Chapter 1692: Gray Haze Today Summons the Mountain People, As You Wish, Please the God of Death

Thump! Clatter!Halfway up Mount Guizhe, a bloodied figure tumbled and scrambled down the mountain, hastily carrying a mirror.

"Brothers, I'm really panicking right now.""For some reason, the Qin family's Demigod suddenly wants to kill me. I haven't offended him, have I?"

"I know you're surprised how I managed to escape death from a Demigod. Is 'Drunk in the Wind' really that powerful?""Honestly, even I'm surprised!"

"My Illusory Sword Art is barely at the first realm; I couldn't even use spatial distortion earlier. Seeing him, the elder, corrupted by demonic energy and not in his right mind, I inexplicably landed a 'Mirror Flower Water Moon' on him.""He, he actually got controlled by it!"

Drunk in the Wind held the Broadcast Mirror, pointing it at himself.The mirror showed half of his terrified face, while the larger portion reflected Demigod Qin Duan, who was going berserk high above the mountain peak.

"I can't stay in the air; it's too dangerous now. I need to run.""Brothers, I don't know if you believe in the concept of a 'field'... it's hard for me to explain exactly what I mean right now, but simply put, the atmosphere on Mount Guizhe is wrong!"

"My body feels so cold, like I'm about to die... Before, when I was broadcasting here, I had no concept of life or death, but now I feel like I'll drop dead any second!"

Drunk in the Wind ran, glancing back, his speech accelerating:"I've always been very sensitive—to this 'field' phenomenon. I think Demigod Qin must have been affected similarly, but he's more emotional?""But the change came so suddenly. What could be the reason?"

"Perhaps it's because Master Xu and Emperor Cangsheng are about to switch battlegrounds, causing a surge of death energy here, which will soon lead to a major catastrophe?""Or perhaps..."

Drunk in the Wind swallowed hard, "I just have a feeling that monsters are coming to the sacred mountain!"

A blurry orange flash zipped past his peripheral vision.Drunk in the Wind was running too fast to clearly see what it was, but he abruptly stopped dead in his tracks.

A sudden halt.The moment the talkative Drunk in the Wind stopped, the world fell silent.He still held the Broadcast Mirror in reverse, half reflecting his dazed face, the other half showing the sky.

"Why did he stop?"Those in front of the Five Domains Broadcast Mirror were confused.They wanted to see more of the scene, hear more commentary, but Drunk in the Wind seemed to have suddenly turned to stone.

"What was that flash just now?""A person, right? It looked like a figure, orange?""Running so fast, are they rushing to be reborn? And why is someone still going up Mount Guizhe at this point? Shouldn't everyone be descending?""No! He seemed to be just walking normally. Drunk in the Wind was running so fast that the mirror captured him moving relatively quickly, blurring him out of the frame..."

The murmurs gradually died down.Everyone's expression grew strange.At that moment, half of Drunk in the Wind's face was ashen, and even his eyes had lost their light.It was as if his soul had been snatched away!

"Is he dead?"Everyone wondered.But soon, the mirror image flickered, as if Drunk in the Wind had jolted back to his senses. Clearly, he wasn't dead yet.However, everyone could clearly see a bead of sweat forming on his temple, mixed with blood, tracing a path over his eye socket and dripping from the tip of his nose.

Thunder in the silence.A huge commotion instantly erupted across the Five Domains.Everyone's anticipation was piqued by that single drop of sweat.

"Seriously, who arrived at the sacred mountain?!""Is Drunk in the Wind under that much pressure?"Having watched the Broadcast Mirror for so long, everyone knew Drunk in the Wind's personality. To put it nicely, he was disrespectful of gods and Buddhas; to put it plainly, he was utterly fearless.He often made verbal slips, even calling out "beloved dog."Calling Demigod Qin Duan by his true name couldn't truly be considered his fault.Indeed, after following Master Xu, whoever carried that mirror would probably no longer see ordinary Demigods as anything significant.'I'm slaughtering alongside Master Xu, why should I be afraid of him?'But who could he have encountered now that would make the talkative Drunk in the Wind suddenly lose his ability to speak?

Drunk in the Wind still said nothing.But he slowly began to move the Broadcast Mirror.In the mirror, the portion of his face remained unchanged, as if he wanted to clearly show the terror in his eyes.However, the sky portion gradually decreased as the mirror moved downward, and the other half of the screen shifted to the mountain path behind Drunk in the Wind.

Very slowly.Footsteps unhurried.The mirror's view tilted from bottom to top, gradually capturing an orange-clad back.Someone ascending the mountain!

A low gasp rose from the Five Domains.At this very moment, there was indeed someone moving against the flow, gradually heading towards the peak of Mount Guizhe.From the Broadcast Mirror's perspective, the figure seemed tall, but his back was slightly hunched, making it only barely possible to deduce from his build that he was male.As for the rest...From head to toe, even his hands, were entirely concealed within the large orange robe; nothing was exposed.

"Like an orange."Someone gave an impartial assessment, then, for no apparent reason, shivered, feeling a "chill."This was no illusion.The person ascending the mountain exuded a cold, sinister aura to the observers in front of the Five Domains Mirror, like a venomous snake just emerging from a dark, hidden place.

"Commentary!""Drunk in the Wind, hurry up and talk to him!""I think this is a master! Masters always like strange clothes..."Those watching the Broadcast Mirror, enjoying the spectacle from a safe distance, eagerly urged him on.

Drunk in the Wind was visibly panicking.He still dared not speak, only continuing to move the Broadcast Mirror.Having previously followed Master Xu, he seemed to have learned a lot—now he perfectly understood how to convey his current fear through silent camera language.

He filmed the orange figure's back from bottom to top for several seconds.It was clearly a tense escape moment, with Demigod Qin Duan still in the sky behind him, ready to pursue at any moment.Yet, listening to those unhurried footsteps, everyone's mood not only failed to relax but grew even heavier!

The mirror slowly moved again, in rhythm with the footsteps, panning back to the path he had come from, filming empty scenery for several more seconds.No one knew what Drunk in the Wind meant.But everyone was surprisingly quiet, watching the vibrant flowers, green willows, golden osmanthus, and jade-like stones with the terrified Drunk in the Wind.After Master Xu's previous spirit array detonation at the mountain's waist, it should have been chaotic, yet such colors were still visible in detail.It could only be said that Mount Guizhe possessed incredibly tenacious vitality!

But..."What is he trying to convey?"There wasn't much time for thought.The mirror, previously facing the opposite direction, suddenly swung to the front, pointing directly ahead of Drunk in the Wind.The path down the mountain!

A sudden horror gripped the Five Domains. At that moment, they fully understood why Drunk in the Wind had stopped.Compared to the still colorful path upwards, the path downwards was, at a glance, utterly desolate and gray!Red flowers had withered, green leaves had faded.Vegetation had wilted, mountain springs had dried up.The sacred mountain's spirit array, detonated earlier by Master Xu, seemed to have used Drunk in the Wind's current position as a dividing line: above it, there was little damage; below, it was the blast's devastation zone.But was it truly caused by the explosion?

"Everything's gray..."Someone whispered, their voice trembling, as if witnessing something incredible.Just as they said, once the Broadcast Mirror showed the distant view of the downhill path, everything visible was gray.Even withered flowers should retain some red.Even broken trees should have some green.But the distant scene below the mountain, captured by the Broadcast Mirror, showed no red, no green, no other colors, only a uniform "gray."This "gray" swirled and lingered, emanating from the decaying vegetation and shattered rocks, pervasive and not dissipating, hovering in the air.Upon closer inspection, the gray seemed unreal.Squinting, it became clear that the downhill path was indeed shrouded in a decaying, misty gray haze!

"Gulp."Drunk in the Wind swallowed hard, still not daring to speak.The Broadcast Mirror had a zoom function. He stood still, magnifying the distant scene at the foot of the mountain.There, amidst a hazy gloom, were twisted, fallen corpses and skeletons, lying on the ground as if they had been dead for hundreds of years.But Mount Guizhe was a sacred place; how could there be a custom of abandoning bodies at its foot!On some of the skeletons, clothing was still intact, "as good as new" except for some dust.Red-robed, white-robed, mountain guardians, Sacred God Guards...All familiar attire, all people who had been alive just recently—members of various sacred mountain divisions who were previously deemed unnecessary and sent down the mountain by Lord Cangsheng!

"Are they all dead?"Drunk in the Wind was no longer visible in the Broadcast Mirror, but the horror hadn't vanished; instead, it had shifted from his face to the faces of the Five Domains' observers.Why did they die?How was there no sound at all?Didn't even Emperor Cangsheng's Eye of the Great Dao detect it? Could it have happened in an instant?But to cause such an effect in an instant...Those who descended earlier weren't weak.There were Dao Slayers and Grand Void realm cultivators, as well as battle-hardened captains of red and white-robed squads, drawn from across the Five Domains.They might not be top-tier, but they were far from weak!Their numbers were also considerable. Even if Qin Duan went completely mad and wanted to find and kill everyone at the foot of the mountain one by one, it would still take him half a day, wouldn't it?

"Not all dead!""There are still some breathing!"Drunk in the Wind seemed to share the Five Domains' sentiments.After searching for a while, the Broadcast Mirror finally found a trembling Grandmaster-level expert cowering behind a large rock.

It was a young red-robed figure. His spirit refining aura was very strange, unstable, as if he had just recently broken through.His face was smudged with dirt, making him look disheveled. His exact age was hard to determine, but he appeared to be around thirteen to fifteen years old, very young.Aside from the young red-robed figure himself, what caught attention was the sword he clutched tightly, its blade half-buried in the soil!Drunk in the Wind's pupils constricted, but he still didn't make a sound.

"What kind of sword is that? Its aura seems very powerful?"For a sword to feel powerful to observers even through a Broadcast Mirror, it was certainly no ordinary item.Compared to the ignorance of the Southern Domain's spirit refiners, people in front of the Eastern Domain's Broadcast Mirror—not even necessarily those from Sword Tomb or Moonview Immortal City—If you picked out a few random people, probably half of them could name this sword.

"Named Sword Number Fifteen, Dragon Sword, Azure Scale Spine!"On the first observation platform, Dao Qiongcang narrowed his eyes, recalling who this young red-robed figure was.He remembered Gou Wuyue had a disciple.But it wasn't someone Gou Wuyue personally took in; it was someone pushed upon him by the Sacred God Palace to inherit his legacy.Facts proved that ancient sword cultivation wasn't for everyone, even with abundant resources.In the world of ancient sword cultivation, there was no saying of "a renowned master produces a brilliant disciple"; in most cases, each generation was worse than the last.Even so, Gou Wuyue tried his best to teach.Later, to avoid suspicion, he even threw the boy into the red-robed squad for training.What was his name again?Ah, Lu Ke!

"Lu Ke?"A wisp of Xu Xiaoshou's will was attached to Drunk in the Wind.Just now, a single Illusory Sword Art had rescued him, and now he saw the young red-robed figure through the main Broadcast Mirror of the sacred mountain.He remembered this young red-robed figure.Gou Wuyue's disciple, Yu Zhiwen's accomplice, wielder of a Named Sword.Back in the White Cave, the Named Sword Azure Scale Spine couldn't be forcefully taken; it always spontaneously flew out of the primal palace to find its master.Later, to evade Night Watch's pursuit, Xu Xiaoshou intentionally discarded it.But none of that was important!What was important was that Xu Xiaoshou remembered this young red-robed figure had ghostly energy about him.A red-robed person who was actually a ghost beast host—very strange.This was also why he and Yu Zhiwen parted ways at the time.She clearly knew something, and he asked, but she pressed her lips together and said nothing...Although Xu Xiaoshou could now largely understand her predicament,At the time, he only felt deceived—Yu Zhiwen was not a saintess after all; beneath her beautiful face hid an ugly heart, riddled with terrifying secrets. No wonder she always wore a veil!

Lu Ke and Azure Scale Spine appearing on the sacred mountain didn't surprise Xu Xiaoshou at all.They were, after all, red-robed figures with backgrounds and secrets; returning to the sacred mountain was simply going home, which was perfectly normal.What puzzled him was how a novice like Lu Ke was still alive when *that* guy had arrived. Did the two of them know each other?

"Heavenly Demise Five Decays..."Originally, when Qin Duan hurled insults, Xu Xiaoshou had wanted to teleport there directly, or use Spatial Obscurity to pull Qin Duan over.He just wanted to see if that old geezer dared to utter even half a harsh word in his presence.Unexpectedly, the orange-clad figure ascending the mountain had disrupted all his plans!

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't for the life of him understand why Heavenly Demise Five Decays would ascend the sacred mountain at this moment, stealing his moment in the spotlight.Surely this lone star of calamity didn't remember their alliance, think of him as a good friend, and out of thoughtfulness, come to help upon seeing him alone on the sacred mountain?That was ridiculous!Even Yu Zhiwen, who had helped him along the way, chose to hide secrets from him at crucial moments.Xu Xiaoshou didn't believe for a second that a member of the Yama, met by chance on Void Island, would uphold a casual alliance and selflessly come to his friend's aid.

"Is he mad?""Emperor Cangsheng is on the mountain! I can come and go as I please, but does he think he can too?""Since when did Heavenly Demise Five Decays get so reckless?"Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but worry.And surprisingly, upon careful reflection, he realized that while Heavenly Demise Five Decays was terrifying and brutal towards outsiders,He was actually quite good to Xu Xiaoshou!At the very least, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't felt even a hint of betrayal from this being whose very existence symbolized "betrayal."

Without much hesitation, Xu Xiaoshou quickly made a decision:"Call him!"

The Broadcast Mirror continued to find a few more survivors.But without exception, none of them were unharmed like the young red-robed figure.Most were either white-haired and frail, as if their souls had been stripped away, or their limbs were withered and their bodies decaying.

In the distance, the footsteps had faded.Drunk in the Wind, however, was even more terrified. He no longer dared to look for other survivors, because he realized he might be one of them!He wanted to go down the mountain.But the "gray" mist shrouding the downhill path gradually pursued him as the orange-robed figure moved further away.Ten miles...One mile...Ten yards...The person ascending the mountain walked towards new life, but his path behind him was one of desolation and decay.This boundary between life and death, following his advance, had finally reached Drunk in the Wind's feet!

Drunk in the Wind recoiled in terror, scrambling backward up the mountain, yet still saw the "gray" at his feet, chasing his boots as if trying to climb onto his body."I'm going to die!"Drunk in the Wind finally let out his first scream.Up in the sky, there was Qin Duan; on the ground, there was the gray haze. As a dignified ancient sword cultivator, was he supposed to use earth-遁 to burrow underground and escape?The problem was, he didn't even know how!

The world for several miles around was entirely gray. Drunk in the Wind could only run towards the orange-clad figure.He realized that the most dangerous place was, in fact, the safest place, because the danger hadn't converged there yet?Just as he was at his wit's end, Drunk in the Wind, having caught up to the orange-robed figure, inexplicably had a thought flash through his mind:

"Even I'm so curious about that orange-robed senior...""Across the Five Domains, everyone's probably frantically urging me to call out to him. Should I?"The person had already let him go.Calling out to him again might be too professional; it was just broadcasting, no need to risk his life...

As he thought this, Drunk in the Wind found himself unable to control his body and called out:"Senior, halt!"

*Thud.*The orange-robed senior halted.But before he even turned around, something terrifying happened.Qin Duan, who had been about to head south, seemingly intent on rushing to the Southern Domain to slay Master Xu, heard the call and looked down.He paused for a moment.He appeared not to understand why someone who should have been dead was still in his sight.Suddenly, his killing intent surged, and like a vulture swooping for prey, he clawed and swept down, roaring furiously:"You brat of the Feng family, you dare to mock this Demigod?!"

'Did I call out too loudly?' Drunk in the Wind had never imagined such a death; it felt too absurd.He wanted to resist.But perhaps the pressure was too immense.After getting close to the orange-robed senior, his mind blurred. By the time he recovered, there was no time to counterattack.He might have escaped the first, but not the fifteenth...Drunk in the Wind was on the verge of tears, not knowing what mindset he was in. He clutched the Broadcast Mirror and huddled beneath the orange-robed senior, shouting frantically:"Xu Xiaoshou! Save me!"

'Huh? What am I saying?''Am I crazy too? After repeatedly hitting a brick wall, I still dare to call a big shot by his true name?''What's Master Xu to me? He's not a savior; why would he come to the sacred mountain just to save me at this moment... So, is Qin Duan a trap set by Emperor Cangsheng?'

Xu Xiaoshou was indeed not Drunk in the Wind's savior.But the moment he squatted down with the mirror and shouted "Xu Xiaoshou," Drunk in the Wind distinctly felt the orange-robed senior in front of him stiffen.The next instant, this figure who looked like a marionette from behind, seemed to regain his soul.He moved.He was no longer just numbly and mechanically ascending the mountain.He lifted his head, his gaze seemingly fixed on the diving vulture-like Qin, and simultaneously extended his right hand.

"Boom!"A colossal tremor shook the waist of the sacred mountain.The surrounding rocks exploded with a roar, crumbling and cascading down.Drunk in the Wind, however, remained stunned, clutching the Broadcast Mirror. He felt as if he were in a cradle, not only warm and comfortable but so protected that he didn't even sense the slightest ripple of the battle.The orange-robed senior protected me?Wait, 'one person gives rise to thousands of children'... You're not the orange-robed senior, you're Master Xu?

"That old geezer Qin Duan still wants to kill me for some reason, but I'm not afraid anymore!""From now on, the orange-robed senior is my guardian god, at least that's how I feel!"Drunk in the Wind patted his backside, quickly got up, and tried to distance himself from the direct battlefield, all while aiming the Broadcast Mirror at the two combatants.At this moment, since they were insistent on killing him, Drunk in the Wind wasn't magnanimous enough to show them respect.He touched his head, then his ribs, unsure what he was feeling for, and finally shouted into the mirror:"Brothers, I'm truly alive!"

"The 'field,' remember? I'm very sensitive to this 'field.' Just now, it was clearly a cold, gloomy feeling...""Now, I feel so warm!""Orange, truly warm!"

Drunk in the Wind ran and jumped, retreating backward, while vigorously gesturing forward with his finger, interpreting the battle:"The orange-robed senior is also a Demigod!""Are Demigods really just walking around everywhere on the sacred mountain? Is anyone who ascends this powerful?""Orange-robed senior, since you're so strong, please help me kill this mad dog... Master Xu really shouldn't have let him off; he should have eradicated all his Demigod avatars, even pulled them out by the roots. I'm begging you!"

As is well known, broadcasting often requires exaggeration.Sometimes, to heighten the tension and excitement of a battle, Drunk in the Wind would express his emotions to the fullest, often speaking carelessly.He disliked neutrality; he chose a side.He decisively sided against the old dog Qin Duan, attempting to evoke empathy from the Five Domains' observers with his words, urging them to share his indignation.

He never expected that the moment those words left his mouth...As the dust settled ahead, the old dog Qin Duan's horrified face was revealed—his vulture claw was clamped tight by the orange-robed senior, like an infant's attacking fist being held, utterly unable to move!And the orange-robed senior, upon hearing him, actually disregarded the formidable Demigod enemy in front of him. His head, quite literally, "dropped" down.It wasn't a tilt of the head or a turn of the body; his body remained still, his chin lifted, his occiput almost touching his back, as his head "dropped" in such a manner!

From the folds of the large, draped hood, an orange Yama mask was revealed. The venomous, shadowed gaze behind it fixed on Drunk in the Wind, then on the Broadcast Mirror, and finally on the spirit refiners of the Five Domains.

Drunk in the Wind was covered in goosebumps.But the figure opposite, as if Death had received a request, soon spoke from beneath the Yama mask in a low, husky, calm, and tranquil voice:"As you wish."