Back in The Liao Yin Immortal Realm, Mu Han was diligently flipping through ancient books in the library. The diagram in the pouch given to him by Li Luoning seemed familiar, as if he had seen it in a book before.
"Kong Ming~" the voice of Xuanming Star Lord came from outside.
Mu Han, hearing the voice, casually flipped the page he was on and looked up just as Xuanming Star Lord entered, swaying slightly with a wine jug in hand.
"Xuanming Star Lord," Mu Han quickly stood and bowed, not noticing that the page he had just turned contained the very diagram he was searching for.
"Kong Ming, you've been away for a few days, making this old man come by several times for nothing," Xuanming said, stroking his gray beard.
"I have indeed been busy lately. What brings you here, Star Lord?" Mu Han asked.
"Nothing much, just that the Medicine King now has only a remnant of his soul left, and there's no one to drink with this old man. I'm feeling quite gloomy," Xuanming replied, taking a swig from his jug, his eyes reflecting a deep sorrow.
"The Medicine King falling victim to such treachery was indeed unexpected. Fortunately, the Yanding Dragon King is on his way back with the Soul Gathering Lamp. It shouldn't be long before the Medicine King is restored," Mu Han consoled.
"Restored? It's hopeless," Xuanming sighed deeply.
"Why is that?"
"The Soul Gathering Lamp is broken," Xuanming said, his voice choking slightly. He and the Medicine King had been friends for a long time, from childhood to old age. The tragic fate of his old friend weighed heavily on his heart.
"Broken?!"
"The Dragon King sent word that someone tried to snatch the lamp, and in the struggle, it was shattered," Xuanming explained, his tone filled with helplessness.
"Can't it be repaired?"
"Even if it could be repaired, it would be of little use. A piece of the lamp is missing, making it nothing more than a pile of useless glass," Xuanming replied.
Understanding Mu Han's silence, Xuanming grabbed a teacup from the table, poured out the tea, filled it with wine, and handed it to Mu Han.
Mu Han took the cup, and the two of them raised their cups in a silent toast to the heavens before downing the wine in one gulp.
"What are you studying now?" Xuanming glanced at the ancient scrolls and books spread out on Mu Han's desk.
"Nothing special, just going through some ancient texts left by my master," Mu Han replied casually, picking up a book and covering the item given to him by Li Luoning.
In that brief moment, Xuanming Star Lord caught a glimpse of the diagram being covered, and his eyes flashed with surprise.
"Do you have any advice, Star Lord?" Mu Han noticed the fleeting expression and asked.
"Nothing, nothing. I've had too much to drink. It's time I head back," Xuanming said, standing up to leave.
"Then I won't see you out," Mu Han said, bowing.
"No need, no need. Though I'm old, I can still walk just fine," Xuanming replied, waving his hand as he stumbled outside.
As soon as he stepped out of the library, he straightened up, his drunken demeanor vanishing instantly. With a serious look, he glanced back once before quickly leaving.
Unaware of this, Mu Han returned to his desk, lifted the book he had used to cover the ancient text, and saw the inscription: "Heavenly Blaze Stone!"
Meanwhile, at Wuming Demon Mountain, Hua Qiuyuan sat on a rooftop, hesitating as he looked at the two herbs in his hand.
"Commander," a demon soldier called from below.
Hua Qiuyuan quickly put away the herbs and jumped down.
"Commander, the Demon Lord has summoned you and asked you to bring the puppet he brought back a few days ago," the soldier reported.
Hua Qiuyuan nodded and headed towards the place where Mi Xingzhe was held.
In the Demon Lord's hall, Hua Qiuyuan brought Mi Xingzhe and several other puppets before Li Minghan.
"What did you find?" Li Minghan asked.
"Two people, one of whom has considerable cultivation," Hua Qiuyuan replied.
"Considerable cultivation?" Li Minghan rarely heard such vague assessments from Hua Qiuyuan and was intrigued.
"I have fought Li Luoning before. This time, I only needed to test the other person," Hua Qiuyuan explained.
Li Minghan did not pursue the matter further and shifted his gaze to the controlled Mi Xingzhe.
Mi Xingzhe's eyes were hollow and purple, his lips pale, hair disheveled, and he swayed unsteadily, expressionless.
"Tsk, filthy," Li Minghan muttered with disdain. "Clean him up. I'll be taking him out later." He waved his hand dismissively, then paused as if he had remembered something. "Qiuyuan, fetch a set of your clothes for him."
Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi were secretly observing from a wall within the demon palace.
"Master, since we know Xingzhe is here, why don't we just storm in and demand his release?" Yun Qingyi asked in a low voice, scanning their surroundings.
"We are outnumbered. We must not act recklessly."
"Master." As they pondered their next move, they saw Li Minghan exit the hall. The ghostly servants quickly bowed in greeting.
Even though they lowered their bodies to hide, Li Minghan sensed their presence.
"I am going out for a while. Inform everyone that the demon palace's security is to be heightened. No one is allowed to enter or leave without permission," Li Minghan said loudly, seemingly on purpose.
"Understood," a nearby demon soldier responded.
Li Minghan glanced out of the corner of his eye at the wall where Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi were hiding, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
After ensuring Li Minghan and his guards had moved far away, Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi relaxed.
"Master, that Demon Lord and Hua Qiuyuan are going out. This is a perfect opportunity for us to find where Xingzhe is being held," Yun Qingyi whispered.
"That guard wasn't Hua Qiuyuan," Li Luoning said in a low voice.
"Not Hua Qiuyuan? But isn't he always by the Demon Lord's side?" Yun Qingyi asked, puzzled.
"Did you notice what the guard had at his waist?" Li Luoning prompted.
Yun Qingyi thought for a moment and then realized, "He had the Red Dust Silence! So, the guard was actually Xingzhe disguised in Hua Qiuyuan's clothes?"
Li Luoning nodded, "I don't know how he managed to make Xingzhe so obedient, but he is taking Xingzhe out to mislead us into thinking he is still locked up here, luring us into a trap."
"So, we just need to follow him to rescue Xingzhe," Yun Qingyi confirmed.
"Correct. If I am not mistaken, he is likely taking Xingzhe to meet Nan Zhe in The Flatland. We need to intercept him before they enter The Flatland," Li Luoning said seriously.
In the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, SiTu Fanzhi's study...
SiTu Fanzhi cast a spell, encasing the room in golden light, sealing it tightly. He then turned to a seemingly ordinary compartment on a shelf, traced a pattern with two fingers, and revealed a magical artifact.
Carefully, SiTu Fanzhi retrieved the artifact and began to infuse the Medicine King's remaining soul into it. As the soul merged with the artifact, the last moments before the Medicine King was gravely injured appeared. Although the figure was obscured, a black mist rapidly entered the alchemy room and attacked the Medicine King.
"You..." the Medicine King gasped, eyes wide with disbelief, as if recognizing something unimaginable.
Before he could react, several icy projectiles shot from the black mist, severely wounding him.
"Is that... Moon Shadow Ice Spikes? The Moon Shadow Core!" SiTu Fanzhi muttered in shock. "I never imagined the long-lost Moon Shadow Core would be him." Recognizing the figure in the black mist, SiTu Fanzhi's face showed understanding.
The vision continued. With the Medicine King gravely injured, the black figure fled, passing a white-clad figure at the door. They seemed to recognize each other and parted ways.
Ou Shinan entered the alchemy room, pulling a half-petal from his waist sash and placing it in the Medicine King's hand. He gently smoothed the unconscious Medicine King's hair and infused a faint purple energy into his mind.
The vision ended, and SiTu Fanzhi frowned, whispering an incantation and infusing his own energy into the vision.
Satisfied with his work, he heard a noise at the door and quickly dispelled the vision, his eyes filled with lethal intent. "Who's there?"
"Immortal Lord, I have urgent news," Xuanming Star Lord called from outside.
"Teacher?" Surprised to hear Xuanming Star Lord's voice, SiTu Fanzhi waved his hand, dispelling the protective barrier around the study.
(After a short time)
"Teacher, are you sure about this?" SiTu Fanzhi asked seriously.
"The Heavenly Blaze Stone was indeed your creation back then?" Xuanming Star Lord asked, his expression tense.
SiTu Fanzhi's face was grave, his voice hoarse with regret. "I was young and impulsive. I attempted to create the Heavenly Blaze Stone, but lost control and it was flung away. Fearful of my master's punishment, I did not report it. Little did I know, the stone landed in the Li family's residence, killing dozens."
"It was you!" Xuanming exclaimed.
"Teacher, it was an unintentional mistake," SiTu Fanzhi continued.
"If you had informed me at the time, perhaps there would have been a chance to rectify the situation. Now that Kong Ming has found the Heavenly Blaze Stone, if it's discovered that you were responsible for the events of that year, how will you, the Immortal Lord, maintain your authority in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm?" Xuanming Star Lord's voice was filled with disappointment. However, he knew it was too late to undo the damage done years ago.
"I will do everything in my power to atone for my past mistakes. I hope you can give me this chance," SiTu Fanzhi said sincerely, his voice full of remorse as he knelt before Xuanming Star Lord.
Looking at the kneeling SiTu Fanzhi, Xuanming Star Lord was at a loss for words. This man, whom he had guided and watched grow, was now the Immortal Lord of the entire Liao Yin Immortal Realm. Even though the incident had happened years ago, who could now hold him accountable?
"Now that you are the Immortal Lord, you must be more considerate in your actions. Such reckless behavior that endangers lives must never happen again," Xuanming Star Lord admonished.
"I understand," SiTu Fanzhi replied.
With a resigned sigh, Xuanming Star Lord left the room.
Once Xuanming was gone, SiTu Fanzhi's expression shifted from guilt to a fierce determination. He wrote a secret message in the air with a wave of his hand and sent it out.
At the border between Fanli Valley and The Flatland,
"You've been following me for quite a while. Come out," Li Minghan said, putting away his fan.
Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi leapt down from their hiding spot, landing a short distance from Li Minghan.
Seeing Li Luoning's face again, Li Minghan's eyes filled with amusement as he touched the mask on his own face.
"If you don't make a move soon, I'll be heading back," Li Minghan said disdainfully.
"Xingzhe, come here," Yun Qingyi called to the guard behind Li Minghan.
Li Luoning stood on alert, his eyes cautious and suspicious, sensing something was off.
Seeing Yun Qingyi call to the guard, Li Minghan turned to look over his shoulder and laughed, "So, you came for this? Well, take him. I have plenty of guards at Wuming Demon Mountain."
With a wave of his hand, Li Minghan signaled the guard to go to Yun Qingyi.
As the guard passed by, Li Luoning caught a whiff of familiar scents and suddenly realized the truth. He quickly pushed the guard away and retreated to Yun Qingyi's side, whispering, "He is not Xingzhe."
"What? How do you know?" Yun Qingyi asked, puzzled.
"The scent," Li Luoning replied. When the guard passed by, he smelled the distinct aromas of Violet Flower Ground Ivy and Lantern Flower, confirming that the person was not Mi Xingzhe but Hua Qiuyuan disguised as him.
"Discovered so quickly? How boring," Li Minghan sneered, tapping his fan against his palm. In an instant, numerous masked guards surrounded them.
"Where is Xingzhe?" Yun Qingyi demanded angrily.
"He's one of your Immortal Sect members. Why don't you ask them instead of coming to me?" Li Minghan retorted.
"Stop talking nonsense! You ordered Hua Ruoying to capture Xingzhe!" Yun Qingyi shouted.
"Oh? You're so sure he's in my hands?"
"Demon Lord, we have no grievances with you. Why do you persistently harass us and send people to trouble my master and me?" Li Luoning asked.
"Ha, 'no grievances.'"
"Enough talk! If you don't hand over my junior brother, don't blame us for being rude," Yun Qingyi warned, his anger barely contained.
"Let's play a game. I'll count to three. If you can find your beloved disciple among these people, you can take him," Li Minghan said, his voice dripping with mockery, his eyes filled with arrogance.
"Three!" With a sudden laugh, Li Minghan shouted the word without warning. He then spread his arms and fell back, his form disappearing among the swarming guards.
The guards surged forward, closing in on Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi.