Chapter 1563: Chapter 37: Touching the Power of Time, Fusion of the Four Seasons! (Part 2)

[Life and Death (Light Gold)]: Between life and death, lies the essence of the rules of heaven and earth.

"Life and Death!" Jiang Ning murmured as he looked at the panel.

Then he looked at the ground ahead.

He then raised a hand and pointed, a touch of golden light burst forth, shooting into a weed that had grown wildly due to the recent fluctuations.

As the golden light entered, the weed changed from lush green to withered yellow, instantly devoid of life.

The next moment.

Green shoots broke through the soil, growing wildly upward.

In just an instant, they grew to a higher height than before.

A cycle of life and death was completed in an instant.

Is this what life and death are?

Jiang Ning murmured as he watched the changes in the weed.

He understood that this mastery was a kind of conception, or rather a higher level rule.

He then looked at the panel again.

[Skill]: Unnamed Cultivation Technique (First Break Limit 113/20000) (trait: Life and Death (Deep Purple))

After the fusion of the four seasons, the cultivation technique displayed was entirely different from before, now an unnamed cultivation technique.

But judging by the experience value needed for a breakthrough, the level of the cultivation technique had not made a substantial breakthrough compared to before; the requirement of twenty thousand experience value was no different from the previous Autumn Treasure Manual.

The only special aspect was that the derived trait had changed to Life and Death.

Thinking of this, he slowly closed his eyes again.

The vitality within him suddenly surged, endlessly, and then instantly returned to calm.

When he opened his eyes, a cluster of golden flames floated abruptly in front of him.

It was the Yangyan True Fire.

"The traits previously mastered have not been invalidated, they just no longer display on the panel!" he murmured to himself, nodding in satisfaction.

He looked at the panel again.

"Unnamed Cultivation Technique!" he murmured, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

The next moment.

With a thought, the panel changed instantly.

[Skill]: Four Seasons Reincarnation Scripture (First Break Limit 113/20000) (trait: Life and Death (Deep Purple))

...

At noon.

Jiang Ning sat cross-legged by the pond, beside him was the weed that had gone through a cycle of life and death after verifying the Life and Death trait.

His eyes were slightly closed, his breath steady like an ancient well, yet inside him, earth-shattering changes were happening.

The Four Seasons Treasure Manual had fused into one, transforming into the Four Seasons Reincarnation Scripture.

The four-colored new leaves on the immortal sapling in his Dantian, symbolizing the four seasons, swayed slightly. Each sway stirred the energy within, cycling through spring’s birth, summer’s growth, autumn’s harvest, and winter’s storage, endlessly.

"Life and Death..." Jiang Ning silently contemplated this new trait in his heart.

It wasn’t just a superficial cycle of life and death for plants; deeper still, it was the use of the opposing forces of "vitality" and "annihilation".

This power, mysterious and unfathomable, was far beyond simple offensive methods.

He faintly felt that if he could delve deeper into it, he might be able to grasp a deeper level of conception, or even rules.

In his mind, he recalled the trait he had grasped after the breakthrough of the Autumn Treasure Manual.

White Head Frost Flower.

That was a trait that had allowed him to begin to touch upon the concept of time.

At that moment.

Thud, thud, thud—

A soft knock came from the front yard, followed by Ji Mingyue’s clear response and the sound of the door opening.

"Is Brother Jiang here? Mr. Shen has come to visit."

Shen Wenyan’s voice came through, filled with calm.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes, the four seasons’ illusion in his pupils fleeting, restoring clarity.

He stood up, flicked his robe though it was spotless, and walked slowly toward the front yard.

The front yard had been neatly trimmed by Ji Mingyue, lush with greenery and dotted with colorful flowers. Though newly planted, under Jiang Ning’s prompting the day before, they had become quite a sight.

The Immortal Crane strolled gracefully among the flowers, merely raised its neck to greet Shen Wenyan.

Shen Wenyan stood in the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the newly renovated yard, a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

Before coming, he knew the information about this place; it was a courtyard that had been abandoned for nearly two years, always under government ownership.

Just yesterday, Jiang Ning had proactively bought the property deed and moved in.

In just one day, the courtyard that had been deserted for two years had been transformed anew.

The key is, it’s still winter, yet the yard is a scene of thriving life, vibrant and lush.

He quickly masked his expression, followed by two attendants, carrying thick account books and dossiers.

"Mr. Shen, is there a result regarding the aftermath of the Cross Immortal Gate?" Jiang Ning asked directly as he approached.

"Indeed." Shen Wen nodded, looking solemn: "Yesterday, after Brother Jiang’s return to the city, we worked overnight to take inventory, and have now preliminarily sorted out the treasury of the Cross Immortal Gate, their lands, shops, and the assets of those who were resistant or had conclusive evidence of their crimes. This is the master record and detailed account books, please review them, Brother Jiang."

The attendants stepped forward and respectfully handed over the account books.

Jiang Ning took them but did not immediately browse through them, and instead asked, "How were the personnel handled?"

"As per Brother Jiang’s instructions, for those above the Seventh Grade, a total of 137 people have surrendered and have been temporarily formed into a team led by Master Yun Yin, awaiting Jing Wuming’s takeover, and are currently undergoing rigorous training at the camp outside the city."

"As for the other disciples, those with minor crimes have been fined and their properties confiscated for labor redemption, while those with severe crimes have been sent to the prefecture’s prison, awaiting the court’s review and decision."

"Also, those rescued from the dungeon have been properly resettled and are returning home."

"Additionally, the affiliated forces of the Cross Immortal Gate are being eradicated in collaboration with the Inspection Office and the Zhuge family, with the aim to clear out the main threats within Guangning Prefecture within three days."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Shen," Jiang Ning said, then opened the account books in his hands.

His eyes scanned over them, and although he was prepared, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of shock.

Gold totaling over fifty thousand taels, silver not less than two million taels, various jewels, antiques, medicinal materials, minerals, and real estate deeds piled up like mountains.

This didn’t even include the most precious secret collections and pills he had already taken.

"The Cross Immortal Gate’s accumulation over centuries is indeed astonishing," he thought to himself.

"According to the prior agreement, half of it belongs to Brother Jiang." Shen Wenyan pointed to the total marked in red in the account book and continued: "I have instructed people to separately seal the portion of gold and silver, and easily marketable items for Brother Jiang, ready for delivery at any time. As for the lands, shops, and such, if Brother Jiang is willing to take over, I can have the property deeds sent."

"If handling them is too troublesome, they can be monetized by the government, or managed by my Shen Family, with the profits periodically sent to you."

Jiang Ning pondered for a short while; he needed the tangible gold and silver, as these were the hard currency for future resource purchases.

However, he indeed had neither the desire nor the manpower to manage lands and shops.

"It’s a bother for Mr. Shen to handle it, but I’ll accept the gold and silver. As for the lands and shops, please monetize them for me!" Jiang Ning said.

"No problem!" Shen Wenyan nodded, then said: "In about three days, this matter can be completed!"

He then added: "Next, the library collections of the Cross Immortal Gate will be gradually transported back to the prefecture and sent to you, Brother Jiang, please remember to receive them!"

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Ning nodded: "No problem!"

"Moreover!" Shen Wenyan continued: "I’ve already sent a courier to notify Jing Wuming, he should be back today or tomorrow to take command of the surrendering army from the Cross Immortal Gate for you!"

"That’s a great help from Mr. Shen!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands in gratitude.

"No bother at all!" Shen Wenyan shook his head.

"Mr. Shen, it’s just the right time for lunch, why not stay for a while and have a meal with us?" Jiang Ning offered.

Shen Wenyan immediately shook his head: "I appreciate Brother Jiang’s kind offer! But the business is busy these days, I prefer not to dwell on enjoyment and waste time on food and drink!"

After saying this, he cupped his hands to bid farewell.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning did not insist further.

He then looked again at the account book in his hand.

Just the seized wealth from the Cross Immortal Gate alone exceeded his expectations!

"This path is indeed the quickest way to accumulate." he murmured to himself, continuing, "Looking at it this way, digesting the wealth accumulated by the Cross Immortal Gate will be enough to raise my Source Energy Points to new heights, surpassing a million!"

Thinking of this, he felt a tinge of excitement and elation.

With the subsequent growth of Source Energy Points, he could enhance the breakthrough frequency of his cultivation techniques without any scruples.

And this is just one Cross Immortal Gate.

Across Guangning Prefecture, beneath the Cross Immortal Gate, there were other subordinate forces. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

With someone as formidable as the invincible Second Grade Great Grandmaster Jing Wuming taking action, they could be easily subdued!