Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

"You have two tasks to accomplish when you take up your post in Luo'an County: first, to reorganize the Luo'an County Night Watch and eliminate all demon forces within its borders; and second, to investigate the mastermind behind the murder of the former Luo'an County Night Watch Chief and his two deputy chiefs," Tie Yangtian said.

"Luo'an County is located on the border of the Desolate State, bordering the Ten Thousand Mountains and the Demon Clan. In recent years, due to the barbarian tribes to the north and the thirty-six island nations to the east of the Divine Dynasty both threatening our borders, our Divine Dynasty has devoted most of its strength to these two sides. As a result, the Demon Clan in the Ten Thousand Mountains has begun to stir." Tie Yangtian sneered, "These beasts."

"Once you take office, don't have any worries. Find out which demons are in Luo'an County and kill them. If you encounter any that you can't handle, report them to your superiors. If we don't teach them a lesson, these demons will really become more and more emboldened!"

"Yes." Gu Chen accepted the order.

The divine dynasty is located in the south, bordering the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The Ten Thousand Mountains are the lair of countless demons.

Among them are demon emperors and demon kings who are capable of fighting against the top experts in the divine dynasty.

The county he was going to take up his post in, Luo'an County, was the outermost county of Zhenshi Prefecture, located on the border of the Divine Dynasty.

It borders directly to the Ten Thousand Mountains, where demons reside.

There is some danger.

From what Tie Yangtian just said.

The former director and two deputy directors of Luo'an County are all dead.

Upon assuming office, he not only had to deal with the demonic forces within the county, but also investigate the cause of death of the three men.

Before taking up his post, he needs to raise his cultivation to the fifth level of the Innate Realm to ensure his safety.

Gu Chen pondered to himself.

"If you can complete these two tasks well, and with the merit of reporting the Black Heaven Cult this time, I will directly promote you to a higher-level position as the head of the Night Watch in the city," Tie Yangtian said.

"Yes, sir," Gu Chen replied.

"Regarding the Black Heaven Cult matter you reported, I've mobilized manpower to carry it out. It may take some time. You go and take up your post first, and I'll let you know when there are results." Tie Yangtian waved his hand, indicating that Gu Chen could leave.

"That young man will head to Luo'an County to take up his post first." Gu Chen bid farewell and left.

After leaving the county town's night watchman's office.

Gu Chen visited three pharmacies selling pills in the county town.

Each family bought about ten sacrificial pills, totaling twenty-nine pills. On average, each pill cost two hundred and eighty taels, which was cheaper than the fifteen pills that Cheng Mengling had bought at a premium in the prefectural city.

Those fifteen coins, each cost an average of three hundred taels.

However, this is a county town, and there are two institutions selling pills competing with Baoyao Pavilion, so it's normal for them to be cheaper.

Both of these organizations selling elixirs have complicated backgrounds; one is backed by Buddhism, and the other by Taoism.

Both Buddhism and Taoism have departments that specialize in alchemy.

The two major powers are ranked above the Pill Sect, so the Pill Sect's Treasure Medicine Pavilion naturally doesn't dare to challenge them.

However, these two major powers only set up offices selling pills in county towns, not in smaller prefecture towns or ordinary cities below them.

Therefore, if you want to buy high-level pills in the future, you will still have to come to the county town.

Twenty-nine pills.

It cost a total of 8,120 taels of silver.

Now, he only had a little over five hundred taels of silver left.

They left Zhenshi County.

Gu Chen found a secluded spot in the wild.

Take out the copper bowl.

Place the last chapter of the Five Thunder Primordial Skill, the Water Thunder Sacrifice Chapter, into the copper bowl.

[The "Water and Thunder Sacrifice Chapter" can be exchanged for insights into the cultivation technique for fifty taels of silver.]

Gu Chen put in fifty taels of silver and directly selected to exchange.

The insights into this cultivation technique instantly flooded into his mind.

Now that his outer four layers of skin, flesh, tendons, and bones are all complete, the final step is to penetrate deep into his internal organs.

This exercise describes how to use innate cold water thunder to penetrate deep into the chest cavity and internal organs, cleanse the turbid qi of the five internal organs, and refine the original source of the internal organs.

Let the power of thunder nourish the internal organs and stabilize the foundation of the five internal organs.

When one is in perfect harmony, the five internal organs are free from impurities, the six bowels are clear and tranquil, and the qi and blood are constantly replenished. The body generates its own water and thunder power, making the internal organs unafraid of evil toxins, coldness, and the erosion of inner demons.

Once the five internal organs are fully refined and perfected.

The five elements of lightning within his body—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—can interact and transform into true essence.

This true essence is called the Five Elements Thunder Power True Essence.

Its power is several times stronger than the true essence generated when one reaches perfection through cultivating other innate techniques.

Moreover, it is naturally the nemesis of evil spirits and demons.

As long as he reaches the Sacrifice Realm of Perfection.

Then true essence can be generated, and lightning can be crushed with a single hand.

Place forty-four sacrificial pills inside.

The copper bowl provides a clue:

Forty-four Grade 5 Innate Cleansing Pills can be exchanged for four hundred and forty days of pure cultivation.

Gu Chen chose to exchange.

Instantly, a powerful cultivation force emanated from the bowl and surged into his body.

He used the Water and Thunder Sacrifice Chapter to transform it into innate cold water and thunder to temper his internal organs and cleanse them of impurities.

His cultivation level was rapidly depleted.

The aura of ancient dust was steadily rising.

After all the medicinal power from the pills had been exhausted.

A terrifying aura emanated from Gu Chen's body.

Within his internal organs, wisps of cold water and thunderous power surged forth, and a faint blue light emanated from his body.

Strength, speed, reaction time, eyesight, and hearing are all enhanced.

Fifth realm of innate cultivation, early stage of the sacrificial realm!

arrive.

Breakthrough to the early stage of the fifth realm of the Innate Realm.

A small amount of water and mine power has already been generated within him.

It can already be fused with the other four types of lightning power to transform into a portion of the Five Elements Lightning True Essence, although the quantity is small.

However, in critical moments, it can withstand attacks from those in the early stages of the True Essence Realm.

This is the benefit of him practicing such a top-level technique.

If he were to use the Five Elements Thunder True Essence to unleash the Demon-Suppressing Blade Technique, he was confident he could kill a powerful expert at the peak of the fifth level of the Innate Realm.

Even without using the Five Elements Thunder True Essence, he could defeat a late-stage expert of the fifth realm of the Innate Realm by relying on his Xuan Iron Body and the five types of thunder power.

With such abilities, he was appointed to a post in Luo'an County.

They should have some ability to protect themselves now.

Gu Chen then focused all his efforts on his journey.

Ten days later.

He then rushed to the border of Luo'an County.

He came alone in secret, without making a big fuss.

We took a side path.

They wanted to see what the current situation was like in Luo'an County.

He needs to deal with the demon forces within Luo'an County. Where should he begin?

Gu Chen arrived outside a village.

This village should belong to a village under the jurisdiction of a town in Luo'an County.

Luo'an County is located near the Shiwan Mountains.

He had been traveling along mountain paths for a long time without encountering any streams, and he was extremely thirsty.

Now there is a village, and I just happened to go to a family to ask for a bowl of water.

We arrived at a farmer's house at the entrance of the village.

Gu Chen knocked on the wooden door made of simple planks and said, "Is anyone home? I'm just passing by and would like to ask for a bowl of water."

Hearing a noise outside the door.

A little girl playing in the courtyard is about to open the door.

He was immediately stopped by an old woman nearby, who cautiously inquired, "Were you just passing by? Or did the Black Wolf Gang come to arrest someone?"

Gu Chen, puzzled by this, replied, "I was just passing by. I've walked a long way through the mountains and I'm very thirsty. I wanted to ask the old lady for a bowl of water."

"Ni'er, go open the door." The old woman glanced at the wooden door.

Seeing that Gu Chen had a handsome appearance and an air of sophistication that set him apart from ordinary people and made him fundamentally different from the thugs of the Black Wolf Gang in town, they gestured for the little girl to go open the door.

Now that Gu Chen has removed his disguise and is showing his true appearance, there is no need for him to continue pretending once he arrives in Luo'an County.

Gu Chen entered the courtyard.

The little girl immediately went and fetched a large ladle of water.

"Grandpa, here's some water." The little girl handed Gu Chen a water ladle made from a gourd.

Then, he curiously looked at Gu Chen.

She wasn't very tall, probably only six or seven years old, and had pigtails; she looked very well-behaved.

Gu Chen looked at the ladle of clean water in front of him, took it directly, and drank it in big gulps.

"Grandpa, slow down, there's more." The little girl hurriedly spoke up when she saw Gu Chen drinking water in such large gulps, afraid that Gu Chen would choke.

After Gu Chen finished drinking, he handed her the ladle: "Could I have another ladle?"

"Okay, sir, please wait a moment." The little girl took the wooden ladle and ran into the house to fetch water for Gu Chen.

Gu Chen looked at the old woman beside him and said, "I wonder what you mean by the Black Wolf Gang that you just mentioned, ma'am? In broad daylight, would any gang dare to come and arrest people at will?"

The old woman sighed upon hearing this and said, "Sir, you don't understand. Our Luo'an County is different from other counties."

"Alas, if it weren't for the fact that I couldn't bear to part with these few acres of land, and that I'm too old to escape with my granddaughter, I would have run away long ago," the old woman began, her eyes brimming with tears.

"This Luo'an County borders the Ten Thousand Mountains of the Demon Clan, and demons often come down from the mountains to eat people."

"In the past, there were officials from the county's Night Watch who would come to subdue the demon, but since the death of the Night Watch Chief and two Deputy Chiefs, no one has come to subdue the demon."

"The constables and guards from the town government were no match for the demons. After several of them died, no one else came."

"In order to reduce the number of demons who randomly come down the mountain to eat people, the Black Wolf Gang in the county town reached an agreement with a group of demon forces in Luo'an County. Every once in a while, they would send a portion of people to these demons for them to eat, and then they would not come down the mountain to eat people on their own."

"The appointed time with the demons is fast approaching, and the Black Wolf Gang will probably be busy capturing people again."

"I see." Gu Chen understood.

I felt that the demons in this border county were truly arrogant.

They openly and brazenly descended the mountain to feed on the people of the divine dynasty.

"Grandpa, here's some water." At this moment, the little girl had already taken the second ladle of water.

Gu Chen took the second ladle of water and drank it.

Glug glug.

After finishing the second ladle of water, Gu Chen asked, "Auntie, what is the agreed-upon time for the next handover between the Black Wolf Gang and those demons?"

"Three days later," the old woman replied.

"Understood." Gu Chen took out one tael of silver from his pocket and handed it to the little girl: "What's your name? This is for the water."

The little girl was stunned when she saw the one tael of silver that Gu Chen took out. Was this really one tael of silver?

She had never seen so much money in her life.

"Grandpa, my name is Daya. I only need two ladles of water. They're worthless. You don't need to pay me." The little girl shook her head and said.

Seeing this, the old woman sensed from Gu Chen's tone that he might be some important figure.

"Sir, there's no need to give us money. As long as you can solve the demons in Luo'an County, my granddaughter and I will thank you for your great kindness on behalf of all the people in the county." The old woman pulled Da Ya over and knelt down directly before Gu Chen.

Seeing this, Gu Chen helped the two of them up.

They forced the silver into the old woman's hand.

Then he turned and left the courtyard.

"You can stay home peacefully these next few days. Don't worry, you won't be forcibly taken to be fed to demons anymore," Gu Chen said. "And it won't be long before there are no more demons in Luo'an County."

They drank the two ladles of water from the grandmother and grandson.

This was his promise to the two of them.