https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-221-The-Three-Primal-Ascension-Technique-3000-/12554353/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-223-Leaving-the-Imperial-City-Heading-to-Songzhou/12554355/
Chapter 222: Middle Realm Martial Immortal, Sitting in the Main Office
Chapter 222: Middle Realm Martial Immortal, Sitting in the Main Office
"Is it that difficult just to follow the cultivation technique?" Shen Yi muttered to himself, gently rubbing his temples as he felt the confusion building in his mind. He was not trying to create a new martial art from scratch, after all.
Countless demons' life forces were rapidly depleting, fueling his cultivation.
Finally, he sensed a change occurring within his dantian, where his Yin Spirit resided.
[Year 793: You feel that perhaps this cultivation technique merely provides a direction, with no right or wrong answers. Instead of idle speculation, you decide to give it a try.]
In an instant, the swirling white mist was stirred once more, funneling into his Yin Spirit and tracing intricate, mysterious paths within it.
However, the process was far from smooth; it was awkward and clumsy.
There were even times when the mist suddenly changed direction halfway through its trajectory.
[Year 2900: You always feel something is amiss, as if you made a mistake, and so you change your approach yet again.]
"…”
Shen Yi sighed inwardly as he silently observed the prompt.
Thankfully, it was his Yin Spirit being affected and not himself; cultivating in this manner would eventually lead to a cultivation deviation.
"Oh well, practice makes perfect," he consoled himself.
The vast pious energy from the incense offerings was finally diminishing.
In its place, a substantial Yin Spirit took form.
It remained seated in a meditative posture, its features becoming clearer, but its expression growing increasingly detached, as if it had transcended the mortal realm and shaken off the dust of the world, resembling a divine statue on an altar.
The most noticeable change was the appearance of a auspicious cloud encircling it.
The white mist continued to condense, hinting at the formation of a second auspicious cloud, but it suddenly stopped and maintained its misty state.
Shen Yi subconsciously glanced at the remaining pious energy from the incense offerings and found that about a third of it was left.
He lowered his gaze to the panel and realized that the demons' life forces had been exhausted.
[Year 4736: You have long since broken through to the Middle Realm Martial Immortal. As you approached the bottleneck to a higher realm, you suddenly became aware of your dwindling lifespan, and a sense of regret and disappointment arose within you.]
[Martial Immortal Technique: Three Primes Ascension - Minor Accomplishment]
"Hiss!"
Shen Yi clutched his forehead, feeling as if he had just crossed an endless abyss, only to fall short right before reaching the other side, with no chance of success despite being so close.
He struggled to regulate his heavy breathing and reluctantly looked at the next line of text.
[Remaining Lifespan: 2,956 years]
It was the demons' life forces that had been exhausted, not his own, so why the sense of regret?
After breaking through the Mixed Element Realm, his lifespan had increased by a full two thousand years, and at just over twenty years of age, he was in the prime of his life. How could he be affected by such emotions?
Shen Yi quickly regained his composure and resumed his meditation.
He released Qinghua Furen from the panel and placed her within his Yin Spirit.
In the next moment, a tall and slender figure appeared in the room, surrounded by white mist and auspicious clouds, resembling a celestial being.
A powerful aura swept through the room, almost causing Shen Yi to open his eyes.
"My master's spiritual body is too strong, and Qinghua is struggling to bear it…" Qinghua Furen's voice echoed in his mind.
The demon soul, formed from ten thousand years of cultivation, was now complaining.
"…”
Shen Yi used his divine sense to touch the connection between Qinghua and himself, and then forcibly established a connection with her.
He generated the intention to open his eyes.
The seated youth on the bed remained still, and the Yin Spirit standing in the room slowly opened its eyes, its originally indifferent face now carrying an additional hint of cold severity.
"Huh."
This was the first time Shen Yi had controlled his Yin Spirit, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty as he looked at his physical body.
Qinghua hadn't lied; this Yin Spirit was indeed a bit too powerful, and the demon soul seemed relatively weak in comparison, making its movements feel sluggish and cumbersome.
He gazed at the auspicious cloud by his side.
For some reason, it reminded him of the three cloud patterns on the Town Demon Officer's uniform.
Perhaps the reason they used cloud patterns as their emblem was also related to this Three Primes Ascension technique. A single auspicious cloud represented the Middle Realm Martial Immortal, and the gathering of three cloud patterns signified the ability to condense a golden body, slay demons, and protect the Great Qian Empire.
"It will have to do for now; I'll change it later," Shen Yi said, handing control back to Qinghua and returning to his physical body.
Without a stronger demon, he could only make do for the time being.
"Change?" Qinghua Furen was taken aback but dared not ask further.
Could her master's abilities have already reached such a level that he could even replace his Yin Spirit?
Could he be planning to replace her…?
At this thought, Qinghua Furen timidly stepped forward and gently kneaded Shen Yi's shoulders.
Although the Yin Spirit couldn't benefit the physical body, the pious energy it controlled felt warm and comfortable.
Shen Yi was already feeling weary from the thousands of years' worth of emotional feedback from his cultivation.
He didn't refuse her gesture.
Since Wu ShiXiong had said that Martial Immortals all had their quirks, it wouldn't be strange for him to enjoy having his Yin Spirit massage his physical body.
As long as he communicated through his thoughts, no one would be able to tell that his physical body was actually "alive."
"Change your appearance when no one is around," Shen Yi said quietly, glancing at her face and feeling a bit creeped out.
"As you wish, Master Qinghua," she replied.
The white mist beside the Yin Spirit stirred, transforming into the likeness of Qinghua Furen. It was merely a simple illusion created with the pious energy, not a difficult task at all.
Once, she had been a famous demon king, never having served anyone else, and her skills were a bit rough, but Shen Yi didn't mind.
After a brief rest that night, the next morning arrived.
Shen Yi recalled his Yin Spirit and returned Qinghua Furen to the panel, as it was still under the watchful eye of a Nascent Soul cultivator, and it was better to be cautious.
Perhaps due to the early morning hour, there were significantly more people in the courtyard than before, all casually chatting.
The white-robed couple seemed to hold a high status, as they remained silent for the most part, but whenever a topic arose, the others would seek their opinions.
At that moment, the man suddenly stood up and smiled, "Please hold, young master."
The middle-aged man, holding a sword sheath, gave a slight bow, "I am Lin Qingyang from the Li Zhouqi Sect, and this is my wife. May I ask for your surname, mister?"
Li Zhouqi Sect.
A priceless treasure?
Shen Yi slowly stopped in his tracks and politely nodded, "No need for formality, I am Shen Yi."
Hearing the conversation between the two, the other disciples of the Yi courtyard quieted down and bowed to the young man.
Although he looked young, he had entered the Jia courtyard, which meant he had the potential to achieve the Nascent Soul realm. In terms of status, he was a disciple of the Martial Temple and thus their senior.
"Are you leaving? Is there anything we can help with?" Lin's wife asked with a smile.
"I'm going to take up a position." Shen Yi replied briefly and bid everyone farewell.
Although the priceless treasure was tempting, it wouldn't run away, and for now, the demon's lifespan essence was more important.
"Taking up a position?" As Shen Yi walked away, the crowd exchanged puzzled glances.
He had just entered the Martial Temple and must have obtained a cultivation technique. Why wasn't he focusing on cultivating, and what position was he taking up? Could it be that he still serves in the court?
...
The Martial Temple stood tall, with two grand offices on either side.
Even at this early hour, many people had gathered there.
Some had come to claim rewards, others for cultivation in the Martial Temple, and some had returned to report.
Shen Yi walked straight into the long queue, attracting the attention of many.
"He's not wearing the standard attire, which state's general is he?"
The few people at the front of the line looked on curiously.
A general cutting in line? Well, that's one way to do it.
However, what happened next surprised them even more. They watched as Liu Kun, who was behind the counter, suddenly pushed aside the Grand Demon Subduing General in front of him and stood up straight from his chair, his posture as rigid as a spear.
"Sir Shen, what brings you here?"
"Where is my designated seat?"
Shen Yi walked behind the counter, and after a brief moment of surprise, Liu Kun quickly pointed to the adjacent room, "I will lead you there immediately."
"No need, you carry on." Shen Yi replied calmly and walked towards the room, lifting the curtain to enter.
"...!"
Liu Kun swallowed hard and turned to look at the queue of people from the Demon Subduing Office.
As expected, their expressions had changed.
Even though Liu Kun hadn't explicitly stated Shen Yi's position, they weren't fools; they could read the situation clearly.
After many years, the Demon Subduing Office finally had a new Inspection Commissioner.
"This is bad!"
Liu Kun berated himself inwardly. He was usually quick-witted, but he had slipped up this time.
Assuming that Shen Yi was just a figurehead appointed by Minister Wu to 'collect a salary', he hadn't prepared at all for this situation.
Who would have thought that Shen Yi would actually come to the office to show off his status?
Now that so many people had witnessed this... there was no way to stop the news from spreading.
The Demon Subduing Office of the Nine Provinces had long suffered from the scourge of demons and evil, and everyone had their fair share of troubles.
If Shen Yi were to lose face because of this, Liu Kun would likely face severe consequences.
"Quiet down and get back in line!" Liu Kun bit his lip and slammed his hand on the counter, finally managing to get everyone's attention back on track, but whispers of the incident continued to spread.
At the back of the queue, a middle-aged man in dark armor approached and stood still, letting his companions chatter away while he occasionally responded with a smile. However, his eyes couldn't hide his anxiety and worry.
"Brother Zhang, I must say, why do you insist on staying in Songzhou? You should follow my example and come to the Martial Temple. There's no shortage of precious medicine and cultivation techniques here, and you can get to know many powerful cultivators." Jiang He patted his shoulder and boasted, "Just yesterday, I became acquainted with an extraordinary young genius from Qingzhou. He's already achieved the Embryo Clamping stage and is incredibly young. With his talent, he's sure to become a Mixed Element Grandmaster one day. I exchanged a few moves with Brother Shen, and I gained quite a lot, improving my realm significantly."
"Congratulations, Brother Jiang." Zhang Xuan forced a smile. His companion could address him as an equal and call himself a brother despite his position as a Grand Demon Subduing General, all thanks to his silver tongue. If he fell for his words again, he would be a fool.
At that moment, their soft conversation finally caught the attention of others.
Even a few demon catchers joined the crowd, as they were skilled in gathering information. One of them even shouted out a name.
"I know a disciple in the Martial Temple, a general from Qingzhou, surnamed Shen. He just arrived in the Imperial City yesterday and has been promoted to Deputy Inspection Commissioner!"
The shout reached Zhang Xuan's ears.
He stood there, stunned, rubbing his ears as if he couldn't quite believe what he had heard. "Inspection Commissioner... Inspection Commissioner..."
As if remembering something, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned and grabbed his companion's hand, "Brother Jiang, you just mentioned that you met a genius from Qingzhou, also surnamed Shen. Could you... could you introduce me to him?"
If Brother Jiang wasn't exaggerating and they were indeed acquainted, and if he could get an Inspection Commissioner to come back with him—
Zhang Xuan's breathing quickened with anticipation.
"Umm."
Jiang He licked his lips, his body stiffening, "I might have remembered it wrong... maybe it's a different surname..."
Seeing Zhang Xuan's eager expression, he replied bitterly, "I'll try my best, but don't get your hopes up too high."
What acquaintance? He barely knew the man's name.
Moreover, this Inspection Commissioner might not be what Zhang Xuan imagined. He wasn't a Mixed Element Grandmaster, or he wouldn't be in the Martial Temple.
(End of Chapter)
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