I Can Extract Divine Power

For this very reason, the many Celestial Prides were also waiting patiently.

Every day, large crowds gathered at the gates of Xuanjing City.

Shi Hua said, "Brother Peng, no matter what, we have to go take a look. If by some chance we can interact with Shen Bai, it would be a good thing for both of us."

The possibility was slim, but they had to at least try.

Meng Shan nodded. "Shi Hua is right. We have to go see this for ourselves, no matter what."

Hearing this from them, Peng Xiang said nothing more.

They were all like-minded individuals with a close relationship.

If they agreed to go, then they would go.

With that, the three of them made their way to the city gate without delay.

At this moment, the city gate was as bustling as ever, with many common folk lingering about.

In addition, numerous Jianghu People and members of the Observatory were present, glancing toward the gate from time to time.

A woman, her face veiled, was looking on with eager anticipation.

She radiated the terrifying power of an expert at the Peak of the Unity Realm.

Her scholarly aura was such that a single glance made one feel hopelessly outmatched.

Peng Xiang noticed the woman and said quizzically, "She has the aura of a Scholar but isn’t wearing an official uniform. Could she be from the Academy?"

Shi Hua explained, "Her name is Qin Shuang. She was originally with the Observatory, but the Dean of the Academy took a liking to her and she began retraining in the way of the Scholar. She’s now at the Peak of Unity—her talent is terrifying. I hear she’s also one of Shen Bai’s friends."

A look of realization dawned on Peng Xiang.

’To reach the Unity Realm at such a young age... truly incredible.’

Although they themselves appeared young, they were Celestial Prides of the previous generation. At Qin Shuang’s age, none of them had possessed such a high level of Cultivation.

As they were talking, a horse-drawn carriage arrived at the city gate.

All eyes immediately turned toward it, and they saw a young man in armor step down from the carriage.

A long saber hung at the young man’s waist, and he exuded an oppressive battlefield aura that seemed to steal the breath from onlookers.

"Another one at the Peak of the Unity Realm, and so young. Incredible," Peng Xiang remarked again.

"This new generation is so much more impressive than ours was."

Shi Hua, who was the most informed, immediately explained, "That’s Zhou Qing. He was originally a constable in Shengyun County, then joined the army. He performed outstanding service in the campaign against Marquis Fengjiang, which earned him the favor of Marshal Yang from the Xuanjing military. Though he isn’t permanently stationed in Xuanjing City, he still holds a position of status here."

"Marshal Yang..."

Peng Xiang exclaimed, "He’s one of the old guard who helped establish the Great Zhou Country! To have earned Marshal Yang’s favor... Wait, you said he’s also from Shengyun County. Does that mean he’s connected to Shen Bai?"

Shi Hua nodded. "That’s right. He and Shen Bai are sworn brothers."

The corner of Peng Xiang’s mouth twitched.

He finally understood a certain saying.

’The friends of the strong are never weak. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be in the same circle.’

After getting down from the carriage, Zhou Qing saw Qin Shuang and walked over. "Miss Qin," he said, "are you also waiting for Lao Shen?"

Zhou Qing had, of course, also joined the Celestial Pride Hall this time.

He had met Qin Shuang a few times before and knew of her relationship with Shen Bai, so he was sure to be courteous.

Qin Shuang nodded slightly. She seemed much more composed, but a hint of liveliness still sparkled in her limpid eyes. "I’m waiting for Shen Bai. Are you going to wait with me?"

Zhou Qing nodded. "I haven’t seen Lao Shen in ages. Of course I’m going to wait. He’d call me a bad friend if I didn’t."

He was quite excited himself; after all, it had been a long time since he and Shen Bai had last met.

The two said no more and began to wait patiently.

Just then, a commotion erupted at the city gate.

Meng Shan, who had the sharpest eyes, was the first to see him. He quickly turned to Peng Xiang and Shi Hua. "He’s here! Shen Bai’s here!"

It wasn’t just him. Everyone’s gaze shifted in that direction, and their breath caught in their throats.

They had all assumed that Shen Bai would arrive in a horse-drawn carriage, at the very least.

But to their surprise, Shen Bai arrived alone.

In truth, with Shen Bai’s current power and status, arriving alone was highly inappropriate, as it was a matter of the Observatory’s prestige.

And yet... no one felt it was inappropriate.

Because Shen Bai’s condition was terrifying.

His clothes were soaked red with blood, and he exuded a horrifying, metallic stench.

Although his Longsword was sheathed, it was caked in a thick, shocking layer of blood.

And behind him was a massive cloth bundle, as large as a small hill, stained dark with dried blood.

The sight alone was utterly terrifying.

The waiting members of the Observatory rushed forward. "Lord Shen, are you alright?" one asked.

Shen Bai’s voice was soft, but it sent a chill down everyone’s spines. "I ran into an ambush on the way. The Wild Taoist Sect, the Wild Buddha Sect, and Xinhua Academy. Over a thousand Void Transformation experts. Formidable indeed. This blood... is all theirs. Oh, and this."

When the crowd heard this, their breathing grew ragged.

Especially after his last words, everyone’s eyes subconsciously flew to the bundle in his hands.

The bundle was opened, and a thousand heads rolled onto the ground like watermelons.

Many commoners screamed and fled, while the Jianghu People stood in stunned silence.

Shen Bai said, "Take these heads. Check them against the registry; you should be able to cross off a good number of personnel from the Demonic Forces. Also, see if you can unravel the networks behind them and identify more. The battle was perilous. I couldn’t afford to leave any survivors, so I had to kill them all."

Perilous.

I had to kill them all.

Those few sentences left the crowd speechless, and they slowly began to back away.

Terrifying. It was simply too terrifying.