True Qi Realm Ninth Level

Bronze Token Courtyard.

Unlike the crowded, noisy communal dormitories of the Iron Token Courtyard, this was the exclusive area for the true higher-ups of the Demon Suppression Division.

Every Bronze Token envoy was granted a spacious, exquisite independent courtyard.

Within the courtyards were rock gardens, flowing streams, pavilions, and towers, all suffused with abundant spiritual energy, even equipped with dedicated meditation rooms for cultivation.

Lin Feng, holding his newly issued key, couldn't wait to head to the Armory.

The same two stewards were there. Seeing Lin Feng now, they bowed and scraped, completely devoid of their previous arrogance.

"We greet you, Lord Lin!"

They were genuinely terrified.

It was no joke; this was the youngest Bronze Token envoy in the history of the Demon Suppression Division, a ruthless individual who had annihilated a Half-step Dan Yuan expert with a single strike!

They had dared to make things difficult for him before. Thinking back, it was like dancing repeatedly on the grave of King Yama. The fact that they weren't reduced to ashes on the spot was already a sign of immense fortune.

"Alright, stop with the formalities from now on,"

Lin Feng waved his hand and walked directly up to the third floor of the Armory.

This was the true forbidden zone.

Only Bronze Token envoys were qualified to set foot here.

Unlike the first and second floors, the third floor was excessively empty, containing only a single, solitary black bookshelf.

On the bookshelf were only a dozen or so secret manuals sealed in golden jade boxes, along with a few divine weapons.

However, each jade box and divine weapon emanated a spirit energy fluctuation that made one's heart palpitate.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and began his shopping spree.

He had earned twenty thousand Merit Points from the Four-star Mission this time, and with the points accumulated from previous missions, his total reached an astonishing 62,700 points!

He was practically the richest person in the Demon Suppression Division!

Without the slightest hesitation, he locked onto his targets.

The first item: a weapon.

His previous Hundred Refined Steel Blade had broken. He had his eye on a ferocious blade, entirely crimson-black, with ancient demonic patterns inscribed on its body.

[Killing Blade]: Forged from extraterrestrial meteorite mixed with the lava of the earth's core, quenched for eighty-one days. The blade contains malevolent energy and is indestructible. Exchange Price: 20,000 Merit Points.

The second item: a blade technique.

[Abyssal Path Three Slashes]: A blade technique of unknown origin. It is said that upon reaching perfection, one can slaughter gods with a single strike and sever the Great Dao. It consists of three forms: Severing the Mortal, Slaughtering Gods, and Destroying the Dao. Exchange Price: 20,000 Merit Points.

The third item: a movement technique.

[Treading Snow Without Trace]: A movement technique. When cultivated to great mastery, one can tread on the void, and with a single step, their form can shift between reality and illusion, making them impossible for even gods and ghosts to track. Exchange Price: 20,000 Merit Points.

Three items, totaling exactly 60,000 Merit Points.

The old man with the goatee watched as Lin Feng selected these three "treasures of the vault," his hands trembling.

"Lord... Lord Lin, are you sure you want to exchange for these?"

These secret manuals and divine weapons were treated like priceless treasures!

It was rare for someone to exchange for even one in several years.

And yet, this Master came and took them all in one go!

Bronze Token Courtyard, Courtyard Number Seven.

This place was vastly different from the crowded and noisy dormitories of the Iron Token Courtyard, which were comparable to university communal housing.

A serene and elegant independent courtyard, complete with rock gardens, flowing streams, pavilions, and towers.

Lin Feng had no interest in admiring it. He immediately closed the door.

He didn't care about the elevated status or the improved treatment.

What he cared about was the shining number on the System Panel.

[Crit Points: 257,550]

"System, stop sleeping and get to work!"

[Ding! Detected that the host possesses a massive amount of Crit Points. Do you wish to begin enhancing your strength?]

"Obviously!"

Lin Feng didn't hesitate.

[Ding! Consumed 100,000 Crit Points. Blazing Heaven Sun Art crit successful!]

BOOM!!!

A golden torrent, purer and more blazing than any before, exploded within him!

If the spiritual energy before was like a surging river, then at this moment, this power was like solar lava, condensed from the energy of a hundred thousand volcanoes!

The vortex within his body spun madly, its speed reaching an extreme, as if it were transforming into a black hole that devoured everything.

The bottleneck of True Qi Realm seventh level cultivation, in the face of this unreasonable force, was as fragile as window paper, broken with a single poke!

True Qi Realm eighth level!

True Qi Realm ninth level!

His cultivation was like riding an out-of-control spirit energy flying boat, advancing triumphantly all the way, finally stopping steadily at the peak of True Qi Realm ninth level!

Only one step away from the legendary Dan Yuan Realm!

"Hoo..."

Lin Feng exhaled a breath of scorching heat, the air distorting slightly from the burn.

Can't find the book title, you can try searching for the author, maybe they just changed the name!

The purity and magnitude of his True Qi at this moment were more than ten times stronger than before!

Next, should he directly skip upgrading Phantom Flowing Light Steps to Treading Snow Without Trace?

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed as he looked at the panel, pondering slightly.

No.

Although Treading Snow Without Trace was more advanced than Phantom Flowing Light Steps.

Phantom Flowing Light Steps focused on displacement, while Treading Snow Without Trace focused on vertical speed.

Their characteristics were different.

Furthermore, the effect of each cultivation technique, from Great Accomplishment to Perfection, was a qualitative leap.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng no longer hesitated.

[Ding! Consumed 100,000 Crit Points, Phantom Flowing Light Steps Crit Success!]

Phantom Flowing Light Steps, Perfection!

Another vast torrent of comprehension surged into his Sea of Consciousness.

Lin Feng's mind moved, and his figure instantly disappeared from his original spot.

In the next moment, the entire cultivation quiet room was filled with hundreds of identical "Lin Fengs" appearing simultaneously!

Each one was lifelike, even imitating the arrogant aura in their eyes – "I'm awesome, come and hack me" – with uncanny accuracy.

These phantoms were no longer mere afterimages; they contained a trace of his True Qi and could even perform simple offensive actions independently, making them indistinguishable from the real thing.

"Very good, very powerful. This proves my approach is correct."

Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction, "Only this saber technique and movement technique are left."

He locked his gaze onto the two top-tier secret manuals he had just redeemed.

[Ding! Consumed 20,000 Crit Points, Abyssal Path Three Slashes Crit Success! Realm advanced to Beginner!]

[Ding! Consumed 20,000 Crit Points, Treading Snow Without Trace Crit Success! Realm advanced to Beginner!]

Two completely different profound comprehensions rushed into his mind.

One was like a terrifying saber intent from the Nine Nether Purgatory, filled with endless killing and destruction.

Even at the beginner level, it made Lin Feng feel as if his soul was about to be torn apart by that saber intent.

The other was ethereal and graceful, a mysterious movement technique that seemed to merge with the void of heaven and earth.

With one step, his figure could switch freely between reality and illusion.

"Hiss... these cultivation techniques are indeed on a different level."

Lin Feng clicked his tongue.

Even at the beginner level, each one required twenty thousand Crit Points.

The entry barrier for this pay-to-win system had suddenly been raised.

However, looking at his refreshed attribute panel, Lin Feng felt that the Crit Points were well spent!

[Host: Lin Feng] [Realm: True Qi Realm Ninth Level (Peak)] [Cultivation Technique: Blazing Heaven Sun Art (Perfection)] [Martial Skills: Nine Tribulations Thunder Slash (Perfection), Abyssal Path Three Slashes (Beginner)] [Movement Technique: Phantom Flowing Light Steps (Perfection), Treading Snow Without Trace (Beginner)] [Crit Multiplier: 110x] [Crit Points: 17550]

"True Qi Realm ninth level peak, cultivation technique and movement technique both at Perfection, and two advanced martial skills to boot..."

Lin Feng stood up and stretched his limbs, feeling an inexhaustible power coursing through him.

He now had absolute confidence that if that Old Demon of Black Wind were to come back to life, he wouldn't even need to use Abyssal Path Three Slashes. Just the perfected Nine Tribulations Thunder Slash and the 110x crit would be enough to send him packing, ashes and all, along with his bone ash urn!

"Alas, invincibility is always so simple, unadorned, and boring."

Lin Feng tilted his head back at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing at the ceiling as he let out a Versailles-esque sigh.

"I still don't have enough Crit Points, I need to keep grinding."

Just as he was contemplating what kind of "slay dragons and exterminate phoenixes" mission to pick up at the Mission Hall tomorrow, a rapid sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

It was Zhao Tie and Li Rui.

"Brother Lin! Brother Lin, something's happened!"

Before the two even entered, their boisterous voices could be heard.

"What is it?"

Lin Feng opened the door and frowned as he looked at the two panting figures.

"The Division... something big has happened in the Division!"

Zhao Tie said with a grave expression, "News came from the City Lord's Mansion. Recently, there have been several murders in the county city! The victims... the victims were all young and beautiful women, and their deaths were extremely bizarre!"

"Oh?"

Lin Feng's interest was piqued. "How bizarre?"

Li Rui swallowed. "The victims' skin... was completely peeled off, as if they were taking off their clothes! Yet their bodies were intact, and they even had strange smiles on their faces!"

Three words instantly popped into Lin Feng's mind.

"Skin-Peeling Demon?"