At this moment, everyone heard a shrill and resentful voice: "No...."
The power of purification was fierce. In just an instant, wherever the golden light reached, the power of the Illusion was rapidly retreating.
Until the golden radiance covered every inch of the area within hundreds of miles around.
The Illusion disappeared as silently as it had appeared, without any fanfare.
Members of the Mobile Team on the perimeter had been ready to act; the moment the Illusion disappeared, they rushed into the forefront of the rescue.
The electronic devices that had previously been unusable were now working again, and the real-time locations of the first and second groups of trapped personnel were transmitted out.
The instant the power of the Illusion vanished completely, the golden light also disappeared, leaving Yun Ran completely weak and collapsed at the center of the Array.
Moonlight shone down upon her, and a reflective sheen emanated from Yun Ran’s hair.
Ginsengfruit screamed in fright: "Host, your hair..."
The Little Papermen had been acting as protectors around the perimeter. Seeing Yun Ran collapse, they steadfastly held their positions.
Their power was of the same origin as Yun Ran’s, yet they did not rely solely on her. Even if Yun Ran was utterly incapacitated, they would not be affected.
A rustling sound was heard, and the Little Papermen guarding Yun Ran immediately raised their heads, staring intently at a spot not too far away with their beady eyes.
Several figures in black robes appeared close to Yun Ran after a few quick flashes.
"We never expected that the sacrifice Array, which we’ve been searching for so long without success, would come so effortlessly!"
"Indeed, to be a person under close surveillance from above. One who can activate the sacrifice Array by oneself.
Even triggering the Power of Purification, such a person must be eliminated for our own good," said one of the Black Robed People.
As the Black Robed People were about to act, the Little Papermen, with furious expressions, leaped forward, blocking their movements.
With the Little Papermen’s milky voices fiercely shouting, they were particularly imposing: "How dare you! Those who offend our master will die!"
Saying that, a Little Paperman raised its hand, and sizzling electric sparks erupted. A Heavenly Thunder Ball the size of a ping-pong ball was thrown out.
Once one Little Paperman did this, the rest followed suit, throwing Heavenly Thunder Balls at these shady Black Robed People.
The Black Robed People had heard about Yun Ran’s magical Little Papermen from the Special Administration Bureau.
However, having never seen them, they only thought it was an exaggeration by the Bureau’s folks. They dared to confront the Bureau, and naturally understood them, all meant to deter them.
Now, actually witnessing the Heavenly Thunder, their eyeballs almost bulged out of their skulls.
Heavenly Thunder, to these people, was something inviolable. But now, in the hands of Little Papermen, they could actually wield Heavenly Thunder.
This instilled a deep sense of dread in them, and they eyed the Little Papermen wolfishly, with a gleam of greed.
The few of them exchanged glances and, at that moment, the value of the incapacitated Yun Ran lying on the ground was far less than that of these Little Papermen.
These were autonomous Magic Artifacts that could control Heavenly Thunder. Though not many, that was enough.
"Capture these Little Papermen!"
Upon hearing this, the Little Papermen burst with rage—these shameless wretches, one by one wanted to take them away from their master!
Except for the two Little Papermen remaining by Yun Ran’s side, all the others joined the fray.
They weren’t afraid of being accused of mobbing; all they knew was that they were utterly disgusted.
It seemed that anyone dared to covet their tender bodies, which their master had carefully crafted for them.
Even to allow them to speak and have autonomous consciousness, their master had expended a great deal of effort.
The Black Robed People were not weak and could even match some of the notable figures from the Special Administration Bureau.
But they were outnumbered, and under the continuous suppression of the Little Papermen’s thunder, they soon fell into a disadvantage.
The leading Little Paperman, shouting in anger, declared: "Die! Whoever offends my master!"
With several "bang" sounds, the Black Robed People were struck by the Heavenly Thunder and quickly lost consciousness, but the Little Papermen’s fury hadn’t subsided.
A few kept watch while the rest circled around the Black Robed People lying on the ground and began to beat them fiercely.
The strength of the Little Papermen was such that they could lift a car out of the water with one hand, illustrating how hard their punches were.
First punch: ribs broken. Another punch: other bones shattered...
Just as the men were about to breathe their last, the Little Papermen finally stopped; their master had forbidden them to kill, which truly let these wretches off too easily.
Having vented their anger, the Little Papermen then inexplicably produced some ropes and bound the Black Robed People up like fat pigs.
Some of the Mobile Team went to rescue Daoist Qingmu and the others, and some headed towards Yun Ran’s location.
Seeing the cleansing golden light, Jiang Ming had just heaved a sigh of relief, then instantly grew anxious again.
Yun Ran was young but to unleash such a mighty force indicated a certainty she would need healing.
Fortunately, Yun Ran had previously left him a Little Paperman; otherwise, he would have struggled to pinpoint Yun Ran’s exact location, which would have delayed the rescue.
At the moment, Yun Ran felt entirely drained of strength, too weak even to reach for medicine or to muster the energy to speak.
Yun Ran’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier until her consciousness faded altogether. The last thing she heard before blacking out was the heart-wrenching cries of the Little Papermen calling her "master."
When Yun Ran awoke again, it was five days later.
She opened her eyes to see an IV drip attached to her hand, and sitting beside her was Gu Yuan.
"Hey, you’re finally awake. You scared me to death!"
As he spoke, Gu Yuan hastily adjusted the hospital bed to raise it a little and made sure Yun Ran’s back was well supported before opening an insulated container nearby.
A faint aroma wafted through the air, and just the smell alone made it evident that something beneficial was inside.
Hearing Yun Ran’s voice so weak, especially upon seeing her silver-white hair, Gu Yuan was almost brought to tears.
"If I weren’t here, who would prepare all these nourishments for you? I’ve raided the entire collection of the Northwest Branch for you, and you must finish it without leaving a single drop."
As he spoke these words, Gu Yuan spoke through clenched teeth.
When he arrived and saw Yun Ran looking as if she were about to shatter, he almost took the Northwest Branch’s people to task – all a bunch of incompetents!
Wondering if she’d overexerted herself during the sacrifice ritual, Yun Ran felt somewhat depleted and knew she needed to recover.
She quickly opened her mouth and drank the entire pot of soup.