Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Three days later, on the edge of the Southern Desert.

The airship slowly descended and finally hovered above a barren, sand-eroded, brown rocky mountain.

The view from here is truly spectacular.

The once boundless and lifeless Gobi Desert has now come alive, as if a lake has been filled with boulders.

Thousands of cultivators, like a dense swarm of ants, were distributed within a radius of dozens of miles centered on the suddenly appearing "Mysterious Cave Heaven" stone gate.

Tents of various colors, temporary stone houses, and pavilions and flying boats suspended in mid-air create a bizarre and surreal temporary camp.

The clamor, hawking, and arguing mingled with the faint glow of magical energy and the howls of mounts and spirit beasts, forming a restless and dangerous torrent that surged through the dry, scorching air.

The air was filled with the smells of sand, sweat, and medicinal herbs, along with a faint trace of the powerful aura of a strong individual, all mixed together, causing a strange sense of unease.

"My goodness..."

Shadow Eight leaned against the ship's railing, staring wide-eyed at the scene below that resembled a grand market.

The place where he had seen the most people in his life was the temple fair in his hometown. He had never seen such a scene before.

Moreover, any one of those people below has a stronger aura than his brothers!

Shadow Seven was equally shocked, but he was more wary.

A large number of people means chaos;

Chaos means danger.

He could sense that beneath the seemingly bustling camp, countless undercurrents were surging.

Those seemingly casual glances all carried scrutiny, calculation, and even undisguised hostility.

"Cheer up, everyone!"

Shangguan Yunque had already tidied his appearance at some point, not even a single strand of hair was out of place.

He held a silk handkerchief, gently covering his mouth and nose, seemingly quite disgusted by the mixed smells in the air.

"This is a den of snakes and rats. Keep your eyes peeled and don't embarrass us, the Bad Guys."

He was the first to leap off the flying boat, his figure as light as a feather, landing gracefully atop the rocky mountain.

Fifteen elite thugs followed closely behind, their movements perfectly synchronized and their landings silent, demonstrating their exceptional professionalism.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight quickly followed, landing somewhat clumsily, drawing several ambiguous sneer glances from people in nearby camps.

Shangguan Yunque ignored those gazes. He looked around, quickly locked onto a direction, and swayed his hips as he walked over.

There was a relatively flat sandy area that had been fenced off with simple barriers, with a large black flag planted on it. The flag had no patterns on it, only a solemn and murderous aura.

That was a temporary stronghold set up by the peripheral members of the Bad Guys who arrived earlier.

Upon seeing Shangguan Yunque and his group arrive, several people immediately came out from the stronghold to greet them and exchanged a few words in hushed tones.

Soon, the camp was expanded and new tents were set up.

Shangguan Yunque entered the largest tent in the middle, while Ying Qi, Ying Ba, and the others were arranged on the outer perimeter.

The two brothers had just put down their meager belongings when they heard a commotion outside.

"Make way! Make way, everyone! Can't you see our sacred elephant from Dairin-ji Temple is about to pass by!"

A rude shouting and cursing rang out.

Yingqi peered out and saw a group of monks dressed in yellow robes, but with bulging muscles and fierce faces, driving a three-zhang-tall white elephant with a golden saddle, forcefully pushing through the crowd and approaching the stone gate.

The cultivators along the way gave way, daring not to speak out despite their anger.

Those were people from the Great Wheel Temple in the Western Regions. It is said that they practiced the Vajra Wrathful Eyes Dharma, and were known for their fiery temper and formidable strength.

"Hmph, a bunch of brutes."

A cold snort came from the side, and a group of cultivators dressed in blue Taoist robes, carrying long swords, and with otherworldly temperaments, came riding the wind. The leader was an old Taoist with a long beard, who had a sage-like demeanor but sharp eyes.

They drifted past the monks of Dalun Temple, subtly displaying an air of rivalry.

People from the Beixuan Qingyun Temple.

Further away, a group of richly dressed, gleaming warriors, surrounding several young men who looked like noblemen, occupied the best spot, pointing and gesturing at the stone gate with arrogant expressions.

People from the Marquis of Zhongting Zhenbei Mansion.

Ying Qi also saw other forces of all kinds, some with clear banners, and others hidden among ordinary rogue cultivators, but the bloody smell and murderous aura on their bodies could not be concealed.

"It's like all sorts of monsters and demons have come."

Shadow Eight sighed softly.

"Speak less, observe more."

Yingqi reminded him, his gaze sweeping warily. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he stared intently at an inconspicuous corner diagonally opposite.

There were several drab gray tents pitched there, without any flags or signs, but the people coming and going were all dressed in a strangely styled, tight-fitting black outfit, moving silently with cold, sinister eyes.

One of them, Shadow Seven recognized, was a tyrannical butler who enjoyed torturing his mission targets back in the Shadow Pavilion!

Shadow Pavilion! They really came!

Seemingly sensing his gaze, the Shadow Pavilion steward suddenly turned his head, his sinister eyes sweeping over like a venomous snake.

Yingqi quickly lowered his head, his heart pounding.

Fortunately, the butler did not seem to recognize Ying Qi, who had changed her appearance and was still wearing the clothes of a villain. Her gaze only lingered for a moment before she looked away.

"What's wrong, brother?"

Kagehachi noticed his unusual behavior.

"fine."

Shadow Seven took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Now they were the Bad Guys, organized and backed by someone, although the leader was a bit strange. They were no longer the Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight who could be bullied by everyone.

-

Over the next two days, the atmosphere at the camp grew increasingly tense.

The massive stone gate remained tightly shut, its surface shimmering with a hazy light. Occasionally, it would tremble, emanating an even richer spiritual energy and an ancient, weathered aura.

Various forces are secretly vying for power, and minor frictions are constant.

On the Bad Guys' side, under Shangguan Yunque's command, things were relatively stable.

This effeminate star lord spends most of his time holed up in his tent, either looking in the mirror or fiddling with some strange mechanical parts. Occasionally, he'll come out for a stroll, and his swaying gait and gleaming eyes always attract a lot of strange or disgusted stares.

But he seemed to enjoy it, and even winked at a few disciples from other sects who were secretly gossiping about him, scaring them so much that they turned pale and fled in panic.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight should remember the principle of observing more, listening more, and speaking less, and follow other bad people to familiarize themselves with the environment and gather information.

They learned that the restrictions on the stone gate were extremely powerful and could only be opened under specific circumstances or by the combined efforts of many people.

Currently, the major forces are arguing and discussing how to join forces to break the ban, but none of them trust anyone else, so progress is slow.

That evening, the setting sun dyed the clouds and yellow sand on the horizon blood red.

Shadow Seven was assigned to fetch water from the edge of the camp—a type of clear water condensed using magic.

He carried his water bag back, and as he passed a pile of rocks, he suddenly heard a hushed conversation coming from inside.

"...Are you sure they're members of the Bad Guys? Those two unfamiliar faces?"

"Absolutely true! Even though they changed clothes, I'd recognize their grotesque appearance even if they were burned to ashes! I was the one who personally brought them into this building from the pile of corpses back then!"

"Hmph, traitor! He actually sided with those lunatics, the Bad Guys! The Third Pavilion Master said that during this secret realm, we'll find an opportunity..."

His voice lowered further, and the rest of his words were inaudible, but the chilling killing intent made Ying Qi feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

They're from the Shadow Pavilion! They recognized me and Shadow Eight!

Yingqi's heart pounded. He held his breath and carefully retreated until he was far away from the pile of rocks before he dared to quicken his pace and almost jog back to the Bad Guys' camp.

He found Shadow Eight and told him exactly what he had heard.

Shadow Eight's expression changed as well: "They want to take advantage of the chaos?"

"Very likely."

Ying Qi's expression was solemn.

"The situation in the secret realm is complex, and life and death are at your own risk; it's the perfect opportunity to strike. We must be careful and not get separated from others."

The two brothers discussed it and decided to report the matter to Shangguan Yunque.

Although this team leader doesn't seem very reliable, he is, after all, a top expert in the Celestial Realm and their direct superior.

The two arrived outside the main tent, announced their arrival, and then went inside.

Shangguan Yunque was applying makeup in front of a water mirror, her delicate fingers curled into a graceful gesture. Upon hearing their report, she didn't pause at all, only letting out a snort through her nose:

"Oh? A rat from the Shadow Pavilion, trying to harm my people?"

He put down his eyebrow pencil, turned around, and a half-smile appeared on his powdered face, but his eyes were somewhat cold.

"I understand. From today onwards, neither of you are allowed to leave the core area of ​​the camp within ten zhang without my permission. Even when eating or defecating, stay close to the main force."

He waved his hand.

"Go on, get back to what you were doing. A few rats can't cause any trouble."

After Yingqi and Yingba withdrew, they felt a little more at ease.

Although Lord Shangguan spoke in a flippant tone, his confident attitude still gave them a sense of security.

However, they hadn't gone far from the tent when they heard Shangguan Yunque's excited, raised-pitched mutterings coming from inside:

"Oh dear, that bastard Li Kun is here too? I didn't have enough fun last time, so I'll have to catch up properly this time~ Perfect timing, let's try out my new Thousand Spider Venomous Heartbreak Arrow..."

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight slipped and almost fell.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and a hint of... absurd expectation in each other's eyes?

This Lord Shangguan doesn't seem to be entirely unreliable?

As night deepened, the noise at the campsite subsided slightly, but the oppressive feeling of an impending storm grew even stronger.

Countless eyes, gleaming with greed or vigilance in the darkness, stared at the stone door that seemed to connect to another world.

The desert night wind is as cold as a knife.