Qingcheng Mountain!

Yu Zhengnan, Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, and Weichen, Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect, were seated in Shangqing Hall.

Incense smoke curled through the air, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Before them lay two ancient texts, manuscripts written five hundred years ago by Qingcheng Sect masters who had journeyed to Gui Xu.

Now, after weathering the erosion of time, they had finally returned to Qingcheng Mountain.

"Many of these Daoist Skills are related to the Martial Dao. They’re more like cultivation for the Divine Soul Heart Realm within the Martial Dao. No wonder modern Daoist Skills have fallen into such decline..."

Yu Zhengnan clicked his tongue in amazement. His Grandmaster Realm Martial Arts were nothing special in this day and age.

However, he didn’t have high expectations for his own martial progress. It was enough that his Sect had a junior brother obsessed with martial arts and a prodigy of the Martial Dao.

He was more focused on Daoist Skills and the cultivation of his Daoist temperament.

Although the Qingcheng Sect was one of the Martial Arts Sects, it was also an orthodox place of practice for the Daoist School.

How could its members only know how to practice martial arts but not cultivate the Dao?

Weichen knew he was quite interested in Daoist Skills, so he had brought out these scrolls for them to study together in their leisure time.

As the two were chatting idly, a disciple rushed in from outside to report that Elder Weiyun had been severely wounded and was on his way back to the sect.

At these words, both Weichen and Yu Zhengnan were startled.

Weiyun was one of the top masters of the Qingcheng Sect’s "Wei" generation. In the entire Qingcheng Sect, only Sect Leader Weichen was his superior, and only slightly at that.

For someone of his strength to be injured out in the world was shocking.

"Who did this?"

"It was reportedly the Yin-Yang Demoness and a group of masters from the Evil Sects."

"The Yin-Yang Demoness? They’ve reached the Central Plains?"

Weichen shot to his feet, his expression changing in an instant.

These heretical masters were mostly in the Song Realm. Although the two worlds had now merged, the Song Realm and the Central Plains were still thousands of miles apart.

Logically, even if this group wanted to leave the Song Realm, they should have wreaked havoc in the small countries of Southeast Asia first, or gone to the Pangu Continent to seek their fortunes.

Why come to the Central Plains all of a sudden to cause trouble?

Although the various Martial Arts Sects had returned to the Central Plains, their foundations were still those from the Gui Xu’s Song Realm. After all, the sects native to Blue Star had always been mundane, lacking the nourishment of Spiritual Qi.

Even though Spiritual Qi had begun its slow recovery a century ago, their development was still far too slow compared to Gui Xu.

There was really nothing of value for them here.

Previously, a message from the Taishan Sect had reported the appearance of the Nine Demons of Tianshan, and that two of the demons had been slain.

Everyone had assumed it was a private grudge. After all, most in the Jianghu had heard about the history between Mu Hua Zi and the Nine Demons.

Now, it seemed things were not that simple.

"They dare to offend my Qingcheng? They clearly have no respect for me, Weichen."

A sharp glint flashed in Sect Leader Weichen’s eyes. With a powerful stride, he walked out of the great hall and headed toward the main gate.

Before long, a group of seven or eight Daoists appeared, looking battered as they supported an old, white-bearded Daoist, stumbling toward the mountain gate.

"Senior Brother!"

The white-bearded man was Daoist Weiyun, and traces of blood still stained the corners of his mouth.

A palm print was clearly visible on his chest, glowing faintly with a black light.

"The Yin-Yang Demoness is merely your equal in strength. How did he injure you?"

Weichen asked with a frown after a brief examination.

"He wasn’t alone. The third of the Nine Demons of Tianshan, the Three-Fingered Harp Demon, was also among them. There were ten in total, and the Yin-Yang Demoness seems to have reached the Half-Step Gui Xu Realm..."

"No matter. Go and rest. I will handle this."

Weichen frowned. He reassured his junior brother, then had the disciples help him inside the gate to treat his wounds.

He then fixed his gaze down the mountain, silently waiting for the old monsters to come to his door.

Behind him stood the masters of the Cang and Song generations, more than twenty in all.

Even the weakest among them was in the early stage of the Dharma Realm.

This stood in stark contrast to the Taishan Sect, which only had three Dharma Realm masters in total. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The Taishan Sect was able to stand firm in the eastern Central Plains and exert its influence over a vast territory entirely because of that seemingly immortal old man, Mu Hua Zi. Despite his advanced age, he was, after all, a Domain Realm master.

If two of the Nine Demons of Tianshan hadn’t been eliminated, very few heretical cultivators would have dared to trouble the Taishan Sect.

Qingcheng Mountain was often shrouded in clouds. As the sun set in the west, the mist began to rise, creating a uniquely hazy and atmospheric scene.

On the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s side, Yun Hao stood among the crowd with a longsword in hand, his gaze fixed on the distance.

Although his strength was lacking in this company, he was still one of the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s top fighters. At a time like this, it was only right for him to come and lend his strength.

However, his presence made little difference.

In front of so many True Dharma Masters, a junior like him who had just stepped into the Divine Void Realm was hardly worth a second glance.

’Purely here to make up the numbers.’

’Better than nothing, I suppose!’

After waiting for about ten minutes, a burst of wanton laughter echoed from the distance.

"To what do we owe the honor of having the esteemed Daoists of the Qingcheng Sect personally greet us at the gate! Haha."

The voice was somewhat shrill, like a man speaking with a pinched throat.

"Yin-Yang Demoness, you should be in your Demoness Mansion cultivating your nature, yet you come to my Qingcheng Mountain for no reason and injure my junior brother. If you don’t provide an explanation, I fear you won’t be leaving this mountain alive."

Having led the Qingcheng Sect for decades, Master Weichen naturally possessed a commanding presence.

"Weichen, you old Daoist hack, it’s not so easy to take back such big words once you’ve said them."

The voice drifted over slowly. From within the clouds and mist, ten figures emerged, their forms gradually growing clearer.

These ten people were dressed in varied, peculiar attire, and their appearances were just as bizarre. One glance was enough to tell they were no ordinary folk.

"The Three-Fingered Harp Demon? The Cave Master of Skull Mountain, the Three Hegemons of River and Mountain..."

"Who could have the power to gather all of you in one place?"

Weichen’s expression turned grim. Every last one of them was a top figure of the Evil Dao.

Back in Gui Xu, they were the type who would kill on a whim, treating human life as worthless—even if they weren’t all mass murderers.

And now, they had all gathered on Qingcheng Mountain.