Golden Bell Shield Level Six, Ten Thousand Jin Strength

[Name: Lin Baichuan]

[Identity: Junior Demon Slayer of the Demon Suppression Division]

[Cultivation: Ninth Rank]

[Cultivation Technique: Golden Bell Shield (Level 6, 100%)]

[Martial Skill: Seven Kill Saber Art (Mastered)]

[Intent: Saber Intent (1%+)]

[Merit: 91]

"Only 91 Merit points left..."

Lin Baichuan quickly scanned his status panel, his brow furrowing. As expected, Merit wasn't enough to go around. The further you progressed, the more Merit was required.

It had cost him a full 202 Merit points to upgrade the Golden Bell Shield from the third to the sixth level.

Most importantly, his Golden Bell Shield was already at 100% completion for the sixth level, but the remaining 91 Merit points weren't even enough to upgrade it to the seventh level. This was utterly ridiculous. He knew that even upgrading Saber Intent wasn't this outrageous!

"Could it be because my physical strength has reached the limit of ten thousand jin, and the seventh level of Golden Bell Shield is about breaking through that ten thousand jin limit? It's a qualitative leap from a quantitative change."

Lin Baichuan muttered to himself, "Precisely because of this, the Merit required to go from the sixth to the seventh level has skyrocketed, a hundredfold increase. If that's the case, then upgrading from the sixth to the seventh level would probably cost 100 Merit points."

As he thought about it, Lin Baichuan's eyes lit up. The more he considered it, the more likely it seemed.

After glancing at his status panel, he decided to stop paying attention to it.

He had 91 Merit points left. He couldn't upgrade the Golden Bell Shield, but he could add points to Saber Intent. However, at only 0.1% per point, it wasn't very cost-effective. He decided to save these 91 Merit points for the time being, just in case.

"It's time to go back. If I linger too long, Li Da and the others might get suspicious."

Lin Baichuan thought to himself, cast one last glance at Yin Kuisheng's dismembered corpse, and immediately turned to sprint out of Qili Slope. His movements were like a tiger or leopard, his speed several times faster than before.

Having stepped into the sixth level of Golden Bell Shield, not only had his physical strength reached the ten thousand jin limit, but his physique had also been strengthened, his physical fitness greatly improved, and naturally, his speed had also surged.

Each step covered a zhang, and Lin Baichuan quickly rushed out of Qili Slope and returned to the town.

When he got back to the inn, there were no signs of life. Only ruins, corpses, and the thick smell of blood filled the air.

"Where is everyone?"

Lin Baichuan frowned slightly and muttered, "Could they all be dead? Impossible... that explosion couldn't have killed everyone. At least Li Da and the others definitely wouldn't be. Seriously injured is possible.

They must have left. I'll ask around."

Thinking this, Lin Baichuan turned and walked to a shop not far from the inn. He beckoned to the shopkeeper, who was peeking outside, and tossed a piece of silver. "Shopkeeper, where did the survivors from the inn go?"

"Officer, you're asking about the whereabouts of the other Demon Slayer Guards!"

The shopkeeper snatched the silver, his face beaming. He chuckled and said, "Follow this road inside. The courtyard at the very end, that's probably where they are?"

"You recognize a Demon Slayer Guard." Lin Baichuan raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"You jest, Officer. Who in Great Xia doesn't recognize the uniform of a Demon Slayer Guard?" The shopkeeper cupped his hands in greeting, his face full of smiles as he returned the silver to Lin Baichuan. "Officer, I'm returning your silver. This humble subject dares not accept it."

"Take it!"

Lin Baichuan waved his hand, not taking the silver back. There was no reason to take back something he had given as a reward; it would be beneath him. He was a dignified Demon Slayer Guard now, and he couldn't afford to lose face.

"Thank you, Officer, thank you, Officer..."

The shopkeeper instinctively took the silver and respectfully bowed to Lin Baichuan, who had already turned to leave.

At this moment!

Lin Baichuan had picked up his pace, heading towards the end of the street the shopkeeper had indicated. The street wasn't long, and Lin Baichuan was moving very fast. In less than fifteen minutes, he reached the end of the street and stopped in front of a somewhat ancient courtyard.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and the faint smell of blood wafted out.

Lin Baichuan frowned, took a step, and rushed into the courtyard.

Clang...

As soon as he entered, a flash of saber light streaked down, aiming directly for his head. Lin Baichuan remained calm in the face of danger, leaning back slightly, easily dodging the saber strike. At this moment, the saber light swept horizontally, intending to cut Lin Baichuan in half.

"Hmph!"

Lin Baichuan snorted coldly. He raised a hand and extended two fingers, actually clamping onto the gleaming saber. He then said coldly, "It's me, Lin Baichuan... What's this, Niu Zhenye, are you trying to kill me?"

"Stop!"

At the same time, a shout came from a room within the courtyard. "Zhenye, it's Baichuan..."

Niu Zhenye's expression changed drastically. Not only had Lin Baichuan easily dodged his two consecutive saber strikes, but he had also caught the saber with just two fingers. This was simply blinding his 24k titanium alloy dog eyes.

"Damn it, isn't this kid a newcomer? He just entered Ninth Rank, how can he be so strong?"

Niu Zhenye cursed inwardly, but forced an awkward smile. "Heh heh... This, Brother Lin, I'm truly sorry. It was a misunderstanding... entirely a misunderstanding. I didn't see clearly that it was you just now."

"Hmph!"

Lin Baichuan snorted coldly. He released his grip, and the battle saber he had caught vibrated, emitting a faint muffled sound.

He didn't say much more, merely giving Niu Zhenye a meaningful look. A hint of killing intent began to form in his heart. Niu Zhenye's claim of a misunderstanding, that he hadn't seen clearly that it was him entering, was something he simply didn't believe.

If it was understandable that the first saber strike wasn't clear, then it was utter nonsense that the second one wasn't either.

Lin Baichuan was certain that Niu Zhenye most likely wanted to get rid of him.

He even suspected that everyone in the team, except for Qin Qing, had received benefits from the Lu Family and wanted him dead. If Niu Zhenye had succeeded just now, he could have easily used the excuse that he mistook him for a thief or a thug, leading to a fatal blow.

He believed that with the Lu Family's influence and a little bit of bribery, the Demon Suppression Division probably wouldn't have bothered to intervene for a dead man like him.

"Very well, since that's the case, let's play slowly!"

Lin Baichuan harbored hidden resentment, his killing intent concealed. Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind, but his face showed no emotional fluctuation as he looked towards Li Da and the others who had emerged from the room.

Yin Kuisheng's final move was likely quite potent. With the Demon Core self-destructing, the inn would definitely not be in good condition, and Li Da and the others were clearly injured. The only exception was Qin Qing, who was unharmed and whose aura was normal, suggesting she had no injuries.

But then again, it made sense. This woman's background was extraordinary, so it was normal for her to possess some life-saving techniques.

"Captain, you're injured, are you alright?" Lin Baichuan immediately walked over to Li Da, asking with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine. Where were you just now? We didn't see you anywhere," Li Da asked in a low voice, shaking his head slightly.

"Where else could he have gone? He probably hid,"

At this moment, Niu Zhenye's voice rang out from behind, filled with disdain and a cold laugh. "But you do have some self-awareness, knowing to hide. At least you didn't drag us down. However, as a Demon Slayer Guard of the Demon Suppression Division, only knowing how to hide is truly a disgrace to the Demon Suppression Division!"

"Disgraceful or not, why don't you try it..."

Lin Baichuan's eyes were icy as he glanced at Niu Zhenye, letting out a cold laugh.

This immediately silenced Niu Zhenye. It was a joke; he was only speaking out of bravado. If he were actually to compete with Lin Baichuan, he'd rather not, fearing he'd be beaten to death.