The Rise of the Witch

The initial stage of perception, also known as the Qi and Blood stage in martial arts, involves honing one's bones and muscles, refining them through countless trials, and seizing the spiritual essence hidden within one's Qi and Blood in a flash of inspiration. This allows one to perceive one's own Qi and Blood and then strengthen it through various means.

By nourishing the body with Qi and blood, the skin becomes tougher, the bones stronger, the muscles firmer, and the strength greater, etc.

Upon reaching the Cave Profound Realm, one evolves from merely sensing Qi and Blood to guiding more spirituality through Qi and Blood, transforming from passive to active, and further enabling control of Qi and Blood through spirituality to achieve an outward effect.

The blood of living beings inherently contains spirituality. Blood plus spirituality together constitutes qi and blood. Many magical artifacts require blood to be dripped to recognize their master. What is dripped is not blood, but the spirituality within the blood.

In the realm of immortality, the initial stage of perception is merely about purifying the mind, discarding useless distractions, purifying thoughts, making perception more acute, and the mind clearer.

Once the pure thoughts grow strong, they can transform into mental power, which is the Mysterious Immortal Realm.

Telekinesis is indeed amazing, capable of slightly interfering with reality, such as creating flowers with a thought or moving objects with telekinesis. But as for combat power... well, let's just say it's laughable.

Even if one's mental power is strong enough to move a hundred-pound boulder, it poses no threat to a martial artist of the same level.

The true use of mental power lies in driving spiritual treasures, so the true combat power of the Cave Mystery Immortal Realm depends entirely on the strength of its spiritual treasures.

If one possesses a powerful and compatible spiritual treasure, a cultivator in the Cave Profound Immortal Realm can rival a Spirit-Guiding Martial Mirror. However, without a spiritual treasure, one might not even be able to defeat a mortal mirror that merely tempers one's bones and muscles.

Therefore, after Su Wenling entered the Cave Mystery, her first priority was to find a suitable spiritual treasure, and Aunt Lan also recommended that she look for a better one.

As a result, I got a single strand of hair from Xing Yang and took it back with me.

  

……

After a simple night of ritual, Su Wenling was once again astonished by the spirituality within her hair.

The next day at daybreak, he couldn't wait to head to the training ground and begin testing himself.

When Lan Nu came over, she saw Yue Yue standing by the training ground, her mouth agape in astonishment as she stared at the field in disbelief.

Su Wenling stood in the middle of the training ground, her figure graceful. In front of her, a boulder weighing several hundred kilograms floated, drifting back and forth as she looked.

If an ordinary person were to witness this scene, they would probably assume that Su Wenling's mental power was so strong that she could move such a heavy boulder, meaning she was at least at the late or even perfect stage of the Cave Profound Realm...

But with Lan Nu's keen eyesight, she naturally wouldn't miss it. There was a thin black thread wrapped around the boulder. Su Wenling was simply driving the thread to move the boulder.

When Su Wenling first entered the Cave Profound Realm, his mental power could only move a few branches and leaves at most, but through this silk thread, he could move a huge rock. This is the power of a spiritual treasure.

Lan Nu couldn't help but praise, "Young master, you are truly generous! This silk thread is perfectly suited for you, young lady!"

From Xing Yang's casual sharing of the Demon King's flesh and blood with them, Lan Nu knew that he was not a stingy person. She signaled Su Wenling to ask for a congratulatory gift. Although she was a bit shameless, she knew that she had gotten a great deal by obtaining this spiritual treasure thread.

Su Wenling's expression shifted slightly, and the silk threads binding the boulder suddenly tightened!

After a series of crackling sounds, the entire boulder was actually cut into four pieces by the silk thread, with clean breaks.

After the cutting was completed, the silk thread retracted and disappeared into Su Wenling's long black hair.

No one could tell that a magical treasure was hidden in that head of black hair.

"Congratulations, Miss," Lan said with a smile.

Yueyue also realized what was happening and excitedly said, "Miss, your silk thread is amazing! I feel like cutting me with it would be no harder than cutting a stone."

Su Wenling had a cool and aloof expression on her pretty face, unsure whether she should smile or not.

Having obtained such a perfectly suited and powerful spiritual treasure, she should naturally be happy, but when she thought that this so-called spiritual treasure was actually just a hair that Xing Yang had casually plucked from her head, she couldn't laugh.

In the end, she could only say expressionlessly, "It's acceptable, but it still needs further refinement and nurturing."

Yueyue asked eagerly, "Miss, have you named this precious baby yet?"

Su Wenling thought for a moment and said, "Let's call her 'Xing Si'."

Yueyue clapped her hands and said, "The execution threads, the threads of execution, just hearing them is terrifying."

Su Wenling was completely puzzled.

Xing Yang's hair is called Xing Si, isn't it? What does that have to do with execution?

However, seeing that Lan Nu also looked in agreement, she didn't explain further... Oh well, let Xing Si be Xing Si then.

Next, it will be displayed to the public.

……

Xing Yang slept until almost noon before slowly getting up, putting on his white armor, and heading to the Demon Suppression Division.

It was too late yesterday, and I hadn't had time to calculate the merits of slaying the ghost cultivator.

Upon arriving at the main hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau, they saw a woman in green standing there with a smile, waiting. Seeing Xing Yang in his white armor, she sized him up and greeted him, saying, "Qingju greets General Xing!"

Xing Yang asked curiously, "May I ask who you are?"

The woman in green, Qingju, said, "I am a maidservant of Lord Tao Qing. I have come here specifically to wait for General Xing Lang. Lord Tao Qing invites you."

Tao Qing?

Xing Yang thought for a moment and remembered that Commander Xiong Xiao had mentioned that he was the Left Deputy Commander of the Demon Suppression Division and one of the deputy commanders of the Great Heavenly Witch Wa Xin.

In the Demon Suppression Division, he was truly second only to the emperor, above all others.

Why would such an important figure seek out a mere junior officer like him?

Qingju did not explain, but turned around and led the way, saying, "General, please follow me."

The two walked one after the other, bypassing the main hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau, and proceeded along the mountain path and stone steps from behind the hall. Along the way, Qingju did not say a word, but simply led the way with her head down.

We arrived at a spacious pavilion with carved beams, painted rafters, and flying eaves.

Inside the pavilion, a pretty woman in a blue dress was playing the zither, while a man in a plain white robe and a simple blue cloak was drinking alone beside a few exquisite dishes, gazing into the distance with a detached expression, and he also noticed the two people who had come along the way.

The man had neat, long hair that fell back to his waist, and a smooth, full forehead.

It's a pity that her once full head of jet-black, glossy hair was now covered in white hair. The white hair at her temples was scattered, with a strand falling to each side of her chest and another strand gathered behind her head and tied into a small braid at the back of her head, keeping the black hair that had fallen down her back from becoming disheveled.

This was Tao Qing. With just one glance, Xing Yang's spiritual senses detected that the other party was a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm, who could step into the Great Cultivator Realm at any time. His soul was subtly in harmony with the weather with his breath.

The energy of this world was all within the sphere of his divine soul, including that of Xing Yang.

However, the spirituality of Xing Yang's skin alone was enough to isolate the other party's soul, so he was unable to detect anything at all.

But the inability to detect it itself implies something.

Upon seeing the two approaching, Tao Qing waved his hand, and the music stopped.

The woman playing the zither rose and bowed, saying, "Qingmei greets General Lang."

Qingju? Green plum?

This deputy commander on the left really has a sense of style...

Xing Yang returned the greeting politely. He was just a junior officer, while these two women, even if they were just maids, were still maids of the dignified Left Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

Moreover, both of them are at the Spirit Induction Realm, which can be considered as expertise.

Tao Qing gestured, and the two women bowed and took their leave.

Only Xing Yang and Tao Qing remained in the pavilion.

Tao Qing pointed to the opposite side and said, "Sit down and let's talk."

After bowing, Xing Yang sat down calmly, his gaze unwavering.

Tao Qing smiled and said, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"

Xing Yang shook his head and said, "This subordinate does not know."

Tao Qing picked up the wine pot, poured him a pot of wine himself, and then said, "The Great Heavenly Witch has sent word that she has appointed you as the next commander-in-chief of the Demon Suppression Division."

Xing Yang raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "Me? The next commander-in-chief?"

What is Wa Xin up to?