Suddenly transitioning from the Divine Soul realm to the real world, Yu Ci found it slightly disorienting. He leaned against the railing, blinked, and gradually regained his bearings. What came into his view was an exceedingly familiar face, gentle and beautiful.

"Master Gan?" Yu Ci quickly straightened up, though he didn't need to stand. Gan Shi Zhen didn't mind it, and it was difficult for Yu Ci to treat this delicate and fragile woman with the same attitude he would use towards his elders.

"Did I disturb you? Were you practicing?"

Gan Shi Zhen smiled without sitting down. This time, Yu Ci really couldn't sit still. He stood up and laughed, "Just lost in thought."

Such a response made Yu Ci curious as to why Gan Shi Zhen had come to find him. Recently, the female cultivator had been in seclusion in the quiet chamber she had set up at Cinnabar Cliff, consolidating her current realm. Only out of courtesy did she participate in the night banquet organized by the Xuan Yin Sect and Random Heart Pavilion.

Yu Ci had heard from He Qing that this delicate and charming senior would accompany the Sect members to the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens, say her goodbyes there, and continue her cultivation in the boundless solitude of space until she returned to the Four Clarity Sect. This was a special process, known as "Reading ten thousand books, traveling ten thousand miles", a trial for the Four Clarity Sect to cultivate their top talents.

It was conceivable that after the female cultivator's return, her status in the Four Clarity Sect would significantly rise, making her one of the key figures in the Sect for the next millennium.

In this regard, Yu Ci was both admiring and envious, and of course, endlessly yearning.

The two stood side by side, with Yu Ci towering a head taller than the female cultivator. If it had been when they first met, Yu Ci could probably only see the silken curtain of her hair. Gan Shi Zhen was not used to looking up when talking to people. However, at this moment, given their shared hardships, the female cultivator naturally looked up and softly said,

"There's some anomaly outside the city, according to Aunt Qing."

"Anomaly? Did Monk Yi Xin expose something?"

Yu Ci knew that He Qing wouldn't focus all her energy here. She should have one or even several backup plans, which was only reasonable. Therefore, if there were results from another direction, Yu Ci wouldn't be surprised at all.

Little did Gan Shi Zhen know, she shook her head: "It's Aunt Qing's Law Sky Prison that sensed the presence of demons lurking outside the city."

"Demons?"

This was truly beyond Yu Ci's expectation, leaving him puzzled. With He Qing guarding this place, ordinary demons and monsters could be annihilated with a flip of her hand. Why would there be a need to specifically notify him?

It should be known that after He Qing took over Cliff City, she brought out her most powerful Magical Instrument, the "Law Sky Prison." When used against enemies, it could draw the Primordial Qi from within ten miles, locking and killing the enemy with formidable power. This time, He Qing was using its defensive method:

The golden ring could serve as the central hub of the Primordial Qi's circulation within a vast range. Under its control, the Primordial Qi within dozens of cities was woven into a gigantic spider web. Certain specific targets, upon touching this "web", their existence would immediately be fed back to the central hub, triggering a powerful impact from the "Law Sky Prison."

In a sense, this Magical Instrument was an enhanced version of the "Five-orientation Telepathizing Talisman," and even had some of the effects of a Divine Bronze Mirror. It could collect information from afar by harnessing the changes in the flow of the Primordial Qi. Although it was not as detailed as the Divine Map, its combined offensive and defensive capabilities, and its ability to unleash a thunderous strike with the power of heaven and earth, were far more domineering than the Divine Map.

Yu Ci once asked He Qing about the refinement level of this Magical Instrument. The result left him speechless: The Law Sky Prison was personally refined by Grandmaster Fang, the oldest generation of the Lichen Sect, and later bestowed upon He Qing. Its Earthly Sha Refining Numerology was perfected to the 72nd level, and its Heavenly Gang Refining Numerology was at the 18th level. This meant that the refinement had reached an astonishing 90 levels, equivalent to the standard of the Fifteen Heavens. It was ranked among the top ten high-quality magic weapons in the Lichen Sect and was considered a priceless treasure even in the Communicating Mystery Realm.

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Among all the Magical Instruments Yu Ci had seen, only the "Great Void Seven Changes Five Directions True Form Talisman" held by Murong Qingyan had barely surpassed it in terms of refinement levels after surviving two calamities and the efforts of several generations. However, in terms of combat power, it was still lagging behind. With this Magical Instrument in hand, He Qing's combat power was already on par with an Authentic Cultivator. It was not surprising that she could lock down the True Yang Spirit and force it to self-destruct. What could those little demons possibly amount to?

"Tiny demons, a mere thought could annihilate them, yet they're still lingering,"

Yu Ci scratched his head, "Where are the demons?"

**********

Yu Ci arrived directly from the sky, naturally escorted by Gan Shi Zhen.

He Qing seemed to have made up her mind to seek help from her niece. As the second most powerful force after He Qing, Gan Shi Zhen was gentle in nature and wasn’t picky. With her presence, the arrangements for all kinds of matters became much easier. To put it irreverently, during the time with Gan Shi Zhen in Sky Rift Valley, Yu Ci felt that such a companion was extremely handy to have.

From a bird's-eye view, the southern suburb river of Cliff City looked like a white forge, cutting through the jungle and cascading down from the ten-mile slope, forming a spectacular waterfall, with raging torrents flowing into the Ba River. The southern suburbs were probably the most complicated environment around Cliff City, with mountains, jungles, river canyons crisscrossing. During the spring and summer seasons, it was rich in species and abundant in spiritual energy, making it an excellent place to visit.

However, since the establishment of the Pure Water Sect in the southern city, this place had almost become the backyard of the monks. Ordinary people who strayed into it often disappeared, and it was not uncommon. According to the rumors among the city residents, this was even the place where the evil people of Pure Water Sect dumped bodies after killing. Perhaps due to the bodies serving as fertilizer, the southern suburban jungle had grown even more lush over the decades.

When Yu Ci arrived, He Qing was standing alone in mid-air, hands behind her back, her gaze patrolling the jungle.

"Where are the demons?" This was the first thing Yu Ci said upon arrival.

He Qing glanced at him, "Never mind where the demons are, how are you doing with the task you promised?"

"There's some information waiting to be confirmed."

Yu Ci spoke ambiguously, not knowing how much He Qing could understand. After speaking, he also imitated He Qing, sweeping his eyes through the jungle to see if he could find any traces of the demons.

He Qing's response was nonchalant, a fact that left her rather unsatisfied. However, her demands had shifted, and she no longer sought perfection. She simply provided a direction: "Underground, approximately twenty zhang deep, was once inhabited by demons. They are no longer present."

Yu Ci inquired, "Did they escape?"

He Qing did not immediately respond. The Law Sky Prison was not specifically designed to detect targets. She found the arrival of the demons peculiar and, to avoid startling them, did not immediately activate the Law Sky Prison's counterattack. Instead, she roughly determined their location, hoping to follow the vine to find the melon. However, the slipperiness of the demons exceeded her estimation. Perhaps sensing something, they became increasingly elusive until they completely vanished half an hour ago.

"This demon is not comparable to those foolish creatures that only know how to slaughter. It should possess considerable intelligence or spiritual sense, or perhaps both. If it's the latter, it's very likely a high-ranking demon from the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion. During the turmoil in the Sky Rift Valley, the sect only managed to capture and kill a handful of these creatures. I may have overestimated myself."

The female cultivator remained pragmatic, not avoiding anything due to her own mistakes. Moreover, she had made a new discovery:

"During the pursuit, I found that the demons had located two or three hiding places underground, extremely well concealed. If not for the Law Sky Prison's extremely precise control of Primordial Qi flow, I might have been fooled. These hiding places were not hastily created but have long existed. I have summoned the heads of various sects within the city to get a clear understanding."

Yu Ci understood her intentions. At this point, He Qing was suspecting that the demons were connected to some power within the city, or more specifically, to the Pure Water Sect in the south of the city. Summoning the heads of various sects for questioning seemed like a risky move, but combined with the previous pressures, it might have a surprising effect.

Seeing him deep in thought, He Qing asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Initially, Yu Ci had no other ideas, but after He Qing's question, a thought suddenly sprang to mind.

Wasn't this a perfect opportunity to clear his reputation?

He took a deep breath and nodded, "Immortal He has thought of everything. I have nothing to add. However, regarding the traces of demon magic, I would like to give it a try."

With that, he grasped the cool Divine Bronze Mirror in his sleeve.

********