Chapter Thirteen: Reaching the Yin Luo Clan

Wang Zhenling, however, was completely indifferent; in fact, all of this was well within his expectations.

His primordial spirit was ethereal, merely a convergence of spirit, and thus unable to manipulate objects. Only by continuing his training—at the very least reaching the realm of the Divine Treasury—could he begin to manipulate objects and unleash powerful divine abilities.

Nevertheless, although his primordial spirit was currently ethereal, it did not mean he was devoid of such power.

In the realm of Divine Sprouting, where the primordial spirit first begins to bud, one stands at the boundary between the Qi Refining stage and the Out-of-Body stage. The primary means of defense remains the use of protective essence, or *gangqi*. However, the way one wields *gangqi* at the Out-of-Body stage is entirely different from the Qi Refining stage.

Wang Zhenling withdrew his primordial spirit back into his physical body. After a moment of adjustment, he regained full control. With a flick of his hand, a lifelike giant palm, condensed from *gangqi*, flew through the air, reaching out to grasp an inkstone three yards away.

Because the inkstone was small and this was his first attempt at such long-distance telekinesis, his control was slightly lacking. The palm made of *gangqi* struck the table instead. With a thunderous crash, the entire table shattered into splinters!

"Master County Lieutenant, what happened?"

The county guards outside, having heard the commotion, rushed in.

Wang Zhenling had already retracted his focus and said calmly, "It is nothing. A table broke. Take it away and replace it."

The guards walked in, stunned to see the wooden table reduced to a pile of shattered splinters scattered across the floor. It looked as if someone had meticulously used a saw to tear it apart. The guards felt a chill run down their spines, but they dared not ask further questions. They obediently cleared away the wreckage.

Wang Zhenling paid them no mind, standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky. He was reflecting on the difference between manipulating *gangqi* as a practitioner of the Divine Sprouting realm versus the Out-of-Body stage.

In the Qi Refining stage, one could drive *gangqi* at most a yard or so; any further and control would falter. Furthermore, at that stage, *gangqi* could only be pushed forward like a wall or a mountain, relying on sheer pressure.

But having reached the Divine Sprouting realm, his primordial spirit was powerful enough to easily manipulate *gangqi*, shaping it at will and projecting it three to five yards away. The stronger the primordial spirit, the further the *gangqi* could reach—even at ten yards, it remained completely under his command.

That distance of ten yards was equivalent to thirty meters. With *gangqi* capable of such range and precision, the increase in combat prowess was immense.

"Even though my Moon-Wheel Heavenly Palace has yet to be fully forged, my primordial spirit is already at the Divine Sprouting level, and my combat power is no less than that of a master in this realm! Coupled with the official seal of a County Lieutenant, my strength is definitely beyond the Divine Treasury realm, perhaps even reaching the Divine Nether realm. If the Chengtian Dao sends more experts, I have nothing to fear!"

...

Meanwhile, Wu Zhong and his companions, having fled wounded, were filled with both rage and fear. They did not stop until they were a hundred miles away from the battlefield, well outside the borders of Danling County, eventually arriving at a manor.

The manor was of considerable scale, surrounded by rammed-earth walls over two yards high, with enough space to accommodate hundreds. One look at its structure revealed it to be the work of a powerful local clan.

The guards of the manor were shocked to see Commander Luo, Wu Zhong, returning wounded. Moments later, a pot-bellied, silk-clad wealthy man emerged. If anyone remembered, this was the same man who had brought horses and mounts to welcome the Wugu sect cultivators when they first descended from the mountains. It was also this wealthy man who had suggested that the Wugu cultivators assassinate the Magistrate of Danling.

Upon seeing Wu Zhong, the man turned pale with shock. "Second Brother, honored envoys, how have you come to this state?"

This man was the true head of the Jiyin Luo clan and the elder brother of Commander Luo. He was the highest leader of the Chengtian Dao among the believers in Liang Province, referred to by his followers as the "Libationer."

If Wang Zhenling were here and understood the full sequence of events, he would know how Chen Bushi and the others had obtained information about the Wuhua Society and the Wugu cultivators. He would also understand why the Wugu cultivators had foolishly attacked the Danling Magistrate, leading to their total annihilation. Furthermore, he would realize that this cunning Libationer was the true mastermind behind the destruction of the many cultivators of Wuji Mountain.

"That scoundrel... that brat from the Wang clan of Danling is truly detestable! He dared to turn on us without a second thought. I must report this to our superiors and have them send experts to... to exterminate the Wang clan of Danling!"

Wu Zhong had initially intended to say he would wipe out the entire Wang lineage, but remembering that the Jiyin Luo clan had marriage ties to the Danling Wangs, he quickly changed his wording. He was so furious that the blood rushed to his head, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.

The Libationer Luo was alarmed and cried, "Divine Envoy, please, calm yourself..."

The Libationer was the head of the Luo clan in Jiyin County, which sat adjacent to Danling. Because the two counties were close, the influential families frequently interacted. The Wangs of Danling and the Los of Jiyin were not just linked by generations of intermarriage; their relations were quite close. Compared to other powerful local clans, they were better aligned, as the slight distance between counties meant fewer direct conflicts of interest.

"Distant alliance and close attacks"—this was a principle these local clans followed instinctively in their interactions. Therefore, after being urged to calm down by the Luo clan head, the Divine Envoy had no choice but to hold his tongue.

The web of intermarriage and entangled interests among these powerful local clans was complex and difficult to navigate. The current strategy of the Chengtian Dao was to win over these local powers, so how could they easily exterminate the entire Wang clan of Danling? Moreover, this Luo clan head was a vital figure for the Chengtian Dao in Xiami Commandery—a commander in his own right. He had close ties to the Wangs and would never allow anyone to move against them easily.

Wu Zhong knew that his threat to exterminate the Wang clan was impossible to carry out. Yet, thinking of Wang Zhenling’s arrogance—daring to completely destroy their Daoist temple on East Ji Mountain—he said, "Commander Luo, we may leave the Wang clan of Danling be, but that boy Wang Zhenling! He dared to defy our Dao; his crimes are grave, and he absolutely cannot be left alive!"

Upon hearing the Divine Envoy’s account, the Libationer was surprised by Wang Zhenling’s abilities. He thought to himself that while he had heard this generation of the Danling Wangs had produced a "Wang Zhenling," he had not expected him to be so formidable. The Danling Wangs had truly produced a prodigy!

As for Wang Zhenling’s refusal to follow his family and defect to the Chengtian Dao... that was hardly surprising. As a head of a powerful local clan himself, the Libationer knew that when faced with such life-or-death decisions, these families would rarely put all their eggs in one basket.