Shen Yi had been about to head out when another tall figure walked into the courtyard.

The Li siblings had already been thinking of leaving — one look at Jiang Qiulan and they bowed immediately, then turned and fled, not even noticing that General Jiang had changed into a black dress.

The sons and daughters of noble families might not fear the General — he was, most of the time, about as expressive as a wooden post. But the heads stacked along the walls of Yushan Prefecture’s city kept every sect and noble house in a state of constant awareness.

“Grandmother Aqian asked me to bring you the qi-concealment technique.”

Jiang Qiulan knocked lightly on the door, and only pushed it open and stepped inside after getting a response.

“Thank you.” Shen Yi took the technique from her.

“The body refinement methods and pills you mentioned — I’ve had them prepared and sent to the address in your letter.”

Jiang Qiulan sat down beside him, her voice easy, her eyes carrying a quiet warmth.

“Good.”

Shen Yi nodded. With his current record of merit, he only had to say the word and the Division would open its stores and send the best techniques and pills to a wandering martial artist without a second thought. Never mind a technique finding its way outside the Division — even if a butcher named Zhang used it to found his own sect, the local Division office would do its best to support him.

Even so, emptying all of Qingzhou’s Division stores would not produce a single technique that Shen Yi actually wanted.

He glanced sideways. “How much demon-hunting merit would it take to get Mixed Origin techniques from the court?”

Jiang Qiulan’s answer surprised him.

“Great Qian mainly cultivates the divine spirit path. There are no Mixed Origin techniques. The War Temple might have some, but probably not many.”

“The War Temple isn’t part of Great Qian?”

Shen Yi was fairly sure earlier rewards had been exchanged through the War Temple.

Jiang Qiulan shook her head slightly. “It’s more that Great Qian belongs to the War Temple. What I mean is the War Temple in the true sense — it was the War Temple that made the alliance compact with Xuanguang Cave and Wutong Mountain, not Great Qian.”

Shen Yi had now heard those two names more than once. “Those are what you call the immortal sects?”

“Yes.” Jiang Qiulan had grown accustomed to his detachment from worldly affairs. For someone like Shen Yi, with all his attention fixed on martial cultivation, it was entirely natural.

“The alliance is currently led by Wutong Mountain. Their Perfected Master has twelve disciples. Xuanguang Cave has a large following — seventy-two members — but is second in strength. As for the War Temple — you’ve probably already seen what their strong ones look like.”

Seen them?

Shen Yi hesitated. She presumably meant that senile old man and the twelve corpses that were left. If that was the state of things, he was going to have to give some serious thought to his future arrangements.

He had thought the Division was weak. He hadn’t expected what was above it to be weaker.

“What are the conditions for joining an immortal sect?”

“…”

Jiang Qiulan fell silent for the first time, then looked at him. “Don’t — at least not for now. Don’t think along those lines.”

She had never interfered with anyone’s choices before.

Even at Xitai Mountain, knowing there was danger ahead, once she had explained the situation clearly she had said nothing more when he chose to follow. She had not said another word.

But now the expression on her fair face was completely serious.

“Even if you went, there is nothing there that you want. The path from Mixed Origin to Spirit-Transformation is different for each person — it must be seized and understood by oneself. It cannot be transmitted or taught. That is precisely why the title is Grandmaster.”

“You will definitely be able to work it out on your own.” Something like genuine trust surfaced in her eyes.

“Well, thank you for that.”

Shen Yi gave her a sideways look. He had no idea where this inexplicable confidence came from. Though thinking about how everyone else was also stuck grinding it out through their own understanding, he felt considerably better — after all, that was how he had made it through everything so far.

“Are Mixed Origin and Martial Immortal both beneath Spirit-Transformation?”

“Different roads to the same place — both are a process of shedding the mortal body, just by different means.”

Jiang Qiulan was clearly interested when it came to cultivation. “The divine spirit path does have a method to follow, though. The War Temple has accumulated twenty-three Golden Body techniques over the years — obtain any one of them, and you have a path to Spirit-Transformation.”

From Core-Nurturing to Martial Immortal, then from Martial Immortal to Spirit-Transformation.

Compared to the Mixed Origin martial cultivator’s road, it was still the shorter path.

Though shortcuts always carried a price — the War Temple’s current state was evidence enough of that.

“Understood.”

Shen Yi stood and pushed the door open.

So the decision to cultivate both paths simultaneously had been the right one after all. At least if one road closed, there would be another option.

Either way — condense the divine spirit first, then think about the rest.

Linjiang Prefecture. The Demon Suppression General’s residence.

Chen Qiankun looked at the two young people standing before him. Only a few days had passed, and yet his hands were trembling with excitement.

“You did it?”

The words left his mouth and he shook his head hard.

What a stupid thing to ask.

If they had failed, they would hardly be standing here in front of him looking this relaxed.

The old man got to his feet and paced the room, clenching his fists, gritting his teeth — until finally he drew a long breath and settled himself.

He was quiet for a moment. “Does that mean Old Chen can actually rest now?”

He had originally intended to keep an eye on things for Shen Yi a while longer. But ever since Shen Yi had killed the flood dragon right in front of him, Chen Qiankun had been unable to think of a single way he could still be useful.

“I’ve actually been thinking about visiting some of my colleagues in the other prefectures for a while now.”

He had sent those letters out and received not a single reply.

It was deeply unsatisfying.

“I’ll stay here for a spell.”

Shen Yi nodded. He had originally planned to use up the accumulated faith that was his own first, then figure out other arrangements afterward. But since the old general was heading out to visit friends, this was also a convenient opportunity to borrow from Linjiang Prefecture’s faith reserves.

“No time to waste, then.”

Chen Qiankun produced a jade tablet from his person and tossed it casually onto the table.

It was clear that being tied to Linjiang Prefecture for centuries had worn on the old man more than he let on.

“…”

Shen Yi felt a mild pang.

He had come with the genuine intention of checking in on Chen Qiankun, not only to cultivate the divine spirit — after all, the old general had done a great deal for him along the way. It was just that he had always been out hunting demons and never found the time.

And now, barely a few sentences into the conversation, the old man was already leaving.

“Do whatever you like with the place.”

Chen Qiankun waved a hand and walked out with a broad stride. He had reached a level of complete trust in the young man — with Shen Yi holding the position, nothing could go wrong here short of the Howling Moon itself arriving.

Do whatever you like.

Shen Yi picked up the jade tablet and raised an eyebrow.

Well. The old man had said it himself.

“Hm?”

Jiang Qiulan watched Chen Qiankun’s departing figure, then glanced back at the subtle shift in Shen Yi’s expression.

She remembered that he had worn something similar when he was about to go after the Junior Demon King.

The deputy commander outside, reading the situation with admirable instincts, arranged adjacent courtyards for the two of them without being asked.

Shen Yi returned to his room.

Jade tablet in hand.

The moment he closed his eyes, a vast white mist came surging in from every direction — filling his entire field of vision.

(End of Chapter)