Within the Dao-Attainment Pagoda, a state of busyness descended once more.
The two elders continued their secluded cultivation to refine the Magical Treasure. The four juniors were occupied with alchemy, healing, and talisman drawing.
Wei Haolan's injuries were not yet fully healed, and Xia Qing was not skilled in other arts. Seeing this, Mo Tiange taught Xia Qing some techniques for refining special elixirs, while she and Tang Shen took on the task of talisman creation.
With a clear goal in mind, the atmosphere within the Dao-Attainment Pagoda, though tense, was also filled with hope.
The talisman mentioned by the two elders was a high-grade talisman. Although Foundation Establishment cultivators could also draw it, it required a long period of practice. The talisman paper and ink required for this talisman needed special materials. To reduce material consumption, Mo Tiange and Tang Shen both started practicing with low-grade talismans.
In the art of talisman creation, Mo Tiange truly had no talent. Her talent in skills was only exceptional in formations, passable in alchemy, but truly lacking in talisman creation. However, this talisman had to be drawn, so she had no choice but to bury herself in practice.
Fortunately, Tang Shen's talent for talisman creation was unexpectedly good, greatly reducing the pressure on her.
The fourth layer of the Dao-Attainment Pagoda was closed once more. The two elders focused on refining the Magical Treasure, Wei Haolan quietly healed her injuries, Xia Qing buried herself in alchemy, while Mo Tiange and Tang Shen devoted themselves fully to talisman drawing.
This preparation lasted another four years.
In truth, Wei Haolan's injuries were healed by the third year. Xia Qing also joined the talisman creation efforts in the second year. Three years later, Tang Shen finally succeeded in creating the Poison Repelling Talisman.
And the two elders, after four years, finally emerged from seclusion once more.
The six of them gathered together again.
"Elders, has the Magical Treasure been successfully refined?"
"Indeed." Elder Qingyi's hoarse voice carried a hint of joy. "After several failures, the Magical Treasure to deal with that Demonic Cultivator has finally been refined successfully!"
The four juniors simultaneously revealed smiles.
They had been trapped within this Dao-Attainment Pagoda for twenty years. Finally, there was hope of getting out.
Though Mo Tiange's expression wasn't overly excited, she was also delighted in her heart. She had originally come out on this journey only to temper her state of mind. She never imagined it would take over twenty years. She didn't know how things were within the Xuanqing Sect after her absence of over twenty years. Was that cheap master of hers still as incorrigible as ever? Had Zhenji already established his Foundation? Was her small cave abode still intact...
Thinking of this, she wished she could sprout wings and fly directly over the Tianmo Mountain Range back to the Xuanqing Sect.
The Dao-Attainment Pagoda, closed for twenty years, finally opened.
The two so-called Divine Dragon Sect disciples guarding outside the pagoda were, as usual, chatting and joking with great delight. They had been assigned to guard the Dao-Attainment Pagoda, and for over ten years, nothing had happened. They had long forgotten Ren Yufeng's instructions, spending their days in idle chatter, drinking, and gambling.
When light shone from the location of the original teleportation formation beneath the Dao-Attainment Pagoda, the two gamblers were still rolling dice, betting on who would get that month's Spirit Stones.
A group of six people appeared on the teleportation formation. The two Core Formation elders gave cold smiles. Elder Qingmiao waved a hand, and a powerful pressure descended.
The two low-level cultivators looked up in panic, only then seeing the six people on the teleportation formation. For a moment, their mouths hung open, speechless.
They had no time to speak. Under the pressure, the two widened their eyes, blood flowing from their seven orifices as they silently collapsed face-first.
"Hmph!" Elder Qingmiao snorted coldly. "Sending such people to stand guard is truly shameful!"
Elder Qingyi said, "Never mind them. Let's do what we need to do! Xia Qing, Shen'er, you two go gather the original Bixuan Pavilion disciples. Inform them we have emerged. As for the other rogue cultivators, if they surrender, we won't make things difficult for them. If they remain stubbornly unyielding, execute them on the spot!"
"Yes!" Xia Qing and Tang Shen accepted the orders.
"Haolan, Tiange, you two go activate the Mountain-Protecting Great Array. Make sure that Demonic Cultivator does not escape."
"Yes."
Elder Qingyi waved her hand. "Good. We'll split up now. Once you've finished your tasks, assemble at the council hall."
The four split into two groups and departed to carry out their orders.
The Mountain-Protecting Great Array of the Bixuan Pavilion was also set up by Mo Yaoqing in the past. With her peerless talent, this Mountain-Protecting Great Array was extremely powerful. However, twenty years ago, Shangguan Yunhao harbored ill intentions, colluded with Ren Yufeng, and secretly deactivated the Mountain-Protecting Great Array, rendering it useless.
The two elders had long since made their plans. On one hand, they would gather the original disciples and kill the lackeys. On the other hand, they would activate the Mountain-Protecting Great Array to constrain Ren Yufeng. By accomplishing these two aspects, they would have over an eighty percent chance of successfully eliminating Ren Yufeng.
Mo Tiange followed Wei Haolan, flying towards the Mountain-Protecting Great Array. Along the way, they encountered many low-level disciples, but the two paid them no heed.
Only after they had moved far from the pavilions and towers of the Bixuan Pavilion and saw a towering watchtower did Wei Haolan stop. "Elder Mo, please lend me a hand."
Mo Tiange nodded. The Mountain-Protecting Great Array was vast in scale. For one person to activate it alone would be beyond their strength.
Ren Yufeng had long since fallen into demonic ways. Even though he had created this so-called Divine Dragon Sect, it was merely like bandits in the mortal world occupying a mountain as their king. It had no semblance of a proper sect. He didn't understand the intricacies of this Mountain-Protecting Great Array, and now there wasn't a single person inside this watchtower.
Mo Tiange's attainments in formations were unmatched among cultivators of her level. Wei Haolan took out the formation diagram, and the two of them repaired it step by step according to the diagram. After spending most of the day, they finally finished repairing the damaged parts.
By now, they could both sense the spiritual energy fluctuations coming from within the Bixuan Pavilion. It must be the two elders engaging Ren Yufeng.
Both were somewhat worried. Concentrating their senses for a moment, Mo Tiange said, "The two elders should be fine. The Death Qi within these spiritual energy fluctuations isn't strong. Presumably, the two elders have suppressed it."
Wei Haolan glanced at her with slight surprise and nodded. The Bixuan Pavilion spanned hundreds of li. This place was also a hundred li from the inner areas. Mo Tiange could actually sense it from here, showing her spiritual sense was extremely strong. Wei Haolan thought to herself, the two elders indeed had exceptional judgment. This Elder Mo was so young yet possessed such abilities. It seemed she would undoubtedly advance to Core Formation before long. In that case, although this Elder Mo wouldn't stay long in Linhai, if she had any spare capacity in the future, she would surely look after them a little.
Each lost in their own thoughts, they buried themselves in replenishing the Spirit Stones. Operating the Mountain-Protecting Great Array required an enormous number of Spirit Stones. Over the years, with the formation in a semi-ruined state, the Spirit Stones had long been taken away by others. Mo Tiange and Wei Haolan worked for a good while before replenishing all the Spirit Stones.
Not long after, Wei Haolan activated the Mountain-Protecting Great Array. A loud "hum" sounded from within the watchtower, and white light shone forth, instantly illuminating the entire watchtower brightly.
Following this sound, a hazy layer of mist appeared in the sky above the Bixuan Pavilion. This mist grew thicker and thicker, gradually forming a defensive shield.
The Mountain-Protecting Great Array of the Bixuan Pavilion was now fully activated. Everyone within the array was under its protection, while simultaneously, all entry and exit paths were sealed.
Seeing the great array activated, Wei Haolan said, "Elder Mo, let's go help as well."
Mo Tiange nodded. Besides killing Ren Yufeng, there were too many other things to do. Although Xia Qing and Tang Shen were much stronger than twenty years ago, no one knew if there would be any accidents.
The two each stepped onto their flying Magical Treasures and headed towards the inner areas of the Bixuan Pavilion.
By now, chaos reigned within the Bixuan Pavilion.
In the center, the spiritual energy fluctuations grew increasingly powerful. Presumably, the two elders were fighting Ren Yufeng desperately. However, the so-called Divine Dragon Sect disciples gathered by Ren Yufeng were not all original Bixuan Pavilion disciples. Among them were some rogue cultivators, and even some people, like Ren Yufeng, were covered in Death Qi, though not as powerful.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange and Wei Haolan each took out the prepared Poison Repelling Talismans. Sensing the locations of Xia Qing and Tang Shen with their spiritual sense, they flew over together.
From afar, they saw Xia Qing and Tang Shen. They were engaged in battle with others. Two early Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a dozen Qi Condensation disciples, all covered in Death Qi—likely Ren Yufeng's disciples and followers.
"Sect Leader Senior Sister! Senior Sister Mo!" Seeing the two of them, Xia Qing called out loudly.
She and Tang Shen had the Poison Repelling Talismans on them, so these people couldn't do anything to them. However, they themselves were not skilled in combat, so for a time, they couldn't subdue these people either.
Mo Tiange and Wei Haolan both made their move.
Wei Haolan summoned her Frost Mirror, releasing streams of frost spells from the mirror.
Mo Tiange, however, raised a hand, and the Flying Shuttle obeyed like an extension of her arm, agile as a swimming dragon. Over the years, she had studied Mo Yaoqing's notes within the Dao-Attainment Pagoda and learned many combat secrets. The Flying Shuttle became incredibly sharp in her hands.
Wherever the Flying Shuttle went, corpses fell. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators had to contend with Wei Haolan's frost spells while dodging the Flying Shuttle, becoming flustered. To make matters worse, all four of them had Poison Repelling Talismans, so their Death Qi couldn't penetrate at all. For a time, they were hard-pressed.
Seeing the situation, Tang Shen and Xia Qing didn't hesitate. Each wielded their Magical Tools, attacking these two cultivators. Before long, they killed them on the spot.
Putting away their Magical Tools, Xia Qing came forward and asked, "Senior Sisters, are you both alright?"
"We're fine." Wei Haolan looked around. Apart from the dozen or so Demonic Cultivators they had killed, there was no one else. "Why is there no one else? Did you deliver the message?"
Xia Qing answered dejectedly, "That Demonic Cultivator turned many people into the same state as himself. These people's minds were greatly altered and wouldn't listen to persuasion, so we had no choice but to kill them... There were also some who still had their senses, but their strength was too weak, so we told them to hide first."
Wei Haolan frowned. "Tell them all to come out. Right now, they know the situation within the sect best. Have them lead us to purge the Demonic Cultivators."
"Alright."
They quickly found these cultivators who had been enslaved by Ren Yufeng. Among them were many original Bixuan Pavilion disciples. Seeing Wei Haolan, many of them wept. These people had been oppressed by Ren Yufeng for twenty years. Now, they could finally take revenge, overjoyed. They led the four of them around to purge the Demonic Cultivators assimilated by Ren Yufeng.
The four of them split into three routes: Xia Qing and Tang Shen on one route, Wei Haolan on another, and Mo Tiange on the third, purging the entire Bixuan Pavilion. The Death Qi of these Demonic Cultivators was far less potent than Ren Yufeng's. To make matters worse for them, the four carried Poison Repelling Talismans. Soon, the Demonic Cultivators scattered throughout the Bixuan Pavilion were completely purged.
Finally, everyone looked towards the center of the Bixuan Pavilion, where the council hall was located.
Above the great hall, it was firmly covered by the Mountain-Protecting Great Array. Beneath the defensive shield, Ren Yufeng, shrouded in black energy, stood facing the two elders.