The spiritual energy was restored, and he became a mortal immortal in two days.

Qingcheng Mountain, half a month later

Wu Minghuang's villa has been completed, located just a hundred paces east of the Taoist temple, with white walls and green tiles, elegant and serene.

As she had said, Shangguan Wan'er moved into the west wing of the Taoist temple.

Thus, Chen Xuan's daily life became like this—

Every morning, Wu Minghuang would deliver her personally cooked spirit porridge, along with pickled spirit fruits unique to the Southern Frontier.

At noon, Shangguan Wan'er would serve delicate side dishes with a Jiangnan flavor, each containing a gentle spiritual energy that was beneficial for cultivation.

In the evening, Lu Yao would bring out her newly learned Sichuan dishes from the kitchen, which were spicy and satisfying.

Chen Xuan sat at the stone table in the courtyard, looking at the three bowls and plates laid out in front of him, and rubbed his temples.

"Sir, please try this."

Wu Minghuang picked up a piece of crystal-clear fish sashimi. "The Northern Darkness Cold Fish was just delivered yesterday. I lightly roasted it with Phoenix Flame to lock in its freshness and sweetness."

"Drink the soup first."

Shangguan Wan'er ladled out a bowl of white jade lingzhi soup, saying, "It's perfect for nourishing the meridians."

Lu Yao, not to be outdone, pushed over a plate of sizzling, red-oil-coated boiled pork slices: "Senior brother, this is the best with rice!"

Chen Xuan remained silent for three breaths, then picked up his chopsticks and tasted a bite of each item.

The sashimi is sweet and fresh, the soup is warm and smooth, and the sliced ​​meat is spicy; three distinct flavors intertwine in the mouth.

"how?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at him at the same time.

".........It's all good."

Chen Xuan gave a generic answer and continued eating with his head down.

The three women exchanged glances. Wu Minghuang raised an eyebrow, Shangguan Wan'er smiled lightly, and Lu Yao stuck out her tongue.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the mountain path.

"Holy Master! Empress!"

Taiqingzi rushed over, his old face grave: "Something has happened."

Chen Xuan put down his chopsticks: "What is it?"

"Yuqing Sword Ruins... is surrounded."

.......

Jade Purity Sword Ruins, three days ago

Seventy-two peaks, their sword energy soaring into the sky—this has been an unchanging sight in the sacred land of sword cultivators for millennia.

But today, the sword aura carried an added chilling intent.

Outside the gates of Sword Ruins Mountain, a dense crowd of people stood. They were not demons, but human cultivators.

The leader was a middle-aged man in purple robes with a sinister face and a crimson vertical line between his eyebrows. He exuded the pressure of a peak Golden Core cultivator.

Behind him stood twelve cultivators, all at the Golden Core stage, dressed in different attire, clearly from different factions.

Further away, hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators formed a battle formation, exuding murderous intent.

"Nangong Lie, what do you mean by this?!"

At the entrance to Sword Ruins Mountain, a white-haired elder glared angrily.

He is the current head of the Jade Purity Sword Ruins, with the Daoist name "Lingxiaozi" and a cultivation level of late Golden Core stage.

The middle-aged man in purple robes, Nangong Lie, sneered: "Ling Xiaozi, I have come here today only to demand an explanation."

"What do you mean?"

"Three days ago, in the Blackwater Swamp of Southern Xinjiang, you, Sword Venerable Pei Hanchuan of Sword Ruins, colluded with the demon race to kill three Golden Core elders of my Nangong family!"

Nangong Lie said sternly, "Your Sword Ruins must give an explanation for this!"

Ling Xiaozhi's expression changed: "Nonsense! That day, Grandmaster Pei killed the Four Fiends to save the Empress. How could he have colluded with the demon race?!"

"Save the Empress?"

Nangong Lie sneered, "Then why did all three elders of my Nangong family die in the Blackwater Swamp? And in such a gruesome manner, clearly killed by human sword cultivators!"

Behind him, a Golden Core cultivator stepped forward, holding a jade slip for recording images.

The jade slip was activated, and a scene appeared—

This is just one corner of the battlefield in southern Xinjiang!

In the scene, three figures are fighting against a Golden Core demon. Suddenly, a cyan sword light descends from the sky, not only killing the demon, but also sweeping the three people into the fray!

The three screamed as their bodies were shredded by the sword energy!

And the aura of that cyan sword light... was none other than Pei Hanchuan's "Hanchuan Sword Intent"!

"Did you see that?"

A fierce glint flashed in Nangong Lie's eyes. "Pei Hanchuan's sword strike was clearly intentional!"

"He used the pretext of slaughtering demons to eliminate his political opponents!"

"Three elders of my Nangong family died by his sword!"

Ling Xiaozhi's face turned ashen: "This...this must be a misunderstanding! Grandmaster Pei would never..."

"Misunderstand?"

Nangong Lie interrupted him, "I have brought twelve forces here today to demand an explanation from your Sword Ruins!"

"First, hand over Pei Hanchuan for a public trial!"

"Second, compensate each family for their losses with 100,000 high-grade spirit stones each! Third..."

He paused, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes:

"The 'Sword Tomb Secret Realm' of the Jade Purity Sword Ruins will be open for three years, allowing disciples from all sects to enter and cultivate!"

Upon hearing this, the elders of Sword Ruins were visibly shocked!

"presumptuous!"

"The Sword Tomb is a forbidden area of ​​our Sword Ruins; how dare outsiders trespass upon it!"

"Nangong Lie, you are provoking Sword Ruins!"

Nangong Lie, however, remained unfazed, standing with his hands behind his back: "Since I dared to come today, I naturally have confidence. Ling Xiaozi, if you do not agree..."

He raised his hand, and a crimson token appeared in his palm.

The token is engraved with a ferocious character for "demon"!

"A demonic... demonic sect token?!"

Ling Xiaozhi's pupils constricted sharply. "Your Nangong family actually colluded with the Demonic Sect?!"

"Collusion?"

Nangong Lie laughed, "I was merely borrowing their strength. It's time for the fellow Daoists of the Demonic Sect to show themselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, three dark figures rose from the distant mountains.

Each figure exuded the aura of the peak of the Golden Core stage!

Even more terrifying is that they are surrounded by dense demonic energy, and wherever they go, vegetation withers and spiritual energy becomes polluted!

"The Three Elders of the Demonic Sect..."

Ling Xiaozhi's voice trembled, "Blood Demon Elder, Bone Demon Venerable, Soul Demon Granny... how dare you show yourselves in this world?!"

Three dark figures landed, the leader being a gaunt old man with blood-red skin—the Blood Demon Elder.

He chuckled hoarsely, "Ling Xiaozi, after three hundred years, you're still as pedantic as ever."

"Now that spiritual energy is reviving and the world is about to descend into chaos, it is the time for my Demonic Sect to rise again."

"If your Sword Ruins knows what's good for you, hand over Pei Hanchuan and open the Sword Tomb, you might still have a way out."

The Bone Demon Master was an old man resembling a skeleton, his bones protruding and emitting strange cracking sounds: "If you don't comply... I will annihilate your Sword Ruins lineage today!"

The Soul Demon Granny was an old woman with ghostly green flames flickering in her eyes: "I happen to need a few souls of Golden Core sword cultivators to forge a 'Ten Thousand Souls Sword'."

Three powerful figures in the demonic path, plus thirteen other forces including Nangong Lie...

The Jade Purity Sword Ruins are in grave danger!

.......

Qingcheng Mountain, inside the Taoist temple courtyard

After Taiqingzi finished speaking, his face was grave: "The Jade Purity Sword Ruins have been besieged for three days now, and the mountain-protecting formation can still hold on."

"But the three elders of the Demonic Sect are skilled at breaking formations. In five days at most, the great formation will be broken."

Wu Minghuang frowned: "The Nangong family... I remember that they were a family of cultivators in Tianfeng territory three hundred years ago. Later, they sided with the demon race and were expelled from the Central Plains by the Master."

"I never imagined that in this life, they would collude with the Demonic Sect."

Shangguan Wan'er said softly, "I'm afraid it's not just the Nangong family. Among those twelve families, six of them were punished by the Master three hundred years ago."

"Their alliance is ostensibly seeking justice, but in reality, it's revenge."

Chen Xuan remained silent.

Only then did he speak: "Where is Pei Hanchuan?"