Incense Valley covers a vast area, with winding paths that lead deep into the valley.
They hadn't walked far when they could no longer see any other houses around.
The road was lined with trees and flowers. As the night wind blew, the shadows of the trees swayed under the pale moonlight, looking like some kind of demons dancing wildly, revealing a hint of eeriness.
After traveling a short distance, a white stone tablet suddenly appeared by the roadside, with two lines of large characters engraved on it: "Imperial Fire Land, Disciple Stops!"
Lin Yi smiled, thinking to himself, "I'm so lucky today, I found my destination on my first try."
Although the stone tablet looked ordinary, it marked a boundary.
After passing the stone tablet, the path continued to wind forward, but the trees and flowers on both sides of the road were noticeably sparser.
First, the grass on the ground gradually disappeared, then the low shrubs, and finally even the originally lush trees on both sides gradually became sparse.
Not only did the ground begin to crack, but even the remaining few trees had turned yellow and withered, as if the area was extremely dry and the land had been scorched.
After turning a corner, there was a large open space in front of us, and a wave of heat, seemingly coming from nowhere, hit us.
In the very center of the open space stood a huge circular altar, suspended in mid-air, supported by thirteen massive white jade pillars, each three zhang tall.
There are twelve white jade pillars along the edge of the altar, each as thick as two people can hug. The thickest white jade pillar in the middle of the altar looks like it would take at least five or six people to hug it.
Above the altar, all the buildings were constructed of a strange, crimson stone—the steps, the railings, and everything else.
From a distance, the altar looked like a huge, burning crimson flame piercing the sky.
Standing beneath this altar, Lin Yi felt as insignificant as an ant.
This is the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancestors of southern Xinjiang and a symbol of human civilization.
Great wisdom must be carried by a great civilization. Otherwise, it is merely a thinking monkey, not a "human being".
After circling the altar once, Lin Yi made a hand seal and disappeared underground.
Below the altar was a volcano that seemed about to erupt, with scorching lava surging and roaring like a raging ocean tide, constantly rising and falling, splashing lava hitting the hard rock walls with a hissing sound.
The Mysterious Fire Mirror appeared behind Lin Yi's head, and the Nine Heavens Fire Palace General Array slowly unfolded like a peerless scroll.
The spiritual energy accumulated within the volcano over countless years surged forth like a river bursting its banks.
Within the Nine Heavens Fire Palace General Formation, a spiral galaxy emerged. Within the dazzling galaxy, the White Tiger Seven Kills, the Dragons Without a Head, and the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation appeared one after another.
The five elements cycle endlessly, rapidly refining the surging spiritual energy.
One spell after another flew out: Qingyu Riding the Wind Technique, Qiankun Yuanqi Lock, Yiqi Chilei Technique... The 365 spells contained in the Dragon and Tiger General Control of All Beasts True Technique were all upgraded by one level in a short time.
A spell of the Heavenly Gang level is perfected at the 36th level, and a spell of the Earthly Fiend level is perfected at the 72nd level. Although Lin Yi is currently stuck at the threshold of the third tier, the former can be cultivated to the 18th level, and the latter to the 36th level.
Although the volcano had accumulated a great deal of spiritual energy, it couldn't withstand the voracious appetite of this glutton.
Time passed day by day. Lin Yi spent his days in Dingnan City preparing for battle and his nights cultivating at the Xuanhuo Altar.
Although there were many people in Incense Valley, none of them could find his whereabouts.
The atmosphere on the southern border is growing increasingly tense, but no major battles have broken out yet. On the contrary, Liubo Mountain in the East China Sea is almost stained red with blood.
Countless cultivators from both righteous and demonic sects have plunged into this quagmire. Today you kill his disciple, tomorrow he kills your friend. Old grudges remain unresolved, and new ones are added. It's impossible to resolve or dissolve the conflict.
Inside the Hall of Longevity in White Cloud City.
Lin Yi gently placed a piece. His chess skills were terrible, only good enough for his own amusement. But this didn't prevent Lin Yi from understanding the ebb and flow of the overall situation through the process of playing chess.
On the chessboard, black and white pieces are intertwined and locked in a fierce struggle.
Just like the righteous path and the demonic sect in this world, the grudges and affections have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, and will never end until one side is completely defeated.
Immortals are still human, and Buddhas have anger. While longevity is alluring, there are many things in the world that are more important than life.
Lin Yi placed another piece and then turned his gaze south.
Yun Yilan, what choice will you make?
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Chapter 123 A Deadly Intent Spreads
Yun Yilan is a qualified hero. He is the leader of Fenxiang Valley, with profound Taoist skills. He slays demons and monsters, resists the invasion of the southern demon race into the Central Plains, and protects the people of this region.
Meanwhile, he conspired with the demons of the Southern Frontier to resurrect the Beast God and use him to eliminate the remaining forces. He also sought the secret of the "Heavenly Fire" hidden within the Eight Fiends Profound Fire Array, hoping to comprehend the path to immortality through it.
Such a person cannot be defined simply as good or bad, right or wrong.
As night fell, Lin Yi's clone once again arrived at the foot of the Xuanhuo Altar in Fenxiang Valley.
The Tai Chi symbol is like a bottomless abyss, swallowing up all the spiritual energy accumulated by the underground volcano over countless years.
The lava continued to churn, but it lacked its usual liveliness, as if a person had suddenly lost their soul.
"It's time." Lin Yi murmured softly. He pointed a finger, and the Xuanhuo Altar suppressing the volcano above suddenly trembled.
A murderous intent arises from the earth; dragons and snakes rise from the land.
A gaunt old man with a thin face rushed out of the Xuanhuo Altar. He was dressed in a simple gray robe, which was nothing special.
If he were to walk on the streets of an ordinary town, I'm afraid no one would recognize him as a Taoist practitioner.
The gray-robed old man changed the hand seals in his hands, but they had no effect whatsoever.