Cultivation System: Stronger with Age
Chapter 36 - 32: Divine Soldiers Obtained, Flames Soar into the Sky

Chapter 36: Chapter 32: Divine Soldiers Obtained, Flames Soar into the Sky

Lin Xuankong curiously reached out to the Dragon Roaming Exorcism Hand, intending to pick it up from the table. The moment he touched it, his eyes flickered; the glove’s weight was astonishingly heavy!

This small glove alone weighed more than twice as much as a hundred jin of steamed buns, tipping the scales at nearly three hundred jin!

Such an incredibly heavy glove, worn on the right hand... An ordinary strongman would probably throw out his back on the spot. Even a Martial Cultivator at the First Layer of the Transcendence Realm wouldn’t be able to perform agile and quick strikes as usual while wearing this glove! If I hadn’t already advanced to the Second Layer, I might have genuinely struggled to control this glove. No wonder Steward Ma Jiang said that if I felt my strength was insufficient, I could give it to Li Er to use!

Placing the Dragon Roaming Exorcism Hand onto his right hand, he covertly circulated his Qi Blood.

Instantly, some of his Mid-grade Second Layer Qi Blood was consumed. The glove’s myriad overlapping White Scales began to writhe, continually extending until they covered his entire right arm!

The gleaming White Scales covering his right arm fit seamlessly and perfectly, making it appear as if his right arm had transformed into the limb of a Divine Dragon—graceful and fluid, yet exuding a terrifying might!

A flicker of excitement appeared in Lin Xuankong’s eyes as he carefully stroked his right arm.

Now, with this right arm weighing several hundred jin, whether I throw a punch, unleash a palm strike, or extend a finger, its power will surely increase more than tenfold! It’s a simple principle: if a thirty-jin young woman and a three-hundred-jin young woman were to suddenly plop down on you, which one would cause more pain? Now, this right arm of mine weighs over three hundred jin on its own. If I were to channel my Qi Blood and all my bodily strength to execute the ’Designate the Central Plains’ technique... Unfortunately, the large bluestone in my courtyard has already ’perished’. Otherwise, I would definitely test it... I reckon with a single finger-point, I could plunge my entire arm right into it!

He stroked his right arm, unable to put the glove down, marveling again and again at the miraculous power of such Exorcism Equipment. With gear like this, I feel like I could punch right through the earth beneath my feet!

Of course, this Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand was not only formidably powerful but also prevented Demon Qi contamination, guarded against the depletion of Qi Blood by Demon Qi, and protected one’s Heart Spirit from disturbance!

After a moment of profound feeling, Lin Xuankong put away the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand and briskly walked outside. This mission offers many benefits, and now that I possess such a Divine Weapon, how could I not return victorious!

...

In the outer hall of the wooden house, Lii Xiaolan looked at him with worry. "Are you going to the Outer City to fight? Although Xunyang Town is a garrison town of Great Marsh Prefecture City and isn’t too far, Demons occasionally appear in those towns!"

The Young Lady was well aware of his Mid-grade Second Layer strength, so she wasn’t worried that he would be troubled by the Marsh Python Liao Race.

"The Grand Chief Stewards of the Yin Talisman Sect are all out expelling Demons! Besides, I’m already at the Mid-grade Second Layer. With the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand given to me by the Steward, along with the Twin Vine Demon Pearl and the Manluo Demon Pearl, I can definitely protect myself if I encounter Low-Tier Demons!" Lin Xuankong said.

Lii Xiaolan stared in astonishment at the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand he produced.

"Exorcism Armor! It really is Exorcism Armor! This type of armor is incredibly difficult to refine, making its value comparable to a Demon Pearl. It’s practically unobtainable in Great Marsh Prefecture City. I heard a set only occasionally appears at the Liang City auction, and each time, it incites those Martial Cultivators to bid desperately! Even if that Steward holds a respected position and has a monthly salary several times yours, he could hardly afford such precious Exorcism Armor!"

Lin Xuankong thought for a moment. "He said he had good luck and won it playing dice!"

"And you believed him? It must have taken generations of accumulation for his family to obtain such a piece! Hmm, wait, was it that Charming Chief Steward who let you use it?"

"...Absolutely not!"

"Hmph!"

"Really not! Well, I’ll pack up and then I’ll be off!"

Lii Xiaolan frowned. "I’m going with you!"

Lin Xuankong shook his head. "You had an insight during your last trip out. You’re at a critical moment for a breakthrough, so you should focus on your cultivation and achieve it soon! Just remember to prepare a grand feast for me when I return victorious—eight meat dishes and eight vegetarian dishes, all of them substantial!"

Seeing his determined expression, Lii Xiaolan’s eyes glinted mischievously as she nodded. "Alright, I’ll have those restaurants prepare in advance, but you’ll have to give me the silver. I’m out of money!"

"In that case, never mind. Just prepare eight dishes!"

After Lin Xuankong finished packing and left the wooden house, Lii Xiaolan leaned against the second-floor window, watching him walk away into the distance.

Then, the corners of her lips curled up. My legs are attached to me; did you think you could just leave me behind? Big deal! I’ll just cultivate while traveling!

...

「At the Cow and Horse Street outpost.」

Lin Xuankong looked at the sun, then toward the over forty people already lined up in the assembly area.

He looked at Guo Yun, whose face was etched with worry amidst the crowd, and asked, "How are the preparations?"

The dark-skinned Guo Yun respectfully cupped his hands. "Steward, the food, medicine, and weapons are all ready."

"And your family?" Lin Xuankong asked.

Guo Yun’s expression faltered, then he forced a smile. "It’s just one trip. I didn’t tell my family!"

The expressions of many surrounding disciples shifted; they had all personally seen Guo Yun writing a farewell letter to his family... These disciples couldn’t help but lower their heads, their faces etched with complex emotions.

Lin Xuankong silently swept his gaze over everyone, then suddenly announced in a resonant voice, "This mission is both a crisis and an opportunity! I, Lin Xuankong, cannot guarantee I’ll bring every single one of you back, but I can absolutely guarantee that this expedition to Xunyang Town will end in a resounding victory! We will annihilate the Marsh Python Liao Race outside Xunyang Town! When that time comes, you will all have merits, and the sect will naturally reward you!"

A resounding victory? All the disciples looked at Lin Xuankong with doubt, their hearts completely devoid of confidence.

Even Li Er shook his bald head, thinking to himself: If Steward Lin had said there was a chance of winning, of repulsing the Demon People Race, that would be somewhat believable. But a resounding victory, annihilating the Marsh Python Liao Race... I doubt even Steward Ma, at the Third Layer of the Transcendence Realm, would dare make such a claim if he were leading!

Among the many disciples, only Yang Mountain gripped his long spear tightly, looking at Lin Xuankong with admiration.

Truthfully, I’m not confident either, but I deeply admire our Steward’s bold spirit! I don’t understand many grand principles, but I do know one thing: when two armies clash, the valiant emerge victorious!

...

Xunyang Town, one of the towns in the Outer City, was not excessively far from Great Marsh Prefecture City—just over one hundred and forty li. Of course, this ’not excessively far’ was relative to Martial Cultivators, who possessed incredible foot-speed.

For an ordinary person on foot, such a distance would likely take five or six days, and they’d end up with massive blood blisters on both feet!

The disciples from the Cow and Horse Street outpost, the weakest of whom had already been at the Early Stage of the First Layer of Transcendence for over a year, moved as swiftly as a gale. By nightfall, the group had arrived outside Xunyang Town, stopping on a small, densely forested hill.

The disciples stood on the hill and looked towards Xunyang Town, their expressions changing.

At that moment, continuous blazes raged upon the city walls surrounding Xunyang Town. Most sections of the several-li-long wall were alight, with flames leaping over a zhang high, burning incessantly. The conflagration was so intense it seemed to turn half the sky crimson!

By the light of the fires, the group could clearly see that more than twenty zhang outside Xunyang Town’s main gate, hundreds of thick wooden stakes, each over a zhang in length, had been erected.

Many of the wooden stakes had human bodies impaled on them. Most of those impaled on the thick wooden stakes were already dead; a few were still twitching faintly, but with their bodies impaled by such massive wooden poles, survival was impossible; it was merely the throes of death!

"Such a huge fire... Don’t tell me we’re too late, that the town has already been breached!" someone said, looking at the towering flames with a complicated expression.

"Those corpses... I wonder if they’re the bodies of the garrison!" a disciple muttered, swallowing hard as he gazed at the gruesome sight in the distance.

The others also looked extremely grim, clearly shaken by the brutal and horrific scene before them. Even Yang Mountain, already in the Second Layer, couldn’t help but grip his long spear tighter upon witnessing this.

Standing at the forefront, Lin Xuankong shook his head slightly.

"This fire is burning too uniformly, and there are no ignition points within the city. It must have been lit by the garrison inside the town," Lin Xuankong explained. "The Marsh Python People are born of water and have a natural aversion to fire. With such a massive blaze, even after it dies down, the embers will last through the night! With embers covering the city walls, no matter how fierce the Marsh Python People are, they won’t dare to launch a surprise attack on Xunyang Town tonight. This way, the garrison can also get some proper rest!"

Hearing his analysis, the disciples were all taken aback. Although they had fought the Demon People Race before, it was evident this was their first encounter with the Marsh Python People.

Bald Li Er exclaimed in admiration, "Steward Lin, it seems you came well-prepared and have truly done your homework! Since you understand the Marsh Python People so thoroughly and still speak of victory... well, now I’m starting to feel a bit more confident!"

Lin Xuankong stated boldly, "It’s not about being able to achieve victory; it’s about achieving a resounding victory!"

Hearing this, the disciples couldn’t help but look at their Steward with a sense of helplessness. We’re about to face the ferocious Demon People Race, how can Steward Lin still be so stubborn!

Just then, a savage howl erupted from the dense forest outside the city gate. Immediately after, several squads of grotesque figures, each nearly two meters tall with long, dragging tails, leaped out from the trees.

These grotesque figures had bulging leather pouches hanging from their waists and were clad in tattered strips of cloth. Their exposed, bulging muscles seemed packed with explosive power. Their skin was a deathly grayish-white, and the White Scales on their foreheads pulsed with an ominous light!

Each figure clutched two humans—young people, old people, women, and children!

These hundred-odd Marsh Python People ran towards the area outside the city, each positioning themselves near a wooden stake.

The next moment, three of the Demon People leaped up and slammed the six men they held directly onto the sharp tips of the wooden stakes. Instantly, the six men were impaled, their screams merging into a horrifying chorus... Even from two li away, the inhuman cries of those six men reached the disciples, causing their faces to drain of color.

"They’re using this cruel and shameless tactic to force the city’s defenders to come out and fight them!" Yang Shan watched, his eyes wide with fury, wishing he could charge over immediately.

The other disciples now understood as well, but a question lingered in each of their hearts: Will the defending disciples come out? Should they?

"Two hundred and twenty people: over seventy men, more than eighty children, and over sixty women... Sigh, the city’s defenders probably won’t come out. Judging by the number of bodies, the enemy has likely done this before," someone said in a low, grave voice.

"Beasts!" A furious roar suddenly erupted from the city wall, as dozens of Yin Talisman Sect disciples appeared atop the main gate.

The Martial Cultivator at the very front bellowed, "You were once human! You possess intelligence now, yet you willingly allow yourselves to be controlled by Demons, to slaughter your own kind! Damn it, you’re nothing but depraved, soulless beasts! I, Han Lu, can’t stand this any longer!"

Several disciples around him were clearly anxious, reaching out to hold him back. Unfortunately, their strength was insufficient, and they failed to stop the Martial Cultivator.

Han Lu leaped, plummeting from the gate several zhang high and crashing to the ground with a tremendous THUD.

Then, brandishing his longsword, he charged towards the Demon People’s position. Of the disciples remaining on the gate, a dozen or so leaped down to follow him, while the rest drew their longbows and ignited the oil-soaked tips of their arrows.

"It’s Steward Han! Silence! Let’s get closer!" Lin Xuankong took the lead, moving swiftly. The other disciples’ expressions flickered, but they all gritted their teeth and followed.