The Legend of Qingpeng: Starting from the Costinus

In front of the ancestral temple, members of the Black Turtle clan have gathered into a sea of ​​people. Some are bowing their heads in deep thought, while others are comforting each other. The air is filled with an indescribable sadness and solemnity.

Li Qing looked around and saw that every face was filled with remembrance and sorrow for the deceased, which made him feel awe.

Soon, accompanied by a low and long bell sound, the heavy stone door of the ancestral hall slowly opened, as if the door of history was gently pushed open, revealing the mysterious space inside.

The Black Turtle Demon Lord, as the ancestor of the clan, walked out slowly in gorgeous robes. His majestic image instantly attracted the attention of all the demons.

His eyes were deep and solemn, as if he could see through everything in the world.

"Today, unfortunately, a member of my clan passed away, and his soul lamp has been extinguished, returning to nothingness." The voice of the Black Turtle Demon Lord echoed in the air, every word was as heavy as a thousand pounds, striking people's hearts.

"To commemorate the deceased, I declare that all clansmen will enter the ancestral temple, burn incense and mourn, and pray for the blessings of the ancestors. May the deceased rest in peace and the living be strong."

As the Black Turtle Demon Lord finished speaking, the tribesmen came forward one after another and walked into the ancestral temple in an orderly manner.

Although Li Qing was full of curiosity and desire, when he tried to follow in, he was politely but firmly stopped by the tribesmen guarding the gate.

"Please stop, the ancestral temple is the holy place of our clan, and non-members of the clan are not allowed to enter." The words of the clan member revealed an unquestionable firmness.

Li Qing had no choice but to quietly step aside, looking deeply at the slowly closing door of the ancestral temple, thinking secretly in his heart.

Although he was unwilling to be stopped from entering the ancestral temple, he also knew the importance of respecting other people's customs.

It is not easy to enter the ancestral temple directly, but he has his own way.

So, he stepped aside calmly and secretly activated the Heart-Eating Demon that had been hidden long ago.

At this moment, it was quietly attached to a seemingly ordinary member of the Black Turtle tribe, and followed everyone into the ancestral temple silently.

Li Qing used the unique connection between the ghost robe and the Heart-Eating Demon. Through the Heart-Eating Demon's Eye hidden in a seemingly inconspicuous member of the Black Turtle Clan, he was able to glimpse the solemn and dignified scene inside the ancestral temple.

His gaze penetrated the limitations of space, as if he had witnessed with his own eyes the scene of the Black Turtle people burning incense and observing a moment of silence in front of the altar, as well as the complex and indescribable expression of the Black Turtle Demon Lord.

At this moment, he was filled with mixed emotions about the truth that was about to be revealed.

Inside the ancestral temple, the flickering candlelight illuminated solemn and sad faces.

On the central altar, soul lamps were arranged neatly. At this moment, one of the soul lamps was slowly extinguished, accompanied by a wisp of green smoke rising up, which looked particularly dazzling.

Several older Black Turtle elders around had solemn expressions on their faces, and seemed to be working together to perform some secret technique.

The Black Turtle Demon Lord stood on the altar, holding a tortoise shell that flashed with ancient runes, muttering to himself, as if performing some ancient ritual to commemorate his deceased tribesmen.

There is a faint fragrance in the air, a mixture of specially made incense and candles and flowers and plants. It makes people feel peaceful, but also brings a bit of subtle sadness.

Li Qing carefully observed every detail and the extinguished soul lamp through the perspective of the Heart-Eating Demon, trying to find relevant information about the Black Turtle that had just fallen.

He noticed that at a critical moment in the ceremony, a strange light flashed in the eyes of the Black Turtle Demon Lord, as if he was having a silent communication with some kind of existence.

Then, the ground around the altar began to vibrate slightly, and wisps of light blue light seeped out from the ground, converging into a series of blurry images. Those images seemed to be fragments of the deceased tribesmen's lives, slowly unfolding in the interweaving of light and shadow.

This scene shocked Li Qing. He realized that this was not just a simple moment of silence, but also a ceremony to communicate with the spirits of the deceased.

Just as Li Qing was concentrating on the movements in the ancestral temple, he suddenly felt a subtle energy fluctuation coming from the Heart-Eating Demon.

That is the unique connection between the ghost slave and the ghost robe, which can obtain some perceptions and do things from the ghost slave.

From the situation just now, it was obvious that the Heart-Eating Demon seemed to have been noticed.

This made Li Qing's heart tremble. He quickly calmed his mind and sent a simple command to the ghost slave through the ghost robe, asking the ghost slave to continue to observe in secret. At the same time, he adjusted his position quietly in case of emergency.

As time passed, the ceremony in the ancestral temple gradually came to an end. Members of the Black Turtle clan came forward one after another and inserted the incense in their hands into the incense burner in front of the altar. Everyone's face was filled with remembrance and respect for the deceased.

Li Qing, on the other hand, waited silently outside the ancestral temple, already having a plan for his next step in mind.

He knew that now that the Heart-Eating Demon had been discovered, the Black Turtle Demon Lord would surely guess that it was his doing.

Since he was not exposed on the spot, he could just admit it generously to avoid deepening the misunderstanding.

This time he came to the ancestral land of the Black Turtle clan to verify his guess. He had no ill will towards the Black Turtle ancestor, so there was naturally no need for him to act as if he was guilty.

As the last wisp of green smoke rose up, the members of the Black Turtle Clan finished mourning the deceased, turned around, and left the ancestral temple with heavy hearts, leaving behind silence and solemnity.

Inside the ancestral temple, the candlelight gradually dimmed, as if even the light and shadow were mourning for this sad night.

Li Qing stood outside the ancestral temple with a deep gaze, mentally prepared to face everything.

He knew that this night would not only be a farewell to the deceased, but also the beginning of a profound dialogue between him and the Black Turtle Demon Lord.

Soon, the Black Turtle Demon Lord slowly walked out of the ancestral temple. His steps were steady, but his eyes could not hide his fatigue and sadness.

He looked around and finally his eyes fell on Li Qing. There was both scrutiny and a subtle sense of vigilance in his eyes.

“Shadow, you are here as expected.” The voice of the Black Turtle Demon Lord was deep and powerful, penetrating the silence of the night. “I have noticed something about the ghosts in the dark. Do you have anything to say?”

Li Qing faced it calmly and bowed slightly to show respect: "Black Turtle Demon Lord, I have no ill intentions in this trip, but I have many doubts in my heart and I have to come here to verify it."

"Regarding the ghost's peeping, it was indeed me who did it, but my original intention was not to pry into the privacy of the nobles, but..."

Having said that, Li Qing paused for a moment. He knew very well that what he was going to say next would directly affect his relationship with the Black Turtle Clan.

"It is to verify whether the conspiracy of the demon is as I guessed."

Upon hearing this, a faint light flashed in the eyes of the Black Turtle Demon Lord, and then he turned into deep thought.

"I have long felt it was strange that you had the leisure to stay in my clan's ancestral land for so long."

"So... you already knew that the Ascendant of my clan would fall some time ago?"

After a pause, he slowly approached Li Qing, staring into Li Qing's strange eyes, and his voice became more serious: "The conspiracy you mentioned, I just cast a spell to communicate with the spirits and got some clues. I wonder if we are thinking of the same thing?"