124: Famous in the capital!

Even after the cleanup operation concluded, the smoke and stench of blood in the southern part of Jing City stubbornly lingered among the ruins, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

Li Dong stood on a makeshift watchtower, looking down at the busy Demon Suppression Division Cultivators and Imperial Guards, his complexion even paler than it had been underground.

The successive battles, especially the final "Spirit Transformation Demon Suppression Thunder Seal" that had drained almost everything, left his Dantian empty and his Meridians aching faintly.

"Little friend Mu Feng, this won't do!" Wei Zheng, having arrived beside him at some point, furrowed his brows. "You're so heavily injured, yet you're still out here catching a draft? Come, follow me to the Royal Secret Pavilion and let the imperial physicians have a proper look at you."

Seventh Princess also walked over, her eyes filled with an undeniable insistence: "Mr. Mu Feng, Lord Wei is right. You have contributed so much to Jing City; you must not push yourself now. If you were to suffer lasting damage, how could we set our minds at ease?"

Li Dong had wanted to say, "It's fine, a few days of meditation will suffice," but seeing their concerned and resolute gazes, he swallowed the words. He did indeed need a stable environment to sort out his injuries and the surging, somewhat uncontrollable Dragon Vein power within him.

"Then... alright."

In the Royal Secret Pavilion, the scent of Medicinal Pills drifted in the air.

Under the slightly nervous gazes of Wei Zheng and Seventh Princess, an elderly imperial physician with white hair and beard cautiously placed three fingers on Li Dong's wrist.

A moment later, the old physician's eyes snapped open, and he retracted his fingers as if touched by electricity. Looking at Li Dong with disbelief, then at Wei Zheng and Seventh Princess, his lips trembled: "This... this Young Master... he... he..."

"Imperial Physician Sun, how is Mr. Mu Feng's condition?" Seventh Princess asked hurriedly.

Imperial Physician Sun took several deep breaths before barely calming his mood, his voice still trembling: "Your Highness, Lord Wei... this Young Master... he... he is at the Golden Core Stage! And... his Foundation is so profound, I have never seen the like in my life! At such an age... to already be a Golden Core expert!"

"What?!"

Even though Wei Zheng and Seventh Princess had anticipated it, hearing the imperial physician confirm it personally still stirred up massive waves in their hearts.

Golden Core!

Mu Feng, no, Li Dong, was actually a Golden Core Stage powerhouse!

This news grew wings and spread from the Royal Secret Pavilion throughout all of Jing City at an astonishing speed.

"Have you heard? That Mr. Mu Feng who saved Jing City is actually a Golden Core Old Ancestor!"

"My heavens! Such a young Golden Core Old Ancestor? I thought he was just at the Foundation Establishment stage like us!"

"No wonder! No wonder he could purify the evil energy single-handedly and shake those monsters from the Shadow Council! It turns out a Golden Core expert had descended!"

"Sob... thank you, Old Ancestor Mu Feng, for saving our lives!"

The people of Jing City, having just experienced a catastrophe, were shocked and stunned upon learning the truth, which then transformed into incomparable ecstasy and gratitude. In their eyes, this young Golden Core powerhouse was undoubtedly a savior who had descended from the heavens.

Three days later, at the Imperial City Plaza.

Wei Zheng stood on a makeshift high platform, facing the dense crowd below, his voice carrying across the area via an amplification formation:

"Fellow citizens of Jing City! A few days ago, our Jing City suffered a surprise attack by the evil demons of the Shadow Council, leaving the people in misery! However, Heaven blesses Great Xia; in this time of crisis, a hero stepped forward!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said loudly: "This person, who walks under the name 'Mu Feng', is actually a Guest Elder of our Great Xia Demon Suppression Division, Li Dong!"

The plaza was in an uproar, followed by a thunderous cheer.

"Lord Li Dong!"

"Savior of the Empire!"

Wei Zheng raised his hand, pressing down slightly, and continued: "Guest Elder Li Dong, with his Golden Core cultivation, went deep into the tiger's den, destroyed the evil altar, severely wounded three Late Stage Golden Core monster heads of the Shadow Council, and turned the tide, saving Jing City from peril! His achievements will go down in history! By the grace of the Emperor, Guest Elder Li Dong has been conferred the title 'Marquis Suppressing the State', with a fief of ten thousand households!"

He then disclosed the crimes of the Shadow Council and the rebellion of He Tianzheng one by one to soothe the public, while also completely pushing Li Dong's achievements to their peak.

For a time, the name "Li Dong", along with his impossibly young Golden Core cultivation, became the hottest topic in all of Jing City and even the Great Xia Dynasty.

Soon, gossipmongers dug up his past in Qingzhou Prefecture.

"What? The hero behind the extermination of the Lin family in Qingzhou Prefecture was also him?"

"The ruthless guy in the rookie camp who beat up all the instructors by 'pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger' is actually Lord Li Dong?"

"Hiss—so that means Lord Li Dong was already at the Golden Core Stage from the very beginning? Then in the rookie camp, wouldn't he be..."

Various speculations and exclamations emerged one after another, and Li Dong's image became increasingly legendary in the hearts of the people.

First Prince's Mansion.

"Marquis Suppressing the State? Father is quite generous." The First Prince toyed with the jade cup in his hand, his tone unreadable, "A Golden Core under twenty years old; Seventh Sister has really found a treasure this time."

A strategist at his side whispered: "Your Highness, this person is too sharp, and he is close to the Seventh Princess, so we must be on guard."

The First Prince was noncommittal: "Send someone to deliver a congratulatory gift and say that this Prince is deeply impressed by his righteous act of eliminating evil for the country."

In the Third Prince's Mansion, the atmosphere was even heavier.

"Golden Core... he is actually a Golden Core!" The Third Prince smashed his fist onto the table, "How is Seventh Sister's luck always so good!"

"Your Highness, calm your anger," a strategist advised, "Although this person is strong, his Foundation is still shallow. Moreover, the rumors of a 'Perfect Dao Body'—it is unknown whether they are true or false. If it is true, then he will likely become a target for everyone."

The Third Prince's eyes flickered, and after a moment, he said: "Prepare a generous gift and send it to the Marquis Suppressing the State's mansion. Also, closely monitor this person's movements, especially his contact with the Seventh Princess."

In a quiet room of the Royal Secret Pavilion, Li Dong sat cross-legged, golden light and pale purple thunder interweaving around his body as his aura slowly recovered.

The Medicinal Pill sent by Imperial Physician Sun was indeed top-tier, and with his own recovery ability, his injuries were no longer a major issue.

However, during the process of cultivating to heal, his "Spiritual Domain" unconsciously expanded, accidentally capturing some peculiar fluctuations.

"Hmm?"

He keenly sensed that within Jing City, among several hidden, ancient auras, the way their spiritual energy operated actually had a faint, extremely subtle "resonance" with that "Ancient Forbidden Power" underground.

"These old guys..." Li Dong's heart stirred, "Could they be ancestors of some ancient families with a long Legacy? What connection do they have with that Forbidden Power?"

This discovery cast a shadow over his heart. The waters in Jing City were deeper than he had imagined.

Meanwhile, at the imperial court, Seventh Princess, taking advantage of this great victory and He Tianzheng's rebellion, formally launched an attack.

"Your Majesty!" Seventh Princess, dressed in plain clothes, her face resolute, "He Tianzheng, as the commander of the Demon Suppression Division, colluded with the Shadow Council to poison Jing City; his crimes are unforgivable! His accomplices are spread throughout the court and the public; if they are not completely eradicated, our Great Xia is in danger! Your daughter requests that Your Majesty issue an imperial decree to thoroughly investigate this case and restore a clear and bright universe to Jing City!"

Wei Zheng also stepped out to second the motion: "Your Majesty, what the Seventh Princess said is absolutely correct. The Shadow Council has wolfish ambitions, and their infiltration is deeper than imagined. Your subject requests Your Majesty's permission for the Demon Suppression Division to join forces with the Three Judicial Departments to investigate to the end, without any leniency!"

The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face as calm as water, revealing no emotion. After a long time, he slowly spoke: "Granted. This matter shall be presided over by Lord Wei, with the Seventh Girl assisting from the side. You must root out all the treacherous villains!"

Li Dong's "Marquis Suppressing the State" mansion was a former dynasty's prince's mansion specially approved by the Emperor, and after being renovated, it was magnificent.

In these few days, people coming to visit and send gifts were endless, wearing out the threshold. Some were genuinely grateful, some wanted to win him over, and some were purely curious and wanted to catch a glimpse of the "Young Golden Core's" demeanor.

Li Dong refused to see anyone, only letting the steward temporarily recruited by the mansion handle it.

He knew very well that although his reputation had reached its peak, he had also become a person at the forefront of the storm.

Those ancient families and certain forces within the royal family were likely not just interested in his strength, but even more covetous of his so-called "Perfect Dao Body", as well as his ability to purify evil energy and move the Dragon Vein.

"Troublesome..." Li Dong rubbed his brow.

However, fortunately, it was not all bad. At least, Wei Zheng and the Seventh Princess appeared to be reliable allies for now. The Royal Ancestor's attitude could also be considered friendly.

While healing and dealing with external distractions, Li Dong's control over his own "Spirituality" ability became increasingly refined.

At this moment, he closed his eyes, and his "Spiritual Domain" quietly merged into the land of Jing City. He could clearly "see" that although the Jing City Dragon Vein had shed a huge burden because the altar was destroyed, deep within it, it was still entangled with wisps of black filth, like maggots attached to bones, difficult to eradicate.

The Dragon Vein was silently moaning and struggling.

"It seems that purifying the Dragon Vein is the fundamental way to resolve the crisis in Jing City." Li Dong had a plan in mind.

It was just that, how should he purify it?

He vaguely felt that he might be able to do it, but he was not yet strong enough, and his application of "Spirituality" was not yet deep enough.

Moreover, the mysterious black crystal he picked up in the ruins of the altar, and that ancient stone slab engraved with the words "Vortex Trap Zone", had not yet been figured out.

Li Dong opened his eyes and cast his gaze out the window. Jing City seemed to have returned to calm, but the undercurrents were still surging.

He knew that he was already standing at a new starting point, with a long road ahead and many challenges. But he also understood that he was no longer fighting alone.

"First improve my strength, then figure out how to solve the Dragon Vein problem." He made up his mind, "As for those guys watching in the dark... humph."