Merit After the judging, the solemn atmosphere that had been building up for many days finally dissipated.
The cold winter twilight has fallen, and the streets of Anping County City are covered with a thin layer of snow.
Chu Bai found a restaurant in the city, booked a seat by the window, and invited Lü Qing to reminisce about old times in private.
The fire is blazing, the warm spirit wine is exuding a mellow aroma in the copper pot, and several plates of exquisite side dishes are steaming.
Lü Qing picked up the wine glass and carefully looked at Chu Bai who was sitting across from him. After a while, he shook his head and sighed, his eyes full of surprise. "Junior brother Chu, when Dao Academy graduated, we were both Qi Refining Third Layer. When it comes to studying Foundation Depth at home, I thought I was half a point richer than you.
But in just over half a year, you have already entered Qi Refining Fifth Layer. Such an entrance will really make us classmates invisible."
Lü Qing is no more than Qi Refining Fourth Layer at this time, and is still in the early stages. If he wants to touch the threshold of the fifth floor, according to his estimation, it will take at least half a year of hard work.
Chu Bai smiled humbly and filled up the wine for Lü Qing: "Although the place is difficult and dangerous, Demon-Slaying can eliminate demons and sharpen his will. It is indeed easy to gain insights between life and death. It can be regarded as a little chance."
"You have to take the opportunity with your life."
Lü Qing drank a glass of wine with a wry smile, and said with a hint of envy in his words, "My current position, although it bears the name of Merit Office, looks like a good job, but in fact I have to work hard at the grassroots counties. I have to work step by step, and I estimate that I will need two or three years of qualifications before I can be mentioned as Principal Ninth Rank.
Unlike you, you are now Demon-Slaying Token who holds real power, and your words in Anping County carry more weight than those wealthy families."
After three drinks, the topic naturally turned to what monk Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty is most concerned about - [Instruction] and the future.
Lü Qing put down his wine glass and his expression became solemn. "Junior brother, you and I both know that although Immortal Official Status is good, the upper limit of 'White Ordination' is basically locked at Subordinate Eighth Rank.
For example, if you get a good review this year and stay at Anping County for another two years, once you have enough qualifications, the superiors may grant you an official title of Demon-Suppression Office[Seal-Bearing Envoy], which is a good job for Subordinate Eighth Rank, and you will not have to worry about living a stable life."
Great Zhou Law is strict, and the position determines the upper limit of power and resources.
White Ordination If a monk does not take further steps, his highest achievement in this life will only be Subordinate Eighth Rank.
After all, the higher you go, the Divine Authority you control and the responsibilities you need to bear are different.
"But I see that my junior brother is not willing to accept this."
Lü Qing looked at Chu Bai, "Azure Ordination Heavenly Examination is held once every five years, and that is our only chance to leap over the dragon gate. The next one is only three years away, and by then all Qingzhou's talents will gather at Provincial Capital."
Mentioning this, Lü Qing sighed and felt a little depressed, "In three years, I knew I couldn't catch up. What Qingzhou will face in the examination room are all Qi Refining Late-Stage masters, and there are many old monsters who have been perfecting Ninth Layer of Qi Refining for more than ten years.
I plan to work steadily, wait for another five years, and then Provincial Capital try to climb that Heavenly Ladder for another five-year period to have a chance of Foundation Establishment becoming an immortal."
After that, he looked at Chu Bai and asked tentatively, "Junior brother, do you want to participate in the class in three years' time?"
Chu Bai put down the wine glass and looked at the falling snowflakes outside the window, his eyes calm but firm. "Qi Refining Perfection Although it is difficult, if you don't give it a try while your energy is at its peak, when you get older and your energy dissipates, then Azure Ordination may really become a mirror image."
Three years later, I want to give it a try."
"What a spirit!"
Lü Qing was full of praise, but in his heart he also felt a little awe-inspiring for Chu Bai's ambition.
If Azure Ordination can really be won in three years, it means that Chu Bai can cross the threshold of Foundation-Building Cultivator in his early twenties.
By that time, not only will his cultivation level reach the top, but his official position will also surpass the eighth rank and directly reach the middle level of the Immortal Dynasty.
During this meal, the two chatted a lot about the past of the Dao Academy, as well as the situation of Great Zhou.
After drinking, Lü Qing still has other judge assignments from the county government, and Chu Bai also needs to return to the department to get his orders.
"Junior brother, I will wait for your success in three years!"
Lü Qing said goodbye with fists clasped at the door of the restaurant, then put on his cloak and disappeared into the wind and snow.
Half a month after saying goodbye to Lü Qing, the wind and snow in Anping County are getting lighter, but the chill is getting deeper.
On this day, the judgment document from Prefectural City Merit Office was finally delivered to the Demon-Suppression Office government office accompanied by a galloping horse.
For a time, the atmosphere in the government office was a little restless, and everyone was counting the merits and demerits of the year.
Pang Song After learning that he had received a "good" rating, he slumped in his chair with relief and let out a long sigh of relief.
During this period, he was having trouble sleeping and eating, fearing that his previous gift to Lü Qing would be rejected, which would leave a bad impression on the selfless Merit Envoy of Iron Mask, causing the assessment to go awry.
Now that the word "good" has been determined, not only will the position be saved, but the salary in the coming year will also increase steadily.
As for Chu Bai's judgment, no one in the whole company was surprised - excellent.
In County Commandant's check-in room, Zhang Cheng looked at Chu Bai in front of him, his eyes full of praise, and he personally distributed all the rewards this time.
"Chu Bai, you deserve this."
Zhang Cheng said in a deep voice, "Demon-Suppression Office will reward you with three hundred taels of silver. In addition, you can choose any secret method in the treasury. This is the reward from the department for your efforts to turn the tide and reorganize the world this year."
It is normal to be rewarded with silver, but it is an iron rule that this secret method should not be taught without merit.
However, the main event is yet to come.
Zhang Cheng took out another stone box with a red seal on Merit Office, and said solemnly, "And this one is Earthly Treasure specially given by Merit Office to the 'excellent' evaluators."
Mentioning the word Earthly Treasure, the air in the check-in room seemed to become a little thicker.
Spiritual creatures also have levels.
The most superior ones are those [Heavenly Spirit] that are wonderfully created and produced by heaven and earth. Such things are often born with Fortune and are extremely difficult to find. Most of them are monopolized by the royal family and top immortal sects;
Secondly, it is nourished by Earth Vein and formed over many years [Earthly Treasure].
Further on, there are ordinary spiritual objects that can occasionally be seen in Cultivator Market.
The first two types of spiritual objects are extremely scarce. Even among Prefectural City and Treasure Pavilion, they are often priceless and cannot be obtained by those who have not achieved great merit.
Under Zhang Cheng's instructions, Chu Bai slowly lifted the seal and opened the stone box.
In an instant, a heavy, thick wave with a sharp golden sound swept across.
I saw a piece of dark gold metal lying quietly in the box, with a surface covered with mountain-like patterns. It was as heavy as a bucket, and it had the vague power to suppress spiritual energy from all directions.
"This object is called [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum], and it is an extremely rare 'Earthly Treasure' level spiritual object."
Zhang Cheng introduced it from the side with a bit of emotion in his tone, "It contains extremely pure rustic flavor and a hint of suppression.
Whether you use it to nourish earth-type magic weapons, or use its meaning to polish your own Five-Element Spiritual Power, it is an excellent choice. Merit Office is indeed a big deal this time."
Chu Bai looked at this piece [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum], feeling the majestic power in it, and felt secretly awe-inspiring in his heart.
He is currently cultivating [Subtlety] level "Origin Return Formula" in Clearwind Courtyard. In Five-Element Cycle, although his rustic temperament is supplemented by spiritual soil, if he can obtain this Earthly Treasure suppression core, his Spell Power level of concentration will surely reach a higher level.
This award is not only recognition of his achievements in the past year, but also a heavy investment in his Climbing the Heavenly Ladder and Azure Ordination three years later.
Chu Bai closed the stone box and bowed solemnly to Zhang Cheng with a clear and firm voice:
"I thank you and accept the reward!"
After receiving the reward, Zhang Cheng did not let Chu Bai leave immediately, but solemnly warned, "As the New Year is approaching, the people of Anping County have the custom of setting off firecrackers to eliminate filth and evil spirits.
Although the sulfur and saltpeter thing is just a psychological comfort and cannot scare the real demon, the fire in the sky and the mixed energy among the people are the easiest for lurking evil spirits to take advantage of."
Zhang Cheng stood up, walked to the window and looked at the red lanterns hung outside, and said in a low voice, "At this time in previous years, there were always some monsters who wanted to take advantage of the people's slack to devour Essence Blood to avoid the cold winter.
During the more than half a year of my restructuring, many people have been staring at us. Therefore, in these last few days, we must not relax our patrols, do you understand?"
"After receiving the order, I will personally lead the inspection team to ensure that the people celebrate the New Year safely."
Chu Bai bowed slightly, feeling solemn in his heart.
After leaving the check-in room, Chu Bai walked straight to Demon-Suppression Office's important place - the secret library.
Carrying the token given by Zhang Cheng, he stepped into this house that exuded bursts of Sandalwood Incense and formation fluctuations.
In the Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty, although the secret method and skill are different from Spell Arts, they are actually very different.
Ordinary Spell Arts, such as Fireball, Spirit Water Needle, are all embodied applications of Spell Power; and the reason why secret methods are called "secret" is because they can often touch the essence of monks.
Just like the [Keep One Scripture] that Chu Bai received when Dao Academy graduated, it refers directly to Divine Sense, which is by no means comparable to the ordinary Spell Arts.
At this moment, there were three volumes of Jade Slip in front of him, corresponding to the three secret techniques included in Anping Demon-Suppression Office:
The first one is called "Spirit-Antler Evil-Averting Art", which means seeking good luck and avoiding bad luck. The second one, called "Shadow-Hiding Trace-Erasing Art", means restraining the breath.
The last step is "Iron-Bone Body-Tempering Method", which focuses on tempering the physical body and polishing every inch of skin, flesh and bones.
Chu Bai stood in front of three Jade Slip, gently rubbing them with his fingertips, and fell into deep thought.
"Spirit-Antler Evil-Averting Art" is certainly good, but he has [General Star Destiny] and other Fate Destiny, so he has a certain intuition about crises.
"Shadow-Hiding Trace-Erasing Art" made him even more jealous. As the leader of Demon-Slaying Squad, if he can hide his whereabouts, he will be able to get twice the result with half the effort when performing tasks.
However, Chu Bai finally set his sights on "Iron-Bone Body-Tempering Method".
"Most of the monks of the Qi Refining period are pursuing Spell Arts power and total spiritual power. There are very few who are really willing to work hard to 'train the body'."
"After all, time, energy and resources are limited, and there are not many such methods."
Chu Bai is very aware of his shortcomings.
Although as his realm has improved, his physical body has already far surpassed that of ordinary martial arts due to the nourishment of spiritual energy, but in a fight at the same level, Fa Xiu's body is still a relatively fragile link.
If you are approached by a monster or attacked by a sneak attack, you will be extremely vulnerable to injury.
"Although the polishing process of "Iron-Bone Body-Tempering Method" is painful and slow, it can fundamentally improve the bearing capacity of the physical body.
The "Origin Return Formula" I practice is now at the [Subtlety] level, and the spiritual power surges very fast. If the physical body is not strong enough, it will limit the performance of the technique."
After some weighing, Chu Bai decisively picked up the Jade Slip with "Iron-Bone Body-Tempering Method" written on it.
This kind of secret method that specializes in polishing the body is also rare. Now that you have encountered it, it is fate.
"But..." Chu Bai put away Jade Slip, looked back at the shimmering "Shadow-Hiding Trace-Erasing Art", and thought to himself, "When the next time I perform a meritorious service, I will definitely take it down with this method of concealment."
Carrying Earthly Treasure [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum], holding the secret method of the physical body in hand, when Chu Bai walked out of the warehouse, his steps were more steady than before.
After leaving County Commandant's check-in room, Chu Bai returned to Demon-Slaying Squad's check-in room and called Feng Qin and Hu Hao to him.
"The new year is approaching, and people are praying for blessings and evil spirits, and the city is crowded with people."
Chu Bai pointed at the Anping County defense map on the desk with a stern look in his eyes, "Feng Qin, you lead a team of elites and focus on inspecting the firecracker shops and wine shops on North Street and West Market, where the yang energy is the most chaotic and where evil spirits are most likely to take advantage of it."
"Hu Hao, you bring Second Squad into the market in casual clothes and keep an eye on the incense and candle stalls used for sacrifices. If there is an inexplicable evil wind or an abnormal qi, don't alert the snake and send a signal as soon as possible."
Feng Qin and Hu Hao felt the deepening official power of Chu Bai, and they both solemnly clasped their fists. "Take orders!"
For these two subordinates, their captain had just received an "excellent" rating from Merit Office. It was a time when they were in power. Following such a promising leader, they naturally used all their strength to do things.
After all the errands were arranged in an orderly manner, Chu Bai took advantage of the dusk to return to Clearwind Courtyard.
Pushing open the door of Clearwind Courtyard, the hustle and bustle that I originally felt in the busy city was instantly isolated by Five-Element Spirit-Gathering Array in the courtyard.
As the formation has been carried out for more than a month, the air in the hospital has been vaguely filled with a layer of milky white mist, which is a sign that the spiritual power is strong to a certain extent.
Chu Bai walked into the practice room and did not rush to meditate. Instead, he carefully took out the stone box containing [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum].
The dark golden Earthly Treasure exudes a heavy and oppressive feeling in the dim light.
Chu Bai took a deep breath, guided by Divine Sense, and slowly placed the piece [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum] on the "earth" position in the center of the practice room.
Originally, what was enshrined here was [Half-Pond Silt] bought by the Treasure Pavilion. Although it had sufficient spiritual energy, it seemed mixed and frivolous.
And as [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum] returned to his position, sudden changes occurred!
A low roar came from the practice room, as if an invisible mountain was sitting in the void.
The Five Phases formation, which was originally in flux, seemed to have a backbone at this moment, and the originally light and jumping colorful stream of light instantly became calm and concise.
The earth energy produced by Earthly Treasure shows an extremely pure dim yellow color, as thick as lead, yet moisturizing and silent.
Earth generates gold, metal generates water...
Since the soil core is reinforced by Earthly Treasure, the recycling speed of the entire Five-Element Spirit-Gathering Array has increased by more than 30% compared to before!
More importantly, due to the suppression of Earthly Treasure, the quality of the aura produced has lost the last trace of restlessness and has become extremely tame.
Chu Bai immediately sat cross-legged, [Subtlety]-level "Origin Return Formula" roaring in his body.
This feeling is completely different from before.
If he was swimming upstream in a stream before, now he seemed to be in the center of the whirlpool of the vast ocean, with Five-Element Spiritual Qi pouring in from all directions along the pores of his body.
Under the guidance of [Subtlety]Divine Sense, these rich earth energy and spiritual mechanisms were accurately dismantled and reorganized, and finally turned into pure spiritual power, which merged into the long river of his Qi Refining Fifth Layer's meridians.
"What a Earthly Treasure, what a Spirit Gathering Formation!"
Chu Bai felt the progress of spiritual power in his body that was almost growing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and felt at ease.
"In this way, the speed of practice will skyrocket..."
"Foundation Establishment can be expected!"