Chapter 511: The Lei Yun Can Split

"Ah?"

Both were startled.

"What 'ah'? Did you think that just because the roof tiles are finished, there's no more need to subdue demons and eliminate devils?"

"No."

"Subduing demons and eliminating devils is the duty of a Daoist," Lin Jue said to them. "Besides, sending you out to subdue demons is also for the sake of your cultivation."

"Yes..."

"Have you heard of Many Yaoguai Origin Pills?"

"We have not..."

"We only know that Master can refine pills."

The two looked at each other, both quite bewildered.

"Haha," Lin Jue let out a laugh, guiding them patiently. "You must know that the Dao of alchemy originated in ancient times and was a path to the heavens before the appearance of the Many Yaoguai Method Sect. Although it has gradually declined due to the scarcity of heavenly treasures and the waning of alchemical spiritual rhyme, it still has its merits. When I attained the Dao and became an immortal, I was deluded by evil gods in the heavens and my path was obstructed; it was by relying on a Golden Core that I broke through the shackles."

The two listened intently, their eyes wide.

So, the story of "Lin Zhenren refining pills to become an immortal," which was being spread far and wide in the mortal world and had sparked a new craze for alchemy and seeking immortals, actually had such hidden circumstances.

The two exchanged glances, conveying their astonishment.

Being young, just knowing something others didn't—this feeling of "I know what others don't" was enough to make them feel very proud.

"As for these Many Yaoguai Origin Pills, in ancient times they were also called Silver Many Yaoguai Pills; they are a superior type of spiritual pill that can aid cultivation and increase Daoist attainment." Lin Jue said to them, "Back when your Uncle-Master and I were in Huizhou, there was an evil king who had drawn the joint suppression of the three Southern Sages, known as the Corpse Tiger King, who had attained the Dao by relying on Many Yaoguai Origin Pills."

"Many Yaoguai Origin Pills, Corpse Tiger King..."

"Silver Many Yaoguai Pills..."

"Indeed. In the Dao of alchemy, cinnabar, lead, mercury, gold, silver, and jade are all common materials. Since this pill is called a Silver Many Yaoguai Pill, it naturally requires a large amount of silver." Lin Jue paused, "However, while this pill requires a large amount of silver, it has its own peculiar properties."

Upon hearing that a large amount of silver was needed, the two were stunned.

They were both from impoverished backgrounds; they hadn't even touched many copper coins in their lives, let alone large amounts of silver.

Only the slightly sharper Xu Yi realized that this was likely the reason their Master was sending them out to subdue demons again.

He turned to look at the senior sister, but found her so anxious about her own poverty that she was sweating. Although she caught his gaze, she completely failed to grasp his meaning.

"..."

Xu Yi withdrew his gaze.

He heard his Master continue:

"Silver and copper are often used as currency in the mortal world; they are constantly stained with human energy and carry people's emotions and thoughts—greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, joy, rage, worry, fear, love, hatred, desire, gratitude, regret, compassion, purity, and so on; they are too numerous to count. Using them to refine pills means borrowing that energy, but we who cultivate the Dao must not be stained by foul, sour, or impure energy. Therefore, this silver must be clean and come from a righteous path."

"If the silver is stained with blood, it smells fishy and foul; if it is obtained through deceit, trickery, or robbery, it smells like rot; if it is stained by other things, the aura is also wrong. Pills refined from such silver will contain these impurities.

"Either one's heart will give rise to evil thoughts, or one will fall into demonic ways because of it.

"The Corpse Tiger King in Huizhou back then was gifted, attained the Dao, and was incredibly fierce, all because the silver used to refine its pills was obtained through trickery, deceit, robbery, murder, and arson. Coupled with its reckless consumption without regard for dosage, it gradually turned evil. The day it attained the Dao was the day it completely fell into demonic ways."

To think there was such a magical thing...

Cultivating the Dao was truly marvelous!

Hearing this, Xu Yi was now certain that his Master was sending them out to subdue demons not only to help the world but also to seek clean silver.

He turned to look at the senior sister again, only to find her even more anxious, sweating profusely.

The two exchanged glances rapidly.

The senior sister was anxious and also filled with confusion.

【Why aren't you anxious?】

The little senior brother calmly comforted her.

【Don't panic, Third Shixiong Xiao Shimei.】

The senior sister thought for a moment, her eyes filled with even more confusion, mixed with a hint of shock.

【Do you have silver, Third Third Shixiong?】

"..."

Xu Yi withdrew his gaze once more.

"So, from today on, you will go and subdue demons for the people below the mountain. This time, don't ask for roof tiles, but don't actively demand silver either—we are in troubled times, so don't make things difficult for people."

"Whatever the villagers give you, you accept; if they don't give, don't ask. If they are wealthy, they can give more; if they are poor, they can give less. If they give copper coins, exchange them for silver; if they give other things, either bring them back for your own use or exchange them for silver."

"Remember, only what is given to you sincerely is the best. Always act according to your conscience."

"No matter how much you get, it is enough. Don't be impatient; we are of the Many Yaoguai Method Sect, and our own cultivation is the priority. Pills are only an aid, and the dosage must be controlled."

Xu Yi bowed in acknowledgment.

Pu Mei also slowly grasped the meaning and nodded along.

"But our magic..."

"Learn slowly; subdue demons while you learn. Once you face demons and ghosts, you will naturally learn more diligently."

"Yes..."

Xu Yi's heart began to race.

Although he had begun cultivating the Dao and learned magic, he had never gone out to subdue demons because of his young age; even the Fire-Aversion Technique had only been used to roast fish. He had heard Pu Mei talk about it many times, though. If he really went out to subdue demons, this would be his first practical application of magic.

Especially since he hadn't yet learned the Flower-Blooming-in-an-Instant technique, he was even more nervous.

His Master then took out a Chen Niu talisman and a bean.

After a moment's thought, he took out a token as well.

The token was small, with the character "Lin" carved on one side and "Divine Lei Yun" on the other.

"You've seen Master Wan and the others use it, right? Hold the token and call for the Divine Lei Yun, and it will obey you." Lin Jue told them the location and added a final instruction, "Stand steady on the road, let Chen Niu lead the way, fly slowly, return early, and don't fly around aimlessly."

"Understood!"

Xu Yi stepped forward and took the token, the Chen Niu talisman, and the bean.

Looking at this single bean, the two looked at each other in dismay; when Pu Mei went out to subdue demons before, she had two.

Carefully putting away the Chen Niu talisman and the bean, the two walked outside the pavilion and held up the token, shouting:

"Divine Lei Yun."

"Rumble..."

With a low, rolling thunderclap, a thunder cloud gathered rapidly at the edge of the cliff. Under Lin Jue's nourishment over the years, it had grown much larger, nearly several zhang in length and width.

However, it did not approach the pavilion directly, but instead split off a smaller portion, about two zhang long and over one zhang wide, which then approached the pavilion.

The two looked back and saw their Master nodding at them.

The thunder cloud had grown too large, and Lin Jue had long planned to split off a smaller portion specifically for his disciples and protectors to use, so that it wouldn't hinder his own use while still helping them subdue demons.

The two were incredibly excited and took a step forward.

Their feet felt like they were on cotton.

They had sat on this thunder cloud many times and had experienced the thrill of speeding through the air, but usually, it was either their Master flying them or their Master instructing the cloud to carry them between the pavilion and the ground, or between fixed locations. They only needed to sit, without needing to control the cloud, and most of the time they didn't worry about falling. But this time, just like the protectors, their Master had given them a token to pilot the cloud themselves, so the feeling was naturally different.

After leaving the pavilion, they made some final preparations.

Some time ago, a Third Shixiong Flower who lived in Fengshan had visited, and their Master and Uncle-Master had treated him to good wine and meat. He had gifted each of the three disciples a paper donkey, which they had to bring along.

On the day of their apprenticeship, their Uncle-Master had gifted each of them a precious sword, sharp enough to cut iron, which they also had to bring.

They stuffed a few flatbreads into their robes and went to ask the protectors for advice.

"What? The Master is letting you pilot the cloud yourselves? You must be extremely careful!"

"Only one bean soldier?"

"I have a Many Yaoguai-Binding Rope here; recite the incantation and it will fly out to bind demons itself. It can bind demons, humans, and ghosts, and even celestial soldiers. Why don't you take it with you for self-defense?"

"Dress warmly! It's cold in the sky!"

"Shh! Don't tell anyone I told you this. If you encounter a demon you can't handle, take the token, run to an open area, call for the thunder cloud, and ask it to strike the demon with lightning—it has its own wonders."

The protectors had watched them grow up, and hearing that they were going out to subdue demons alone, with only one bean soldier, they were all very worried.

The two ultimately didn't take the Many Yaoguai-Binding Rope, only added the clothes as instructed, and stepped onto the thunder cloud.

Clutching the Chen Niu talisman, they breathed out fire.

With a 'whoosh', the talisman burned into ash.

A small ghost appeared out of thin air—

"I am Chen Niu!"

"Go to Mawei Village in Linjiang County."

"Go this way!"

The two looked at each other, their hearts racing. They sat down in the most stable posture for exerting force on the cloud, and only then did Xu Yi say:

"Divine Lei Yun, follow Chen Niu..."

"Boom!"

With a thunderclap and a cry of surprise, they sped away rapidly.

"Slow, slow down..."

This sentence, however, was said a bit too late.

The clouds and mist of Fengshan receded rapidly behind them.

The two were speeding through the air, their hearts filled with shock. Naturally, they didn't know that a thousand feet above them, there was a much larger thunder cloud, on which sat a table with two people and a fox. Compared to their excitement, the two and the fox were leisurely and relaxed.

"These two are quite clever," Lin Jue laughed. "They even knew to go and ask Master Wan and the others."

"What choice do they have if they aren't clever?" the senior sister said.

"At least when we went down the mountain to subdue demons, we had a senior brother to follow."

"Xu Yi is doing this for the first time, but Pu Mei isn't," Lin Jue shook his head. "And come to think of it, we didn't have these conditions back then—being able to ride a cloud, being able to ask the cloud to strike with lightning, having such good swords, and having a bean soldier capable of fighting a demon general."

"Since it's about subduing demons and eliminating devils, naturally the more convenient, the better."

"Indeed."

"Actually, this Divine Lei Yun of yours is quite good; it can even produce offspring, and the flying speed seems faster than the original! When will you produce another one and make me a token? That way, it will be more convenient for me to go out and search for alchemical materials!"

"You can do it right now!"

Lin Jue looked at the cloud beneath his feet, which was still several times wider than the original.

Reaching into his sleeve, he produced a token as well.

There was no distinction between senior brother and junior sister; besides, no matter how many times the cloud was split, it was still one cloud, which could be split at any time and reunited at any time, ensuring its power whenever it was needed to deal with a strong enemy using divine thunder.