Nanzhu and others failed to defend the Sword Sect's spiritual eye in the heart of the Busheng Mountain. The entire Yuluo Mountain Range turned into a solitary Yin land, but the main peak, Baitou Mountain, was not affected. The sky was still clear and bright. It can be seen that Duan Qingming had been prepared. He expected that the Wanfa Sect would attack the Sword King Pavilion after its success, so he moved the Sword King Pavilion to the old site of the Zixiao Palace in advance. Now that Master Lu has the advantage of the solitary Yin land, he has also exposed his purpose, angering the cultivators of both the righteous and the evil, and he never wants to make a strong enemy again. The righteous Taoist sect is too busy to take care of itself. If they really want to settle accounts with the Sword King Pavilion, the solitary Yin land will become a natural barrier. As Duan Qingming said, he can rest assured for now.
As for whether these forces will settle scores in the future... He has done a lot of things like disrupting situations, walking on the edge of a knife, and dealing with all parties.
After a night's rest, Gu Pinglin recovered much of his strength and walked quickly down the mountain.
"In the past half month, a lot of big things have happened in the cultivation world," the person next to him said, "Nanzhu led people to guard the Heart Sword Sect's spiritual eye. Why did they fail? Aren't you curious?"
Gu Pinglin stared at the stone steps ahead: "Not curious, because of Ji's family."
Duan Qingming held the jade slip and said, "Yes, Nanzhu escaped from Guiyan's control and found that the people around him were actually pawns of Wanfamen. He borrowed the power of Ji family to deal with Guo Feng and invited the wolf into the house. Even Lord Pingcang died because of this. How do you think he would feel?"
The sigh sounded insincere. Gu Pinglin said, "I don't know what he feels, I just know you are very free. Instead of worrying about the Nandao Master and his wife, you should worry about whether the people you send out will be killed by the Wanfa Sect."
"Kill them and send them again. It won't delay the guests." Duan Qingming raised his hand and used the jade slip to block the pine branches beside the road. "I'm just worried about being denied the debt. The Sword King Pavilion has suffered a great loss in moving this place."
As they talked, the two walked down Mount Paektu. In front of them was Mount Xiaoci, where the Penglai Palace was located. It was as if a huge, transparent black curtain was hanging between heaven and earth. The scenery suddenly darkened and became eerie. The trees still looked lush from a distance, but everyone knew that the trees had long lost their vitality, with dry branches and leaves, but they only maintained the appearance at the last moment. The spirit beasts and birds that had survived by chance also underwent changes, their appearance became ferocious and terrifying, and their calls were hoarse and strange. Low-level wandering souls were floating on the road. They should be those cultivators who did not have time to evacuate and whose cultivation was still shallow. It was:
In the dead forest and desolate place, ferocious crows are laughing; on the wild path and in the end of the mountain, eerie shadows are idle.
The green fire appears and disappears from time to time, and it is unclear whether it is the underworld or the human world.
This area was completely surrounded by dark clouds and thick fog. Xiaoci Mountain, where the Penglai Palace was located, had also fallen, but Baidu Mountain was unaffected. I wonder what method Duan Qingming used...
Just as Gu Pinglin was thinking, a dozen figures came running over. Leading the way were Nanzhu and Bu Shuihan, followed by Ji Qinnan and others.
"You are fine," Bu Shuihan rushed over and held his arm, letting out a long breath, "We have been so anxious these past two days... If you don't come out, I will really kill you, how are you?"
Gu Pinglin said "It's okay" and asked Nanzhu: "What's the situation outside?"
Nanzhu looked solemn and spoke directly to the point: "All the sects in Duyin Land have fled, and seventeen sects and families have been wiped out."
Half of the cultivation world has become a dark place with spiritual energy cut off. Ordinary cultivators can hardly move and their true energy cannot be restored. They can only replenish spiritual energy by extracting it from feather coins and spirit ingots. Those big sects and families are financially strong and can easily hold on for ten days or half a month. They will certainly not sit and wait for death. Unfortunately, Wanfamen had anticipated their actions long ago, and they wanted to escape, so they would be in great danger.
This was also expected. Gu Pinglin asked: "What about other sects?"
Nanzhu said: "Some have escaped one after another, but... except for Sect Leader Yu, Elder Qi, and Mountain Master Zhou who were invited to help in advance, no one from Feijian Palace, Qi Clan, and Guangling Clan has come out so far."
Feijian Palace, Qi Clan, Guangling Clan, these major sects are the strongest forces in the cultivation world, but no one escaped. The situation is already very unfavorable. Gu Pinglin did not say anything, and asked: "What about the Demon Realm?"
Nanzhu replied, "Master Weifeng led many demon cultivators to escape from the Demon Realm and entered the Southern Realm, intending to seize the True Water Sword Sect. Master Yu of the Feijian Palace and Dean Yun of the Xuanming Sect personally came forward to negotiate with Master Weifeng and decided to temporarily give up the Huai'an Forest and the Demon Realm."
"Very good." Gu Pinglin nodded. It is indeed not appropriate to start a dispute between the Taoism and the Demonic Sect at the moment. If the matter of the Duyin Land is not resolved, both the Taoism and the Demonic Sect will be in danger of extinction. The Demonic Realm must also hate the Wanfa Sect to the core, so Yu Wuxue and others will give in.
“I told you that Junior Brother Duan values friendship and loyalty, and it is impossible for him to collude with the Wanfa Sect. I don’t trust Senior Brother Chen and the others,” Bu Shuihan looked at Duan Qingming, “This time, thanks to you secretly sending someone to inform Senior Duan Meisheng, Senior Duan led his men to Busheng Mountain in time to help, so that Brother Nan and Senior Tao were not trapped. Alas, Patriarch Duan is too confused!”
Duan Qingming said: "It is always difficult to disobey my father's orders. I have no choice."
Bu Shuihan frowned and said, "You are confused! The head of the Duan family helped the Wanfa Sect to cause trouble. If you help him, won't you get yourself into trouble? You have already left the Duan family. Why do you care about those broken rules? It's not good to be emotional!"
Duan Qingming smiled: "Brother, your lesson is correct."
Gu Pinglin understood and thought to himself. No wonder only Bu Shuihan was waiting here. I didn't expect Duan Qingming to have this trick up his sleeve. By helping Nanzhu and Tao Yusheng, he would naturally regain everyone's trust. His previous actions were just "under his father's orders". Duan Pin probably never dreamed that the blame would fall on him.
Nanzhu suddenly said, "The failure of Elder Tao and I to defend the Heart Sword Sect's spiritual eye was actually due to another ulterior motive. The Ji family colluded with the Wanfa Sect to harm our Penglai loyalists in an attempt to control Penglai Island. Now they are still obsessed with plotting against Elder Tao, causing him to be seriously injured." He paused, and said in a slightly cold voice, "I have informed all factions of the news and asked them to kill the Ji family."
Gu Pinglin frowned slightly and looked at Ji Qiniang next to him. Seeing that she looked calm, he said, "The most important thing right now is to destroy the other three soul-locking formations. We need all factions to work together." www.
Bu Shuihan hurriedly said, "That's right! Master Li and Master Yu are planning to enter Duyin Land, let's go back quickly."
"No need," Gu Pinglin stopped him, "We will start from here. I have asked the Sword King Pavilion to send a letter to Master Li. We will meet inside then."
Nanzhu disagreed: "Duyin Land is the world of the Wanfa Sect's ghost cultivators. It would be inappropriate for us to rush in like this. It would be better for us to go back and discuss with them first, make a thorough plan, and then it will not be too late to act."
"It's too late," Gu Pinglin said, "You also said that Duyin Land is the world of ghost cultivators. Once they are prepared, things will be more troublesome. Now is the time to seize the initiative."
Bu Shuihan was worried: "But we know nothing about the situation inside..."
Gu Pinglin looked into the sky: "At least we already know the exact location of the Soul Locking Array."
Nanzhu, as the master of Penglai Island, got rid of the clever words and acted decisively again: "Brother Gu's words make sense. Wanfa Sect must not have expected that we would act suddenly. Among the four soul-locking arrays, Lingxin Sect failed in one. As for the other three, one is in the Busheng Mountain Heart Sword Sect in the Yuluo Mountains, another is in Changming Mountain in the Yingling Mountains in the north, and another is in the mirror image of the Tianjing Mountains in the Demon Realm. This place is closest to the Heart Sword Sect, so let's go there first..."
Gu Pinglin interrupted him: "Go to Changming Mountain."
Before Nanzhu could say anything, Bu Shuihan quickly understood: "Yes, the Heart Sword Sect is outside Duyin Land, and Junior Brother Duan has secured Baitou Mountain. The two sides are close, and the Wanfa Sect must be wary and have tight defenses. It is better to go to Changming Mountain first and take them by surprise."
The Yingling Mountains are deep in the Duyin Land. It is certainly dangerous to go there, but there is nothing more serious than the severance of Taoism and the rampant ghosts.
Nanzhu understood the reason and nodded, "In that case, let's leave the Demon Realm to Master Weifeng?"
"Of course," Gu Pinglin said, "If he can't resolve the crisis in the Demon Realm, how can he continue to be the co-lord of the Demon Realm?" After saying that, he turned to Ji Qiniang and said, "Sister-in-law, you are not feeling well. You may want to go back to Penglai Island to recuperate, or visit Lingxin Sect to relax. I have a pharmacist under my tutelage who is good at medicine and can treat you."
"I'm fine." Ji Qinnan replied calmly, put down her hands, and let the cloak cover her lower abdomen.
Nanzhu did not respond: "There is no time to lose. I will go back and arrange for someone."
Gu Pinglin said: "Meet at nearby Shilu Valley at 3 p.m."
Nanzhu agreed, turned around and led everyone from Penglai away, and Ji Qinnan also followed.
Bu Shuihan shook his head: "The Ji family is hateful, but Madam Ji is pregnant, and the South Island Master... I think it's because of the death of Lord Pingcang."
"Women are very affectionate," Duan Qingming said, "but it's a pity that when they wake up from their beautiful dreams, they are left with only ruthlessness."
Gu Pinglin asked Bu Shuihan: "Are you alone?"
Bu Shuihan came back to his senses and said, "Master Li and the others are still discussing how to break the formation. Senior Brother Chen will take the others back first. Senior Brothers Jiang, Ren and I will stay here to wait for you. We are all at the South Island Master's place. Since you are alright, I will go and let them know so they can rest assured. See you in Shilu Valley."
After he left, Duan Qingming said, "I only escorted you back to Lingxin Sect. I didn't agree to go to Changming Mountain. After all, Duyin Land is extremely dangerous."
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
"not good."
"Duan Qingming," Gu Pinglin turned sideways, "Do you know that being pretentious is disgusting?"
"I know. Even if I do nothing, you still dislike me."
"That's right," Gu Pinglin said, "You already knew that I couldn't go back to Lingxin Sect. So forget the nonsense. I'm going to Changming Mountain first."
"Are you ordering me?" Duan Qingming narrowed his eyes.
"It's the employer's request," Gu Pinglin said, "Does Jianwang Pavilion want to do business?"
Duan Qingming said: "I will leave with you. There is no one in the pavilion. What should we do if an enemy attacks?"
"You have already gained the trust of the orthodox Taoist sect. Master Lu will not touch you at this time. Baitou Mountain also has Duyin Land as a barrier. What are you still worried about?" Gu Pinglin paused and glanced at him. "Do you suspect that I will take action? I can't wait to pull you into the camp. You can trust me."
Duan Qingming laughed and said, "I believed it once, and I almost died."
Gu Pinglin pursed his lips.
Duan Qingming then said, "But this time I believe that if the situation in the cultivation world was not critical, you would not have any dealings with me again. It would be written off. There is no falsehood."
.
The place is full of ghosts. Bare trees can be seen everywhere, their bark has turned to ash, their leaves have fallen off, and only charred trunks are left piercing the sky. Some trees have undergone a transformation and become ghost trees, which are pale white or dark black, and some even ooze black juice. The soil and rocks underfoot have lost their yang energy and become barren, cold and hard, and the stench of corpses wafts from time to time.
The Yang energy was cut off, and the spiritual crane and golden eagle could not move. The depleted true energy could only be replenished by feather coins, spirit ingots and spirit storage instruments. Everyone had to conserve their strength and could not use escape techniques easily. Fortunately, Shengong Valley sent a batch of wooden kites for transportation, which consumed thousands of feather coins every day. Everyone did their best and almost emptied their family savings. At this point, it was meaningless to worry about the loss of money and property.
Gu Pinglin did not ask everyone to travel day and night. Everything continued as usual, with people moving during the day and resting at night. After several days, Nanzhu and others became secretly anxious, but Gu Pinglin pretended not to know and asked Nanzhu to send people to Guangling Sect to investigate.
At dusk that day, the people who investigated came back and reported: "There is no one in Guangling Sect."
Previously, the mountain master Zhou Qiu was invited to help and brought out most of the main forces of Guangling Sect, but there were still two elders and many disciples in the sect, and there was no news of them escaping.
Nanzhu was surprised at first: "Could it be..." He didn't say anything else, his meaning was very clear, the Duyin land was not conducive to ordinary practitioners, Master Lu took the opportunity to destroy many sects, and these people from the Guangling Sect might have also been killed.
Bu Shuihan, Jiang Wu, Ren Ping and others all thought of the same thing and looked grim.
Gu Pinglin was about to speak when Ji Qiniang suddenly asked, "Is there a body?"
The man was stunned: "I haven't seen it."
"That's not right," Bu Shuihan realized, "How come there is no body?"
The man thought for a moment and said, "Indeed not."
Ji Qiniang said calmly: "The ghost way kills people and hurts their souls and bodies, rarely destroying the corpse."
Everyone smiled, and no one asked her how she knew the methods of the ghost. Jiang Wu smiled and said, "It seems that the fellow Taoists of Guangling Sect must be safe. Now they are guarding the sect and are just sitting ducks. It's better to hide. The enemy is in the open while we are in the dark. It's a pity that we don't know where they went. If we can find them, we can get more help."
Bu Shuihan and Ren Ping nodded and sighed.
Duan Qingming had been sitting nearby reading the jade slips. Hearing this, he looked up at Gu Pinglin and said, "Hey, Master Gu, do you know where they are?"
Gu Pinglin did not answer: "I sent a letter to Master Li before, and agreed to meet at the Juxing Pond in Yingling Mountain Range."
Nanzhu calmed down and said, "If we act like this, Wanfamen will definitely find out. Do you have any clever plan to deal with it?"
"What can we do?" Ren Ping shook his head and said, "No matter what we do, Wanfamen knows that our goal is to break the formation. We just need to wait and see."
As they were talking, another disciple from Penglai suddenly came to report: "Island Master, we spotted a Wanfa Sect ghost cultivator fighting with someone ahead..."
Nanzhu immediately said angrily: "What are you reporting? Why don't you go and save people!"
It's no wonder he said that. Now, anyone who is the enemy of Wanfamen is considered a friend. Everyone hurried over and indeed heard the sound of fighting from afar. It was eerie and spooky, and the earth and rocks flew like rain.
Several of the ghost cultivators had strong cultivation bases and were not far from abandoning their bodies. Their skin was an abnormal blue-black color.
When they saw the man being besieged, everyone was stunned.
Nanzhu frowned and shouted to her subordinates, "Wait a minute."