Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 769 The Sunset is Infinitely Beautiful

Ji An was uneasy, fearing that the enemy might rise from the dead. He cautiously observed his surroundings while simultaneously releasing his Golden Light Technique.

The silver moon blade spun in the air, forming the shape of a full moon, and easily sliced ​​off the enemy's head.

Only then did he feel relieved. He flew closer to the True Demon and used his object manipulation technique to store the dismembered corpse into the Void Stone.

Killing another enemy at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm put him in a good mood, and he immediately unleashed the Blazing Fire of Heaven and the Vermilion Bird Profound Brightness Technique with renewed vigor.

All the true demons or demon lords he discovered were burned to ashes.

The results were significant, with over ten True Demons at the Chaoyuan stage, thousands at the Foundation Establishment stage, and countless low-level True Demons killed.

As for why there were no true demons at the Golden Core level, it's highly likely they sensed danger and fled in advance.

After clearing away the demonic energy from the gates of Falling Maple Valley, Ji An saw the current state of this once prosperous place.

There are four branch ridges under the main ridge, with more than a hundred peaks. Most of the peaks on the main ridge are filled with demonic energy, clearly having been corrupted by the methods of true demons.

Fortunately, he arrived in time; otherwise, once all the spiritual vein nodes were contaminated, it would have taken a great deal of effort to purify them.

Those impurities that cannot be eliminated need more time to purify themselves, and are very likely to descend to the level of a spiritual vein.

"Luckily, I am a kind-hearted person. If I had left them alone, those Falling Maple Valley cultivators would have had nowhere to stay."

As Ji An spoke, he located a main node of a spiritual vein.

The methods used here to pollute the spiritual veins are exactly the same as those used in Qingmang Mountain: constructing deep well formations to penetrate deep underground.

He first destroyed the array base to shut down the magic array, then burned the corpse, and finally used the Azure Lotus Heart-Burning Flame to purify it.

After purifying the five main nodes, Ji An set up the Xuanwu Armor Formation and entered the small world to recover his mana and soul. This time, it took him more than four hours to adjust his condition to its best.

He left the small world, and at this moment the night was cool as water and the bright moon shone for thousands of miles, its serene light soothing this land full of ravages.

Ji An took out the map jade slip to examine it and search for other targets.

After purifying the sources of pollution in several main nodes, the rate at which the spiritual veins become contaminated will be greatly reduced.

The primary objective now is to kill as many Nascent Soul True Demons as possible, so a few days of contamination is acceptable.

He completely put himself in the position of the true demon, pondering how he would act if he received the order to pollute the spiritual veins.

The area of ​​Fallen Maple Valley is vast, so the True Demon Army stayed there for a long time, which is why he was able to block the enemy.

He began to calculate the marching speed of the True Demon Army and the time required to construct the pollution array. Starting from the location of the sect, he drew several lines, which would allow him to pollute the Western Continent region more quickly.

Ji An adjusted the plan and route, summoned the Flame Banner that flew off the ground, and set off again on the Fire Phoenix.

He would set aside the area under the control of Yuanhe Mountain for the time being and instead planned to explore the areas with second-tier spiritual veins within the sect's and Luofeng Valley's jurisdictions.

Mark the contaminated areas and temporarily halt further purification efforts; doing so would be too much of a delay.

After thoroughly investigating these areas and confirming the absence of any Nascent Soul level True Demons, he recruited disciples from his sect to carry out the mission.

The dangers still exist, but you can't just act as a babysitter and do everything yourself.

Of course, he would also secretly accompany his disciples when they were on missions to minimize any potential casualties.

After three days and three nights of tireless work, Ji An scanned all the spiritual veins according to plan, and sure enough, he caught another big fish—a true demon at the second level of the Nascent Soul stage.

The enemy was killed very quickly and peacefully, with no pain except for a somewhat ferocious expression.

It must be said that his skills are getting better and better, and his spells are so powerful that the enemy's suffering time is short.

At each spiritual vein, he would unleash two spells, "Burning Heaven with Blazing Fire" and "Vermilion Bird Profound Brightness Technique," to burn away the demonic energy and prevent it from replenishing, creating areas temporarily free of demonic energy that could serve as the cultivators' home ground.

Ji An flew back to the sect and arrived at the Wuji Hall on Chaoyang Peak. After informing the sect leader of the situation, he said:

"Judging from the current situation, the True Demon Army is retreating to the north. I think they have most likely already retreated back to Yuanhe Mountain."

Those polluted spiritual veins urgently need purification; missions need to be issued to dispatch disciples there.

Lin Jiuxiao hurriedly asked:
"True Lord, do you have a good plan in mind?"

These pollutants must be purified, otherwise there will be far fewer high-level spiritual veins in the Western Continent.

Most importantly, in his eyes, these areas would all become the territory of the Golden Spirit Sect in the future.

The Tribulation of the True Demon severely disrupted the order of the cultivation world. As the old order was broken, a new order was about to be established.

Once the catastrophe is over, the sect will undoubtedly be the only top-tier power in the Western Continent. These spiritual veins can be used to establish separate residences to consolidate rule and also produce resources.

Even if all else fails, these areas can be developed into market towns, and becoming a landlord would be a great option.

In a sense, the slaughter by the true demons meant that the sects had no moral burden in occupying these unclaimed territories.

"I don't have any good ideas. I just want to protect my disciples when they are on missions."

The possibility that a Nascent Soul level True Demon is lurking in the shadows still exists, and Ji An cannot afford to relax now.

Should we inform Master Chongxuan about the situation at the Fallen Maple Valley gate?

"Of course I should inform them that I have purified the source of pollution from the main spiritual vein node. It would be better if they were willing to deal with the rest in advance."

Ji An said that if the cultivators of Falling Maple Valley were worried about their safety and dared not set off early, then they would have to follow their pace.

Purification from west to east will take several days.

He handed over the map jade slip and continued:

"The areas marked in red are where the contaminated magic array is located."

Dispatching disciples must be swift, and routes should be planned carefully to minimize unnecessary travel.

Lin Jiuxiao pressed the jade slip to his forehead, pondered for a moment, and said:
"I will send Junior Brother Lin and Junior Brother Liu from the Enforcement Hall to lead a team, carrying several fourth-tier talismans, and equipped with the fastest spirit boats."

As for the specifics of how to proceed and the course of action, I will discuss that with them.

"Alright, you make the arrangements. We'll set off from Chaoyang Peak at dawn tomorrow."

I'll go back to Crimson Flame Peak to rest first; I've been quite tired these past few days.

Ji An stood up. For a Nascent Soul cultivator, these past few days hadn't been too tiring, but they had somewhat affected his combat performance, so he needed to go back and get some rest.

Cultivation cannot replace sleep; a good night's sleep can regulate a cultivator's state at the deepest level.

After the polluted magic array was completely purified, he prepared to risk going to Yuanhe Mountain to see what was going on.

The two walked out of the main hall, and Lin Jiuxiao cupped his hands and said:
"Respectfully seeing off the True Lord."

After the auspicious five-colored clouds had dispersed, he took out three golden communication swords, entered the information, and activated them to notify Lin Qiubai, Liu Yu, and Chongxuan Zhenren respectively.

Although Han Yan and the others were Golden Core cultivators, they were all production-oriented cultivators and not skilled in combat.

Even when facing attacks from a true demon at the Golden Core level, it would probably be difficult to cope.

Ji An returned to Crimson Flame Peak, entered the small world, ordered A-Yun to light the Soul Incense, and cultivated for several hours to recover his magical power. He then gave the instructions:
"Wake me up at 5 a.m. tomorrow." Seeing the puppet nod, he lay down and fell fast asleep.

When he arrived at Chaoyang Peak at dawn the next day, Lin Jiuxiao said:
"True Lord, True Man Chongxuan has learned that you have killed two more Nascent Soul level True Demons, and has led several disciples away on a spirit boat."

He said he'd first repair the teleportation array at the foot of Qinglong Mountain to see if he could teleport back. I didn't want to stop him, so I let him leave.

Whether Falling Maple Valley can rebuild its sect in the future depends on its original spiritual veins.

During the war, the spiritual vein's grade dropped from the middle grade of the third rank to the lower grade of the third rank. If the grade of the spiritual vein drops again due to pollution, Falling Maple Valley may not be able to maintain its Golden Core inheritance.

Times have changed, and Lin Jiuxiao fully understands Chongxuan Zhenren's concerns.

As a fellow sect leader, he sympathized with the other's plight, but that was all he felt.

Ji An nodded slightly. "Let's respect other people's choices and set off."

The cultivators who participated in the mission boarded the flying boat, and Liu Yu introduced them:

"True Lord, for this mission, Senior Brother Lin and I will each lead a small team of ten Chaoyuan stage disciples. When we reach Dapan Mountain, the two teams will separate."

Our planned route is such that the two teams are only about 200 miles apart, allowing us to treat two pollution sources simultaneously.

"And you, True Lord, can take the lead in directing operations and handle any dangers that arise."

For this mission, they mobilized most of their elite forces; the successive deaths of Nascent Soul level True Demons gave them the confidence to divide their forces.

Five days later, all the pollution sources in the marked areas had been burned and purified, and the Golden Spirit Sect's spirit boat landed in Falling Maple Valley.

The purification process here is nearing completion. Everyone worked together and spent another half day purifying the sources of pollution.

Everyone gathered together, and Master Chongxuan breathed a sigh of relief, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Thank you, True Lord, and thank you, fellow Daoists, for your help."

The spiritual vein was not contaminated for long, and the nodes of the main spiritual vein were purified in advance, so the grade of the spiritual vein did not drop.

Even if the mountain gate is rebuilt in the future, this place can still serve as the foundation of Falling Maple Valley.

When the True Demonic Calamity erupted, not only were cultivators devastated, but mortals were also almost entirely wiped out, with the vast majority corrupted by demonic energy and turned into monsters.

The source of disciples will be a big problem in the future. Fortunately, the Golden Spirit Sect has nearly a million mortals under its wing, and some can be purchased with resources at that time.

Ji An nodded slightly, and Lin Qiubai gave a perfunctory bow:

"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. The True Demon Army has been driven back by the True Monarch, but it is still unknown whether they will make a comeback. We must be careful not to damage our spiritual meridians again."

From the sect's perspective, the extinction of Falling Maple Valley's lineage might not be a bad thing.

The sect members were unwilling to resort to underhanded methods; otherwise, this spiritual vein would already belong to the sect.

Ji An looked around and asked:
Is the teleportation array still working?

Master Chongxuan immediately replied, "Yes, it's possible. Teleportation has saved us a lot of time."

"Now that this matter is settled, you may all take the teleportation array and leave. I will head to Yuanhe Mountain to investigate the whereabouts of the True Demons."

Having witnessed the last person leave via the teleportation array, Ji An summoned the Flame Banner and rode a fire phoenix to Yuanhe Mountain.

He remained vigilant throughout his journey but encountered no danger. Instead, he met many true demons and demon lords, most of whom were at the Qi Refining stage and a few at the Foundation Establishment stage, all of whom he annihilated with a flick of his wrist.

Even after flying to the outskirts of Yuanhe Mountain, they did not encounter any powerful true demons.

Relying on the perfected level of the vertical golden light, Ji An slowly approached the interior of Yuanhe Mountain. Before entering, he took all the necessary defensive measures.

The defensive field composed of the five flags, the solidity of metal and stone, the purification talisman, and the stabilizing talisman were all present. At the same time, he was making hand seals, ready to release the golden light that leaped across the ground to escape at any time.

The results of these days have given him great confidence, so he is no longer as cautious as he was in previous years.

Perhaps because the spiritual veins here have long been polluted, the protective array for the mountain has not been activated.

He now has a broad knowledge base and knows that only magic arrays built on fourth-level spiritual veins have offensive capabilities, so he is not particularly afraid.

Unless he encounters a power capable of killing him outright, then again, even if he were to hide within the sect's protective array, he wouldn't be safe.

The deeper one goes into Yuanhe Mountain, the more true demons one encounters, but the most powerful of them are only at the Chaoyuan stage.

"The true demon army is here, where did they go?"

Puzzled, Ji An unleashed the Blazing Fire and Vermilion Bird Profound Illumination Techniques to probe the entire scene.

He flew around in the sky and discovered that a cave at the foot of the mountain was still continuously emitting demonic energy, which was rapidly consuming the power of the Vermilion Bird Profound Brightness Technique. Faint black energy began to rise again.

"This must be the Demon's Lair. Have all the enemies retreated inside?"

Ji An hesitated. He really wanted to go in and find out what was going on, but after thinking it over, he decided not to take the risk.

It's better to miss a chance than to take a risk. The concentration of demonic energy inside the Demon Cave will surely be even higher, and who knows what unknown difficulties we might encounter.

He was reluctant to leave like that, so he released several Chaotic Five Elements Thunders into the cave.

Five-colored light shone brightly, and in an instant, the earth shook and mountains trembled.

Ji An rode away contentedly on the auspicious five-colored cloud, speeding towards the direction of the sect.

Before long, demonic energy surged out again, slowly filling the space created by the spell.

One day later.

When Ji An returned to the sect, the protective array was intact, indicating that the enemy did not employ a strategy of luring the enemy away from their base.

He looked at the place still shrouded in black demonic energy, shook his head, and said with a self-deprecating laugh:
"I'm so noble, dispelling the demonic energy from other areas but not contributing anything to my own. What's the point?"

He released a golden light that pierced through the protective array, found the middle position between Chaoyang Peak and Yunhe Mountain, and took off. He released the golden light again and flew out of the array. This was the center of the sect.

He began to perform hand seals, releasing the Heavenly Blazing Fire and Vermilion Bird Profound Brightness Techniques in sequence. The Earth-Shattering Flame Banner resonated, enhancing the power of the spells.

A small fireball fell from the sky and struck the protective array, blooming into crimson-gold flowers and rippling in circles.

As he continued to cast two spells, the demonic energy was burned away, and the fire elemental energy occupied the area, revealing the setting sun in the sky.

The disciples celebrated their victory with great joy.

Even from Chaoyang Peak, one can see the sunlight streaming down. Lin Jiuxiao, who was in Wuji Hall, caught a glimpse of the orange-red light shining through the window lattice and was filled with delight.

He walked out of the main hall and flew into the air. When he saw the scene above the mountain-protecting formation, he felt at ease. The True Lord had returned.

As more and more sunlight streamed in, he stood facing the wind and recited:

"The sunset is infinitely beautiful."

Only when we lose our sight do we realize how precious it is.

(End of this chapter)