The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

On the Floating Continent, Dugu Xin and Chu Ji arrived in Lanting County.

Lanting County is located in the central part of the Floating Continent, at the junction of the Eastern and Western Continents, within the territory of the Western Shu Kingdom. It is a county with a long history and profound cultural heritage. It was once a place where many literati and poets lingered, leaving behind many well-known poems and legends.

However, the atmosphere in Lanting County is somewhat oppressive. People come and go on the streets, but few smile. The residents are filled with anxiety about the impending disaster.

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji went to a teahouse, ordered two cups of tea, and began asking the surrounding residents for clues about the artifact. However, the answers they received were all the same: they knew nothing.

Just as the two were feeling somewhat disappointed, a young man approached and struck up a conversation, saying, "Gentlemen, I heard you're looking for a divine artifact?"

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji exchanged a glance and then nodded.

“I know some information about the divine artifact, and perhaps I can tell you,” the young man said mysteriously.

The two immediately became interested and hurriedly asked, "What news do you know? Tell us quickly!"

The young man smiled slightly and said, "Actually, divine artifacts are not something you can find easily. They have their own guardians, and only by passing the guardians' tests can you gain the artifact's approval."

"A test? What kind of test?" Chu Ji asked.

“I don’t know about that. But I do know that clues to the artifact are hidden in an ancient temple in Lanting County. Only by finding this temple can we learn more about the artifact,” the young man replied.

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji exchanged a glance, then decided to go to the ancient temple to investigate. They followed the young man to the location of the ancient temple.

"Is this an ancient temple? Isn't this the ruins of the former Lanting Post Station?" Dugu Xin asked.

The young man shook his head and smiled, "Young master, you may not know this, but this ancient temple was built on the site of the old Lanting Post Station. It is said that this ancient temple has existed for hundreds of years and is one of the oldest buildings in Lanting County. However, due to historical reasons, the ancient temple has been destroyed many times, and now only these ruins remain."

Chu Ji frowned and said, "Since the ancient temple has been reduced to ruins, how can we find clues about the divine artifact?"

The young man smiled slightly and said, "Actually, there is a secret passage hidden in the ruins of the ancient temple. Only by passing through this passage can one enter the interior of the ancient temple. And the clues to the artifact are hidden inside the ancient temple."

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji exchanged a glance and decided to take the risk. They followed the young man into the ruins and began searching for the secret passage.

After searching for a while, they still found nothing. Finally, they noticed that the huge pillar in the center of the ruins seemed different, with some blurry symbols and words carved on it.

Dugu Xin carefully observed these symbols and characters and discovered that they seemed to be an ancient runic language. He tried to use his internal energy to perceive these runes, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he seemed to understand something.

He turned to Chu Ji and said, "These runes are actually a kind of guide; they tell us that the entrance to the secret passage is under this pillar."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ji immediately channeled his inner strength and, together with Dugu Xin, cleared away the rubble around the pillar. Sure enough, they discovered a hidden entrance beneath the pillar.

The two exchanged a smile and, without hesitation, crawled into the cave. The cave was pitch black; the luminous pearls on the walls had dimmed, and they could only rely on the torch in Chu Ji's hand for light.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, more runes and murals began to appear on the surrounding stone walls. These murals seemed to tell an ancient and mysterious story, closely related to the Five Elements artifacts.

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji increasingly felt that they were not far from the clues to the divine artifact. Finally, they reached the end of the cave, where a huge stone door appeared before them.

"I'll leave you here. By the way, my name is Wen Bin." The young man who brought them in disappeared after saying that.

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji stood before the massive stone gate, exchanging a confident smile. They knew this was the key to unlocking clues to the divine artifact.

Chu Ji reached out and gently touched the patterns on the stone door, feeling an ancient and mysterious power. He took a deep breath, then exchanged a glance with Dugu Xin. The two of them simultaneously channeled their energy, placing their palms against the stone door.

The stone door slowly opened under the impact of the two men's internal energy. A faint ray of light shone through the crack, illuminating the determination and anticipation on their faces.

They pushed open the stone door. A cloud of light enveloped them.

When they opened their eyes again, they looked around, trying to determine their location. They were in a forest.

This forest is unlike any other; the trees are tall and lush, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. A mysterious atmosphere permeates the air, as if one were in a mystical fairyland.

Dugu Xin and Chu Ji exchanged a smile; they knew this was the secret within the ancient temple. They began exploring the forest, hoping to find clues to the divine artifact. They heard a sound and followed it.

There are no temples here; this is simply the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Xuan Tian Continent. Not long ago, San Mu and Han Yue also arrived here through the tunnel.

However, Miyuki is now essentially dead.

Han Yue, Luo Yifei, Shen Lixi, and Shi Hao are together trying to avoid the Demon Queen's attack.

Wen Bin, standing to the side, was attacking the Demon Queen with all his might.

Gu Duxin watched in astonishment as Luo Yifei, Shen Lixi, Shi Hao, and Han Yue disappeared into a cloud of light and mist.

The young man named Wen Bin who had just led the way was currently fighting a woman with wings.

During the fight, Dugu Xin learned that the woman was the Demon Queen. Wen Bin defeated the Demon Queen and then disappeared.

The injured demon queen fell into deep thought, then suddenly roared, "Who?"