I slay evil in the Department of the Supernatural

Chapter 158 The Gate of Rest and the Gate of Life, Town Land, Unaware of Death

three days later.

Outside of Jiangcheng, deep within the ancient town and its ancient houses, lies a sinkhole.

A gray fog hung in the air, and a chilling wind blew.

At the edge of the ruins adjacent to the former ancient house and sinkhole, the figures of two wandering spirits twisted and appeared in the air.

They were silent, yet they exuded a chilling, roaring spiritual will, like two invisible icicles piercing the silent figure of the young man opposite them.

"You've got some strength!"

Having completed three days of cultivation, Xu Lindong, dressed in the robes of a corpse driver and wearing the mask of a faceless man, stood at the edge of the ruins, his robes fluttering in the eerie wind, his expression calm.

"Waaaaah!!"

The two wandering spirits suddenly pounced.

The yin energy surged like a tide, carrying a chilling resentment and malevolence, and the ghostly howls it emitted were enough to make ordinary extraordinary beings tremble with fear and freeze in their movements.

However, Xu Lindong simply raised his hands.

The movements were simple, crisp, and even somewhat casual.

"Clang!"

With five fingers like iron hooks, it precisely gripped the necks of the two wandering spirits.

There was no probing or dodging.

The two hands that reached out in that instant seemed to have anticipated the trajectory of the wandering spirit's attack.

With a casual grab, it's like catching two moths drawn to a flame.

An overwhelming and unparalleled suppressive force erupted from the moment the character "Qin" appeared in his palm!

The form of Yu Lei, the ancient door god, appeared behind him.

The extraordinary energy quickly transformed into two illusory crimson-gold reeds, which wrapped around the necks of the two wandering souls and tightened suddenly!

"Hah...!"

The two wandering spirits struggled frantically, their souls twisting like boiling water, their cold power rapidly stirring, yet they couldn't budge the reed rope in the slightest.

"Still struggling..."

Xu Lindong's gaze turned slightly cold.

The next second, a blazing golden flame suddenly erupted from his palm!

"boom!!"

The golden flames bloomed like lotus blossoms, not scorching hot, but carrying a righteous aura that burned away all evil.

Flames spread along his arm, instantly engulfing the two wandering spirits.

Thick smoke rose up, coiling around the ghost like shackles, further suppressing its last struggle.

"Chirp!"

The two wandering spirits trembled violently amidst the golden flames and stove smoke, emitting silent yet extremely mournful howls as their resistance gradually dissipated.

Xu Lindong had a sudden thought.

The two wandering souls, which had been completely suppressed and were on the verge of death, vanished instantly.

They have all been sent into the Tower of Babel, awaiting refining.

"Merit +270!"

"Merit +265!"

This brief encounter lasted only a few seconds from beginning to end.

He stood still, feeling the flow of extraordinary power within his body.

The suppression and burning just now consumed very little energy, and the "Gate of Rest" corresponding to the liver and the "Gate of Life" corresponding to the heart, which I had just comprehended, quietly began to operate.

The energy he had expended was almost instantly restored, and his mind was as clear as ever.

Over the past three days.

I don't know if it was the "luck" brought by my little finger.

It was his own exceptional comprehension that allowed him to successfully master the secrets of opening the "Gate of Rest" and the "Gate of Life".

The Rest Gate can amplify blood energy and recovery ability, and when used in conjunction with the power of the Humanity Path, it is like a significant boost.

The Gate of Life can enhance mental strength, namely spiritual willpower and fighting spirit.

With both gates open, his combat power will increase significantly.

Therefore, after gaining a deeper understanding, he used a car seat to teleport to the depths of the sinkhole area in this ancient town and old house.

Firstly, it's to familiarize myself with the power of the newly opened twin gates; secondly, it's to observe more characteristics of wandering spirits and pave the way for advancing to "Night Wanderer".

Of course, more importantly, it was also to take the opportunity to check on the changes in this ancient house sinkhole for the Goddess Houtu.

This was also at the Empress's own suggestion; by coming here to take a look, one could exchange it for a chance to have the Empress make a move.

He was naturally happy to make this deal.

The mission is now complete.

Xu Lindong did not go any further.

Ahead lies the former location of the sinkhole, now only an ancient tomb sunk deep underground remains, shrouded and sealed by numerous arrays, making it difficult to approach.

If we get too close, we are very likely to alert the powerful figures guarding this place.

He vaguely sensed that the evil object, the "double-flash car," was sealed inside.

When he teleported over using the broken chair, he could clearly sense an attraction.

Fortunately, the car has been impounded.

Now he can use the seat with peace of mind, without worrying about the car coming to him.

"Your Majesty, I've checked everything here. If there's nothing else, I'll leave now. If I stay any longer, I feel the guards here might notice me."

Xu Lindong's consciousness sank into the Tower of Babel and asked Houtu.

The voice of the Goddess Houtu came calmly from the top of the tower: "Go back. This ancient tomb... feels somewhat familiar to me."

I seem to have had Chen Xuanli guard this place; it may contain something very important to me.

However, now is not the time to retrieve it.

Xu Lindong felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

The Empress actually left something here, and even had the corpse-raising master Chen Xuanli personally guard it...

This must have happened during the era of powerful clans; it was quite a grand affair.

I wonder what it is, and whether it's more powerful than Ghost General's "Netherworld Suppressing Demon - Ten Thousand Souls Slaying Demon Blade"?

He didn't ask any more questions.

Having achieved his objective, he immediately summoned the tattered car seat, sat down, and activated the teleportation.

The path to the secluded spot opened instantly.

The next moment, the seat disappeared, and he had left the sinkhole area.

The two wandering spirits I just caught have already broken even.

Not only did it provide more than 500 merits, but it also added two subordinates that could be commanded, which was enough to make up for the 200 merits cost of the round trip.

However, these two wandering spirits are far weaker than ghosts and hungry ghosts, since they haven't even developed intelligence and can only be considered ordinary wandering spirits.

Moreover, there are far fewer wandering spirits deep within this sinkhole. This is probably because the last cleanup was too thorough, or the sinkhole's power was greatly depleted and has not yet recovered.

Xu Lindong had no choice but to change his plans.

He originally planned to observe the wandering spirits here while completing the Night Wanderer's advancement after obtaining the Nightmare Crystal, but now it seems that won't work.

We have to find another place.

The ghost market is definitely not a place to go; it's too dangerous.

Fortunately, he still has a path to the underworld, a path leading to the netherworld.

There are plenty of ghosts there, so you can observe them while you travel.

In ancient times, there was a scholar who, "riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, saw all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day." Today, there is a refined scholar who, "slung his chair lightly along a secluded path, and spent the night leisurely reading about a hundred ghosts."

However, the distance from the city outskirts to home is too short to see many "ghostly things".

After making the round trip, Xu Lindong only saw three different ghosts in the Tongyou Road.

These ghosts all seemed to be afraid of him.

After all, the ancient ghost king's guardian power emanating from him, though subtle, still possessed a deterrent effect, making these cowards hesitant to approach.

"I can only wait until the advancement supplies arrive, then I'll make time for a special 'long-distance teleportation,' taking the opportunity to sightsee along the Path of the Netherworld before finally completing the advancement..."

Xu Lindong thought to himself.

Upon returning home, he immediately locked himself in the car seat, then packed his gear and left the bathroom.

He then took out the Extraordinary Phone and the Pride Token from a drawer in the outer room.

I then discovered that there were several unread messages on my phone.

The liaison officer, Xiao Qing, has sent a message to notify us.

Director Zheng Feng has returned to the department; we need to see him now.

"It seems that someone of the director's rank still has tasks to handle, which is why he only came back after several days."

Xu Lindong checked the message; it was from more than ten minutes ago.

After quickly washing up and tidying up, I rushed to the director's office.

A few days ago, the head of headquarters, Shen Guanting, had already mentioned that after he returned to the branch office, he should handle some city affairs and accumulate experience before he was to be promoted to the position of company commander at headquarters.

Therefore, Xu Lindong was waiting for the director to assign him a new task.

He wasn't in such a hurry to take on work originally.

But now that a breakthrough is imminent, not to mention the earthly path, the advancement to sequence eight through the heavenly path is also just around the corner.

Not only does the headquarters require sufficient qualifications and achievements to promote a squadron leader.

He himself also needed to pave the way for promotion to "township land" by handling affairs in his jurisdiction. This was obviously a suggestion that Chief Minister Shen Guanting had considered before giving him advice.

Therefore, after careful consideration, he has made a decision.

For promotion to the eighth rank, one should choose the urban land route.

Because urban land and the "pavilion chief" in the humanitarian hierarchy have similarities, both require accumulating experience and influence in regional governance in order to be promoted smoothly.

As the captain of the Department of the Supernatural, he usually deals with incidents within towns, and this is the smoothest path for him.

If you choose mountainous or riverine land.

On the contrary, they are difficult to match in terms of acting and digestion speed.

Of course, urban land was just the first direction he chose.

The ultimate goal remains to ascend to the eighth floor of the Tower of Babel, comprehend the reliefs on the door of the Heavenly Dao room, find a way to obtain the corresponding extraordinary materials, and acquire the power of the "Mythical Land".

...

A dozen minutes later.

Inside the office of the Director of the Eastern District's Department of Supernatural Phenomena.

"Haha, you've already taken down a starving ghost as soon as you got back, and handled the steamed bun shop incident perfectly. Now you're so eager to ask me for work again. Don't you even take a break?"

Upon seeing Xu Lindong arrive immediately, Director Zheng Feng smiled and invited him to sit down.

He first affirmed and commended Xu Lindong's performance in this border mission, and then nodded with satisfaction:

"I heard from Xiao Qing that you want to handle new supernatural events. I'm glad you have that ambition."

However, the department currently doesn't have any backlogged supernatural events that require someone of your skill level to handle personally.

He paused, then glanced at the task briefing beside him, and said:

"Most of the recent unusual disturbances in the city have been investigated by the various teams in their respective areas. As for the remaining scattered public security incidents, the Public Security Bureau is well-equipped to handle them."

"If we're talking about tasks that need your attention right now, there's only one, and it might be a few days before you need to handle it."

Zheng Feng took out a set of documents. "You can take them back and take a look first. There's no rush now."

Currently, it's the southern district that's handling this.

If they cannot resolve the issue completely, they will request to switch to a joint mission, at which point you will need to take action personally.

It would be beneficial for you to get involved in this.

This kind of cross-regional joint action can help you establish your authority.

After all, you're already a prominent figure in our Jiangcheng Supernatural Affairs Bureau. Aside from Xie Zhou, among the younger generation, you're the only one capable of handling things on your own."

At this point, Zheng Feng couldn't suppress a smug smile.

He was right to support and nurture Xu Lindong.

Even Long Ling from the West District and Ye Lang from the South District are now overshadowed by him.

"Okay, I'll take a closer look later."

Xu Lindong nodded, took the documents, flipped through them, and discovered that the matter involved a hospital.

The hospital was once located on the edge of the Xunhe Tiankeng (sinkhole), and was therefore affected.

Now, with the increase in the concentration of extraordinary energy, another mutation has occurred.

"Is the river patrol affected by the sinkhole...?"

Xu Lindong's heart stirred slightly as he thought of his parents, who had died patrolling the Tiankeng River in this life, and his interest was piqued.

It's better to handle this joint mission in a few days. By then, his equipment should have been upgraded, and the team members will have more time to prepare.

"The mission isn't urgent, but advancing your land rank is no small matter, especially the 'town land' route you just mentioned you wanted to take."

At this moment, Zheng Feng smiled and reminded him, "It would be best to familiarize yourself with the historical archives in the area, from the old neighborhoods in the East District to the newly developed areas."

"These things may seem trivial, but they can be a great help in your promotion at crucial moments."

"Thank you for the reminder, Director. I understand."

Xu Lindong responded, already having made up his mind.

After finishing his business, he got up and walked out of the office, only to bump into He Shaojun, who was in a group, at the corner of the stairwell.

Xu Lindong paused, nodded at him, and gave him a faint smile as a greeting.

He Shaojun paused for a moment, then forced a somewhat stiff smile onto his face.

Neither of them spoke.

Xu Lindong withdrew his gaze and walked straight down the stairs.

He Shaojun stood still, his gaze following the man's retreating figure, his expression complex.

They were once considered promising young talents by the Eastern District's Department of the Supernatural.

Now, he is still struggling on the list of extraordinary beings, and he is completely at the bottom of the list of geniuses, unknown to anyone.

Meanwhile, Xu Lindong, who was in the same period, had already broken into the top 200 of the Prodigy Ranking.

The gap is widening, like a sadly thick barrier separating us.

It seems that there is a world of difference between geniuses.

His so-called "genius" status may just be the threshold to meeting Xu Lindong.

But He Shaojun still admired him from the bottom of his heart.

Everyone knows how risky it is to cultivate all three paths simultaneously.

Those who dare to make this choice and continue down this path truly have guts.

He withdrew his gaze, turned and walked towards the director's office. After knocking on the door, he went in and solemnly said, "Director, I've made up my mind. I would like to apply to participate in that mission."

Xu Lindong, clutching the documents, walked out of the Department of Supernatural Affairs.

The sun seemed particularly strong today, making the weather feel less cold.

On the greenway across the river, some urban beauties were wearing beautiful stockings, creating a stunning scene.

Xu Lindong admitted that the most intuitive way to judge the change in weather temperature from cold to warm is to see if women in the surrounding cities are wearing stockings.

If you see a lot of people wearing stockings, then the temperature is obviously not bad.

"The concentration of supernatural energy in the air seems to have decreased compared to a few days ago, which may be due to the monitoring station's efforts to control it..."

Xu Lindong sensed his surroundings with his spiritual senses, and before he had gone far, he suddenly stopped.

He then frowned slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across the riverbank on the opposite side.

Someone was secretly spying on him.

He seemed to be an extraordinary being who had traveled through unorthodox means. His aura was cold and sinister, like a water ghost on a path of wandering spirits, lurking in the shadows near the riverbank, observing him from afar.

"interesting."

Xu Lindong's eyes turned cold.

How dare a wandering spirit monitor him near the Department of the Supernatural?

That's incredibly audacious.

Regardless of who is behind the other party, this has already crossed the line.

He is an official, the captain of the Department of the Supernatural.

Unless it is an internal investigation, any force monitoring him is in violation of regulations.

Anyone who dares to secretly monitor him like this will have to pay the price.

With a thought, Xu Lindong stuffed the documents in his hand into his pocket, then took a step forward, walking with an eerie gait.

The Ghost Step is executed.

His figure vanished instantly.

In a few flashes, when he reappeared, he had crossed the riverbank greenway and was standing on the mudflat.

Almost simultaneously, in his constant spiritual perception, a ripple suddenly appeared on the surface of the river ahead.

The dark shadow flickered underwater and quickly darted into the depths.

"Still trying to escape?"

Xu Lindong's expression was cold and unwavering as he took another step forward.

The ground beneath his feet seemed to become ethereal.

The Ghost Step was activated again, and his figure vanished instantly, disappearing into the icy river water.

The river water was turbulent and the cold was biting.

He stepped into the water as if walking on flat ground, moving forward step by step as if strolling underwater, his gaze fixed on the cold, rapidly descending figure.

That faint figure was rapidly descending.

Upon noticing Xu Lindong enter the water, the superhuman water ghost couldn't help but sneer.

"This guy actually followed me. It really is a death warrant, and he even dared to chase me underwater? Does he think he can just come down here like a water ghost? Does he think I'm made of clay?"

He gave a cold laugh and glanced back hastily.

He felt that the young man's face behind him seemed somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it in some kind of information before.

However, he had seen a lot of information about the executive officer of the Department of Divine Abilities, and observed that the other party's extraordinary fluctuations were at the same level as his Sequence Nine, which was not particularly powerful and not in the extremely dangerous category.

"That gave me quite a fright. The King of Hell's Decree is only Sequence Nine? It seems I don't need to rush to escape... I can further confirm his identity."

He felt a sense of certainty, but he didn't stop; he continued to dive down to find more safe space.

In the water, he moved as nimbly as a fish, even deliberately slowing down to lure his opponent into pursuit.

He could obtain ten bottles of Level 2 Extraordinary Potions simply by confirming the identity of the "target".

However, if he could leave the "target" behind, he could obtain all twenty bottles of level-two extraordinary potions.

He originally had no intention of fighting the King of Hell's decree, but now, he was tempted by greed...

"Trying to lure me into the deeper waters? Seems very confident..."

Xu Lindong observed the superhuman water ghosts below, whose stealth speed had slowed down, his eyes turned cold, and he suddenly reached out with his right hand to grab.

A wave of extraordinary golden-red power rippled outwards.

It spread rapidly like ripples, quickly enveloping the waters where the superhuman water ghost was located.

The superhuman water ghost's form only paused almost imperceptibly for a moment before recovering and descending even faster.

Xu Lindong did not carry a shield, and there was no gate in the water, so the power of the gatekeeper was indeed greatly weakened.

However, his expansion of power was not intended to capture enemies using such basic portal-area capabilities.

he wants.

It expands outwards from the doorway, creating space for openings.

In the instant the power of the door gods rippled outwards and covered the past.

An invisible "gateway" quietly opened in the water as he reached out his hand and the ancient door god Yu Lei appeared on his chest.

The next moment, Xu Lindong suddenly grabbed with his right hand!

With lightning speed, Yu Lei, clad in golden armor and glaring with a solemn expression, simultaneously made a grabbing motion on his chest, his palm seemingly piercing through a barrier that did not exist in reality.

That is the road to the underworld.

The moment the path to the underworld opened, the distance and space of the mortal realm seemed to be folded, and a shortcut to the underworld was opened.

His palm disappeared into thin air and then reappeared out of thin air.

When it reappeared, it was like an iron clamp, clamping tightly onto the neck of the submerged superhuman water ghost!

The superhuman water ghost's expression changed drastically as it descended.

An immense force had already locked onto his throat. Even though he had instantly unleashed his water-transformation ability, he was still being tightly choked and violently pulled backward!

What kind of door god ability is this?

This ability is more like the Soul-Sequence Eight Ghost Messenger, or even the methods of the Sequence Seven Impermanence Ghost Officer!

But the fluctuations of the other party's extraordinary power... were clearly still at Sequence Nine.

"What kind of freak is this?!"

His mind was in chaos, and before he could struggle, Xu Lindong's palm suddenly unleashed an even stronger suppressive force.

A blood-red phantom of the character "Qin" was branded onto his soul like a branding iron.

"laugh!!"

His soul instantly began to smoke.

"Ah!"

The superhuman water ghost let out a shrill scream, its soul and body wracked with pain, and its superhuman power within it was as if it had been suppressed and completely frozen.

His body was pulled backward uncontrollably.

In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into a dark tunnel, with a chilling aura seeping into him from all around, as if many hidden eyes were staring at and spying on him.

This is the road to the underworld!

These damned door gods actually opened the path to the underworld and forcibly dragged him back!

What kind of ghostly gatekeeper's power is this?

In a moment of confusion, he was violently pulled from the depths of the water to stand in front of Xu Lindong.

"Open it!!"

The superhuman water ghost roared, its remaining power within its soul about to erupt and break free.

But at that very moment, an even more terrifying, chilling wave exploded from Xu Lindong's body!

His aura changed abruptly, becoming chillingly cold, and even patches of bluish-black lividity appeared on his cheeks.

With a "boom," ghostly blue flames erupted from his right palm, which was as hot as a branding iron, instantly enveloping the water ghost's entire body!

The flames continued to burn underwater at an extremely low temperature, like liquid nitrogen corroding bones, but specifically targeting the soul.

It was not ordinary fire at all, but ghostly flames from the netherworld!

Will-o'-the-wisps swirl around me, and the icy chill seeps into my bones!

The extraordinary water ghost felt as if his soul, which had just been scorched, was being frozen and cracked inch by inch. The pain of being torn between ice and fire swept over his entire body like a tidal wave.

His newly accumulated strength to resist instantly dissipated, rapidly being consumed by the ghostly flames.

His soul weakened rapidly, and he was terrified.

Suddenly, all the chaotic thoughts in his mind cleared up, and he remembered the cold, gloomy face of the young man so close to him.

This face...

He is Xu Lindong!

Ranked 85th on the Divine Ranking, a ruthless individual who broke into the top 200 of the Prodigy Ranking within a month, a top prodigy who cultivates all three paths!

All the relevant information I had previously obtained surfaced in my mind.

Xu Lindong had already pulled him roughly in front of him, his gaze sharp and his voice icy:

"Who sent you?"

"to be honest."

"Otherwise, I have many ways to make you wish you were dead."