I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 473: Chapter 174: Arriving at the Ore Vein, Making Arrangements

The mine was deep and deserted.

Because of Shen Bai and Dongfang Li’s presence, and because the mine had become a matter of great importance, the area had been cleared out beforehand.

At this moment, faint wisps of an aura were seeping out of the round hole in the ground.

’This aura... it feels so familiar,’ Shen Bai thought, stroking his chin.

For some reason, he felt that this aura was incredibly familiar, as if he had encountered it before.

As the aura seeped out, beads of sweat formed on Fan Kai’s forehead, and he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

A Surveyor’s ability was to detect all sorts of mysterious and extraordinary things. The more mysterious the object of their survey, the higher the price they paid.

Since it was highly likely that something extremely dangerous lay within, Fan Kai had been exceptionally careful when carving out the small hole, and the effort had taken a considerable toll on him.

Dongfang Li also noticed the aura seeping out. With a flick of his finger in mid-air...

...an arcane character materialized and hovered in the air before striking and dispersing the wisp of aura.

"Seal this hole. We’ll put the matter of the mine on hold for now," Dongfang Li said, his expression exceptionally grave.

Seeing Dongfang Li’s grave expression, Fan Kai immediately did as he was told and completely sealed the small, round hole.

"Brother Fan, thank you for your help with this matter. Go back to the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office and rest for now. The situation at the mine requires careful consideration," Dongfang Li continued.

Anyone could tell that something was very wrong with Dongfang Li’s expression, as if the aura that had just leaked out was terrifyingly dangerous.

’He seems to know something,’ Shen Bai thought to himself.

But Dongfang Li said nothing more, so Shen Bai didn’t press the issue and remained silent.

"All of you, stand guard here at the mine. If any unauthorized personnel appear, apprehend them immediately."

Dongfang Li looked at the Chief Constable beside him and added, "And remember, dead or alive."

Upon receiving this order, the Chief Constable understood that this was no small matter.

He quickly acknowledged the command and immediately began arranging his men to set up a defensive perimeter.

Because Dongfang Li had dispersed the wisp of aura so quickly, Shen Bai couldn’t get a proper sense of it, even though it felt familiar.

Just then, Dongfang Li turned back and said, "Lord Shen, let’s return to Nanxing Prefecture together. There are some things I need to discuss with you in detail."

Shen Bai nodded. "Very well."

He knew this was serious.

That being the case, it was best to discuss it after they returned, lest the walls have ears.

Afterward, Shen Bai and Dongfang Li left the mine and headed back toward Nanxing Prefecture.

...

「By the time they returned, it was already afternoon.」

Shen Bai didn’t go back to the Observatory; instead, he accompanied Dongfang Li to the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office.

As soon as they arrived at the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, Dongfang Li dismissed everyone nearby and led Shen Bai to a pavilion in the rear courtyard.

The outer courtyard of a Government Office was generally used for public business, while the inner courtyard served as the residence for the head of the office.

A few maids prepared to serve a pot of wine but were waved away by Dongfang Li.

With no one else around, Shen Bai finally voiced all the questions on his mind.

"Lord Dongfang, you seemed quite familiar with that aura," Shen Bai asked.

Since Dongfang Li had brought him here, he surely had something to tell him.

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Bai asked his question, a grave look appeared on Dongfang Li’s face, and he began to explain the situation in detail.

"Lord Shen, that was a disease—an extremely terrifying disease. If I’m not mistaken, I fear we’ve found the remains of the Hundred True Gentlemen." Dongfang Li’s expression grew even more somber.

Hundred True Gentlemen?

Shen Bai stroked his chin. "That’s a name I’ve never heard before. Who was he?"

He hadn’t been in Nanxing Prefecture for very long, so there were many things he didn’t know.

But now that Dongfang Li had brought it up, he was certain to explain.

Dongfang Li organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking. "A long, long time ago, the Hundred True Gentlemen was the number one figure in Nanxing Prefecture. His power was at the Peak of Void Realm, and no one in the prefecture could match him. But he’s dead."

Dead?

Shen Bai frowned. "If he was in the Void Realm, his lifespan should have been incredibly long. Why would he die? Was it an accident?"

It was a widely accepted fact in the Jianghu that the higher a Cultivator’s level of power, the longer their lifespan.

This was especially true for those who reached the Void Realm, as they possessed exceptionally long lives.

At that realm, as long as one didn’t actively court death and simply lay low, it was almost impossible to die an early death.

Yet now Dongfang Li was telling Shen Bai that this Hundred True Gentlemen had actually died.

That wasn’t just absurd; it was the epitome of absurdity.

Dongfang Li nodded. "Indeed. As you said, Lord Shen, once a cultivator reaches the Void Realm, their lifespan becomes exceptionally long. But the Hundred True Gentlemen was different. The difference lay in the Cultivation Technique he practiced."

"The Hundred Truths Technique. That was the Cultivation Technique the Hundred True Gentlemen practiced. It used his ’body of a hundred truths’ to absorb all the Cultivation Techniques under heaven."

"With every new Cultivation Technique he mastered, he could integrate it into a different part of his body for cultivation, until hundreds of techniques were fused throughout his entire being."

As he spoke, a hint of reminiscence appeared in Dongfang Li’s eyes.

"So powerful?"

Shen Bai was also surprised. "A technique that overwhelmingly powerful must have side effects, right?"

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If it was truly as Dongfang Li described, why would the Hundred True Gentlemen have died?

Dongfang Li paused. "You’re right. The side effects were unimaginably great."

"The further he progressed in his cultivation, the more violently the different techniques clashed with one another. The Hundred True Gentlemen knew he was facing the risk of his body exploding, so he began searching for a solution."

"He used medicine as a buffer, attempting to fuse all the techniques in his body into one, but that was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."