The Legend of Qingpeng: Starting from the Costinus

Under the sky dyed golden by the setting sun, Li Qing walked slowly with heavy steps into the ancient and solemn hall of Tianyi Temple.

The air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and a barely perceptible sadness, as if even the wind knew of the impending departure and gently blew by, causing the fallen leaves to swirl in a dance.

Inside the hall, the candlelight flickered, illuminating Xuan Fuzi's pale yet resolute face.

He sat quietly on the cushion with his eyes slightly closed, as if he was isolated from all the noise of the outside world. Only the concern for his disciples and the worry about the human world in his heart were like a candle flame, flickering but never extinguished.

Beside Xuan Fuzi, countless disciples from Tianyi Temple knelt on the ground with red eyes, but they tried hard not to let the tears fall.

Li Qing ignored these disciples and slowly walked through the crowd until he came to Xuan Fuzi. He called softly, "Master Xu, I'm here."

Although the voice was soft, it was still hoarse, and it was hard to tell why he was sad and reluctant.

Xuan Fuzi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fell gently on Li Qing, and he forced a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Fellow Daoist Youying, you are finally here."

"I know you don't like to talk, but at this moment, I just hope you can listen to me." Although his voice was weak, every word was clear, revealing an unquestionable firmness.

Then, Xuan Fuzi glanced at Wu Yunzi standing beside him.

Seeing this, Wu Yunzi immediately understood and called all the disciples to leave the palace.

At this time, only Xuan Fuzi and Li Qing were left in the palace. Then, Xuan Fuzi slowly spoke:

"Although I have not been able to fully understand the mysteries of the Way of Heaven in my lifetime, nor have I left behind any shocking skills, I still have something unfinished in my heart. After much consideration, I think only you, Daoist Fellow Youying, can entrust this wish to me."

"Since our founder founded Tianyi Temple, it has been passed down from generation to generation. We all use the way of talismans to drive out evil and protect the people."

"However, in the past thousand years, none of my disciples have become successful. The critical point is approaching. Although I am determined to cultivate a god-transforming disciple, I have no resources from the upper realm, so I am inevitably unable to do so."

"My biggest regret is that I was not able to witness the disciples in the temple revive their school and restore its former glory."

"Fellow Daoist Youying, although we have not known each other for long, I have always admired your cultivation and character."

"You act low-key, but you always stand up at critical moments to protect the human world. This kind of responsibility is exactly what the sages of the human race should be like."

"I know you are aloof and proud, and don't easily get involved in the world, but today, I beg you, if after my death, Tianyi Temple encounters danger, I hope you can lend a hand and protect my disciples."

"There are still several disciples in my sect who are talented and kind-hearted. You have met two of them. They are my hope for the future of Xuan Fu."

"Although I will not live long, they are in my heart all the time."

“In the human world, only Daoist friend and three other Divine Transformation cultivators will be left to support the temple from now on. If no new forces rise up in the temple, I’m afraid…”

"I hope that one day they can grow into truly strong people, not only protecting themselves, but also protecting all people in the world."

"Friend Youying, perhaps there is no need for us to say more, but I believe that with your noble character, you will understand my last wish."

"If I, the disciple of Tianyi Temple, am fortunate enough to be looked after by fellow Taoists, I will surely be able to carry on the legacy and make it flourish."

"Of course, fellow Taoist has always been adhering to the style of doing things for the sake of benefits. I am..."

Ahem! !

Suddenly, Xuan Fuzi started coughing violently halfway through his words, and his expression was gloomy, as if the fire of life was about to be extinguished because of the long speech he had just said.

Seeing this, Li Qing frowned slightly under the mask, but still quickly took out a pill from his arms and put it into Xuan Fuzi's mouth.

How could Li Qing let this "old friend" leave so easily when he had only made a request but hadn't given any benefits yet?

After a while, Xuan Fuzi's complexion suddenly improved a lot, and his coughing stopped. Not daring to delay, he quickly spoke:

"I know that you are not short of other things, so I am exchanging you for the most valuable information."

At this point, Xuan Fuzi coughed violently again, and blood even flowed from the corners of his mouth, but he still insisted: "The news is..."

However, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a violent cough, and blood continued to flow from the corners of his mouth, as if he had used up all his strength.

Seeing this, Li Qing couldn't help but feel a little worried. After all, Xuan Fuzi was one of his few "friends".

Of course, with Li Qing's character, he was naturally not curious about what kind of wealth this incarnation cultivator could produce before his death, but just because of "friendship".

So, he quickly stepped forward and put his hand on Xuan Fuzi's shoulder. A powerful demonic power instantly surged into Xuan Fuzi's body.

With Li Qing's help, Xuan Fuzi's face finally regained some color and his breathing became steady.

Xuan Fuzi looked at Li Qing gratefully, but there was something strange in his eyes and a wave of emotion in his heart, but he did not show it and continued, "This news is related to the upper realm."

"Fellow Daoist, are you wondering why I just said that there is no funding from the upper realm when the ascension platform has been repaired?"

"All this is because of a message that the ancestor of the Yanjian Sect in the upper realm passed to the human world through the Ascension Platform a few months ago!"

"The spirit world has been invaded by the demons, and the human race in the upper world can no longer protect itself!"

"According to the news, many immortal palaces have fallen from the heavens in the past few hundred years, but countless demons are hidden in the immortal palaces..."

"I boldly speculate that the demon came from heaven, so heaven may have already..."

Having said this, Xuan Fuzi's voice has become increasingly weak, but there is an eternal light flashing in his eyes, which is his expectation for the younger generation and his vision for the future.

"Fellow Daoist...are you satisfied with this news?"

As he spoke, Xuan Fuzi forced himself to raise his head and stared at Li Qing. Only when he saw Li Qing nodded did he lower his head with relief.

"Then I can leave with peace of mind..."

After saying this, he slowly closed his eyes, a look of relief and serenity on his face.

Seeing this, Li Qing felt an indescribable complex emotion in his heart. He silently bowed to Xuan Fuzi and promised:

"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Xu. This news is important enough. I will definitely fulfill your last wish and protect Tianyi Temple until I ascend to heaven!"

After saying that, Li Qing's figure flashed and instantly disappeared in the ancestral hall of Tianyi Temple, as if he had never appeared.

At this time, the disciples waiting outside the hall sensed something unusual inside the hall, because the familiar aura just now disappeared completely, which made them feel extremely uneasy.

So they pushed open the door one after another, wanting to see what was happening inside.

When they walked into the hall, all they saw was a cold corpse lying on the ground—that was the ancestor they had always admired!

Their faces suddenly turned pale as paper, and their eyes were full of disbelief.

"Ancestor..." a disciple murmured to himself, his voice filled with grief and despair.

The other disciples also stood there silently, tears welling up in their eyes.

Although Tianyi Temple has been declining over the years, the ancestor has always been the pillar and hope in their hearts.

Now, their ancestor has passed away suddenly, and they feel like the whole world is about to collapse.

However, at this moment they can only face reality...