Moments later, Gu Yuan arrived at a manor shrouded in pitch-black mist, which now seemed to be subtly expanding outwards.
Upon his arrival, Gu Yuan felt the temperature here was a few degrees lower than in normal areas, a typical manifestation of a spectral entity.
In Gu Yuan's eyes, the manor, enveloped by the dark mist, was barely discernible. It was quite large, with "Wangfu" (Prince's Manor) inscribed on the main gate.
Gu Yuan retracted his gaze and looked at the Demon Suppressing Division personnel on guard outside the manor. There were two of them, both male, wearing the uniform of a Demon Suppressor.
Seeing Gu Yuan's figure, the worry on their faces instantly vanished, replaced by a sense of relief.
Their cultivation levels were insufficient to deal with a spectral entity of this magnitude. They could only rely on powerful secret treasures infused with supernatural energy, left by the division, to seal the area and prevent the miasma from spreading throughout Fushan City.
This pitch-black mist was the so-called Yin energy. A mere trace could cause a person to fall gravely ill for at least a month or two, and in severe cases, even lead to death. Therefore, once a spectral entity manifested in a densely populated area, the Demon Suppressing Division's first priority was to seal it off.
Then, they would swiftly eliminate the entity. This was the Demon Suppressing Division's approach to dealing with spectral entities.
The two guards immediately stepped forward, speaking with a tone of ease.
"Investigator Gu, you've finally arrived. If you were any later, we wouldn't have been able to hold on."
"We've been on edge for the past few days, constantly feeling the power within growing stronger. We feared it would erupt at any moment."
Gu Yuan listened to their words, nodding calmly, and then said, "I will adjust my state for a moment. Tell me the intelligence you've gathered these past few days."
The two exchanged glances, then nodded, "Alright."
Gu Yuan found a quiet spot, not caring whether the ground was dirty, and sat cross-legged, beginning to regulate his condition in preparation for the upcoming battle.
The two guards followed Gu Yuan to his side and began to recount the intelligence they had observed over the past few days, speaking one after another.
Gu Yuan, while regulating his qi and blood, listened to their reports.
"I observed that the people in the manor seem to have all died after their faces were peeled off. Most of them were tortured to some extent before their deaths. This might indicate that the prince's concubine was also tortured by the main consort during her life, likely quite severely."
"Also, some of the manor residents who were killed have already shown signs of evolving into spectral entities, and their numbers are not small."
"Yes, I've also sensed several levels of resentment these past few days, which is unusual. I suspect someone is harboring these entities, or perhaps this is a conspiracy targeting the Demon Suppressing Division. After all, those scoundrels are adept at such schemes."
Gu Yuan nodded occasionally as he listened to their reports. Indeed, some of their observations were quite useful to him.
...
The two chattered on, relaying all the intelligence they had gathered and their speculations to Gu Yuan, without regard for whether it was true or not, pouring it all out.
After all, they were all in the same boat now. If Gu Yuan died inside due to their negligence, they would surely not survive.
Gu Yuan exhaled softly and stood up. The qi and blood within him flowed like a mighty river, emitting a faint sound.
He had brought himself to his peak condition. The next step was to enter the manor and investigate. If the situation didn't match the intelligence, Gu Yuan would have to retreat and report to the Demon Suppressing Division headquarters to have them send more personnel.
If it didn't exceed Gu Yuan's ability to handle, then it would be a satisfying battle.
Gu Yuan thought, a dangerous curve gradually forming on his lips.
He had already sent the two guards to watch over other areas. So, let's have a good fight.
Gu Yuan drew the long saber at his waist, and blood qi manifested on his body, like a raised flag, freely radiating Gu Yuan's imposing aura.
The exceptionally potent blood qi caused the temperature of the air around Gu Yuan to subtly rise. After all, he practiced the most yang-attribute cultivation technique: "Extreme Yang Art."
The greatest benefit this technique brought to Gu Yuan was his intensely pure and yang blood qi, giving him a natural advantage against spectral entities.
Gu Yuan strode towards the area shrouded in pitch-black Yin energy.
As soon as he entered, Gu Yuan felt a chilling aura trying to invade his body, but it was all blocked by the blood qi radiating from his surface.
Like melting snow meeting the sun, the black Yin energy met Gu Yuan's blood qi and was dissolved, vanishing into nothingness, much like a mouse encountering a cat.
The previously sealed Yin energy mist was thus dissolved by Gu Yuan, creating an opening.
The two personnel from the Fushan City Demon Suppressing Division watched as Gu Yuan's surging blood qi dissolved the Yin energy, their eyes filled with envy. This was the power of the Blood Qi realm; reaching this realm allowed one to advance to a Xuan-level Demon Suppressor.
Benefits would greatly increase, and their status would rise. They wondered if they would ever become Xuan-level Demon Suppressors in the Blood Qi realm in their lifetime.
Gu Yuan was unaware of the guards' envy of his blood qi. He was currently continuously dissolving the Yin energy, advancing towards the main gate of the manor.
After all, this Yin energy emanated by the spectral entity would not disappear even if Gu Yuan destroyed the entity. It would still require the Demon Suppressing Division to dissipate it.
Since he was heading to the center anyway, he might as well clear away some Yin energy as he went. For Gu Yuan, it was a simple task.
However, for Demon Suppressors of lower cultivation levels, this was something that could cause injury if they weren't careful.
One minute later, Gu Yuan reached the front of the manor's main gate.
He looked at the formerly majestic and grand main gate, now tainted with a hint of malevolence by the encroaching Yin energy. The stone lions that once guarded the entrance now exuded an oppressive coldness.
Their stone eyes held a sinister glint, staring fixedly at Gu Yuan. Their originally gaping mouths seemed to have widened further, taking on a ferocious appearance under the shroud of Yin energy.
Gu Yuan didn't humor them. He slapped them twice, accompanied by the sound of cracking stone. The two stone lions were shattered by his blows.
Damn it, a mere stone lion dares to bare its fangs at me? Gu Yuan's face showed impatience.
If he couldn't show off in his original world, why shouldn't he be audacious in this trial world?
Before, he had been weak upon his arrival. Now that he was in the Blood Qi realm, he was considered a minor expert in this world. Moreover, as long as he had resources, his strength could skyrocket. So why should he be hesitant?
Charge through!