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"Although it's self-praise, it also shows that she may not be doing well in the Guixu Palace."

"She's so weak right now, she'll probably be killed by her enemies before we even have to lift a finger."

"I hope so." Qin Rufeng gave a bitter smile...

When Mo Baizhi saw that Qin Rufeng had defeated even a peak-level expert in the Flowing Cloud Realm... although the way she was defeated was somewhat indescribable, she still felt a deep respect for her from the bottom of her heart.

Qin Rufeng then took Mo Baizhi back to the sect. However, their plans to enter the Yunyuan Sect to retrieve the Yunyuan Cauldron and find Mo Baizhi's senior sister proved difficult to implement.

Not to mention Qin Rufeng's enormous depletion of spiritual energy, even Mo Baizhi herself was completely unable to move. She was even on the verge of death.

Seeing her life hanging by a thread, Mo Baizhi made up her mind about something... and even became somewhat impatient.

Qin Rufeng came to visit again that day. Mo Baizhi felt that she could not delay any longer, so she said to Qin Rufeng, "Sect Leader Liu, please save my life."

"The Yunyuan Sect no longer exists. I implore Sect Leader Liu to take me in and let me join the Xuan Nu Sect."

When Qin Rufeng recruits someone, he first examines their character and loyalty. From the time Mo Baizhi came to the sect to seek help until now, Qin Rufeng has not found anything wrong with her.

Not to mention that Mo Baizhi was able to lead Ru Feng to the treasure of Yunyuan Sect, even if they didn't get the Yunyuan Cauldron and the rare and precious medicinal pills, just gaining a talent who could refine pills and create ingenious puppets would be a huge reward.

Unfortunately... she doesn't have long to live.

Well, not necessarily. At least Qin Rufeng came up with a solution, and it seems... Mo Baizhi herself did too.

If she could accept it herself, that would be the best outcome. Thinking this, Qin Rufeng deliberately probed, saying, "Don't worry, I will find a renowned doctor in Cangyun City to treat you."

However, Mo Baizhi shook her head, "Famous doctors can't cure me. It's not worth using precious rare herbs to prolong the life of someone like me."

"Furthermore, if I may be so bold... I'm afraid there's no treasure in the entire Cangyun City that can prolong my life. Even if there were, I would never dare to burden Sect Leader Liu again."

"This broken body of mine is beyond saving. It would be better to make a mechanical puppet than this body."

Mo Baizhi paused for a moment, then tentatively said, "I saw that Sect Leader Liu is able to seize souls and store them in a container."

"Such miraculous skills are exactly what I need to make mechanical puppets!"

Mo Baizhi said, "The puppets I created before were just puppets, but if a container with a soul could be implanted... how would they be different from real people?"

"Not only that, it can also break through the limits of the human body and achieve even more powerful functions!"

Mo Baizhi became more and more excited as she spoke, "Sect Leader Liu! Please extract my soul from this dying body! Even if we can't create a puppet for the time being, all my life's learning can be used by you. It's much better than dying and disappearing."

Qin Rufeng understood what Mo Baizhi meant, because that was what she thought too.

This is very easy for a time traveler to understand. It's simply a matter of using the soul bottle containing the soul as a "chip" or "pilot" to control the body.

This is completely different from the Living Vessel Refining Method. The Living Vessel Refining Method involves turning a living person into a magical artifact, while this kind of soul implantation is somewhat like after the Nascent Soul stage, when the physical body becomes less important.

Qin Rufeng and Mo Baizhi were not on the same page. Moreover, even if Mo Baizhi's soul were extracted and implanted into any other body, Qin Rufeng would still be able to control that soul.

Although she was willing to trust Mo Baizhi's character, having insurance wouldn't hurt.

Qin Rufeng then said with a serious expression, "I understand your thoughts. But have you thought it through? Extracting your soul is dangerous, and it's tantamount to handing your fate over to me."

Mo Baizhi replied without hesitation, "Baizhi is willing to serve the sect leader."

If that's the case, then things are much easier.

It's not easy to extract someone else's soul, but it's much simpler if the other person is willing to do so.

Qin Rufeng specially invited Cang Shuyun to provide on-site guidance. Furthermore, combining his own knowledge with the spirit talisman techniques that his master had used on him, he created a new method that differed from Cang Shuyun's.

Cang Shuyun couldn't help but exclaim, "Ru Feng, you are indeed talented. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

"Although your method is clumsy, it is easier to master and more reliable for people with insufficient spiritual energy and low cultivation levels."

She still speaks so frankly...

Qin Rufeng then used magic to successfully collect Mo Baizhi's soul into a brand new soul lamp.

Given that Emu Ling is in this state of abandoning the umbrella, at least bringing this soul lamp into the Yunyuan Sect will allow her to lead the way.

As for the secret chamber of the alchemy furnace, it can be opened by temporarily having her soul possess Qing Shi or Jing Hong using a spirit talisman technique.

At that time, the Cloud Abyss Cauldron, rare and precious medicinal herbs and pill formulas, plus a large amount of spirit stones, will all be in my possession.

Qin Rufeng's plan was like this. But, as expected, yet another unexpected thing is about to happen...

Chapter 212: All Talented Individuals

The so-called "accident" was that the major sects in Cangyun City learned of the Yunyuan Sect's blood cloud eruption and the sect's destruction.

A blood cloud eruption would be disastrous! Of course, it must be eradicated. In reality, it was the various sects that had their eyes on the treasures of the Cloud Abyss Sect.

This is not okay...

In Qin Rufeng's view, the Cloud Abyss Cauldron was already his.

After all, Mo Baizhi, the only surviving disciple of Yunyuan Sect who did not mutate, has become a disciple of Xuan Nu Sect.

Qin Rufeng fought a life-or-death battle with Pei Ling Shuang to save her. Not only did he almost lose his life, but he also made an enemy of a major sect like the Guixu Palace.

Therefore, if the legacy of the Yunyuan Sect should be inherited, no one is more qualified than Qin Rufeng… at least more qualified than the sects in Cangyun City.

Although they didn't know where the Cloud Abyss Cauldron was or what "key" was to open the alchemy room, they were always afraid of the worst... What if those guys snatched it away? Wouldn't they be furious?

Therefore, although Qin Rufeng's spiritual energy had not fully recovered, she still joined the team heading to Yunyuan Sect, along with Qing Shi Jinghong, Feng Hua, and Mo Baizhi from the Soul Bottle.

Among the assembled crowd were many familiar faces; they had previously visited the Xuan Nu Sect to "learn from them." Among them was Xue Heying of the Baji Hall.

I was busy dealing with challengers when I was seeking guidance from the sect, so I didn't get a good look at Xue Heying. In my memory, she was a dark-skinned, mature woman with the figure of a female streamer at a gym on Blue Star.

Upon closer inspection today, it's far superior to the technology and ruthless skills of those on Earth.

Her muscles weren't exaggerated like a "muscle Barbie," but they were well-defined and perfectly proportioned. Especially her breasts—they were quite large, which was truly rare. After all, there's no silicone in the cultivation world… although there are other methods.

A man and a woman stood to the left and right of Xue Heying. The man was Cao Fei, whose left arm had been amputated and replaced with an iron arm with a fanged beast head.

Although that sword strike must have cut to the bone that day, as a Golden Core Body Cultivator, even if his recovery ability couldn't compare to that of the Crimson Moon Cult members, shouldn't he have been able to save an arm with his own cultivation and the sect's spiritual herbs? He must have been punished by the volatile Blood River Ridge when he returned, right?

As for the other woman...

Her skin, like Blood River Tassel, was a healthy wheat color. She was beautiful, but blind in one eye, with an eyepatch over her right eye.

Her long hair was styled in a high ponytail, and she wore a leather shawl. Although her arms were not visible, her muscular waist and slightly protruding abs were clearly visible.

What truly surprised Qin Rufeng was her pair of "Chun-Li legs".

She was wearing a pair of dark red, footed, tight-fitting leather pants. They were taut and elastic, clearly showing every inch of her cleavage. The muscles in her legs were clearly defined, and her full, rounded thighs looked strong and powerful. She was barefoot.

It seems this woman is undoubtedly a body cultivator, and it appears her skills are all focused on her legs.

Everyone was very surprised to see Qin Rufeng.

Blood River Cherry was the first to mock, "Hmph, I didn't expect Sect Leader Liu to get involved in this kind of thing. Isn't it enough that you have the Purple Gold Jade Root?"

Her words directly revealed the intentions of these people who came here. Or perhaps they were simply too lazy to hide it.

Qin Rufeng calmly replied, "The Empress's 'Pure Cloud Decree' has already been issued; how could I not obey?"

Xuehe Ying sneered, "Why didn't you respond before?"

Qin Rufeng said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The previous operations to eliminate the Crimson Moon were mostly within Cangyun City, so how dare I interfere without authorization? This time, however, it is outside the city, so I'm sure no one will say that I have trespassed on someone else's territory."

"Hehe, I don't think Sect Leader Liu is that interested in the 'Pure Cloud Token'. He's probably more interested in the treasures of the Cloud Abyss Sect, isn't he?"

The speaker was Shen Congrong, an elder of the Jingyue Sect. Dressed in a yellow robe, he certainly possessed an air of otherworldly refinement. However, his words were barbed and sarcastic.

Qin Rufeng glanced at him, "It seems Elder Shen is determined to eliminate the harm of Blood Cloud and doesn't care about the Yunyuan Sect's possessions at all. Well, don't go back on your word later."

"I... I didn't promise anything, so how could I go back on my word?" Elder Shen quickly explained.

Qin Rufeng laughed and said, "So Elder Shen and everyone else are also eyeing the treasures of Yunyuan Sect. Why bother with this pretense?"

"What's the harm in that? Eradicating Blood Cloud is both dangerous and arduous. It's only fair that we receive some compensation."

Qin Rufeng spoke with absolute confidence, completely unconstrained by moral motives. Anyone who continues to pretend will not get anything.

Not only that, she possessed an alluring charm simply by standing there. This further fueled the greed of many. It seemed this was no longer a dangerous operation, but a scramble for the treasures of the Yunyuan Sect.

First come, first served. Members of all sects are already itching for a fight.

Qin Rufeng continued, "I don't know where the treasure vault of the Yunyuan Sect is. If any fellow Daoists know, please don't keep it to yourselves, share it with us as well."

She deliberately mentioned the treasure vault in hopes of drawing people's attention to it.

Although the Yunyuan Sect has always maintained a low profile and has had limited interaction with other sects in Cangyun City, it is, after all, a large and historically significant sect. Perhaps some of them know the location of the treasure vault, and they certainly also know that the Yunyuan Cauldron is the sect's most prized treasure.

That's practically a given. Even the Guixu Palace, located outside the Cangyun Mountain region, came to snatch the Yunyuan Cauldron, so how could the major sects within Cangyun City not know?

They just don't say it, and no one will reveal their intentions.

"Sect Leader Liu makes it sound so easy." Another woman in the crowd said in a contemptuous tone, "Although the Yunyuan Sect, like your sect, is not allowed to enter Cangyun City, it is still quite senior and far superior to your sect."

Qin Rufeng turned his head to look at the woman who had spoken...

She was dressed in a traditional Chinese female attire. Her hair was tied up in a flowing cloud-like bun with a tall black jade crown, and a plum blossom branch, plucked from gold thread, was tucked into her hair.

Her eyebrows and eyes were frosty, and her lips were pursed with a thin line of vermilion.

A crimson silk Taoist robe hugged her curvaceous figure. The jade belt around her waist was extremely narrow, and the rise and fall of her breasts was clearly visible as she walked.

Moreover, her robe was very soft. A gust of wind blew in her face, and it clung to her body completely, like a thin veil. Below, a clear triangle was outlined, and above, it was faintly visible.

This person is a cultivator from Meizhuang Temple, with the Taoist name Lingyin.

"Please forgive me, Sect Leader Liu." Daoist Lingyin met Qin Rufeng's gaze, a smug smile appearing on his lips. "I am merely reminding Sect Leader Liu and all fellow Daoists... this journey is extremely dangerous, and we must not be careless."

These words, though spoken in a grand and dignified manner, were laced with contempt. It must be said, the sect members in Cangyun City are all quite talented, and their words are certainly "pleasant to hear"...

Qin Rufeng was tired and didn't want to argue with them. Without further ado, the group entered the Yunyuan Sect.

The Yunyuan Sect is located in a valley, and its terrain is somewhat similar to that of the Xuan Nu Sect. It is also nestled among green mountains and surrounded by clear water. However, the water is only a stream at the bottom of the valley, without any deep lakes or pools.

Moreover, compared to the towering pavilions of the Xuan Nu Sect, the Yun Yuan Sect is remarkably low-key. Without any imposing buildings, the entire sect complex is hidden in the thick mist of the valley. Like a celestial palace in the clouds, it truly lives up to its name, "Yun Yuan" (Cloud Abyss).

However, once inside the sect, the scene was completely different...

Chapter 213 Bloodstained Depths of the Cloud Abyss

The heavy stench of decay and blood was trapped at the bottom of the valley by the fog, making it unbearable to smell.

Limbs and corpses lay strewn everywhere. Blood stained the walls and painted the walls with blood! [Dream^[First Place], the scene was extremely gruesome. The traces of a battle were everywhere: fire, collapses, sinkholes...

The gilded dragon pillars that once supported the main beams lay fallen to the ground, and the palace buildings collapsed into piles of rubble. Everywhere was a scene of devastation and ruin.

Ticks buzzed and flew around, filling the air with blood-red dust and mist.

Suddenly, several figures emerged from the ruins. They were humanoid, but seemed to be wearing exaggerated hats...

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that it wasn't a hat or a headdress, but a human head infested by a spider!

It was a dark brown spider. Its abdomen split open like a gaping maw, and it simply slammed it onto its host's head like a hat, swallowing half of the skull. Its long, claw-like fangs dug deep into the host's cheeks.

Eight arthropods stretched out and wriggled, at first glance resembling a bizarre braid. Eight single eyes, like bright red bloodstone, constantly scrutinized the approaching crowd.

At this moment, Mo Baizhi in the Soul Bottle said to Qin Rufeng with her mind: "Sect Leader, be careful. The host puppets controlled by these Headhunter Spiders still have the ability to cast spells."

The spirit in the soul bottle, Mo Baizhi, could not make a sound, but she could communicate with Qin Rufeng through her thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Qin Rufeng immediately stopped and stepped behind the crowd.

Then she asked Mo Baizhi, "Headhunter Spider? Does it have a name? Isn't it something that mutated from Elder Li?"

Mo Baizhi said, "The poisonous spiders raised by the sect are only for refining medicine, not for making poison, so their venom is not very strong, but they are agile and cunning. Therefore, many disciples who feed the poisonous spiders have been bitten."

"Because the toxicity is not strong, almost no treatment is needed. But that was just past experience; things have changed completely after the Blood Cloud invasion."

"Elder Li and Ling! Meng% first is not the first to mutate into a half-human, half-spider form; she is simply the one with the strongest cultivation."

“There have been disciples who mutated before, and the sect tried to save them. Although they were ultimately unable to save them, they gained a fairly clear understanding of some of the abilities and habits of these spider-people.”

As they were talking, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

"This is actually... Senior Brother Zhao?!" Mo Baizhi exclaimed hurriedly. "The thundercloud is fake; this spell is Bloodthorn Ground Spikes. Sect Leader, watch your step."

Qin Rufeng immediately spread her snow-white wings and took flight. In an instant, countless spear-like blood-red thorns suddenly sprouted from the ground.

Although this thing looks like just a wooden spike, it is blood red, straight, extremely hard, and incredibly sharp.

The crowd below immediately erupted in wails and screams...

Although those with higher cultivation levels were mostly unharmed, each sect brought along some disciples and servants.

Ordinary disciples are only at the Golden Core stage, while servants are below the Golden Core level. They were caught off guard by this feint and theft.

Some people were pierced by several thorns, looking like nailed specimens. Some were even pierced through the chest, with sharp thorns protruding from their mouths. Even Shen Congrong, who had a high level of cultivation, was scratched by the blood thorns.