Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 527 Harvest of Wind and Cloud, A Different Kind of Wind and Cloud
Fire Qilin meat, fire qilin blood.

The scales of the Fire Qilin.

Each of these items would be a rare treasure in the world of Fengyun or the world of Zongwu.

For these few items, more than fifteen experts from the Eastern Depot died in battle, none of whom were below the Profound Realm.

Cao Zhengchun, Cao Shaoqing, and the others were also relieved that they had finally obtained the goods and had not failed in their mission.

As for whether or not to go back and explore Lingyun Cave?
After pondering for a long time and weighing the pros and cons, Cao Zhengchun gritted his teeth and said, "His Majesty clearly pointed out in the mission given to the Eastern Depot that there is still the Xuanwu True Skill in Lingyun Cave and the Dragon Vein that has not yet been obtained."

"If we choose to give up, the secret guards will take over directly."

"We still have to try again."

Many of the Eastern Depot's surviving experts froze for a moment, and many opened their mouths but ultimately remained silent.

Exploring new worlds, there's no such thing as an immortal being.

They had already prepared themselves mentally long before they arrived.

As the head of the Eastern Depot, Cao Zhengchun's decisions were not open to opposition.

"Shaoqing, take the supplies and go back to report. We'll stay here. Also, with my token, summon some more experts from the Eastern Depot. The situation at Lingyun Cave is extremely complicated; we need more experts." Cao Zhengchun naturally noticed the expressions of the remaining Eastern Depot experts. He gritted his teeth and gave Cao Shaoqing a deep look: "Also, remember to report the situation to His Majesty. If possible, please ask His Majesty to send a few experts at the level of terrestrial immortals to lead the battle."

"Yes, Supervisor."

Cao Shaoqing nodded respectfully, then, holding the jade box, vanished before everyone's eyes in a blur.

"We know you're terrified right now."

"Let's find a place to rest for a while and explore the true nature of this world."

"My lord, I have good eyesight. There's a village ahead called Fengxi Village. Shall we go there to rest and make some repairs?"

"Ah."

Cao Zhengchun nodded and led the disheveled Eastern Depot experts toward the village.

Along the way, an expert from the Eastern Depot couldn't help but lament, "What a pity! If the Fire Kirin hadn't arrived so quickly and fiercely, we could have brought out the Fire Kirin Sword and Snow Drinking Saber that we had already found."

"Haha, what's a pity?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun laughed a few times, then revealed a disdainful sneer: "The thing is in Lingyun Cave. That beast is awake right now. Who would dare to step into it?"

Having just suffered a loss at the hands of the Fire Qilin, Cao Zhengchun knew better than anyone how terrifying that Fire Qilin was.

Anyone below the level of a terrestrial immortal who enters will almost certainly die.

The items were left there, and no one could take them away.

……

The Great Ming Dynasty, Shennong Temple.

Zhu Jinzhen, who was engrossed in alchemy, had an idea, and soon his secret guards came to report.

Cao Shaoqing of the Eastern Depot has returned from the world of Fengyun with several items and is requesting an audience outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"Did Cao Zhengchun and the Eastern Depot suffer a loss?"

"Your Majesty, it must be quite serious. Minister Cao has a burning aura that feels like maggots clinging to his bones, and his spirit is somewhat weak. He must have just experienced an exceptionally fierce battle."

"The Eastern Depot's gains are not small either." Zhu Jinzhen's expression was playful. The palace and its surroundings were all within his perception. He had already fully grasped Cao Shaoqing's situation when Cao Shaoqing appeared.

"Summon him to the Hall of Mental Cultivation for an audience. Have him send the items over first."

"Yes."

Soon, the secret guards returned.

Holding the jade box that Cao Shaoqing brought back from the world of Fengyun.

"Sniff."

Zhu Jinzhen's nose twitched, and he quickly detected an unusual aura: "Strange, the fire elemental energy is so dense, and the energy contained in the flesh and blood is no less than that of a dragon's flesh and blood, perhaps even surpassing it." "Moreover, where is the evil element? Why is it so scarce?"

The Fire Qilin of the Fengyun World is responsible for guarding the dragon vein in Lingyun Cave. Influenced by the evil energy emanating from the dragon vein, it loses its intelligence and is corrupted by evil, its body and flesh carrying strong evil and demonic nature.

That's how the Nie family's mad blood and the Fire Kirin Sword came to be in the world of Fengyun.

However, among the flesh and blood that Cao Shaoqing brought back, the energy of the blazing fire from the Fire Qilin's origin was extremely concentrated, but its evil nature was not as high as expected, no, it was much less.

"The Fire Qilin in the world of Feng Yun seems to have changed?"

"interesting."

Why is that?

"My intervention? Or is that world different too?"

Zhu Jinzhen murmured, pouring out a few drops of Qilin blood. The evil energy on it was very little, at least in his opinion, it was definitely not enough to form the Nie family's mad blood.

Qilin flesh and blood, blood Bodhi.

The Dragon Ball, and then all sorts of rare and precious medicines.

Finally, Zhu Jinzhen carefully considered his options and chose the Water Dragon Pearl to neutralize the medicinal properties. Then, he stuffed everything into the Shennong Cauldron and instructed the secret guards to keep an eye on the heat of the cauldron.

Zhu Jinzhen then got up and left.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhu Jinzhen listened to Cao Shaoqing's report, nodding from time to time.

The Eastern Depot's exploration of Lingyun Cave in the world of Fengyun was initially very successful. They not only found the Fire Kirin Sword and Snow Drinking Blade, but also Nie Ying's burial place and the Blood Bodhi there, as well as the Nie family's Six Secrets of Aohan and the Ice Heart Technique.

They later successfully found the Fire Qilin sleeping in Lingyun Cave.

They thought things would go smoothly, but as soon as the battle started, everyone from the Eastern Depot was almost burned to ashes by the Fire Qilin's flames. If Cao Zhengchun hadn't gone with them...

Cao Shaoqing and the others will all perish silently in Lingyun Cave.

Later, Cao Zhengchun, Cao Shaoqing, and others fought desperately, and knowing that the Fire Qilin had a broken scale on its body, they targeted it relentlessly, but they were still almost all left in Lingyun Cave.

Although Cao Shaoqing did not specifically target anyone or say anything detrimental to the Secret Guards, both Zhu Jinzhen and Yan Yimei could tell that there was a subtext in his words: if the Secret Guards' intelligence had not been wrong, the Eastern Depot would not have lost so many experts.

They were almost all buried in Lingyun Cave.

Zhu Jinzhen remained silent, only looking calmly at Yan Yimei standing inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Yan Yimei instructed other secret guards to retrieve the intelligence records from the previous event in the Stormy World, and respectfully handed them to Zhu Jinzhen for review:
"Your Majesty, the intelligence from the Secret Guard is absolutely accurate."

"The secret guards in charge of Lingyun Cave last time recorded the Fire Qilin's injuries in detail, including its strength and the location where it slept, without any errors."

"As for the Fire Qilin that the Eastern Depot encountered, why its strength suddenly increased, I also do not know."

"Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Yan Yimei did not try to deny it. A mistake is a mistake. Although she could guarantee that the secret guards' intelligence was completely accurate, a large number of people from the Eastern Depot had indeed died, and she felt she could not shirk this responsibility.

"The secret guards do bear some responsibility for this matter."

"But it doesn't really concern you."

Zhu Jinzhen casually tossed the intelligence report he had finished reading onto the table and looked at Yan Yimei and Cao Shaoqing: "If that world were that simple, I would have already sent a large army to suppress it. It was just a few unexpected circumstances, within my expectations, nothing to worry about."

"If it's the Eastern Depot, reward them with fifty Earth Dragon Pills and fifty Blood Bodhi Pills."

"As for Lingyun Cave..."

“The secret guards will send a celestial being from the land to oversee the operation, and several immortals from the land to assist them.”

(End of this chapter)