It was no wonder Chen Yuan associated it with such things, as the object did indeed resemble the descriptions found in tales of strange phenomena. It was entirely transparent, a prism roughly the size of a fist.

Most importantly, it emanated fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi.

Adding to this was the fact that the black-clad assassin had mentioned someone offering three Yuan Crystals for his life. All these factors aligned perfectly with the logic of his suspicions.

As for who would be willing to pay such a high price to kill him, and who could even produce three Yuan Crystals, Chen Yuan believed it was undoubtedly a Tong Xuan master.

And among those who held a deep grudge against Chen Yuan, the most likely suspect was Tang Qian.

Thinking of this, the killing intent in Chen Yuan's eyes intensified. Once he broke through to the Tong Xuan realm, the first person he would deal with would be this man!

Examining the Yuan Crystal in his hand closely, Chen Yuan's face remained calm, but his heart was filled with joy. With this thing, his cultivation speed would be much faster.

He was already very close to the peak of the Heavenly Gang realm, and after refining this Yuan Crystal, he would essentially be there.

Although this thing wasn't a spiritual object like natural treasures, it was definitely considered rare and precious. To lay down a grand formation in a blessed land with exceptionally rich Heaven and Earth Origin Qi,

And compress the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi into a tangible form was not something ordinary methods could achieve.

Even a Tong Xuan expert would be pleasantly surprised to obtain this object, as it allowed for rapid accumulation of cultivation. A single Yuan Crystal was worth at least ten thousand taels of silver.

The price was certainly not low. If it were Chen Yuan's salary from his days as a constable, it would probably take decades to save up for one. Tang Qian truly hated him to the bone.

However, he couldn't prioritize this matter above all else right now. After obtaining the Dragon Qi within the Dragon-Tiger Sect, it would be the true reckoning. At that point, Chen Yuan could truly walk sideways in Nanling Prefecture.

Putting away the Yuan Crystal, Chen Yuan directly ignored the gold in Yan Qing's hands, and instead picked up the large bow that was as black as ink and inscribed with mysterious formations.

Gold and silver were of little use to Chen Yuan now.

If he wanted, he could acquire thousands or even tens of thousands of taels of silver in a short amount of time, but he couldn't obtain Yuan Crystals or a bow that could break through Gang Qi.

Drawing the bow, Chen Yuan released the string, immediately producing a muffled sound.

"Hmm."

The heavy, resonant sound made him nod. He couldn't recognize the formation inscribed on the bow, but the mere sound of drawing the string told him that this object was extraordinary.

No wonder it was a weapon relied upon by Tong Xuan martial artists. It was a pity that there were only three arrows left, preventing him from testing it to his heart's content.

Arrows capable of breaking Gang Qi were better saved for enemies.

Overall, this time's gains completely made up for the losses.

"Keep this thing safe. It's yours now."

Weighing it in his hands for a moment, Chen Yuan tossed the precious bow to Yue Shan. With his innate divine strength, he could easily draw this bow, and combined with the arrow's special properties, it could help him in the future.

As for himself, he didn't need this thing right now. Firstly, he had little experience with such weapons, and mastering it would require time and effort. With that effort, he might as well focus on cultivating his saber techniques.

Although Chen Yuan couldn't be said to specialize in a single path, he couldn't possibly master every weapon in the world.

Good enough was good enough. "Yes, Sir!"

Yue Shan solemnly accepted the bow. His inability to participate in the previous battle was a disgrace that he had to make up for. With this bow in hand, even Heavenly Gang martial artists would die by his hand if they weren't careful.

"Clean up this place, burn Nie Qiyun's severed limbs and bury the ashes. Hmm... remember to keep his waist tag to report back." Chen Yuan instructed.

With the battle over, it was time to clean up the battlefield.

And he had to take this time to recover his strength and Gang Qi. Yan Qing and the others acknowledged the order and bowed before retreating, starting to clean up the remaining corpses. They couldn't help during the battle, but they were still somewhat useful.

Chen Yuan ignored everything else. He planted his Yanling Saber in the ground, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate the Tai Xuan Sutra.

About half an hour later, Chen Yuan slowly opened his eyes. His Dantian was somewhat replenished, having recovered nearly half of his strength. Yan Qing and the others had also cleaned up the battle site. Nie Qiyun was truly reduced to ashes, leaving only a Yanling Saber and a waist tag to prove his identity. Seeing Nie Qiyun's Yanling Saber, Chen Yuan glanced down at his own.

Although it could still be used, the marks left on it would cause some loss. He could make do with it for now, but he would definitely need to replace it with a better one when he had the chance.

Weapons were an extension of a martial artist's strength. The better the weapon, the greater the assistance it provided. Chen Yuan had deeply realized this point.

Putting aside these thoughts, Chen Yuan stood up and walked towards Yan Qing and the others.

While he was meditating, they had already prepared a meal. It wasn't too lavish, but it certainly wasn't simple either. There was meat, wine, and vegetables.

These guys had some sense.

Knowing to hunt some wild chickens for a treat, Chen Yuan didn't hold back. The aroma wafted to his nose, and a little craving immediately arose. He took the meat that had been served for him,

And dug in!

Nanling Prefecture City.

After resolving everything, Chen Yuan rushed back to the Prefecture City without stopping. One reason was to report back to Tao Qingyuan. The death of an Inspector was no small matter, and no one dared to be careless.

Moreover, there was a high chance that he would be suspected, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, Chen Yuan had to put on a good show.

Besides that, it was for the Dragon Qi in the Dragon-Tiger Sect.

According to the information conveyed to him by the opportunity, Chen Yuan knew very clearly that the Dragon Qi he wanted was hidden in the Dragon-Locking Well within the Dragon-Tiger Sect.

And he had to use Dragon Scales to collect the Dragon Qi.

So, he needed to have people thoroughly investigate what this Dragon-Locking Well actually was and whether he could sneak in.

Also, why was the Dragon-Tiger Sect associated with the Dragon Vein?

It couldn't be just because it had the word "Dragon" in its name.

Therefore, before even reaching the Prefecture City, Chen Yuan had issued a task to Yue Shan and the others, ordering them to investigate the truth as quickly as possible. Only then could he proceed with the next step of his plan. As for directly charging in and exterminating the sect, that was not the best option.

First of all, Tao Qingyuan would definitely not agree to targeting the Dragon-Tiger Sect for no reason, and he couldn't reveal the truth. If Tao Qingyuan didn't act, then Lu Yuan and Shi Yunlong wouldn't act either.

With his current strength, facing the combined forces of Xu Lingtian and Tang Qian would be no different from seeking death.

Most importantly, Chen Yuan had once learned from Tao Qingyuan that the previous Sect Leader of the Dragon-Tiger Sect had not yet been reported dead, meaning that there might be another Tong Xuan expert besides Xu Lingtian sitting in the Dragon-Tiger Sect.

Forcing his way in was not a wise choice. He had to outsmart them!

Before long, Chen Yuan deliberately concealed his presence and quietly sneaked into the Prefecture City, not wanting to attract too much attention. Inside the Sky Patrol Hall, Chen Yuan met Tao Qingyuan.

When Tao Qingyuan learned from Chen Yuan that Nie Qiyun was dead, his face turned extremely pale, and his eyes scrutinized Chen Yuan, seemingly suspecting that he was the one who did it. He even felt some regret, thinking that he shouldn't have sent Chen Yuan to meet Nie Qiyun. Nie Qiyun was no ordinary Sky Patrol, he had the potential to become a Blue Patrol, and he was someone who would leave his name even in the State City.

Letting out a long breath, Tao Qingyuan suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and asked in a low voice:

"What exactly happened? You must tell me everything."

Chen Yuan nodded and explained his journey. After leaving the Prefecture City, he rushed to the meeting point left by Nie Qiyun as quickly as possible.

But when he arrived, he didn't find Nie Qiyun. After investigation, he found that Nie Qiyun was actually in another room, meaning they had missed each other by chance.

After that, the loyal and devoted Patrol Chen, at great effort, finally found Nie Qiyun's trail again, but it was too late when he found him.

All that was left on the ground were severed limbs and a waist tag. Before they could carefully confirm, the guy who had killed Nie Qiyun appeared and fought with Chen Yuan. After many hardships, he finally managed to force the opponent to retreat, for which he sustained some injuries, and even his Yanling Saber was almost broken.

Yes, Chen Yuan did not tell the truth, telling a story that was three parts false and seven parts true, because he didn't want people to know that he now had the strength to contend with a Tong Xuan expert.

In fact, he was still somewhat strained when facing Tong Xuan martial artists. Nearly half the credit for killing the black-clad Tong Xuan assassin went to the Blood Fiend Saber.

Once this became known, it might attract even greater trouble. He could face one Tong Xuan expert, but if there were two, the Blood Fiend Saber wouldn't have that much deterrent effect.

The upper limit of the next assassination attempt might be greatly increased. Only when he broke through would Chen Yuan reveal it. He remembered a saying: when others say you have the strength of a certain level, you better actually have it!

"Everything I said is true, Sir! You can investigate thoroughly!"

After saying that, Chen Yuan added another sentence and drew his Yanling Saber, letting Tao Qingyuan examine it carefully.

After reading, Tao Qingyuan slowly let out a breath, somewhat believing Chen Yuan's words. He really didn't want Chen Yuan to be stained with the blood of a colleague. "This official will investigate this matter thoroughly. Since you're injured, take a rest for a while." Tao Qingyuan waved his hand and instructed.

He would definitely investigate, and he couldn't just listen to Chen Yuan's words, but in the end, Chen Yuan was confident that he wouldn't find anything, because seven parts of what he said were true.

Besides, the ashes of the two assassins that day had been scattered, so how could he investigate?

Unless he started with Yue Shan and the others, but the people Chen Yuan had brought this time were all trusted aides, because he had already planned to kill Nie Qiyun, so he naturally wouldn't bring any strangers. If he wanted to investigate Yue Shan and the others, let alone whether he could find anything, as long as someone started investigating, Chen Yuan would receive the news.

At worst, he would just cause a ruckus. "This subordinate takes his leave."

His mind was filled with thoughts, but on the surface, Chen Yuan didn't show anything. Requesting monthly tickets.