The Adeptus Abode is Attacked, and the Adepti Theorize!
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Not only were Xiao and Lin Yuan invaded by the black mist, but in Jueyun Karst's Adeptus abode, layers of black mist surged violently, relentlessly attacking the talismans guarding the entrance.
The black mist here was much thicker than what Lin Yuan and the others encountered. It could hardly be called mist anymore; it was more like black sludge.
The protective talismans guarding the entrance to the Adeptus abode gradually dimmed under the continuous assault of this black sludge.
Within the abode, Cloud Retainer sensed the disturbance outside and thundered with fury:
"What is happening? How dare these karmic bindings and remnants of the demon gods assault this immortal's domain?"
In the past, these karmic residues, though impossible to eradicate completely, had always been confined to remote areas, attaching themselves to various monsters. Never before had such a direct attack on an Adeptus abode occurred.
Cloud Retainer spread her wings in anger, ready to fly out and eradicate the sludge-like karmic forces.
But before she could act, the voices of other Adepti transmitted to her:
"Cloud Retainer, has your abode too been attacked by these karmic remnants?"
"They are attacking my talismans at the entrance," Cloud Retainer responded.
The other Adepti were startled.
"Even Cloud Retainer's abode is under assault?"
"It's the same for us. What's going on with these remnants of the demon gods? Why have they all begun attacking our abodes at the same time?"
"Hmph, these vile spirits dare to intrude on sacred Adepti grounds?"
While the Adepti were surprised by the unusual behavior of the black mist, they were not overly concerned about being harmed. After all, their abodes were fortified by thousands of years of cultivation, making them highly secure.
Even ancient gods would struggle to breach these sanctuaries, which is why the Adepti felt both indignation and insulted by the audacity of the karmic sludge.
At this point, Moon Carver's calm voice echoed through their minds:
"Everyone, this karmic energy is far more concentrated than usual. We must not underestimate it. Let's combine our powers and clear it out first before discussing further."
"Agreed. Let us connect our domains and deal with these remnants together."
"Indeed, such polluted forces are best dealt with at a distance."
The Adepti unanimously agreed, unwilling to let the vile black energy linger near their homes.
Together, they deployed their mystical arts. In the blink of an eye, a large array rose from the several Adepti abodes in Jueyun Karst. Their collective strength surged toward the black sludge outside.
Golden light emanated from the talismans at the mountain gates. As the light swept over the sludge, hissing sounds filled the air as the black sludge was eradicated, leaving no trace behind.
In other places, the Adepti might have had to use more complex methods to deal with these remnants, but within their own sanctuaries, the karmic sludge was swiftly eliminated.
It didn't take long before the black remnants outside the Adepti abodes were entirely wiped out.
"These vile spirits dared to assault our abodes."
"If they hadn't directly attacked us, we would have had to spend more effort hunting down these remnants of the demon gods."
"Even expelling these karmic forces is troublesome enough—how much more must the Yakshas, the guardians who are constantly tormented by karma, endure?"
Having eliminated the remnants, the Adepti sighed.
Though they had easily wiped out these invaders, it was because the remnants had foolishly attacked the Adepti's heavily fortified sanctuaries. If they had been scattered across the land, more effort would have been required to cleanse them.
Dealing with external manifestations of karmic forces, like black mist, was relatively easy for the Adepti. However, internal karmic bonds born from within, like heart demons, were far more dangerous. Such forces were not easily expelled, and once tainted, madness and death were the only outcomes.
The Adepti couldn't help but think of the Yakshas, who were forever trapped in a cycle of violence and karma.
Born into a life of endless slaughter, each battle only fed the karmic forces tormenting their souls. Even the Adepti sympathized with the tragic fate of the Yakshas.
Cloud Retainer spoke up:
"Lately, these karmic remnants have been appearing frequently among the mountains, an unusual occurrence. I suspect that these remnants are invading all across Liyue."
Though this was the first direct attack on the Adeptus abodes, the presence of black mist in the mountains had become much more frequent.
The other Adepti concurred:
"Indeed, the frequency of these appearances suggests that something major is happening."
"Could the Conqueror of Demons still be busy eradicating karmic forces elsewhere? Does he know the reason behind this surge?"
"The Yakshas understand karma better than anyone. Perhaps we should contact the Conqueror of Demons."
The Adepti's tone grew solemn. Such large-scale karmic disturbances could plunge all of Liyue into chaos if left unchecked.
Simply cleansing the remnants as they appeared would not be enough. They needed to find and destroy the source if they hoped to restore the karmic mist to its previous, rare levels.
As for eliminating karmic forces entirely, even the Adepti were incapable of such a feat. Karmic energy was, after all, a byproduct of the ancient gods. As long as gods existed in the world, so too would their remnants persist.
The best anyone could hope for was to keep the karmic mist rare and contained.
Not even the Geo Archon himself had found a way to completely cleanse the accumulated karmic burdens on the Yakshas, a burden that had driven many of them to madness and death.
After their discussion, the Adepti resolved to contact Xiao, the Conqueror of Demons. After all, no one was more knowledgeable or skilled at dealing with karmic remnants than the Yakshas.
However, when one of the Adepti attempted to reach out to him through their spiritual connection, there was no response.
"The Conqueror of Demons hasn't responded. What could be the matter?"
"The Conqueror of Demons is reclusive by nature, often preferring to act alone. It's not unusual for him to be silent."
"But when it comes to something as serious as dealing with these karmic remnants, he usually gives some kind of response."
"Perhaps the Conqueror of Demons is in the middle of a crucial battle against the remnants and cannot respond right now."
The Adepti were not overly surprised by Xiao's lack of response. He had always been solitary, refusing to associate with other Adepti.
Xiao didn't even have an abode of his own; he came and went like the wind, forever trapped in a cycle of bloodshed and karmic torment.
What they didn't know was that at that very moment, Xiao was trapped in a blood-red spiritual realm, his body bound by the black ropes of karmic energy, enduring a torment unimaginable to others.
Even though Xiao had survived over a thousand years of such torment, in that moment, he could not break free from this karmic nightmare.
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A/N:
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