Qingfeng Manor was completely sealed off, and all evidence was collected and organized.
After being interrogated in turn and blessed with mantras, some of the captured heretical cultivators soon couldn't withstand the pressure and revealed some crucial information.
On the fourth night, Lin Wei arrived at the farmhouse with a thick stack of documents.
“One good news and one bad news.” She got straight to the point. “The good news is that we’ve obtained a rough map of Black Mist Valley, the method to activate the barrier, and some of the guards’ locations. The bad news is that there are some specific structures inside that they don’t know either. Those places are said to be core areas that only people of the Venerable Envoy level or above can enter.”
She spread the documents out on the table. "This is a topographical map of Black Mist Valley. Black Mist Valley is surrounded by cliffs, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. There is only one hidden path leading in. There are two barriers at the entrance of the valley. The first is a miasma barrier, which requires taking a special 'miasma-avoiding pill' to pass through. The second is an identification barrier, which requires an identity token of a member of the Netherworld Cult and the correct hand seal incantation to pass through. If either verification fails, you will be instantly killed by the array within the barrier!"
"An identity token?" Qiqi asked. "What kind of identity token is it?"
Lin Wei took out a small bag and poured out several black metal tokens. "These were found on the prisoners, but they are all tokens of ordinary believers. It is said that the tokens of the Venerable Envoy are made of different materials and have different patterns, and the hand seals and incantations used to pass through the barrier also vary from person to person. It is said that everyone's hand seals and incantations used to pass through the barrier are different."
This is the most troublesome part!
The more people they infiltrate Black Mist Valley, the more hand gestures and spells they will need to know.
Moreover, it cannot be just the hand gestures and mantras of ordinary believers; one must also obtain the hand gestures and mantras used by the Venerable Envoy.
Otherwise, even if you enter Black Mist Valley, it's all for nothing if you can't access the special areas.
“That’s easy.” Bai Xuan picked up a token and looked at it. “As long as we know what the token used by the envoy looks like, I can use the art of calligraphy to create the envoy’s token. But the identification array inside the token shop will probably require Qi Qi’s help.”
He wasn't very good at formations, but this little girl seemed to know a little bit about everything and was quite proficient in it.
"No problem!" Qiqi patted her chest, indicating that she could handle it.
"What about the hand seals and incantations?" Huo Yusen asked.
“We got some information out of them.” Lin Wei demonstrated several complex hand seals. “These are the hand seals and spells used by the ordinary members of the cult that we interrogated. But each person uses different ones, and it is said that the hand seals and spells will change at different times. The batch we interrogated will expire at midnight three days later.”
Huo Yusen frowned. "In other words, we must enter Black Mist Valley before midnight three days from now!"
Lin Wei nodded and continued, "Just entering isn't enough. Black Mist Valley is divided into an inner valley and an outer valley. Ordinary followers can only move around in the outer valley, where there are training grounds, residences, warehouses, and so on. The inner valley is the core area, which is where only those of the Venerable Envoy rank and above can enter. It is said to contain dungeons, altars, the Venerable Envoy's residence, and the leader's main hall. But the exact locations are not clear."
She pointed to several marks on the map, "These are some of the known outpost locations, with guards changing shifts every two hours. But we know absolutely nothing about the guard situation in the inner valley."
The defenses of Black Mist Valley were far more stringent than they had imagined.
Huo Yusen pointed to the area on the map, "We can use the information we have so far to enter the outer valley. Senior Bai Xuan can disguise himself as the Three-Eyed Envoy returning from completing a mission and try to see if he can enter the inner valley. If he can, we can try to gather information in the inner valley or lure the envoy from the inner valley to the outer valley. Then we can find a way to kill him silently and then impersonate him."
"Wow, Brother Jiu is so smart!" Qiqi clapped her hands in support.
Huo Yusen pursed his lips, trying hard to suppress the urge to smile.
"As for the rest of us who infiltrated the outer valley, we can use this time to gather information. Senior Tiger Eagle can shrink down and run around to scout the terrain and defenses. Qi Qi can also send out paper cranes to scout; paper cranes are silent and not easily detected at night!"
“Indeed, we should gather intelligence first after entering, and then formulate the next plan based on the situation,” Bai Xuan agreed.
Huo Yuwei looked at the two "action-oriented" individuals, one big and one small, and smiled helplessly. "Since you've already made your decision, I won't say any more. Does the special department have the formula for the antidote pill?"
If not, then Qiqi can provide it.
Naturally, that comes at a different price.
Unexpectedly, Lin Wei nodded, "I do have the formula, but the alchemists in the special department tried it and none of them succeeded. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Qiqi could give it a try?"
"Okay!" Qiqi took the formula and glanced at it, her little face immediately scrunching up. "Sister Lin Wei, there's something wrong with this formula!"
"What's the problem?" Lin Wei asked in surprise.
"There are a few herbs in this formula that are not properly combined; long-term use can damage your meridians," Qiqi pointed to several lines. "And the effects only last for six hours, which is too short. Qiqi can improve it so that the effects last for twelve hours, and there are no side effects!"
Lin Wei was first stunned, then overjoyed, "Young friend... you can even improve pill formulas?"
"I know a little bit," Qiqi said shyly. "My master taught me pharmacology."
Even with just a little knowledge, one can spot the problems with the prescription at a glance and propose improvement plans.
Lin Wei was deeply shocked and gained a more tangible understanding of Qi Qi's prowess.
This is something that only a master-level alchemist could do!
The antidote pills they used to take were all made by alchemists hired from outside at great expense.
Those alchemists didn't say that there was a problem with the formula for this poison-avoiding pill.
However, those who had taken the antidote pills did indeed experience varying degrees of stinging pain in their meridians.
How many more surprises does this three-and-a-half-year-old toddler hold?
With Qiqi's assurance, the preparations proceeded smoothly.
For the next three days, Qiqi secluded herself to refine elixirs and draw talismans.
Huo Yusen was responsible for preparing all the materials she needed for drawing talismans and refining elixirs.
Of course, everything should be the best.
Huo Yuwei was in charge of preparing equipment and supplies, while Bai Xuan studied the modification of the identity token. Hu Ying, on the other hand, conserved his energy and prepared for the great battle.
By evening on the third day, everything was ready.
The improved version of the miasma-avoiding pill has been successfully refined. Each person will receive three pills, enough to stay in the valley for three days.
A whole host of talismans were prepared, ranging from offensive to defensive, from invisibility to healing, there was something for everyone.
The identity token was also successfully upgraded to the "Venerable Envoy" level, and Bai Xuan even infused it with the aura of the three-eyed masked man.
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