Chapter 575 - 167: Vajra Subduing Demon Skill Accomplished, First Signs of Chaos in Qing Province

A moment later, Withered Wood Zhenren and several Elders rushed over in a panic. Everyone leaned over the edge of the pool. What they saw made their beards tremble with rage, yet they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. At the bottom of the clear pool, the nine Bone-Eroding Demon Crystals that had poisoned the water had been completely dug out, leaving nine deep pits in their place. To make matters worse, from the Vajra Mother Ore bed that served as the Body Tempering Pool’s foundation, nine millstone-sized pieces of core ore had been pried away! The cuts were perfectly smooth, as if they had been sliced off in an instant by the sharp edge of a Divine Weapon. An Elder’s lip twitched. "This Lord Chu... did he come to suppress demons or to strip us bare?" Withered Wood Zhenren stared at the bottom of the pool in silence for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh. "Forget it." "The Bone-Eroding Demon Crystals have been removed, so the hidden threat is gone." "Losing those pieces of mother ore stings, but after this ordeal, the pool’s water has lost most of its Spirituality. It’s useless for the time being anyway." "Compared to a Perfection-level cultivation technique that leads directly to the Great Dao, what are a few pieces of ore?" "From this day forward, seal the mountain gates! The entire sect will cultivate the new technique!" "Even without the Body Tempering Pool, in three years, our Vajra Sect will surely rise to prominence in Qing Province!" ... Outside Azure Dragon Mountain, a vast forest billowed like the sea. Chu Fan moved like a bolt of lightning, flitting across the treetops. He felt as if he had become one with the wind, his speed ever increasing. As he executed his Running Technique at top speed, he checked the panel in his mind’s eye. [Skill: Vajra Subduing Demon Skill (Small Success) | Progress: 879/1000 | Trait: None] In just seven days, he had already cultivated this Body Refining Technique to the Small Success stage. A look of satisfaction flashed in Chu Fan’s eyes as he gazed at the numbers. For the past seven days, he had put his other Martial Arts on hold, focusing solely on using the waters of the Body Tempering Pool to frantically temper his body while cultivating the Vajra Subduing Demon Skill. Although his Vajra Undying Body was still at the first level, the strength of his physical body had undergone a qualitative transformation. His skin was tougher, his bones were harder, and it was as if his internal organs were coated in a golden sheen. ’It’s a pity the pool’s energy is exhausted. Otherwise, I could have grown even stronger.’ Chu Fan touched his Sumeru Ring. Inside, nine pieces of Vajra Mother Ore and nine Bone-Eroding Demon Crystals lay quietly. They were all treasures, perfect for setting up formations, artifact refining, or body tempering in the future. He picked up his pace again, transforming into a streak of light as he headed straight for Qing Province City. It was nearly noon when he returned to the Seven Stars Gang’s residence in Qing Province City. As soon as Chu Fan stepped into the courtyard, Li Qingxue came to greet him. Her pretty face, usually so cool and detached, was now etched with unconcealed anxiety. "Senior Sister, what is it?" Chu Fan asked. "After you left, people from the Demon Suppression Bureau came by several times," Li Qingxue said in a low voice. "It wasn’t until Miss Ling Xiaoxiao from North City went to the South Town Demon Suppression Bureau and told them your whereabouts that they finally stopped." "It seems... the Demon Suppression Bureau has run into some serious trouble." Chu Fan’s brow furrowed slightly. "Serious trouble?" "It’s not just the Demon Suppression Bureau. All of Qing Province is in turmoil." Li Qingxue’s brow furrowed, her tone grave. "For the past few days, incidents of Demon Fiends attacking people have been happening frequently in cities and villages across the province. The numbers are unbelievably high." "The Demon Suppression Bureau is already short-staffed. Both Lord Li Mubai and Lord Nangong Yue came looking for you, hoping to ask for your help." "Demon Fiends running rampant everywhere?" Chu Fan froze, his eyes suddenly sharp. ’This is highly unusual.’ ’Though Demon Fiends are numerous, they usually hide deep in the mountains and marshes, rarely daring to venture into human lands.’ ’For them to cause such widespread chaos all at once... it’s impossible unless someone is pulling the strings.’ "The Zhang Family." Chu Fan slowly uttered two words. In the battle at the Burial Demon Marsh, the Zhang Family’s pawns, the Blood Shadow Sect, had been completely uprooted. Although the Zhang Family made no outward moves and even cooperated with the Government Office’s investigation, how could a behemoth that had been entrenched in Qing Province for a century possibly take this lying down? ’This is an overt scheme.’ Chu Fan sneered. ’The Zhang Family’s move is both a show of force against the Demon Suppression Bureau and a way to tie them down.’ ’They aren’t confronting the Demon Suppression Bureau directly. Instead, they’ve unleashed and lured massive numbers of Demon Fiends to wreak havoc, forcing the Bureau to run itself ragged putting out fires all over the place.’ ’This way, how could the Demon Suppression Bureau possibly have the energy to dig for evidence of the Zhang Family’s crimes?’ "I’m heading to the Demon Suppression Bureau." After comforting Li Qingxue with a few words, Chu Fan headed straight for the Demon Suppression Bureau. ... 「South Town Demon Suppression Bureau, Assembly Hall.」 "You’re finally here!" When Li Mubai and the others saw Chu Fan walk in, wry smiles appeared on their faces. In the entire Demon Suppression Bureau, he was by far the most leisurely. Everyone else was run off their feet, while he was off cultivating at the Vajra Sect. "I just got back to Qing Province. Heard there’s been some trouble?" Chu Fan got straight to the point. "It’s a complete mess." Nangong Yue rubbed the space between her eyebrows and pointed to a map of Qing Province on the wall. The map was densely covered with crimson flags, each one marking a dangerous incident. "Three days ago, in Zhao Family Village, thirty li outside the city, everyone was wiped out overnight—not even a chicken or a dog was left alive. Traces of a Tiger Demon’s Demonic Qi were found at the scene." "Yesterday, a Changfeng Escort Agency convoy was attacked by an unknown Demon Fiend in the Qixia Mountain Range. They suffered heavy casualties and lost the entire shipment. The scout we sent to investigate was injured and had to retreat before he could identify the Demon Fiend’s True Body." "It’s not just outside the city, either. Last night in East City, a night watchman died a horrific death. It seems to be the work of a Deceitful Object..." Nangong Yue rattled off seven or eight cases in one breath, each one thorny and complex. "The Zhang Family is trying to wear us down," Li Mubai said, his expression grim. "The day before yesterday, I went to Cangyun Ridge to suppress a Great Demon, and yesterday I was in the Qilin Mountain Range slaying a Wolf Demon." "Right now, everyone in the Demon Suppression Bureau is being run ragged." Chu Fan stared at the map, silent for a moment. ’He knew this scheme of the Zhang Family was vicious and insidious, yet remarkably effective.’ ’The Demon Suppression Bureau’s duty is to slay Demon Fiends and protect the peace. How can they just sit by and watch this happen?’ ’Losing the people’s trust would be a dereliction of duty.’ But Chu Fan had never been one to be led by the nose. ’I just obtained the Vajra Subduing Demon Skill. This is the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot and advance my strength. I can’t let myself get bogged down in an endless war of attrition.’ "Assign these cases to me." Chu Fan tapped the map, pointing to a few markers in East City. "East City?" Nangong Yue was taken aback.