Taking advantage of the shortcut provided by the Artisanship Commission, the group hurried to the Alchemy Commission, only to find Phantylia from a stiff neck.
"Pfft~ Miss Tingyun, your neck..." Knowing that the Tingyun in front of her was Phantylia disguise, March 7th couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"My God, is this what life is like for a merchant envoy?... I can't even sleep well, I've got a stiff neck." Xingliu looked at him with sympathy.
"Oh, this is called working while sick. Miss Tingyun is truly diligent."
Continuing their journey deeper into the Alchemy Commission, they also eliminated the traitors within the [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ].
"The long-dormant [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] has actually appeared at this critical juncture. I wonder if that diviner foresaw this..." Phantylia said, waving his folding fan in a pretentious manner.
"My benefactor, you must be careful. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus worship the Plagues Author [ The Yaoshi ], who is the Xianzhou's most trusted enemy."
"For thousands of years, the Alliance has been trying to eradicate this clandestine organization, but has never succeeded. Its emergence at this moment is certainly not a coincidence."
"Thank you for the explanation, Ms. Tingyun. We have already had some contact with this organization."
"Yes, yes, yesterday you and the Church deacons destroyed the [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] stronghold near Exalting Sanctum!"
"That's right, it's me." Xing put her hands on her hips, eager to take credit.
"Butler?" A shadow crossed her face, Phantylia replied with a smile.
"Sigh~ It feels like everyone in the Alchemy Commission is from the [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ]..." March 7th complained.
Not long after, Fu Xuan returned to the stronghold where the Alchemy Commission Cloud Knights was stationed.
"I apologize for keeping you all waiting. I have uncovered the mystery of the [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ]."
" Lord Diviner, we've been waiting for quite a while," Xing said, bowing her head slightly.
"I apologize, but to prevent leaks... only the general and I know about the [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ]. It's a secret organization plotting to overthrow the Alliance."
"They had been lurking in the shadows for years, but this time, with the Stellaron causing trouble, they finally couldn't resist revealing their whereabouts. Furthermore, this catastrophe also has an unusual connection to them."
"When the battle went poorly, the Grand Diviner took the lead and personally scouted the enemy's situation, which is admirable," Welt praised.
Fu Xuan couldn't help but praise her, a smile spreading across her lips, "Well... that's nothing! In matters of divination, the diviner must be present to obtain firsthand information in order to get as close to the correct result as possible..." She then realized something was amiss and raised her head:
"Wait... who said the war was going badly? [ The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] has been planning this for a long time and its methods are superb, but our army has not shown any signs of being at a disadvantage. How can you say the war is going badly?"
"You're too kind, Master Diviner. Let's get down to business," Ye Yan said, taking over the conversation. "Should we send out the special forces personally selected by the general next?"
"It seems everyone is prepared..." Her gaze shifted to Ye Yan. Was he also going to make a move?
"Sigh~ This is the first time I've met your Yukong. She said something quite insightful: 'This is an internal matter of the Xianzhou, no need for you to worry about it.'" March 7th even put on a cool and aloof tone.
"Looking at the time, it's only been a day. How come you've dumped all these awful tasks on us in the blink of an eye? No one in the company knows how to boss people around like you guys."
March 7th doesn't mean anything by it. "Let's guess, what are you planning to have us do this time? Not lead the charge... together with the Cloud Knights... in a charge, right?"
The thought of fighting those Abominations of Abundance to the death, especially since they possessed the monstrous resurrection skill [Resurrection], sent chills down March 7th's spine.
"No way! I'm terrified of big scenes!"
Seeing the deep misunderstanding surrounding March 7th, Fu Xuan explained, "Who said you were going to the battlefield...?"
"N-No?"
"Just as Mr. Ye mentioned, you are a surprise force that has arrived by chance, truly deserving the name 'surprise.' The Cloud Knights's strong attack just now was merely a show of force to demonstrate your strength to the enemy."
"The time to use unconventional methods is now," Fu Xuan explained to the crowd.
"After receiving the [ Ambrosial Arbor ], the Alchemy Commission became the most important department on the Xianzhou Luofu. After all, it was they who transformed all the Xianzhou native into Long-Life Species... and it was they who researched all sorts of incredible technologies from the [ Ambrosial Arbor ]."
"But in the end, the alchemists were still not satisfied. They began to take pleasure in manipulating life, and their research on the [ Ambrosial Arbor ] was like drinking poison to quench thirst... The deeper they went, the more they craved it."
Fu Xuan led everyone to a huge alchemy furnace that was emitting white smoke:
The Xianzhou native begin with a classic ancient Chinese poem. "[The morning bell awakens one from a dream within a dream, the mist and clouds gather and disperse beyond the body]... Everyone, do you see over there?"
"What a huge alchemy furnace! It's still smoking." Phantylia feigned amazement.
"This is where ancient alchemists expounded on the Dao of Immortality. They built alchemical furnaces here, drawing upon the power of the [ Ambrosial Arbor ] tree to turn fantastical ideas into reality... Because the furnaces are perpetually shrouded in smoke, they are named [ Aureate Elixir Furnace ]."
Hearing the familiar words, Xing patted March 7th on the shoulder. "See... this is the wisdom of the ancients."
At the Artisanship Commission, she wanted to emulate the ancients and directly draw upon the power of the [ Ambrosial Arbor ] in her own unique way, but unfortunately Ye Yan stopped her, which was a bit of a pity.
"Though the name sounds elegant, it's a death trap in military strategy. As long as the alchemy furnace doesn't go out and the clouds and mist swirl around it, we won't be able to move an inch."
Welt, hands on his chest. "Is this why the Cloud Knights went out of control and became possessed by demons?"
"Indeed," Fu Xuan replied, "[ The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] have mixed in pills that induce Mara-Struck within the mist that has permeated various parts of this cave."
"Unless they can march while holding their breath, the Cloud Knights will collapse without a fight."
Fu Xuan looked at the dissipating white mist. This Disciples of Sanctus Medicus was too ruthless, directly applying a fatal buff. The Cloud Knights had no chance to fight back. As they fought, they discovered that their allies had fallen into demonic darkness and instantly turned into the enemy.
"Because no one knows when their comrades will fall into Mara-Struck, what could undermine the morale of an army better than suspicion?"
Welt understood Fu Xuan's intention; such matters indeed needed to be handled by outsiders. " The Cloud Knights's first strong attack was merely a cover. The Grand Diviner used the main force of the Cloud Knights to draw the enemy's attention, while we went to extinguish the alchemy furnace and stop the smoke."
"[ The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] Abandoning a century of concealment and choosing to reveal himself now indicates his absolute confidence in victory; however, no matter how thorough his preparations, he is ultimately targeting the Cloud Knights."
"The [ Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] is completely unaware of your abilities and existence, and is utterly unable to defend against them."
"Hmm, although we know this smoke won't affect us, but... why not let the Church's Knights give it a try?"
Ye Yan looked at March 7th and answered for Fu Xuan, " The Church is only responsible for [ Destruction ]-related matters; handling [ the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ]... that's a separate price."
"Huh? Is that so...?" March 7th sensed a hint of unscrupulous business practices in the conversation.
"Why not let the Foxian and the Vidyadhara give it a try?" Xing seized the opportunity to change the subject. There was a Foxian right here, but it was the Lord Ravager in disguise.
Fu Xuan then explained the Mara-Struck in more detail, "You misunderstood the Mara-Struck; it's not a curse that specifically targets humans."
" The Foxian are not easily Mara-Struck because, although they are Long-Life Species, their lifespan is not infinite; while the Vidyadhara, through [ Molting Rebirth ], shed their old world. In terms of Mara-Struck alone, Long-Life Species are equal."
"However, the people of [ The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ] could never have imagined that the general would dare to ask for outside help, and of course, they wouldn't have made any preparations to deal with the Short-Life Species, or even..."
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Ye Yan again.