A Bolt from the Blue!

It was deep in the night, the moon dark and lightless.

In the Azure Cloud Sect's great hall, Sect Master Han Kang sat upright on a jade throne with his eyes closed. Below him, seventeen elders wore tightly knitted brows, clearly troubled by something.

Suddenly.

A white-robed young man strode into the hall, dropped to one knee, and cupped his hands. "Reporting to the Sect Master and elders! The rogue cultivator Cloud Crane High Person has come to join the sect. He has just reached the foot of the mountain!"

Oh?

Han Qing's eyelids stirred slightly, but his closed eyes did not open.

The elders exchanged glances, their gazes finally settling on the female elder seated farthest back.

The recently promoted seventeenth elder, Liu Cui, was in the early first layer of foundation establishment.

"Cloud Crane is merely at the peak of foundation establishment. His lifespan is nearing its end, and he has no hope of reaching golden core."

Han Qing still did not open his eyes. "Having Martial Niece Liu settle him in will give him more than enough face. Go."

Liu Cui immediately rose, cupped her hands in salute, and left the hall. Then she took to the air with Sword Riding and streaked toward the foot of the mountain.

Silence returned to the great hall.

After an unknown stretch of time, Han Qing's somewhat cold voice sounded softly again.

"The Tai Sui Gate has risen from the ashes and is secretly slaughtering mortals. For now, its operations are small, and it has not committed too much bloodshed. We can set it aside for the moment."

"Our immediate priority is to find Zhu Ang's hiding place as soon as possible. He is the greatest threat to our sect!"

At the foot of White Jade Mountain, beneath the entrance's gold-lettered plaque bearing the words "Azure Cloud Sect."

Lin Mo sat limply on the ground, utterly drained. His hands and feet twitched from time to time, and cold sweat poured from his forehead.

Cloud Crane High Person was hardly better off. Though he could stand, his truly life-threatening injuries were internal, far beyond what a mere yellow grade Wound-Repair Pill could heal. He was barely holding himself together, unwilling to lose face before the Azure Cloud Sect.

By comparison, Lin Mo was not actually as miserable as he looked.

Although the backlash from activating the Hundred-Mile Talisman was severe, his physical strength had reached at least the second layer of qi refining, a minor realm above his cultivation.

He had guessed that, since Cloud Crane High Person was about to become a guest elder, someone from the sect's upper ranks would surely come in person. That was why he deliberately acted so weak.

This should be what someone in the first layer of qi refining looked like after using a Hundred-Mile Talisman, right?

Lin Mo was not sure either, but there was no harm in being cautious.

"Chamber Pot... Senior Brother Lin?!"

"It really is Senior Brother Lin! He seems to be injured!"

"Who's that old man beside him? His hair's scorched, and his beard's burned clean off. Tsk, tsk... pretty miserable!"

Many servant disciples had come after hearing the news, but they all watched from a distance. None approached.

One less complication was better than one more.

Granted, Lin Mo's standing was nothing like it had once been, and they ought to seize this chance to curry favor.

But they had no idea what had happened. If they tried to pat the horse's rump and got kicked by its hoof instead, the loss would hardly be worth the gain.

"Have you nothing to do? What kind of conduct is this, making such a racket? All of you, get back to bed!"

An exceedingly cold, stern woman's voice suddenly rang out from above the mountain-path steps.

It was Steward Wang of the Spirit Plant Courtyard, Wang Qiuru.

She had extensive connections within the Azure Cloud Sect and knew Lin Mo had accepted an errand mission. She even knew exactly when he had left the sect, having assigned someone specifically to keep an eye on the matter.

No sooner had Lin Mo returned to the mountain than she received word and immediately hurried over with her people.

Faced with Wang Qiuru's fury, how could the servant disciples dare disobey? They scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing until not one remained.

"This junior, Wang Qiuru, pays her respects to Senior Cloud Crane."

Looking tense, Wang Qiuru first greeted True Person Cloud Crane, then hurried to Lin Mo's side, her eyes filled with concern. "Lin Mo, how are you? Should we have..."

A jolt ran through Lin Mo's heart. He hastily shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, Steward Wang. This is only because I used a Hundred-Mile Talisman. I can withstand this little bit of backlash. I'll recover soon."

From Wang Qiuru's tone, she seemed to want to tell Zhou Ge about this.

There's no special relationship between Zhou Ge and me. If this exposes the truth, won't I be lifting a rock only to smash my own foot?

"As long as you're all right."

Learning that it was merely backlash from the Hundred-Mile Talisman, Wang Qiuru's expression eased considerably.

She reached into her robes, took a small, pale-yellow pill with a fresh fragrance from her Storage Bag, and handed it to Lin Mo with a smile. "Take this. It'll end the backlash sooner. Go ahead, don't worry. It isn't worth much."

Lin Mo had seen this kind of pill at the Black Market. It was a high-grade yellow tier Essence Restoration Pill, worth fifty contribution points apiece.

Exchanging for one at the Sect Affairs Hall cost even more. Even a hundred contribution points might not be enough.

Though not as valuable as a Wound-Repair Pill, an Essence Restoration Pill was still quite precious. It could restore vitality in a short time and considerably benefited a cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit.

Moreover, Wound-Repair Pills and Essence Restoration Pills complemented each other. When fighting other cultivators, people often took both at once.

One rapidly healed injuries while the other restored essence, energy, and spirit. Only by replenishing their spiritual energy could they continue fighting and better preserve their lives.

"This is too precious. I..."

Lin Mo had intended to politely decline, but the moment he saw Wang Qiuru's warm expression, as though to say they were all on the same side, he forcibly swallowed the words on his tongue.

Fine. The misunderstanding keeps getting deeper, and the debt of favors I owe keeps growing!

After swallowing the Essence Restoration Pill, Lin Mo felt comfortable all over.

He had mostly been putting on an act to begin with. Now, as the medicine spread through him, his dantian seemed to hold a blazing fire, warming his entire body.

A soft pop sounded.

Some barrier within him seemed to loosen imperceptibly. His meridians ached faintly, followed by a rush of aching pleasure.

Lin Mo was startled, then delighted, before he could not help mocking himself inwardly.

The five-spirit root really is trash aptitude, as useless as useless can be.

I've drunk so much Spirit Spring Water from the gourd. In theory, my spiritual root must have improved quite a bit, yet my aptitude is still at the bottom of the pile. Advancing my cultivation is incredibly difficult.

For a moment, I thought the Essence Restoration Pill's remaining medicinal power had unexpectedly pushed me into the late first layer of qi refining.

But all it had done was loosen the barrier. He still had a long road ahead before his cultivation advanced.

"I am Liu Cui, seventeenth elder of the Azure Cloud Sect. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Cloud Crane."

Just as Lin Mo was silently pondering this.

An emerald streak of light cut through the distant sky. Liu Cui landed with Sword Riding and cupped her hands in greeting to Cloud Crane High Person.

Cloud Crane High Person's brows furrowed slightly. After a brief hesitation, he returned the salute. "The world is ever-changing. I have always prided myself on standing aloof, yet now even I must seek your esteemed sect's protection."

"For Elder Liu to come in person, your esteemed sect clearly holds me in great esteem. I am overwhelmed by the honor, truly overwhelmed. Heh, heh!"

Though his words professed humility, his tone was sour, and he placed heavy emphasis on "great esteem."

Lin Mo understood immediately. The old fellow was at it again. Even with things having reached this point, he still could not let go of that pitiful scrap of face.

Unlike me. A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. With the Treasure Gourd in hand, I'll hold my head high sooner or later. There's no shame in this.

"You may have misunderstood, fellow Daoist."

Liu Cui's expression remained unchanged as she said softly, "It is only because remnants of the Tai Sui Gate have been causing trouble and slaughtering mortal villagers. Martial Uncle Sect Master is discussing the matter with my senior brothers in the great hall. Otherwise, he would certainly have come in person..."

Boom!

The unexpected news struck like a bolt from a clear blue sky.

Lin Mo's heart shook violently. His face involuntarily turned deathly pale, and even his breathing grew sharply hurried.

Slaughtering mortals...

Locust Grass Village below the mountain. Father, Mother, my little sister Xiao He, the hundreds of villagers.

They... nothing could have happened to them, could it?!