78: Promoted to a Hundred Households! The next step is to reach the late stage of foundation building.

Li Dong toyed with the token engraved with the ancient character 'Hundred.' It felt weighty in his hand, carrying a hint of the Demon Suppression Division's unique coldness.

"Centurion?" He muttered to himself, looking at the token, "It sounds more impressive than before, but I wonder if there are any actual benefits."

He extended his Divine Sense into the token, and sure enough, it recorded his new identity and authority.

"Type B and Type C archives, Cultivation quiet rooms... Heh, this authority is quite substantial." Li Dong's eyes lit up. Previously, in the New Recruit Camp, he couldn't even get close to these places.

"Centurion Li, congratulations on your promotion!"

A slightly high-pitched voice came from outside the door, followed by a few cautious knocks.

Li Dong raised an eyebrow. This voice was a bit familiar.

Opening the door, it was indeed Warden Wang, who had been bowing and scraping to him in the Hall of Merits before. Now, he stood at the doorway with a beaming smile, holding a small, exquisite food box.

"Warden Wang? Why are you here?" Li Dong was a little surprised.

"Centurion Li, what are you saying? You are now a favored person in our Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. This subordinate is here specifically to congratulate you!" Warden Wang offered the food box forward, "Just a small token of my regard, some snacks. I hope Centurion Li will accept them."

Li Dong glanced at the food box but didn't take it: "Warden Wang, you're too kind, but I don't accept rewards without merit."

"Oh, Centurion Li, you're too modest!" Warden Wang wasn't embarrassed. He smoothly placed the food box on the low table by the door. "You saved the Prefecture; that's an immense Merit! What is this small token of my sincerity? I mainly wanted to get closer to Centurion Li. In the future, when you rise through the ranks in the Demon Suppression Division, please don't forget to help this subordinate."

This old fox, his intelligence is quite sharp, Li Dong mused inwardly.

"Warden Wang, you exaggerate. I am but a newcomer; how can I help anyone?"

"Centurion Li, you're being humble! Who doesn't know you're Vice Commander Sun's favored person now?" Warden Wang lowered his voice, "Commander Luo's side has been in a mess lately!"

Li Dong remained calm: "Is that so?"

"Indeed!" Warden Wang, seeing Li Dong seemed interested, opened up. "I heard that on the Lin family's side, although Lin Xiaotian was only suspended, several people in important positions within the Division, who belonged to the Lin family, were all reprimanded by Vice Commander Sun under various pretexts. Commander Luo couldn't even protect them and was so angry that he smashed several cups in his residence!"

"Oh?" Li Dong's thoughts stirred. Was Vice Commander Sun seizing power? It seemed Luo Yi's days were indeed not easy.

"And," Warden Wang leaned in closer, saying mysteriously, "I heard that the people Commander Luo sent to the capital haven't brought back any good news. This time, the Lin family might really suffer a crippling blow."

Li Dong nodded: "Thank you, Warden Wang, for the information."

"It's nothing, nothing! Then this subordinate won't disturb Centurion Li's rest." Warden Wang, seeing his objective achieved, wisely took his leave.

Watching Warden Wang's retreating figure, Li Dong was thoughtful. The waters of this Prefecture Demon Suppression Division were deeper than he had imagined. Vice Commander Sun's overtures, Luo Yi's predicament, and the Lin family's heavy losses—this situation was not necessarily bad for him.

Closing the door, Li Dong refocused his attention on his own Cultivation.

"Centurion is just a title; strength is the Foundation." He sat cross-legged and took out the incomplete Jade Slip of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art from his Storage Pouch.

As his Divine Sense sank into it, a vast and domineering aura assailed him, as if thousands of thunderbolts were exploding in his Sea of Consciousness.

"Good heavens, as expected of an ancient thunder technique's Incomplete Manual!" Li Dong's spirits lifted.

He tried to circulate the Mind-Cultivation Technique of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal while simultaneously comprehending the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art.

"Ding! Detecting host is comprehending the Incomplete Manual of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art, resonating with your own Cultivation Technique, the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal. Analysis progress increasing..."

The System's prompt sounded.

Li Dong's heart swelled with joy. It really worked!

The Medicinal Pills he had exchanged for earlier at the Hall of Merits, which aided Cultivation, now came into play. The Foundation Strengthening and Origin Nurturing Pill melted upon entering his mouth, transforming into pure medicinal power that nourished his Meridians. The Pill Formula and Materials for the Seven Apertures Exquisite Pill were also ready, just waiting for his Cultivation to advance further before he could open a furnace for Alchemy, cleanse his Divine Soul, and prepare to break through to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Relying on his far superior 'Spirituality' attribute, coupled with the System's auxiliary analysis, Li Dong's comprehension speed of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art progressed by leaps and bounds. Those obscure and difficult-to-understand scriptures seemed to become clear in his eyes.

Threads of lightning power began to appear on his body, intertwining and fusing with the spiritual power of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal.

"Ding! The Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal and the Incomplete Manual of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art have initially fused. There is a chance to draw a trace of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning power when casting the Demon Suppression Seal, increasing its restraining effect on demonic Qi!"

"It can do that?" Li Dong felt the faint, destructive lightning aura within the surging spiritual power in his body, greatly surprised and delighted. If this could be fully fused, its power would likely rise another level.

Especially when he thought of the bizarre 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower,' if this Purple Firmament Divine Lightning could restrain its energy, it would undoubtedly add another trump card.

Aside from Cultivation, Li Dong was also busy.

He used his Centurion authority to enter the Demon Suppression Division's Type B archives.

The files stored here were far more detailed than those in Mu Shi County.

"Centurion Li, please." The archivist verified his token, his attitude respectful.

Li Dong walked directly to the area where Prefecture secrets and demon information were stored.

He first looked for records about the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower.' However, the relevant information was pitifully scarce, mostly just a few words describing its danger and general characteristics, but core information such as its cultivation methods and restraint techniques was completely blank.

"It seems this thing is indeed a forbidden among the forbidden." Li Dong mused.

He then began to look for clues related to 'Forbidden Experiment' and 'Earth Abyss.'

There were some scattered records about the legend of the 'Earth Abyss,' all pointing to the possible existence of a passage connecting an unknown realm deep beneath the Prefecture city, but all were classified as highly confidential and vaguely worded.

As for the 'Forbidden Experiment,' it was even more shrouded in secrecy, with almost no direct records to be found.

"What exactly is the Lin family up to?" Li Dong's brows furrowed.

He then turned to consult ancient texts on 'Spirituality' or 'Object Sentience.'

The result was even more surprising to him. Research in this area was almost blank in the Demon Suppression Division's archives. The few Incomplete Manuals that existed were all speculative and unsystematic.

"This isn't right." Li Dong stroked his chin. "Something like the Soul-Devouring Demon Flower clearly contains extremely strong 'Spirituality,' and can even be stimulated by 'demon-attracting incense.' The Demon Suppression Division cannot have no research on this at all."

Unless, the relevant research results were deliberately hidden, or classified as a higher level of top-secret, which his current authority couldn't access.

"It seems this Centurion authority is still not enough." Li Dong sighed.

He knew that to gain a firm foothold in the Prefecture city and truly possess the right to speak and the ability to protect himself, he would at least need to reach the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, or even the legendary Golden Core realm!

"A heavy responsibility and a long road ahead."

These past few days, the Prefecture city appeared calm on the surface, but beneath, turbulent waves surged.

Although Lin Xiaotian was suspended, the Lin family had operated in the Prefecture for many years and had deep Foundations. It was said that the Lin family was sparing no effort to try and pull strings to rescue Lin Yunzhi, who was still in the Surveillance Division's prison, while also frantically investigating how Li Dong obtained those core account books and evidence.

Commander Luo's side had not given up either. Although he had fallen behind in the confrontation with Vice Commander Sun, he was, after all, the head of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. It seemed he also had connections in the capital who were active, and the situation remained unclear.

Li Dong occasionally visited the New Recruit Camp.

Since his deeds spread, the entire New Recruit Camp's Cultivation atmosphere became unusually fervent, with many newcomers taking him as their goal, Cultivating day and night.

As for Lin Yunzhi's former hangers-on, like Lin Fan and the like, they had long since disappeared, not a trace to be seen.

"Heh, a bunch of fence-sitters." Li Dong curled his lip in disdain.

He had no time to bother with these minor characters now.

The top priority was to quickly increase his strength and push his Cultivation to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage!

Only with sufficiently powerful strength could he cope with all the unknown storms in this treacherous Prefecture city.

Returning to his residence, Li Dong once again immersed himself in Cultivation.

The mysteries of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art were slowly opening their doors to him.

And that Bottleneck of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage seemed almost within reach.