Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shi Tie's eyes lit up: "Go watch the fun? Hehe, that's something I'm good at!"

"I'm not just here to watch the show." Shen Mo shook his head, his expression serious. "I need to see and hear. I need to know the true situation on the battlefield, the tactical characteristics of both sides, the extent of casualties, and... most importantly, the actual impact of the war on that region."

"Especially the survival situation of independent cultivators and small forces. Remember, your mission is to observe, not to participate in the battle. If you are exposed, flee immediately. Safety first!"

Shi Tie's smile faded, and he patted his chest, assuring everyone, "Sect Leader, rest assured! I know what's important! I guarantee I'll have a clear understanding of the situation over there, down to the last detail!"

"Go ahead, get ready, we'll set off tonight." Shen Mo waved his hand.

"Yes!" Shi Tie accepted the order and went downstairs excitedly to select people.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high. The protective array of Qingyun Mountain quietly opened a crack, and six ghostly figures, under the cover of darkness, silently slipped out of the mountain gate and sped towards the Black Wind Mountain Range, quickly disappearing into the vast forest.

Several days later, on the outskirts of the Black Wind Mountains, in a treacherous place called the "Miasma Forest".

Shi Tie, along with five elite disciples, clung to a damp cliff crevice like a gecko, their auras concealed to the extreme, almost blending into the surrounding rocks and moss.

Not far below lies a canyon passage that connects the inside and outside of the mountains, but now appears extremely desolate.

A faint smell of blood and burning filled the air, and occasionally, the faint booming of spells and piercing screams could be heard from afar. The scene before them was even more horrifying.

Originally, this canyon passage, though treacherous, was a necessary route for many independent cultivators and small caravans to cross the mountains, and occasionally one could see some simple resting huts.

But now, most of the shacks have been reduced to charred ruins, and overturned vehicles, scattered pieces of goods, and... corpses that have begun to rot and stink are everywhere along the roadside!

There were rogue cultivators in tattered robes, martial artists dressed as guards, and even women, children, and the elderly! They had clearly encountered misfortune while fleeing.

Some of the corpses still had broken arrows stuck in them, or horrific wounds from being cleaved open by sharp blades. Many more were shriveled and blackened by the corrosive energy of Yin, or burned to charcoal by the flames.

"Pah! What a disaster!" A disciple nicknamed "Skinny Monkey" next to Shi Tie spat in a low voice, his eyes filled with anger and pity. He used to be a rogue cultivator and knew all too well the hardships that cultivators at the bottom of society faced in their struggle for survival.

Another disciple, "Black Tower," muttered, "Judging from the wounds, some are from the Heavenly Sword Sect's sword energy, and some are from the Profound Yin Sect's Yin Sha Technique... These damned bastards don't care about the lives of others when they fight!"

Shi Tie's face was ashen as he stared intently at the other end of the canyon. Just then, a series of panicked cries and chaotic footsteps approached from afar.

More than twenty ragged, pale-faced independent cultivators and members of small families, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, fled in panic from the other end of the canyon like frightened birds. They were all injured, and their expressions were extremely terrified, as if a vengeful ghost was chasing them.

"Run! Run! The evil star of the Xuan Yin Sect is chasing us again!"

"Dad! My mother...she can't run anymore!"

"Forget about it! We're all going to die if we don't leave now!"

The crowd was in complete chaos, with people constantly falling down and being pulled up by their companions as they desperately ran forward.

suddenly!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several jet-black ghost arrows shot out from the dense forest behind them, instantly riddling the last few people with holes. They fell to the ground screaming, their bodies rapidly corroded and dissolved by the Yin energy.

"Hehehe... Where can a bunch of ants run to? They'll just add some living souls to my 'Hundred Ghost Banner'!" A sinister voice rang out, and three pale-faced cultivators dressed in Xuan Yin Sect robes leaped out of the forest. The leader held a banner shrouded in black mist, his eyes filled with cruelty and greed as he looked at the fleeing crowd. All three were at the late Qi Refining stage.

"Fight them!" Among the fleeing crowd, a middle-aged man with a cultivation level of around the sixth level of Qi Refining had his eyes bloodshot. He drew his cleaver from his waist and was about to turn around and fight to the death.

"Brother Wang! Don't go! Go quickly!" The person next to him held him back tightly.

"Hmph! Overestimating yourself!" The Xuan Yin Sect cultivator holding the banner sneered, waving the banner, and a black aura coiled towards the middle-aged man like a venomous snake.

Tragedy was about to happen!

In the crevice of the cliff, Shi Tie's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his eyes blazing with fury. The five disciples behind him also gritted their teeth, wishing they could rush down immediately.

"Boss! We..." Skinny Monkey said urgently.

Shi Tie abruptly raised his hand, stopping him. He stared intently down below, forcing out a few words through clenched teeth: "The sect leader has ordered...observation...no action allowed!"

He desperately wanted to save them, but going down meant exposure! Not only would he and his companions perish there, but it would also completely expose the Qingyun Sect, dragging the entire sect into this terrible vortex! This frustration burned in his heart and lungs like poisonous fire.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

"You Xuan Yin demon, how dare you bully my human race!"

A clear, cold shout descended from the sky! Accompanying it was a sword light as dazzling as moonlight, like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens, precisely striking the black mist!

"Sizzle!"

The black mist vanished instantly, as if it had met its nemesis! The sword light continued its undiminished momentum, heading straight for the banner-bearing cultivator!

"Who goes there?!" The monk was shocked and hurriedly raised his banner to defend himself.

"Bang!"

The sword light collided with the banner, producing a dull thud. The cultivator screamed and flew backward, the banner in his hand losing its spiritual light, clearly indicating he had suffered a severe injury.

As the moonlight faded, a graceful female cultivator, dressed in a simple white dress and veiled in finery, stood poised before the fleeing crowd, wielding a long sword gleaming in the autumn waters. Her aura was imposing; she was clearly at the early stage of Foundation Establishment!

"It's...it's 'Bright Moon Fairy'!" Someone in the fleeing crowd recognized the woman and exclaimed in surprise.

"Fairy Mingyue?" On the cliff, Shi Tie was taken aback. He had heard of this name before. She was a well-known rogue cultivator around the Black Wind Mountains. She was said to be kind-hearted and often helped the weak. He did not expect that her cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

The other two Xuan Yin Sect cultivators were both shocked and furious upon seeing this, but dared not step forward. A Foundation Establishment cultivator was not someone they could handle.

The Moon Fairy coldly glanced at the three members of the Xuan Yin Sect, her voice chilling: "Get lost! If I ever see you slaughtering mortals again, I will show you no mercy!"

The three Xuan Yin Sect cultivators exchanged a glance, uttered a few harsh words with bluster but no real courage, helped their injured companion up, and retreated into the forest in a disheveled state, disappearing from sight.

The survivors burst into tears and expressions of gratitude, bowing to the Moon Fairy.

Fairy Mingyue sighed softly and used a gentle spiritual force to lift everyone up: "This place is not safe to stay. You should leave the Black Wind Mountains quickly and head south. Perhaps you can find a way to survive there."

Her gaze swept, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, toward the cliff where Shi Tie and the others were hiding. She nodded slightly, then transformed into a ray of moonlight and gracefully disappeared into the distance.

Shi Tie was startled: "She discovered us?" But the other party had no ill intentions and instead came to his rescue, which made him feel a little goodwill towards this "Fairy of the Bright Moon".

"This fairy... is a good person," the skinny monkey murmured.

"Good people don't necessarily live long in this world," Shi Tie said in a muffled voice, his feelings complicated. He looked down at the refugees below, supporting each other and staggering southward, and then at the mess and corpses on the ground, feeling a tightness in his chest.

This is the true scene under the shadow of a great war. Sect wars rage, gods clash, and mortals suffer. Who among those high and mighty figures cares about the lives of these insignificant ants?