Lin Yue's eyes widened, and a look of surprise appeared on her face. "That's great, we're saved." Her voice carried a hint of excitement and gratitude, and her heart was filled with admiration for the white-robed youth. Crane Immortal stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said, "Thank you, senior, for your assistance." The white-robed youth glanced at him and said, "No need for thanks, I just can't stand what those people are doing. However, this is only the beginning; the mastermind behind all this won't give up easily. You must be careful." His voice was calm and indifferent, as if he was recounting something unrelated to him. After speaking, the white-robed youth transformed into a ray of light and disappeared into the sky. The light streaked across the night sky like a meteor, vanishing in an instant, leaving behind a silent battlefield and three puzzled individuals. "Crane Immortal, who exactly is this person? How can he be so powerful? Also, he looks very young, why do you call him senior?" Shen Jingqi broke the silence, his eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. He longed to have such formidable strength himself one day. Crane Immortal shook his head and said, "I don't know either. But I'm certain he is not an enemy. However, we mustn't let our guard down, the mastermind won't let us off easily." His eyes revealed a trace of worry, knowing that this crisis had only just begun. Lin Yue furrowed her brows and said, "Crane Immortal, what should we do next? Are we just going to passively wait for them to attack us?" Her heart was filled with anxiety, fearing that Spirit Mountain would suffer severe damage in this crisis. Crane Immortal pondered for a moment and said, "We'll first return to Spirit Mountain and strengthen our defenses. At the same time, we need to find out who the mastermind is and what their purpose is." A glimmer of determination flashed in his eyes, as he was already prepared to face this crisis. After returning to Spirit Mountain, they immediately gathered the disciples. Crane Immortal stood on a high platform, looking at the young and energetic faces below, feeling a surge of responsibility. "Dear disciples, Spirit Mountain is now facing a great crisis. A mysterious force intends to wipe us out, and we must unite to face this crisis together." Crane Immortal's voice was loud and firm, echoing in the sky above Spirit Mountain. Upon hearing this, the disciples clenched their fists, and their eyes gleamed with determination. "We swear to defend Spirit Mountain to the death!" they shouted in unison, their voices resounding through the clouds. In the days that followed, Spirit Mountain went on high alert. The disciples patrolled day and night, reinforcing Spirit Mountain's defenses. Crane Immortal took Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue to secretly investigate the mastermind behind the scenes. They sought out information everywhere, visiting many elders and hermits in the martial world. However, there were no useful clues about the mastermind, as if this person or force had emerged from the darkness without any trace to follow. "Crane Immortal, this isn't working. We can't find any clues," Shen Jingqi said, feeling frustrated. He felt helpless, like a headless fly bumping around in the darkness. Crane Immortal furrowed his brow and said, "Don't worry, let's think carefully. If they can command the black-robed men and shadows to attack us, they must have left some traces. If we search diligently, we will definitely find clues." His eyes revealed a hint of persistence, convinced that they could unravel the mystery behind all this. When they were perplexed, one night, Spirit Mountain suddenly received an anonymous letter. It was in a black envelope, with no signature or any markings. Crane Immortal opened the letter and saw it read, "If you want to know who the mastermind is, come alone tomorrow at noon to Soul-breaking Cliff at the back mountain of Spirit Mountain." The handwriting was messy and strange, carrying a mysterious power. "Crane Immortal, could this be a trap?" Shen Jingqi said worriedly. His heart was full of caution, fearing for his master's safety. Crane Immortal pondered for a moment and said, "Whether it's a trap or not, I have to go. This might be our only chance to find a clue." A trace of determination flashed in his eyes, ready to meet the appointment. "Crane Immortal, we'll go with you," Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue said in unison. Their eyes were filled with determination; they didn't want their master to take the risk alone. Crane Immortal shook his head and said, "No, you stay at Spirit Mountain to strengthen the defenses. I'll go alone, and I'll be careful." Although he was also worried, he knew he couldn't let his disciples follow him into danger. Fresh chapters posted on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥 The next day at noon, Crane Immortal arrived alone at Soul-breaking Cliff in the back mountain of Spirit Mountain. The terrain of the cliff was treacherous, surrounded by mist, as if it were a secluded place. Crane Immortal stood at the edge of the cliff, warily scanning the surroundings, his heart filled with vigilance. Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the forest beside the cliff. The shadow was clad in a long black robe, with a black veil covering the face, obscuring its features. "You are Crane Immortal?" the shadow said coldly, the voice deep and hoarse. Crane Immortal nodded and said, "Yes, I am. Who are you? And who is the mastermind?" His eyes were filled with anger and confusion, eager to uncover the true identity of this shadow. The shadow let out a strange laugh and said, "You don't need to know who I am. You just need to know that Spirit Mountain will be destroyed today. But before you die, I can tell you a secret." Crane Immortal clenched his fists tightly and said, "What secret? Tell me!" His heart was filled with anticipation, hoping to get some useful information from this shadow. The shadow slowly said, "Actually, all this is for an ancient legend. Legend has it that Spirit Mountain hides a Divine Artifact with the power to destroy the world. The mastermind covets this artifact, which is why Spirit Mountain is under attack." Crane Immortal was shocked, not expecting such a secret to be hidden behind all this. He furrowed his brow and said, "What Divine Artifact? I've never heard of it." The shadow sneered and said, "It's normal that you haven't heard of it. Only a few people know this secret. But soon, this Divine Artifact will fall into our hands. By then, the whole world will be plunged into chaos." Crane Immortal shouted angrily, "You won't succeed! I won't let you get away with this." A surge of powerful Spiritual Power erupted from his body, ready to strike at any moment. The shadow remained unfazed and said, "Do you really think you alone can stop us? Foolish dreams. Today is the day you die." With that, the shadow waved both hands, releasing a black ray of light toward Crane Immortal. Crane Immortal quickly sidestepped to dodge, and at the same time, his hands performed a Sealing, generating a Spiritual Power Shield in front of him. The black light struck the shield with a loud "bang," causing the shield to tremble violently. Crane Immortal felt a sense of dread, not expecting the shadow to be so powerful. He took a deep breath, focused, and prepared to counterattack. However, at that moment, he suddenly felt dizzy and his body weakened.