Qiu Mingzi had his eye on him while alive.
He might have leaked the news to these two people.
Witch God Sect?
Until now, Chen Sansi had not figured out what exactly was added to the "Nourishing Spirit Soup", and whether the incense and Nourishing Spirit Soup were two separate acts by different groups of people.
Itās also possible that Qiu Mingzi and his group were double agents, openly followers of the Incense Fire Divine Sect but secretly colluding with other forces?
This trip today proved worthwhile.
At least he knew who was watching him and could always be on guard, not completely in the dark until danger came knocking. Now, he was the proactive one!
However, it seemed he still needed to enhance his power swiftly. Hua Jin was far from enough, and the materials for the bow needed to be gathered quickly. By hunting down the Fierce Monster and finding Ghost Vein Wood, theoretically, it should be possible to assemble a Hundred-stone Bow carrying True Dragon Strength.
"Sir, I didnāt find anything!"
"I havenāt got much here either."
"..."
Soon, a round of searches was completed.
"Yun Xiaozi."
Li Qianzong spoke emotionlessly, "If you find anything unusual, please make sure to inform us!"
"Certainly, certainly."
Yun Xiaozi performed a Taoist bow with clasped hands, "Then Iāll kindly see off the two officials."
"Squad Leader."
The middle-aged Taoist said in a low voice, "Iāve inquired about the news. It was not the Princely Heirās doing. He knows nothing about our Divine Sect."
"Just as I expected."
Yun Xiaoziās gaze darkened, "Yet someone has to cause trouble at this critical juncture, and itās troubling that thereās no way to start the investigation. Moreover, this person has managed to absorb such a large amount of incense in such a short timeāthe background mustnāt be small!"
"Then, Squad Leader, shall we continue the investigation?"
"No, letās stop. Missing the incense from one incense burner doesnāt make much difference."
"What about the Witch God Sect? Are we going to drop that too? I heard that Qiu Mingzi and his group had constantly been organizing sermons, not sure what their purpose was."
"No, weāll leave that for later. Our immediate task is to handle the matters in Capital City. Weāll be leaving in a few days."
"Yes, Squad Leader, I understand."
"..."
...
"Following me?"
Chen Sansi noticed movement behind him.
It was two young Taoists from Ci Yun Temple.
But they did not follow all the way, retreating as they neared Chen Mansion, clearly unwilling to take action within the city.
"Itās several daysā journey to the mountain, and I really canāt rest easy leaving the whole family in the mansion."
"Fortunately, Senior Sister Nine wrote that the Yan State Armyās affairs have been settled, and she will soon return to Liangzhou. It would be perfect to ask her to be the bodyguard."
"Master!"
"Daddy!"
"Godfather~"
As Chen Sansi entered, the courtyard burst into lively scenes.
Si Qinmohua goes without saying. The Sun Li siblings were also there, then Chen Yunxi, and finally, Tong Family holding a child.
"Yu Huan is here, come, let godfather hold you."
Chen Sansi picked up the roughly one-year-old girl whose first word after learning to speak was actually āgodfatherā, making it unclear how the Tong Family had taught her.
In the evening, a large table full of people and food.
After the lively meal, they simply stayed overnight in the forecourt chambers, as it was all women and there was nothing inconvenient about it. This spared Chen Sansi the trouble of fussing over the child, allowing him to focus on cultivating in the backyard.
Meridian Passage Realm!
The Pile Work of the Meridian Passage Realm is very complex, and the Breathing Skill had changed from the Haoran Breathing Skill to the Asking Dao Breathing Skill.
Of course, for Chen Sansi, these things were hardly obstacles.
In just two days, he had committed the Meridian Passage Method to memory.
[Cultivation Technique: National Guardian Dragon Spear. Meridian Passage (Uninitiated)]
[Progress: 5/100]
His masterās handwritten notes stated that not only should he practice spear technique but also every other Cultivation Technique given to him previously up to the Meridian Passage, for countless future benefits.
Sword, spear, saber, and halberd; axe, hook, trident, and fork.
Basically, every type of weapon was included.
Chen Sansi spent five days bringing the Zhenyue Swordsmanship, which he used frequently, to Hua Jing Perfection. He would have to find time for the rest.
After Martial Arts, he had to cultivate Spells.
He sat cross-legged, holding a Xuanzhu in his hand, absorbing the Incense Mystical Energy contained within. After circulating through the meridians inside his body and congregating at the fingertips through a special Circulation, he was one step away from breakthrough mastery.
Unlike the inevitable pain of cultivating Martial Arts, cultivating Spells was an indescribable experience. Without any pain or itch, his right hand, which was forming seals, simply couldnāt stop trembling. The small sword phantom above his fingertips kept dispersing and then reforming in a continuous cycle, consuming the Incense at a rapid pace within the Xuanzhu until he fully grasped its profound technique, marking his great achievement.
"Buzz!"
A purple small sword floated in the void.
Sized like a miniature pendant rather than the embroidery needle size it was upon initiation, it appeared much sturdier and not nearly as much a mere phantom as before.
[Magic Skill: Sword Qi Skill (Mastery)]
[Progress: 0/1000]
[Utility: Cutting Strength Breaking Gang]
"Cutting Strength Breaking Gang?"
Chen Sansi, contemplating the effect term, fell into a deep thought.
He had never exchanged hands with a Martial Artist in the Profound Image Realm, unsure of what strength Gang Qi really held and what extent Sword Qi Skill could counter Gang Qi. Just based on feeling, Profound Image Realm Initiation?
Uncertain.
This wasnāt something he could test.
When Senior Sister Nine returned, he could use sparring as a pretext to experience Gang Qi and then have a clear idea.
If he remembered correctly,
Sha Wenlong was transferred from another state, with not a high realm, merely at the initiation of Profound Image Realm Cultivation Technique.
Thinking thus, Chen Sansi dissipated the Sword Qi from his fingertips.
Not having entered the Divine Dao, he couldnāt store Incense in his Dantian, and each accumulation could only be used once, after which he had to accumulate again.
It was an unavoidable situation.
Not to mention the lack of a Cultivation Technique for the Incense Fire Divine Dao, even if there were one, he dared not practice it casually, unknown what kind of price he needed to pay. Especially since the Incense was not his but stolen, it seemed unreliable to think about it. He would rather follow the orthodox initiation methods of his own master upon reaching a certain realm.
Incense and Sword Qi Skill, considering them as his current trump cards.