The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 322 The Royal Capital
Nobles and Jianghu

Su Yan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are some people eager to conquer the martial world, while others want to protect their own interests?"

Whether it's the martial arts world or the imperial court, it's all about interests, or more accurately, about seizing more resources.

Indeed, by conquering the martial world and uniting the power of all sects in the Dali Dynasty, Ma Ta could greatly enhance the dynasty's foundation.

However, with so much power pouring into the Dali Dynasty, it naturally threatened the interests of many others.

Without a doubt, the elite aristocracy is the one whose interests have been harmed.

Long Qiushui said, "With the Dali royal family suppressing the conflict, the two forces won't openly fight, but the covert struggles will likely continue. You should be careful in the capital. With your talent, you will surely achieve great things in the future, so there's no need to rush."

She paused slightly, then said, "Once things have calmed down a bit, I will take you to a secret realm to study. Although you have already reached the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, if you can study in a secret realm, your physical body should reach an even higher level."

Long Qiushui spoke in a mysterious way, which only made Su Yan more curious.

His master must have some connections in the capital, otherwise he wouldn't know so much about these things.

Long Qiushui didn't elaborate, so Su Yan naturally didn't ask.

Early the next morning, a large black ship from the Dali era rose into the air from Lingnan Prefecture and headed towards the capital city to the north.

Lingnan Prefecture is a full 100,000 miles away from Zhongzhou, spanning three prefectures. If it weren't for a Martial Saint Realm expert tearing through space to teleport, the travel time alone would probably take about a month.

On the Xuanzhou, everyone was assigned to their own rooms. Zhao Wenyuan occupied the upper floor, the second floor was occupied by Shan Junyi, Xu Lu and Fu Conghan, who were all at the Dharma Aspect Realm, and the third floor was where Su Yan and the others had their own rooms.

Since the battle at the city gate, Shan Junyi's relationship with Fu Conghan has clearly deteriorated.

The two were not on good terms to begin with. One was a wandering swordsman who entered the imperial court and was determined to climb the ranks, while the other was a noble son from a family of meritorious officials like the Marquis of Zhenshan. Naturally, they couldn't see eye to eye.

Now that he has failed to win the man's hand and has lost face, Zhao Wenyuan has made his stance clear and will naturally draw a clearer line between them.

However, things changed slightly when it came to Su Yan.

After Su Yan and Lu Qihua were both assigned to the Seventh Division, Nan Anlian, Deng Shangyi, Gu Yuxuan, and Tang Xuanlang naturally became much more enthusiastic.

On the second night after boarding the Dali Xuanzhou, he pulled several people who had attacked him that day to come and apologize to Su Yan.

Nan Anlian is a man who can bend and stretch, and he really can swallow his pride.

After the apology, their relationship naturally improved a lot, as they were colleagues.

On the contrary, Yin Dannan and a group of noble sons did not come over at all, and their hostility towards Su Yan naturally deepened.

Yin Dannan was seriously injured by Su Yan, and even on the Dali Xuanzhou, he was bandaged up, naturally harboring resentment in his heart.

The remaining people, while not all were under Yin Dannan's control, more importantly, Su Yan joined the Seventh Division.

If they're not one of us, then they're the 'enemy'.

Even if they are both demon-suppressing guards and have a bad relationship, they shouldn't completely break off relations.

Zhao Wenyuan seemed unconcerned about the underlying conflicts, and the strange atmosphere continued.

A month passed in this way, and in the latter half of the time, Su Yan spent most of his time cultivating in his room.

After cultivating the World of Body-Planting Method, he was constantly tempering his physical body, which made his progress in cultivating the Subduing Tiger King Golden Body and the Poison Dragon Golden Body faster and faster.

In addition, there are many ferocious insects in the insect realm. Although he left the Dragon Crystal Ant Queen in Lingnan Prefecture, he still has quite a few ferocious insects at hand.

He was accompanied by nine ferocious insects, including the Blood Bone Centipede King, the Molten Mountain Giant Scorpion, and the Devouring Soldier Moth.

Every day, they are in the insect realm, and the number of pills they consume is astronomical.

Of course, as they continued to cultivate, the insect essence they generated also continuously improved Su Yan's characteristics, and even the insect master's level increased all the way to 76000/100000.

As time went by, one day, the sound came from the Demon-Suppressing Guard in charge.

Startled awake by the shouts, Su Yan stepped out of his room and looked towards the outside of the Dali Xuanzhou.

The clouds quickly dispersed on both sides of the Dali Xuanzhou, and as far as the eye could see, a giant city suddenly appeared at the edge of the ground beneath these clouds.

At first it was small, but as the Dali Xuanzhou got closer, Su Yan realized just how enormous this royal city was.

The city walls stretched for a hundred li and were about a hundred zhang high, resembling a black dragon coiled around it.

As soon as the Dali Xuanzhou approached, Su Yan sensed a powerful and majestic aura emanating from the entire royal city.

Nan Anlian noticed Su Yan's figure and said, "The royal city has tens of millions of people, and all the places in the Central Plains, even the thirteen prefectures, support this place. What you sensed was the sixth-order formation, the Rising Dragon Formation, set up by Dean Wang Zhixing of the Imperial Academy. Do not fight against it."

Confrontation will trigger the dragon's might, and may even invite the holy dragon's attack.

Such formations consume enormous amounts of energy, and their complexity is simply beyond the comprehension and handling of ordinary people.

Even if a martial saint were to attack the city, he would likely be defeated by the formation.

Su Yan dispersed some of his aura, which reduced his imposing presence somewhat.

"We are about to disembark."

Nan Anlian smiled, and Su Yan looked at him and asked, "Flying boats are not allowed to enter the royal city?"

"Flying boats, which can fly, cannot easily enter; air travel is prohibited in the royal city."

As Nan Anlian said, the Dali Xuanzhou stopped in a fortified village outside the royal city.

The Demon Suppression Guard rode into the city. The royal city was magnificent, with crisscrossing bluestone roads that could accommodate ten horses. The streets and alleys on both sides were lined with exquisite houses and bustling shops. The pedestrians were dressed in various styles, some in fine clothes and others in plain clothes.

The streets were bustling with traffic, and there were even exotic beasts carrying goods. Some of the beast patterns even had spiritual energy fluctuations, using spiritual artifacts to carry goods and support such a large city.

The prosperity here far surpasses that of the prefectural capital. Even in a quick glance at the streets, Su Yan saw no fewer than twenty True Intent Realm martial artists.

The group headed straight for the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Guard and arrived in the southeastern part of the royal city. The number of pedestrians gradually decreased, and a tall government office building came into view.

Beyond the grand gate, layers of mountains rise and fall, government offices are scattered, and courtyards are nestled even deeper within.

As soon as Su Yan approached, he sensed a spatial fluctuation. This Demon Suppression Guard Office had probably been modified by a Martial Saint, and its space was vast, unlike any other ordinary place.

After everyone entered, they handed the black horned horse over to the servants, where the Demon Suppression Guards were already on hand.

Zhao Wenyuan went ahead and disappeared after entering the Demon Suppression Guard's office.

Shan Junyi, Fu Conghan, and Xu Lu glanced at everyone and then said, "The government office will be opened and flags will be issued in two days. If you have a place to go in the royal city, you can stay in the government office's villa. The Chongshan Villa has three spiritual veins that the Martial Saint moved here, so the spiritual energy is much more abundant than in ordinary places. Many elders live there."

Xu Lu's gaze fell on what was behind Feng Ningzhu, and then she said, "Ningzhu, you make the arrangements."

"is teacher."

Shan Junyi and Xu Lu left one after the other. They each had their own villa in the royal city. Although the spiritual energy there might not be as good as the Zhenyaowei Chongshan Villa, it was more free.

Only Fu Conghan lived here, and in a flash, he went to his own courtyard.

"The brothers are leaving first."

Nan Anlian and the others waved their hands, smiled, and left.

After such a tough job, who wouldn't want to relax, see their family, or have some fun?

Only Su Yan, Long Qiushui, and Lu Qihua remained. Feng Ningzhu smiled: "The royal city is bustling, and being a demon-suppressing guard is a dangerous profession, so it's the same for everyone. Follow me."

Feng Ningzhu led everyone to Chongshan. Servants, around fifty or sixty years old, dressed in blue robes, followed along the way, moving at a leisurely pace.

“Feng Zongqi, there are thirty-six other courtyards on Renzi Mountain, near the lake, near the mountain, near the bamboo forest... The spiritual veins are similar in each place, only the environment is different. I wonder what your preferences are.”

Chongshan Courtyard has three areas: Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Man Mountain is where Danqiao martial artists live, and there is also the Fan Mountain, which is where ordinary Demon Suppression Guard disciples live. They usually train nearby.

"A secluded courtyard overlooking the mountain."

The six people each chose their preferred option, and the old servant took out a simple map, circled it, pointed out the direction, and then led the way.

Feng Ningzhu followed the group. Since Xu Lu had asked her to make arrangements, it was not just a simple matter of giving guidance, but rather she was to explain the affairs of the Demon Suppression Guard.

Just as Zhao Wenyuan thought, although they came from a sect and the timing was particularly special, now that they had joined the Demon Suppression Guard, they were also one of their own.

As Feng Ningzhu walked ahead of the crowd, she said, "Under the Demon Suppression Guard Commander, there are thirty-six divisions. Each division is headed by a Grand Dharma Aspect Warrior. Each of the thirty-six divisions has ten banners, with three hundred people in each banner."

Three hundred people?
Everyone looked surprised, and Liu Caifeng asked doubtfully, "So little?"

The commander-in-chief, also known as the demon-suppressing envoy, is a martial artist at the Danqiao realm who can only command three hundred people. Even within their own sect, the number of disciples they can mobilize is much higher.

Feng Ningzhu smiled faintly: "Is it too little?"

She said, "Even with an exception, a banner of three hundred people might only be enough to secure a captain's position, requiring one to be at the fourth level of Body Tempering. Most of those three hundred are at the True Intent level; do you think that's not enough?"

Liu Caifeng's pupils contracted, realizing that something was wrong.

Even within a family or sect, Danqiao, as the patriarch, would find it extremely difficult to have more than twenty True Intent Realm martial artists in the sect.

There might be a few more sects, but it's impossible for it to exceed a hundred.

Although the number of Demon Suppression Guards is small, they are all elites.

Especially the headquarters of the Central Plains Demon Suppression Guard.

Thirty-six divisions, each with ten banners, and three hundred men in each banner, totaling one hundred thousand elite True Intent Realm warriors.

Not to mention the number of Dharma images and alchemical apertures, the Demon Suppressing Guard alone is equivalent to a top-tier sect in the martial arts world.

“You are all true disciples of your sects, with special identities, and you will certainly occupy a position as a captain. Fellow Daoist Su Yan’s strength is beyond reproach, but the other fellow Daoists need to be prepared to deal with some minor troubles.”

Ji Ning'er narrowed her eyes slightly and raised the corners of her mouth: "Sister Ningzhu, are there other captains coming to challenge us?"

"It's not necessarily true that only the captains possess the strength of the Danqiao stage, but the captains are not the only ones with that level of strength."

"arrive"

Not long after Feng Ningzhu finished her reminder, it was time to stop. First, it was the lakeside villa chosen by Ji Ning'er, and then it was the others' turn.

Finally, there was Su Yan's villa overlooking the mountain peak.

Feng Ningzhu nodded to Su Yan, said nothing more, and then turned and left.

After the battle in Lingnan Prefecture, Feng Ningzhu was convinced of the outcome, but she was not particularly close to Su Yan.

She wasn't part of Nan Anlian's faction, and seemed to have no intention of getting involved in their dispute.

Su Yan is undoubtedly in the eye of the storm, and she probably won't dare to get close for the time being.

Su Yan ignored her and rested for the night. The next morning, he was woken up by a knock on the door.

"dong dong dong"

Outside the door, a servant dressed in light blue stood respectfully outside the courtyard.

Upon seeing Su Yan, the servant respectfully presented him with a gilded visiting card, his hands raised above his head.

"My lord, someone has invited you to a banquet at the White Jade Pavilion and has sent me with a visiting card."

With a flick of his finger, Su Yan placed the invitation in his hand. Upon opening it, he saw that the calligraphy was vigorous and flowing, like the sharp edge of a sword.

"I have long admired Fellow Daoist Su's unparalleled alchemy skills. I look forward to meeting you at the White Jade Pavilion. Sang Tianhong of the Yellow Elephant Sect in the Eastern Wilderness."

The visiting card was simple, but its underlying meaning is worth pondering.

"I see."

Su Yan waved for the servant to leave, and after the servant left, a playful look appeared on his face.

"The people from the royal city haven't arrived yet, but people from the Eastern Wilderness Prefecture have come first."

Su Yan put away the visiting card and strode out of the Demon Suppression Guard's residence.

When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will be used to build fortifications.
Now that he was involved in this game, Su Yan naturally needed to understand the situation.

Baiyu Pavilion is a top-tier banquet venue in the royal city.

Those who came and went were all martial artists and high-ranking officials.

Red buildings adorned with colorful decorations, green tiles and flying eaves—a scene of utter prosperity.

The maidservant, dressed in gorgeous attire, alluring yet not seductive, welcomed the guest into the house.

Su Yan handed the visiting card to the maid, who carefully accepted it and led him to a private room deep inside the third floor.

The gate was pushed open, and the entrance was bustling with activity.

The tables were set out on the left and right, with delicious dishes on display. Among the attendees were many familiar faces, including Lu Qihua, Liu Caifeng, Ji Ning'er, and Zhuang Qihang. Surprisingly, Ying Chenxing and others were also seated to the side.

"Fellow Daoist Su has indeed arrived."

Ying Chenxing looked up at Su Yan, a smile appearing on her face.

Su Yan went inside, and the maidservant tactfully closed the door.

In the front seat, a man with a slightly sallow complexion raised his glass and said happily, "I, Sang Tianhong, thank you for gracing me with your presence. Please take a seat."

Su Yan's seat was already reserved, at the head of the table on the right. There was another seat above him, but it was empty.

Lu Qihua was on his right. He saw Su Yan nod slightly, but there was a hint of embarrassment in his eyes.

After all, we are all disciples of the same clan in Lingnan Prefecture, and we were not informed in advance that we were going to such a banquet.

Lu Qihua didn't know what Su Yan was thinking, but he himself was far from being completely at peace with himself.

"Fellow Daoist Su, Sister Long told me that she won't be attending the banquet. She has some business to attend to. You can handle this at your discretion."

Su Yan looked somewhat surprised. He still had business at the Beast King Sect. His master really did have some connections.

"Fellow Daoist Su, drink this cup to the brim. I heard that you killed eight of the Ten Great Demons. Such combat power is truly unparalleled in the Dan Aperture Realm. You have also helped our Eastern Wilderness Prefecture get rid of a great threat."

Sang Tianhong raised his glass, inviting everyone to drink.

That's true. The Ten Great Demons are roaming around and are a great threat. However, the way they brought it up was somewhat of a test.

(End of this chapter)