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

Qingcheng Mountain, five days after Cangming Sword returned.

Before the morning mist had dissipated, Chen Xuan meditated in the courtyard as usual.

The Cangming Sword was stuck in the blue stone, its blade emitting a deep blue light that shone in harmony with the rising sun in the east.

The new plum tree that Chen Xuan had nurtured with his spiritual power had grown lush and verdant, with several emerald-feathered sparrows hopping and chirping on its branches.

Lu Yao squatted beside the sword, propping her chin up with her hand and staring at the Cangming Sword, muttering softly, "Senior Brother has more and more swords... Last time it was the Xuantian Sword Intent, this time it's the Cangming Sword, will another one fly over next time?"

"Don't touch it," Chen Xuan said calmly with his eyes closed.

Lu Yao's outstretched finger froze in mid-air, and she awkwardly withdrew it: "I was just looking..."

"The sword carries the sword intent accumulated over seven thousand years. If you, with your Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, were to touch it, you would at least damage your meridians, or at worst, injure your sea of ​​consciousness."

Chen Xuan opened his eyes, looked at Lu Yao's aggrieved expression, and softened his tone, "Once you form your Golden Core, I will teach you the first move of the Cangming Sword Technique."

Lu Yao's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Um."

"Then senior brother keeps his word!"

Lu Yao jumped up and ran towards the kitchen, "I'm going to make porridge for my senior brother!"

Chen Xuan watched her retreating figure and shook his head slightly.

This girl has been with him for three years, and her cultivation level has risen from Qi Refining to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Her aptitude is actually quite good, but she has a restless mind and can't settle down to cultivate.

Footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard gate.

Wu Minghuang and Shangguan Wan'er walked side by side, each carrying a thick stack of documents.

Wu Minghuang held the latest intelligence summary sent by Lingxiao, while Shangguan Wan'er held excerpts from ancient books she had collected from various sects' classics over the past few days.

"gentlemen."

Wu Minghuang sat down at the stone table and spread out the intelligence, "After the news of the Cangming Sword Master spread, the reactions from all sides were even greater than we expected."

She pulled out an official document from Lingxiao: "Lingxiao Headquarters has issued a global announcement, adjusting Mr.'s threat level from 'Unassessable' to 'Human Guardian'."

"This is the first time this level has been established since the founding of Lingxiao. The announcement clearly states that any force or individual that dares to offend you will be considered a declaration of war against the human race by Lingxiao."

Chen Xuan took it, glanced at it, and didn't react much.

Shangguan Wan'er continued, "Yesterday, Kunlun Yuxuzi announced to the world that Kunlun officially honors you as the 'Grand Master of the Daoist School,' a position above that of the Kunlun Sect Leader."

"Taiqing Temple's Taiqingzi also issued a similar announcement, honoring the gentleman as 'Taiqing Master'."

"Pei Jianzun of Yuqing Sword Ruins was even more direct. He erected a 'Saint Master Stele' in front of the Sword Ruins mountain gate. The inscription on the stele had only eight characters: Where the Saint Master is, the Sword Ruins submit."

Wu Minghuang pulled out another intelligence report: "The most interesting one is the East Sea Sword Sect."

"Yesterday, Shen Cangming led three thousand disciples to hold a 'Sword Offering Ceremony' on Penglai Island, officially recognizing Cangming Sword Master as the founding patriarch of the East Sea Sword Sect."

"The entire cultivation world of the East Sea is in an uproar. The East Sea Sword Sect has gone from a second-rate sect to the 'direct descendant of the Holy Master' overnight."

"As their status rose, even the spirit stone mines in the Penglai Sea became the target of various forces vying for the mining rights by offering gifts."

Chen Xuan picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Shen Cangming is quite thoughtful."

"It's more than just having the intention."

Wu Minghuang laughed, "Shen Cangming also sent a generous gift: 300 catties of 'Cangming Xuanjing' mined from the bottom of Penglai Sea, saying it's for you to forge a sword."

"I had it put into the warehouse."

Shangguan Wan'er opened her booklet and said softly, "Sir, in the past few days I have searched through the ancient book collections of Taiqing Temple, Kunlun and Lingxiao, and found quite a few more records about 'Hun Yuan Zhenren'."

Chen Xuan's eyes flickered slightly: "Tell me about it."

"The Primordial Immortal was active in the Western Desert five thousand years ago."

"At that time, there were three great demon caves in the Western Desert: the Blood Fiend Cave, the Black Wind Cave, and the Ten Thousand Poisons Cave. Each cave was inhabited by a demon at the Nascent Soul level."

"The three major demonic caves joined forces and almost turned the Western Desert into a demonic realm."

Shangguan Wan'er read from the ancient texts, "Later, the Primordial Immortal appeared out of nowhere, and single-handedly broke through three caves, using the 'Primordial Seal Technique' to suppress the three demons in three perilous places in the Western Desert."

She turned to the next page: "Ancient books record that when the Primordial Immortal broke through the Three Caves, he took in a disciple."

"That disciple was named Sha Wuji. He was a native cultivator of the Western Desert. He followed the Primordial True Man for a hundred years and later inherited the incomplete Primordial Seal Technique, founding the Primordial Sect."

Wu Minghuang interjected, "The Hunyuan Sect still exists today. Although it has lost its ancient glory, it remains the largest sect in the Western Desert."

"The current sect leader is called 'Sha Wanli,' who is said to be a descendant of Sha Wuji, and his cultivation level is at the peak of the Golden Core stage."

Chen Xuan listened calmly, though a faint trace of reminiscence flickered in his eyes.

"Sha Wuji..."

He said softly, "Back then, that kid was just a rogue cultivator who dug for spirit stones in the desert, not even at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"I passed by and saw his sincerity, so I taught him a few moves. I never expected that he would be able to start his own school."

Wu Minghuang and Shangguan Wan'er exchanged a glance. The teacher casually said, "I taught you a few moves as I was at it," and that was a sect with a history of five thousand years.

"gentlemen."

Shangguan Wan'er hesitated for a moment, "Since the Hunyuan Sect was founded by your disciple, Master, perhaps you should...?"

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside the mountain gate.

Taiqingzi arrived in a hurry, his old face showing solemnity and a hint of strangeness: "Holy Master, someone is requesting an audience outside the mountain gate. The visitor claims to be... Sha Wanli, the current sect leader of the Hunyuan Sect."

He said he had an extremely urgent matter and needed to see the Holy Master.

Chen Xuan put down his teacup: "Let him in."

.......

Inside the Taoist temple courtyard.

Sha Wanli was a dark-skinned middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes. He had a rugged face and calloused hands. He didn't look like a sect leader at all, but rather like an old miner who had struggled in the desert.

However, the aura emanating from him was that of a true peak Golden Core cultivator.

Upon entering the courtyard, Sha Wanli immediately knelt down, his forehead slamming heavily against the bluestone slab, producing a dull thud.

"Sha Wanli, the seventh generation sect leader of the Hunyuan Sect, pays respects to the Ancestor!"

Chen Xuan looked at him and said, "Get up and speak."

Sha Wanli did not rise; instead, he lowered his head even further: "Ancestor, this disciple is incompetent! The Hunyuan Sect... the Hunyuan Sect has guarded this seal for five thousand years, but it is about to crumble!"

Wu Minghuang frowned: "What seal?"

Sha Wanli raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed: "Five thousand years ago, our ancestor used the Hunyuan Seal Technique to suppress the three great demons of the Western Desert."

"The seals of the Blood Fiend Cave and the Black Wind Cave have been guarded by the Hunyuan Sect for generations."

"The seal was originally very secure and had not been shaken for five thousand years."

"But three months ago, the spiritual energy resurgence intensified, and cracks began to appear in the seal."

"This disciple mobilized the entire sect to reinforce it, barely holding on for three months. But just yesterday..."

His voice trembled: "The seal on Black Wind Cave... has completely collapsed!"

"The demon lord 'Black Wind Ancestor,' who was suppressed in the Black Wind Cave, has broken free!"

"Although his cultivation has not recovered to the peak of the ancient era, he has already reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!"

"Yesterday alone, the Black Wind Ancestor slaughtered seven cities in the Western Desert, devouring hundreds of thousands of lives!"

"This disciple led the Hunyuan Sect in a full-scale defense, losing three Golden Core elders in the process, barely managing to protect the sect's stronghold!"

"This disciple has no other choice... I can only beg the Ancestral Master!"

The courtyard was completely silent.

Wu Minghuang's expression was solemn: "Early stage of Nascent Soul, devouring hundreds of thousands of living beings... This is no ordinary demonic calamity, it's a crisis of annihilation."

Shangguan Wan'er quickly flipped through the ancient book: "Black Wind Ancestor, an ancient demon, whose cultivation was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage five thousand years ago, was suppressed in the Black Wind Cave by Hunyuan Zhenren with the 'Hunyuan Demon Suppressing Seal'."

"He is skilled in the 'Black Wind Demon Art' and can transform into a black wind that is ubiquitous and extremely difficult to kill."

Taiqingzi said in a deep voice, "Holy Master, this matter is probably more troublesome than the East Sea Demon Kun."

"The Black Wind Ancestor is skilled at transforming into black wind, appearing and disappearing without a trace. If he intends to escape, he is extremely difficult to completely kill."

Chen Xuan remained silent for a moment, then looked at Sha Wanli kneeling on the ground:

"Where is the seal on the Blood Fiend Cave?"

Sha Wanli hurriedly said, "The seal on the Blood Fiend Cave is still intact, but cracks have appeared. I have sent the remaining forces of the sect to reinforce it with all our might, but it can only hold for another ten days at most."

"If the Blood Fiend Cave also collapses... with the Blood Fiend Ancestor and the Black Wind Ancestor joining forces, the Western Desert will be completely reduced to a demonic realm!"

Chen Xuan stood up.

"Let's go to Black Wind Cave first," he said calmly. "I'll reinforce the seal on Blood Fiend Cave as I pass by."

Sha Wanli was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Ancestor! Thank you, Ancestor!"

Wu Minghuang stood up: "Sir, I'll go with you."

"I'll go too." Shangguan Wan'er closed the booklet.

Chen Xuan shook his head: "Old Ancestor Black Wind is only at the early stage of Nascent Soul. You won't be of any help if you go. Stay on Qingcheng Mountain and guard this place."

He looked at Taiqingzi: "Notify Pei Hanchuan to come from Jianxu to Qingcheng Mountain to oversee the situation. If anything changes in the Western Desert, Qingcheng Mountain will be the last stronghold of the human race."

Taiqingzi bowed and said, "This old Taoist understands."

Chen Xuan raised his hand, and the Cangming Sword flew out of the blue stone on its own, landing in his palm. A flash of azure sword light transformed into a stream of light, enveloping him and Sha Wanli, and speeding towards the western horizon.

Wu Minghuang gazed at the receding sword light and whispered, "Wan'er, what kind of divine power do you think Master will use this time...?"

Shangguan Wan'er opened the booklet and found the page of Hunyuan Zhenren: "Hunyuan Seal Method, Qiankun Seal, Yin Yang Seal, Five Elements Seal... The three seals that Master used in Kunlun last time should be part of the Hunyuan Seal Method."

"But the most core divine power of the Primordial True Man is the 'Primordial Demon-Suppressing Seal,' a supreme sealing technique specifically designed to suppress demonic cultivation methods."

She paused, then continued, "And... there's a move mentioned in ancient texts called the 'Primordial Chaos Heaven-Opening Seal.' It's said to be the ultimate secret technique of the Primordial Chaos Master, and no one has ever seen him use it."

"Everyone I've seen... is dead."

Wu Minghuang was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled:

"Then this time...maybe we'll get to see him."

Western Desert, Black Wind Cave Ruins

Black Wind Cave is located in the heart of the Western Desert, which was originally a desolate Gobi Desert.

But at this moment, the entire Gobi Desert was shrouded in a thick black wind.

The black wind was like a knife, cutting deep trenches across the ground. The wind carried the wails of countless wronged souls and vengeful ghosts, making one feel disoriented.

In the center of the black wind, on a hundred-zhang-high platform formed from pitch-black demonic energy, the Black Wind Ancestor sat cross-legged.

He was an old man in black robes, with a gaunt face like a skeleton, blood-red eyes, and tens of thousands of black wind blades wrapped around his body.

With each breath he took, he forcibly extracted the vital energy of living beings within dozens of miles and channeled it into his body.

With each breath he exhaled, countless wronged souls poured out of his mouth and nose, merging into the black wind.