Mount Yuhuang Villa.
In Yaoguang's spiritual world, the brilliant, blazing sun gradually dimmed.
A round of spirit nurturing drew to a close.
Feeling the growth of his spirit intent, he felt a touch of regret. "Spirit nurturing is different from body refining. The essence of spirit nurturing lies in that word—nurturing. Its efficiency is far slower than tempering the physical body."
In truth, the speed of his spirit nurturing was by no means slow.
Yet he could not help but compare it to the precedent of how swiftly he had become a Martial Saint.
In just over a year, he had leaped straight from a novice martial artist to fifth-order spirit intent. Now, stuck in the Spirit Intent realm, he might have to spend six months to a year just nurturing it. Such a drastic shift in pace naturally made him uncomfortable.
"The primary cause of this situation lies in resources. Tendon-changing and bone-forging, internal organ refining, and even blood cleansing and marrow washing all have medicinal herbs to assist them, allowing cultivation efficiency to advance by leaps and bounds. But when it comes to spirit nurturing... practically all materials are monopolized by Chixing. Chixing has even designated every material related to spirit nurturing as a special tribute. Possession by any other nation is illegal, met with severe crackdowns upon discovery..."
Yaoguang could understand why Chixing banned spirit nurturing herbs rather than blood cleansing herbs.
On one hand, they had to preserve face for the Artifact Sect and consider the attitudes of other nations.
On the other hand...
A Martial Saint who cultivated spirit intent could hypnotize and control others, posing a far greater hazard to a nation than an ordinary Martial Saint.
By hypnotizing someone close to a Martial Saint and strapping bombs to them, one could assassinate that Martial Saint.
It was virtually impossible to guard against.
"Speaking of which, it's been over a month since I reached the fifth order. Why hasn't the ancient tree sprouted a branch for a new profession yet? Does a Spirit Intent Martial Saint really not count as a new realm? How wonderful would it be if it gave me an [Alchemist] profession?"
After all, he had seen it in the Artifact Sect records provided by the Jishi Society.
Although the Artifact Sect was renowned throughout the world for the dao of artifact refining, it had no shortage of masters skilled in alchemy. The pills they concocted possessed astonishing effects in extending lifespan, healing wounds, preserving youth, tempering the body, and refining the spirit.
The Snow Ginseng Pills he had taken before were completely unworthy of mention compared to true spirit pills.
Cultivation efficiency with pills versus without was like night and day.
It was just like an ordinary person scheming and working themselves to death without necessarily ever making manager, while someone else's casual practice project was serving as chairman of a hundred-million-dollar company.
"Without sufficient spirit intent, my cultivation can only rely on the mountain ranges and earth ley lines. I cannot borrow the momentum of heaven and earth to temper myself anywhere and at any time like a true Heavenly Being. As a result, after an entire month, my physical strength has only increased by ten percent, barely exceeding the limits of a Martial Saint. Truly surpassing the second human limit to become a 'Heavenly Being' will take at least three to five more years of tempering."
Yaoguang assessed his current condition and ultimately shook his head. "Spirit intent relies on nurturing, requiring six months to a year. Unless I can master alchemy and concoct peerless immortal pills to rapidly bring my spirit intent to grand completion, I can only grind through this realm."
Fortunately, he had cultivated the flawless true body first. This level required only subtle control over the circulation of his essence, qi, and spirit—equivalent to the concept of micro-control on the physical level. For Yaoguang, who possessed the Life Force Field, it was a threshold crossed effortlessly after a brief period of adjustment.
With the flawless true body and the secret technique of the Great Sun Spirit-Suppressing Diagram shielding him, he was merely lacking in spirit intent attack methods; otherwise, claiming he had already broken through to the Hunyuan Martial Saint realm would not be an exaggeration.
***
While Yaoguang was single-mindedly engrossed in his rigorous training, Zong Yan, Kong Fang, Yue Xingzhou, and Lei Yun arrived together from a distance.
Before they even drew near, Yaoguang could already sense the grim expressions on their faces.
"Did something happen?" Without even needing to guess, Yaoguang asked, "Chixing made a move?"
Kong Fang and Yue Xingzhou glanced at Zong Yan. Ultimately, Kong Fang stepped forward and said, "We received word from Shangguan Xiong. Because Chixing made its stance clear and pressured the nations across the Central and East Continents behind the Jishi Society, those countries yielded to the pressure and abandoned the society... In just three days, the Jishi Society's forces have been uprooted. Of the three presidents—three Divine Realm Martial Saints—one was captured, and one escaped..."
Yaoguang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
From his last conversation with Ji Pingtian, he already knew that the Jishi Society was willing to step forward and shoulder the pressure from Chixing.
Though Yaoguang had never felt it was strictly necessary for the Jishi Society to intervene, since they were so eager to prove themselves, he had also wanted to see what mettle they possessed.
And yet...
How long had it been?
The entire Jishi Society had been torn up by its roots?
Should he say the Jishi Society talked a big game only to prove to be an impressive façade that crumpled at the first blow, or...
Was Chixing simply too powerful?
So powerful that the Jishi Society—backed by dozens of nations, dozens of Martial Saints, and three Divine Realm experts—could not even hold out for a single month once Chixing got serious?
"Wait. There are three presidents. Why do you only know the fates of two?" Yaoguang asked.
At those words, Zong Yan's expression instantly darkened.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Zhao Xuanbing betrayed the Jishi Society..."
Yaoguang gave it a brief thought. "Zhao Xuanbing wasn't the only one who betrayed the Jishi Society, was he?"
Zong Yan nodded silently.
Seeing Zong Yan's dejection, Kong Fang took over the briefing. "Aside from the three Divine Realm experts, the Martial Saints the Jishi Society could truly deploy at will numbered only thirteen. The other dozens... were supporters and overseers placed in the society by the nations across the Central and East Continents..."
"Like Fang Lu, who represented the Liao family's interests?" Yaoguang remarked.
Kong Fang nodded.
These people were simply the representatives of their countries' interests within the Jishi Society.
When danger arose, they would hide in the back, letting Divine Realm masters and Martial Saints like Hong Chuan, Zhao Xuanbing, Ji Pingtian, and Zong Yan take the brunt. But when benefits appeared, they would rush to the very front to seize them for themselves.
"I see," Yaoguang replied.
Without a decisive voice capable of holding down the fort, any faction with too many competing interests would inevitably devolve into power struggles.
If it never faced grave danger or heavy strikes, it might survive; but once targeted by a formidable power, an organization of this nature was nothing more than a tray of loose sand, collapsing at the first blow.
Yaoguang had long seen through the Jishi Society's true nature and had never placed much hope in them.
Only...
Ji Pingtian had promised to buy him a year of peaceful cultivation, yet barely managed a month...
Well, all told, he had bought about two months. Not bad.
"So be it, then," Yaoguang said.
If someone could handle things for him, he preferred not to take action himself.
After all, who enjoyed fighting and killing day in and day out?
Wouldn't it be better to cultivate in peace and quiet, step by step approaching the Human Immortal realm to seek longevity and immortality?
That was why he had agreed when Ji Pingtian offered to shield him from Chixing.
Unfortunately, in life, many things could not be avoided simply because one wished not to do them.
When the entire environment had turned rotten, no one could remain aloof and untouched.
"Chixing..." Yaoguang muttered.
This problem had reached the point where it had to be resolved.
Perhaps he could choose to avoid their sharp edge for now, achieve the Heavenly Being realm in three to five years, and crush Chixing with sweeping momentum, but...
He did not want to wait that long.
Besides...
Compared to Chixing, what he truly feared far more was that Soul-Commanding Envoy from the Moon Demon Empire.
Ever since Yaoguang shattered one of his avatars, that envoy had vanished completely without a trace, and even the Rebirth Society had kept a low profile, like the calm before a storm.
He... might not give him three to five years to grow.
In fact...
Given the understanding of that power the envoy had displayed when breaking through Yaoguang's Life Force Field, if Yaoguang truly went into seclusion for three to five years, by the time he became a Heavenly Being, he might find himself facing a Star Transformation powerhouse at the ninth layer of Fiendgod Body Refining.
With that in mind, he looked at Zong Yan. "Which president was captured?"
"President Ji."
Zong Yan paused before continuing, "In addition, three directors were also captured, and many of the Jishi Society's elites are being hunted down..."
At this point, he gave a bitter laugh. "Several nations were clearly terrified by Chixing's thunderous crackdown. To prove to Chixing that they had nothing to do with the Jishi Society, their strikes against us have been even harsher than Chixing's own..."
Yaoguang was not surprised.
Chixing had been the world hegemon for centuries, and the fear other nations held for them was carved into their very bones.
Fickle opportunists to begin with, it was no shock they would make such a choice.
"Have them come to Dayu," Yaoguang said.
"Dayu... might not be able to protect them..." Kong Fang said hesitantly.
After all, the one cracking down on them was the global hegemon, Chixing.
"We received word that as early as a month ago, the Sixteenth Prince, Jiang Zhengming, had already arrived in Dayu..."
"I know."
Yaoguang glanced at Yue Xingzhou. "Old Yue mentioned it to me. They sent an invitation... In fact, I suspect their crackdown on the Jishi Society was, on one hand, a swift blow because the society acted as a nexus uniting the nations of the Central and East Continents—a dangerous precedent in their eyes—and on the other hand... intended to kill the chicken to scare the monkey."
"To kill the chicken to scare the monkey..."
Zong Yan harbored similar suspicions.
He simply had not expected that the Jishi Society, which they had believed to be powerful, would appear so utterly feeble in Chixing's eyes.
This feeling of powerlessness left him—whose homeland had long suffered under Chixing's bullying—with an indescribable sense of desolation.
"Actually, just today, that Sixteenth Prince sent another invitation..." Yue Xingzhou said with measured words. "He... has invited us to attend an execution assembly for terrorists who undermined the solidarity of the Central and East Continents..."
At those words, Zong Yan and Kong Fang both froze.
Immediately realizing what it meant, their pupils constricted violently.
"Oh? When?" Yaoguang asked.
"In three days," Yue Xingzhou said with a heavy heart.
Clearly, this was Chixing issuing an ultimatum to Yaoguang.
"Three days... That's a bit tight on time," Yaoguang remarked with a sigh.
"Lord Yaoguang..." Zong Yan could not resist stepping forward. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end said, "Perhaps... you could go to Mount Yujing... The armies of Xuelong and Chixing are locked in a standoff at Mount Yujing. If you can meet Xuelong's foremost powerhouse and supreme commander, Xie Bo'en, and express your intent to offer allegiance, Xuelong would gladly welcome you given your talent and potential, and provide you with asylum."
Under no circumstances did he want Yaoguang to defect to Chixing.
Otherwise, wouldn't the people of the Jishi Society have died in vain?
"No need for that. Three days is tight, but if I hurry, there's still enough time."
Yaoguang immediately instructed his assistant, Lei Yun, who stood to the side: "Book me a first-class ticket on a direct flight to Chixing's imperial capital."
Chapter 94