Chapter 315 - 307: Connecting with the Nine Spirits

Chapter 315: Chapter 307: Connecting with the Nine Spirits

A saying has always circulated in the Xuanyang Martial World.

Refine the Five Gates to birth power. Perceive the Four Senses to know the heart. Commune with the Nine Divinities to become a Martial Saint.

In Xuan Yang, those who have clarified their hearts are already among the absolute elite.

Those who have achieved Divinity Communication are so few you can count them on one hand.

The only Divinity Grandmaster Bai Yuan had ever met was Yan Shao’an.

Publicly, the Xuan Yang Court had only three Divinity Grandmasters: the Grand Tutor, the Grand Protector, and Xu Dingchun.

Xu Dingchun, in particular, had only achieved Divinity Communication after returning to the capital. The story of how he attained enlightenment while fishing became a celebrated tale in the Capital City.

And yet, this old Daoist before him was a Divinity Grandmaster.

Terrifying!

Bai Yuan never imagined such a terrifying individual was staying in his own inn.

The Old Daoist chuckled. "Are you willing to become my disciple now?"

"..."

Bai Yuan gulped and forced an awkward smile. "How could I possibly be worthy of becoming your disciple, Daoist Master?"

"I have already said this is destiny. It cannot be defied."

Bai Yuan was tempted. After all, the man before him was a Divinity Grandmaster.

But he ultimately suppressed the impulse. Calming himself, he considered the offer. ’I’ve never believed I’m some kind of Chosen One, and I certainly don’t believe destiny alone would grant me such an incredible opportunity. There has to be a catch.’

Getting involved with a Grandmaster of the Divinity Communication Barrier had implications too great to ignore; he couldn’t help but overthink it.

A pie that falls from the sky, if it’s too big, won’t fill you up—it’ll crush you to death.

The Old Daoist didn’t press the issue. "Your lifeline is entangled with that demon seed. You must be extra careful from now on."

"Thank you, Daoist Master."

After thanking him, Bai Yuan returned to his room.

...

「The next day.」

Bai Yuan quietly descended from the inn and left the city.

He was different from other Martial Artists. If he were to remain in secluded cultivation, his realm would likely stagnate or even regress. For him, the true path was to go out, slay monsters, and accumulate enhancement points.

When he arrived at the city gate, a squad of soldiers was already waiting.

Zhou Lin, a Commander of the Ling Province Demon Slayer Guard, walked to Bai Yuan’s side. "My lord, shall we depart now?"

"Move out."

Bai Yuan said calmly.

"Yes!"

Zhou Lin immediately turned, and dozens of Demon Slayer Guards set off in unison.

Recently, rumors of a demon infestation had emerged from Jingyang Prefecture. The local Prefect was unable to suppress it on his own and had written to the Provincial Office requesting troops.

Bai Yuan had been itching for some action. Even though this was a matter Zhou Lin could have handled alone, he decided to go personally.

「Two days later.」

The group arrived in Jingyang Prefecture.

Jingyang Prefecture was not far from Huanglong Prefecture and had once been one of the most prosperous prefectures in Ling Province.

Bai Yuan and his entourage traveled along the Official Road.

It was early spring, the third month, with willows swaying gracefully. The trees lining the road were a pleasant, vibrant green, making the journey feel less arduous.

Zhou Lin rode his horse beside Bai Yuan, intentionally keeping half a length behind him.

Among the officials of Ling Province, he and Yang Fangyu were the most steadfast members of Bai Yuan’s faction, just as Kong Sen’s followers naturally formed the Kong faction.

Even when Bai Yuan faced the most severe opposition, Zhou Lin had stood by his side without hesitation.

He was, in every sense of the word, one of Bai Yuan’s most die-hard loyalists.

Coupled with his own solid foundation at the Acumen realm, he had become the undisputed number-two figure in Bai Yuan’s faction, second only to Yang Fangyu.

As they rode, Zhou Lin began to speak.

"According to Prefect Ma, a demon infestation has broken out at a mine in Jingyang Prefecture. This mine is a crucial source of ore for the provincial government’s weaponsmiths, making it vitally important."

Bai Yuan nodded.

Aside from the Northern Territory, the Xuan Yang Dynasty actually had to defend against foreign enemies on all four borders—a situation faced by the last several dynasties as well.

This is why one could see a massive dynasty being destroyed by a power weaker than itself.

A dynasty’s total military might may be great, but it is largely decentralized.

Xuan Yang, for example, has Border Armies in the north, south, and west. Furthermore, Jiangnan has a navy to suppress the Sea Demons of the East Sea. Together, these armies number well over a million soldiers.

The amount of silver the Xuan Yang Court spends each year just to maintain these armies is an astronomical figure.

Fortunately, the Xuan Yang Court was currently in its golden age, still possessing enough strength to project power in all directions.

Otherwise, they would be reduced to sending princesses away for marriage alliances, just like the previous dynasty.

For this reason, the demand for weaponry was also immense.

And Jingyang Prefecture in Ling Province was a land rich in iron ore, making its status within the province extremely important.

As they spoke, the city walls of Jingyang Prefecture came into view.

Though the walls of Jingyang Prefecture were somewhat shorter than those of Huanglong Prefecture, they were undoubtedly far more formidable than those of other prefectures.

Huanglong Prefecture had its formidable walls because of the presence of a behemoth, the Divine Mansion Sect, whereas Jingyang Prefecture had its walls simply because it was rich...

Just as Bai Yuan’s entourage was about to arrive at the city gate, a party on horseback was already waiting for them.

The man in the lead appeared to be about fifty years old.

The middle-aged man smiled and walked forward. "Lord Zhou, you’ve finally arrived."

As he approached the group, his smile froze.

"Lord Bai?!"

As a prefect within Ling Province, he had of course seen Bai Yuan before.

The reason for his reaction was that the reply he received only mentioned Zhou Lin coming with the Demon Slayer Guard. He never expected General Bai Yuan to come personally, and the surprise caused him to lose his composure.

Zhou Lin explained, "Lord Bai is concerned about the Jingyang Mine, and so he has come in person."

The middle-aged man quickly cupped his fists. "Thank you for your concern, my lord."

But then he asked, puzzled, "But Lord Bai, didn’t you just send retainers today to assist with the investigation? Why have you now come in person?"

Zhou Lin frowned and glanced at Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "Those two are indeed my retainers. I sent them ahead to investigate the situation."

"I see."

Having received confirmation from the man himself, the middle-aged man’s doubts were dispelled.

Although Bai Yuan appeared outwardly calm, he was no less puzzled than Prefect Ma.

’Those two must be Liu Zhengwen and Fang Yong.’

’They’re investigating the matter of the demon seed. Could this demon infestation at the Jingyang Mine be related to it as well?’

’If so, this could be tricky.’

Bai Yuan said thoughtfully, "Let’s get inside the city and get a better understanding of the situation first."

"Yes!"

Ma Hong, the Prefect of Jingyang, immediately led Bai Yuan and his entourage into the Jingyang Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

The layout of the Jingyang Prefecture Magistrate’s Office was quite similar to that of the Huanglong Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

After Bai Yuan entered the main hall and took a seat, Prefect Ma Hong began his report. "My lord, several days ago, the Chen Family reported a disaster at the Jingyang Mine. A collapse buried many of the miners."

"Accidents like this have happened before and are not unusual. However, a group of extremely powerful demons then occupied the mine. The Chen Family was no match for them and could no longer extract ore, which is why they pleaded for help."

"To my shame, I also led men to exterminate those demons, but my own strength was insufficient. I was wounded by their leader, an Old Ape Demon."

Ma Hong finished explaining the full story of the demon infestation.

Bai Yuan nodded.

He himself had served as the Demon-slaying Guard General of Ling Province and had led troops to quell countless demon uprisings.

Many demons had a habit of collecting treasures, and precious ores were often found in the Jingyang Mine.

’It was likely the mine collapse revealed some treasure,’ he reasoned, ’which then attracted the covetous eyes of the demons.’

’But this shouldn’t have anything to do with the demon seed...’

’How strange!’