Fantasy: I, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Dao

The once bustling and noisy city of Yuzhou is now deserted, replaced by a suffocating sense of oppression and deathly silence.

Blackened marks were visible in many parts of the city, the streets and alleys were deserted, and the few pedestrians who did pass by looked anxious and hurried past.

Groups of disciples dressed in Shushan Taoist robes.

Some patrolled low in the air on their swords, while others formed formations to defend key areas; everyone's expression was solemn.

Li Xiaoyao, with his sharp eyes, spotted Xu Changqing patrolling a main road below with several disciples.

He immediately stopped the sword flash and shouted, "Senior Brother Xu!"

Upon hearing the sound, Xu Changqing looked up, his previously furrowed brows immediately relaxing, and a genuine smile appeared on his face:

"Junior Brother Xiaoyao! Senior Brother Qi, Senior Brother Lin, Miss Ling'er, you've arrived!"

The camaraderie forged during the fierce battles against the beast tide outside Incense Valley back then is especially precious now.

The two sides quickly met up, exchanged a few pleasantries, and Xu Changqing got straight to the point, his expression turning serious again:

"You've come at the right time. This scourge of poison is more troublesome than we anticipated."

He led the group away from the main streets, speaking in a low voice as they walked.

"The poisonous man appears to move slowly, but he is incredibly strong and his body is covered in poison, making him difficult to harm with ordinary swords and knives."

Even if you use sword energy and magic to destroy its body, the poisonous blood and flesh will splatter, and if you are not careful, you will still be at risk of getting infected.

What's even more troublesome is that its virus is highly contagious.

If the injured are not treated promptly with my Shu Mountain secret techniques combined with precious elixirs, they will inevitably mutate within a few hours.

Qi Hao asked calmly, "Junior Brother Xu, have you found out the source?"

Where did the "poisonous people" first appear? What common characteristics do they share?

Xu Changqing nodded and pointed west of the city:

"According to the investigation over the past few days, the first few cases were all related to villages and warehouses on the outskirts of 'Tangjiabao'."

Moreover, we discovered some victims who were not completely alienated or who still retained some of their consciousness.

During moments of madness, he would unconsciously murmur fragmented phrases such as "sugar...sweet..." or "purple...mist".

In the region of Yuzhou, if Tangjiabao claims to be second in the use of poison, no one dares to claim to be first.

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Jingyu's eyes: "The Tang Clan? Why would they create such a terrifying thing? Aren't they cutting themselves off from the world?"

Xu Changqing shook his head with a wry smile: "That is precisely the point of suspicion."

Tang Kun, the current lord of Tangjiabao, has a decent reputation in the martial arts world of Yuzhou and is not a particularly wicked person.

Moreover, the scourge of the poisoners spread, and Tangjiabao itself suffered losses, with disciples and servants also being harmed.

We sent visiting cards to pay our respects several times, but although Lord Tang was very polite, he always used the excuse that "his family has suffered misfortune and is under strict investigation."

They politely declined our request for further investigation, only promising to expedite the development of an antidote.

Li Xiaoyao stroked his chin: "It sounds like Tang Family Fortress is in a mess themselves."

Could it be that there's a problem within their organization, like... someone's sabotaging things behind their backs and creating something uncontrollable?

Zhao Ling'er added softly, her voice ethereal: "Ling'er senses the toxins permeating the city."

It was not a single inanimate object; it seemed to contain an extremely faint yet resentful and unwilling fluctuation.

It's like the remnants of some kind of living being's essence that was forcibly distorted and corrupted, then dissipated.

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

If the poisoner is involved in evil soul-refining techniques, then the nature of the crime is even more heinous.

Xu Changqing said, "In any case, Tangjiabao is the biggest suspect and the most important clue."

Today is just the right day. Lord Tang has finally relented and allowed me to send several people from Shu Mountain to the fortress to assist in the investigation. I am about to head there.

"If all of you fellow disciples go together, it will be a great help, and we'll have more eyes to look at things."

With the plan settled, the group headed towards Tangjiabao under Xu Changqing's leadership.

……

Just as Li Xiaoyao and his group were conducting an in-depth investigation in Yuzhou.

On the Tongtian Peak of Qingyun Mountain, Dao Xuan Zhenren's mind was not completely relaxed.

While the matter of the poisoner was of utmost importance, his conversation with Dugu Yuyun stirred up deeper thoughts within him.

"Tang Xuejian... was transformed from the fruit of the divine tree by Xi Yao..."

Dao Xuan paced back and forth in the quiet room, fragments of memories churning in his mind.

"The Divine Tree is the foundation of the Heavenly Realm. Did Xi Yao's actions have the tacit approval of the Heavenly Emperor, or did she act on her own?"

The six realms have been separated for a long time, and the passage between the heavens and the human world should have been closed and severed long ago. How did she manage to deliver the fruit to the human world?

Unless… the celestial realm isn't entirely incapable of monitoring the mortal world, or there are hidden nodes on Earth that connect to the celestial realm but are unknown to us?

As soon as this thought arose, Dao Xuan suddenly thought of another crucial matter.

His expression instantly turned extremely serious.

"The Evil Sword Immortal! That extremely evil energy within the Demon-Sealing Tower that absorbs the evil thoughts of mortals!"

To completely purify and eliminate it, only the purest and cleanest water from the Heavenly Pool in the celestial realm will suffice!

He immediately took out the Spirit Communication Pearl again and contacted Dugu Yuyun.

In the shimmering, pearly light, Dugu Yuyun's face seemed even more weary than before.

When Dao Xuan directly asked about the method to eliminate the evil energy of the Demon-Locking Tower.

Dugu Yuyun's body trembled slightly, and after a long silence, he finally let out a long sigh:

"Since you have asked, I dare not hide it from you."

According to the secret records of successive sect leaders, such things, which gather all the evil thoughts of the world, cannot be completely eradicated by ordinary means.

Only by using the purest and cleanest force to rinse and wash can there be a sliver of hope.

Of the six realms, only the Heavenly Pool in the Celestial Realm, formed from the pure energy condensed at the beginning of time, possesses such purifying power.

Sure enough!

Dao Xuan's last shred of hope vanished. He pressed on with a deep voice, asking the most crucial question:

"However, with the six realms separated and the path between heaven and man severed, how can one ascend to the heavens again and borrow the Heavenly Pool?"

Dugu Yuyun's image seemed to flicker, and his voice lowered, filled with endless worry:

"At the summit of the main peak of Mount Shu, there is actually a broken ancient formation passed down from ancient times, called the 'Six Realms Gathering Formation'."

If this formation is activated to its limit with immense magical power...

Theoretically... it is possible to temporarily and forcibly weaken or bring closer the barriers between the six realms that have become estranged due to separation, and even open temporary passages.

"but!"

His tone suddenly became agitated.

"A true man should know that this is a double-edged sword!"

The realms of demons, monsters, and ghosts have long coveted the human world, which is relatively resource-poor but teeming with life.

Once the barriers loosen and the passage becomes visible, how could they possibly let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

When the Three Realms invade, the human world will inevitably become a battlefield of carnage!

A thousand years ago, a mere demon king from the demon realm led his troops in an invasion, and the human world was already stained with blood.

If the three realms were to arrive together now… this humble Taoist priest truly dares not imagine such a tragic scene.”

Dao Xuan remained silent, sensing the heavy despair and dilemma in Dugu Yuyun's words.

If the formation is not activated, the Evil Sword Immortal will eventually break out of the tower and wreak even more havoc.

Activating the formation could bring about an even more terrifying catastrophe.

"How long can the Demon-Sealing Tower suppress that evil energy now?" Dao Xuan asked the most practical question.