My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

The inn where corpses are transported is so quiet you can hear your own heartbeat.

The golden flames were still burning, the flames flickering gently, warming the whole room.

The three ancient corpses had been burned to nothing but a few charred bones, occasionally emitting faint crackling sounds that were particularly clear in the quiet night.

Lu Yang leaned against the wall, holding the azure flying sword in his arms, his head tilted to one side, fast asleep.

A trace of drool clung to the corner of his mouth, and he smacked his lips every now and then, probably dreaming of eating something delicious.

Shen Zhaoyue leaned against the other pillar, holding the knife, with her eyes closed.

Her breathing was long and steady, and she looked as if she were asleep.

But her hand still gripped the hilt of the knife, her knuckles slightly white—a habit formed from years of martial arts training, one that she would never loosen even in her sleep.

Only Miao Gui was still awake.

He huddled in the corner, his eyes fixed on the direction of the door.

There was no sound outside.

The rain had long since stopped, the wind had stopped, and even the chirping of insects and birds could no longer be heard.

The whole world was as quiet as a giant tomb.

Miao Gui swallowed hard and hugged the lamp even tighter.

How long has that Taoist priest been gone?

He couldn't figure it out.

One hour? Two hours? Or longer?

he does not know.

All he knew was that after that golden light, there was no further movement.

That golden light… In his eighteen years of life, he had never seen such a bright light. For a moment, he thought the sky was about to fall.

But that Taoist priest still hasn't returned.

Miao Gui was feeling very uneasy.

He wanted to go out and see, but he didn't dare.

In the night in these mountains, who dares to wander around?

He wanted to ask the female constable, but she kept her eyes closed, and he didn't know if she was asleep or resting.

He tried to wake the kid surnamed Lü, but the kid was sleeping like a log, snoring loudly.

Never mind, let's just wait.

Miao Gui sighed and continued to stare at the doorway.

A stick of incense.

Two incense sticks.

Three sticks of incense.

His eyelids started to droop.

He rubbed his eyes hard, pinched himself, and continued staring.

But the door remained unmoved.

Miao Gui's heart began to pound.

Could something have really happened to that Taoist priest?

That evil earth god is an ancient monster that's hundreds of years old, and that temple is its divine domain...

But that kid said that even if the sky fell, the Taoist priest would be fine.

What makes that kid so sure?

Miao Gui couldn't understand it.

He stared at the door for a while longer, then finally couldn't resist turning back to see the boy sleeping like a log.

Then he froze.

In the corner, a gray-blue figure had been sitting there for some time.

He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, breathing steadily, as if meditating or sleeping.

Moonlight streamed through the dilapidated roof, illuminating him and revealing his serene face.

Miao Gui's mouth was wide open, big enough to fit an egg.

He turned around abruptly and looked towards the doorway.

The door was still closed, exactly the same as when he had been staring at it.

He looked back at that corner again.

The Taoist priest just sat there.

When did you get back?

How did you get back?

He swore he'd been staring at the doorway the whole time, without blinking. He could have seen even a mosquito fly in, let alone a person.

But this Taoist priest just appeared out of nowhere?

Miao Gui rubbed his eyes and looked at them carefully again.

Yes, it's that Taoist priest.

He wore a gray-blue Taoist robe, had a young face, closed his eyes, and remained motionless.

Miao Gui was stunned for a long while, then let out a long breath.

He wiped the cold sweat that had appeared on his forehead without him noticing, leaned against the wall, and slowly slid down to sit.

Appearing and disappearing unpredictably.

They really appear and disappear without a trace.

He glanced at the Taoist priest, then at Lü Yang who was sleeping like a log, and then at Shen Zhaoyue who kept her eyes closed. Suddenly, he realized that all his worries that night had been completely unnecessary.

The Taoist priest's skills are beyond his comprehension.

I was worried something might happen to them...

Miao Gui gave a bitter smile, placed the corpse oil lamp beside him, and finally closed his eyes.

That damned local deity is probably already dead.

Forget it, I don't want to.

go to bed.

He yawned, curled up, and quickly fell asleep.

......

Its daybreak.

Sunlight streamed through the dilapidated windowpanes, casting dappled shadows on the inn's floor. The golden flames had died down, leaving only a few charred bones lying silently in the ashes.

Lu Yang opened his eyes and yawned.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around—Shen Zhaoyue was leaning against the wall, already awake, and staring blankly at the knife.

Miao Gui huddled in the corner, clutching the corpse oil lamp, still fast asleep.

At the entrance, a figure in a grayish-blue color stood with his hands behind his back.

The sunlight shone on him, gilding him with a faint golden edge.

Lu Yang was stunned.

He got up, walked to the figure, and cautiously called out:

"A Celestial Master?"

Ye Qingfeng turned around and glanced at him.

His gaze was calm and still, exactly the same as before.

But Lü Yang felt that something was wrong.

He scratched his head, circled Ye Qingfeng twice, looked him up and down several times, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

Ye Qingfeng looked at him like this, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly:

"What's wrong?"

Lü Yang scratched his head again:

"Immortal Master, why do I feel... that you seem a little different?"

Ye Qingfeng:

"What's different?"

After thinking for a long time, Lü Yang finally managed to utter a sentence:

"I can't quite put my finger on it... I just felt that when I talked to you before, although you were very capable, you were at least from the same world as me. Now..."

He glanced at Ye Qingfeng again and said cautiously:

"I feel like you're drifting further and further away from me. Your demeanor is completely out of sync with mine."

Ye Qingfeng didn't speak, he just looked at him.

Lu Yang felt uneasy under his gaze and quickly added:

"I'm not saying you're bad! It's just... it's just that I feel you seem to be more... more..."

He talked for a long time, but couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.

Just then, Miao Gui's voice came from behind:

"You have absolutely no connection to immortal masters, okay? Stop trying to make yourself look good."

When Lü Yang turned around, he saw that Miao Gui had woken up at some point and was holding the corpse oil lamp, looking at him with a mocking expression.

Lü Yang immediately bristled:

"What did you say?!"

Miao Gui rolled his eyes:

"I'm telling the truth. You're just a mortal; who are immortal masters? Why do you insist on comparing yourself to them? Aren't you just making a fool of yourself?"

Lu Yang was so angry that his face turned red:

"you--"

Ye Qingfeng waved his hand.

The two immediately shut up.

Ye Qingfeng glanced at the sky outside and said calmly:

"Let's go."

The group packed their things and left the inn.

The sunlight felt warm and cozy on my skin.

After a night of rain, the air was exceptionally fresh, carrying the scent of earth and grass.

Lu Yang took a deep breath and felt completely comfortable.

Miao Gui glanced back at the dilapidated wooden building and was about to follow when he saw Ye Qingfeng suddenly stop.

He turned around and faced the inn.