World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 117: Theres Someone More Powerful Above

Could the ancient devil, sealed since the time of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, still be alive?

Fei Lianzi felt his scalp go numb, while Wang Sheng frowned deeply.

It had only been a few short years since primal qi returned. Even cultivators who had retained their cultivation foundations had only advanced to the Golden Core Realm at best. A Golden Core Realm cultivator could live for eight hundred years, but even that was only within an environment rich in primal qi.

If the ancient devil had managed to survive for over a thousand years in an era when primal qi had been completely depleted, then it had likely reached an extremely advanced cultivation realm.

Rebirth? Transcendence? Ascension?

With the great devil-sealing formation at the Ziyan Temple showing signs of failure, the situation had truly become unpredictable.

Wang Sheng did not expect that a casual stroll drawn by the morning's Buddhist light would lead him straight into something like this.

How should I handle this?

He naturally wasn't foolish enough to rush in and confront an ancient devil head-on. Moreover, this clearly wasn't something that a minor cultivator like him, who hadn't even completed the Foundation Establishment Stage, could interfere with.

Fei Lianzi paused in thought and then said, "Abbot, this is certainly a grave matter. I'll use Thousand-Mile Transmission to notify my martial uncles immediately. I also believe this should be reported to the authorities."

"The authorities?" Xuan Ku frowned. "Someone from the government did come by before and left me a contact number, but they were just two young people who didn't seem particularly reliable. We weren't even able to verify their credentials."

"Did they claim to be from the Special Investigation Unit?"

"Yes."

"Then you should definitely contact them." Fei Lianzi sighed, recalling the scene that he had witnessed the previous day. "The Special Investigation Unit may be composed of young people, but they're backed by the Hua Republic's official system. As for the strength of the state... you'll all understand in time. Anyway, I'll go contact my martial uncles. Abbot, you should try reaching out to the authorities again."

The round-faced Daoist master walked to a corner, his phone in hand.

Noticing that Xuan Ku still seemed hesitant, Wang Sheng asked, "Senior, is there a problem?"

Xuan Ku sighed softly. "We're located in a remote area, and our small temple has little influence. Even if we report it to the authorities, I fear they won't take it seriously."

"This matter affects the well-being of the entire region. If you allow it, I can help contact the Special Investigation Unit. I know a few people in the unit."

"In that case, I'll leave it to you, Daoist Master."

Xuan Ku clearly didn't have high hopes for the Special Investigation Unit. Nevertheless, Wang Sheng didn't explain further. He walked to a corner, took out his phone, and contacted his mistress.

A few minutes later, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi returned.

"Some of my martial uncles are already on their way," Fei Lianzi said quickly. "The devilish qi here doesn't seem too dense, which means the ancient devil likely hasn't regained its strength yet. There are still plenty of ways to deal with this. Since it took the combined efforts of our sect's grandmasters and the Ziyan Temple's first abbot to seal that devil, our sect naturally won't just stand by and watch."

Visibly moved, Xuan Ku recited a Buddhist chant in gratitude.

Wang Sheng added, "I've also contacted the Special Investigation Unit. They're taking this very seriously. Soon, they'll seal off the mountain and issue a lockdown. Their nearest team members will arrive shortly, while personnel from the research institute should arrive this afternoon at the latest. A large group of armed policemen will also likely be stationed here."

"Thank you, Daoist masters," Xuan Ku replied respectfully.

He clearly still placed greater trust in the support of the Shu Sword Sect, but Wang Sheng said nothing more. Instead, he began asking Rufeng about the devilish qi.

However, Rufeng could only shake his head. With such faint traces of devilish qi, even he couldn't determine whether the entity sealed below was a devil or a fiend.

In truth, devils were nothing more than corrupt cultivators, but they were different from fiends.

Whether someone could be labeled a devil wasn't based on the depth of their cultivation but on the gravity of their crimes. Those who had committed heinous acts, unforgivable even by heaven and earth, were known as devils. Since they were enemies of the righteous path, an encounter with them meant a battle to the death.

Meanwhile, the term "fiend" referred more broadly to mountain spirits, intelligent beasts, or violent cultivation-capable creatures that harmed others. They were non-human, malevolent beings.

Though the primal qi of heaven and earth had just begun to recover, it was already much more abundant than in ancient times. Still, it took most fiends and spirits a relatively long time to begin cultivating.

Of course, considering they were witnessing an ancient devil about to break free, there was no ruling out the possibility of other thousand-year-old fiends gradually awakening in the days to come.

About half an hour later, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi sat in the front hall of the temple, quietly sipping tea while they waited. Soon, rhythmic whistles echoed from somewhere deep in the mountains.

The first wave of reinforcements had arrived, but they weren't elders from the Shu Sword Sect.

The two young monks guarding the entrance came running in like the wind.

"Abbot! A lot of police officers are charging over!"

"They're all armed with guns just like in the TV shows! They look really fierce!"

"Don't panic. We only recite scriptures and worship the Buddha," Xuan Ku said calmly. "We've never done anything unlawful. Now, go open the gates. I will receive them."

"Please stay seated, Senior. I'll welcome them," Wang Sheng offered as he stood up. Using his footwork technique, he swiftly walked to the temple entrance.

Xuan Ku and a few Buddhist masters stood at the doorway.

Coming back to his senses, Fei Lianzi slapped his forehead. "How could I forget Fei Yu's status in a moment of panic?"

The two squads of armed police had received orders to assist Fei Yu at the Ziyan Temple. Though the command seemed unusual, the officers had run up from the foot of the mountain anyway, arriving at their designated location in no time.

Since there were guests inside, the temple gates had already been left open. Several monks curiously peeked outside.

Wang Sheng wasn't wearing his Daoist robe, but his long hair still gave him away. Stepping outside, he greeted, "I am Wang Sheng, advisor to the Special Investigation Unit. Daoist name Fei Yu."

A panting officer quickly stepped forward and asked, "May I check your ID?"

Wang Sheng took out his ID from his jacket pocket and handed it over. The officer checked it carefully, then stood upright and returned the document with a salute.

"Third Platoon assembled and ready. Awaiting your orders, Advisor Wang."

Wang Sheng noticed that the over forty armed police officers were sweating heavily. Considering the winding mountain paths to the Ziyan Temple were steep and difficult, the fact that they managed to arrive so quickly was impressive.

"I'm only assisting with the investigation. For now, find some shade and rest. We'll wait for the investigation unit to arrive."

The officer turned around and barked, "At ease! Maintain discipline!"

"Captain, come with me," Wang Sheng said, gesturing for him to follow. "What we're dealing with may sound a little far-fetched. I hope you can keep it confidential."

Puzzled, the captain frowned slightly. Nevertheless, he quickly followed Wang Sheng into the temple, which was actually quite well known in the local area.

Inside the hall, Xuan Ku looked at Fei Lianzi and asked in a hushed tone, "Where exactly is that young cultivator from?"

"He's a guest of our sect, not one of our disciples," Fei Lianzi replied with a mysterious smile. He then pointed at the ceiling. "He has powerful people above him."

The monks' expressions shifted as they looked at Wang Sheng again.

The armed police had sealed off the mountain, which unfortunately delayed the Shu Sword Sect members on their way. The group of Daoist elders stood helplessly outside until the captain checked with Wang Sheng for instructions. Without his instructions, the elders could have been stuck outside in frustration.

The Shu Sword Sect elders didn't bother with pleasantries. In typical sword cultivator fashion, they immediately headed to the Devil-Sealing Well to assess the situation.

Some of them had brought ancient sect records. Flipping through pages, they searched for information related to the ancient devil sealed here. Several Illusory Core Realm elders also inspected the devilish qi in the well. Although they didn't uncover anything new, they confirmed that the great devil-sealing formation had been damaged and that the ancient devil was still alive.

One elder raised an important concern. "Is this well connected to the mountain's water veins? If the devilish qi leaks, it could contaminate the local water supply and harm the civilians down below."

The group of sword cultivators quickly snapped to attention. After a brief discussion, they teamed up with Rufeng and several other Buddhist masters with substantial cultivation levels. Together, they inspected the water quality around the temple and at various spots downhill.

Wang Sheng remained at the temple, waiting.

Around noon, two members of the investigation unit arrived and formally took over. Not long after, several other Daoist masters from the Shu Sword Sect, who had come to help Wang Sheng temper his sword intent, also reached the temple.

The number of people continued to grow. Although they had five Illusory Core Realm elders, there wasn't much they could do for now. The identity of the ancient devil under the well still hadn't been confirmed.

A little past 3:00 PM, several helicopters flew in and landed at the Ziyan Temple. A group of researchers in white lab coats disembarked and quickly entered the temple grounds.

Wang Sheng scanned the crowd until he spotted a familiar bald head. He immediately went over to greet him.

"Uncle Ma, are you leading the team this time?"

"Fei Yu!" Ma Zibin replied with a grin. He raised a hand and lightly tapped Wang Sheng on the chest. "I think there's something strange about your fate. No matter where you go, something unusual turns up.

"You found a corrupt cultivator harvesting yin qi at a nightclub. Now you come to the Shu Sword Sect to train, and there's an ancient devil buried right next to you. Next time you plan to go anywhere, let us know first so we can draft an operation in advance.

"Anyway, where is the devil sealed? Someone proposed the idea of corrupt cultivators transforming into devils long ago, but we never expected it to be an ancient lifeform from Emperor Xuanzong's era. It would be an incredibly rare specimen for us to study."

Wang Sheng couldn't help but be a bit overwhelmed. He suddenly felt as though the ancient devils weren't all that terrifying.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦