Zhongnan Prefecture

Shu Prefecture. Heaven Mending Pavilion.

Bu Kurong pondered for three days before finally understanding Lin Huang's intentions and reporting them to the Law Enforcement Department.

Only three months later, the Law Enforcement Department's notorious Great Might Inter-World Shuttle arrived at the Heaven Mending Pavilion.

Wang Chunqiu led the team, a renowned Upper-Stage King-Sealing expert from the Law Enforcement Department.

Bu Kurong's expression darkened slightly when he saw Wang Chunqiu.

Bu Kurong was no stranger to Wang Chunqiu.

Two hundred years ago, when the Heaven Mending Pavilion still possessed its foundations, Wang Chunqiu and Bu Kurong had entered the pavilion together. Later, Bu Kurong became the pavilion master's personal disciple, while Wang Chunqiu left in fury, enrolled in the Celestial Academy, and eventually joined the Law Enforcement Department. In the blink of a century, Wang Chunqiu had become an Upper-Stage King-Sealing expert, known as the Spring-Autumn King.

Yet Bu Kurong had remained stuck at Upper-Stage Marquis-Sealing, unable to advance an inch.

"Kurong, we meet again." Wang Chunqiu sat broad and imposing in his chair, his tone indifferent.

Bu Kurong nodded expressionlessly. "I have already explained the matter to the Law Enforcement Department in detail. Is there anything else you need me to cooperate with?"

"Time." Wang Chunqiu's gaze was sharp as a blade. "Based on your description, the Law Enforcement Department has identified Lin Huang. But we discovered that he arrived in Shu Prefecture three days ago, while you only reported it today. I need a reason."

Bu Kurong lowered his eyes and looked at his palm. "Do you think this is something worth boasting about? If Uncle Bu had not been unable to return in such a short time, do you think I would have reported it to the Law Enforcement Department?"

Wang Chunqiu stared deeply at Bu Kurong, then swept out his hand and said coldly, "Do you know that three days are enough for Lin Huang to flee into another world?! You still care so much about saving face! No wonder you still cannot achieve King-Sealing even now."

"If you had reported to the Law Enforcement Department the moment you encountered Lin Huang, the Heaven Mending Secret Technique would never have been stolen."

"He is Saint Rank." Bu Kurong coldly spat out those four words.

Wang Chunqiu froze, but soon dismissed it. "I have read his file. At merely twenty-five, even if he used some lucky method to attain Saint Rank, how far could he have cultivated Six Paths in One? In my hands, he would be utterly vulnerable."

"This is the difference between you and me. When facing hardship, I always think of how to overcome it! Defeat it! But you only know how to endure and retreat. That is why a century ago I was inferior to you, while a century later, you are inferior to me. I have said enough. Move out!"

Wang Chunqiu snorted coldly, waved his hand, and hurried aboard the Great Might Inter-World Shuttle.

"Spring-Autumn King, where are we going?"

Wang Chunqiu narrowed his eyes. "Search! Search all of Shu Prefecture if we must, but find him!"

"Spring-Autumn King, I believe the target has most likely already left Shu Prefecture. Lin Huang went to great lengths to seize the Heaven Mending Secret Technique, so he must want to cultivate a Divine Body as quickly as possible. Now he has the cultivation technique, but lacks resources. Therefore, I believe his next move will definitely be to plunder resources."

A stunning short-haired young woman from the Law Enforcement Team spoke up.

She was Xu Qingcheng, daughter of the Taiyi Sect Master, a fourth-year student at the Celestial Academy, and the goddess of the masses.

Wang Chunqiu gave Xu Qingcheng an approving glance and nodded. "Not bad. That was my thought as well. But those people above will not see it that way. So no matter what, Shu Prefecture must still be searched."

Xu Qingcheng nodded, understanding Wang Chunqiu's meaning.

"Then we can split into two groups. One group stays in Shu Prefecture to search, while the other..."

Xu Qingcheng opened a holographic map. "I think he will go here."

"Dachan Prefecture?!"

"Exactly. Based on our assessment, although Lin Huang has attained Saint Rank, Six Paths in One is not yet complete. He would definitely not dare enter any Daoist Temple guarded by a Saint. Looking across the entire Human Realm, only Dachan Prefecture suits him best. Every King-Sealing expert and above in Dachan Prefecture has gone to the Netherworld to help the Celestial Treasury suppress the Netherworld. There is no one in all of Dachan Prefecture capable of standing against Lin Huang. And because of the ancient agreement between the Human Realm and the Dachan World, Dachan Prefecture still retains vast resources and wealth. If I were Lin Huang, I would definitely not let this place slip through my fingers."

Wang Chunqiu narrowed his eyes and carefully studied the Dachan Prefecture beneath Xu Qingcheng's finger. A gleam flashed through his eyes. "What a huge appetite he has. Pass the order. Change course. We are heading to Dachan Prefecture."

One month later, Dachan Prefecture.

Wang Chunqiu's face was grim. Xu Qingcheng bit her lip, while the Law Enforcement Team members, once fierce as fiends, stood outside Dachan Prefecture Station looking weak and dispirited.

"Spring-Autumn King. It has been a month. It seems my judgment was wrong." Xu Qingcheng took a deep breath, speaking with both reluctance and frustration.

Wang Chunqiu waved his hand. "It is not your fault. He has already attained Saint Rank. If he were so easy to catch, we would be underestimating him too much."

"You should go back first. The First Martial Arts Tournament begins in a month. You need to focus on preparing for it."

Xu Qingcheng was somewhat unwilling. She had interned at the Law Enforcement Department for half a year, and this was her first failed operation. But Xu Qingcheng knew she had no right to be willful.

As the Taiyi Sect Master's daughter, the Saintess of Taiyi Sect's generation, and a prodigy of the Celestial Academy, what she needed to do was figure out how to seize first place in the First Martial Arts Tournament a month from now, not follow Wang Chunqiu around the world hunting fugitives.

But she still could not help feeling a little unwilling.

With that mood weighing on her, Xu Qingcheng returned to White Jade Capital with a gloomy expression. The moment she stepped off the Two Realms Shuttle, she saw a conspicuous banner hanging outside: A warm welcome to the great Saints of Zhongnan Prefecture attending the first Zhongnan Assembly in the capital.

Xu Qingcheng froze, then abruptly came to her senses. She opened the Celestial Pivot, immediately searched for news about the Zhongnan Assembly, and turned pale. She dialed the Celestial Pivot. "Spring-Autumn King. I know where he went!"

"Zhongnan Prefecture. He went to Zhongnan Prefecture!"

Zhongnan Prefecture was known in ancient times as Zhongnan Mountain. It had originally been unable to become a prefecture, but a thousand years ago, a major figure from Zhongnan Prefecture entered the Arbitration Bureau. With a casual stroke, he drew a circle and assigned all the lands of several surrounding prefectures to Zhongnan Mountain, creating Zhongnan Prefecture.

Thanks to that major figure, Zhongnan Prefecture now ranked near the top among the Human Realm's seventy-two prefectures. Its cultivation culture flourished, and geniuses frequently emerged. The Twelve Zhongnan Dojos were famous far and wide, known even in other worlds.

"Zhongnan Prefecture."

Lin Huang had arrived in Zhongnan Prefecture three days earlier. Only after seeing news that the Zhongnan Assembly was being held in the capital did he finally begin to act.

That major figure from Zhongnan Prefecture had a thought: since he could not return home in glory, he might as well invite his old friends and former classmates to White Jade Capital and show off a little. That gave Lin Huang an opportunity.

That figure, hailed as the person most likely to become a god, also controlled the central authority. With a single command from him, even Saints could not refuse to attend. Thus, in the vast Zhongnan Prefecture, none of the Twelve Zhongnan Dojos had a King-Sealing expert stationed there, let alone a Saint.

Better still, the Human Realm had known peace for a long time, and the Twelve Zhongnan Dojos were places of longstanding fame. Their gates had always been wide open, so Lin Huang practically swaggered into the most renowned Zhongnan Dojo.

He chose the Zhongnan Dojo because it was the sect of that major figure in White Jade Capital. For the needs of governance, when that figure had entered the central authority, he had publicly exposed the strength of the entire Zhongnan Dojo one by one.

Therefore, Lin Huang knew clearly that no one in the current Zhongnan Dojo could stop him—not even send word or issue a warning.