In the heart of the Middle Earth, beyond the bustling city of Heyang, lay an abandoned Charity Hall.
The desolate wilderness stretched as far as the eye could see, the terrain mostly flat except for the imposing Azure Ethereal Vapors to the north. Sparse forests dotted the land, but only a few sparse trees stood around the Charity Hall.
It was the darkest hour of the night, with thick clouds shrouding the moon, leaving only a few faint stars to cast their meager light upon the forsaken land. A gentle wind blew, rustling through the branches and casting eerie shadows, filling the air with a cold, haunting sound.
Three figures stood close together—Zhou Yixian, Xiaohuan, and the Wild Dog Daoist—staring at the mysterious figure ahead. Since Zhou Yixian first spotted the figure, it had remained motionless, standing like a statue, blocking their exit.
Xiaohian steadied herself, lowering her voice as she spoke to Zhou Yixian, “Grandpa, are you sure? He’s wearing the robe of the Azure Ethereal Conclave.”
The Wild Dog Daoist turned to listen, and Zhou Yixian, looking once more at the unmoving figure, nodded firmly, “There’s no mistake. Look at the sword-shaped emblem on his sleeve; it’s definitely from the Azure Ethereal Conclave.”
Xiaohuan muttered, “But aren’t the Azure Ethereal Conclave all renowned upright sects? Why would one of them be wandering around such a haunted place in the middle of the night?”
The Wild Dog Daoist also nodded, clearly skeptical, even though he generally distrusted the righteous path. Zhou Yixian glared at them, coughed, and despite the initial shock, the eerie figure, though still mysterious, had not shown any sign of hostility. Emboldened, Zhou Yixian took a step forward and chuckled nervously, “This… this… sir, forgive us for intruding. We did not know this was your dwelling…”
“Grandpa!” Xiaohuan called out, interrupting Zhou Yixian, her voice tinged with irritation. The figure suddenly stirred, seemingly responding to Zhou Yixian’s words.
Zhou Yixian frowned, realizing his mistake. This was a Charity Hall, and suggesting it was someone’s home was tantamount to calling them a ghost. Zhou Yixian’s spine chilled, and he quickly corrected himself, “What I meant is, we were just taking a late-night stroll and accidentally stumbled upon this place. We mean no harm, sir. We saw nothing, heard nothing. We’ll leave now, right away.”
With a quick glance at Xiaohuan and the Wild Dog Daoist, they cautiously moved to the side, hoping to pass the spectral figure. But as they took a few steps, the shadowy figure reappeared, even closer, and Xiaohuan caught a whiff of a blood-like scent.
The moonless night, the swirling shadows, and the menacing presence sent a chill down Zhou Yixian and the Wild Dog Daoist’s spines. Xiaohuan, pale-faced, screamed and jumped back, desperate to escape the shadow.
Xiaohuan’s scream, though born of fear, gave the others a jolt. Zhou Yixian and the Wild Dog Daoist froze, and Zhou Yixian turned to look behind them. Summoning courage, the Wild Dog Daoist let out a fierce roar—more like a dog’s howl—and leaped in front of Xiaohuan and Zhou Yixian, his hands glowing with the aura of his fanged talisman.
In the dark, the soft yellow glow of the talisman seemed almost warm.
Xiaohuan, startled by the Wild Dog Daoist’s bravery, watched in awe as the shadowy figure suddenly moved. A hand reached out, exuding a sinister aura, but it was not the righteous way of the Azure Ethereal Conclave. The Wild Dog Daoist, knowing the figure was formidable, roared, and his talisman glowed brightly, striking the figure’s chest.
For a moment, the darkness seemed to recede, and the figure appeared to be caught off guard, but then it stood firm. The impact was shocking, yet the figure did not budge. Zhou Yixian and Xiaohuan, dumbfounded, realized something was amiss.
The figure, seemingly unfazed, suddenly grasped the talisman, and the Wild Dog Daoist, both furious and terrified, tried to summon his power. But the talisman, held in the figure’s grasp, did not respond. The figure, with a harsh, almost inaudible voice, sneered, “A petty demon, daring to act so boldly here!”
The Wild Dog Daoist, enraged, was about to retaliate when Zhou Yixian shouted, “Back! Back away!”
The Wild Dog Daoist, startled, retreated, and the figure tightened its grip. The talisman shattered with a loud crack, and fragments flew like daggers, narrowly missing where the Wild Dog Daoist had stood.
Zhou Yixian, ignoring Xiaohuan’s and the Wild Dog Daoist’s caution, stepped forward, demanding, “Who are you? Wearing the robe of the Azure Ethereal Conclave and possessing the Great Void Purification Dao, who are you, and why do you act in such a bizarre manner?”
A flash of azure light, and the figure slowly turned to face Zhou Yixian. The black, eerie shadow on his face made Zhou Yixian shiver. The figure’s voice, hoarse and cold, replied, “You know quite a lot, don’t you?”
Zhou Yixian, his expression grim, pressed, “You are indeed from the Azure Ethereal Conclave, and no ordinary disciple. But who are you, and why are you causing such trouble?”
The figure sneered, “Whoever you are, daring to defy me, must die!”
With that, the figure’s hand lit up with a blinding azure light. Zhou Yixian, his face pale, quickly raised his hands, revealing two yellow talismans, their strange symbols flaring in the wind. The figure’s light grew brighter, and Zhou Yixian, undeterred, began chanting, the talismans igniting into small flames.
The figure, seemingly hesitant, paused, and Zhou Yixian, with a shout, flung the flaming talismans. They hovered in the air, growing into a massive inferno. From the flames, a white tiger leaped, roaring and charging at the figure.
The figure, unperturbed, struck the tiger with a burst of azure light, and the beast, with a final, defiant roar, vanished. Another figure, a lion, emerged from the flames, met with the same fate.
Zhou Yixian, using an arcane technique, summoned a series of ferocious beasts, but the figure, with a powerful sweep of his arm, dispelled each one. Suddenly, the figure, with a cold laugh, unleashed a blinding azure beam, piercing through the flames.
The courtyard, now silent, saw the three figures trying to flee, but the figure, with a cold laugh, revealed he knew their techniques. In a final, desperate move, Zhou Yixian, with eight talismans in hand, chanted, “Five Wraiths, return to the Yellow Springs; shadowy forms, obey my will!”
A fierce wind swept through, and the figure, with a smirk, counteracted, revealing a deep, hidden power. With a single, powerful strike, the ground beneath Zhou Yixian and the others cracked, and they tumbled out, bruised and battered.
The figure, with a cold, mocking tone, said, “I never thought you’d know the ‘Five Wraiths’ and ‘Spectral Transport’ techniques. In such sorcery, perhaps no one can match you.”
Zhou Yixian, rising slowly, his face grim, asked, “How did you see through it?”
The figure replied, “You said I’m from the Azure Ethereal Conclave. These are the very techniques our ancestors mastered. Even if I can’t use them, I can certainly recognize them.”
As Zhou Yixian pondered, the mystery of this figure deepened. His profound strength, his connection to the Azure Ethereal Conclave, and the malevolent aura around him were enigmas wrapped in shadows, and the night seemed to grow colder, the shadows deeper.
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