Yaoguang quickly operated his device and tapped on a video.
First came a brief self-introduction from Xia Wuyuan.
Immediately after, he cut straight to the point.
"It is with a heavy heart that I inform everyone: beyond what our eyes can see, an even deeper terror lurks in the shadows of this world. Borrowing an existing term, I refer to them as demons.
"These demons operate within our world, perhaps burdened with some mission, perhaps kept in captivity by someone, or perhaps... merely for the thrill of slaughter. But the harm they inflict on society is so colossal that it cannot be ignored under any circumstances.
"A year ago, Dayu had six hundred thousand missing persons. This year, that figure has multiplied tenfold. The root culprit behind all of this is demons.
"Concealing themselves among human society under the guise of ordinary people, they have established corporations—such as Yulong International and Longquan Real Estate—and operated factories, such as..."
Watching Xia Wuyuan in the video, Yaoguang felt somewhat puzzled.
Why would he do this?
"Did the royal family fail to give any positive response?" Yaoguang asked.
"It certainly looks that way," Yue Xingzhou replied. "The royal family's refusal to give a positive response obviously stems from their own considerations. Perhaps the Rebirth Society is simply too powerful, and exposing them would back them into a corner like cornered dogs jumping over a wall, causing catastrophic losses. Or perhaps the royal family has their own plan to whittle away and eradicate the Rebirth Society step by step. Xia Wuyuan choosing to expose the Rebirth Society's existence like this... it is the most thankless approach imaginable."
Hearing this, Yaoguang fell silent for a moment.
Having already learned the truth from the Jishi Society, he naturally understood why the royal family had refrained from dealing with it openly.
Addressing it in broad daylight...
Would inevitably escalate the conflict, perhaps even forcing Dayu to face direct retaliation from Chixing.
That was a scenario Dayu desperately wanted to avoid.
Rather than that, it was far better to strike in secret—reporting the Rebirth Society to the Jishi Society the moment they were uncovered, letting a "nongovernmental organization" like the Jishi Society step in to root them out.
"Now, Xia Wuyuan is in serious trouble. The best outcome for him is being locked away for good, never to see the light of day again. If things go worse..."
Yue Xingzhou paused here.
Yet Yaoguang had already guessed what he meant.
After pondering for a brief moment, he said, "Let's wait and see for now."
"That's all we can do... Ah, the relevant departments have already taken action and started scrubbing the posts. Although Xia Wuyuan was well prepared and seemingly used software to broadcast the message across nearly every platform in an instant, such preparations mean nothing before the state apparatus."
Yue Xingzhou spoke with regret in his tone.
Vaguely, there was even a trace of worry.
Yaoguang said nothing more.
He hung up the phone and promptly turned to Zong Yan beside him. "Director Zong, how will this matter be handled?"
When Yaoguang opened the video, the audio had been audible to Zong Yan, Fang Lu, Liao Ming, and the others, who were currently reviewing the details.
Hearing Yaoguang's question, Zong Yan frowned slightly. "It will likely follow protocol. The conflict between our Jishi Society and the Rebirth Society hasn't reached the point of being dragged out into the open yet. The video will be taken down first. Directly after, some related movie promotions will be pushed to guide the narrative, along with a few entertainment gossip pieces thrown into the mix to draw public attention. It shouldn't be too big of a problem..."
Saying this, he shook his head. "I have some impression of Xia Wuyuan. We originally intended to recruit him, but... he's too rigid in his ways. On top of that, his talent wasn't exceptional enough to warrant making an exception for him, so we ultimately dropped the idea."
"He simply has no sense of propriety," Fang Lu could not help but chime in. "As a prosecutor, he possesses not an ounce of awareness for the bigger picture. Creating sensationalist panic and wasting public resources like this—he must be punished severely."
"The Prosecutor General certainly understands the stakes involved here. He likely told him not to make a fuss beforehand, yet he still insisted on going his own way... The Supreme Procuratorate system will take appropriate measures."
Liao Ming paused for a moment before adding, "He has probably been taken into custody by now."
"Taken into custody?"
Yaoguang shot him a glance. "The Rebirth Society is likely aware of this as well. I don't object to you putting Xia Wuyuan under control, but his original intent was to safeguard social stability—no one can deny that. Therefore, he is not a criminal. To prevent the Rebirth Society from silencing him, you must guarantee his safety."
This borderline-commanding tone provoked a flicker of displeasure in Fang Lu and Liao Ming.
Yet, considering Yaoguang's achievement of reaching Grandmaster at nineteen...
Being proud and somewhat arrogant was only natural.
Consequently, neither spoke any harsh words.
Liao Ming merely responded in a matter-of-fact, businesslike tone, "The one taking custody of him will definitely be the Supreme Procuratorate. The Supreme Procuratorate commands formidable armed forces, boasting numerous Grandmasters, Martial Masters, and sharpshooters. Even if a Martial Saint barged in, they could coordinate to kill them."
"His safety must be guaranteed," Yaoguang said. "If you cannot do it, hand him over to me."
Beside them, Zong Yan seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, "Xia Wuyuan investigating the fiendish creatures... were you the one who indirectly nudged him into it?"
Yaoguang nodded.
Zong Yan, Fang Lu, Liao Ming, and the others caught on quickly, immediately discerning the connection.
At once, Zong Yan offered comforting words: "Rest assured, the Rebirth Society hasn't reached the point of blotting out the sky with one hand in the Central Continent."
Having said that, he turned to Fang Lu and Liao Ming. "Since Xia Wuyuan is Yaoguang's man, you two must pay careful attention to how this is handled."
"I will convey this to His Majesty," Liao Ming said.
Seeing this, Yaoguang refrained from saying anything further.
For Xia Wuyuan to expose the demon situation at this juncture...
It truly was ill-timed.
It could only be left to cool down for the time being.
***
Following that, led by Zong Yan, Yaoguang first collected some of the pills and natural treasures stored at the Jishi Society's Dayu headquarters.
During this time, he accessed the Jishi Society's database to browse through their cultivation methods and classical manuals.
As it turned out...
While the Jishi Society possessed a fair number of cultivation methods and martial techniques, they fell utterly short compared to the immense volume of data Yaoguang possessed.
Every single martial technique was at least a tier below Formless Boundless.
In the end, he did not choose any martial art method, opting instead for a qi refining manual.
The Martial Path branch of the mysterious ancient tree only gathered martial-arts-related information. Since the qi refining profession had not yet been unlocked, there was naturally little recorded about it.
At the very least...
The combat technique of replacing missiles with flying swords in advanced battle armor could only be wielded by mid- to high-tier practitioners of the qi refining path.
***
"Gathering qi, nourishing qi, true qi..."
Yaoguang leafed through the qi refining manual.
The hallmark of qi refining...
Refining essence into qi.
It condensed the body's energy into true qi, then used that true qi as a foundation to cast spells and slay enemies.
The power of these spells was formidable.
However, because all physical essence was channeled into nourishing true qi, a qi refiner's physical constitution was not particularly strong.
A single bullet could effortlessly eliminate a third-tier qi refiner.
*A third-tier qi refiner is essentially a martial artist holding a grenade launcher...*
It was hard to say which path was stronger; it was simply a difference in division of labor.
Yet, just as body refining experienced a qualitative transformation at the fourth tier, the same held true for qi refining.
At this stage, qi practitioners cultivated divine sense, using it to guide their spells—equivalent to fitting a tracking system onto that grenade launcher. The gap between them widened instantly.
"The qi refining manual ends after the third tier; the fourth tier is only mentioned in passing, without any techniques on how to cultivate divine sense."
Yaoguang set the manual down.
If it wasn't there, so be it.
From the looks of it, qi refining...
Was a bit too fragile.
It lacked the sheer invigoration of tempering one's own body through body refining.
You had to stay standing to deal damage.
*Ring, ring!*
Right then, his phone rang once more.
He checked the caller ID and picked up. Ye Yuhe's anxious voice quickly came through: "Young Master Su, excuse the intrusion, but my senior brother..."
"I know," Yaoguang replied, offering reassurance. "Don't worry, he won't come to harm."
"No... last night he called me and said a bunch of bizarre things, talking about how the world is wrong, how the truth isn't what we thought it was, and so on... And then today, this suddenly happened, and I've already lost contact with him."
"I know." Yaoguang kept his tone measured. "I know what he's referring to. He will be fine."
"You really know?"
"Yes."
"Then he..."
"Wait for a while," Yaoguang said.
Xia Wuyuan would definitely be shelved for a time.
As for his safety...
Xia Wuyuan hadn't fundamentally committed any crime, so the Dayu royal family wouldn't harm such a powerful Grandmaster over this.
Moreover, since he was staying within the Supreme Procuratorate, unless the Rebirth Society completely tore off their masks against Dayu, they wouldn't dare send people to storm the Supreme Procuratorate to assassinate him.
It shouldn't be an issue.
Still, once Yaoguang achieved Martial Saint status and his standing elevated, he would bring this up to ensure the Dayu royal family released Xia Wuyuan as soon as possible.
With his current status as a Grandmaster...
His words did not necessarily carry decisive weight at such a level.
"Alright then." Ye Yuhe could say no more.
After all, the relationship between her, Xia Wuyuan, and Yaoguang wasn't particularly close.
Hanging up the call, Yaoguang took out one of the Snow Ginseng Pills he carried with him, swallowed it, and refined his internal organs.
*Martial Saint...*
***
The next day.
Zong Yan arrived outside the small pavilion where Yaoguang was staying.
With a wave of his hand, several men behind him opened a series of cases one after another.
"The Shenying Sword!"
The Martial Saint pointed to one of the sword cases. "To a certain extent, it is no inferior to a dharma artifact. Have a look."
Yaoguang stepped over to the case.
With the hilt included, the sword measured only about eighty centimeters in total, its blade barely exceeding sixty centimeters—under three feet—making it a slightly long short sword.
Yaoguang lifted the Shenying Sword from the case.
The moment it rested in his hand, he distinctly felt its defining trait.
Light.
Incomparably light.
"This is..." He was somewhat surprised.
Judging by its material, this sword should have weighed at least three to five jin, yet in his grasp, it felt as weightless as nothing at all.
"This is the difference between divine weapons and ordinary renowned blades," Zong Yan said. "The Shenying Sword is not only extraordinarily resilient, slicing iron like mud, but also light as a feather. Furthermore... give it a swing."
Seeing this, Yaoguang flourished the sword with a flick of his wrist.
As the edge whipped through the air, governed by some unknown optical principle, the blade produced a visible afterimage.
"This is..."
He halted the sword, and only then did the trailing silhouette gradually catch up and blend back into the blade.
"That is precisely why the Shenying Sword is named 'Shenying'—Divine Shadow!" Zong Yan said. "I hardly need to explain what an advantage a divine sword capable of leaving illusory silhouettes grants in a life-or-death battle, do I?"
Yaoguang nodded solemnly.
Examining the weapon closely, he asked, "How does it achieve this? Light refraction?"
"Don't try to understand the wonders of dharma artifacts through ordinary mortal logic," Zong Yan chuckled. "To the ancients, wingsuit flying would seem unbelievable, making humans appear like Heavenly Beings soaring through the sky and diving into the earth. Yet in truth, it is merely an application of aerodynamics. The way the Shenying Sword generates sword shadows operates on principles beyond our current comprehension, just as the ancients couldn't fathom wingsuit flying. It's simply a matter of not having reached that tier yet. Once your level is high enough, you'll naturally understand."
Yaoguang said nothing, continuing to examine the blade to get used to it.
His eyes were filled with curiosity.
"If you truly insist on an explanation, it is likely that the blade's exotic material generates friction against the air when swung, and the energy produced activates a virtual projection-like mechanism on the surface, culminating in this play of light and shadow," Zong Yan added with a smile.
Hearing that, Yaoguang gave it no further thought.
The march of technology had already turned ancient myths of immortal arts into reality one by one.
The uncanny phenomena carried by dharma artifacts that he couldn't comprehend...
Merely meant he hadn't read enough books.
"In addition, this is the 5S-class combat suit you purchased. The Jishi Society doesn't have many Red Gold combat suits in stock, so make do with this one for now."
Zong Yan followed up by opening the second case.
Yaoguang glanced at it and nodded.
A 5S-class combat suit would suffice for the near future.
Beyond the divine sword and combat suit came the resources and medicinal herbs for cultivation.
A portion of these herbs was for tempering internal organs, while the vast majority was meant for blood cleansing and marrow washing.
In any case, another three hundred billion Chixing coins would soon arrive in his account, so Yaoguang had purchased only the very best for all his medicinal herbs.
It was precisely because he possessed this capital and these herbs as his backing that he dared to simultaneously undertake blood cleansing and marrow washing, nurturing spirit intent, and forging a flawless true body.
"Very efficient," Yaoguang remarked.
"Naturally," Zong Yan said with a smile.
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "By the way, the day after tomorrow, Yao Hu, ranked twenty-ninth on the leaderboard, will challenge Wan Renshan, ranked twenty-sixth, right here at the Dayu headquarters. Would you like to stay behind to watch the excitement before heading back?"
Twenty-ninth and twenty-sixth...
The Jishi Society's leaderboard encompassed all Grandmasters and Martial Saints across dozens of nations throughout the Central and Eastern Continents, carrying immense prestige.
Those ranked twenty-ninth and twenty-sixth, though not Martial Saints, were undeniably among the most formidable Grandmasters beneath that realm.
An aging, declining Martial Saint like Zong Yan might not even hold an advantage against them.
Yaoguang wanted to see just how strong Grandmasters at this apex level truly were, and how they compared to those fiendish creatures.
"Then I'll stay two more days to watch," Yaoguang agreed.
With that decided, Yaoguang did not rush back to Tiannan.
The following afternoon, Yue Xingzhou called, delivering a piece of news in a heavy tone.
Xia Wuyuan was dead.
He had not died in the royal capital.
He had died in Tiannan.
Chapter 61