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The Venerable Yun Nest's voice was gentle, unhurried, as he inquired: "If Nan Zhou remains peaceful, will there still be wars? How have the five major sects developed? Have they adhered to the founding rules of protecting the common people?"

Yuan Xi, in a soft voice, replied: "Five continents have been peaceful for millennia. Nan Zhou is located in a remote corner. Although its resources are not abundant, it has developed peacefully and rarely sees war. In ancient times, among the five major sects, only Tian Yi Sect and Xuan Tian Sect were still considered large sects. Gui Tao Sect and Lang Sha Sect had destroyed each other in a battle three thousand years ago. The two remaining sects rebuilt Bi Hai Ge and Wu Tai Jian Ge. As for Wu Wang Sect... its master moved the sect to a new location early on, and since then, it has disappeared without a trace."

In the spirit image behind Venerable Yun'n, there were quite a few from the other four sects. All of them looked sorrowful and sighed with regret.

"Life is impermanent, I never expected that in just tens of thousands of years, the situation outside would change so dramatically."

As long as Nanzhou is peaceful, everything else is trivial.

"Yes, just stay safe and calm."

A series of sighs echoed, imbued with the paleness of time and the helplessness of age, yet also hinting at a sense of contentment and gratitude.

Tanyu Qing and Yuanshi were both infected, their eyes slightly sour.

After a moment's hesitation, Tan Yueqing still voiced the question that lingered in her heart: "Yun Nian venerable one, your souls have perished for tens of thousands of years, why are you still here?"

"The story is a long one," Yunzan said calmly, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed. "Being able to meet you all here and now is quite fortunate."

"Back then, during the Five Gods War, the Eastern State army split into two, attacking the north and south. My Southern State's main battlefield was right here."

"I stood guard, protecting the vital energy of Nan Zhou. I fought valiantly until my last breath, ultimately slaying all the cultivators from Dong Zhou here."

Yuanxi's eyes widened in astonishment: "Not all perish together? Then you..."

Yuanshi and Tan Yueqing originally thought that the Nan Zhou cultivators and Dong Zhou cultivators had perished together here, which led to their souls being trapped.

Yun Yi, the venerable one, shook his head slightly and slowly revealed the truth of that year.

>After the Great War, smoke and ash filled the land, evil spirits ran rampant, and ghosts roamed freely... This place that was once brimming with spiritual energy instantly became a haunt for countless demons. We cannot stand idly by as these restless souls wreak havoc upon the world. So we planned to use our magic to guide them towards enlightenment, but unexpectedly, Zhongzhou sent a surprise attack, trapping us here in this deadly predicament...

Yuanxi: "If it were only so, how could the soul remain undissolved for millennia?"

If it were truly an opponent's attack, they would certainly shatter these people's souls completely, leaving not a shred of life.

Yun En Zun shook his head slightly: "There was once a gifted formation master from Zhongzhou who set up the Heaven and Earth Taiji Formation here, attempting to transfer all the battlefield's killing energy to Nan Zhou's territory. This scheme is extremely sinister. If successful, our Nan Zhou would be littered with corpses, devoid of any vegetation, and unable to find peace for tens of thousands of years. We cannot stand idly by and watch this happen, so we can only risk our lives to suppress the formation's core."

"What?" Both Yuanxi and Tan Yueqing were stunned, not knowing what to say.

I never expected the battle situation back then to be so brutal.

...and his willingness to sacrifice himself... it is truly awe-inspiring.

Both bowed simultaneously. “Venerable ones, your righteousness is boundless! We juniors are deeply grateful!”

With a mere gesture, Venerable Yun'en lifted the two people to their feet.

"The Heaven and Earth Taiji Formation is a nine-ranked formation that integrates heaven and earth's natural energy. Even the most prodigious array master from the Central Continent couldn't fully control it. For tens of thousands of years, we have suppressed the evil spirits within the formation, but in doing so, our souls have been trapped. After death, we cannot escape. If you don't come, we will ultimately be reduced to scattered souls and dissipated spirits."

Yuan Xi and Tan Yueqing reacted instantly, "Please, senior, tell us how we can help you?"

To maintain the operation of the Heaven-Earth Taiji Array, it is necessary to keep the yin and yang forces balanced. Now that sinister qi and ghosts reside in the Yin pole, we sit in the Yang pole, restraining each other, thus suppressing them. This sand platform is the eye of the Heaven-Earth Taiji Array. Our souls are enshrined within the ranks precisely to suppress the ghosts at the Yin pole. To release us, you must find someone to take our place.

"Us?" Tan Yueqing's first thought was of herself and Yuan Xi, a chill running through her heart.

Yuan Xi, however, thought deeper. "The senior was referring to the two

Who?

Yun Nest Venerable nodded slightly.

Yuan Xi frowned and said, "It's not difficult to lure those two people in, but the hard part is getting them to willingly guard this place. What if they refuse..."

"This is a small matter. You just need to lure them in, and we will naturally make them willingly guard the defensive position."

Okay!

Yuan Xi's mind raced, and she immediately had an idea.

Bei Chen Zhu, who was fleeing frantically within the Wuling Reincarnation Formation, suddenly saw a glow of crimson in the distance. The spiritual energy in the air instantly became thick and heavy. His eyes lit up involuntarily.

"This... is a divine artifact?!!!"

The cultivators from the Tohoku region who accompanied him also revealed a hint of greed in their eyes. "Judging from the duration of these colorful auroras and the divine phenomenon, the artifact in this world is no ordinary artifact… We should investigate it?"

As soon as they finished asking, the two saw a finely crafted octagonal parasol floating in the empty space ahead.

There was a flash of sword light, and murderous intent permeated the air.

Between a flash and a flicker, Bei Chen Zhu and Dong Zhou cultivators automatically imagined Tan Yue Qing and Yuan Xi fighting each other for the artifact.

The two of them decided instantly, and approached the direction where the dawn glow was rising.

The closer one gets, the stronger the aura of the divine weapon becomes.

After walking for a short while, the two saw that Tan Yueqing and Yuanxi were engaged in a fierce fight.

Seeing Beichen Zhu appear, the two of them simultaneously withdrew their hands in tacit understanding, pointing their sword tips at Beichen Zhu and the others: "What are you doing here?"

Beichen Zhu couldn't help but sneer, "You're asking me as if you don't know. Heaven-gifted treasures go to those who are destined. If one encounters a divine artifact by chance and something happens, don't blame me for being merciless."

Having said that, he grasped his fan and stepped forward.

Not far in front of Yuan Xi and Tan Yueqing, several straight emerald green bamboos suddenly broke through the ground.

Yuanshi and Tan Yueqing turned pale with fright, and they ran towards the artifact one after another.

Beichen Zhu only faintly saw a dark-colored long sword flash before his eyes. His eyes lit up, and he sprinted forward.

The Dongzhou cultivator who followed him was a step behind, but he also saw the illusory sword shadow. He didn't hesitate and chased after it.

A group of people chased each other, not knowing how far they had run.

During that time, the four fought countless times against each other, constantly on guard.

Finally, the moment to face the divine artifact arrived. The power around rippled and instantly transformed the scene before my eyes.

This time, Tan Yueqing and Yuanxi did not enter another space.

Yun'en Venerable had instructed that upon the entry of Beichen Zhu and another Dongzhou cultivator, they would immediately use their last divine soul power to cast a replacement spell.

When the replacement is successful, the space will be completely closed.

Yuanxi and Tan Yueqing were waiting anxiously for good news when they sensed the fluctuation of spatial energy around them. After a moment, a pure spiritual energy emanated from the ground.