Shen Che's thoughts stirred, and the system panel unfolded before his eyes.
[Host: Shen Che] [Time Value: 180] [Techniques:] [Black Tiger Saber Technique (Sixth Layer) (Cannot be upgraded for now)] [Golden Bell Shield (Thirteenth Layer) +] [Iron Shirt (Tenth Layer) (Cannot be upgraded for now)]
Shen Che froze mid-motion.
He checked again and again. That was right—the plus sign that had previously vanished had reappeared after the Golden Bell Shield entry.
It had clearly said "Cannot be upgraded for now" before.
What was going on?
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning striking flint.
The Golden Bell Shield mainly cultivated qi and blood, following a path of utmost yang and utmost hardness. It trained the inner body.
Iron Shirt specialized in the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones, following a method of utmost yin and utmost softness. It trained the outer body.
One inner and one outer, one hard and one soft.
Could it be that, after these two techniques had been cultivated to perfection, they complemented each other, yin and yang aiding one another, breaking through the original shackles of the techniques?
It could be played like this too?
He tried focusing his thoughts on that plus sign.
[Insufficient Time Value.]
Not only was Shen Che not disappointed, he was rather excited.
This proved that his guess had been correct. The Golden Bell Shield truly could continue breaking through to greater heights.
Once it broke through, just how terrifying would the strength of his physical body become?
The problem now was that he lacked Time Value.
He had to obtain more Time Value as soon as possible.
Moreover, if he wanted to go further in the Demon Suppression Division and obtain higher-tier techniques and resources, it was time to change his status as a Probationary Demon Suppressor.
He made up his mind.
The next morning.
Shen Che arrived at the task hall of the Demon Suppression Division.
People came and went through the hall. Most were martial artists dressed in the uniforms of official Demon Queller Envoys, hurrying about with purpose.
He passed through the crowd and approached the counter along one side of the hall where tasks were assigned.
A stern-faced middle-aged man sat behind the counter. The badge on his chest showed that he was a steward.
"Lord Yan." Shen Che handed over his token.
The middle-aged man known as Lord Yan accepted it and glanced at it. "Probationary Demon Suppressor? What do you need?"
"I want to accept a task to advance to an official Demon Queller Envoy." Shen Che got straight to the point.
Lord Yan raised his head and gave him a surprised look.
"Shen Che? I remember you. You only passed the assessment yesterday."
"New Probationary Demon Suppressors are given a year-long adjustment period. You are not required to carry out tasks. There is no need to rush."
"I can't wait." Shen Che answered crisply.
Lord Yan stared at him for two seconds, and a faint smile instead escaped the corners of his mouth.
"Interesting. There are not many young people these days with your drive."
"As it happens, those two boys from the Li Family have just come to apply for advancement tasks as well."
He shouted into the hall, "Li Zimo, Li Zifeng, come here!"
Not long after his voice fell, two men emerged from the crowd.
The young man in front looked twenty-four or twenty-five. He stood tall and straight, with handsome features and an air of scholarship about him.
The one following behind him, however, was a completely different sight.
He stood nearly two meters tall, broad-backed and bear-waisted, his muscles knotted all over like a moving mountain. His face carried a trace of impatience.
"Lord Yan, were you looking for us?" the refined young man asked, cupping his hands.
Lord Yan pointed at Shen Che. "Let me introduce you. This is your new junior brother, Shen Che."
"He also wants an advancement task. I was thinking of having the three of you form a team."
"This is the task scroll. Demons have been causing trouble in Qingxi County. The local authorities cannot handle it, so they reported it to us. Go and clean it up."
"Once the task is completed, all three of you will advance to become official Demon Queller Envoys."
The burly man called Li Zifeng frowned and spoke in a booming voice, "Lord Yan, this... an advancement task is no child's play. Bringing along a newcomer who has only just entered, if he drags us down..."
"Zifeng!" Li Zimo rebuked him softly, cutting him off.
He turned to Lord Yan and cupped his hands again. "We will obey Lord Yan's arrangements in all things."
Only then did he turn to Shen Che, a gentle smile on his face. "Junior Brother Shen Che, I am Li Zimo. This is my second brother, Li Zifeng. He has a straightforward temperament and speaks before thinking. Please do not take it to heart."
Shen Che nodded. "Shen Che."
Li Zifeng gave an unhappy snort and turned his head away.
Li Zimo accepted the task scroll Lord Yan handed him, opened it for a glance, then said to the two of them, "That is the situation. The Qingxi County authorities only said that there were traces of demons. Their exact strength and numbers are unknown, so we will need to investigate in person."
"Enough chatter!" Li Zifeng waved a hand impatiently. "We leave at noon. Hurry up—the sooner we go, the sooner we return!"
The three of them collected three fast horses and left Cangyun City at noon that very day.
On the official road, hooves thundered at full gallop, kicking up clouds of dust.
Qingxi County fell under Cangyun City's jurisdiction. It was a small county with a population of two or three hundred thousand, nowhere near as prosperous as Cangyun City. Once demons appeared in a place like this, the local authorities simply had no ability to deal with them and could only seek aid from the Demon Suppression Division in Cangyun City.
Along the way, Li Zifeng kept a stony face and did not say a word, merely lowering his head and hurrying onward.
Li Zimo, on the other hand, took the initiative to slow his horse and ride alongside Shen Che.
"Junior Brother Shen, my second brother has always had this temperament. Please bear with him."
"No matter." Shen Che replied blandly.
"Speaking of which, junior brother, you dared to accept an advancement task the moment you entered the division. This courage truly earns this senior brother's admiration." Li Zimo offered a polite remark, then changed the subject. "But why are you in such a hurry?"
Shen Che glanced at him. "Aren't you two senior brothers the same?"
Li Zimo was taken aback by this, then gave a bitter smile.
"To be frank, junior brother, my brother and I have been in the Demon Suppression Division for more than a year. I am twenty-five this year, and Zifeng is twenty-three. Still lingering at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm at our age is rather shameful to say aloud."
"We are eager to become official Demon Queller Envoys so that we can gain the qualifications to exchange for Meridian Opening Pills."
Meridian Opening Pills.
Shen Che's heart stirred.
Li Zimo continued, "These pills can help Body Tempering Realm martial artists force open their meridians, greatly increasing their chances of breaking through into the True Meridian Realm. My brother and I have ordinary talent. Without the aid of pills, we may never have any hope of reaching the True Meridian Realm in this lifetime."
As he said this, his tone carried a trace of helplessness and desolation.
On the path of martial arts, the farther one went, the more talent mattered.
Some people were born as heaven's favored sons, able to comprehend the True Meridian Realm while still young.
But far more people could exhaust their entire lives and still only circle endlessly within the Body Tempering Realm.
Before you continue