Life-Draining Deduction, Saber Technique at Perfection

"Ugh..."

Only then did the bride notice that the sheathed steel saber that should have been hanging beside the bed had vanished at some point.

Across from her, all the infatuation in Shen Lin's eyes had vanished. His face was now twisted with murderous intent.

Clang!

Pulling back his arm, Shen Lin drew the steel saber in one swift motion.

Almost at the same moment, the bride's grotesque mouthparts snapped shut, crushing the ebony scabbard into pieces.

A cold flash streaked through the flying wood chips as the steel saber swept toward her.

The vicious strike aimed straight for the bride's neck, seemingly intending to behead her in a single blow.

Yet the bride reacted with equal speed, abruptly raising her slender right arm.

Clang!

When the saber struck her flesh, it actually rang like metal crashing against metal.

The powerful blow sent the bride staggering back several steps, knocking over the table.

At that moment, the skin on her right arm began peeling away in strips, revealing a jade-green blade beneath.

Grotesque mouthparts, razor-sharp blades...

The bride who had seemed so soft and delicate moments ago had her wedding dress burst apart. Her skin split open, exposing a glossy green body.

She was a Mantis Demon.

Just before she entered the room, the memories in Shen Lin's mind had finally been sorted out.

He remembered why the previous owner of this body had come here.

What damn wedding night!

The previous owner had come here while investigating the disappearance of the men of Lijia Village. The several constables accompanying him had all been chopped into human stumps before his eyes by this Mantis Demon.

Only he and another colleague had been captured alive by the Mantis Demon because of their handsome appearances.

The room was deathly quiet.

Shen Lin's sudden outburst had ultimately won him a small advantage.

Strangely enough, Shen Lin had grown up in modern society and possessed no combat experience whatsoever.

Yet the instant the steel saber entered his hand, he became completely calm. The combat experience belonging to the previous owner forced this modern man to steady his mind and deliver that strike.

Even so, the Mantis Demon remained utterly unruffled.

As her mouthparts opened and closed, a soft, seductive voice entirely at odds with her current appearance emerged.

"Husband, you are clearly not in good condition right now, yet you can still deliver such a strike. You truly deserve to be called a martial arts prodigy with some renown even in Qiulin County."

Although Shen Lin had joined the County Yamen less than two years ago, he had already cultivated the Blood Battle Saber Technique to Minor Accomplishment.

One had to know that the veteran constables who had begun practicing the Blood Battle Saber Technique before him had trained for years and had only barely managed to enter the gate.

But... even within the County Yamen, only those who practiced the Blood Battle Saber Technique knew about this.

How had this demon before him heard of it?

Shen Lin narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the Mantis Demon without daring to let his attention wander in the slightest.

Having fully absorbed the previous owner's memories, Shen Lin understood the situation clearly.

Even if he could rely on the previous owner's experience to use the Blood Battle Saber Technique at Minor Accomplishment, he still stood no chance against the Mantis Demon before him.

Because this Mantis Demon had already cultivated Demon Power.

She was equivalent to a Martial Artist who had developed Blood Qi Power.

Although Shen Lin had trained the Blood Battle Saber Technique to Minor Accomplishment, he was still some distance away from generating Blood Qi Power and achieving Bone Tempering and Marrow Cleansing.

That distance was the gap between an ordinary person and a Martial Artist, the distance between life and death.

According to Qiulin County's records, the fastest person to cross this stage had taken five years.

Even more people spent their entire lives unable to develop Blood Qi Power, remaining ordinary people to the end.

Even if Shen Lin's aptitude was better than most, there was no way he could break through in the midst of such a situation.

Thus, although the Mantis Demon was surprised that Shen Lin, who had originally stopped breathing, had suddenly awakened, she held no guard against him whatsoever.

"Husband~"

The Mantis Demon covered her mouthparts with a sickle and said sweetly, "Be good. Don't struggle anymore."

In truth, Shen Lin would have loved nothing more than to put down his saber and rest properly.

After that strike just now, who knew how many muscles throughout his body had torn apart. Waves of searing pain crashed relentlessly against his mind.

But when he recalled the bones of those missing men laid out in the courtyard in the previous owner's memories, he had no choice but to force himself alert and stand ready.

He had no desire to be gnawed into a pile of white bones.

But the gap between them was simply too great.

It seemed there was no other way.

Shen Lin sighed and slowly closed his eyes.

Seeing this, the Mantis Demon smiled. "That's more like it. As long as you behave yourself..."

Ignoring her words, Shen Lin focused all his attention within his consciousness.

He watched as the system panel rapidly unfolded, and a thought stirred in his mind.

"System! Consume ten years... no!"

Shen Lin had originally wanted to test the waters with ten years, but he suddenly remembered his current predicament. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Forty-two years!"

"Consume forty-two years of lifespan and infuse it into the Blood Battle Saber Technique!!!"

If he was going to do it, he would go all out!

His current situation did not allow Shen Lin to test the waters.

Even if this life had been picked up by chance, he still wanted to live!

The panel twisted, and the number in the remaining lifespan column began to plummet. In the blink of an eye, it fell to one year.

Then Shen Lin felt dazed. Everything outside began to blur, the Mantis Demon's voice cut off abruptly, and it was as though everything had frozen.

Within his consciousness, lines of text began appearing on the panel.

You cast aside all distractions and began training diligently in the Blood Battle Saber Technique. In the tenth year, you cultivated it to Great Accomplishment! You developed Blood Qi Power and officially became a Martial Artist.

You were not content with your current state and continued swinging your saber day and night. In the twenty-eighth year, you broke through your first meridian, and the Blood Battle Saber Technique reached Perfection!

In the forty-second year, you continued to tirelessly wield your steel saber and cultivate the Blood Battle Saber Technique. Yet limited by your aptitude, you ultimately failed to advance any further.

Blood Battle Saber Technique, Perfection!