I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

The mineral deposits that give birth to spirit stones have attributes; the most common example is that soil deposits give birth to metallic spirit stones.

It is said that the spirit stones of the upper Crystal Cloud Realm are of the water attribute. Jin Dian is the source of water spirit stones, which float in the sea of ​​clouds in a crystal form, hence the name "Crystal Cloud Realm".

"Spirit Stone Minerals" are those formed from the crystallization of aquatic wood.

While the amount of spirit stones produced by this crystallization is far less than that from a mine, it is undoubtedly a supreme treasure for a sect. Not only does it produce spirit stones, it also greatly enhances the spiritual energy of the area where the sect is located.

Qin Rufeng felt like he was being slapped in the face with money again... Last time it was Cang Shuyun, this time it's the Empress.

Given the current situation, there was no reason to refuse. So she accepted the [Spirit Stone Ore].

The "mineral seed" is planted on the Spirit Root Island beneath the sect's main hall, nestled in a deep pool.

The most noticeable effect after planting was a surge in the sect's spiritual energy, leading to a significant increase in cultivation speed. The entire Golden Jade Valley area has now transformed into a top-grade spiritual and scenic land.

Soon after, a new plant vine grew around the Purple Gold Qiong Ling root.

Instead of leaves, the vines sprout cherry-red buds, like plum blossoms braving the snow.

The buds bloom, and the flowers that emerge are pomegranate-red spiritual stone crystals, which are very beautiful.

Among the many spirit stone flowers, Qin Rufeng found one that was quite unique... It turned out to be a purple-gold jade flower that grew on a mineral vine.

What happened? Did it crossbreed or did the two spiritual roots scorch?

This is a beautiful purple gemstone flower, containing spiritual energy equivalent to hundreds of high-grade spirit stones. Most importantly, it also emits the fragrance of the Purple Gold Jade and possesses the same effects as the Purple Gold Jade flower.

Qin Rufeng named it "Purple Gold Stone" and listed it as the Xuan Nu Sect's top secret, not even allowing the Empress to know about it.

Because the sect's spiritual energy was abundant, Qin Rufeng became addicted to cultivation and his realm had reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. Jinghong and Qingshi's cultivation also progressed by leaps and bounds, with Xia Jinghong even reaching the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Although reaching the Golden Core stage is like crossing a towering mountain, her current strength is at least respectable.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Qin Rufeng taught Xia Jinghong the fifth move of the Myriad Swords Technique, Qingping's modified version, "Myriad Flower Sword Rain." It could then be used with the Crimson Moon Umbrella Sword.

While the Xuan Nu Sect was frantically cultivating, a campaign to annihilate the Crimson Moon Sect was launched within Cangyun City. Many Crimson Moon Sect members were killed. Some of the sect's smaller branches were also wiped out.

The major sects were quite proactive in this matter. After all, killing cultists, breaching branch altars, and obtaining spoils of war would be a considerable income.

The Empress merely forbade the belief in the Crimson Moon Cult and prohibited its followers from entering designated areas. However, the major sects immediately launched a full-scale war against the Crimson Moon Cult.

Even some radical sects, such as Xueheying of the Baji Hall... she would subject all the captured Crimson Moon Cult members to piercing torture, turning them into meat skewers, or using brute force to crush them into meat balls.

In a very short time, the Crimson Moon Sect had been wiped out around Cangyun City. The methods were swift and decisive, but what were the consequences? Qin Rufeng found it hard to imagine how the Crimson Moon Sect would retaliate.

The waters of Cangyun Mountain are getting muddier and muddier...

A few days later, a strange thing appeared outside the Xuan Nu Sect's grand formation.

The thing spoke loudly in a woman's voice: "Junior Mo Baizhi of Yunyuan Sect requests an audience with the Fairy Leader of Xuan Nu Sect."

Yunyuan Sect… Qin Rufeng had heard of it. Like her Xuan Nu Sect, this sect was not located within Cangyun City, but it was not far from the city and was still within the Cangyun Mountain area.

Although the Yunyuan Sect is located outside the city, it boasts a long history and considerable strength. However, this sect has always maintained a low profile, possessing power but remaining uninvolved in worldly affairs, thus its presence is rather unremarkable.

Then why... did they come knocking on our door?

It's not surprising that a sect would visit, especially one from outside Cangyun City. What's truly strange is this... thing that came.

The reason she is called a "thing" is, of course, because she is not human.

At first glance, it looks like a mannequin in a shopping mall on Blue Star. But it has no head or limbs, only a woman's upper body.

The neck area is a clean, flat surface, as if the head had been severed. A small, spherical metal cylinder protrudes from the middle of the neck section, as if it were for inserting something.

Is it the plug part? Is this a figure?

If it's a mannequin or something similar, then her body is incredibly realistic. It looks just like a living person, with smooth, fair skin and every single detail of her body is perfectly rendered.

Qin Rufeng couldn't help but think of the "Jade Embryo Golden Armor" and "Tiger Biting Golden Wheel" forged using the Living Vessel Refining Method, but this one should not be a human body.

Because the body was injured, but there was no blood at the wound. Moreover, the damaged area was not a wound on human skin or muscle, but more like a piece of clay had been gnawed off.

She had no arms. Instead, she had wings made of sword feathers. However, the left wing was still intact, while the right wing was mostly missing. The remaining blades were also broken.

The legs only reached the upper thighs. It looked like they had been cut off, but in reality, they were probably just not made or not attached.

Metal rings encircled its thighs, from which shimmering metal feathers cascaded down like a skirt to the ground. This creature, though legless, could move freely, hovering above the ground.

This is very strange. And this thing is quite badly damaged; it seems to be asking for help.

Qin Rufeng had Feng Hua personally and carefully bring this thing in.

Before Qin Rufeng could ask any questions, the thing fell apart with a "crash"... The sharp blades that made up the sword wings scattered all over the ground, and the mannequin-like torso also fell to the ground.

But she can still make sounds...

"I have come without sending a formal invitation, and I apologize for my intrusion. However, the matter is urgent, and I have no other choice. I humbly beg Headmaster Liu for forgiveness..."

Qin Rufeng asked, "Who are you? If you wish to see me, why didn't you come in person?"

Ru Feng was feigning ignorance. The "model figurine" was severely damaged, indicating the owner's situation was likely no better. Furthermore, she herself stated it was an emergency, suggesting she needed something.

Whether she helps or not is another matter, but at least she needs to tell the truth. So a more serious attitude will be more conducive to conversation.

The voice continued, "This junior, Mo Baizhi, is a disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion of the Yunyuan Sect. To be honest... the Yunyuan Sect no longer exists."

"What?" Qin Rufeng frowned slightly and said, "Tell me in detail."

"Yes." Mo Baizhi replied humbly, as if obeying a command. "Yunyuan Sect has been eroded by blood clouds and is beyond saving."

"However, we have not had much of a connection with Cangyun City for many years, so the sect leader and the elders have been conservative and unwilling to ask for help."

"Not long ago, the sect leader and two elders at the Crystal Cloud Realm ascended together. As a result, no one can suppress the Blood Cloud anymore, and the sect is in chaos."

Chapter 206 Temptation

"It's Crystal Cloud Ascension, Blood Cloud Infection, and Sect Chaos Again..." Qin Rufeng couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "This set of events is truly deadly."

"Unless the sect has a strong foundation and a reasonable personnel structure with different cultivation levels, it will inevitably suffer calamity. Especially if it only relies on the sect leader and elders to maintain appearances, while the low-level disciples have not yet grown up and the mid-level disciples are in short supply... it will be really difficult to withstand such a situation."

"Sect Leader Liu is absolutely right," Mo Baizhi said. "After the sect leader and elders of the Crystal Cloud Realm ascended to immortality, our sect was left with only Elder Li of the Flowing Cloud Realm, who tried to save the sect, but ultimately failed."

"It's a pity that Elder Li, who was determined to turn the tide, was ultimately corrupted and mutated by the blood cloud, and went on a killing spree within the sect. My close friend, Senior Sister Qu, is also missing and her fate is unknown."

"Many disciples have gone mad and mutated, and the Yunyuan Sect has now become a living hell."

"The sect was embroiled in internal strife and invaded by external enemies. After escaping the sect, I was ambushed and killed. I am now barely hiding in a mountain cave, injured and unable to move. What the sect leader saw was my mechanical puppet."

"They must have exhausted their spiritual energy by now and are unable to move."

"A mechanical puppet... Xiaesan IXz Qi Jiu Wu Ba Jun... Tianji Pavilion?" Qin Rufeng and Mo Baizhi asked, "Are you a puppeteer?"

"I am both a puppeteer and an alchemist," Mo Baizhi replied. "Although I am just an ordinary disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, I believe I possess a skill. I should serve Sect Leader Liu, but..."

"But I am seriously injured and will soon die. I only ask that the sect leader find my senior sister Qu Tiandong and save her life."

Is he nearing the end? That's a bit of a shame.

Putting puppeteers aside for now, Qin Rufeng desperately needs an alchemist. She needs to churn out pills for her cultivation, and the ones she seized from the Crimson Moon Prison are long gone. Acquiring an alchemist would be a huge help to the sect.

Mo Baizhi was dying and only begged to save her senior sister... But in Qin Rufeng's eyes, her tone was still full of the will to live.

Even so, all we've seen so far is a "Stand user," we haven't even seen the real person. She's even being chased. This is a bit tricky.

However, her direct admission that she was being hunted down was honest... or at least clever.

Mo Baizhi continued, "Although the situation is critical, I still brought a gift. The mechanical puppet has a storage function."

As they spoke, a gem on the puppet's chest emitted light, and a beautiful ancient zither appeared before Qin Rufeng.

Mo Baizhi said, "Although I am outside the city, I have long admired the name of Sect Leader Liu and know that he is unparalleled in music. This magic treasure is called the Phoenix Zither, and I have come to present it to the Sect Leader."

Qin Rufeng was knowledgeable about the zither and had seen some top-grade magical artifacts. The moment this phoenix zither was placed in front of her, it immediately captured her attention.

"This is...lightning-struck wood?" she exclaimed in surprise. She had only heard her master mention this kind of zither made of lightning-struck wood; she had never seen one in person.

"Sect Leader Liu truly has an eye for treasures," Mo Baizhi said. "The body of the zither is made of lightning-struck wood, the bridge is made of elephant tusk, and the strings are made of black abyss iron dragon tendons. There are seven sharp swords hidden under the phoenix head of the zither."

"The sword blade and strings are made of metal, the body of the zither is made of wood, and the bridge for the strings is made of water. Metal and wood are mutually destructive, but water is connected and unbroken, and lightning strikes wood to create fire. The attached spell [Seven Strings Thousand Blades] transforms the zither strings into sharp blades, capable of cutting through metal and severing stone, and is indestructible."

Qin Rufeng thought to himself, this is indeed a top-grade magic weapon. It is even better than the Crimson Moon Umbrella Sword and is in no way inferior to the Azure Moon Hidden Dragon Sword given to him by his master.

“Actually, there are some useful treasures within the sect,” Mo Baizhi continued, “but to obtain those things, one must face numerous dangers.”

"But if the sect leader wishes to take it, this junior is willing to be the guide."

Qin Rufeng sensed something amiss and asked Mo Baizhi, "Weren't you going to save your senior sister? Why are you giving away things from your own sect?"

“Of course we must save Senior Sister.” Mo Baizhi sighed. “But Senior Sister… is with Elder Li. Her fate is unknown, and it’s even more likely that she will die.”

"It would be asking anyone for help if I were to do something against their will. If you want someone to risk their life for just a sliver of hope, you have to offer them something substantial in return."

"The Yunyuan Sect was destroyed in an instant. In fact, when the Blood Cloud Infection became uncontrollable, some elders gathered the sect's magical treasures and fled."

"The sect leader knew that the sect was doomed, so he turned a blind eye. The sect leader once said that the harm of the Blood Cloud originated from the Upper Realm. There is a passage leading to the Crystal Cloud Realm deep in the Blood Cloud Valley, so it is impossible to resist it."

Qin Rufeng had heard of the saying that Blood Cloud originated from Crystal Cloud Realm, but this was the first time she had heard that there was a passage leading to Crystal Cloud Realm deep within Blood Cloud Valley.

Mo Baizhi continued, "The sect leader and elders originally intended to do their best to maintain the sect and let it disappear silently."

Qin Rufeng asked in surprise, "How can your sect leader bear to see the sect head towards extinction?"

Mo Baizhi sighed and said, "The sect leader once said that flowers bloom and wither in their time, and tides rise and fall in the vast sea. Prosperity comes suddenly, and destruction comes suddenly; this is the way of heaven."

"Unfortunately... the Heavenly Dao collapsed, and the sect leaders and elders were unable to ascend to heaven. The sect did not die silently, but instead collapsed with a crash."

"The sect's treasure vault is empty. Moreover, Elder Li rushed into the treasure vault in search of magical treasures after his mutation and has not been seen since."

"However, some useful items remain, all in the secret chamber of the alchemy room. Among them, the most valuable are the Yunyuan Sect's treasured alchemy artifact, the Yunyuan Cauldron, and some rare and precious materials."

"The rest include a large number of spiritual herbs and rare medicines, living spiritual herbs, as well as prescriptions and finished pills."

"There are also some spirit stones prepared for infusing spiritual energy into alchemy. There are about ten to twenty thousand high-grade spirit stones. In addition, there are some medicinal insects and Gu insects."

Qin Rufeng asked in surprise, "There are insects too?"

“Insects can also be used in medicine and alchemy,” Mo Baizhi said. “However, many insect gu worms mutate after being infected by blood clouds, so I’m afraid they are no longer usable.”

"To be honest... Elder Li is the one in charge of insect medicine in the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. She was severely injured by a mutated poisonous spider and turned into... a monster with half human and half spider body."

"Many disciples in the sect were captured by her, either drained of their flesh and blood or turned into breeding grounds." Mo Baizhi's tone became very sorrowful.

"This is all I know. Other fellow disciples may possess some treasures, but they have all lost their minds or even mutated into demons. Obtaining them is even more difficult."

"If Sect Leader Liu believes that the Cloud Abyss Cauldron, rare and precious materials, spirit stones, elixirs, and pill formulas are worth the risk, I am willing to be your guide. I am a disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and can open the secret chamber of the pill-making room."

"If the sect leader feels it is not worth the risk, I would never dare to force him. I still request that the sect leader accept this Phoenix Zither. It would be a wonderful thing if this zither could find a kindred spirit and a wise master, and not be buried in obscurity and hidden away."

The zither is definitely something we should accept. As for the Yunyuan Sect, it's certainly worth a visit. After all, Qin Rufeng has been worried about the pills.

If they could obtain the Cloud Abyss Cauldron and a large number of pills, formulas, and medicinal herbs, the strength of the Xuan Nu Sect would be further enhanced.

It's hard to say what the Yunyuan Sect is like now. The lower realm villages infected by the blood clouds are already terrifying enough, let alone a sect?

But no matter what, let's find Mo Baizhi first.

Chapter 207 The Arrogant Woman

So Qin Rufeng asked Mo Baizhi, "You said someone was trying to ambush you, who was it?"

"I'm not entirely sure either," Mo Baizhi said, "but they were probably after the Cloud Abyss Cauldron. I've already killed this person, and I was seriously injured in the process. But I don't know if they had any accomplices."

Qin Rufeng remained silent after hearing this. Li Qingshi looked at Qin Rufeng and saw that the sect leader was also looking at her.

Li Qingshi immediately asked, "May I ask what cultivation level Fellow Daoist Mo is, and what cultivation level the person who intercepted you is?"

Mo Baizhi said, "This junior has just entered the Golden Core realm. The person who ambushed me should also be in the early Golden Core stage."

Golden Core? Qin Rufeng had no fear of those in the early stages of the Flowing Cloud Realm. Even those in the mid-to-late stages or the peak of the Flowing Cloud Realm were within her grasp. Therefore, she was confident in dealing with those in the Golden Core Realm.

Even if the assassins had accomplices, Qin Rufeng still had Feng Hua to back him up.

So she said to Mo Baizhi, "I can't guarantee that I will definitely help you find your senior sister. After all, I am also the head of a sect, and I need to weigh the pros and cons. As it stands, there is about a 50% chance."

Mo Baizhi was deeply moved, saying, "Fifty percent is far beyond what I expected."

Qin Rufeng continued, "My top priority is to save you. Even if I want to go to Xunyun... to Yunyuan Sect to find your senior sister, I need you to lead the way."

Mo Baizhi: "Thank you, Sect Leader Liu. I am currently hiding in a mountain cave, and my mechanical puppet can guide you."

Qin Rufeng frowned and said, "But this figurine is already falling apart."

"A...figure?" Mo Baizhi clearly didn't understand what Qin Rufeng meant, but that didn't stop her from explaining the function of the mechanical puppet, "Although this puppet is severely damaged, it should still be able to move. It just lacks spiritual energy now, so it only needs to be infused with spiritual energy."

Qin Rufeng: "How do I infuse it with spiritual energy?"

Mo Baizhi: "There are two spirit stone rods stuck under the puppet. Just take out the spirit stone rods, unscrew the caps and put in the spirit stones. Then put the spirit stone rods back into the puppet's body."