In the darkness, a wailing sound gradually arose.

It sounded like a wolf's howl, yet also like the roar of tigers and leopards.

Many brave warriors felt a sense of impending doom at this moment.

Zhang Jian maintained a solemn expression, his Spiritual Power surging around him, while Yellow Talismans flew from his hands, forming a Talisman Array before the earth temple.

If any alien race dared to step forward, he would strike them down instantly.

Simultaneously, Zhang Jian noticed the Golden Pearl in his hand was faintly hot.

Every time he activated his Spiritual Power to use the Thunder Technique, the Spiritual Mechanism within the Golden Pearl would lightly pulsate, as if it was ready to go berserk at any moment.

An indescribable Spiritual Mechanism was leaking from it.

In Zhang Jian's extremely sensitive Innate Spiritual Sense, this mysterious Spiritual Mechanism was heavy, grand, conveying an unparalleled dominance.

This transformation truly piqued Zhang Jian's curiosity, and he resolved to thoroughly investigate this Golden Pearl once this situation was over.

At that moment, Zhang Jian noticed the ferocious spirit within the depths of the forest unexpectedly stopped, and in an instant, it began to slowly recede for some unknown reason.

With the mystical power of the World Spirit Consciousness Pearl, he vaguely heard whispers in the forest.

"It's the aura of a dragon!"

"We must leave this place!"

...

Zhang Jian's brow furrowed as he became aware of something, glancing at the golden Treasure Pearl inside his sleeve.

"Is this a Dragon Pearl?"

Zhang Jian found it somewhat unbelievable.

The myriad beasts bow before the heavens, and these ghostly entities naturally feared the majesty of a True Dragon, not daring to approach.

Yet Zhang Jian still felt a bit odd and fortunate, for without this Dragon Pearl, today's outcome would have been unpredictable.

The information he received from Gu Xiu'Er inadvertently provided substantial help, though in retrospect, if not for the delay in the Mian King's Tomb, he might not have encountered such troubles.

Nonetheless, the retreat of these specters and spirits allowed Zhang Jian to breathe a sigh of relief, although there was something peculiar in his eyes.

How could there be so many Yin Ghosts in this Phoenix Nest Mountain?

He also glanced at the depths of Phoenix Nest Mountain, where the spiraling ferocious spirit abruptly came to a halt.

Within its depths, another layer of obscure alteration emerged, yet Zhang Jian could not discern it clearly.

This inevitably caused fluctuations in his gaze.

Suspicions arose in his heart.

Upon returning to the small temple, numerous brave warriors watched with anxious gazes.

Zhang Jian waved his hand, allowing the group of warriors to exhale in relief, though some were on the verge of collapse, the rustling sounds outside the temple having terrified them profoundly.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Zhang Jian also felt a reverence for the forces of nature and a firmer ambition to become stronger.

Fear is also a source of motivation.

However, Zhang Jian did not relax his vigilance, lest he be exploited by evil creatures.

Yet, his heart remained focused on the Dragon Pearl.

If the golden Treasure Pearl were indeed a Dragon Pearl, it should not be limited to just warding off evil.

...

At this time, deep within Phoenix Nest Mountain, the night was eerily cold, and two figures stood high in the sky, one enveloped in a rich golden glow, their Spiritual Power surging around them.

The other was dressed in a Daoist crown, wearing a Purple Robe, crowned with a Lotus Crown.

They gazed at the depths of the mountain, observing the countless erupting bursts of Yin Qi, their expressions exceptionally solemn.

The middle-aged man in the azure robe, surrounded by golden light, sighed and said:

"What a sin; this place has become a veritable den of demons!"

The Daoist in the purple robe shook his head and said: "After many cleansings, there's always some that escape, influenced by the Phoenix Spirit! Just cleanse a few more times!!"

The middle-aged man in azure spoke heavily:

"Truly formidable!"

"Fortunately, a half-text of the Jade Saint Scroll safeguards this land, but now it seems the power within the half-scroll won't last much longer, as it's merely a remnant with limited power!

Brother Yuhe, when will the experts from your esteemed sect arrive?"

He glanced at the Daoist in the purple robe with a look of respect in his eyes.

The Daoist in the purple robe waved his Duster gracefully and said.

"A solution will be found! The State Preceptor will not neglect such malevolent ghosts, and experts will certainly come to enlighten these fiends!"

Speaking thus, the Daoist in the purple robe also felt a heavy heart.

The howling Phoenix Spirit within this mountain was born from a failed Phoenix Egg within the Shuangfeng Mountain Range, becoming a Ghost Phoenix with grand resentment, a naturally-born Spirit of Resentment.

Periodically, it could not restrain itself, calling forth evil spirits from all around to break free from the mountain's belly.

In truth, vanquishing it isn't very difficult.

The Cave God Sect has no shortage of demon-exterminating artifacts, but the problem is, the Phoenix Spirit is fundamentally connected to the Shuangfeng Mountain Range, equivalent to a Mountain God born from nature itself. Violently eradicating it would surely cause an Earth Dragon to upheave, damaging the Earth Vein, affecting one's cultivation.

The sect's higher-ups, therefore, cherish their feathers; none would wish to entangle themselves in such troublesome matters.

To resolve the Ghost Phoenix's resentment, it requires aiding her in reincarnation, attaining enlightenment and release.

Achieving this is exceedingly difficult.

The Cave God Sect has few specialists capable of enlightening, and finding someone able to enlighten an entity akin to a naturally-born Ghost King is even rarer.

Furthermore, it's exceedingly perilous.

As the golden lines gradually filled the gorge below, countless runes became complete. The two departed hastily, reluctant to linger in such a hazardous locale.

After all, meandering within a Ghost King's domain is perilous.

Following their departure, a rich golden radiance suddenly emerged from the depths of the gorge, erupted from the canyon, and abruptly vanished.

...

The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten, the numerous brave warriors at the small temple set out with their carriages.

Yet, they gained one more invalid.

The young brave warrior named Xiaoxie had fallen ill since the previous night, lying limp on the cart, his complexion deathly pale.

"He was frightened! Scared out of his wits!"

Zhang Jian felt speechless; this brave warrior who was so boastful ended up terrified.

In folklore, this is called a lost soul; upon reaching the Commandery City, a Daoist must be consulted to retrieve the soul and calm the spirit.

Perhaps prescribing a remedy for peace of mind!

Though he knew the Soul Purification Spell, it was an Enlightenment Technique used to suppress the wicked, but he did not master the Soul Calming Technique.

Meanwhile, an idea emerged in Zhang Jian's mind. Although he embarked on the path of Longevity, he was still stumbling at present, lacking much of the necessary knowledge and reserve. This trip to the Commandery City might provide an opportunity to visit a couple of local Daoist Temples and study the classics.

The following two days of travel were smooth and uneventful.

Soon after, the Commandery City came into view.

The Qi Family in the Commandery City had already been informed in advance of Zhang Jian's impending arrival, yet their response to this 'grandson-in-law' from the Zhang Family was rather tepid.

This was tied to an old public case from years past, which was clear to everyone in the Qi Family.

As such, they merely dispatched a steward from the inner mansion to greet him.

However, deep within the Qi Family's inner residence, things were far from calm; every woman was acutely aware of the purpose behind this cousin from the Zhang Family arriving ahead to offer birthday wishes, to varying reactions.

"At fifteen, attaining the Advanced Scholar rank, a true prodigy. Though within our longstanding aristocratic family, an Advanced Scholar might not count for much, his bright future is undoubtedly advantageous…"

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