yì diǎn bǎ wò yě méi yǒu ， zhǐ hǎo kàn kàn yùn qì rú hé ， yǎn chǒu zhe yǐ dào le lín xuān suǒ zài dòng fǔ ， dà shào yé bù yóu de fàng màn le fēi xíng de jiǎo bù 。
一点把握也没有，只好看看运气如何，眼瞅着已到了林轩所在洞府，大少爷不由得放慢了飞行的脚步。
With no idea of the outcome, he could only rely on his luck. As he approached Lin Xuan's cave dwelling, the eldest son slowed down his flight.
rán ér jiù zài zhè shí ， yì biàn tū qǐ ， qián yī kè ， míng míng hái shì qíng lǎng de tiān qì ， qǐng kè jiān ， mò míng qí miào de wū yún mì bù 。
然而就在这时，异变突起，前一刻，明明还是晴朗的天气，顷刻间，莫名其妙的乌云密布。
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred in the weather. Just a moment ago, the sky was clear and sunny; now, dark clouds inexplicably gathered overhead. Lightning bolts, like sharp swords, sliced through the heavens, making the Yellow Ridge Mountain area, stretching for hundreds of miles, teem with chaotic and violent qi.
yī dào dào yín sè de shǎn diàn ， rú lì jiàn bān huà pò cāng qióng ， zhěng gè huáng qí shān ， mián yán shù bǎi lǐ de fàn wéi ， líng qì biàn dé kuáng bào ér hùn luàn 。
一道道银色的闪电，如利剑般划破苍穹，整个黄岐山，绵延数百里的范围，灵气变得狂暴而混乱。
Torrential rain poured down like a mountain flood!
piáo pō dà yǔ rú shān hóng yì bān de qīng xiè xià lái ！
瓢泼大雨如山洪一般的倾泻下来！
Ma Tianming was startled and quickly summoned his qi shield to protect himself from the strange weather. His experience was limited, leaving him puzzled about what was happening.
mǎ tiān míng yī jīng ， máng jiāng líng lì hù dùn jì qǐ 。 hài rán de kàn zhe zhè guǐ yì de tiān qì ， tā de jiàn shí dào dǐ qiǎn le xiē ， yī shí zhī jiān ， bù míng suǒ yǐ 。
马天鸣一惊，忙将灵力护盾祭起。骇然的看着这诡异的天气，他的见识到底浅了些，一时之间，不明所以。
This was just the beginning. The heavy rain lasted for about a quarter of an hour before clearing up. However, it was immediately followed by a flurry of snowflakes.
ér zhè jǐn jǐn shì kāi shǐ ， bào yǔ chí xù le yuē yī kè zhōng de shí jiān ， yún shōu yǔ xiē ， kě jiē xià lái ， yòu piāo qǐ le é máo dà xuě 。
而这仅仅是开始，暴雨持续了约一刻钟的时间，云收雨歇，可接下来，又飘起了鹅毛大雪。
---
……
……
The main branch of the Ma family was only a hundred or so miles away from here, and they felt the changes as well.
mǎ jiā de zǒng tán jù lí cǐ dì bù guò bǎi yú lǐ ， gǎn shòu zì rán yě shì jí wéi de tiē qiè 。
马家的总坛距离此地不过百余里，感受自然也是极为的贴切。
Low-ranking cultivators exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock and doubt. As for Old Master Ma, his thoughts ran deeper.
dī jiē xiū xiān zhě men miàn miàn xiāng qù ， biǎo qíng mǎn shì jīng yí ， zhì yú mǎ lǎo ér ， suǒ xiǎng de yào gèng jiā shēn yuǎn yī xiē 。
低阶修仙者们面面相觑，表情满是惊疑，至于马老儿，所想的要更加深远一些。
What could be causing this strange phenomenon? The fluctuations in qi seemed to indicate that someone in Li Senior's secluded valley was practicing some powerful demonic cultivation techniques?
zhè tiān dì yì zhào shì zěn me huí shì ， kàn líng qì dòng dàng de xuán wō ， zài nà lǐ qián bèi qīng xiū de shān gǔ ， nán dào cǐ rén jìng zài xiū liàn shén me dà wēi lì de mó gōng ？
这天地异兆是怎么回事，看灵气动荡的漩涡，在那李前辈清修的山谷，难道此人竟在修炼什么大威力的魔功？
Old Master Ma's face showed a hint of worry. He hadn't considered the possibility of Lin Xuan forming an infant spirit.
mǎ lǎo ér de liǎn shǎn guò yī lǚ yōu sè ， tā dào méi yǒu xiǎng dào jié yīng zhè tóu 。
马老儿的脸闪过一缕忧色，他倒没有想到结婴这头。
One, Lin Xuan practiced the Demon Infant Art, which differed significantly from true infant spirit formation. Two, he had set up several arrays around his cave dwelling to some extent, preventing excess qi from leaking out.
yī lái lín xuān xiū liàn de nǎi shì mó yīng jué ， yǔ zhēn zhèng de jié yīng tiān zhào dà yǒu qū bié ， èr lái tā zài dòng fǔ wài bù zhì le shù tào zhèn fǎ ， yí dìng chéng dù yě zǔ zhǐ le duō yú líng qì de wài xiè 。
一来林轩修炼的乃是魔婴诀，与真正的结婴天兆大有区别，二来他在洞府外布置了数套阵法，一定程度也阻止了多余灵气的外泄。
If it were a genuine cultivator condensing their infant spirit, not only would the resulting spiritual pressure paralyze low-ranking cultivators but also cause much more severe consequences.
jiǎ ruò shì zhēn zhèng de xiū shì níng jié yuán yīng ， guāng shì chǎn shēng de líng yā jiù zú yǐ ràng dī jiē xiū xiān zhě men tān dào zài dì ， yǐng xiǎng yuǎn bù zhǐ yú cǐ 。
假若是真正的修士凝结元婴，光是产生的灵压就足以让低阶修仙者们瘫倒在地，影响远不止于此。
Therefore, this phenomenon was likely caused by someone practicing powerful demonic cultivation techniques.
nà me cǐ yì zhào duō bàn shì duì fāng xiū liàn lì hài mó gōng zào chéng de 。
那么此异兆多半是对方修炼厉害魔功造成的。
With these thoughts in mind, Old Master Ma quickly restrained his disciples and ordered them to return to their own cave dwellings, forbidding any unauthorized spreading of the news.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， mǎ lǎo ér máng yuē shù dì zǐ ， gè zì huí dào zì jǐ de dòng fǔ qù ， bù zhǔn suí yì luàn chuán zhè ge xiāo xī 。
想到这里，马老儿忙约束弟子，各自回到自己的洞府去，不准随意乱传这个消息。
The snowflakes finally stopped. However, Lin Xuan's valley emitted endless demonic qi, causing icy winds to rise into the sky. Ghostly cries echoed everywhere, making one shudder just by listening from afar.
é máo bān de dà xuě zhōng yú tíng xiē ， kě lín xuān suǒ zài de shān gǔ zhōng ， yòu yǒng chū liǎo wú jǐn de mó qì ， cì gǔ de yīn fēng chōng tiān ér qǐ ， guǐ kū zhī shēng biàn dì ， guāng shì yuǎn yuǎn de tīng zhe ， jiù ràng rén yǒu máo gǔ sǒng rán de gǎn jué 。
鹅毛般的大雪终于停歇，可林轩所在的山谷中，又涌出了无尽的魔气，刺骨的阴风冲天而起，鬼哭之声遍地，光是远远的听着，就让人有毛骨悚然的感觉。
Seeing this scene, Old Master Ma felt uneasy despite his mission being to deliver ginseng. He was still very hesitant.
mǎ tiān míng kàn dào zhè zhǒng qíng xíng ， xīn zhōng dǎ qǐ le gǔ ， suī shuō tā shì gěi duì fāng sòng rén shēn de ， kě xīn zhōng hái shì fēi cháng de chóu chú 。
马天鸣看到这种情形，心中打起了鼓，虽说他是给对方送人参的，可心中还是非常的踌躇。
---
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， jù lí huáng qí shān yǐ dōng yuē èr bǎi yú lǐ de mǒu dì ， liǎng dào bái sè de jīng hóng fēng chí diàn chè ， zhèng zài jí jí de gǎn lù 。
与此同时，距离黄岐山以东约二百余里的某地，两道白色的惊虹风驰电掣，正在急急的赶路。
At about two hundred miles east of Yellow Ridge Mountain, two streaks of white light raced across the landscape, hurrying along their journey.
dùn guāng zhī zhōng ， yǐn yuē kě jiàn liǎng gè nán zi ， yī wèi wǔ shí chū tóu ， jīng shén jué shuò ， kàn nà yī zhuó dǎ bàn ， jiù xiàng yī wèi zhī shí yuān bó de sù rú 。
遁光之中，隐约可见两个男子，一位五十出头，精神矍铄，看那衣着打扮，就像一位知识渊博的宿儒。
In the light, two men could be vaguely seen. One was in his fifties, vigorous and knowledgeable, dressed like a learned scholar. The other was much younger, around twenty years old, wearing a long robe with a headscarf, resembling a candidate preparing for the imperial exams as he flew.
lìng wài yī wèi ， zé yào nián qīng dé duō ， jǐn yǒu jiāng jìn èr shí de yàng zi ， yī xí cháng shān ， tóu hái bāo le fāng pà ， ruò fēi tā yù fēng ér xíng ， jiǎn zhí jiù xiàng jìn jīng gǎn kǎo de xiù cái jǔ zi 。
另外一位，则要年轻得多，仅有将近二十的样子，一袭长衫，头还包了方帕，若非他御风而行，简直就像进京赶考的秀才举子。
Although they rushed, they conversed merrily, discussing poetry and philosophy. They didn't look like cultivators at all.
zhè liǎng rén fēi dé suī jí ， yī lù què tán xiào fēng shēng ， zhī hū zhě yě ， zěn me kàn yě bù xiàng shì xiū xiān zhōng rén 。
这两人飞得虽急，一路却谈笑风生，之乎者也，怎么看也不像是修仙中人。
"Ni Senior Brother, when the righteous qi flows..." After much poetic discussion, they began to talk about cultivation methods. Surprisingly, the older scholar was the junior, showing great respect for the younger man.
“ ní shī xiōng ， zhè hào rán zhī qì yùn xíng de shí hòu ……” yín shī zuò duì le liáng jiǔ ， liǎng rén zhōng yú tǎo lùn qǐ le xiū liàn zhī dào ， rán ér guǐ yì de shì ， nà nián zhǎng de sù rú què shì shī dì ， duì shào nián jǔ zi gōng jìng wú bǐ 。
“倪师兄，这浩然之气运行的时候……”吟诗作对了良久，两人终于讨论起了修炼之道，然而诡异的是，那年长的宿儒却是师弟，对少年举子恭敬无比。
Both were disciples of the Righteousness School.
zhè liǎng rén dōu shì rú mén hào rán zōng de dì zǐ le 。
这两人都是儒门浩然宗的弟子了。
The Righteousness School stood alongside the Demon Obscure Sect as one of the two major forces on Spin Peak Island.
hào rán zōng yǔ mó yōu mén shuāng xióng bìng lì ， nǎi shì zhè xuán kōng dǎo de liǎng dà shì lì zhī yī 。
浩然宗与魔幽门双雄并立，乃是这旋崆岛的两大势力之一。
Righteousness cultivators differed greatly from Daoist and demonic sects. They focused on integrating culture into their cultivation, maintaining a constant flow of righteous qi within them, making their techniques extraordinarily powerful.
rú mén de xiū xiān zhě ， zì rán yǔ dào jiā mó zōng dōu dà bù xiāng tóng ， tā men jiǎng jiū yǐ wén rù dào ， tǐ nèi hào rán zhèng qì cháng cún ， gōng fǎ de wēi lì jí qí jīng rén 。
儒门的修仙者，自然与道家魔宗都大不相同，他们讲究以文入道，体内浩然正气长存，功法的威力极其惊人。
Unlike Buddhist, demonic, and Daoist practitioners, female Righteousness cultivators were rare, while many male practitioners had anti-aging effects in their techniques. Thus, despite the young man's appearance, his cultivation level was already at the top of the Condensation Core stage, with only slight signs of aging around his eyes.
xiāng duì yú fú mó dào lái shuō ， rú jiā de nǚ xìng xiū xiān zhě jí shǎo ， ér bù shǎo nán xiū shì de gōng fǎ ， yě tóng yàng yǒu zhù yán qí xiào ， suǒ yǐ bié kàn zhè shào nián jǔ zi nián qīng ， xiū wèi què zǎo dào le níng dān qī de dǐng céng ， zhǐ yǒu yǎn jiǎo de yú wěi wén ， cái bào lù le qí zhēn shí de nián líng 。
相对于佛魔道来说，儒家的女性修仙者极少，而不少男修士的功法，也同样有驻颜奇效，所以别看这少年举子年轻，修为却早到了凝丹期的顶层，只有眼角的鱼尾纹，才暴露了其真实的年龄。
This time, they were sent by their sect leader to handle some matters and happened upon this area when the junior asked about cultivation issues. The young scholar smiled smugly, ready to explain but paused as an unexpected change occurred...
zhè yī cì ， liǎng rén fèng mén zhǔ zhī mìng wài chū bàn shì ， lù guò zhè lǐ ， tīng shī dì qǐng jiào xiū liàn de wèn tí ， shào nián jǔ zi zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī lǚ dé yì ， zhèng xiǎng jiě shì ， yì biàn tū qǐ ……
这一次，两人奉门主之命外出办事，路过这里，听师弟请教修炼的问题，少年举子嘴角边露出一缕得意，正想解释，异变突起……
Observing the sudden weather changes and feeling the chaotic qi nearby, both men exchanged glances.
kàn zháo fēng yún tū biàn de tiān qì ， gǎn shòu dào fù jìn guǐ yì luàn dòng de líng lì ， liǎng rén miàn miàn xiāng qù 。
看着风云突变的天气，感受到附近诡异乱动的灵力，两人面面相觑。
"Such... powerful demonic qi." The older scholar frowned, showing signs of anxiety: "Senior Brother, it's coming from Yellow Ridge Mountain."
“ hǎo …… hǎo qiáng dà de mó qì 。” nián zhǎng sù rú zhòu qǐ le méi tóu ， shén sè zhī jiān fú xiàn chū yī sī jiāo lǜ ：“ shī xiōng ， shì huáng qí shān de fāng xiàng 。”
“好……好强大的魔气。”年长宿儒皱起了眉头，神色之间浮现出一丝焦虑：“师兄，是黄歧山的方向。”
"Yellow Ridge Mountain?" The young scholar pondered. "Isn't that within the Demon Obscure Sect's territory?"
“ huáng qí shān ？” nián qīng jǔ zi chén yín le qǐ lái ，“ nà bú shì mó yōu mén de shì lì fàn wéi ？”
“黄歧山？”年轻举子沉吟了起来，“那不是魔幽门的势力范围？”
"Yes, but not entirely," the older scholar replied. "It is said to be a small family that has allied with them, and they have no powerful experts here. How could such a commotion happen?"
“ duì ， dàn bìng bú shì zǒng ， tīng shuō pán jù yú cǐ de jǐn shì yī fù yú tā men de yī xiǎo jiā zú ér yǐ ， bìng méi yǒu gāo shǒu ， zěn me kě néng nòng chū zhè me dà de dòng jìng ？”
“对，但并不是总，听说盘踞于此的仅是依附于他们的一小家族而已，并没有高手，怎么可能弄出这么大的动静？”
"This does seem strange. Should we go check?" The young scholar, though polite, showed no doubt in his expression.
“ cǐ shì què shí yǒu xiē qí guài ， yào bù wǒ men qù kàn kàn 。” nián qīng jǔ zi suī rán kè qì ， dàn biǎo qíng què bù róng zhì yí 。
“此事确实有些奇怪，要不我们去看看。”年轻举子虽然客气，但表情却不容质疑。
"But our sect leader ordered us to handle this matter..." the older scholar hesitated.
“ kě zōng zhǔ mìng wǒ men bàn de shì ……” sù rú yǒu xiē yóu yù 。
“可宗主命我们办的事……”宿儒有些犹豫。
"Have you forgotten how tense relations are between us and them? In recent years, the Demon Obscure Sect has auctioned several Elder Command Seals through secret markets..."
“ pà shén me ， lái huí yě bù guò jǐ bǎi lǐ ， dān gē bù liǎo duō jiǔ de ， kàn zhè yì zhào ， duō bàn shì mó yōu mén de nǎ ge lǎo guài wù zài xiū liàn dǎi dú de mó gōng ， jī huì nán dé ， wǒ men dà kě yǐ luò jǐng xià shí ， jiāng qí chú qù 。”
“怕什么，来回也不过几百里，耽搁不了多久的，看这异兆，多半是魔幽门的哪个老怪物在修炼歹毒的魔功，机会难得，我们大可以落井下石，将其除去。”
"Senior Brother, I was about to ask. The Demon Obscure Sect originally had only nine elders, all of whom were deeply skilled and had made significant contributions. Their promotion system is notoriously strict. Why...?" the older scholar asked with confusion.
“ kě shī xiōng ， zhè yàng yī lái ， mó yōu mén qǐ huì shàn bà gān xiū ， nǐ nán dào bù pà yǐn qǐ liǎng pài de dà zhàn ？” sù rú de liǎn lù chū yī sī hài rán 。
“可师兄，这样一来，魔幽门岂会善罢甘休，你难道不怕引起两派的大战？”宿儒的脸露出一丝骇然。
"Hmph, you asking me, how would I know?" the young scholar rolled his eyes: "I'm not the True Demon Lord. The sect leader has already convened several elders to discuss this matter but hasn't revealed much. However, one thing is clear: they must have a sinister plot."
“ hēng ， pà huì ， nǐ yǐ wéi xiàn zài wǒ men liǎng pài de guān xì jiù fēi cháng hé mù ？” nián qīng jǔ zi bù yǐ wéi rán de kāi kǒu le ：“ zuì jìn zhè xiē nián ， mó yōu mén xiān hòu tōng guò mì shì pāi mài le shù kuài zhǎng lǎo lìng fú ……”
“哼，怕会，你以为现在我们两派的关系就非常和睦？”年轻举子不以为然的开口了：“最近这些年，魔幽门先后通过秘市拍卖了数块长老令符……”
"Sinister plot?"
“ shī xiōng ， zhè shì nǐ bù shuō wǒ yě xiǎng wèn le ， mó yōu mén yuán xiān zhǐ yǒu jiǔ wèi zhǎng lǎo ， bù jǐn xiū wèi jīng shēn ， ér qiě měi yí gè dōu hái shì lì guò dà gōng zhī rén ， gāi pài zhí wèi shēng qiān yí xiàng fēi cháng kē kè 。 zhè yī cì wèi shén me ……” sù rú mǎn huái bù jiě de shuō 。
“师兄，这事你不说我也想问了，魔幽门原先只有九位长老，不仅修为精深，而且每一个都还是立过大功之人，该派职位升迁一向非常苛刻。这一次为什么……”宿儒满怀不解的说。
"It could be aimed at our Righteousness School. Instead of waiting for them to make their move, we should seize the opportunity and weaken their strength." The young scholar sneered as he analyzed.
“ hēng ， nǐ wèn wǒ ， wǒ yòu nǎ lǐ xiǎo de 。” nián qīng jǔ zi fān le fān bái yǎn ：“ wǒ yòu bú shì mó yōu zhēn jūn nà lǎo jiā huǒ ， zhè jiàn shì qíng ， zōng zhǔ yǐ jīng zhào jí jǐ wèi zhǎng lǎo shāng yì guò ， yī jiù shì bàn diǎn tóu xù yě wú ， dàn yǒu yì diǎn shì xiǎn rán de ， duì fāng zhè me zuò ， kěn dìng shì yǒu yīn móu 。”
“哼，你问我，我又哪里晓得。”年轻举子翻了翻白眼：“我又不是魔幽真君那老家伙，这件事情，宗主已经召集几位长老商议过，依旧是半点头绪也无，但有一点是显然的，对方这么做，肯定是有阴谋。”
"Senior Brother's words are wise."
“ yīn móu ？”
“阴谋？”
"Since that is so, what are we waiting for? Let's head towards Yellow Ridge Mountain."
“ nòng bù hǎo jiù shì zhēn duì wǒ men hào rán zōng de ， yǔ qí zuò yǐ dài bì ， děng duì fāng sī pò liǎn pí ， xiàn zài yǒu jī huì ， wǒ men gàn má bù xuē ruò tā men de shí lì ？” nián qīng jǔ zi yīn xiào zhe fēn xī 。
“弄不好就是针对我们浩然宗的，与其坐以待毙，等对方撕破脸皮，现在有机会，我们干嘛不削弱他们的实力？”年轻举子阴笑着分析。
"Agreed."
“ shī xiōng yán zhī yǒu lǐ 。”
“师兄言之有理。”
The two reached a consensus and turned their light to rush toward Lin Xuan's small valley.
“ jì rán rú cǐ ， hái děng shén me ， yǔ huáng qí shān kàn kàn 。”
“既然如此，还等什么，与黄歧山看看。”
---
“ hǎo 。”
“好。”
Old Master Ma was shaken by the strange weather phenomenon. After some time, it finally dissipated as the clouds cleared and the sun shone again. The chaotic qi gradually calmed down. If not for his clear memory, he would have thought everything that happened was just a hallucination.
liǎng rén qǔ dé le gòng shí ， dùn guāng zhuǎn xiàng ， pū xiàng le lín xuān suǒ zài de xiǎo shān gǔ 。
两人取得了共识，遁光转向，扑向了林轩所在的小山谷。
The valley was only a few miles away, but Ma Daxiaoshou hesitated to move forward. He wasn't cowardly or fearful; it was the last eerie winds and ghostly mists that were too shocking. Thinking about it now made his scalp tingle. What kind of demonic technique did Li Senior practice?
……
……
If successful, it would be great, but if unsuccessful, might the other party vent their anger on him?
With no idea of the outcome, he could only rely on his luck. As he approached Lin Xuan's cave dwelling, the eldest son slowed down his flight.
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred in the weather. Just a moment ago, the sky was clear and sunny; now, dark clouds inexplicably gathered overhead. Lightning bolts, like sharp swords, sliced through the heavens, making the Yellow Ridge Mountain area, stretching for hundreds of miles, teem with chaotic and violent qi.
Torrential rain poured down like a mountain flood!
Ma Tianming was startled and quickly summoned his qi shield to protect himself from the strange weather. His experience was limited, leaving him puzzled about what was happening.
This was just the beginning. The heavy rain lasted for about a quarter of an hour before clearing up. However, it was immediately followed by a flurry of snowflakes.
---
The main branch of the Ma family was only a hundred or so miles away from here, and they felt the changes as well.
Low-ranking cultivators exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock and doubt. As for Old Master Ma, his thoughts ran deeper.
What could be causing this strange phenomenon? The fluctuations in qi seemed to indicate that someone in Li Senior's secluded valley was practicing some powerful demonic cultivation techniques?
Old Master Ma's face showed a hint of worry. He hadn't considered the possibility of Lin Xuan forming an infant spirit.
One, Lin Xuan practiced the Demon Infant Art, which differed significantly from true infant spirit formation. Two, he had set up several arrays around his cave dwelling to some extent, preventing excess qi from leaking out.
If it were a genuine cultivator condensing their infant spirit, not only would the resulting spiritual pressure paralyze low-ranking cultivators but also cause much more severe consequences.
Therefore, this phenomenon was likely caused by someone practicing powerful demonic cultivation techniques.
With these thoughts in mind, Old Master Ma quickly restrained his disciples and ordered them to return to their own cave dwellings, forbidding any unauthorized spreading of the news.
The snowflakes finally stopped. However, Lin Xuan's valley emitted endless demonic qi, causing icy winds to rise into the sky. Ghostly cries echoed everywhere, making one shudder just by listening from afar.
Seeing this scene, Old Master Ma felt uneasy despite his mission being to deliver ginseng. He was still very hesitant.
---
At about two hundred miles east of Yellow Ridge Mountain, two streaks of white light raced across the landscape, hurrying along their journey.
In the light, two men could be vaguely seen. One was in his fifties, vigorous and knowledgeable, dressed like a learned scholar. The other was much younger, around twenty years old, wearing a long robe with a headscarf, resembling a candidate preparing for the imperial exams as he flew.
Although they rushed, they conversed merrily, discussing poetry and philosophy. They didn't look like cultivators at all.
"Ni Senior Brother, when the righteous qi flows..." After much poetic discussion, they began to talk about cultivation methods. Surprisingly, the older scholar was the junior, showing great respect for the younger man.
Both were disciples of the Righteousness School.
The Righteousness School stood alongside the Demon Obscure Sect as one of the two major forces on Spin Peak Island.
Righteousness cultivators differed greatly from Daoist and demonic sects. They focused on integrating culture into their cultivation, maintaining a constant flow of righteous qi within them, making their techniques extraordinarily powerful.
Unlike Buddhist, demonic, and Daoist practitioners, female Righteousness cultivators were rare, while many male practitioners had anti-aging effects in their techniques. Thus, despite the young man's appearance, his cultivation level was already at the top of the Condensation Core stage, with only slight signs of aging around his eyes.
This time, they were sent by their sect leader to handle some matters and happened upon this area when the junior asked about cultivation issues. The young scholar smiled smugly, ready to explain but paused as an unexpected change occurred...
Observing the sudden weather changes and feeling the chaotic qi nearby, both men exchanged glances.
"Such... powerful demonic qi." The older scholar frowned, showing signs of anxiety: "Senior Brother, it's coming from Yellow Ridge Mountain."
"Yellow Ridge Mountain?" The young scholar pondered. "Isn't that within the Demon Obscure Sect's territory?"
"Yes, but not entirely," the older scholar replied. "It is said to be a small family that has allied with them, and they have no powerful experts here. How could such a commotion happen?"
"This does seem strange. Should we go check?" The young scholar, though polite, showed no doubt in his expression.
"But our sect leader ordered us to handle this matter..." the older scholar hesitated.
"Have you forgotten how tense relations are between us and them? In recent years, the Demon Obscure Sect has auctioned several Elder Command Seals through secret markets..."
"Senior Brother, I was about to ask. The Demon Obscure Sect originally had only nine elders, all of whom were deeply skilled and had made significant contributions. Their promotion system is notoriously strict. Why...?" the older scholar asked with confusion.
"Hmph, you asking me, how would I know?" the young scholar rolled his eyes: "I'm not the True Demon Lord. The sect leader has already convened several elders to discuss this matter but hasn't revealed much. However, one thing is clear: they must have a sinister plot."
"Sinister plot?"
"It could be aimed at our Righteousness School. Instead of waiting for them to make their move, we should seize the opportunity and weaken their strength." The young scholar sneered as he analyzed.
"Senior Brother's words are wise."
"Since that is so, what are we waiting for? Let's head towards Yellow Ridge Mountain."
"Agreed."
The two reached a consensus and turned their light to rush toward Lin Xuan's small valley.
---
Old Master Ma was shaken by the strange weather phenomenon. After some time, it finally dissipated as the clouds cleared and the sun shone again. The chaotic qi gradually calmed down. If not for his clear memory, he would have thought everything that happened was just a hallucination.
The valley was only a few miles away, but Ma Daxiaoshou hesitated to move forward. He wasn't cowardly or fearful; it was the last eerie winds and ghostly mists that were too shocking. Thinking about it now made his scalp tingle. What kind of demonic technique did Li Senior practice?
If successful, it would be great, but if unsuccessful, might the other party vent their anger on him?