Riding the Green Feather Eagle, he surveyed the area around Qingyan Town, searching for traces of any remaining strange beasts.
With the Green Feather Eagle's speed, it took no time to cover an area twenty li around Qingyan Town.
Chen Qinglin swept through every strange beast still in the area. He couldn't let the Beast Tide attack Qingyan Town a second time.
As for ordinary beasts that hadn't reached a grade, he left them alone.
When he reached the skies above Linhe Village, nothing was as it had once been.
The village lay in ruins. Chen Qinglin couldn't find a single intact human corpse.
All that remained were bones, their owners' identities long lost.
He killed the ferocious beasts still haunting the place, then built a large cenotaph for the people of Linhe Village. He gathered the remaining bones and the clothes they had worn in life and placed them inside.
He stood silently for a while, then turned and left.
He patrolled the villages around Qingyan Town. Now and then, he found a few survivors. He cleared away nearby dangers and gathered together those living close to one another.
He told them to find somewhere nearby to stay for the time being. He would notify the people of Qingyan Town to bring them back to town.
It was nearly dark by the time Chen Qinglin had checked every village around Qingyan Town.
Even "nine out of ten households stood empty" failed to capture the full horror.
Those who are not of our kind will never share our heart!
Every strange beast Chen Qinglin encountered met its end at his hands.
It was a pity there were no demons in this place—and, fortunately, there were none!
After the Demon Extermination Order was issued, the Great Xuan Dynasty revealed information about the invaders from a thousand years ago: demons and devils.
This gave Chen Qinglin a basic understanding of them.
He didn't know how demons and devils behaved in their own worlds, but those who came to this world were all invaders. They all deserved to die!
He returned to Qingyan Town in the sun's last rays and told Wei Zhan about the survivors still alive nearby and where they were. Wei Zhan said he would send people to bring them back first thing the next morning.
Only then did Chen Qinglin head to the Iron Sword Martial Arts School.
Yandu City.
"By order of the Eastern Ridge Domain King! Is King Yan present?" A booming voice rang across the entire city.
A Martial Artist radiating immense power stood in midair above the Imperial City of Yandu City.
"Sorry to trouble you, envoy. Your king is here!" Yan Xuan appeared beside the man in an instant, followed by several white-haired elders.
"Please, don't mention it, Brother Yan. This is an order from the Eastern Ridge Domain King. I was instructed to deliver it to every kingdom as quickly as possible."
"Please, envoy."
"By order of the Eastern Ridge Domain King: The True Spirit Alliance has revised the Basic Body Tempering Art and will make it available to all for free. No kingdom within the Eastern Ridge Domain may obstruct its distribution. All must do everything they can to promote it."
After handing Yan Xuan a copy of the martial art, the envoy turned to leave.
"Brother Yan, I've delivered the decree. I'll take my leave now."
"Brother Yi, wait," Yan Xuan said hurriedly.
"Brother Yi, does the Eastern Ridge Domain King have any other instructions?"
"No special instructions. Just make sure this is handled properly. The order came directly from the Eastern Domain Lord, the Shocking Gun Emperor. Don't bring trouble upon yourself, Brother Yan!"
Yi Yang turned back as he spoke.
"It was personally decreed by the Shocking Gun Emperor!" Yan Xuan was shocked. Once he came to his senses, he immediately promised to follow the order.
After Yi Yang left, Yan Xuan promptly summoned the officials of Great Xuan to discuss the matter in the palace...
When Chen Qinglin arrived in the backyard of the Iron Sword Martial Arts School, he saw a white-haired old man watering flowers before night fell.
Looking closer, he realized it was the Head of the School, Xie Song. Chen Qinglin hurriedly paid his respects.
"Grandmaster!" Why had Grandmaster aged so much? Could he have failed to break through to the Inner Qi Realm?
The thought filled him with guilt.
After failing to break through to the Inner Qi Realm, Xie Song had passed the school on to his son, Xie Feng. He now spent his days basking in the sun and watering flowers.
He had been watering flowers in the front courtyard as usual when he thought he heard someone calling him. He turned with cloudy eyes and, after studying Chen Qinglin for a moment, finally recognized him.
"You... you're... I remember now. You're Xiaofeng's disciple, Chen Qinglin, right?"
"Yes, Grandmaster. Your health..." Chen Qinglin trailed off.
Xie Song, on the other hand, had accepted it. He spoke slowly.
"I have your Qi Gathering Pill to thank for the chance to break through to the Inner Qi Realm at my age."
"In the end, I'm simply old. But having had the chance at all means I have no regrets. You needn't blame yourself."
A kind smile spread across Xie Song's much-aged face as he comforted him.
"But you... I never thought Xiaofeng would take you as his disciple. It's his good fortune."
"You'll have to walk the road ahead on your own. Xiaofeng can't help you much now. You've already far surpassed your master..."
"Grandmaster, you give me too much credit. Without my master taking me in, there would be no Chen Qinglin today!"
"Good child!"
"Let's go inside. Your parents are waiting for you, too!"
"Yes, Grandmaster."
He helped Xie Song into the courtyard...
In the evening...
Chen Qingyun was practicing Iron Wire Fist with measured movements while Xie Feng sat nearby, offering guidance. Chen Qinglin's parents and the others were in the courtyard as well.
Chen Xiaoxiao was play-acting, swinging her arms and legs just like Chen Qingyun.
She threw a punch with all her might—and sent herself tumbling over.
Everyone burst into laughter...
Xie Song and Chen Qinglin happened to witness it, and they couldn't help laughing, either.
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Xiaoxiao scrambled to her feet and rushed straight toward Chen Qinglin.
"Big brother...!"
He caught Chen Xiaoxiao as she leaped at him. Only then did everyone notice Chen Qinglin and Xie Song had arrived.
Hearing Chen Xiaoxiao call out, Chen Qingyun stopped practicing and turned to look.
Everyone in the courtyard spotted him, and the place immediately filled with excited voices.
"Qinglin..."
"Lin'er..."
"Junior brother..."
Some weren't close enough to him to know what to call him, so they stayed silent, too embarrassed to speak.
"I'm back!" Chen Qinglin said gently.
The warmth of their reunion went without saying.
The town head, Wei Zhan, had already sent over the Dazzling Beast and the many other strange beasts Chen Qinglin had killed.
Not knowing where else to put them, they had been stored at the Iron Sword Martial Arts School.
The strange beasts killed by the school had been brought back at the time.
After Xie Feng explained this, he took Chen Qinglin to see where they were being kept.
Aside from the Dazzling Beast's eyes, which were somewhat useful to him, the rest had little value.
He took the Dazzling Beast's eyes and left the rest for his master, Xie Feng, and the clan chief, Chen Yucheng, to discuss how to divide.
He didn't waste any more time on the matter. He also told them where he had stored the strange beasts he'd killed while sweeping the area twenty li around Qingyan Town.
Xie Feng sent people to retrieve them that very night.
By the time the moon reached its zenith, everyone had gradually dispersed.
Only then did Chen Qinglin open the status panel, which he hadn't checked in a long time:
[Chen Qinglin] Lifespan: 15/200 Realm: Mid True Essence Condensation Realm Martial Arts: Immeasurable Radiance True Scripture—True Essence Chapter (Great Accomplishment 35964/50000) Origin Returning Art (Perfection), Spirit Concealing Technique (Perfection), Moon Treading Steps (Perfection 42342/60000), Heavy Rain Sword Technique (Perfection 18793/60000), Light Rain Sword Art (Perfection 14698/60000), Wind Fury Sword Technique (Perfection) Sword Moves: Ride the Wind Slash (40% Wind Intent), Crosswind (10% Penetration Intent, Wind Intent) Wind's Passing (40% Wind Intent) Intent: Wind Intent/40% (585/40000), Penetration Intent/11% (1664/10000)
He hadn't studied any new sword techniques in the past month. Instead, he had focused on refining what he already knew.
Until the Heavy Rain Sword Technique and Light Rain Sword Art reached perfection, he had no intention of practicing any other martial arts.
As his Martial Dao Realm climbed higher and higher, he needed more and more spiritual energy. The spiritual energy gained from breakthroughs in the martial arts themselves could no longer bring him much progress.
The one thing worth celebrating was that his cultivation speed had increased.
The road ahead was long and arduous. He couldn't afford to slack off!
Before you continue