The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.
As soon as he finished speaking, a surge of righteous energy emerged, and the result was naturally very gratifying. With the emergence of this righteous energy, all evil retreated and all magic failed. In this respect, it was in no way inferior to dragon energy.
The celestial energy that had just gathered vanished without a trace. Even Wang Hui felt her magical power becoming somewhat sluggish when it was circulating.
"Impossible! How could you possibly cultivate such authentic and righteous energy?" Wang Hui exclaimed in astonishment, her eyes wide.
It should be understood that those who cultivate the Way of Literature have the shortest lifespan among those of the same level. In fact, there is absolutely no bonus to lifespan before reaching the fourth level of Great Confucian Scholar. In other words, countless scholars have died of old age at the peak of the third level, on the path to breaking through to the fourth level.
But then, what makes the path of literature one of the four parallel paths to heaven? The reason lies in this righteous energy. Once a scholar breaks through to the fourth level, he can absorb the righteous energy that roams freely in the world.
Of course, this is not absolute. Some talented individuals can comprehend the righteous spirit at the second level, or even the first level.
Just like Lin Yang, who had already comprehended the so-called Righteous Qi at the first level. Of course, this had nothing to do with innate talent; it was purely one of the many benefits brought by the original owner of the body.
"Haha, I am exceptionally gifted, having comprehended the Righteous Qi at birth. I am impervious to all evil and deterred by all magic. What, fellow Daoist, would you like to test the power of this Righteous Qi?"
"Haha, fellow Daoist, you jest. I've heard so much about your righteous reputation. In that case, what do you intend to use to settle this karmic debt?" Wang Hui asked.
"How about this, news about a low-grade magic weapon?" Lin Yang said nonchalantly. Having memories from his past life, he had received countless similar offers.
A low-grade magic weapon corresponds to the fourth rank of the Immortal Path. Since Lin Yang couldn't obtain it anytime soon anyway, he might as well use it to settle the karmic debt. Besides, it was just a low-grade magic weapon; he wouldn't feel bad even if he didn't get it.
“Alright, let’s make a solemn oath to our inner demons then,” Wang Hui said with a smile.
"I, Lin Yang, hereby swear that, for the sake of information about a low-grade magic weapon..."
"I, Wang Hui, hereby swear that if this news is true, regardless of whether I obtain this magical treasure or not, I will..."
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Chapter 1: The area south of the Luo River is called Luoyang.
After resolving Wang Hui's problem, the rest of the journey went smoothly without any unexpected issues. The group arrived safely in the capital of Donglai County.
As the sun rose and morning dew fell, the group finally arrived at their destination after several days of trekking.
Even in modern society, sitting in a carriage for ten days straight can leave one feeling numb and extremely uncomfortable. How much more so in a classical society where travel was entirely on foot? Of course, the group was better off, traveling on horseback. Even so, they were still mentally exhausted.
"Young Master, this is the county town. It's so big!" Su Qing'er exclaimed in surprise.
Compared to Huang County, the prefectural capital was indeed much larger. After all, Huang County only had about 100,000 households. But the entire Donglai Prefecture had at least a million households.
Of course, most of the million households were actually scattered in the counties and townships below. Even so, hundreds of thousands of people lived in the entire prefecture city.
Standing outside, under the sweeping gaze of the Divine Eye of Fortune, a vast amount of golden fortune swirled around. Above the entire county city, a miniature dragon circled, a manifestation of the fortune of humanity.
With the suppression of humanistic fortune, anyone who wants to cause trouble in the county town must think carefully before doing so. It can be said that anyone who is not a government official will be suppressed.
With one's full strength, one can only unleash about 50-60% at most. Of course, this grand formation also has its limits. If you are a fifth-tier expert, you can naturally ignore this. If you are a fourth-tier expert, you can only unleash 80% of your strength. If you are third-tier or below, well, you can only laugh.
"After all, this is the capital of Donglai County, with a million inhabitants, so it's normal for it to be quite spectacular. However, once we get to the capital, this spectacle will be nothing special," Lin Yang said with a smile, looking at the cheerful Su Qing'er.
To be honest, having such a cheerful companion during my daily cultivation is truly a pleasure. It's just a pity that the Black Lotus Prince will most likely return in this life. Therefore, time waits for no one. Lin Yang cannot truly relax until he has completely dealt with this guy.
Soon, the group arrived at the teleportation array without stopping. It was called a teleportation array, but it was actually a spatial portal. It was the result of the Chosen Ones imitating the portals of Western fantasy worlds.
After all, having a portal makes everything much more convenient. Especially in this vast world. Therefore, after tens of thousands of years of modification, the current portal is already the nth generation of a new type of portal.
"Hey everyone, this is the entrance to the Donglai County teleportation portal. The portals leading to the remaining counties of Qingzhou open once every hour, twelve hours a day, without interruption. The portal to the capital opens daily..."
"Furthermore, Chosen Ones, please note that to the southeast of the teleportation array, there is a special teleportation array that operates every one of the twelve hours of the day. This array is extremely safe and was temporarily opened specifically for the use of the Chosen Ones. Please verify your identity before entering."
As soon as I arrived near the teleportation array, I heard a pleasant female voice. These teleportation arrays are not much different from train stations in the 21st century, except they are much faster. Basically, once you're inside, you've already arrived at your destination in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, with the advent of teleportation arrays, storage rings of various sizes and with different performance characteristics became cheap commodities thanks to merchants' frantic research and investment. After all, only when spatial items became cheap could expensive goods be transported in large quantities using teleportation arrays.
Nowadays, the cheapest storage items, only a foot square, cost a mere few dozen taels of silver. Medium-sized items, capable of storing one cubic meter, only cost a thousand taels of silver. Otherwise, with Lin Yang's wealth, why would he be willing to buy a storage ring?
"Looking at the time, why don't we just go in? There's a specially set up teleportation array. That way, we can reach the capital in no time. We can rest there then," Lin Yang said, looking at the sky.
...
Outside a special teleportation array in Luoyang City.
"Oh, another one has come out. I wonder what his background is, what his identity is, and what he plans to contribute to the court?" A veteran driver who has been in the capital for decades said directly.
He's a true veteran driver; you can tell just by looking at his cart. It's rustic and old-fashioned, and even the horses pulling it are quite old.
Although the speed wasn't fast, the experienced drivers made the rides more stable and comfortable. Therefore, older passengers often preferred to travel in the carriages driven by these seasoned drivers.
"Hehe, even if they don't offer anything, the imperial court will still bestow upon them the title of baron with fiefdoms. Those are fiefdoms, after all. Once they are bestowed, it's a blessing for generations to come," a young driver nearby said enviously.
"Well, who can blame them for being the chosen ones? They can freely travel to many worlds and bring back even a little bit of something from another world, which is considered a tremendous achievement."
"Yes, my sister's friend's cousin's brother-in-law's cousin... is an official in one of the Six Ministries. I heard that the court plans to make a few examples this time. As long as someone makes a real contribution, let alone a mere baron, the court is willing to confer titles such as viscount or even earldom."
"Hehe, I don't think there's anything good about it. Don't forget, having fiefdoms is certainly good, but these territories are all outside the borders, and they all need to fight for them themselves. On the surface, they are enfeoffed as princes, but in reality, they still have to expand step by step. If they're not careful, they could lose their lives," an elderly driver said, shaking his head.
“Hey, I don’t like hearing that. At least they risked their lives and got rewarded. But what about us? How many of us work our whole lives and still achieve nothing? Just because you’re unwilling doesn’t mean others aren’t. Besides, they’re the legendary chosen ones,” said a young driver who hadn’t been in the business for long.
Accompanied by a beam of light, Lin Yang and his group of twelve finally arrived in Luoyang.
"As the saying goes, the south of a river is yin and the north of a mountain is yang. This place is located on the yang side of the Luo River, hence the name Luoyang. This place is the core of the Central Plains, and the city of Luoyang alone is home to tens of millions of people."
"What a magnificent city of Luoyang! What a magnificent city of Luoyang!" Lin Yang exclaimed. Unlike others, he possessed these eyes, and what he saw was naturally different.
Upon arriving in Luoyang, the first thing that catches the eye is an enormous pillar of destiny, soaring straight into the sky. It connects the heavens above to the netherworld below, suppressing heaven and earth. It can be said that this is truly a place where all evil is warded off and all magic is impervious.