"Unworthy disciple!" The voice rang out through the underground palace, hot yang energy sweeping through the dim, tomb-like chamber, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of suffocating pressure. In a crimson horse-face skirt, the silver-princess, her eyes and face pale and refined, knelt before the ground. Her eyes, once black with blood-red pupils, now filled only with fear and trembling. Before her stood the Three Mountain Lady, dressed in a flowing robe, standing with hands folded, serene and distant, majestic and commanding—like a goddess stepping upon clouds. In comparison, though the silver-princess was a beautiful woman, her presence and aura fell far short of her master's. "Master, forgive me. Even a humble insect strives to survive; I am only afraid of death and wish to merely endure—this is natural. You have always urged me not to follow the path of killing fellow disciples, and I have kept that in mind. For the sake of our past friendship, I beg you to show mercy and spare me." The princess spoke in a voice only the Night-Wanderer God could hear. Since she had been transformed into a shadow corpse, she could no longer speak like a normal person. The elder budge coldly: "To transform oneself into a lifeless, shadowy entity—wouldn't that be the very essence of the ill-timed path?" Lady Yin Yao's voice carried a hint of bitterness: "I am unlike my master, whose accomplishments reach the level of cosmic creation and whose lifespan is boundless." She pressed her forehead against the ground, pleading desperately—just as she had once done when appealing to her master. Yin Yao knew that though her master appeared cold and almost indifferent, her heart was actually tender, always generous as long as nothing crossed her personal boundaries. As for stealing her coffin—whether that counted as crossing a boundary, Yin Yao wasn't certain. Thus, she now sought mercy. The Lady of San Mountain coldly replied: "Well, now we're all trapped like beasts in a cage. It's no longer useful to trouble you. Remain here, and when I am able to break free from the spiritual realm, I will surely bring you with me." Yin Yao breathed a quiet sigh of relief, "Thank you, Master!" The Lady of San Dao Mountain's cool and elegant features gradually softened, and she nodded, saying, "I learned about your situation from a young man named Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Do you recall him?" It was he who had betrayed me... Silver Yao Princess inwardly scoffed, responding to her master, "Few night-wandering deities manage to survive and leave this realm. Naturally, I have a clear memory of him. Yet, how surprising that he should have met your master!" The Lady of San Dao Mountain smiled gently, "Such a promising young disciple. I've had the pleasure of meeting him several times. His bowing gestures are far more reverent than yours. Now, tell me about his performance in the village where he lost his speech." Her master holds this young man, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, in high regard... Thus, Princess Silver Yao provided a detailed account of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's conduct within the quest realm. The Lady of San Dao Mountain listened attentively, without interruption, showing deep concentration. After Princess Silver Yao had finished, she asked, "In your opinion, what is his natural talent like?" "Exceptionally sharp in judgment!" Lady Yin Yao had never met the Prime Immortal before, and based solely on her performance in the village of Unspoken Words, she could certainly be described as highly intelligent. The Lady of San Mountain nodded slightly: "Once you leave the spiritual realm, you shall serve him. Since you have become a shadow-being, you will need a master to nurture you." Lady Yin Yao was startled and expressed her sense of injustice: "Master, I—I am your disciple after all..." As a noble lady of the county, she naturally did not wish to be reduced to a servant or a maid, constantly at the mercy of others. She suspected that her master was merely using this as an opportunity to punish her. "Beyond your control!" the old sturdy man said calmly. Lady Yin Yao remained resolute. "Master, you've only had a few interactions with him, and how well do you truly know him? Could it be that he's influencing you? While my bowing may not be as reverent as his, I remain devoted to you wholeheartedly. Think about it—besides flattery, has he ever truly helped you, supported you, or earned your genuine affection?" The old sturdy man fell silent. Though Lady Yin Her only connection to reality was Yuan Shishen, the younger disciple who possessed exceptional talent, spoke well, and had a decent nature—qualities that the elder, a rather stiff and traditional figure, greatly admired and cherished, thus intending to assign less capable disciples to serve him. On one hand, it was a means of nurturing Yuan Shishen; on the other, Yin Yao had transformed into a shadowy entity, bringing endless troubles, and without the "master" constantly tending to and refining her, her cultivation would stagnate. As for herself, she found the task of serving disciples rather tedious. Yet upon reflection, it did seem ill-advised. Though the young man appeared respectful to her, who knew what whispers might circulate behind the scenes—such as about the old stick-figure! After all, Yin Yao, though not particularly filial, was still her direct disciple. Seeing her master hesitate, Princess Yin Yao quickly interjected, "Master, I have an important matter to report." The Lady of San Dao said, "Go on." "Lady Yin Yao straightened herself, maintaining the kneeling posture," I once heard from a wandering lord known as the Magic King that the Golden Sun had attained the rank of human immortal. He said that after the Stars and the Black Moon found their respective fates, the hidden copy of the Fiery Sun finally came to life. With your master now able to freely traverse that copy, perhaps—perhaps you might consider making a try." Pausing, she added, "That's all I know." This information she has always kept close to her heart. Now, as her master intends to send her to serve a rather unimpressive young man, Lady Yin Yao has brought it up to show her loyalty. A vague, murmuring plea echoed throughout the chamber: "Madam, Madam, come out, Madam, Madam, come out—materials are quite expensive..." ... "Madam, Madam, come out, Madam, Madam, come out—materials are quite expensive..." Tell the old budge: her devoted junior has something to discuss with her, and the old budge will come on her own. As the materials began to lose their vitality, the Fumagong Staff suddenly burst forth with a strong golden glow, and a radiant golden spirit rose from the staff, floating in the air. The Three-Daughter Mountain Lady's elegant brows slightly furrowed, as though slightly displeased: "What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing bowed deeply: "Respectfully welcoming, Lady, your celestial grace and elegance are unparalleled!" The Three-Daughter Mountain Lady, slightly softened by the interruption of her conversation with her disciple, said: "Speak clearly—what has disturbed me?" Zhang Yuan清 rose and stated directly: "Lady, we've uncovered an ancient tomb. Inside the tomb, there stands a stone stele inscribed with the words: 'The Pure Yang Sect's Seal of the Dragon's Realm.'" As he finished speaking, he noticed the Three-Daughter Mountain Lady's expression suddenly changed. For the first time, Zhang Yuanqing had seen such a pronounced reaction on the face of this reserved and elegant lady. The old budge fixed her sharp gaze upon him and said "Yes!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded, saying, "But please rest assured, Your Grace. We have already defeated the demon trapped within the stone sarcophagus—it has now vanished in spirit, and I can confirm this with certainty. As a Night-Wanderer Spirit, I am exceptionally sensitive to spiritual beings, so there can be no mistake." "He is indeed my master and the Grand Master of Pure Yang Sect, yet even my own father, a man of upright virtue, would have had to uphold justice and eliminate a wronged disciple who had fallen into the path of evil and slaughtered the innocent." The Lady of San Dao spoke with indignation. "Am I such a rigid, unyielding person that I would choose to seal him rather than kill him? There's a reason!" After delivering this sharp rebuke, she continued: "Indeed, as he described, the celestial and terrestrial spiritual energies gradually thinned, making it increasingly difficult for cultivators to advance—this was all true, and not a single word of exaggeration. Yet it was he who truly fell into the path of darkness, not I. "To ascend further, the Grand Master of Pure Yang Sect secretly cultivated the Heart-Monster Method, which profoundly transformed his nature and caused mental confusion, leading him to commit countless acts of violence. At that time, I was in seclusion within the palace, striving to attain the Golden Sun Realm. "Only after I emerged from my retreat did I learn of my master's descent into evil, which caused widespread unrest throughout the land, disrupting both the righteous and the forces of darkness. Thus, "The reason I didn't name him explicitly in the inscription is to preserve the prestige of the Pure Yang Sect, to give my master the last dignity—just as with the burial offerings." So it was... Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Then why not kill him outright?" The old man sighed, "The 'Heart-Monster Method' is the supreme secret of the Faceless Monastery—the very technique you call 'mystic arts.' Night-Wanderer deities, who practice such arts, what good fate could they possibly have? He can't be killed because within the Heart-Monster Method lies a technique known as 'Sowing the Seed of the Dao-Soul.' It involves implanting a seed of the practitioner's own spiritual essence into another being's body, nourished by that being's vitality, allowing the original to revive even after death. To eliminate him, one must either seal him, allowing time itself to claim him, or rely on the intervention of a celestial or immortal. He first took up residence in the young girl's body, drawing strength from her spiritual essence, then, leveraging your curiosity about the past events, fabricated stories and delayed the inevitable... now, he has likely already taken over the body of one of "You these Way-of-Spirit travelers have ascended too quickly, with rather shallow techniques—how could you possibly withstand him? The senior monk from the Five Elements Alliance himself is a Xu-Wu." Has someone already been displaced?!" Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill run through him, asking, "How can we tell if someone has been displaced?" The Lady of San Dao said, "Use the purifying power of your Fumagou杵 to cleanse their bodies, then examine their destiny palace through the Star-Phase Art." The destiny palace represents one's fundamental essence and is closely tied to fate. While appearance may change, fate remains unaltered. "I understand!" Zhang Yuanqing longed to rush immediately into Guan Ya's room and examine her destiny palace. But the old creaking voice spoke calmly, "Master Pure Yang is not a Way-of-Spirit traveler. He is not bound by moral values. You have indeed caused a major crisis."