【Slayed Headless Ghost, gained Noble Qi x20】
【Congratulations Host, 'Purple Qi Protection' has been upgraded to Great Perfection.】
Watching the Headless Female Ghost vanish without a trace under a single strike, the two ginseng babies were completely dumbstruck.
Only now did they realize that when Chen Ning was slaying ghosts along the way, he hadn't even used fifty percent of his strength!
What was that wisp of Purple Qi? Was it the Confucian Noble Righteous Qi?
But shouldn't the Noble Righteous Qi of the Confucianists only be a manifestation of mental power, unable to be used in actual combat?
The two ginseng babies suddenly felt as if their entire worldview had been shattered and rebuilt.
Witnessing the battle just now, their admiration for Chen Ning grew by leaps and bounds.
“This Headless Ghost had a bounty of a full two hundred taels at the Demon Suppression Division. Congratulations, Lord Sword Immortal, you’ve made quite a profit this time.”
The little boy looked up with a smile.
Chen Ning asked in confusion, “The Demon Suppression Division? What is that?”
“The Sword Immortal actually doesn’t know about the Demon Suppression Division?”
The two ginseng babies were instantly shocked.
Seeing his experienced demon-slaying techniques, they had assumed Chen Ning was already a veteran demon hunter.
Seeing that Chen Ning truly seemed to have no idea what the Demon Suppression Division was, the little girl explained in a sweet voice:
“I only have a superficial understanding of human cultivators, but I know the basics. Because the cultivation systems of the Buddhist, Daoist, and Demon sects, as well as those of Warriors and Confucians, are all different, it’s difficult to unify them. To deal with the endless emergence of demons and monsters, various dynasties established Demon Suppression Divisions in different regions.
“According to the rules, the Demon Suppression Division is a neutral power that only provides missions and bounties. Any faction can join the Demon Suppression Division, and whether or not to accept a demon-hunting commission is entirely up to the individual. Because of this flexibility, the Demon Suppression Division can simultaneously draw upon the power of all five paths to eradicate demons for the sake of the common people. Although the Demon Suppression Division is a human organization, many good demons like us are very grateful to them!”
As she spoke, the little girl glanced at the corpses of the two young monks on the ground and said:
“These two should have Demon Suppression Tokens on them. They might even have the bounty for the mission. Since the tokens are just for accepting missions from the division, you can take them directly, Lord Sword Immortal.”
Following the ginseng babies' guidance, Chen Ning indeed found the tokens on the two bodies, along with a cloth bag containing twenty taels of silver.
It seemed these two young monks had lost their lives because they couldn't resist the temptation of greed and had misjudged the demon's strength.
It appeared that even for those in the Buddhist sect, while they could cultivate the body, it was difficult to cultivate the heart.
To refuse money would be against the heavens.
Since he had personally slain the Headless Female Ghost anyway, Chen Ning accepted the bag of bounty money without any psychological burden.
After a moment's thought, he also put away the Demon Suppression Tokens.
After hearing the ginseng babies' introduction, Chen Ning had indeed developed a slight interest in the Demon Suppression Division.
It just so happened that after staying in the village for two years, the silver he had saved at home was almost gone. This kind of flexible and unconstrained demon-hunting association was perfect for earning some silver to supplement his household expenses.
Qing Yan had followed him through two years of hardship; it was time he bought her some delicious things to satisfy her cravings.
“Let’s go. Keep close to me this time, and don’t just rush up to anyone you see anymore.”
“Yes, we won’t dare to do that again!”
After what had just happened, the two ginseng babies were already deeply traumatized. They followed closely by Chen Ning’s legs, their eyes filled with heartfelt admiration.
Lord Sword Immortal was indeed even more powerful than the rumors suggested!
It was a pity that even the Headless Female Ghost wasn't worthy of making him draw his sword. Otherwise, if they could have witnessed Lord Sword Immortal’s swordplay with their own eyes, they felt they could have died with no regrets!
...
The demons gathered in Xitun Mountain all deferred to the Headless Female Ghost as their leader, so after her death, these demons quickly scattered like birds and beasts.
Although they occasionally encountered a few demons along the way, these few minor ghosts were swatted into oblivion by Chen Ning in just a few strikes.
Soon, Chen Ning escorted the two ginseng babies to the deep mountains.
The moonlight shone down, and upon seeing the two ginseng babies, the thousand-year-old ginseng plants buried on the mountain transformed into human shapes one after another.
Some were white-haired elders, some were small children wearing red bellybands, and some were graceful young maidens with beautiful faces.
They all expressed their gratitude to Chen Ning and presented the two Green Mountain Snow Lotuses as promised.
“Is Lord Sword Immortal sure he doesn’t want a wife? Our ginseng girls are very beautiful,” the little ginseng baby asked, unwilling to give up.
If they could have a Sword Immortal as a son-in-law, the ancestors would probably wake up laughing in their dreams!
“No need. I have a greedy girl at home waiting up for me.”
Looking into the distance, Chen Ning gave a slight smile and quickly declined.
【Noble Qi: 107】
After descending the mountain, Chen Ning took advantage of the walk back to check the system panel.
【Chen Ning】
【Noble Qi: 8】
【Purple Qi Protection (40/40)】
【Poem and Wine Sword Art (100/400)】
After using Noble Qi to upgrade his two Divine Abilities, Purple Qi Protection had reached Great Perfection, while the Poem and Wine Sword Art was still at the Thorough Understanding stage.
As his Poem and Wine Sword Art progressed, Chen Ning could clearly feel that his comprehension of the Dao of the sword had increased tremendously. Now, even without intentionally focusing his thoughts, a wisp of sharp Sword Intent would invisibly swirl around him.
The Sword Intent and Noble Qi spiraled and merged together, forming an invisible barrier. Even if Chen Ning were to sleep by the roadside completely defenseless, ordinary animals or demons would find it difficult to approach him and would even be scared away.
As for the 'Purple Qi Protection' after it reached Great Perfection, it brought Chen Ning even more of a surprise.
While the previous Purple Qi could easily crush ghosts like the Headless Ghost, it could only be used through brute force. After reaching Great Perfection, Chen Ning’s control over the Purple Qi had reached a terrifying level.
With just a thought, he could easily condense the Purple Qi into any form, such as a saber, spear, sword, or halberd. Some of the Purple Qi had even become part of his blood, circulating through his body, causing his blood energy and explosiveness to receive a massive boost. Even his skin seemed to have become fairer and more delicate than before.
He even startled himself when he caught his reflection in the lake water.
“Wait... how did I get even more handsome?”
The only pity was that the Headless Female Ghost’s strength was too weak, so the system didn't reward any new Divine Abilities.
It seemed he would have to read more books or slay some powerful Great Demons in the near future.
Chen Ning condensed his Purple Qi, pointing his sword-finger at the bright moon in the sky. Once he mastered dozens or hundreds of Divine Abilities, what would he care about this world infested with demons? He would simply slash them all away with a single sword!
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