Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

The patriarch of Jiyue Mountain was no joke; he possessed at least the cultivation of the Nascent Soul stage. He could easily crush Xue Lan and his companion into ashes with a single move. The two dared not be careless, flying hundreds of miles away from the Jiyue Mountain gate before stopping. They then proceeded to the Jiyue Mountain gate to meet True Person Shensuan.

Not far from the gate of Jiyue Mountain, Xue Lan saw the dark clouds shrouding the gate. A Nascent Soul Elder was wielding a Soul Refining Whip, whipping a young girl on the steps. The Soul Refining Whip was supposed to injure the soul, so there should be no visible external wounds.

However, Cui Wu was seriously injured before, and now there was a large pool of blood under his body.

"How should we tell our senior master about Junior Sister Mingqiu's matter?" Xu Qizhou asked Xue Lan telepathically as they approached the mountain gate.

"I guess my senior uncle already knows," Xue Lan murmured. The "Five Peaches Painting" in the storage bag flew out uncontrollably and unfolded along the way.

Xue Lan saw that four of the five peach trees above had withered and died, falling into the hands of the shrewd and calculating master standing atop the mountain gate. Petals scattered all over the ground.

Xu Qizhou came to his senses. Yes, how could his senior master Shen Suan not know?

The two flew to the old man's side. The old man did not speak, but simply waved his hand to indicate that they should stand behind him.

"Master Uncle, Qi Yaoyao, a disciple of Immortal Venerable Caijun of Jiyue Mountain, is colluding with the demon race and researching evil arts in the back mountain. The sect's patriarch has intervened in this matter," Xu Qizhou transmitted his voice to True Person Shensuan. Seeing his master uncle shake his head slightly, indicating that he should not continue, Xu Qizhou said.

As the last peach petal fell upon Cui Wu, the severe punishment at Jiyue Mountain came to an end. Master Shensuan stepped forward and bowed to Sect Leader Wen.

"Sect Leader Wen, since this child has already left Jiyue Mountain and his life is nearing its end, why not let me take him back? That way, he can have a peaceful end."

Before Sect Leader Wen could speak, Immortal Venerable Caijun spoke up, saying, "Where this wretched creature goes afterward is none of my business, Jiyue Mountain."

"Auntie." Xue Lan called out to Ji Jinjin, and the girl quickly stepped forward and carried Cui Wu on her back.

"I hope the fellow Daoists of Jiyue Mountain will lend me their assistance with the matter concerning my disciple," said Master Shensuan before preparing to leave with Xue Lan and the others.

Sect Leader Wen readily agreed to find a disciple for Master Shen Suan. However, everyone in the Xuanhuang Sect knew that Master Shen Suan's disciple would never return.

On the way back, Xue Lan stepped forward and handed Zhang Mingqiu's hairpin to Shen Suan Zhenren.

"Senior Uncle, this is..."

The usually energetic senior master interrupted Xue Lan: "It's for Mingqiu, Yuan'er made it for her."

The old man took the hairpin and gently stroked it in his hands, tears streaming down his face.

"You should take the disciples back to the sect first, I will go find Yuan'er." After saying this, the old man transformed into a stream of light and went elsewhere.

"Uncle-Master..." Zhu He called out from behind, wanting to chase after him, but was blocked by Xu Qizhou.

"Senior Brother Xu, why are you blocking my way? If our Uncle-Master..."

Xue Lan understood Zhu He's concerns; he was afraid that Shen Suan Zhenren would cause trouble for Ji Yue Mountain.

"Master Uncle wouldn't do that," Xue Lan reassured the others.

A Nascent Soul stage elder colluded with the demon race; anyone would know not to alert them.

"Mingqiu said, 'I hope our sect will not act rashly.'"

Xue Lan turned to look at her junior brothers and sisters behind her: "This grudge must be avenged in blood by Jiyue Mountain. For now, let's return to our sect."

After Shen Suanzhen and the others left, a snow fell at the foot of Jiyue Mountain. A ragged person walked through the vast snow.

The oversized clothing almost completely covered his body, leaving only his bloodshot eyes visible.

A stone lay hidden beneath the snow, catching the man off guard. He stumbled and fell into the snow. A corner of his heavily wrapped arm inadvertently peeked out—a terrifying, dark beast's claw.

The man spat out black, sticky blood and looked up to see a white-robed immortal standing before him.

“Master…” The man crawled forward a few steps and grabbed the hem of Shen Suan Zhenren’s robe: “Mingqiu, Yiyi… Mingqiu…”

Before he could finish speaking, the man saw the hairpin in Shen Suan Zhenren's hand.

"Come back with me. I will definitely find a way to save you, Yuan'er!" Master Shen Suan knelt down to help Gong Yuan with heartache, but the young man did not get up, but only grabbed the hairpin in his master's hand.

"How could this be? All...all..." Gong Yuan nearly went mad in that instant. His hood slipped down, and the once refined and elegant senior brother of Suan Dao Peak was gone. His face was covered with hideous lines. His voice was hoarse, like a trapped beast.

His junior classmates, his fiancée.

"There are demon spies in Jiyue Mountain..." Shen Suan Zhenren told Gong Yuan the news that Xue Lan and the others had brought back.

"Master, I'm not going back. Take me to Luoxia Mountain instead."

Gong Yuan pressed the hairpin to his heart and looked up at his master. In his eyes was a resoluteness that Shen Suan Zhenren had never seen before.

From this day forward, there will never again be Gong Yuan, the senior disciple of the Xuanhuang Sect's Calculation Peak.

Shen Suan Zhenren seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, and the old man nodded at his disciple.

"it is good!"

The wind and snow intensified, turning the world into one color. It blinded everyone.

Xuanhuang Sect.

"The demon spy harmed my disciples, and that hypocrite Cai Jun even protected her!" Daoist Zhu Yun smashed the cup in his hand in anger. Dao Xuanzi, sitting on the main seat, was also heartbroken.

"Since the Southern Region Demon Tide broke out six years ago, the demons have become increasingly restless. This Halberd Moon Mountain actually has a Nascent Soul stage ancestor involved in this matter. I'm afraid it won't be easy to deal with."

"This evil technique that corrupts people into demons is something I've never heard of before, but it still sends chills down my spine," said Kong Mingzi, the peak master of Qingyu Peak, as he rubbed the teacup in his hand.

"The little girl that Qi Zhou and the others brought back, fortunately the Soul Refining Whip was used in time to cleanse her of demonic energy, otherwise her golden core would have been in danger. Even if she didn't turn into a monster that was neither human nor demon, her golden core would have been damaged, and she would have no chance of becoming an immortal in this life."

"I will report this matter to the sect's patriarch later. The Xuanhuang Secret Realm will open soon, and as agreed, the sect will invite disciples from the six sects and twelve schools to enter for trials." Dao Xuanzi's voice was somewhat low, and then he looked at Xue Lan.

Xue Lan noticed Dao Xuanzi's gaze and immediately stepped forward.

“Master, I see that Junior Sister Cui has the heart of the Great Dao and is unwilling to associate with petty people. I wish to take her as a disciple on behalf of my master.”

"You can handle this yourself," Dao Xuanzi waved his hand, agreeing without hesitation.

Taking on disciples on behalf of the master is also a good way to raise Cui Wu in the Xuanhuang Sect.

"That child suffered a lot at Jiyue Mountain. Have Shishi go check on him later," Kongmingzi instructed Xue Lan.

"Thank you, Senior Uncle." Xue Lan bowed and expressed her gratitude. One by one, the peak masters in the main hall left, until only Dao Xuanzi, Xue Lan and Xu Qizhou remained.

Xue Lan was about to bow and leave when Dao Xuanzi called her back.

"Xue Lan!"

Xue Lan turned to look at Dao Xuanzi. She smiled slightly: "Uncle-Master?"

Dao Xuanzi's voice was clear and resonant.

"Jiyue Mountain is someone else's territory, but we can't let your Uncle Shensuan suffer this pain."

"The secret realm is our own territory. You and Qizhou, there's no need to show any mercy."

Xue Lan bowed again: "This disciple will remember."

After leaving the main hall and returning to Jiyuan Peak, the system, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

Are they really dead?

"Really dead."

I thought...

Xue Lan smiled faintly: "A single sentence from someone outside the book, yet it encapsulates the entire life of someone within the book."

The system is silent.

Back at the bamboo house on Jiyuan Peak, Ji Jinjin and Zhu He were tidying up Cui Wu's living quarters, settling him in Xue Lan's room.

When Xue Lan entered, she saw that Cui Wu was still unconscious on the bed, and a young girl in a green dress was taking her pulse.

"Thank you very much, Junior Sister Yin. I'll send you the herbs another day when I have time."

Yin Shishi took a small jade bottle out of the medicine box and handed it to Xue Lan.

"Come on, just don't steal herbs from the herb garden. Your junior sister has injured her bones this time, which will be a huge expense later. Golden Yao Pill, dissolved in the spiritual spring behind the mountain. One pill a day."

"Thank you, Junior Sister."

Yin Shishi packed her medicine kit. The young girl had delicate eyebrows and narrow eyes. The corners of her eyes were faint, giving her a listless and decadent look.

“I heard from my master that the Xuanhuang Secret Realm is open as usual, so I refined some medicine.”

The girl's voice was as soft as a breeze.

"Let her die. If that's inconvenient, make her wish she were dead."

"I know."