Ever since news of Great Zhou attacking Luo’an Prefecture spread, the atmosphere had become much heavier.
The common folk’s talk in their leisure time was all about Great Zhou and the Barbarian Clan.
Ordinary citizens sat alongside martial artists in sturdy attire.
It was lively inside, but the topics of discussion were largely the same.
"I heard the Barbarian Clan has a secret alliance with Great Zhou. It’s because of Great Zhou’s backing that the Barbarian Clan dared to attack Great Wilderness Prefecture. Now that Great Zhou has invaded Luo’an Prefecture, they’re alleviating pressure for the Barbarian Clan."
A young man finished speaking and downed a cup of wine.
The others at his table couldn’t help but shake their heads upon hearing this.
"Great Zhou’s current aggression is fierce, and it seems intent on allying with the Barbarian Clan to take down our Great Qin. Given the current strength of Luo’an Prefecture alone, I’m afraid it can’t hold out," one said.
"Hey, Luo’an Prefecture borders Great Zhou, but how could the Imperial Court be unprepared? Even if Great Zhou is strong, the likelihood of it breaking through Luo’an Prefecture in a short time isn’t high," another chimed in.
"Right, our Great Qin has stood for over three hundred years, weathering all kinds of storms. Even with Great Zhou and the Barbarian Clan teamed up, they definitely can’t breach the Imperial Court," said another confidently.
As Qin People, no one wished to see Great Qin’s downfall.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.
If the nation fell, they too would be greatly affected.
Just like when Great Qin was established amidst turmoil—it took many years to stabilize, and countless lives were lost due to the unrest.
Currently, Great Qin’s internal affairs were still considered stable, and no one wanted to fall into such a predicament.
A rumbling sound echoed.
The entire teahouse seemed to be affected as well.
Someone’s expression changed drastically. "What’s going on? Could it be an Earth Dragon’s Turnover?"
"Impossible! This is the Capital City, and His Majesty presides here. How could an Earth Dragon’s Turnover occur?" a scholar retorted angrily.
The Capital City was where the destiny of Great Qin converged; no natural disaster from elsewhere had ever affected it in the slightest.
The reason for this was that the Capital City was the lifeline of Great Qin.
Hearing this, the panic on everyone’s faces subsided considerably.
Then, someone peeked out and saw an army marching past.
"The Imperial Court’s army!"
"Where is this army heading? Surely not to support Luo’an Prefecture?"
"That’s unlikely. Didn’t the Imperial Court already dispatch a large force?"
"The previous troops were the Azure Dragon Army. What’s being assembled now are ordinary forces. I’ve heard the Imperial Court plans to reinforce Luo’an Prefecture with two million troops. Such a force cannot be mobilized in just a day or two."
"Two million troops—"
Someone couldn’t help but gasp, shocked.
It was evident that the Imperial Court was indeed going all out.
The army stretched forward like a long dragon, its end out of sight.
People on the streets scrambled to either side, daring not to obstruct their path.
「Five days passed in the blink of an eye.」
Shen Changqing had kept to himself and rarely ventured out of his courtyard these past few days, silently transforming his Great Sun True Qi and practicing the True Intent of Hundred Battles.
It’s worth mentioning that the transformation of the Great Sun True Qi went very smoothly.
With Spiritual Power as support, it took less than three days to completely convert and assimilate all the Heavenly Centipede True Qi.
Similarly, the Great Sun True Qi also made a significant breakthrough.
Great Sun Scripture (Level 13, cannot be improved)
After the complete transformation of the seventeenth-level Heavenly Martial Gang Qi, the Great Sun Scripture advanced directly from uninitiated to the thirteenth level.
There was a four-level difference between the two Martial Arts.
Regarding this, Shen Changqing was relieved.
The transformation of True Qi from one Martial Art to another is bound to involve some loss during conversion.
Additionally, the Great Sun True Qi is of a higher grade, while the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi is relatively lower. During the conversion from low to high grade, as the quality increases, the quantity naturally decreases.
All things considered, the thirteenth-level Great Sun True Qi had roughly caused Shen Changqing’s strength to decrease by about ten percent.
This reduction was within his expectations.
The decrease in True Qi, although its quality has increased, cannot completely bridge this gap. However, a ten percent drop in strength isn’t too significant, especially since the Great Sun True Qi has more potential for advancement. Before my Inner Strength reaches Perfection, I can continue cultivating it directly. Once the Great Sun Scripture breaks through to the fourteenth level, I should be able to make up for this difference.
Shen Changqing quietly estimated this to himself.
The fourteenth level of the Great Sun Scripture would be entirely on par with the seventeenth-level Heavenly Martial Gang Qi.
He felt the heat rising in his Dantian, as if he had swallowed a great sun, ready to unleash a power that could make hearts tremble at any moment.
Shen Changqing smiled faintly.
Suddenly, he looked at the rockery in front of him, took a swift step forward, and struck out with his palm.
He didn’t use Qi and Blood Force, merely mobilized the Great Sun True Qi.
An intensely hot current rose from his Dantian and flowed into his arm.
The air seemed to twist for a moment, and the surrounding temperature surged rapidly.
Shen Changqing’s palm landed on the rockery, and he withdrew it in the next instant.
A pitch-black palm print was deeply branded onto the rockery, looking as if it had been there for many years.
Upon closer inspection, a faint red glow could be discerned within the blackness.
Setting aside other aspects, the sheer attributes of the Great Sun True Qi are incomparable to those of the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi and the Pure Yang Technique.
Shen Changqing was very satisfied.
When the Pure Yang Technique had broken through, its scorching aura was also extremely potent, but compared to the current Great Sun True Qi, it was like a minor sorcerer before a great one.
As for Heavenly Martial Gang Qi, even though it had assimilated the Pure Yang Technique and possessed similar attributes, it was still a notch inferior when it came to the scorching power of Pure Yang.
Thus, there was no way it could compare to the Great Sun Scripture.
Demon Evil is the epitome of Yin.
Clearly, the Great Sun Scripture was exceptionally effective in restraining Demon Evil.
This was another reason Shen Changqing had chosen the Great Sun Scripture.
As a member of the Demon-Subduing Division, I’ll have a higher chance of dealing with Demon Evil in the future.
Besides, the Great Sun Scripture doesn’t just counter Demon Evil; its domineering attributes are such that even when facing people from Jianghu, ordinary individuals would not be able to withstand it.
It’s about time. I should head over to the Martial Hall, lest I keep the people from the Suppressing Evil Hall waiting. Ten Merit Points may not be much, but it’s not insignificant either—
In the past, ten Merit Points would definitely have been a lot for Shen Changqing.
But after receiving three hundred Merit Points and with his own rank advancing, his perspective had widened significantly.
Still, Shen Changqing did not wish to give up those ten Merit Points.
A single trip to the Demon-Subduing Prison yields ten Merit Points. How could ordinary tasks compare?
「At the entrance of the Martial Hall.」
Tan Tianji still sat there, looking completely unperturbed.
Next to him stood a young man in white robes. He had sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and a handsome face, lacking the fierceness typically seen in members of the Demon-Subduing Division. Instead, he possessed a touch of a scholar’s gentleness and refinement.
"Elder Tan, when will that person from the Martial Hall arrive?" Jiang An asked, looking at the sky with a hint of helplessness on his face.
My time is limited, and I specifically chose today to go to the Demon-Subduing Prison to reinforce the seal. If I miss today, the next time I can find time to go to the Demon-Subduing Prison won’t be for a while. In that case, if the seal in the Demon-Subduing Prison isn’t reinforced for a long time, no one can guarantee that problems won’t arise. If a problem truly occurs, the people from the Suppressing Evil Hall won’t be able to escape responsibility. After all, the Demon-Subduing Prison is the responsibility of the Suppressing Evil Hall. If there are no issues, it means they are fulfilling their duties, but if a problem occurs, the Suppressing Evil Hall must bear the responsibility. If the Demon Evil that breaks the seal causes great trouble, the Suppressing Evil Hall will also find it difficult to handle.
Tan Tianji smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, "No need to rush. Why are you people from the Suppressing Evil Hall always in such a hurry? Just wait calmly. It’s barely noon now. Give it a little longer, and that kid will likely arrive soon!"
He didn’t feel any urgency in response to Jiang An’s prodding.
After all, it’s a matter for the Suppressing Evil Hall and has little to do with my Internal Affairs Hall. Moreover, I don’t believe Shen Changqing would give up those ten Merit Points. After all, it’s practically common knowledge within the Hidden Heart Pavilion that people from the Martial Hall are hard-pressed for resources. Despite their annual resource subsidies, the actual costs of cultivation far exceed what those meager amounts can cover. Therefore, members of the Martial Hall spend most of their time outside, gaining ’experience.’ This so-called ’experience’ is just a nicer way of putting it; the truth is, they’re out completing tasks for the Demon-Subduing Division. Although, generally, once someone enters the Hidden Heart Pavilion, the Demon-Subduing Division won’t force them to undertake tasks. But—if they lack Merit Points, they still have to obediently go out and complete tasks. No one can avoid it. It’s precisely because the Demon-Subduing Division understands this that they generously allow those in the Hidden Heart Pavilion to not be required to perform tasks.
Hearing this, Jiang An opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t say anything further.
Since Elder Tan has said so, I can only wait silently. In terms of status, I’m just an official member of the Suppressing Evil Hall, a level below an Elder of the Internal Affairs Hall. Moreover, Elders of the Internal Affairs Hall, unlike those from other sub-pavilions, hold a somewhat higher status.
Time passed. About another two hours later, Shen Changqing finally sauntered over.
When he arrived, Tan Tianji, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, an almost imperceptible glint of sharpness flashing through them.
"You’ve made a breakthrough?"
"Uh, no, I’ve just made some gains in Martial Arts," Shen Changqing replied, momentarily startled by the sudden question but quickly regaining his composure and shaking his head in denial.
Hearing this, Tan Tianji sat up, scrutinizing Shen Changqing intently from head to toe before nodding.
"Your aura is scorching hot and greatly different from before. It seems you’ve switched to practicing another Martial Art these past few days."