Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The atmosphere inside the cave was somewhat enchanting.

Gu Xiang held Su Qing close, their breaths mingling.

The patriarch of the Mountain Moving Sect stood aside, eyes downcast, nose upcast.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the passageway.

The footsteps were chaotic, accompanied by heavy breathing.

"Ancestor! Ancestor, save me!"

Liu Qingshan's voice was choked with sobs as he scrambled in.

He was running too fast, tripped, and fell flat on his face, sliding all the way to the old man's feet.

Gu Xiang subconsciously released his grip, shielding Su Qing behind him.

Su Qing remained calm, though she frowned slightly, showing some displeasure.

The old ancestor looked at Liu Qingshan at his feet, and his face darkened.

"What's the panic!"

"Is the sky falling down?"

Liu Qingshan raised his head, his face covered in dust, and his once impeccably dressed Taoist robe was torn in several places, making him look disheveled.

"Ancestor... the sky is really falling!"

He pointed outside, his fingers trembling.

"Demons...demons are attacking the mountain!"

"The aura of the sacred tree's revival has leaked out, driving all the demons in the Forsaken Land mad!"

"They...they are attacking the sect's protective formation!"

"Junior Brother Tie is leading the Punishment Hall disciples to hold them off outside, but...they can't hold on much longer!"

Upon hearing this, the old ancestor's expression changed slightly.

He turned and glanced at the newly revived paulownia tree.

The golden leaves swayed gently, exuding an alluring vitality.

In this lifeless, god-forsaken land, this vitality is like a beacon in the darkness, enough to drive any demon yearning for life mad.

"You beast!"

The old ancestor snorted coldly.

He glanced at Gu Xiang and Su Qing.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Gu, please come with me to take a look."

Gu Xiang nodded.

He took Su Qing's hand.

"Let's go."

Su Qing pouted, but didn't struggle, letting him lead her.

The two followed the ancestor out of the cave.

As soon as they stepped out of the forbidden area, a strong stench of blood hit them.

The once tranquil Mountain Moving Sect has now become a battlefield of carnage.

The protective array's light barrier was teetering on the brink of collapse, covered with countless dark shadows.

Those dark figures were strangely shaped.

Some have three heads, some have long tails, and some are simply a wriggling mass of rotten flesh.

They frantically tore at the light screen, making a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

Outside the light screen, even more demons are surging in.

It was a dark, dense mass, stretching as far as the eye could see.

It was like a black tide, threatening to completely submerge this solitary peak.

"Hold on! Everyone, hold on!"

A furious roar came from ahead.

Elder Tie, covered in blood and wielding a giant axe, stood at the gap in the formation.

Behind him was a group of disciples of the Mountain Moving Sect, also covered in blood.

They formed a battle formation and desperately blocked the breach.

Whenever a demon rushed in, it would be hacked to death by them.

But there were just too many demons.

Kill one batch, and another batch comes.

Elder Tie's giant axe had already chipped and dulled, and his breath was growing weaker and weaker.

Taking advantage of Elder Tie's moment of exhaustion, a huge, ferocious beast with spiky bones pounced on him.

The sharp claws went straight for Elder Tie's throat.

"Junior brother!"

Liu Qingshan cried out in alarm and tried to rush over to help, but it was too late.

Elder Tie watched the claw getting closer and closer, a hint of despair flashing in his eyes.

He closed his eyes, preparing to die.

"Certainly."

An aged voice suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.

The sound wasn't loud.

But it sounded like a booming bell, making everyone's eardrums ache.

The demonic beast that lunged at Elder Tie suddenly froze.

It stopped in mid-air.

The claws were less than three inches from Elder Tie's throat.

But it could no longer advance even an inch.

It's not just that.

The entire battlefield, all the demons, stopped at that moment.

It was as if time had been paused.

The ancestor took a step forward.

His figure vanished instantly, and when he reappeared, he was already standing in mid-air.

He looked down at the endless demons, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

Only indifference.

The aura of a Great Saint Realm expert was released without reservation.

"roll!"

He uttered a single word.

The moment that word was uttered, the world changed color.

An invisible ripple spread outwards from him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The demons crawling on the light screen instantly exploded into clouds of blood mist.

The demonic beast that pounced on Elder Tie was instantly reduced to dust, leaving not even a trace.

The ripples continued to spread.

Wherever it went, demons were shattered.

The once noisy battlefield instantly fell silent.

Only the sound of the wind and the sound of flesh and blood hitting the ground remained.

Elder Tie opened his eyes.

He looked at the empty gap in front of him, then at the ancestor in mid-air, and his legs went weak, causing him to kneel on the ground.

"Ancestor..."

At this moment, all the disciples of the Moving Mountain Sect knelt down.

They stared at the not-so-tall figure with fervent eyes.

This is the Great Sage.

This is their ancestor.

One person can be worth a million soldiers.

The patriarch did not show any joy at this attack.

He looked into the distance.

The black fog there was still churning, and a low roar could be faintly heard.

Although his attack just now killed many demons, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the demons of the entire Land of Forsaken Gods.

As long as the sacred tree remains, as long as that life force remains, these demons will not retreat.

They will keep coming until they exhaust the last bit of power of the Mountain Moving Sect.

The old ancestor sighed.

He landed back on the ground and walked up to Gu Xiang and Su Qing.

"I'm sorry to have frightened Her Majesty and Prime Minister Gu."

Gu Xiang shook his head.

He looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, his expression somewhat solemn.

"The ancestor's divine power is truly awe-inspiring."

"only……"

He pointed to the billowing black fog in the distance.

"These things, I'm afraid we can't kill them all, can we?"

The old ancestor nodded, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

"Prime Minister Gu has a discerning eye."

"The revival of the sacred tree is an act of defying fate."

"The demons in this land forsaken by the gods are born from the resentment of those abandoned by heaven and earth, and are the most greedy of all."

"Now that they have smelled life, they will not give up easily."

"Although I can suppress them for a time, I cannot suppress them forever."

"Besides..."

The old ancestor glanced at Gu Xiang.

"My lifespan is running out. If I continue to waste it like this, I'm afraid I won't last much longer."

Gu Xiang fell silent.

He understood what his ancestor meant.

The Mountain Moving Sect couldn't protect this tree.

Or rather, the Mountain Moving Sect alone cannot hold out.

Su Qing stood to the side and sneered.

"If you can't hold it, then don't hold it."

"Uproot the tree and take it back to Shendu."

The old ancestor's bitter smile deepened.

"Your Majesty is joking."

"The sacred tree is rooted here and connected to the earth's veins. If it is forcibly uprooted, not only will the sacred tree die, but the earth's veins within a radius of ten thousand miles will also collapse."

"At that time, the evil aura of this Forsaken Land will be unrestrained and will surely sweep across the entire Eastern Continent."

"That was true devastation."

Su Qing frowned.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"I can't just stay in this lousy place forever, can I?"

The old ancestor didn't speak, he just looked at Gu Xiang.

He is waiting for Gu Xiang to make a statement.

Gu Xiang was the prime minister of the current dynasty.

He represents not only himself, but the entire Zhou Dynasty.

Gu Xiang pondered for a moment.

He turned around, looking at the devastated battlefield and then at the exhausted disciples of the Mountain Moving Sect.

"Ancestor."

Gu Xiang spoke up.

"What would happen if these demons were allowed to break out of the land forsaken by the gods?"

The ancestor thought about it.

"The Forsaken Land is located in the northern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"If the demons break out, the three northern states will be the first to be hit."

"There are millions of people there."

"If no one stops them, the three northern states will become a dead zone within three days."

"At that time, demons will march south and threaten the capital."

Gu Xiang nodded.

"That means this is not just a matter for the Mountain Moving Sect, but also a matter for the Great Zhou Dynasty."

The ancestor bowed deeply.

"Exactly."

Gu Xiang took a deep breath.

The scholarly air about him dissipated, replaced by the dignified presence of someone who had long held a high position.

That was the demeanor of a prime minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"In that case, let's fight."

Gu Xiang said.

"If the Mountain Moving Sect can't hold it, the Great Zhou will."

"I will write a letter and send it back to the capital."

"Your Majesty, please deploy 300,000 troops from the northern border to guard the outskirts of the Forsaken Lands."

"We will dispatch another hundred astronomers from the Imperial Observatory to assist your clan in repairing the great formation."

"in addition……"

Gu Xiang glanced at Liu Qingshan.

"I will have the Ministry of Revenue allocate three million taels of silver and one hundred thousand shi of grain to be sent to the Mountain Moving Sect."

"As military supplies."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingshan abruptly raised his head.

He looked at Gu Xiang, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Previously, Gu Xiang even tried to cut off their food supply, forcing them into a corner.

Now, they want to send money and food?

Gu Xiang seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled faintly.

"Elder Liu, there's no need to be surprised."

"The reason we ran out of food before was because you stole my things."

"That's a personal grudge."

"We are sending grain now because you are guarding the gates of the Great Zhou."

"This is justice."

"Although Gu is not a good person, he can still distinguish between public and private matters."

Liu Qingshan opened his mouth, but said nothing.

He felt a burning pain on his face.

ashamed.

It's difficult.

He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed deeply to Gu Xiang.

"Prime Minister Gu... your righteousness is truly admirable!"

"The entire Mountain Moving Sect is ready to obey Prime Minister Gu's orders!"

"We swear to defend the sacred tree to the death!"

"We swear to defend the Great Zhou to the death!"

The disciples of the Moving Mountain Sect behind him also knelt down in unison.

The sound shook the heavens.

Gu Xiang accepted the greeting.

He turned to look at Su Qing.

Su Qing was looking at him, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

This man.

When he gets serious, he's actually quite pleasing to the eye.

"What are you looking at?"

Gu Xiang noticed her gaze and asked with a smile.

Su Qing snorted and turned her head away.

"You look stupid."

"So much money, just given away like that."

"spendthrift."

Gu Xiang smiled and reached out to take her hand.

"Money can be earned back."

"If you lose your home, you lose everything."

Su Qing's body stiffened.

She didn't break free, but instead gripped his hand tightly in return.

Their fingers are intertwined.

The old ancestor looked at this scene with a gratified smile.

he knows.

The heavens of this land forsaken by God are about to change.

With the intervention of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the schemes of this Prime Minister Gu,

The Mountain Moving Sect may truly be able to usher in a new era.

"Prime Minister Gu."

The ancestor spoke first.

"In that case, please move to the main hall, Your Excellency, to discuss the specifics."

Gu Xiang nodded.

"it is good."

He led Su Qing by the hand and walked towards the main hall.

The two walked very slowly.

Because of that damn ten-meter limit, they have to keep in step.

But this doesn't affect the fact that their backs look harmonious.

They were like a perfect couple.

Walking on this blood-soaked battlefield.

Yet, it evoked a sense of tranquility and peace.

The wind blew by.

It stirred up the stench of blood on the ground, and also stirred up the vitality emanating from the sacred tree.

Death and life.

At this moment, they are intertwined.