The nature of the Dao Infant! Instructions before leaving for Cuiyun Circuit!

When Yang Xiao returned to the Demon Suppression Division, it was already completely dark.

Lanterns were lit in the courtyard, their light casting flickering shadows on the scattered rubble.

The Captain and the Demon Suppression Guard came and went, their footsteps never ceasing.

Some people ran with medicine boxes in their arms, some worked together to lift the broken beam in two, and others squatted against the wall, stacking the broken bricks one by one into a basket.

Several Deputy General, having removed their armor, were directing men to repair the houses that had been destroyed during the day.

Yang Xiao walked in.

The footsteps stopped sporadically at first, then resumed in a continuous stream.

Those carrying timber, lifting stones, and stacking broken bricks all stood up and stared at him.

No one spoke, and no one gathered around; they simply looked at him with eyes full of reverence.

Yang Xiao didn't stop, but nodded slightly in acknowledgment and continued walking forward.

The moment he had a thought, all the movements of the entire company flooded his senses like a tidal wave.

We passed through the moon gate and entered the backyard.

The stone table in the courtyard was still overturned and no one was there to help it up; black and white chess pieces were scattered all over the ground.

Pei Xuance sat leaning against the corridor, eyes closed Breath Regulation. He hadn't removed his black armor; the armor plates on his chest were dented, and faint bloodstains were visible beneath his clothes.

Li Hanguang sat behind a small table to the side, flipping through a case book by the light of a lantern.

Hearing footsteps, Li Hanguang looked up and smiled.

"Here it is." He said, handing the file forward. "This is the document for reporting to Cuiyun Circuit. Take a look."

Yang Xiao was slightly taken aback when he took it. Why did he need to see the performance review report?

He turned to the first page.

This is a very well-organized report.

The Demon Plague in the Thirteen Commanderies of Qingzhou in recent years are listed clearly for each prefecture. Even the demons on Yellow Wind Mountain, their territories, and the years they have been entrenched are described in great detail, with every point supported by evidence.

Throughout the entire text, the words "Xuan Zhen" never appear even once.

It was as if no old monk had ever come to Qingzhou City that day.

What concerned Yang Xiao even more was that the only main figure listed in this document was himself.

He was the one who killed the Yellow Wind Demon King, he was the one who flattened Yellow Wind Mountain, and even that Old Flood Dragon in Guanlan Commandery was credited with it.

You should know that if these achievements were reported to the higher authorities, the rewards would all go to him.

Yang Xiao closed the case file and looked at Li Hanguang.

Li Hanguang remained silent, only glancing at Pei Xuance, who sat quietly with his eyes closed in the corridor. "This is General Pei's intention."

Upon hearing this, Pei Xuance opened his eyes.

A fleeting, black, Sha Qi flashed in those eyes, so fast it seemed like an illusion.

His voice carried an undeniable weariness.

"I need to stay in Qingzhou to stabilize my Dao Infant; I cannot leave."

The Dao Infant, with its intertwined gold and black, was something forcibly created. Its cracks were not yet healed, and it could not tolerate any further disruption. It still needed to consider its future Dao Path.

Although Yellow Wind Mountain has been destroyed, the remaining demons have not been eliminated. We must be even more vigilant towards Lotus Flower Temple and take precautions in advance.

Qingzhou still needs Dao-Infant Realm stage to oversee things for the time being.

"You can handle the reporting-office matter," Pei Xuance paused, "Also, there's something else I need your help with."

He paused here, his expression suggesting he was hesitant to ask for help.

"Governor Qin's Dao Infant injury cannot be treated in Qingzhou. You will need to take him to the Demon Suppression Division headquarters in Cuiyun Circuit. At least there, his life can be saved."

Yang Xiao pondered for a moment.

"Okay." He nodded. "I'll take him."

Pei Xuance looked at him and suddenly said, "Before I leave, there are a few things I need to remind you of."

Yang Xiao was slightly taken aback.

The General Headquarters is not Qingzhou, nor is Qingzhou Cuiyun Circuit. If we don't say these things now, there may be no one to tell this young man in the future.

He closed his eyes, carefully sorted out his thoughts, and when he opened them again, his tone softened:

"Dao Infant cannot grow simply by being nourished by Spiritual Power."

"The formation of the Dao Infant is only the beginning. In the future, we will need to collect the Five Elements Spiritual Root and incorporate them into the Dao Infant, stimulate the spirits of the five internal organs, and finally infuse them with the divine soul to forge the divine body."

"Without Spiritual Root, the Dao Infant is merely an embryo formed from condensed Spiritual Power, and its cultivation level can hardly advance any further."

Yang Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

I suddenly remembered that when synthesizing red-level items, the Equipment Slot show that you need to equip any one of the Spiritual Root first.

The breakthrough path to the Dao-Infant Realm and the threshold for synthesizing the red entry both point to the same thing.

He suppressed his emotions. "How does one obtain Spiritual Root?"

"Spiritual Root generally grow in Treasure Ground, and their numbers are not many within the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Pei Xuance shook his head and continued:

"There is only one way for the Demon Suppression Division to obtain Spiritual Root: through merit."

"The Governor-General of each prefecture can exchange their merits in guarding the territory for Spiritual Root; the Inspector and Pacification Commissioner of each circuit can exchange their merits in patrolling for Spiritual Root."

"However, it requires an extremely long period of time; it would take hundreds of years to acquire."

Yang Xiao silently did the math.

To exchange a hundred years of effort for a single Spiritual Root, one needs at least five Spiritual Root to reach the Dao-Infant Realm stage, which means at least five hundred years.

If they really followed the Demon Suppression Division's method to gather Spiritual Root, it would take forever.

Seemingly seeing through Yang Xiao's thoughts, Pei Xuance continued:

"There are only two ways to shorten the time: one is to accumulate merit by slaying demons, and the other is to voluntarily go to the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains."

"I won't go into detail about slaying demons; you're probably more familiar with that than I am."

"I need to remind you of the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains."

Even Pei Xuance's face turned solemn when the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains was mentioned.

"The Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains Treasure Ground, with countless precious herbs, Spiritual Root, and cave dwellings offering endless inheritances, but most of those places are occupied by Demon Emperor."

He solemnly reminded him.

"Those who want to take that path will face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death!"

Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains.

Yang Xiao recalled the Lady Musk from the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains, her tone revealing a strong disdain for Qingzhou.

Perhaps it is because the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains is much wealthier than Qingzhou or even the Great Zhou.

"Don't consider this path for now." Pei Xuance's voice deepened.

"Based on your current Merit in Qingzhou, although they are not enough to exchange for Spiritual Root, you can accumulate enough over time to obtain a decent Spiritual Root."

Yang Xiao nodded slightly. "I've got it."

Yet, a deeper understanding emerged within me.

His merit in slaying demons was the capital he used to exchange for Spiritual Root, and General Pei's intention in recording the entire performance review in his name was clear.

Li Hanguang, who was standing to the side, suddenly laughed and interjected:

"I will accompany you to the main government office of Cuiyun Circuit. If you have any questions along the way, just ask me."

Yang Xiao turned his head to look, his eyes filled with doubt.

Li Hanguang explained, "Do you still remember the Treasure Ground the Pill Pattern were condensed?"

"Qingzhou hasn't sent anyone to Cuiyun Circuit for decades. Now I'll go with you to see what Treasure Ground are available there, and then we can arrange for personnel upon our return."

Yang Xiao nodded, then understood.

Qingzhou has been sidelined by the imperial court for many years, Inspector never visited it. Even the access to this Treasure Ground has been cut off for decades.

There are martial artists at the Mysterious Core Realm in Sili, but without Treasure Ground to collect Pill Pattern, the path to Pill Pattern is effectively cut off.

Li Hanguang's trip was ostensibly to accompany and escort the emperor, but in reality, it was to reconnect the decades-old connection that had been severed for the entire Qingzhou.

Having said that, I've pretty much covered everything that needed to be explained.

The courtyard fell silent, and the light from the lanterns fell on the overturned stone table, swaying in the breeze.

Pei Xuance seemed to remember something else and said, "There's one more small matter."

"After you leave, do not mention your connection with Lotus Flower Temple."

Yang Xiao was taken aback.

Today, on the main street, he pierced the Lotus Platform with a spear and beheaded Xuan Zhen with a sword, a sight witnessed by the entire city.

How can this be kept secret?

Pei Xuance noticed his confusion and simply said, "Just don't mention it; no one will suspect you."

A thought flickered in Yang Xiao's mind.

He didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "I understand."

Pei Xuance closed his eyes again, his golden-black aura flickering and slowly circulating.

Li Hanguang waved to him, signaling him to relax and Breath Regulation, then stood up, clutching the case file.

"Let's go, it's chilly at night. You've worked hard these past few days, go back and get some rest."

"Starting tomorrow, things will get busy..."

As Yang Xiao stepped out of the moon gate, the night wind rushed towards him, carrying with it the lingering scent of medicine and the stench of blood.

He raised his hand and pressed it against his chest, as if he could sense the missing five internal organs and Spiritual Root of the Glazed Dao Infant within his body.

The Dao Infant Divine Body, the red inscription, the maximum power of Three Calamities Entangling the Body... From this day forward, his cultivation path will all point to the same thing.

That is to seek Spiritual Root!

Yang Xiao put his hands behind his back and stepped into the night.

A hundred years is too long; he seizes every moment!