Yu Ci turned his head, gazing at the bloodstains spreading across most of the Ghost Silk Cloud. He felt a slight headache, silently hoping Bao Guang wouldn’t take it to heart.
He stopped transferring True Qi into Zheng Yan. Despite taking medication, the monk’s condition was steadily deteriorating. At this moment, Zheng Yan seemed semi-conscious, occasionally letting out faint groans.
The most appropriate course of action now was to send the monk back to the Pure Water Altar’s base. The external wounds were one thing, but the injuries inflicted by the insidious fire force should surely have some remedy back at his sect.
However, delivering him there would require some finesse.
The forest was anything but peaceful at this moment. Bird cries and beast roars echoed frequently, and the surrounding aura was chaotic.
Yu Ci moved a bit farther away, turning his back as he examined the Divine Map to confirm his location further. He noticed the chaos in the canyon had spread to the forest atop the cliffs.
The demons, monsters, ferocious beasts, and predatory birds that had escaped the cold tide earlier were climbing up into the forest. More continued to pour in, driven by the cold tide and the increasingly chaotic situation, dispersing into this broader expanse of wilderness.
The scene matched what he had sighed about earlier: “Things are seriously going wrong!”
Moreover, through the Divine Map, he observed that at least two patches of “Core Refinement Mist” had already risen above the canyon and entered the forest. This was just within a radius of fifty miles. Along the thousand-mile-long Sky Rift Valley, how many more demons and monsters could have broken out?
Although the Rifting Earth Sect appeared powerful, Yu Ci couldn’t help but wonder if they had a plan to handle such a crisis.
As he pondered, yet another section of the Divine Map became blurred, indicating another surge nearing the canyon’s cliff tops. This suggested…
Suddenly, the Divine Map darkened!
It wasn’t the entire map that dimmed but rather a patch of “Core Refinement Mist” that had just drifted over. Within it, a shadow expanded explosively, instantly covering an area of three miles.
Within this range, the ever-shifting light in the Divine Map vanished in a blink. The “Core Refinement Mist” and the nearby forest landscape, which had been relatively clear, seemed to be hollowed out, leaving a massive dark void. It felt as though it could suck in one’s vision and consciousness, never letting go.
Yu Ci quickly steadied himself, refocusing his mind. Yet, he couldn’t resist looking again. By now, the darkness seemed like a mere illusion. Even the large “Core Refinement Mist” had disappeared entirely. The scene there returned to its previous clarity—just an ordinary section of the cliffside, sparse vegetation, with only a single crooked pine tree…
‘Wait, what was that?’
Yu Ci’s gaze fixed.
Dangling from a branch protruding over the cliff was a strip of black cloth embroidered with faint traces of golden patterns. It looked hauntingly familiar. Nearby on the cliffside, he spotted a splash of bluish bloodstains, eerie and strange.
Yu Ci’s heart thudded as he instinctively shifted his perspective to the vast sea of clouds below.
Soon, he saw it—a pair of bloodstained, fleshy wings spiraling downward through the misty void. Below, a short rod with tattered cloth attached slid along the cliff face before being caught by the wind and tossed into the swirling depths of cloud and fog.
Those were…
Seeing the scene clearly, Yu Ci was momentarily dazed. This realization only confirmed one undeniable truth: the Sky Rift Valley and its surrounding regions were truly no longer a place to linger!
***
As the chaos in the Sky Rift Valley intensified, the various forces still stationed near Cliff City reacted differently.
The Mysterious Moon Sect handled the situation with the most composure. The moment they noticed the strange movements of life forms in the canyon, the sect members, under the leadership of Master Ming Lan, began a well-ordered retreat. They even found time to send warning messages to the Sun Light Sect and the Pure Water Altar.
Unfortunately, neither the Sun Light Sect nor the Pure Water Altar could emulate the Mysterious Moon Sect’s calm demeanor. Instead, they could only glare in envy.
For the Sun Light Sect, the absence of Elder Tu Du, their backbone, meant they were bound to hold their position regardless of the chaos. Even if the Sky Rift Valley collapsed, they had no choice but to wait here for Tu Du’s return.
As for the Pure Water Altar, panic had already set in. Earlier that day, their leader, Monk Zheng Yan, had mysteriously disappeared. While this was not unusual—he was always coming and going unpredictably—the ongoing chaos made his absence unnerving.
As night fell, with the chaos spreading further, the panicked monks were already contemplating abandoning their camp when Zheng Yan was finally brought back—carried on someone’s back.
It was their scouts, sent to monitor the situation in the Sky Rift Valley, who had found Zheng Yan lying by the roadside, nearly dead. Forgetting all else, they had immediately carried him back to camp.
When Zheng Yan opened his eyes, it was the next morning. Outside the tent, the arguments of his junior monks continued. Inside, someone was tending to him, their back turned as they worked. Judging by their figure, it was a disciple from the generation below him.
Zheng Yan sighed deeply but said nothing, staring blankly at the tent ceiling.
“You’re awake?”
The disciple spoke softly, but his tone was far from deferential.
Startled, Zheng Yan shuddered, triggering his internal and external injuries, nearly coughing up blood.
The disciple turned, pressing a hand to Zheng Yan’s chest. A single jolt dissipated the insidious fire Qi coiled within his organs. It dispersed into his limbs before transforming into a gentle vitality that nourished his damaged body.
Zheng Yan opened his eyes wide. Blood trickled from the disciple’s seven orifices, yet his face remained eerily calm. In his eye sockets, a sinister purple light swirled, encircling his yellowed pupils.
“Master!” Zheng Yan’s trembling voice carried both fear and a strange hint of mockery. His lips curled into a distorted smile, as though mocking or ridiculing himself.
“After this ordeal, you still dare call me Master? Not bad.”
The disciple loomed over him, staring coldly before finally asking, “Who brought you back?”
Zheng Yan’s expression shifted to one of confusion. “Wasn’t it Master who saved me?”
The disciple’s eyes narrowed, the icy purple light piercing. “Still so glib?”
Feigning innocence, Zheng Yan muttered, “I passed out then. I just assumed Master got rid of the burden in a moment of urgency but later took pity on me. Perhaps Master realized I could still guard the sect, yell at people, or prove somewhat useful…”
Mid-sentence, his face suddenly turned purple, as if someone had gripped his throat tightly. His long, thin tongue stuck out, as though trying to draw in some fresh air, but he was completely powerless.
Yet, even in such a state, his eyes remained curved, clearly smiling, filled with madness and smugness.
The junior disciple wasn’t angered by his attitude; he merely nodded slightly. “I know you’re trying to provoke me into killing you, and I also know you want to live more than anyone else… Since I’ve abandoned this avatar of yours, there’s no reason for me to reclaim it. Conveniently, I have an urgent matter and need a tool—so you’ll be it for now!”
With that, he lightly brushed his sleeve. Before Zhen Yan could react, he fainted.
“What do you want him to do?”
Though only two people were in the tent, a third voice rang out—it was none other than the “Moon Demon.”
“We are both at risk of exposure, so we need to mislead others… Tell me, who saved him?”
The “Moon Demon” chuckled darkly. “How should I know? But for him to scale the valley in less than an hour after we left him behind? That speed is unusual in Sky Rift Valley, especially now!”
“Indeed, whoever saved him must have exceptional cultivation.”
Seeing the agreement, the “Moon Demon” added, “If their intentions are pure, this nameless act of saving a life does resemble those righteous figures’ behavior. However, to do it near the demon beast nest at the base of Sky Rift Valley… Tsk, could it be this person destroyed your avatar?”
“Maybe,” the junior disciple replied thoughtfully.
“The situation here is getting more and more complicated,” the “Moon Demon” sighed before falling silent.
The two were unaware that their assumptions had veered completely off course. Meanwhile, the main party, in a rush to travel, was already a thousand miles away.
***
Early winter had brought snow again. Yu Ci, dusty and weary, returned to the Heart Prohibition Monastery.
When he had last left the mountain, the autumn breeze was cool, and the mountain was ablaze with fiery red leaves. Now, as he approached the monastery’s gates once more, the leaves had all fallen, and the mountain was blanketed in snow.
Strangely, as he saw the gates of the Heart Prohibition Monastery, a sense of calm washed over him. The heavy concerns about the grave situation in Sky Rift Valley seemed to suddenly fade into insignificance—a peculiar and wondrous feeling.
Was it confidence in the Rifting Earth Sect? But where did such confidence come from?
Coincidentally, the young daoist sweeping the gates that morning was the same one who had greeted him before and had fooled Jin Huan’s group. This time, Yu Ci no longer needed to put on an act.
The young daoist recognized him at a glance, first showing surprise, then bowing in salute.
Yu Ci nodded in return and asked, “Is the daoist here?”
“He is, Brother Yu. Please come in,” the young daoist replied while sending a message inside.
Yu Ci hadn’t walked far past the gates when he saw Bao Guang hurrying over. Delighted to see him, Bao Guang exclaimed, “It really is you! I thought Qingfeng was teasing me. Back so soon? Does that mean everything went smoothly? Did you find enough Dragon Fish Grass… Eh, what’s that on your back?”
Bao Guang was referring to the bundle containing the Dragon Fish Grass. Yu Ci smiled but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, “Is the daoist available right now?”
“He’s still doing morning meditation; it’ll take half an hour.”
“Good. Let’s head to the Hall of Collective Merit first.”
Yu Ci’s mood had indeed calmed. He even had the leisure to calculate the merit points, which no longer held much significance to him.
“Could it be that you really returned fully loaded?”
Bao Guang was even more thrilled than if he’d accomplished the task himself. Grabbing Yu Ci by the arm, he nearly dragged him in a mad dash through two courtyards to the Hall of Collective Merit, where tasks were handed in.
Yu Ci methodically sorted the herbs and ores he had collected over the past two months, categorizing them and matching them with the corresponding merit tasks. He then began the exchange process.
He chose to retrieve physical rewards first before selecting information. This method allowed for casting a wide net and maximizing options while avoiding penalties for incomplete tasks. However, it also carried the risk of someone else claiming the tasks he’d selected, rendering his efforts wasted.
His luck was good this time. Among the items he brought back, only one—a mineral worth seven points—had been completed by someone else before him. This was partly due to his deliberate choice of more difficult gathering tasks.
When he finished submitting the last item, the daoist in charge tallied up the final score, handed back Yu Ci’s merit token, and said with a smile, “One hundred and ninety-seven points. Brother Yu, to have achieved such results in just two months is truly enviable.”
Yu Ci smiled as well, but behind him, Bao Guang’s face quickly fell.
“Is that all?”
Get More Chapters on Patreon: From now on, FSM Level 2 will become the CN WN Bundle. The price will remain the same which is $10. Also, the price for the KR WN Bundle will also be decreased to $10 to match this bundle.
With this I have gotten rid of the level system. The reason I am doing this, is because I plan to add more chapters to the $5 Patron tiers. Currently the readers get 2 advance chapters when they become a $5 Patron, but I want to increase the chapters they get to at least 5 chapters or more. So the current updated tier system will work like this:
The Individual Tiers ($5) will give you access to 5 chapters or more. The Bundle Tiers ($10) will give you access to all the chapters of CN or KR webnovels. The Supreme Patron ($30) will give you access to all the webnovel chapters on Goblinslate.