Spirit Detection Disk

After finishing his morning practice of the Iron Ox Technique, Li Yuan withdrew his energy and rose to his feet.

The five forms at the proficient stage flowed together more and more smoothly. When his qi and blood washed through his viscera and limbs, his body cooperated almost instinctively, without any deliberate guidance.

Li Yuan straightened his clothes and hung his waist token at his belt. Today, he was to patrol the outskirts of the market.

Leaving through the market's east gate, the Blue Stone road beneath his feet ended after only a few steps.

In its place was a Yellow Earth Road trampled out by countless feet, with wild grass growing thickly on either side and a few crooked, stunted trees scattered here and there.

In the distance, the Yuanheng Mountains stretched across the western horizon. Their gray-blue ridges rose layer upon layer. They looked close, but were actually nearly a hundred li away.

Inside the market walls was another world.

Li Yuan followed the route marked on the document, heading north before turning east and passing several intersections on the outskirts of the Spirit Field District.

Things differed somewhat from what Li Yuan had expected. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The wasteland lay quiet and still. Occasionally, a few gray sparrows flapped out of the grass before dropping back down again.

By the time he circled around to the edge of the Spirit Field District, Green Jade Rice ears swayed gently in the wind along the distant field ridges, while several spirit farmers bent over their work in the fields.

Everything looked no different from before.

Just as he was about to quicken his pace and head back, a spirit farmer jogged toward him along a field ridge, still gripping a hoe in his hand.

"Deputy Captain Li!"

This was Farmer He, a spirit farmer from the southern section of the Spirit Field District. At Qi Refining, First Layer, he rented over twenty mu of land to grow Green Jade Rice. He was around forty, dark-skinned, and his face was currently etched with obvious anxiety.

"The day before yesterday, when I went to the fields, I found that something had trampled several mu of land on the south side. Several rows of rice had been knocked flat, and there were claw prints on the ground."

"What did the claw prints look like?"

"Three toes." Farmer He gestured, spreading his palm and then curling his fingers together to mark out an area roughly the size of a bowl's mouth.

Three-toed claw prints the size of a bowl's mouth could not have been left by the field mice or wild rabbits commonly found in the Spirit Field District. They were most likely from a Demonic Beast.

"Take me there."

Farmer He led Li Yuan across several field ridges to the plots on the southern outer edge.

He spotted them at a glance.

Three or four rows of Green Jade Rice had been trampled flat. Their ears were broken, and several distinct claw prints sank deeply into the wet, soft field soil.

Three toes, web-like connections between them, and sharp claw marks at the tips that had gouged shallow furrows into the earth.

Li Yuan crouched down and compared the depth of the claw prints with his fingers.

They were quite deep. Whatever had left such marks was no lightweight.

The spacing between the prints was at least over two chi, and the stride lengths were nearly uniform. It did not look as though it had been running from pursuit.

Farmer He squatted beside him, rubbing his hands together. "Deputy Captain Li, how could a Demonic Beast have come here? There have never been any Demonic Beasts in the Spirit Field District."

The Spirit Field District lay east of the market, with the entire market standing between it and the Yuanheng Mountains.

For a Demonic Beast to reach this place from the western mountains without passing through the market's main gate, it would have to make a huge detour around the south or north side, where the Guard Squad also kept watch.

That was why no Demonic Beasts had ever appeared in the Spirit Field District.

Li Yuan followed the direction of the claw prints farther south.

After leaving the edge of the Spirit Field District, the wet field soil gave way to dry, hard yellow earth and gravel. The outlines of the claw prints became increasingly faint, obscured by weeds and stones, until they vanished completely after a little over a hundred steps.

Li Yuan did not continue deeper. He turned back toward the market.

As he passed through the market along North Alley, the streets remained crowded. The Yuanheng Mountains had been unsettled lately, and Rogue Cultivators were still streaming into the market. The stalls on East Street and North Alley were nearly packed to bursting.

Li Yuan went straight to the Patrol Squad's station.

The main hall door stood half-open. Wang De sat behind a desk, with a teacup set in the corner.

Li Yuan explained what had happened in the Spirit Field District.

Wang De did not speak immediately after listening. He tapped the tabletop twice with his index finger.

"The spirit farmers in the Spirit Field District have also reported directly to the Management Office."

Wang De pulled a document from the pile of papers, gave it a glance, and set it aside.

"The Management Office wants the Patrol Squad to send people to investigate for a few days, determine whether it was merely passing through or has settled in, and preferably kill the thing."

"I'll leave this to you. I'll arrange the manpower. I'll give you a specific plan tomorrow."

Most spirit farmers did not have high cultivation or much combat experience. With the cover provided by the spirit fields, even a slightly stronger Demonic Beast could easily cause considerable casualties and destroy the fields. It had to be dealt with quickly.

The Spirit Field District, however, was vast and thick with weeds. Finding the Demonic Beast would not be easy.

After thinking for a moment, Li Yuan added, "The Spirit Field District is east of the market. If the Demonic Beast came from the mountains, it could only have circled around from the south or north. The southern road is within the Guard Squad's patrol range. Logically, nothing should have been able to sneak through."

"There was a problem with the South Line patrol for a period last month."

Wang De's tone was level.

"I'll investigate the exact situation. You handle the Spirit Field District first."

Li Yuan nodded in acknowledgment and withdrew.

Early the next morning, Li Yuan went to the Patrol Squad's station.

Wang De was already seated behind the desk, with a completed document spread before him.

"I've gathered the manpower for the Spirit Field District matter we discussed yesterday."

"The mission begins this afternoon. Assemble at the east gate after noon."

Wang De pushed the document over. The mission arrangement was brief—investigate the Demonic Beast traces in the Spirit Field District, with Patrol Squad Deputy Captain Li Yuan assigned to lead the team and three people temporarily transferred to assist.

"You're at Qi Refining, Fourth Layer. Even if there really is a Demonic Beast in the Spirit Field District, it is most likely only Low-grade First-Order. You can handle it."

Wang De flipped through the roster and read out three names—Zhou Dazhuang, Xu Mao, and Lin Xiaowu.

Zhou Dazhuang's Guard Squad rotation had just ended. Before he could officially report back to the Patrol Squad, he was intercepted and stuffed directly into the mission. Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu were respectively an old hand and a newcomer in the Patrol Squad, at Qi Refining Third Level and Second Layer.

"There is one more thing."

Wang De pulled a palm-sized wooden box from beneath the desk, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.

"The Dharma Artifact issued to deputy captains should have been given to you long ago, but you became deputy captain as soon as you broke through. There wasn't enough time to prepare it."

Li Yuan opened the wooden box.

A bronze-yellow disk lay on the lining inside. It was about two fingers wide and one finger thick, its surface covered in dense, intricate patterns. Its edges had been polished smooth, and a green crystal the size of a grain of rice was embedded in the center.

"Spirit Detection Disk," Wang De said.

"Deputy captains and above all have one. It's a Standardized Magical Artifact of the Lineage. Once infused with spiritual power, it can detect spiritual energy fluctuations within several dozen zhang. Demonic Beasts, cultivators, spirit mines—anything with spiritual energy can be sensed. Its range isn't large and its precision is average, but it is enough for tracking traces."

Li Yuan took the Spirit Detection Disk from the wooden box. The bronze disk felt slightly heavy in his hand, cool to the touch.

The instant his fingers touched it, translucent text appeared before his eyes.

[Detected an equippable item: Spirit Detection Disk (Intact)]

[Trait preview: Spirit Sense Expansion (Green)—passively senses aura fluctuations within thirty zhang, detects the intensity and direction of most spiritual energy fluctuations within range, can stack with other effects, and possesses a certain degree of penetration against concealment spells and masking methods]

[Permanentization condition preview: Possess divine sense]

[Current Equipment Slot full (2/2). Replace current equipment?]

Green.

Gray, white, green, blue, purple, red, gold—every trait he had obtained so far was white or gray. This was his first Green Trait.

The Spirit Detection Disk itself had a detection range of several dozen zhang, and it required actively infusing spiritual power.

The Green Trait directly extended it to thirty zhang, activated passively, and required no spiritual power infusion. It was equivalent to having it active at all times. It could even penetrate concealment methods to a certain extent.

But his Equipment Slot was full. The Circulation Acceleration from the Vein-Clearing Pill was indispensable for daily cultivation, while the Viscera Strengthening from the Iron Ox Technique also accelerated the cultivation of mundane techniques. Neither could be removed casually.

And the Permanentization condition was truly no simple matter.

Generally speaking, only cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm possessed divine sense. If he were in the Foundation Establishment Realm, then obtaining this equipment would allow him to permanently affix the trait.

But for his current self, only at Qi Refining, Fourth Layer, that Permanentization condition was far too distant.

Li Yuan tucked the Spirit Detection Disk into his sleeve and closed the wooden box.

Wang De handed him another notice—an adjustment to his monthly stipend.

A deputy captain's monthly stipend had been reduced from six Spirit Stones to three, while Contribution Points had increased from ten to fifteen.

His Spirit Stones had been cut in half, while his Contribution Points had increased by five. Spirit Stones and contributions were roughly equal at a one-to-one ratio. It looked as though he had gained two, but in reality, he had gained little.

Contribution Points could only be exchanged within the Wang Family, making them less convenient than Spirit Stones.

Moreover, physical goods were priced higher. Only when exchanging for things such as cultivation techniques were Contribution Points cheaper.

Although enough Contribution Points could be exchanged for items unavailable outside, that had nothing to do with an outer member like him.

Li Yuan put away the notice without asking further questions, then turned and left the station.