Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Taoist Yi Hong Flies by Stepping on a Cloud

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Keep up, keep up, keep up!"

"Have reinforcements arrived?"

"Squads Six and Seven are here!"

"Tell Squad Six to head to the eastern peak, and Squad Seven to support the west!"

"Have all the civilians at the base of the mountain been evacuated?"

"Evacuation is underway! We expect it to be complete before 6 PM!"

"The fire is too strong! Notify the Feng County fire department to establish a firebreak and secure the county town!"

"The notice has been sent. We also just received news that reinforcements from Mountain City are on their way. They’ll be here in an hour."

"Good!"

Fire trucks lined the roadside as orders were relayed up and down the chain of command. Some were already battling the blaze on the mountain, while others stood by, fully equipped and ready to go.

"We absolutely cannot let the wildfire spread! We must ensure the safety of the people’s lives and property!"

"Yes, sir!"

One by one, the young firefighters, dressed in their gear with determined eyes and solemn faces, began their ascent up the mountain.

Just then, many people noticed the sky suddenly darken.

The commander looked up to see a thin layer of dark clouds that had appeared out of nowhere. They were thickening and coalescing at a visible rate, already beginning to block out the sun.

"What’s going on? Didn’t the weather bureau say there would be no rain for the next ten-plus days?" the commander asked.

The deputy director also stared at the sky in surprise. Experience told him that with clouds this dark, even if it didn’t rain on its own, a single shell from the weather bureau would be enough to induce a downpour.

"Quick! Notify the weather bureau! Tell them to fire a shell up there immediately!" the commander said urgently.

The moment he finished speaking, a clap of thunder resounded out of thin air.

BOOM!

The thunderous roar echoed for a hundred miles.

"Did they fire the shell?" the deputy director asked, astonished. "Are they that fast?"

"Fast, my ass! That was thunder!" the commander exclaimed in disbelief. "Thunder in the middle of winter? What kind of weather is this?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

All the firefighters ascending the mountain couldn’t help but look up. They saw layer upon layer of dark clouds pressing down, churning and rolling endlessly, blanketing nearly the entire sky.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

After three consecutive claps of thunder, a heavy rain began to fall.

There was no warning, no sign. It didn’t start as a drizzle and build up; in an instant, a torrential downpour began, cascading down like a waterfall.

Rain hammered against the fire truck’s windshield, and the splashing water hit the commander’s face, snapping him back to reality.

"It’s raining?"

"And what a downpour!" The deputy director laughed heartily. "This makes things a lot simpler!"

"Go, go, go!" The commander tossed the map in his hands to the deputy director. "All units, move out! Use this rain and extinguish that wildfire for me!"

...

「In a mountain hollow.」

Gu Zhao, Taoist Yan Song, Taoist Yi Hong, and Taoist Ming Yu were casting magic.

Unlike the legendary rain rituals that required building the highest possible altar, erecting magical banners in all four directions, having hundreds of people meditate and chant scriptures, and a head Mage burning incense to plead with the Dragon Kings of the four seas for rain...

...what they were doing now was simply infusing their Magical Power into the world, condensing water vapor into clouds, and then creating rain.

Because this wasn’t a battle, and because they had a specialized Rain-Spreading Skill, with the guidance of Taoist Yan Song—who had the highest Dao Practice—the range of their influence was vast. Their Magical Power spread along with the clouds, extending for dozens of miles to completely cover the area of the wildfire.

Taoist Yan Song was Stepping on the Stars and Treading the Dipper. He formed a Seal Technique with his hands, exhaled, and chanted, "Let the four seasons deliver their promise, and power and truth prevail. Turn back the adverse to favorable, and let truth command the wind."

The dispersed Magical Power merged with the air, forming a different kind of wind amidst the cold gusts.

This wind was no ordinary breeze. As it blew, it gathered the water molecules in the air, causing them to converge in the sky in ever-increasing amounts.

Taoist Yi Hong followed behind him, his Sword Pointing fingers tapping in the air. "Heaven and Earth unite in virtue, gods and men are one. Move the clouds and spread the Qi, gather substance and refine the truth."

Under the guidance of their Magical Power, the gathered water vapor began to condense into clouds at a speed countless times faster than natural formation. In a short time, they formed cluster after cluster of rain clouds, which then rapidly expanded in all directions.

The clouds grew thicker and lower, absorbing all the water vapor that the wind had just gathered.

Gu Zhao, who was most skilled in the Thunder Technique, performed the Yu Step Technique. He formed a Seal Technique and recited the Electric Curse, "Heaven’s fire, piercing light! Earth Fire, burning bright! At the call of the divine, manifest in all ten directions."

BOOM! BOOM!

Static electricity began to build within the thick, dark clouds, forcing the water vapor inside to condense into rain.

Taoist Ming Yu cast the final part of the magic. With a broad smile, he pointed a finger to the sky. "Taiqing Combined Technique, Jade Law Ten Thousand Chapters. Let clouds cross the northern sea, and rain fall upon all four corners."

In an instant, the rain came down in sheets!

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The three old Taoists roared with laughter, as if they had just accomplished something truly magnificent.

At that moment, Taoist Yi Hong’s expression shifted. A White Cloud materialized out of thin air beneath his feet and began to lift him slowly into the sky. He was flying.

His face filled with joyous surprise, Taoist Yi Hong flew higher and higher.

Gu Zhao couldn’t help but remind him, "Be careful. Don’t let anyone see you."

Taoist Yi Hong nodded, then shrouded himself in a layer of True Qi, concealing his form.

Gu Zhao was speechless.

Taoist Yan Song laughed heartily, while a hint of envy appeared in Taoist Ming Yu’s eyes. Sensing the Magical Power within his own body, he secretly made a resolution.

Gu Zhao smiled and shook his head. ’Being the Daluo Palace Master is getting easier and easier,’ he thought.

A moment later, Taoist Yi Hong descended from the sky and said to the others, "I just saw from above. The wildfire has been completely extinguished, and the firefighters have already started to withdraw."

"In that case, let’s stop the rain," said Taoist Yan Song.

Taoist Ming Yu looked up at the dark clouds, which showed no signs of diminishing. "Looks like we got a little carried away and gathered too much. We should probably disperse the clouds quickly. It wouldn’t be good if the heavy rain caused a landslide."

"Good point, good point." Taoist Yi Hong nodded repeatedly. "Let’s do it together!"

The four of them then took positions in four directions, their Qi Mechanisms linking together. They began Stepping on the Stars and Treading the Dipper counter-clockwise, formed a Seal Technique pointing at the sky, channeled their Cultivation and Luck within their bodies, and exhaled as they chanted, "Let faith arise from Kuigang, and virtue reach the four corners. Cease now, cease now, and leave behind clarity."

Their vast and profound Magical Power shot toward the heavens, instantly merging with the dark clouds overhead.

In an instant, the torrential rain stopped, and the clouds began to break apart.

With the four men’s position as the center, the dark clouds started to dissipate in outward-spreading rings. In just a few minutes, the clouds had vanished, the rain had ceased, and sunlight shone down once more.

All the water vapor that had yet to fall was reabsorbed into the air, preventing any major impact on the environment.

The next moment, a rainbow suddenly appeared in the sky. Its seven-colored arc stretched from the eastern peak to the western peak, forming a massive, arched bridge of breathtaking beauty.

The partially evacuated civilians, the firefighters descending the mountain, and the reinforcements who were just arriving all couldn’t help but look up at the rainbow in the sky.

"It’s so beautiful!"