Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The night in Haodu was shrouded in a halo of prosperity. On Zhuque Avenue, palace lanterns stretched like a galaxy, carriages and horses glided by, and the laughter of young masters from noble families and cultivators from various sects drifted on the wind. Even the air was filled with the lingering aroma of fine wine and delicacies.

Lin Yan followed the directions of the servants in the mansion and returned alone to the villa that Hao had specially arranged for the guests attending the meeting.

The villa is quiet and elegant, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner. The courtyard is planted with laurel trees, which are unique to the Dongyi people. When the evening breeze blows, the delicate petals fall softly onto the bluestone slabs, and the faint fragrance is refreshing.

The servants respectfully escorted him to the door of the main room, bowed and took their leave, and the courtyard instantly fell silent.

Lin Yan pushed open the door and entered the room. The interior was simply furnished yet luxurious. The tables and chairs were made of top-quality spirit wood, and fresh spirit fruits and brewed tea were placed on the table, reflecting the thoughtfulness of the Hao Clan as the overlord of Dongyi.

The room was completely empty, without a sound. Lin Yan felt a sudden emptiness in his heart, and a bitter taste and a sense of desolation quietly rose from the bottom of his heart, surging through his veins, lingering and growing stronger.

This feeling of loneliness entered my heart for the first time, both strange and familiar.

Lin Yan walked to the window and gazed at the bright moon hanging high above. The moonlight was exceptionally bright tonight, its silvery glow bathing the entire courtyard in a soft radiance. After a moment of silence, he moved with a light sway and silently leaped onto the roof of the courtyard.

From the rooftop, half of the inner city was laid out before him. In the distance, the eaves of the Hao Clan Palace stood majestically under the moonlight, shimmering with light. The inner city's markets were brightly lit, and the sounds of people could be faintly heard, a scene of prosperous grandeur. Lin Yan sat on the ground, his back straight, letting the cool moonlight bathe him. The evening breeze lifted his clothes, bringing a touch of pleasant coolness.

His fingertips gently caressed the inkstone, his thoughts drifting to Laoshan Mountain, a thousand miles away. As longing and loneliness surged in his heart, a faint, almost imperceptible warmth suddenly appeared on his fingertips.

A gentle yet real warmth spread slowly from the inkstone, seeping through Lin Yan's fingertips and permeating her entire body. Lin Yan's heart trembled slightly. She gripped the inkstone tightly and lowered her eyes. She saw a faint, shimmering white light emanating from the black inkstone, reflecting the bright moon in the sky. The inkwell rippled gently with spiritual energy. This aura was like the clouds and mist of Laoshan Mountain, or the elegant charm surrounding Yun Xi.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Mount Lao was shrouded in mist and bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight.

On the main peak of Laoshan Mountain, in the quiet room where Yunxi lived alone, a young girl dressed in a plain white dress sat by the window. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky, her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and beautiful, and the moonlight fell on her cheeks, making her look even more gentle and serene.

In her hand, she gently held a sword-shaped jade pendant. Suddenly, the pendant became slightly warm, and its originally smooth jade body quietly began to shimmer with the same luminous white light as the distant inkstone. The cloud patterns on the jade surface trembled gently, as if responding to the longing from a thousand miles away.

Yunxi lowered her gaze, looking at the jade pendant in her hand that shimmered faintly. A gentle tenderness gradually welled up in her clear eyes. Her fingertips lightly traced the pendant, and familiar images flashed through her mind: by the sea, Lin Yan with a radiant smile, holding a sea spirit stone in his hand; she flipped her palm over, revealing a sea spirit pearl inside. After exchanging them, the two sat together on the rocks…

A bright moon, yet it seems a thousand miles away.

Lin Yan sat on the roof, feeling the familiar aura emanating from the inkstone, and the loneliness in his heart quietly dissipated. Just as he was about to get up and return to the house, he suddenly clearly sensed that below Haodu, there was a faint yet extremely sinister aura quietly spreading out.

Lin Yan's eyes narrowed, and he looked in the direction from which the aura came, his gaze landing precisely on the street facade of Haodu's lower city.

Haodu is divided into three cities: the Upper City, the Middle City (also called the Inner City), and the Lower City. The Inner City is home to the Hao clan royal family, noble families, and sect cultivators, and is heavily guarded with pure spiritual energy. The Lower City, on the other hand, is a melting pot of ordinary people, merchants, and all sorts of people, with crisscrossing streets and alleys, and is usually the most chaotic place in the entire Haodu. That sinister aura slowly emanated from the most secluded streets of the Lower City, like a venomous snake lurking in the darkness, moving silently.

Lin Yan flipped off the roof and, like a ghost, swept over the courtyard wall, silently slipping into the lower city. He concealed his cultivation, his steps light and swift, making not a sound as he trod on the bluestone slabs. The night was deep, and most of the lights in the lower city had been extinguished, with only a few scattered lights flickering in the dark alleys.

Suddenly, a piercing scream came from the alleyway ahead, followed by the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. Lin Yan's heart tightened, and he quickly concealed himself, sneaking along the wall.

Under the dim streetlights, several hunched figures shrouded in black mist were ravaging an elderly couple. The figures were hideous, fangs bared, and wherever they passed, vegetation withered instantly, and the spiritual energy in the air was polluted and filthy. They were evil demons who fed on the essence of living beings!

"Hehe, it's time for some nourishment again..." The leader of the demons let out a piercing laugh, and black mist condensed into claws, which he suddenly grabbed at the trembling old woman.

At the critical moment, a clear and sharp shout rang out: "You petty scoundrels, dare not be so insolent!"

A white figure rushed in from the side alley like a shooting star. The woman was agile, and her long sword flashed with cold light, its sword energy as cold as frost, aiming straight for the demon's face. The newcomer was Wu Bailian.

"Another meddlesome little brat!" The demon sneered, his black mist churning and coalescing into a shield-shaped barrier that forcefully blocked Wu Bailian's sword energy. "Since you're here, stay!"

Wu Bailian's swordsmanship was agile, but due to her shallow cultivation, she was temporarily suppressed by the demon. Just as a black mist claw was about to grab her shoulder, she cried out in alarm and instinctively swung her sword to block.

Just then, a green shadow swept past like a gust of wind.

"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing was deafening.

Lin Yan appeared in front of Wu Bailian without anyone noticing. He didn't hold a sword; with just his bare hands, he actually caught the black mist claw that contained a fierce and malevolent aura! Where his palms collided with the black mist, a visible ripple of sea air rose up, instantly dispersing the strange attack.

"You fiend. How dare you!" Lin Yan's voice was cold, his eyes calm yet sharp. With a single move, he stabilized the situation, pushing Wu Bailian back. "Get to the back."

"Lin Yan?"

Wu Bailian was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. She glanced gratefully at Lin Yan, quickly stepped aside, and warily stared at the demon in the arena.

"Hmph, just a little cutie, yet she dares to meddle in Haodu's affairs!" The demon, interrupted in his good time, was enraged and waved his hand violently. The remaining demons roared and pounced at the same time. Their bodies swelled up, shrouded in black mist, and they transformed into several black shadows, surrounding Lin Yan from all directions.

Facing the combined attack of several demonic beings, Lin Yan remained unfazed. He employed a mysterious footwork technique, his figure moving like a dragon playing in water, weaving freely through the shadows. With each sway of his body, he precisely evaded the demonic attacks, simultaneously throwing a punch or striking with his palm.

His moves appear simple, devoid of any frills, yet they contain the profound principles of Laoshan Kung Fu. His punches are fierce and powerful, like Mount Tai pressing down, imbued with righteous energy to dispel evil; his palm techniques are agile and fluid, like flowing clouds and water, containing purifying spiritual power.

"Bang!" Lin Yan's fist struck the head of a demon. The demon let out a miserable scream, and the black mist surged violently. It was actually shattered by the punch, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating into the air.

"Such strong righteous energy!" Upon seeing this, the other demon dared not be careless and suddenly spat out a mouthful of black poisonous mist. Wherever the poisonous mist passed, even the air made a sizzling corrosive sound.

Lin Yan's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his right fist, his spiritual energy surging instantly. He let out a low shout, and flames roared from his fist, actually incorporating the fire of his inner alchemy into his fist technique.

"Blazing flames dispel evil!"

With a single punch, flames erupted, instantly incinerating the poisonous mist that filled the sky. The force of the punch did not diminish; it struck the demon's chest directly, sending him flying backward and crashing heavily into the wall. The wall instantly cracked, revealing a hideous hole.

In just a few breaths, Lin Yan had driven the demons back in defeat, with heavy casualties.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the leader of the demons tried to take the opportunity to escape. It suddenly spewed out a mouthful of black mist, and under the cover of the black mist, it swayed and tried to disappear into the ground.

"Trying to leave?" Lin Yan sneered, not giving it the chance. He flicked his wrist, and the inkstone at his waist suddenly flew out, turning into a streak of light in the air, and accurately smashed into the demon's back.

"Buzz!" A bright white halo shone brightly on the inkstone, containing a power to purify the mind. The demon was struck by the inkstone, and the black mist on his body instantly dimmed. He let out a painful howl, and his body froze.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Yan lunged forward, his right hand flashing out like lightning, precisely seizing the demon's neck. "Speak! Who sent you? What is your purpose in infiltrating Haodu?"

The demon was subdued, unable to move, only able to let out low growls, its eyes filled with resentment. Suddenly, its eyes turned bloodshot, and black mist surged wildly around its body, as if it were about to detonate its own cultivation and perish together with Lin Yan!

"Not good!" Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately increased the output of his sea power. Just then, a series of neat footsteps suddenly came from afar, followed by a high-pitched horn.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

Three deep, resonant war drumbeats echoed from the direction of Haodu's inner city. The drumbeats were deep and powerful, like a summons from ancient times, instantly spreading throughout the entire lower city.

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat. This was Haodu's alarm drum! It was only sounded when there was a large-scale invasion by foreign enemies or when a major upheaval occurred within the city.

The moment the drumbeats ended, countless torches suddenly lit up the previously dim streets and alleys of the lower city. A vast number of guards clad in black armor, emblazoned with the Hao clan's sun and moon totems, surged forth from all directions like a tide, completely sealing off the lower city. These guards exuded an air of authority, clearly the elite forces of the Hao clan.

"Put down your weapons and surrender!" the head guard captain shouted sternly.

Seeing this, the last glimmer of life in the demon's eyes vanished. It suddenly lowered its head, biting down on its venomous fangs and spitting a mouthful of black blood at Lin Yan's face. At the same time, its body completely disintegrated, turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating into the air, leaving only a pool of foul-smelling black liquid.

Lin Yan sidestepped the black blood, his fingertips unconsciously clenching the inkstone at his waist, his heart heavy with emotion.

These sorcerers not only managed to infiltrate the heavily guarded Haodu undetected, but also attempted to quickly silence witnesses and escape before the alarm drums sounded and the elite troops surrounded them. This indicates that their actions were extremely precise, their targets were clear, and they must have been guided by a master, perhaps even... connected to certain forces within Haodu.

Wu Bailian quickly walked to Lin Yan's side, her face grave: "Brother Lin Yan, today's matter is probably troublesome. There are actually so many demons running rampant in Haodu, and judging from their style of doing things, they are definitely not scattered individuals, but rather seem to be an organized operation."

Lin Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. He noticed that the Hao Clan guards moved with extreme speed and reacted with lightning speed, clearly indicating that they were constantly on high alert. From the sound of the drums to the guards closing in, only a few breaths had passed, demonstrating that the Hao Clan, as the overlord of the Eastern Yi, possessed a defense system that was far from being a mere formality.

"It seems this Mountain and Sea Alliance meeting is destined to be anything but peaceful," Lin Yan murmured. He looked up towards the inner city; the moonlight remained the same, but his vigilance grew ever stronger.

This disturbance caused by demons lurking in the night was merely a rehearsal before the storm. The real upheaval was only just beginning to brew. And he, Lin Yan, a disciple of Laoshan who had just left the mountain gate, was destined to leave his own mark in this turbulent era.

Under the moonlight, Lin Yan and Wu Bailian stood side by side in the blocked-off streets, with the Hao Clan guards standing guard behind them and the devastation left by the demons in front of them. The night was deep and fraught with danger; a storm that would sweep across the Eastern Yi was quietly beginning.