District Chief of the Outer City

"To perfect the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, it would probably require about thirty more streams of pure light, while the Starlight Kingdom would require more than forty. If I were to learn the Thunder World as well, that would require another fifty or so streams of pure light. Add to that the top-tier Divine Ability, Heavenly Dragon Journey... I'm afraid it would require sixty streams of pure light."

A little calculation from Gu Jinlai.

He would need 190 to 200 beams of pure light just for these Divine Abilities.

Not to mention the amount of pure light required to cultivate the Chaotic Star Body to perfection.

The task is arduous and the road ahead is long.

The next day, Gu Jinlai arrived at the Martial Saint Academy early.

He was accompanied by other members of the Southeast District Cleanup Team.

Lan Yuxian has stepped down from her position as captain of the Purifier Squad, and Wu Tianya, as the deputy minister, naturally has to appoint a new captain for the Southeast Region on behalf of the Purifier Department.

Gu Jinlai at the inner courtyard of the Martial Saint Academy, the Purifiers who had been waiting there greeted him with smiles and clasped their hands in a salute, "The Ancient Martial King has arrived."

"With Lan Yuxian gone, the position of team leader will undoubtedly belong to Gu Wuwang next."

"Haha, the Ancient Martial King's combat strength is comparable to that of a peak Celestial Person. The captains of the other seven teams are far inferior to the Ancient Martial King. By following the Ancient Martial King, all of us can achieve great things and exchange for the Cultivation Method, Spirit Artifact, and cultivation resources that we are satisfied with."

The Purifiers congratulated him, believing that his appointment as the leader of the Purifier squad was a foregone conclusion.

Even Black Sword and Dong Yuji didn't seem to have much intention of competing with him.

Peak Celestial Person is equivalent to the sixth rank.

Compared to a top-tier Martial King who is only at the third rank, he is far stronger.

Even if the two of them joined forces, Perfected Person doubled, they might not be able to contend against the Gu Jinlai.

"You flatter me. As long as the appointment from above hasn't come down, I won't be the captain of the Southeast Squad."

Gu Jinlai, they have responded humbly to everyone.

Soon, everyone seemed to sense something and fell silent.

Before long, Vice Dean Yan Lie walked in first.

As he stepped into the courtyard, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the direction where Gu Jinlai been, a hint of regret in his expression.

This scene gave Gu Jinlai a jolt.

Not only him, but also Dong Yuji, Hei Jian, and other members of the Purifier team showed significant changes in their expressions upon seeing his face.

Could it be...?

What other variables might there be?

Soon, Wu Tianya walked out of the inner courtyard at a leisurely pace.

Seeing that he was alone, Gu Jinlai breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Greetings, Minister."

All the purifiers bowed in unison.

"Um."

Wu Tianya responded calmly.

The difference between a Martial Saint and a Saint is not that great.

However, the gap between a Martial King and a Martial Saint is so vast that it is comparable to that between a cultivator at the Core Forming Formation Realm and Primordial Spirit True Lord.

Ultimately, the further a cultivator progresses, the more significant the difference in strength becomes, a point vividly illustrated by the three stages of Celestial Person, Saint, and True Immortal on Earth.

Therefore, in Wu Tianya's eyes, there is not much difference between an ordinary Martial King and a peak Martial King.

Upon arriving at the scene, he didn't waste any words and said directly, "I have gathered you here today to appoint the captain of the Southeast Purifiers Squad. Lan Yuxian has stepped down because she felt that she was not capable enough. I plan to select a new captain from among you."

He showed no intention of keeping people in suspense, his gaze falling on Black Sword: "You have served as a Purifier for a long time and are extremely familiar with the conflicts between Purifiers, Outcasts, and Cultists. You are the most suitable person to take over as the new captain."

"I?"

Upon hearing Wu Tianya's appointment, not only the other purgers, but even Black Sword himself was somewhat bewildered.

As for Gu Jinlai...

His first thought was of what Lan Yuxian had said last night.

She complained to Wu Tianya.

Could it be...?

That's why he missed out on the captain's position!

"Master."

Black Sword hesitated.

Despite the fact that he should absolutely accept this valuable opportunity without hesitation, he still said, "Besides experience, the most crucial thing for the Purifiers is strength. Only with sufficient strength can we capture powerful out-of-control individuals and demonic cultists, and ensure the safety of our team members. And in terms of strength within our small team, none other than the Ancient Martial King..."

"Gu Jinlai could succeed you as deputy captain and assist you in tackling key challenges at crucial moments."

Wu Tianya interrupted him directly, seemingly oblivious to the change in Gu Jinlai's expression, and continued to look at the Black Sword: "You are unwilling to accept this appointment?"

No, of course not.

Black Sword glanced at Gu Jinlai secretly, then stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Headmaster. Black Sword will do his best to fulfill his duties as captain."

"Can."

Wu Tianya nodded slightly.

Only then did he turn his gaze to Gu Jinlai: "You are very capable, but you have only been in the Purifiers' ranks for a short time. You will first serve as the deputy captain and learn from your seniors. You will be given important responsibilities in the future."

"Yes."

At this Gu Jinlai, people have calmed down.

The captaincy, which was originally a foregone conclusion, slipped away just like that, and he was naturally in a bad mood.

But...

So what if he's the vice-captain?

His main purpose in becoming the Purifier was to hunt down enough out-of-control individuals and cultists to obtain the Purifier.

Even as a vice-captain, he would likely have considerable autonomy within the Southeast Squad, and even Black Sword, as the captain, would likely consult his opinions in various matters.

Furthermore, he already possesses peak Celestial Person combat strength. After accumulating experience for a period of time and further enhancing his strength, if he is still dissatisfied or unhappy with his work, he can simply quit.

Capable people will never lack opportunities.

"Good."

Wu Tianya looked at Gu Jinlai, who had calmed down, nodded slightly, and then waved his hand. "The rest of you leave first, Gu Jinlai stay."

Black Sword and the other Purifiers exchanged glances, but still bowed and took their leave.

"You may also step down."

Wu Tianya said something to Yan Lie beside him.

"Yes."

Yan Lie responded, glanced at Gu Jinlai with some concern, and then turned and left.

After everyone had left, Wu Tianya's gaze returned to Gu Jinlai: "You missed out on the captaincy that was originally yours, are you unhappy about it?"

"No, I believe the headmaster has his reasons for doing so."

Looking at Wu Tianya, Gu Jinlai realized that all he really needed was Qingguang, and he had fully recovered.

At this moment, his expression did not change much while he spoke.

"You are a Martial King, and even if you are powerful, I don't think I need to talk to you so much. The reason I'm keeping you here for a private talk is because I have high hopes for you. I believe you have the potential to become a Martial Saint in the future, to the point where you can catch up with me or even surpass me."

Wu Tianya said.

"You flatter me, Headmaster. The physical reconstruction from Martial King to Martial Saint is a process of breaking down and rebuilding, which is extremely dangerous. Who dares to say that they can definitely survive it and reach the Martial Saint realm in one step?"

This Gu Jinlai.

"Neither humble nor arrogant, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

As Wu Tianya spoke, a document suddenly appeared in his hand, which he handed forward. "Take a look."

Gu Jinlai took the document and glanced at the ring in Wu Tianya's hand.

This...

It's probably a storage treasure similar to the Qiankun Ring.

However, his gaze quickly shifted from the treasure-like ring to the document in his hand, and immediately...

He looked completely bewildered.

"You've appointed me as the head of the outer city district!?"

He thought he had misread it, so he checked it again, and finally...

That's exactly right.

In the city of wind and rain, there are three main districts: the ancient city, the Inner City, and the outer city. All three districts are under the jurisdiction of the city lord, Zhao Hua.

However, as a national sage, Zhao Hua usually didn't pay much attention to the trivial matters in Fengyu City. He spent most of his time cultivating or connecting with top figures in the capital.

The people truly in charge of handling matters large and small are actually the deputy city lords, his disciple Zhao Liang, the chief domain lord, and the chief district lord.

The Chief Regional Manager, as the name suggests, is the direct superior of the eight regions in a city.

In terms of position, he is only on par with the Domain Lord, but in terms of weight and power, he is even a notch above the Domain Lord.

Not to mention a captain of the Purifier squad.

Just like a bureau chief on the periphery of a prefecture-level city and a mayor of a county-level city, they may be at the same level, but the power they wield is completely different.

"Yan Lie has told me about your situation more than once. I've always paid attention to you, especially your pursuit of authenticity, order, and justice... which has deeply moved me..."

Wu Tianya looked at Gu Jinlai, "The Holy Dynasty has been through many ups and downs since its establishment, but not everyone has been able to uphold their original aspirations as they did when the Holy Dynasty was first established. You are very good."

Gu Jinlai, people have heard what Wu Tianya said.

He carefully examined the Karma emanating from the abbot, which was as black as flame.

If it weren't for this criterion, he would almost have been moved by this powerful martial saint.

"Do a good job. Once you become the district chief, you can do whatever you want in the outer districts."

Wu Tianya said calmly, "The true self that a Martial King seeks cannot be deceived. This is common knowledge. People can often deceive others, but they cannot deceive themselves. I believe that once the information about your true self is spread, you will quickly gain the trust of the outer city. With your strength, you will also be able to stand up and uphold justice for those who have been persecuted in the outer city, demonstrating the fairness and justice of our Wind and Rain City."

As he spoke, he took out another document and said, "This is the promise I made when I secured this position of district chief for you: within three years, reduce the average number of casualties in the outer districts by 30% and increase the influx of outsiders by 10%. If you can achieve this, I can continue to recommend you to succeed as the chief of the region."

As for not being able to do it...

This clearly means he resigned from his position as regional head.

"The number of casualties has decreased by 30%, while the influx of migrant workers has increased by 10%..."

Gu Jinlai, people have been talking about the rigid requirement of Wu Tianya.

Although he didn't know the real reason why Wu Tianya suddenly gave him this appointment, but...

"Please rest assured."

Looking at the head of the Martial Saint Academy, Gu Jinlai said solemnly, almost as if making a promise, "I will do my utmost to thoroughly cleanse the outer city of Fengyu City, wipe out all demons and monsters, and restore a bright and clear world to Fengyu City!"