Under the night sky.
The Green Scale Eagle's wings sliced through the layers of clouds.
Jin Xiaochuan, a mere mortal martial artist, had never experienced the sensation of soaring high in the sky before.
At first, he was so scared that he lay flat on the hard, iron-like green wings, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
But gradually, as he noticed that Su Yi and Ning Xianhu remained calm, Jin Xiaochuan gathered his courage and cautiously looked downward.
Because it was nighttime and they were extremely high above the ground, all he could see was a blurry outline of mountains and rivers rapidly disappearing behind them, making it impossible to discern any details on the ground.
It was not until they passed over a city that Jin Xiaochuan's eyes widened suddenly.
He saw the tiny, hazy lights on the ground, and the enormous city looked like a box, with the densely packed buildings inside resembling peanuts.
"Good heavens, the cities in this world are so small?"
Jin Xiaochuan was in awe.
This "bird's-eye view" made him realize for the first time how insignificant ordinary people were.
"Is there anything special about the section of the Da Cang River near Qianxuan Ridge?"
Suddenly, Su Yi asked.
Jin Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat. He gathered his scattered thoughts and respectfully replied, "Reporting to Lord, that stretch of the river has nine bends and eighteen turns, with fast-flowing water and numerous underwater reefs. If we talk about something special, it would be the extremely strange and abnormal phenomena that occur periodically along that river."
"Sometimes there will be rolling fog that obscures the sky, making it impossible to see anything."
"At other times, there will be thunderstorms and hurricanes, making people suspect that a fierce dragon is lurking beneath the river."
"Over the years, countless ships have been destroyed near Qianxuan Ridge, but as long as there is an experienced guide, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Upon hearing this, Su Yi interrupted, "Apart from these, are there any other strange and abnormal occurrences?"
Frowning in contemplation for a long time, Jin Xiaochuan suddenly remembered something and said, "Reporting to Lord, there have been rumors that deep in the Da Cang River on one side of Qianxuan Ridge, there is a hidden underground city where many Yakshas and Asuras hide."
"Furthermore, some people claim to have seen terrifying evil spirits in the water, each one more dreadful than the last."
"Therefore, in recent years, passenger ships traveling along that stretch of the river have prepared offerings, burned incense, and prayed not to be targeted by the evil spirits in the water."
After listening, Su Yi fell into deep thought.
Ning Xianhu also seemed to realize something and said, "It seems that there are indeed some strange and abnormal phenomena around Qianxuan Ridge."
Su Yi said, "Once we arrive there, perhaps we will be able to discern some clues."
The Green Scale Eagle was incredibly fast, and in less than an hour, they could already see Qianxuan Ridge shrouded in the darkness of the night.
"Lord, that is Qianxuan Ridge, stretching for dozens of miles."
Jin Xiaochuan quickly reported.
Su Yi stood up, hands behind his back, and looked down.
In the darkness of the night, when viewed from high above, the mountains and rivers were obscure and indistinct.
Without divine consciousness, relying solely on his eyesight, Su Yi could barely make out the contours and trends of the landscape.
But that was enough.
"Let this wretched creature circle around the river near Qianxuan Ridge."
Su Yi casually ordered.
Upon hearing the words "wretched creature," the Green Scale Eagle immediately let out a dissatisfied cry and turned its head, glaring at Su Yi.
Ning Xianhu gently patted its head and chuckled, "Qing'er, don't be disrespectful. If you provoke this fellow Daoist, I won't be able to protect you."
The golden-eyed Green Scale Eagle slightly paused and obediently began to hover in the air.
Dim starlight cast a haze over the mountains and rivers during the night.
In Su Yi's eyes, he saw a river segment that was several dozen zhang wide, winding and twisting like a worm, with the water becoming swift and turbulent. Even from a great distance and height, one could hear the sound of waves crashing.
After a while, Su Yi withdrew his gaze and said, "There is indeed something wrong with this place."
"This stretch of the river resembles a snake, connecting the mountains. The swift water and the silent mountains form a layout where there is movement within stillness and yin within yang. It seems to be a natural formation..."
Ning Xianhu was also amazed and caught a glimpse of some clues.
"This is not a good place. Let's go to the ground and take a look."
After Su Yi finished speaking, the Green Scale Eagle obediently began to descend towards the earth.
Soon, the three of them arrived on a sandy beach by the Da Cang River, with Qianxuan Ridge nearby.
Boom~~
The water surged and splashed, and the sound of the water resembled the rumbling of thunder, shrouded in mist on the Da Cang River under the night sky.
"Qing'er, find a place to wait."
Ning Xianhu instructed.
The Green Scale Eagle immediately flew away into the sky.
"Fellow Daoist, have you discovered anything?"
Ning Xianhu asked.
"Someone has used the power of this mountain and water to set up a forbidden formation. The methods are quite impressive, and they even know how to establish the formation's base deep in the riverbed. By doing so, they can utilize the power of the mountains and rivers converging to sustain the operation of the grand formation."
Su Yi casually explained.
Ning Xianhu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Could it be that some Yuan Dao cultivator has established a cave under the river?"
"It's hard to say. If one grasps the techniques of formation deployment, even a Qi Gathering realm cultivator can utilize the power of this mountain and water to create a grand formation."
Su Yi pondered and said, "But what can be certain is that the many abnormal occurrences that have happened here in recent years are all related to this grand formation."
"Let's go and check out other places."
As he spoke, Su Yi walked along the riverbank.
Ning Xianhu and Jin Xiaochuan followed behind.
The night was deep, the water waves surged. After walking for about half an incense stick's time, Su Yi suddenly stopped, his gaze directed towards the river not far ahead.
There was a rocky reef with an area of several zhang, only a small part exposed above the water.
Gazing at the reef for a moment, Su Yi said, "Interesting. It seems that beneath this river's winding path, there is indeed a suitable place for harboring impurities, highly suitable for the cultivation of Yin spirits and other similar entities. If I'm not mistaken, there is a sizable 'Ghost Domain' beneath the nine bends and eighteen turns of this river."
The so-called 'Ghost Domain' referred to a place where ghosts congregated, be it a village or a city, mostly located in secluded and dark areas that ordinary people could not perceive.
"A Ghost Domain? So, it's highly likely that the powerful cultivator who constructed the grand formation using this mountain and water is a formidable ghost cultivator?"
Ning Shi Huo couldn't help but show a keen interest, while secretly feeling amazed. Throughout their journey, she had also observed for a long time, but only vaguely sensed some clues, far from having the deep understanding of this place like Su Yi did.
"A ghost domain..." Jin Xiaochuan shuddered all over, struggling to swallow his saliva, his expression changed. "So, there are really demons and evil spirits beneath the river?"
"Why be afraid? Even if there are ghostly creatures, there's nothing to fear," Ning Shi Huo shook her head dismissively.
At this moment, Su Yi lightly tapped the soul-purifying gourd hanging at his waist with his finger. "Qingwan."
Amidst a swirl of white mist, Qingwan, dressed in a blood-colored gown, appeared out of thin air. Her fair and tender skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were big and watery. She slightly bowed her head in the void, speaking timidly, "Qinger greets the immortal master."
Ning Shi Huo and Jin Xiaochuan were both taken aback.
"You sense it, find the place nearby with the heaviest Yin energy," Su Yi instructed casually.
Qingwan nodded quickly and took a deep breath. Mysterious powers surged on her slender and graceful figure, causing her flowing red skirt to flutter. In the depths of her clear and clean phoenix eyes, a faintly strange purple light emerged.
"This girl's cultivation progress is indeed remarkable. She has already solidified her soul to such an extent..." Su Yi's eyes showed a hint of strangeness.
During this period, he had only occasionally given some guidance to Qingwan's cultivation. However, he did not expect that she would already show signs of becoming a "ghost spirit"!
Once she became a ghost spirit, her soul would no longer fear exposure to daylight, and when walking in the mortal world, she would be no different from an ordinary person.
Reaching this stage meant truly embarking on the path of ghost cultivation!
Moreover, ghost cultivators were different from ordinary cultivators. Their physical essence was their soul power, and they didn't need to temper their bodies and blood like martial artists.
Therefore, after Qingwan became a ghost spirit, she could directly step into the path of elemental cultivation!
"It makes sense. Qingwan's soul is naturally pure and rare. In the eyes of ghost cultivators, she is undoubtedly an extremely rare talent."
"And the [Ten-Faced Asura Scripture] that I taught her is a supreme scripture created by the Western Sea Ghost Emperor, considered the top secret among all ghost cultivators."
"Coupled with the spiritual medicines I have been feeding her during this period, it would be difficult for her cultivation to not undergo a transformation..."
Su Yi pondered in secret, feeling a bit unusual.
If Qingwan became a ghost spirit, she would directly become an elemental cultivator, equivalent to a land-immortal in this mundane world of Da Zhou!
"No, I can't let her progress so quickly. Otherwise, it would be excessive. If the foundation is not properly tempered, it will inevitably affect the benefits that can be gained through dual cultivation in the future..."
Su Yi decided to find an opportunity to personally guide Qingwan and teach her how to cultivate with patience, accumulate strength, and avoid hasty progress. He didn't want her foundation to be unstable and affect their future dual cultivation.
"Master, I sensed it. It's over there," Qingwan suddenly converged her aura and pointed to a distance.
"You lead the way," Su Yi ordered.
Immediately, Qingwan took the lead, with Su Yi and the others following closely behind.
"Friend, this Qingwan girl is extraordinary. The purity of her soul and the profoundness of her aura are unparalleled in my entire life," Ning Shi Huo remarked with a hint of astonishment in her clear eyes.
"If it weren't for that, how could I possibly keep her by my side?" Su Yi casually commented.
Ning Shi Huo: "..."
That was quite an impolite remark.
"This girl's ability to accompany you is truly a great fortune. With your methods, if you carefully cultivate her, her future achievements will undoubtedly be boundless," Ning Shi Huo said with a light smile.
"Naturally," Su Yi agreed deeply. "Those chosen by me for dual cultivation will easily reach the realm of emperors in the future."
"Dual... dual cultivation!?" Ning Shi Huo was rarely taken aback, shocked by Su Yi's casual mention of such audacious words.
This guy, the reason he kept this incredibly beautiful girl by his side was for dual cultivation!?
Ning Shi Huo fell into silence.
Originally, she should have scornfully rebuked him with a shameless remark.
But Su Yi's nonchalant attitude and the natural, unabashed manner in which he spoke those words left her momentarily unsure of how to respond...