Chapter 252: Demon-Slaying Spiritual Root

Seeing the two finish their conversation.

Hou Wanshan finally landed, bowing to the youth: "Hou Wanshan, General of Li Prefecture, greets Lord Shen."

This was on Li Prefecture's territory.

Logically, as General, he had the right to inquire about any treasures the Qi Sect possessed.

Moreover, Hou Wanshan was no ordinary general.

He was also a Supreme Wu Xian who could call himself brother to disciples of the Wu Temple.

Yet when Lin Jingyi had cast him a pleading glance earlier, Hou Wanshan gave no response.

The reason was simple.

It was the young man's blue robe.

He was not merely some inspector—he was the rotating temple priest of the Wu Temple!

The youth's words could fully represent the Wu Temple's will.

Such a young temple priest was unprecedented in the Great Qian Dynasty!

Beyond that.

Hou Wanshan had other doubts, and his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Shen Yi.

He sharply noticed bloodstains on the blue robe.

This was not demon blood—it was human blood… the man had not only slain a demon beyond Great Qian's borders, but also killed a person.

Stranger still: how could a Yin Shen cultivator, whether slaying demons or killing humans, smear blood on his own body? Was he summoning his Yin Shen in plain sight?

Impossible to fathom.

Whether in identity or cultivation, the youth was shrouded in mist.

Faced with such a being, Hou Wanshan dared not be arrogant—he stepped forward voluntarily to pay his respects: "I have already dispatched men to prepare all official records of Li Prefecture spanning the past three hundred years. Please inspect them at your convenience."

"Three hundred years?"

Shen Yi finally tore his gaze from the depression below and fixed it on the general.

Nothing could be more enticing than demonic lifespan.

"Any news of demons or monsters?"

Hearing this, Hou Wanshan strove to maintain composure, yet a faint smirk slipped onto his lips: "In Li Prefecture, over the past three hundred years, not a single demonic incident has occurred."

Such was the deterrent power of a Supreme Wu Xian.

He commanded thirty-six commanderies, boundless incense and devotional power.

In this land of Li Prefecture, beneath the Transformation of Spirit Realm, he was nearly invincible.

Though praised by a mere youth, it felt slightly odd.

Yet Hou Wanshan silently straightened his posture.

"Then I won't look."

Shen Yi sneered, swiftly withdrawing his gaze.

"..."

Hou Wanshan pursed his lips; his rigid posture stiffened slightly: "Then the welcoming banquet..."

"No need for trouble—just prepare a lodging for me." Shen Yi replied politely.

His craving for resources was still strong.

A top-grade weapon, the Deep Abyss Saber, had first helped him slay the Howling Moon Demon King; now, even facing a Supreme Hunyuan Master, it showed no weakness—single slash, it could rend an opponent's body apart.

What might be the power of an absolute-grade treasure—or even a true artifact surpassing treasures?

Waiting a month for such a thing was certainly worth it.

In the meantime, he might as well patiently study Hunyuan martial arts.

"I'll arrange it at once."

Hearing this, Lin Jingyi secretly shook his head—this treasure was clearly beyond retention.

Yet his mood was still pleasant.

After all, compared to the earlier fear of outright theft, Lord Shen had at least offered a priceless dragon horn.

For the Qi Sect, no matter how fine a treasure, it could not protect itself.

They relied on the protection of the Wu Temple.

A group of blacksmiths valued reputation above all.

To have one's name spread as the artisan who forged an artifact would be enough to honor one's ancestors.

Better to give it to this young, ruthless inspector than let it gather dust in Great Qian's armory—in his hands, the Qi Sect's name might spread even farther!

The Qi Sect merely looked poor on the outside.

In truth, every furnishing within was the most luxurious, even surpassing what imperial relatives used.

Shen Yi strolled into the room.

He saw a jade mirror hanging above the bed; with a touch, it could shift the room's view across mountains, rivers, and streams.

Damp river breeze, roaring waves.

As if one were truly there.

Shen Yi toyed with it curiously for a while before sitting on the mat in the room.

【Remaining demonic lifespan: 40,600 years】

Looking at this once-unimaginable abundance of lifespan, Shen Yi felt no relief.

The process of forging the Golden Body had shown him himself again.

Mediocre aptitude, compounded by cultivating several paths simultaneously.

The time he required was far, far greater than others'.

Setting other matters aside, at least ten thousand years of demon essence must be reserved; otherwise, the Golden Body would remain capped at seven feet.

"A headache."

Shen Yi rubbed his temples, then looked again at those originally profound Slain Hunyuan martial arts; compared to the Transformation of Spirit Realm, they now seemed surprisingly approachable.

The martial arts vault held a total of fourteen Slain Hunyuan methods.

Of these, six were complete.

That seemed like quite a lot, but upon detailed breakdown.

Two were array techniques, one was a pill-refining method; truly, only three were "martial arts."

【Slain Hunyuan: Golden Sun Blazing Palm — Not Entered】

【Slain Hunyuan: Yin Pole Soul-Suppressing Sword — Not Entered】

【Slain Hunyuan: Great Star Thunder-Shock Art — Not Entered】

As the saying goes, greed leads to indigestion.

Shen Yi rummaged through True Person Changqing's storage treasure, confirming the man carried no martial arts on his person, but instead a heap of miscellaneous, chaotic books.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and focused solely on these three martial arts.

First, exchange one thousand years for demon treasure crystals.

Then, pour the demon lifespan into his most proficient palm technique.

【First Year: You open the Golden Sun Blazing Palm, attempting to comprehend its mysteries. On such a proper martial art, Lady Qinghua cannot help you.】

【Thirty-Ninth Year: Most demons have fully awakened and begin offering strategies, only to be driven away by you.】

Demons would alter the originally sound Slain Hunyuan martial arts into forms they preferred.

What Shen Yi truly waited for was that King of the Green Hills demons.

【Eighty-Seventh Year: True Person Hu awakens, walks to your side, looks at the technique in your hand, and, puzzled, asks you to manifest your Dao Infant. Gazing at that crimson Heaven-Swallowing Demon Infant, it hesitates slightly, saying, "How can one cook without rice, or burn fire without wood? Is this not absurd?"】

【You have no spiritual root; how can you cultivate the Golden Sun Blazing Flame?】

Shen Yi watched the prompt flash across the panel but did not rush to stop pouring in lifespan.

He then chatted idly with True Person Hu for a year.

Suddenly, much knowledge regarding cultivation appeared in his mind.

It turned out that the things within True Person Changqing's body were called spiritual roots by martial artists.

To understand it more crudely.

The so-called spiritual root is a tool that transforms the vast celestial and earthly qi into heavenly thunder and earthly fire.

"And what I need is a demon spiritual root?"

"No... it is Sha."

"Fierce Sha thunder, violent fire, Yin Pole True Water... nothing cannot be contained, yet it requires their nature to be utterly evil?"

A trace of complexity flashed through Shen Yi's eyes.

He was not quite sure whether this counted as good or bad.

For instance, Jiang Qiulan required various extreme cold substances as her spiritual root; all techniques she learned thereafter were related to coldness.

True Person Changqing, however, was heavenly thunder.

As for himself, there seemed to be no specific requirement; anything could be used. The only harsh condition was that they must all carry a bit of Sha energy.

(End of Chapter)