Chapter 480 - 243: Dominating Ning’an: Government Office and Jianghu

Chapter 480: Chapter 243: Dominating Ning’an: Government Office and Jianghu

After their passion was spent.

The stone chamber fell quiet once more, filled only with the gurgling of the Spiritual Spring and the swirling tendrils of mist.

Chen Sheng leaned back against the smooth wall of the pool and slowly let out a long breath, a hint of weariness from the intense exertion lingering on his face.

The water in the pool rippled, reflecting the flickering candlelight from the walls.

Beside him, Sun Yuzhi was half-submerged in the soothing spring water. The disrupted flow of her energy, a result of the Demon Fire’s corrosion, had completely stabilized. After Chen Sheng used his pure True Essence to help guide it, and after she refined the few drops of Golden Spring Spiritual Liquid he had given her, her minor injuries had long since healed.

It was just that the recent "treatment" had been quite draining. And on top of that...

At this moment, Sun Yuzhi’s cheeks were still flushed. The usual sharpness in her gaze was replaced by a rare softness and languor. Her long, wet hair clung to her smooth shoulders, neck, and cheeks.

It made her skin seem all the fairer. Reflected in the shimmering water, her curvaceous, graceful figure was tantalizingly visible, possessing a unique allure.

Chen Sheng naturally hadn’t forgotten what Sun Yuzhi had mentioned earlier: the potential pair of Yin-Yang Gu Kings in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect’s Poison Flame Cave.

Whether it was their heaven-defying ability to enhance one’s innate talent or their aid in solidifying one’s cultivation foundation, he was extremely tempted.

Besides, there might be other things within the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect that would interest him.

But this matter could not be rushed.

Right now, with Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple newly destroyed, the aftershocks had yet to settle.

He needed time to digest the enormous spoils of this war and solidify his explosively increased cultivation and prestige.

More importantly, he had to cautiously handle the potential pressure and probing that might come from Dragon Tiger Mountain and Celestial Dragon Temple.

All plans had to wait until he had firmly established his position.

"Yuzhi."

After a moment of silence, Chen Sheng suddenly spoke, taking the simple, black, antique-looking ring from his finger and handing it to her.

"Help me open this."

Sun Yuzhi shot him a languid glance. She was just about to make a sarcastic jab out of habit when her eyes fell upon the black ring and froze.

"This is..."

"Qingfeng Temple’s Storage Magical Artifact."

Chen Sheng explained briefly:

"I took it from Zhang Daoming. I haven’t reached the Divine Communication realm, so I don’t have Divine Sense. I can’t open it."

A flash of astonishment crossed Sun Yuzhi’s eyes. She gave Chen Sheng a deep look, but asked no further questions as she reached out and took it.

She then composed herself, focusing her spirit. A wisp of her newly stabilized Divine Sense slowly reached out, carefully probing the antique black ring.

A moment later, her eyes flashed, and a look of surprise crossed her face.

"Inside... there are piles of Elemental Crystals, at least two thousand by a rough count. Besides that, there are no less than a hundred jade bottles of various Elixirs, and dozens of books and Jade Scrolls.

There are also some rare Spiritual Materials and ores... This is practically a miniature treasure trove!"

Chen Sheng’s expression was calm, betraying no surprise.

Qingfeng Temple’s public treasury had been seized by the Government Office after the temple’s fall. The haul was substantial, but compared to a century of accumulation, it always felt like the core treasures were missing.

This unassuming ring was where Qingfeng Temple’s true treasures were hidden—the last ember left to spark a future comeback.

Now, however, this ember and the vast resources it held had naturally become Chen Sheng’s private stash, a fact he had no intention of publicizing.

"Take out the Seven-leaf Thunder Ginseng for me."

Chen Sheng instructed.

Sun Yuzhi did as instructed, her Divine Sense stirring.

A dark light flashed across the surface of the black ring, and a foot-long, lustrous cyan jade box appeared in her hand out of thin air.

Chen Sheng took the jade box. It felt heavy in his hands as he slowly opened it.

HUMMM!

A fresh, yet domineering medicinal aroma infused with thunder intent instantly filled the air, causing the Spiritual Mist in the chamber to shudder.

Inside the jade box lay a single ginseng root.

The root itself wasn’t thick, but it shimmered with a faint, jade-like luster. Most miraculously, seven small leaves grew from its crown, each with veins of a pale, silvery blue.

Tiny, faint arcs of electricity danced between the leaves and the root, emitting a soft CRACKLE.

This was none other than one of Qingfeng Temple’s guardian treasures: the 140-year-old Seven-leaf Thunder Ginseng!

Chen Sheng’s eyes burned with intensity. After studying it for a moment, he carefully pinched off the thinnest, silvery rootlet and placed it in his mouth.

The rootlet dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, transforming into a warm, tingling torrent that surged through his entire body.

Simultaneously, fine tendrils of blue electricity erupted from his pores with a soft CRACKLE, and upon contact with the Spirit Pool’s water, they instantly generated a flurry of even more tiny sparks.

For a moment, the entire Spirit Pool was shrouded in a faint blue radiance, the water simmering gently. It was a bizarre and wondrous sight.

Chen Sheng immediately focused his mind, closing his eyes to circulate the Six Paths True Scripture and dedicating all his effort to guiding and refining the vast, domineering medicinal power.

...

Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, nearly ten days had gone by since the fall of Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple.

However, far from subsiding, the turmoil in Ning’an Prefecture showed signs of escalating.

The sudden collapse of the two great powers had left behind not only a power vacuum, but also countless coveted resources and territories.

The various clans and sects that had once been vassals to the two great powers were now like unsheltered lambs, facing a pincer attack from both the Government Office’s purge and the covetous eyes of the Jianghu.

Some had their entire clans annihilated under the iron heel of the Official Army, their properties seized.

Others decisively sacrificed a limb to save the body, surrendering the bulk of their accumulated wealth in exchange for an Immunity Iron Certificate, just to barely hang on.

Throughout the entire Ning’an Martial World, everyone felt endangered. Blood and fire intertwined as chaos reigned.

With Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple turned to ash, the century-long power-sharing arrangement between the Government Office and the Jianghu in Ning’an Prefecture was now a thing of the past.

In its place rose the unprecedented might of the Government Office. Wherever its blade pointed, none dared to disobey.