Starting from the two realms, cultivating immortality by taming beasts

Chapter 652 True Monarch Bai Hong

Minxin Prefecture, the prefectural governor's office.

Inside the luxurious main hall of the mansion, a middle-aged cultivator sighed softly.

The position of prefect seems to be high and powerful, as one can control the military, politics and people's livelihood of a prefecture, but it also depends on the level of the prefecture.

In some powerful prefectures located at the core of the Great Shang Dynasty, the prefectural governors are even comparable to the governors of a state, possessing the cultivation of a Nascent Soul True Venerable.

As the most remote and weakest prefecture in the Great Shang Dynasty, the strongest person in Minxin Prefecture was only Li Hu, the Five Tiger True Monarch, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

"Why did the Prefect suddenly sigh?" Li Hu asked bluntly. "Could it be because of that evil dragon at the mouth of the Jianjiang River?"

"That's right, I guess I was just unlucky."

The prefect, his brow furrowed with worry, said, "The losses caused by this flood are too severe, leaving many people displaced. Furthermore, in all my years in office, I have failed to discover any exceptionally talented cultivators within Minxin Prefecture. My year-end performance review ten years from now will most likely be rated 'poor.' What am I to do?"

Seeing that the prefect was so straightforward, unlike his usual roundabout way of drinking tea, Li Hu was slightly taken aback.

It seems that the evil dragon at Jianjiangkou is indeed troublesome, even the prefect is helpless.

But he had finally reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, how could he possibly fight and kill that evil dragon for the sake of some common people?

"It's a pity that my cultivation level is too low to be a match for that evil dragon. Otherwise, I would have taken the dragon's head for the prefect to appease public anger."

Li Hu also sighed, using a retreat as a tactic to politely decline.

"Lord Li, there's no need to belittle yourself. Although that evil dragon has had extraordinary experiences and has cultivated for nine thousand years, it is ultimately just a beast. If the two of us join forces and coordinate with the county soldiers to form an array, even if we cannot kill it, we can at least force it out of Jianjiang Estuary," the prefect suggested.

Li Hu frowned slightly: "Forgive my bluntness, but let's not even talk about whether the Prefect and I can force the evil dragon to retreat. Even if we could, if the evil dragon were to retaliate by causing torrential rains and floods, Minxin County would probably be plunged into chaos and devastation."

"If we do not act, we will act with overwhelming force. Rather than having me take action, Your Excellency, you should request support from above."

Upon hearing this, the prefect took a sip of tea, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

The Five Tiger True Lords were right. No matter how rampant the evil dragon of Minxin County was, it couldn't possibly mess with a powerful state, let alone the Great Shang Dynasty that ruled over the entire eastern region.

Unfortunately, Minxin County was too remote and held little weight in the eyes of the Shang Dynasty officials. As a result, three whole months had passed since the appeal for help was issued, and it seemed as if the entire Minxin County had been forgotten by the Shang Dynasty.

"It will probably take some time before someone from above arrives," the prefect shook his head.

"As long as that evil dragon can be calmed down, it wouldn't hurt to have the people below hold one or two Dragon King Festivals," said the Five Tiger True Lords nonchalantly.

In his view, simply holding a sacrificial ceremony and offering a few pairs of young boys and girls could avert a battle at the level of a True Lord and stabilize Minxin County in a short period of time. This was undoubtedly a profitable deal.

"No, holding evil rituals has a bad influence and can easily affect performance evaluations."

The prefect looked directly at Li Hu: "I have heard that True Lord Li has a past relationship with the Ninth Prince. I wonder if you can invite a True Lord at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to slay the dragon? I can assist you from the sidelines, without taking any reward, and will even present you with a generous gift."

"Those are just rumors from the streets, Your Excellency, please don't take them seriously." Li Hu waved his hand, his expression calm.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall became heavy, and the prefect's eyes turned slightly cold.

"Clang!"

Just then, a barely perceptible sword light rang out outside the prefect's mansion, causing the prefect and Li Hu to twitch and both look up at the sky.

White rays of light descended from the sky and landed right on the gate of the prefectural governor's mansion.

As the light faded, a beautiful figure quietly appeared.

Her long hair cascaded down her back, and she had a slender figure. She wore a plain white Taoist robe and carried a long sword on her back. Her heroic eyes held a hint of curiosity.

Is this the Minxin Prefecture? The architectural style is indeed quite old.

The next moment, the gates of the prefectural governor's mansion opened, and the prefectural governor and Li Hu walked out together.

"And who are you?" The prefect asked in a gentle voice, not daring to be careless.

The newcomer had extremely fair skin, so fair it was dazzling, even surpassing the beauty of flawless jade. Anyone with such ethereal beauty must have an extraordinary background.

Furthermore, what made the prefect even more wary was that the Taoist robe worn by the visitor, though seemingly simple, actually contained hidden secrets, with silver threads on the cuffs outlining Taoist patterns representing the Earth Sect.

"True Lord Baihong, Shen Yuxia," the female cultivator said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the prefect's expression changed slightly, and Li Hu, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but gasp.

Shen Yuxia, the White Rainbow True Monarch, is a disciple of the Ninth Elder of the Earth Sect and a renowned female sword immortal in the Great Shang Dynasty. At a young age, she proved her Dao with the sword, reached the True Monarch realm, and comprehended the unprecedented Heavenly Phoenix Sword Intent.

That would be fine, but although the Ninth Elder of the Earth Sect was a renowned master of cultivation in the Great Shang Dynasty, he had many disciples under his command and might not remember True Monarch Bai Hong.

What truly terrified the two was that Bai Hong Zhenjun came from the Shen family, one of the seven great families of the Shang Dynasty. His father was no ordinary man; he was the Shang Yin of the current dynasty, a second-rank official responsible for assisting the Grand Tutor in managing all officials.

With such a background, Bai Hong Zhenjun could act with impunity not only in a mere Minxin County, but also in the core prefectures of the Great Shang Dynasty.

"So it's Fairy Shen." The prefect clasped his hands in a salute.

"I've heard that a malevolent dragon is wreaking havoc at the mouth of the Tsim Sha Tsui River, causing widespread flooding and displacing people from their homes?"

Shen Yuxia glanced at the prefect, too lazy to exchange pleasantries: "If I wish to slay the dragon, I need the full cooperation of the entire Minxin Prefecture."

"???"

The prefect's pupils contracted, and he felt somewhat uneasy.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

Compared to the matter of slaying the dragon, the safety of Bai Hong Zhenjun's life would determine his official position even more.

If Bai Hong Zhenjun were to encounter any mishap due to the dragon-slaying incident, not only would he be unable to continue serving as the prefect, but his very life would likely be in danger.

"How does Fairy Shen need the cooperation of Minxin County?" the prefect asked, forcing himself to speak.

"Too many people would be unsightly; the cooperation of Chen Zi'ang, the newly appointed magistrate of Guan County, is sufficient."

As soon as Shen Yuxia finished speaking, Li Hu's expression stiffened slightly.

Bai Hong Zhenjun is a True Lord of the Earth Sect, and Chen Zi'ang is a disciple of Long Kui Zhenjun of the Earth Sect. Could there be some connection between the two?

Shen Yuxia's eyes flickered slightly as she keenly sensed Li Hu's emotional fluctuations.

Just then, the prefect agreed and used his divine sense to draw a transfer order, which he then stamped with his official seal.

"As long as Fairy Shen produces this transfer order, the magistrate of Guan County will definitely cooperate fully."

"Hmm." True Monarch Baihong withdrew his gaze, casually took the transfer order, and left.

Could it be that the White Rainbow True Lord suddenly appeared in Minxin County to support Chen Zi'ang?

As he watched the white sunset depart, the prefect's mind raced with conflicting thoughts, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Logically speaking, since True Monarch Longkui failed to attain the Dao of True Venerable and had to go into seclusion to heal her injuries, she should have had no time to pay attention to Chen Ziang, a Foundation Establishment disciple.

Judging from Bai Hong Zhenjun's reaction, the Earth Sect is still quite protective of its own and unwilling to give up on Chen Zi'ang, a disciple with good potential.

On the other side, under Chen Beiwu's personal guidance, after a day and a night, Jin Dan finally successfully mastered the basics of the Ascension Technique.

To cultivate the Ascension Technique, one must be granted a divine decree and receive a talisman, refining one's own unique authentic talisman in order to refine the heavens, earth, mountains, rivers, and veins of the land, and seize the power of heaven and earth.

This hurdle is neither particularly difficult nor easy.

If Chen Beiwu hadn't been the creator of the cultivation technique and able to share his insights through the shared cultivation contract, it would have taken him decades, or even centuries, to comprehend it on his own, relying solely on his Golden Egg aptitude.

"Buzz!"

Looking at the incomplete talisman in front of him, which was faintly glowing and vaguely outlined with the Dao patterns of heaven and earth, Jin Dan couldn't help but turn his head to look at Chen Beiwu.

"Huh?" (Are you sure this is okay?)

"Don't worry, the cultivation technique I created not only references the Immortal Alliance's Conferring of Gods technique, but also the Incense Refining God technique of the Southern Wilderness, so its safety is fully guaranteed," Chen Beiwu said confidently.

This method of ascending to godhood is based on the "Supreme Primordial Stealing Heaven and Ascending to Immortality Scripture". If all else fails and any unexpected events occur, the golden egg can also reverse the process to return to its original state and then switch back to the Primordial Stealing Heaven and Ascending to Immortality Method.

Golden Egg looked at Schiller with some skepticism.

"Hey!" (No problem!)

Schiller patted his chest, indicating that he had also practiced the "Supreme Primordial Stealing Heaven and Ascending to Immortality Scripture," but the beginning was somewhat difficult.

Moreover, there are three thousand great paths, all leading to the same destination.

To some extent, the Heavenly Stealing Immortal Technique and the Great Shang Dynasty's Conferred God Technique are not much different, so there shouldn't be any problems.

"Huh?" (When did the power grab begin?)

The golden egg opened its mouth and swallowed the incomplete talisman in front of it, carefully sensing the changes in the magical power within its body.

"Let's start tomorrow."

At this point, Chen Beiwu looked at Schiller and asked, "How did the investigation go?"

"That dragon's cultivation is not high, only 9,311 years old, it cannot possibly be a match for the golden egg."

Schiller commented.

"very good."

Chen Beiwu closed his eyes to cultivate, and the night passed quickly.

As dawn broke, Chen Beiwu opened his eyes and sensed an unfamiliar aura.

"Hey!"

Schiller reacted extremely quickly, immediately activating his Bloodline True Form to take the Golden Egg, Iron Egg, Zhiling, and Aji into the inner vision of the Taiyi True Form, while simultaneously concealing all his energy.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

Three breaths later, a knock sounded on the door.

When Chen Beiwu opened the door, he saw a tall, handsome swordsman with striking features standing at the entrance.

"What, don't you recognize me?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, like that of a young girl in her late teens, completely lacking the heroic spirit of a sword cultivator.

"Aunt Shen, what brings you here?"

Chen Beiwu was slightly taken aback, showing the surprise that a Foundation Establishment cultivator should have.

Before replacing Chen Zi'ang, he made thorough preparations using his profound knowledge, becoming familiar with all of Chen Zi'ang's interpersonal relationships, and naturally knowing how to address True Lord Baihong.

"What, you don't like Aunt Shen?"

Shen Yuxia raised her eyebrows slightly and reached out her snow-white, soft hand to gently rub Chen Beiwu's hair.

Chen Beiwu: "————"

He, a dignified Nascent Soul Perfection True Monarch capable of fighting against Divine Transformation True Venerables, was actually patted on the head in public by a little girl at the peak of Nascent Soul.

Where Shen Yuxia couldn't see, Xue Le's eyes brightened slightly, her hands itching to imitate her and pat Bei Wu's head. "Aunt Shen, I'm not a child anymore."

Chen Beiwu took two steps back and frowned as he looked at Shen Yuxia.

Considering the other party's unparalleled beauty and the fact that their appearance is justified, this minor offense can be tolerated.

"Indeed." Shen Yuxia smiled gracefully. "I came here this time at the invitation of your master to protect you and prevent you from being harmed by villains."

"Hey!" (You're really late!)

Schiller mentally scoffed.

"What villain?"

Chen Beiwu pretended not to notice, lest Shen Yuxia see through his act.

Shen Yuxia frowned slightly, her voice filled with surprise, "You can't even see that? How could a mere fourth-tier dragon dare to risk being turned into a karmic dragon by the Great Shang's fortune and cause a torrential rain and flood, submerging half the county, if no one was directing it?"

"What do you mean?" Chen Beiwu feigned surprise.

"Princess Yinling is notoriously petty. Zi'ang, since you are unwilling to associate with her, you will naturally be resented and targeted by her." Shen Yuxia's tone was tinged with disgust.

Among the younger generation of disciples of the Earth Sect, she valued Chen Zi'ang the most.

Even though Chen Zi'ang's talent and aptitude were not particularly outstanding among the younger generation of the Earth Sect, Princess Yinling suddenly intervened.

Upon hearing this, Chen Beiwu fell silent, feeling that Shen Yuxia's existence would introduce some variables into his plans.

"Zi'ang, you don't need to worry. I've come here today to rid you of that karmic dragon."

Shen Yuxia snorted lightly, exuding an air of confidence that she had it all figured out, her words belying no Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Hey!" (Oh no, someone's trying to steal our food!)

Schiller's eyes widened, a sense of foreboding creeping in, and he felt worried about the future of the golden egg.

Chen Beiwu's expression remained unchanged: "There's no need for Aunt Shen to take action; I have my own way of dealing with that karmic dragon."

Are you sure?

Shen Yuxia was somewhat skeptical: "How do you plan to deal with this?"

In other words, she knew Zi'ang's personality very well.

If a Nascent Soul True Monarch heard these words, he would definitely think that the current Foundation Establishment cultivators are arrogant and ignorant, not knowing what it means to be arrogant and ignorant.

"It cannot be said, for if it is said, it will lose its power," Chen Beiwu said mysteriously.

"You've changed quite a bit in the decades since I last saw you."

Shen Yuxia took a step back and looked at Chen Beiwu's face.

"A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days' absence."

Chen Beiwu strode towards the outside of the county government office, leaving behind the words, "If Aunt Shen doesn't believe me, she can come with me."

As Chen Ziang's figure receded into the distance, Shen Yuxia smiled gently.

She had thought that this time she would be taking care of her sister's unruly little brat.

In retrospect, she underestimated the younger generation.

There was one thing Shen Yuxia was very curious about: how exactly would Chen Ziang deal with that karmic dragon without relying on external forces?

Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to take a look.

Shen Yuxia activated her escape light and disappeared into the clouds.

Even if Chen Ziang's plan fails, she is confident that she can handle the mess that follows.

As for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity mentioned by his father, it cannot be rushed; it requires careful planning. The more hasty the plan, the more likely it is to go wrong.

Outside Guanxian County, at the mouth of the Jianjiang River.

The waves surged and rolled, their power astounding.

Li Jin and Guang Yu looked at the five grains, three sacrificial animals, incense, candles, and prayer text in front of them, feeling quite uneasy.

The Dragon King Festival has different levels of scale. The higher the scale, the higher the quality of the five grains, three sacrificial animals, and incense and candles used in the sacrifice.

Logically speaking, offering sacrifices to a fourth-tier dragon king should require at least second-tier spirit grains and three kinds of spirit beasts.

As a result, Magistrate Chen was quite different. The offerings were made of ordinary grains and three common sacrificial animals, and every time they tried to raise the standards, they were directly rejected.

Such bluffing—is this not an attempt to provoke the Dragon King of Jianjiang Estuary and deliberately seek death?

Li Jin and Guang Yu exchanged a glance, then looked at Magistrate Chen standing by the river mouth, ready to flee at any moment.

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