Divine Root Bone

The group found a wooden room in the village where grain was stored. They entered the room one by one and closed the wooden door tightly behind them to shut out the remaining cold and malevolent energy from outside.

The candlelight flickered, casting dappled shadows, creating a solemn and tranquil atmosphere within the room. Everyone took their seats to regulate their breathing, suppressing the turmoil of their post-battle energy. After a moment, a rogue cultivator from the Southern Region, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, finally asked:

"Fellow Daoists, I have heard you sometimes call it Black Stone Mountain and sometimes Black Stone Ridge. Is this one mountain with two names, or two different places? We outsiders are really not able to tell the difference."

Upon hearing this, the other independent cultivators nodded in agreement, all of them still puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchen, who was sitting upright in the center, slowly opened his eyes. As a direct disciple of the Qingyun Sect, he was well-versed in the sect's ancient texts and regional regulations. He calmly spoke, making a final decision, and explained the naming rules of this place that had been in place for thousands of years.

"This territory was originally one, there is no two places, it's just that the sect and the outside world have completely different names for it."

His tone was calm and clear, and he said solemnly:

"In the orthodox records and regulations of the Qingyun Sect in the Southern Region, the official name of this entire area, which includes Shou'an Village, the Cemetery Valley and the main peak ridge, is Black Stone Ridge."

This name originates from ancient records of the earth's veins and is the authentic place name recognized by the sect. When sect disciples carry out missions, record documents, or delineate training territories, they all refer to it as Black Stone Ridge.

He then changed the subject, explaining what people commonly refer to as:

"Black Stone Mountain is a general term for the surrounding ordinary villages, merchants from all directions, and wandering cultivators from beyond the region."

Outsiders, unaware of the sect's rules, simply observed that the mountain was entirely covered in black stones and had a majestic and imposing appearance, and thus called it Black Stone Mountain. This name was passed down orally for thousands of years and became the common name among the people.

In short: within the sect it's called Black Stone Ridge, and outside the sect it's called Black Stone Mountain; they are essentially the same place, just with different names for the inner and outer areas.

The group of independent cultivators suddenly understood and nodded in realization, completely dispelling their long-standing doubts.

With the naming settled, the atmosphere inside the room became heavy once again.

Xiao Jingchen lightly touched his knee with his fingertips and slowly revealed the true sect secret order for his descent from the mountain, thus unraveling the mystery of the source of the strange chaos in Shou'an Village.

"This time I went down the mountain not simply for training, but on the orders of the sect elders to investigate two strange and mysterious phenomena around Black Stone Ridge."

His gaze was deep and focused, and his words were solemn:

"In recent years, strange events such as spatial and temporal distortions and the inexplicable disappearance of people have frequently occurred on the borders of the Southern and Eastern Regions. Many mortals and low-level cultivators have vanished into thin air without a trace, which is suspected to be due to damage to the spatial and temporal laws of the local ley lines."

Secondly, the lifespan of the villagers in this area is unusually short. The lifespan of an ordinary person should be sixty to eighty years, but the people of Shou'an Village age prematurely for generations, with their vital energy and blood failing and them dying prematurely in their thirties or forties, which completely violates the natural order and the laws of nature.

The sect suspects that an ancient and sinister restriction lies hidden beneath the ridge, altering the earth's vitality and disrupting the flow of time and space. Therefore, they have sent me to secretly investigate its origins.

At this point, a hint of lingering fear flashed across Xiao Jingchen's eyes.

"As soon as I stepped into the territory of Shou'an Village, I was invaded by the invisible evil threads laid by the puppet girl in the shadows. My consciousness was silently corrupted and instantly possessed and controlled by the evil source. I completely lost my self-awareness and became a killing puppet. If you had not arrived in time to turn the tide, I would have surely perished here today, or become an evil tool for eternity."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang suddenly realized something and felt a surge of relief.

It turns out that Xiao Jingchen was carrying out a mission for his sect, and he found himself in a deadly predicament as soon as he entered this place!

If he had been a little slower to discover the evil spirit, or if the alliance had crumbled and the enemy had been suppressed a little later, this prodigy whom the Qingyun Sect had been cultivating would have surely died today.

Fortunately, it's not too late.

With his emotions calmed, Xiao Jingchen looked up and down at Zhang Yang, the only one in the entire arena who had stabilized the battle and was in control of the overall situation.

During the previous chaotic and critical battle, his mind was imprisoned by evil forces. He only knew that a core disciple had turned the tide, but he never knew the disciple's name.

His expression was gentle, with a hint of genuine approval, as he cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask this junior brother's esteemed name?"

Zhang Yang stood tall and composed, cupping his hands in greeting: "Junior Brother Zhang Yang."

"Zhang Yang..."

Xiao Jingchen murmured to himself, scrutinizing Zhang Yang with disbelief.

"At such a young age, he has already reached the second level of Foundation Establishment!"

He sincerely praised, his tone full of admiration: "Among the younger generation of our Qingyun Sect, there are very few who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage before the age of twenty. For you to have cultivated to the second level of Foundation Establishment at such a young age, your talent is unparalleled. You are truly a top genius who is one in a hundred years."

The senior disciple praised him personally, and the twelve inner disciples standing nearby immediately beamed with pride, laughing and flattering him, their tone full of admiration.

"Senior Brother Jingchen, you have no idea! Our Senior Brother Zhang is more than just talented!"

"Throughout the entire battle, Senior Brother Zhang was in charge of command and coordination. He remained calm under pressure and single-handedly reversed a seemingly hopeless situation!"

"Even when you were possessed and lost control by evil spirits, it was Senior Brother Zhang who precisely suppressed you, demonstrating perfect control!"

"Only by training under Senior Brother Zhang have we truly witnessed what top-tier combat power among our peers is like!"

Everyone chimed in with their own words, each statement truthful and full of praise.

Lin Wanqing and Su Qingyao smiled and nodded, acknowledging that what everyone said was true.

Xiao Jingchen listened quietly to the praises from the crowd. Looking at Zhang Yang's youthful composure and calm demeanor, a gentle smile appeared on his lips. He said no more, but he had already firmly remembered Zhang Yang in his heart. He valued this newly promoted core disciple highly and secretly praised him.

Afterwards, everyone carefully reviewed the entire chaotic and sinister event, pondered the puppet girl's background, the graveyard's hidden tricks, and after exchanging information, they each sat down to meditate and adjust their breathing, waiting for dawn.

……

At dawn the next day, the morning light pierced through the thin mist and bathed the entire dilapidated Shouan Village.

After a night's rest, everyone's spiritual energy was fully restored, and they were in excellent condition.

The group went outside and gathered all the surviving villagers of Shou'an Village in an open, flat area in the village.

Zhang Yang, with a calm and composed expression, truthfully told the villagers the dangerous truth of the previous night: the village was filled with resentment and evil spirits, the graveyard was hiding evil, puppets were causing trouble, and everyone was almost wiped out.

The villagers felt a chill run down their spines and turned pale, filled with lingering fear.

When Zhang Yang informed everyone that the evil spirits in the area had not been eradicated and that it was not suitable for long-term residence, and advised everyone to move away, a wave of lamentation swept through the entire village.

The older villagers shook their heads repeatedly, their faces filled with sorrow and reluctance.

"Immortal Master, we have been rooted here for generations, born and raised here, guarding Shou'an Village our whole lives. How could we bear to leave!"

"We are all native villagers, with no relatives or friends to rely on. We have nowhere to go if we leave here!"

"Where can we old bones find a place to settle down and survive if we go out?"

Each question was filled with confusion and helplessness. Everyone present exchanged glances, all at a loss, unable to come up with a proper solution for the moment.

Just as the entire room fell silent, Zhang Yang's eyes brightened slightly, his mind made up, and he spoke in a deep voice:

"There is no need for despair, everyone. I have a safe place to go."

You may collectively relocate to Lin'an City at the foot of Qingyun Sect Mountain in the Southern Region.

Lin'an City is located right next to the territory of my Qingyun Sect. It is protected by the sect's protective mountain array. The land is pure, free from evil spirits and strange time and space phenomena, making it a peaceful and stable place where people can live without worry.

From this day forward, with the Qingyun Sect protecting you, your descendants will no longer suffer from premature aging, short lifespans, or evil spirits, and can live and multiply in peace.

Upon hearing this, all the villagers' eyes lit up instantly, and their worries vanished.

To be protected by a major sect is the best outcome they could hope for!

The villagers no longer resisted, and they all knelt down to express their gratitude and agreed to relocate.

The relocation of the village was thus finalized.

The sect will subsequently dispatch disciples to receive and escort the entire village to Lin'an City in batches for safe relocation and proper resettlement.

With this, the chaos caused by evil spirits in Shou'an Village was completely quelled, and the root cause of the two strange mysteries that Xiao Jingchen had investigated was found, marking the successful completion of this phase of the mission.

With everything settled, there are no more worries.

Zhang Yang, Xiao Jingchen, Lin Wanqing, Su Qingyao, and a group of sect disciples, along with five rogue cultivators from the Southern Region who had shared life and death and forged friendships, all gathered and prepared.

Everyone's gaze turned to the distant, dark mountain range.

The orthodox name of this place is Black Stone Ridge.

The group's next stop was to head to the main branch of the mountain range to participate in the Black Stone Ridge Martial Arts Tournament as scheduled.

The group tidied their belongings, turned around, and began to steadily move towards the majestic and boundless main peak of Black Stone Ridge.

Senior disciple Xiao Jingchen, who was interested in mentoring Zhang Yang, did not walk at the front of the group, but in the middle, chatting with his junior brothers and sisters about the interesting things that had happened to him there.

Just then, suddenly!

The three inner disciples at the back of the group were stiff all over, and after a moment, large beads of sweat dripped from their foreheads. As the group moved forward, the inner disciples on both sides seemed to sense something and looked back.

At this moment, the three people at the back of the group returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. The inner disciple walking in front shook his head in confusion, thinking that the evil spirit had affected his judgment, so he stopped paying attention.