From the moment his fingers made contact with the mirror's surface, Yu Ci's divine consciousness was set into motion. Through the Treasure Mirror, a stream of starlight was emitted, approximately a dozen or so stars scattering in all directions. He quickly located suitable living beings in the vicinity, subsequently opening the corresponding perspectives. The distribution was remarkably balanced, with the overall range confined within a radius of about ten miles. Yu Ci utilized these living beings, dividing the forest into roughly equal sections.

The Divine Map had been missing for several months. Yu Ci, initially struggling to adapt, actively sought solutions and gradually found several paths. His current strategy was a special division of areas to address the scattered perspectives.

The second wave of divine consciousness starlight was ejected, and yet, He Qing and Gan Shi Zhen by his side remained oblivious.

The scattered perspectives lacked structure, but Yu Ci had pre-set a hierarchy for them, creating a semblance of order and facilitating observation.

Frowning in concentration, he sensed for a while. Within the coverage of the divine consciousness starlight, there was indeed no trace of demons, which was within Yu Ci's expectations. He had not anticipated successfully pinpointing the demons; this action was merely an excuse to show off his Divine Bronze Mirror.

Some time ago, He Qing had criticized his Divine Bronze Mirror, ridiculing him relentlessly. Yu Ci, caught off guard, was rendered speechless, quite embarrassed. Now, by revealing the Treasure Mirror, he was demonstrating his willingness to learn from past mistakes and his transparency.

He intentionally let He Qing understand his thoughts, without any concealment, which indeed drew a glance from the female cultivator, "So this is your precious artifact that can spy on the enemy from afar?"

Yu Ci nodded. It was the first time he had revealed the Treasure Mirror in public, but it didn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought. Instead, he felt a sudden sense of relief. The Divine Bronze Mirror seemed to sense his emotions, emitting a faint green light.

"Man and instrument resonate, as if in rhythm. Was this Magical Instrument refined through the 'One Instrument, One Method'?"

"Yes."

"Do you know its origin?"

Yu Ci could only shake his head.

He Qing hummed in response, "Judging by its design, it carries an ancient aura, but its layout is incomplete. It's a pity. When you have time, research it on the mountain. You might be able to restore it."

With that, the female cultivator closed her eyes and fell silent, presumably controlling the Law Sky Prison, resuming her search for the trace of magic. Yu Ci, however, was taken aback. Was that it? She didn't even take a closer look, a glance from afar was enough? It was far simpler than he had imagined!

Yu Ci felt somewhat disheartened. Did the Treasure Mirror mean so little to people like He Qing?

What was the significance of his prior secretive behavior and his hidden treasures?

Yu Ci gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile. Yet, at the same time, he felt his state of mind broadening.

At this moment, the leaders of the four Sects of Cliff City arrived one by one. The first to arrive were Shi Song and Hu Dan, a pair of martial brothers. Their Thousands Spirits Sect, under their control, had completely aligned with the Lichen Sect, willingly becoming its vassal. In return, He Qing offered them trust. They were the only two amongst the various powers in Cliff City who had an inkling of He Qing's thoughts.

Next came Dong Yan from the Lifeless Sword Sect. Recently, he had sequestered himself from mundane affairs, dedicating his time to refining his newly acquired Magical Instrument from the Treasure Exchange Banquet, especially the Sword Ball. At this point, it was showing some promise, and his cultivation had also improved. When he appeared in public, his aura was as cold and sharp as a blade. However, he still couldn't forget the sword blade in Yu Ci's possession. Unfortunately, Yu Ci had been too busy these days and had no plans to part with it, leaving Dong Yan on the sidelines.

Then, it was the turn of Monk Yi Xin, the host from the southern city. He maintained his usual calm and indifferent demeanor. Even in the face of recent adversities, his countenance remained unchanged. When meeting others, everything was as usual. However, the more he behaved this way, the more it made people feel his inscrutable nature.

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As for the Xuan Yin Sect, Bi Chao was out and had yet to return, and Ming Lan was indisposed. They could only send the Guardian Immortal Master Shan Jiao, who was nominally on par with Ming Lan, to represent them. Though she was a beautiful young woman, she was less noticeable than the figure in black robes behind her.

"Incense Slave?"

Yu Ci recognized her at a glance. Standing next to Shan Jiao was Incense Slave, the coachman who frequently accompanied Bi Chao. It seemed that this time Bi Chao had not taken her luxurious carriage.

Including their entourages, there were about ten people. Except for Incense Slave, none of them could fly using their instruments and had to land in the forest below. They had formed a scattered circle, surrounding the place where the demons had once hidden, as He Qing had pointed out earlier.

"Were the demons hiding here all along?"

Shi Song's empty sleeve fluttered in the breeze as he stood aloof, looking down at the jungle below with scrutiny.

"They are twenty zhang under the ground."

Yu Ci added softly, while glancing back at He Qing. He felt the timing was just about right. He Qing, for the moment, showed no reaction. She hovered in mid-air alongside Gan Shi Zhen, watching the sect leaders speak.

Shi Song also stole a glance, then turned back to converse with Yu Ci. "Perceiving the aura is one thing, seeing is another. Immortal Yu, should we dig this place up?"

Yu Ci slowly nodded. Twenty zhang deep, for ordinary people, could take a year or more to dig, but for the cultivators present, it was merely a matter of effort. He had previously heard from He Qing that the demons' hiding place was well-prepared, which piqued his curiosity. In this desolate suburb outside the city, where could they possibly hide?

His gaze shifted to Yi Xin. The monk's square face was impassive, revealing nothing, but his composure was unusually steady.

After getting He Qing's permission, Yu Ci had the attendants below start the work. In fact, any of the Golden Elixir or Vacuum Walking Cultivators in the sky could have done it far more efficiently, but out of pride and He Qing's prior warning:

"There are traces of manual excavation below. Try to preserve them."

"We'll just peel it off layer by layer then."

When Yu Ci had released his divine consciousness starlight earlier, he had gained a general understanding of the shallow structure inside through the living beings underground. He had Gan Shi Zhen lower him down and directed the attendants to turn over the soil according to the previous impression.

Given his unique status, the other leaders felt it inappropriate to simply watch, so they all descended as well. Among them, Hu Dan and Dong Yan even came directly to his side.

Hu Dan remained silent, while Dong Yan, usually a very somber man, was drawn by the Sword Ball in Yu Ci's hand. He tried to make conversation, hoping to quickly establish a rapport with Yu Ci and get his hands on the Sword Ball.

Yu Ci engaged in casual conversation with the two others, while simultaneously directing various Cultivators to part the topmost layer of soil. Approximately twenty feet beneath the surface, they discovered a tunnel that had been chiseled through.

Several leaders gathered above, scrutinizing the tunnel. Shi Song finally stated, "It's indeed man-made, and appears to have been abandoned. However, if the tunnel actually reaches a depth of sixty feet, it could be a labyrinth meant to provide cover or house traps."

Dong Yan gave a sly smile, his eyes suddenly wide open. A sword aura shot out from nowhere, piercing into the tunnel and slanting downwards.

At that moment, everyone present felt it. Where the sword aura passed, aside from the obstruction of soil and rock, there was also a relatively weak force barrier. When it collided with the sword aura deep in the tunnel, sparks even flew.

Shi Song, grinning, commented, "Ever since Master Dong refined the Sword Ball, his Lifeless Sword technique has become increasingly enigmatic!"

"Just testing the waters. It's still early days for refining," Dong Yan, self-aware as ever, didn't sidetrack and gestured towards the tunnel with his chin, "The Forbidden Method is still in place, what should we do?"

Shi Song, who had unwittingly become the spokesperson for the various sects, stood at the edge of the large pit that had been dug. After observing for a while, he finally said, "Everyone, it appears that the Forbidden Method below has been maintained recently. The project depth ranges from twenty to sixty feet, and the area is not small. Moreover, the water layer here is quite shallow. A lot of thought must have gone into starting the project at this location."

His speech was clear and methodical, gradually progressing, "Such a large project, only a few could construct and maintain it. Does anyone have any information? To be honest, our Thousands Spirits Sect has been driven out of Cliff City for many years. It's beyond our capability to undertake such a project on the city outskirts and maintain it regularly."

Dong Yan also made it clear, "There are only twenty people in our sect. We can't dig with a sword."

Shan Jiao of the Xuan Yin Sect, being among the leaders, didn't have much say. She simply shook her head, "Our sect is unaware."

As for the reason, she couldn't articulate it at the moment.

Finally, it was Monk Yi Xin's turn. Before he could speak, Hu Dan interjected, "Such a large project, located in the southern suburbs, have you really not heard anything?"

Yi Xin lowered his eyes, appearing to be examining the unearthed tunnel, or perhaps meditating. His inscrutability was baffling. After a while, he softly responded, "I am aware of this underground palace."

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