Volume One: The Menial of Changshui County Chapter 108: A World Apart at Arm's Length

Director Song waved his hand, "Say no more!"

The more he dwelt on it, the more miserable he felt; such a golden opportunity, squandered just like that.

Had he entered and increased his cultivation, he might have caught a glimpse of the threshold to the seventh rank of martial arts. To break through to the seventh rank in this relic world would have made him one of the most formidable figures here. Back in the outside world, it would have been highly likely for him to secure a position as a Deputy Director of the Anxi Prefecture Demon Suppression Bureau. Even if there were no vacancies, he would surely have been appointed within a few years.

He thought of Bian Yuan, the current Deputy Director of the Anxi Prefecture Demon Suppression Bureau—that arrogant man who looked down on everyone as if they were beneath his notice. If not for his high cultivation and his position, Director Song wouldn't have bothered with him at all!

...

Near the ancient tower, Zhong Zhengming had gone on a killing spree.

The others and the great demons had all been slaughtered, leaving only the life of Demon Suppression Envoy Li.

"Where is Lu Jiuzhang? Did you kill him too?" Zhong Zhengming asked coldly.

"Director Zhong, it’s a misunderstanding! We didn't lay a finger on Demon Suppression Guard Lu; he hasn't come out yet. And I didn't kill Director Xue—he poisoned himself by mistake." Li quickly deflected the blame. "If you must blame someone, blame that poison... no, blame Director Bian Yuan. If not for him, Director Xue would never have died."

Li was desperate to shift the responsibility; at this point, if he didn't, his death was certain. Who could have known that Zhong Zhengming would be so ferocious?

"Oh? You feel this has nothing to do with you?" Zhong Zhengming sneered, looking at Envoy Li from the Anxi Bureau. "I recall it was you who hunted me down first, wasn't it?"

"Director Zhong, we are all comrades in the Demon Suppression Bureau. You know the rules. If we were in the outside world, if you attacked me, the Bureau would hunt you down..."

*Slash.*

Before Envoy Li could finish his sentence, his head rolled across the ground. His eyes were wide open, unable to accept the reality of his own death.

"As you said, that would be in the outside world. This is the relic world, and the Demon Suppression Bureau’s reach doesn't extend here." Zhong Zhengming sheathed his blade and sat down near the ancient tower. He was waiting for Bian Yuan to emerge, intending to fight him to the death. Not only to avenge the hunt but to claim a life for Director Xue. Blood debts must be paid in blood!

...

Inside the ancient tower!

Lu Jiuzhang’s body was covered in cracks, with only one arm remaining intact. The saber gripped in that hand was riddled with fissures, as if it might shatter into pieces at any second. His entire body was a mangled mess of flesh and blood; he was barely recognizable as human.

To emerge from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—that is how a trial-taker becomes a true powerhouse! This was the purpose of the ancient tower. It had no interest in ordinary people; it sought only the transcendent geniuses born once in a century or a millennium—geniuses capable of reaching the absolute peak!

Tens of thousands of years ago, the relic’s sect, the Heaven-Treading Sect, was one of the most powerful in existence. It governed billions of subjects and countless mountains, seas, and lakes. Every year, millions of young people sought to enter the sect to cultivate. Yet, out of those millions, the Heaven-Treading Sect would only accept a thousand. Once inside, those thousand were further categorized into outer disciples, inner disciples, core disciples, and so on.

"Ding! Congratulations to the trial-taker for passing the twentieth level. You have become an inner disciple. Reward: twenty portions of [Dao Liquid], the Earth-rank technique [Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Manual], the divine ability [Inch-long Horizon], and the spiritual treasure [Frost Sky Blade]..."

A series of notifications echoed. Having crossed the first twenty levels through blood and fire, Lu Jiuzhang had finally become an inner disciple. The disparity in treatment between outer and inner disciples was stark. By reaching the level of an inner disciple, one was finally worthy of focused cultivation. These disciples would become the sect’s middle management—outer or inner elders—and contribute significantly to the sect. They were worth the investment!

Lu Jiuzhang sat cross-legged, beginning to absorb the [Dao Liquid] while practicing the Earth-rank [Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Manual]. This technique was far more complex than any he had ever seen, containing several incredibly obscure energy pathways that he found difficult to even comprehend. Before long, he felt his brain swelling with pain, his vitality waning.

*Hum...*

Within his sea of consciousness, the Quexing Tower vibrated inexplicably. A beam of white light descended upon him, cool as a summer breeze, bringing him immediate relief. Under the blessing of the Quexing Tower, his thoughts began to align, and his perception became crystal clear. The characters of the [Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Manual] rearranged themselves in his mind, and the pathways of the technique were laid bare for him to analyze.

Following this, the [Dao Liquid] began to circulate according to the manual's pathways. Lu Jiuzhang’s cultivation grew steadily. Though his rank remained the same, his strength became significantly more formidable. He felt that if he were to face the twentieth level again, he would not be left in such a wretched, wounded state.

...

It was unclear how much time had passed when the [Dao Liquid] was fully absorbed and Lu Jiuzhang had become increasingly proficient in the [Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Manual]. With the technique active, he felt his spiritual energy recovery rate and the power of his strikes increase dramatically.

Seeing that the trial tower had not yet transported him to the next level, Lu Jiuzhang decided to study the divine ability [Inch-long Horizon]. Divine abilities require massive amounts of spiritual energy. Before the fifth rank of martial arts, one's internal energy is usually too thin; using such an ability could easily exhaust one's reserves and drain their life force. Thus, martial artists below the fifth rank generally only train in martial techniques.

However, having absorbed so much Dao Liquid, spirit stones, and natural spiritual energy, Lu Jiuzhang’s reserves were far deeper than those of an eighth-rank martial artist; he felt the density of his energy was now comparable to that of a seventh-rank practitioner.

Should he attempt to cultivate [Inch-long Horizon]? Lu Jiuzhang hesitated. Soon, he gritted his teeth. *To hell with it, what am I afraid of? The worst that happens is death! If I can't leave this relic and am trapped in this small world forever, what is the point of living?*

Lu Jiuzhang opened the scroll and began to read carefully. This was a movement-based divine ability, far superior to his previous [Swift Wind Step]. After memorizing the text, he entered a state of meditation.

Unlike before, a small figure appeared within his sea of consciousness. The figure stood there, practicing the [Inch-long Horizon] over and over again. Lu Jiuzhang’s consciousness observed every movement with meticulous care, and the figure continued, tireless, repeating the motions again and again...

After observing for two full hours, Lu Jiuzhang withdrew from his consciousness, closed his eyes, and began to contemplate.