Gold-Devouring Rat, Cut in Two

Entering the residential area, Shi Yan passed by the scene of the incident and took a look from afar. He found two Demonic Beast corpses.

Judging by their appearance, they were a rat and a cat.

Their size was estimated to be around forty to fifty jin.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, only two members of the Monster Suppression Bureau collecting blood, hair, and other samples.

Returning to his second-floor apartment, Shi Yan put down his things and plopped down onto a hard stool.

He immediately took out his communicator to check for information about the city.

As expected, traces of Demonic Beasts had appeared in many parts of Baiyun City.

There had been several fatal incidents, similar to the one in Bigui Residential Area.

"Is something big really going to happen?"

Shi Yan recalled many tragic cases where Demonic Beasts attacked cities, causing numerous deaths and even destruction.

In the beginning, it was always just a few Demonic Beasts causing trouble, which then slowly escalated into an irreversible disaster.

Although the Great Base City Era had passed, and major disasters caused by Demonic Beast attacks were rare, the world remained dangerous as long as Demonic Beasts existed.

Moreover, even if it wasn't a major disaster, incidents of people being killed by Demonic Beasts still happened frequently, and he didn't want to be one of the casualties.

"Let's do it."

He took out the bottle of intermediate Body Tempering Medicine, opened the cap, and drank it down.

This medicine was potent. Mo Changfeng had advised him to wait until after the College Entrance Examination.

This was because the school would also distribute a bottle of beginner Body Tempering Medicine before the College Entrance Examination.

The expensive registration fee for the Martial Arts Examination included this medicine.

With the beginner Body Tempering Medicine as a base, the pain from taking the intermediate one would be less.

However, Shi Yan didn't want to wait; he wanted to improve himself as much as possible right now.

Furthermore, he felt that his Southern Bright Blazing Fire Supernatural Ability would help him absorb the medicine's effects.

After a cool sensation, the medicinal effects exploded in his abdomen.

It was like a ball of fire, suddenly igniting.

The burning pain caused him to fall to the ground, writhing.

The pain was excruciating!

The immense medicinal properties filled his entire body, as if threatening to burst him open.

His skin began to crack, and blood seeped out.

"Right, my Supernatural Ability!"

The pain had almost made him forget about his Supernatural Ability.

Soon, Southern Bright Blazing Fire was activated.

The potent medicinal effects seemed to be refined, instantly becoming docile, and in just a few seconds, they transformed into wisps of clear liquid.

The clear liquid permeated his entire body, making his organs seem to rejoice.

After about two hours, the changes stopped, and Shi Yan's body calmed down.

With a thought, his status panel appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Shi Yan]
[Realm: First-Order Warrior]
[Supernatural Ability: Southern Bright Blazing Fire (SSS-Class)]
[Blood Essence: 28 Card]
[Spirit: 11 Hertz]
[Martial Arts: Thrusting Punch (Beginner)]
[Martial Virtue Points: 3]

"It increased by 7 Card!"

Shi Yan was slightly surprised.

Generally, the first time one took intermediate Body Tempering Medicine, it could increase Blood Essence by a maximum of 5 Card.

His increase was 2 Card higher than the theoretical value.

It was likely the contribution of Southern Bright Blazing Fire, which allowed the medicinal effects to be fully utilized.

"But it's still not enough."

28 Card was already top-tier among the candidates in Baiyun City, but it was likely still lacking for Jiangnan as a whole.

In the Great Base City Era, Jiangnan Base City was a populous region. Later, during the Small Base City period, it was divided into 20 prefecture-level cities and 26 county-level cities.

Baiyun City was just one of these county-level cities.

To truly stand out, Shi Yan felt he needed at least thirty cards of Blood Essence.

After all, Jiangnan was not short of talented students from affluent families.

Some might drink mid-grade Body Tempering Medicine, which cost over a hundred thousand per dose, like water.

Although the effectiveness of the same Body Tempering Medicine decreased with each use, the cumulative effect was still quite considerable.

"The methods to improve also include a dose of beginner Body Tempering Medicine issued by the school before the Martial Arts Examination."

Shi Yan pondered, but it still didn't feel secure enough.

A typical beginner Body Tempering Medicine could only increase Blood Essence by one card.

Even with the refining power of the Southern Bright Blazing Fire, having already consumed the mid-grade medicine, he doubted the beginner one would make much of a difference.

"Forget it, I'll just practice with the saber."

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Shi Yan looked at the saber lying on the floor, then stood up.

Just as he was about to pick it up, his dirty appearance stopped him.

Uncured bloodstains and the black grime seeping from his pores mixed together, filling the room with an unpleasant odor.

His nose twitched, and he rushed into the bathroom to shower.

Ten minutes later, he emerged dressed in a brand-new set of clothes.

He subtly activated his Supernatural Ability and picked up the nearly four-foot-long Tang Saber, then slowly drew it.

This was the first time he had drawn this saber.

As soon as he began to pull it, the black scabbard actually showed cracks, like lava about to erupt from the earth. The cracks pulsed with a lava-like red glow that intensified as the saber was drawn.

Once the saber was out, the red glow from the scabbard extinguished.

However, the red light didn't disappear; instead, it transferred to the blade itself.

The blade was slightly wider than a typical Tang Saber, its entire form streamlined as if solidified lava.

The forging pattern on the blade was not the usual ripple pattern of refined steel but a spiral of crimson marks resembling a phoenix bathing in fire. The tsuba was cast in the shape of a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings and holding a pearl; the hilt below was feather-shaped, allowing for a two-handed grip, and ended with an irregular, dark red stone.

The entire saber flickered with a faint red glow under the light, like churning lava.

A gentle touch to the floor instantly burned a small pit.

"What a fine saber!"

Shi Yan hadn't seen many real sabers, but as he drew this one, a subtle joy coursed through his body, suggesting this saber was likely more than just a B-Class weapon.

"Huh?"

Just as he was about to swing it a few times in the living room, a sharp, grating sound of metal scraping against metal reached his ears.

Screeeech!

The sound grew more frequent and closer.

The aura of a Demonic Beast also approached.

Shi Yan's head snapped around, and he looked towards the bathroom.

It was the sound of a Demonic Beast gnawing on the pipes!

The residential area he lived in was similar to the Bigui Residential Area where his uncle lived; the framework was made of sturdy metal, and so were the pipes.

"What kind of luck is this..."

He hadn't expected a Demonic Beast to appear in an area that the Monster Suppression Bureau had already cleared.

And the grime he had washed off himself had likely attracted the beast.

Demonic Beasts ate humans, especially Warriors, because human bodies absorbed spiritual energy. His blood, when it seeped out, was a delicacy to them.

But then again, he was just thinking about how to increase his strength. Since a Demonic Beast had appeared...

Then, he would kill it!

Carrying his saber, he quickly headed out.

The metal pipes were thick; it would take a long time for the Demonic Beast to chew through them.

Even if the beast chewed quickly, the first place it would appear would be on the ground floor.

Therefore, he had to get to the ground floor.

The ground floor housed various shops and small businesses. It was late at night, and no one was inside.

Coincidentally, the shop below Shi Yan's apartment had just moved out, so there wasn't much inside.

It was just that the glass door was locked.

"Thai Massage..."

He glanced at the slightly faded sign, then looked at the saber in his hand. Shi Yan lightly placed the tip of the saber on the lock.

Just like the floor at home, the lock immediately melted.

There's no time to waste, so this is his only option.

If other residents noticed and reported him to the Monster Suppression Bureau, his Martial Virtue Points would be gone.

He quickly entered, closed the door, and pulled the curtains shut to prevent anyone from seeing what was happening inside.

"So fast!"

As soon as he turned around, Shi Yan saw a huge rat head emerge from the corner.

He hadn't expected this Demonic Beast to be so fast.

If he had been a step slower, it probably would have escaped outside.

"This is... a Gold-Devouring Rat!"

Seeing the rat demon reveal its two dark gold incisors, Shi Yan understood why this Demonic Beast was so fast.

Gold-Devouring Rats can bite and consume metal, and they grow stronger by feeding on it.

If you were to ask which Demonic Beasts pose the greatest threat to cities, it wouldn't be the giant ones, but these metal-eating creatures!

After all, the framework of most cities is made of metal.

And among them, Gold-Devouring Rats are the most dangerous because they appear in swarms.

"Squeak squeak!"

Seeing a living person, the Gold-Devouring Rat became extremely agitated, its blood-red eyes fixed on Shi Yan.

Ignoring the pain of its body being cut by metal, it pushed off with its front claws and lunged at Shi Yan like an arrow released from a bow.

"Ching!"

Shi Yan didn't hold back, and his long saber flashed.

The Gold-Devouring Rat was split in half, and the smell of burnt flesh wafted through the air.

[Killed a First-Level Gold-Devouring Rat, eliminating a menace for the people, Martial Virtue Points +2]

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