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

Xu Jinglan: "You seem to be protecting those beasts?"

Yin-Yang Envoy: "This servant dares not!"

"Never mind," Xu Jinglan sighed. "It's true that her cultivation level was too low. How could she possibly survive something like this? How did she manage to cultivate normally?"

"Let's go, we still need to see Yuan Mengli."

Yin-Yang Envoy: "Yes..."

Inside the dungeon, cries of agony and gasps rose and fell. The lights were dim, and the atmosphere was eerie and sinister.

Bronze chains hung everywhere. The ends of the chains were barbs of black iron, with bits of flesh still dripping blood from them. However, the tips of the hooks that pierced the flesh were not sharp, but rather rounded.

The dungeon walls were covered with lanterns made of human skin, and the outline of the dantian (lower abdomen) sealed with cinnabar was faintly visible between the eyebrows of each skin. There were also withered, shriveled mouths that could not be closed, some horizontal and some vertical.

Giant silk cocoons hung from the dome, each imprisoning a female cultivator. Their concave outlines revealed something parasitizing their abdomens. They throbbed and trembled intermittently.

In the furnace area, Xu Jinglan finally met Yuan Mengli. At this time, she was being held in place by a support frame, and the wounds on her severed limbs had already been treated, with metal caps covering the broken ends.

Xu Jinglan asked, "How is it?"

The Crimson Moon Saintess in charge said, "I have already cultivated to the sixth level of Dantian. The brain, chest cavity, intestines, stomach, plus the natal Dantian, make a total of six Dantian that can help the Xuan Ying."

Xu Jinglan added, "The brain should be preserved, otherwise the nascent soul will lack sentience."

The saint replied, "The brain is located in the heart. The heart is useless and has already been removed."

Xu Jinglan nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Yuan Mengli and said with a smile, "Is Master Yuan settling in well here?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Mengli twitched a few times. She seemed to want to say something, but her mouth had been modified and she had lost the ability to speak, only able to make "fuu~~fuu" breathing sounds.

Yuan Mengli's mind remained clear. Her hatred for Qin Rufeng had driven her completely mad, and the pain of being unable to take revenge made her wish she were dead.

She wanted to beg to join the Crimson Moon Cult. But she was no longer of any use to the Crimson Moon Cult. So there was absolutely no chance of a comeback…

Chapter 177 Can you just say everything at once?

At the same time, Qin Rufeng was also working hard to establish the Xuan Nu School.

She had already figured out how to establish herself. She would rely on the "Cloud Ze Immortal Palace" formation, a prize she had exchanged with Nangong Yue at the Jade Maiden Sect's Azure Cloud Gathering.

This formation possesses both water and wood spiritual roots, but it is not limited to just these two attributes. Qin Rufeng discovered through his research that this formation can generate spiritual roots of all five elements using water or wood as its source.

After some thought, we decided to use water as the source. As the saying goes, "The highest good is like water, which benefits all things without striving." Moreover, since it is a water-wood type formation, water naturally nourishes wood.

Now that the "Sect Grand Array" has been decided upon, a good location needs to be chosen. This is extremely difficult.

Qin Rufeng also took the Empress's reminder very seriously. After all, she had firsthand experience with the moral character and the abstract nature of the so-called righteous sects' actions.

Moreover, the local customs in the Western District are much more rugged than those in the Southern District...

So Qin Rufeng went to Ye Qingyun to inquire. The two exchanged pleasantries. Ye Qingyun congratulated Qin Rufeng, and Rufeng offered spirit stones as a token of gratitude for his previous help.

Then she quickly got to the point and explained her purpose.

After listening, Ye Qingyun pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "You want to establish a sect... however, a sect is a whirlpool, and it will inevitably absorb various resources from the surrounding area. This is equivalent to competing with other sects in Cangyun City."

"There are probably quite a few people who want to cause trouble. Moreover, since you already own Qingyuefang, others will be even more displeased."

Qin Rufeng frowned and said, "But Qingyuefang is not a sect for cultivation."

Ye Qingyun smiled and said, "Isn't the Hehuan Sect perfect for cultivation?"

Seeing Qin Rufeng frown and remain silent, Ye Qingyun realized he had said something wrong and quickly said, "Oh dear, I spoke without thinking. Fairy Liu, please don't mind."

Qin Rufeng laughed and said, "Elder Ye, what are you saying? It is indeed the case. It's just that Qingyuefang has bad feng shui and poor spiritual energy."

"My formation actually uses water to benefit all things and aid cultivation. But to set up a large formation in Cangyun City at will... Although other sects have sect-protecting formations, I am, after all, a newly established sect, so it is better to keep a low profile."

Ye Qingyun nodded. "You said your formation uses water as its source. If that's the case... I do know a place."

"Let me think..." Ye Qingyun seemed to be deep in thought, muttering to himself, "The Kan position gathers the water of the three Yin, and the Xun palace hides the wood that has not yet sprouted. The water comes out from the crevices of the Xuanwu rock, which secretly conforms to the pattern of 'Heaven generates water'."

"The roots at the bottom of the pool are intertwined like a green dragon diving into the abyss, which corresponds to the wood element of the sixth phase of the earth. If you activate it with your Cloud and Marsh Immortal Palace Formation, the water veins will transform into clouds, and the wood essence will condense into dew to form a marsh, thus creating a continuous cycle of life."

Upon hearing about this auspicious place, Qin Rufeng perked up immediately. "Oh? May I ask Elder Ye, what place is this?"

"Don't be so happy yet," Ye Qingyun said. "If it were just a good spot, it wouldn't be yours; someone else would have taken it long ago. There's something wrong with this place."

Qin Rufeng's fox ears, which had just perked up, drooped down again...

Ye Qingyun couldn't help but laugh when he saw her like this. "Haha, don't be so downcast. Let me finish what I have to say."

Qin Rufeng: "Elder Ye, please enlighten me."

Ye Qingyun continued, "That place is called Golden Jade Valley. It used to be a place where the Purple Jade Flower bloomed. Now, all the Purple Jade Flowers there have withered."

"People think it's caused by over-harvesting, but that's not the case."

"Oh?" Qin Rufeng's eyes widened. "So, there's more to the story?"

Ye Qingyun nodded, "The Purple Gold Jade will grow again even after it's been harvested, so how can you say that over-harvesting caused it to wither?"

"That's just the surface explanation. In reality, there's a lineage of the Purple Gold Jade spirit root deep beneath the pool at the bottom of the valley, which is why the flowers bloom so profusely in the valley."

"No matter how scattered the purple-gold magnolia bushes are in a region, they are all connected to the same main root underground. The real situation is that the underground spiritual root of the Golden Jade Valley has been corroded by blood clouds."

"Huh?" Qin Rufeng exclaimed, "Isn't the Purple Gold Jade supposed to counter Blood Cloud?"

Ye Qingyun shook his head and laughed, "Water can extinguish fire, but water will also evaporate with fire. Earth can contain water, so people in the lower realms build dikes with earth. But when rivers flood, the dikes will also be washed away by the water. What's so strange about Zijinqiong being corroded by blood clouds?"

“But the Purple Gold Jade is ultimately a counter to the Blood Cloud,” Ye Qingyun continued. “You yourself have a strong water elemental root, and the formation is also a water-wood elemental root. The Purple Gold Jade’s main root is wood.”

"Furthermore, Jinqiong Valley itself is an excellent place for the gathering of Yin waters and the lurking of the Azure Dragon. If you use an array to stimulate it... it will definitely bring the withered trees back to life and revitalize Jinqiong Valley."

“Golden Jade Valley is not far from Cangyun City. If you establish your sect there, the major sects in the city will have no reason to say that you are competing with them for territory. But in reality, it won't be much different for you than if you were in the city.”

"Besides, everyone in the sect knows that Golden Jade Valley is a rotten and useless place. If you choose that place, people will just watch the show and won't object."

"Wonderful!!" Qin Rufeng was overjoyed. Her clapping startled the little rainbow phoenix on her shoulder, causing it to fly away.

However, Ye Qingyun said again, "Don't be so quick to praise me. If it were just a matter of activating a water-elemental root or a water-based formation, it wouldn't be your turn; someone else would have already taken it."

"Huh?" Qin Rufeng was hit with a bucket of cold water, and his eyes were full of resentment as he looked at Ye Qingyun. "No... Elder Ye, can't you just finish what you said at once? Don't make me celebrate first before you blow the whistle."

"Haha~~ It's my fault, it's my fault~" Ye Qingyun said with a smile, "Although the Purple Gold Jade Spirit Root has been corrupted, you just need to find the source of the corruption and remove it."

“That vein is long and connects all the way to the Middle Plains below. The people of Cangyun City have no idea what you did down there.”

"So you should first try to buy Golden Jade Valley from Cloud Palace. The various sects will naturally think you're a fool with too much money. After all, your reputation as Golden String Jade Melody is well-known. People will just watch the show and wait for you to make a fool of yourself and pay up."

"Then you go to the lower realm to find the source of the corruption and remove it. Then set up the sect's grand formation, allowing Golden Jade Valley to regain its vitality."

"When you chose the location, those sects didn't object; they only came to thank you. After you purified Golden Jade Valley, what face will they have to object again?"

"If that's the case, the Empress will uphold justice. Besides, your sect's grand formation has been activated, so not just anyone can cause you trouble."

Qin Rufeng looked at Ye Qingyun and asked, "Any other unexpected events?"

Ye Qingyun: "That's all."

Qin Rufeng was overjoyed again, "That's wonderful! Thank you, Elder Ye."

“However…” Ye Qingyun added, “you also need to be able to remove the corrosion.”

Qin Rufeng nodded confidently.

Ye Qingyun asked curiously, "Aren't you angry that I didn't finish what I said?"

Qin Rufeng laughed and said, "Establishing a sect is certainly not an easy task. Elder Ye has already thought of ways to deal with the previous crises for me. If I still can't solve this last problem, then I shouldn't bother establishing the Xuan Nu Sect."

Chapter 178 The Land of Flesh and Blood

After bidding farewell to Ye Qingyun, Qin Rufeng went directly to Yunxiao Palace and immediately purchased all ownership of the Jinqiong Valley area.

Upon returning to Qingyuefang, he immediately instructed Li Qingshi (one) to post a notice stating that he would be performing on stage on the day Qingyuefang reopened. Then, he began selling tickets and sending out invitations to various sects.

The ticket price is fifty high-grade spirit stones. In reality, with Qin Rufeng's reputation, selling it for five hundred would be perfectly fine. However, she only gave the Empress five hundred; five hundred for a single ticket is too much. After all, the purpose this time isn't to make money.

Although Yuan Mengli had enough spirit stones in her treasury to buy several Qingyue Workshops, Qin Rufeng still borrowed some to make it seem to outsiders that Qingyue Workshop had indeed suffered significant losses. Yuan Mengli truly gave all the spirit stones she earned to the Chiyue Sect.

On the night of its reopening, Qingyuefang was packed with guests.

Qin Rufeng specially placed a zither on the flower boat so that everyone could come and listen.

Those who could board the flower boat were all invited members of various sects. Ru Feng also sent an invitation to the Empress, but it was impossible for her to attend such an occasion. She only sent Yunxiao Envoy to offer her congratulations.

Even so, they still gave them plenty of face. This was tantamount to Qin Rufeng backing them up, making the other sects behave themselves.

Qin Rufeng played the zither and sang, while Shangguan Qingxue danced gracefully. The scene was incredibly lively. Although there were no lanterns illuminating the sky, Qin Rufeng's cultivation had already reached the Golden Core realm, and his vocal power was even greater than before.

The bright moon shines on the flower boat, and the elixir of immortality is nourished by the wine; the rainbow-colored dress flutters on the brocade, and the fair hands tune the seven strings.

A night of fish and dragon dance, dazzling like a starry river.

Making money was a minor matter for Qin Rufeng; his main purpose was to take the opportunity to formally announce the establishment of the Xuan Nu Sect and the selection of Jin Qiong Valley as the sect's location.

The members of the various sects were well aware of these matters and Qin Rufeng's motives tonight.

People had already learned through various channels that she was going to establish the Xuan Nu Sect. Most people still believed that it was actually the He Huan Sect, just with a more elegant name.

However, when Qin Rufeng announced that the sect would be located in Jinqiong Valley, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and no one spoke.

A moment later, Ye Qingyun was the first to offer his congratulations. The other sects followed suit.

The scene was exactly as Ye Qingyun had described...

Qin Rufeng was so happy that he played another piece as an encore.

The first step in establishing the sect went very smoothly. The next step is to resolve the issue of Golden Jade Valley.

Shangguan Qingxue remained at Qingyue Workshop as the acting head of the workshop. Nangong Yue also stayed by Qingxue's side to keep order and prevent anyone from causing trouble.

Gan Mingyue, as a member of the Thunder Sound Guard, must deal with the increasingly severe erosion of the Blood Cloud.

The three of them could not accompany Qin Rufeng.

Cang Shuyun was the same. In the previous battle, she had forcefully controlled Feng Hua, and her strength was astonishing. However, her physique and spiritual energy were far inferior to Feng Hua's.

Therefore, the battle left them severely weakened. Furthermore, their appearance in Cangyun City had already alerted the major sects, so they could only return to the Netherworld Palace to recuperate.

Therefore, only Qin Rufeng accompanied Qing Shi Jinghong on this mission. However, she had no need to worry at all. As long as the little Cai Luan on her shoulder was with her, any danger could be easily overcome.

Qin Rufeng arrived at Jinqiong Valley with her "pet" and two maids/servants.

This place stretches east to west, like a green dragon lying with a pearl in its mouth at the confluence of the three yin veins of the earth.

The two sides of the valley are shaded by green mountains, and the valley floor is filled with deep pools of clear water.

A sacred spring gushes forth from the North Peak, flowing into a stream that plunges down a hundred-foot cliff.

Because the volume of water was not large, it dispersed into mist upon reaching the cold pool. As a result, the entire valley was shrouded in mist.

The location is really nice, but the problems are also quite obvious...

The green mountains on both sides of the river are actually only lush with trees on the mountainside. The further down you go and get closer to the lake, the more withered and desolate the vegetation becomes.

The deep pool, which should have been azure blue, turned rust red, and a faint smell of blood wafted through the air.

Qin Rufeng summoned the giant sword from the Sword Tomb. He then rode on the giant sword with Qing Shi Jing Hong and Feng Hua Xiao Cai Luan into the pool.

Qing Shi Jing Hong had already entrusted her life to Ru Feng, so she was not afraid at all.

Qin Rufeng, with her Yin constitution and strong water elemental root, was naturally able to control the mere pool of water. She led the group into the water without getting them wet at all.

At the bottom of the deep pool, Qin Rufeng saw a huge and thick root system. This was the so-called Azure Dragon Hidden in the Abyss, truly resembling a dragon or a giant python.

Qin Rufeng followed the root veins downwards, passing through a dark and icy body of water before emerging from the surface.

That's the wonder of this world. We were clearly descending, so logically, even after leaving the water, we should have leaked out from below.

The result was a complete reversal of the natural world, as if one had just floated up from the bottom of the water to the surface.

The enormous root vein of the Azure Dragon, which had been submerged in the water, was now soaring straight into the sky.

So Qin Rufeng once again flew upwards on his sword. Unbeknownst to him, the world was once again upside down, and he was now descending along the massive root vein...

As the roots continue downwards, corrosion begins to appear.

The tree roots changed from rust-red to bright red. The root veins also became increasingly plump and swollen. Where the outer bark had peeled off, blood-red flesh was revealed.

Some finer roots attach to the surface of the main root and pulsate like blood vessels.

The deeper you go, the closer the roots become to flesh. At the very bottom, it's impossible to distinguish between root wood and flesh.

Looking down from this vantage point, the village is visible, indicating that we have likely reached the border of Zhongping.

The roots here exude an unusual "vitality," being both lush with vegetation and vibrant with life.