Offerings and Eerie Mist

In the world, birds and beasts that break through their own racial and physical limits become Spirits and Demons.

Human Cultivators, by breaking through human physical limits and entering the Martial Path, are called the Essence Refining Realm.

He had already surpassed the scope of a "normal person."

"But even so, I almost perished in this darkness..."

Lin Yan looked in the direction of Gao Liu City, his face pale, and said in a low voice, "This place is no more than fifty miles from Gao Liu City!"

Far from Gao Liu City, although Willow Venerate's residual influence was weak, it was still there!

As the saying goes, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Within a hundred miles, powerful Malevolent Spirits would avoid Willow Venerate.

Compared to the distant wilderness, this mountain, fifty miles from Gao Liu City, could still be considered a relatively safe area.

And in those endless wildernesses, that was where true chaos reigned, with demons dancing and Demonic Evils rampant.

"Even in a relatively safe region..."

Lin Yan touched the place where his arm had been severed and whispered, "Away from the protection of Gao Liu City, this little bit of skill is not enough."

Today, he lost an arm in the darkness.

Tomorrow, he might lose his head.

For a mere Essence Refining Realm cultivator, losing one's head meant true death.

"I must cultivate diligently!"

Lin Yan thought this to himself, looking at the strange egg illuminated by the sunlight, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

The next moment, he discovered... the ground beneath was dry!

Previously, the tiger's flesh and blood had shattered, scattering like dust.

And his own severed arm had bled onto the dust.

But there was no trace of blood on the ground at all.

"It really is an evil thing!"

Lin Yan thought to himself and no longer hesitated. In the sunlight, he swung his saber.

Perhaps this strange egg contained a great opportunity!

But it might also contain great danger!

If he had just transmigrated, penniless and in adversity, he might have risked keeping this item, seeking a chance to defy fate!

However, for him, who possessed two great Divine Abilities, he already had immense fortune, a smooth path ahead, and boundless prospects!

There was no need to keep this external object that was highly likely to contain danger!

Immediately, the strange egg shattered, melting away like ice, leaving not even a speck of residue.

Yet, Lin Yan's eyes became subtly strange.

Logically, he should have gained something from slaying this Malevolent Spirit!

But the amount of his Malevolent Energy had not increased.

A vague sense of unease began to grow in his heart.

Just then, the wind suddenly picked up.

A piece of Human Skin, like a tattered rag, was swept to his feet.

"..."

Lin Yan looked down, gazing at the densely packed patterns within the Human Skin, resembling Runic Markings.

In an instant, he seemed to understand something and whispered, "An offering?"

——

Gao Liu City.

The sun was high in the sky, and the Yang energy was at its peak.

Malevolent Spirits retreated into hiding, and pedestrians emerged.

And in the southern district of the outer city stood the Heavenly Supervision Department's branch, the Southern Star Tower.

A person, clad in a light-colored robe, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance through the window.

"Banner Commander, this is the registration roster for the past three days."

"Leave it there."

The Banner Commander of the Southern District of the outer city turned his head slowly, his voice cold.

On his once handsome and clear face was a hideous scar.

It ran from his left forehead, across his brow, along the lower part of his right eye, and down to his earlobe.

His ferocious appearance and icy gaze sent a chill down one's spine.

The young man who brought the roster paled slightly and lowered his head.

He knew why the Banner Commander, who was usually gentle and extremely close to his subordinates, was so cold.

It was because the young martial artist the Commander valued was supposed to be carrying the banner of Lin Jiang Ward in two days.

But last night, that young martial artist named "Wuchang" went out of the city and vanished without a trace.

Darkness symbolized the Underworld.

Within it lay endless Malevolent Spirits, fierce Demonic Evils, and bloodthirsty Demonic Creatures.

Although his body was not found, everyone knew that even a peak Martial Artist who had achieved Inner Strength could not possibly return from the darkness unprepared.

Moreover, that kid had only refined his Skin, Flesh, Tendons, and Bones, barely reaching the peak of the first major realm of Martial Arts.

He should currently be at the Blood Refining level.

Even a peerless prodigy would, at most, have completed Blood Refining and begun Marrow Washing.

This still fell within the scope of the second major realm of Martial Arts.

Martial Arts had three major realms; refining the Five Viscera and Six Bowels was called Inner Strength.

And the completion of Inner Strength was called a peak Martial Artist, standing at the summit of the mountain.

This young man named Wuchang, though outstanding, was barely halfway up the mountain.

"..."

Though the young man thought this, he still lowered his voice and comforted him, "After all, he went out carrying a Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp and three incense sticks. Perhaps the Willow Venerate protected him, allowing him to survive and hide in a Sanctuary..."

Banner Commander Han stood with his hands behind his back, his expressionless face and deep voice conveying his solemnity.

"The Star Gazing Tower in the inner city recorded that within a hundred-mile radius of Gao Liu City last night, extremely terrifying Malevolent Spirits appeared, and not just one!"

"The closest one was as dark as mist, swallowing light... According to the divine envoy in the Willow Venerate's temple, this should be the perpetrator of last year's 'Lone Boat Eerie Case'!"

"Last night, within a hundred miles outside Gao Liu City, even I could not have survived!"

"Unless he had already entered a Sanctuary, but judging by the timing of his departure from the city, he had no opportunity to do so."

As Banner Commander Han spoke, the scar on his face twitched faintly, like a centipede, becoming even more ferocious.

The young man's expression also flickered for a moment.

The Lone Boat Eerie Case was a major case that occurred around the prefecture city last autumn!

Six people went out of the city to receive offerings!

The young master leading them had surpassed the limits of the human body, rising above peak Martial Artists of Inner Strength!

Essence Refining Realm!

Such cultivation, even in the prefecture city, would make him a high-ranking official in charge of significant power.

Among the remaining five, two had already reached the third realm of Martial Arts, Inner Strength cultivation.

The remaining three had also begun Blood Refining or even Marrow Washing, making them veritable experts.

They were returning on a lone boat when they all met their demise in a river less than twenty miles from Phoenix Perch Prefecture City.

Their physical bodies were intact, but their souls had all vanished.

Even the powerful Essence Refining Realm expert was no exception.

Even more terrifying was that two Phoenix Tree Night-Illuminating Lamps were hung on the lone boat, and they did not extinguish until dawn.

"Last night was the 'Lone Boat Eerie Mist' approaching the outskirts of Gao Liu City?"

The young man's expression changed slightly, and his heart sank.

The Lone Boat Eerie Case happened within twenty miles of Phoenix Perch Prefecture City.

And the "Phoenix Tree Mother Goddess" enshrined in Phoenix Perch Prefecture City had a status subtly above Gao Liu City's "Willow Venerate."

Within twenty miles, two Phoenix Tree Night-Illuminating Lamps remaining unextinguished was equivalent to committing a major crime under the direct gaze of the Phoenix Tree Mother Goddess!

This Lone Boat Eerie Mist had been listed as one of the most terrifying Malevolent Spirits in Phoenix Perch Prefecture City this year!

"Hahaha... Get lost! I'm here to see Old Han. What business do you small fry have here?"

Suddenly, noisy sounds came from outside, and a voice, openly gloating, came from outside.

With a bang!

The door was kicked open!

A burly figure strode in, laughing heartily, his beard thick and his demeanor extremely ostentatious.

"Old Han, I heard the person you picked went crazy last night and sent himself to his death?"

"It's good that such a foolish person died, lest they ruin the reputation of our Heavenly Supervision Department."

"Look at you, what kind of idiots do you pick? I remember my adoptive father's blade back then cut past your forehead, but your two eyes don't seem to be blind, do they?"

This person was robust, his powerful Blood Essence unhidden.

Zhou Kui, Banner Commander of the Heavenly Supervision Department branch in the southwestern area of Gao Liu City's outer city.

Banner Commander Han's expression turned cold, the scar on his face appearing faintly reddish.

The Heavenly Supervision Department personnel all knew that whenever Commander Han became enraged, his blood essence would surge, and his scars would turn red.

This was often a sign that he was about to kill someone.

"Old Han, are you going to attack a colleague?"

Zhou Kui said calmly, "Now, I am also one of the Commanders in the Heavenly Supervision Department, on the same level as you... If I report the killing intent you're currently displaying to Phoenix Perch Prefecture City, you'll be severely punished!"

The young man who had just handed over the roster was slightly surprised.

Logically speaking, the conflict between the two Outer City Commanders of Gao Liu City should at most be reported to the Inner City.

Why was it being reported directly to Phoenix Perch Prefecture City, bypassing Gao Liu City?

"..."

Commander Han said nothing, his expression still cold.

But then, the Commander of the Outer City's Southwest region suddenly reached into his robes and threw out a piece of paper.

"Old Han, as the Commander of the Outer City's Southern Division, you should, by all rights and reasons, approve the recommendation of a person from your jurisdiction to be a Banner Officer.

But now, the person you recommended is dead. It's likely you won't be able to find anyone with sufficient qualifications, a clean family background, and martial arts cultivation at least reaching the 'Second Great Pass' in a short period, right?"

"I've found someone for you and submitted their name to the Heavenly Supervision Department headquarters in the Inner City. I expect their appointment will be approved soon."

"He's my adopted son. Just transfer him to Lin Jiang Ward."

This Commander of the Outer Southwest Division said calmly, "I won't pursue the killing intent you displayed just now."

"You provoked me just for this?"

Commander Han's expression grew even colder.

After a moment, he suddenly sighed, all his enthusiasm gone. He waved his hand, dejected, "Wuchang's body hasn't even been found yet. At most, he's considered missing... Only after a month of fruitless searching can he be declared dead in the line of duty."

"Dead in the line of duty? You still want to give him a pension? He clearly courted death, it's at best suicide!"

Zhou Kui's tone was indifferent. "The public's money isn't your private treasury! Besides, if he went missing outside the city, doesn't that mean he's as good as dead? What's the point of you delaying for a month?"

Zhou Kui slowly clasped his hands behind his back and took two steps forward.

He reached out, picked up the inkstone on Commander Han's desk, and grinned menacingly.

"If he can come back alive, I'll swallow this inkstone whole!"

"Your subordinate Wuchang, dispatched outside the city on orders, returning past the deadline. I request punishment from the Commander!"

Just then, a voice came from outside, its tone icy.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

In a flash, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhou Kui's expression suddenly darkened, looking quite displeased.

Commander Han, who had been looking frosty, revealed a warm and gentle smile at the sound of that cold voice.

"Come in."