Chapter 773: Looting Begins, The Exorcist

Cangyuan Realm.

Heavy snow was falling, and Meng Chuan and his wife, Liu Qiyue, were watching stories from the history of the Cangyuan Realm.

"Hmm?" Meng Chuan suddenly felt something.

He sensed a Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend; its immense power startled Meng Chuan.

"Qiyue," Meng Chuan said.

Liu Qiyue looked at her husband. Seeing his expression, she immediately understood and asked, "Is it time for the tribulation?"

"Yes," Meng Chuan nodded. "I'm going to face the tribulation. There's no need to tell Father, Mother, or An'er about it."

His family knew that Meng Chuan would have to undergo a tribulation to become an Eighth-Stage Primordial Spirit, but Meng Chuan had never specified the exact timing.

"Alright," Liu Qiyue responded solemnly.

Meng Chuan stood up, and Liu Qiyue also rose, immediately embracing her husband.

"I'll wait for you," Liu Qiyue murmured.

"Okay."

Meng Chuan smiled as he released his wife, then turned and walked towards the quiet room.

Liu Qiyue watched silently, then sat back down, gazing at the falling goose-feather snow.

"The Eighth Primordial Spirit Tribulation." Liu Qiyue knew well that this was likely the most terrifying Heavenly Tribulation her husband would ever face.

"A-Chuan, you'll succeed, I know you will," Liu Qiyue silently hoped.

Inside the quiet room.

Meng Chuan dispersed all his Primordial Spirit avatars, leaving only his true body, which sat cross-legged.

"It's here," Meng Chuan sensed.

In the depths of the ethereal, the Heavenly Tribulation descended. An invisible, terrifying force struck Meng Chuan's Primordial Spirit, causing it to tremble and instantly falter, utterly unable to resist.

Meng Chuan felt his consciousness boom, then lost all sensation of himself.

His hazy consciousness felt enveloped by this terrifying force, then was abruptly flung away!

He traversed endless time and space, traveling to an incredibly distant place, even farther than Mount Qianyuan.

It was another world...

"Senior Brother, don't die! Please don't die, it's all my fault, my fault..."

"Senior Brother, I'll definitely take you back to the Exorcist Bureau!"

"Senior Brother, we're back, we've reached the Exorcist Bureau!"

"Whether Fang Qi can wake up or not depends on fate. His injuries are too severe, and he's lost too much blood..."

Meng Chuan's consciousness vaguely heard some voices. Though he didn't understand the language, he instinctively comprehended them.

However, the 'vessel' of his consciousness was incredibly weak, causing his awareness to drift in and out, only occasionally catching snippets of external words.

Gradually, the 'vessel' of his consciousness stabilized, and Meng Chuan's awareness also became clearer.

Finally, one day.

Boom!

The memories of a life were completely absorbed by Meng Chuan's consciousness.

"An 'exorcist' of the Great Yu Dynasty's Exorcist Bureau? The world is already in chaos, with numerous warlords rising? The most terrifying existence in this world... demons?" Meng Chuan fully understood.

This was a mortal world.

The Great Yu Dynasty was the largest dynasty in this world, having unified the land. However, after 1,300 years of rule, it had become utterly corrupt. With the rise of firearms, numerous warlords armed their armies with these weapons, leaving the Great Yu Dynasty on the verge of collapse. Although enlightened individuals within the imperial court knew the importance of utilizing firearms, orders became difficult to implement once they reached the lower echelons. Embezzlement, a bloated military, and entrenched factions left the imperial army thoroughly decayed, unable to withstand the warlords' new forces.

Fang Qi was the original owner of the body Meng Chuan now inhabited.

He was the son of a local landlord, 'Fang Dalong.' He entered the Exorcist Academy to study when he was young and was now a Silver Seal Exorcist in the imperial court's Exorcist Bureau, holding a seventh-rank official position.

Exorcists were highly valued, even by the corrupt imperial court.

This was because demons... were the most terrifying existences in the entire world; even armies couldn't deal with them. Therefore, exorcists were highly esteemed by all powers throughout the dynasty's history. Only exorcists could combat demons!

"Hmm?"

Meng Chuan woke up, opening his eyes to see bright sunlight streaming in through the window.

"What a weak body," Meng Chuan thought as he sensed his physical state. Even breathing felt difficult. "According to the memories, this body was quite strong, so it must have been lying in bed for too long."

Meng Chuan painstakingly sat up.

He glanced at his right arm; it was empty, only the sleeve fluttering.

"My right arm is gone?" Meng Chuan wasn't surprised. In the memories, during the last exorcism, he had lost an arm saving his junior exorcist brother, Li Feng. He had fled in a hurry with his brother and then completely lost consciousness. The original owner of this body must have died then, allowing him to take over.

This room was also familiar; it was Fang Qi's usual living quarters. As an exorcist, the accommodation provided by the imperial court was quite good.

Meng Chuan immediately spotted a large mirror that clearly reflected the outside world. This single mirror, valued at one hundred taels of silver, was definitely a luxury item.

Meng Chuan walked over and looked at himself in the mirror.

A pale, one-armed young man.

"Fang Qi, nineteen years old, Silver Seal Exorcist," Meng Chuan murmured softly. "With one arm gone, ninety percent of his strength is lost."

Exorcists required hand seals.

There was naturally a vast difference between performing hand seals with two hands and with one. With one hand, perhaps only ten percent of their power could be unleashed.

"Are exorcists in this world all mortals?" Meng Chuan felt a headache coming on. As a Silver Seal Exorcist of the imperial court's Exorcist Bureau, he naturally knew many confidential secrets.

Even without illness or disaster, exorcists had the same lifespan as ordinary people. For a normal person to live to a hundred years old was considered an auspicious omen; living to fifty or sixty was already cause for great contentment.

Meng Chuan picked up a long staff from inside the room, using it for support with one hand, and slowly walked out of the room, then out of the small courtyard.

This small courtyard was also part of the Exorcist Bureau.

"Fang Qi, you're awake."

"Master Fang!"

On the path ahead, two Exorcist Bureau officials were walking side-by-side. Both showed joy upon seeing Meng Chuan.

Meng Chuan nodded slightly.

"Fang Qi is awake."

"Fang Qi was unconscious for over half a month and actually woke up." The entire Exorcist Bureau knew of Fang Qi's awakening that day.

"Ah, Fang Qi," said a white-browed elder in official robes. "It's a joyful occasion that you've woken up. However, with your arm gone, your strength has declined too much, making you unsuitable to continue as an exorcist. You have two choices: First, return to your hometown. You will still hold a seventh-rank official position, and we will arrange a leisurely post for you."

The Exorcist Bureau had branches throughout the dynasty, so arranging a comfortable, leisurely position at his hometown branch was not difficult.

Many exorcists died during their duties, and some survived but were left crippled. The Exorcist Bureau always ensured that every exorcist... even if disabled, could live out their remaining years in peace. After all, even the most powerful exorcists could be crippled while dealing with formidable demons. Protecting these disabled individuals was akin to protecting their own future selves.

"Your second choice is the Exorcist Academy," the white-browed elder continued. "You could serve as an instructor there, teaching the young ones."

"I choose the second option," Meng Chuan stated.

The white-browed elder nodded slightly. "With your status as a Silver Seal Exorcist, you can directly become a Chief Instructor at the Exorcist Academy, which is a sixth-rank position. You'll actually be promoted by half a rank. Oh, and remember to hand over the Exorcist Bureau's magic artifacts."

"Yes," Meng Chuan nodded. Aside from any privately purchased artifacts, he had to return the magic artifacts given to him by the Exorcist Bureau.

News that the one-armed exorcist 'Fang Qi' was serving as an instructor at the Exorcist Academy in the capital spread within exorcist circles.

The Exorcist Academy, Imperial Capital of the Great Yu Dynasty.

"Senior Brother, you could have easily found a lucrative position, enjoyed a comfortable life, or even taken several concubines to ensure your Fang family's lineage. Why insist on staying in this troublesome capital?" Li Feng, a very lean seventeen-year-old boy with high talent, had just been promoted to Silver Seal Exorcist that year. He and Fang Qi were close brothers, having shared a room at the Exorcist Academy. However, compared to Fang Qi, his experience and strength were still lacking. It was his mistake during the previous encounter with a demon that had crippled Fang Qi.

"I don't want to go back just yet," Meng Chuan said with a smile.

"Don't want to go back?" Li Feng asked. "I heard your father has already taken a sixth concubine. Is that why you don't want to see him?" He was also aware of his senior brother's family situation.

"Don't ask so many questions. Go back and practice diligently. Your hand seals need to be more proficient. I was able to save you last time, but I might not be able to next time," Meng Chuan said.

"Understood," Li Feng nodded. Seeing his senior brother in good spirits, he felt relieved, then departed, walking through the snow.

Meng Chuan watched Li Feng leave, then walked towards the Exorcist Academy's Scripture Tower.

"I came to the Exorcist Academy specifically for this Scripture Tower," Meng Chuan thought to himself. Students at the Exorcist Academy could freely borrow books from the Scripture Tower, and as an instructor, he naturally had even greater access.

When he was a student, Fang Qi had only studied a few crucial texts and read some books to broaden his understanding.

Now that Meng Chuan was here, he read with much greater avidity. The Scripture Tower of the Exorcist Academy in the Great Yu Dynasty's capital ranked among the top three in the world, holding over a hundred thousand exorcism texts. Despite students being allowed free access, the emergence of powerful exorcists... remained extremely difficult.

Of the more than hundred thousand exorcism texts, most could be quickly scanned and discarded, but over a thousand were still worth serious study. With his current mortal soul, Meng Chuan's reading speed was slow.

"Demons are divided into three ranks: Guimo (Wily Demons), Damo (Great Demons), and Yuanmo (Source Demons)."

"Exorcists are categorized into Ordinary Exorcists, Exorcist Masters, and Heavenly Exorcist Masters."

"Ordinary Exorcists, using magic artifacts, require the combined effort of three to five individuals to deal with a single Guimo. The former Fang Qi... was an Ordinary Exorcist, and it was while fighting a Guimo that he lost an arm saving his junior brother."

Fang Qi was already a true exorcist.

He had to be cautious, and any cooperation with comrades could not have the slightest laxity. A single mistake could lead to a companion's death.

"Exorcist Masters, using magic artifacts, can single-handedly fight a Guimo, which is already very rare. Within the imperial court's Exorcist Bureau, they hold at least a fifth-rank official position. However, it takes a group of Exorcist Masters working together... to even hope to contend with a Great Demon!"

"Heavenly Exorcist Masters represent the highest realm for exorcists. The imperial court's Exorcist Bureau has only one Heavenly Exorcist Master. Throughout the entire world... Heavenly Exorcist Masters are extremely few. A Heavenly Exorcist Master, with the aid of magic artifacts and other external objects, can confront a Great Demon one-on-one."

"As for Source Demons?"

"Nine Source Demons exist in the world, all of them sealed, having lived for at least several millennia. Historically, every time a Source Demon broke its seal, it would cause widespread upheaval and devastation. All exorcist forces in the world would then unite to fully seal it again. No matter how numerous exorcists were, they had never managed to kill a single Source Demon; Source Demons are immortal and unkillable." Meng Chuan secretly frowned.

In this world, exorcists communicate with hand seals, talismans, magic artifacts, and other external objects through their spirit to leverage the power of heaven and earth against demons. They themselves remained mortals.

"This tribulation of mine..."

"The ethereal power that flung my consciousness here only delivered one message."

"Become the strongest in this world!"

Meng Chuan looked at the books before him. "But I can confirm that this world fundamentally cannot absorb external power."

Meng Chuan's spiritual will was at the Eighth-Stage Primordial Spirit level—how powerful was that?

However, his spiritual will now relied on this mortal body, as the body carried the soul! If the soul was too strong, it would crush the body. Meng Chuan could feel his own soul was very weak. Although his spiritual will transformed the essence of the soul, it was utterly incapable of absorbing even a trace of external power.

The power of heaven and earth, the power of the stars, the power of the moon, the power of the sun...

All power was restricted.

Though the soul within this body was incredibly starved and desperate to grow, there was no sufficient energy supply. It couldn't draw from external sources; the only way to absorb energy... was through eating!

Eating provided the meager nutrition needed to sustain the body and the soul. Moreover, the food in this world was merely mortal fare; consuming it would not allow one to transcend mortality.

"Relying solely on food, even my spiritual will guiding the soul, cannot absorb external power. This must be a prohibition at the rule level," Meng Chuan realized.

"A mortal, becoming the strongest in this world?" Meng Chuan pondered, then continued reading.

Meng Chuan taught at the Exorcist Academy, spending his leisure time reading and exercising.

Mortals, naturally, could train their physical bodies.

Meng Chuan knew many methods for cultivating the body with vital energy and blood. Through experimentation, he gradually devised a set of 'Mortal Fitness Exercises,' the most suitable training method for his one-armed body. He also purchased large quantities of meat, consuming ample amounts daily. This sufficient meat... not only rapidly strengthened his body but also allowed his soul to absorb nutrients and grow.

Eating meat took half an hour daily. Training with the 'Mortal Fitness Exercises' took four hours daily. Teaching, on average, only required one class of half an hour per day... Amidst the fatigue from daily training, he still had to seize every moment to read.

As a mortal, his time was limited. Even with his utmost effort, successfully passing the tribulation would be difficult. Slack off? He would surely fail.

He wasted no time, except for sleeping.

Such willpower and perseverance... were rare among mortals.

Within two years, his body was trained to the limits of a mortal.

"Alas, a mortal body's limit for carrying a soul is too weak," Meng Chuan sighed. He picked up a hundred-jin stone lock with his left hand, casually tossed it five or six meters high, and then caught it.

It seemed quite impressive.

However, even a random Guimo possessed more than ten times his pure strength. Not to mention Great Demons, capable of destroying cities.

"Is such a body truly the mortal limit of this world?" Meng Chuan sighed inwardly. Mortals had their limits. Strength, speed—everything had a difficult-to-surpass peak. He estimated he had about three thousand jin of strength, which was the mortal strength limit, though he also had to account for his missing arm.

"Once the body reaches its limit, the soul it can carry also reaches its limit. There's no way to get stronger. This is the foundation I have to work with," Meng Chuan understood clearly.

"Exorcists use their spirit to communicate with hand seals, talismans, and magic artifacts... and the spirit originates from the soul. My soul's limit is only this high," Meng Chuan mused. "Furthermore, a mortal body begins to decline from its peak at around thirty years old, becomes old by fifty, and if one can live to eighty or ninety, that's already considered good."

"Therefore, I'd best succeed in passing the tribulation by thirty. The longer I delay, the more my body will age, and my soul will weaken... making it increasingly difficult to become the strongest in this world."

Meng Chuan also understood.

The 'strongest in this world' naturally didn't refer to comparisons with humans alone, but with all living beings in this world.

In Meng Chuan's third year of teaching.

"The rebels have breached the capital!" The capital plunged into chaos, with war fires spreading throughout the city. The imperial palace was in disarray, and the imperial family had already fled.

A one-armed young man in common clothes emerged from the imperial palace, carrying a travel bag. Rioters who bumped into him seemed not to notice him.

Meng Chuan's soul was at the carrying limit of this mortal body. Although he hadn't yet achieved the Primordial Spirit stage, he could still cast simple illusions, at least enough to confuse a dozen or twenty ordinary people. Of course, against individuals with strong wills, the illusions cast by his current soul might be seen through. And in front of a large crowd... he couldn't simultaneously confuse too many people.

"Those imperial family members didn't even bother with these three precious exorcism manuals; they just fled with their gold and jewels," Meng Chuan lamented inwardly.

He had long set his sights on these three precious exorcism manuals, which were classics forced out of the three major exorcist powers during the Great Yu Dynasty's peak prosperity.

The imperial palace had copies, and so did the Exorcist Bureau headquarters.

However, Meng Chuan didn't go to the Exorcist Bureau because, in his opinion, the imperial palace would be easier to infiltrate at that moment.

"With the capital breached, the Great Yu Dynasty is completely finished." On that same day, Meng Chuan left the capital and embarked on his journey home.

Bin Hai City, the largest city in the south.

"Fang Qi's father sold all his land and moved to this big city?" The one-armed Meng Chuan walked through Bin Hai City with his travel bag. Bin Hai City, located by the sea, had a thriving trade. Even though the world was in chaos, Bin Hai City, held by several factions, maintained a rare peace. This attracted wealthy merchants and nobles from all corners of the land, who fled here with their families, making Bin Hai City the most prosperous city in the entire world amidst the turmoil.

While teaching at the Exorcist Academy, Meng Chuan had received a letter from Fang Qi's father, 'Fang Dalong,' stating that he had moved to Bin Hai City and providing his new address.

"This is it."

Meng Chuan finally located the address.

"What?! The packet of silver I just gave you last night is already gone?" A roar came from the house before him, a roar Meng Chuan found incredibly familiar. It was the voice from the memories, the father of this body—Fang Dalong!

Meng Chuan stepped forward and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a simple-hearted old man peered out, saying, "Who is it?"

Upon seeing him, the old man's face immediately lit up with joy. "Young Master!"

"Master, the Young Master is back, the Young Master is back!" the simple-hearted old man repeatedly called out.

"Uncle Sanmao," Meng Chuan smiled faintly.

Wang Sanmao, also known as Uncle Sanmao, was one of Fang Dalong's two most loyal enforcers. He was strong, bold, and incredibly loyal. Wang Sanmao had followed Fang Dalong since the latter's youth. Even the women in his household... had been 'snatched' for his old brother by Fang Dalong himself and his men. In the waning years of the dynasty, official power didn't extend to the countryside, where chaos reigned and might made right. Bride-snatching had even become a custom.

Being able to snatch a bride and keep her signified sufficient strength and was even considered a good match for the woman.

"Qi'er is back?" A booming voice echoed through the entire residence. A burly man with two flintlock pistols tucked into his waistband rushed out. He had a square face, abundant hair, tiger-like eyes, and an air of wildness.

Fang Dalong had become a local landlord by relying on his firearms and his men, even sending his son to the Exorcist Academy in the capital.

Meng Chuan looked at the burly man. Fang Dalong was forty-one this year and showed no signs of aging yet.

Fang Dalong saw the plainly dressed young man standing before him. His son had left as a rosy-cheeked, white-toothed youth, but now he was one-armed.

"Qi'er," Fang Dalong embraced his son, tears streaming down his face. "It's all Father's fault, Father's fault. I shouldn't have let you go to the Exorcist Academy."

"It was this child's recklessness," Meng Chuan said.

He remembered Fang Dalong repeatedly cautioning his son when sending him to the Exorcist Academy: "Qi'er, go to the Exorcist Academy, learn some exorcism skills, and then come back once you've finished. But don't actually join the Exorcist Bureau."

However, the youthful and spirited Fang Qi in the capital had clearly disregarded his father's advice, proudly joining the Exorcist Bureau.

As the father and son embraced, women and children one by one emerged into the front courtyard.

"Is that the Young Master?"

"Why is he crippled?"

"Don't talk nonsense, the Young Master is an imperial official."

"The dynasty is gone, so what official? Now, with all this war and chaos, money is already tight at home, and now there's another Young Master to support." The women whispered amongst themselves, some even giving him unkind looks. One reason Fang Qi had originally gone to the capital was his reluctance to deal with these concubines.

Fang Dalong held his son tightly for a while before letting go. Meng Chuan then looked at the women, and even some children, who had appeared in the courtyard.

Seeing this, Fang Dalong looked a little embarrassed and chuckled, "You already know your second concubine and the others. There are a few you don't know, so let me introduce them: This is your sixth concubine, this is your eighth concubine, this is your eleventh concubine..."

"Just how many have you married?" Meng Chuan asked.

"When you were in the capital, I didn't want to bother you, so I didn't mention it," Fang Dalong said with a guileless smile. "Back in the countryside, I married my seventh wife, and then we moved to the city... Now, with all this war and chaos, your old man here has become even more popular, so I've taken six more concubines in the city. But your twelfth concubine, just half a month after marrying me, went and found someone else! She must be blind, she'll regret it!"

Meng Chuan listened silently.

Seeing his eldest son's expression, Fang Dalong chuckled again, "Let's not talk about those unpleasant things. Your return, Qi'er, is the greatest joy. You're not leaving again this time, are you?"

"Not for now," Meng Chuan replied.

Fang Dalong breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the faces of many of the concubines turned a shade uglier.