Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps

Outside the Demon Suppression Grand Hall.

Qin Hundred-Household's tiger eyes widened as he said, "Right, do you have somewhere to stay in Yunzhou City? If not, you can stay with me for a few days first."

"You can stay at the Demon Suppression Division too, though the accommodations for individuals are rather ordinary."

"It's your choice. You can rent or buy a place outside; I can help you make arrangements."

The Yunzhou Demon Suppression Bureau had several thousand Demon Suppressing Guards. Aside from a handful of important figures, few remained at headquarters for long.

Speaking of which, the Yunzhou Demon Suppression Bureau had more than a dozen Thousand-Households, yet the Demon Suppressing Guards were basically all understaffed. Even the Demon Suppressing Guards under Left Commander were nearly three hundred men short of full strength.

Some Thousand-Households even had only two hundred Demon Suppressing Guards under their command, leaving them severely understaffed.

Yunzhou's territory was simply too vast. It governed thirteen prefectures, each overseeing anywhere from a dozen or so counties to more than twenty.

The numbers of experts varied wildly, and the severity of the demon threat differed just as greatly.

In some prefectures and counties, demons were frequently active, tying down large numbers of Demon Suppressing Guards.

Other prefectures and counties were relatively peaceful, requiring only a small number of Demon Suppressing Guards to keep watch.

Chu Jiang pondered for a moment before saying, "I'll stay at the Demon Suppression Division for now. I don't care whether the conditions are good or not. As long as I have somewhere to stay, that's enough."

He was alone now, with no need to be particular about such things.

Once the Genius Selection Competition was over, he could go take a look at houses in Yunzhou City.

Qin Hundred-Household nodded and led Chu Jiang into a small courtyard.

The courtyard was not large, not even half the size of the two-entry courtyard in Baishi County. However, Chu Jiang did not care about that. Having a place to settle was enough.

Half an hour later.

Chu Jiang arrived at the Scripture Pavilion of the Demon Suppression Division. After presenting his token, he entered the first floor.

The first floor was vast. Its bookshelves were packed in dazzling abundance, holding tens of thousands of books—not only martial arts and cultivation methods, but all manner of miscellaneous records as well.

As for the second floor, it contained precious martial arts and rare books.

Those holding the rank of General Banner Officer or above could enter.

The third floor was a place only Thousand-Households could access.

Chu Jiang did not go to the second floor. With the Contribution Points he currently had, he would not be able to choose anything worthwhile there.

At present, the only weakness he had was his movement technique.

To this day, he had never cultivated a proper movement technique.

The only movement technique he had was the Houtian Clear Wind Art.

These Houtian martial arts were cheap enough. Ten Contribution Points could be exchanged for one.

Chu Jiang exchanged for five in one go.

Cloud Treading Steps

Flying Catkins Movement Technique

Blood Burst Steps

Striding Meteor Steps

Spirit Cat Leap

After leaving the Scripture Pavilion, Chu Jiang handed the five books to the elder guarding the pavilion for registration.

The pavilion elder frowned slightly. Looking at Chu Jiang, he said solemnly, "Contribution Points are not so easily earned, yet you chose to exchange them for these Houtian martial arts?"

The pavilion elder stared intently at Chu Jiang. He understood that for a martial artist who had already entered the Vajra Realm—

These Houtian martial arts would no longer be of much help.

They might even become a burden.

Yet Chu Jiang merely smiled faintly and nodded firmly. "I'm sure!"

His panel could perform Martial Arts Fusion.

With it, Chu Jiang had no need to go to the second floor in search of higher-level martial arts.

Even if he exchanged for several Houtian martial arts on the first floor, he could use fusion to create powerful Xiantian martial arts, or even Vajra Martial Arts.

That way, he could save a great many Contribution Points.

The pavilion elder fell silent for a moment. In the end, he sighed and continued, "These five martial arts copies must be returned within three months at the latest. You may go."

Chu Jiang nodded.

He returned to his residence and began cultivating in seclusion.

[Demon Lifespan: 441 years]

[Own Lifespan: 90 years]

"Multiple movement techniques can be fused. Fuse them?"

Chu Jiang smiled faintly. With a thought, the Martial Arts Fusion panel began to churn.

"Fuse the Clear Wind Art and Cloud Treading Steps!"

[Fusing martial arts: Clear Wind Art (Mastery), Cloud Treading Steps (Uninitiated)]

"Fuse Flying Catkins Movement Technique and Blood Burst Steps!"

[Fusing martial arts: Flying Catkins Movement Technique (Uninitiated), Blood Burst Steps (Uninitiated)]

"Fuse Striding Meteor Steps and Spirit Cat Leap!"

[Fusing...]

Thirty years of Demon Lifespan spent for three Xiantian martial arts. Not bad, not bad.

Continue.

"Fuse Windcloud Steps and Soaring Meteor Steps!"

[Fusing...]

"Fuse Windcloud Star-Treading Steps and Crossing the River on a Reed!"

[Fusing...]

A string of system notifications rang out.

He had spent fifty Contribution Points to synthesize a pseudo-Grandmaster movement technique.

If this had been placed on the second or third floor of the Scripture Pavilion, it would have been worth at least several hundred Contribution Points.

Chu Jiang was overjoyed.

The movement technique had been successfully synthesized. The next step was naturally cultivation, and he did not hesitate.

An immense amount of Demon Lifespan poured into this martial art.

[Year 1: You cultivated the Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps, fell from the sky, and made no progress.]

[Year 7: After falling for seven years, you finally fell your way into experience. Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps has entered the beginner stage.]

[Year 28: Relying on your long-enduring resistance to falls, Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps has reached minor success.]

[Year 45: You comprehended the Great Dao of Falling. Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps has reached major success.]

[Year 67: Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps has reached perfection.]

[Year 96: Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps has entered the mastery stage. Lotuses bloom beneath every step, and you have comprehended a trace of the power of the void.]

[Demon Lifespan: 265 years]

[Own Lifespan: 90 years]

Chu Jiang slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"The mastery-stage Red Dust Stepping Heaven Steps is complete!"

He took one step. The air around him seemed to ripple slightly, and in the next instant, he had already appeared a hundred meters away.

This speed was comparable to teleportation!

It was even a little faster than the aerial flight of the Wind-Thunder Vajra Body.

His physical body was nearly comparable to that of a Grandmaster.

His speed could fully rival a Grandmaster's.

Only when compared to a Grandmaster's offensive methods might he still fall somewhat short.

His strength now had basically no more room to rise.

Every aspect had essentially reached its peak.

The next step was breaking through to the Grandmaster realm.

Demon Suppression Division: Five Thousand Years recorded:

Breaking through to Grandmaster required three conditions.

First, open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Primary Meridians, reaching the Vajra Realm Peak.

Second, comprehend an artistic conception.

Third, compress the true essence within one's body more than nine times and condense a miniature True Essence Sea.

He had barely completed one and a half conditions: Vajra Peak, along with comprehending a trace of saber intent.

Compressing true essence required a special secret technique. Otherwise, it would damage the meridians. Such techniques were kept on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

Whether it was the Spiritual Platform Secret Technique or a secret technique for compressing true essence, both were on the third floor.

A sharp gleam flashed through Chu Jiang's eyes.

In this Genius Selection Competition, he had to go all out and seize first place.

He had to strive for the greatest possible allocation of resources.

Hiding his strength and skulking around was useless in a place like the Demon Suppression Division.