Episode Eight: Sky Patrol Palace Commander

Luo Feng did not hide it either. He sent a message: "One of my observation secret arts has recently broken through. It can observe a cultivator's soul and determine whether their soul is under control."

"You can tell with a single glance?" Hall Master Yuan Xiang was both shocked and delighted.

Lowly Primal Chaos Lifeforms infiltrating cities was a difficult problem faced by all thirty-five cities of the Nine Rivers Holy World. The vast majority of cities could not detect them at all. They could only rely on the faintest clues and deduce the workings of fate to confirm it.

"When cultivators are outside, without formations concealing them, I can see through more than ninety percent of them at a glance. But if they are concealed by powerful secret arts or formidable treasures, I need to inspect them carefully one-on-one at close range."

"If cultivators hide within their cave residences, with the residence formations concealing them, then I cannot see clearly," Luo Feng replied.

His 'Imitation Life-Death Eye' was ultimately an imitated secret art, and its observational abilities still had many limitations.

"That is already extremely impressive."

Hall Master Yuan Xiang was overjoyed. "Even in the Dark Holy World, being able to see at a glance whether someone's soul is controlled is something only a tiny handful of powerful experts can do. Even at my peak, I did not possess such means of observation."

"In the entire Nine Rivers Holy World, there are probably only one or two who can rival your methods." Hall Master Yuan Xiang was immensely pleased. "With you here, Rain Ripple City will be much more secure from now on."

With such an expert stationed in a city, it would become vastly more difficult for Lowly Primal Chaos Lifeforms to launch assassinations. Once they infiltrated, they had to strike within a short time. If they lurked too long, they could easily be discovered.

"Luo Feng, I hope you can help thoroughly investigate the entire city," Hall Master Yuan Xiang said. "First, inspect those walking outside. Afterward, I will notify the entire city and have the cave residence formations shut down in batches. You can then inspect every location batch by batch."

The cave residences were rented, so Rain Ripple City naturally had control over their formations.

Of course, if cultivators had set up formations themselves, Rain Ripple City had no way to remove them. The cultivators would have to shut them down on their own.

With all the city's cave residences shut down batch by batch in this unified manner, surely no one in the city would dare object.

"I can confirm that quite a number of Lowly Primal Chaos Lifeforms are definitely lurking in the city, but we can only find traces of a very few of them." Hall Master Yuan Xiang was deeply worried. "If we screen the whole city once, it will be much safer."

"If the name is not legitimate, the words carry no weight," Luo Feng sent. "If I am to take charge of screening the entire city, I need the position of 'Sky Patrol Palace Commander of Rain Ripple City.'"

"Sky Patrol Palace Commander?" Hall Master Yuan Xiang hesitated.

The Sky Patrol Palace was where all the city's patrol teams and guard units were garrisoned.

The Sky Patrol Palace had one Chief Commander and two Deputy Commanders.

The sole Chief Commander... was currently held by the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master. For instance, the tens of thousands of cultivators captured this time had to be screened one by one to confirm they had not been possessed, and that screening was personally handled by the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master.

The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master had extremely powerful methods in matters of the mind. In close-range, one-on-one inspections, he could detect every possessor.

"The Sky Patrol Palace Commander's primary responsibility is screening for lurking Lowly Primal Chaos Lifeforms," Luo Feng sent. "Since you want me to do this, and I may need to continue doing this in the future, I should naturally have the corresponding position."

Hall Master Yuan Xiang understood as well.

Asking Luo Feng to inspect the entire city was clearly not a one-time matter.

Rather, inspections would have to be conducted regularly at intervals.

"Good!" Hall Master Yuan Xiang sent. "The position of Sky Patrol Palace Commander is yours! You may now go to the Sky Patrol Palace and Myriad Shadow Pavilion to complete the handover."

Luo Feng nodded slightly.

Whenever a lurking Lowly Primal Chaos Lifeform was discovered, cultivators connected to it would be arrested and screened. At the least, several thousand would be seized; at the most, tens of thousands! Batch after batch were dragged in. Though nearly all could leave safely, those who came out... had all been squeezed dry of their treasures.

Squeezing them dry batch after batch was even more ruthless than the theft and plunder of the three great raiding factions!

"Hall Master Wei Yang's conduct makes him unfit to govern Rain Ripple City." Luo Feng currently held no advantage in strength; the two sides were on the same level. Once his Life-Death Path rose another level, his strength would completely surpass everyone in the city. At that time, doing certain things would become much easier.

Whoosh—

Luo Feng turned and flew toward the Sky Patrol Palace in Rain Ripple City's core region.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang sat within his cave residence, his aura somewhat weak.

"Wei Yang, Gai Tao." Hall Master Yuan Xiang directly contacted his two companions.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two phantoms appeared beside him. They were the projections of Hall Master Wei Yang and Hall Master Gai Tao.

"Brother Yuan Xiang." Hall Master Wei Yang smiled politely. At his peak, Hall Master Yuan Xiang had grasped two Half Primal Chaos-level Paths! Even in the Dark Holy World, he had wielded considerable influence. Hall Master Yuan Xiang's many friends were all existences of the same level; one could well imagine the extent of his network.

As long as Hall Master Yuan Xiang did not die, Hall Master Wei Yang had to give him face.

"Brother Yuan Xiang, why have you suddenly called the two of us?" Hall Master Gai Tao asked as well.

"I have decided to give the position of Sky Patrol Palace Commander to Luo Feng," Hall Master Yuan Xiang said.

"Oh?" Hall Master Gai Tao smiled faintly. "I have heard that a powerful expert named Luo Feng has recently risen in our Rain Ripple City."

"No."

Hall Master Wei Yang objected. "The Sky Patrol Palace Commander is of enormous importance and concerns the safety of the entire city. It is also necessary to screen cultivators for possession. Confirming that is extremely difficult! Myriad Shadow has always handled this matter quite well."

"But Luo Feng can do it better," Hall Master Yuan Xiang said. "Today, he captured fifteen avatars of the Bewitching Heart Worm in succession because he possesses a secret art that lets him determine whether a cultivator has been possessed with a single distant glance."

"How is that possible?"

Hall Master Wei Yang and Hall Master Gai Tao were both somewhat startled.

Such a formidable observation secret art?

"If he has such a secret art, then he should be able to inspect the entire city in less than a day, shouldn't he?" Hall Master Wei Yang frowned. "Why make him the Sky Patrol Palace Commander?"

Hall Master Yuan Xiang smiled. "But he said that if he is to work so hard, he has only one request: the position of Sky Patrol Palace Commander."

"Far too greedy!" Hall Master Wei Yang said angrily.

Rain Ripple City frequently discovered infiltrators, and the repeated screenings brought in a terrifying cumulative income. Though the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master was responsible for the matter, the largest share of the income went to Hall Master Wei Yang.

Once this position was taken by Luo Feng, Hall Master Wei Yang would lose a steady stream of income.

"Just because he says he is skilled at observation means he truly is?" Hall Master Wei Yang retorted. "He only found fifteen Bewitching Heart Worm avatars. Perhaps there were some special circumstances."

"Everything must put Rain Ripple City's safety first," Hall Master Yuan Xiang said. "If his observation and screening abilities are stronger, let him take the Commander's position first. If he is all show and no substance, we can remove him from the position then."

"I have no objection," Hall Master Gai Tao said.

"Then it is settled," Hall Master Yuan Xiang said.

Hall Master Wei Yang felt stifled upon hearing this.

Though Hall Master Yuan Xiang did not fight for power or profit, once he truly decided on something, Hall Master Wei Yang could not stop him.

After all, Hall Master Yuan Xiang was the City Builder and held the highest authority.

Hall Master Wei Yang sat in his Quiet Room with an ugly expression. He had long anticipated that Luo Feng might pose a certain threat. He had even considered that a fourth Hall Master, 'Hall Master Luo Feng,' might emerge in the future, but the threat had come far too quickly.

"How long has he even been in Rain Ripple City? He is already directly snatching the position of Sky Patrol Palace Commander?" Hall Master Wei Yang was deeply displeased.

The vast majority of elders merely held the position of elder, oversaw their respective defensive systems, and received a fixed share of income. That was all.

Sky Patrol Palace Commander was the position where the true 'enormous profits' lay! Previously, Hall Master Yuan Xiang had not fought for it and had let it go to Hall Master Wei Yang's faction.

"Myriad Shadow!" Hall Master Wei Yang sent a message directly.

A middle-aged man's phantom appeared at his side. "Hall Master."

"Your position as Sky Patrol Palace Commander has been taken away," Hall Master Wei Yang said.

"What?" The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master was stunned. The income from this position was far too great. Of those brought into the Sky Patrol Palace, who could leave alive without first being squeezed dry?

"It was decided by Hall Master Yuan Xiang. I cannot stop it either." Hall Master Wei Yang shook his head.

"Who is the new Commander?" the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master pressed.

"That Luo Feng," Hall Master Wei Yang said.

"Him?" The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master frowned. "When he previously suppressed the Insect Nest, I knew this Luo Feng was not one to settle for mediocrity. I never expected that the moment he made a move, he would seize my position as Sky Patrol Palace Commander. Hall Master, are we simply going to let him take it?"

"I cannot persuade Hall Master Yuan Xiang otherwise," Hall Master Wei Yang said. "Help me invite Luo Feng. Invite him to my cave residence, and I will meet him personally. If he voluntarily gives up the Commander's position, Hall Master Yuan Xiang will surely have nothing to say."

"Alright." The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master nodded.

Neither Hall Master Wei Yang nor the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master was willing to relinquish such a vast, endless stream of income.

Rain Ripple City's core region, the Sky Patrol Palace.

This was the garrison for large numbers of patrol teams and guards, as well as the place where prisoners were detained.

"Whoosh." "Whoosh." "Whoosh." Patrol teams escorted large groups of cultivators toward the Sky Patrol Palace. These were cultivators suspected of having contact with infiltrators.

The cultivators were all helpless. There was nothing they could do about it; they could only blame their own terrible luck.

"Once we enter the Sky Patrol Palace, we are probably going to be squeezed clean." These cultivators all felt powerless as they were escorted inside one by one and separately imprisoned.

Whoosh!

Luo Feng also flew to the front of the Sky Patrol Palace at this moment.

"Brother Luo Feng." A middle-aged man led a group of subordinates forward to greet him. The middle-aged man was the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master's most common appearance.

"Myriad Shadow." Luo Feng looked at him. He loathed the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master inwardly. People like this were scum among cultivators; with Luo Feng's temperament, they ought to be killed to the last.

"I have received orders to hand over the position to Brother Luo Feng." The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master sensed that Luo Feng was not friendly toward him, but did not care. Smiling, he said, "The position of Sky Patrol Palace Commander bears enormous responsibility. Brother Luo Feng must put more thought into it from now on."

"I know," Luo Feng answered.

"There is one more important matter." The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master smiled. "Hall Master Wei Yang instructed me to make sure I invite Brother Luo Feng to his cave residence for a talk. Shall we go now?"

"Hall Master Wei Yang is inviting me?" Luo Feng's heart stirred.

This Sky Patrol Palace Commander position should be a very prized piece of 'meat' to Hall Master Wei Yang's faction. Was Hall Master Wei Yang unwilling to let him take it?

It was meat in their eyes, but Luo Feng had no intention of using it to squeeze those tens of thousands of cultivators dry.

"I have only taken office today and have many affairs to attend to. There are also tens of thousands of cultivators who need screening," Luo Feng said. "Once I have finished the important work, I will naturally visit Hall Master Wei Yang."

"Luo Feng." The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master flickered and blocked Luo Feng's path. "You intend to make Hall Master Wei Yang wait for you?"

"Get out of my way!"

Luo Feng's gaze turned cold. "This is the Sky Patrol Palace. Do you intend to Make a Move against me, the Sky Patrol Palace Commander, within the Sky Patrol Palace?"

The many nearby patrol teams were somewhat bewildered, but no matter what, they would certainly stand with the new Commander.

"Good, very good." The Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master smiled. "I will report every word you said to Hall Master Wei Yang." With that, the Myriad Shadow Pavilion Master's figure blurred and vanished without a trace.

Luo Feng gave a cold laugh and flew toward the Sky Patrol Palace's main entrance.

The guards at the main entrance had been waiting long ago. Once Luo Feng approached, they all bowed respectfully. "Commander!"