Chapter 168 Half-Celestial Transformation into Qi

Inside the Jingnan Prefecture Surveillance Commission, a confidential report lay quietly on the sandalwood table.

Wen Jingxing sat upright behind the table. His face, usually devoid of emotion, was now pale and ghastly, frozen with an unbreakable layer of cold ice.

A trusted subordinate stood solemnly to the side, even softening his breathing.

He had never seen his master so silent. The news of Nie Feng's death had arrived this morning; his master had taken only one look before sitting like this for two hours.

"Nie Feng... you have followed me for twelve years."

Wen Jingxing finally spoke, his voice unusually hoarse, as if he were suppressing his anger, or perhaps mourning this loyal subordinate.

In twelve years, how many dirty jobs had Nie Feng done for him? How many open attacks and secret arrows had he blocked?

After parting ways in Qinglin Town, he had let Nie Feng stay behind, originally to keep a close watch on the preparations for the tribute, and incidentally to deal with the variable that was Chen Mu, but what was the result?

Nie Feng was dead, having died inexplicably in the mire of Yunmeng, at the hands of an unknown pawn from the local Demon Suppression Division!

What made him even more furious was that this secret letter sent by Xu Changze was entirely about shirking responsibility, attributing the death of the City God and the demise of Nie Feng entirely to Chen Mu's sinister cunning, while not mentioning a word about his own poor control, intelligence failures, or even possible hidden motives, and even faintly implying that Nie Feng had been reckless and overly aggressive!

"What a fine Xu Changze... what a fine Yunmeng County Magistrate!"

Wen Jingxing laughed in extreme anger, tossing the secret letter into the burning charcoal brazier. The paper caught fire instantly, soon turning into a wisp of blue smoke. Watching that wisp of smoke, his eyes grew increasingly deep and dark.

Was he angry? Of course he was angry.

Given his nature, he really wanted to immediately mobilize his men, personally head to Yunmeng, skin and dismember that kid named Chen Mu, strip Xu Changze of his official rank and attire, and let everyone know what would happen to those who touched people belonging to him, Wen Jingxing.

But he did nothing, and he could do nothing.

He was already forty-three years old this year, holding the rank of Surveillance Commission Assistant, a fifth-rank official, in charge of criminal cases and impeachments for the entire Prefecture. He seemed to hold a high and powerful position, with the final say in this territory of Jingnan, but he knew clearly that this was far from enough.

Above the Prefecture were the Provinces, and above the Provinces was the Central Government. What was a Surveillance Commission Assistant? There were Surveillance Commissioners, Administration Commissioners, and further up, Governors, Viceroys... and those true power brokers in the capital, the noble families with generations of officials, the Grand Secretaries and Ministers holding real power; they were the true Dominators of this vast Empire.

He, Wen Jingxing, did not come from a noble family. Being able to climb to this position today relied on his ability to assess the situation, knowing when to advance, when to retreat, and when to... endure.

The surging anger was forcibly suppressed, leaving only a nearly cold clarity in his eyes.

After a long while, he spread out a piece of letter paper, picked up the wolf-hair brush, dipped it in ink, and moved the brush in one go.

The letter was written to Xu Changze, with no pleasantries, no circumlocution, beginning with a stern reprimand.

"Xu Changze, as a local parent official, under the benevolent rule of our Great Wu, you are tasked with governing the people of Yunmeng. Yet now, such an earth-shattering case has occurred under your jurisdiction, the order of Yin and Yang is nearly shattered, and Nie Feng has died violently; you cannot shirk your responsibility."

"Considering your years of diligence, this matter will not be investigated deeply for now. You are limited to one month to thoroughly investigate the truth, apprehend the culprit, stabilize the locality, and restore order."

"If there are any further mistakes, you will be punished for all crimes together. Do not say you were not warned!"

He attributed most of Nie Feng's death to Xu Changze's incompetence and the chaos in Yunmeng, every word like a knife, berating Xu Changze thoroughly.

After finishing and sealing it, he called for someone to send it to Yunmeng immediately, then leaned back in his chair, the name Chen Mu rolling over his tongue again and again.

Since Chen Mu could single-handedly slay two Heart-Awakening Realm experts while in the Dao Entry Realm, this talent and combat power had long exceeded the category of a Genius. For such an opponent, one should either kill him with one blow and erase him completely, or... do not easily make an enemy of him.

To go all out against such a Prodigy with infinite potential and bizarre methods for the sake of a dead guard? It was not worth it, and it was unwise!

"Cut losses in time... wait for a good opportunity..." he muttered to himself.

The way of officialdom lies in weighing options, in patience, and in being able to see far enough.

Anger would only affect his judgment, and it was the behavior of the weak. And he, Wen Jingxing, aimed for the blue clouds.

...

After adjusting his breath for several days, the Hunyuan Astral Qi in Chen Mu's body became increasingly pure and condensed.

He sat cross-legged in his simple room, eyes tightly closed, his mind sinking into his Sea of Consciousness, silently examining the massive number on the System panel.

[Lifespan Plundered: 4,478 years]

This was all the wealth he had accumulated after slaying the City God, killing Nie Feng, and the subsequent days of slaughter and guerrilla warfare in the Yangu Pit.

A Lifespan number sufficient to drive anyone crazy for it.

After the first layer of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body, "Initial Formation of Calamity Body," reached Perfection, the increase in combat power was revolutionary, but Chen Mu knew deeply that this was far from enough.

Xu Changze stole the faith and wishes of the people; although his power was mixed, it was continuous. The Prefecture power represented by Wen Jingxing behind him was equally unfathomable, and added to that was the Jiang Family's seemingly gentle investment, which actually concealed even more sophisticated control...

He was already in the game. To break out of the game, or even turn the tables and become the chess player, he needed even more powerful strength, enough to crush all worldly rules.

"Infuse into the second layer of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body."

With a thought, a massive amount of Lifespan surged towards that profound forbidden technique.

[Infusing...]

[In the 3,309th year, you have achieved the "Initial Formation of Calamity Body." Your Physical Body is like a Treasure Artifact, and your Protective Aura is like refined steel. However, the Calamity Power and Protective Aura remain distinct, like oil and water. You must use your body as a furnace and your spirit as fire to perform the Unification of Calamity and Astral Qi method, thoroughly fusing the Calamity Power into the Protective Aura to form the brand-new "Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi."]

[In the 4,500th year, you attempt to shatter the fist-sized, slowly pulsating Calamity Seed in your Dantian, turning it into the purest Origin of Calamity Power. You guide it into your Meridians to forcibly fuse with the circulating Protective Aura. Initially, the two forces clash violently, your Meridians ache as if they are about to burst, and you nearly collapse several times. You grit your teeth, using the Soul-Loss Art to stabilize your Divine Soul and Taibao Horizontal Training to protect your Meridians, forcibly pushing forward.]

[In the 5,827th year, the conflict between the Calamity Power and Protective Aura gradually slows, and faint signs of Fusion begin to appear. However, the process is extremely slow, like panning for gold in a sea of sand. Each strand of Protective Aura requires a massive amount of Calamity Power to wash, permeate, and fuse. The investment of 1,000 years of Lifespan only converts less than 30% of your total Protective Aura, and the further you go, the Calamity Power and time required for conversion increase exponentially.]

[In the 7,786th year, you finally convert 50% of your total Protective Aura into Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi. This Astral Qi is dark gold in color, heavy as a mountain, yet agile as the wind, possessing both the destructive characteristics of Calamity Power and the defensive capabilities of Protective Aura. Its power far exceeds what it was before. However, the subsequent conversion falls into a near-stagnant state; the remaining Lifespan is consumed like flowing water, yet the progress is despairingly slow.]

[Infusion paused (insufficient Lifespan)]

[Current Cultivation progress: Second layer "Unification of Calamity and Astral Qi", approximately 60%.]