On the second day, Li Qing got up early.
He went to the Archives Hall once again, chatting with Elder Huang and discussing the questions on his mind.
From Elder Huang, he had already learned a little about the Dao Lineages of the world.
This world was divided among many Dao Lineages. Behind almost every city, and every major city, stood one or several Dao Lineage factions.
The Dao Lineages varied in size and were mainly divided into the Six Paths—Monsters, Demons, Ghosts, Buddhas, Daoism, and Confucianism—and the Hundred Schools of Thought.
These Dao Lineages held cultivation methods that surpassed True Law.
Most of the techniques practiced by Rogue Cultivators had been passed down from these Dao Lineages.
It was just that many had been passed down over a very long span of time; some techniques were even thousands of years old.
Some of these techniques were intended to identify talented individuals.
The techniques themselves contained immense karma. Whichever technique one cultivated, one would be influenced by the sect it came from.
After overcoming the Human Tribulation, one would reach the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Such a person would attract the sect's attention, and would often be put through some kind of evaluation.
If they passed, they would be taken to the corresponding sect to cultivate.
That was why choosing one's Foundation Establishment technique was so important.
If one was unlucky enough to choose some small, obscure sect, it would practically mean having one's limits set in stone.
In the world today, it seemed that only the Six Paths and the most orthodox Dao Lineages among the Hundred Schools of Thought were rumored to be capable of cultivating to the highest realm.
None of the other, smaller sects could reach the pinnacle of cultivation.
The news he had heard from Elder Huang weighed somewhat heavily on Li Qing's mind.
"Techniques in this world contain karma, and these sects might even take notice of you."
"I don't want to invite that kind of trouble. The path I'm taking is the right one."
"After being fused and altered through the Jade Tablet, all this karma should be severed."
"But the techniques I can obtain from the outside world seem to reach only as far as the True Method Realm."
"Techniques beyond that are going to be a real problem. I'll also have to synthesize Myriad Method Essence Qi and forge my own path, which will make things even harder."
"Elder Huang, is there really no other way to obtain techniques besides joining these sects?"
Elder Huang glanced at Li Qing, thought for a moment, then replied.
"It's not that there's absolutely no other way."
"Since ancient times, countless cultivators from the various Dao Lineages have fallen far from home, leaving behind all kinds of inheritances."
"Some lucky souls have obtained these inheritances and carved out a place for themselves."
"But if the inheritance isn't powerful enough, they'll still hit a ceiling at some realm and be unable to advance further."
"Still, it counts as a path."
"The most important thing is this: on the path of cultivation, having essence qi that's too mixed is a path to certain death."
"No one can reverse that."
Hearing Elder Huang's words, Li Qing nodded slightly, his eyes thoughtful.
My path ahead won't be easy.
I wonder if the Myriad Method Essence Qi from mastering the Humanity's Overview Technique can imitate the essence qi of other techniques.
Could I then sneak into another Dao Lineage?
He was still pondering when, just then,
a figure emerged from the dark corner.
"Elder Huang, Li Qing, Commander-in-Chief wants you both to come over."
Li Qing's brows jumped. "All right."
After putting the documents in order, Elder Huang left with Li Qing. They soon arrived at the small pavilion in the Demon Extermination Hall.
When they entered the pavilion, Li Qing was surprised to find Elder Fang there, along with nine figures cloaked in black robes.
Commander-in-Chief Huang Tairen watched them arrive and spoke in a low voice.
"Everyone's here. Let's go. We're probably in for a tough fight."
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Huang Tairen produced a black orb. A hazy radiance emanated from it, instantly enveloping them.
At once, the air around them began to ripple slightly, and the dark surroundings blurred.
A few breaths later, the scenery outside came into focus again.
They seemed to have arrived in a brightly lit room.
Li Qing was utterly astonished. "What is this? Some kind of spatial teleportation ability?"
Seeing the surprise on his face, Elder Huang quietly explained,
"That's the Commander-in-Chief's magical artifact, the Shift-Positioning Orb."
"It can transport you anywhere within a hundred li. It's an escape artifact."
Seeing what the artifact could do, a flash of envy crossed Li Qing's eyes.
This artifact was clearly more powerful than the Spirit Summoning Tablet in his possession.
Huang Tairen spoke in a low voice. "Everyone here is someone the Demon Extermination Hall can trust without reservation."
"I've already sent word to the Mission Hall. The extermination mission will be posted this evening."
"The cultivators of the Demon Extermination Hall will all be mobilized to wipe out the rebels, Northern Barbarian soldiers, and Blood Demon Sect cultivators who have entered the city."
"Our mission is to deal with Wang Jie. A banquet will be held here this evening."
"For now, we'll wait here in silence."
"Prefect Fang Qingyu has invited Wang Jie to the banquet. When the cup hits the floor, that will be our signal."
"Yes!"
The group answered in low voices, each finding a seat.
Li Qing and Elder Huang sat off to one side, quietly resting while they waited.
I'll have to be careful tonight.
In the Garrison barracks, Wang Jie sat in his military tent, looking at the invitation in his hand, an inscrutable expression flashing across his face.
Beside him sat a handsome young nobleman.
"The prefect's letter says he's hosting tonight and inviting me to the Yellow Flower Pavilion this evening."
"He says he wants to thank me for helping him deal with the Refugee Camp last time."
The handsome young nobleman considered this for a moment. "Fang Qingyu met with someone a few days ago. My informant sent word."
"These past few days, he's also been conducting a sweeping search for bandits, but that's just a pretext. It seems he's investigating something."
"We can be certain we've been exposed."
"There's more to this letter than meets the eye."
Wang Jie's expression darkened a little. "What do you think I should do?"
"He probably has no evidence. Maybe he's trying to force my hand—to make me raise the banner of rebellion."
"Then he can arrest me openly."
"If I go, he has no conclusive evidence. As Garrison Commander, I doubt he'd dare make a move against me."
The handsome young nobleman fanned himself. Hearing Wang Jie's words, a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He snapped his fan shut. "No evidence? Heh."
"At least a hundred people have been exposed these past few days. Their very existence is enough to prove you're up to something."
Wang Jie turned to look at the young nobleman, his gaze tinged with coldness.
"Heh. You don't need to pull little tricks like that. From the moment I set foot on this path, I never expected to turn back."
"I'd meant to stall for a few more days and get ready, but they came too quickly."
The young nobleman gave a cold laugh. "You have no choice, so don't entertain any illusions."
"If they invited you tonight, that means they've already made all the preparations."
"Send the order down. We raise the army at dusk and seize Jade City in one fell swoop."
"If they're at the Yellow Flower Pavilion, then we'll send them to their graves there."
The young nobleman spoke with a cold smile.