Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike

Chapter 280 Exchange and Departure, in the Dark

The ground was yellowish-brown and shimmered faintly.

Li Xin appeared in front of the steps of the Duobao Pagoda at Dutian Cliff.

"Who is it?"

A guard raised his gun and gave a soft shout.

"Task handover —"

Li Xin took out his token and waved it.

I stepped into the first floor of the Pagoda of Many Treasures.

After the steward cultivator completed the million-merit task, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relaxed both physically and mentally.

This time, they came to Dutian Cliff because they were demoted. They caused such a big commotion in the sect. If they don't complete the punishment mission, they will eventually be unable to escape this great formation.

Li Xin had considered escaping directly, and he was capable of doing so.

But why bother?

If one disobeys the sect leader's orders, in the Tongming Great World, at least in the Mingyue Heavenly Sect, one will be considered a runaway cultivator, wanted by the authorities, and one's identity will be tarnished.

It will be a bit inconvenient to get things done in the future.

Therefore, if it is possible to accomplish something through the proper means, it is better to take the proper path.

Where can I exchange for treasures that allow me to comprehend the laws of nature?

"One million merit points, and it's been achieved so quickly?"

The old steward stared at Li Xin with a pair of suspicious old eyes, but in the end he still processed the mission completion record for him and cleared him of his punishment.

And he answered Li Xin's question reluctantly.

"Fellow Daoist Li Xuan, only cultivators at the Refinement of Void level or above can go up to the fourth floor. If you need to exchange for treasures that help you comprehend the laws, please go to the third floor. However, please heed my advice."

You're still young, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Why not exchange some cultivation techniques and secret arts, learn by analogy, and hone your foundation?

'

"Thank you for your guidance."

Li Xin nodded, but ignored his words.

I went straight up to the third floor.

There are indeed plenty of treasures on this floor.

Li Xin slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged, stacked storage compartments in front of him.

Countless spirit chambers swirled with various colors of spiritual light, exuding the pure spiritual energy of elixirs, magical artifacts, and rare treasures. A vast collection of treasures filled the entire treasury.

He gently stroked the warm merit token at his waist with his fingertips, and the heavy feeling of 1,237,000 merit points came through clearly.

The merits he gained in the final bloody battle far exceeded what he had accumulated from hunting demons over the past few months. He thought that even if it was a top-tier treasure, he could exchange for one or two of them.

His gaze swept quickly across the rows of treasure lists, and a light gray, unremarkable wooden bead instantly caught his eye.

The bead was surrounded by a faint emerald green aura. It appeared simple and unadorned, yet it possessed a transcendent and ethereal quality, making it stand out among the treasures in the room.

The Bodhi beads are priced at a full one million merit points.

Function: When worn, it enhances comprehension and has a remarkable effect on understanding the laws.

These are the only three kinds of rare treasures from beyond the realm remaining in the Dutian Cliff Treasure Vault. They do not increase physical strength or replenish true essence cultivation. Their only wonderful use is to greatly enhance a cultivator's innate comprehension and amplify the subtle Daoist fluctuations in the world.

It is a top-grade treasure for cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm to comprehend the laws and break through the shackles of their realm.

The downsides are that it's expensive and has no protective function whatsoever.

One million merit points can be exchanged here for two Heavenly Secret Techniques or three Heavenly Weapons or Magic Treasures.

It's easy to imagine how expensive these Bodhi beads are.

Aside from saving some time in comprehending the laws, it's nothing special.

Moreover, this item has virtually no effect on cultivators at the Refining Void Realm; it's more of a transitional item, so people generally don't choose it when they need to exchange for something else.

There's one left.

To outsiders, this achievement would be an astronomical expense, a loss that would not be worthwhile. But for Li Xin at this moment, it is the most suitable and irreplaceable treasure.

"Deduct one million merit points to exchange for Bodhi beads."

A clear, deep voice echoed slowly in the silent, empty treasure trove.

The moment the words fell, the high-level spiritual light in front of him surged, and a dazzling white light suddenly bloomed.

The numbers on the token jumped rapidly, and the million merits were instantly erased.

A smooth and delicate Bodhi bead slowly floated out and gently landed in his palm.

A warm sensation arises upon touching the skin, and a pure and gentle Daoist aura instantly flows through the meridians of the palm into the limbs and bones.

In an instant, Li Xin felt his mind become clear and bright. All the obscure and difficult-to-understand Taoist principles and vague bottlenecks in his cultivation became clear and transparent.

The chaotic thoughts in my mind were swept away, and my comprehension was greatly enhanced, as if all the hidden truths in the world had become simple and easy to understand.

The remaining 230,000 merit points, while insufficient to exchange for high-level offensive and defensive Heaven-grade treasures, can be exchanged for top-grade Earth-grade treasures and weapons.

Li Xin didn't look at it much, his gaze sweeping over the objects that nourished his soul.

Li Xin shifted his gaze slightly, locking onto a storage compartment containing spiritual liquid, and said softly, "Exchange for two bottles of Cleansing Spirit Water and three bottles of Departure Dust Pills."

A faint light flashed, and a jade bottle, clear as water and exuding a delicate fragrance, floated down from the air.

Upon opening the stopper, the cool, moist spiritual liquid melted instantly upon entering the mouth, flowing swiftly along the throat and meridians, ultimately converging into the depths of the spiritual platform and soul. The mental strain accumulated from days of bloody battles, the lingering pain in the heart from the fierce fighting, and the mental tension brought on by the battle all dissolved instantly under the nourishment of the spiritual water.

The primordial spirit, which had been somewhat weary, became even more refined and pure.

The Li Chen Pill is a treasure that refines the primordial spirit and accelerates the growth of the yin and yang spirits, comparable to a weakened version of the Seven-Leaf Flower. This thing is basically useless to Li Xin.

He switched them over to do someone a favor.

If any of your friends or family members have reached the primordial spirit stage, this would be a wonderful gift.

Having earned all his merits, Li Xin had no intention of lingering any longer. He turned around, lifted his foot, and stepped out of the treasure vault's stone gate.

It's unclear whether the news of Chu Yuantong and Chu Xuanyou's deaths has reached back.

On the outpost square, the passing cultivators and the dark red-armored soldiers on duty all turned their heads to look.

All eyes were fixed on him, a mixture of deep awe, unspeakable astonishment, and heartfelt fear. In the vast square, not a single person dared to step forward to speak to or stop him.

Ignoring all the gazes around him, Li Xin lightly touched the ground with his toes, his figure rising into the air, the Autumn Water Sword transforming into a ray of clear light surrounding him.

Once they were outside Dutian Cliff, no one stopped them anymore.

The sword light pierced the air and flew north, deliberately avoiding all the territories of the Bright Moon Heavenly Sect and the Yin Moon Dynasty.

A strong wind howled high above, causing his clothes to flutter. Li Xin remained calm and quickly assessed the current situation.

With Chu Yuantong's death and the complete annihilation of the Crimson Blood Flame Wolf, it's as if the Chu family has lost an arm. The Chu family will surely be furious and conduct a thorough investigation.

The old grudges of the Yin Yue Dynasty have not been settled, and they have been biding their time, lying in wait and secretly watching, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

If one were to rashly return to the sect at this moment, it would only draw one into endless strife and waste precious time for enlightenment, which would be utterly unwise.

"I will temporarily retreat from the world and go into seclusion to try to break through the Void Realm and touch the true laws of heaven and earth."

Li Xin muttered to himself, and the sword light accelerated once more, covering a thousand miles in an instant.

Heading north, the terrain becomes increasingly desolate, with all fertile fields and villages vanished, leaving only rolling, desolate mountains, their peaks overlapping and rarely visited by humans.

This place is free from cultivators and demons, making it an ideal place for secluded cultivation and enlightenment.

We found a secluded cliff shrouded in mist, with a flat and open stone platform at the top, and a bottomless abyss below, isolating us from all the noise of the world.

Li Xin sat cross-legged, placed the Bodhi beads in his palm, closed his eyes and concentrated, activating his perfect primordial spirit to perceive the laws and rhythms of this world.

After the primordial spirit is perfected, the path of cultivation has been completely transformed.

It is no longer about refining the physical body and accumulating true essence, but about communicating with heaven and earth, drawing upon the laws, and using the great power of heaven and earth to temper the soul.

Only in this way can one truly open the door to the Void Realm, comprehend the laws, and step into the ranks of Void Refining experts.

After sitting in meditation for half a day, Li Xin's brows slowly furrowed, and a clear look of surprise and disappointment flashed across his eyes.

Even with the Bodhi Beads to greatly enhance his comprehension and the Pure Spirit Water to nourish his soul, the laws of heaven and earth that he could capture were still so weak as to be almost nonexistent.

Those ethereal Daoist charms, like wisps of silk floating about, seem so close yet impossible to grasp.

He slowly opened his eyes, looked up at the heavy, oppressive leaden sky above, and murmured to himself, instantly understanding the key: "So that's how it is."

This alien world is rich in spiritual energy, and the threshold for low-level cultivation is extremely low. The Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul realms are almost indistinguishable, making cultivation incredibly smooth for cultivators.

However, the world had already solidified, high-level laws were firmly sealed, and the Daoist principles were withered and obscure, making them truly difficult to comprehend.

"No wonder each breakthrough requires rare and precious materials to assist it; one cannot succeed by relying solely on self-comprehension."

"No wonder that in this world, there are very few powerful beings above the Refinement Void Realm. Countless patriarchs of top sects can only reach the Refinement Void Realm in their entire lives."

Those who have attained the Mahayana stage are extremely rare, one in thousands of years.

Li Xin suddenly understood and sighed softly, "It's not that there are no geniuses in the world, nor that the cultivation method is flawed, but rather that the laws of this world are not manifest, and the Daoist essence is absent, making it extremely difficult to break through the shackles."

Even with his current perfect foundation, top-notch comprehension, and the blessing of treasures, he still finds it difficult to comprehend and makes progress.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, even with exceptional talent, who spent their entire life sitting in meditation and cultivating, they might not even be able to touch the edge of the laws.

Every cultivator at the Refinement Void Realm should be a genius that appears only once every hundred or thousand years.

Based on this progression, without an extraordinary stroke of luck, he would need at least several decades of secluded practice to have even a slim chance of breaking through to the Void Realm.

For cultivators in this world, decades may just be a blink of an eye.

It only takes the time it takes to take a nap.

In this world, if someone could break through to the Void Refinement stage at the age of several decades, it would be an astonishing miracle.

But for Li Xin's body, which is only less than fifteen years old, this is far too long.

Just as his mind began to stir and he was about to give up his seclusion in the foreign land, a sudden tightness gripped the depths of his mind, and a chilling sense of crisis instantly swept over his entire body.

The secret technique of natal protection against misfortune: a sudden warning!

The killing intent was invisible and intangible, silently enveloping the entire solitary cliff from a thousand miles away. It was cold, obscure, and lurking in the shadows, unseen and intangible, yet it caused his perfect and stable primordial spirit to tremble and the hairs on his body to stand on end.

This was by no means the killing intent of an ordinary cultivator, but rather the concealed targeting of a top-tier expert.

Li Xin's eyes suddenly turned icy cold, and he sprang to his feet in an instant. The Autumn Water Sword Light around him suddenly tightened, revealing its sharpness.

"Is the Chu family patriarch a reclusive powerhouse of the Yin Yue Dynasty?"

He muttered to himself, already having a general idea in his mind. The other party must be a powerful cultivator at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm or even higher, or perhaps possess a skill similar to divination, searching for his location.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Xin raised his hand, took out the Return to Town Hearthstone, and poured spiritual power into it.

A dazzling pure white light instantly swept over his entire body, completely obscuring his aura, tracks, and figure.

The void tore apart in response, and his figure instantly left the alien realm of Dutian Cliff, returning to the original world of the Dharma End.

The light and shadow shifted in an instant, and the scene completely changed.

The desolate, harsh, and oppressive atmosphere of that foreign land completely dissipated, replaced by a gentle and refreshing human breeze. The fragrance of grass and trees, and the aroma of everyday life wafted over, instantly soothing the mind and spirit.

Li Xin landed steadily in the familiar courtyard, his powerful divine sense instantly spreading out and sweeping over every corner of his body.

On the bluestone ground of the courtyard, a slender and upright figure was sitting quietly, adjusting her breathing. Her posture was upright and steady, her blood and qi were condensed and thick, and her breath was long and stable. Compared with half a year ago, she had improved several times, and her foundation was more and more solid.

It was Zhuang Hongxiu.

Sensing the fluctuations in the surrounding space and the unusual aura, Zhuang Hongxiu abruptly stopped her cultivation and opened her eyes.

A surge of surprise instantly filled his clear eyes. His brows lit up, and he quickly stepped forward, his tone carrying a long-lost warmth and relaxation: "Young Master, you're back."

"Hmm." Li Xin nodded slightly, his gaze carefully sweeping over her meridians and aura, discerning her current cultivation progress. His tone carried a hint of approval, "It's been more than half a year since I last saw you, and your cultivation has improved extremely quickly, far exceeding my expectations."

Zhuang Hongxiu smiled faintly upon hearing this, raised her hand and gently stretched her fingertips. A wisp of fine, sharp energy quietly flowed through her, weak yet condensed: "I have been diligently cultivating according to the mental techniques taught by the young master, and now I have completely opened up the Ren and Du meridians, and my body's Great Circulation is complete."

He's stuck at the final hurdle of the Zhongchong Meridian, unable to break through, always lacking that final touch.

"It's not just that your meridians are about to be fully opened." Li Xin's gaze narrowed slightly, his eyes filled with even greater admiration. "Your fingertips conceal sharpness, and your mind focuses on the sword. You have already touched the threshold of martial arts sword intent. This talent is extremely rare."

Zhuang Hongxiu's eyes brightened even more, then she suppressed her smile and said softly, "For the past six months, the capital has been peaceful and calm, the court is stable, there has been no major chaos in the surrounding areas, and the people are also living in peace."

She knew that what her young master cared about most was whether this world was in chaos.

He hasn't been back for so long, there are some things I need to let him know as soon as possible.

Li Xin raised an eyebrow: "Nothing's wrong in the capital. Have there been any unusual movements on the borders or in other regions?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Hongxiu's expression turned serious, and she slowly said, "The capital is indeed stable, but the northeastern border has been somewhat unsettled these days."

"The Japanese overseas have never given up and have been infiltrating the Central Plains in batches. They do not attack cities and seize territories head-on, but secretly infiltrate and erode the foundations. They spread false rhetoric about co-prosperity everywhere to mislead local officials and people."

Many local governments with weak willpower have been completely brainwashed and are secretly leaning towards foreign enemies.

They were provided with shelter, intelligence, and cover for their movements.

Li Xin's gaze suddenly turned cold, his fingertips paused slightly, and a faint murderous glint appeared in his eyes. He asked in a deep voice, "Where are the Azure Dragon Guards?"

"That's all in the past now." Zhuang Hongxiu sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Senior Sister Feiyan personally led a large number of elite Qinglong Guards to the northeastern border to wipe out the foreign enemies. It has been three months since then."

However, the Japanese were too cunning and treacherous, skilled in assassination, sowing discord, bewitching, and infiltration, hiding in the shadows and impossible to find.

The Qinglong Guard's open encirclement and frontal advance were restricted at every turn.

Although many Japanese were killed, some elite troops were also lost. Now the enemy has infiltrated the shadows and is difficult to eliminate, resulting in a stalemate.

o

After hearing the whole story, the temperature around Li Xin suddenly dropped, and his tone was icy cold: "Foreign enemies are secretly infiltrating our territory, and internal traitors are helping us, secretly eroding the foundation of our country. This kind of turmoil is the most insidious and deadly."

If it is not completely eradicated, it will inevitably lead to a major disaster in the long run.

He had already made up his mind to set off immediately to the Northeast to support Cheng Feiyan.

But at that moment, a powerful divine sense swept across the entire capital city, instantly capturing an extremely subtle, sinister, and chilling aura.

The aura was cold and sticky, mixed with the murderous aura of ninjas, the bewitching evil power of Japanese priests, and a faint trace of ghostly filth. It lingered deep within the residence of Li Wenshen, a high-ranking official in charge of law, and was hidden very well.

Ordinary martial artists and cultivators would have no way of noticing it.

"They've also planted spies deep within the capital. When did they infiltrate? Where's my brother? Never mind, he's not strong enough to detect it." Li Xin's tone was icy, a murderous glint in his eyes.

Zhuang Hongxiu's heart tightened suddenly, her expression becoming wary. She quickly asked, "What's wrong? Are there assassins lurking in the city, plotting to cause trouble and kill us?"

"They're not ordinary assassins; they seem to be evil spirits operating in the shadows." Li Xin slowly shook his head. "The Japanese have laid a series of deadly traps in Li Wenshen's mansion, using the allure of beautiful women to bewitch people's minds, and using evil spirits to infiltrate their consciousness and disturb their souls."

Subtly, this distorted the minds of court officials, causing them to unknowingly turn away from their country and become closer to foreign enemies.

Their intention is to infiltrate the core of the imperial court, working from within and without to completely overturn the situation in the Central Plains—a truly shrewd tactic.

Li Xin wasn't worried at all about a direct breakthrough by external enemies. This method of attacking people's hearts and minds and lying in wait for a long time was the most troublesome.

However, that was in the past.

With his current spiritual perception, he possesses formidable strength at the peak of the primordial spirit realm.

Such tactics are nothing more than child's play.