Chapter 370 - 361: Qianming Armory, the True [Dharma]

Chapter 370: Chapter 361: Qianming Armory, the True [Dharma]

Fu Juemin watched as Xie Mingzhi departed with the rings.

Once the trio’s figures had vanished into a side alley, the wound on his right palm completely healed.

He lowered his hand, his fingertips gently caressing the spine of the Exorcism Saber at his waist. His gaze shifted, turning toward the direction of approaching hoofbeats.

The sound of hooves soon ceased. A group of riders had stopped a hundred meters from Fu Juemin, watching him from a distance with cold expressions.

Fu Juemin met the gaze of the young man in the lead, who was dressed in a purple robe and mandarin jacket. Then, his eyes fell upon a gaunt old man with deer horns on his forehead beside him.

He grinned at the two of them, gave a casual wave, and spun around gracefully. "Let’s go!"

Hong Huan and the others hurriedly scrambled to follow.

Watching that ostentatious white shirt recede into the distance, the young man on horseback from the Purple Banner group suddenly spoke, "Master Mao, what do you make of his strength?"

Elder Deer Horn replied impassively from his side, "Very strong.

That man is a Demon Fiend, a dual cultivator of Buddhism and demonism. I have no idea how he trained to become like this..."

The young man turned his head. "And if you were to face him, Master Mao?"

Elder Deer Horn pondered for a moment before saying, "Under normal circumstances, I could probably only fight him to a standstill.

If I were to completely release my shackles, my strength would increase for every moment I lingered on the brink of death from my Heart Demon. Killing him... would be simple.

But in that state, my humanity fades as my demonic nature grows. I am unwilling to resort to that unless absolutely necessary."

"That’s a relief."

Hearing this, the young man’s eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face.

Elder Deer Horn glanced at him and couldn’t help but frown slightly, feeling as if his words had been spoken in vain.

But the young man just smiled and continued, "My apologies, I forgot to share some good news with you, Master Mao.

With the failure of the Grand Sacrifice, the relics have decided to reopen the Qianming Armory.

Back then, in his pursuit of the immortal path, after creating the Nine Spirits Dismantling Method, Emperor Qianming also created a formula specifically to cure the drawback of falling into demonhood after using the Fake Internal Energy Method.

It’s said that formula is hidden within the Qianming Armory. There might even be ready-made elixirs.

With the Armory opening this time, it’s the perfect opportunity to find a few for you, Master Mao..."

Upon hearing this, Elder Deer Horn’s expression wavered slightly. "Is what you say true, Young Master Wei?"

"How could it be false?"

The young man laughed. "News of the Armory has already spread throughout the Upper Three Banners. Many people have their eyes on the few Heirloom Magical Artifacts that might be stored inside.

But I found out about the Demon-Controlling Pill Formula years ago in an ancient scroll in the Imperial Study. I’ve never told anyone.

With this miraculous formula in hand, perhaps you have a chance at becoming a Grandmaster, Master Mao."

Elder Deer Horn’s eyes flickered. He nodded but said nothing more.

The young man glanced one more time in the direction Fu Juemin had disappeared, then put the matter out of his mind. Raising his horsewhip, he gave a soft cry, "Let’s go.

We’re going to find Panxiang!"

"Yes!"

The group of riders, who had arrived like the wind, departed just as swiftly.

...

「Mu Mansion.」

"So, you’re saying this Wei Jie is someone who suddenly appeared while I was in seclusion?"

In the main hall of the Mu Mansion, Fu Juemin sat in the master’s seat, listening to his subordinate’s report.

The report was, of course, about the group he had just seen on the street, led by the young man in the purple mandarin jacket.

"He didn’t exactly appear out of nowhere..."

Mu Feng replied, "The Wei Family was originally a noble family of the Purple Banner, but their numbers have dwindled. In this generation, Wei Jie is the only one left.

The Purple Banner has always been close with the Royal Banner, and Wei Jie is highly regarded by the Jiasu Clan. This time, he was recommended and given the order to purge the Lower Five Banners..."

"I see."

Fu Juemin nodded, then couldn’t help but laugh.

He also intended to purge the Lower Five Banners, but he was only acting under the banner of the Profound Banner Helers. Compared to Wei Jie, who was appointed by the Royal Banner, his own claim seemed somewhat illegitimate.

"Oh, right. Wei Jie and Princess Panxiang were childhood sweethearts. It’s an open secret among the Nine Banners that he’s in love with Panxiang."

Mu Feng added.

Fu Juemin paid this no mind, however. He waved his hand dismissively and stood up from his chair.

He walked down the steps and approached the group of Martial Tributors, who were sitting or lying in the middle of the hall.

These men had all been wounded by Xie Mingzhi. Hong Huan was the most severely injured, having lost a leg.

Xie Mingzhi cultivated the Military Martial Dao. The Soldier’s Blood Qi from his attacks now lingered in their bodies, making them feel as if they were being sliced by a thousand blades. Their suffering was worse than death.

Fu Juemin walked over and used his Glazed True Gang to dispel the malignant qi and heal their injuries one by one.

Hong Huan’s disability wasn’t a major problem. He could just find a suitable leg to attach later—the Fake Internal Energy Method could even transplant the flesh and blood of Demon Fiends, let alone a mere mortal’s thigh.

Fu Juemin felt little guilt or desire to compensate these injured and deceased Martial Tributors.

He had designated these evil Martial Artists—who served the Nine Banners and aided villains—as "consumables" from the very beginning. If they died, they died. It was nothing to regret.

’Some subordinates are worth cultivating. Others are taken in simply to be sent to their deaths.’

After dealing with these minor details, Fu Juemin waved his hand and dismissed everyone.

Once the hall was empty, Fu Juemin stood beneath a palace lantern and slowly drew the Exorcism Saber from his waist, examining it in the light.

’The first of the Five Calamities... how about the Military Calamity?’

Fu Juemin held the saber level, his gaze following a straight line along the spine of the Exorcism Saber.

The battle with Xie Mingzhi and witnessing his Military Martial Arts had greatly inspired Fu Juemin, sparking numerous ideas in his mind regarding his Muddy World Saber’s Five Calamities Saber Technique.

The calamity of weapons and soldiers also happened to correspond with the Metal element of the five phases.

’Although it’s called the Five Calamities, it doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to just five.’

Having achieved Perfection in his three great esoteric arts, and with Prajna in his heart, Fu Juemin’s main principle was to try whatever came to mind.

He did as he pleased.

Besides the inspiration for the first of the Five Calamities, the information Xie Mingzhi had secretly passed to Fu Juemin was also of immense value.

’Only one with the fate of a Commander can wield it. To unseal it completely, it must be washed in Zhu Yan Demon Blood...’

Fu Juemin looked at the Exorcism Saber in his hand, recalling the words Xie Mingzhi had spoken to him.

He had told Fu Juemin the conditions for unsealing the Exorcism Saber in exchange for a truce.

’No wonder Helu was so quick to hand this saber over to me.’

’It turns out that each of the twelve Heirloom Magical Artifacts requires Great Fortune to control. Otherwise, the wielder will suffer a backlash from the artifact.’

’He probably didn’t think I could find a Zhu Yan to unseal this saber...’

Fu Juemin didn’t know if he was a person of Great Fortune, but ever since obtaining the saber, everything had gone smoothly for him. He certainly didn’t feel as if his luck had been negatively affected.

And what’s more, by a sheer stroke of luck—he happened to know of a living Zhu Yan in the world today!

’Looks like I’ll have to make another trip back to Shenghai. Not killing that water monkey back then seems to have been a good thing in hindsight...’

If the water monkey were dead, Fu Juemin would have had to wait for a second Zhu Yan to be born from the calamity of war, and who knew how long that would take.

Sheathing the saber, Fu Juemin casually pulled a piece of fiery red Blood Jade from his robes.

He had carried it with him ever since taking it from Xu Xinyi. He had "nurtured" the jade, and it had grown redder and more lustrous. The center, in particular, was now so red it looked like a drop of blood about to fall.

’Bi Fangyu...’

Fu Juemin’s eyes flickered as he stared at the Red Jade in his hand.

’According to Xie Mingzhi, this jade was originally supposed to be his, but for some reason it ended up with... me. No, to be precise, with Xu Xinyi.’

Fu Juemin couldn’t be bothered to trace the convoluted history behind it.

In any case, he had inexplicably obtained an Heirloom Magical Artifact for free. No matter how you looked at it, that was a good thing.

Like the Exorcism Saber, the Bi Fangyu was not yet unsealed. The Unsealing Technique for each of the twelve Heirloom Magical Artifacts was different, so of course, Xie Mingzhi couldn’t have told Fu Juemin the method for the Bi Fangyu.

’But he definitely knows it, and he must have been confident he could unseal it. That’s why he was in such a hurry to come to Yingjing to find it.’

Fu Juemin deduced the hidden logic, thinking to himself, ’The next time we meet, I’ll make Xie Mingzhi tell me.’

Fu Juemin had already witnessed the power of an unsealed Heirloom Magical Artifact.

A single ring from the Winged Double Rings, releasing just the first layer of its power, had actually been able to injure him. It was incredible.

He recalled clashing with the Death Ring’s flying attack using his [Sanzu River]. The mysterious, profound, and wondrous tremor from that instant still seemed to linger in his mind.

Fu Juemin unconsciously rubbed his fingertips together, as if trying to grasp that subtle feeling.

That seemed to be....

"True... [Dharma]!"