Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 595 Black Wind Ridge Fortress

Because an anti-flying array was set up inside the fortress, the airship hovered in the air above the fortress area.

Suddenly, the fortress was filled with light, and the fog within a radius of five hundred feet was completely dispelled.

Wan Jinrong said in a low voice, "The purification array can be adjusted in intensity. It is said that when the power is turned on at full, it can dispel the demonic mist within a radius of a thousand feet."

However, doing so consumes a lot of spirit stones, and normally it only maintains a dispersal range of three hundred feet.

The construction of the purification array was inspired by the Buddhist monk Shi Xiu. If the two sides had not become enemies, it would have been easier to overcome the tribulation of the true demon.

However, it is inevitable that the conflict will involve the struggle for Dao, so there is no point in discussing it further.

Ji An turned his head to look into the distance, his gaze piercing through the mist, and he vaguely saw some shadowy figures. He asked in a deep voice:
Will the light from the purification array harm the demon?

"Demons and true demons will feel some discomfort, but they won't suffer much harm. The purpose of the purification array is to create an environment unsuitable for demons to exist in."

The methods those demons used within the purification array were slightly less powerful.

Ji An nodded slightly. He understood that the demons had the ability to organize and attack the fortress, as long as they were willing to pay the price.

From this perspective, the safety factor of guarding these fortresses located in the demonic mist will decrease over time.

At this moment, several monks flew out of the fortress and landed on the deck of the airship.

The leader was a monk with a thick red beard, which was somewhat unnaturally curly.

"Greetings, True Lord. I am True Man Huolong, and I have come to receive fellow Daoists and disciples who are here to join us."

The concentration of the demonic mist in Misty Mountain increased by several times overnight, immediately increasing the pressure on the fortress.

Ping Tian Zhenjun gently raised his hand and said kindly:

"No need for formalities. This time, we are adding a small team for you, consisting of three Golden Core cultivators and thirty Chaoyuan stage disciples."

He took off a ring inlaid with a Void Stone. "It contains various supplies. The jade slips inside have instructions on how to distribute them, so I won't go into details."

Master Huolong was overjoyed, holding the ring in both hands, and laughed:
"With the addition of fresh troops, the task of guarding the fortress has become much easier."

Their fortress originally had five Golden Core cultivators, one of whom was in the late Golden Core stage and was in charge, along with fifty Chaoyuan stage cultivators and several hundred late Foundation Establishment stage disciples.

With so many more high-level cultivators now, life will be much easier. The True Lords have not been perfunctory in resisting the True Demon Tribulation, which is very encouraging for those who are actually doing the work.

Master Pingtian offered a few words of encouragement, then turned and said:
"The disciples assigned to this fortress will leave with Master Fire Dragon."

He needs to get everyone to their respective fortresses today; he can't waste too much time here.

The flying boat traveled through the demonic mist. Due to the magical barriers that separated them, Ji An had no chance to know what it would be like to carry out a mission in the demonic mist.

One after another, cultivators disembarked. Five hours later, only two groups remained on the deck. One of them was the group that followed the True Lord back to the most fortified fortress.

Ji An's gaze was somewhat solemn. He could sense that the speed of the flying boat had slowed down considerably since it entered the demonic mist, which was not a good sign.

He lowered his voice and asked:

"Does the demonic mist have a strong suppressive effect on us?"

“Yes,” Wan Jinrong nodded and continued:
"The demonic mist will suppress the range of our divine sense, which makes us extra careful when going out on missions."

The demonic mist concealed the traces of true demons and demon lords, and coupled with the suppression of divine sense, it often resulted in demon lords discovering cultivator groups in advance.

This requires the cultivator serving as captain to have a higher level of spiritual strength and to be immune to ambushes.

The reason his squad was ambushed a few years ago was because his spiritual strength was insufficient and he failed to detect the Golden Core stage Yin Demon in advance.

Fortunately, the demonic mist also affected the vision of demons and the like; otherwise, human cultivators would have been in an even more passive position.

"Oh!"

The bottom of the airship was attacked, causing it to shake slightly.

Several such incidents had occurred along the way, and Ji An was already used to them.

"Bang!" Another impact rang out, as if some kind of switch had been turned on, and a series of impacts followed one after another.

Through the spiritual energy shield of the flying boat, Ji An saw many shadowy figures in the sky that resembled ghosts. They had human or other race heads, one or more humanoid arms, but their lower bodies were a cloud of mist.

They descended from the sky, relentlessly assaulting the spiritual energy shield wave after wave, accompanied by sinister laughter that carried an inexplicable meaning from all directions.

Just hearing these sounds made some of the cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage on the deck feel uneasy, and goosebumps rose on their arms.

Wan Jinrong pointed outside and said, "These are demons, probably ordinary Yin demons. There must be several Golden Core level demons hidden inside, otherwise low-level Yin demons wouldn't dare to attack a magic weapon level flying boat."

Flying boats are large-scale magical artifacts of the third tier, and only powerful forces at the Nascent Soul level have the strength and technology to build them.

Wan Jinru said calmly, "Judging from the force of the impact, most of the Yin Demons are only at the Foundation Establishment level, not worth mentioning."

"Sister, don't be careless. If the Yin Demons gather in a large group, they are even more dangerous than high-level True Demons."

They can unleash soul attacks, which are weak but do not interfere with each other and can even combine to form a stronger attack.

It's estimated that the True Lord will make his move soon; let's wait and see.

Although the flying boat is a third-tier magic weapon, its main purpose is to transport cultivators through dangerous environments. Enduring impacts will consume a large amount of stored energy.

A hint of disdain flashed in Ping Tian's eyes. He raised his arm slightly, his hand seals shifting, and then he used his other hand to remove the spiritual energy shield of the flying boat.

Ji An's eyes reflected an endless sea of ​​fire, and his breath unconsciously stopped. He saw the pale purple fire cloud burst open instantly, with the flying boat at its core.

The demonic mist and evil spirits that stretched for thousands of feet vanished instantly, as if they had never existed.

The fiery, blazing light burst forth to its fullest extent in an instant, deeply shocking his mind.

The opponent did not use any magical artifacts or release any spells; they merely demonstrated the techniques of manipulating magical power.

This simple technique, in the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator, can turn enemies at the Golden Core level into ashes. Perhaps those Yin Demons didn't even realize what had happened when they died.

Even if he faced such an attack, if he didn't activate all his defensive measures, he would inevitably suffer severe injuries, and whether he could survive would be uncertain.

If he reacts quickly enough and unleashes his Solidifying Metal Technique, it might be possible to handle the situation; however, if he doesn't react in time, the odds are against him.

Not only Ji An, but all the other cultivators were stunned, and then their eyes revealed fanatical worship.

Most people had never witnessed a Nascent Soul True Monarch in action, and such destructive power greatly boosted morale. A special force field formed in this area, with demonic mist and fire-elemental spiritual energy colliding violently at its edges.

The flames exploded, scattering specks of purple light, and the demonic mist was ignited and vanished into nothingness.

Ping Tian Zhenjun calmly reactivated the magical shield, propelling the flying boat forward. He encouraged everyone, saying:

"If the demonic mist had not amplified the power of the true demons, the cultivation world would not have feared this catastrophe."

The cultivators shouted in unison, "The True Lord is mighty!"

Wan Jinru's eyes shone brightly. Born into a family of weapon refiners, she did not like weapon refining but instead had a special fondness for combat.

She particularly enjoys the occasional life-or-death battles, as the feeling of dancing on the edge of a knife greatly satisfies her thirst for thrills.

Compared to the excited expressions of others, Ji An was engaged in deeper contemplation:
'No, the spiritual energy fluctuations emitted when the opponent unleashed their attack were still at the Golden Core level. I'm quite certain of that. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be possible for them to cause such widespread damage. How did a True Monarch manage to do it?'

About half an hour later, the airship hovered near a fortress, which was the destination of Ji An's team—Black Wind Ridge Fortress.

The team members bid farewell to Ping Tianzhenjun and entered the fortress, which covered only a dozen acres.

The walls, built of massive red stones, shimmered with the magical light of forbidden spells. In the center stood a tower over twenty feet tall, with a sphere of unknown material atop it, radiating a bright light that dispelled the demonic mist.

From a distance, the sphere resembles a full moon.

The cultivator in charge of this fortress was actually a female cultivator, whose Daoist name was Yunyan. Her thick, black hair was simply tied up and held in place by a jade hairpin.

After the two exchanged greetings, Master Yunyan revealed a subtle and serene smile:

"Since the anomaly occurred, the concentration of demonic energy has increased significantly, and more purification talismans are needed to maintain our integrity when we go out on duty."

If a fierce battle occurs and there's no time to replenish the Cleansing Spirit Talismans, then we'll have to take the Vajra Pill. Pills and talismans are consumed quickly. Now that Fellow Daoist Xuanqing has been assigned here, the situation here will stabilize.”

In fact, the inventory of resources can support the economy for another two months without any problem. However, the concern is that logistics replenishment will not be timely, which could lead to a devastating disaster. The increased concentration of the magic fog has multifaceted effects.

Ji An replied:

"If the supply of materials is sufficient, I will do my best to ensure everyone's daily needs are met."

The implication is that without the materials, his efforts are futile, and he can only hope for the best.

You can also earn rewards here by refining pills and making talismans. If you ignore the demonic fog outside, it's similar to accepting tasks from the Certification Association.

"The True Lord has sent a batch of materials, enough for you to use for a long time."

Master Yunyan turned his head and said:
“After fighting the demon, magical artifacts always leave some stains, and it takes a long time and effort to clean them. This has become even more obvious in the past few days. The arrival of True Lord Jinrong will greatly improve the situation.”

Wan Jinrong smiled and said, "It is because fellow cultivators fight outside that other cultivators can have peace. I will do my best to fulfill my duties."

Master Yunyan nodded approvingly, then looked at Wan Jinru:
"Master Miaohua's reputation is legendary. I could never have replicated your achievements back then. Now that you've arrived, the Yin Demons and their ilk will feel the pressure."

This fortress is the furthest place from where the True Lords are stationed. As the person in charge of guarding it, True Man Yunyan is not only highly skilled in cultivation, but also a very adept social maneuver.

Wan Jinru smiled demurely and quickly waved her hand, saying:
"You flatter me, Master. My ancestor once commented on you, saying that you are the most promising cultivator of the Merchant Alliance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. I have always taken you as my role model."

The other party is now a Golden Core Ninth Level cultivator, and by standing on tiptoe, he can already touch the threshold of the Nascent Soul Realm.

"Did True Lord Yuanrong really say that?"

Master Yunyan was overjoyed. The more he cultivated immortality, the more he felt that every step forward required his full strength to make sure he could walk steadily.

She certainly has the ambition to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, but she also feels lost.

She is nearly 700 years old this year, but she only broke through to the ninth level of the Golden Core stage three years ago, so she doesn't have much time left.

Wan Jinru nodded solemnly, "Of course it's true!"

She began to transmit her voice, "The ancestor said that the True Person's aftereffects are long-lasting, and he is more likely to break through than those cultivators who broke through to the ninth level of the Golden Core stage a few hundred years earlier."

As long as you keep moving forward, it doesn't matter if you progress slowly. Those cultivators who have had a smooth journey in the early stages and have not experienced setbacks are more likely to have mental problems when they encounter powerful bottlenecks.

This couldn't be said in public, so she used telepathy to convey it.

Master Yunyan was overjoyed and transmitted his voice:

"Let's have a good talk tonight."

She coughed softly, took out three wooden boxes, and said:

"This is the reward for the fellow Daoists this year: two hundred spirit stones and one pill. Please check it. If there are no problems, I will take you on a tour of the camp and then assign you rooms."

Ji An opened the box, inside which were high-grade spirit stones and a jade bottle. Inside the bottle was a Spirit Rhinoceros Refining Pill, and it was a fine-quality pill.

It's a pity he can't use that elixir now.

Master Yunyan led the three on a tour. The fortress was not large, and they quickly walked around it. Along the wall were the rooms of Foundation Establishment cultivators, and further in were the rooms of Nascent Soul cultivators. At the very back, around the tall tower, there was a circle of small, independent pavilions.

The rooms were also assigned, and I got to know the other two guards. There was one room for each of the six attics.

Ji An and Wan Jinrong's rooms were next to each other, while Wan Jinru's room was next to Yunyan Zhenren's room.

There is no fire chamber at the base, so whether it is alchemy or weapon crafting, the alchemical fire must be activated.

Ji An was very satisfied with the room because the sealing array was a third-tier low-grade level, which could well guarantee privacy.

This is a low-grade third-tier miniature spiritual vein node, which is completely unable to support six Golden Core cultivators cultivating at the same time. If he wants to cultivate, he must hide in a small world.

Master Yunyan led several people to the tower. "The purification array is set up inside the tower. It is the most important building in the fortress."

"Let's go inside. There's another magic array there, which can be used to save lives in emergencies."

Ji An followed the others into the tower and saw that the interior walls were covered with dense lines and characters of runes, and the nodes of the magical restrictions intertwined and flickered with light.

Instead of leading everyone to climb the tower, Master Yunyan led them down the passage.

At the bottom of the tower, Ji'an saw a magic array that was very similar in style to the one at the foot of Crimson Flame Peak, but even more complex. The spirit stones that drove the magic array were actually high-grade spirit stones.

At this moment, he understood why powerful forces were still willing to send their disciples to Wulan Mountain, despite its treacherous conditions.

It wasn't anything particularly noble, because the teleportation array ensured their safety.

(End of this chapter)