Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

On the way to the Yiluan External Affairs Office, Wang Chen had pondered over how to borrow the Demon Spear Barrel in a justifiable manner.

But after much thought, he found no suitable method, so he simply decided to be straightforward and concocted an excuse.

Yet to Liu Chaozong's surprise, he exclaimed, "Wait a minute, did you just say you have been practicing Taoist Skills?"

This deputy commander knew that Wang Chen's Martial Arts talent was extremely astonishing; at such a young age, he had already stepped into the realm of a fifth-tier Martial Ancestor, which is why he was summoned by Emperor Shaowu.

But it never occurred to him that Wang Chen was also cultivating both Dharma and Martial Arts!

"Yes."

Wang Chen replied candidly: "Thanks to His Majesty's great favor, I was granted access to the scripture collection within the Imperial Palace Scripture Pavilion and had the chance to channel qi and begin my Entry Tao, practicing Taoist Veins and Spells!"

His excuse was that he needed this Divine Weapon to comprehend the Taoist Skill he was studying.

As for whether Liu Chaozong believed it or not, it didn't really matter, because Wang Chen himself did!

Liu Chaozong, shocked by Wang Chen's talent, was unconcerned with the veracity of his statement; he pondered for a moment and said, "The Divine Weapon you're talking about must be the Demon Spear Barrel left by the Spear King Zhao Changping, which is indeed kept in the secret archives of the Yiluan Office."

"However, according to the regulations of the Yiluan Office, if you want to borrow this Divine Weapon for enlightenment, you will need a significant amount of merit in exchange."

"Otherwise, my name alone is not enough!"

The secret archives of the Yiluan Office are exceptionally abundant, housing some of the confiscated items from years of the Blood Cloak Guard capturing corrupt officials, suppressing Rebel Factions and Heretical Sects, and exterminating demons, including a great deal of forbidden artefacts.

And Spear King Zhao Changping was a core member of the Rebel Faction; the Tiqi paid a heavy price when they surrounded and killed him.

The Demon Spear Barrel, as Zhao Changping's personal weapon, has always been kept in the secret archives of the Yiluan Office.

It has never been loaned out before.

Because the spear barrel is stained with too much Tiqi blood!

Liu Chaozong, shaking his head, said, "I'm afraid you don't have enough merit."

This item is quite sensitive, and the secret archives are managed by the Inner Affairs Department; he exercises great power in the External Affairs Office, but his influence is limited in the Inner Affairs Department.

Wang Chen's mind raced, and he said, "On my way to the capital, I killed two leaders of the Qingfeng Bandits in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, I wonder if adding that merit would be enough?"

"What?"

Liu Chaozong could hardly believe his ears: "You killed the leaders of the Qingfeng Bandits?"

"Correct."

Wang Chen affirmed: "Both the main leader and the second in command of the Qingfeng Bandits, plus I also destroyed their lair."

Liu Chaozong was at a loss for words.

The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains mark the north-south boundary of Great Liang, and the Heavenly Road running through them is a vital thoroughfare for merchants and travelers, hence being frequently troubled by bandits, the most notorious of which were the Qingfeng Bandits.

Since these bandits had elusive movements, coming and going like the wind, and were extremely well-informed, the Imperial Court had failed several times to eradicate them and had long issued a substantial bounty.

Now, with Wang Chen claiming he had killed the Qingfeng Bandits and slain the two leaders, Liu Chaozong found it difficult to believe.

Especially since the two leaders of the Qingfeng Bandits were both fifth-tier Martial Ancestors!

The deputy commander couldn't help but ask, "Wang Chen, this is no trivial matter, do you have proof?"

"Of course."

Wang Chen nodded: "I have the heads of both individuals."

They were just kept in his storage space, and it was temporarily inconvenient to take them out.

"Then bring them here quickly!"

Liu Chaozong was somewhat exasperated: "As long as their identities are verified, and they are confirmed to be those two thieves, your merit will surely be recognized, and perhaps it may even be enough to exchange for the Demon Spear Barrel!"

He couldn't help but complain, "Such a big matter, and you didn't mention it earlier."

Wang Chen said with a smile, "Then I shall head home to fetch them immediately."

Liu Chaozong waved his hand, "Hurry up, quickly!"

Subsequently, Wang Chen went out for a round and then brought back two heads of the Qingfeng Bandits.

Wang Chen naturally knew that these two trophy heads were valuable, so he preserved them with lime and saltpeter before putting them into his storage space, making them standard patent products.

Liu Chaozong was very cautious and personally inspected the two heads to verify that Wang Chen had not brought fakes to claim merit.

This leader of the Yiluan External Affairs Office himself also possessed the cultivation of a fifth-tier Martial Ancestor, thus he quickly confirmed that they were genuine without a doubt!

"Let's do this."

He thought for a bit and said, "I will submit these two heads on your behalf to claim the merits for you, and then strive to exchange them for the Demon Spear Barrel. As to whether it can be done, I have no certainty, but the merit certainly won't slip away!"

"Thank you very much, sir!"

Wang Chen immediately expressed his gratitude with a bow.

Wang Chen was not worried that Liu Chaozong would covet his merits, as he was now under the attention of Emperor Shaowu, and, secretly, he had even taken the princess as his disciple. Seeking justice would be all too easy.

Liu Chaozong was not so petty.

"There is no need for excessive politeness."

Liu Chaozong gestured dismissively, "You can return and wait for the news. Regardless of the outcome, I will send someone to inform you."

After Wang Chen bid his farewell and left, this Deputy Commander stood up and circled twice, then patted the heads on the desk, preparing to wrap them up again to take away.

Then, he suddenly noticed that a silver note had appeared next to the two heads at some unknown time!

Liu Chaozong picked it up and saw the denomination on it, and immediately revealed a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"This lad, he really is..."

Without a doubt, this silver note was definitely left by Wang Chen.

Though Liu Chaozong, as the Deputy Commander, came from a not-at-all inferior background and had a very nice salary, his daily expenses for supporting a large family were incredibly high.

This silver note caught his eye, and he was tempted!

Of course, Liu Chaozong was very clear that if he accepted this silver note, then the original plan to put in three to five parts effort would be far from enough; he would have to exert full effort in handling the matter.

Thinking of Wang Chen earning Emperor Shaowu's favor, this Deputy Commander made a decision in his heart!

After returning home, Wang Chen did not go out to wander but devoted himself to practicing martial techniques and Taoist skills at home. By consuming the precious medicinal materials he had previously obtained, he accumulated potential points, consistently grinding experience points for his cultivation technique.

He had now obtained the final secret of the Mysterious Sun Haven Seven Fiend Wheel, and thus there were no obstacles to reaching the highest realm of this technique.

Two days later, Princess Qingyun came to visit again.

After Wang Chen's examination, he found that the throughness of her meridians had exceeded expectations, and her body was filled with Innate Qi that had been released, so he decisively opened her Upper Dantian for her.

As Wang Chen's Taoist cultivation level had improved another tier, the process went very smoothly without any problems.

In this way, Princess Qingyun could guide the Innate Qi in her meridians into her Dantian to be stored, then converted into Mana.

Wang Chen taught her a set of Qi Condensation Technique mantras for her to diligently cultivate.

Afterward, the princess happily returned to the palace.

Another two days passed, and Wang Chen received some good news.

He immediately rushed to the Yiluan External Affairs Office and met Liu Chaozong once again!

------

Here is the second update.