Ink painting was shocked in his heart, for a moment finding it hard to believe. He suddenly thought of something:
“Gu master said that Lone Mountain produces bright yellow copper ore, and was once called ‘Lone Yellow Mountain’… Then the mountain god of that Lone Yellow Mountain is the Lone Yellow Mountain God… Yellow Mountain Lord?”

Ink painting had never thought there could be such an origin before. When Gu master mentioned “Lone Yellow Mountain” to him, he hadn’t thought of Yellow Mountain Lord at all.

But, something wasn’t quite right… Ink painting immediately frowned.

The fallen mountain god, Yellow Mountain Lord, was his old friend. If he truly had a connection with Lone Mountain, then with his own understanding of cause and effect, he should have been able to detect some clues, however slight. But he hadn’t detected anything at all.

Either he had been careless, or it meant that the matter of Yellow Mountain Lord was hidden by great cause and effect, covered by heavenly mechanisms, not allowing others to probe or perceive.

Ink painting looked again at the Lone Yellow Mountain God on the shrine gate, holding a mountain halberd, clad in chainmail armor, with a long, narrow face and majestic gaze, looking down on all living beings.

In his mind, the Yellow Mountain Lord appeared again, the one in the broken temple, a clay statue wearing a plain robe, his face pale with hunger, drinking rainwater and eating spoiled vegetables every day, timidly smiling at him. For a moment, he simply couldn’t connect these two people, no… these two gods, together. It seemed that not only had people fallen very miserably, but fallen mountain gods were also in a very difficult situation.

But at the same time, Ink painting’s heart was filled with even more doubts: “What exactly happened to the Yellow Mountain Lord, who was once so majestic, to become like this now?”

“Didn’t the seniors of Taixu Gate cut off his evil root? What past is there here?”

“Why is his shrine sealed in this mass grave at the bottom of Lone Mountain…”

Ink painting raised his head and looked at the grand and vast, yet golden and magnificent shrine behind the imposing gate. “The truth is probably hidden in the shrine…”

And when Ink painting was filled with heavy doubts, Gray Second Master also showed a shocked expression upon seeing this shrine. “There’s actually such a treasure hall buried in this tomb…”

After the shock, he was a bit puzzled again, “What hall is this exactly? It doesn’t look like a tomb inside.”

Gray Second Master frowned and looked at the black-robed old man, only to see his face filled with piety and vicissitudes, murmuring: “Finally, found…”

He reached out to touch the golden gate, but just as he touched it, he pulled back as if shocked by electricity. It was as if a force of divine power was condensed on the gate, not allowing others to touch it.

The black-robed old man’s expression was solemn. He attached his blood-colored evil power to his palm and pushed the great gate again. His withered hand pressed against the gate. The blood-colored evil power intertwined with the golden gate. The golden light gradually brightened and became scorching, evaporating the blood color little by little.

The black-robed old man’s hand was like pressing against a hot iron. As white smoke rose, not only was his evil power being consumed, but the skin and flesh of his palm were also being burned, scorched, and falling off bit by bit, turning into bare white bones.

The black-robed old man’s expression remained unchanged, facing death as if returning home, still pushing the great gate with force. But the great gate of this golden shrine remained unmoved. Seeing that not only his palm had turned into white bones, but even his arm was being burned bit by bit, the black-robed old man sighed deeply and only then retracted his hand.

After retracting his hand, the white bones of his arm were gradually wrapped in blood, muscles connected, and rewoven into a human hand.

Seeing that the black-robed old man couldn’t push the door open, the Demon Sect leader said hoarsely: “I’ll do it.”

The black-robed old man sighed and said apologetically: “This old servant’s bloodline is still not qualified…”

The Demon Sect leader nodded slightly and walked to the front of the golden gate. The green dragon array patterns on his back lit up one by one, and blood energy surged. Vast evil dragon power poured into his palms. He slowly pushed on the shrine gate. A hidden dragon roar sounded. It was as if something resonated with his bloodline.

The Demon Sect leader’s blood began to boil, and then streams of it surged into the golden shrine gate. The magnificent and noble door, sealed with huge secrets, also trembled little by little. Ink painting’s heart was actually involuntarily nervous and expectant.

Time passed bit by bit. The Demon Sect leader’s expression was solemn. The green-black evil dragon virtual shadow all over his body had already completely appeared, and a small half of the vast surging blood had also been drawn out. The shrine’s great gate, having fully absorbed the evil dragon blood, was about to open.

Suddenly, a solid sword light, like white silk, carrying astonishing spiritual power, broke through the air and directly attacked the Demon Sect leader who was pushing the door. The Demon Sect leader’s face changed, but he didn’t loosen his hand. The bear and wild boar demon cultivator roared angrily and blocked in front of him, transforming his demonic energy into a fierce bear claw to block the sword.

But this sword light, smooth as white jade, was even more powerful. It only stalemated for a moment before directly breaking open the bear and wild boar demon cultivator’s sharp claw and killing towards the Demon Sect leader. The black-robed old man’s figure flickered, sacrificing a long-horned skull, transforming into a skeleton virtual shadow, blocking the remaining sword light, only then resolving this sword move.

The black-robed old man looked up and saw six cultivators approaching from a distance. Their cultivation ranged from the early stage of Gold Core to the peak of Gold Core. The leader, a Gold Core peak cultivator, had an ordinary appearance but a steady temperament and eyes like a hawk. He was wearing a Shen family dao robe and was exactly the real power elder of the Shen family, Shen Shouhang. At this time, he was holding a white jade sword, and the astonishing sword light just now, like white silk, was also from his hand.

Besides him, there were two other Shen family Gold Core cultivators and Xun Ziyu and two others.

Shen Shouhang saw the Demon Sect leader, covered in evil dragon patterns, trying to push open the shrine gate, and his pupils immediately constricted. He said coldly and angrily: “Demon path evil creature, seeking death!”

He split out another sword, the sword like white jade, the sword light clear as white silk. The black-robed old man still sacrificed the ferocious horn bone, transforming into a skeleton blood shadow, and fought with Shen Shouhang.

Xun Ziyu also split out a sword, but was blocked by the bear and wild boar demon cultivator. The two people, upon meeting, were particularly red-eyed.

“Bear and wild boar evil creature, it’s you!”
“Taixu Gate sword cultivator elder, damn!”

Xun Ziyu’s tone was cold, “I’ve searched high and low, but today I must make you, this evil creature, drink hate under my sword.”
“Boasting shamelessly,” the bear and wild boar demon cultivator’s eyes were blood red, “Today I must eat your flesh raw and drink your blood raw, so that you die without a whole corpse.”

The two people had formed enmity since the time of the Ten Thousand Demons Valley. Later, when exterminating the Demon Sect, they had another life-and-death fight. At this time, both harbored intense hatred for each other, so upon contact, it was a death fight.

Besides that, Gu master and Fan Dian Si fought with Gray Second Master and Stone, these two tomb robbers. Xuan Gongzi then fought one against two, blocking the other two Shen family Gold Core cultivators.

The great war was on the verge of breaking out. Blade light and sword shadows flew, dao methods and evil methods intertwined, the scene was chaotic to the extreme for a time. Ink painting immediately hid far away. This was the full force killing of Gold Core cultivators, and there were several at the Gold Core peak and even late stage Gold Core cultivators fighting desperately. The aftermath was extremely strong, and Ink painting couldn’t withstand a bit.

To him, such a “fragile” Foundation Building cultivator, a Gold Core melee might not be a joke. It was good enough to protect himself wisely, even watching the show, he had to hide far away. Fortunately, the Gold Core cultivators in the field only wanted to kill enemies, not harm the innocent. So even though the Gold Core power intertwined and the field was extremely intense, Ink painting was safe and sound for a time.

The war situation at the beginning was still a bit of a stalemate. But as the fighting continued, the situation gradually became clear. Obviously, Shen Shouhang and Elder Xun had the upper hand. One was a Shen family elder at the Gold Core peak, seemingly only one step away from Featherization. The other was a Taixu Gate sword cultivator elder at the late stage of Gold Core, whose sword intent was pure as fire.

The bear and wild boar demon cultivator gradually couldn’t withstand Elder Xun’s sword intent. And the black-robed old man, although sacrificing the evil horn skeleton, was full of vicious, sly, and strange evil methods, but after all, he was old and his meridians were in decline. He couldn’t endure a long fight, and as he fought with Shen Shouhang, he gradually fell into a disadvantage over time.

“Can Elder Xun win?” Ink painting’s heart was slightly joyful. Although the Shen family elder wasn’t necessarily a good person either, in any case, he was better than these several demon heads. Moreover, if the Shen family and Elder Xun won and could control this Demon Sect leader, he might be able to see the complete green dragon array diagram on his body. His own life array diagram might even have clues.

But just when Ink painting was thinking this, Shen Qingsheng, who was tied into a bundle and thrown on the ground, saw that his father was about to win and immediately showed great joy, shouting: “Dad, kill that old thing!”

Ink painting’s heart jumped. This troublesome guy messed things up…

Sure enough, as soon as he shouted “Dad,” the black-robed old man’s pupils immediately trembled. He threw Shen Shouhang aside, and his figure flickered several times, retreating to Shen Qingsheng’s front. His withered and old hand pinched Shen Qingsheng’s neck.

“He is your dad?”

Shen Qingsheng’s face was pale, and he didn’t dare to speak. The black-robed old man laughed coldly and turned his head to Shen Shouhang, saying: “Stop, otherwise I will pinch him to death.”

Shen Shouhang frowned tightly and cursed secretly in his heart. Worthless fellow, can’t accomplish anything, only spoil things! If he hadn’t shouted this sound, these several demon cultivators wouldn’t know their relationship, and for a time, they wouldn’t necessarily think of using his life to blackmail him.

Shen Qingsheng still didn’t understand this key point and said with a panicked face: “Dad, save me!”

Shen Shouhang could only stop. He stopped, and naturally, Xun Ziyu could only stop as well. He wanted to save Ink painting. But Ink painting didn’t speak up, and Xun Ziyu wasn’t stupid, so he naturally pretended not to recognize Ink painting.

In this kind of situation, Fan Jin and Gu master had no right to speak and naturally didn’t expose anything. The melee situation, which was originally in full swing, subsided just like that. Although both sides were drawn and bowed, they didn’t act lightly for a time.

Shen Shouhang looked at the black-robed old man and said with ice-cold eyes: “Hand over the person.”

The black-robed old man said: “I can hand him over to you…” He pointed to Xun Ziyu beside him, “You make a move and kill this Taixu Gate elder.”

Shen Shouhang’s gaze flashed and he said: “Why do you want to kill him?”

The black-robed old man said in an ice-cold voice: “Taixu Gate has a blood feud with my sect. So many disciples of my Demon Sect died in the hands of Taixu Gate, so all Taixu Gate people must be killed with a thousand cuts and ten thousand slices!”

Behind the black-robed old man, Ink painting, the small senior brother of Taixu Gate, couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart and a little bit of luck. Fortunately, he was clever and didn’t expose his identity. He hadn’t expected that these several demon cultivators had such a great enmity with Taixu Gate.

“Kill the Taixu Gate elder, and your son will be returned to you.” The black-robed old man repeated it again.

Shen Shouhang sneered, “This is not the first time I have dealt with you demon path evil creatures. How can I believe your words?”

The black-robed old man began to pinch Shen Qingsheng’s neck. Shen Qingsheng’s face swelled like a pig’s kidney, “Dad…”

Shen Shouhang’s face was ugly, and he said: “This request doesn’t work, change one.”

The black-robed old man still said: “Kill the Taixu Gate elder.”

Shen Shouhang laughed coldly: “If I make a move on him, it will only hurt both sides, and then you can sit back and reap the benefits. Do you think I don’t understand this kind of thing?”

Xun Ziyu said faintly: “Exactly, Elder Shen, you and I will join hands and first take down these several evil creatures.”

“Join hands?” The black-robed old man laughed lightly, “You Taixu Gate, want to mess with the Shen family?”

Xun Ziyu said: “Killing you evil demons and heretics is the duty of cultivators, how can it be called messing with?”

“Elder Xun, why pretend to be confused?” The black-robed old man sneered, “Here, are only we several people really ‘evil demons and heretics’?”

Xun Ziyu’s gaze sank slightly, “What do you mean?”

The black-robed old man said: “Although I don’t know exactly how you chased over, you won’t not see what’s in the Shen family’s mine along this road?”

“Those corpses, densely packed, like a tide.”

“Do you think this act of the Shen family is any different from evil demons?”

Before Xun Ziyu could speak, Shen Shouhang said with an indifferent face: “Don’t talk nonsense. The corpses here are unrelated to my Shen family. My Shen family is a fifth-grade family appointed by the Dao Court as a righteous path, inherited by the four great sects. My disciples all wholeheartedly cultivate the dao, and my family is full of righteous energy. How could I possibly do things that violate the laws of the Dao Court?”

The black-robed old man was startled, then praised: “Worthy of the Shen family elder, worthy of an upper-grade family. No wonder when my demon path kills people, everyone shouts to beat us, but when your families eat people, you can still be prosperous and receive respect.”

Shen Shouhang’s face sank like water, “Such slander damages my Shen family’s reputation, you deserve ten thousand deaths.”

The black-robed old man laughed hoarsely, then looked at Xun Ziyu: “Frankly speaking, does Taixu Gate also want to wear the same pants as the Shen family?”

Xun Ziyu’s gaze flashed slightly and he said slowly: “Whether the mine disaster is related to the Shen family still needs to be investigated and discussed, but you several demon path evil creatures have truly notorious evil deeds and countless sins. Let’s first kill you several people, then talk.”

“Kill me, do you think you can walk out of this Lone Mountain?” The black-robed old man seemed to smile yet not smile, “Aren’t you afraid that this Elder Shen will stab you from behind?”

“Don’t try to sow discord.” Shen Shouhang drew his sword, the white jade sword edge pointed directly at the old man.

The black-robed old man gripped Shen Qingsheng’s neck, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill your son?”

Shen Shouhang’s gaze was cold, “If my son dies, all of you must accompany him to the grave!”

Then he indeed no longer hesitated, sword light surged, and he attacked the black-robed old man again. The black-robed old man’s heart sank. This Shen Shouhang, who could rise to prominence in the Shen family, was indeed resolute in his actions and very sharp in his judgment. And his judgment was also not wrong. He really wouldn’t kill his son now. Keeping this son in his hand was at least a bargaining chip. But if he killed him, he would be of no use at all. Not only that, but it would also drive Shen Shouhang mad, producing unpredictable variables.

The black-robed old man could only temporarily keep Shen Qingsheng alive to check Shen Shouhang. Shen Shouhang cared about this only son of his and was also unable to go all out. Xun Ziyu also began to move, but everyone had scruples, and the war situation was again a stalemate for a time.

Just at this time, the Demon Sect leader, who had been constantly consuming bloodline and supplying the shrine, suddenly roared, and his whole body aura surged. As the evil dragon virtual shadow appeared, the surging aura came.

The tightly closed shrine great gate opened with a boom. The scene within the shrine, golden and magnificent, was gradually reflected in everyone’s eyes.

The black-robed old man’s eyes flashed with light, decisive: “Go!” Their trip was precisely for the shrine and they didn’t want to be delayed by the Shen family.

Xuan Gongzi’s gaze was sharp, his long sword drew a blood light, repelling the two Shen family Gold Core cultivators, then he was the first to step into the shrine. The bear and wild boar elder roared, demon patterns surged all over his body. He seized a moment of respite from Elder Xun, then regardless of everything, also rushed into the shrine. After that was Gray Second Master and Stone.

Ink painting thought for a bit, seeing that the opportunity could not be missed, also took the chance to slip in through the crack in the door. After that, the black-robed old man carried Shen Qingsheng and stepped into the shrine gate.

“Qing’er!” Shen Shouhang’s face was filled with anger.

Xun Ziyu’s heart also sank, “Ink painting!”

The two figures flickered, transforming into sword dao escape light, rushing towards the shrine gate. But midway, an evil dragon roared, like thunder on flat ground, and then a pair of dragon fists carrying great pressure whistled, fiercely blocking the two people. A violent shock spread. Xun Ziyu suffered the power of this fist and retreated three steps. Even Shen Shouhang, at the Gold Core peak, retreated one step, his face pale.

The small mountain-like Demon Sect leader blocked in front of them. Even having lost a small half of his blood, under the blessing of the green dragon evil array all over his body, this Demon Sect leader’s strength was still terrifyingly strong. After repelling the two people, the Demon Sect leader’s expression was cold and arrogant, and he also slowly retreated towards the shrine gate.

Shen Shouhang and Xun Ziyu wanted to make a move again, but they simply couldn’t break the Demon Sect leader’s evil dragon array, nor could they, under the deterrence of the small mountain-like divine body, rush into the shrine gate. Just like this, they could only watch with open eyes as the Demon Sect leader, carrying the evil dragon and with blood-red eyes, stepped into the depths of the shrine. At the same time, the golden great gate of the shrine also finally slowly closed in front of them.

Shen Shouhang and Xun Ziyu’s expressions were extremely solemn for a time.

Within the shrine. Ink painting only felt his eyes blur. When he reopened his eyes, he found himself in a front hall filled with dazzling golden light. The entire great hall was almost entirely cast from bright yellow copper ore. It was as if it was plated with gold, the golden light dazzling and blinding. But Ink painting walked around and found no other people.

“Strange, we clearly came in together…” Ink painting again looked around the front hall and finally met a figure. This person was dressed in a black robe, with a fair and handsome face, exactly that Gold Core realm “Xuan Gongzi”.

At the same time that Ink painting saw him, Xuan Gongzi also saw Ink painting. His eyes lit up slightly, and the corners of his mouth outlined a shallow smile.

“Found you.”

“Find me?” Ink painting was startled.

“Um.” Xuan Gongzi said, “This shrine is a bit mysterious. After coming in, you will lose your direction. I specifically came to find you.”

“Find me to do what…” Ink painting’s face showed a blank expression, but his heart trembled slightly, feeling that something was not good.

“I’ll give you an opportunity.” Xuan Gongzi smiled slightly.

“Opportunity?” Ink painting was startled, then saw Xuan Gongzi take out an amber-colored plaque. This plaque was made from what looked like a skull, and there were three pieced cracks on it.

Xuan Gongzi shook this bone plaque in front of Ink painting. Ink painting was startled, then felt his divine sense dizzy, as if some thought was drilling towards his heart. At the same time, he heard this Xuan Gongzi murmuring in his ear:

“From now on, I am your master, and you are my servant.”

“You will only obey my orders.”

“You must obey all my words, and you must not violate any of my commands.”

“If I let you live, you will live; if I let you die, you will die…”

“This word becomes dao, transforms into a demon seed, planted in your heart, not lost, not extinguished, thought after thought unceasing…”

Ink painting was stunned for a long time, and only then did he slowly react. This Xuan Gongzi, wasn’t he… planting a demon seed in his heart?