Rise to God with Life Skill Professions-Chapter 386 - 376: Arrival at Tianxi River, the Ancestral Rite Begins
The room was dim, as dense as ink.
At this moment, an oil lamp stood lonely on the table, its fierce flame swaying in the wind.
Under the light of the oil lamp’s yellow flame, a dark silhouette sat by the table, sipping from a teacup.
When Chen Xian saw this person, he instinctively tightened his grip on the axe behind his back, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the man.
When he saw the badge hanging from the man’s waist, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Mere state officer, how dare you come to the residence of the Mountain Patrol Silver General of the Evil Extermination Bureau?"
The silhouette gradually became clear.
A young man sat calmly with the badge of the Evil Extermination Bureau hanging from his waist.
When Chen Xian spoke, the man merely glanced at him, placed the cup back in its place, and pulled out a piece of jade from his bosom.
As soon as the jade appeared, a hazy glow illuminated the room.
Within just a few breaths, the room became a bit dimmer.
Chen Xian’s pupils shrank: "A shielding item, who exactly are you?"
He originally thought this man was the state officer of Creek State, but now, suddenly producing an item that could shield surrounding auras, Chen Xian became suspicious of the man’s identity.
The man tapped the table lightly with the hand that had put down the teacup: "Since Lord Chen is here, why not sit down. I naturally have something to discuss with you, and it’s a very good thing."
Chen Xian frowned deeply, contemplated for a moment, then took the axe off his back, gripping it tightly in his hand before sitting across from the man.
Though everything seemed eerie and strange, Chen Xian was also curious to know what this so-called good thing might be.
Seeing the tension on Chen Xian’s face, the man smiled faintly, shook his head, and said: "Lord Chen, no need to be so tense. Please take a look first, after which you can draw your own conclusions."
With those words, the man pulled out a book from his bosom and placed it on the table, sliding it towards Chen Xian.
After hesitating slightly, Chen Xian used the axe as a hand to open the book to one of its pages.
Six large words came into view.
Divine Soul Refining Body Skill.
"What is this?" Chen Xian asked.
The man raised his hand and gestured: "Lord Chen, continue reading, and you’ll understand. I know Lord Chen is cautious, but I pose no threat to you, so there’s no need to be so wary."
Chen Xian pondered for a moment, not letting down his guard, and kept using the axe as his hand to carefully flip through the book on the table.
The entire process was incredibly silent.
The man understood that he needed to give Chen Xian time, so he poured another cup of tea and drank slowly.
After finishing this cup of tea, Chen Xian’s axe quietly dropped to the ground, making a dull sound.
"Such a Secret Technique indeed exists in this world! If one can cultivate it, wouldn’t their strength leap several tiers?"
He had finished reading the book.
The contents of this book were fantastical, beyond imagination.
He knew that such a Secret Technique could be considered sinister, yet it was the best shortcut.
"Who are you really, and what are you plotting?" Chen Xian suddenly asked, "The death of the Ma family is related to you, isn’t it?"
The man laughed heartily: "I am Wu Ning, a spy deployed by the lord in Creek State. Yes, the death of the Ma family is indeed connected to me; they are the lord’s most clever pawn."
"A spy? Lord?"
Chen Xian’s frown deepened: "Your scheme, is it not merely for Creek State, but for the entire Xunyang Prefecture?"
Wu Ning said slowly: "I know what you’re thinking, and I can tell you directly, the lord is the Mountain Patrol Golden General of Xunyang Prefecture, a position of unparalleled prominence, beyond your comparison. You get to see this book because you happened to be on the mission."
"Mountain Patrol Golden General?"
Chen Xian’s eyes displayed extreme shock, finding it hard to believe the facts he heard.
He was more aware than anyone of how sinister the book was, yet this incredibly sinister book turned out to be from a Mountain Patrol Golden General.
If this matter were to be revealed, it might cause a seismic shock throughout Xunyang Prefecture.
Chen Xian took a deep breath to hide his astonishment and said: "So why have you found me, and what do you want?"
Wu Ning said blandly: "The Tianyuan Festival is one of the lord’s experiments, the Ma family also being experimental subjects. The Divine Soul Refining Body Skill they practiced is incomplete, and they are instead divine souls."
"Instead divine souls? What does that mean?" Chen Xian asked again.
Since the conversation had reached this point, Chen Xian didn’t hold back, asking whatever came to mind.
Wu Ning smiled mysteriously: "Using the incomplete Divine Soul Refining Skill, they were instead refined into divine souls, and their souls have great use."
With those words, Wu Ning took out a small wooden gourd from his bosom.
The gourd was small, only palm-sized, but it exuded a divine soul aura, revealing its extraordinary nature.
"Their souls are in here." Wu Ning shook the gourd: "Tomorrow is the Tianyuan Festival. At that time, a Tianyuan Pseudo-God will emerge, and some civilians’ souls will be personally used by the lord, while your role is something else."
"Take civilians’ souls?"
Chen Xian suddenly stood up, exclaiming: "This crosses the iron laws of the Evil Extermination Bureau! If known by other Mountain Patrol Golden Generals of the same level, even a hundred heads wouldn’t be enough to behead!"
"You won’t say, I won’t say, who will know?" Wu Ning said calmly: "This is being revealed to you so that you can join us. If it works out, this thing can be given to you."
The gourd was pushed in front of Chen Xian.
Chen Xian looked at the gourd, after a long time, he finally picked it up with difficulty.
Perhaps he would have refused before, but now he desperately needed it.
Ever since Qin An humiliated him last time, Cui Qi’s attitude towards him also turned cold.
He knew his strength was insufficient and dared not challenge Qin An.
Chen Xian knew full well, the only way to break through now was to enhance his strength.
And wanting to enhance strength wasn’t as simple as a word.
Now the Divine Soul Refining Body Skill was presented before him, if he didn’t use it, he would never break free from this mental demon.
"What do I need to do?" Chen Xian asked.
Just now, the detailed plan had been informed to him, but the plan did not seem to include him, which puzzled him.
Wu Ning shook his head and said: "You’re outside the plan, but since Qin An came to Creek State to execute a task, why not kill Qin An while you’re at it."
"Kill Qin An?" Wu Ning first expressed surprise, then shook his head: "It’s impossible, I know how strong he is, trying to kill him is like reaching for the stars."
Wu Ning sneered, "If it weren’t difficult, why would I seek your help? First, use the souls in the gourd and then cultivate the Divine Soul Refining Body Skill, you can reach the level of Inner God Realm Perfection."
"After the ancestral ceremony begins tomorrow, you can temporarily elevate to Half-Step Unity by activating the Divine Soul Refining Body Skill at Inner God Realm Perfection."
"You delay Qin An, while I absorb the souls of those commoners to nourish the Tianyuan Pseudo-God. When the Tianyuan Pseudo-God acts against Qin An, Qin An will surely die."
"Just a small gourd, yet it can take you from Great Success to Perfection? And even temporarily boost you to Half-Step Unity?"
Chen Xian picked up the bottle, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
Wu Ning nodded, "This Secret Technique is far beyond your imagination. Rest assured, I have reported to the lord, and only after his approval did I proceed. Qin An’s combat strength is formidable, you only need to hold him back without killing him. Using Inner God Realm Perfection to activate the Divine Soul Refining Body Skill, your combat strength equates to Half-Step Unity Realm, which is sufficient."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xian clenched the gourd, the greed in his eyes growing stronger.
"Alright!"
He agreed; he couldn’t refuse.
By now, he understood much.
Without background, relying on sheer ruthlessness and limited talent, he had achieved the level of a Mountain Patrol Silver General. Pursuing Cui Qi was not only out of affection but also for the background behind Cui Qi.
Now, he just needed to agree to Wu Ning to deal with Qin An, and he would gain the background of a Mountain Patrol Golden General, no longer needing to painstakingly win over Cui Qi.
Moreover, if he could further advance to truly reach the Unity Realm, ascending to the level of a Mountain Patrol Golden General, Cui Qi would look at him differently, perhaps even pursue him instead.
The final point, he must kill Qin An.
The humiliation Qin An inflicted on him that day remained vivid; he had no opportunity before but now he had one, and he absolutely would not let Qin An off.
Wu Ning displayed a trace of a sinister smile and rose to walk outside.
"Just pretend I was never here."
With those words, Wu Ning’s silhouette vanished into the depths of the night.
Chen Xian watched Wu Ning go far away, then slipped the gourd into his bosom before picking up the Cultivation Technique on the table to carefully peruse it.
In the flickering light of the oil lamp, Chen Xian’s shadow exuded a chilling and bone-piercing aura.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the night had passed.
Faint light appeared in the sky, and the commoners gradually woke from their dreams, carrying flower baskets with yellow paper and incense, heading north of Xizhou.
Evil Extermination Bureau.
Qin An, after a brief wash, stepped outside.
In the courtyard, Lv Qi, along with Cui Qi and Chen Xian, had been waiting for some time.
Yang Zongzhou stood beside them, occasionally engaging in small talk.
Upon seeing Qin An, Lv Qi nodded slightly in greeting.
Cui Qi and Chen Xian’s expressions were different.
Chen Xian’s face was as indifferent as water, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
Cui Qi, on the other hand, occasionally glanced at Chen Xian with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
According to the usual pattern, Chen Xian usually hurried over to find her in the morning, saying a lot of flattering words.
But today, Chen Xian was exceedingly cold towards her, as if he didn’t care.
This puzzled Cui Qi.
However, these past few days, Cui Qi had been in a very low mood and didn’t think much about Chen Xian’s abnormality.
Seeing Qin An come out of his room, Yang Zongzhou stepped forward and cupped his fists to everyone, saying, "Gentlemen, please proceed to Tianxi River at once. As the governor of Xizhou, I am extremely busy and cannot accompany you, so I beg your pardon."
As governor, he was indeed busy with everyday matters, and it was entirely understandable he couldn’t go.
Qin An nodded.
At this point, several state captains led fast horses to the four people.
The four accepted the reins, mounted the horses, and then left the Evil Extermination Bureau, heading for Tianxi River.
...
Tianxi River lies north of Xizhou, about a hundred or so miles away from Xizhou.
Fortunately, the steeds of the Evil Extermination Bureau were remarkably swift, significantly reducing the time to reach Tianxi River.
By the time they arrived, it was mid-day.
At this moment, an exceptionally wide river flowed continuously, with many people dressed in uniform cultivating attire maintaining order at the scene.
At the forefront of the river, a colossal makeshift platform was erected.
The platform was covered with offerings.
The commoners had already arrived, each seeking out a piece of open ground to sit on.
The once expansive Tianxi River became somewhat crowded.
Fortunately, with cultivators maintaining order, despite the slight congestion, chaos did not ensue.
Each commoner brought food, taking bites of dry rations when hungry and sitting on the ground when tired.
The only constant was that each commoner held yellow paper and incense.
A state captain stood not far away and, upon seeing Qin An and the others arrive, led them to the platform.
On the makeshift platform, a seventy-year-old elder was issuing instructions.
The elder exuded the cultivation of the Vein Condensation Realm, considered a good expert in Xizhou.
The state captain stepped forward to introduce, "Gentlemen, this is the Sun Family’s Patriarch, replacing the Ma family to handle this ancestral ceremony."
Patriarch Sun had never seen such great figures as the Mountain Patrol General, wearing a look of flattered surprise, and cautiously clasped his hands in greeting, "Old and feeble as I am, it’s an honor to meet you. It’s a fortune of my three lifetimes to see you gentlemen."
Qin An nodded slightly, "No need for formality. When does the ancestral ceremony begin?"
The surrounding commoners made no movement, and the yellow paper and incense remained intact.
Qin An and the others were here on a mission, so naturally, they had to ask clearly.
Patriarch Sun quickly explained, "The ancestral ceremony will commence when the sun sets. I ask you gentlemen to take a brief rest."
Qin An nodded.
Lv Qi was about to say a few words when Cui Qi’s voice suddenly came in.
