I Can Extract Divine Power

Over a thousand Void Transformation masters. Even a group of ten peak experts might not have been able to escape from them.

But Shen Bai killed them all and brought back every single one of their heads.

That wasn’t just terrifying anymore. He was a freak of nature.

The few who had wanted to approach him suddenly stopped in their tracks.

They even worried that Shen Bai, caught up in the thrill of the slaughter, might casually kill them too.

Shen Bai glanced around, finding it all rather dull. ’I was actually expecting the clichéd drama where someone tries to pick a fight with me, and I just slap them down.’

The crowd was speechless.

’The way he said that... Does he really not know what his reputation is right now?’

’In the entire Great Zhou Country, aside from the Demonic Forces, who wouldn’t want to be on your good side?’

’Picking a fight? Here in Xuanjing City?’

’That would be insane.’

A muscle in the Observatory member’s jaw twitched, but he still said, "Lord Shen, the General Department awaits you at the Observatory. If you have the time, please make a trip there."

Shen Bai waved a hand dismissively. "I’ll go, but first, I need to see some old friends."

With that, Shen Bai started walking toward Zhou Qing and Qin Shuang.

The two of them weren’t as conspicuous as Shen Bai, but he spotted them at a glance.

As Shen Bai moved, everyone in his path silently parted, clearing a way for him.

Shen Bai walked up to Zhou Qing.

Unfazed by the blood and grime covering Shen Bai, Zhou Qing pulled him into a hug. "Lao Shen, it’s been a while."

"Let me get changed, then we’ll find a place to drink," Shen Bai said.

Beside them, a mischievous glint returned to Qin Shuang’s eyes.

"Shen Bai, I know a place with great food," Qin Shuang said.

"Let’s go there then. Perfect, I need a change of clothes anyway. I was in such a rush to get here, I forgot," Shen Bai said with a nod.

The surrounding crowd was still gawking.

Shen Bai frowned. "Everyone," he said, "if you’d like to drink with me, you’re welcome to come along. But I don’t appreciate being stared at like a monkey in a zoo."

At his words, the onlookers immediately averted their eyes.

Led by Qin Shuang, Shen Bai and Zhou Qing headed off in a new direction.

...

「Gui Family Restaurant.」

As the most opulent restaurant in Xuanjing City, its clientele consisted solely of the city’s rich and powerful elite.

Shen Bai, now in a fresh set of clothes, sat with Zhou Qing and Qin Shuang at a table on the second floor, each of them sharing what they had been through.

After just a brief exchange, Shen Bai had a clear picture of his friends’ situations.

Qin Shuang’s circumstances were much as he’d expected. She had entered the Great Zhou Country’s Academy and become the personal disciple of the Dean. She was now the Academy’s most talked-about junior disciple.

After abandoning the Artifact Dao, Qin Shuang had focused solely on the path of a Scholar. She displayed a level of talent that astonished even the Dean and had already reached the peak of the Unity Realm.

She was considered one of the very best of the current younger generation.

Furthermore, with her immense backing, she was an object of admiration for countless youths throughout the Great Zhou Country.

Meanwhile, Qin Shuang’s former teacher, Liu Wufeng, had been handsomely rewarded for the merit of discovering her. It was said he was now preparing to break through to the next realm.

As for Zhou Qing, he had fought valiantly in the battle against Marquis Fengjiang, showing no fear of death and repeatedly accomplishing incredible feats. His skills, all honed on the battlefield, caught the eye of an old Marshal from the founding era of Xuanjing City. He had since become a key general under this Marshal Yang.

The various Cultivation Techniques Zhou Qing now practiced were all personally taught to him by Marshal Yang.

Leveraging his natural talent for warfare, he too had reached the Unity Realm. He now commanded a large army, stationed in a remote city to fend off various Demonic Forces and spies from enemy countries.

Both of them had come this time to participate in Xuanjing City’s Celestial Pride Hall—an event for the younger generation, to which they belonged.

After listening to their stories, a hint of heartfelt emotion showed in Shen Bai’s eyes. "Old Zhou," he said, "it looks like you’ve finally achieved your dream."

Zhou Qing swirled the wine in his jug, then took a long drink. "It’s been alright," he said. "Back then, seeing you so full of spirit, Lao Shen, I thought to myself that as your brother, I couldn’t afford to fall behind. So I gritted my teeth, made up my mind, and gave it my all. I never expected the battlefield to suit me so much better than the Government Office. It’s a bit more dangerous, sure, but nothing I can’t handle."

Though Zhou Qing spoke of the danger so casually, Shen Bai could tell there was far more to it than that simple statement suggested.

The battlefield was in no way safer than the city; in fact, it was arguably far more treacherous.

To have reached his current position, Zhou Qing must have put in tremendous effort and survived all kinds of terrifying, life-or-death situations.

"My advice is the same as always, Old Zhou," Shen Bai said. "When you’re facing a life-threatening situation, avoid it if you can."

Qin Shuang’s eyes darted thoughtfully. She placed a choice morsel of food in Shen Bai’s bowl and asked, "Do you have a place to stay while you’re here?"

She and Zhou Qing, of course, had their own accommodations.

Shen Bai, on the other hand, was from Nanxing Prefecture; she wasn’t sure if he had arranged a place to stay.

’If Shen Bai doesn’t have a place to stay,’ Qin Shuang thought, ’I could bring him back to the Academy. After all, my current master, the Dean, seems very curious about him.’

Zhou Qing chimed in, "I’m staying at the military barracks in Xuanjing City. Lao Shen, if you don’t have other arrangements, you can come with me. Marshal Yang treats me like a son; I’m sure he’d be very impressed with you too."

Hearing their offers, Shen Bai shook his head. "Catching up with you two was part of the plan, but I have important matters to attend to. I have to go to the Observatory headquarters first to report on this incident, and after that, I need to find Eunuch Chen."