Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Having experienced countless hardships and faced life-or-death situations, Li Yuan's heart has become incredibly strong.

He did not lose himself in worship or regard himself as a god.

Over the next ten years, he taught the tribe members the cultivation methods he had come to understand without reservation.

But things didn't go as planned. He discovered that not everyone could learn it. Gradually, he discovered the secret of spiritual roots. Some people are naturally compatible with spiritual energy, while others can't sense it no matter how many times they try.

Li Yuan referred to those with a constitution that was compatible with spiritual energy as spiritual roots, and began selecting qualified humans to cultivate with.

After the news spread, people from other tribes came to learn from him. Li Yuan welcomed all who came and taught them everything he knew. In his last few years, he traveled with his disciples to spread the methods of cultivation.

He hoped that more humans would learn cultivation to defend themselves against the predation of demonic beasts.

When he was old and gray, he already had disciples all over the world, and he passed away with a smile on his face while traveling.

He had no regrets in this life.

The illusion shattered.

Li Yuan's primordial spirit suddenly returned, and he opened his eyes, a sense of enlightenment rising within them.

In his mind's eye, Li's figure appeared: "Second trial, passed."

"The first test is of character, of staying true to oneself; the second test is of seeking the truth."

Li Yuan seemed to be deep in thought.

"Yes."

"Everything you experienced in the illusion was a search for answers. You witnessed the suffering of humanity, the struggles of humanity, and ultimately, in despair, you developed a belief in protection."

Li raised his head, his golden vertical pupils fixed on him, "It is because of your belief that you broke down the barrier between man and heaven and earth and found your own path."

Li Yuan closed his eyes. His cultivation level remained unchanged, but something else was different.

"Rewards for clearing the level."

"An extraordinary affinity for spiritual energy."

"Approachability?"

Li Yuan was stunned.

Previously, the abilities he acquired were all very advanced, such as directly absorbing demon cores, the power of time, and premonition of crisis.

But what's with this spiritual affinity?

Anyone with a talent level of seven or above has a good affinity for spiritual energy; the higher the talent, the higher the affinity.

With his level nine talent, he already possesses exceptional charisma, so this reward seems rather lackluster.

"Yes, but this affinity is not the same as that affinity; it's different from what you usually know."

"What's the difference?"

Given the level of the Myriad Realms Palace, it's indeed impossible for them to give out useless talents, so Li Yuan was very curious.

"You can draw upon the power of the five elements from everything around you at any time, and use them for your own purposes, or you can fuse them together."

Extract at any time? Merge?

Li Yuan opened his eyes, stretched out his right hand, and with a thought, a wisp of flame ignited.

This wasn't fire control; it was something he directly extracted from the fire elements that roamed freely in the world.

Immediately afterwards, a drop of water, a wisp of wood energy, a handful of sand, and a wisp of gold energy appeared simultaneously in his palm, swirling around each other and coexisting harmoniously.

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"melt!"

The five spiritual energies began to merge, intertwining and squeezing each other, sometimes touching and sometimes separating. Li Yuan frowned slightly, practicing again and again, searching for the key to it.

It wasn't until two days later that Li Yuan left the room.

He had perfectly absorbed the Ink Dragon Demon Core, removed the hidden injuries accumulated in his body, and consolidated his cultivation to the mid-stage of the Condensation Realm.

He stretched out his hand, and with a gentle flick of his five fingers, spiritual energy points of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—appeared at his fingertips, like five miniature stars, dancing and flowing in his palm.

With a thought, the five-colored light spots instantly merged together, transforming into a chaotic sphere that exuded a powerful and surging force, and even faintly contained a trace of Daoist charm.

With a wave of his hand, Li Yuan dispersed the chaotic spiritual energy, which then returned to the world, allowing him to control it at will.

He straightened his clothes, no longer deliberately suppressing his aura as before. He released his mid-stage Condensation Realm cultivation without reservation, like a divine weapon drawn from its sheath, its light radiating.

Previously, he was in a precarious situation and needed to show weakness to protect himself, but now it's different. He needs to demonstrate his strength, intimidate his opponents, and let everyone know that he, Li Yuan, is not someone to be trifled with.

He pushed open the door and went out.

In the courtyard, Mr. Mo sat leisurely under a tree, drinking tea. When he saw Li Yuan, he smiled knowingly: "It seems you've made quite a bit of money this time."

"Thank you for protecting me, sir." Li Yuan walked up to him and bowed solemnly.

Mr. Mo waved his hand: "This is your own fate, it has nothing to do with me."

"It seems you've already figured out what to do next."

"Yes." Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. "It's time to let some people know that I, Li Yuan, am not so easy to kill."

"Haha, well said." Mr. Mo slapped the table and laughed heartily. "It should have been like this a long time ago. This is the spirit that young people should have. You are good in every way, but you are too mature for your age."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan couldn't help but laugh. Thinking about it, it was true. Since arriving in this world, he had been cautious and prudent, afraid that one wrong step would mean the end of his chance to turn things around.

In the following days, Li Yuan first entrusted Dean Su to submit the memorial requesting the establishment of an inspector for the Demon Suppression Division.

Instead of reporting to the Demon Suppression Bureau, he stayed peacefully at the Divine Martial Academy, discussing profound mysteries with Mr. Mo every day, and his understanding of cultivation increased day by day.

In his spare time, he would spar with his teacher, Liu Hongyan. In just a few years, their skill levels had reached the same level, but there was still a gap in combat experience.

On the fourth day, news came from the palace that the emperor would discuss the establishment of inspectors at the court meeting and ordered the high-ranking officials of the Demon Suppression Bureau and Li Yuan to attend.

Early that morning, Li Yuan put on his official robes as the deputy demon-suppressing envoy and rode his horse to the front of Taiji Palace, where an attendant gestured for him to wait there.

The Deputy Demon Suppression Envoy is a fourth-rank official and is legally entitled to attend court assemblies. However, the Demon Suppression Division is a substantive department and does not require attendance at court unless there are specific events or holidays.

Li Yuan, dressed in a black official robe, stood out conspicuously among the crowd of people in crimson and purple court robes, attracting countless glances, both overt and covert.

With his keen senses, he discreetly observed and secretly noted those malicious glances.

Before long, Commander Luo, along with Ye Hongyu and other high-ranking officials of the Demon Suppression Division, arrived. Li Yuan immediately stepped forward to greet them.

"Li Yuan, you must be tired from your journey. You are a young talent of my Demon Suppression Division. Anyone who wants to touch you must first ask for my permission."

Luo Xuan unleashed his full aura, emanating an invisible pressure that made all the prying eyes present dare not look up.

He was the pillar of the Tang Dynasty, possessing extraordinary cultivation. This blatant assassination attempt on his talented subordinate had indeed angered this towering figure.

This statement was both an attempt to appease Li Yuan and a warning to those in the court who were plotting something.

"Thank you for your concern, Commander."

Li Yuan bowed again respectfully. With these words, those underhanded and despicable actions would have to think twice before trying to withstand the commander's wrath.

As the bell rang, a eunuch announced loudly, "The court session begins!"

Li Yuan followed Ye Hongyu into the Liangyi Hall, standing at the end of the Demon Suppression Division's procession, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

After the worship ceremony, the court assembly officially began. This was Li Yuan's first time attending, and he found it extremely boring. The discussions were mostly about trivial matters, making people drowsy.

Halfway through the court assembly, Ye Hongyu suddenly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, demons are rampant now. The Demon Suppression Division requests the establishment of an Inspectorate to bring peace to the land."