Chapter 44: Treating the fire toxin

After finishing the handover, Qin Wu left the City Lord’s Manor and returned to the high tower, taking out the Jade Slip the Discipline Hall had given him.

After reading it all, he walked to the pillar in the center of the Formation; this was the eye of the defensive array.

He only needed to inject spiritual energy into the array eye every month and check if the Formation was operating normally or if any nodes had issues.

Qin Wu tentatively placed his hand on it and took it off after a short while.

“It seems there’s no problem with the Formation.”

With this month’s task completed, he didn’t have to be confined to the high tower and could move about freely.

If it weren’t for the fact that this place was truly unsuitable for Cultivation, this job would actually be quite decent.

Remembering that he had taken on another task before leaving the Holy Land, Qin Wu flew out from the high tower and went to a place called Qingwu Pavilion.

This was a branch of the Holy Land’s Miscellaneous Affairs Hall in Black Stone City, staffed by local Cultivators selected by the Holy Land.

For some reason, local Cultivators were unaffected by the fire toxin, and most of them possessed Fire Spiritual Roots, making their Cultivation progress at an incredible pace here.

Qin Wu landed near Qingwu Pavilion. Unlike the rugged style of the surrounding black stone buildings, Qingwu Pavilion was exquisite and magnificent, with a highly sophisticated design.

The interior furnishings were elegant yet exuded an air of nobility. Qin Wu avoided the crowds and headed to a private room on the second floor.

Four people were already sitting inside, clearly having waited for a long time.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Qin Wu hurriedly apologized with a cupped-fist salute.

After all, these individuals were either at the ninth or eighth level of Qi Refining.

“It’s fine, I only arrived today as well.” One of the Senior Brothers waved his hand dismissively and then asked curiously, “You didn’t happen to be on the same cloud boat as me, did you?”

Qin Wu gave a bitter smile. “If it was because we encountered an Imperial Carriage midway and had to flee, then it must have been the same cloud boat.”

“Then we are indeed fated.” The Senior Brother had a baby face with two dimples when he smiled.

“Alright, since everyone is here, we should go collect the mission items.”

The Senior Sister sitting by the window put down her wine cup, stood up, and nodded to Qin Wu. “My surname is Yun; you can call me Senior Sister Yun.”

The four of them likely knew each other, with Senior Sister Yun as their leader.

They followed Senior Sister Yun to the fifth floor and handed the mission token to the Cultivator there. After checking it, he said, “Please wait a moment.”

Shortly after, he returned and handed a dusty-looking Storage Pouch to Senior Sister Yun. “This is the item the employer wants escorted.”

When Senior Sister Yun took it, excitement flashed in her eyes, but in an instant, she suppressed all her emotions.

“Let’s go.”

After leaving Qingwu Pavilion, Senior Sister Yun looked at Qin Wu and pondered for a moment. “The difficulty of this mission is likely quite high, and your cultivation level is too low…”

“For your safety, I suggest you don’t go. What do you think?”

Qin Wu nodded readily. A mission taken by several people at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining was obviously not simple. He wasn’t a fool who would insist on throwing his life away.

But he couldn’t have come all this way for nothing, could he?

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Senior Sister Yun take out a white jade bottle from her storage ring and ask, “You have a Water Spiritual Root, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good.” Senior Sister Yun handed him the white jade bottle. “Actually, I am originally from Black Stone City. I took on a side mission this time to help the villagers around Black Stone City remove fire toxin.”

“But the current mission is more important. So if you’re willing, I can hand over the task of removing fire toxin to you. This jade pure bottle will be your reward for coming to Black Stone City.”

“This Junior Brother is naturally willing.” Qin Wu took the jade pure bottle.

This was a water-attribute Magic Treasure that could detoxify and heal. Even without Spirit Stones, he had profited just by getting this one Magic Treasure.

“It’s good that you’re willing.” Senior Sister Yun gave him a map. “The green areas are places I’ve already visited; you only need to go to the red locations.”

“Once completed, just go to Qingwu Pavilion to claim the reward.”

After saying that, Senior Sister Yun and the others hurriedly left on their flying swords.

“It’s a bit strange,” Consort Lian remarked. “If they wanted to, how could they not find Cultivators of the same rank? Even if few people come from the Holy Land to Black Stone City, they do exist.”

“I feel like they intentionally looked for someone with a low cultivation level just to kick them out after accepting the mission.”

Qin Wu said nonchalantly, “Whatever secrets they have, it has nothing to do with us.”

“Besides, it’s better than Sun Qiankun trying to kill me using a mission as an excuse.”

Hearing this, Consort Lian stopped overthinking. “True.”

He opened the Jade Slip map. Although the Taixu Holy Land called this place Black Stone City, locals actually referred to this region as the Burning Fire Sea.

Black Stone City was the largest island, surrounded by many smaller islands where villagers mostly lived.

And islands that appeared uninhabited might be the secluded cultivation grounds of some Cultivator.

Over a dozen islands on the map were marked green, leaving only seven red ones. If he was fast, he could finish the task in two or three days.

Qin Wu piloted the flying boat out of Black Stone City. The mysterious frost jade pendant activated, covering him with a layer of frost light to shield him from the external fire toxin.

The sea of fire outside was calm; he even saw fish swimming within it.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finally spotted a lonely island in the boundless sea of fire. There were a few small boats outside the island, and the people on them seemed to be fishing.

Qin Wu cast a surprised glance before landing on the island.

Seeing Qin Wu descend from the sky and wearing clothes different from theirs, the surrounding villagers hurriedly knelt and bowed. “Greetings, Immortal!”

“Rise, everyone.” Qin Wu lightly brushed his sleeve, and a gentle breeze lifted them up.

“Immortal, you have come here to…” One of the sturdy men stepped forward and asked cautiously.

His cheeks were flushed unnaturally, as if scorched by fire, with a hint of dark purple bruising. His lips were cracked and bleeding, his tongue was bright red and swollen, and his voice was raspy and dry, as if burned.

One look at him and Qin Wu knew it was fire toxin infiltration. The surrounding villagers were all the same, with some in even worse condition.

“Don’t worry, I’ve taken a mission to remove the fire toxin for you,” Qin Wu comforted them softly. “Who is the village chief? Call everyone in the village out and have them line up. I won’t wait for latecomers.”

“I—I am the village chief!” the sturdy man said joyfully. “I’ll go call the villagers right now!”

He ran back in a hurry to call the people, even accidentally stumbling.

“Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!” Overjoyed, the villagers still there knelt down one by one to kowtow to him.

Qin Wu said helplessly, “Alright, rise and line up. I will remove the toxin for you.”

He took out the jade pure bottle given by Senior Sister Yun. Upon activation, a stream of water gushed from the bottle’s mouth and flowed into a villager’s body; his condition visibly improved.

There were about a hundred people in the village. The young and strong were fine, as their fire toxin was only mild to moderate and they could still move on their own, but the elderly were in such serious condition that they had to be carried over.

It took Qin Wu most of the day to finish detoxifying everyone, but for some of the elderly whose fire toxin was too severe, he was powerless.

However, there was a Formation in this place. Although it couldn’t compare to Black Stone City’s defensive array, it shouldn’t have allowed such severe fire toxin to develop.

Before leaving, he asked curiously, “What is going on with the fire toxin in your bodies?”