Chapter 9

"Still quite a temper, thinking about getting the Spirit Nourishing Pill to restore cultivation? You really think too highly of yourself."

Zhou Yunyi said indifferently, "Would Lord Lin give him the chance to ascend to the Spirit Nourishing stage and become a threat? Once he goes to Huayin County, he will be given the title of Elder, and then be killed with one hand, and no one will ask any questions."

"Others may not understand the current situation, but we are well aware. The Yellow Heaven Dao suffered a great loss at his hands. Should we inform the Yellow Heaven Dao?"

A young man in his early twenties, who looked quite sharp, said in a low voice, "If the Yellow Heaven Dao and he fight to a stalemate, it will be easier for us to expand in Changjun City, and we can also do Lord Lin a favor. It’s a win-win."

"It’s meaningless. Whether it’s the Yellow Heaven Dao or the Orthodox Dao, they are not on the same path as us. They will only believe what they see."

After Zhou Yunyi spoke, he turned to the cluster of buildings of the Hellfire Sect: "I have already secured the authority to manage Changjun City for you, setting the stage. Whether you can establish your achievements and stand out depends on you."

Several people behind him bowed simultaneously and solemnly replied, "We understand."

...

Gujinlai did not stay long, tidied up with Su Nanxing, and left the Hellfire Sect’s base.

"Master, please give the order."

Su Nanxing, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"Give the order? What to say?"

"I will go and kill him."

Su Nanxing said in a deep voice.

"You can’t kill him."

"He insults you, which is an insult to me!"

"Knowing shame and then becoming brave, then cultivate well and reach the Spirit Nourishing stage soon."

Gujinlai glanced at him: "Not to mention you can’t kill him, if you really kill him, wouldn’t it be obvious that the Hellfire Sect did it?"

"Recently, there have been demons in Changjun City, preying on people at night."

"Demons?"

Gujinlai had been away from Changjun City for over ten days and had only returned the day before, so he hadn’t heard this news.

"Are they minor demons or major demons?"

"The strongest among the victims was at the Condensing Gang stage."

"Too weak."

Gujinlai said, and then had a thought: "Let’s go to the Demon Extermination Hall."

...

Since ancient times, there have been rumors of the Demon Realm.

In the Demon Realm, demon spirits feed on the souls of intelligent beings, causing harm to people.

However, due to their fear of the intense sun, demon spirits rarely appear during the day. Additionally, without physical bodies, they are vulnerable to the secret techniques of spirit cultivation and are often hunted by Celestial Masters who specialize in cultivating their spirit. Thus, demon spirits have never caused significant harm.

However, a hundred years ago, the cracks in the Demon Realm began to multiply, and the number of demon spirits increased dramatically. They merged with fierce and ferocious beasts in nature, gaining physical bodies and greatly enhancing their resistance to the secret techniques of spirit cultivation. Since then, they have been rampant day and night, killing Celestial Masters and causing chaos in the world.

The Daqian Dynasty took decisive action, calling all the fierce and ferocious beasts that had merged with demon spirits "demons," and established the Demon Extermination Hall. They used the Daoist artifact, the Heaven and Earth Map, to reward good and punish evil, summoning all cultivators to kill demons and exorcise evil, in an attempt to reverse the chaos.

However, the physical strength of fierce beasts was inherently formidable, and they had no intelligence, following their wild instincts, making it difficult for them to threaten the dominant position of the human world. But with the merging of demon spirits, fierce beasts became demons, and their physical strength was refined, giving them a powerful innate advantage. In just a hundred years, the lineage of Celestial Masters was almost completely wiped out.

Since then, the world has been in chaos, with demons rampant. The Daqian Dynasty, apart from the core fourteen states, could not spare the resources to deal with the situation, and thus ordered the state governors to recruit and train troops to hunt demons and protect their homes.

This led to a significant increase in the power of the state governors, and the rise of the Ten Demon Sects and Six Immortal Sects, each controlling a region.

The hastily established Demon Extermination Halls in various cities gradually became independent, wielding the power of the Heaven and Earth Map, becoming major forces.

...

The Demon Extermination Hall in Changjun City is composed of six halls and twelve courts, closely connected, with red walls and green trees separating the halls and courts to maintain secrecy.

At this moment, a middle-aged man was leading Gujinlai and Su Nanxing to the main hall.

"Choosing to join our Demon Extermination Hall, Elder Gu, is the wisest decision. Our Demon Extermination Hall is in dire need of talents like you."

"In these chaotic times, as a member of the cultivation world, I should slay demons and eliminate evil, contributing to the stability of the cultivation world."

Gujinlai nodded.

This statement made the middle-aged man, who was leading them, look at him strangely.

It seemed that the words "slay demons and eliminate evil" sounded awkward coming from his mouth.

The two passed by a white jade square, where there was a bustling crowd.

Some people were gathered together, practicing martial arts and teaching techniques, creating a lively scene.

"In today’s world, everyone practices martial arts for self-protection, but ordinary people spend twenty to thirty years strengthening their bodies, only to reach the stage of purifying organs and changing blood. To learn the true secrets of spirit cultivation, one must join a sect or enlist in the military, but both paths involve serving others."

The middle-aged man, who was leading them, said with pride: "In contrast, in our Demon Extermination Hall, as long as you slay demons and establish merit, you can report to the Heaven and Earth Map and receive cultivation techniques, elixirs, and even divine weapons. Although it is dangerous, your fate is in your own hands. In recent years, more and more cultivators have joined our Demon Extermination Hall, and many have reached the Condensing Gang and Embracing Core stages."

Gujinlai came here for this very reason.

The states of Daqian are divided into upper, middle, and lower states.

Despite the lack of organization over the past hundred years, some lower and middle states have developed rapidly, but as one of the four upper states, Xingzhou has always been quite prosperous.

Don’t be fooled by the intense competition among the Hellfire Sect, Cold Moon Sect, Yellow Heaven Dao, and Orthodox Dao in Changjun City; they dare not cross the line and cause chaos within the city.

The City Lord’s Mansion and the Demon Extermination Hall are the true rulers of Changjun City.

The Demon Extermination Hall alone has three Spirit Nourishing cultivators and maintains close ties with other cities’ Demon Extermination Halls, making it a formidable force in Xingzhou.

Not to mention that Xingzhou is still under the control of the state governor, even in Chizhou, which is controlled by the Hellfire Sect, they would not easily offend the Demon Extermination Hall.

Lin Xiao of the Hellfire Sect has been continuously suppressing him, making it difficult for him to resist.

But if he can’t fight back, he can at least avoid the conflict.

It’s a good time for him to turn over a new leaf and join the Demon Extermination Hall.

...

Gujinlai was originally a Spirit Nourishing Elder of the Hellfire Sect, and the one responsible for receiving him was Deputy Hall Master Zhang Xiu.

A true giant among Spirit Nourishing cultivators.

When this Hall Master saw Gujinlai, he was surprised.

After carefully examining him, he said, "Elder Gu... your state seems a bit poor?"

"If I tell you, Hall Master, that I was moved by the cruelty of the Six Desires Demon Technique and disbanded my cultivation, would you believe me?"

Gujinlai said sincerely.

"Ha ha."

Zhang Xiu laughed expressionlessly and did not ask further: "Are you seeking the Spirit Nourishing Pill? You only need to slay three high-ranking demons to earn the merit, and the Heaven and Earth Map can refine the pill for you."

"I believe in the power of the Heaven and Earth Map."

Gujinlai said.

The Daoist artifact, made from innate materials, with Dao patterns derived, has incredible abilities.

The Heaven and Earth Map consists of three main maps and 360 secondary maps. Whenever someone establishes great merit and reports it to the secondary maps, the main map can activate its divine power and bestow elixirs and treasures.

Zhang Xiu took out a jade token carved with mountains and rivers and handed it over: "This is the Heaven and Earth Token. After Elder Gu drops blood on it, you can use it. If you slay demons, the Heaven and Earth Token will automatically record the merit. When Elder Gu’s merit is sufficient, bring the token to me, and I will personally activate the Heaven and Earth Map with the Hall Master to fulfill your wishes, whether it’s refining elixirs or forging weapons."

After speaking, he took out a map: "This is the recent demon activity around Changjun City. Of course, this map is time-sensitive and is only for reference."

"Thank you, Hall Master Zhang."

"Killing more demons is the greatest gratitude you can show me."

Zhang Xiu said with a smile.

He was not lying.

The Heaven and Earth Map indeed has a quota for demon extermination each year.

With the number of Celestial Masters specializing in spirit cultivation decreasing, some Demon Extermination Halls have been abandoned by the Heaven and Earth Map due to their inability to slay enough demons to meet the quota.

If the Heaven and Earth Map cannot be activated, no one will work for the Demon Extermination Hall, and over time, the hall will become a mere name, and they will lose their exalted status.

---

(As the new book has fewer words, you can check out Chengfeng’s older books. In recent years, Chengfeng has been most fond of "The Glorious Heavenly Dao Supreme Sword Sect," which has a complete story and a moderate length, making it perfect for avoiding reading fatigue.)