The demon saint, Bao Gu, Zi Yunshu, and Wang Ding returned to the Kan Gang branch hall.
After stepping into the branch hall, Bao Gu went straight to the council chamber and invited Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi out from the Xuantian Mountains.
With Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi present, Bao Gu didn’t dare take the main seat in the center of the chamber and casually picked a spot a bit further back.
Since this was the Kan Gang branch, Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi naturally didn’t sit in the center either, just found seats at random.
Seeing this, Wang Ding realized the Xuantian Sect had important matters to discuss and it wasn’t appropriate for him to stay, so he got up to take his leave from Bao Gu.
Bao Gu said to Wang Ding, “You stay.” After Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi sat down, she briefly summarized what had happened after they returned to the Xuantian Mountains.
Once she finished, she fell silent.
Zi Tianjun noticed Bao Gu looked completely listless and drained, and said, “If the Archaic Mountains are gone, then they’re gone.
We got them for free anyway.
It’s a pity to lose them, but it’s not really a loss.” He changed the subject and asked, “Bao Gu, what’s your next plan?”
Bao Gu replied, “I need to think it over.
I’d like to hear your opinions.”
Zi Tianjun pondered for a moment and said, “I think Ancestor Granny made a good point.
Over the years, Xuantian Sect disciples have kept to themselves.
Their cultivation and strength have improved, but they seriously lack experience and training, and many have hit bottlenecks.
Among the first generation, Yu Mi is the strongest in combat; among the second, it’s Yu Jianming.
Both of them spent far more time traveling outside than staying in the sect.
Even with the same cultivation methods and combat skills, the difference between those honed through life-and-death trials and those who just spar on the stage is huge—especially when it comes to surviving on the edge.
In a fight between experts, that’s often the difference between life and death.
If Xuantian Sect disciples always stay in the mountains, it’s safe, but they won’t improve much.
The outside world is dangerous, but it’s the best whetstone.”
Feng Yi said, “With the Bie causing chaos, we cultivators should do our part.”
Bao Gu looked at Feng Yi in surprise and asked, “Martial Uncle Feng, you want to deal with the Bie?”
Feng Yi smiled, “I’m not that capable, but as cultivators, it’s our duty to fight evil and help the weak.
I can’t handle the Bie, but I can’t just sit by while she unleashes corpse monsters and corpse ghosts to wreak havoc.
There are weaklings in the cultivation world, and mortals need our protection even more.”
Feng Yi’s words made Bao Gu suddenly think of Qing Shan County back in the day.
A low-level Earthfire Toad, just at the early Jindan stage, would be nothing but alchemy material in the cultivation world, but it caused three years of drought in Qing Shan County, with corpses everywhere and countless families destroyed.
If Yu Mi hadn’t happened to pass by and killed the toad, she and many others in Qing Shan County would have starved to death.
Zi Tianjun nodded approvingly at Feng Yi’s words, turned to him, and said, “What do you think about sending Xuantian Sect’s hundred thousand disciples down the mountain to fight evil and help the weak?”
Feng Yi cupped his hands and said, “I await the sect master’s orders.” He paused, then added, “But if the disciples are going out, they’ll need a way to stay in touch and look out for each other.”
Zi Tianjun said, “That’s easy.” He looked at Bao Gu and asked, “Can we use the Kan Gang inn as Xuantian Sect’s contact point?” It’s already there!
How could Bao Gu object? She nodded lightly and said, “As the sect master says.” She thought for a moment and added, “I think Xuantian Sect needs an outer base as a place to teach and pass on skills.
The sect’s main base is a matter of millennia and can’t be taken lightly, but the outer base doesn’t need to be so strict and can serve as a temporary stand-in.”
Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi both agreed for now with Bao Gu’s suggestion.
Wang Ding said, “Speaking of an outer base for Xuantian Sect, I actually have a good suggestion.”
Bao Gu said, “Let’s hear it!”
Wang Ding said, “About six hundred li from Shadow City, there’s a Canglong Mountain.
It’s a small dragon vein, previously occupied by some rogue cultivators, but they all joined Kan Gang later, so Canglong Mountain is now part of Kan Gang’s territory.”
Bao Gu’s voice changed, “Shadow City?”
Wang Ding replied, “Yes, Shadow City.
If Xuantian Sect uses Canglong Mountain as its outer base, Kan Gang can provide support at any time if there’s danger.”
Feng Yi thought for a moment and asked, “Shadow City? Which power did it belong to before? Why haven’t I heard of it?”
Wang Ding looked at Bao Gu.
Bao Gu said, “Shadow City is a newly built city.
It took four years and half of Kan Gang’s resources to build.”
Zi Tianjun’s heart skipped a beat.
“With such a huge investment, is it the Kan Gang headquarters?”
Bao Gu nodded.
Shadow City was the Kan Gang headquarters, surrounded by ten other Kan Gang cities.
Canglong Mountain was only six hundred li away, within Kan Gang’s territory.
Using it as the outer base for Xuantian Sect was the safest option.
Zi Tianjun said, “That’s excellent.” Kan Gang and Xuantian Sect could rely on each other, and the two places were so close they could support each other instantly if war broke out.
Bao Gu asked Wang Ding, “How’s the war going on the Mad Demon side?”
Wang Ding said, “The treasurer and Earth Ghost Dragon God couldn’t reach an agreement.
Earth Ghost Dragon God supported Jinzhou City, so Mad Demon retreated to Gaoyong.”
Exhausted, Bao Gu rubbed her forehead.
Problems just kept coming, one after another.
She gathered her thoughts and said, “There are a few urgent matters.
First, the Xuantian Sect outer base and sending out the hundred thousand disciples.
With the Bie appearing, I’m worried they’ll run into corpse ghosts and corpse monsters.” She looked at the demon saint and said, “Auntie Saint, I remember there were runes on the Bie’s coffin.
If those runes work on the Bie, they should be even more effective against the corpse monsters and ghosts she creates, right?”
The demon saint understood what Bao Gu meant and said, “There are special talismans, runes, and formations for dealing with corpses.
For ordinary zombies and evil things, the most effective is pure yang and thunder, but the Bie is a creature that defies the heavens and has survived tribulation.
The corpses she creates can’t be dealt with by ordinary thunder techniques.”
Bao Gu said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Auntie Saint.
I’d like you to compile the talismans, runes, and formations for dealing with the Bie into a book and teach them to Xuantian Sect and Kan Gang disciples.
If necessary, we should set up formations against corpse monsters and ghosts at the Xuantian Sect base and in all Kan Gang cities.”
The demon saint nodded.
“Alright!” She took out more than a dozen ancient-looking jade slips and placed them on the table next to Bao Gu.
“These are the most effective methods, summed up by countless cultivators and demon clans at the cost of their blood and lives in fighting the Bie.”
Zi Tianjun and Feng Yi couldn’t hold back their curiosity and got up to look through the jade slips without waiting for an invitation.
Bao Gu glanced at the demon saint in surprise, picked up a jade slip, and immediately felt a vast, ancient aura.
That was the kind of aura that only accumulates over countless years.
Focusing on the slip, she saw that the clear, crystalline snow jade was engraved with talismans, glowing faintly and drawing in spiritual energy from all around.
As the energy flowed in, the talismans seemed to come alive.
Bao Gu carefully unrolled the slip and saw three-dimensional diagrams, which looked like blueprints.
Looking closer, she realized they were for ballistae.
Sure enough, they were ballistae—specifically, rapid-fire ballistae.
These were different from the heavy ballistae commonly used now, which are about twelve feet long, can pierce heavy armor, and fire three volleys of ten bolts each.
The ballista in the jade slip was a light version, about the size of an arrow, with a special slot for loading arrow boxes.
The arrow boxes were square buckets with precise mechanisms inside, each holding a hundred arrows, ten by ten.
The ballista had two layers, each with ten arrow boxes, for a total of a thousand arrows.
Once triggered, the upper layer fired, then the mechanism pushed the lower boxes up to fire as well.
In other words, this ballista could fire two thousand arrows in a row! It was like a rain of arrows.
With enough loaded boxes and quick reloading, it could almost fire continuously.
It was a war machine.
What caught Bao Gu’s eye most were the talismans engraved on the ballista and arrows.
The arrows had to be specially refined and inscribed with talismans during manufacture.
Combined with the ballista’s built-in formation, even an army of corpse monsters and ghosts would be shredded and destroyed by the arrows and their talismanic power.
Bao Gu quickly read through the entire blueprint and did a rough cost estimate, wincing a little.
But then she thought, even though it was expensive, the destructive power made it worth it.
She put the slip back and picked up another.
This one had no name, but inside were nothing but talismans—nearly a hundred types, all for restraining, suppressing, killing, or sealing the Bie.
She flipped through all the jade slips and found a complete range—not just formation diagrams and weapon blueprints, but also pill recipes, including ones to mask the aura of living beings so corpse monsters and ghosts wouldn’t notice them, and healing pills to dispel blood and death energy.
All were methods for dealing with corpse monsters, ghosts, and the Bie.
Bao Gu looked at the demon saint in shock.
She said, “So after sealing the Bie back then, the sages already foresaw this day and left behind all these methods for dealing with the Bie and corpse ghosts?”
The demon saint nodded gently.
Bao Gu realized the demon saint was probably closely connected to the demon sage from the upper realm who sealed the Bie back then.
She quietly asked, “Auntie Saint, that demon sage from the upper realm… what’s your relationship?”
There were no outsiders here, so the demon saint answered frankly, “I’m basically his disciple, two generations removed.
He passed away in his cave, and everything he brought to this world was left there.
I was lucky enough to inherit it.”
Bao Gu nodded lightly.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “I want to make four copies of these.
One for Xuantian Sect, one for Kan Gang, one for myself, and one for Yue Kingdom, since they’re our allies and a powerful support.
What do you think, Auntie Saint, Grandmaster?”
Zi Tianjun said, “The Ascension Map has already tied Yue Kingdom and Xuantian Sect together.
If one falls, the other suffers.
We should send them a copy.
But building all these anti-corpse ghost things will take a lot of resources, and Yue Kingdom is rich—they should help out.” In other words, we can give them a copy, but they need to pay!
Bao Gu asked, “Who’s going to deliver it to Si Ruo?”
Everyone in the council chamber looked at Bao Gu.
She’d always been the one dealing with Si Ruo—who else could go?
Wang Ding, as Bao Gu’s subordinate, didn’t dare openly suggest she go, so he shrank his neck and looked at her sheepishly.
He’d have liked to help, but since these things came from the demon saint and belonged to Xuantian Sect, he was the least qualified.
Bao Gu nodded, “Fine, I’ll go! But I’m not the one who should copy these jade slips, right?”
Zi Tianjun said, “With a hundred thousand disciples about to leave the mountain, Elder Feng and I have a lot to arrange.
Let Shuer handle copying the slips.”
Zi Yunshu said, “No problem.” She got up, gathered the jade slips, and stuffed them back into the demon saint’s arms. “A-Sheng, make four copies!”
The jade slips made a round and ended up back with the demon saint.
She took them with a wry smile and said, “Alright.” Her gaze shifted and she said, “Bao Gu, remember to tell Si Ruo these jade slips are a gift from the Princess Royal.”
Bao Gu nodded, “These were given to me by my master’s wife when we last met, just outside the Archaic Mountains.” Even she suspected the demon saint was the backup left by the demon sage who sealed the Bie, and if she told Si Ruo the demon saint gave them, it wouldn’t just be her and a few others who suspected—then the demon saint would be in danger.
Wang Ding understood Bao Gu’s meaning and nodded, “Understood, my lord.”
Bao Gu said, “Wang Ding, keep a close eye on the cultivation world.
All the major powers lost everything in the Archaic Mountains.
Not only did they fail to get the sacred artifacts, they lost their own.
They won’t let this go.”
Wang Ding replied, “Understood.”
Bao Gu stood up and said, “Let’s talk tomorrow.
I’m tired.” She really was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
She’d spent days moving five-element immortal stones without sleep, then had to deal with all this.
She was completely drained.
The others in the council chamber saw Bao Gu’s poor state and looked at her with concern.
The demon saint asked, “Are you alright?”
Bao Gu shook her head, “I’m fine, just tired.
I’ll be okay after some rest.
You all get some rest too.” She told Wang Ding to take care of her Grandmaster and the others, then went back to her own courtyard.
As she entered, she saw Jade Shura sitting in meditation with a piece of enlightenment tea in her mouth, seemingly unaware of Bao Gu’s return.
Not wanting to disturb her, Bao Gu went straight inside, prepared a bath with spiritual herbs, and used her divine sense to contact Yu Mi, who was practicing swordsmanship in the Xuantian Mountains.
Yu Mi heard Bao Gu’s voice in her mind and called out in delight, “Bao Gu!” She looked around, didn’t see Bao Gu, and remembered Bao Gu couldn’t possibly be there.
She immediately said, “Let me out!” As soon as she spoke, she appeared in front of Bao Gu.
Seeing Bao Gu soaking in the bath, Yu Mi’s eyes lit up—another pleasant surprise!
Seeing Yu Mi’s beaming face, Bao Gu felt much better.
She reached out to Yu Mi and softly called, “Senior sister.”
Yu Mi leaned in close, studied Bao Gu’s face, and asked, “Not happy?”
Bao Gu gave a soft “mm,” and said, “A little.” She held Yu Mi’s hand and said, “Seeing you makes me feel better.” She smiled gently, got out of the bath, used a technique to dry herself, put on a snow-white robe, and tied the sash.
Looking at Yu Mi, she suddenly remembered that Duobao Spirit Monkey had gone to the demon realm to get a soul-nourishing treasure for Yu Mi from Xue Qing, but still hadn’t returned.
It had been days—at the monkey’s speed, even running, it should be back by now.
Could something have happened?
Yu Mi noticed Bao Gu’s expression change and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Bao Gu said, “The little monkey went to get something for you from master’s wife, but still hasn’t come back.”
Yu Mi laughed, “Don’t expect it back for ten days or half a month.”
Bao Gu asked, “Why?”
Yu Mi said, “It’s a long journey, passing countless spiritual mountains and lakes.
It’s great at treasure hunting, and the type that can’t walk past a treasure without stopping.
You really think it’ll hurry back?”
Bao Gu said, “Master’s wife said it would rush straight back after getting the item…”
Yu Mi laughed, “Probably rushing to find more treasures!”
Bao Gu was speechless.
She remembered how the little monkey often brought back rare treasures, so she couldn’t really blame it.
But thinking about her senior sister’s weak soul and lack of protection made her uneasy.
Seeing her senior sister covered in top-grade magic treasures, she felt a bit better.
Yu Mi thought for a moment and said, “Bao Gu, I want to go out for a walk.”
Bao Gu said, “I’ll go with you.” She’d felt tired before, but seeing Yu Mi now, she didn’t feel so tired.
Yu Mi grabbed Bao Gu’s hand as she was about to head out and said, “I don’t mean now.
I mean… my cultivation was destroyed, I have to start over.
I want to go out and train.
Staying in the Xuantian Mountains, even with all the spiritual energy, I feel like I’m not making progress, and it’s not as effective as honing myself in constant battle.”
Bao Gu’s heart clenched at Yu Mi’s words.
She instinctively thought Yu Mi was going to leave her again.
She asked, “By yourself?”
Yu Mi said, “I haven’t decided, but I think you need more experience too.
Why not come with me? I know you don’t like going out, but look how long you’ve been stuck at the Golden Core stage without a breakthrough.
You should get out more.”
Bao Gu’s eyes flickered.
“What if I don’t want to go?”
Yu Mi blinked, then put on a pitiful face and wailed, “You’d really let someone whose cultivation was destroyed go out alone? Ling’er’s not here, the little monkey’s not here, Yu Jianming has to stay in the sect to manage the Cloud Sea Forest, and I have enemies everywhere.
If I run into them, I won’t even have help…” She looked more and more pitiful, as if Bao Gu not going with her would mean she’d be killed by her enemies.
Bao Gu had never seen Yu Mi like this and was stunned, lips parted, for a long time.
Yu Mi looked at Bao Gu with puppy eyes and asked, “You’d really let me go out alone?” She held Bao Gu’s hand and asked, “Don’t you want to experience camping in the deep mountains, roasting fresh demon beast meat over a fire, drinking fine spirit wine, watching the bright moon and stars, and the shifting clouds? Don’t you want to see the sunrise from the mountain peaks? Don’t you want to drift down the river in a little boat with a jug of wine, watching the green hills and listening to the monkeys on the cliffs?”
Bao Gu gently patted Yu Mi’s hand and said, “In a few days, come with me to the Youjiang waters to get Jade Shura’s master’s ride back.”
Yu Mi looked at Bao Gu in delight, blinking hard.
She turned, opened the door, and leaped over to Jade Shura, who was meditating, and called, “Jade Shura, in a few days we’re going to the Youjiang waters to get your master’s ride back.”
Jade Shura finished her meditation, opened her eyes, and replied, “So soon? Great!”
Bao Gu wailed inwardly, “I never said I was taking Jade Shura!”
