The northern part of the State of Chu.

The scorching sun baked the earth.

Qin Luo stood near the official road, holding a black umbrella. He gazed at the fields not far away. It was supposed to be the harvest season, but now the crops in the fields had been destroyed, and all that could be seen were ruins.

The sound of horses' hooves could be heard not far away.

As the sound of hooves grew closer, Qin Luo looked in the direction from which it came. The carriages, laden with goods, came to a stop. The muscular woman at the head of the procession, dressed in a tiger-skin skirt, was riding a white horse with a slight frown.

The burly men around the carriage all looked tense.

Qin Luo noticed their uneasy looks, smiled and nodded, then continued walking north.

Seeing that Qin Luo posed no threat, the woman in the tiger-skin skirt breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's continue on our way."

The sound of horses' hooves rang out again.

A robust woman dressed in a tiger-skin skirt approached Qin Luo. She dismounted and said respectfully, "Junior Jiang Wan greets Immortal Master. May I ask how you should be addressed?"

Qin Luo could sense the powerful blood energy within Jiang Wan's body, clearly indicating that she was a martial artist. "My name is Qin Luo."

Jiang Wan tentatively asked, "Immortal Master Qin, are you from the North?"

Qin Luo shook his head and chuckled, "I'm from the South."

Jiang Wan thought Qin Luo was a cultivator from the north who had come with the Great Zhen Dynasty. Recently, cultivators from the north had been plundering resources in the Chu Kingdom, so they were all very nervous when they first encountered Qin Luo.

Qin Luo looked at the wagons loaded with goods and asked, "Where are you planning to deliver this grain?"

Jiang Wan answered truthfully, "Many refugees have gone to Jincheng for refuge, where food is scarce. We plan to send this food to Jincheng in the hope of helping the people of Jincheng."

Qin Luo looked at her with respect, "Miss Jiang, you are all true heroes."

Jiang Wan was a little embarrassed, but she asked with a smile, "Master Qin, are you going to the Seeking Dao Temple in the north?"

"Seeking a Taoist temple?"

Qin Luo shook his head. "I'm planning to visit the Great Zhen Dynasty. I wonder where the Xun Dao Temple is?"

Jiang Wan pointed ahead and laughed loudly: "It is in the mountains east of Jincheng. Legend has it that the Dao Ancestor attained enlightenment in the mountains, and many cultivators came here to seek the Dao. Later, some Daoists settled in the mountains, and that's how the Xun Dao Temple came to be."

"I see."

Qin Luo nodded with a smile.

Jiang Wan, leading her horse, bowed and said, "Immortal Master Qin, I still have to transport grain. We'll meet again sometime."

"good."

Qin Luo nodded with a smile.

Jiang Wan caught up with the grain transport team on horseback.

Jincheng.

It is one of the oldest cities in the State of Chu.

Surrounded by mountains, Qin Luo followed Jiang Wan and the others to the mountains near Jincheng. He followed the mountain path to Xundao Temple.

Xundao Temple is located halfway up the mountain on the east side of Jincheng. The mottled courtyard walls are covered with cracks. The environment here is similar to Longhu Temple. When Qin Luo approached the temple, a force repelled him.

This was a barrier specifically designed to protect against demons, which Qin Luo could easily break through, but he did not force his way in.

A young Taoist boy dressed in blue was sweeping the courtyard when he noticed Qin Luo outside the temple. Seeing his otherworldly demeanor, he respectfully asked, "May I ask what brings you here, senior?"

Qin Luo smiled and said softly, "I was passing by and heard about the Xun Dao Temple, so I came to take a look. Are you the only one in the temple?"

The young Taoist in green nodded and said, "Recently, many demons have been causing trouble in the vicinity. Master and my uncles have all gone down the mountain to eliminate the demons. Please come in, senior. I'll go and pour you some tea."

"Need not."

Qin Luo smiled and waved his hand, "I'll just wander around nearby."

The young Taoist in green approached Qin Luo and said warmly, "Senior, I know this mountain well. I'll show you around."

Seeing this, Qin Luo knew that the young Taoist in blue was hospitable, so he smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's dangerous outside the Taoist temple, you'd better not come out."

The young Taoist in blue robes scoffed, "Senior, this is the Xun Dao Temple; even demons and monsters dare not approach."

Qin Luo smiled and nodded, "You're right, so you'd better not come near me. I'm a wandering ghost."

Upon hearing this, the young Taoist priest in blue stood frozen in place. He watched Qin Luo leave with an umbrella, and the foot he had just stepped out of the Taoist temple quickly retracted back inside. "Could he really be a ghost?"

There are winding paths in the mountains, as well as many pavilions and towers. When Qin Luo reached the highest point, he could see all the mountains below and the city of Jincheng in the distance.

A tall white stone stands atop the mountain.

There are four magnificent characters on the stone.

"The Way is within it!"

The stone has a smooth surface, like white jade, but it has many tiny cracks.

Qin Luo saw the marks of swords and knives, and there was a strong residual sword intent nearby. The stone had stood firm despite being cleaved by swords and knives, which showed how hard the stone was.

“The Dao is within it. Do they think the Dao is inside this stone? So they want to destroy this white jade stone.” Qin Luo stared at the ten-foot-tall white jade stone in front of him.

Qin Luo believed that the Dao was everywhere. He noticed a faint line of writing on the white jade stone and murmured, "Xie Dongliu was here."

"It seems that Senior Brother Xie has been here before."

Qin Luo reached out and gently touched the white jade stone. He sensed a faint energy fluctuation, and then the entire piece of white jade stone emitted a bright white light, and a Daoist aura spread out.

A dazzling white light shot straight into the sky.

Hua Ying rode the wind, searching for Qin Luo's whereabouts. Upon seeing the dazzling pillar of light, she immediately flew towards it.

Before long, Hua Ying appeared in front of the white jade stone. The white jade stone had returned to calm, and the pillar of light had also disappeared, but she did not see Qin Luo's figure.

Is it a coincidence?

Hua Ying's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She took to the air and continued heading towards the Great Zhen Dynasty.

Jincheng.

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