Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 716 Hidden Mission 2

A dozen days later, Yun Chu was busy in the weapon-refining room when she suddenly heard a faint voice transmission.

She stopped what she was doing and listened intently. It turned out that Ji Xi was asking about weapon crafting.

Yun Chu smiled slightly and asked telepathically, "Where are you now?" After receiving Ji Xi's reply, she put down the tools in her hand, straightened her clothes, and walked towards where Ji Xi was.

When Yun Chu arrived at the outer sect's training hall, she saw Ji Xi from afar.

She strode forward, and when Ji Xi saw Yun Chu, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She quickly bowed and said, "Senior Sister Qingyun Peak, thank you for your lecture that day. I benefited greatly from it. I hope you will not take offense at my intrusion today."

Yun Chu waved her hand and said gently, "It's alright, feel free to ask me any questions."

Ji Xi took out a piece of second-tier spiritual material and said with some distress, "Senior sister, when I'm refining this spiritual material, I can't completely remove the impurities. I don't know what's wrong."

Yun Chu took the spiritual material, examined it carefully, and then patiently explained to Ji Xi: "Look, the distribution of impurities in this spiritual material is quite special, so we need to use the 'roundabout melting method'. When melting, we start heating from the edge first, allowing the impurities to slowly accumulate, and then concentrate the heat to remove them."

As she spoke, Yun Chu even demonstrated it herself.

Ji Xi watched Yun Chu's actions intently, her eyes filled with admiration.

Under Yun Chu's guidance, Ji Xi quickly mastered the method and successfully smelted a piece of pure spiritual material.

She said excitedly, "Senior, thank you so much! I understand now."

Yun Chu smiled and said, "You're welcome. Feel free to ask me anytime if you have any questions." With that, Yun Chu turned and left.

A little over a month later, Yun Chu received a task to collect spiritual plants.

This mission requires venturing deep into the Orchid Mountains to collect a third-tier spiritual plant called "Purple Heart Orchid".

Yun Chu felt this was a good opportunity to make a deeper impression, so she invited Ji Xi and two other outer disciples to go together.

Before setting off, Yun Chu carefully explained the precautions for the mission and the dangers that might be encountered.

Looking at the determined eyes of the crowd, she nodded with satisfaction: "Everyone must be careful. Our goal this time is to collect the Purple Heart Orchid, and at the same time, we must ensure our own safety."

In the early morning of the Youlan Mountains, a thin mist, like gauze, swirls among the verdant forests.

Yun Chu and her group of four walked through the dew-covered path deep into the heart of the mountains.

Ji Xi walked at the front, wearing a faded outer disciple's robe, yet her steps were steady, her eyes sharp, and she frequently observed the roadside plants and trees.

Luo Hai and Zhou Yanyan followed closely behind. The former was burly, while the latter was slender. Both were disciples with good aptitude in the outer sect.

"Senior sister, the outer perimeter of the Youlan Mountains is mostly inhabited by demonic beasts below the second rank, but the deeper you go, the greater the danger becomes."

Ji Xi turned around and said in a clear, melodious voice, “I’ve heard my senior brothers say that there are always third-tier demonic beasts guarding the places where the Purple Heart Orchid grows, so we need to be extra careful.”

Yun Chu nodded slightly, her blue Taoist robe fluttering gently in the morning breeze: "You have observed very carefully. Purple Heart Orchids prefer shade and dampness, and mostly grow in the shady places of cliffs. Let's follow this stream first, and we should be able to find something."

Before he could finish speaking, a rustling sound suddenly came from the dense forest ahead. Then, a huge black-maned wolf demon leaped out of the bushes, its fangs bared and its eyes gleaming with ferocity, and charged straight at Ji Xi!

"Watch out!" Yun Chu shouted softly, her figure moving like lightning, instantly blocking Ji Xi's path.

With a flick of her right hand, a metallic hammer appeared in her palm, its head engraved with delicate cloud patterns and faintly shimmering with spiritual light.

The black-maned wolf demon pounced into the air, but Yun Chu remained calm and composed. With a slight twist of her wrist, the iron hammer drew a beautiful arc and struck the wolf demon squarely in the throat.

With a crisp "crack," the wolf demon's neck was snapped in two, and its massive body crashed heavily to the ground, twitching a few times before going still.

"Senior Sister, what amazing skills!" Luo Hai exclaimed. "This is a mid-stage second-tier Black Mane Wolf Demon. An ordinary Qi Refining disciple would surely die if he encountered it."

Yun Chu put away the hammer and smiled faintly: "A weapon refiner not only needs to be proficient in weapon refining, but also needs to have enough self-defense capabilities. This wolf demon's pelt is intact and can be made into high-grade magic weapon material."

With a light tap of her finger, a flash of green light appeared, and the wolf demon's corpse was stored in her storage bag.

Ji Xi squatted down and carefully examined the wolf demon's corpse: "Senior sister, there is a tiny demon core inside this wolf demon. Although it is not pure, a small amount of essence blood can be extracted from it, which can help in refining low-level magic weapons."

"Not bad, you have a good eye," Yun Chu praised. "The way of weapon crafting is not only about smelting metals, but also about knowing how to utilize various rare and precious materials. Come, try extracting this demon core."

Ji Xi did as instructed, gathering spiritual energy in her fingers to carefully pry open the wolf demon's head and extract a pale blue demon core. Although her technique was clumsy, she was extremely cautious and did not waste a single drop of its essence.

“Very good. Keep this demon core. You can try to refine a small magic weapon when you get back.” Yun Chu handed the demon core back to Ji Xi. “The most important thing for a weapon refiner is not talent, but patience and meticulousness.”

The group continued on their journey, collecting many low-level spiritual plants along the way.

Ji Xi knew all kinds of herbs like the back of her hand. She pointed to a small, pale purple flower and said, "This is Dew-Condensing Grass. Although it is only a second-tier spiritual plant, it is very helpful for Qi Refining disciples to stabilize their cultivation level."

“You have a good understanding of spiritual plants.” Yun Chu watched Ji Xi skillfully harvest the Dew-Gathering Grass. “That’s good. If a weapon refiner can understand pharmacology, he will have a greater advantage when refining pills and magical artifacts in the future.”

"Replying to Senior Sister, I grew up in the mortal realm and have some knowledge of herbs. After coming to the cultivation world, I specifically studied them," Ji Xi replied respectfully.

"Learning has no end; keep this thirst for knowledge." Yun Chu nodded. "The cultivation world is vast and boundless; everyone has their own strengths."

As the sun rose higher, the four of them came to rest by a mountain stream. Yun Chu took out some dry food and water from her storage bag and distributed them to everyone.

Ji Xi accepted the food, thanked them softly, and then took out a few wild fruits from her small cloth bag: "These are Qingxin fruits that I picked on the road. They are not valuable, but they can relieve fatigue."

Yun took a bite and found the fruit to be sweet and refreshing, which indeed made her feel invigorated: "You are very thoughtful."

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows as the group continued their journey. The mountain became steeper, the forest denser, and a faint fragrance of flowers filled the air.

“Senior sister, the area ahead should be where the Purple Heart Orchid might appear.” Ji Xi pointed to a steep cliff ahead. “I have read in ancient books that the Purple Heart Orchid usually grows in shady places on cliffs, and there must be a water source nearby.”

Yun Chu focused her gaze and indeed saw a hidden waterfall below the cliff, with the sound of flowing water.

She circulated her spiritual power and sensed for a moment: "Not bad, I have detected the aura of the Purple Heart Orchid, but at the same time I also sensed a powerful demonic aura—a third-tier demonic beast is nearby."

"Senior sister, what should we do?" Luo Hai asked nervously.