World's No. 1 Swordsman
Chapter 84: The One Who Stole Fire

Chapter 84: The One Who Stole Fire

The emptiness caused by exhausting one's true essence and the damage to one's spiritual consciousness were entirely different sensations.

True essence exhaustion felt more like physical fatigue. It made even lifting a finger seem exhausting. Nevertheless, one could still move a little using muscle strength.

Spiritual consciousness damage was far more agonizing. It was like having one's soul slashed open. Those with damaged spiritual consciousness would feel physically weak, and their head would throb unbearably. Only by silently reciting the Clear Mind Mantra could they find some relief.

Wang Sheng vaguely sensed four strong hands lifting him onto a stretcher. He then heard the wailing siren of an ambulance and felt a steady stream of soft yet resilient true essence flowing into him. From these sensations alone, he could roughly guess the situation outside.

As the headache gradually faded and his spiritual consciousness began to recover like a clear spring welling up from the mountains, Wang Sheng finally felt some relief. He had no idea when he had drifted into sleep, but it was a deep and restful slumber.

Since the resurgence of primal qi, Wang Sheng had been pushing himself relentlessly in his cultivation. His master and senior sister's continuous breakthroughs had put some pressure on him.

Though he often consoled himself by thinking that he had the privilege of clinging to two top-ranking Immortal cultivators, deep down, he still wanted to stand equal to them. He did not want to just keep lagging behind and holding back his sect.

He had trained in swordsmanship tirelessly, meditated whenever he had the chance, and sought to comprehend his Daoist realm. Only by pushing himself as hard as he could had he managed to reach the Seed Formation Realm in a few short years.

However, the young corrupt cultivator he had fought was also at the Seed Formation Realm. Despite being asleep, it made Wang Sheng feel somewhat bitter.

He woke up the next evening.

The fading twilight cast a warm glow on the white curtains beside his bed, outlining the graceful silhouette of a woman standing by the window.

Wang Sheng shifted his gaze slightly and saw Mou Yue asleep at the foot of his bed, her head resting on the edge. He also noticed his legs had been wrapped in thick plaster and suspended at the end of the bed.

"Fei Yu?" The curtains were pulled aside, and Jingyun rushed to his side with a worried expression. "Are you feeling any discomfort?"

Wang Sheng shook his head with a smile. Hoarsely, he said, "Martial Aunt, could you get me some water, please?"

"Water?"

Mou Yue jolted upright, glanced at Wang Sheng, then immediately turned toward the door. "Bulldozer! Get some water! Daoist Master Wang is awake!"

Shen Qianlin hurried over from the window on the other side as well. She looked exhausted.

As the room bustled with activity, everyone asked Wang Sheng how he was feeling and what he needed. While responding to them, he took a moment to examine his injured ankles.

For a cultivator, broken bones wouldn't take long to heal. His true essence was already nourishing and repairing the fractures.

He even recalled some unconventional techniques that he had learned in his past life while studying cultivation online. This was the perfect opportunity to temper and refine his ankles with true essence, which would improve his footwork and agility in the long run.

About half an hour after he had woken up, Chi Ling arrived with a few core members of the Special Investigation Unit to check on him.

Wang Sheng had been worried that Chi Ling and Jingyun would butt heads, but to his surprise, they merely exchanged glances before looking away and acting as if they didn't even know each other.

Wang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the two didn't start fighting, and his master's household remained peaceful, he wouldn't be blamed for any trouble.

"Take your time recovering," the mistress said with a frown. She then scolded, "You acted too recklessly. You already had a lead on that corrupt cultivator, and there were dozens of ways to deal with him, yet you still jumped straight off the eighteenth floor just to land a sword strike."

"Fei Yu wouldn't have been injured if he hadn't come down the mountain to help you," Jingyun countered coldly from the side.

Chi Ling didn't argue. Instead, she placed a few items on the table. "Just focus on healing. Don't worry about anything else. You did a great service by eliminating that corrupt cultivator. I've already applied for a major commendation on your behalf."

Wang Sheng could only smile wryly as he watched Chi Ling leave the room.

The Special Investigation Unit members came forward and enthusiastically shook his hand. They showered him with praises, calling him the defender of justice, the model cultivator of the new era, and more. Each title made Wang Sheng feel more embarrassed.

Once they left, Mou Yue explained the situation in more detail. Wang Sheng couldn't help but sigh. The corrupt cultivator organizations these days were truly pathetic.

The old Daoist whom Wang Sheng had killed actually had three identities.

He was first identified as a wanted criminal who had committed countless crimes since the 1990s. He was responsible for over a dozen confirmed cases of rape and murder, and those were just the ones that they could definitively link to him.

Before the resurgence of primal qi, the old Daoist had already cultivated himself into an expert using sinister techniques that absorbed yin qi. Moreover, he was highly skilled at evading detainment, disappearing into deep forests and mountains whenever he was detected. He had altered his appearance and physique in recent years, making it nearly impossible for the authorities to track him.

He was next identified as the master of a small Daoist temple—one that was officially registered and supposedly under government supervision. To the authorities, it was a slap in the face.

Even more astonishing, he was finally identified as Wood Yin God Qianhua, an elder of the Five Gods Cult.

Just two days ago, the Special Investigation Unit had discovered the location of two other Five Gods Cult elders: the Sturdy Iron God and the Flowing Water God. Their presence in the area confirmed that the cult planned to participate in the upcoming auction.

No one expected the Wood Yin God to be present as well or that Wang Sheng would be his end. The Wood Yin God only dared roam so openly in recent years because changing his identity had cleared his criminal records.

Moreover, he had stopped outright killing women for their energy. Instead, he made his young disciple frequent nightclubs and bars, hunting for victims on his behalf. He then drained their vitality little by little, exhausting them and shortening their lifespan by several years. In doing so, no one had ever reported him.

Chi Ling was not exaggerating when she said that Wang Sheng had made a significant contribution. Eliminating Qianhua was no small feat—he had taken down one of the more elusive and dangerous figures in the corrupt cultivation world.

"Has the auction started yet?" Wang Sheng asked.

Mou Yue glanced at the clock on the wall. In a hushed tone, she replied, "It's still six hours away. Don't worry, Daoist Master Wang. We've made thorough preparations and requested assistance from a large number of experts from Daoist sects. We won't just take down the leader of the Supernatural Revelation Club today; we will also wipe out all the corrupt cultivators causing trouble here!"

"Did we get any more information about the auction?"

"They posted another update around noon. We managed to take down several of their servers, but they seem to have plenty of backups—"

Wang Sheng rarely interrupted others, but at that moment, he didn't hesitate. "What did the update say?"

Mou Yue pressed her lips together. "First, they revealed a few partial pages, confirming that they did have the Celestial Master Secret Scroll. Then they detailed the auction rules.

"A hundred copies of its first volume will be auctioned, starting at ten thousand US dollars and a basic cultivation technique. They'll then auction twenty copies of the second volume, starting at fifty thousand US dollars and five different basic cultivation techniques.

"Whoever offers the most basic cultivation techniques will receive three additional secret techniques from the final volume as a reward."

Basic cultivation techniques? Even if the auctioneer receives duplicate techniques, the Fire Sage will still end up with at least several dozen different basic cultivation techniques. Is he insane?

"What about the payments?"

"They're to be made online, while the cultivation techniques have to be uploaded to an encrypted network. Once the auction ends, the winning bidders will receive the techniques through various means.

"We've tried intercepting the servers, but we keep coming across technical loopholes. I'm not very familiar with the dark web, so shutting down their servers is proving to be a hassle."

Wang Sheng thought for a moment. After a moment of hesitation, he casually asked, "What day is it today?"

Mou Yue only blinked. Her inability to come up with an answer evidenced just how overworked she was.

"18th of October," Shen Qianlin quickly responded.

18th of October?

Wang Sheng tried to recall what he had been doing at this time in his past life: he most likely had been idling away at university.

He encountered online cultivation communities for the first time at the end of this year, and it was around November when cultivation techniques started circulating on the internet. Could this event be the very reason that those techniques spread online so widely back then?

At that moment, Wang Sheng finally understood the nickname "Fire Sage."

In the records of the Great Divine Land, Suiren invented the method of making fire by drilling wood. However, foreign ancient civilizations had no such practical accounts. In Greek mythology, Prometheus had simply stolen divine fire and gifted it to humanity, illuminating their nights.

Was the Fire Sage trying to do something similar by spreading the foundation of cultivation across the internet?

He had stolen the "heavenly fire" of the Longhu Mountains and turned it into dozens or even hundreds of "fire seeds." Now, he was scattering them across the web, making cultivation accessible to all and triggering a transformation in society...

This must have been his plan from the very beginning!

The Supernatural Revelation Club was merely a tool for him to amass wealth and gather unaffiliated practitioners. His so-called dream of an unaffiliated practitioner alliance was nothing more than a facade to win people over.

For a moment, Wang Sheng couldn't help but admire the Fire Sage even though it didn't change the fact that the man was about to cause widespread chaos.

He looked at Mou Yue, wanting to warn her. However, he merely said, "You've all worked hard. I'm fine here, so go get some rest."

In the end, Wang Sheng decided not to interfere too much.

Everything had two sides. The widespread dissemination of cultivation techniques would introduce more instability into society, but it would also give more people the opportunity to cultivate.

Cultivation techniques themselves were neither right nor wrong; it was human greed that led to chaos. Moreover, considering he had benefited from this event in his past life, what could he even say? How could he stop it?

It was better to simply go with the flow.

"Get some rest. I'm going to sleep for a while, too," Shen Qianlin said softly. She then gave Wang Sheng a serious look. "They say it takes a hundred days to heal from broken bones. If your ankles don't heal properly, you might end up with a limp.

"Anyway, I'll check on you tomorrow. I know the cafeteria chef pretty well. I'll sneak over and ask him to make you a pot of bone soup."

Wang Sheng couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, Senior."

"Don't mention it. Looking after you is my duty. You're my junior, after all."

Shen Qianlin cupped her hands in a formal gesture. Smiling, she then left the hospital room.

Most of the personnel had been reassigned due to the major event happening that night, leaving only Bulldozer and Mou Yue behind to guard Wang Sheng. Since they were responsible for his safety, they didn't insist on escorting Shen Qianlin back.

Shen Qianlin exited through the hospital's side entrance. A luxury car, parked a short distance away, flashed its lights and slowly drove toward her. She frowned slightly but remained where she was, waiting.

The expensive car pulled up beside her. A man in a black suit immediately got out from the front passenger seat and respectfully opened the rear door.

Inside, an elderly woman with silver-white hair smiled kindly at her.

Barely restrained excitement instantly replaced Shen Qianlin's frown. "Third Grandma? What are you doing here?"

"You've been away from home for so long. We old folks have been worried sick about you! Come, get in and let me take a look at you. Why are you still so skinny?!"

Beaming with joy, Shen Qianlin climbed into the car and held the elderly woman's hand affectionately.

The black-suited man warily examined the surroundings before getting back into the front seat. The female driver then stepped on the accelerator. The luxury car—the same one that Wang Sheng had seen outside his apartment—slowly drove away from the hospital entrance.