Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Assaulting the Gate
County Yamen, the General Guard Room.
Fang Xing sat in the Grandmaster’s Chair while Xu Zhengxiong stood to the side, reporting on recent events.
After listening to Xu Zhengxiong’s report, Fang Xing remained perfectly calm.
"Uncle Xu, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Xu Zhengxiong frowned, pondering for a moment before looking at Fang Xing. "I feel there’s something fishy about the destruction of these factions."
"Oh?" Fang Xing raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He looked at Xu Zhengxiong. "Go on."
"So many factions have been wiped out, one after another, in a single month. While these factions often fought amongst themselves, they always followed certain rules. Their conflicts never went too far."
"But now they’ve all been destroyed. Clearly, this wasn’t the work of some ordinary faction. There are rumors that the Five Great Forces are behind it, aiming to absorb all the medium- and large-sized factions."
At this point, Xu Zhengxiong paused, looked at Fang Xing, and continued, "However, I don’t think the Five Great Forces are involved."
"Why is that?"
Fang Xing asked, looking at him.
Xu Zhengxiong considered this for a moment before saying, "The reason is simple: it’s easier to fish in troubled waters."
"For the Five Great Forces, the existence of these lesser factions *is* the troubled water."
"It’s beneficial for everyone involved. For years, the Five Great Forces have maintained a balance among themselves, reaching a tacit understanding."
"If one or two were eliminated, that might be considered normal. But with this many factions destroyed, the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits for the three great families and the two major sects alike."
Listening to Xu Zhengxiong’s analysis, Fang Xing calmly took a sip of tea. "Then who do you think is behind this?"
Xu Zhengxiong looked at him, thinking for a moment. "I believe the Evil Cult is the more likely culprit."
"The Evil Cult..."
A glint appeared in Fang Xing’s eyes. "Do we have any intelligence on that front?"
Xu Zhengxiong shook his head. "We haven’t found anything concrete, just a lot of rumors."
"I think it’s necessary to increase patrols. Things are getting more chaotic out there, so we should take precautions."
Hearing this, Fang Xing fell silent for a moment before looking at Xu Zhengxiong. "Yes, go ahead and increase the patrols. Be extra vigilant. Do as you see fit, and inform the other Constables as well."
Xu Zhengxiong nodded and turned to leave.
Watching Xu Zhengxiong’s departing figure, Fang Xing held his teacup and quietly took a sip. With a thought, a panel materialized before his eyes.
Name: Fang Xing
Cultivation: Peak of Dark Force
Enhancement Level: Two-Star (1%)
Enhancement Points: 4,958
’Almost five thousand points...’
’The harvest is more or less complete. I’ll worry about the rest after I break through to the Neutralizing Force realm.’
Fang Xing mused to himself as he gazed at the Enhancement Points on his panel.
Over the past month, his accumulation of Enhancement Points had reached an unprecedented peak.
After subtracting the points spent on his daily Cultivation, he still had nearly five thousand Enhancement Points remaining.
The elimination plan had gone perfectly.
It was an absolute windfall!
However, Fang Xing also knew that after this wave of harvesting, he had reached a tipping point.
He couldn’t make any more moves from the shadows.
Right now in Qingshan County, every remaining faction was in a state of panic, jumping at shadows.
The slightest disturbance could trigger a massive uproar.
The Five Great Forces were surely paying close attention now.
If he were to strike again, the danger would be immense. Once exposed, even if the Five Great Forces didn’t move against him openly, they would certainly take action from the shadows.
That would be no different from courting death.
It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark.
His current strength was not yet enough to contend with the Five Great Forces.
With nearly five thousand Enhancement Points, crossing the Dragon Gate into the Neutralizing Force realm was no longer a major issue for him.
Over the past month, aside from his "cleanup" plan, he hadn’t neglected his Cultivation either.
Of his two Superior Martial Arts, his Demon Suppression Skill had reached the Peak of Perfection, and he had cultivated his Wind God Step to the stage of Refined and Masterful.
Through daily nutritional and medicinal supplements, his foundation had already far surpassed that of an ordinary Peak of Dark Force Martial Artist.
His comprehension and control of his Power also showed signs of an impending breakthrough.
He had grasped the Harmonious Balance of Strength and Softness and was just one step away from achieving Primordial Unity.
Closing the panel, Fang Xing finished his tea, then rose and left the General Guard Room.
...
After a brief walk outside, Fang Xing returned home.
He went through his usual practice of the Demon Suppression Skill and Wind God Step, and the sky soon grew dark.
Gazing at the sky, Fang Xing felt the restless qi and blood surging within him, his Power coursing through every inch of his body.
’I wonder if I can break through tonight...’
A glint appeared in Fang Xing’s eyes. After that practice session, he seemed to sense an opportune moment.
It was an abstruse, mysterious feeling.
’Time waits for no one. I have to try.’
His mind made up, Fang Xing immediately entered the house and retrieved the Blood Spirit Ginseng.
Fang Xing had been saving this stalk of Blood Spirit Ginseng for the moment he attempted his breakthrough.
Now, he felt that time had come.
Entering the kitchen, Fang Xing cut the Blood Spirit Ginseng into sections and placed them in a clay pot.
He added water and began to brew it!
He used the entire stalk of Blood Spirit Ginseng.
The Blood Spirit Ginseng’s medicinal power was immense, capable of inducing a Blood and Marrow Exchange. Using its power to assault the barrier to the next realm would increase his chances of a successful breakthrough.
During a breakthrough, one’s Root Bone is crucial!
For someone with a Lower Grade Root Bone, the probability of breaking through to the Neutralizing Force realm is minuscule.
Out of a hundred such individuals, ninety-nine might fail—perhaps even all one hundred.
The quality of one’s Root Bone primarily affects the speed of Cultivation and the success of breakthroughs.
The worse one’s Root Bone, the greater the disparity becomes at higher realms; the resources required and the difficulty of breaking through can increase by several, tens, or even hundreds of times.
If a person with a Top-Grade Root Bone has a ninety percent chance of breaking through to the Neutralizing Force realm...
...then someone with a Lower Grade Root Bone has only a ten percent chance.
This was why Shen Ye had set those conditions for him in the past.
The chances of a breakthrough were simply too low for someone with a Lower Grade Root Bone.
The Dragon Gate of the Neutralizing Force realm bars the way for 99% of those with a Lower Grade Root Bone.
Even those with a mid-grade Root Bone only have a thirty to forty percent chance of breaking through to the Neutralizing Force realm.
A poor Root Bone could only be compensated for through other means.
Namely, by using resources to aid in forcing a breakthrough.
A two-hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Ginseng... if word of this got out, even Neutralizing Force Martial Artists would scramble for it.
It could help a Neutralizing Force Martial Artist advance to the next level. For a Peak Neutralizing Force Martial Artist with a Top-Grade or even a supreme-grade Root Bone, it could even offer them a chance to transcend the Neutralizing Force realm entirely!
For Fang Xing, however, as long as the Blood Spirit Ginseng could help him break through to the Neutralizing Force realm, it was completely worth it.
...
「The moon hung high in the sky.」
In the kitchen, Fang Xing sat on a chair, watching the Blood Spirit Ginseng brew before him.
Brewing a Spirit Ginseng was a delicate process.
The timing had to be precise.
It couldn’t be too short, nor too long!
Especially for a precious Treasure Medicine like a Spirit Ginseng, the timing was of the utmost importance.
Brewing a Spirit Liquid was similar to Alchemy.
It just wasn’t as high-risk. In Alchemy, the slightest carelessness could cause the cauldron to explode.
Fang Xing had studied up on this topic long ago.
An aged Blood Spirit Ginseng required at least four hours of brewing to perfectly extract the essence of the Spirit Ginseng into the liquid.
This wasn’t his first time brewing a Spirit Ginseng; he had plenty of experience.
Keeping track of the time, Fang Xing watched the crimson, blood-like liquid in the clay pot and smelled a deeply refreshing medicinal aroma.
’The aroma seeps into the soul... Yes, it’s about time.’
Fang Xing stood, wet a cloth, and lifted the clay pot off the stove to let it cool.
Once it had, Fang Xing poured the entire contents into a prepared bowl.
It filled a large bowl to the brim.
The liquid was as red as fresh blood and exuded a potent medicinal fragrance.
Lifting the bowl, Fang Xing drank it all in one go.
He drained the large bowl completely, not wasting a single drop.
The moment he finished, Fang Xing felt the immense medicinal power begin to surge through his body.
His face instantly flushed crimson, and wisps of white steam escaped with each breath.
The medicinal power fused with his flesh, and it felt as if his organs and even his very blood were boiling.
Heat!
An intense, searing heat swept over every inch of his flesh and skin.
His entire body turned as red as a branding iron.
Wisps of white steam rose from the crown of his head.
The terrifying medicinal power rampaged throughout his body.
The medicinal power contained within a complete, two-hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Ginseng was immense.
It was beyond imagination!
In a flash, Fang Xing shot to his feet and ripped off his shirt, but the intense heat remained.
He strode out of the kitchen and into the courtyard.
It was late autumn, and a deep chill permeated the late-night air, yet all Fang Xing could feel at this moment was the searing heat.
It was as if he had been cast into a furnace, tempered by raging flames!
He began to circulate the Demon Suppression Heart Method, coordinating its flow with the movements of the Demon Suppression Fist. An invisible current of air swirled all around him.
A majestic Power surged through his body like a torrent released from a broken dam.
It coursed through the meridians all around his body!
An invisible aura radiated outward, and the surrounding air currents seemed to answer a call, converging on him.
