Chapter 154: Primordial Magnetic True Qi!

Yunzhou City is the military and political center of Yunzhou; the prefecture office, Divine Capture Bureau, Martial Suppression Hall, Demon Suppression Bureau, and Yunzhou Army are all stationed here.

As dusk fell and the first lamps lit, the interior of Martial Suppression Hall was brightly lit.

A burly man, striding like a dragon and tiger, strode in with long steps and entered the inner hall.

Along the way, everything proceeded smoothly, with no one daring to block him.

Even the Mysterious Cloth Guard voluntarily made way for him, respectfully seeing him off.

Bang!

The two wooden doors were violently pushed open.

A cold wind carrying a large cold front blew into the room, making the candles on the desk sway as if they would go out any second.

Inside, a middle-aged man in a black martial robe was lowering his head to flip through a file.

From the burly man's viewpoint, he could just see the two large characters written on the file's cover: Qin Shuo!

"Hall Master, that Qin-surname mud-leg has entered the city!"

Baili Jingtao's gaze swept over the file and finally came to rest on the man in the martial robe.

"Close the door!"

The middle-aged man spoke lightly, his tone unhurried.

"Hall Master, that Qin-surname fellow has teamed up with the barefoot monk; I personally saw them enter the city together."

Baili Jingtao's voice held urgency: "Will that Buddha's Bone Relic already have been taken by that barefoot monk?"

"No!"

Lu Dingzhou said firmly: "After the Buddha's Bone Relic is refined, it is not easy to separate it from the body."

"Not to mention that Qin-surname fellow has only been with the barefoot monk for two days; even if he stayed two months, he might not be able to extract it safely."

He set down the file in his hand that bore the two characters "Qin Shuo", and said lightly:

"Compared to the Buddha's Bone Relic, I am more curious about what he obtained from the Howling Moon Demon King that actually provoked three great demons to join forces and attack."

"Could it be... related to the Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapons?"

Baili Jingtao's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

The legend of the Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapons has been circulating in Yunzhou for over a thousand years.

Yet, to this day, no such so-called divine weapons have ever appeared.

Therefore, Baili Jingtao has always been half-believing, half-doubting this legend, never truly believing it.

But in recent years, the demon race has been restless; they first destroyed Fengyang City, and now they have sent three demon kings to set foot in Yunzhou—if they had no motive, that would clearly make no sense.

Although Yunzhou, among the three provinces of Tianhuang Dao, is fairly prosperous, there is nothing there worth the Demon Sage Bai Ze's covetous gaze.

If there really is something, it could only be the illusory, uncertain Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapons of legend.

"Hard to say!"

Lu Dingzhou lightly tapped the table with his finger, pondering:

"I've heard that since the Wind Thunder Valley migrated to Yunzhou, every generation of valley masters over the past thousand years has been seeking the legendary Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapons."

"Even the current valley master, Nie Jin Feng, is no exception."

"Perhaps this so-called Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapon truly exists..."

"Should we seize that Qin-surname fellow and interrogate him thoroughly?" Baili Jingtao said, eager to try.

"Are you crazy?"

Lu Dingzhou suddenly lifted his eyes, gave a sideways glance to this subordinate who had followed him for years yet still lacked sense, and said expressionlessly:

"Isn't the fate of Yue Shan grim enough?"

"If it weren't for Nie Jin Feng's True Gang protecting him, he would probably have already been split apart by that madwoman."

"How?"

"Do you also want to try the madwoman's Phoenix Wing Bell Gold Axe?"

"If you want to court death, go ahead, but don't drag me into it."

"Uh..."

Just thinking of that petite figure who wields the Phoenix Wing Bell Gold Axe and fights fiercer than any man, Baili Jingtao involuntarily shrank his neck and said guiltily:

"What should we do then?"

"We can't just stand by and watch the Buddha's Bone Relic and the Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapons both fall into the hands of the Great Dragon Temple, can we?"

"What's the rush?"

Lu Dingzhou turned his head, his gaze landing on the two characters "Qin Shuo" on the file, and said calmly:

"Even you can think that those three demon kings came for the Boundary-Pacifying Divine Weapons; could others not have thought of it?"

"Let's just wait and see for now!"

"I actually want to see how many unknown secrets this mud-leg who walked out of Blackwater City still hides."

……

"Old Qin, how about spending the night at my rented place tonight, then tomorrow we go together to report at the office?"

After walking out of the tall city gate arch, He Mingjing extended the invitation to Qin Shuo.

With Pang Tong, the Flying Star General, present, escorting prisoners to the Demon Suppression Bureau's great prison naturally had no need for them.

Thus the two chose to break away from the group and enter the city on their own.

"No, I just want to find an inn to rest for the night, soak comfortably in hot water, and we'll meet again at the Demon Suppression Bureau tomorrow." Qin Shuo refused.

"Fine! See you tomorrow then."

He Mingjing also did not insist.

Having traveled abroad for months, he had long missed his own comfortable soft bed; now he stopped making small talk and rode straight away.

It was already late.

But inside Yunzhou City, it was still bustling and lively, with all kinds of vendors hawking their wares and martial artists carrying swords, everywhere.

Qin Shuo strolled down the street, feeling the long-lost bustle and liveliness, his mood relaxing considerably.

After months of traveling through mountains and wilderness, even he felt somewhat fatigued.

Like Heishui City, Yunzhou City also had an inner city and an outer city.

The inner city housed the prefectural office; besides the Zhenwu Hall, there were also the four great martial clans: Xiao, Chu, Ye, and Lin.

However, the Demon Suppression Office and the Divine Constabulary were both stationed in the outer city.

As for the inner city, Qin Shuo did not know.

But the prosperity of this outer city far exceeded that of Songyang Prefecture by more than tenfold, with blue-stone paved streets, taverns everywhere, and various brothels, pleasure boats, and painted barges.

Moreover, all kinds of shops were complete, with goods dazzling to the eye.

Not only were there Yunzhou's local specialties, but also goods from other circuits, prefectures, and provinces.

Even rare spirit-beast meat was being sold by several stalls, its medicinal aroma rich, truly top-quality goods.

However, he did not purchase them immediately.

Earlier, when passing through the various towns and counties of Mulin Prefecture, he had already bought a large batch of exotic beast meat.

Now that the Taotie Cauldron's energy reserves were sufficient, there was no rush to buy more exotic beast meat.

After a simple stroll around the city, Qin Shuo found an inn relatively close to the Demon Suppression Office and settled in.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, he also had the inn's attendant boil a large tub of medicinal soup.

Qin Shuo stepped into it naked, feeling only that his whole body was relaxed, his tendons, bones, and skin loosened, and he was no longer tense.

Exhale!

Inhale!

Sitting cross-legged in the medicinal tub, Qin Shuo began to practice the Dragon Elephant Breathing Technique, gathering heavenly and earthly spiritual essence, filling his apertures, and replenishing his spirit.

As the heavenly and earthly spiritual essence entered his body, together with the stimulation of the medicinal soup, Qin Shuo's entire mindset calmed, entering a state of neither sorrow nor joy, with thoughts cleared and peaceful.

This is the mental enhancement brought about by the attainment of the Diamond Buddha Nature, which greatly aids in breathing exercises and drawing in heavenly and earthly spiritual essence.

With each long breath, the heavenly and earthly essence entered through the Heavenly Meridian, traveled along the meridians to the limbs, finally merging with the body's blood and qi, transforming into true essence, stored in the Mysterious Gate's Great Aperture.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Shuo felt that both his bodily and mental fatigue had completely vanished; he was full of spirit and radiant.

Only then did he sink his mind into the Taotie Cauldron, scanning its ingredients one by one, finally settling on the Yuan Magnetic Earth Pearl.

In an instant, various texts appeared beneath the Taotie Cauldron:

【Ingredient: Yuan Magnetic Earth Pearl】

【Refining it yields Yuan Magnetic Power!】

【Yuan Magnetic Power can be used to temper the flesh, boil blood and qi, polish tendons and bones, and transform domains!】

【Current energy reserves are sufficient; shall we refine?】

"Refine!"

With a thought, the Taotie Cauldron suddenly glowed red, like flames beginning to roast the Yuan Magnetic Earth Pearl.

Deep blue Yuan Magnetic substance seeped from the Yuan Magnetic Earth Pearl, grain by grain crystalline, like sand.

Under Qin Shuo's guidance, these grains traveled along the twelve primary meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, continually strengthening his tendons and bones, polishing his flesh, making it more firm, condensed, and elastic.

Gradually, Qin Shuo felt that his meridians and apertures were as if inlaid with sparkling blue gems.

The heavenly and earthly essence and his internal blood and qi, after being ground and tempered by these Yuan Magnetic substances, became even purer, faintly emitting a hint of blue light.

"This is..."

Qin Shuo felt curious.

He discovered that the true essence forged by the Yuan Magnetic substance actually contained Yuan Magnetic Power.

It was as if the Yuan Magnetic substance had merged with his internal true essence, forming a completely new kind of true qi.

As this Yuan Magnetic true qi circulated through his meridians, he found his attraction to the loose spiritual essence between heaven and earth had grown stronger.

Even if he stopped practicing the Dragon Elephant Breathing Technique, stray heavenly and earthly essence would still drift over and be sucked into his body through his pores by the Yuan Magnetic true qi.

"There's also this wonderful use?" Qin Shuo rejoiced.

Although this magnetic attraction is still weak now, if he could refine the whole Yuan Magnetic Earth Pearl, his efficiency in gathering heavenly and earthly essence would greatly increase.

Moreover, the wonders of Yuan Magnetic true qi go far beyond this.

Under the nourishment of Yuan Magnetic true qi, his meridians, bones, and even his flesh and skin seemed to produce a strange magnetic force.

Precisely speaking, it is a kind of field.

Such a field exists universally in all things around him, merely varying in strength.

At this very moment, in Qin Shuo's perception, whether it was the medicinal tub, the table, the teapot, or his Xuan Iron Sword...

... they all emitted threads and strands of 'Yuan Magnetic Meridians,' illusory yet real.

And when the color of his internal Yuan Magnetic true qi gradually deepened, from light blue to pale blue, then to deep blue,

he discovered that he seemed able to influence those objects emitting a relatively strong field,

for example, his Xuan Iron Sword.

Moreover, this way of perceiving things through the Yuan Magnetic Meridians differs from using eyes, ears, and nose.

As long as something truly exists and lies within his Yuan Magnetic perception range, he will surely detect it.

Just like now, through perceiving these Yuan Magnetic Meridians, he actually constructed in his mind an image of the entire room, even clearer than what his eyes see.

Yellowed wooden tub, solidified lamp oil, geckos climbing the walls, and various unknown insects scurrying in the corners...

And on the ceiling, that which had gathered its entire aura like a wooden carving or clay sculpture, without breath, without scent, without heartbeat...

A person!