Chapter 361: Chapter 138: A Great Bargain, the High-Grade Ancient Treasure Ten Thousand Souls Banner! Beginning Arduous Cultivation, the ’Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture

"At least for now, there are no latent threats within you."

"’No latent threats?’" Chu Fan still wasn’t completely reassured. He pressed on, "Then... does the Demon Suppression Bureau have a method to completely cure the ’Pollution’?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Mankong’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

After a moment of silence, he slowly shook his head, his voice sinking a little. "The Demon Suppression Bureau has a few Secret Techniques—be it Elixirs or Arrays—that can temporarily suppress and delay the corrosion of the Pollution. But as for a ’complete cure’..."

He shook his head again, a heavy look flashing in his eyes. "It’s difficult. As difficult as ascending to heaven."

"The world hasn’t been polluted for just a year or two. This Pollution has plagued Cultivators for countless ages. To this day, no one has been able to comprehend its full nature, let alone completely eradicate it."

"As long as you absorb the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism, you can’t avoid being contaminated by it."

Seeing Chu Fan’s expression grow increasingly grave, he changed the subject, his tone softening slightly. "You’re only at the second level of the Spirit Awakening Realm. Your foundation is still shallow, and your Primordial Spirit Radiance isn’t yet resplendent. You’re far from the point of needing to worry about a backlash from the Pollution."

"Even if you were to feast on Spirit Medicine Treasure Plants every day, such a small accumulation means very little on the long Cultivation Path."

He pointed to the new Demon Suppression Guard Token at Chu Fan’s waist. "This token is made of a special material, forged from ’Purifying Spirit Stone’ mixed with several exotic metals. If you wear it long-term, it can subtly cleanse your Heart Demon and resist trace amounts of Pollution. It’s just..."

Yue Mankong paused, a look of confusion on his face. "But as for how strong this purifying power truly is, or its underlying mechanism... even I haven’t fully fathomed it. It’s more like... an endowed ’symbol.’ Its power originates from its founder."

The more he spoke, the deeper his brows furrowed, as if he had touched upon a deeper worry. "Chu Fan, do you know why it’s not just our Great Yan Dynasty facing troubles from within and without? Even the distant Great Zhou and Dashun dynasties are teetering on the brink, showing signs of their final days."

Chu Fan froze, then honestly shook his head.

The farthest he had ever traveled in his life was the area around Seven Stars Castle. He had never even set foot in Yan City, the city closest to Cyan Yang Ancient City, let alone the Great Zhou and Dashun Dynasties.

Yue Mankong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window into the deep night. "All three great dynasties have a Demon Suppression Bureau. The Demon Suppression Bureau stands aloof from worldly affairs, not intervening in the succession of dynasties or the squabbles of feudal lords..."

"If you trace them back to their origins, all three Demon Suppression Bureaus were founded by the legendary Lord Martial Saint and his disciples. Their purpose is to watch over the world, suppress Demon Fiends, and maintain balance."

"The fact that all three great dynasties are now in turmoil, and that malevolent forces like the Moon Worship Sect dare to emerge so openly, has only one root cause..."

"The Lord Martial Saint, who single-handedly suppressed his era and forced all demons into hiding, has not been seen in five hundred years!"

"Rumors are now spreading like wildfire. The major sects and ancient Noble Families are all whispering that the Lord Martial Saint was unable to withstand the ’Pollution’ and has long since... perished!"

Yue Mankong’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible grief and anger. "Without this pillar holding up the sky to keep them in check, the three great dynasties can no longer suppress those deeply-rooted sects and ambitious Noble Families."

"Demon Fiends are wreaking havoc, feudal lords are carving out their own territories... the world is already showing signs of chaos."

"According to ancient records, if the world’s order collapses to a certain degree, even the legendary, slumbering Ancient Gods might be awakened and descend upon the world once more!"

"Ancient Gods?!" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Chu Fan sucked in a sharp breath, a chill shooting up his spine. "Such beings... really exist in this world?"

"The Moon Worship Sect has been scheming to find that ’key.’ Based on fragmented intelligence, it’s almost certainly related to the emergence of one of the old Ancient Gods."

Yue Mankong’s expression was grim. "As for which specific Ancient God it concerns and what their scheme is, I’ll need to return to the Demon Suppression Bureau headquarters to consult the secret archives. I might even have to petition the Martial Saint Hall to find out more."

"This matter concerns the fate of the entire world. It is no trivial affair."

At this, the worry on his face deepened.

Chu Fan’s mind was reeling...

’Just asking about the "Pollution" because of my own concerns has led to such a heaven-shattering secret.’

’The sheer volume of information is making me dizzy.’

’And all of this seems to be related to the Demon Suppression Stele inside my body!’

Chu Fan’s thoughts returned to the Pollution...

’Even a figure like the Martial Saint couldn’t resist the corrosion of the Pollution?’

Suddenly, he remembered something. Suppressing his shock, he asked with a mix of curiosity and anticipation, "Sir, do those legendary ’Spatial Rings’—the ones that can store anything and be carried with you—really exist?"

Hearing this, the grave expression on Yue Mankong’s face eased slightly, as if the abrupt question had pulled him back to reality.

He blinked, slightly taken aback, then raised his left hand and pointed to a simple, antiquated ring on his index finger that was glowing with a faint silver light. "Are you asking about this?"

Chu Fan’s eyes lit up. "Is that... a Storage Ring?"

"We call it a ’Sumeru Ring’," Yue Mankong explained. "The name comes from the saying ’to hold Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed.’ It contains a pocket dimension and can indeed hold quite a few things."

As he spoke, his thoughts shifted. With a flash of white light, the large black cloth bag by the head of Chu Fan’s bed vanished instantly!

"Whoa..."

A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Chu Fan’s eyes, but then his face fell. "Sir, the demonstration was enough. Could I have my things back, please?"

"...You really can’t stand to lose out on anything, can you, kid?" Yue Mankong said, shaking his head with a laugh.

Another white light flashed, and the black cloth bag reappeared, perfectly intact, right where it had been.

Seeing Chu Fan’s eyes filled with envy and longing, Yue Mankong couldn’t help but chuckle.

He transferred his personal belongings from the Sumeru Ring to another ring, then casually slipped it off his finger and tossed it to Chu Fan.

"Take it. I’ve already wiped my imprint from it. Consider it a welcoming gift for joining the Demon Suppression Bureau. It should also make your future... Corpse Handling a bit more convenient."

Both shocked and delighted, Chu Fan hurriedly caught it with both hands.