Cultivation System: Stronger with Age
Chapter 63 - 52: Grand Ambitions Reach the Celestial Road, The Stream Before the Gate Still Flows West (Please Follow)

Chapter 63: Chapter 52: Grand Ambitions Reach the Celestial Road, The Stream Before the Gate Still Flows West (Please Follow)

Lin Xuankong pondered for a moment. Gu Beicheng just said that genius disciples who possess the Demon Pearl seem to have it easy in the Demon-Suppressing Valley, with a chance to sweep through... I wonder if that’s true! But I’ve never fought Demons before, especially not Tier Two and Tier Three Demons. My heart is really in a flutter! Why not go find Steward Ma Jiang and chat? He should give me a fair suggestion! Besides, if I decide not to participate, having Big Brother Ma Jiang speak on my behalf would be better than going to the Charming Chief Steward alone!

Moments later, in a luxurious building of the Steward’s Tower at the Mule Street Branch, Ma Jiang looked at Lin Xuankong before him, the White Jade Dice in his hand clicking softly as he idly turned them.

After a while, he sighed. "After hearing the news, I went to find Chief Steward Jiang. I even went to see Hall Master Xua, who was in seclusion for Cultivation. Unfortunately, Chief Steward Jiang and Hall Master Xua said that this is a decree issued directly by Ding Rui, a Fourth Layer disciple of the Profound Phoenix Celestial Sect. Even the Hall Master must follow it! Only the Prefect of Great Marsh Prefecture, leveraging Royal Family authority, or the Sect Leader using his old ties with Elder Hua, could make minor changes!"

Lin Xuankong frowned. "The Profound Phoenix Celestial Sect is quite imposing. A command from one of its disciples can make numerous powerful factions in Great Marsh Prefecture obey."

Ma Jiang sighed again. "After all, it is the National Guardian Divine Sect of the Great Xia Dynasty. Although it’s composed entirely of women, experts are as numerous as clouds... But this time, you definitely have to participate in the Demon Slaying Conference!"

Joining a sect and enjoying various benefits certainly requires paying a price... Lin Xuankong thought to himself.

Ma Jiang stood up then and remarked with feeling, "Many people are unwilling to risk participating in the Demon Slaying Conference, but countless Martial Cultivators scramble to join! Of the thousand slots for the Demon Slaying Conference, two hundred are reserved for Independent Martial Cultivators from various cities. For these two hundred slots... thousands of Martial Cultivators fight to the death on the Profound Phoenix Celestial Sect’s arena every time, just for a chance to participate!

"The Demon-Suppressing Valley contains countless Tier Two and Tier Three Demons. Marsh Python Gall juice, Evil Lizard heart blood, Evil Sheep spinal meat, Ghost Toad abdominal sacs, the eyes from beneath a Demon Fox’s forehead—all of these are precious treasures. Especially the Demon Pearls that occasionally appear in the Demon-Suppressing Valley; those are extremely precious!

"So, some people think the Demon-Suppressing Valley is terrifying beyond measure, while others desire it intensely. Every ten years, the Demon Slaying Conference sees peerless prodigies or fortunate souls returning with great harvests, showcasing their prowess, and making a name for themselves across the dozens of cities under Great Marsh Prefecture’s jurisdiction, treading a peerless, enviable Celestial Road!"

Hearing this, Lin Xuankong fell silent.

Ma Jiang paused, then looked at Lin Xuankong. "But on this Celestial Road, countless ambitious Martial Cultivators have perished. Without a full set of Exorcism Armor, it’s hard to fight Demons of the Same Tier. In most cases, they are corrupted by Demon Qi and devoured by Demons wielding various Demon Techniques. If you have a powerful Treasure like a Demon Pearl, it would indeed be much easier, but as for getting a Demon Pearl, I can’t help you with that!"

Ma Jiang touched the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand hanging at his waist and said, "When you participate in two months, I’ll give you this other Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand to use. I hope you, Steward Hu, Steward Zhao, and Steward Nalan can all come out alive!"

This Steward Ma Jiang, who had always held Lin Xuankong in high regard, didn’t even remind Lin Xuankong to intensify his Cultivation. Obviously, in his view, the effect of last-minute preparations in the short span of two months would be minimal. The boost from an external item like the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand would be much greater!

It seems my boss truly thinks it’s very unlikely I will survive the Demon Slaying Conference! Lin Xuankong mused. Yet, even though Ma Jiang believes my chances of survival are slim, he still promises to give me the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand he accumulated over half his life. Such generosity and loyalty are truly moving! I originally had other plans... The Demon Slaying Conference is so dangerous; I thought once the Exorcism Armor was successfully refined, I would take my Young Lady and leave Great Marsh Prefecture, leave the Yin Talisman Sect. Fleeing was the best of the Thirty-Six Stratagems! But Ma Jiang’s trust and regard... If I desert at the critical moment, I don’t know how much ridicule Ma Jiang, who has always supported me, would suffer!

He stood at the entrance of Mule Street, watching the passersby who kept bowing respectfully towards him, and his thoughts deepened.

Gu Beicheng and Big Brother Ma both said that with a Demon Pearl, things would be much easier, and there’s a chance for great gains. I don’t just have one; I have two powerful Demon Pearls in my possession... Moreover, I have a chance to refine an Exorcism Armor that can block Demon Qi and possesses great power. I also have a chance to cultivate my Yin Talisman Technique to great power within two months. I equally have a chance to advance to the Late Stage of the Third Layer within two months. Thousands of Martial Cultivators, including those Loose Cultivators, dare to participate in the Demon Slaying Conference. So why can’t I, who has the potential to surpass others in strength and equipment, take this plunge? Why should I be such a cowardly old fool? With my Vigorous in Old Age Life Plate, am I truly inferior to those so-called geniuses?

At this thought, a heroic spirit began to swell in Lin Xuankong’s heart.

Suddenly, his eyes became resolute. He strode outwards, his silver hair flowing, his steps light and powerful.

I, Lin Xuankong, may be old, but I will compete with those young geniuses and prodigies! We shall see who can carve out a Celestial Road at the Demon Slaying Conference! Who says life cannot have a youthful spirit? Even the stream before the door can still flow westwards! Don’t let white hair make you sing of fleeting time!

Lin Xuankong returned directly to his headquarters. He instructed the efficient Yang Mountain to help him gather information on the Marsh Python Forehead Scale, then began his Cultivation in his Steward’s Tower.

He didn’t plan to immediately tell his Young Lady about participating in the Demon Slaying Conference, lest the little foodie worry so much that her appetite increased dramatically!

However, he was clear that to survive and gain something in the Demon Slaying Conference, the most important things right now were his Martial Dao Cultivation and collecting materials for the Exorcism Armor.

He could delegate his subordinates to find sellers for the Marsh Python Forehead Scale. However, achieving the goal of reaching the Late Stage of the Third Layer before the Demon Slaying Conference could only be accomplished through his own persistent Cultivation!

At this moment, Lin Xuankong carefully sensed within himself. He found that the two Divine Thunder Roots, nurtured in his body and originally as fine as Lii Xiaolan’s hair, were gradually growing stronger through the consumption of his Qi Blood. They were now about the thickness of three strands of Lii Xiaolan’s hair, had become more agile, and pulsed with a profound divine power!

Sensing the Qi Blood consumption caused by nurturing the Divine Thunder Roots, Lin Xuankong couldn’t help but smile. Nurturing two Divine Thunder Roots consumed about eight to nine points of Second Layer Late Stage Qi Blood per day. That calculated to over twenty points of Transcendent Qi Blood. Such consumption would certainly be significant for an average Martial Cultivator, equivalent to requiring a daily supplement of Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup to continue nurturing them... but for him, he barely felt it!

Four Turtle-Poria Elixirs continually replenished his Qi Blood, along with several portions of Qi Replenishing Soup daily. This kind of supplementation could increase his Transcendent Qi Blood by nearly three hundred points daily. Such a replenishment rate was incredibly potent; how could he care about that bit of consumption? That consumption was merely a drop in the ocean, a hair from nine oxen!

「In the blink of an eye,」

Three days passed.

At noon, Lin Xuankong walked to the backyard of the wooden building. He carefully sensed the Divine Thunder Root within him before starting his Cangsong Posture Cultivation.