A few days later, Anping County's wind and snow subsided for a while, and the official reward document from Prefectural City Merit Office arrived as promised, along with the heavy truckload of practice materials.
Demon-Suppression Office In the check-in room, County Commandant Zhang Cheng looked at the file in his hand, with a rare smile on his face.
He pushed a dark wood box carved with auspicious animal patterns in front of Chu Bai, with some emotion in his voice:
"Chu Bai, this is the second time you have received an 'excellent' rating. Prefectural City has more silver medals and even gave you a rare Earthly Treasure."
Chu Bai took the box and opened it slowly with breathless concentration.
In an instant, a deep, cold light with endless moisture filled the entire room.
In the center of the thick soft silk, there is a bead that is completely blue and looks like the eye of the deep sea.
A small vortex can be vaguely seen inside the bead, constantly rotating, exuding a refreshing spirituality.
"Earthly Treasure,[Abyssal Spring Pearl]."
Zhang Cheng introduced it from the side, his tone full of admiration, "This thing was born in the place where extremely deep water veins gather, and it is difficult to find one in a thousand years. It can not only produce extremely pure water source, but more importantly, it can cleanse the impurities in the monk's body and calm Spell Power's restlessness.
You had [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum] before, and although the earthiness is strong, it is inevitably a bit thick and sluggish. Now with this [Abyssal Spring Pearl] to neutralize it, and the water and earth are in harmony, your Five Phases cycle will surely reach a higher level."
"Thank you, Sir, for the reward from the imperial court." Chu Bai felt the cool breath and felt overjoyed.
This is what he lacks most at the moment. With this Earthly Treasure, the Five-Element Spirit-Gathering Array in Clearwind Courtyard will no longer be just a simple circle, but a spiritual land that truly possesses the power of creation.
"In addition to this Earthly Treasure, the secret spell of the treasury's job selection token has also come down."
Zhang Cheng took out another Black Iron token engraved with secret words and handed it to Chu Bai, "You chose the secret method of body refining back then, and you must have achieved some success by now. This time, you can choose one of the two secret methods left in the warehouse."
Chu Bai took the token and already had a plan in mind.
After leaving the check-in room, he once again stepped into the curling secret warehouse of Sandalwood Incense.
The old guard guarding the vault was still napping, and when he sensed Chu Bai's aura, he just opened his eyelids slightly and let him go.
He stood in front of the three yellowed volumes of Jade Slip.
That year's "Iron-Bone Body-Tempering Method" allowed him to develop a body of steel Iron Bone, and he made extraordinary achievements when facing Qi Refining Perfection's Wei Chuan.
But now, as his cultivation has reached Qi Refining Eighth Layer, his Divine Sense has improved further, and his senses have become so sharp that they are extraordinary.
In the current situation, he already has everything he needs to kill and defend, but he only lacks a means that can truly hide his tracks and win by surprise.
Chu Bai did not hesitate, reaching out and picking up the Jade Slip that shone with dark light.
Secret method:[Shadow-Hiding Trace-Erasing Art].
"The secret method is spiritual, hiding from wind and water."
Chu Bai probed Divine Sense into it, and countless insights about condensing breath, distorting light, and transforming into shadows instantly poured into the sea of consciousness.
This is not an ordinary stealth technique, but a top-notch stealth technique that can simulate the rhythm of vegetation, mountains and rocks by mobilizing Spell Power in the body, thereby completely disappearing from perception.
"I missed it last year, but I finally got it this year."
Chu Bai holds Jade Slip tightly, with determination in his eyes.
Walking out of the warehouse, Chu Bai looked up at the Law Net silk thread looming above the clouds, and the fighting spirit rose in his heart.
"Earthly Treasure is back in place, and the secret method is successful. The next step is to break through Qi Refining Perfection in one fell swoop in the last year, and truly climb the so-called Heavenly Ladder."
Several months passed quietly in the dense spiritual mist of Clearwind Courtyard.
Since Five-Element Spirit-Gathering Array got two pieces of water and one soil "Earthly Treasure" to take charge, its atmosphere has undergone earth-shaking changes compared to the past.
In the practice room, the colorful mist almost condensed into actual ribbons, flowing slowly in the air, interweaving a magnificent Five Phases picture.
Chu Bai sits at the core of the formation, breathing long and steady.
In his previous practice, although he used "Origin Return Formula" to forcefully drive Five-Element Cycle, there was always a subtle slope in the spiritual power within his body.
Metal, wood, and fire, these three spiritual energies, due to the higher level of qualifications they obtained before, move like a river eastward, and are extremely fast and violent.
Although the two auras of water and earth are supported by spiritual objects such as [Half-Pond Silt], they ultimately seem to lack confidence and cannot keep up with the rhythm of the three.
This imbalance is like a speeding carriage, with two big wheels and two small wheels. Although it can be forcibly maintained with [Subtlety] level control in a short period of time, in the long run, it will inevitably hinder the breakthrough of the realm and even leave hidden injuries.
But now, everything is different.
On the eye of the earth formation, [Mountain-Pacifying Platinum] exudes a dark golden calm earth energy, like Mount Tai pressing down on the top, anchoring the heavy foundation;
On the eye of the water level formation, [Abyssal Spring Pearl] is spitting out the azure blue original water veins, like hundreds of rivers returning to the sea, flowing out the source of agility.
With the pull of Chu Bai Spell Power, two pieces of Earthly Treasure burst out with bright brilliance at the same time.
Under the precise combing of the [Subtlety]-level "Origin Return Formula", the originally slightly stagnant water and earth Qi surged instantly, like two sleeping dragons awakening, roaring and merging into the long river of Five Phases in the body.
In an instant, the large circle of Five Phases inside Chu Bai finally reached a perfect balance point.
The original anxiety caused by the different levels of spiritual energy completely disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented mellowness and harmony.
Spell Power circulates in the meridians without any harshness. Each cycle is like a baptism like the beginning of the world.
"This is the real Five-Element Perfection."
Chu Bai slowly opened his eyes. In the depths of his pupils, the five-color streamers no longer flashed alternately, but merged into an extremely deep, almost Chaos dark golden color.
With the balanced replenishment of Five Phases, the spiritual power in his body was instantly purified to an astonishing level.
If the previous Spell Power was like a rushing river, then the current Spell Power is like a heavy mercury slurry, and every strand contains terrifying explosive power that can crush stubborn rocks.
Not only that, because Five Phases forms a cycle of its own and is endless, even if he does not deliberately exhale, the spiritual energy around him will spontaneously flow in along the acupoints all over his body, and his cultivation speed is actually higher than half a year ago.
"Finally we've come this far."
Chu Bai Feeling the extremely full and round power in the body, his heart became clear.
With both water and soil, Five Phases gathers together.
At this point, his foundation in the Qi Refining stage has been polished to the point of no further progress.
There is only one last step left to achieve perfection.
In the courtyard, Five-Element Spiritual Qi intertwined into a faint glow in mid-air.
As the last ray of pure water vapor produced by [Abyssal Spring Pearl] merges into the meridians, the Five Phases large loop in Chu Bai's body emits a clear sound like the resonance of a piano string.
At this time, he was sitting on the stone couch, with the aura around his body like a deep and deep mountain. After Five-Element Perfection, Qi Refining Eighth Layer's Spell Power was no longer a violent torrent, but a bottomless, yet extremely stable pool of water.
At this moment, heavy footsteps and the iconic loud voice of Pang Song were heard outside the hospital.
"Brother Chu, are you in retreat? Brother, I have something important to do!"
Chu Bai gathered his breath, and most of the spiritual mist in Clearwind Courtyard instantly dissipated.
He stood up and pushed open the door, only to see Pang Song covered in dust, and the hem of his official robe was still stained with mud. He had obviously been galloping back from outside the city.
"Brother Pang, looking at you, it must be that First-Line Gorge has a follow-up idea?" Chu Bai invited him to sit down and poured a glass of Spirit Tea.
Pang Song didn't care about burning it, took a big gulp, and chuckled, "Brother Chu is really a master of calculation. Since the last time you captured alive Qi Pan who was crawling inside and outside, the boss has put the burden of following up on Rogue Cultivator on my head, Demon-Quelling Team."
"You don't know, although Qi Pan's bones are hard, Law Net still has the means to search for souls and lives. We followed the several joints he told us and stayed in the barren mountains outside Anping County for several months, and finally we caught a big fish!"
Chu Bai's eyes moved slightly. "Oh? Have you caught the real owner?"
"I can't talk about the real boss, but he is also a leader who can speak well in the organization."
Pang Song's expression became serious and his tone became lower, "That Rogue Cultivator has the cultivation level of Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and he wanted to commit suicide when he was caught. I spent a lot of effort to save his life. According to the interrogation, the organization that exists outside our Law Net has finally surfaced."
"This group of people call themselves Legacy of the Dharma Transmitters, and most of them are Rogue Cultivator who are unwilling to be bound by the law, or who are on the run because they violated Great Zhou Law.
They usually work in small groups and are scattered at the junction of water veins and barren mountains. There is no unified command, but only for the assassination of Water Earl, they were temporarily assembled under some kind of secret order."
Chu Bai's hand holding the tea paused slightly. "Legacy of the Dharma Transmitters?"
"Not bad."
Pang Song nodded, with a hint of fear in his eyes, "The infiltrated insiders like Qi Pan are just the spies they arranged in the government. And the core members of this organization are all Rogue Cultivator who are not bound by the instructions and break through privately."
"They respect True Spirit who was beheaded back then as their ancestor, and their slogan is 'Reclaim the law of all living beings and break the false sky net'. Over the years, they have been dormant in the borderless land of Qingzhou. The assassination of Water Earl is just a part of their plan."
Chu Bai pondered for a moment and asked, "Did the captured Rogue Cultivator explain their hiding place?"
"Chaos Bone Ridge at the junction of Anping County, Great Wall Prefecture and neighboring counties."
Pang Song said in a deep voice, "That is a blind spot with weak Law Net coverage. According to the person's explanation, a True Spirit Society team is stationed there."
"There are more than ten people in total, and the leader is codenamed "Black Sheep," which should be Qi Refining Late-Stage or Perfection."
After hearing this, Chu Bai not only showed no fear, but an unprecedented fighting spirit flashed in his eyes.
He is now in a stable state of Five-Element Perfection, Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and possesses both Subtlety level Spell Arts and multiple secret techniques.
I am just worried that I don't have an opponent with enough weight to sharpen myself so that I can prepare for Heavenly Examination one year later.
"Chaos Bone Ridge..." Chu Bai whispered softly.
"Brother Chu, Director Zhang already knows about this matter, but Prefectural City is still arguing with Inspection Office over the ownership of Water Earl's Seal, and cannot send any manpower for support at the moment."
Pang Song looked at Chu Bai and said with some hesitation, "The boss means that since this Rogue Cultivator organization took action under our noses, it is natural that we have to give an explanation to the superiors."
Chu Bai slowly stood up, his originally gentle breath suddenly became as sharp as a knife, and Jade-Nurturing Gourd around his waist made a brisk buzz.
"Now that the information is available, there is no need to wait for Prefectural City's people."
Chu Bai looked at Pang Song, his tone was calm but showed unquestionable domineering. "Brother Pang, gather all the troops. I will go with you."
It was dusk, and inside Anping Demon-Suppression Office and Martial Training Ground, the chilling air alarmed the surrounding birds.
Chu Bai and Pang Song stood side by side. In front of them, two hundred elite guards dressed in soap blue uniforms and dark black light armor were arrayed in order.
Among them, one hundred people are "Demon-Slaying Guard" led by Feng Qin and Hu Hao, and the other hundred are "Demon-Subduing Guard" under Pang Song.
These guards generally have the cultivation level of Qi Refining Third Layer, all of them have strong auras, and their standard equipment is engraved with the unique magic circle pattern of Demon-Suppression Office.
"Feng Qin, Hu Hao."
Chu Bai glanced at the two capable subordinates and said in a stern tone, "This time out of the city, regardless of identity, only life or death. Chaos Bone Ridge is located in a blind spot of Law Net. You need to work as a group of five people to advance as 'Spirit-Locking Array'. Don't be greedy for credit and rush forward."
"My subordinates take orders!" Feng Qin and Hu Hao clasped their fists in unison, their voices short and powerful.
Now he Five-Element Perfection, Divine Sense can sense two hundred feet away. Although this battle seems to be a huge disparity, he does not have any contempt in his heart. What he wants is not a tragic victory, but a kill without any suspense.
"Let's go!"
Following Chu Bai's order, a long queue of two hundred people passed through the side gate of Anping County city silently like an ink-colored torrent, and galloped towards the northern wilderness.
Chaos Bone Ridge.
This place was originally an ancient battlefield many years ago. The terrain is low-lying and shrouded in a cold mist all year round.
The closer you get to this place, the thinner the "righteousness" belonging to Great Zhou Law Net in the air becomes, replaced by a chaotic and violent primitive inspiration.
"Stop."
Behind a mound about three miles away from Chaos Bone Ridge, Chu Bai raised his hand to signal.
The two hundred elites behind him stopped instantly, their movements uniform and without any noise.
Chu Bai closed his eyes, and the [Subtlety] level Divine Sense was like an invisible tide, avoiding the miscellaneous Yin energy and seeping deep into the ruins.
At the edge of the perception limit of two hundred and twenty feet, he caught a few strange fluctuations.
It was a half-collapsed dry well, with lights flickering vaguely.
More than ten qi machines, either strong or weak, are intertwined together.
One of the qi machines sank into the abyss like the sea. Although it was restrained, it still gave off a heart-stopping sense of concentration.
"Black Sheep..."
Chu Bai slowly opened his eyes, and five-colored auras were flowing deep in his pupils.
"Act according to plan." He looked at Pang Song, "You lead Demon-Subduing Guard to outflank the left and right, cut off the water source and retreat. Feng Qin, Hu Hao and Demon-Slaying Guard break in from the front. As for that Qi Refining Perfection..."
Chu Bai tightened the long knife behind his back, and his eyes were as cold as ice and snow.
"Leave it to me."
In this desolate place far away from the imperial power and law, more than two hundred Zhou Dynasty officers and soldiers were like a giant net, slowly closing in on the dozen or so wild monks who claimed to be extraordinary.
Chaos Bone Ridge, The night is as gloomy as ink.
Dark red Yin Qi was billowing in the air, occasionally accompanied by a few shrill crows, making this area Wasteland seem even more dead.
Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty The grand and solemn Law Net has only a faint residual light left here, like a candle that will be swallowed by darkness at any time.
Chu Bai took a deep breath, and the Five Phases Spell Power in his body stagnated slightly, and then quickly circulated along an extremely strange path.
Secret method:[Shadow-Hiding Trace-Erasing Art].
In an instant, the aura around Chu Bai completely disappeared. Under the precise control of Divine Sense, who was more than two hundred feet tall, he not only restrained the fluctuations of Spell Power, but even adjusted the beating of his heart and body temperature to blend with the surrounding stubborn grass.
Under the blessing of Spell Arts, who has reached the level of Proficient Level, his whole person is like a shadow wandering on the edge of reality and illusion.
Like a ghost, he passed silently across the gray-white snow, not even disturbing the smallest cracks in the ice.
Around the abandoned dry well camp, more than a dozen Rogue Cultivator were gathering together. Some of them were sharpening their magic weapons, while others were talking in low voices, unaware that death had arrived.
Chu Bai's Divine Sense is like a dense net in the void, reflecting all the changes within a radius of two hundred feet in the mind.
"Pang Song is in place and has blocked the wind outlet in the northwest corner."
"Feng Qin and Hu Hao are lurking on the flanks and can attack at any time."
Everything is ready.
The figure of Chu Bai lurks behind a half-man-high broken monument, no more than three feet away from a sentry at the edge of the camp. It was a middle-aged Rogue Cultivator named Qi Refining Fifth Layer. At this time, he was taking a swig of strong liquor to keep warm, staring at the mist in the distance with somewhat blurred eyes.
In the eyes of wild Rogue Cultivator people, this Qi Refining Fifth Layer is considered a master in his own right, but in front of Five-Element Perfection and Chu Bai holding "Subtlety" Spell Arts, he is as fragile as paper.
Chu Bai Slowly raise your right hand and bend your index finger slightly.
There was no dazzling aura, nor earth-shattering surge of Spell Power. During his Divine Sense exploration, the free water aura around him was instantly gathered and compressed.
Spell Arts:[Spirit Water Needle].
An extremely small needle, dark blue and almost black in color, quietly took shape at the fingertips of Chu Bai.
This needle not only condenses the strong spiritual power of Chu Bai Qi Refining Eighth Layer, but also contains the cold killing power of Five Phases.
"Go."
Chu Bai thought silently in his heart.
The black thin needle cut through the night, its speed was extremely fast, and because the control of spiritual power reached the Subtlety level, even the sound of the wind was wiped away.
Before Qi Refining Fifth Layer Rogue Cultivator even had time to blink, let alone notice the warning in Divine Sense, the thin needle had accurately penetrated through the back of his head and came out from between his eyebrows.
"Pfft..."
A muffled sound that was so slight that it could almost be ignored.
The Rogue Cultivator's pupils expanded in an instant, and before the wine bowl in his hand fell, his whole person had lost all life. As soon as Chu Bai Divine Sense moved, a wisp of breeze held up the body and the wine bowl, and silently lowered it into the snow, without disturbing anyone deep in the camp.
Instant kill.
A Qi Refining Mid-Stage and Rogue Cultivator couldn't even scream under this move.
Chu Bai retracted his fingers and looked coldly at the black shadow deep in the dry well that was exuding a terrifying aura.
"The first one."
With the fall of this sentinel, Chaos Bone Ridge, which was originally dead, instantly set off a monstrous murderous intent in the void where Divine Sense clashed.
Chu Bai raised his hand and gave the final signal to close the net to Pang Song and others hiding in the dark.