Spring-Autumn King

Inside the Great Might Inter-World Shuttle, the Spring-Autumn King was lecturing his men.

"Failure. This mission was a complete failure."

"For an entire month, we found nothing. If Qingcheng had not happened to spot something when she returned to the capital, we still would not even know where they had gone."

"Though this is only Qingcheng's deduction, my instincts tell me Lin Huang must be hiding in Zhongnan Prefecture."

"I have only one demand: find him, seize him, and kill him."

"Do you have confidence?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Move out!"

Radiating murderous fury, the Spring-Autumn King led his Law Enforcement Department squad, brimming with pent-up rage, as they descended upon Zhongnan Prefecture.

From Dachan Prefecture to Zhongnan Prefecture lay no less than hundreds of millions of miles. A Crystal Energy Train would take a year, and even at the Great Might Inter-World Shuttle's speed, the journey still required twelve months.

Setting out from Da Chan at dawn and arriving at Zhongnan by dusk, by the time the Spring-Autumn King and his men reached Zhongnan Prefecture, it was already deep into the night.

"Spring-Autumn King, what do we do now?"

"Send word to the people in charge of the Twelve Dojos. Tell them to investigate themselves. We'll wait here."

With a sweep of his hand, the Spring-Autumn King gave the order.

The Twelve Zhongnan Dojos were currently hollow within. Those in charge were merely the chief disciples of the various Daoist Temples, with the strongest only at Marquis-Sealing cultivation. The Spring-Autumn King believed he could keep them in line, so he simply had messages sent, ordering every Daoist Temple to conduct its own search.

The Spring-Autumn King was only daring to throw his weight around because the heavyweights of the Twelve Zhongnan Dojos were absent. Otherwise, he would never have dared send such a message. Though the Arbitration Bureau was nominally the Human Realm's highest authority, the various Daoist Temples in truth had deep foundations and tangled roots. The strong ones, like that figure from Zhongnan Dojo, had entered the very heart of power; even the weaker ones obeyed proclamations but not orders, each ruling like a kingdom unto itself.

Once the messages were sent, the Spring-Autumn King remained seated in the Great Might Inter-World Shuttle, glaring like a tiger watching its prey. At the slightest stir, he would mobilize every man, strike with iron and blood, and bring Lin Huang to justice.

At Zhongnan Dojo, Xiong Renjie, the Eldest Senior Brother and current person in charge of Zhongnan Dojo, stared in bafflement at the message he had just received from the Law Enforcement Department.

"Wanted criminal Lin Huang may have infiltrated? They want us to search ourselves?"

Amused, Xiong Renjie shut down the Daoist Temple's external communications Celestial Pivot. "I have heard of this Spring-Autumn King, but did a door crush his head? This is Zhongnan Dojo, one of the Twelve Sacred Lands. How could someone sneak in without our knowing? What utter nonsense."

After tossing out that casual mockery, Xiong Renjie paid it no further mind and continued cultivating.

At the same time, Lin Huang, who was within the Twelve Secret Vaults, felt a stir in his heart. To crack the Divine Array of the Twelve Secret Vaults, he had fully unleashed his soul power, covering the entire Zhongnan Dojo, and had casually intercepted this message.

"The Law Enforcement Department has caught up?"

Lin Huang murmured to himself, vigilance rising in his heart. With a thought, he used the Divine Array covering all of Zhongnan Dojo to locate the message's recipient, Xiong Renjie.

"The Law Enforcement Department is here. Haha, you can't escape now."

Second Senior Brother burst into laughter, his spirits soaring as he looked at the Water Mirror before Lin Huang. The figure within was clearly Xiong Renjie. When he saw Xiong Renjie mock the message and then dismiss it entirely, Second Senior Brother's face turned green, then white, and he could not help cursing aloud, "Xiong Renjie, you bastard! Are you an idiot?!"

"A false alarm." Lin Huang chuckled softly and ignored him. Before Second Senior Brother's very eyes, he continued blending the countless rare treasures from the Twelve Secret Vaults, melting them into medicinal liquid.

"First, replenish my qi and blood. Then complete Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, Yin and Yang. The Divine Body should then reach minor completion. But the quantities need careful deliberation." Lin Huang carefully added one divine material after another into the Burning Heaven Earth Furnace he had just acquired. From time to time, he paused, activated the Heaven Mending Secret Technique, and meticulously examined himself, firmly controlling the amount of every divine material.

Cultivating the Divine Body was, in truth, a process of completion. Yet even if ordinary people cultivated the Heaven Mending Secret Technique as well, without soul power comparable to a Saint's, they could never accurately control the quantities.

The reason the Divine Body was so difficult for so many lay precisely in those quantities. One fraction too much or too little would not do; once the balance was broken, one could only start all over again.

That was why cultivation was difficult—more difficult than climbing to the blue heavens. The difficulty lay in that seemingly simple ability to discern every detail down to the finest hair.

Second Senior Brother's feelings were complicated. He watched helplessly as Lin Huang used their divine materials and their divine artifacts, blending the medicinal liquid bit by bit right before him, while Eldest Senior Brother Xiong Renjie—who had once had the chance to turn everything around—had cleverly ignored the Law Enforcement Department's warning.

It made Second Senior Brother so miserable he wanted to cough up blood.

Unwilling to watch Lin Huang any longer, Second Senior Brother fixed his eyes on Xiong Renjie in the Water Mirror, gritting his teeth. He wished he could crawl inside and slap Xiong Renjie senseless. You kept showing off—now you've really made a fool of yourself!

Inside the Great Might Inter-World Shuttle, the Spring-Autumn King sat imposingly, a long staff laid across his knees, his face expressionless. "Well? Any replies?"

"No!"

The Spring-Autumn King frowned. "Send them again! Those disciples of the great sects think too highly of themselves. They definitely did not take it seriously. Keep sending them!"

"Hmph. I would like to see what those self-important fools look like once they discover that Lin Huang has already infiltrated their sect's treasure vaults!"

"This guy really is irritating."

Xiong Renjie was somewhat annoyed. After being busy all day, he had finally waited until the dead of night to cultivate in peace, yet this Spring-Autumn King, whose head must have been caught in a door, kept sending message after message without end.

If the external communications Celestial Pivot had not needed to remain active, Xiong Renjie would have smashed it long ago.

"Fine, fine. I'll have Second Brother check it out."

Xiong Renjie relented and prepared to have Second Senior Brother investigate.

"Xiong Renjie! I'll fuck your grandmother! You've finally come to your senses! But isn't it a little too damn late?!" Second Senior Brother was gratified by Xiong Renjie's realization, but when he turned back to look, he felt like crying without tears.

After several months of work, Lin Huang finally finished blending the medicinal liquid. He casually added several dozen more restrictions to Second Senior Brother, then took a deep breath and leaped into the Burning Heaven Earth Furnace.

Myriad rays of rosy light burst forth. Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind resonated together, dividing Yin and Yang. His qi and blood rose like beacon smoke, shooting straight into the sky. The scorching pressure forced Second Senior Brother to stagger back several steps, struggling to breathe as he stared dumbfounded at Lin Huang, whose appearance was solemn and sacred.

"He's completing himself and condensing the Divine Body." Second Senior Brother murmured. Though he had long known what Lin Huang was doing, seeing it with his own eyes still made him howl, "Xiong Renjie, I'll fuck your grandmother!"

Xiong Renjie, who was being bitterly cursed and hated by Second Senior Brother, had his expression change. At last, he sensed that something was wrong.

"What do you mean Second Senior Brother is missing? No one has seen him since morning lessons ended?"

"All disciples who attended morning lessons are unconscious in their rooms?"

"Damn it!"

Xiong Renjie flew into a rage. At this point, if he still did not realize someone had infiltrated the Daoist Temple, he would never have become Zhongnan Dojo's Eldest Senior Brother.

By reflex, Xiong Renjie's first thought was to inform the Sect Leader far away in White Jade Capital. But after considering it carefully, he suppressed the thought. "No. If Master holds me accountable, I'm dead."

"Activate the Divine Array. No one is allowed to leave without permission. Those who disobey will be killed!"

Xiong Renjie calmed down. He was, after all, an outstanding talent who had risen above countless disciples, and he began issuing orders methodically. "All disciples are to investigate themselves. If you find an unfamiliar face, report it immediately."

"Third Junior Brother, go invite the Spring-Autumn King over."

"Daring to dig earth over the Grand Duke of the Year's head—he truly does not know how many eyes Horse King has."

After issuing a string of orders, Xiong Renjie finally let out a breath and sneered, teeth gritted.

"Spring-Autumn King, we have news. The target is suspected to be inside Zhongnan Dojo."

"Hmph. I've finally caught you. Set out at once."

The Spring-Autumn King laughed loudly, his gaze icy and fierce.