Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Next comes the "story" itself. It needs to be plausible and convincing, yet also impactful enough!

He began rapidly piecing together fragments of known information in his mind: True Man Liuyun (water attribute, Golden Core stage, enjoys traveling)... Starlight Sword Immortal (an ancient sword immortal, skilled in drawing upon stellar power, records are scarce)... Ancestor Qingyun (mysterious and unpredictable, incomplete lineage)... Meteor Shower (a rare celestial phenomenon, surging stellar power)...

"I've got it!" A sharp glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes.

One could fabricate this story: In ancient times, the Starshine Sword Immortal and the Flowing Cloud True Man were close friends. The Starshine Sword Immortal once discussed the Dao with the Flowing Cloud True Man in this place, and left behind an imprint of a peerless sword move that could draw upon the power of the stars, which he gifted to his friend for study.

The founder of the Qingyun Sect, Qingyunzi, happened to be traveling here when he encountered two seniors discussing the Dao. He was fortunate enough to be given a trace of the true meaning of sword techniques (or a token that records this event - this dark-patterned stone), and through this he comprehended part of the essence of the "Qingyun Qi Refining Technique"!

Therefore, the Qingyun Sect's martial arts techniques are in harmony with the wonders of the stars' movement! Today, the Water Palace opens, coinciding with the celestial phenomenon of stars falling like rain. This is the moment when the true meaning of the sword techniques left by the founder resonates with the power of heaven and earth, and reappears in the world!

As disciples of the Qingyun Sect, inheritors of our ancestral lineage, we may be able to seize this opportunity at this special time and place!

This story cleverly connects the Qingyun Sect, the Liuyun Water Mansion, and the meteor shower phenomenon!

It not only elevated the Qingyun Sect's status (by associating it with ancient sword immortals), but also explained why the opportunity fell on these "small fish" (the legacy of their ancestor), and borrowed the fame of the Liuyun Water Mansion and the shocking effect of the starfall phenomenon!

Perfect! Absolutely perfect!

Of course, to make this story seem real, it also requires careful "acting" and some necessary "special effects".

Shen Mo began to carefully analyze the details of the "performance": time (midnight tomorrow, which is early morning tonight), location (a cliff where the meteor shower can be clearly observed, relatively hidden, but still vaguely visible to other forces), personnel (the five of them), props (dark-patterned stones, and perhaps Zhao Qingyan will need to set up an extremely simple guiding array that can amplify the fluctuations of star power)...

Every step must be flawless! There can be no mistakes whatsoever!

Time passed second by second. The sounds of fighting in the distance gradually subsided, as if the four major sects had reached some kind of temporary balance, or perhaps the casualties were too great and they had temporarily ceased hostilities.

The dark entrance to the Water Palace still exudes an alluring yet dangerous aura, but at this moment, no one dares to approach it easily.

Night gradually fell.

Shen Mo finally opened his eyes, a glint of excitement, tension, and determination flashing within them. The plan was complete!

He stood up and walked to the four disciples who were sitting together.

"Gentlemen," Shen Mo's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power, "I have a plan. A plan... that might allow my Qingyun Sect to make a name for itself."

Upon hearing this, the four immediately raised their heads, their gazes all focusing on Shen Mo's face. They saw an unprecedented brilliance and determination in their sect leader's eyes.

"But this plan is extremely risky," Shen Mo admitted frankly. "It requires your unconditional trust and cooperation. In fact... it requires you to act out a 'play' for me."

"Acting?" Shi Tie scratched his head, looking bewildered. In all his life, apart from seeing traveling opera troupes perform in his village when he was a child, he had never acted in one himself.

"Sect Leader, what do you want us to do?" Su Xiao asked softly, her beautiful eyes filled with trust.

"I can't tell you all the specific details right now," Shen Mo said in a deep voice. "It's not that I don't trust you, but this matter is of great importance, and sometimes the less we know, the safer we are."

"All you need to know is that at midnight, when unusual celestial phenomena appear in the night sky, no matter what happens, no matter what I say or do, you must remain calm, and..."

"You need to show an expression of 'I knew it,' 'Extremely excited,' and 'I feel so proud'! Can you do that?"

The four looked at each other, full of doubts, but seeing Shen Mo's serious expression and thinking of their senior brother's unerring strategies, their doubts vanished instantly!

"Yes!" Shi Tie was the first to pat his chest and guarantee, "Sect Leader! You can make me cry or laugh, I'll cry or laugh! Absolutely no questions asked!"

"Xiao'er understands! I will cooperate fully!" Su Xiao nodded solemnly.

"I...I'll listen to the sect leader too!" Zhang Daniu quickly replied.

Zhao Qingyan nodded vigorously, her small face full of determination.

"Alright!" Shen Mo smiled with relief. "Now, we need to quietly move to a new place."

His gaze fell on the side of the circular waterway, to a high-lying cliff with a wide view and a steep rock face.

There, one can clearly see the night sky, and because of the angle, it won't be directly seen by people from the entrance of the Water Mansion. However, some cultivators with keen senses will definitely be able to detect the spiritual energy fluctuations from there.

"Qingyan," Shen Mo looked at Zhao Qingyan, "Once we get there, you need to use these scraps to set up a very simple 'Spirit Gathering Array' on the cliff top, but don't put a spirit stone in the core of the array, but... put this stone there."

He solemnly handed the modified dark-patterned stone to Zhao Qingyan.

Zhao Qingyan took the stone, and although she didn't understand its meaning, she nodded earnestly: "Yes, Senior Brother Sect Leader!"

"Let's move out!" Shen Mo waved his hand. "While it's dark and everyone's resting, let's sneak over!"

Five dark figures once again disappeared into the night, silently advancing towards the cliff where one could gaze at the starry sky.

The transfer went surprisingly smoothly. Perhaps it was because the fierce battle during the day had exhausted all the forces, or perhaps it was because the route chosen by Qingyun Sect was well-hidden, but they encountered almost no obstacles and successfully reached the designated cliff.

The cliffside location was indeed excellent. With a steep rock face behind us, the view in front of us was expansive, and looking up, we saw the boundless night sky.

The weather is clear tonight, with countless stars scattered across the dark blue sky like shattered diamonds.

In the distance, the faint glow of bonfires and scattered voices could be heard from the direction of the entrance to the Water Palace, but it was much quieter than the hustle and bustle of the daytime.