Dao Fang quickly finished reading everything recorded in the jade slip and then handed it to the others. After reading the jade slip, everyone wished they could grind Li Qiong to dust and scatter those scumbags to death.

There were a few who were fiercely opposed to evil, exuding a murderous aura and seemingly ready to kill at the slightest provocation, but there was no one left for them to kill.

They all understood why Ye Xiruo and Xiu Qiyu had acted with such swift and brutal force, their methods unprecedented in their brutality. Such bloodshed and evil could only be redeemed through fire and death. Those people deserved to die. They had only known that Tianyuan Sect was actively involved in worldly affairs and had close ties with the outside world, but they never imagined that Li Qiong would dare to harm innocent lives for his own selfish gain. Fortunately, this cancer in the cultivation world has now been eradicated.

Everyone bowed to the two men and thanked them, saying, "Thank you both for your great kindness."

"You don't need to be so polite, we were just doing what we should do." That's what you call standing up for what's right.

"Have you seen this person before?" Ye Xiruo asked, pointing to the old man.

"Isn't this the deceased Tianmenzi? You're not dead!!!" Dao Fang exclaimed in shock.

The old man was in tears, his nose running down his face. Reuniting with an old friend was anything but a joyful occasion.

"Fellow Daoist Dao Fang, it is I. I was ambushed by Li Qiong and have been imprisoned in the dungeon for many years. Thanks to you two, I have been able to see the light of day again."

"I knew it! Fellow Daoist Tianmenzi was exceptionally talented and possessed profound skills. How could he have died from a qi deviation during cultivation? It turns out it was that scoundrel Li Qiong."

"It's not just me, there are other fellow Daoists as well. Two of them have already passed away. The most regrettable thing is that most of the elite disciples were killed by Li Qiong."

"Truly depraved and heinous." The others nodded in agreement. In the entire cultivation world, it had been many years since such an evil person had appeared.

"Tianyuan Sect has been destroyed. What are your plans, Brother Tianmenzi?"

"Tianyuan Sect will close its doors and remain secluded for a hundred years."

"Now that everyone is here, the Heavenly Gate will officially open tomorrow. What are your thoughts?"

The mere mention of Tianmen changed everyone's expressions. A mixture of sorrow, helplessness, and a hint of expectation lingered in their eyes. Ah, if they went into acting, they'd all be Oscar winners. This feeling...

"Tianyuan Sect is giving up." Tianmenzi was the first to express his opinion.

Aside from Dao Fang, the other four sect leaders all indicated they would send those at the Golden Core stage or higher to try and see if they were destined to enter. Dao Fang and the other two had already committed two spots, and with the young Taoist priest, if all went well, Dao Yuan Sect would have three people pass through the Heavenly Gate.

"Alright, there's one last thing I need you to do. I saved over thirty innocent mortals; arrange for someone to take them home." As for compensation, these Taoist priests seem quite poor; let's forget about it.

"Please rest assured, young friends, we will definitely get them down the mountain safely."

"Alright, that's all for now. Go back and make your arrangements. As long as you've made your decision and want to go through the Heavenly Gate, you can give it a try. As for the future ownership of the Heavenly Gate, you can discuss it yourselves."

Throughout the entire process, Xiu Qiyu did not utter a single word, but his very presence was an invisible threat. Sword cultivators are like swords in body, mind, and soul; this aura will never completely disappear no matter how much they try to suppress it.

After Ye Xiruo and Xiu Qiyu's blue Daoist robes disappeared into the air, everyone subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Although both were very young, in the cultivation world where strength was paramount, this invisible pressure still made everyone's hearts tense.

Ye Xiruo and Xiu Qiyu went directly to the place known as the Valley of Death. Qinglian Tian transformed into a palm-sized blue lotus flower, which circled around Ye Xiruo. Xiu Qiyu also released Bingxin Yan.

The two of them each took an antidote pill before cautiously entering. This canyon was dangerous and eerie; all the creatures inside were lifeless, and the whole scene perfectly matched the special effects in a ghost movie. There was also a wind blowing from who-knows-where, carrying ghostly, malevolent, and poisonous energy.

However, each of the Heavenly Flames is an extremely yang and powerful substance in the world, making it the nemesis of these things. The two continued forward. Their previous thinking was indeed wrong. Based on habitual thinking, they assumed that the Gate of Inheritance would still appear in the snow mountain or a similar place. Unexpectedly, the appearance of the Gate of Inheritance had no pattern to follow.

"How could there be such a strange place?" Ye Xiruo and the others had been walking for half an hour, and apart from the strange wind and the monotonous, deathly silence, there was nothing else. Ye Xiruo studied the strange demonic wind and realized that it was indeed deadly. The poisonous gas, miasma, and evil energy inside were very difficult to eliminate once they entered the human body. Once a person was below the Golden Core stage, there was no way to defend against it.

"System, quickly confirm the lost location."

"That should be true."

"What do you mean by 'should'? It's about attitude. Be more serious."

"We'll be able to confirm it by tomorrow."

Well, it seems the system is unreliable again. Ye Xiruo and Xiu Qiyu continued forward. Suddenly, the sword energy from Xiu Qiyu's fingertips pierced forward, followed by the roar of a wounded beast.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a wild boar, but it had clearly mutated. It looked somewhat like a magical beast. Xiu Qiyu had cleaved it in two with a single sword strike, and its blood had even turned black.

Next, the two were like animals that had stumbled into a zoo. A swarm of mutated bees appeared, only to be instantly reduced to ashes by Ye Xiruo's powerful Azure Lotus Heaven. A pack of mutated wolves appeared out of nowhere, killing their king in three moves. The remaining wolves fled in panic, and Xiu Qiyu slaughtered most of them. Even the usually docile and adorable rabbits had red eyes and lunged at people, their minds not very sharp. However, Ye Xiruo and Xiu Qiyu noticed a common trait among these mutated animals: madness, bloodlust, and a thirst for killing.

This obstacle was not enough to stop the two of them. They both wanted to figure out what caused the mutation in this place. Was it caused by humans or by nature? Would this dangerous place spread? Would the animals inside go out and wreak havoc on the world?

They were supposed to leave tomorrow, but this problem came as a result, leaving them both feeling quite heavy-hearted, but neither of them intended to give up.

"If we continue to investigate, we may make some discoveries."

"System, get to work! Do you know how this place was formed and how long ago it's been there?" Judging from the behavior of those animals, it must have been there for a very long time.