Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 188: Chapter 118: Merit Accomplished

After leaving the Back Hall, Chu Bai did not exit the department.

He had no private residence in the city. Although his salary as a Patrol Banner Inspector was more than enough to rent a courtyard, he found it too much trouble and simply went straight to his private office.

As a Patrol Banner Inspector who operated independently of the three squads, his benefits were quite good.

This private chamber, located in a corner of a side hall, was not large, but it was blessedly quiet and furnished with a simple Spirit Gathering Array.

He pushed the door open to find the room simply furnished, with nothing more than a table, a chair, and a daybed.

Chu Bai sat cross-legged on the daybed, but he did not fall asleep right away.

As his Cultivation deepened, especially after awakening his Divine Thought by practicing the Guardian Scripture, his need for sleep had greatly diminished.

Often, he only needed to meditate and perform Breath Regulation for a double-hour or two to feel completely revitalized.

’The night is long; I might as well cultivate.’

With a single thought, he began to circulate the Guiyuan Technique.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, Chu Bai keenly sensed that within the grounds of the Evil Suppression Department, the nature’s spiritual energy was distinctly different from the outside world.

This place was at the heart of the area enveloped by the Great Zhou Law Net. The Spiritual Qi drifting in the air was filtered and refined by the Law Net, transforming into a unique kind of Pure Qi.

This Spiritual Qi was moderate and gentle, suffused with a righteous aura. Though not as dense or tempestuous as the energy found in some Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands, its strength lay in its purity and how easily it could be absorbed.

For Chu Bai, who practiced a Five Elements Technique that emphasized balance and harmony, it was a perfect match.

Wisps of pale white Pure Qi poured into his body through his pores, rapidly transforming into pure Five Elements Spiritual Power that flowed into his Dantian Qi Sea.

As he felt the power within him swell bit by bit, Chu Bai’s mind grew ever more tranquil, but his eyes were perfectly clear.

Although he had instantly killed the Bloodthirsty Black Wolf of the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation in today’s battle, a seemingly glorious feat, he knew perfectly well that half the credit belonged to the might of his Dharma Artifact. The other half was due to the Demon Beast’s low intelligence and its reliance on brute force.

’My foundation is deep. Thanks to my Perfect Realm Technique and Upper Grade Dharma Artifact, I’m practically unmatched among those at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer. I can even kill an ordinary Demon Beast at the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, a level above my own.’

Chu Bai calmly analyzed his own strength. ’But what if I encounter a Cultivator who also comes from a prestigious background, has a solid foundation, and is a level of Cultivation higher than me?’

The Cultivation Realm was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.

The Qi Cultivation Third Layer was still just the Early-stage Qi Cultivation, which meant there was a limit to both his total Spiritual Power and his explosive force.

If he were to face a Cultivator at the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation who wielded a Defensive Dharma Artifact and simply turtled, Chu Bai would likely be unable to achieve a quick victory even if he used every trick he had.

Cultivation was, and always would be, the true foundation of strength.

’I have to break through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer as soon as possible.’

Chu Bai made up his mind. ’As for refining the quality of my water and earth Spiritual Qi, that’s important, but it’s a slow process that can’t be rushed. The priority right now is to advance my Realm and build up my raw strength.’

Once he broke through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, his total Spiritual Power would double. Then, whether he was activating his Upper Grade Dharma Artifact or executing a High-tier Technique, he would be able to do so with much greater ease.

With his goal set, Chu Bai cast aside all distracting thoughts and threw himself wholeheartedly into the tedious yet fulfilling process of cultivation.

The chamber was silent, filled only with the sound of the young man’s long, steady breaths. Accompanied by the occasional striking of the night watch outside, the long night gradually ebbed away.

.....

The morning mist had not yet dispersed as a pale white light dawned in the sky over Anping County.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

A deep, imposing drumbeat, like a sudden clap of thunder, boomed through the sky above the Evil Suppression Department.

This was no ordinary drumbeat. Each strike seemed to carry a power that shook the very soul, penetrating layers of walls to reach deep into a person’s Divine Soul.

’The Gathering General Drum?’

In his private chamber, Chu Bai, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, snapped his eyes open. He exhaled a long, turbid breath as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes and then vanished.

This great drum was fashioned from the hide of a Qi Cultivation Stage Demon Beast, the Mountain-Shaking Bull. When struck, its sound carried for miles. It not only served to send messages but also carried a natural, murderous aura.

Within the Evil Suppression Department, this drum was only struck when a major incident occurred, when a public trial was to be held, or when all the department’s core members were being summoned.

’It seems Magistrate Zhang is moving even faster than I expected.’

Chu Bai stood up and straightened his immaculate black uniform, his fingers lightly brushing across the silver-threaded xiezhi on his chest—the symbol of his position as an Inspector.

Last night, he had handed over Wang Sanshui along with the evidence, and he had assumed Zhang Cheng would need at least a double-hour to prepare, or perhaps even wait until noon to convene the hearing.

He hadn’t expected the man to be so decisive, striking while the iron was hot and sounding the drum at the crack of dawn.

’Perfect. I’ll go and watch this little drama unfold and see how it ends.’

Chu Bai pushed the door open and strode out. Facing the rising sun, he walked with long, purposeful strides toward the Main Hall.

...

Inside the Main Hall of the Evil Suppression Department, the atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife.

On either side of the spacious hall, dozens of Evil Suppression Guards stood as straight as spears, Long Sabers hanging at their waists. In their hands, their Killing Rods gleamed with a chilling light.

Almost everyone in the department was present: all the Patrol Banner Inspectors, the captains and Deputy Captains of each squad, and all the Clerks. They stood in two rows, each person staring straight ahead, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

But a closer look would reveal many of them secretly darting glances toward the center of the hall, their eyes filled with shock, suspicion, and unease.

There, a disheveled figure knelt, securely bound.

It was none other than Wang Sanshui, who just last night had swaggered out to "hunt a demon."

Now, he had lost every trace of his thuggish arrogance. He was completely limp, his face was ashen, and his eyes were vacant.

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