The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 705 Shen Le: I'll buy you time! Hold on for seven days, hold on for three months!

Shen Le and the civil and military officials under the King of Qin were all alarmed.

Zhongnan Mountain is no ordinary mountain! It is not one of the Five Sacred Mountains, but it is the closest large mountain to Chang'an. If something were to emerge from it, it could directly shake Chang'an.

It is also the place where the Taoist sect is stationed. Although the Taoist sect is stationed in the deeper mountains, it is still hard to guarantee that the changes will affect the sect.

Not to mention, if strange, non-human things were to emerge, the first wave would have to be the disciples of the Taoist sect...

Shen Le instantly thought of the "large hole" he had seen in the mountainside in modern times. Had something come out of there?

how many?
In the modern world, he saw many "things," and even though they were suppressed by the formation, they still made him extremely terrified...

"We need to go back first." He pulled his senior brother Lou Yun back, then turned to the clerk accompanying him and said:

"Go and see what the situation is, see how to handle it—could you send a letter, or something else, so we can mobilize nearby manpower and resources?"

The "other things" were obtained quickly. Du Ruhui had arranged everything and had already left with the King of Qin to continue his journey.

However, before he left, he had already arranged everything for Shen Le, such as the necessary documents. The clerk replied quickly:
"We will immediately send you a document, which will allow you to travel by express courier. You will arrive in Chang'an in two days and two nights."

Once you get there, if you need anything, just take the documents and this token directly to the General of Heavenly Strategy's residence, and someone will arrange everything for you..."

"Hurry!"

The clerk scribbled away, completing the document in one stroke without a single correction. Lou Yun practically snatched the document from his hand, gave it a quick shake, and a gust of hot air swept through, instantly drying the ink on the document.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, nodded, and rushed outside. Shen Le picked up two porcelain towers that had just been fired but not yet placed into the earth's veins, and together with Lou Yun, they formed a sword incantation, and sword light rose up.

In a flash, it pierced the sky and headed far to the west.

"what……"

The clerk reached out a hand, but missed, and could only watch the two beams of light disappear into the distance. Standing there, head held high, he watched them go, feeling a mixture of worry and relief.
These two are so skilled in magic, they should be able to stop the strange changes in Zhongnan Mountain, right?

The two, whose "immortal arts were so superb," ​​were so desperate that they rushed to the mountain gate, but before they could even get close, they had to make an emergency landing.

In the eyes of a sword immortal who can fly on a sword, the thick black clouds almost pressed down on the mountain peak where the mountain gate was located.

Within the dark clouds, rumbling thunder echoed, and streaks of lightning flashed continuously.
Even when they were still dozens of miles from the dark clouds, the flying sword was already swaying precariously. It was clear that the entire mountain range's spiritual energy was vibrating, making it difficult for them to control the flying sword.

"What do we do now?! We can't get through the mountain gate!"

Shen Le shouted. Lou Yun shouted back even louder:

"Let's go around in a circle first! See where everyone is! Reunite with them as soon as possible!!!"

They tried to keep their sword light low, almost touching the mountaintop, and struggled to avoid the tremors of the heaven and earth's energy as they moved forward.

However, the lower they flew, the stronger the turbulence in the mountain winds became, mingling with the chaotic energy of heaven and earth, pushing the sword light erratically. After flying another seven or eight miles, Shen Le could no longer control it and had to suppress the sword light:

"Senior brother, you keep flying! I'll look for someone on the ground!"

Before the words were finished, a furious roar shook the mountains and the earth. A ferocious tiger pounced out of the mountains, its fangs bared, bringing a stench with it, and charged straight at Shen Le. Shen Le quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

How could there be a tiger here!

The Taoist sect has cleaned up this Zhongnan Mountain countless times, so why is there a tiger? Why is there a tiger that dares to attack him?

He retrieved his flying sword, its light swirling around him and automatically forming a defensive barrier. The tiger, having missed its target, lashed out with its steel-whip-like tail, striking the sword light with a loud clang!
"Get out of the way!"

A loud shout came from above. Shen Le dodged and saw a long rainbow pierce the sky, descending straight down and encircling the tiger.

Amidst the clanging of metal, the tiger's struggles grew weaker and weaker until it was finally sliced ​​into pieces and collapsed to the ground, black energy continuously rising from its body.

When the black mist dissipated, the tiger's body had shrunk considerably, appearing extremely withered, its fur dry and its flesh grayish-white. And on the ground and on the grass, there was hardly any blood left…

"This is a huge problem." Lou Yun sheathed his sword, stood beside Shen Le, and frowned deeply.

"If this strange phenomenon were to infect all the wild animals in the mountains... we would be alright, but what about the people outside the mountains..."

They dared not take flight again, but instead, gathering their strength and lightening their bodies, they raced along the mountain ridge. They traversed three mountain peaks in succession, slaying countless animals with red eyes that charged at them.

Wild sheep, wild deer, wild boar, badger, fox, raccoon dog, weasel, and even a leopard.

Shen Le was on tenterhooks the entire time, fearing he would be forced to kill the golden monkey, the crested ibis, and even the roly-poly toy. Thankfully, these animals were probably too rare to appear, nor did they directly run into his sword…

Even so, the two brothers were growing increasingly nervous. Where was he?
Where are the people in the sect?

Did they evacuate in time?

Or perhaps, they are currently gathering and fighting somewhere, trying to fight for a chance of survival for the people below the mountain?
"over there!"

A burst of light suddenly blazed up, shooting high into the sky. Lou Yun's eyes lit up, and he tugged at Shen Le, pointing to the right front:
"Look! Over there!"

Shen Le's gaze suddenly sharpened. The flame, orange-red in color, remained concentrated and did not disperse, shooting straight into the dark clouds, burning a hole about ten feet in diameter in its path, welcoming the rolling sunlight—

Nanming Lihuo!

These are two kinds of pills that Uncle-Master Xuanming uses to refine his most treasured pills. They are the Nanming Li Fire that he rarely takes out to use!
It can expel evil spirits and wicked ghosts; it is invincible and can overcome anything!
They exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with joy, and quickly changed direction, rushing towards the location where the fire in Nanming had risen.

After traversing mountains and climbing five more peaks, they climbed continuously from afternoon until nightfall, finally reuniting with their sect members:

"Master! How is it now! -- Uncle-Master Xuanqing, you rest for a bit, I'll take over for you..."

From the sect leader to the senior and junior disciples, they had never gathered together like this before.

The sect leader stood high in the center of the altar, brandishing his long sword and moving swiftly across the altar. With each swing, a bolt of lightning rose and disappeared into the clouds.

On the second level of the altar, five senior uncles stood according to the five elements, each holding a magic sword, whisk, incense burner, and vase, chanting incantations as they walked slowly, each step as if carrying a thousand-pound burden; on the third level of the altar, eight fellow disciples stood according to the eight trigrams, each sweating profusely.

Shen Le had just rushed over when he saw a senior brother stagger and collapse. Before he hit the ground, another senior brother rushed forward, lifted him up, and helped him to the side before stepping onto the altar himself…

It was clear at a glance that they had gathered all the forces of their sect to withstand the strange phenomenon in the sky. Upon arriving, Lou Yun didn't hesitate; he rushed forward and joined the group casting spells.
Shen Le, however, took a step back, frowned, and looked up to examine the scene:
With his cultivation level, even if he were to reach the altar, it would be a drop in the ocean. Fortunately, he brought two newly fired porcelain pagodas with him when he came; perhaps they could be of some help?
"Uncle-Master!" Shen Le looked around and found Uncle-Master Xuan Lin, who was slumped to the side, eyes closed and breathing slightly, and grabbed him.
"You're an expert in formations! Quickly help me figure out where to place these two porcelain towers; it might be of some help."

Master Xuanlin, his white hair and beard soaked with sweat, swayed precariously, as if he might collapse at any moment. But upon opening his eyes and seeing Shen Le, he seemed to suddenly squeeze out his last ounce of strength, his eyes lighting up:
"Great! This will be a huge help! Come with me—"

He struggled but couldn't get up. Shen Le quickly stepped forward, bent down to carry his uncle on his back, and then lifted a porcelain pagoda in each hand.

As instructed by his master, the porcelain pagoda was embedded three zhang away from the altar, at the two nodes of the Dui and Gen positions. Then, the hand seals were performed to activate the pagoda's magic array.
"Om-!"

The moment the two porcelain towers connected with the earth's veins, the runes on the towers suddenly lit up!
A layer of bluish-green light rapidly spread out, like two anchors firmly embedded in the altar's power flow, calming the turbulent energy of heaven and earth.

Although the aura emanating from the tower flickered violently and teetered on the brink of collapse under the impact of the dark clouds, the force that was violently pressing down and constantly impacting the altar was indeed temporarily and noticeably reduced by a portion!

The pressure on the altar suddenly eased!
"Good!" The sect leader's spirits lifted, and the light of the magic sword in his hand surged, sending an even thicker bolt of lightning crashing into the clouds!

"It works!" Lou Yun and his fellow disciples felt a sense of relief on their shoulders and immediately seized the opportunity to adjust their breathing and stabilize their stance.

Uncle-Master Xuanming hurried over, circled the altar once, let out a long sigh, and his tense shoulders immediately relaxed:

"Thank goodness, with these two porcelain towers, we can hold out for at least another seven days. — Disciples, quickly take turns resting —"

"and many more!"

"and many more!"

The sect leader at the top of the altar and Shen Le below spoke simultaneously. The sect leader paused, slightly raising his chin, signaling Shen Le to speak.

Shen Le tilted her head slightly, staring at the dark clouds rapidly descending in the sky, her heart pounding like a drum.
"If we fire more porcelain towers, how many would it take to temporarily subdue this area? We don't expect a permanent solution, but at least give us three to five months to buy ourselves some time?"

"...Twelve seats." After a moment of silence, the sect leader spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Twelve altars, forming the 'Twelve Yuan Chen Locking Array,' combined with the altar and the sect's most powerful artifacts, are barely enough to seal off the anomalies in this world. But you—"

In seven days, you can fire at most one batch. Your previous work has never produced two porcelain towers in one batch!
"This disciple will do his utmost!" Shen Le's voice immediately rose a notch. Before the sect leader could reply, he turned to the senior brother in charge of logistics and all the materials:

"Senior brother! Quick! Get all the porcelain clay and glazes in stock! I'll go and get the best hardware experts! Find someone to open the kiln!"

He flew on his sword, heading towards Chang'an City. As soon as he emerged from the mountain, he saw a majestic military formation, vigilantly blocking the mountain pass and preventing any strange monsters from emerging from the mountains.

Shen Le raised his token high and charged towards the army formation:
"By order of the Prince of Qin's Palace! Arrange a porcelain kiln for me, and provide as much porcelain clay and glaze as possible! I need to use it immediately!"

The token from the Prince of Qin's residence proved extremely useful. The general in charge of the army immediately came out to make contact, and although he was somewhat confused about Shen Le's request, he still helped him arrange the porcelain kiln and materials.

Shen Le sent a message via flying sword, instructing all disciples who were able to move, regardless of their cultivation level, to quickly descend the mountain with the raw materials and begin the task of firing the porcelain tower:

Uncle-Master Xuanming personally refined the five metal essences. The broken weapons recovered from the battlefield turned into specks of silver light in his hands and fell into the jar.
Another group of disciples pounced on the carving platform, their fingers flying across the paper, spiritual energy flowing into the carving knives as they rapidly carved various array patterns onto the freshly kneaded porcelain blanks.

Each stroke was incredibly costly, but the disciples strained their eyes, letting sweat trickle into their eyes, not daring to blink, and their carving knives never faltered.

Meanwhile, Lou Yun, along with several senior uncles skilled in formations, urgently surveyed the earth's veins outside the altar to plan the precise placement of the twelve towers.

Race against time!

Working frantically for two days and two nights without sleep, all twenty-four porcelain blanks were carved and pushed into the kiln.

Shen Le personally lit the fire and kept a close watch on the kiln entrance, paying close attention to the slightest changes, constantly throwing in firewood and adjusting the wind speed...

"Make sure it's fired properly..."

"Make sure it's fired properly..."

"Please don't crack! Please don't crack! Ah!"

Crack, crack, the faint cracking sounds from inside the kiln sent shivers down Shen Le's spine. Fortunately, the cracking didn't spread to all the porcelain towers; some were saved.

They lit a cold fire, put it on the chimney, and kept using the firelight to observe the situation, working tirelessly for dozens of hours.

In modern society, the task of controlling the fire would require at least three shifts of craftsmen—the bricklayer, the framer, and the stakeholder—to complete. Shen Le single-handedly held the line until the very last moment.
"Stop the fire! — Open the kiln!"

According to the usual practice of firing porcelain, after the fire is extinguished, it takes two days for the porcelain to cool slowly until it is cool enough to be opened from the kiln.

However, this time, as the two emergency-supported porcelain towers grew dimmer and dimmer and were on the verge of collapse, all the disciples were extremely anxious.

Shen Le shouted "Stop the fire and open the kiln!" Immediately, someone patted heat-insulating talismans on their body, braved the high temperature inside the kiln, and rushed in!
"It's done!"

"It's done!"

"This one is finished too!"

With God's blessing, the immortal sect's lineage will not be broken, and they will truly be able to survive this calamity!
One, two, three—although many porcelain pagodas were broken or collapsed, exactly twelve brand-new porcelain pagodas, radiating a scorching heat and with runes flowing endlessly, were carried out by the disciples!
"take away!"

"Set up the formation!"

Even with Taoist health cultivation techniques, Shen Le's eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse.

However, it wasn't over yet; there was one final step. With a hoarse roar, the twelve porcelain pagodas, lifted into the air by Lou Yun and his disciples, were transported into Zhongnan Mountain.

According to the predetermined location, one by one, they precisely landed on the twelve key leyline nodes surrounding the altar and the core area of ​​the mutation!

Buzz—! Buzz—! Buzz—!
Twelve pure white beams of light shot into the sky. They didn't pierce the dark clouds directly, but rather intertwined, instantly forming a vast and profound three-dimensional magical net in the air!

At the heart of the legal net, the churning core of the dark cloud was looming. The violent, mutated aura surged forth like a raging torrent crashing against a sturdy dam!

(End of this chapter)