Zhou Yin loved cleanliness, but he was not particular about it. When conditions allowed, he would rather bathe in hot water than use a cleansing spell. The feeling of soaking his body in hot water was completely different from using a spell to stay clean.

However, when conditions were not available, he didn't mind traveling thousands of miles, spending the night in the wild, or even going without a bath for several days and nights. But now the conditions were very good, so naturally he couldn't let them go to waste.

Behind a painting screen made of snow-white silkworm silk, Zhou Yin was half-immersed in a huge wooden tub, his neck slightly tilted back, resting on the edge of the tub, his eyes lightly closed. Water droplets rolled down from his black hair, sliding along the corners of his forehead to his eyelashes, trembling and lingering, not falling, like dewdrops on a snow plum blossom, making his skin appear even more coldly white in the steaming mist.

His body was relaxed, but his thoughts did not stop. He was now at the early Core Formation stage. According to the standards of the continent, he had officially entered the ranks of high-level cultivators. But in the face of the many people and events he would need to deal with in the future, the early Core Formation stage was nothing more than an ant that could be easily killed by truly powerful experts.

In his previous life, he had hoped to truly control his own destiny, which was why he had continued to cultivate. In the end, the meaning of his life was reduced to nothing but cultivation. Even so, he still failed. No matter how high his cultivation was, it couldn't withstand a single finger from others. The Upper Realm considered him a demonic cultivator and an uncontrollable variable, so they easily erased him.

In this life, as more and more people gradually gathered around him, he discovered that he had already embarked on a path completely different from his previous life. One was to leave the world, the other was to enter it.

Living in the mortal world, it was impossible to truly transcend the mundane. Moreover, even the immortals above the nine heavens were not truly free from desires. So he no longer secluded himself in the icy mountains outside the frontier for decades without coming out, like he did in his previous life. His current conduct seemed more like that of an orthodox disciple from a famous sect.

But regardless of the cultivation method, the time left for him now was running out. The rampant demon beasts, the undercurrents surging between the cultivation sects, and even the conspiracies of the Upper Realm, all indicated that a storm sweeping across heaven and earth was about to arrive.

In order to survive in a chaotic world, strength was the only thing that mattered. He spread out his palm, then clenched it, feeling the flow of spiritual power between the meridians of his body. Spells and experience were naturally indispensable, but his Core Formation realm was still somewhat lacking.

He needed at least three more months to have a chance to advance, but it was impossible to have that environment in Tianyan Sect now. Once he returned to Shangxuan Sect, troubles would probably follow.

There was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" he asked indifferently, without moving.

"It's us," Yun Zong said outside the door. He said "us", not "me". Naturally, Qingying was with him too.

Zhou Yin frowned slightly, then got up, stepped out of the tub, put on his clothes, smoothed his half-wet long hair, and only then stepped out from behind the screen. "Come in."

Yun Zong pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Zhou Yin's appearance, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, but didn't say anything.

Qingying's face was solemn. She had already learned from Yun Zong about the conversation they overheard between that pair of senior brother and sister after going out. Naturally, she couldn't relax, and had no heart to tease Zhou Yin. She got straight to the point, "The matter of the back mountain has great implications."

Seeing that neither of them spoke, she sighed, "There are two major issues now. If Tianyan Sect is truly keeping demon beasts, investigation is naturally a must, and evidence must be taken away so that it can be made public before the people of the world in the future. Secondly, there has been no news from Qingqing since she went back to report. I'm afraid our sect has also encountered a troublesome situation, and we must return as soon as possible. Why don't I go check the back mountain, and you two go back first."

Before she spoke, she had already set up a barrier around them, and there were also disciples keeping watch outside, to prevent anyone from approaching and eavesdropping, so they could freely discuss secrets.

Zhou Yin said, "We can't, for now."

Qingying was startled, "Why?"

Seeing that Zhou Yin had no intention of speaking, Yun Zong continued, "Although there are more than a dozen disciples on this trip, in reality, only the three of us can actually fight the enemy. If we split up now, I'm afraid both sides will run into trouble."

Qingying smiled bitterly, "Indeed."

Yun Zong glanced at Zhou Yin, and seeing that he did not object, said, "Ah Yin and I will go to the back mountain. Senior Qing, you stay here. In case they become suspicious, you can also stall them for a while."

Qingying's cultivation was very high, but she was not very skilled in mundane affairs. Hearing this, she hesitated, "If there are demon beasts in the back mountain, the defenses must be strict, and the barrier may not be easy to break. Why don't I go instead?"

Yun Zong said, "If you go, there will be no one in charge here, and their suspicions will grow. If things are normal, we can return in three days. If we don't return in three days, you immediately take everyone back to Shangxuan Sect."

Now, among the three of them, the ones making the decisions had become Yun Zong and Zhou Yin. Qingying had never cared much about these things in the first place. Seeing that the two of them had decided, she also nodded in agreement.

After Qingying left, only the two of them remained in the room. Yun Zong said, "Why do you speak less and less?"

Zhou Yin's wet hair left several watermarks on the fabric. Under the white single garment, his well-proportioned fair skin was vaguely visible. Yun Zong only looked for a few moments before shifting his gaze to stare at the teacup in front of him.

Zhou Yin looked at Yun Zong for a while before finally uttering a word, "Oh."

Yun Zong: "..."

This interjection had two meanings. In any case, with Yun Zong around, he would definitely help him complete his sentences. Besides, he had said enough in the past two days. Zhou Yin felt that talking was more tiring than fighting. In the next few days, he would not open his mouth if he could help it.

Even someone as aloof as Yun Zong had no temper at all when facing him. Yun Zong said, "Then let's go tomorrow. You're too tired today."

Zhou Yin nodded slightly.

Yun Zong looked at Zhou Yin and suddenly discovered that his eyes, like the finest black obsidian, were clear and dustless, vast and distant, pure without a trace of impurity.

Reflecting his cold and handsome face, the black was blacker, the white was whiter, like the clearest and coldest water in an ancient well. Reach in with your hand, and you could scoop up half a ladle of bright moon.

This person probably didn't realize that after fighting Qin Wuji in the air during the day, he stood high above, his magnificence captivating everyone. However, he was cold-hearted and unfeeling, never caring about anyone's thoughts, and naturally would not be shaken in his Dao heart because of it.

Ore produces gold, lead produces silver. Transcending the heart to refinement, absolutely loving the black cassock.

Extraordinary people ride the truth, hands holding lotuses.

Drifting through that great calamity, vanishing without a trace.

It seemed as if something in his heart broke open, gushing out. He had cultivated for over a hundred years and had never been moved by anything. Even when his fiancée married someone else, to him it was just a passing breeze, dispensable.

However, at this moment...

After a while, Yun Zong ultimately said nothing, got up and left.

Zhou Yin didn't say a word from beginning to end. Seeing the door open and close again, he shut his eyes and regulated his breathing.

The knocking sounded again.

"Bao'er?" This time it was Zhou Zhang.

"What is it?" Zhou Yin didn't even open his eyes.

"I came to see you." Zhou Zhang's voice carried a hint of grievance.

"I'm fine, you can go back," Zhou Yin said indifferently.

"Oh." Although Zhou Zhang really wanted to see him, since Zhou Yin refused, he didn't dare barge in, and could only say from outside, "I brought some tonics and supplements, I'll leave them outside. Remember to come out and get them. Also, I heard it's going to be windy tonight, remember to close your doors and windows tight. Even though you're a cultivator, if you're not careful you can still get sick. Don't go watch the competition tomorrow, remember to rest well..."

Zhou Yin: "..."

If he's this talkative without being let in, if he came in, there would be no peace all night.

Seeing there was no response from inside for a long time, Zhou Zhang said a whole bunch, carefully thought it over, and felt there was nothing more to say. He could only put the medicine down and leave dejectedly.

Although Tianyan Sect was built on a plain, that was only relative to the many halls and buildings in the front mountains. Originally there was a small hill in the back. When Tianyan Sect was first established, out of safety considerations, they moved giant boulders from all over the world and piled them here, then planted thick-branched trees, turning it into a small-scale mountain forest.

With such a mountain forest, without rhyme or reason, even if two people had heaven-reaching, earth-penetrating abilities, they still couldn't rashly charge in. Tianyan Sect had hidden dragons and crouching tigers—if something went wrong, both of them would be wiped out.

But Zhou Yin had long prepared.

Yesterday on the bamboo path, he had already placed a talisman on that male disciple.

Rather than a talisman, it was more like a Gu bug.

In his past life, Zhou Yin had traveled all over the land and had seen the Gu-making methods of the Nanjiang. Now, thousands of miles from the Nanjiang, although he couldn't achieve that level of mastery, at least basic tracking was no problem.

Most importantly, it wasn't medicine, talisman, or magic technique, so naturally no one could detect it.

Yun Zong had originally been considering how to infiltrate secretly, but after hearing Zhou Yin's words, he was speechless for a while.

Although cold-hearted, his mind was meticulous.

Such a character...

How such a character was, he didn't continue thinking. Last night's thread of thought had already been an accident.

Since entering Shangxuan Sect as a youth, he had already resolved to wholeheartedly cultivate to glimpse the Dao. In this matter, he never had the slightest distracting thought.

Entering the world was for the sake of tempering, and coming to Tianyan Sect this time was also due to the instructions of his master, Qinghe Zhenren. Otherwise, with his temperament, it would be impossible for him to come stir up trouble.

Zhou Yin's temperament was even colder and more solitary than his, so naturally it was even more so.

Yun Zong quickly pulled back his thoughts, suppressing the indescribable feeling in his heart.

The two were walking on the bamboo path.

This was a necessary route to the back mountains.

At this time it was the second day of the competition, and like yesterday, it was quiet here.

Those three magic treasures, not to mention cultivators from all over the world, even Tianyan Sect's own disciples were eyeing them covetously. And Tianyan Sect hadn't prohibited their own disciples from participating. In an instant, eight or nine out of ten disciples in the sect were in the front plaza.

The timing was just right.

To avoid attracting attention, the two used invisibility techniques. Zhou Yin tracked that disciple's aura, and Yun Zong followed closely behind.

At the end of the bamboo forest was another patch of pagoda trees, but it wasn't the season for them to bloom. The view was still emerald green, without a speck of white.

Zhou Yin suddenly quickened his pace, his shoes skimming over the ground without leaving a trace.

Yun Zong stayed close behind.

Not far ahead stood a person, precisely the male disciple Zhou Yin had placed the tracking Gu on.