Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

“This time, we’ve sent a cultivator with exceptional magical combat abilities, Zhenyue Daoist Master of the Void Sect. Everyone, please meet him.”

Yun Yan Daoist Master and others let out a low exclamation, Wan Jinrong gritted his teeth and hissed, while Ji An, unaware of this formidable person’s past, wore a polite smile on his face.

The cultivator had a face like a fine jade, eyes deep as an abyss, seemingly harboring the starlight of a thousand years.

“True Monarch flatters me, I am but a reckless man who spares no effort in battle.”

“Haha, I wish the Business Alliance had more reckless people like you. Chongxu old man sure has a good disciple.”

Zhenyue Daoist Master slightly bowed his head, not responding, as the other party was of the same generation as his master, and it’s common for them to banter.

Pingtian True Monarch spoke of serious matters, “Yunyan, I won’t linger here. You take them into the fortress. I hope to hear good news from you in a few days. Also, gather all the Foundation Establishment disciples, and I’ll take them away.”

In life-or-death battles, the quality of troops is more critical than quantity; High-Tier Cultivators are the backbone of the battle.

“As you command, Daoist Master, please follow me.”

Accompanying Zhenyue Daoist Master were twenty to thirty Chao Origin Stage cultivators, all wearing uniform Daoist robes, all disciples of the Void Sect.

They descended onto the fortress walls and walked down on foot.

Yun Yan Daoist Master instructed:

“I’ll first take Zhenyue Daoist Master to the guest hall, while other Daoists gather the Foundation Establishment disciples, send them to the flying ship, and settle the faraway arriving Void Sect Daoists. Meet at my loft later.”

“Yes,” Ji An and others took their orders and went off to their respective tasks.

After everyone was done, they returned to the loft, greeted each other, and exchanged names, getting to know one another.

Ji An recounted in detail the battle where Master Wuxuan died, and Zhenyue Daoist Master asked about some specifics.

Yun Yan Daoist Master spoke up, recounting Pingtian True Monarch’s assessment: “The current situation is as such, Daoist Master, do you have a good plan?”

Zhenyue Daoist Master politely responded:

“Surely, you have a plan, I’m ready to follow your orders.”

Black Wind Ridge fortress was under the other’s responsibility; he was just there to carry out tasks.

In his opinion, killing True Demons and demon lords was the simplest task.

Yun Yan Daoist Master did have a few plans in mind, asking was just a courtesy. If the other genuinely tried to give instructions, it would displease her.

If a team had two commanding voices, it would lead to chaos; Zhenyue Daoist Master’s reputation was indeed impressive, but she wasn’t inferior.

Now that the other had come to Black Wind Ridge fortress, the True Monarch hadn’t asked her to relinquish command, so she was still in charge here.

“True Monarch mentioned that the True Demon Realm treats the Wulan Mountain area as a trial ground, and every participating True Demon has a hunting task. In recent patrols, the team I led was once attacked by True Demons, which proves the True Monarch’s information is quite accurate, and we can use this to set an ambush.”

Zhenyue Daoist Master’s gaze dropped for a moment and then asked:

“On what basis are you taking such actions, Daoist Master? What cooperation do you expect from me?”

He felt internally that an ambush wasn’t necessary because he was very confident in his own attacks.

However, he hadn’t yet fought in the Demon Fog, and the specifics needed further understanding.

“The Demon Fog greatly suppresses us; the True Demons are not only powerful but also excel at escaping. If they focus on fleeing, it’s difficult for us to capture them with our means. I plan to change the patrol route, set up an ambush in advance at a location, and if we encounter the enemy, we engage in a skirmish while retreating to the ambush site to annihilate the enemy with a pincer attack.”

The plan isn’t complicated because the more complex the plan, the harsher the execution conditions.

There are too many variables in the Demon Fog, so executing a simple plan has a higher chance of success.

The plan actually just awaited a powerful cultivator who could stand alone against True Demons without being defeated to participate.

Zhenyue Daoist Master immediately stated:

“I agree; the ambush task is mine. I enjoy a task where we can rest while the enemy wears themselves out. However, how many days in advance should I lay the ambush? How can I ensure that I am not discovered?”

He hadn’t fought in the Demon Fog before, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know the basic information about it; as a Nascent Soul Seed from the Void Sect, he received much more intelligence than most cultivators in the Cultivation Realm.

Unexpectedly, the other party agreed so easily, Yun Yan Daoist Master smiled:

“We’ll execute the plan after some time; the noise from the arrival of the flying ship is significant. True Demons will surely be on guard. As for concealing your presence, I have a supporting magical treasure for that, and I’ll give it to you before the task is carried out. For now, Daoist friends should stay in the fortress and not show themselves, to prevent True Demons from becoming wary. When the time is ripe, head to the ambush site.”

Yun Yan Daoist Master pointed out several locations on the sand table, and everyone discussed which spot would be better for an ambush and went over other combat details to cover any gaps.

Zhenyue Daoist Master finally asked:

“When I came on the flying ship, I noticed my field of vision was only eighty or ninety zhang; how far is the True Demons’ detection range?”

What could be more awkward than thinking you’re setting up an ambush, while everything is seen by the enemy?

While he was not afraid of encountering the enemy, it would be inconvenient if the enemy used a strong escaping method and he couldn’t catch them, making another attempt to ambush the enemy difficult.

He had confidence in his speed, but True Demons, when burning Blood Qi to escape, made him less confident in catching up.

In other places, he could perhaps compete in endurance, but in the Demon Fog, if he lost track, finding the enemy again would be incredibly difficult.

Moreover, he couldn’t venture too deep into the Demon Fog region; if lost, he could only fly upwards out of the fog-shrouded area.

Yun Yan Daoist Master pressed her lips, shook her head, and said:

“We cannot confirm this.”

Zhenyue Daoist Master’s gaze was somber, and he gave a wry smile:

“I understand our predicament; the enemy holds complete control over the initiative.”

Since becoming a cultivator, he has always held the initiative in battles, and now the situation is reversed, which was troublesome.

If the ambush plan failed, he was prepared to search for the enemy alone, but he wouldn’t mention this now.

“Unable to predict the enemy, yet being monitored by them, indeed is our most challenging aspect. Otherwise, why would it come to this?”

Yun Yan Daoist Master was profoundly affected; if it weren’t for the suppression from the Demon Fog, she’d dare to pursue, and True Demons couldn’t escape without paying a price.

…

After everyone dispersed, Zhenyue Daoist Master moved into an empty loft.

Ji An invited Wan Jinrong to his territory, retrieving a jar of wine and some peanuts for a small drink.

After a few rounds of drinks, he spoke:

“Forgive my ignorance, but who is Master Yue? Everyone seems quite familiar with him.”

He couldn’t feel any pressure from Zhenyue Daoist Master; the other party was like a boulder, without any Qi Mechanism leaking out.

This displayed completeness, indicating that the other must indeed be a powerful cultivator, making Ji An curious about his past.

Wan Jinrong used the Object Control Technique, grabbing three peanuts, and with a flick of his hand, tossed them into the air.

All the peanuts followed the same trajectory into his mouth, with satisfied chewing; he took a sip of wine to moisten his throat and sighed:

“Zhenyue Daoist Master is one of the Void Sect’s cultivators who has the most opportunity to break through to Nascent Soul. He’s a benchmark for the younger generation, only a step away from the breakthrough. A few years ago, he went to the East Sea, bloodied in battles with the Sea Beast Race, so there’s little news about him; otherwise, old friend, you’d surely hear his great name in the Cloud Sea Immortal City. It’s rumored that he’s mastered the Mirror Flower Water Moon Secret Technique of the Void Sect, creating a Shadow Clone that can transfer damage to the clone upon activation, leading him to fight extremely valiantly. His most remarkable battle record was single-handedly slaying four demon beasts of the Late Golden Core Stage in a large Secret Realm.”

His gaze filled with admiration, and Zhenyue Daoist Master, not yet four hundred years old, showed extraordinary talent, placing him among the very top in the entire Central Continent.

Facing such a cultivator, he had no choice but to lower his proud head.

“Truly valiant,” praised Ji An. He wondered what it would be like when he reached the Late Golden Core Stage, whether he could be as strong.

The foundation of a Major Sect was beyond his imagination; being supported by the Stone Turtle allowed him to come this far. He wondered what kind of trump cards those absolute core disciples of the Nascent Soul Sects might hold.