Budding Saber Intent

He could clearly feel his single-arm strength, which had been at five hundred jin, skyrocket to an unbelievable level.

Four thousand jin!

Was this the power of the thirteenth layer of the Golden Bell Shield at completion?

This was no longer within the scope of the Body Tempering Realm.

A typical True Meridian Realm martial artist, after opening one or two meridians, would only have a single-arm strength of around a thousand jin.

His current pure physical strength was enough to crush most martial artists who had just entered the True Meridian Realm.

Unfortunately, he wasn't truly in the True Meridian Realm yet.

Shen Che's thoughts landed on the system panel.

The path of martial arts: Body Tempering, True Meridian, Yuan Gang, Innate.

The Body Tempering Realm polished the physical body, leading to abundant Blood Essence.

The mark of the True Meridian Realm was cultivating the first wisp of True Qi within the body and using it to open the twelve main meridians.

He now possessed immense strength but lacked the method to cultivate True Qi, making him a peculiar "half-step True Meridian."

[Golden Bell Shield (Thirteenth Layer) (Currently Cannot Be Upgraded)]

The words on the panel made his mind race.

Cannot be upgraded currently?

Was it because this technique had reached its limit, or was his own realm restricting the technique's advancement?

Could this system actually allow techniques to break through their original limitations?

Shen Che suppressed this thought and calmed his mind.

He pushed open the profound iron gate and officially stepped into the second level of the Demon Suppressing Prison.

The demonic aura that could suffocate martial artists in the Body Tempering Realm, which had surrounded him, now felt like a gentle spring breeze, causing him no discomfort whatsoever.

The magnificent Blood Essence forged by the complete Golden Bell Shield within his body automatically formed a protective aura, repelling all malevolent energies.

The structure of the second level was largely similar to the first, only the profound iron bars of the cells were thicker, and the runes inscribed on them were more dense.

The Demonic Beasts here were mostly "General-level," corresponding to the Human Race's True Meridian Realm.

He glanced around casually.

In the cell to his left, a three-eyed demon wolf lay decapitated, its corpse still warm.

Shen Che walked over.

[Ding! Detected absorbable Time Energy, do you wish to absorb?] [Absorption successful, gained Time Value: 80 points.]

Shen Che's breathing paused for a moment.

Eighty points!

The Time Value provided by a single General-level Demonic Beast was several times, even more than ten times, that of the cannon fodder from the first level.

He looked at the next cell.

A human-faced monstrous bird was cut in half at the waist, its green blood splattering the walls.

[Absorption successful, gained Time Value: 100 points.]

Another hundred points!

He was rich.

This second level was practically a treasure trove.

Shen Che wasted no more time, quickening his pace, and began his enjoyable "scavenging" journey.

He moved like a ghost through the corridors.

Any cell he passed, as long as it contained the corpse of a Demonic Beast, he would stop without hesitation.

[Absorption successful, gained Time Value: 65 points.] [Absorption successful, gained Time Value: 120 points.] [Absorption successful, gained Time Value: 90 points.]

The system prompts sounded continuously, and the Time Value on the panel soared.

He even passed a cell where a Probationary Demon Suppressor was in a fierce battle with a Leopard Demon.

The disciple was panting, with several injuries, while the Leopard Demon remained ferocious.

Shen Che did not intervene, merely passing by quietly.

The assessments of the Demon Suppression Division stipulated that one was responsible for their own life and death.

He was not a saint.

Soon, he had swept through the entire second level.

The data on the character panel was completely refreshed.

[Time Value: 600]

After deducting the 50 points left from upgrading the Golden Bell Shield, he had harvested a full 550 Time Value points from the second level.

This move was a huge profit with no loss.

Shen Che stood at the end of the second level, facing the entrance to the third level.

It was also a Xuan iron gate, but it was even thicker and heavier than the entrance to the second level, with runes carved on it emitting a faint bloody light.

Just standing before the gate, a palpitation originating from the depths of his soul surged up.

Behind the gate, it was as if an ancient ferocious beast was imprisoned. The mere aura leaking from its slumber was enough to cause ripples in his protective True Qi.

This place was not to be entered.

He estimated that even with his Golden Bell Shield at completion, if he truly forced his way in, his fate would not be much better than those cannon fodder.

Moreover, the one-hour assembly time set by the supervisor Chen Xiao was fast approaching.

There was no need to risk himself for an unknown danger.

Know when to stop.

Shen Che lingered no longer, turned, and headed back the way he came.

When he returned to the entrance of the first level of the Demon Suppressing Prison, most of the Probationary Demon Suppressors had already gathered there.

Many of them were injured, their faces pale, and several were covered in blood, looking like they had narrowly escaped death.

Of course, there were also quite a few who were unharmed, with a hint of self-satisfaction in their expressions for completing the mission.

Supervisor Chen Xiao stood like an iron tower at the entrance of the stone steps, his expressionless.

Shen Che's appearance drew everyone's gaze.

He was too clean.

His robes were neat, his aura stable; not to mention bloodstains, there wasn't even a speck of dust on him.

It didn't look like he had gone to kill a Demonic Beast, but rather like he had taken a stroll in the garden.

Chen Xiao's brows furrowed. He sniffed the air.

"You went to the second level?"

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

What?

The second level?

A commotion erupted among the crowd, and their gazes towards Shen Che were filled with shock and doubt.

What a joke, that place was not for them to go to! The demonic energy alone could crush a person.

"Reporting to sir, yes."

Shen Che did not hide anything, admitting it frankly.

This matter could not be concealed; the concentration of demonic energy clinging to him was on a completely different level from those who only operated on the first level.

Chen Xiao scrutinized him from head to toe.

"You're not injured?"

"No."

"Interesting."

For the first time, a hint of an unusual expression appeared on Chen Xiao's stern face.

He did not press Shen Che further on what he did on the second level, but turned to the crowd.

"Remember how you feel tonight."

"The third level of the Demon Suppressing Prison holds great Demonic Beasts capable of rivaling Innate Realm experts."

"If you want to live longer, then cultivate with all your might!"

With that, he waved his hand.

"The assessment is over, you are all dismissed. Gather at the training grounds at Chen Shi tomorrow."

The crowd felt as if they had been granted amnesty and turned to leave one after another, with some looking back at Shen Che with complicated expressions.

Shen Che ignored the probing gazes and left the Demon Suppressing Prison with the crowd.

According to the rules of the Demon Suppression Division, Probationary Demon Suppressors who passed the assessment would be assigned a separate courtyard.

Shen Che returned to his small courtyard and closed the gate.

He eagerly opened the system panel.

[Host: Shen Che]

[Time Value: 610]

[Cultivation Method:]

[Black Tiger Saber Technique (Level 2)+]

[Golden Bell Shield (Level 13) (Cannot be upgraded currently)]

Defense is maxed out. Next, it's time to boost offense.

His consciousness focused on the plus sign after Black Tiger Saber Technique.

[Consume 10 Time Value to upgrade Black Tiger Saber Technique to Level 3?]

"Yes."

[Consume 10 Time Value to upgrade Black Tiger Saber Technique to Level 4?]

"Yes."

[Consume 10 Time Value to upgrade Black Tiger Saber Technique to Level 5?]

"Yes."

The upgrades for the first three levels were smooth, as natural as water flowing into its course.

When he prepared to upgrade to Level 6, the system prompt changed.

[Consume 100 Time Value to upgrade Black Tiger Saber Technique to Level 6?]

It requires one hundred Time Value to go from Level 5 to Level 6 perfection.

"Yes!"

Shen Che didn't hesitate.

The moment his thought landed, a realization, completely different from upgrading the Golden Bell Shield, flooded his mind.

It was as if he had spent years in a secluded valley, swinging his saber day after day, year after year.

Spring turned to autumn, and the cold of winter gave way to the heat of summer.

The saber in his hand went from clumsy to proficient, from proficient to masterful, and from masterful to perfect.

He had experienced decades of arduous training as if it were a single day.

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