The Wu'an Army Arrives

"This Yuanpin Pearl—what kind of treasure is it?!" Shen Zhui opened his eyes in surprise after only a short bout of cultivation.

He had broken through not long ago, and in the past ten-plus days, the explosive growth period had already passed. Subsequent cultivation was a matter of Water Grinding—slow, steady work with barely perceptible progress.

Yet now, after just a single circulation, he could clearly sense that his total vital energy had increased by a sliver, and at the same time, grown purer.

"As expected of a county's sovereign—truly unfathomable." Shen Zhui sighed.

When he had seen Wang Long before, he only felt that Wang Long was immeasurably stronger than him.

But Wei Wenhe gave him the feeling of an ordinary person—he couldn't sense anything at all.

Clearly, the county magistrate couldn't be an ordinary man, which meant the other party's strength far, far exceeded his own.

For the remaining ten days, Shen Zhui focused on cultivating the "Bloodburn" technique.

With the Yuanpin Pearl as an aid, his cultivation advanced greatly. Sixteen strands of Essence of Vital Energy had already sprouted within him. What's more, the pearl transmitted a mysterious force that constantly polished and condensed those strands.

A Xiantian Being lives two hundred years. A Houtian Martial Artist, however, lives no more than a hundred.

To break through to the Xiantian Realm, the vital energy within the body must undergo a fundamental transformation.

Ordinarily, one must reach the Peak Houtian, where vital energy has nourished the body to its limit, before slowly accumulating and condensing until a qualitative change finally occurs.

But the Yuanpin Pearl not only allowed vital energy to nourish the body without delay, it also began condensing that energy ahead of time—far superior to the normal method of cultivating to Peak Houtian.

This was essentially preparing for the Xiantian breakthrough one step early.

Another ten days passed. On the morning of the tenth day, Shen Zhui's detention period ended.

"Rustle, rustle~" The sound of chains and a door opening came.

Scarface He Jiu and Zhao Hu walked in together. This time, Zhao Hu had been ordered to release Shen Zhui, and he also brought a new set of gear.

A Ninth Stage waist token, a Silver Scale Soft Armor, and a set of clean clothes. As for his original weapon, the iron ruler, since Shen Zhui had broken through to the Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm, it needed to be reforged.

Shen Zhui didn't stand on ceremony. He took the items and went to the designated washroom to clean up. As Scarface put it, to wash away the bad luck.

"Brother Shen, time to go." He Jiu said respectfully. He had to be respectful—anyone who could get the county magistrate to personally issue a gag order was clearly valued far beyond the ordinary.

"Brother Scarface, I'm almost reluctant to leave this place." Shen Zhui walked out with a radiant expression, teasing.

This month—breaking through to the Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm, achieving Unity of Heaven and Man with his Ruler Technique, and receiving the Yuanpin Pearl from the county magistrate—had truly brought him good fortune.

"Then would you like to stay a while longer?" He Jiu asked, dead serious.

"No, no, forget it." Shen Zhui waved his hand and walked out with a laugh.

"Haha." He Jiu and Zhao Hu both chuckled.

Leaving the county jail, Shen Zhui returned home.

His Adoptive Father, Shen Shan, had long since recovered from his injuries. Since Shen Zhui now only answered to the county magistrate and Captain Wang, and no orders had come down, he was happy to take it easy—spending time with his adoptive father and practicing his techniques, hoping to quickly return to the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. In Heyuan County town, the first snow of winter finally began to fall.

"Shua, shua, shua~" In the courtyard, Shen Zhui wore only a single layer of clothing. In his right hand, he held a Steel Battle Saber; in his left, a Round Shield. He swung them continuously.

The courtyard was filled with saber light, stirring up gusts of wind and snow. Shen Zhui's figure grew faster and faster, and the wildly flying snowflakes gradually became orderly, spinning around him.

"Hu~" Shen Zhui sheathed his saber, steam rising from his body. He looked at the snowflakes around him, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Indeed, once you reach the Unity of Heaven and Man realm, your path and techniques are completely different from your predecessors. Switching to this steel saber and creating my own moves suits my strength much better."

A few days ago, Shen Zhui had decided to modify the techniques within the Nine Layers of Iron Ruler to better fit himself.

As for changing the ruler to a saber, Shen Zhui had actually had that thought while still in prison.

During the Awakening Time, and in the process of trying to return to the Unity of Heaven and Man realm...

He vaguely felt that he had to change his original techniques and create moves unique to himself.

Using a saber was simply more suitable.

Removing the side branches of the iron ruler and replacing it with a simple steel saber not only suited his fierce, straightforward style, but also made it easier to sense that subtle, mysterious fluctuation during practice.

At his current level, using a saber or a ruler didn't make much difference. But since the saber helped him better comprehend the Unity of Heaven and Man realm, Shen Zhui was happy to follow his Inner Heart.

So, back in the prison, he had already asked Zhao Hu to help him exchange his twin iron rulers for a Steel Battle Saber and a Round Shield.

Now, he had finally returned to the Unity of Heaven and Man realm and created his own saber technique.

"Before, using the twin iron rulers, while powerful and balanced in offense and defense, ultimately required splitting my focus."

"Now, I only need a little practice with the shield to achieve the same defensive effect, and I can put more energy into the saber technique."

With his saber technique newly formed, Shen Zhui felt more and more that his decision was correct.

In truth, he had sensed something was off before, but since he hadn't fully mastered the "Nine Layers of Iron Ruler," he naturally couldn't pinpoint it.

Now, it was completely different. His understanding of the technique had reached perfection. The experience of his predecessors no longer helped him advance, so he had to improve it himself.

"Ten days in prison, and another half month after getting out. This self-created saber technique has finally helped me return to the Unity of Heaven and Man realm. Since it was born in the first snow of winter, I'll call it the 'Falling Snow Saber Technique.'"

"And the first move of the Falling Snow Saber Technique..." Shen Zhui smiled.

"Slay Cang!"

Having taken that Elder Cang as his imaginary foe for days, Shen Zhui, with his saber art newly born, was now brimming with bold ambition.

He wanted this single slash to sever the head of that Xiantian Martial Artist, Elder Cang!

Just as Shen Zhui was lost in thought, suddenly—

Buzz!

A silver waist token at Shen Zhui's belt abruptly began to vibrate!

On the smooth, palm-sized token, several lines of text appeared.

"The county magistrate commands: Report to the Martial Class Hall at once!"

"Oh?" Glancing at the Message Waist Token, Shen Zhui immediately understood—this was Captain Wang Long summoning him.

County Office, Martial Arts Department Hall.

When Shen Zhui arrived, over a dozen Houtian Martial Artists were already waiting inside the hall.

"Brother Hu, what's the situation?" Shen Zhui quietly asked Zhao Hu.

"I just got here too, but with this many people, there must be a major case!" Zhao Hu said in a low voice.

"Come on, let's ask around." Shen Zhui was also a bit excited. The Martial Arts Department was the county magistrate's strongest armed force, with barely a hundred Houtian Martial Artists in total.

Among them, fewer than thirty were above the Eighth Stage of Acquired Realm, and counting Shen Zhui, only ten had reached the Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm.

And now, most of them were gathered here!

"What's going on? Does anyone know?" As soon as the two entered the hall, they quickly sought information.

"We just arrived too, no idea yet. But it must be a big case."

"Right, it might involve a Xiantian Martial Artist. Otherwise, they wouldn't dispatch so many people!"

Everyone was speculating about the purpose of the summons.

"A Xiantian Martial Artist, really?" Shen Zhui's heart tightened. Though he had reached the realm of 'Unity of Heaven and Man' and created a saber move meant to slay a Xiantian expert, He knew full well that unless a Xiantian expert stood still and let him cut, killing someone who could briefly soar through the air was far too difficult!

A Xiantian Martial Artist had a formidable body, perfect and unified power, protective Gang Qi, and the ability to fly briefly...

To kill one? Hard, hard, hard!

"The Class Master is here!"

"Quiet, he's coming!"

Before long, Wang Long walked in.

Beside him was a handsome young man in green robes, with fair skin and refined features.

Once the two entered, the hall doors rumbled shut.

"Brothers!" Class Master Wang Long stood on the high platform, looking down at the crowd, and spoke gravely:

"I've summoned you all today to cooperate with the Wu'an Army on a major matter."

At these words, the crowd tensed up!

"The Wu'an Army! So it's someone from the Wu'an Army. Word has it that joining the Wu'an Army requires at least the Seventh Stage Houtian. Judging by how respectfully the captain treats him, this man is at least a squad leader commanding a hundred men—a position that requires a Xiantian expert!"

The Wu'an Army was said to have tens of thousands of Xiantian Martial Artists—an absolute behemoth!

"This must be a major case!" Shen Zhui's heart raced.

"Lord Lin, please!" Wang Long gestured respectfully.

"Thank you for your trouble, Captain Wang." The green-robed man inclined his head slightly and spoke softly.

Hearing his voice, Shen Zhui frowned. It was soft and ethereal, lacking the robust energy of a typical martial artist.

Could he be... a Qi Cultivation True Person who cultivates Daoist arts?!

"Everyone, the fugitive we are to capture is a Xiantian Realm Qi Cultivation True Person." The Handsome Young Man Lin wasted no words, cutting straight to the point.

"This is what he looks like..." The Handsome Young Man Lin waved his hand, and a Disc appeared in his palm. Then—

Buzz!

A Water Curtain Mirror-like surface materialized in midair.

The Water Curtain Mirror was perfectly stable and clear, displaying the image of a man with pointed ears, a hooked nose, and an overall sinister look.

Daoist arts!

Definitely a Qi Cultivation True Person!

"This man is a traitor to the Wu'an Army. We have intelligence that he is hiding in a manor near Heyuan City."

"Arresting people, engaging in battle—that's naturally for us to handle. You all just need to form groups of three or five, guard the various spots around the manor, and assist from the sidelines. If you spot any criminals, hold them off for a moment and shout loudly."

"To avoid leaking information, I'd also ask everyone to stay in this hall from now on."

"Yes!"

In the Martial Class Hall, Daoist Lin and Class Master Wang Long had already left.

Only fifteen Houtian Martial Artists remained in the hall, waiting for further orders.

"So it's a Qi Cultivation True Person at the Xiantian Realm, and judging by the setup, their strength is probably greater than an ordinary Xiantian Martial Artist." Shen Zhui sensed that this case was no simple matter.

A Qi Cultivation True Person was different from a martial artist.

Martial artists were divided into Houtian and Xiantian, with the fundamental difference lying in the true energy within their bodies.

Houtian Martial Artists circulated mundane energy, while Xiantian Martial Artists circulated Xiantian Spiritual Energy, a higher-quality tier.

But a Qi Cultivation True Person started with Xiantian Spiritual Energy from the very beginning!

Qi Cultivation True Persons were stronger than martial artists and also rarer.

Because the threshold was higher!

First, one needed outstanding talent, possessing superior bone structure.

Second, they required guidance from a young age to preserve the faint trace of Xiantian True Qi remaining from birth. If discovered too late, that Xiantian True Qi would gradually dissipate as age increased and the body became polluted by the mundane world.

Through hard training, anyone could become a Houtian Martial Artist.

But not everyone could become a Qi Cultivation True Person.

However, once one embarked on the Qi Refining Path, with proper guidance, they could preserve that trace of Xiantian True Qi within, sense and control it, and continuously nurture and strengthen it.

From the very start of their cultivation, they were at the Xiantian Realm!

"At least Mid-stage Xiantian, possibly even High-stage Xiantian. If it's High-stage Xiantian, that's a huge problem. If the Class Master and the Wu'an Army can't subdue them, we probably won't be able to hold out..."

Shen Zhui didn't dare hope the criminal's strength was Early-stage Xiantian. Because if it were Early-stage Xiantian, the true qi within would still be very weak. Releasing one or two minor spells would likely drain it completely.

Clearly, that wouldn't require such a massive mobilization.

It had to be Mid-stage Xiantian, or even High-stage!

After a while, Wang Long returned, his expression somewhat grim.

He announced a piece of news that immediately stirred up the crowd, while Shen Zhui's heart sank.

"This criminal's strength is not to be underestimated. Besides the county office sending people to assist in the siege, the Wu'an Army will also request that the city's powerful clans each dispatch a Xiantian Master to join the battle."

New book seeking recommendations, seeking collections!