Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

The Huang Tian Sect Commander looked at Shen Xiaohu kneeling on the ground and said with delight,

"You found it?"

Shen Xiaohu, having never faced such an important figure before, became extremely nervous.

At that moment, the image of Shen Qing couldn't help but appear in his mind.

In his memory, Shen Qing, no matter whom he faced or what he encountered, always remained calm, his emotions never showing, as if he had everything under control.

Compared to him, he was far behind.

However, having Shen Qing as a role model, Shen Xiaohu felt a surge of strength within him.

He controlled the unease in his heart and replied,

"I found it by chance."

"Excellent, excellent. Others have searched for so long without success, yet you managed to find it. This shows that you have great destiny," the Huang Tian Sect Commander said with a laugh after calculating with his fingers, "This is a good omen. You are fated with our Huang Tian Sect. From today onwards, you will be one of our Saints. After some time, follow me back to Huang Tian Sacred Mountain to cultivate our Holy Sect's teachings."

Shen Xiaohu's expression changed to one of surprise; he had not expected the Huang Tian Sect Commander to hold him in such high regard.

He had originally planned that, once he safely left the mountains, he would secretly leave Taiping County for Yongzhou to find his parents and siblings.

If they took him to some Huang Tian Sacred Mountain, God knows where, it might be ages before he could see his parents again.

Seeing Shen Xiaohu's hesitant and unsure expression, the Huang Tian Sect Commander said,

"What's the matter, you're not willing?"

The awe-inspiring aura of an Innate Martial Master was immediately bestowed upon Shen Xiaohu, causing his limbs to touch the ground.

Shen Xiaohu's face turned deathly pale, knowing his hesitation had displeased the other party. He hurriedly spoke up,

"I am willing, I am completely willing. My nature is dull and I was shocked by the news, unsure of how to respond, hence my hesitation. I hope for the Commander's forgiveness…"

The Huang Tian Sect Commander withdrew his imposing pressure, his face brightening slightly.

His gaze shifted and landed on the shivering squirrel demon.

The latter, realizing the Commander's gaze was fixed on it, its fur bristling, quickly climbed up a tree to escape, muttering to itself in a low voice as it ran, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, this person is terrifying."

The Commander paid no attention to the insignificant demon, turning his gaze back to the front.

Shortly after, the upper echelons of the Huang Tian Sect in Taiping County arrived one after another. Seeing the forest that was distinct from the rest, they couldn't help but show excitement on their faces.

The Huang Tian Sect Commander waved his hand and said,

"We must not delay, let us quickly collect the Heavenly Qi of this place to prevent any changes."

"Agreed."

The others didn't hesitate either, moving as if they had rehearsed many times, each flashing into position to form a seven-star formation.

Each of them closed their eyes to focus, forming seals with both hands, quietly chanting complex and difficult spells, their bodies radiating bright yellow lights, resonating with the Heaven and Earth Essence around them.

As the time was right, the Huang Tian Sect Commander took out a stack of talismans and tossed them upward.

The dozens of talismans, as if guided by someone, spontaneously formed into a void sphere.

"Heaven above, Huang Tian below, open!"

With their unified shout,

space seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, a faint but clearly visible crack slowly appearing in front of them, congregating in the center of the talisman-formed sphere.

From a distance, it looked like the eye of a deity, slowly opening.

In that instant, a pure and immense aura overflowed from the crack, the "Heavenly Qi" transcending the mortal realm.

A gleam passed through the eyes of the Huang Tian Sect members as they stared intently at the pure and immense aura.

As this aura appeared, all plants within the area seemed to be reborn, growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The squirrel hiding in the treetop, along with the other animals around, all instinctively absorbed this aura.

Even Shen Xiaohu, standing outside the group, inadvertently inhaled a few breaths and felt impurities seeping out from his pores, making him feel lighter.

The Commander of the Huang Tian Sect swiftly activated all his cultivation and brought out a jade talisman, employing the unique "Qiankun Storage Skill" of the Huang Tian Sect to slowly draw that wisp of precious Heavenly Qi into the specially crafted magical artifact.

He stared intently at the jade talisman hovering in mid-air.

Soon, as more and more Heavenly Qi was collected, the torn space began to close slowly.

After the space rift closed, all talismans turned into ash with a dull poof sound.

Everything returned to the way it was.

Shen Xiaohu and all the other living beings, as if awakening from a dream.

The Commander of the Huang Tian Sect reached out for the jade talisman and, feeling the powerful force contained within, was overwhelmed with indescribable excitement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Heavenly Qi is key to our Holy Sect's rise in the future. Now that we have gathered this wisp of Heavenly Qi, we have taken another step closer to longevity," he said.

The tired high-ranking members of the Huang Tian Sect were ecstatic.

"Now that Taiping County has been almost completely scavenged by us and the Heavenly Qi has been secured, we should hold this place if possible; if not, we'll retreat and prepare to return to the Holy Mountain."

"We will follow the Commander's orders," they all replied.

"Good, let's go."

The Commander of the Huang Tian Sect grabbed Shen Xiaohu by the collar and turned into a rainbow light, flying away into the sky.

After his departure, moments later, the vibrant grasses on the ground began to tremble, pulling their roots out of the soil to form two legs and running wildly everywhere, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Following the grass, the towering ancient trees also started to move, shaking their branches as they traveled underground.

In the blink of an eye, the Spirit Mechanism Land became desolate, devoid of any life force or Spirit Essence.

In the mountains and forests.

With a scream, Chen Fu finished consuming the Essence Qi of an entire person and showed a look of complete satisfaction.

Ever since he freed himself from the tiger demon's control, he inexplicably enjoyed devouring the Essence Qi of people. As the number of his victims increased, he felt an unprecedented sense of freedom, as if he were capable of anything.

"I'll go back to that forest and take a nap, digesting what I consumed today. When I wake up, my cultivation will surely have improved rapidly," he thought.

Chen Fu, content and joyful, hurried back to his destination.

As a ghost, his figure was ethereal and elusive, and he quickly returned to his familiar cultivation spot.

However, when he arrived, he was stunned.

The ground in front of him looked as though it had been plowed several times over, with the soil turned inside out and devoid of any life.

Chen Fu, now completely baffled as a ghost, remained frozen.

What had happened?

"Chief Officer, demons have caused trouble," someone reported.

In Yongzhou County, Shen Qing, who had recently improved in Bow Technique, was patrolling as usual with Guan Yunjian, Uncle Shu, and Jiang Dacong.

Shortly after setting out, Liu Sangui hurried over to find Shen Qing and the others.

"The Lord Chief Officer has ordered us to return immediately for further commands," he reported.

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow at the mention of demons, not daring to delay or dawdle.

He quickly called out to the others, "Let's go."

Without delay, Shen Qing led the group at a faster pace.

By the time he arrived back at the Guardian Martial Department Office, the first squad of officers and constables had already fully assembled.