The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 309 Zhongzhou Town Envoy

Within the Water and Fire Secret Realm, the suspended mountain remains unchanged, but the water and fire energies within it have gradually returned to calm.

The secret realm no longer constantly switched between heavy water and heavenly fire as before, and for a moment it exuded a faint sense of silence.

Su Yan entered the Water and Fire Secret Realm and landed on the highest floating mountain.

Chu Qidao stood right in front of Su Yan, atop the floating mountain, with his hands behind his back. He shook his head and said, "Actually, the Water and Fire Secret Realm is the Daoist temple of the Water and Fire Scale Lion. For hundreds of years, it has been gathering the essence of water and fire here."

His words revealed a sense of nostalgia, and Su Yan also showed a hint of sadness.

"The Water-Fire Scale Lion Ancestor has already done everything he could for the sake of the sect. This debt must be settled clearly in the future."

He was a disciple of the Beast King Sect, and the sect had treated him well. Although he won the battle this time, the losses were probably no less severe than the last battle between the righteous and demonic factions.

Chu Qidao paused for a moment, then said, "Five Dharma Aspect Elders have perished, 17 Core Formation Realm True Persons have fallen, over 5000 True Intent Realm and Body Tempering Realm disciples have been killed or wounded, at least 20,000 affiliated forces have been killed or wounded, and more than ten Tier 3 mines and medicinal mountains have been completely destroyed..."

Huang Shouzhen only made a preliminary estimate of the losses, and this is just what is publicly known. To replace these lost disciples and retrain them would probably require an extremely large amount of resources and time.

"One of the reasons I sought you out is for the Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm."

Chu Qidao looked at Su Yan with a calm expression and a gentle voice, as if he were having a casual conversation.

Without hesitation, Su Yan said, "The Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm is something left behind by my grandmaster, and the sect should have a share of it. Although I have gained control, the power of one person to develop it is limited. I am willing to hand over the secret realm to the sect for development."

"Hahaha," Chu Qidao shook his head: "No need to hand it over to the sect. The control is yours. I just want to make a deal with you, a fair deal."

"The Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm originated from a martial saint thousands of years ago, known as the Green Serpent Martial Saint. He came from the Hundred Thousand Mountains and became a saint through his mastery of poison, martial arts, and physical prowess. He was about to establish a sect, so he used his martial saint body to create the Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm."

Su Yan's brows twitched slightly, and his doubts were somewhat resolved: "Were some of the trial's challenges left behind by this Martial Saint?"

"Hmm," Chu Qidao nodded, "It was arranged by the Green Serpent Martial Saint, but he ultimately failed to establish his own sect. His enemies came looking for him, and a fierce battle ensued. He narrowly won, but he was still powerless to establish his own sect. The secret realm was also more than half damaged, and after several periods of decline, it finally fell into the hands of your grandmaster."

He suddenly smiled and said, "However, the Nine Peaks Sect doesn't know the origin of this secret realm. Your grandmaster only told a few people."

Su Yan revealed a strange expression. Good heavens, you guys are treating the Nine Peaks Sect like a demonic sect, aren't you?

They stole the inheritance and used Poison Dragon Valley and the inheritance as bait to lure the Dragon Transformation lineage for so many years. In the end, they kept the origin of this thing a secret, but in fact, they had been waiting for a legitimate reason to take it back to the Beast King Sect.

There must have been some unsavory things that happened back then, but the Nine Peaks Sect was definitely the one who suffered the most.

"It's just a matter of the Nine Peaks Sect suffering a bit."

As Su Yan spoke, he realized Chu Qidao's thoughts: "The Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm has become a small world of its own, with spiritual herbs growing naturally and numerous poisonous beasts. It is a good place to temper one's body along the way. If the power is controlled and suppressed, it would be suitable for disciples at the Danqiao Realm and below to hone their skills."

That makes sense.

Chu Qidao valued this point: "We have suffered heavy losses. If we can replenish our strength with the Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm, our disciples' strength will recover faster. The Spirit Mountain Herb Fields will also be gradually developed, and the sect will send disciples to manage them. You will receive 30% of all the harvest."

Thirty percent—that's getting thirty percent for nothing! That's an enormous sum. If you were to run a business like that, even a True Person of the Dharma Aspect would be envious.

"Can"

Su Yan nodded in agreement, without any complaints. The Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm was originally intended to be developed together with the sect.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Sect Leader, I wish to retain one-tenth of our lineage, but I can send disciples to participate in the handling of affairs."

"That's only natural."

The matter of Poison Dragon Valley was quickly settled. Chu Qidao then changed the subject and said, "Now it's time to talk about your situation. Do you have any grievances against the Demon Suppression Guard?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yan's pupils contracted slightly, but he showed no fear and straightened his head.

"No regrets"

His gaze sharpened: "But there is a question. Even though there is a gap between the martial world and the imperial court, the people and martial artists of Lingnan Prefecture should also be considered citizens of Dali. This time, with the invasion of the demonic path and even the chaos in the Yan Ying Sect, the response of the Demon Suppression Guard and the government has been far too indifferent."

"You figured it out after all."

Chu Qidao nodded calmly and said, "The pressure from the 400,000-strong army of the Witch Kingdom is indeed considerable. The Demon Suppression Army has been dispatched to confront them, and the Demon Suppression Guard has also sent a lot of people. However, they still have spare capacity. At least five governors and one governor of Zhongzhou are waiting on Qingfeng Cliff."

Su Yan looked shocked. Qingfeng Cliff was only four hundred miles away from Wangtian Pass.

The person who can serve as the town envoy must be a Golden Body Realm martial artist, which means that there are Golden Body Realm martial artists on the front line watching the entire battlefield.

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Are they really that ruthless?"

"What a perfect example of the snipe and the clam fighting, while the fisherman benefits."

An aged voice sounded from behind Su Yan. He turned around and saw that it was Qiu Weifeng and the Golden Lion with Radiant Horn.

Su Yan cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Disciple greets Ancestor."

"Good child, you don't need to be so polite."

Qiu Weifeng helped him up, placing his aged hand on his shoulder.

His eyes widened slightly, revealing a hint of surprise: "What excellent physical constitution! In terms of physical strength alone, even a martial artist at the second level of the Dharma Aspect realm might not be able to compare with you."

Su Yan noticed that Qiu Weifeng's face was slightly pale. Although he looked full of energy, Su Yan could sense that Qiu Weifeng's injuries were not light.

Qiu Weifeng smiled out of the corner of his eye, seemingly noticing his perception, but he paid no attention to it. He simply said, "The Demon Suppression Guard is so powerful that they don't need to resort to the tactic of the snipe and the clam fighting while the fisherman benefits. If they wanted to, they could wipe out the entire Lingnan Prefecture sect in one night."

The calm tone stated a fact, as if the Beast King Sect was not among the forces that Qiu Weifeng mentioned had been wiped out.

Su Yan remained silent, while Qiu Weifeng asked, "How strong do you think the Demon Suppression Guard is?"

"This disciple does not know, but in the thirteen prefectures of the Dali Dynasty, each prefecture has a Demon Suppression Guard. Therefore, there are at least twelve guards in each prefecture, all of whom are Golden Body Realm warriors. And the only one who can control so many Golden Body Realm warriors is probably a Martial Saint."

"That's the truth."

Qiu Weifeng walked to a protruding rock, dusted himself off, and sat down, placing one foot on a slightly lower protruding rock and his hands on his knees.

"The Demon Suppression Guard comprises thirteen prefectures, with a headquarters above the Central Prefecture. The Grand Commander of the current dynasty, the Martial Saint, is in charge of the Demon Suppression Guard. The Left and Right Deputy Commanders are both experts at the ninth level of the Golden Body Realm. The White-Clad Martial Marquis of the Central Prefecture is slightly weaker, but he is still a martial artist at the seventh level of the Golden Body Realm. It can be said that there are many experts among them."

Those who wield power are all at the Golden Body Realm, not to mention the retired old fogies; the number of Golden Body Realm cultivators is only greater than that.

Even though Su Yan was prepared, he was still shocked when he heard this number. It felt as if a giant hand had gripped his heart, and his breath hitched slightly. "Only those with Martial Saints are first-rate forces, and only those with Land Immortals are the most powerful in the world, and are called Holy Lands."

Qiu Weifeng sighed and then said, "We are not the snipe and the clam, but merely pawns, the first target of that lord's arduous journey across the martial world."

Horses trample the rivers and lakes
Su Yan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he asked, "Grand Commander?"

Qiu Weifeng shook his head: "It's not him, it's the current Grand Commandant."

Su Yan wanted to ask more questions, but Qiu Weifeng said, "Don't ask any more questions. The matter of the Martial Saint is probably beyond our control."

Su Yan nodded, but still had doubts in his heart, and asked, "Ancestor, could it be that this incident was orchestrated by the Demon Suppression Guard?"

"I made a bet with Zhao Wenyuan, the governor of Zhongzhou under the Demon Suppression Guard. If Lingnan falls into chaos and my Beast King Sect can suppress the demonic path, then the Beast King Sect will be victorious. The Demon Suppression Guard and the Beast King Sect are clearly separate and will not interfere with each other too much."

He paused slightly before saying, "If we lose, then the Beast King Sect will have to contribute to the Demon Suppression Guard from now on."

Su Yan remained silent. He had already gotten the answer from Qiu Weifeng's face: the Beast King Sect had probably lost this gamble.

As expected, Qiu Weifeng slowly said, "The defeat was already evident shortly after the Qing family's rebellion. The demonic path kept pressing, and the Witch Kingdom was restless. No matter how strong the Beast King Sect was, it was difficult to withstand such turmoil. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Chu Qidao advised, "Ancestor, Lingnan Prefecture among the thirteen prefectures has been weak for a long time due to the events of the past. If the Demon Suppression Guard takes us as their starting point, how can we avoid it?"

Qiu Weifeng simply nodded slightly. He knew that Chu Qidao was trying to comfort him, but it was also the truth.

"Zhao Wenyuan granted the Beast King Sect a chance to reach the Golden Body Realm, and Shui Huo Tenglong suddenly broke through, thanks to their help behind the scenes."

"What do we have to pay?"

Su Yan looked up at Qiu Weifeng, his expression calm.

Qiu Weifeng looked at him in surprise, a smile appearing on his aged face: "You're quite composed."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you lose, you have to pay the price.

Qiu Weifeng will inevitably pay a price for preserving the Beast King Sect instead of exhausting its resources.

After paying the price, there will be a great battle to demonstrate one's value.

The old man said he blamed him, but he was clearly going to great lengths to secure more living space for the Beast King Sect.

"Entering the game"

Qiu Weifeng said, "The Beast King Sect remains in Lingnan Prefecture as usual, and the Demon Suppression Guard will not interfere too much with the Beast King Sect's territory. However, each generation of outstanding disciples of the Beast King Sect must serve and train in the Demon Suppression Guard for a minimum of ten years. They will hold positions equivalent to Demon Suppression Envoys and will receive the same treatment and resources."

A ten-year term of service is neither short nor long, but it is enough to subtly change many things.

Moreover, outstanding disciples serve the emperor, but a martial artist like Qiu Weifeng, who is at the Golden Body Realm, is probably just a guest elder, or more accurately, a henchman.

"Open strategy"

Su Yan shook his head slightly: "If we join the Demon Suppression Guard, we'll probably become the catfish that stirs up the situation. And if this goes on for too long, it might be difficult for the Beast King Sect to hand over power to the Demon Suppression Guard and the Dali Dynasty in the future."

The Beast King Sect became a place for cultivating talent. Although there was still camaraderie among the disciples, over time, some people would inevitably drift away and choose to stay in the Demon Suppression Guard or the imperial court.

Especially since all the disciples come from secular backgrounds and have different relationships, this system will exacerbate the process.

If we compare it to a past life, it might have some similarities to university.

Qiu Weifeng said, "Hu Yangming, Gu Sanqian, and Lin Bumo have already joined the Demon Suppression Guard and are serving as officers in charge of the prefecture, fighting on the battlefield of the Witch Kingdom. I have been appointed as a guest elder, and although I do not need to go to Zhongzhou Prefecture, I will still have to take action when necessary."

As the head of the sect, Chu Qidao is responsible for its reputation and also represents its bottom line. He will not take up a position within the sect, which is also to preserve the foundation of the Beast King Sect.

Even if Qiu Weifeng were to have an accident, the Demon Suppression Guard would not allow Chu Qidao to fill the vacancy.

This is one of the conditions of the transaction.

Su Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Am I a first-generation Danqiao Realm cultivator?"

"The top ten disciples on the Dragon Ranking will all have to go there one after another."

Qiu Weifeng said in a deep voice, "However, I hope you and Qiu Shui will go to Zhongzhou Prefecture together."

Su Yan slightly raised his eyes, and Chu Qidao continued, "Since you've placed your bet, you should aim for even greater benefits. Zhongzhou is where our headquarters is located, offering the most opportunities for resources, cultivation techniques, and secret realms. They've specifically requested that you and Qiushui take up positions in Zhongzhou."

Su Yan never expected that he would get involved in this situation.

However, as Chu Qidao said, this may not be a bad opportunity.

Zhongzhou is the center of the Dali Dynasty, with countless resources. As his ferocious insect continues to cultivate, the materials it needs will definitely become increasingly rare.

Even for the Beast King Sect alone, gathering the necessary materials is becoming increasingly difficult, and they will need to wait for some time.

Continuing like this will only slow you down.

"This disciple is willing to obey your orders."

Qiu Weifeng said, "Zhao Wenyuan saw how you controlled the ferocious insects and knew that you had a rare natural martial physique, so he wanted to train you to be a member of the Demon Suppression Guard."

Openly snatching people is not an option, but Zhao Wenyuan wouldn't be so kind as to leave such a genius with the 'Taiyue Ancient Insect Body' untouched.

Therefore, they specifically requested the person.

Su Yan grinned: "Using someone else's resources to achieve your goals is not a bad idea."

Chu Qidao's eyes lit up slightly, but he shook his head: "It's not that simple. However, as a member of the Demon Suppression Guard, you will have a better chance of collecting all the ferocious insects in the world, and you may be able to achieve the Martial Saint realm in the future."

Martial Saint, this is a realm below the terrestrial immortals, already considered to be below the heavens.

Su Yan has the qualifications, and Chu Qidao and the others also have this expectation of Su Yan.

"From this day forward, you are the young sect master of the Beast King Sect. High-level materials are completely at your disposal. You can exchange them on credit with no upper limit, but you will need to pay them back in the future."

As soon as the words fell, Su Yan looked at Qiu Weifeng and Chu Qidao in astonishment.

(End of this chapter)