I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

Zhong Jiu and Master Qingxu found themselves getting along very well as they talked.

Master Qingxu, in high spirits, poured out all the latest happenings in the circle: "The current rise in Yin energy is actually a harbinger of the revival of spiritual energy! Many disciples of our Qingxu Sect have tried to convert Yin energy into true energy, and their cultivation levels have skyrocketed. Even some old Taoist priests who were nearing the end of their lives have broken through their cultivation realms and extended their lives!"

He also said that recently, many highly skilled people have appeared in sacred places of cultivation such as Maoshan and Longhushan, and many of them have the ability to fly and escape into the earth.

In the world of cultivation, immortals possess a pure yang body. Unfortunately, spiritual energy in the world is scarce, and since ancient times, very few have attained immortality. Yin energy is actually a type of spiritual energy, and if it can be properly transformed, it is possible to cultivate into an earth immortal and ascend to heaven.

Of course, Yin energy is most suitable for soul cultivation, that is, one can become a god by cultivating an extremely Yin body in the underworld!

Master Qingxu explained very patiently, as if afraid that Zhong Jiu wouldn't understand, and then gave a basic introduction to the cultivation world:

The energy of heaven and earth is closely related to "qi".

The different types of "qi" are also categorized.

These are the three basic types of Qi: Qi, Qi, and Qi (炁). Although they are all called Qi, they belong to three different types of Qi: innate Qi, acquired Qi, and internal Qi.

The innate Qi is the Qi that exists in nature, also known as Yang Qi. The acquired Qi is the energy that one brings to oneself, also known as Yin Qi. The Qi within the body is the circulating Qi generated by the operation of the five internal organs.

Among the three types of Qi, the innate Qi and the acquired Qi exchange energy and, after accumulating, become spiritual Qi.

The acquired Qi can then combine with the Qi within the body to generate primordial Qi.

Through self-cultivation, one can alternate and merge spiritual energy and primordial energy, eventually transforming them into primordial energy, also known as "true energy".

"Primordial Qi (True Qi)" is no longer the air we breathe, but the Qi of the universe. It is an invisible and formless substance in the universe. When cultivating the human body, one can mobilize the energy of this substance through breathing exercises, which can change the condition of the human body.

When one cultivates to a higher level, the "true qi" extracted from the body becomes a high-energy cluster, which is a high-energy substance manifested as light. The particles are very fine and the density is very high. This is the power.

Work is energy.

The practice has a material aspect, and practitioners can perceive its objective existence through cultivation.

After learning all this, Zhong Jiu sighed with pride that he had a system, so he didn't need to rely on spiritual energy, yin energy, or qi, qi, qi... and so on!

So he seized the opportunity to ask, "Did all of you cultivators join the official special operations department? I saw them fighting all over the place, and their treatment seems pretty good."

"Join the Special Operations Department? Only spineless people go there!"

Master Qingxu sent a "scoffing" emoji and directly sent over a group number: "This is a group for independent cultivators that I created. It's full of fellow practitioners who haven't joined the official sect. Feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."

"I'm not a cultivator, is it appropriate for me to join the group?" Zhong Jiu teased him deliberately.

Master Qingxu sent a "hehe" laugh: "I'm the group admin, so if I say it's suitable, it's suitable! Besides, you have a magical artifact, which makes you practically part of the cultivation circle. Lots of poor guys in the group don't even have a decent magical artifact; you're much better off than them!"

Chung Kau sent a request to join the group, which was approved instantly.

He clicked on the group members and saw forty-three people with all sorts of nicknames.

There are those who call themselves "Qinglian Jushi" or "Yinxuan Sanren" with an ethereal air, and there are also those who are down-to-earth like "playing with banana leaves in the rain" or "a little pig who loves to eat snails." They are simply a "mudslide" in the cultivation circle.

As soon as he joined the group, Master Qingxu tagged all members: "Hey everyone, I've brought in a new guy, a powerful figure with an ancestral magical artifact!"

The group members who had been lurking instantly erupted in chaos:

"Welcome, welcome! We're begging to be your patron, powerful artifact expert!"

"Young man, which sect do you follow? Tell me your name, maybe we're from the same sect!"

"Newcomer's photos revealed! No pictures, no proof, could it be a shill hired by the Taoist priest!"

Zhong Jiu looked at the lively group chat and a smile appeared on his lips. He didn't expect that browsing a forum would lead to a "Cultivator's Circle of Friends".

Master Qingxu immediately sent a "panda covering its mouth" emoji, followed by typing out a long message:

"Let me introduce you all. This young man is named Zhong Jiu. He once used an ancestral magic weapon to kill an evil spirit. His luck was off the charts, but he hasn't even started his cultivation yet."

The group chat instantly fell silent.

The people who were just shouting "post photos" and "begging to befriend me" have all withdrawn their enthusiasm as if they'd been doused with a bucket of ice water.

People are all born with a snobbish filter. It's true that Chung Kau has magical artifacts, but he's ultimately just an ordinary person who hasn't cultivated. He really doesn't have much in common with these rogue cultivators who have "one foot in the immortal realm."

However, a few honest people sent "Welcome newcomer" emojis, which was a way of giving Master Qingxu face.

"By the way, Brother Zhong Jiu just asked if all cultivators have joined the Special Operations Department."

Master Qingxu abruptly changed the subject, directly throwing the question into the group chat.

As soon as these words were spoken, the group chat exploded again, filled with complaints:

"Hahaha, join the Special Operations Department? They must have been blinded by the promises the authorities made!"

"The meager salaries and bonuses from the Special Operations Department, could they even buy half a piece of Concentration Jade? Everyone in this group is well-off; who's short of a few taels of silver?"

"Go to the front lines and risk your life? Am I out of my mind? Isn't it better to hide in the mountains and cultivate? Once your cultivation level is high, what won't you have?"

"Exactly! Money is just an external thing, women are fleeting, only self-cultivation truly belongs to you!"

"Brother, you've broadened your horizons! But I'm not interested in money or houses; I just want to hear your story about 'women being fleeting.' Why don't you start a thread and elaborate? I'll give you a thumbs up!"

As Zhong Jiu scrolled through the chat history, he realized that these independent cultivators and the special operations team practitioners were two extremes.

On one side, people risk their lives to protect the peace of their region; on the other side, people wisely protect themselves and hide away to cultivate immortality, adhering to the principle of "everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep."

He didn't interrupt, silently lurking and watching the screen, uncovering quite a bit of valuable information: "Thirty-three third-tier cities across the country have been sealed off by evil spirits," "Evil energy is surging outside the provincial capital, suggesting a major operation," "The authorities are urgently summoning major sects, begging cultivators to intervene"...

These messages were even more timely than the reports from the Special Service Department, which helped him to understand the situation outside.

Just as he was analyzing the situation on the screen, a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils, like sandalwood after the rain. Taking a breath, every pore on his body felt relaxed.

"Hmm? What smells so good?"

Zhong Jiu rubbed his nose, wondering what was going on, when suddenly a system notification sounded in his mind, three times more urgent than usual:

"Ding! Host being worshipped by mortals detected, incense offering mechanism successfully activated!"

"Ding! Faith Points System activated!"

"Ding! The system shop has been unlocked. Welcome to make your purchases!"

The three consecutive notification sounds made Zhong Jiu's head buzz.

Incense offerings? Faith points? System shop?

This is like having a new cheat code!

With a thought, his consciousness instantly drifted out along an invisible connection, appearing the next second in the main hall of the Li family. Hundreds of people were kneeling neatly on the ground, holding three sticks of incense in their hands, kowtowing loudly, and chanting a unified slogan: "Please, Inspector, bless us!"

Li Wanqiu, dressed in plain clothes, stood at the front and personally placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, her eyes filled with piety as if she were on a pilgrimage.

Behind the incense burner stood an ebony statue, dressed in a black official robe, standing with his hand on his sword. With that majestic posture, who else could it be but Zhong Jiu?

Chung Kau almost burst out laughing. The clothes and posture were right, but his face looked just like that of Grandpa Wang, the butcher next door.

So these people didn't even see his face clearly; they just sculpted it based on their imaginations!

"I didn't expect Miss Li to be so perceptive, she actually erected a statue for me."

Zhong Jiu watched with great interest as the Li family members kowtowed, but his mind was already wandering to the system shop.

He silently said "enter the mall," and instantly a dazzling array of shelves appeared before his eyes, making him stare in disbelief.

From "beginner-friendly" exorcism talismans, peach wood swords, and intoxicating powders, to "legendary" items like the Beauty Jade and the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill, they even have the peaches of immortality that Sun Wukong ate!

There are eight categories, and each category has tens of thousands of items. It's like a god-tier version of Taobao and Pinduoduo!

What's even more amazing is that you can actually trade cultivation points directly in the shop.

"Level 1 Ghost Cultivation Experience Card", "Direct Promotion to Rank 8 Underworld Official Gift Pack"... As long as you have enough incense offerings, becoming a big shot in seconds is not a dream!

Zhong Jiu's breathing became heavy, his fingers frantically browsing the virtual shelves, as if he wanted to empty the entire store: "I used to complain about the system's meager functions, but now it's finally complete! This is the kind of grandeur a Underworld Inspector should have!"

But when he saw the "balance," his smile instantly froze on his face.

Incense value: 1.

Just then, Li Wanqiu's parents stepped forward to offer incense, and the incense value jumped to 3;

Then, the members of the Li family stepped forward one by one. After the last person kowtowed, the balance finally settled at 104.

Chung Kau rubbed his hands together and opened the "Newbie Zone," only to almost spit out the incense smoke he had just inhaled. The most basic exorcism talisman was priced at 500 incense points!

"Holy crap! System, have you become sworn brothers with the God of Wealth? This isn't selling things, it's robbery!"

Zhong Jiu was so angry he jumped up and down. 104 incense points couldn't even buy a single talisman. Wasn't this just pure teasing?

He finally understood the true meaning of "even Buddhas would fight for a stick of incense"—incense is more precious than the salary in the underworld!

The most painful thing in the world is to have mountains of treasures, yet be penniless.