Chapter 168: Fiery Sun Technique

Mo Tang rubbed her temples. "I’ve gotten a bit sidetracked. Do you have any other thoughts about what just happened?"

He Liangzhi looked like he wanted to speak but held his tongue.

Lu Bai was silent for a moment before saying, "Ma’am, are you suspecting the Demon Suppression Bureau?"

The three of them had just left the Demon Suppression Bureau. The timing of the attack was too much of a coincidence.

Even if their ambushers were Mo Country people, it was hard not to connect it to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

If the Jingzhou Demon Suppression Bureau was involved and someone had tipped them off, that person must hold a high position within the Bureau, someone with immense power and influence.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible to mobilize four Innate Martial Artists from Mo Country and one True Master of the Martial Dao in such a short time!

In fact, He Liangzhi had also thought of this.

But the speculation was simply too terrifying.

The Demon Suppression Bureau, the Demon Sect’s Corpse Refining Sect, Mo Country...

If the three were connected, the problem in Jing State would be massive!

Or perhaps... it wasn’t just Jing State?

He Liangzhi didn’t dare to think about it any further.

Mo Tang looked at Lu Bai. "Continue."

Lu Bai thought for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "If tonight’s ambush was meant to kill us and silence us, then the key question is, what are they trying to hide?"

He Liangzhi said, "To hide the Corpse Refining Sect’s presence in Jing State, of course. If we had died in Jing State tonight, they could have perfectly pointed the blame at Mo Country, and no one would know about the Corpse Refining Sect."

"That’s a sound theory."

Lu Bai said, "But if the Corpse Refining Sect appeared in Jing State, the Demon Suppression Bureau could have dealt with it or cooperated covertly. There are always ways to handle things.

But to choose such a drastic method as assassinating a Morning Bell Ringer in the middle of the street... it’s probably not just to hide the Corpse Refining Sect’s presence.

In other words, what is the Corpse Refining Sect’s purpose in Jing State?"

Lu Bai was suddenly reminded of the Red and White Collision Evil he had encountered outside Bai Family Village.

’Such a formation is extremely difficult to create. Could it really have been a coincidence?’

Mo Tang said in a low voice, "The implications of this are too great. We must report it to the Capital City and request that a Jiaorui Envoy from the Evil Extermination Bureau be dispatched. We have no proof right now, so don’t spread this around. Just be aware of it and stay on your guard."

Mo Tang held a high position, and her master was the Duke of Jing, one of the Six Great Dukes of the Wu Dynasty. She had to consider the political situation of the Court in many matters.

The Demon Suppression Venerable of the Demon Suppression Bureau was also one of the Six Great Dukes: the Duke of Zhen.

If this matter wasn’t handled properly, it could easily cause political instability in the Court.

Ever since the Late King passed away and King Wu ascended the throne, many people throughout the Wu Dynasty had their complaints about the new Monarch.

Although she was entrusted with the throne by the Late King, she was, after all, a woman. She lacked military experience, and her age and Cultivation were hardly enough to command respect.

It was only with the support of the Six Great Dukes that the dynasty’s century of stability had been maintained.

Once the Six Great Dukes were involved, it could easily trigger a chain reaction.

Before leaving the Capital City, she had heard rumors that the Duke of Chen, who guarded the border of Great Li, might be planning to establish himself as king.

For thousands of years, heroes have risen from all corners of the Celestial Divine Land. Among the various Vassal States, it was not uncommon for powerful officials and great clans to usurp their Monarch and declare themselves king.

"If you have any news, come find me in this secret room."

Mo Tang’s expression was grave. "For the time being, try not to leave the city, and don’t leave the Evil Extermination Bureau at night."

"Yes, Ma’am."

He Liangzhi nodded.

Lu Bai asked, "What about the four bodies outside?"

Mo Tang replied, "Tomorrow, I’ll have the other Evil Exterminator Guards send them to the County Government Office. They will handle it from there. We’ll see if the Government Office can find any clues."

Despite saying so, she didn’t hold out much hope.

Now that the assassination had failed, that True Master of the Martial Dao from Mo Country would surely go into hiding.

"You must all be tired tonight. Rest here for a while. This place is completely safe."

Mo Tang said, "We’ll decide our next move after my injuries have healed."

The three of them had been through a sleepless night, narrowly escaping with their lives. They were physically and mentally exhausted and were indeed worn out.

Lu Bai and He Liangzhi made a simple bed on the floor and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Mo Tang circulated her power for a short while but couldn’t hold on and fell asleep as well.

Her injuries were too severe this time; she would probably need a long time to recover.

「The next day.」

The three of them woke up one after another.

He Liangzhi had recovered some of his strength and could move without any issues.

Mo Tang’s injuries were more serious. She left the secret room, arranged a few things at the Evil Extermination Bureau, and then returned to the secret room to continue healing.

Lu Bai’s constitution was extraordinary. Last night, he had fought men, ghosts, and Jiangshi, and had been thoroughly spooked by that Ghost Bride. But after one night’s rest, he was fully recovered and full of energy.

However, the previous night’s experience had left him with a nagging sense of worry.

He had thought that joining the Evil Extermination Bureau would not only put him on the imperial payroll, making it so no one would dare to provoke him, but also allow him to capture ghosts and perform Soul Collection openly and legitimately.

But last night’s assassination had given Lu Bai a sense of crisis.

He was likely being swept up into a massive, uncontrollable storm.

The slightest misstep, and he would be torn to shreds by this storm!

’All I wanted was to capture ghosts, collect souls, and keep a low profile while I get stronger. Why is that so hard...?’

Lu Bai sighed softly.

This Jingzhou City had a dangerous undercurrent, possibly even more dangerous than Bluestone City!

Originally, Lu Bai had been thinking about earning some more money and visiting the Auction House in Jingzhou City to see if he could afford a Viewing of a Celestial Tier Technique.

Now, it seemed that was out of the question.

For a Celestial Tier Inner Strength, a Viewing for the time it takes an incense stick to burn started at several thousand gold pieces.

A Celestial Tier Innate Skill would only be more expensive.

Ever since he had the Cyan Cloud Sword reforged and gave all his silver to Yu Daoxuan, he was left with only a few taels of loose silver. He was far too short.

Unless he came into a sudden windfall.

Otherwise, even if the Auction House had a Celestial Tier Technique, all he could do was look.

Lu Bai decided to first cultivate the Earth Tier Innate Skill, the Fiery Sun Technique, to break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible. He needed to increase his combat strength to deal with the impending storm.

Even if his cultivation speed was a little slower, it was still better than being stuck in the Inner Strength Realm.

He had only cultivated Ultimate Skills before, which had inevitably made him a bit arrogant.

But his current circumstances didn’t allow for that. He had to adjust his mindset and keep his feet on the ground.

Led by He Liangzhi, Lu Bai went to the Evil Extermination Bureau’s Martial Arts Pavilion for a Viewing of the Fiery Sun Technique.

This time, there was no Soul Light to help him, so he could only rely on his own comprehension.

To break through from the Inner Strength Realm, open the Nine Acupoints, and return to the Innate state, one had to use an Innate Realm Technique to absorb the Innate Essence that drifted between Heaven and earth. This essence would then be refined into Innate True Qi within the body, which would merge with the blood, condense into Blood Qi, and gradually open the Twelve Meridians.

The Twelve Meridians formed an endless cycle by connecting the yin and yang of the hands and feet, both internally and externally.

Through the Meridians, Blood Qi could reach the Internal Organs within and the surface of the body without, permeating the entire being.

Strictly speaking, only by stepping into the Innate Realm could one be considered to have cultivated the core of the Martial Dao—Blood Qi!

The Twelve Meridians are divided into the Hand Three Yang Meridians and the Hand Three Yin Meridians.

And the Foot Three Yang Meridians and the Foot Three Yin Meridians.

In the process of condensing Blood Qi in the Innate Realm, different signs of Blood Qi would appear as it gradually increased.

Initially, the Blood Qi is weak, as fine and soft as silkworm thread. An Innate Martial Artist can clearly feel faint wisps of Blood Qi slowly circulating within their body.

This is known as "Blood Qi like silk."

As the Blood Qi strengthens and accumulates, the threads of Blood Qi converge, gradually forming streams that flow through the Meridians. This is known as "Blood Qi like a stream."

Even stronger, the streams converge into a river. One can cultivate their Blood Qi until it resembles a great, surging river. This is the Blood Qi River.

At this stage, both physical strength and combat power increase dramatically, reaching the peak of the Innate Realm!

Of course, most Innate Martial Artists only ever reach the "Blood Qi like a stream" stage.

To cultivate to the level of a Blood Qi River, besides having powerful blood and condensed Innate True Qi, one must also expand and strengthen their Meridians.

The Meridians are the channels; the Blood Qi is the river.

If the Blood Qi grows too strong for the Meridians to contain, it will overflow its channels and disperse.

To reach the level of a Blood Qi River, in addition to abundant resources, Spiritual Elixirs, and a top-tier Cultivation Technique, one often needs fortuitous encounters. It is as difficult as ascending to Heaven.