and dare not trouble him. Originally, I didn't dare to ask you to come and see, but this matter is too eerie. I’ve done business for so many years and have never seen such a strange sight. Recently,...Demons flooded the world, and the mirage pearl was brought into the mortal realm. Its immense hallucinatory power transformed the area into a chaotic "passage".

According to legends from thousands of years ago, since the Conferred Gods era, there have been no more gods and demons in the world. The boundaries between the Three Realms are clearly defined. For immortals, demons, and all others, if they want to enter the mortal world, they can't even use one-tenth of their cultivation.

When evil and violence run rampant, it is the time for demons to enter the human world. At other times, they mostly cultivate in the demon realm.

Although Jiang Qiyun quickly pulled me back from the demon realm, my short trip there came at a cost: I scattered all the good fortune and merit I had accumulated.

Every sip and every drop is a matter of fate.

The stones wrapped within this tree are gradually being pried open by Jiang Qiyun, revealing a corner—this is not a tombstone, but a statue of some kind of faith.

The giant eyes and fangs are lifelike.

Even seeing just a small part of it, I already have a complete image in my mind.

Deep within the black hole beneath the towering tree, a gigantic serpent lay coiled. Its long, sinister eyes held no good intentions.

"Giant snake" Jiang Qiyun frowned slightly.

“It probably was. At the time, I only saw blood-red eyes looking at me and didn't see any other parts, but now that I touch this statue, it's like some kind of image is being transmitted to my mind…” I tried hard to recall the details from back then.

Jiang Qiyun pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, “I see…”

"What, so that's how it is"

"Little Qiao, you often complain to me that many profound secrets in the world's classics are only hinted at or deliberately left blank. They don't explain the path of cultivation in detail, fearing they might reveal celestial secrets and bring retribution." Jiang Qiyun smiled, slightly lifting his chin with a hint of nonchalant pride.

"—But for some people, whether they are exceptionally gifted or have great opportunities, seeing the profound mysteries will always leave an unforgettable feeling in their minds—like you."

... Me

"See, if you had not personally witnessed those giant eyes, you would have no feeling now... This is the evidence left by the followers of the Demon God, who, after accidentally encountering great opportunity, remain in the world waiting for the destined person."

He smiled and then said, “Since you guessed it was a giant snake, I have a pretty good idea what it is.”

"Huh You know a snake" I was surprised.

Jiang Qiyun smiled faintly and glared at me: "...I remember that a thousand four hundred and fifty years ago, there was a giant serpent appearing in a certain place on Earth."

"How enormous could it be" I thought to myself. After all, the giant snakes spoken of by ancient people were probably just pythons or something like that, right

However, ancient people's inquiries were not so developed. Maybe a large snake would be known throughout the land and even alarm the court, being recorded in history books

Jiang Qiyun shook his head: "I still remember when the City God came to report..."

Every time I listen to Jiang Qiyun talk about history, his perspective is completely different from conventional history, always so captivating.

I had completely lost track of where I was, my eyes glued to him as I eagerly watched the drama unfold.

Fourteen hundred and fifty years ago (I guess he couldn't remember the exact time), the human world was still a peaceful period of prosperity under the rule of heaven. Deep in the mountains of Dongdu, a giant snake appeared.

For millennia, whenever a giant snake was sighted emerging from the mountains, rumors spread of impending catastrophic floods, causing widespread panic among the people.

A highly revered monk from a distant land arrived, and with his magical incantations, he slayed a gigantic serpent. People widely praised his virtuous deeds.

> “To humans, it might be a good deed; to other creatures, it may not necessarily be. A giant serpent cultivates for an extended period, its path profound, making it difficult to determine if it has any intention of causing chaos in the world. Such a special being’s life ends, disturbing the local land and reported to the City God under heaven. The City God came to the Imperial Palace to report this, and I sent people to investigate, but the serpent's spirit had long since vanished without a trace, its whereabouts unknown.”

" ...So amazing..."

Jiang Qiyun smiled. "Amazing, isn't it Later, at some point in time, the demon realm and the upper realm became chaotic due to a skewed boundary, leading to several disputes. The蜃龍 was injured during the battles, leaving behind a pearl... According to what I heard, it was done by a giant serpent."

"Huh! Able to fight a mirage dragon on equal footing!"

"---- That must be a huge snake! "

"No, it can't be said to be equal either... The mirage dragon after all cultivates the path of immortality and cherishes its cultivation, unlike the path of refining demons. The giant snake is reckless and doesn't hesitate to perish in ashes, therefore it suffered very heavy injuries…" Jiang Qiyun said.

Um, I nodded like a chick pecking rice. The mirage dragon's aura was so strong, that's a true dragon descendant!

——The dragon guardian has protected my home, so I'm definitely on the dragon's side.

And then, and then......

My eager eyes, as I eagerly awaited the story, caused Jiang Qiyun to chuckle. "Is that all you want" He asked playfully.

"Of course I do! You're usually so reserved, it's rare to hear you talk so much about anything. I especially love listening!"

Jiang Qiyun nodded and said, "You listen to it too, you'll be able to figure out a lot of things..."

The giant serpent was seriously injured and needed malice to nourish its recovery. Besides staying in the demon realm obediently, it wouldn't let go of any opportunities for strong malice in the human world... Especially in recent hundreds of years, the number of mortals has increased tenfold, and their malice is astonishing.

Therefore... since there were scouts who believed, they secretly preached and built this temple with statues.

I sighed and nodded. "No wonder there's been an ominous aura around here lately... It's because the Mirage Pearl opened a portal to the demon realm, and this giant snake can absorb negative energy through its 'temple' in the human world, can't it"

"That's right," Jiang Qiyun nodded. "Perhaps some cultivators of the Qingyu Dao Guan practiced demonic arts in a certain year, month, or generation and secretly built a closed-door retreat here without revealing the truth to their successors."

"I see... That's possible. History is so long, who knows when it appeared."

“Now that I know the ins and outs, things are much simpler… It's time to expose the mastermind behind this.” Jiang Qiyun paused for a moment, then said in a low voice: “Imperial Spirit True Spirit Talisman… Demonic incursion… Demon-borne plague… To say it's all Heaven's burden is not entirely accurate… There must be someone 'behind the scenes' orchestrating this.”

"Then what are we waiting for Let's split up and search. I'll go to the main hall." I tucked my flashlight into my waist, took out my jade Ruyi and talismans, ready to start searching separately.

It's true that people fear the unknown the most. Fortunately, Jiang Qiyun is "old", and for a mortal, he's quite knowledgeable.

"Now that you understand the whole story, aren't you less afraid" He crossed his arms and looked at me with a hint of playfulness.

Well, of course, I'm not just fearless, I'm positively brimming with courage!

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the great Dharma Master who slayed the giant serpent is supposedly named 'Fearless Master' in Han..."

Master fearless What does that have to do with me That sounds like a high monk from the Shaolin Temple.

Jiang Qiyun saw that I didn't understand, leaned in close to my face, and let our noses touch.

"This fearless master... is said to have come from Tianzhu. He is known as the ancestor of esoteric Buddhism in Han land."

Secret… Secret teachings

A horrifying memory from years ago flooded my mind, and I shivered involuntarily.

"Go on, go to the main hall. Aren't you going to save someone" Jiang Qiyun patted my shoulder.

"... or, you go instead."

“...”

“...” steps to the palace gate. The headless guard, armed with a sword, axe and shield, turned to me and performed a "salute".Last time I didn't dare to look closely, now I plucked up my courage and took a...