Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Seeing that Wan Jinru was persuaded, Moyun Daoist Master breathed a sigh of relief, fearing the other would impulsively chase after.

If the True Demon had not fled but chose to ambush, the cultivator’s Third-Layer Golden Core realm might face dire consequences.

Just then, Master Wuxuan hurried over. He had been so exhausted from patrolling the previous day that his reactions were slower than usual.

Upon understanding the cause and course of the incident, he quickly said:

”Fellow Daoist, since the enemy is so powerful, the pollution you suffered might be quite troublesome. You should quickly refine the Vajra Pill.”

Due to the interruptions from the consecutive arrivals, Moyun Daoist Master merely ingested the pill, but to achieve the best effect, he needed to cultivate and refine it.

Wan Jinru hastily said, ”Sorry for delaying you, Fellow Daoist, please quickly refine the pill.”

Moyun Daoist Master forced a smile, sat down cross-legged, and began circulating his cultivation technique.

As he spoke, he felt increasingly unwell, with cold sweat starting to trickle from his forehead and back.

Wan Jinrong looked toward the direction of the pavilion, scratching his head in confusion.

’Such a commotion occurred; all the Golden Core Daoist Masters in the pavilion should have sensed it. Why hasn’t Fellow Daoist Ji come out to investigate?’

Moments later, while the pill was being refined, Moyun Daoist Master suddenly spat blood, but the blood was black, producing a sizzling sound and a putrid odor as it hit the ground.

The crowd sensed the purification power of the Purification Array flowing towards them, quickly purifying the blood.

Moyun Daoist Master’s breathing became rapid, panic flashed across his face. He realized his physical condition was deteriorating rapidly, with the pollution spreading towards the depths of his organs, and he was unable to stop it.

If the pollution continues to spread unchecked, he didn’t know if he could recover.

He once witnessed a teammate fully polluted, mutating, and finally, in madness, attacked their comrades, ending up being killed by everyone.

He didn’t want others to feel helpless either, so he immediately took out a stack of Talismans and a Jade Bottle.

Perhaps due to trembling hands, two Talismans floated down like autumn leaves blown by the wind.

Activating a top-grade Purifying Talisman, gentle white light covered his entire body.

Moyun Daoist Master poured out the Vajra Pills from the Jade Bottle, without checking how many, he directly tossed them into his mouth.

If Talisman’s effects could stack, he would undoubtedly activate all of them against himself.

Seeing his actions, the few Daoist Masters nearby who stayed knew immediately that something was wrong.

Master Wuxuan opened his mouth to ask, tried speaking several times but didn’t, fearing it might cause additional confusion.

The Wan siblings exchanged a glance, both feeling an ominous vibe.

Clearly, the Vajra Pill he just took had no effect, or at least not as expected. The pollution he suffered was more severe than it appeared.

About two more minutes later, Yunyan Daoist Master flew back, her face gloomy from a failed pursuit.

The area shrouded in Demon Fog was the demon lords’ and True Demons’ home ground. Their traces dissipated quickly, making it hard to pursue unless caught early on.

She slowly swept her gaze and softly said:

”Why haven’t I seen Fellow Daoist Xuanqing? Did he return?”

With such an impact from the Magic Array, there’s no reason he couldn’t feel it.

As a cultivator guarding the fortress, it wouldn’t make sense if he weren’t vigilant enough.

Wan Jinrong scratched his head, glanced at the other two, and replied:

”He didn’t come out; I think he may be in the critical phase of alchemy.”

He changed the subject, transmitting:

”Fellow Daoist, Moyun Daoist Master’s situation is very bad. He vomited blood, and...”

He explained the real situation, successfully diverting Yunyan Daoist Master’s attention.

Several Daoist Masters watched Moyun Daoist Master’s condition anxiously. Should he suffer mishap, the repercussions would be significant.

Wan Jinrong became increasingly uneasy. He still planned to join patrols to experience combat, but now reconsidered if going out was worth it after such an incident.

Moyun Daoist Master, being a Golden Core Middle Stage cultivator, constantly claimed that being able to return was the True Demon’s intent of leniency.

Though his third-layer Golden Core body, not very skilled in combat being an Artifact Refiner, these disadvantages somewhat dampened his enthusiasm.

A moment later, Moyun Daoist Master opened his eyes in despair, as black-red blood threads appeared in the whites of his eyes.

”Hehe... I consumed so many Vajra Pills, yet they cannot halt the pollution’s advance, let alone fully purify it.”

With a few ghastly laughs marked by teeth-gritting hatred in his tone:

”Steward, couldn’t you catch up with the enemy?”

At that moment, his hatred for the True Demon surpassed his fear. If turned into a monster by pollution, he preferred to have perished in battle.

After giving him hope to live, it was cruelly taken away. His mindset now twisted, desiring an intense battle with the enemy.

Yunyan Daoist Master acknowledged with an ”uh,” saying:

”The True Demon’s traces disappeared; I couldn’t give chase.”

She shifted her tone, gently asking with concern:

”Don’t be so pessimistic for now. What precisely is your current situation? Share it with us; maybe we can find a solution together.”

He had followed her for years, working under her before coming to Wulan Mountain; he might as well be considered a confidant.

Now that he’s in crisis, both emotionally and logically, she must provide help as much as possible.

”What solutions could you possibly have,” Moyun Daoist Master said with a bitter smile, knowing well what others were skilled in, aware of how hard it was to aid him now.

With a sigh, he explained his physical condition in detail:

”The pollution has already spread within my body; muscles and blood are all polluted to varying extents.

Moreover, the pollution is continuing to deepen, the bones and internal organs are also starting to be affected, except for the Five Elements Divine Mansion, everything else is problematic.

What’s more important is that the speed of the pollution’s spread is showing a clear trend of acceleration.

Based on what I’ve observed, even if I head to the fortress where the Daoist Monarch is stationed for rescue now, it would be too late.

There are only two paths now: first, find a way to suppress the spread of the pollution; second, quickly find a method to purify the pollution, as the effects of the Vajra Pill and the Purifying Talisman are insufficient to complete the purification.”

He didn’t want to give up hope either; being able to come this far, he was also a person of determined character, but now it seemed like he’s hit a dead end with no way out.

Yun Yan Daoist Master was troubled, her greatest strength was in combat, otherwise she wouldn’t have been the Steward of a fortress.

If it were a face-to-face battle against True Demons of the same realm, she was confident in fighting.

Although the Demon Fog covered area is the domain of True Demons, where most cultivators are oppressed by True Demons of the same realm, she and her kind were exceptions.

She looked at the others and said:

”Do any of you have any ideas?”

Master Wuxuan and Wan Jinru remained silent, as they were also skilled in combat and couldn’t help.

Wan Jinrong was equally silent, as this Artifact Refiner was also at a loss in such a situation.

Yun Yan Daoist Master looked at everyone’s expressions, feeling a bit more irritated.

”Let’s discuss in my loft. I’ll have Zhang Haoyang take stock of the warehouse to see if there are any higher-grade pills with purification power.”

She herself didn’t believe these words, because if such pills existed, she’d certainly remember them.

Managing high-tier resources was part of her responsibility as a Steward.

She furrowed her brows slightly, displeased in her heart, and said:

”Master Jinrong, please go and invite Fellow Daoist Xuanqing.

Even if he’s at a critical moment in refining elixir, please have him come over; right now, Master Moyun’s safety is more important. I’ll take responsibility for the loss if the elixir refining fails.”

Even though the other party is an excellent Alchemist, he cannot be indifferent to the safety of the fortress. The Magic Array suffered a violent impact; even if he can’t leave, he should dispatch a beast to investigate.

”At your command,” Wan Jinrong strode out first, followed by the others supporting Master Moyun as they left.

...

In the Gourd World, under the Gathering Essence Tree.

Ji An sat in a vine chair, leisurely savoring Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea.

He had just finished refining a batch of Vajra Pills, producing five Formed Pills; four were high-quality pills, marking his best performance.

At this moment, the figure of Golden Fur suddenly appeared beside him, ”Squeak squeak!”

The Spirit-Seeking Rat chirped urgently, sending out spiritual communication.

Ji An heard someone calling from the loft, immediately put away the Pill Furnace, and called Golden Fur to leave together.

Upon returning to the Grotto Mansion, he took out several kinds of Spirit Medicine Essence, placed them into the Pill Furnace, then activated the Cyan Lotus Heart-Burning Fire to release the aroma of the spirit medicine.

After finishing all this, he opened the Dharma Prohibition and went out to greet.

Wan Jinrong entered the loft and immediately smelled the aroma of spirit medicine, saying:

”I guessed right, Fellow Daoist, you were indeed refining elixir.

A moment ago, the Magic Array was violently hit, Master Moyun’s team was attacked by True Demons, he himself was severely polluted by Demonic Qi, it’s urgent, let’s go quickly.”

The two left one after another, quickly arriving at Yun Yan Daoist Master’s loft.

Ji An was shocked when he saw Master Moyun’s condition; his face was covered with dark black veins, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Not only that, his hair seemed like dried grass, devoid of luster, and his body trembled slightly, as if enduring some pain.

Ji An stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

”I was at a critical moment in elixir refining when the incident happened, and I came a bit late; please forgive me, fellow Daoist Masters.”

Master Wuxuan said somewhat coldly:

”The Magic Array being attacked is an absolute matter of importance; Fellow Daoist, you should have set aside everything in your hands and come out to check if there was danger to the fortress.

He was displeased by this behavior, clearly feeling that although the other party had been stationed in the fortress for two years, he had not fully embraced the role of guard duty.

Ji An sincerely apologized several times; he was in the Little World at the time, otherwise, he would have certainly come out to take a look.

Yun Yan Daoist Master didn’t make things difficult for him, instead, she explained the current situation and asked:

”Does Fellow Daoist Xuanqing have any good strategies?”

If anyone in the fortress was most likely to come up with a solution, it would be the Alchemist before them.

Ji An pondered and said:

”I am well-versed in the Spirit Sealing Technique; once cast successfully, it can seal the flow of Spiritual Qi. From a higher dimension, Demonic Qi is also part of Spiritual Qi; it can be tried.

Additionally, I spent over twenty years using a Secret Technique to create a Treasure Talisman, a Tier Three Lower Grade Purifying Talisman.

The life of Master Moyun is at stake; I am willing to offer it for use.”

His voice was firm and full of noble spirit.

In truth, he wasn’t confident in whether the treatment methods would work, but with everyone else at a loss, he had to try his luck.