Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Inside the seventh courtyard of Yunqi Garden, a spiritual spring gurgled, its light shimmering. The array set up by Zhao Qingyan quietly activated, protecting this small piece of land from the Southern Region.

In the quiet room, Shen Mo's aura grew increasingly deep and refined, like a piece of refined iron thrown into a furnace, undergoing final forging and polishing in the stillness before a storm.

We await tomorrow, or rather, we await the ringing of the conference bell.

At dawn, Shen Mo awoke from his meditation. His body was enveloped in harmonious energy, and his nascent soul, nourished by the rich spiritual energy, had become even more solid. The fear he had felt the previous night when his divine sense probed the abyss had been completely suppressed, and his Dao heart had returned to clarity.

He pushed open the door, and the soft, constant sunlight of the sky filled the courtyard. Inside, everyone had already gotten up.

Shi Tie and Wang Hu were practicing in a corner, their axe-wielding movements drawing the attention of A Tu, who squatted down to watch, sometimes scratching his head, sometimes looking on in a daze.

Li Xiaocao was by the spiritual spring, guarding a small alchemy furnace. The fire (simulated by an array) beneath the furnace was stable, and she was carefully putting in several prepared medicinal herbs, her expression focused.

Zhao Qingyan sat at the stone table, with several jade slips and a simple hand-drawn array diagram spread out in front of her. She was using her finger as a brush to draw and deduce the array in the air.

Su Xiao was nowhere to be seen, but Shen Mo could sense that her divine sense, like the finest spider web, quietly covered every inch of the thirty-foot-wide space around the courtyard, monitoring everything.

Upon seeing Shen Mo emerge, everyone stopped and bowed in greeting.

"Get ready," Shen Mo said, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "At 3:45 AM, I'll be heading to Liuhuo Courtyard in the south of the city for our appointment. Qingyan, Su Xiao, you're in charge of the courtyard and the outside area."

"Shi Tie, Wang Hu, A Tu, Xiao Cao, you can walk around the nearby streets today to familiarize yourselves with the environment, but do not go to secluded places, do not get into conflicts with people, and you must return before noon."

"If anything goes wrong, immediately crush the teleportation talisman I gave you, or send a warning through the Cloud Nest Token."

"Yes, Sect Leader!" the crowd replied in unison.

Shi Tie rubbed his hands together and grinned, "Don't worry, Sect Leader. Hu Zi and I will just take A Tu and Xiao Cao for a stroll around the neighborhood and see what kind of oddities Tianyuan's shops sell. We definitely won't cause you any trouble!"

Wang Hu nodded steadily, indicating that he would keep an eye on Shi Tie. Li Xiaocao and A Tu also repeatedly assured him.

At the beginning of the Si hour, Shen Mo changed into a clean blue Taoist robe, his hair neatly styled, and left Yunqi Garden alone.

He did not use any escape techniques, but instead walked slowly along the familiar path from yesterday towards the Liuhuo Academy in the south of the city.

Along the way, he could still feel the gazes, some overt and some covert, but he remained calm and walked with ease, as if he were just going to an ordinary tea party.

Liuhuoyuan is located in an area slightly above the middle level of Tianyuan, and its architectural style is significantly more grand and luxurious than that of Yunqiyuan.

The courtyard walls are towering, built with crimson fire-patterned spirit bricks, and from a distance, one can feel a warm aura emanating from them.

At the entrance of the courtyard, two disciples dressed in the crimson robes of the Blazing Sun Sect, both at the late Foundation Establishment stage, stood solemnly. Upon seeing Shen Mo approach, one of them stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Are you Sect Leader Shen of the Azure Cloud Sect? Senior Brother Yan Lie has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me."

The attitude was respectful and the etiquette was impeccable.

Shen Mo nodded slightly and followed the disciple into Liuhuo Courtyard. The courtyard was a completely different world, several times larger than Yunxi Garden.

In the center of the courtyard, instead of a spiritual spring, there was a crimson lava pool. The lava in the pool slowly churned, emitting pure and violent fire elemental power, but it was firmly bound within by a precise array around the pool, only emitting a comfortable warmth.

Several strange trees, entirely crimson and shaped like coral, grew by the pond, their branches and leaves flickering with sparks. The air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur and a peculiar fragrance.

The disciple leading the way brought Shen Mo to an open pavilion by a pond deep in the courtyard. The pavilion had warm jade steps, a thick velvet carpet, and simple yet exquisite furnishings.

Yan Lie was already waiting in the pavilion. Today, he had changed into a dark red brocade robe embroidered with gold patterns, which made his handsome face and imposing manner even more striking.

Upon seeing Shen Mo, he immediately stood up, a warm smile on his face, and quickly came to greet him.

"Brother Shen! We've been waiting for you! Please take a seat!" Yan Lie personally led Shen Mo to the host and guest seats before taking his own seat in the head seat.

Immediately, a maidservant served the spirit tea. The tea soup was amber in color, and as the steam rose, there were faint traces of crimson clouds. The aroma of the tea carried a burning sensation, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary tea.

"Fellow Daoist Yan Lie, you're too kind." Shen Mo bowed in thanks, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip. As the tea entered his throat, a pure, gentle yet powerful fire elemental energy spread, warming his entire body and invigorating his spirit. "Excellent tea."

"This is 'Crimson Glow Flowing Fire,' a specialty of our Blazing Sun Sect. It grows in the eye of the earth's fire vein and can only be harvested once every three hundred years. It is of great benefit to fire cultivators. Although Brother Shen does not specialize in fire magic, this tea is also a fine choice for nourishing the meridians and removing impurities."

Yan Lie laughed, took a sip himself, put down his teacup, and looked at Shen Mo, praising, "It's been over a month since I last saw you, Brother Shen, your demeanor is even more impressive than before. The Nascent Soul realm is indeed profound and extraordinary, truly captivating."

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I was merely fortunate to have arrived first." Shen Mo put down his teacup, his expression calm. "As for you, Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is progressing more and more rapidly, and your fire techniques are becoming increasingly refined. You're probably only a hair's breadth away from achieving the Golden Core stage, aren't you?"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the conversation gradually got back on track.

"Brother Shen, you've led the talents of Qingyun Sect to this conference with great determination," Yan Lie said casually. "I've heard that your disciples have shown their brilliance in Wanfa City. Even the people from Xingluo Sect are taking notice of that Miss Zhao's understanding of formations."

"The bravery of Brother Shi Tie and the composure of Brother Wang Hu are both rare qualities. With Brother Shen in charge, Qingyun Sect is sure to make a name for itself this time."

"The disciples here are unruly and have only come out to broaden their horizons. How can they be so determined to win?" Shen Mo shook his head. "On the other hand, the Blazing Sun Sect has a deep foundation and is probably aiming for a higher ranking this time. Fellow Daoist, you bear the high expectations of your sect and are under considerable pressure."

"Of course there's pressure," Yan Lie sighed, his tone becoming more sincere. "To be honest, Brother Shen, this tournament is teeming with powerful figures. The three holy lands go without saying, but even the Heavenly Sword Sect, Divine Weapon Valley, and Beast Taming Mountain are all eyeing it covetously."

"Although my Blazing Sun Sect has some reputation, we still need to be careful. Especially... certain forces, who are used to using underhanded methods."

He paused, then looked at Shen Mo, his gaze pointed: "For example, the Heavenly Sword Sect seems to have some minor grudge against Brother Shen? They've been spreading rumors on Suspended Mountain; is Brother Shen aware of this?"

"I've heard a little about it." Shen Mo's expression remained unchanged. "A clown jumping around, only good for making people laugh."

"Brother Shen is magnanimous," Yan Lie praised, then lowered his voice, "However, Ling Wufeng of the Heavenly Sword Sect is not someone to be trifled with. This man's swordsmanship is unorthodox, his nature is ruthless, and he is vindictive."

"Brother Shen, you still need to be careful. Speaking of which, our sect and the Qingyun Sect did have some 'cooperation' in the matter of the Burial Valley of Souls in the Northern Desert, fighting against evil together."

"In Tianyuan, we fellow cultivators from the Southern Region should support each other even more. If you encounter any difficulties, Brother Shen, please don't hesitate to ask. As long as it is within my power, I, Yan Lie, will not refuse."

These are nice words, describing the individual battles on the outskirts of Burial Valley as "cooperation," and emphasizing "fellow practitioners in the Southern Region" and "mutual support," but the substantive promise is simply "to do what we can."

Shen Mo understood, but showed appropriate gratitude on his face: "I will remember your kindness, fellow Daoist. My Qingyun Sect is new here, and if there is anything I do not understand, I will have to trouble you."

"As for cooperation... mutual assistance is only right and proper. However, the specific details will depend on the arrangements of the conference and the circumstances, and it is not advisable to make a decision too early."

He neither rejected the other party's "goodwill" nor responded to the topic of "alliance" or "shared interests," but simply defined the relationship as "mutual support" at a vague and broad level.

A glint flashed in Yan Lie's eyes, and he laughed heartily: "Brother Shen is right! I was too impatient. Come, have some tea! Brother Shen, try this 'Fire Jade Pastry,' made from spirit grains baked with earth fire; it has a unique flavor."

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