As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

Outside the cave, a bonfire was burning, dispelling the chill of the night and illuminating the joyful faces of the villagers who had survived the disaster.

The noise of celebration gradually died down, and tired but satisfied smiles appeared on everyone's face.

Ding Chen looked at this peaceful scene, but an indescribable uneasiness surged in his heart.

The words of the white-haired wise man echoed in his ears, "Protect this land...

", the burden of responsibility weighed on him.

It was late at night and Ding Chen tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

He stood up and walked to the village entrance, carefully observing the surrounding environment in the faint moonlight.

How can such defensive fortifications as simple fences and useless wooden fences resist foreign enemies?

He remembered the dark shadow he had occasionally glimpsed in the mountains and forests before, and became even more worried.

The next morning, Ding Chen told General Lin about his concerns.

He proposed immediately strengthening the fortifications, recruiting more patrols, and developing a comprehensive defense plan.

"General Lin, we can't let our guard down. Even though the Black Demon has been eliminated, who knows if there are other potential threats?"

General Lin frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Brother Ding Chen, your concerns are not without reason, but strengthening defenses will inevitably increase the burden on the villagers and affect their normal lives. Now that everything is in ruins, we should focus on rebuilding our homes."

"But if we don't strengthen our defenses, what will we do if the enemy attacks again?" Ding Chen argued. "We can't wait until disaster strikes again before we regret it!"

The two of them argued endlessly, each holding their own opinion, and the atmosphere became tense.

Xiaoxuan and Yingfeng stood aside with serious expressions.

Xiaoxuan tried to persuade the two, but both sides insisted on their own opinions and neither was willing to give in.

Just as they were arguing, a figure slowly walked into the village...

"I am a poor Taoist monk Qinglian, passing by here..."

Mr. Qinglian, dressed in a green robe, with white hair and beard, walked slowly towards him with an immortal look.

He held a green bamboo stick in his hand, smiled, and swept his eyes over everyone, finally stopping on Ding Chen.

"I am a Taoist monk named Qinglian. I was passing by here and heard that the place was in trouble. I came to help."

His voice is gentle and charming, refreshing like a mountain spring.

The villagers' originally tense mood also eased, and they all looked at him with gratitude.

"I am so grateful that you are willing to help me!" Ding Chen stepped forward and bowed.

Qinglian Lay Buddhist nodded slightly, looked around, and said, "I can help you rebuild your home and teach you some self-defense skills, but there is one condition."

"What are the conditions?" Ding Chen asked.

Mr. Qinglian stroked his beard and said slowly, "This place must follow some of the rules I set. For example, no one is allowed to go out after sunset; on the first and fifteenth day of each month, offerings must be placed at the entrance of the village; and killing is not allowed in the village..."

The rules he mentioned were strange and confusing.

Yingfeng frowned, his intuition told him that this Qinglian monk was definitely not a good person.

He flashed and appeared behind Mr. Qinglian like a ghost, stabbing him in the back with the dagger in his hand.

Mr. Qinglian seemed to have noticed it long ago. Without even turning his head, he gently waved his green bamboo staff and dissolved Yingfeng's attack into nothingness.

Yingfeng was shocked and launched an attack again, but found that he could not get close to Master Qinglian at all.

"Yingfeng, stop!" Ding Chen shouted.

General Lin also realized the unfathomable nature of Master Qinglian, so he drew his sword and joined the battle.

The two of them attacked together, but still couldn't hurt Master Qinglian at all.

Mr. Qinglian used the art of Qimen Dunjia to create countless illusions, which were difficult to distinguish between real and fake and were dazzling.

The villagers were so scared that they hid everywhere, and screams were heard one after another.

Ding Chen and General Lin were surrounded by phantoms, exhausted from dealing with them, and gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Xiaoxuan stood aside, her eyes fixed on every move of Qinglian Lay Buddhist, her brows furrowed...

"His magic..." She murmured softly.

Xiaoxuan's eyes were always fixed on Mr. Qinglian. She keenly captured the subtle changes in the other party's spell casting. The seemingly casual swing of the staff actually contained a mystery.

Mr. Qinglian's illusion is not flawless. Every time he swings his staff, a specific aura flows, and this is the flaw!

Xiaoxuan secretly told Ding Chen about her discovery and explained the solution in detail.

When Ding Chen heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He exchanged glances with Yingfeng and General Lin. The three of them cooperated tacitly and acted according to Xiaoxuan's instructions.

Ying Feng was as fast as lightning and focused on attacking Qinglian Jushi's left side. General Lin used his steady swordsmanship to restrain his front, while Ding Chen waited for an opportunity, looking for the best time to attack.

Although there are many phantoms of Mr. Qinglian, under Xiaoxuan's guidance, Ding Chen and his friends can always accurately find the whereabouts of his real body.

After several confrontations, Qinglian Jushi's illusion was finally broken, and his figure was revealed.

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Instead of being angry, Mr. Qinglian showed an appreciative smile, "I didn't expect that this small village actually has hidden dragons and crouching tigers." He stopped attacking, put away the green bamboo stick, and looked like an immortal.

Ding Chen walked to Xiaoxuan, held her hand tightly, his eyes full of gratitude and love.

"Xiaoxuan, thanks to you."

Xiaoxuan smiled gently and snuggled in Ding Chen's arms, feeling his warmth and strength.

"Let's protect this place together."

However, just when everyone thought the crisis was over, Mr. Qinglian brought even more shocking news.

"I observed the stars at night and discovered that there seems to be a mysterious power hidden underground here..." He paused, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, "This power could be the key to protecting the village, or it could be the source of a massive disaster."

After hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.

Protection and disaster, hope and destruction, two completely different possibilities are intertwined, making them feel extremely confused and uneasy.

Mr. Qinglian smiled slightly and pointed to a huge rock at the entrance of the village. He said, "The entrance is right there..." He walked towards the rock first and slowly pushed it open, revealing a deep entrance leading underground. "Follow me."