Chapter 18

The corpse of the white-faced demon was split into two halves, but due to the right arm being severed earlier, the two halves were not symmetrical.

Jiang Wang landed before the corpse, loosened his grip, and the long sword split into countless fragments, scattering to the ground.

Its mission was complete.

This sword, made of ordinary material, could not withstand the prolonged infusion of Dao essence.

Jiang Wang once again clearly felt that the Heavenly Passage Palace was empty. Those lively and adorable little things were all gone.

Before the unowned gray mist spread, Jiang Wang returned to the main road. He noticed that part of the mist had escaped to the side of the road but was blocked by an invisible force, slowly dissipating.

Jiang Wang knew that it must be the power of some array pattern engraved on the main road.

After a while, the rumbling thunder grew louder, and Zhang Lincuan leaped a few times, landing beside Jiang Wang.

"Did you not leave this place, Junior Brother Jiang?" he asked.

Despite the battle, his attire remained neat, and even his hair was meticulously maintained. His every move exuded grace.

"I encountered... the demon from Tangshe Town earlier."

"He would definitely come to retrieve the blood you shed; otherwise, he would have to flee from the State of Zhuang."

"I killed him."

Zhang Lincuan's eyebrows shot up: "What?"

Jiang Wang pointed in the direction where the white-faced demon had been slain: "I'm not sure if the corpse is useful or if it can provide any clues."

Zhang Lincuan recovered from his surprise and shook his head: "These people have incomplete souls; even soul-searching them in life is useless, let alone in death. I just killed a few, and it was the same."

"Is that so." Jiang Wang did not feel disappointed. For him, killing the white-faced demon was enough.

He did not blame Zhang Lincuan for choosing to pursue the enemy first instead of staying to protect him. He was not some weak person who needed protection, and Zhang Lincuan was not his nanny.

Moreover, if not for the pressure from Zhang Lincuan, the white-faced demon would not have lacked the will to fight and chosen to flee immediately. His companions would not have given Jiang Wang the chance to fight alone.

Zhang Lincuan glanced at the place where the gray mist had dissipated, sighing: "The array pattern on this section of the main road has been corroded. It must be reported to the authorities so they can send people to repair it quickly."

The two horses had not been frightened away. Jiang Wang flicked the reins, and the horses trotted lively.

At this moment, he felt that within the Heavenly Passage Palace, from some unfathomable place, Dao essence began to roll down, one after another, a total of five. They were fuller and rounder.

Though it did not fully replenish the previous consumption, it was still a pleasant surprise.

At this moment, he understood more deeply the lessons given by the senior Daoists.

Dao essence, the beginning of the Great Dao. The birth of Dao essence is not simply the sublimation of qi and blood, but the perfect fusion of intent and power, the most genuine reflection of the spirit of all things to the essence of heaven and earth.

...

When they returned to the Dao Academy, it was still early. The two of them went directly to Dong A's courtyard to report.

The door was open, but the courtyard was empty, with only Fang Heling pacing about, looking bored.

Seeing the two of them enter empty-handed, his eyes lit up.

Fang Heling first politely greeted Zhang Lincuan, then said in a seemingly consoling tone: "It seems that Brother Zhang did not gain much from this trip... Even for a genius like Brother Zhang, bringing a new recruit who knows nothing is quite a challenge."

He certainly did not consider himself a new recruit. The Fang family, a century-old lineage, had produced many cultivators. He was familiar with the battles between cultivators. What could this Jiang, from a small town, know?

Jiang Wang ignored him.

Zhang Lincuan, however, had the leisure to tease: "Oh? It seems that Heling had a good harvest."

"It went fairly smoothly." Fang Heling reluctantly humbled himself, then eagerly began to boast.

It turned out that when they went to the Fuli Inn to investigate, someone was secretly watching. However, Li Jianqiu boldly attacked and captured the person. A probe that initially seemed fruitless suddenly had a direction because of this live capture!

Of course, the extent of Fang Heling's contribution was debatable.

"Where is Junior Brother Li?" Zhang Lincuan asked.

Fang Heling was somewhat awkward for a moment before saying: "He's in the room; Master Dong is using a secret method to soul-search him."

Dong A was soul-searching, Li Jianqiu was attending, and Fang Heling did not even have the qualifications to observe... His contribution on this trip was evident.

Zhang Lincuan and Jiang Wang did not want to disturb, so they waited in the courtyard with Fang Heling.

Jiang Wang remained silent, closing his eyes to send the Dao essence in the Heavenly Passage Palace to its proper position, while Zhang Lincuan and Fang Heling chatted intermittently.

Fang Heling was naturally pleased. After all, Dong A had previously said that the mission Dao merit would be divided one to nine. Jiang Wang clearly had no gains, while they brought back a live capture. This was the first step in creating a gap.

After a short wait, Dong A, dressed in a black Dao robe, walked out with Li Jianqiu.

Meeting Fang Heling's expectant gaze, Li Jianqiu shook his head.

Dong A said: "This person has an incomplete soul; I only obtained some scattered fragments, which are not significant."

Fang Heling rushed to show off: "With such thorough precautions, these people must be part of a well-organized group! This matter is not simple!"

Dong A neither confirmed nor denied, just looking at Zhang Lincuan.

Zhang Lincuan then described what happened after they went to Tangshe Town, without any embellishment. As for the details of Jiang Wang's two battles with the white-faced demon, Dong A would not ask, and Jiang Wang did not need to say.

He was a genuine Dao Academy student, not a criminal, and did not need to be interrogated.

Dong A nodded: "Jiang Wang did well."

This sounded cold, but to those familiar with Dong A's character, it was a rare compliment.

This mission, where both teams led by Zhang Lincuan and Li Jianqiu submitted new leads but had no follow-up, could not be considered a success. However, Dong A allocated five points of Dao merit to each of them as an incentive.

For Zhang Lincuan and Li Jianqiu, they were only leading new students in their first mission. Gains were better, but no gains were also fine. Their seniors had done the same for them.

For Jiang Wang and Fang Heling, five points of Dao merit were not insignificant, equivalent to half-completing a low-level Ninth Rank mission.

Ninth Rank missions awarded between ten and one hundred points of Dao merit, while Eighth Rank missions awarded between one hundred and five hundred points, depending on the difficulty of the mission.

Dong A was decisive. After determining that the mission had temporarily ended, he dismissed the students.

After the meeting, Fang Heling urged Zhang Lincuan and Li Jianqiu to have a few drinks. Jiang Wang thought for a moment and decided to go to the Dao Merit Hall to take a look.

...

The Dao Merit Hall was located opposite the Sacrificial Hall, highlighting its importance.

The entire hall was empty except for a Dao Merit List, glowing faintly, hanging on the altar.

There was no guard, as the Dao Merit List had its own protective power. It was a spiritual treasure, or more accurately, a sub-list of the main Dao Merit List in the national Dao Academy, which received the Dao merit from the entire country.

Jiang Wang came here just to broaden his horizons.

Before the Dao Merit List stood a medium-sized, hemp-clothed Daoist, hands folded in front of him, lost in thought.

From behind, his face was not visible, but in the Inner Academy, anyone Jiang Wang was not familiar with had a higher cultivation level.

Because they were all his seniors.

Jiang Wang did not disturb him, walking to the Dao Merit List on his own, focusing his mind, and gazing at the list. The clear light rippled slightly, and a flood of information flowed through his mind.

This was just a sub-list, showing only the information related to the Maple Forest City Dao Academy. The main Dao Merit List was said to encompass everything, but that was still far from Jiang Wang.

The exchange options on this Maple Forest City Dao Academy sub-list were numerous, enough to make Jiang Wang's eyes dazzle. However, the prices of the exchange items made him want to turn and leave.

The cheapest Meridian-Opening Pill cost one hundred Dao merit points per pill, and its value was certainly not just that. As Dao Academy students, they received some support from the Dao sect. The second Meridian-Opening Pill cost one thousand five hundred Dao merit points, which was its true price.

In addition, the cheapest standard magical sword required five hundred Dao merit points!

Jiang Wang looked at his five Dao merit points... Well, he came here just to broaden his horizons.

The Dao Merit List, being a list, naturally had rankings. Jiang Wang then noticed that Zhang Lincuan, whom he considered unfathomable, was only ranked third on the Maple Forest City Dao Merit sub-list.

The second place was held by Wei Yan, who was not a Dao Academy student but a military officer in the city guard. From his name, he might have some connection to Wei Qiju.

The top-ranked Zhu Weiwu, with one thousand three hundred Dao merit points, was also the acknowledged senior brother of the entire Maple Forest City Dao Academy, always elusive. Jiang Wang had only heard of him but never seen him.

The second-ranked Wei Yan had only seven hundred Dao merit points, not much more than Zhang Lincuan, but both were far behind Zhu Weiwu.

Jiang Wang flipped through the list further and found Li Jianqiu at the seventeenth position, then disconnected from the Dao Merit List.

"Newly joined junior brother?"

The senior brother seemed to be waiting for him on purpose.

Jiang Wang turned at the sound of the voice and saw a warm, smiling face.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Jiang Wang, newly admitted to the Inner Academy."

"You are also well. I am Wang Changxiang." Wang Changxiang's appearance was not outstanding, but his smile made him very approachable. "See you next time."

"Goodbye." Jiang Wang's heart stirred. In the Dao Merit List he had just checked, this person was ranked seventh, far above Li Jianqiu.

Of course, the Dao Merit List only recorded Dao merit, not personal strength. But in a certain sense, it could reflect something.

In the Outer Academy, he and his sworn brothers were outstanding, invincible. In the Inner Academy, he realized the vastness of the sky and the thickness of the earth.

Among those he had encountered so far, Li Jianqiu, Zhang Lincuan, and Wang Changxiang, each with a different aura, were all outstanding. Jiang Wang knew he was far from their level.

If just the Maple Forest City Dao Academy produced so many talents, what about the entire Qinghe Prefecture, or even the entire State of Zhuang?

And those renowned figures, the pride of the nations, what kind of demeanor must they have?

Thinking of these things did not discourage Jiang Wang; instead, it ignited boundless fighting spirit in him.

At least now, he had already stepped onto the path of the extraordinary, standing on the same stage as those shining figures. What was there to fear?