Chapter 69 The Crimson Cloud Demon God Has Fallen?

Xiang Nan held his breath, focused his mind, and prepared to cultivate the Clear Mind Mantra. But the moment he began, the surrounding spiritual energy surged toward him like a tidal wave.

He’d practiced the Clear Mind Mantra for many days, yet never before had he encountered such abundant and powerful spiritual energy. In this world governed by technological civilization, spiritual energy was ordinarily pitifully scarce.

Now, however, it was as if a floodgate had opened; spiritual energy churned and rolled through the air and earth. Xiang Nan wondered to himself if the Taiji Diagram he’d just invoked had inadvertently unlocked something, unleashing the world’s spiritual energy.

But, considering his own meager cultivation, even with the Taiji Diagram being a primordial treasure, it was unlikely to possess such formidable power under his feeble command. The only other explanation was that, at this very moment, some unexpected change was unfolding across heaven and earth.

Whether this was good or ill, he could not say.

Since he couldn’t deduce the cause, Xiang Nan simply let it go, concentrated on circulating the Clear Mind Mantra, and drew the dense spiritual energy into his body.

A moment later, Zhang Chen arrived with a group of armed police, bursting into the room. Seeing Xiang Nan unharmed, Zhang Chen, a grown man, was so overcome that he nearly wept.

“Boss, you’re still alive! That’s wonderful!”

With the help of the mantra, Xiang Nan had absorbed considerable spiritual energy, regaining some strength and color in his face. Hearing Zhang Chen’s words, he couldn’t help but frown.

“Come on, Zhang Chen, can’t you wish me something better?”

“Of course, of course! Boss, you have no idea how anxious I was rushing here. I wished I had wings to fly to your side in an instant…” As he spoke, Zhang Chen hurried over to help Xiang Nan to his feet, displaying the sincere deference of a true disciple.

Xiang Nan stood up and glanced at him. The concern was genuine—though he was a bit too chatty.

“All right, the Evil God of Fiery Clouds is dead. I’ll leave things here to you all.”

“What? The Evil God of Fiery Clouds is dead?” several armed police exclaimed in unison.

Even Zhang Chen stared at Xiang Nan in disbelief, waiting for an explanation.

Just then, Su Yao, who had revived after taking the Resurrection Herb, strolled over casually and nudged the corpse of the Evil God with her foot.

“Look, this bald old man—that’s the Evil God of Fiery Clouds. He’s dead as can be.”

The police crowded around and turned over the body lying facedown.

“Damn! It really is the Evil God of Fiery Clouds!”

Su Yao raised her eyebrows, then leaned against Xiang Nan, eyes shining with adoration. “Xiao Nan, I never imagined you’d grown so powerful! Come on, tell me—what level is your cultivation now?”

Before she could finish, the system chime sounded in Xiang Nan’s mind:

[Ding! System task completed: kill the Evil God of Fiery Clouds. Compatibility +10%.]

A refreshing breeze brushed past his face, remarkably pleasant.

His level had risen again!

Second Stage, Five Stars!

After this battle, the skill points of all his divine arts had passed the halfway mark as well. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he could attempt the Third Stage: Return to Ancestry.

Xiang Nan smiled, turned to Su Yao, his eyes gleaming with delight. “I’m already at the Third Stage, Five Stars!”

Su Yao gaped, eyes wide as saucers. “No way! What have you been eating? How did your level rise so fast? Have you been munching on Rebirth Pills as staple food?”

Xiang Nan rolled his eyes. “That stuff makes you spit mud after eating it. Only you girls would treat it like a daily meal!”

Su Yao giggled foolishly. “The mud is only temporary. That’s divine medicine—it keeps you young and beautiful, and it’s great for cultivation too. Ever since I took your Rebirth Pill, my level’s been rising as well. Just not as insanely fast as yours! Seriously, where do you get all those miracle medicines?”

Treasures could be inherited, but she’d never seen Xiang Nan concoct such medicines himself.

She was usually carefree and indifferent to most things, but there were simply too many mysteries surrounding Xiang Nan.

“Oh, that…” Xiang Nan’s lips curled into a sly smile. “That’s a secret!”

Su Yao rolled her eyes and let the matter drop.

By then, Wu Liang and the others had finished rounding up the Axe Gang disciples and rushed in, flustered.

Wu Liang ran straight to Xiang Nan. “Brother Nan, are you all right? Were you hurt?”

Xiang Nan spread his hands. “What do you think?”

Seeing that Xiang Nan was perfectly intact—if a bit pale, but without a scratch—Wu Liang nodded his head like a pecking chick.

“I should’ve known! With divine medicine on your side, any wound heals instantly. What am I worrying about?”

Glancing at the Evil God’s corpse, now surrounded by police, Wu Liang’s jaw dropped.

“The Evil God of Fiery Clouds… is dead?”

He’d thought the fight was over because the Evil God had escaped, never imagining he was dead—and dead beyond doubt.

“Brother Nan, which mighty master took down that murderous fiend?”

Wu Liang simply couldn’t believe that Xiang Nan, at Second Stage, could have killed the Evil God of Fiery Clouds.

“Which mighty master? Brother Nan himself, of course!” Su Yao laughed, her face aglow with pride.

“Brother Nan, really? You killed the Evil God? That’s… that’s incredible! Unbelievable!” Wu Liang was so excited he didn’t know what to do with his hands and feet.

Xiang Nan smiled lightly, exuding the air of a true master. “Call all the Eagle League disciples here. You’ve all worked hard. Today, I’ll be handing out rewards.”

With that, Xiang Nan strode into the house.

“Right away!” Wu Liang hurried off to gather the Eagle League disciples.

The police who had gathered around were all beaming. The Evil God of Fiery Clouds was finally dead—a potential social catastrophe averted.

Everyone looked at Xiang Nan with awe and disbelief.

“To kill the Evil God of Fiery Clouds—he really is a living legend!”

“Captain Zhang, now I get why you call him Boss! A powerhouse like this—there can’t be many in all the Nine Provinces! And he’s still so young!”

“I heard the Southern God is actually your master. Can you ask—does he take new disciples?”

Zhang Chen’s face shone with pride. “A master like mine doesn’t accept disciples on a whim. Back when he took me in, it was because of my extraordinary talent and unique foundation. Ordinary folk like you lot—he might not even give you a glance.”

No one doubted Zhang Chen’s words. With a master like Xiang Nan, naturally he’d be selective about disciples. Besides, everyone had witnessed Zhang Chen’s rapid progress in martial arts lately.

“You’re amazing, Captain Zhang! We’re brothers in arms—give us a good word, would you?”

Zhang Chen pretended to waver, then replied, “Have you heard of Treasure Forest?”

“Of course! That’s divine medicine—everyone’s tried it.”

“That’s my master’s business. If you all put your hearts into helping him sell medicine, and bring in good results, I’ll put in a word for you.”

“Leave it to us! That kind of miracle medicine—people are clamoring for it. We’ll promote it all over our social circles. It’s a blessing for society!”

“Southern God, Southern God—he’s my idol!”

Everyone was in high spirits.

As for the natural rivalry between the Eagle League and the police, at this moment, no one mentioned it.

After the Evil God’s corpse was taken away, Zhang Chen looked up, dazed, at the sky.

Several officers noticed him staring and looked up as well, frowning in confusion.

“Captain Zhang, what are you looking at so intently?”

“Don’t you all feel like the sky is bluer than before—clearer, too?”

“It’s always clearer when there’s no smog, isn’t it?”