After dealing with his formidable enemy, Chen Xin finally found a moment to look at his waist, where he had tied the Subordinate Insects wrapped in cloth. At this moment, a large hole had been corroded through the fabric by the venom from the exploding Child Gu. If the eruption had happened at the location where the Child Gu was previously parasitic, Chen Xin would have temporarily lost the use of his left arm.
Chen Xin channeled his Divine Illumination Internal Power, sending surging streams of warmth toward his waist. The Inner Strength that had just shattered bones, melted flesh, and extinguished life now transformed into healing True Qi. It regenerated Chen Xin’s flesh and blood, replenished his Qi, and nourished his blood, completely restoring the wound on his waist to its original state.
Following this, Chen Xin did not directly retract the Divine Illumination Internal Power back into his Dantian. Instead, he dispersed it through his limbs and bones, explored every tiny meridian, soaked his muscles, and finally pushed it to his skin, letting it exit through the tips of his hair. Every battle left behind imperceptible hidden injuries on the physical body, so conditioning the physique was exceptionally important. If one ignored this, the accumulated hidden injuries would erupt during a breakthrough in Realm. A mild consequence would be a failed breakthrough, while a severe one could cost a person their life. Conditioning the body was quite troublesome for ordinary people, but for Chen Xin, it was merely a matter of moving his Divine Illumination Internal Power through a full Circulation.
Finishing his Circulation, Chen Xin exhaled the foul air from his chest. He felt that the Essence, Qi, and Spirit in every part of his body were abundantly full. He thought, "It truly is an essential Jianghu Divine Skill for home, travel, murder, and arson!" Chen Xin was truly grateful that he had chosen such a Cultivation Skill back then; otherwise, he would not have even survived the ordeal at the Mountain God Temple.
Moreover, the Divine Illumination Skill had not yet unleashed its maximum efficacy. Once it reached Great Success, he could snatch even the dead back from King Yama. Of course, such a heaven-defying ability to bring the dead back to life had its limits. The Divine Illumination Skill could only reshape the life force of someone who had just died, reversing Yin and returning them to Yang. But this point alone was enough to stand above the Martial World. After all, how many types of Inner Power could achieve such a feat?
After descending the mountain, Chen Xin left some silver coins with a farmer at the foot of the peak and obtained a change of clothes. His previous Flying Fish Robe had long been ruined in the battle. There was no way he could enter the city wearing those tatters. Returning to the inn where he had previously stayed, Chen Xin changed into a new Flying Fish Robe in his Heaven Layer Room. He packed his luggage, took Guu Ao’s severed head, and led his horse back to the Capital City. Chen Xin traveled at an unhurried pace. His leisurely and carefree demeanor didn’t resemble a member of the Divine Robe Guard at all; instead, he looked like a young master from a noble family playing around in the mortal world.
His Divine Illumination Skill also made a breakthrough during the journey back to the Capital City, making the True Qi in his Dantian even more abundant. Previously, the Inner Strength from the Breathing and Nourishing Qi Technique had already filled his Dantian, but the refinement level of the Divine Illumination Internal Power was several times greater. Therefore, after converting it into Divine Illumination Internal Power, the quality far exceeded what it was before, but the total volume had actually decreased. Now that Chen Xin had replenished his Dantian Internal Power, his overall strength had risen to another level accordingly:
[Name: Chen Xin]
[Talent: A Man among Men]
[Realm: Inner Realm]
[Evaluation: Integration]
[Martial Arts: Divine Illumination Skill, Breathing and Nourishing Qi Technique, Meteor Meteor Body Technique, Hundred Victory Saber Technique]
Minor Achievement → Integration.
Such an Evaluation was already the absolute limit of the Inner Realm Level. If he wanted to improve further, he would need to turn the ethereal into the tangible, return from the Acquired to the Innate, and use his Inner Dantian to communicate with the Outer Heaven and Earth, thus stepping into the Outer Realm Level.
The next day.
Chen Xin arrived at the Capital City to report on his duties. The Divine Robe Guard was divided into the North and South Departments. The Northern Department handled matters of investigation, interrogation, and the Imperial Prison, while the Southern Department managed the guard’s military discipline, laws, and household registers. At the Northern Office, the vermilion gates stood solemn and majestic, symbolizing the immense power bestowed by the Emperor.
The Captain guarding the gate hastily came forward to take his horse, while Chen Xin went inside to officially hand in his assignment. Coming out of the records room, several Senior Commanders who were well-acquainted with Chen Xin came forward to greet him. Even before Chen Xin had arrived, the news of his thousand-mile pursuit and eventual slaying of the Blood Demon, Guu Ao, in Quyang had already been relayed back to the Capital City by the Wind-Catching Secret Agents. The Wind-Catching Secret Agents specialized in intelligence, communication, reconnaissance, and surveillance. Like the Divine Robe Guard, they were the Emperor’s personal guards. Whenever the Divine Robe Guard went out on a mission, they mostly relied on the intelligence of the Wind-Catching Secret Agents. The two factions cooperated frequently and shared an intimate relationship. His two friends had obtained the news precisely from the Wind-Catching Guard.
"Old Jiangg, Old Yan!" Chen Xin’s eyes lit up when he saw his two friends. Senior Commander Mr. Jiangg Hengchuan and Senior Commander Mr. Yan Chong were colleagues Chen Xin had known since he was a Junior Commander. In recent years, all three of them had been promoted to Senior Commander.
The burly Jiangg Hengchuan came up and gave Chen Xin a bear hug before showering him with praise, "Junzhang, when the Wind-Catching Guard passed on the news, I wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
"The Blood Demon wreaked havoc across the Zhending and Hejian Prefectures, coming and going like a shadow. So many Young Heroes of the Orthodox World who wanted to slay demons and eradicate evil couldn’t even find a trace of him. But I knew that once you took action, it wouldn’t be a problem at all!"
To the side, Yan Chong didn’t make any grand gestures; he merely gave Chen Xin a look that said he had done a good job. Chuckling, he said, "Old Jiangg, you’re wrong about that. Many of those wet-behind-the-ears youngsters actually had the good luck to find the Blood Demon..."
"Heh heh, good luck? You call those who died at Guu Ao’s hands in the desolate wilderness—whose corpses were unrecognizable by the time they were found—having good luck?" Jiangg Hengchuan retorted sarcastically, unable to hold back his laughter.
In the pursuit of eliminating demons and defending the right path, the Court contributed no less than the Orthodox World. Yet, those Young Heroes of the Orthodox World enjoyed widespread fame for their chivalry, while the Divine Robe Guard remained universally despised as "the Court’s lapdogs."
"Guu Ao indeed possessed a vicious, hidden technique. It’s not surprising that those Young Heroes of the Orthodox World accidentally fell for it," Chen Xin said, shaking his head.
"What kind of vicious technique?" Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong asked curiously. This was firsthand information from the person involved—even the Wind-Catching Guard didn’t know about it!
Chen Xin spat out three words: "Throat Arrow Skill!"
"It’s actually that skill!"
Hearing this, Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong had to think for a while before recalling the relevant information. Although the Throat Arrow Skill was an unranked Martial Art of the Lower Ninth Grade, it had its own unique aspects. In daily life, the practitioner had to hide a poisoned arrow under their tongue while speaking and making sounds completely normally, concealing it seamlessly. Once triggered, the poisoned arrow would shoot from the mouth like a thunderbolt, delivering a completely unexpected and fatal strike!
"To think there are actually people who practice such a sinister and damaging skill," one of them said.
"Wasn’t he afraid of piercing his tongue and rotting his mouth with the poisoned arrow before he could master it?" the other added.
Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong chimed in one after another, clicking their tongues in amazement.
The three chatted for a while longer until suddenly, a Junior Commander hurried over with swift footsteps. "Greetings, Lords Senior Commander," he greeted the three before looking at Chen Xin in the middle. "My Lord, Lord Purple Gold summons you. He is waiting for you in the Inner Hall."
Below the Commander, the Divine Robe Guard was structured into several ranks: Purple Gold, Gold Order, Silver Order, Copper Order, Senior Commander, and Junior Commander. The one in charge of the entire Northern Department was precisely this Purple Gold Divine Robe, making him Chen Xin’s highest superior.
Chen Xin nodded to show his understanding. "Alright, I will head over immediately."
"Your subordinate will take his leave." Having delivered the message, the Junior Commander didn’t linger and swiftly departed.
"Junzhang is going to be promoted to a Copper Order!" Jiangg Hengchuan and Yan Chong laughed. The two of them couldn’t be clearer on why Lord Purple Gold had summoned him. They immediately cupped their fists in advance to congratulate him. Afterward, the two bade their farewells. They had only come to catch up because they hadn’t seen Chen Xin in a long time. They still had duties to attend to, so it was the right time to leave.
Chen Xin strode into the Government Office. Following his memory, he passed through the corridors and Moon Gates, heading straight into the Inner Hall.
A man in his early forties sat steadily at the head of the room. He was striking and imposing, exuding a commanding presence without showing any anger. His official uniform was immaculately tidy, and his bright, piercing eyes remained utterly tranquil, as if absolutely nothing in the world could shake his resolve. This person was none other than the renowned Purple Gold Divine Robe Luoi Yangyi. In the Capital Divine Robe Guard, everyone from Gold Order to Copper Order was under his command.
"Chen Xin, the Blood Demon rampaged through the Zhending and Hejian Prefectures, killing people and drinking their blood. He was a man with a long record of heinous crimes. You hunted him down single-handedly and slew the scoundrel within half a month. This is a great deed. Effective today, you are promoted to Copper Order!" Luoi Yangyi got straight to the point, his voice authoritative. He waved his hand and signaled, "Someone come in."
A Captain waiting outside brought in a jade tray. On the tray, a copper Waist Token engraved with cloud patterns weighed down a brand-new official uniform. This was the standard equipment for a Copper Order Divine Robe.
"Furthermore, those newly appointed to the Copper Order may go to the upper four and lower four levels of the Secret Vault to select a Martial Arts Secret Manual and a Divine Weapon." Having said that, Luoi Yangyi looked at Chen Xin, his tone softening slightly. "You may enter the Secret Vault with this token. Remember, act according to your capability and heart. Divine Weapons and Martial Arts should not be judged solely by their Grade; true value lies in their essence, not in superficial cleverness. Alright, you may step down."
"Yes, I will strictly remember Your Lordship’s teachings. Your subordinate takes his leave." Chen Xin bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
Watching Chen Xin’s figure as he gradually walked away and disappeared, Luoi Yangyi flipped through the intelligence report submitted by the Wind-Catching Guard and murmured to himself, "Yunsheng, his style of handling things is looking more and more like yours."
Chen Qix, courtesy name Yunsheng. He was Chen Xin’s father, a Silver Order Divine Robe, and a subordinate to Luoi Yangyi back when Luoi Yangyi was still a Gold Order. He had died in battle in the Northwest.