Chapter 94: Titled Yin Hu, An Uninvited Guest

A split second before Chenlong's Internal Force surged into him, Wang Ping sensed it. His body reacted instantly on pure instinct.

Crack!

The scale-like texture of his skin layered to block the intrusion. Chenlong's Internal Force barely breached the outermost layer; the moment it tried to seep into flesh and blood, it was shredded into absolute nothingness.

Seeing this, however, Chenlong wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Instead, his eyes lit up, and his usually stern face broke into an uncontrollable smile.

"Good, good, good!"

For an expert of the Martial Dao Grandmaster Rank—especially a high-ranking member of the Tribute Hall—showing such overt emotion did not fit Chenlong's usual demeanor.

He couldn't care less right now. Intense joy flooded his heart; refraining from dancing in excitement was the only restraint he had left. His hands continuously patted and probed Wang Ping's body—checking the skin, muscles, and bones, leaving no spot untouched—as if handling a priceless masterpiece.

Even after confirming it with absolute certainty, he still found it hard to believe.

"Three days... three days!?"

In a mere three days, he had not only mastered the Martial God Pictorial Record but had even forged a complete Internal Force physique and achieved his first physical qualitative change?

Was he dreaming?

Thinking back, how long had it taken him to master the Martial God Pictorial Record? That timeframe was measured in years! In three days, he hadn't even finished memorizing the manual!

At this thought, Chenlong looked at Wang Ping with immense favor. Recalling the First Seat's instructions before his arrival, he marveled even more at her incredible foresight. He had originally assumed the First Seat just wanted him to temper a young genius's arrogance. Now it seemed she had seen through Wang Ping's talent from the very beginning.

'Speaking of which, he even learned my Peerless Slash...'

Before, he had found it inconceivable that Wang Ping could learn his blade technique with a single glance. But looking at it now, it seemed entirely natural.

After all, he had cultivated the Martial God Pictorial Record to completion in three days.

What did his Peerless Slash amount to in comparison?

The next second, Chenlong reached into his robes, pulled out a roster, and handed it to Wang Ping. "Here, sign this first," he urged.

Wang Ping was taken aback. "What is this...?"

"This is the Divine General Registry. It records twelve names, corresponding to the twelve tributes."

Chenlong explained, "You should remember that although neither Shenhou nor Xugou are on the Armament Manual, their strength still places them at the level of a Titled Martial Master."

"Do you know why?"

Wang Ping instantly caught on. "Is this... a smaller version of the Armament Manual? Specifically meant to provide renown for the martial masters of the Tribute Hall?"

"Yes and no," Chenlong chuckled lightly.

"The function of the Divine General Registry is indeed identical to the Armament Manual, but it is not a lesser version. In fact, the total renown both can gather is exactly equal. It's just that the Armament Manual's renown must be divided among all martial artists in the realm, while the Divine General Registry is exclusively for us!"

Wang Ping immediately realized just how terrifying this roster was.

The renown of the realm was split among three hundred and sixty people on the Armament Manual, but shared by only twelve people on the Divine General Registry. The share each individual received was worlds apart!

But soon after, Wang Ping frowned again.

"May I ask, Milord, where does the renown of the Divine General Registry come from?"

"From the imperial family."

Chenlong said mildly, "Although the names of the imperial tributes remain unknown to the common people, as long as you are recorded on the Divine General Registry, you will be known to the imperial family of Great Shun."

"The effects of the two are no different."

"The renown of the world and the renown of the imperial family hold equal weight. Ever since the fall of the previous dynasty, the status of imperial royalty and nobility has been considered equal to all the commoners in the realm."

"I see..."

Wang Ping's brow remained furrowed, but he didn't say anything further. He simply looked at the roster Chenlong had handed him, along with a particularly vibrant vermilion brush.

"Your martial arts are already sufficient," Chenlong said softly. "Channel your cultivated Internal Force into the brush, and leave your title on the Divine General Registry. From now on, you will be one of the twelve tributes. As for your title, the First Seat has already decided it in advance. It is Yin Hu. Don't write it wrong."

Wang Ping nodded and immediately lifted the brush.

Yin Hu.

He wrote the characters in one fluid motion. The very moment the title was formed, a brilliant light abruptly erupted within Wang Ping's sea of consciousness. His mind emptied, and his awareness was suddenly elevated.

In a daze, he felt as if he had floated three feet above his own head.

Looking down, his own body was right before his eyes, yet it resembled a bottomless abyss. Flesh, blood, acupoints, and internal organs all took on an entirely new appearance in his vision.

"This is..."

Wherever his gaze fell, every acupoint appeared incomparably conspicuous to him, radiating light. The operations and functions of every internal organ were as clear as a blazing fire.

This perspective was like shattering an invisible filter, allowing him to see his true physical body and completely master every minute change within it.

"Shattering the void to achieve Seeing Divinity."

All his insights ultimately condensed into these few words. The state persisted until Wang Ping felt a wave of exhaustion. His drifting perspective plummeted back down, merging with his body once more.

"Huu...!"

Wang Ping let out a deep breath, still marveling at the novelty of the experience. This was something spiritual sense couldn't give him; it was a power entirely unique to a martial artist's Divine Intent.

His most direct harvest was a massive leap forward in his Divine Intent. He had borrowed his qualitative-change Divine Intent on credit using a promise worth a thousand gold. He originally estimated it would take him one or two years to pay it off, but now, Wang Ping was confident he could restore his peerless loan talent within three months!

"Feels pretty good, doesn't it?"

Chenlong's laughter drifted over. "You're different from the other tributes. Since you have both the Armament Manual and the Divine General Registry, your gains will naturally be far greater."

Strictly speaking, this was actually against the rules.

But so what? Mastering the Martial God Pictorial Record in three days was worth bending the rules. If worse came to worst, he would just go back and change the rules himself.

Immediately after, Chenlong's expression turned solemn.

"Yin Hu, that is what I will call you from now on. And as an imperial tribute, the renown of the Divine General Registry is merely one of the most basic benefits."

Saying that, Chenlong pulled out a small cloth pouch.

Opening it, he revealed a pill the size of a longan fruit resting inside. A fine, dense pattern coiled across its surface, resembling a dragon wandering through the clouds.

"This is a secret elixir passed down in Shenlong Temple, known as the Great Restoration Pill," Chenlong said mildly. "Consuming one possesses the miraculous power to revive the dead and grow flesh on bare bones. When attempting to break through to the Martial Dao Grandmaster Rank and undergoing physical qualitative change, having this pill anchoring your lower dantian will increase your chances of success by at least thirty percent."

"Even if the breakthrough fails, you can rely on it to save your life."

"If you take one normally, it will instantly grant you ten years of Internal Force."

With that, Chenlong placed the pill back into the pouch, tied it tight, and casually tossed it into Wang Ping's arms. His nonchalant movement made it clear he had eaten more than a few of these in the past.

'This is too damn decadent.'

Wang Ping sighed in his heart. A single Great Restoration Pill like this in Longxing County was something people had never even heard of, let alone seen. It sounded like a pure martial arts myth.

A single pill could add ten years of Internal Force.

That guy Chen Haoyan had been an Internal Force Martial Master for less than ten years, right? He had fought hard for half his life, and the result couldn't even compare to a single pill.

'The evil profiteers of feudal society...'

'Wait, what? I'm one of them now too?'

'Then it's all good!'

Wang Ping solemnly pocketed the pouch, only for Chenlong to continue. "Aside from the Great Restoration Pill, you can also apply for the Tribute Hall to forge a weapon for you."

"What do you want?"

"Of course, you already have the Dragon Head Guillotine. If you don't want a weapon, you can also exchange it for..."

Before Chenlong could finish, Wang Ping interjected eagerly, "Armor! Can you forge a suit of armor for me? It would be even better if it's a divine weapon!"

"...Armor?"

Chenlong was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "You certainly aren't afraid to ask for the lion's share. A full suit of armor actually includes pieces for the limbs, the torso, and a helmet."

"One suit is equivalent to three separate pieces for anyone else."

"With all that, you still want it to be a divine weapon?"

Even so, Chenlong thought for a moment before saying, "I'll try to figure something out for you. A divine weapon is impossible, but there should be hope for a Famous Treasure."

Wang Ping was instantly overjoyed at the news. After all, a set of Famous Treasure-grade armor was incredibly good. Either way, he was one step closer to his sub-light-speed slash.

However, before he could express his thanks, a sudden intuition seized him, and he looked up at the sky.

"Hmm?"

Almost simultaneously, Chenlong sensed it as well. He looked toward the sky outside Longxing County, his brows knitting together. "An extraordinary person. They come with ill intent, and their killing intent is glaringly obvious."

Who were they here for?

...

High up in the vast expanse of the sky, the morning sun hung overhead.

"This is the place!"

Amidst the churning sea of clouds, a pitch-black sword light cleaved through the waves and finally stopped outside Longxing County. The light suddenly parted, and a figure stepped out.

It was an old Daoist priest with a youthful face and white hair, his pale complexion entirely beardless. His fingers lightly pinched a peach-colored handkerchief embroidered with images of eighteen men and women engaged in intimate embraces.

This man called himself Old Immortal Bliss, an evil cultivator originating from the Myriad Demons Cave in the Southern Ridge.

The Myriad Demons Cave had never gotten along with Fangxian Dao. The extraordinary persons of both sides frequently clashed, embodying the principle that "orthodox and evil cannot coexist." Neither side could ever finish off the other.

Thanks to this rivalry, Old Immortal Bliss had naturally engaged in magical duels with the extraordinary persons of Fangxian Dao. Specifically, he had fought the current sect master of Book Mountain, the third-generation Daoist Xuanhe. Back in the day, he had been a premier expert among evil cultivators, but after that single battle, he had been severely injured by Xuanhe and subsequently faded into obscurity.

"Xuanhe... I'm not finished with your Book Mountain!"

Old Immortal Bliss gritted his teeth. "Back then, you ruined my spiritual root, making it so I could never cultivate magic power and attain the realm of a Loose Immortal. Today, I will ruin your opportunity too!"

Thinking of this, he immediately cast a spell.

"Farsight."

A faint light glowed at his fingertips. With a gentle stroke in the air, he drew a circular mirror. Light and shadows intertwined within the glass, eventually freezing on the image of a young woman.

It was none other than Chen Luoyan.

"Book Mountain has schemed for five hundred years, and the day of their entire sect's ascension is drawing near. I calculated the heavenly secrets long ago—this girl is the crucial pawn in their ascension layout."

At this thought, Old Immortal Bliss's expression grew dark and gloomy. Truth be told, he had originally given up on seeking revenge against Book Mountain. After all, since he wasn't even a Loose Immortal, the gap in their strength was simply too vast. However, while cultivating a few days ago, he had been struck by a sudden whim, and by deducing the heavenly secrets, he discovered Chen Luoyan's existence.

This was a godsend.

In this moment, nothing but the thought of vengeance remained in Old Immortal Bliss's heart.

"As long as I capture this girl, ruin her purity, and destroy her spiritual root, it will definitely drive Xuanhe mad with rage. Their five-hundred-year grand ascension plan will all be for nothing!"