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

Ye Qingfeng stopped looking at the remains of the Corpse King, turned around, and calmly said to Chi Yangzi, who was still immersed in boundless shock:

"This matter is settled. The source of evil has been eliminated, and the yin energy of the earth's veins will gradually subside. As for the remaining details, I will trouble you and the Zhou family to handle them."

Having said that, he swayed his blue robe slightly, walked with unhurried steps, and drifted away into the gradually clearing night outside the cave.

As Chi Yangzi watched the figure disappear into the halo of light at the cave entrance, a thousand emotions and countless questions welled up in his heart.

What he saw tonight far exceeded his imagination during his decades of spiritual practice.

That ability to summon a sword that could quell a region's stagnation with a wave of the hand, and to cleanse demons with overwhelming power... this is no ordinary cultivator! He is clearly a terrestrial immortal playing in the mortal world!

He felt both boundless admiration for the man's noble character and an urgent reluctance to let their connection end there. Seeing Ye Qingfeng about to leave, he instinctively took half a step forward and blurted out:

"Senior! Please wait!"

Ye Qingfeng stopped at the intersection of light and shadow at the cave entrance. He didn't turn around, but simply turned to the side, the moonlight outlining half of his calm profile.

Chi Yangzi stepped forward quickly, bowed deeply to the ground, and spoke earnestly.

"Senior vanquished the Corpse King, saved us from danger, and ensured the peace of this place. The people of Chiyang and Heishan Town will never forget this kindness and virtue!"

I am aware of my limited knowledge and dare not ask for more. I only humbly request that you leave behind your honorific title and the name of this sacred mountain and blessed land.

If the opportunity arises in the future, I will certainly burn incense and pay my respects to express my gratitude to my predecessors! I also hope that the people here who have benefited will know from whom this manifestation of divine compassion came!

His words came from the bottom of his heart. Firstly, he was genuinely grateful and respectful, and secondly, he harbored a sliver of hope that if he could find out the origin of the master, there might still be a glimmer of opportunity in the future.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingfeng turned around slightly, a faint smile on his face.

The moonlight shone on him, as if draping him in a hazy halo.

He glanced at Chi Yangzi, his gaze clear, without arrogance or any hint of expecting something in return.

He spoke calmly, his voice not loud, yet it clearly reached Chi Yangzi's ears:

"For those who live outside the secular world, a little trouble is nothing to worry about."

He paused, as if considering his words, or perhaps mentioning them casually, before continuing:

"If you insist on asking, I am Qingweizi of Biyou Palace."

Biyou Palace Qingweizi.

Six words, spoken calmly and casually, sent a jolt through Chi Yangzi's mind.

"Biyou Palace"?

He quickly searched his memory for all the famous Taoist mountains, blessed lands, and illustrious sects he knew of...

Longhu Mountain, Maoshan Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, Zhongnan Mountain, Kunlun Ruins, Penglai Island...

Even some secret ancient religious traditions have no recollection of this "Biyou Palace".

The name sounds ancient and imposing, definitely not the name of an ordinary mountain Taoist temple.

But why have I never heard of it?

Is it too secretive and unknown to others?

Or... was it just something the senior casually mentioned, and he didn't want to reveal his true background?

Chi Yangzi dared not delve deeper, much less question. He quickly bowed again.

"So it's Senior Qingwei of Biyou Palace! This junior, Chiyang, is truly honored to have the pleasure of witnessing your divine countenance and extraordinary abilities today! I will forever remember your teachings!"

Ye Qingfeng nodded slightly, said no more, turned around and stepped out of the cave.

A night breeze blew, and his figure swayed slightly in the moonlight before fading away like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace.

Chi Yangzi stood alone at the cave entrance, gazing at the empty night and the sleeping Black Mountain Town in the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

The night breeze ruffled his slightly disheveled Taoist robe, and also stirred his turbulent emotions.

"Biyou Palace... Qingwei..."

He repeated the two names softly, engraving them deeply in his heart.

......

After leaving the Wild Boar Forest, it grew increasingly dark.

It was pitch black; if Ye Qingfeng hadn't possessed cultivation, he probably wouldn't have been able to see the road at all.

Ye Qingfeng descended the mountain path he had come from.

The ability to shrink the earth to an inch, while somewhat casual, allows one to take a single step that can cover tens of feet.

When he reached an open area, he suddenly stopped.

The sight before him caused his pupils to shrink slightly.

In the middle of the mountain path, on a three-foot square blue stone, a jade carving is placed neatly.

The jade carving is about the size of a palm, with a smooth, lustrous white color and exquisite craftsmanship.

It was a human figure sitting cross-legged, its face blurred, yet it possessed a profound and mysterious Taoist charm.

Three inches around the jade carving, nine light beads the size of pigeon eggs floated, slowly rotating and emitting a soft white light.

In the white light, one could vaguely see the phantoms of dragons and phoenixes dancing, the phantom of golden lotuses blooming, and the faint sound of celestial music.

The strange phenomenon lasted for about three breaths before subsiding, leaving only the jade carving lying quietly on the bluestone, gleaming with a warm luster in the darkness.

Is this some kind of extraordinary encounter?

Ye Qingfeng stood still, without moving.

In his previous life, he was an avid reader of online novels and had read no fewer than a hundred cultivation novels.

Regarding the patterns of "serendipitous encounters," he summarized several rules:

First, true opportunities are often accompanied by risks.

Second, an overly perfect "pie in the sky" is almost always a trap.

Third, Ye Qingfeng, in his previous life, never even won the "Win Another Bottle" prize.

"My luck..." he thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, "To stumble upon such a 'treasure fallen from the sky'?"

He didn't believe it.

Not only did he not believe it, he also became wary.

"The Corpse King just died, and this extraordinary treasure appears on my inevitable path?" He narrowed his eyes. "This coincidence is too deliberate."

He recalled the various tricks he had seen in his previous life.

The remnant soul of an old demon hides within a treasure, tempting people to recognize it as their master; an evil cultivator uses the treasure as bait to set up a killing formation; a powerful being tests the character of a younger generation...

"Could it be..." A thought flashed through my mind, "Did I kill the Corpse King and ruin someone's plans? Was this revenge? Or a test?"

He looked around.

The mountain path, the trees, the rocks, the sky... everything seemed normal.

But it was precisely this "normality" that made him feel even more uneasy.

It was so quiet, not even birds chirping or insects humming, as if the entire forest was holding its breath, waiting for his choice.

"Is he watching me?" Ye Qingfeng wondered to himself.

Although he didn't sense any spying, his intuition told him that there might be a pair of eyes watching his every move from the shadows.

"If it's a test..." His mind raced, "What kind of reaction does the other party want to see?"

"Protect the treasure, advance cautiously, retreat cautiously, or...?"

He suddenly had an idea.

Ye Qingfeng neither stepped forward to retrieve the treasure nor turned to leave.

He stood there, hands behind his back, looking calmly at the jade sculpture, as if it were not a rare treasure but an ordinary object.

Then he spoke.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar rhythm, echoing through the silent mountain forest:

"Now that you've arrived, why hide yourself?"

That's something you say to the air.

Ye Qingfeng had no idea whether anyone was watching him; he was just gambling.

The bet is that this "extraordinary treasure" was set up by someone, that the person who set it up was observing nearby, and that the other party would be affected by this statement.

Deep in the void.

One of the beings' blood-red eyes suddenly narrowed!

"He...discovered me?!"

The moment this thought arose, its mind trembled violently!

impossible!

He is hidden in the void, and cannot be discovered by anyone other than a powerful being of the same level as him.

But the other person's words were clearly spoken to the void! And their tone was so certain, as if they had truly seen it!

"Could it be... that he's concealing his cultivation level? Or has he cultivated some kind of supernatural power that allows him to see through illusions and perceive the truth?"

While the person was still in a state of surprise and uncertainty, Ye Qingfeng's second sentence came:

"Using treasure as a piece to test one's skills in chess, that's quite elegant."

"Unfortunately..."

He shook his head slightly, a hint of regret in his voice:

"Fellow player, you played white and went first, but you only dared to place stones on the edges and corners. You were hesitant and timid, which shows a lack of professionalism."

This is pure nonsense—Ye Qingfeng doesn't understand Go at all; he just watched a few Go-related anime in his previous life and remembered some pretentious lines.

But to the jade carving, it sounded like a thunderclap!

"He took Bao as his son... He really saw through this test!"

"He'll play white first... He knows I've made the first move?!"

"Hesitant and timid... Is he mocking me for only daring to make moves in this remote place?!"

Every word he uttered precisely struck at his psychological defenses!

"Who...who is he?!" The being in the void was terrified.

At that moment, Ye Qingfeng uttered the most crucial sentence:

"The Great Way is the board, and all living beings are the pieces."

"We're both caught up in this game... so why bother testing each other?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the mountain forest fell silent.

In the depths of the void, His mind went blank for a moment.

The Great Dao is the board, and all living beings are the pieces—the realm contained in these words far surpasses the understanding of ordinary practitioners!

This is truly the perspective of looking down on all living beings from a high vantage point!

And you and I are both in this game—this acknowledges the equal status of both sides!

It's not saying "I'm superior to you," but rather "We exist on the same level!"

The final line, "Why bother testing each other?" carries a sense of helplessness and tolerance for "knowingly committing a wrong."

It's as if elders are watching their juniors play tricks, finding it both laughable and too lazy to bother with it.

The one in the void suddenly fell silent.

At this time.

Ye Qingfeng was waiting for the other party's reaction.

Although he didn't know where the other person was or whether they would react.

Suddenly, a warm current surged within my body!

His cultivation level has increased! And it has increased dramatically!

The other party believed it!

If his cultivation period was one hundred years before, it has now instantly become five hundred years!

However, to Ye Qingfeng's astonishment, the entity behind this seemed to be an old codger!

Otherwise, it would be impossible to provide so much spiritual cultivation!

He immediately composed himself, his face remaining calm, even revealing a knowing smile that said, "I knew it."

He felt his cultivation growing within him, slowly raised his head, and looked at the seemingly empty void.

In reality, he just randomly chose a direction, but in that person's eyes, this scene became a "precise lock".

Ye Qingfeng was extremely lucky; the direction he randomly chose was precisely where the being was hiding.

"Since you don't believe me, fellow Daoist..." Ye Qingfeng continued his act, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment, as if he were a senior to a junior. "Then so be it."

He paused, then added:

"But don't make a mistake for yourself."

This statement was made casually, but it was in conjunction with the extraordinary phenomenon of his "increased spiritual cultivation" just now.

But it became the most powerful evidence—look, my cultivation level increased after I said a few words, do you still dare not believe that I am a great power?

Deep in the void.

That being was completely shaken.

He watched as Ye Qingfeng "casually" said a few words, and then his cultivation level increased.

Although the growth rate is not large, it is now being suppressed by the Heavenly Dao!

If he uses that kind of power, how long will it take him to recover!

"Is he... really giving me some pointers?"

"His words, 'Don't make a mistake,'... were he warning me not to continue testing him?"

"And that look in their eyes... they clearly locked onto my location!"

The more I think about it, the more terrified I become.

The being that had initially harbored seven parts doubt now only had three, but the other party's behavior was too bizarre for it to take the risk.

The suppression of Heaven's Dao has not been completely lifted yet. If he wanted to take action, it wouldn't be impossible, but it's not worth it.

Since the other party was able to discover him, they must be at least on the same level as him. Now, a great calamity is about to befall him.

He was unwilling to waste his strength here; after all, he was just a pawn, and once he was removed, he could be removed.

This wasn't the only backup plan he had prepared.

"Enough..." he sighed inwardly, "It's not wise to test them any further now."

He prepared to take back the jade carving and temporarily withdraw.

But at that moment, Ye Qingfeng spoke again.

Ye Qingfeng was unaware that the other party was already preparing to leave.

He felt that since the acting was going so well, he might as well add fuel to the fire.

So he straightened his robes, adopted a formal greeting posture, and addressed the void in a loud voice:

"This humble Taoist priest is from Qingwei Palace in Biyou."

"Our karmic connection ends here today. If we meet again someday..."

He paused, his tone softening:

"I hope you, my friend, will act accordingly."

After saying that, he turned and left.

With a single step, the distance between them shrinks to an inch, and his figure is already ten feet away.

A few more steps, and they disappeared into the depths of the mountains and forests.

They left decisively and without hesitation.

But what Ye Qingfeng didn't know was that right after he left...

Deep in the void.

The person who had just turned around suddenly froze.

"Biyou Palace... Qingwei..."

These two words exploded in its "mind" like a thunderclap!

Biyou Palace?!

Biyou Palace, the Daoist temple of the Sage Tongtian! The headquarters of the Jie Sect! The place where all immortals come to pay homage!

Although it is said that he did not gain any advantage in the previous few eras.

But it's definitely not someone like him, with no connections, that you can afford to mess with.

Moreover, who among those who can join Biyou Palace is weak?

"Is he... really a member of Biyou Palace?"

"No wonder he could see through my plan...no wonder his words became law...no wonder he..."

"I see... I see..."

The wind is strong, let's get out of here!

Upon reaching this conclusion, that person completely abandoned the idea of ​​continuing to probe.

He disappeared directly into the deeper void.

They were too lazy to even pick up the jade carvings, wishing they had two more legs!

He made up his mind that he didn't want the layout of this place!

As for whether the other party was an imposter, he didn't think so.

A sage can control cause and effect, and with a single thought, he can influence the entire world.

If it were a false name, it would have been discovered by the sage long ago, and even the true spirit would have been annihilated.

Even under the suppression of the Heavenly Dao!

……

The mountains and forests have returned to peace.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Ye Qingfeng walked for dozens of miles without stopping.

joke!

The existence that can orchestrate such events is not someone he can afford to offend right now!

"Qingwei of Biyou Palace..." He savored the name he had just given, "I was so good at putting on an act that I almost believed it myself."

He felt his cultivation level increasing within him and was in a great mood.

Although he didn't know who the "old coin" in the shadows was, the other party was clearly intimidated by him and even "gifted" him a wave of cultivation.