I was killed by my relatives, and I am reborn to be ruthless.

Just as the three of them were immersed in the warm greetings, the sky seemed to be moved and became exceptionally blue. Just as this harmonious atmosphere reached its peak, a slightly embarrassed figure suddenly staggered out from mid-air. It was Xu Chong.

He was panting and his face was slightly red, as if he had just experienced a fierce chase. He looked anxious and helpless.

"You...you are a bunch of ungrateful guys. You ran so fast without even telling me... to wait for my weak body."

Xu Chong was breathing heavily as he spoke, his words mixed with some teasing and self-mockery, trying to ease the slightly embarrassing situation of not being able to catch up.

Before he finished speaking, it seemed that fate was not going to let this "warrior" who had just landed off easily.

His sight failed to catch the muddy ground under his feet that was wet and gleaming with water, so a crisp yet awkward "baji" sound suddenly rang out in the quiet air. Xu Chong's body lost balance and leaned back in a not-so-elegant posture, coming into close contact with the ground.

"Ouch, my old waist, no, my butt! Why does the ground seem to have eyes and pick on this moment to make things difficult for me?"

Xu Chong groaned exaggeratedly, supporting himself on the ground with one hand and rubbing his aching buttocks with the other, his face filled with a helpless expression.

Hearing the noise, He Ronger quickly turned around, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, and then she couldn't help laughing at Xu Chong's funny look, her clear laughter echoing in the air like a silver bell:

"Haha, Xu Chong, what are you doing? Why do you give everyone such a big 'surprise' right after you arrive?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chong's face turned from red to blue, then from blue to white, and finally settled on a complex emotion of shame, anger, and unwillingness.

He struggled to get up from the ground and brushed off the dust on his body. Although he tried to maintain his composure, the twitching corners of his mouth and the fire in his eyes betrayed his current mood.

"Hmph, Zou Mubai has a high level of cultivation, so I naturally can't be as fast as him. But I didn't expect that there is now another person with the same level of cultivation as him." As he said this, his eyes swept over Fei Xiuwen.

"I tried my best to come here because I was afraid you would have to wait too long, but in the end..." At the end, Xu Chong's voice was filled with a bit of grievance and helplessness.

Zou Mubai's expression became extremely serious, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were as sharp as torches, as if he could see through every inch of space around him.

He looked around, trying to catch the subtle breath left in the air, and finally asked in a deep voice: "Rong'er, who was that person in your yard just now? Why do I feel that there is an unusual demonic aura in the air?"

When He Ronger heard this, the smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a deep worry and solemnity.

She bit her lip lightly, as if she was organizing her thoughts, and then slowly spoke: "It's He Lian'er, she...she is possessed by a demon."

As soon as these four words came out, not only did Zou Mubai's face become even more serious, but even Fei Xiuwen and Xu Chong on the side couldn't help but look at each other, their eyes full of shock and disbelief.

For the world of cultivation, being possessed by a demon means that a person will embark on a dark path that goes against the righteous path, and the consequences will be disastrous.

"This...how is this possible?"

Xu Chong was the first to speak up. His voice was trembling, and he obviously couldn't accept this fact. "He Lian'er... wasn't she fine before?"

He Ronger shook her head gently, with a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"I don't know exactly what happened, but the scene just now, the madness and despair in her eyes, and the frightening demonic aura, all prove that she is no longer the former He Lian'er."

Zou Mubai was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "We must find her as soon as possible. We can't let her continue like this. People who are possessed by demons will not only lose their reason, but may also cause unpredictable disasters."

He Ronger nodded and suddenly remembered something.

She took a deep breath and turned to Zou Mubai, her tone heavy: "Uncle Zou, there is one more thing I want to tell you. The jade pendant that Xu Chong accidentally picked up before was exactly what He Lian'er left behind. The jade pendant seemed to be extremely important to her. It was by relying on some kind of connection between the jade pendant and her finding out that it had appeared in Lingyun Sect that she tracked it all the way here."

After these words were spoken, the already tense atmosphere became even more solemn.

Xu Chong and Zou Mubai both focused their gazes on He Ronger, with different waves of emotion surging in everyone's heart.

"What? The jade pendant was dropped by He Lian'er?"

Xu Chong opened his mouth in surprise, recalling the scene when he picked up the jade pendant. He could never have imagined that this seemingly ordinary object would involve such a complicated cause and effect.

Zou Mubai's expression became even gloomier.

Fei Xiuwen looked at Zou Mubai with a questioning look: "What jade pendant are you talking about?"

Zou Mubai was silent for a moment, then slowly took out from his arms a crystal clear jade pendant with an exquisite double phoenix pattern carved on it. The jade pendant glowed softly in the sunlight, but it revealed a majesty and mystery that could not be ignored.

"This is the jade pendant." Zou Mubai handed the jade pendant to Fei Xiuwen, his voice low and powerful.

The moment Fei Xiuwen took the jade pendant, his hands began to tremble involuntarily.

He stared at the double phoenix pattern on the jade pendant, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes - surprise, confusion, and deep worry.

"This... this is Si Yao's jade pendant!" He cried out in shock, his voice trembling with disbelief, "How could it be here? Where is Si Yao... now?"

Zou Mubai pursed his lips tightly, his eyes were deep, as if he was thinking about some important decision.

"I don't know Si Yao's whereabouts either, but this matter is of great importance. We must find out the truth as soon as possible. He Lian'er's possession, Si Yao's disappearance, and the jade pendant... all of these must be inextricably linked."

Now, Si Yao’s jade pendant appeared here, but he was nowhere to be found. How could this not make people worried?

Zou Mubai's heart felt like it was being weighed down by a huge rock, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

Whenever he thought of Si Yao, the scene in the forbidden area of ​​Qingling Sect ten years ago would involuntarily emerge in his mind.

That night, the moonlight was like water. Ying Qi's voice came through Xu Chong's body, with unprecedented anxiety and despair: "Big Brother, you must save Si Yao, he..."

The unfinished words, like a sharp blade, left a deep mark on Zou Mubai's heart.

For the past ten years, this sentence has been echoing in his ears like a spell.

He searched for Si Yao's traces countless times, no matter where he went, or even in the underworld, he never gave up a glimmer of hope.

However, reality was like an invisible wall, blocking all his efforts. Si Yao, the junior brother who had fought side by side with him, seemed to have evaporated from the world, without a trace.