Devour

Following his pointing, everyone looked into the distance and saw a huge shadow on the horizon that resembled a majestic distant mountain. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly moving rapidly!

As they drew closer, the blurry shadow gradually became clearer, revealing a colossal creature over a mile tall, its body shrouded in a gray-white mist, making it difficult to discern its true form, yet an overwhelming sense of oppression was already palpable.

Bard asked in surprise, "The Ghost Valley Sect's guardian spirit beast, the 'Mountain-Bearing Stone Beast,' has not appeared in the world for over a hundred years. I wonder if what it is carrying this time is the Yixing Pavilion or the Jingyue Pavilion in the valley?"

Diao Jin narrowed his eyes, his voice hoarse: "Didn't you sense that overwhelming power of all things? In my opinion, the Mountain-Bearing Stone Beast is definitely carrying the Cloud Dream Tower!"

"Our cultivation is still shallow, and we cannot fathom the mysteries hidden in the mist." Chang Yufeng exclaimed in surprise, then forced himself to remain calm. "Of the three secret pavilions of Ghost Valley, the Cloud Dream Pavilion is the foremost. Whenever this pavilion appears in the world, the Holy Master of Ghost Valley Sect must personally oversee it. Doesn't that mean that even Senior Leng Yi, who has been in seclusion for many years, has made an exception and come out of the mountains!"

Mo Ruyu felt an invisible pressure and subconsciously reached out to press the treasure bag at his waist, which contained the Shadow Black Gold that had been melted into clumps during the battle in the sewers.

"Your Highness Mo? Are you feeling unwell?" Bard noticed his unusual expression.

"I'm fine." Mo Ruyu shook her head, pondered for a moment, "I need to forge a suitable weapon as soon as possible. The academy is a place where heroes gather and hidden talents abound. I'm sure it can fulfill my wish!"

As the stone beast carrying the mountain approached the south gate of Taowu Academy, it suddenly stopped. The mist surrounding it gradually dissipated, revealing the Yunmeng Tower it carried.

The building shimmered with the glow of the sunset, creating a beautiful scene comparable to a fairyland.

The colossal beast raised its ferocious head and let out a deep and awe-inspiring roar. The sound was not harsh, but the power it carried was enough to make the souls of all living beings tremble.

At Zhumapo Square, many mythical beasts involuntarily lowered their bodies in reverence.

The silver griffin, sword-wielding camel, dark moon tiger, and others trembled slightly, and even the powerful two-headed snow lion and water-repelling golden-eyed beast bowed down in submission.

The beasts fell silent, and the scene was deathly still!

Yunmeng Tower has three floors. The window on the top floor was gently pushed open, and three figures stood by the window, looking down at the entire scene.

Leng Yi, who was in the lead, paid no attention to the people and beasts below. He looked up at the sky, as if he could penetrate the layers of clouds and reach the unspeakable depths of the heavens.

Beside him, a man and a woman, two younger relatives, stood solemnly.

The woman said, "Grandfather, the stone beast carrying the mountain is too large to easily venture deep into the Taotie Academy. Should we stop here?"

The man said softly, "Master, in my opinion, it would be best to let Xiao San'er rest at Tinghetai Square, where it would be more convenient for us to move around."

Leng Yi did not respond, but instead let his booming voice resound throughout the surrounding area: "The secrets of heaven are in chaos, the imperial star will appear. Heroes gather, and destiny will determine the fate of the dynasty!"

As the lingering sound faded, the windows of Yunmeng Tower closed silently. The stone beast carrying the mountain slowly lowered its body, sinking into a state of slumber-like stillness.

Meanwhile, Zhumapo was in an uproar.

"The secrets of heaven are in chaos? What do you mean by that?" someone asked in surprise.

"The Emperor Star is about to appear... This doesn't refer to a specific location, but rather to a true Emperor! But where can we find hope?" someone asked, puzzled.

"What exactly is this so-called opportunity? Is it related to the Immortal Encounter Gathering being held this time?" Some people inquired around.

A cacophony of voices rose and fell, creating a cacophony of noise.

Hu Hanshang of the Wangliang Sect removed his ghost mask, revealing a sinister smile, and whispered to Hu Banxian beside him: "Lord Leng Yi has foresight and unparalleled insight. What he said is absolutely right. We are determined to get a share of the pie at this year's Immortal Gathering."

A disciple of the Wraith Sect, who was in charge of arranging accommodations, rushed back and exclaimed, "Reporting to the young sect master, the Zhumapo Inn is full. We'll have to find somewhere else to stay!"

Hu Hanshang exclaimed in surprise, "No rooms available so early? Are you deliberately making things difficult for us?!"

No sooner had one problem been solved than another arose. The Half-Immortal Pot warned, "Young Master, the ancient coffin in the Hundred Treasures Bag has suddenly become erratic, burning hot like a branding iron, damaging the seal. If it's not dealt with soon, the magical artifact may be completely destroyed, and the malevolent energy will break free!"

Hu Hanshang hurriedly ordered, "Hurry up and move it out to get some fresh air... uh, no, re-seal it with talismans to prevent it from leaking its aura! The price of animals at Zhumapo is low, so the griffin can stay here for now. Let's move to Huai'an Inn."

At the lookout tower of Huian Lingzhou, the Venerable Dahui, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. As if he had seen through the entire scene, he softly chanted a Dharma name: "Immovable King, good and evil are only a thought away!"

Yong Yao also slowly walked up to the observation platform, looked into the distance against the wind, and sighed, "I absolutely cannot fail again."

The Venerable Mahamati rebuked, “So what if we fail? Learn from the mistakes of the past; no one is perfect, but we should strive for perfection in everything we do.”

Yong Yao bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

On the Hidden Sky Flying Armor, the leader of the Longevity Society was none other than Mo Gui, who stroked his beard and sneered: "Hmph, putting on airs. The game has already been set up, why pretend to be a hermit master?"

Mo Ruo stood beside him with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips, and murmured softly, "With the protection of our ancestors, our undead race will eventually firmly grasp the reins of power!"

Just when everyone thought that all the key figures had made their appearance and the square was filled with an atmosphere of calculation and strategy, an ice and snow storm swept across the horizon.

A bone-chilling cold swept across the earth, freezing grass and trees, and halting streams. Even the air was frozen solid, and in the solidified silence, only the crackling sound of ice crystals breaking apart could be heard.

"Roar……"

From the heart of the storm came terrifying beastly roars that shook the very soul.

Immediately, a colossal white beast, accompanied by countless ice crystals, shattered the cold currents, tore through the sky, and roared as it charged through the clouds.

That ferocious beast, which ravaged all things with its power to freeze heaven and earth, was none other than the Ice Hou, which had long been extinct across the five continents!

The young man, sitting steadily atop the ice beast's head, exuding an imposing aura, was clad in cloud steel armor. His eyes were sharp as lightning, and his aura was ethereal. He was none other than Ji Dong, the son of the Reincarnation Emperor!

Under the oppressive aura, the beasts bowed their heads and trembled in fear.

Even the once majestic stone beast carrying the mountain was startled and fell silent, instinctively shrinking its body and emitting a timid whimper, causing the Cloud Dream Tower it was carrying to sway slightly.

"Quiet."

A faint rebuke emanated from within the Yunmeng Tower, followed by a gentle and peaceful aura that soothed the restless spirit of the stone beast carrying the mountain.

The massive beast's body trembled slightly before regaining its balance and obediently lying still on the ground.

Ji Dong gazed at Yunmeng Tower, his eyes seemingly able to pierce through layers of barriers and glimpse its hidden secrets.

However, he slightly concealed the sharp glint in his eyes, gently patted the ice beast beneath him, causing it to slow down and suppress its icy aura.

Then, Ji Dong cupped his hands towards Yunmeng Tower and said, "Greetings, Senior Leng Yi. I am honored to have the honor of visiting Taowu Academy and to have the pleasure of seeing your esteemed face. It is a great blessing for this junior."

Leng Yi did not appear, only his detached voice responded leisurely: "The arrival of the Imperial Son is as serene as ever, with clouds swirling in the sky."

Although the sage was detached from worldly affairs, he dared not underestimate this imperial prince who possessed divine artifacts and whose future was unfathomable.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ji Dong said no more, ignoring the group of powerful figures and outstanding individuals below. He then commanded the Ice Hou to transform into a fierce ice rainbow, heading straight towards the core area of ​​Taotie Academy, leaving only frost covering the ground and all things silent.

The crowd standing there in Zhumapo Square finally snapped out of their daze.

Bard looked around and whispered to Mo Ruyu, "Your Highness, let's go to the Huai'an Inn to settle down and rest. The imperial examination is just around the corner, and many powerful people are gathering there. Improving our strength is the most important thing."

Mo Ruyu looked at Diao Jin and asked suspiciously, "Senior Diao, you said before that you were willing to offer me the Evil Wing Dagger. Is that true?"

Diao Jin adopted a passionate demeanor, chuckled twice, and replied, "This Soul Weapon Dagger, paired with readily available materials, will surely give Your Highness wings to fly! To fully unleash the weapon's divine power, it would be best to find a master craftsman with superb skills to reforge it."

Mo Ruyu agreed, "The Longevity Society, which has attached itself to the World Honored One Sect and claims to support the Golden Light Emperor's son, will definitely not help me. As for weapon forging, although the Seventh Master of the Academy is just starting to gain fame... however, a friend once promised to forge a weapon for me. I might as well contact him—the White Emperor!"

A gathering of immortals, a vibrant exchange of talents!

Cheng Bai withdrew his gaze from the window. A southerly breeze blew, causing the clothes of passersby to flutter, but it couldn't stir a single hair on his head.

Cheng Bai casually closed the window and pondered, "The grand event officially begins tomorrow, and the Four Symbols Cauldron is busy forging the treasure sword. I have nothing to do but concentrate on practicing my skills."

Suddenly, Cheng Bai, relying on his keen intuition, realized that a master was approaching.