"Yaksha!"

Amidst the deep, resounding cry, a figure—tall with a broad waist, skin of deep gray, hair like fluffy bluish-green seaweed, massive eyes, and sharp, long fangs protruding from the corners of his mouth, wielding a steel trident that pulsed with green flames—swiftly arrived before the Dragon Palace.

"Dragon King!"

Kneeling, the Patrolling Night Yaksha bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"My son is dead! You are to lead men and retrieve his body without fail!"

From the depths of the Dragon Palace, an enormous figure with millstone-sized eyes the color of shattered gold fixed him with a cold, savage gaze. It spat out a copper disk.

The copper disk appeared empty. Yet, a dragon insignia upon it continuously shifted direction, as if offering guidance.

"This subordinate obeys! Shall I also bring back the fiend who murdered His Highness?"

"That is irrelevant! What matters is my Dragon Blood! My Dragon Blood!"

Its terrifyingly colossal body thrashed, causing the entire Dragon Palace to tremble violently, as if on the verge of being completely overturned.

"Remember! The absolute priority is to bring back my Dragon Blood! You must retrieve it!"

Its shattered golden eyes surged with terrifying madness. This Linshui Jiaolong Wang kept growling lowly, causing the entire Linshui Water Region to become turbulent.

Out of nowhere, colossal waves, hundreds of meters high, surged upwards.

For a time, all the prefectures and county seats surrounding Linshui grew tense, fearing this Great Demon would once again stir chaos and flood the mortal realm.

All Cultivators of Dao soared into the sky on their Escape Lights, closely monitoring the movements within the waters.

"Yes! This subordinate understands!"

Witnessing the Dragon King's fury, the Patrolling Night Yaksha hurriedly responded, then turned and emitted a harsh, deep whistle.

Instantly, the waters roiled with sand and silt as eleven yakshas, identical in appearance to him, swam out from underwater caves.

Following the guidance of the dragon insignia on the copper disk, the twelve Patrolling Night Yakshas stood atop the churning, monstrous waves and sped away.

---

"Old Li, I've received the military transfer orders. We must depart immediately to relieve the garrison."

This exchange took place in the rear hall of the Qingliu County office.

Chu Zhao, who had come to bid farewell, heartily embraced Li Jiufang, clasping him in a tight hug. Having endured the Golden Flower Maternal Sect's siege of the city together and served alongside each other during their time stationed in Qingliu County, the two had become brothers-in-arms, forged through shared life-and-death experiences. Chu Zhao had keenly observed Li Jiufang's every word and deed.

This was a good official.

A truly good official who sincerely wished to bring well-being to the common people.

This had changed Chu Zhao's initial indifference towards the somewhat indecisive, scholarly County Magistrate; he now considered Li Jiufang a true brother with whom he could share wine and laughter.

Smiling, Li Jiufang patted Chu Zhao's shoulder. "You're leaving so soon? I was thinking that once the rudimentary outer city wall is completed in a few days, I'd invite you all for a drink."

"There's no helping it. The formal military orders have arrived. We must set off immediately for Beijiang Prefecture, where several groups of demons are rampaging. The military command has ordered us to provide reinforcements. It's just... I don't know when we brothers will see each other again... or if we ever will."

He paused, amending "if we ever will" to "when we'll see each other again," and Chu Zhao forced a grin.

In these tumultuous times, soldiers faced a much higher mortality rate than civilians. Yet, this was not just their duty; it was their glory. A soldier's ultimate honor was to die on the battlefield, their body wrapped in horsehide—a cherished aspiration since the day they enlisted.

"We will definitely see each other again." Li Jiufang forcefully thumped Chu Zhao's chest, then retrieved a protective talisman of yellow paper and red string from his sleeve. "This is a Peace Talisman I transcribed myself. It's nothing valuable, but I want you to have it."

"Hahaha, not bad. You're quite skilled with your hands," Chu Zhao said, taking the talisman. He examined it with a nod before stowing it away, then continued, "However, Old Li, after we depart, Qingliu County will have no military garrison. You'll have to manage security yourselves. Fortunately, that mysterious Sword Cultivator still seems to reside nearby. Moreover, his clearing speed has become increasingly faster. I dispatched ten Scouts yesterday. Upon their return, they reported that an eight-hundred-li radius around Qingliu County has been completely purged. Not a single Demonic Evil Cultivator was found."

Truly ruthless. Not a single one spared within an eight-hundred-li radius.

They say Sword Cultivators are ruthless. Today, I've witnessed it.

"Indeed." With a slightly somber expression, Li Jiufang added, "It is thanks to this Sword Cultivator's protection, his silent sweeping away of the demons in our county's vicinity, that establishing this outer city is even possible. It's merely a pity that this individual is low-key and unassuming, with no desire for fame, and unwilling to reveal his name. Otherwise, given his contributions, the people of Qingliu County would have ample reason to erect a statue and build a temple in his honor."

"If only there were more such remarkable individuals in this world, the common people would suffer less."

Exchanging glances, Li Jiufang and Chu Zhao both saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.

The Court is weak, and warlords carve up territories. Noble clans and sects have retreated from the world, refusing to intervene. The chaos in Dianchuan Province is not an isolated case. In fact, all provinces of the Great Xuan Dynasty, with the exception of Xiangchu Province, have descended into varying degrees of turmoil. Demonic Evil Cultivators, rebellious cults, barbarians from overseas, natural disasters, and man-made calamities... An endless torrent of troubles, gushing forth like a spring, ceaselessly. And in the end, who suffers? It is always the common folk at the very bottom.

"This vast era is beyond our control. We can only hope this dark and chaotic period ends sooner rather than later..." Gazing at Taiyang high in the Sky Dome, Li Jiufang heaved a long sigh.

---

「At this time, in a small town more than eight hundred li away from Qingliu County.」

It was a desolate, long-abandoned town, shrouded in desolation and eerie silence. The streets were piled with bleached and distinct skeletons, some still bearing remnants of human skin. Piles of bones formed small mounds, grim testaments to the lives once lived there. Torn-out clumps of hair, dulled and matted, lay scattered everywhere, forming a chaotic, interwoven mess. They sometimes fluttered in the wind, at other times tangled amongst the crumbling walls and ruins. The hair's color had long faded, leaving only a withered yellow or ashen white, as forlorn as the town's departed soul.

In the center of the town, atop a pile of ruins, a man in a plain white, wide-sleeved robe, his features delicate, moved as lightly as the wind, evading the attacks of hundreds of surrounding demons.

Only a dozen or so Dao-Entering Realm demons. No matter, they should be enough for my breakthrough.

Having counted the demons, Qi Xiu slammed his palm onto the ground. His terrifying physical body, surpassing that of any Martial Path cultivator, struck the earth, instantly shattering it. A visible shockwave erupted, raising a dust wave several meters high, sending the surrounding demons sprawling and screaming.

"Twelve Swords! Annihilate!"

Intending a swift resolution, Qi Xiu flicked his sleeve, and twelve strands of Invisible Sword Qi shot out.

The instant they shot forth, twelve demons froze, a line of blood blooming from their crowns as they were cleaved in two!

Wielding his Autumn Sandalwood Bamboo Staff and employing Escape Skills at extreme speed, Qi Xiu charged into the demonic horde, slaughtering these man-eating monstrosities as easily as butchering chickens and dogs. The demons had to defend against the assault of his Invisible Sword Qi while simultaneously resisting the bombardment from the Sword Qi channeled through Qi Xiu's bamboo staff!

In an instant, Qi Xiu alone had scattered the thirteen Dao-Entering demons, leaving them with only a single thought: escape.

And this was the plight of Dao-Entering demons; one could only imagine that of the ordinary ones.

In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the ruins were littered with corpses—the mangled limbs and shattered remains of demons. The only ones still stirring were Dao-Entering demons whose demonic miasma Qi Xiu had dispersed, whose limbs he had severed, and whose eyes he had blinded.

With a flick of his finger, five strands of Invisible Sword Qi shot out. They pierced from below, killing a massive Bull Demon covered in black fur and grotesque, tick-like carbuncles.

"It's you..." Staring in astonishment at its blood-soaked chest where the Sword Qi had emerged, the Bull Demon's eyes blazed with ferocity. It raised a trembling hand towards Qi Xiu, cursing with hatred, "You Sword Cultivator... killing thousands of my brethren... your death... is near!"

SHHCK—

With a wave of his great sleeve, Sword Qi swept out!

The massive bull's head tumbled to the ground, its unblinking eyes still fixed on Qi Xiu, as if determined to memorize his face even in Hell.

Not very strong, but full of nonsense.

Having cleared the town of its hundreds of demons, Qi Xiu extended his hand, producing the Spirit Pill Pouch. He collected the surrounding demon corpses into it and prepared to begin Alchemy.

Lately, a persistent unease had settled in his heart. Upon careful introspection, he realized it was a warning from the Human Path Merit. Whatever could trigger a warning from the Human Path Merit was clearly no minor disaster.

The Dan Fire blazed.

One by one, Spirit Pills landed in Qi Xiu's palm. He sat cross-legged right there, on the blood-soaked, muddy ground of slaughter.

Eyes half-closed, Qi Xiu ingested the Spirit Pills one after another. He intended to break through to the Second Realm of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery here, completely perfecting the Divine Marvel of the Mixed Primordial Bead.

As each Spirit Pill entered his stomach, a vast and mighty surge of Spiritual Power erupted within Qi Xiu's body like a volcano.

With his hands cupped loosely, a dragon and a tiger spontaneously leaped forth from his body. The dragon coiled around him, banishing distracting thoughts and Heart Demons, causing them to retreat a hundred li. The tiger crouched by his side; what evil spirits or grotesque specters would dare approach?

As he silently circulated the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, the Mixed Primordial Bead within his Mind Palace began to stir. It devoured and absorbed massive amounts of Spiritual Power, transforming it into strands of Hunyuan Gang Qi stored within.

As more and more Hunyuan Gang Qi accumulated within the Mixed Primordial Bead, it gradually approached the limit of nine hundred and ninety-nine strands. The entire Mixed Primordial Bead began to tremble, as if unable to bear the ever-increasing Hunyuan Gang Qi and about to shatter completely.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, Qi Xiu's tightly shut eyes darting rapidly. The Mixed Primordial Bead was the foundation of his entire Cultivation. If it shattered, his entire Cultivation would be washed away, dissolving like a phantom.

"To glimpse the gate of the Great Dao of Longevity, one must refine the True Body with Hunyuan..."

Just as the Mixed Primordial Bead seemed about to shatter, a line from the General Outline of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery flashed through Qi Xiu's mind.

"Must use Hunyuan... to refine... the True Body..."

A spark of insight flickered in his mind, and a smile of profound understanding touched Qi Xiu's slightly pale face.

Simultaneously, on his proficiency panel, the [Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery] reached 100%!

CRACK—

The instant the amount of Hunyuan Gang Qi reached nine hundred and ninety-nine strands, countless fissures spiderwebbed across the Mixed Primordial Bead in his Mind Palace.

Before Qi Xiu's very eyes, the Mixed Primordial Bead... shattered!

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