A Further Breakthrough, Tenth Level of Body Refinement

Yan'er helped her Mother and the Old Man, walking slowly towards Chu Jiang. She said gratefully, "Lord Chu, thank you for saving my Mother and Village Chief Grandpa."

"You're injured, why don't you rest at our home for a bit?"

Chu Jiang sheathed the long saber in his hand and nodded. He was indeed a bit tired after killing demons twice in a row.

It would be good to rest for a while.

"Lord Chu, I am the Village Chief of Daxing Village. Our entire village thanks you for your efforts. I will first check on the survivors in the village and then return to thank you properly." The Village Chief trembled as he cupped his hands towards Chu Jiang, not daring to approach. Fear showed in his eyes.

"Go ahead. Settle the remaining villagers. No need for a grand thank you!" Chu Jiang didn't expect that doing one good deed would change people's perception of him.

When you've done bad deeds for a hundred years, and then do one good deed, people will only think it's a show.

It takes more than one cold day for the river to freeze three feet deep.

Yan'er's room.

"Lord Chu, please have some water!" Yan'er brought over a bowl of water and added, "We don't have any tea at home, only this spring water. Please bear with it, my Lord."

Chu Jiang glanced at the bowl and drank it down in one gulp.

This bowl of water helped Chu Jiang recover a little of his spirit.

He put down the bowl and his gaze fell upon Yan'er.

He had to admit, although she was young, she was already quite developed and had a certain charm. There was just a small scratch on her face.

Yan'er's delicate body trembled, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by resolve. She set the bowl aside.

Swish.

As she took off her clothes, she said, "Young Master, Yan'er will now fulfill her promise and serve you. Please lie down!"

Chu Jiang was stunned and immediately stopped her, "Stop, stop, stop! Put them back on, put them back on!"

Did I just look at you and you reacted like this?

"Does Young Master dislike how ugly Yan'er is?" Yan'er mumbled.

Rumor had it that Lord Chu was a notorious lecher, sparing no one whether they were ugly or beautiful. How could he be so different now?

Chu Jiang said helplessly, "Put them back on, or I'll leave now."

She's not even an adult yet. I can't bring myself to do it.

Seeing Chu Jiang's serious expression, which didn't seem fake, Yan'er could only put her clothes back on.

Yan'er didn't leave. Instead, she started massaging Chu Jiang.

Chu Jiang didn't refuse. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of being served.

After a few conversations, he learned her surname was Su, and her name was Su Yan'er.

In my past life, I was a beast of burden. Now, I get to taste what it's like to be a wealthy landlord.

Comfortable.

No wonder wealthy families and noble clans in the past all had maids in every household.

They really knew how to enjoy themselves.

After a while, once Chu Jiang felt completely relaxed, he let Su Yan'er leave the room.

With a thought, he opened his status panel again.

[Self Lifespan: Ten Years]
[Demon Lifespan: One Hundred and Eighty-Nine Years]

Chu Jiang injected the Demon Lifespan into the Sun Gathering Art. The Sun Gathering Art was currently the only cultivation technique that could significantly increase his cultivation, and he had to raise it to its limit.

[Year 1: The long journey of cultivation begins.]
[Year 18: You know your talent is insufficient, you accumulate silently, believing that one day you will soar and break through to the Eighth Level of Body Refinement.]
[Year 39: You break through to the Ninth Level of Body Refinement.]
[Year 45: Your Sun Gathering Art is only half a step away from perfection.]
[Year 50: Sun Gathering Art reaches perfection. Before you could rejoice, you discover a flaw in the Sun Gathering Art. Once it reaches perfection and is fully circulated, it will burn your meridians.]
[Year 52: The flawed Sun Gathering Art causes you unbearable pain. You are determined to perfect the Sun Gathering Art, but you try many times and still cannot find the trick.]
[Year 55: Your countless attempts cause your meridians to become chaotic, and your Blood Essence gradually declines. You are unwilling, but helpless.]
[Year 57: Your meridians are burned, and you become an ordinary person.]

Chu Jiang looked at the panel, feeling somewhat suspicious. This cultivation technique had a major problem.

Of the Demon Hunters under the county yamen, except for the very few who practiced other techniques before joining the yamen, ninety-eight percent practiced the Sun Gathering Art.

Once this technique reached perfection, the powerful fire energy within the Blood Essence could drive away demons and ward off evil, making ordinary demons dare not approach.

It's actually a flawed technique.

Who could it be?

Several faces flashed through Chu Jiang's mind, none of which seemed likely.

Cultivating the Sun Gathering Art to Great Accomplishment was already exceptionally difficult, and reaching Perfection was even more deadly. The person who altered this technique was definitely no ordinary individual; their martial arts attainments were incredibly high.

Practicing the modified Sun Gathering Art was tantamount to destroying one's own martial foundation, leaving no possibility for further progress. What a vicious scheme.

The human race was already struggling to resist the demons, and now there was internal strife.

The thought of their own kind killing their own kind sent shivers down his spine.

At present, Chu Jiang could only continue to infuse his lifespan.

[Year 59: Your blood essence withered, your hair turned white overnight, you were like a decaying log, about to wither away at any moment. You laughed three times and closed your eyes.]

[Year 63: You faced death and were reborn, attempting to merge with heaven and earth. You gained their favor and, in just three minutes, discovered the fundamental flaws of the Sun Gathering Art and optimized it.]

[Year 65: Your understanding of the Sun Gathering Art reached the realm of Perfection. Using it as a blueprint, you created a new martial art, naming it Golden Sun Art.]

[Year 66: As the Golden Sun Art inherited from the Sun Gathering Art, you rapidly elevated the Golden Sun Art to the realm of Perfection.]

[Year 77: Your Golden Sun Art reached Perfection, cleansing your bones and marrow, and advancing you to the Tenth Level of Body Refinement.]

[Demon Lifespan: 112 years]

[Own Lifespan: 20 years]

Soon, an incredibly powerful force surged within his body. His blood essence boiled, his flesh and blood evolved, his bones became as hard as iron, and his internal organs burned like a grand furnace.

His body crackled and popped, and his pores secreted all sorts of sticky, black impurities.

At this moment.

Chu Jiang clearly felt his body undergoing a transformative change.

Strong.

The Golden Sun Art evolved from the Sun Gathering Art, not only eliminating the flaws of the old version but also possessing a burning characteristic upon reaching Perfection.

Tenth Level of Body Refinement, cleansing the marrow and refining the body.

Coupled with two martial arts at the realm of Perfection, he was undoubtedly among the absolute top tier of Houtian martial artists.

In Baishi County, those who reached the Tenth Level of Body Refinement could be counted on one's fingers.

Aside from the head of the Demon Hunting Office, and the mysterious county magistrate who had rarely shown his face.

He could now walk sideways.

Before, he relied on his connections with special demons; now, he relied on true strength.

Thinking of this, Chu Jiang's mood greatly improved. He took a bath and then went to sleep.

However, the other villagers had not slept all night.

They had to remain vigilant against the possibility of another demon attack, trembling with fear.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the village, the joyful chirping of birds replaced the crowing of roosters, symbolizing the start of a new day.

Less than two hundred figures emerged scattered from their respective homes.

A village of three hundred people had lost one-third of its population overnight.

The demon calamity left no survivors in its wake.

But they didn't kill everyone; they ate half and left half.

It wasn't out of kindness, but to facilitate another harvest years later when the crops grew.

It was already a miracle that nearly two hundred people survived in Daxing Village this time.

In the village, a young man in black and white official robes stood tall and handsome, a long saber at his waist, exuding an extraordinary aura.

A stark contrast to his previous decrepitude.

He strode out, walking through the village. Before leaving, he also took away the corpses of the two demons. The common folk feared demons and dared not approach, even after they were dead.

Leaving them here would only bring them fear and trouble.

He hoped they could live in peace from now on.

The surviving villagers saw Chu Jiang but dared not speak to him, merely keeping their distance.

They feared demons greatly, and even more so, they feared officials.

If he could slay demons today, he might turn his blade on them tomorrow.

Over the years, their trust had been eroded.

"Lord Chu, this is this month's demon-slaying tax..." The old village chief, hunched over, knelt on both knees, his hands trembling, not daring to look Chu Jiang in the face.