Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 727 Revisiting Red Rock Immortal City
The relief on the bone shield let out a scream, something Ji An hadn't expected. What he hadn't expected even more was that the sound could have the function of attacking the soul.

At that moment, he felt as if a steel nail had pierced his head and was being vigorously stirred inside.

In the Guanghan Palace of the upper dantian, the nascent soul was also in a bad state, with its hands covering its head.

I was careless! I shouldn't have gotten so close.

The Taibai Extinction Sword's flight speed is fast enough that there's no need to get close enough to attack.

Ji An's spellcasting was forced to stop, and at the same time, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner shone brightly, enveloping him and flying to the side.

Zhu Changhe had not expected that his proud fourth-tier defensive magic treasure would be pierced in an instant, and the unexpected turn of events caught him off guard.

Fortunately, the bone shield shifted slightly the moment it was pierced, causing the flying sword to deviate from its trajectory and graz his forearm, only breaking the skin.

The tiny wound brought a deadly crisis; he felt his entire arm instantly lose sensation, and at the same time, he had the illusion of being pierced by a thousand arrows.

At this moment, Zhu Changhe was terrified. He never imagined that the opponent could have such an effect with just one spell. He was no match for the opponent at all. If he didn't run away now, when would he?
His body exploded and disintegrated, turning into a sky full of black mist that condensed into black crows, which quickly dissipated into the demonic energy.

At this moment, Ji An felt the pain in his soul subside by more than half, but the enemy had vanished without a trace, and he couldn't help but curse in frustration.

If he doesn't attack at close range, the enemy will most likely not escape his grasp.

He can use the Taibai Extinguishing Spirit Sword to launch a powerful attack and clear the demonic energy in the vicinity of the Li Huo Burning Heaven.

Summarizing the gains and losses in his mind, Ji An rode the clouds upwards. After all, this was Xuan Yin Sect territory, and who knew if the enemy had any other tricks up their sleeve.

He broke free from the area shrouded in demonic energy and headed towards the Gular Pass, which connects to the far north.

Zhu Changhe returned to Yuanhe Mountain with a slight sense of relief. The mountain was protected by a great array, preventing the enemy from breaking in, at least not in the short term.

He tore off his sleeve, revealing that most of his arm had turned black, a sign of decay after losing all vitality.

"Hiss," he gasped. If a mere graze to the wrist could cause such massive damage, what would happen if it were a stab to the chest?

The blackness continued to slowly spread upwards, penetrating the wound. Jin Xingling rarely had any energy left, otherwise he would have been completely gone.

His magical artifact could knock out even Nascent Soul cultivators at the second level with its soul-piercing attack, yet the enemy withstood it. Continuing the fight would make a peaceful end unlikely.

Zhu Changhe had no time to feel relieved. He took out a bone knife, gritted his teeth, and swung it forcefully, severing his arm from the shoulder.

The gushing blood still looked bright red, and apart from the pain at the incision site, there were no other aftereffects, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Yun Nianrong flew over on a cloud and was startled to see the severed arm still rolling on the ground. Her voice trembled as she asked:
"Master, what has happened?"

She really couldn't believe that the cult leader had turned out like this after just one trip.

When a high-ranking member at the Golden Core level was leading a patrol around the area, he sensed a vibration caused by a force incompatible with the demonic energy. The moment he noticed the vibration, he instinctively felt danger.

He did not choose to continue the patrol, but immediately led the team to withdraw and reported the news to Yun Nianrong.

The Golden Core cultivators of the Xuan Yin Sect all understood that the tremor was formed by the collision of the Nascent Soul level cultivator's own force field and demonic energy.

Upon learning the news, Yun Nianrong immediately reported it to the sect leader, which led to the scene where the other party went out.

Zhu Changhe channeled his power to stop the gushing blood and said:

"That spying enemy was quite troublesome. I fought him for a while but was at a disadvantage, so I had to return to the mountain-protecting formation to avoid his sharp edge for the time being."

He made a hand seal, and dark red flames burned away his severed arm. The black part of the arm looked like rotten wood, and there was no smell of burning flesh at all.

Zhu Changhe turned to look to the side and said in a gloomy tone:
"I need a new arm, send it to the Xuan Yin Palace."

Yun Nianrong nodded obediently, "I'll take care of it right away."

"Keep it quiet, don't let more people know."

"As ordered!"

At the summit of the mountain stands the Xuan Yin Hall, outside which hang several rows of small triangular flags depicting seemingly abstract symbols.

Yun Nianrong landed on her magical artifact, hurriedly entered the main hall, and handed over a blood-stained arm, severed from the shoulder blade with a smooth cut.

Zhu Changhe picked up the arm and found that it was the same length as his intact arm and the same size as his palm. He nodded with satisfaction.

He cut the arm in half, then placed it back on the severed part. Black energy surged forth, reassembling the arm.

After a moment, he moved his fingers on his new arm and asked:
What happened to the believers who contributed their arms?

Physical mutilation is a difficult injury for cultivators, as it can affect their potential. However, it is much less damaging for demonic cultivators, who can often install another one using secret techniques.

In a few months, this arm will become exactly the same as the original one.

Yun Nianrong made a throat-slitting gesture and said:
"That disciple was accidentally attacked by the backlash of his cultivation technique. The demon bit him, causing him to lose an arm and two legs. He will be discovered soon."

The matter of sacrificing a disciple must not be exposed, so the only option is to silence the disciple completely.

Zhu Changhe feigned compassion and said:
"I feel uneasy because I caused the death of one of my disciples. If he still has relatives, I will take care of them in secret."

"As ordered!"

Zhu Changhe frowned and stared silently outside the hall. Yun Nianrong dared not disturb him and stood respectfully to the side.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhu Changhe exhaled and said solemnly:

"In another half month, I will be able to refine the magic weapon for transcending tribulation. Are you ready to break through?"

In fact, he had already crafted the magic weapon, but he didn't originally intend to use it so soon. However, the unknown enemy was too powerful, and he had no chance of winning without a few helpers, unless he lured the enemy into the demon's lair.

No one else is stupid enough to enter the demon's lair and fight him.

He would cultivate not only Yun Nianrong, but all cultivators with the ability to break through, so as to maintain a balance with the enemy.

The fact that this cultivator appeared at Yuanhe Mountain at this time meant that he couldn't have been a cultivator from another continent. A few days ago, there were rumors that a cultivator from the Golden Spirit Sect had survived the Nascent Soul Tribulation. At first, he didn't believe it, but now he had no choice but to believe it.

Yun Nianrong was overjoyed upon hearing this, her eyes shining brightly:
"Your subordinate is ready."

"Very good. You can try to break through your realm in half a month. Go back and prepare, and get yourself into the best condition."

"This subordinate takes his leave," Yun Nianrong said, bowing as he retreated.

She flew more than ten miles away, then burst into laughter. It took her a while to stop laughing before she flew back to her cave, feeling quite pleased with herself.

The gale whistled through the cracks in the rocks, its intermittent howling sound like the wailing of countless ghosts.

The Gular Pass remains the same pass, unchanged over time, but Ji'an is no longer the same person he once was.

He still remembers how the biting cold wind blew him through the first time he crossed this place, and it took him several days to get through. Now, it only took him a little over half an hour.

Ji An looked into the distance and saw black smoke columns gushing out from certain places. If he wasn't mistaken, it was probably demonic energy emanating from the cracks in the ground.

There are many passages connecting the cultivation world and the true demon world. Large passages form demon caves, while small passages are merely cracks the size of a palm.

Only demons without physical form can pass through such places; true demons cannot cross over.

Even if there are demons, they won't be powerful ones. "This place, which is covered in snow all year round, will also be stained with black."

Ji An sighed and continued to fly away on the clouds.

The quality of his magical artifacts is currently insufficient to keep up with his speed of flying through the clouds; if he wants to run fast, he can only rely on his own efforts.

Two days later, the Red Rock Immortal City came into view in the distance, with flying boats, shuttles, and various flying beasts coming and going in an endless stream. For the time being, this place had not yet been affected by the True Demon Tribulation.

After the colorful auspicious clouds descended upon this familiar yet unfamiliar city, Ji An strolled along the street.

Many familiar shops have disappeared, and with them, familiar people have also vanished.

On Shenhuo Street, the plaque of "Shenbi Lingjia Pavilion" no longer looks weathered; the black background and gold lettering are spotless.

He stepped into the hall, glanced around, and saw that the furnishings were still the same as they had been years ago.

Is Master Gutai here?

The waiter stepped forward and said:
"Senior, Master Gu Tai ascended to heaven decades ago. Now his son has taken over the shop, and his skills are just as superb."

Whatever your needs, I will convey them to you.

His round face was all smiles, and his friendly demeanor made people feel close to him.

Ji An sighed softly, "Can your shop make a top-grade third-tier talisman brush?"

The shopkeeper's face immediately turned red. The shop owner was only at the fourth level of the Chaoyuan stage. How could he possibly refine a third-grade top-quality talisman brush? He would have to be at least a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator to do so.

"Senior, we can only refine third-grade low-level talisman brushes."

He felt that the other party was there to cause trouble, so his tone became much colder, but he didn't dare to scold them.

Just then, a cultivator in a yellow Taoist robe walked in with a follower, who shouted:
"Where is Gu Zhonghe? Make him come out to greet us. We need to commission a magic weapon."

The waiter's face instantly turned ashen, and he stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting:
"Master Biyun, my master is currently refining a custom-made magic weapon. Please forgive me for not being able to welcome you."

Master Biyun was thin, with a mustache and eyes no bigger than soybeans. He said with a forced smile:
"Your shop is quite interesting. I've come here time and time again to buy materials, but you keep saying you don't have any, and you refuse to see me when it comes to customizing magical artifacts."

What, hiding from me? Who gave you the nerve!

He released the spiritual pressure of a third-level Golden Core cultivator, then glanced at Ji An and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Fellow Daoist, I have some private matters to discuss with them. Please do me a favor and move aside."

Forced by the spiritual pressure, the waiter instinctively took a few steps back and said resentfully:

"Master, you want to buy a large quantity of Transformation Spirit Mud, but we only have a small amount in storage, we simply don't have that much!"

Seeing out of the corner of his eye that Ji An was not affected by the spiritual pressure, he mustered up his courage and spoke.

Master Biyun has been pressuring people to buy Huayuan Shenni for the past few months, so he must have other sinister plans.

There are outsiders with considerable cultivation present in the shop now, which might be able to persuade the other party to back down. Let's stall for as long as possible and see if Master can think of another way.

Ji An turned his head and said calmly, "Why force others if they don't have it? Even if they don't have it, you can't force them to sell if they don't want to, right?"
I once owed Master Gutai a favor, and I cannot bear to see such injustice.

Furthermore, his grandson has become my senior brother's disciple; isn't what you're doing a public slap in my face?

As he spoke, he released the spiritual pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Gu Tai possesses the formula for the Transforming Divine Mud, and the other party's child will inevitably inherit it. It seems the shop has been targeted.

"Pfft."

The two low-level cultivators simultaneously collapsed to the ground, feeling as if a massive boulder was pressing down on their chests, making it impossible for them to breathe.

Master Biyun broke out in a cold sweat and trembled as he said:

"I was unaware that a True Lord had arrived. I was blind to the sacred mountain. This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

He took out about thirty high-grade spirit stones and placed them on the table, saying, "This is a small apology; please forgive me, True Lord."

Ji An withdrew his spiritual pressure and nodded to the waiter, "Please ask your master to come over and see if he is willing to forgive."

The man was so excited he couldn't speak. He nodded several times, then scrambled to his feet and rushed into the backyard.
"Master, Master"

A moment later, Gu Zhonghe rushed in and bowed deeply, saying:
"This junior pays respects to the True Lord."

Ji An nodded slightly and pointed to the table, "See if the apology is satisfactory."

He transmitted his voice, "Ask them if they have any rare spirit seeds."

Collecting spirit seeds is his instinct; having a small world that he carries with him, he naturally wants to be a qualified spirit farmer.

Gu Zhonghe coughed twice and said:
“If you bring out a few more rare spirit seeds, I will reconcile with the True Man.”

Master Biyun was stunned. He didn't possess any spiritual seeds, but one of his followers stood up and said:

"I have a spirit seed that I can't identify. Even the pharmacies in the immortal city can't tell what it is."

As he spoke, he took out a brown seed the size of a broad bean, its surface covered with cracks, resembling the patterns of Jun porcelain.

He presented the seed to Master Biyun, then stepped back behind him.

Master Biyun took the spirit seed, glanced at Ji An carefully, and handed it over with a smile:

"Manager Gu, please take a look."

Ji An felt that the spirit seed was familiar, but he couldn't remember what kind of spirit seed it was for the time being. However, he sensed that it was definitely not a low-grade one, so he transmitted his voice:

"can."

Gu Zhonghe put away the spirit seed and smiled:

"It was a misunderstanding, but it's been cleared up now. Please sit down, True Lord and True Man."

Master Biyun dared not stay any longer and scratched his head, saying:

"I just remembered I have something else to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

He wanted to slap himself a few times. Listening to Zhenjun's words, Gu Tai had a grandson who had taken a great master as his teacher. This was going to be difficult.

He looked pitifully at the indifferent True Lord; he dared not leave unless the other party spoke.

Ji An waved his hand, and he left quickly as if granted a pardon, with his followers following closely behind.

Gu Zhonghe bowed again, "May I ask how to address you, senior?"

His son had joined the Golden Spirit Sect in the Western Continent, but in recent years there had been news of the sect closing its gates, so he wasn't sure if the other person was a Golden Spirit Sect cultivator.

(End of this chapter)