All Talk and No Action?

Cloud Crane High Person?!

Lin Mo was startled and instinctively moved to rush toward the rubble.

He had barely lifted his foot before he abruptly stopped.

His gaze wary, he quickly took the Hundred-Mile Talisman he had previously exchanged for at the Black Market out of his Storage Bag and clutched it tightly in his palm.

He also put the Wound-Repair Pill in his mouth and held it there. Only then did he cautiously approach the rubble, using both hands and feet to clear away the great heap of shattered rock that stood over half a person's height.

A moment later.

Beneath the rubble, a bony, aged hand stained with dried blood came into Lin Mo's view.

"Don't worry, Senior. I'll get you out right away."

With the pill in his mouth, Lin Mo's voice was somewhat muffled, but his hands never paused. He cleared away all the surrounding rubble and finally laid eyes on the Cloud Crane High Person of rumor.

The word "miserable" hardly did him justice!

This somewhat renowned Foundation Establishment Cultivator wore a gray-white Daoist robe that was torn to shreds. More than half of the three long wisps of beard beneath his chin had burned away, and what remained was charred.

His topknot had also been burned apart during the battle. His scorched, disheveled hair covered his formerly lean, refined face, incidentally concealing much of the grime on it.

"Cough, cough, cough."

After Lin Mo rescued him, Cloud Crane High Person sat on the ground looking utterly spent. He studied Lin Mo's face for a moment, then suddenly gave a self-mocking smile. "Just a little fellow at the First Layer of Qi Refining? The Azure Cloud Sect... heh!"

"Without reaching Golden Core, we're all mere ants. I can't blame others for looking down on me. I'm old, so old!"

Unsure what to say, Lin Mo stood awkwardly beside him.

He still had not put away the Hundred-Mile Talisman clutched in his palm. In his mouth, the beeswax coating sealing the Wound-Repair Pill was gradually melting.

Yet he felt too embarrassed to spit the pill out in front of Cloud Crane High Person, leaving him thoroughly ill at ease.

"My injuries are too severe. I'm afraid I won't last much longer."

Cloud Crane High Person smiled bleakly, and boundless fury welled up in his eyes again. "I knew long ago that those bastards from the Tai Sui Gate would settle accounts after the autumn harvest. I just never expected them to come so soon."

"Not only did they ruin the Spirit Fields I poured my heart and soul into cultivating, they also destroyed my Five-Element Luo Dou Formation. I exhausted every trick I had, and in the end, I only managed to save this old life by relying on a Doppelganger Puppet."

"I thought the Azure Cloud Sect would send someone sooner. I never expected... urgh!"

Perhaps his injuries were simply too severe. Before Cloud Crane High Person could finish, he suddenly spat out a great mouthful of stagnant blood. It was purplish-black, clearly laced with deadly poison.

"Senior, you... please wait a moment."

Lin Mo hesitated again and again before finally steeling himself and spitting out the Wound-Repair Pill tucked beneath his tongue.

Moving swiftly, he peeled away the last thin layer of beeswax from the pill, then offered it to Cloud Crane High Person in his palm.

"Please don't take offense, Senior. This is a Wound-Repair Pill I prepared in advance, just in case."

Seeing the astonishment on Cloud Crane High Person's face, Lin Mo covered his embarrassment with an explanation. "It's a high-grade yellow tier pill. Though it won't be enough to heal your injuries, it can buy you a little time."

"I also have a Hundred-Mile Talisman here. I'll carry you on my back and set off immediately. We can definitely return to the sect within four hours and ask the sect elders to treat your injuries!"

Cloud Crane High Person was even more astonished.

From what he knew of the Azure Cloud Sect, how could a mere First Layer of Qi Refining disciple possess both a Hundred-Mile Talisman and a Wound-Repair Pill?

To him, of course, neither item was particularly precious. But the Azure Cloud Sect had a vast household and extensive holdings; no amount of treasures was ever enough to go around. How could any fall to this little fellow before him?

"It seems the Azure Cloud Sect doesn't entirely look down on me after all. They at least knew to have you bring a pill..."

Cloud Crane High Person murmured to himself, then took the pill from Lin Mo and swallowed it. Only then did he slowly ask, "Which elder was so thoughtful? I'll remember this favor."

Well...

Lin Mo hesitated, but ultimately told the truth. "To be honest, Senior, this is something I privately exchanged for to preserve my life, even if it meant smashing my pots and selling the iron."

"With the Tai Sui Gate stirring up trouble, the world outside isn't peaceful. It never hurts to make a few extra preparations."

"And... I actually didn't want to leave the mountain. But I've often heard my fellow senior brothers speak of your distinguished bearing, and I've long admired you. When I heard this mission was to invite you to serve as the sect's Guest Elder, naturally, I couldn't shirk my duty..."

His words were half true and half false, delivering just the right touch of flattery while putting his "poverty" on full display.

Even with Cloud Crane High Person's torch-bright discernment, he could not muster the slightest suspicion of Lin Mo at that moment. The more he looked at the little fellow, the more he liked him.

"In that case, it's you I owe a favor. To think I assumed some old fellow in the Azure Cloud Sect had grown a conscience..."

Cloud Crane High Person wore a complicated expression. After a long silence, he finally smiled and spoke again. "I've acted openly and honorably all my life. Having received your kindness, I naturally can't leave it unacknowledged."

"Tell me, what benefit would you like from me?"

"As I said earlier, less than a tenth of my lifetime's wealth remains after dealing with those beasts from the Tai Sui Gate. But I can still guarantee you won't lose out."

Even a starving camel was bigger than a horse. How could Lin Mo's current wealth possibly compare with that of a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment?

Joy stirred in Lin Mo's heart, but his expression remained exceptionally sincere. "My name is Lin Mo, Senior. I originally sought nothing in return, but I've also heard my senior brothers say you're a master of formations, renowned throughout the cultivation world."

"To have the good fortune of meeting you today, and perhaps receiving your guidance on formations, would surely benefit me endlessly."

Quick-witted, not greedy, and so pleasant to listen to...

The Azure Cloud Gate truly lived up to its reputation as a great righteous sect within a thousand-mile radius. Even a mere First Layer of Qi Refining disciple was this outstanding!

What a pity, though.

Judging by this little fellow's attire, he was clearly an Outer Sect Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. His Spiritual Root surely couldn't be very good.

Otherwise, passing my legacy on to him would be a fine choice. Alas, fate makes fools of us all. I'm afraid I'll have to take all my abilities into the coffin...

"So your name is Lin Mo... You wish for my guidance in the art of formations. I'll keep that in mind."

Cloud Crane High Person slowly nodded and offered this remark in an offhand tone.

While the two conversed, the Wound-Repair Pill he had swallowed began to take effect. A little vitality visibly returned to Cloud Crane High Person's ashen face.

Lin Mo was quick to notice and act. Seeing that Cloud Crane High Person intended to get up, he immediately stepped forward to support him.

"My external injuries are no longer much trouble. But these internal injuries..."

Cloud Crane High Person walked a few steps, then turned to Lin Mo and said quietly, "We shouldn't linger here. It would be best to head to the Azure Cloud Sect as soon as possible. I'll... have to trouble you with the effort."

It's not much effort, but could you actually give me some guidance on formations? Don't just talk without doing anything! The Spirit Plants in my Small Courtyard are still waiting for a formation to protect them!

Lin Mo grumbled inwardly, but showed not a trace of dissatisfaction.

"It's my good fortune to be of service to you, Senior."

He delivered this courtesy with solemn conviction, then bent down and hoisted Cloud Crane High Person onto his back. Afterward, he circulated the spiritual energy within his body and poured it into the Hundred-Mile Talisman in his palm.

Whoosh!

An exceptionally abundant surge of talisman power instantly enveloped Lin Mo's legs.

His feet seemed barely to touch the ground. The scenery on both sides of the mountain path raced backward as Lin Mo sprinted along the way he had come, heading for the Azure Cloud Sect!