cannot reach it. Master Yu Run and all the masters have taken turns trying to save her, consuming countless spiritual pills, but they can only barely keep her alive. She is now on the verge of death!"

Lin Yan's heart sank suddenly, his fingers unconsciously tightening their grip on the Soul-Purifying Water Lotus. He had long known that the Bone-Corroding Poison was not something that could be cured by ordinary spiritual medicine, and that prolonged delay would inevitably lead to drastic changes, but he had not expected it to be this dangerous. Without saying much, he raised his hand to signal everyone to fly on their swords, and his figure took off first, speeding towards the Xuan Shui Cave in the back mountain of Laoshan—there was the meditation cave that the sect leader had personally bestowed upon him, and it was also the purest and clearest water vein secret realm in Laoshan, rich in water spiritual energy, most suitable for healing injuries, dispelling evil spirits, and refining spiritual herbs. Since he went to the Water Moon Pavilion, True Person Yu Run had already ordered his disciples to move Su Lingyue here, using the innate water spiritual energy in the cave to barely slow down the spread of the poison.

Outside the Xuan Shui Cave, several core disciples of Laoshan Mountain were already guarding the entrance. Their faces were solemn, and they dared not breathe. The atmosphere at the cave entrance was so oppressive that it was suffocating. From time to time, the low sounds of Master Yu Run urging his spiritual power could be heard from inside the cave. The sound was full of anxiety and helplessness, and every sound made people's hearts tighten.

Upon seeing Lin Yan's return, everyone immediately made way, their gazes all falling on the crystal-clear Pure Soul Lotus in his palm, a last glimmer of hope igniting in their eyes. Everyone knew that this lotus naturally countered evil and malevolent poisons, and was the only hope to save Su Lingyue.

Lin Yan, without exchanging pleasantries, quickly entered the cave. A light chill hung in the air, spiritual mist swirled, and the air was thick with the fragrance of herbs and a faint, putrid aura. Jade Run Zhenren sat cross-legged beside the stone bed, her eyes closed, her palms condensing a shimmering white spiritual energy. She was continuously channeling her own spiritual energy into Su Lingyue's body, forcefully locking in her crumbling life force. Days of resuscitation had already exhausted Jade Run Zhenren's strength; her face was as pale as paper, her spiritual energy weak, and a few strands of white frost even clung to her temples. Seeing Lin Yan return, she abruptly opened her eyes, her gaze brightening. She quickly stopped her practice, her voice filled with barely concealed urgency and relief: "Lin Yan, you're finally back! The bone-corroding poison that Lingyue is afflicted with specifically erodes the heart meridian; ordinary spiritual medicines are useless. Any later, and it would have been beyond saving. Quickly, use the spiritual lotus to save her!"

"Disciple understands." Lin Yan replied in a deep voice. Without any delay, he immediately sat cross-legged on one side of the stone bed, circulated his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, used the Canglan Heart Method to protect his meridians, and carefully placed the Pure Soul Water Heart Lotus in Su Lingyue's dantian.

With a flick of her fingertips, spiritual energy surged, and the lotus heart instantly burst forth with dazzling white light. The pure and rich fragrance of lotus filled the entire cave, dispelling the putrid and malevolent energy within. The crystal-clear blue lotus slowly rotated, and strands of pure, purifying spiritual energy seeped into Su Lingyue's body. Wherever it passed, the gray-black, decaying bone poison lurking in her meridians emitted a soft "sizzling" sound, melting and dissipating rapidly like ice and snow meeting fire.

Lin Yan steadily controlled the flow of medicinal power with one hand, preventing the spiritual energy from disrupting her meridians. With the other hand, he formed a hand seal, activating the Laoshan Foundation Strengthening Secret Technique. He drew upon the spiritual energy of the Xuan Shui Cave to merge with his own Gui Xu spiritual energy, gradually cleansing the remaining malevolent poison in Su Lingyue's meridians. The bone-corroding malevolent poison was deeply rooted and had launched several counterattacks, attempting to invade her heart meridian again and seize her life force. However, Lin Yan suppressed and refined them all with his steady cultivation. He held his breath and focused his mind entirely on Su Lingyue's meridians, daring not to relax in the slightest.

Yunxi and Qingyao stood guard outside the cave, their expressions vigilant, watching for any unusual activity. Inside, Master Yurun, after a moment of meditation, also rose to stand beside them, his gaze fixed on Su Lingyue and Lin Yan on the stone bed, his heart filled with anticipation. Time passed slowly, the spiritual mist within the cave gradually dissipated, and the radiance of the Pure Soul Water Heart Lotus slowly faded, its petals curling and losing their former lustrous sheen.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lin Yan's forehead, and his face gradually paled. The days of travel and battles, coupled with his current focus on healing, had already depleted most of his spiritual energy; a faint trace of blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth. But he dared not stop for a moment, until the last wisp of black poison dissipated from Su Lingyue's fingertips and was completely cleansed by spiritual energy. Only then did he slowly withdraw his power, letting out a long sigh. His shoulders slumped slightly, revealing his exhaustion.

Su Lingyue's complexion gradually improved, the bluish-black tinge fading and revealing a hint of paleness. Her breathing became steady and long, and the murderous aura around her completely dissipated. The poison that rotted her bones was eradicated, and she was finally out of danger. Master Yu Run quickly stepped forward, his fingertips lightly touching Su Lingyue's wrist to check her pulse and aura. Confirming that the poison was completely eliminated and her life force was stable, he finally felt relieved, his face showing relief: "Good! Good! Lin Yan, thanks to you, Lingyue is finally saved!"

Upon hearing the news, the disciples guarding outside the cave breathed a sigh of relief, their faces breaking into long-lost smiles, their hearts finally at ease. Inside the Xuan Shui Cave, the previously oppressive atmosphere gradually dissipated, replaced by a growing warmth.

Lin Yan gazed at Su Lingyue sleeping peacefully on the bed, a hint of warmth rising in his eyes. The weight on his heart was finally lifted, but his vigilance remained undiminished. Just now, when he was refining the evil poison, the inkstone on his shoulder suddenly flashed slightly cold. A faint trace of evil energy quietly seeped into it along with the spiritual energy of the lotus, disappearing in an instant. By the time he tried to investigate, it had vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, inside the council hall of the Taiqing Palace in Laoshan, the elders of the three sects had already gathered. News of the newly discovered crystal mine had spread throughout the East Sea, and the three sects had agreed to discuss its ownership today. Three seats were arranged on the high platform in the hall, the atmosphere heavy with authority, tense and ready to erupt at any moment. A silent game of power, revolving around interests and territory, had already begun.

Elder Shen Qinghan of the Qingyun Sect sat upright in his seat, his moon-white Daoist robe spotless, his face cold and aloof. His narrow eyes swept over the people in the hall, and before Elder Laoshan could speak, he broke the silence, his voice clear yet carrying an undeniable force: "This is the site where the Hidden Crystal Mine first appeared, adjacent to the territory of my Qingyun Sect's Wanren Yundian. It was also the first spiritual vein that my Qingyun disciples explored, discovered, and marked. In terms of terrain and order, it should rightfully belong to my Qingyun Sect for full control and mining. Why should Laoshan and Shuiyue Pavilion come to claim a share? This matter needs no further discussion; the mine belongs to my Qingyun, and there is no room for argument!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Elder Su Wanli, leading the Shuiyue Pavilion delegation, sneered, rising to retort. Her icy blue eyes were filled with mockery, and her tone was sharp: "Absurd! Elder Shen's words are utterly laughable! The mineral veins and spiritual veins are deeply rooted beneath the Shuiyue Pavilion's Yanshui Marsh water vein territory. The source of spiritual energy is nourished by our pavilion; they are an extension of the Yanshui Marsh spiritual vein. How can there be any talk of 'being adjacent to Qingyun and therefore belonging to Qingyun'? The three sects had an agreement in the past that newly discovered spiritual mines must be discussed and approved by all three parties. Does the Qingyun Sect intend to tear up the old agreement, monopolize the benefits, and bully others by abusing its power?"

At this moment, Su Wanli was no longer the gentle woman she once was. News of the forced seizure of the Spirit Lotus from Medicine Island by Laoshan had already reached her, and she was already seething with anger. Now, taking advantage of the meeting, she pressed on relentlessly: "Moreover, Laoshan, in order to save their disciples, trespassed into the forbidden area of ​​my Water Moon Pavilion without prior notification and forcibly took the pavilion's most precious treasure. Although there were reasons for their actions, it was still unreasonable and violated the friendship between our two sects! Now they want to divide the mine profits equally according to the old agreement? That's far too unreasonable. In my opinion, Laoshan should consider giving up their share as an apology!"

As soon as Su Wanli finished speaking, several elders of Laoshan immediately darkened their expressions and stood up to refute her, their voices ringing out: "Elder Su's words are biased! Our Laoshan disciples went to Shuiyue Pavilion only to save the lives of our fellow disciples; it was a desperate measure taken in an emergency, and we had no intention of provoking trouble. Moreover, this crystal mine spans the borders of three sects, with interconnected spiritual veins. According to the early alliance, it should be divided equally among the three parties. How can we arbitrarily punish them because of personal grudges? Shuiyue Pavilion and Qingyun Sect should not join forces to suppress us. Although Laoshan does not wish to cause trouble, we will absolutely not tolerate anyone bullying us!"

The three parties each held their own version of events, and the dispute intensified. The Qingyun Sect took a hard line, determined to take it all for themselves; the Shuiyue Pavilion wanted both profit and revenge; and the Laoshan Sect argued its case rationally, upholding the bottom line of the alliance. Inside the hall, words clashed, spiritual energy surged, and oppressive force intertwined, almost leading to a direct confrontation.

Qingyun Sect seeks to leverage the mineral vein to strengthen its sword cultivators and solidify its position at the Cloud Peak Sect; Shuiyue Sect aims to nourish the water vein and suppress Laoshan Sect; Laoshan Sect, on the other hand, seeks to protect its spiritual vein interests and the reputation of its ancestral court. With old grudges and new hatreds intertwined, the Hidden Crystal Stone Mine has become the fuse that ignites the conflict between the three sects, and an even greater sect storm is quietly brewing in the shadows.