The matter of the Eight Sects Alliance was successfully resolved.
In the courtyard residence, the branch sect held a welcoming banquet for Xu Qing and the others.
During this time, the captain was extremely smug and exchanged toasts with others, becoming quite familiar with those Sword Holders.
Most of these people had also heard that there was someone among the Sword Holders in the Yinghuang Province who had gotten 10 feet light.
From the captain's performance today, they could guess who it was. However, they were all people who were experienced in the ways of the world. With the spirit stones and Chen Tinghao's enthusiastic introduction, they naturally wouldn't take the initiative to expose it and got along quite well.
Zi Xuan didn't participate in the banquet but got someone to send some pills to Xu Qing.
Each of these pills was her personal item and was extraordinarily precious.
When Xu Qing received the pills, although he didn't say anything, there were still some waves in his mind.
However, he wasn't good with words and didn't know what to say. He could only thank her through voice transmission.
"Kid, when did you become so polite?"
In the voice transmission jade slip, Zi Xuan's voice carried some temptation. When it landed in his mind, it was like tickling an itch.
"I'm in the first building. If you have any cultivation problems, you can secretly look for me."
The last sentence in the jade slip caused Xu Qing's heart to skip a beat. He silently kept the jade slip and calmed his emotions.
Although his injuries were serious, he recovered very quickly. After all, he was the one who got the shadow to inflict those injuries. He knew his limits.
Moreover, compared to the many life-and-death crises in the past, his current injuries could only be considered light injuries.
Hence, he naturally participated in the banquet. Seeing the captain toasting the others, Xu Qing asked Chen Tinghao about Yao Yunhui.
"In the past, the nobility ranks of the human race could be inherited. However, after this generation's Human Emperor ascended the throne, the hereditary system was abolished. Hence, the current head of the Dao Residence isn't a heavenly marquis nobility."
"However, his ancestor contributed to the human race after all, so regardless of whether it's the county governor or the Palace Master, they will call the head of the Yao family the marquis. This marquis has three children - two sons and a daughter. Yao Yunhui is the daughter of the marquis."
"Yao Yunhui was once an influential figure in the county capital. Back then, she married into the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect of your Yinghuang Province, causing many discussions to arise in the capital. To the Dao Residence, the difference in status between the two sides was too great. After that, I heard that her Dao companion passed away early. She left her son in the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect and returned to the Yao residence."
"Her background is extraordinary and she has a lot of connections in the county capital. I heard that she has some connections with Deacon Sima from the Sword Holding Palace who came from the Grand Affairs Immortal Sect. He's also a director of the Third Department of the Law Palace."
Chen Tinghao introduced Yao Yunhui to Xu Qing earnestly.
"However, our Sword Holding Palace isn't afraid of the Law Palace. Deacon Sima is also not the kind of person who likes to play favorites. You don't have to worry about that. Also… actually, no one likes the Yao Residence."
Chen Tinghao was about to pick up the wine glass when his Dao companion glanced at him. He felt a little awkward and wanted to drink but didn't dare to. Hence, he coughed and continued to speak to Xu Qing.
"Our Sword Holding Palace and the Yao Residence's ideals don't match."
"In terms of intimidation against the two major nonhuman races and the Holy Wave Race in the county, our Sword Holding Palace advocates intimidation and doesn't hesitate to fight. The Palace Master has proposed many times to purge Fenghai County and suppress the Holy Demon Race and the Quasi-Immortal Race."
"As for the Yao family, they strongly oppose it. They feel that killing wouldn't solve the problem and advocate a deeper integration with the nonhuman races. Hence, in the entire county, the Yao family has the most interaction with the Holy Demon and Quasi-Immortal. There are even intermarriages. They also visited the Holy Wave Race many times and acted like slaves to them."
Chen Tinghao's expression revealed disdain.
"I really wonder if the Heavenly Marquis would crawl out of his coffin and slap these spineless descendants to death if he knew about this."
At this point, Chen Tinghao couldn't help but pick up the wine flask and take a big gulp.
When his Dao companion saw this, she shook her head helplessly. However, the gentleness in her eyes was clearly visible.
The banquet didn't last long. Xu Qing and the captain saw them off and walked in the courtyard.
The bright moonlight scattered under the two of them. A breeze blew over, lifting Xu Qing and the captain's hair and scattering the smell of alcohol on their bodies in all directions.
"Little Qing, we've finally arrived at the county capital!" The captain was clearly filled with joy as he smiled and spoke. He took out an apple and took a big bite.
Xu Qing lifted his head and looked at the statue of the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether. He then nodded.
"Do you still remember what I said to you back then? In this life, we'll travel together!"
"The county capital isn't our end point. It's just our starting point."
"We now have to gain a foothold in the Sword Holding Palace. Junior Brother, after I'm done familiarizing myself with this place, I'll bring you to continue doing big things!"
"We have to stir up the wind and clouds in Fenghai County. We will make the large domain of Holy Wave change its name because of our arrival!" The captain showed a rare moment of ambition and heroism. He finished the apple in one bite and took out a tangerine.
Xu Qing instinctively became vigilant and looked at the captain who was different from usual.
"We also have to let everyone know that when we join forces, our light will exceed 100,000 feet!"
"We have to let everyone understand that we are good brothers who can do anything for each other!" As the captain spoke, he secretly sized up Xu Qing.
Xu Qing nodded calmly.
"Therefore, the report in half a month will be especially important. This concerns the choice of our posts. Different departments have different military contributions and responsibilities. Whether we can change the Holy Wave in the future and let the human race rise will depend on our starting point."
The captain continued to speak. His words were very exaggerated, as though this post would determine the fate of the human race.
"And then?" Xu Qing asked calmly. He had heard from Chen Tinghao that the reporting date for the new Sword Holders was in half a month.
"Then, we need to work. Junior Brother, we have to spend money. Moreover, when we do big things in the future, we have to spend money to buy information. So… the compensation that the old demonic woman will give us later, cough, how about we split it equally?"
"Just this?" Xu Qing was surprised. He thought it was a big deal.
"No problem."
Seeing that Xu Qing agreed so readily and acted like it was a small matter, the captain instantly became vigilant.
He felt that Xu Qing's situation seemed to be a little better than his. This made him wake up and he thought to himself that he had to pay attention and be more broad minded.
He waved his hand.
"Junior Brother, I'll give you a 10% discount on the eight million spirit stones you owe me!"
Xu Qing ignored him and walked toward his residence.
The captain laughed happily and bade farewell to Xu Qing before returning to his residence. The place he lived in was specially chosen by him. It was covered by a rockery and trees, so the sunlight couldn't shine directly into his room.
The captain felt that places that couldn't even be looked at by the sun were more suitable for his identity as a Sword Holder.
Xu Qing didn't care about these. After he returned, he instinctively made arrangements in the surroundings. Only then did he enter and sit down cross-legged, recalling the things that had happened in the past few days since he came to the county capital.
After that, he took out the bamboo slip and engraved Yao Yunhui's name on it, lining it up with Zhang Siyun.
Yao Yunhui's matter was just a small interlude.
After carving it, Xu Qing thought about finding an opportunity to silently kill the mother and son.
"There's also the red woman and that Ning Yan." Xu Qing glanced at the bamboo slip and frowned.
"There are a lot of names that haven't been crossed out."
Looking at so many names that hadn't been crossed out, Xu Qing felt a little uneasy. Hence, he lifted his head and looked at the dark night outside, pondering for a moment.
"I have to increase my cultivation base as soon as possible and get rid of them one by one."
Xu Qing closed his eyes and began to cultivate.
Time flowed by. Four days later, the Law Palace sent over spirit stones, pills, three magic treasure fragments, and array formations and magic artifacts. This marked the end of this matter.
Xu Qing didn't take them alone. Regardless of whether it was the captain or the disciples who went to the Law Palace to pick him up back then, the compensation was distributed to all of them.
He even gave some to Lord Fifth and Purple Mystic Fairy.
He kept the rest, including the Heavenly Palace Pills.
This pill had powerful effects. After eating three of them, the fourth Heavenly Palace in his body finally materialized.
As the rumbling sound in his body echoed, Xu Qing looked at the Fourth Heavenly Palace that was shining in his sea of consciousness. Anticipation rose in his heart and he fell silent.
"The intrinsic mosasaur or… the purple moon?" Xu Qing didn't think for too long before a determined glint appeared in his eyes.
"The intrinsic mosasaur will have to go back again."
When Xu Qing thought of this, he immediately used all his strength to guide the purple moon in his sea of consciousness, allowing it to slowly fuse into the Fourth Heavenly Palace. Finally, it sat in the depths of the Heavenly Palace.
At the next moment, an incomparably tight connection appeared in his mind.
Before this, he already had control over the purple moon. However, the purple moon's power was too vast, so it was difficult for him to use it. It was like a kid pushing a carriage.
However, with the help of the connection with the Fourth Heavenly Palace, this control became a little easier than before.
Xu Qing didn't attempt it immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and nurtured it. It was only ten days later when his Fourth Heavenly Palace completely stabilized that he opened his eyes.
The instant he opened his eyes, an intense purple light bloomed from them, causing everything in the surroundings to sink into a sea of purple.
The Fourth Heavenly Palace also shone with a resplendent purple light.
Looking at the purple moon flickering continuously inside, Xu Qing had a feeling that if he activated it fully, his entire body would instantly be filled with the god's aura that belonged to him.
In other words, anomalous substances!
These anomalous substances could invade and affect all cultivators.
If he added the enhancement of the Poison Restriction Pill, the might of these anomalous substances with him as the source would be even greater. The density would also increase, and the speed at which they invaded everything would become astonishing.
"What I cultivate now is the Dao or the god…" Xu Qing looked at his third and fourth Heavenly Palaces and then at the intrinsic mosasaur that was constantly being moved over as he mumbled.
"The current me, coupled with an emperor-level cultivation art, already possess the combat strength of five palaces."
"After fusing with the shadow, I can unleash the pure physical strength of the six palaces!"
"If I include the Poison Restriction and the purple moon, I can also fight against seven palaces. Moreover, I should definitely win!" A sharp glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. His current combat strength was already at the extreme peak among ordinary Golden Cores.
"No matter what I cultivate, the most important thing is to increase my combat strength!"
Xu Qing mumbled. He calculated the time and realized that there was only one night left before he had to report for duty.
Tomorrow morning was the day of reporting.
"I wonder where my post will be after I report?"
Xu Qing thought of Mount Morning Glow and Chen Tinghao telling him that he needed a large number of military contributions to go to Mount Morning Glow.
"Military contributions!" A sharp glint appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. After a long time, he closed his eyes and concealed this sharpness, silently waiting for time to pass.
The night passed.
The next day, the moment the sun rose, Xu Qing stood up and calmly changed into the white Daoist robe of the Sword Holder and put on a cape.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The sunlight from outside cascaded over and shuttled past Xu Qing's surroundings, as though merging his figure into the light. The ones that passed through his hair seemed to shine with colorful lights.
From afar, there seemed to be a bright fire rising from his body.
All the passing disciples cast sidelong glances at him.
Purple Mystic Fairy stood on the second floor of her residence and looked at Xu Qing. A strange expression couldn't help but appear in her eyes.
In another part of the branch sect's courtyard, not far from Xu Qing's place. In a residence where the rockery and trees blocked the sunlight, the captain pushed open the door.
He stretched and was about to walk out when he saw Xu Qing in the light and was stunned.
"You can do that?"
The captain turned his head and looked at his house before looking at Xu Qing. He suddenly felt that his house wasn't worthy of his status as a Sword Holder.
