AWB Chapter 362 - 222: Pot World
Chapter 362 - 222: Pot World
Activating the Demon-Catching Tripod, Yang Jing left the Demon Realm with his disciple and Zuoqiu Feng.
The Celestial Demons outside the Demon Realm had already fallen silent. Having lost their commander, the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon, they swarmed back, trying to flee into the Demon Realm.
The slower ones were crushed to pieces by the Heaven and Earth Embryonic Membrane of the Nine Heavens World. The faster ones escaped into the Demon Vein, only to run headfirst into Yang Jing and the others emerging from the Demon Realm, and were immediately sucked into the Demon-Catching Tripod.
Yang Jing returned to the Flying Boat and tossed the arm he had chopped off to the Wanhua Child as a reward.
The Wanhua Child gleefully took the arm into the Pot World to refine it.
"Iron Head, take this Demon Saber and request an audience with Canyuan True Monarch. Tell him that Magistrate Guan intended to usurp power. He deliberately incited the three Capital City Commanders—Wen Ximing, Guan Weiqun, and Shi Jinrong—to disobey orders on the battlefield. He also suppressed the frontline’s request for the Qi-guiding Dragon-shaking Array, costing us a crucial opportunity. While I was returning to the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion to report, our forces were suddenly ambushed by Celestial Demons and suffered heavy losses. I rushed back to hold the defensive line and managed to slay their leader, an Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon, in retaliation."
Yang Jing said, speaking each word with deliberation.
’Before, I hadn’t achieved any significant merit, merely pushing a hundred miles into the Demon Realm in a standard, methodical way. If I had encountered an obstacle and immediately called on Canyuan True Monarch for aid, those in the know would have seen me as a commander incapable of leading a large army.’
’But now, with the achievement of having slain an Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon in battle, I can finally stand tall and file my own damning report with Canyuan True Monarch.’
’Though the three Capital City Commanders are dead, Magistrate Guan is still very much alive.’
’Moreover, I don’t believe for a second that Magistrate Guan hasn’t already run to Canyuan True Monarch with his own story after receiving the news.’
’At a time like this, I have to strike first to gain the upper hand. If I let Magistrate Guan establish an impression of me as an incompetent commander who suffered a crushing defeat in front of the True Monarch and the other Golden Core Cultivators, reversing it would take ten, even a hundred times the effort.’
As he spoke, Yang Jing handed the Demon Saber to Iron Head.
This Demon Saber was also a Tier Three treasure from the Demon Sect. Since it had been wielded by the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon, the materials it was crafted from were on par with the Demon-Catching Tripod itself.
Its Artifact Spirit was wild and untamable. It had been quite obedient in Yang Jing’s hands, but the moment it fell into Iron Head’s, it immediately began to act up.
The blade trembled and struggled violently, continuously shooting out sharp streams of Blade Gang.
But Yang Jing was confident in letting Iron Head carry the blade, trusting he had the power to suppress it.
Relying on his physical body alone, Iron Head withstood the wild blasts of Blade Gang from the Demon Saber. His Celestial True Gang flared like a blazing fire, enveloping the blade.
Under the suppression of his Celestial True Gang, the Demon Saber finally, albeit reluctantly, grew still. Iron Head secured it to his back with chains.
"I will not fail you, Master!"
Iron Head said, his expression resolute.
Yang Jing nodded.
"Don’t go alone. Take the Flying Boat."
’I have no illusions about Magistrate Guan’s character. If the man becomes desperate, I wouldn’t put it past him to try and have Iron Head ambushed and killed.’
’With the Flying Boat, Iron Head would be more than capable of protecting himself, even if pursued by a Golden Core Cultivator.’
After getting off the Flying Boat, Yang Jing ran into Wang Xu, who was rushing over.
Wang Xu had also been terrified by the Celestial Demon’s bizarre tactics and the deaths of the three Capital City Commanders. During the chaos, he hadn’t dared take a single step out of his array and had even ordered the other Demon Suppression Army units in their own magic arrays to hold their positions, to avoid being picked off one by one by the demons.
It wasn’t until he saw Yang Jing’s Flying Boat approaching and the Celestial Demons besieging the arrays beginning to retreat that he finally flew out of the array he had been defending so staunchly.
"Minister Yang, have the Celestial Demons been repelled?"
"It’s over. I’ve slain the Celestial Demons’ leader. Go and summon the officers from the various arrays. We will check on Capital City Commander Wen’s condition together."
Hearing that the Celestial Demons’ leader had been killed, Wang Xu let out a huge sigh of relief.
’Thankfully, I heeded Yang Jing’s warning and didn’t let my guard down. When the Celestial Demon possessing a Demon Suppression Army soldier came with a message, I noticed the man wasn’t wearing a Lesser Yang Exorcism Talisman. That made me wary, so I stayed inside the array.’
’In terms of pure Magical Combat prowess, I’m no match for Shi Jinrong and only roughly on par with Guan Wequn. If I had encountered that Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon, I probably would have suffered the same fate.’
Warned by the example of the three Capital City Commanders, the other Demon Suppression Army officers were much more cautious. They only emerged from their arrays after they saw Wang Xu activate a Lesser Yang Exorcism Talisman and slap it onto his own chest.
Although the bombardment from the Seven Luminaries Demon-Slaying Divine Light had cleaned up much of the carnage, many severed limbs still littered the array.
Wen Ximing’s body, in particular, was miraculously unharmed. Only his head, no longer sustained by Demonic Qi, had lost all signs of life; he was truly and utterly dead.
At the sight of such a horrific scene, even these battle-hardened Foundation Establishment Officers couldn’t help but retch.
With trembling hands, Wang Xu straightened Wen Ximing’s body, closing his eyes, which had remained open in death.
"Brother Wen, oh, Brother Wen... why did it have to be like this? To fall to such an end, and all for the chance at Core Formation."
’Looking at Wen Ximing’s horrific state, I can’t begin to imagine the torture the man must have endured while he was alive.’
’Compared to him, the fate of Guan Wequn and Shi Jinrong—being obliterated without even a body to bury—could almost be considered a kindness. At least their suffering was brief.’
"How does your Magical Power stack up against the three late Capital City Commanders?"
Yang Jing demanded sharply.
"We’re nowhere near their level, of course."
One of the Yu Hou replied, mustering his courage.
"A moment of carelessness cost the three Capital City Commanders their lives. Do you still dare to let your guard down for even an instant?"
Yang Jing pressed.
"We wouldn’t dare."
"From this day forward, Shangguan Zhifeng and Zhu Xuanling will assume the posts of acting Capital City Commanders. As for Commander Wen’s forces, I will take direct command. Now, all of you, clean up the remains in this array. Then return to your positions and stabilize morale."
All the officers, including Zhu Xuanling who had just been appointed, looked up in astonishment.
Under Capital City Commander Guan Wequn, Shangguan Zhifeng had been marginalized and never entrusted with important duties. But Zhu Xuanling had been one of Shi Jinrong’s most trusted men—practically his right hand.
Yang Jing offered no explanation. ’I didn’t pick their names at random. Among all the reports sent to me via Token, their accounts of the situation were the most accurate, and their responses the most sound.’
’I’m not here to play politics; I’m here to pacify the Demon Realm.’
"Minister Yang, you have a discerning eye! We will give our all to repay you!"
The two men dropped to one knee before Yang Jing.
In the hierarchy of the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion, a Yu Hou was only considered a low-ranking officer, whereas a Capital City Commander was at the top of the mid-rank officers.
Although they were only acting Capital City Commanders, if the campaign to pacify the Demon Realm went smoothly, the "acting" part of their title would surely be removed.
Yang Jing glanced around the now-spotless tent and dismissed the officers.
The Seven Luminaries Demon-Slaying Grand Array here was severely damaged, nearly destroyed by the Celestial Demons’ combined internal and external assault. But Yang Jing remained perfectly calm, seating himself cross-legged in the center of the hall.
Even though all the blood and gore had been cleared away, and magic had even been used to summon a fresh breeze, a stubborn, lingering scent of blood clung to the air.
’I know this isn’t just the smell of blood, but the Blood Evil Qi left behind by the cultivators who died so tragically here.’
He channeled his Celestial True Gang, and it flared like a wave of fire, finally scouring the bloody scent from the air.
After settling Zuoqiu Feng and his disciples, Yang Jing finally turned his attention to the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon trapped in his Inner World.
Perhaps due to the limitations of his own body, Yang Jing’s Inner World was much smaller than the one inside the Demon-Catching Tripod. It was only about seventy feet square—hardly a ’world’ at all; it was more like a single room.
But unlike the empty, lifeless void of the Pot World, Yang Jing’s Inner World had the Five Elements in circulation and a cycle of day and night.
And arcs of lightning that crackled endlessly.
All of these were manifestations of his personal Divine Techniques and Talents.
The Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon was the first living creature to ever enter this world. It was still bound by the Grand Cave True Thunder Demon-Suppressing Chains, its Demonic Qi completely sealed, rendering it immobile.
Yang Jing took a deep breath, then activated his Inner World to refine the demon.
Instantly, the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon let out a bloodcurdling scream as vast clouds of its Demonic Qi were forcibly drawn out and absorbed by the world itself.
It spewed a torrent of curses and vile obscenities at Yang Jing.
Yang Jing turned a deaf ear and simply increased the intensity of the refining process.
As the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon was refined, an astonishing amount of Spiritual Mechanism surged forth from his Dantian. Yang Jing immediately activated the True and False Five Elements Wheel, drawing all the Magical Power in his body into the wheel to keep it separate from the Spiritual Mechanism.
’While this surge of Spiritual Mechanism far surpasses that of a Five Elements Pill, it’s also mixed with an astonishing amount of Demon Nature. If I don’t purge it and directly refine it into my Magical Power, it will do more harm than good.’
Yang Jing circulated his Divine Power True Martial Demon Vibration. At his command, the Demon Nature mixed within the surging Spiritual Mechanism was instantly forced out and expelled with his breath.
The instant the Demon Nature touched the ambient Spiritual Qi, it began to transform, trying to coalesce into some kind of Demon Essence, but it was instantly dispersed by Yang Jing’s Celestial True Gang.
Yang Jing repeated this process, spending a full seven hours before he completely refined the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon.
The overflowing Spiritual Mechanism flooded his Dantian and the meridians throughout his body.
Only after confirming that all traces of Demon Nature had been completely purged did he finally relax and begin to refine the Spiritual Mechanism with his Five Elements Wheel.
Drop by drop, liquid Magical Power condensed in his Dantian at an astonishing rate.
At his Middle Stage of Cultivation, Yang Jing needed seventy-two drops of Magical Power to advance a layer. Having been preoccupied with many tasks, he had only recently condensed five drops, leaving his Dantian with a total of one hundred and thirteen drops.
Now, with the power of the Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon, his Magical Power accumulated rapidly.
BOOM!
The bottleneck between the Fourth and Fifth Layers of Foundation Establishment was effortlessly shattered. Yang Jing condensed another twelve drops of Magical Power before the Spiritual Mechanism was completely exhausted.
He slowly opened his eyes. Having broken through a layer of Cultivation, his Divine Sense had also improved, and his various Talents had seen minor enhancements.
’A single Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon actually increased my Magical Power by seventy-nine drops.’
As Yang Jing felt the changes within himself, he felt a long-forgotten sense of his power being ungrounded. His progress had simply been too fast.
’My control over this newfound Magical Power feels clumsy. I’ll need to enter seclusion to properly consolidate it.’