137: The position of Imperial Preceptor? Not interested.

Demon Suppression Division, Earthly Fiend Hall.

The heavy profound iron gate was pushed open by an immense force, and Lin Jingyu’s burly figure stepped out.

The Chaos pressure from his brief seclusion had not yet fully receded, causing the air around him to subtly distort, as if unable to bear the world-opening power within him.

The aura of a Peak Seventh Heaven of Dharma Manifestation Realm was like a dormant primordial Vicious Beast, making even the Director-level figures guarding outside the hall feel a suffocating pressure.

deputy commander Wei Wuya quickly stepped forward, his stern “iron face” showing a rare hint of solemnity: “Division Head Lin, Commander Qin has emerged from seclusion! He wants to see you immediately!”

“Qin Shanhe!?” A flash of Chaos light flickered in Lin Jingyu’s eyes.

This true helmsman of the Demon Suppression Division, the Dean of Black Prison Institute and Commander, had displayed formidable strength at Fifth Heaven of Dharma Manifestation Realm and iron-blooded tactics when Lin Jingyu first entered the Imperial Capital and joined the Demon Suppression Division. Now that he had emerged from seclusion, his aura was indeed different.

The two passed through the heavily guarded passage and arrived at the deepest part of the Demon Suppression Division, before a hall entirely forged from black metal, exuding a cold Evil Qi—the Black Prison Hall.

The hall doors opened silently, and an aura even deeper and more oppressive than that of the Earthly Fiend Hall surged forth, as if connected to the Nine Nether Hell.

The hall was dimly lit, with only a single figure seated on a giant black jade meditation cushion in the central area. It was Qin Shanhe!

Compared to a few months ago, Qin Shanhe’s transformation was akin to a complete rebirth!

He still wore the profound black Demon Suppression Division commander robes, but his previously steady-as-a-mountain aura now resembled a boundless deep sea, or an endless black prison suppressing myriad devils!

An invisible nascent Domain-like power flowed around him, subtly distorting and swallowing the light.

He opened his eyes, which gleamed like lightning, and as they opened and closed, black thunder seemed to flash, the powerful pressure making Wei Wuya involuntarily retreat half a step.

Eighth Heaven of Dharma Manifestation Realm! And definitely not newly entered; his Realm was stable, and his aura was vast!

“Commander Qin.” Lin Jingyu nodded slightly, his voice calm.

The powerful pressure from the opponent’s Breakthrough fell upon him like a gentle breeze over a mountain, unable to shake it in the slightest.

His Minor Achievement Primordial Creation Scripture circulated on its own, Chaos Qi Flow surging through his flesh and blood, easily neutralizing the oppressive feeling of that nascent Domain.

Qin Shanhe’s sharp gaze swept over Lin Jingyu, and an unconcealable astonishment instantly burst forth in his eyes!

He had gone into seclusion to Breakthrough, believing his strength had surged enough to overlook the Imperial Capital.

But this “fierce god” whom he had personally recruited, his aura had become even more profound and unfathomable, and that sense of Chaos profundity originating from the Origin of life made even him feel a trace of trepidation!

“Good! What a Lin Jingyu!”

Qin Shanhe suddenly stood up, his voice loud, carrying genuine admiration and a hint of complexity, “You slew the Dominator in the heart of the Demon Kingdom, destroyed the node, annihilated the Demon General in the East City, and turned the tide when it was about to collapse! Your growth speed is simply terrifying! It is a great fortune for my Demon Suppression Division to have you!”

Lin Jingyu’s expression remained unchanged: “It’s my duty.”

Qin Shanhe walked up to Lin Jingyu, his gaze burning: “The intelligence you brought back has been reported to me in detail by deputy commander Wei. That existence beyond the Domain Realm deep within the Demon Kingdom… is a major hidden danger! As for the Imperial Household…”

He snorted coldly, his voice laced with chill, “Old man Ji Xuan overtly rewards and tries to win you over, but secretly he spreads news of the Ancient God Burial Ground, attracting jackals from all directions! Furthermore, the Imperial Household Consecrated Guards secretly guide Evil Path cultivators into the fray, their intentions are damnable! They want to use the dangers of the ruins and the hands of others to eliminate you, this sharp blade they cannot control!”

He paused, his tone turning grave: “Lin Jingyu, the Imperial Household fears you, and even more so, the unknown power you might represent. If they cannot control you, they will try to destroy you. Although you are strong, the Ancient God Burial Ground has been sealed for ten thousand years, its dangers are unfathomable, and countless jackals lurk around, including old monsters at Peak Dharma Aspect Realm or even those touching the Domain Realm! Going alone is too dangerous!”

Qin Shanhe’s gaze was piercing, filled with sincerity: “Stay! The Demon Suppression Division needs you! This Imperial Capital needs you to guard it even more, to deter the Demon Kingdom and those monsters and demons! I, Qin Shanhe, promise you here, as long as you stay, the position of deputy commander of the Demon Suppression Division will be yours! The resource treasury will be open for your use! Once I thoroughly stabilize my Realm, and we join forces, we will be able to suppress the Imperial Household and purge both internal and external threats! By then, this Imperial Capital will be our Foundation! Why venture into those ruins where death is almost certain?”

The conditions he offered were indeed generous!

The deputy commander of the Demon Suppression Division, a position second only to Qin Shanhe, controlling immense power and resources!

This was treating Lin Jingyu as a true core and successor!

Wei Wuya, standing beside him, was inwardly shaken, looking at Lin Jingyu.

Lin Jingyu, however, merely looked at Qin Shanhe calmly, his Chaos-generating-and-destroying eyes showing no ripples.

“deputy commander?” He spoke slowly, his voice flat yet possessing an undeniable penetrative power, “No interest.”

These three words, like a cold iron hammer, shattered the olive branch offered by Qin Shanhe.

Qin Shanhe’s expression subtly changed, a hint of surprise and incomprehension flashing in his eyes.

Such a high position, such power, rejected so decisively?

Lin Jingyu’s gaze passed over Qin Shanhe, as if piercing through the thick walls of the Black Prison Hall, casting towards the distant and dangerous Black Wind Mountain Range.

“My Dao is one forged through killing. It relies on fists, not positions of power.”

His voice was not loud, but it carried a resolute determination that cut through everything, “The Imperial Capital is too small, the Demon Kingdom too weak. The dangers within the ruins are the whetstone I need. As for those covetous jackals… they are perfect sacrifices for my fists!”

He looked at Qin Shanhe, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth: “Commander Qin’s good intentions are appreciated. If the Demon Suppression Division encounters any demons it cannot resolve, just send a message; the price will be negotiated separately. As for the Imperial Household’s schemes…”

A cold light flashed in Lin Jingyu’s eyes, and the Chaos Qi Flow around him suddenly surged!

Boom!

A more domineering, more ferocious aura erupted!

The phantom of the Primordial Chaos Divine Demon Manifestation flashed behind him, and the world-opening pressure made the entire Black Prison Hall groan under the unbearable weight!

Qin Shanhe’s stable Eighth Heaven pressure was forcibly pushed aside!

“They had better pray that there are enough strong ‘sacrifices’ in the ruins to satisfy me. Otherwise…”

Lin Jingyu’s voice was like a cold wind from the Nine Nethers, “When I emerge, the first thing I overturn will be his Dragon throne!”

Arrogant! Domineering! Lawless!

Qin Shanhe’s pupils constricted. Looking at Lin Jingyu, whose aura was like a primordial Vicious Beast, and feeling the undisguised killing intent and power capable of tearing everything apart, his last shred of thought to recruit him completely extinguished, replaced by a deep apprehension and… a trace of inexplicable chill.

He knew he couldn’t hold back this fierce Dragon destined to tear through the sky.

“Good! Since you have made up your mind, this old man will say no more!”

Qin Shanhe took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and said in a deep voice, “The Demon Suppression Division will closely monitor the movements in Black Wind Mountain. If there is any urgent intelligence, we will transmit it to you immediately. I hope you… take care!”

Lin Jingyu nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to stride away.

His burly figure, carrying a resolute determination to crush all obstacles, disappeared outside the Black Prison Hall doors.

Inside the hall, only Qin Shanhe and Wei Wuya remained.

“Commander… he…” Wei Wuya hesitated to speak.

Qin Shanhe looked at the empty hall door. After a long while, he slowly exhaled a turbid breath, his voice carrying unprecedented gravity: “The Dao he walks… is different from ours. Whether he is a Dragon or a worm, the Ancient God Burial Ground will reveal it. Issue an order, all our informants are to closely watch Black Wind Mountain! Also… leak some news to the Imperial Household, say that Lin Jingyu disdains the position of Imperial Advisor and has already set off for the ruins.”

Wei Wuya was startled: “Why is that?”

A cold light flashed in Qin Shanhe’s eyes: “Old man Ji Xuan wants to drive a tiger to devour wolves? Then let the ferocity of this ‘tiger’ be completely exposed before all the ‘wolves’! Stir the waters even muddier! I want to see who devours whom in the end!”

Deep within the Imperial Palace, in the Imperial Study.

The figure behind the pearl curtain, Emperor Ji Xuan of the Ji clan, listened to the Old Eunuch’s report.

“…Lin Jingyu refused the conferment, stating directly that he had no interest in the position of Imperial Advisor, and has already left the Demon Suppression Division, heading towards Black Wind Mountain.”

“No interest… Heh heh…”

Ji Xuan’s hoarse laughter came from behind the pearl curtain, but there was no warmth in it, only cold anger and killing intent, “What an arrogant and ignorant junior! Since he refuses a good offer, then let him stay forever in that ancient god’s graveyard!”

He paused, his voice growing even colder: “Send word to those old Devil Heads from ‘Shadow Tower’ and ‘Blood Butcher’; the target has entered the game. Tell them, whoever can bring out Lin Jingyu’s head can choose three items from the Imperial Household Treasury! Plus… the Pill Formula for a ‘Domain Breaking Pill’!”

The Old Eunuch trembled, his eyes showing horror: “Domain… Domain Breaking Pill?! Your Majesty, isn’t that price too…”

“Hmph!” Ji Xuan snorted coldly, “As long as this major hidden danger can be eliminated, any price is worth it! Go do it!”

Outskirts of the Black Wind Mountain Range.

The once barren mountains were now bustling with people, Evil Qi soaring to the heavens!

Powerful auras were openly released, occupying various mountain Peaks and valleys.

On the highest Peak to the east, several Elders dressed in profound star-patterned Daoist robes sat cross-legged, their auras ethereal, with astral projections floating around them.

The white-haired, white-bearded old Daoist leader held a “Zhou Tian Star Duster,” its bristles seemingly condensed from specks of starlight!

He was none other than Star River Daoist, an Elder of the top Sect “Star Constellation Sea” and a powerhouse at Eighth Heaven of Dharma Manifestation Realm!

His gaze was profound as he looked towards the increasingly clear spatial rift deep within the mountain range.

To the west, in a gloomy canyon, black mist churned.

Several figures, shrouded in wide black robes and exuding a cold, snake-like aura, flickered in and out of sight.

The leader held a “Myriad Soul Devouring Bone Staff,” grotesque in shape, seemingly pieced together from countless white bones, with ghostly fires flickering in the eye sockets of a ghastly green skull at its tip.

He was the notorious Evil Path magnate, Ancestor Wan Hun, at Peak Seventh Heaven of Dharma Manifestation Realm!

He extended a crimson tongue to lick his lips, letting out a cackling laugh: “Lin Jingyu… such vigorous Qi and blood… such delicious souls…”

To the south, in a rocky wasteland, several burly men with muscles like knotted rocks gathered, exuding a menacing Evil Qi.

The leader carried a “Mountain Splitting Earth Shattering Hammer,” the size of a door panel, dark red all over, and covered in grotesque spikes! He was the Great Shaman of the Northern Barbarian Tribe, “Mountain Splitting Barbarian King,” at Eighth Heaven of Dharma Manifestation Realm!

He rumbled to those around him: “Keep a close eye! I’m taking the demon core and divine materials on that kid!”

In the shadows further away, more figures with obscure auras lurked, like venomous snakes waiting for their prey to step into a trap.

Among them, several figures faintly carried the unique aura of the Imperial Household Consecrated Guards, an aura of grandeur mixed with gloom, secretly communicating with certain fierce individuals using secret techniques.

The entire Black Wind Mountain Range had become a vortex of death!

Just then!

Buzz—!!!

Deep within the mountain range, the gigantic rift spanning the Void Realm suddenly vibrated violently! Dazzling dark yellow light erupted from it like a volcanic explosion!

An ancient, profound, terrifying pressure, as if capable of crushing all ages, swept across the entire mountain range like a tangible tsunami!

Crack! Rumble!

The earth trembled violently! Space groaned under the unbearable strain! Countless rocks crumbled and rolled down!

The entrance to the ruins had officially opened!

“It’s open! The Ancient God Burial Ground is open!”

“Charge! Opportunity is at hand!”

“xuanhuang token holders have priority entry! Stop the others!”

“Kill! Seize the token!”

After a brief silence, there was even more frantic roaring and fighting!

Countless figures transformed into streaks of light, carrying greed and killing intent, swarming towards the giant rift spewing dark yellow light like locusts!

Screams, roars, and the clash of Magic Treasure instantly resounded through the sky!

At the edge of the chaotic torrent, a burly figure stood like a bedrock.

Lin Jingyu looked at the boiling death trap before him, felt the ancient pressure emanating from the rift that made even him slightly tremble, and the malicious and greedy gazes cast from all directions. Far from showing any fear, a cold, excited arc formed at the corner of his mouth.

He slowly raised the dark yellow xuanhuang token in his hand. The token emitted a soft glow under the fluctuations of the opening ruins, subtly resonating with the aura deep within the rift.

“Sacrifices…” Lin Jingyu murmured, like a declaration from Hell, “I have arrived.”

As his voice fell, he took a step!

Buzz!

Great Void Teleportation activated!

His figure instantly blurred, ignoring the chaotic crowd and exploding battles ahead, appearing directly at the edge of the rift spewing dark yellow light!

Under countless gazes, some astonished, some angry, some filled with killing intent, he held the xuanhuang token and stepped directly into the ancient light that seemed to swallow everything!