Chapter 17: City-Annihilating Beast Tide [Third Update]

“Senior, your generous invitation is hard to refuse; naturally, I have no objections,” Yang Dai replied with a smile. His agreement stemmed from two reasons: first, the demeanor of the Yin followers revealed that Master Tiansu was upright; second, refusal might bring enmity.

Master Tiansu nodded with a smile, then led the woman in the bamboo hat aside, settling down against the bamboo to meditate.

Yang Dai continued his cultivation, instructing Tian Bu Zhong and the other two to keep practicing the sword formation.

Master Tiansu watched for a while before closing his eyes. As for the bamboo-hatted woman, her face remained hidden, and it was unclear whether she was observing the sword formation.

The days returned to tranquility.

Half a day later.

Master Tiansu suddenly offered guidance to Tian Bu Zhong and his companions. Enlightened, the three followed his advice, their sword techniques flowing more smoothly, and the embryonic form of the sword formation began to emerge.

Liu Junjie watched with envy, nearly drooling; he longed to practice swordsmanship.

Yang Dai regarded Master Tiansu with newfound respect. This master was truly accomplished—just a casual pointer from him yielded such results.

If only he could recruit him as a Yin follower...

Yang Dai dared not dwell on the thought, fearing it might betray his ill intent.

By dusk, Tian Bu Zhong, Bai Wei, and Cheng Hungry Ghost could already perform a basic version of the Heavenly Gang Great Luo Sword Formation. Its power was formidable, able to reduce several bamboo stalks to splinters in a single stroke.

This was merely the initial effect, and as the number of participants increased, the formation's power would only grow!

As night deepened, Yang Dai looked toward Master Tiansu with some hesitation.

He took a deep breath, rose, and approached Master Tiansu, saying, “Senior, since you know of the outsiders, I may need to disappear for a while and reappear tomorrow.”

Master Tiansu opened his eyes, face warm and gentle, stroking his beard as he replied, “Go ahead, young friend. You need not feel constrained. You may leave whenever you wish; I am in no position to restrict you.”

Yang Dai clasped his fists respectfully, then turned to his Yin followers and chose to exit the Deep Domain.

The moment he vanished, all twenty-nine Yin followers disappeared as well.

Master Tiansu smiled, then closed his eyes.

The bamboo-hatted woman suddenly asked, “Master, this youth’s abilities are rather strange. Might he become a threat in the future?”

Master Tiansu replied calmly, “Straying onto the wrong path is never a matter of talent. The road a person walks is shaped by their heart. Whether he becomes a threat, I cannot say, but until he actually strays, we cannot define him. Outsiders all possess unique gifts. Over the years, you’ve witnessed many by my side. How can you still make such definitive judgments about his character?”

The bamboo-hatted woman hesitated briefly. “He commands so many ghost soldiers. Their origins are hard to guess.”

“Then let us observe further,” Master Tiansu replied casually. Hearing this, the woman said no more and focused on her cultivation.

...

Back in reality, Yang Dai summoned Tian Bu Zhong, Bai Wei, Cheng Hungry Ghost, Shi Long, and Ying Ji, instructing them to meditate and cultivate in the living room, making full use of their time. Yin followers needed no rest; their cultivation also contributed to Yang Dai’s own progress.

Yang Dai himself settled onto the sofa, searching for information about Master Tiansu online.

What he found surprised him.

Master Tiansu was famous!

One of Xia Nation’s Pillars had received guidance from Master Tiansu. According to netizens’ speculation, Master Tiansu might be the most powerful figure in the Great Xia Dynasty.

The Deep Domain was vast, far greater than Earth. Most Xia Nation’s trialists were based in the Great Xia Dynasty. Both shared the character ‘Xia,’ which was a focal point for conspiracy theorists on TianNet.

The cultivation realm within the Great Xia Dynasty was equally immense. To be regarded as the strongest—just how powerful was Master Tiansu?

Void Realm?

Soul Refining Realm?

Yang Dai was thrilled, grateful he hadn’t refused Master Tiansu.

He began to anticipate what techniques Master Tiansu might teach him.

He browsed further, keeping abreast of the latest developments among trialists.

Though he had been in the Deep Domain for some time, his contact with other trialists was limited, as he was always wandering the wilds. He needed to stay alert to major events in the cultivation world. The overall situation was crucial; if the Great Xia Dynasty began hunting trialists or ghost cultivators and he kept wandering about, disaster would surely follow.

Xia Nation still had over a billion people, though most were quite young. Registered trialists numbered only a hundred million, as the Deep Domain was perilous. If unlucky, one might land right beside a monster; even if one survived, registration as a trialist was required to serve and defend the nation.

This policy was born of necessity. Earth’s plants and animals evolved too rapidly, with over fifty interworld nodes discovered annually. Besides dangers within Earth, humanity had to guard against evil forces from other realms. Three years ago, Earth saw the emergence of powerful monsters, forcing nations to conscript newly adult students into the Deep Domain. In Xia Nation, most high school seniors were eighteen. Classes were sorted by age, and each month, all students who turned eighteen were sent into the Deep Domain. Besides students, any adult citizen could enter at any time, obtaining the mark for entry at local Deep Domain bureaus.

Yang Dai became engrossed in his online surfing.

About half an hour passed before Hu Li personally brought Yang Dai his dinner.

“This is a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills, premium grade, specifically for cultivators in the Qi Gathering realm. They are extremely valuable in the Deep Domain. Take one daily—after finishing this bottle, you should be able to break through two minor realms,” Hu Li said, handing Yang Dai a small white jade bottle. His introduction made Yang Dai’s eyes light up.

“Will there be more after I finish these?” Yang Dai asked.

Hu Li shot him a glare, replying with annoyance, “Of course not. There’s only this one bottle. Ordinary trialists must make major contributions to earn even one pill. I had to beg shamelessly to get a bottle. Although Master Li is adept at alchemy, medicinal herbs are rare on Earth. Most are gathered by trialists venturing into other realms. Just this bottle alone is worth ten billion Xia Nation coins!”

Yang Dai was stunned, carefully opening the bottle.

Hu Li was satisfied with his reaction. Though he had exaggerated, this premium Qi Gathering Pill was indeed something money alone couldn’t buy.

He glanced at the four Yin followers meditating; two death row inmates were gone, suggesting Yang Dai had encountered something in the Deep Domain.

“Start taking them today; don’t delay. Reality is unpredictable—any day, a powerful monster could attack us. You must become stronger as quickly as possible. Good luck, Yang. The future of Hanxi Province depends on you,” Hu Li said, patting Yang Dai’s shoulder before leaving. Yang Dai failed to notice the fatigue in his voice.

Yang Dai found ten pills inside, meaning that in ten days, he’d at least reach the third level of the Qi Gathering realm.

Is this the power of spending money?

Tian Bu Zhong and Bai Wei looked at him with complicated expressions.

...

Hu Li returned to his office, opened his computer, and initiated a video call with headquarters. On the screen appeared an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit, hair white, expression stern.

“The situation in Hanxi Province is far from optimistic. Recently, the monsters on Xiya Mountain have been moving en masse, drawing closer to Hanxi Province. We cannot rule out the possibility of a beast tide attacking the city. Your intelligence bureau must remain vigilant—at the first sign, notify the trial bureau to prepare for battle.”

After hearing the old man’s words, Hu Li quickly assured him that he would not slack off.

The old man continued, “I’ve reviewed the report on the ‘King’s Might Never Crosses the River’ talent. Though it’s SS-grade, it’s not as impressive as other talents of the same tier. His strength depends mainly on the five Yin followers. Perhaps he’ll grow stronger over time, but for the next few years, I doubt he’ll become a major force. The bottle of Qi Gathering Pills I secured for you—you may want to give it to other A-level trialists, especially sword cultivators. That way, when facing a possible city-destroying beast tide, they can help hold the line.”

Hu Li frowned. “I’ve already given it to him. I believe his talent is powerful. In the future, he may command more than just five Yin followers. SS-grade talents certainly have hidden depths.”

The old man snorted, “Well, since you’ve given it, so be it. I hope you won’t regret it later. Tomorrow, contact the bureau chiefs of neighboring provinces. See if you can borrow some forces for Hanxi Province. My gut tells me that thing on Xiya Mountain has been plotting for a long time. That’s all.”

The video call ended.

Hu Li pulled out a cigarette, picked up his lighter, and walked to the window. He lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and squinted at the night sky.

A sigh echoed in the office.