To set the stage, Li Yan had played the part of an irredeemably wicked and venomous cultivator. Afterwards, he, along with the Snow Mosquito King and one of its subordinates, had put on an act that, for the moment, seemed to have deceived the woman in the green gauze.
In truth, Li Yan was only about fifty percent confident in this plan. He was gambling on the woman's thoughts and her final decision, and of course, on a bit of his own luck.
Next was the waiting game. If things didn't go according to his plan, then after the Nascent Soul cultivators came to lure away the Demonic General, he would have no choice but to brace himself and go in.
The woman in the green gauze felt her Dantian growing more and more sluggish. After a brief period of dormancy, the poison had erupted once more.
She had long since taken out her flying magical treasure and was sitting cross-legged upon it, a spirit stone clutched in each hand as she desperately absorbed their spiritual energy to delay the poison's progression.
...
Fairy Red Candle was also sitting cross-legged on an empty plot of land just outside the altar within the valley. She had already arranged the security for the surrounding area.
Whether high in the sky or deep underground, there were cultivators flying up and sinking down to stand guard.
Moreover, fifty Demonic Soldiers not far away would fly by on crisscrossing patrols at irregular intervals.
Fairy Red Candle would occasionally glance at the slender figure on the altar, and she couldn't help but fantasize about the day she would become a lofty Nascent Soul cultivator.
At that time, she would no longer need to please others beneath them, but could be free of worldly desires, focusing her heart solely on the Great Dao of eternal life.
'After this battle is won, I must enter secluded cultivation. I will not emerge until I have formed my Nascent Soul!'
Fairy Red Candle thought with firm resolve.
'News came today that the attack on Windy Cool Mountain failed. In the evening, many more Demon Crystals were delivered. Judging by Senior Mu's dissatisfied expression after receiving the jade slip, these Demon Crystals will likely be consumed very quickly.'
That evening, after the female cultivator surnamed Mu finished reading the jade slip, she had immediately checked the "Heaven-Shaking Thunders" nine times over. When she looked towards Windy Cool Mountain again, she had let out a cold laugh.
Fairy Red Candle seemed to have some understanding of this, but she hadn't guessed the full picture. She didn't know that in another hour, the female cultivator surnamed Mu would unleash at least ten waves of "Heaven-Shaking Thunder" attacks.
In battle, there was no fixed schedule. The most unexpected times were often the best times.
Just then, the female cultivator surnamed Mu, who had been sitting motionless on the altar, suddenly raised her head and looked towards the northeast. Her brows immediately knitted together.
Fairy Red Candle, who was constantly paying attention to the altar, immediately noticed the anomaly and also released her Divine Sense in the direction the female cultivator was looking.
The moment her Divine Sense was released, the cold voice of the female cultivator surnamed Mu echoed in her mind.
"Your subordinate is not on outer perimeter duty. Why is she barging in so brazenly? No, wait. She is heavily injured. Go and see to her quickly!"
With that, the female cultivator's powerful Divine Sense swept outwards like a tidal wave. But her Divine Sense had not spread far before another powerful Divine Sense shot over from the direction of Windy Cool Mountain, directly intercepting hers.
"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to make your move early?"
Xiao Yaoyuan's resonant voice entered the mind of the female cultivator. Her scan was interrupted, and she snorted in annoyance.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you!"
But then she felt a pang of strangeness. In her brief, rough scan just now, the nearby perimeter guards had not engaged anyone. So how did that woman surnamed Zhong get injured?
...
At the moment the Divine Senses of the Nascent Soul cultivators clashed, Li Yan, over a hundred and fifty li away, broke out in a cold sweat.
He had been in a state of stealth, waiting for the final result. Not long after the woman in the green gauze had flown away, an incomparably domineering and powerful Divine Sense had suddenly risen from the direction of the nameless valley.
Although he was prepared, he still couldn't resist it. He felt an oppressive tightness in his chest, so extreme that Li Yan felt he would be exposed in the next moment.
Just as Li Yan was sweating in fear, another powerful Divine Sense instantly collided with the one from the nameless valley.
That overwhelming Divine Sense had, in fact, only swept past the steep peak where he was. It hadn't had time to inspect closely. Otherwise, Li Yan would have learned the consequence of sneaking near a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
...
Fairy Red Candle had now also spotted Zhong Mengyin, and she could see that Elder Zhong was extremely badly injured.
At this time, Zhong Mengyin, who was flying rapidly towards the valley, had already encountered the demonic cultivators on guard. With a grim expression, she took out her token and tossed it to them.
Amidst the undisguised lust and greed in the eyes of the demonic cultivators, she flew straight towards Fairy Red Candle without the slightest pause.
Fairy Red Candle had already flown up to meet her. While they were still some distance apart, Zhong Mengyin sent a voice transmission with an unsteady breath.
"Sect... Sect Master, save me!"
Seeing Zhong Mengyin cry for help at first breath, her Spirit Power fluctuations less than half of what they usually were, Fairy Red Candle was also greatly alarmed. She hadn't expected Elder Zhong to be injured to this extent.
Zhong Mengyin was her trusted confidante; no mishaps were allowed.
"Elder Zhong, what happened to you? Why didn't I sense any fighting on your end?"
"I... I was patrolling at night with Fellow Daoist Zheng when... when we encountered a formidable Poison Cultivator. He ambushed us both, then... then fled.
Zheng... Fellow Daoist Zheng has already died from the poison. I... I can't force out that... that poison..." At this point, the two had met in mid-air.
Based on Fairy Red Candle's understanding of Zhong Mengyin, she knew the words she spoke were not the whole truth.
Zheng Xingfan was the captain of another scout team. He and Zhong Mengyin each had their own duties. How could the two of them have been patrolling alone together?
However, she knew what kind of cultivation method Zhong Mengyin practiced, so she instantly guessed the probable reason but didn't pay it much mind.
It was the outcome Zhong Mengyin spoke of that shocked her. Two "Mid-stage Golden Core" masters had actually fallen into the enemy's trap.
But she was also a quick-witted person. From this, she immediately deduced that the cultivator who attacked Zhong Mengyin was definitely not a Nascent Soul cultivator. Otherwise, Zhong Mengyin would not have used the word "ambush."
This, however, did not bring her any relief; her expression grew even more solemn.
"There was only one of them?"
Someone who could ambush two Golden Core cultivators at once must be an expert in assassination and stealth. Their purpose for coming here was worthy of vigilance.
"Yes, but... but don't worry. That person was likely being chased from the battlefield or elsewhere. He just happened to run into us and attacked on impulse."
"Lat... later, the pursuer arrived, and he fled in... in panic."
As she said this, Zhong Mengyin felt the Spirit Power in her Dantian circulating slower and slower, and her strength was declining at an extremely rapid pace.
At this time, many nearby cultivators were flying over. Seeing this, Fairy Red Candle's brow furrowed, and she shouted sternly.
"There's nothing for you here! Return to your posts! Don't let your guard down because of this."
She was a cautious person and was still suspicious about what had happened to Elder Zhong.
The people flying over were all human cultivators. The female cultivator Mu's unusual movement earlier, coupled with someone rushing over, had left them confused, so they naturally came to check.
Hearing Fairy Red Candle's rebuke, they all paused in mid-air. After a glance in this direction, they flew away, filled with doubt.
Fairy Red Candle glanced at the female cultivator surnamed Mu on the central altar. Seeing that she had given her instructions and then paid no more attention to this side, she naturally assumed the other party was aware of the situation here.
As a Demonic General, she certainly wouldn't concern herself with such a minor matter. If there was an emergency, Fairy Red Candle would report to her immediately.
Fairy Red Candle hurriedly went forward to support Zhong Mengyin, leading her towards a corner of the valley. She certainly didn't dare to bring someone into the vicinity of the altar without permission.
Moreover, the female cultivator Mu had set up her own protective formation there. Approaching carelessly could result in death at any moment.
The moment Fairy Red Candle's hand touched Zhong Mengyin's arm, she was even more shocked. That arm, once as warm and smooth as jade, was now icy cold and stiff, like a piece of frozen deadwood.
How could she dare to delay? As soon as they landed, she immediately had Zhong Mengyin sit down and promptly inspected her body.
This investigation left Fairy Red Candle increasingly horrified. The Spirit Power in many parts of Zhong Mengyin's body had already dried up. The meridians, which should have been moist and full of life, were shriveling and collapsing one by one.
Currently, only in her Dantian and chest was there still some Spirit Power circulating.
'What kind of poison is this, that it can devour a Golden Core cultivator's Spirit Power without any hindrance.'
As Fairy Red Candle thought this, her hands were already surging with Spirit Power, and streams of red spiritual light struck Zhong Mengyin's body.
But after only a moment, she stopped.
Immediately, Zhong Mengyin's somewhat weak voice was heard.
"It's useless. On my way here, I've already absorbed many spirit stones. Not only did it not provide any relief, but... but it seemed to fuel the poison's fury, making it act up even... even more fiercely!"
After hearing this, Fairy Red Candle said nothing. Instead, with a wave of her fair, snow-white hand, three small, pale green jade vials appeared in the air.
She flicked a slender, jade-like finger, and three pills of different sizes flew out from the three vials—one crimson, two emerald green.
"Swallow them!"
With a flick of her long sleeve, the three green vials disappeared, and the three pills had already flown before Zhong Mengyin.
Seeing this, Zhong Mengyin did not hesitate. She opened her mouth and sucked, and the three pills flew into her fragrant mouth.
Just two breaths later, a pained expression suddenly appeared on Zhong Mengyin's beautiful face. She couldn't help but let out a soft groan, and beads of sweat instantly formed on her forehead.
But Fairy Red Candle just stood in front of her, not making another move. As time went on, Zhong Mengyin's face also began to turn flushed, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Sect... Sect... Sect... Master, it's... it's... it's... not working..."
Actually, even without her saying it, Fairy Red Candle had already discovered that her pills were not only ineffective but were actually worsening Zhong Mengyin's injuries. Her own expression turned grim.
The pills she had just given Zhong Mengyin were the three best detoxification pills of the "Red Chan Sect." Even against some of the top-ranking, terrifying poisons in the cultivation world, they should have had some detoxifying effect.
But now, they were having the opposite effect.
Her Divine Sense once again entered Zhong Mengyin's Dantian. That was where the unknown poison was rooted; she had seen this long ago.
When her Divine Sense entered again, she witnessed a scene of one against three. At this moment, a cloud of gray mist, like a ferocious demon, had almost completely filled Zhong Mengyin's Dantian's Purple Mansion.
In a corner, three streams of air—one red and two green—were being pressed back. They spun rapidly, darting left and right, but were unable to break through the encirclement of the gray mist.
Moreover, the three streams, which should have been like three strong men, had now become three pitiful, skin-and-bones beggars in a cold wind. It was clear that they too had been mostly devoured by the unknown gray gas, and their end was near.
And the great battle just now had almost made Zhong Mengyin faint from the pain.
"Damn it, where did that Poison Cultivator come from? What kind of potent poison did he concoct!"