The Jade Spring Sect's hatred for Heart-Eroding Stronghold actually dates back a long time.
The previous generation master of the Heart-Eroding Stronghold attacked the previous generation sect master of the Jade Spring Sect, causing that Golden Core True Person, who originally had the potential to reach the Nascent Soul, to ultimately pass away in despair and Liberation by Violence the cycle of reincarnation.
From then on, disciples of the Jade Spring Sect would kill Heart-Eroding Stronghold they encountered.
The Jade Spring Sect is growing stronger and stronger, so the Heart-Eroding Stronghold cannot stand idly by.
Chen Shuangbai could roughly guess that the front lines of the sect's fight against the Heart-Eroding Stronghold were certainly not peaceful.
Unexpectedly, these demonic dogs from Heart-Eroding Stronghold actually managed to infiltrate the heart of the Jade Spring Sect Sect's territory, and even went so far as to plunder mortals. How is this any different from slapping Jade Spring Sect in the face?
Upon considering this, Chen Shuangbai couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis.
He will be descending the mountain soon, and I'm afraid the journey will not be peaceful.
You still need to diligently cultivate yourself and improve your cultivation level before making any further moves.
Having thought this through, Chen Shuangbai was about to take her leave when Yan Qi mentioned something else.
" Junior Brother Chen, there's another matter I'd like to ask of you today..."
As the saying goes, one should not trouble two people with the same matter.
Yan Qi brought Luo Yi to Chen Shuangbai to heal him with the Duckweed Water Incantation, and also made other requests.
He said, "Within the area we are patrolling, there is a village that has been corrupted by that demonic dog with its demonic energy. The scene is horrific, and the villagers are suffering in constant pain. Our purpose in returning to the mountain is to retrieve some medicinal pills from the sect before heading back to detoxify."
" Junior Brother Chen has already grasped three-tenths of the profound meaning of the ' Water and Wood Pure Splendor Incantation.' If you have the time, could you perhaps make a trip down the mountain to save those innocent villagers?"
Logically speaking, the Evil Hunting Hall is generally only responsible for killing, not for saving.
However, Yan Qi is a responsible person. His trip back to the mountain was not only for healing, but also to report the matter to the sect. Currently, the Expenditure Hall is mobilizing medicines and manpower, and will soon go to that location to remove the poison.
His invitation to Chen Shuangbai was a personal one.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Shuangbai agreed.
Perfect timing! He also wanted to see just how much damage the Heart-Eroding Stronghold cultivators had caused, and also to prepare for the possibility of encountering these demonic sect cultivators again in the future...
Not long after.
Above the flying boat base outside the Expenditure Hall, three medium-sized flying boats slowly rose. The wind and cloud patterns on the hulls were nourished by Spirit Power and slowly emitted light, gathering into wind and clouds around them. They passed through the mountain-protecting array and flew in a certain direction.
Chen Shuangbai, as agreed, was on the ship to the left.
Luo Yi stayed at the sect to recuperate.
As the one who invited him, Yan Qi naturally had to accompany Chen Shuangbai.
Chen Shuangbai watched the mountain gate gradually disappear into the distance, then looked back at the supplies piled high on the boat, most of which were ordinary food and other daily necessities, and felt a little curious.
Yan Qi didn't notice, but another steward from the Expenditure Hall who was traveling with him did, and asked with a smile.
"This junior brother is curious why, when we cultivators have storage rings and Heaven-and-Earth Treasure Pouch that can easily hold massive amounts of supplies, we still need to go to such lengths to transport them by flying boat... is that right?"
Chen Shuangbai nodded truthfully.
The steward explained with a smile.
"We immortals ride the wind and control the six elements, seeking longevity and are no longer affected by calamities. But mortals are different."
"They are short-sighted and need lies and external incentives to motivate them."
"Therefore, instead of carrying convenient Storage Bag or Heaven-and-Earth Treasure Pouch, we have arrived here so openly and ostentatiously with a large amount of supplies, all to encourage them and make them realize that only within the territory of my Jade Spring Sect can they have a stable life."
"Stability is our sect's primary need."
Chen Shuangbai was deeply shocked.
He came from the White Water Chen Clan, which was a powerful clan of moderate size. However, he was born a young master and thus became detached from the lower classes. Although he knew that the lives of the lower classes were not good, he knew that his own strength was weak, so he could only do some relief work and try his best to take care of those around him.
However, the Jade Spring Sect's actions completely changed Chen Shuangbai's impression of immortal sects as having a superior cultivation power.
Admittedly, the Jade Spring Sect's actions were also purposeful.
But regardless of their true intentions, just the fact that they are willing to transport supplies for ordinary people and do this superficial work already puts them in a much better position than most other forces.
Three medium-sized airships raced through the sea of clouds. After about half a day, the lead airship descended from the clouds and slowly flew downwards.
The other two ships also followed.
After the surrounding clouds gradually dissipated, Chen Shuangbai stood by the boat, looking down at the mountains, rivers, towns and villages rushing past below.
Under the rule of the Jade Spring Sect, most places appeared to be in good order, with crisscrossing fields, neat houses, and occasional wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.
But the further northwest they flew, the more the scenery below began to reveal a different side.
The village nestled in a valley ahead was their destination.
"Almost there."
Yan Qi had somehow appeared beside Chen Shuangbai, pointed to the village shrouded in a thin mist in the valley ahead, and said, "That's Great Locust Village."
"It was relatively normal a month ago, except that some areas are located in the mountains and have a cold and damp climate."
"Half a month ago, the village head informed me through a communication talisman bestowed upon him by my sect that he had discovered that the village's livestock had died inexplicably, and the villagers were also listless. When I arrived after receiving the news, the village's well water had turned black and smelly, the soil had hardened, most of the vegetation had withered and died, and the villagers were ashen-faced, with strange gray-green spots appearing on their bodies. They were wailing day and night, in unbearable pain."
"They've already been poisoned?" Chen Shuangbai asked.
Yan Qi nodded.
"I used my Law Power to investigate and discovered that poisonous gases were rising from the ground, polluting the water source's veins. As a result, all the villagers and livestock living near the drinking water source are severely poisoned."
"After that, I immediately wanted to send a message to the sect to ask them to send Alchemist, but I did not expect that the Heart-Eroding Demon Dog was hiding in the shadows. When it saw me asking for help, it decisively attacked and was killed by me. However, Junior Brother Luo Yi was also seriously injured as a result... That's why I had to return to the mountain to ask for help."
Chen Shuangbai nodded, indicating that she understood.
He turned his gaze back to the Great Locust Village, Spirit-Appraising Pupil activated silently.
In the vision of the Spirit-Appraising Pupil, the thin mist shrouding Great Locust Village was clearly a layer of poisonous fog, swirling with a grayish-green color, obviously from the same source as the Bone-Corroding Wood Baleful Intent that had previously afflicted Luo Yi.
The source of this toxic fumes is that they rise from underground water veins.
However, the sect had already dispatched its vanguard to set up an array to seal off the poisonous fog within the villages and towns, and also sealed off the polluted underground water veins. Several nodes already had faintly glowing pills, clearly indicating that they were being used to detoxify.
Three airships slowly landed on a relatively clean high ground outside the valley.