Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Above the clouds of Lingxian Grass Valley, five imposing figures stood silently—Xuan Yang, the head of Laoshan Sect; Jian Chen, the sect leader of Qingyun Sect; Ling Xi, the pavilion master of Shuiyue Pavilion; and Elder Guanhai, Lin Yan's master, and Yu Lan, his second master. The five elders remained silent, their eyes fixed on the actions of their juniors.

Elder Xuanzhen, Shen Qinghan, Su Wanli, and the others kept their promise and performed their duties to protect the ruins.

Shen Qinghan sheathed his longsword and immediately summoned the remaining elites of the Qingyun Sect. They flew to the mountains surrounding the Lingxian Grass Valley and ordered in a deep voice: "As promised in the oath, set up a sword defense line and closely monitor the direction of Black Abyss Mist Island. If there is any trace of evil spirits, send a message immediately!" The Qingyun Sect disciples responded in unison, and their sword energy gathered into a sharp barrier. Jian Chen above the clouds nodded slightly, and a wisp of hidden sword energy from his fingertip quietly merged into the sword formation, silently reinforcing the defense line.

On the other side, Su Wanli led the disciples of Shuiyue Pavilion to the outer edge of Lingxian Valley. She raised her hands to form a hand seal and silently recited the incantation: "Smoke and water as the veins, spiritual tide as the guide, deploy!" As the streams converged, a pale blue water-patterned array slowly rose, echoing the runes on the stone altar. The jade plate of smoke and water in the palm of the Lingxi Pavilion Master's hand flashed slightly, drawing a small amount of spiritual energy from the smoke and water into the array silently, helping Su Wanli stabilize the array's foundation.

In the center of the stone altar, Elder Xuanzhen and Lin Yan were working together to reinforce the seal. The Concentration Jade offered by Shen Qinghan was embedded in the groove, its shimmering white light mingling with the spiritual energy of the Returning Void, slowly repairing the cracks in the seal. Lin Yan sat cross-legged, holding the inkstone and inkstone beads in his palm, connecting his own spiritual energy with the spiritual energy of the Returning Void, his expression focused: "Elder, the baleful aura beneath the crack is still dense; the Bone Demon will likely not give up easily."

Before the words were finished, the stone altar suddenly trembled violently, black energy surged like ink from the cracks, and a terrifying pressure swept across the entire area. The sword cultivators' defense line shook violently once again, and the water pattern array was covered with cracks.

"Not good! The Bone Demon has counterattacked!" Chen Dagang roared first, raising his hammer and leading the Laoshan disciples to block the outer edge of the stone altar. The rock armor trembled slightly under the impact of the baleful aura; Ye Qing activated the Azure Wood spiritual energy to grow vines, but they were quickly withered by the baleful aura. Everyone immediately went all out to deal with it: Elder Xuanzhen exhausted his spiritual energy, connecting his own spiritual veins with the seal, and suppressed the black aura with all his might; Lin Yan remembered Elder Guanhai's teachings, drawing on the power of the inkstone and inkstone beads, and using the Guixu spiritual energy to activate the innate pill fire, burning and devouring the baleful aura.

However, the Bone Demon's counterattack grew increasingly fierce, with high-level evil cultivators swarming out and instantly breaking through the outer defenses. Everyone's spiritual energy was rapidly depleted, and their faces grew paler. Just then, the five powerful figures above the clouds moved simultaneously. Without any earth-shattering entrance, they simply flashed into the battle and joined their juniors in guarding the ruins.

Sect Leader Xuan Yang landed beside Elder Xuan Zhen, unleashing a torrent of powerful Gui Xu spiritual energy that instantly suppressed the black energy and calmed the tremors of the stone altar. Elder Guan Hai and Yu Lan stood on either side of Lin Yan, their auras merging, forming a barrier of Gui Xu spiritual light and water-patterned spiritual energy that repelled the evil cultivators in the front row. Elder Guan Hai channeled a wisp of spiritual light from his fingertip into Lin Yan's body, instructing him, "Yan'er, resonate with the Gui Xu through spiritual objects, and uphold your duty of guarding your meridians."

Yu Lan raised her hand and unleashed a shower of water threads to bind the charging evil cultivators. She then turned to Su Wanli and whispered, "Use the Water Vein Technique of the Water Moon Pavilion to purify the evil energy and stabilize the seal with me." The water patterns around her surged with spiritual light, echoing Su Wanli's grand formation to form a double-layered water shield that completely enveloped the cracks and prevented the black energy from leaking out.

Sect Master Jianchen, wielding a longsword, slayed several high-level evil cultivators with his sword energy. He looked at Shen Qinghan and said firmly, "Qingyun sword cultivators, protect the common people, fight side by side!" After speaking, he swung his sword energy again, and a sword rainbow pierced straight into the rift, suppressing the aura of the bone demon. Pavilion Master Lingxi drew upon the spiritual energy of the entire Yanshui Marsh, which resonated with the power of Yulan's water veins, completely purifying the remaining evil energy.

Xuan Yang and Xuan Zhen firmly guarded the core of the stone altar, while Guan Hai guided Lin Yan and Yu Lan in strengthening their defenses. Jian Chen and Shen Qinghan joined forces to slay the evil cultivators, and Ling Xi and Su Wanli worked together to set up defenses and purify the area. Under Guan Hai's guidance, Lin Yan finally comprehended the method of resonance between spiritual objects and the Guixu spiritual vein. The inkstone and inkstone beads shone brightly, and the innate elixir fire became increasingly intense, allowing Lin Yan to autonomously control spiritual energy to help reinforce the seal.

Before long, the remaining evil cultivators were either killed or died from the backlash of the evil energy. The black energy in the rift gradually subsided, the tremors of the stone altar completely stopped, and the seal cracks healed rapidly under the nourishment of the spiritual energy of the three sects.

Xuan Yang, Jian Chen, and Ling Xi stood side by side in front of the stone altar, with Guan Hai and Yu Lan guarding Lin Yan's side, and Xuan Zhen standing beside the sect leader. Everyone's gaze was focused on the rift, their expressions still solemn. Xuan Yang spoke first: "Although the Bone Demon has been repelled, it has not been completely destroyed, and the rift has not closed. The road to protecting the Ruins is still long. As the sect that guards the veins, Laoshan must uphold its oath and protect the Ruins Seal."

Jian Chen looked at Shen Qinghan, Lin Yan, and the others, his tone filled with expectation: "You have all kept your oath and remained true to your original aspirations, and you have grown a lot. In the future, the powerful figures of the three sects will stay with you to guard Lingxian Valley and take turns to oversee the reinforcement of the seal." Ling Xi added: "Wan Li and I will perfect the water pattern array and nourish the seal; Jian Chen and Elder Shen will set up defenses and monitor Black Abyss Mist Island; Sect Leader Xuan Yang, Elder Xuan Zhen, Guan Hai, Yu Lan, and Lin Yan will be responsible for reinforcing the seal and investigating the movements of the rifts. Only with the three sects working together can we protect Guixu."

Lin Yan, Shen Qinghan, and Su Wanli bowed simultaneously, their voices resolute: "We will not fail the great one's trust, we will uphold our oath, we will stand with the three sects, we will guard the Ruins together, and we will completely eradicate the Bone Demon!" Chen Dagang, Ye Qing, and the disciples of the three sects responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout Lingxian Valley. Lin Yan turned to look at Guan Hai and Yu Lan, and said softly: "Master, Master, your disciple will certainly not fail your teachings, we will guard the Ruins, and fulfill our mission of protecting the veins." The two looked at him with approval and nodded slightly.

Lin Yan gazed at the inkstone and ink beads in his palm, and at his teachers, mentors, and powerful figures fighting alongside him, his resolve growing ever stronger. This battle to defend the ruins was not a solitary struggle by any one person or sect, but a pledge made by three sects united in heart and mind. The powerful figures were not mere "afterthought" reinforcements, but partners who would stand shoulder to shoulder to fulfill their promise. From now on, they would defend Lingxian Valley together, uphold their oath, and continue until the evil was completely eradicated, restoring peace to the cultivation world of the East Sea.

The malevolent aura of Lingxian Valley gradually dissipated. A gentle breeze swept by, dispersing the last wisp of black energy, and the air was filled with the refreshing scent of the Guixu spiritual energy and the plants. The runes on the stone altar shone with a soft yet firm light, firmly guarding the seal below. The cracks no longer spewed black energy, leaving only a faint spiritual aura lingering around them.

On the surrounding mountain peaks, the disciples of the Qingyun Sect still held firm to their sword defense line. Although their sword energy was not as fierce as it was in battle, it was still condensed and did not dissipate. Outside the Lingxian Grass Valley, the water pattern array glowed with a faint blue light, and the stream flowed slowly, nourishing the land that had been eroded by evil energy.

The disciples of the three sects helped each other tidy up the battlefield. Although they looked tired, their eyes were full of relief after persevering. Although Lingxian Grass Valley had experienced fierce battles, it had regained its peaceful and resilient vitality thanks to the concerted protection of everyone.