All birds and beasts in the world became spirits and demons once they broke through the physical limits of their own species.
Once Human Cultivators broke past the limits of the Human Body and entered the Martial Path, they reached the Essence Refining Realm.
He had already surpassed the category of an "ordinary person."
"Even so, I nearly fell here in this dark night..."
Lin Yan looked toward Gao Liu City, his face pale, and said in a low voice, "This place is no more than fifty li from Gao Liu City!"
Although the influence of Willow Venerable's reputation had weakened with distance from Gao Liu City, the fact remained that it was there!
They said that one mountain could not hold two tigers. Within a hundred li, powerful evil spirits would avoid Willow Venerable.
Compared with the wilderness in the distance, this mountain, only fifty li from Gao Liu City, could still be considered relatively safe territory.
It was only in those endless wilds that true chaos and disorder prevailed, with demons running rampant and monsters and evil spirits covering the land.
"Even if this is only relatively safe territory..."
Lin Yan touched the place where his arm had been severed and said in a low voice, "Once I leave Gao Liu City's protection, this little bit of ability still isn't enough."
Today, he had lost an arm in the darkness.
Who knew? Tomorrow, he might lose his head.
At the mere Essence Refining Realm, losing his head meant certain death.
"I still need to cultivate harder!"
Thinking this, Lin Yan looked at the strange egg bathed in sunlight, and a trace of hesitation surfaced in his eyes.
But the next moment, he discovered... the earth beneath it was dry!
Earlier, the tiger's flesh and blood had burst apart, scattering like dust.
And when his own arm had been severed, his blood had splashed across the dirt.
Yet there were no traces of blood left on the ground.
"As expected, it's still an evil object!"
Lin Yan murmured inwardly, no longer hesitated, and swung his blade beneath the sunlight.
Perhaps this strange egg contained a tremendous opportunity!
But it might also contain tremendous danger!
If he had only just crossed over, poor and penniless and trapped in adversity, he might have risked keeping this thing, seeking a chance to defy fate and change his destiny!
But with two great divine abilities at his disposal, he already possessed a heaven-splitting opportunity, a broad road to the Great Dao, and boundless prospects!
There was no need to keep an external object that most likely concealed danger!
At once, the strange egg shattered and disintegrated, vanishing without leaving behind even the slightest scrap.
Only a strange look faintly appeared in Lin Yan's eyes.
By rights, slaying this evil spirit should have brought him some benefit!
But the amount of Killing Intent he possessed had not increased.
A faint sense of unease arose in his heart.
Then, all of a sudden, the wind began to blow.
A human skin, tattered as rags, was swept to his feet.
"..."
Lin Yan lowered his head and looked down. Within the human skin were densely packed lines and patterns, resembling Runic Markings.
In an instant, he seemed to understand something and said in a low voice, "An offering?"
Gao Liu City.
The sun hung directly overhead, and yang energy was at its peak.
Evil spirits hid from the world while pedestrians came and went.
In the southern district of the Outer City stood the Southern Star Tower, a branch of the Heavenly Supervision Department.
A man in a pale robe stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance through the window.
"Banner Commander, these are the entry registers for the past three days."
"Put them there."
This Banner Commander of the Outer Southern Division spoke coldly and slowly turned his head.
His originally handsome and refined face bore a savage scar.
It began at his left forehead, cleaved through the space between his brows, ran beneath his right eye, and slashed all the way to his earlobe.
His ferocious features and icy gaze sent chills through anyone who saw him.
The young man who had brought over the registers changed expression slightly and lowered his head.
He knew why this Banner Commander, normally gentle and exceptionally kind to his subordinates, had become so cold.
It was because the young martial artist Commander Han valued was supposed to shoulder the banner of Lin Jiang Ward two days from now.
But last night, that young martial artist named "Impermanence" had left the city and vanished without a trace.
The night symbolized the Netherworld.
It concealed endless evil spirits, ferocious Fierce Ghosts, and bloodthirsty monsters.
Although they had not found the other man's corpse, everyone knew that even a peak martial artist who had perfected Inner Strength Cultivation could not return from the darkness without preparation.
What was more, that fellow had originally only tempered his skin, flesh, sinews, and bones—four realms—barely reaching the peak of the first great Martial Arts barrier.
At present, he should have been at the blood-refining level.
Even if he possessed heaven-defying talent, at most he would have completed blood refinement and begun marrow cleansing.
That still fell within the scope of the second great Martial Arts barrier.
Martial Arts had three great barriers. Tempering the five viscera and six bowels was called Inner Strength Cultivation.
Those who perfected Inner Strength Cultivation were called peak martial artists—the people who stood atop the mountain.
Although this young man named Impermanence was outstanding, he had only barely reached halfway up the mountainside.
"..."
Though the young man thought this, he still comforted him in a low voice. "He did leave carrying the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp and Three Incense Sticks. Perhaps Willow Venerable protected him, allowing him to survive and hide in a pure land..."
Commander Han stood with his hands behind his back, his expression blank and his tone heavy.
"The Star Gazing Tower in the Inner City recorded that extremely terrifying evil spirits appeared within a hundred li of Gao Liu City last night—and there was more than one!"
"The closest one was darkness like mist that devoured light... According to the Divine Envoy at Willow Venerable's temple, this should be the culprit behind last year's 'Lone Boat Eerie Case'!"
"Last night, within a hundred li outside Gao Liu City, even I could not have survived!"
"Unless he had entered a pure land ahead of time. But judging from the time he left the city, he had no chance to do so."
As Commander Han spoke, the scar on his face twisted faintly, like a centipede, becoming even more savage.
The young man's expression changed as well.
The Lone Boat Eerie Case had been a major incident that occurred around the prefectural city during last year's autumn equinox!
Six people had left the city to receive offerings!
The young master who led them had already surpassed the limits of the Human Body, rising above even peak martial artists of Inner Strength Cultivation!
The Essence Refining Realm!
With such cultivation, even in the prefectural city, he would have been a high-ranking figure wielding great authority.
Among the remaining five, two had already reached the third Martial Arts barrier and possessed Inner Strength Cultivation.
The other three had also begun blood refinement, and some had even begun marrow cleansing. They could be called experts.
They had returned by lone boat, only to meet their deaths together in the stretch of river less than twenty li from Phoenix Perch Prefecture City.
Their physical bodies were unharmed, yet their souls had all vanished.
Even one in the Essence Refining Realm had not been spared.
More frighteningly, two Phoenix Tree Night-Illuminating Lamps had hung aboard the lone boat, and neither had gone out even by dawn.
"Last night, it was actually the Lone Boat Eerie Mist, and it came near Gao Liu City?"
The young man's expression shifted slightly, and his heart sank as well.
The Lone Boat Eerie Case had occurred within twenty li of Phoenix Perch Prefecture City.
And the Phoenix Tree Mother Goddess worshiped in Phoenix Perch Prefecture City had a status faintly higher than that of Willow Venerable of Gao Liu City.
Within twenty li, the two Phoenix Tree Night-Illuminating Lamps had not gone out. It was equivalent to committing a grave offense beneath the Phoenix Tree Mother Goddess's very eyes!
This year, the Lone Boat Eerie Mist had already been listed as one of the most terrifying evil spirits in Phoenix Perch Prefecture City!
"Hahaha... Get lost! This envoy is here to see Old Han. What business is it of you little underlings?"
A commotion suddenly came from outside, accompanied by a voice that made no attempt to conceal its gloating.
With a bang!
The door was kicked open!
A burly figure strode in with a booming laugh. His beard was thick, and his manner was exceedingly overbearing.
"Old Han, I heard the man you picked went mad last night and went off to die?"
"Good riddance to such a foolish wretch. At least he won't tarnish the reputation of our Heavenly Supervision Department."
"Just look at you. What kind of fools have you been picking? I remember my adoptive father's blade cut across the space between your brows back then, but it seems both your eyes weren't blinded?"
This man had a massive build and made no attempt to conceal his vigorous qi and blood.
He was Zhou Kui, the Banner Commander of the Heavenly Supervision Department's branch in the Southwest Sector of Gao Liu City's Outer City.
Commander Han's expression was icy, and the scar on his face had taken on a faint reddish hue.
Everyone in the Heavenly Supervision Department knew that whenever Commander Han flew into a rage, his qi and blood surged, causing his scar to redden.
That was usually when he developed killing intent.
"Old Han, are you planning to attack a fellow officer?"
Zhou Kui said mildly, "Now, I'm also one of the Heavenly Supervision Department's Banner Commanders. I'm your equal... Just the killing intent you're displaying right now is enough for me to report you to Phoenix Perch Prefecture City and have you charged with a grave offense!"
The young man who had delivered the registers was slightly surprised.
By rights, the conflict between the two Outer City Banner Commanders of Gao Liu City should at most be reported to the Inner City.
Why was he bypassing Gao Liu City and reporting directly to Phoenix Perch Prefecture City?
"..."
Commander Han said nothing, his expression remaining cold.
But then the Banner Commander of the Outer Southwest Division suddenly reached into his robes and tossed out a sheet of paper.
"Old Han, as the Banner Commander of the Outer Southern Division, you recommended someone from your jurisdiction to serve as a Banner Bearer. Whether in reason or in principle, it should have been approved."
"But now that the person you recommended is dead, I imagine you won't be able to find someone with sufficient credentials, a clean family background, and cultivation that has at least reached the 'second great barrier' anytime soon, will you?"
"I found someone for you and submitted him to the Heavenly Supervision Department's headquarters in the Inner City. His appointment should be approved soon."
"He's my adopted son. Just transfer him to Lin Jiang Ward."
The Banner Commander of the Outer Southwest Division said mildly, "I won't pursue the killing intent you displayed just now."
"You provoked me just for this?"
The expression on Commander Han's face grew even colder.
After a moment, however, he suddenly sighed, completely losing interest. He waved his hand and said dejectedly, "Impermanence's body hasn't even been found. At most, he can be 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 was plainly seeking death. At most, it counts as suicide!"
Zhou Kui said calmly, "Public funds aren't your private treasury! Besides, he disappeared outside the city. Isn't he certain to be dead? What use is delaying it for a month?"
Zhou Kui slowly clasped his hands behind his back and took two steps forward.
He reached out, weighed the inkstone on Commander Han's desk in his hand, and let out a savage laugh.
"If that brat can come back alive, I'll swallow this inkstone whole!"
"Your subordinate Impermanence, acting under orders, left the city and has returned late. I ask the Banner Commander to punish me!"
At that moment, a voice came from outside, its tone icy.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly froze.
In an instant, everyone looked at one another.
Zhou Kui's expression abruptly sank, becoming extremely ugly.
Commander Han, whose face had been as cold as frost, revealed a warm and gentle smile beneath that icy voice.
"Come in."
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