Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

"There are still faint spatial fluctuations here. The Blood Fiend Sect must have used a spatial secret technique to relocate the entire sect."

Elder Wudao made a hand seal with his fingertips, carefully probing the remaining aura on the sea surface. His voice was deep and solemn, "This matter is no small thing. The Blood Fiend Sect has been lying low for many years. Their sudden escape at this moment must be brewing an even greater conspiracy."

The cultivators from various sects, who were originally in high spirits because of their joint efforts to eliminate the evil sect, instantly became solemn upon hearing this, and a gloomy atmosphere settled over their hearts.

"Return to the sect and prepare for battle. Then slowly investigate the Blood Fiend Sect's whereabouts," Elder Wudao ordered in a deep voice, turning and taking the lead in departing on his own.

The wind swept away the last ripples on the sea's surface. A large, treacherous sect that had been lying dormant in the East China Sea for a hundred years vanished without a trace, leaving no trace of its past, without even a hint of conflict. This mysterious method sent chills down the spines of all the cultivators present.

The sect leaders had no intention of lingering and immediately ordered their disciples. In less than half an incense stick's time, the huge groups that had gathered together took off on their magical artifacts and dispersed in different directions. The noisy sea returned to silence, leaving only the vast blue sea stretching to the horizon, calm and undisturbed.

Lin Yan followed Elder Wudao of Laoshan, embarking on his return journey with his fellow disciples. As he reached the clouds, he suddenly paused. The spirit tortoise on his shoulder slept peacefully, its eyes half-closed. Lin Yan, however, couldn't help but turn back to look at the spot where the Black Abyss Mist Island had stood. His fingertips subtly formed a hand seal, attempting to capture a wisp of ancient mountain and sea energy, but gazing into the distance, the vast ocean remained empty, offering nothing. That mysterious island, perpetually shrouded in black mist, seemed to have never existed, vanishing completely into the azure sky and sea.

"Yan'er, there's no need to investigate further." Elder Wudao noticed his actions, stepped forward slowly, looked into the distance, and said in a solemn tone, "The Blood Fiend Sect has always acted in a secretive manner. Their rash escape this time must have a hidden story behind it. However, there are no clues to follow right now. If we forcibly investigate, we are more likely to fall into a trap."

Lin Yan composed himself and bowed, replying, "This disciple understands, but I always feel that the misty island is deeply connected to the ancient mountain and sea energy, which makes me uneasy."

"Laoshan has been passed down for thousands of years, protecting the stability of the Qilu land veins. If there are any disturbances in the future, we will face them head-on." The sect leader patted his shoulder lightly, said no more, and took the lead in riding on the clouds and speeding towards Laoshan.

A group of Laoshan disciples followed closely behind, and no one spoke on the cloud road. Although they had not experienced the fighting, their minds were all shrouded in the strange behavior of the Blood Fiend Sect. They traveled at high speed, and in just two hours, the outline of Laoshan in the distance came into clear view.

Springtime colors filled the garden, clouds swirled, and verdant peaks rose in layers. Laoshan remained the sacred celestial site it always was, with the clear cries of cranes echoing through the air. But the moment everyone stepped through the mountain gate, they all sensed something amiss: the spiritual energy in the mountains was subtly disordered, and the once gentle and peaceful flow of spiritual energy carried a hint of imperceptible restlessness. The spiritual herbs and trees along the roadside drooped, completely lacking their former vitality.

Elder Wudao paused slightly, a strange light flashing in his eyes, but he did not make a sound. Just as he was about to lead the group to the Taiqing Hall to take stock of what they had found during the expedition, a figure rushed over in a hurry, looking flustered, and his spiritual energy seemed a little stagnant.

The newcomer was a gatekeeper on duty. His forehead was covered in sweat. Upon seeing Elder Wudao and the others return, he immediately knelt down and bowed, his voice urgent and panicked: "Elder, something terrible has happened!"

"What's the panic? You've broken the rules of Laoshan!" an elder beside him reprimanded in a deep voice. "Calm down and tell me slowly."

The steward took a deep breath, suppressing his panic, and urgently reported, "It's the hidden crystal spiritual vein that the three sects are jointly mining! An urgent report just came from the vein's location: the originally stable and pure spiritual energy of the vein suddenly became violently agitated half an hour ago. The area around the vein is filled with malevolent energy, and the spirit-gathering array and vein-protecting array used for mining have all cracked. The disciples of the three sects stationed there have all been injured by the chaotic spiritual energy. The spiritual vein is now in grave danger!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

The three sects' joint operation to mine the Crystal Spirit Vein is entering its climax. Although they had previously pursued the Blood Fiend Sect, they did not suspend operations and even specially stationed disciples from each sect to guard and protect it.

Elder Wudao's face instantly turned cold, and his expression became increasingly serious. He immediately strode towards the Taiqing Hall and said in a deep voice, "Elders, please follow me into the hall for a meeting. Lin Yan, you lead the inner disciples to guard the mountain gate, reinforce the protective formation, and await orders at any time."

"Yes!" Lin Yan bowed and accepted the order. Watching the elders hurriedly leave, his unease grew stronger. The Blood Fiend Sect had vanished into thin air, and the Hidden Crystal Spirit Vein had suddenly undergone a strange change. The two were by no means coincidental.

For the next two days, Laoshan was completely on high alert.

The sect leader and the other two sects kept exchanging messages, with flying swords shuttling back and forth, and news from all sides constantly converging. The anomalies in the Hidden Crystal Spirit Vein intensified, with the earth's spiritual energy sometimes surging and sometimes drying up. Dense bloodthirsty energy seeped from the ground, infecting the surrounding vegetation and causing the mountain spirits to go berserk, with frequent attacks by demonic beasts on the disciples stationed there.

The elders of the three sects joined forces to investigate the spiritual vein and finally confirmed that the malevolent energy here was of the same origin as the bloodthirsty evil energy cultivated by the Blood Fiend Sect. It was clear that when the Blood Fiend Sect fled, it caused the Qi-Lu land vein to tremble, and the foul evil energy spread along the dark currents of the land vein, which triggered this shocking change in the spiritual vein.

What's even more worrying is that the unusual activity in the Hidden Crystal Vein is just the beginning.

In just two days, chaos erupted throughout Qilu: the spiritual veins of mountains and rivers were restless, demonic beasts frequently appeared and harassed mortal villages, and the spiritual energy in many remote spiritual vein forbidden areas was disordered and the restrictions were loosened. The entire cultivation world of Qilu was completely shrouded in an invisible gloom.

The ley lines of the Laoshan sect were also affected. The spiritual mist in the mountains was sometimes thick and sometimes thin, and the spiritual energy of the protective array fluctuated frequently. The disciples on duty patrolled day and night, not daring to slack off in the slightest. Lin Yan spent his days stabilizing his own cultivation and assisting his fellow disciples in patrolling the mountain range. Seeing the once tranquil immortal mountain shrouded in an atmosphere of anxiety, he became more and more convinced that the escape of the Blood Fiend Sect was the root cause of all the chaos.

On the morning of the third day, just as Lin Yan finished his morning cultivation and cleared his spiritual energy, a sect deacon hurriedly arrived with a solemn expression.

"Senior Brother Lin Yan, the sect leader requests your immediate presence at the Taiqing Hall; there is important business to discuss."

Lin Yan understood that this matter must be related to the recent chaos in the earth veins and the crisis in the spiritual veins. He immediately straightened his clothes and followed the steward to the Taiqing Hall on the main peak.

Upon entering the hall, one immediately sensed a heavy and oppressive atmosphere. The sect leader sat solemnly in the main seat, his expression grave, while several core elders stood on either side, all with furrowed brows. On the table before the sect leader lay a quiet invitation—the invitation was entirely gilded, with an engraved, ancient phoenix pattern on the cover, the lines emanating a faint, ancient spiritual energy, exuding a sense of majesty and solemnity.

Lin Yan bowed and said, "Disciple Lin Yan greets the Sect Leader and all the Elders."

The sect leader looked up at him, his gaze growing increasingly solemn. He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the invitation on the table, saying in a deep voice, "Yan'er, please step forward. In the past two days, chaos has been rampant in Qilu, with spiritual veins malfunctioning, demonic beasts running rampant, and the earth's veins shaking. The root cause of all this is closely related to the escape of the Blood Fiend Sect."

Lin Yan stepped forward as instructed, her gaze falling on the special invitation, and she already had some guesses in her mind.

"This invitation comes from the Hao clan, the direct descendant of the ancient Shao Hao." The sect leader's voice was steady and clear, echoing throughout the hall. "Hao clan, based in Qufu, has noticed the great calamity of the Qi-Lu land veins and has invited all cultivation sects in the region to hold the Dongyi Mountain and Sea Alliance Conference in Qufu to discuss strategies for suppressing the evil energy of the land veins, eradicating the rampaging monsters, and tracking down the whereabouts of the Blood Fiend Sect."

After a pause, the sect leader's tone became more solemn and expectant: "The Hao Clan, recognizing that Laoshan is a sect that has guarded the lineage for a thousand years and protected the mountains and rivers of Qi and Lu for generations, has specially invited the Laoshan lineage to attend the meeting and return to the orthodox order of the Eastern Yi cultivators."

Looking at the gilded invitation and recalling the chaos of the past few days, Lin Yan instantly realized that the Dongyi Alliance meeting was imminent.

The Blood Fiend Sect's hidden conspiracies, the restless Qi-Lu ley lines, the rampaging monstrous beasts, and the unsolved mysteries of the ancient mountains and seas will all slowly surface at this alliance gathering of all cultivation forces in Qi-Lu. Laoshan, and indeed the entire Eastern Yi cultivation world, will usher in an unprecedented upheaval.

The sect leader stood up, his gaze fixed on the rolling mountains outside the hall, his voice firm and resolute: "Three days from now, you will accompany me to Qufu to attend this rendezvous with the Eastern Yi Mountains and Seas. At that time, you must be careful in your words and actions, uphold the sect's reputation, investigate the truth behind the chaos, and safeguard the stability of the Qi-Lu land veins."

"Your disciple obeys!"

Lin Yan bowed and accepted the order, standing tall with no fear in his eyes.