I Grind to Martial Saint

Xu Shi said softly.

"Master, if you can't hold on, what should I do?"

Han Yuan asked.

Xu Shi was silent for a moment before replying, "Kill me…"

"That way, all the effort the Source Evil Seed has spent on me will be for nothing."

"But you must be careful not to be polluted by it, Benefactor."

Han Yuan nodded. "Don't worry, Master. I know what to do."

After restocking their supplies in the small town, the two of them headed toward the Great Vajra Temple.

Along the way, Han Yuan asked Monk Xu Shi some questions about the Great Li Dynasty.

First was the language and script, which Han Yuan, with his talent, managed to master completely in less than two days.

Next was the state of the Great Li Dynasty.

Unlike the Great Ling Dynasty, which was tucked away in a corner without any threats, the Great Li Dynasty was bordered by two other massive powers: the Celestial Moon Empire and the Profound Nether Dynasty.

These three great dynasties occupied the best territory on the Southern Star Continent, forming a tripartite balance of power. They shared a long history of grievances and had been warring with one another for over a thousand years.

Under this pressure, the Great Li Dynasty's Government Office was not as corrupt as that of the Great Ling Dynasty. It maintained a strong grip on its territories, and the common folk revered martial strength.

In addition, the Great Li Dynasty was home to many ancient and powerful Sects.

The relationship between these Ancient Sects and the Great Li Dynasty was unique; they were essentially allies who rose and fell together.

The Cyan Yang Sect, which could dominate a region in the Great Ling Dynasty, would only be considered an ordinary power in the Great Li Dynasty.

In terms of overall strength, the Great Li Dynasty was far stronger than the Great Ling Dynasty.

If not for the barrier of the Snow Dragon Mountain Range, the Great Ling Dynasty would have likely been swallowed whole by the Great Li Dynasty long ago.

Because of this, the eruption of Spiritual Qi and the reawakening of the Evil Demon Seeds hadn't had a significant impact on the Great Li Dynasty.

In fact, the pros outweighed the cons.

The eruption of Spiritual Qi had led to a growing number of geniuses emerging from both the Sects and the Government Office.

Compared to five or six years ago, their overall strength had even increased somewhat.

Of course, the appearance of Evil Demon Seeds still caused a certain degree of chaos.

However, the Great Li Dynasty was still able to suppress it, unlike the Great Ling Dynasty, which had completely given up.

The Great Vajra Temple that Han Yuan was heading to was located in the Great Li Dynasty's Yue Province and was one of the Ancient Sects.

Its Abbot, Monk Xu Hai, was even a Grandmaster at the Divine Sea Realm.

The two of them traveled continuously.

Along the way, Han Yuan also gained some understanding of the Great Li Dynasty's customs and culture.

One day, as they were speeding along an official road, they discovered government soldiers blocking the way ahead.

"Traces of an Evil Demon Seed have been found up ahead. The Celestial Net Department is clearing it out. You should take a detour."

A constable said flatly.

"A detour…"

Han Yuan looked at Monk Xu Shi.

He wasn't very familiar with the roads in the Great Li Dynasty.

If the detour didn't waste any time, he wouldn't mind.

But Monk Xu Shi shook his head and said, "A detour would cost us another five days…"

Over the past few days, his body had grown increasingly gaunt. His face was haggard and pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and his appearance was quite horrifying.

It was obvious that Monk Xu Shi was about to reach his limit.

If they wasted a few more days, he would likely be completely polluted by the Source Evil Seed before he could make it back to the Great Vajra Temple.

"Then we're not taking a detour."

Han Yuan said, looking at the constable.

"No way. Even if you don't value your own lives…"

"...if that Evil Demon Seed absorbs fresh flesh and blood, it will only increase its power."

"So you must take a detour."

The constable refused righteously.

"Alright."

"You know, I've always been a law-abiding citizen."

Han Yuan grinned.

The next moment, he grabbed Monk Xu Shi with one hand and charged straight through the checkpoint.

The constable and the group of Government Officials couldn't react in time.

By the time they realized what had happened and wanted to give chase, Han Yuan and Monk Xu Shi were already out of sight.

"Damn it, those two have a death wish!"

The constable cursed under his breath.

He didn't dare to chase after them.

"Boss, what do we do now?"

A Government Official asked.

"Report it. Just say a young man with an old monk… oh, and a cat, charged inside."

The constable said in a low voice.

"Right!" The Government Official nodded quickly.

Of course, he also knew that nothing would likely come of the report.

In the current situation, no one besides the people from the Celestial Net Department would dare to go in there.

「…」

Black Stone Town.

This had once been a large town with a population of seventy to eighty thousand. People from nearby villages would often come to the market, making it quite bustling and prosperous.

But now, it was deathly silent. The streets were empty, and the shops on both sides had their doors tightly shut.

A cold, putrid stench permeated the air.

Even the sunlight that broke through the sky offered no warmth; instead, it cast a ghastly white pallor over everything.

A few figures appeared cautiously on the street.

"An Evil Demon Seed reawakened in Black Stone Town the night before last. From the looks of it now…"

"...it seems all the townspeople have been killed."

A middle-aged man with a short beard and world-weary eyes said flatly.

He was the captain of this small squad, Su Chen.

"Captain… under normal circumstances, a newly reawakened Evil Demon Seed should be around the Gang Essence Realm in strength."

"We're also carrying Exorcism Orders, so it shouldn't be a big problem."

His squadmate, Ge Xin, said earnestly.

"That may be so… but Evil Demon Seeds have too many tricks. You must all be careful."

Su Chen said seriously.

The squad members all nodded.

A young man holding a Compass, who must have been an Abnormal Person, said, "The fluctuations of evil energy are strongest up ahead. The mutation must have happened there."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen immediately drew his weapon.

It was a Profound Black Longsword, its surface engraved with numerous runes.

These were exorcism runes, capable of inflicting greater damage on Evil Demon Seeds.

Besides him, Ge Xin and the other teammates also drew their weapons.

Soon, they arrived in front of a large courtyard.

A plaque hung above the courtyard gate, bearing its four-character name.

Mingyuan Escort Agency.

"An Escort Agency…"

Su Chen frowned.

"Escort Agencies always come into contact with complicated things."

"It's possible they brought an Evil Demon Seed back with them this time."

Ge Xin analyzed.

Su Chen nodded and said seriously, "I'll go in first. Ge Xin, you three protect Lu Jun."

Lu Jun was the Abnormal Person.

"Understood!" Ge Xin and the others nodded in acknowledgment.

The main gate of the Mingyuan Escort Agency was shut tight, but even so, Su Chen could still smell the stench of rot and blood.

He thought for a moment, then placed his hand on the gate.

CREAK!

Before he could even push, the gate opened on its own.

THUD.

A blood-drenched human head rolled out from inside the agency.

The head wore a grotesque smile, as if greeting Su Chen and the others. "Hello there!"

Ge Xin and the others were startled.

At the critical moment, Su Chen remained the calmest, thrusting his sword toward the bloody head.

But the head seemed to anticipate Su Chen's attack, dodging to the left before lunging at him.

"You're courting death!"

Su Chen shouted, and a dark red Token appeared in his hand.

As the head drew near, the Token suddenly burst into Red Flame, emitting a scorching crimson light.

This was the Exorcism Order, a special Dharma Artifact made by the Great Li Celestial Net Department. Even a Martial Artist could activate it by infusing it with Inner Qi, and its power was immense!

"AHHH!!!"

The grotesque head let out a horrifying scream as its hair caught fire.

Su Chen seized the opportunity, swinging his Profound Black Iron Sword and splitting the grotesque head in two.

SQUELCH!

The grotesque head fell to the ground and dissipated into black mist.

"Captain, your reflexes are as sharp as ever."

Ge Xin said softly.

"It's not that my reflexes are fast, it's that yours are too slow."

"Remember, you must never panic."

Su Chen said earnestly.

With that said, he walked into the Mingyuan Escort Agency.

Ge Xin and the others hurried to follow behind him.

Of course, they didn't forget Su Chen's instructions and kept Lu Jun protected.

The moment they entered, they were met with an incredibly gruesome and bloody scene.

The courtyard was slick with dried blood, and dozens of headless corpses were piled up like a small hill.

"Where did the heads go?"

Ge Xin and the others instantly thought of the grotesque head from just a moment ago.

"Careful!"

"The Evil Demon Seed must be here!"

Lu Jun exclaimed, looking at the Compass in his hand.