Chapter 109: A Golden Core Expert Descends from the Sky

By the time the seven Daoist elders reached the beach, the battle had already ended.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Not one of the six Illusory Core Realm corrupt cultivators survived. Their corpses would likely be sent to a research facility for further study.

All 192 corrupt cultivators involved in the slaughter were completely annihilated. The Five Gods Cult suffered a devastating blow, and the authorities had already issued a global wanted notice for the remaining members of both the Five Gods Cult and the Tianlin Sect.

The Special Warfare Unit personally oversaw the manhunt.

Among the fallen, the Sturdy Iron God died the most gruesome death. Surrounded by seven or eight instructors, he was methodically broken, and his supposedly invincible body was completely shattered.

Given that the Sturdy Iron God's Daoist art bore a striking resemblance to profound Buddhist arts, it was inevitable that the Special Investigation Unit would hold the Buddhist sects accountable.

The Special Warfare Unit had thirty-two casualties, though most only suffered minor injuries. Since Illusory Core Realm instructors had led the assault on the island's central village, they had faced little resistance. The corrupt cultivators never even had the chance to massacre their hostages.

Wave after wave of Special Warfare Unit members stormed the island, immediately tending to the wounded and evacuating the hostages. The cleanup operation proceeded smoothly.

For now, no one called for Wang Sheng, Fei Lianzi, or Mu Wanxuan. Wang Sheng leaped back onto the speedboat, and Mu Wanxuan gracefully drifted over to join him.

Fei Lianzi, on the other hand, was busy chatting with several instructors, seemingly making connections. He appeared to be considering taking up an instructor assistant role in the military, enjoying the idea of being part of the system for a few years.

Chi Ling, who had been on high alert throughout the battle, finally sighed in relief. She leaned back against the speedboat's seat, her youthful face filled with exhaustion.

Wang Sheng reached under the seat, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and handed it to her.

"Mistress, have some water."

Chi Ling accepted it and breathed out slowly. "We owe this to you all."

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan simply smiled at each other.

Mu Wanxuan had certainly played a crucial role, serving as a powerful reinforcement, and Wang Sheng had dictated the flow of the battle in its early stages, surpassing the expectations of those who had entrusted him with the mission. Their contributions were undeniable.

"Right! Instructor Yan's sword!" Wang Sheng quickly stood up and dove into the sea to search for the treasured sword that he had thrown away earlier. That artifact was superior to Abyss Listener! If he lost it and Instructor Yan later claimed that he didn't need it back, Wang Sheng would suffer a monumental loss.

Fortunately, after searching the seabed for a while, he managed to retrieve the weapon. As the Special Warfare Unit soldiers watched, he emerged from the water dripping wet and hopped back onto the speedboat with a grin.

By now, Chi Ling had already regained her energy. She stood once more, gazing at the busy scene on the beach.

She said seriously, "Fei Yu, Bu Yu, come join the Special Investigation Unit. I will ensure you the best benefits, provide you with more resources than any Daoist sect or sacred mountain, and you won't be assigned to random missions—"

"Mistress, we can't make that decision," Wang Sheng replied with a smile. "Besides, we're used to our freedom and wouldn't enjoy being tied down. Serving as consultants works just fine for us."

"You've seen the situation for yourself." Chi Ling frowned. "These corrupt cultivators slaughter innocents without hesitation. The Special Investigation Unit needs your help. The Warfare Unit's main task is to defend the borders; they can't keep chasing after corrupt cultivators forever."

Wang Sheng glanced at Mu Wanxuan, who simply blinked and pointed at him. "You."

She was trying to say that he should make the decision.

Wang Sheng chuckled helplessly. Though the conditions that Chi Ling offered were generous, he couldn't agree to them.

Cultivating in the mountains wasn't just about the purity of primal qi. More importantly, it was about keeping one's Dao Heart clear. If he were to get entangled in the mortal world too soon, it would be detrimental to his cultivation.

Considering his realm, he was far from needing to temper his heart through worldly challenges.

"Mistress, I have to discuss this with my master first. Also, I already promised the Shu Sword Sect that I'd visit the Shu Mountains."

He could only use his master as an excuse, knowing full well that his master would respect their decision. He wouldn't force them into serving the country just because Chi Ling asked.

Understanding what he meant, Chi Ling chuckled and nodded. "Alright, then. Tell me, what kind of reward do you want?"

Wang Sheng blinked and then made a straightforward request.

"Can we get some of the alchemy pills that the Special Warfare Unit takes? Especially the ones that help with cultivation."

"Of course," Chi Ling replied without hesitation. In doing so, she also unknowingly confirmed that the Special Warfare Unit indeed had a large supply of such resources.

A helicopter soon slowly descended from the sky to pick up Chi Ling. Since a Special Warfare Unit meeting had apparently been scheduled, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan took the opportunity to board as well. Considering they had been invited, it was likely some kind of debriefing session.

A celebratory feast seemed inappropriate given the heavy casualties. Though the crisis had been swiftly contained and all the corrupt cultivators had been brought to justice, the incident remained the most severe in recent years within the Hua Republic.

It felt like an omen, signaling that turbulent times lay ahead.

***

The meeting turned out to be a simple debriefing. Dozens of people gathered in a temporary command center to summarize the situation. Among the attendees were key figures from the Special Investigation Unit, nine Special Warfare Unit instructors, and several senior military officials.

"Our Special Investigation Unit will establish a more effective system to monitor corrupt cultivators as soon as possible," Chi Ling said in self-reproach. "Our inexperience in handling such matters led to a failure in detecting the gathering of corrupt cultivators in time. This is our responsibility."

"You've all already done very well." A white-haired military official sighed. "We anticipated that corrupt cultivators would cause trouble, Captain Chi Ling. There's no need to blame yourself excessively. The Special Warfare Unit and the regional armed police forces all share responsibility for this oversight."

"The official stance will be to classify this as a terrorist attack while downplaying the involvement of cultivators..."

Standing in a corner, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan quietly listened. Before long, Mu Wanxuan began to lose interest and pulled out her phone to play a mobile game. Several gazes shifted toward them, but no one said anything.

A few instructors exchanged words via voice transmission and gradually moved toward them. By the time Wang Sheng noticed, he and Mu Wanxuan were already surrounded in the corner by nine middle-aged men clad in camouflage vests. Their stares carried a certain intent, making Wang Sheng's Dao Heart waver slightly.

"Are you Qing Yanzi's disciple?" A tall and lean instructor looked at Wang Sheng with a smile. "I never expected Qing Yanzi to produce such a genius in the Dao of the Sword. You've certainly caught my attention."

"How should I address you, sir?" Wang Sheng asked politely.

"Lin Shirui. Your master mentioned you repeatedly when we last spoke," the instructor said with a sigh. "Between me and Shixing, we haven't received half the praise you have over the years."

So he's a disciple of Grandmaster Yuan Pu. No wonder his swordsmanship is so fierce.

"I've received much guidance from my grandmaster..."

Zhang Zikuang coughed lightly and interjected, "Alright, enough of that. Keep it down. Fei Yu and Bu Yu, would you two be interested in joining the Special Warfare Unit? We're forming an elite strike team that consists of about thirty people. We will receive the best resources to cultivate into top-tier cultivators. In the future, you'd be making an impact on the great cultivation world! What do you think? Are you interested?"

Wang Sheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How had he and his senior sister suddenly become so sought after?

The Special Investigation Unit and the Special Warfare Unit wanted to recruit them for national service, offering substantial resources to support their cultivation and make up for their sect's lack of accumulated wealth. However, he felt a lingering resistance to the idea, believing that true freedom was far more precious.

If he outright refused, would the group of burly men resort to "persuasive" measures?

Fortunately, Yan Zhengnan, who stood nearby with his chest wrapped in bandages, eased the pressure on him. "What are you all doing? Trying to snatch them? They're already consultants for the Special Investigation Unit, and they've been a great help to them. If they're not interested, just let it go."

Wang Sheng smiled gratefully at Yan Zhengnan.

Zhang Zikuang smirked and muttered under his breath, "How can we just let two outstanding talents slip away? What's Qing Yanzi's cultivation level? Maybe I should fight him for you two. Winner takes all!"

Cultivators from the Longhu Mountains really did have an... interesting temperament.

Wang Sheng could only stand awkwardly as the meeting proceeded. Soon, however, an inexplicable aura descended from the sky. The open-air command center, surrounded by trucks, fell into complete silence.

The soldiers who didn't cultivate felt a heavy pressure in their chests. Those who did, including the Special Warfare Unit members, involuntarily broke into a cold sweat.

The nine instructors immediately raised their heads, their expressions turning grave. The stronger their cultivation, the more clearly they could sense the sheer power radiating from above.

Zhang Zikuang suddenly shouted, "Stay alert! There's someone in the sky! Anyone below the Illusory Core Realm, fall back!"

Wang Sheng focused, noticing a figure hovering in the night sky. They radiated immense pressure.

His senior sister, however, seemed to recognize something. She tugged on Wang Sheng's sleeve. "Master!"

A thunderous voice echoed from above, causing the primal qi within several kilometers to churn violently. The oppressive aura intensified. "Where are the corrupt cultivators?"

Wang Sheng stiffened.

Zhang Zikuang roared, "Lock onto him with missiles! That's a Golden Core Realm cultivator! Hurry!"

"

Uh...

Seniors..." Wang Sheng found it hard to speak, but after a brief pause, he managed to hesitantly mutter, "That person up there... is not a corrupt cultivator. He's...

um,

my master... I think..."

The command center, which had just been thrown into a state of tension, instantly fell into pindrop silence.