For five hundred years, I have been bound in this forbidden land, and yet here you are, dear Independent Cultivator, shedding tears for what reason?

Summary

A seemingly ordinary screen falls, triggering panic among the gathered experts as a horrific smell and cries for help emerge from a secret passage. Yi Zhi Yin, the clan leader, attempts to seal the passage but is interrupted by Wan Xiao Bei, who insists on investigating the cries, suspecting they may involve captured disciples from their own sects. Despite Yi Zhi Yin's claims that the prisoners are enemies, the crowd pressures her to allow entry, leading to her reluctant consent. As they explore the passage, they discover the imprisoned Dan Tai mother and daughter, and the situation escalates when the mother pleads for help, revealing their lineage and the danger posed by the Jue Ling Valley. Suddenly, puppets begin to speak, claiming to be captured disciples, further alarming the crowd. As accusations fly and chaos ensues, Yi Zhi Yin struggles to explain and defuse the situation, realizing that a greater scheme is at play and that the connection to a powerful formation has been severed, indicating a significant threat has emerged.

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