The Inspector Was About to Arrive, Entering the Profound Realm!

Great Yu Dynasty, Pei Province, Demon Slayer Division.

"Senior Brother Ling Yan should be returning today after passing the Profound Realm trial, right?"

"Counting the days, it should indeed be around now."

"At twenty-two, he became an Inspector. Three years later, he has entered the third realm of martial arts. His future is boundless!"

"Everyone, we can't call him Senior Brother anymore this time!"

"Why not?"

"We have to call him Lord Ling Yan!"

"Oh, right, right, right, right!"

As everyone chatted, a resolute-looking young man came to a stop before the gates of the Demon Slayer Division.

Though he wore ordinary clothes, the extraordinary aura about him kept the two gatekeepers from slighting him.

"May I ask who you are...?"

The young man remained expressionless and casually tossed out a token.

The two gatekeepers took it and were instantly struck pale with shock.

"I was blind and failed to recognize an Inspector, my lord. Please forgive me, please forgive me."

"Lord Ling Yan, please come in!"

Ling Yan nodded, passed the two men, and headed straight for a side hall of the Demon Slayer Division.

Inside the side hall, a refined middle-aged man sat in the seat of honor.

He lightly lifted the lid of the tea bowl beside him, and a faint fragrance of tea drifted upward.

Ling Yan stepped before the middle-aged man and knelt on one knee. "Master, I have not failed your expectations!"

The middle-aged man took a small sip of tea, a gentle smile on his face. "You're back."

"Let me see your trial target."

Ling Yan nodded. "Please move to the courtyard, Teacher."

The middle-aged man raised his brows slightly. Heh, it was quite a big one!

He rose and headed into the large courtyard where the disciples trained.

The disciples, who had been practicing with great fervor, all stopped to salute him.

Then they saw Ling Yan following behind the middle-aged man.

Delight immediately filled their faces!

"Senior Brother Ling Yan is back!"

"What Senior Brother Ling Yan? We should call him Lord Ling Yan now!"

"Teacher is smiling. Lord Ling Yan must have successfully passed the trial!"

"Hiss—A Profound Realm martial artist at twenty-five? He would rank among the best in the entire Great Yu Dynasty, wouldn't he?"

"This time, Lady Miaoyin probably won't reject Lord Ling Yan's pursuit again."

"Not necessarily! Lord Ling Yan is indeed extraordinarily gifted, but Lady Miaoyin is a true monster!"

The group whispered among themselves as they watched the two pass by, only to see them stop before an open patch of ground.

"Hm? Why have Teacher and Lord Ling Yan stopped?"

Before the words had even fallen, everyone heard a thunderous boom.

The ground shook violently, and dust billowed in all directions.

Everyone reflexively shut their eyes.

Only when the dust slowly settled did they open their eyes again.

"Holy shit!"

"This is...!"

"A... a Profound Realm Demon King!?"

Everyone stood dumbstruck, so shocked by the sight before them that they could not speak.

A brilliantly patterned giant snake, several stories tall, lay coiled in the center of the open ground.

Even though it had been dead for some time, terrifying power could still be felt from its massive body.

The enormous snake corpse was covered in savage, frightening blade wounds.

Had Senior Brother Ling Yan already grown to such a level?

He could even slay a Demon King like this!

The middle-aged man chuckled. "Not bad. It was even a relatively troublesome snake-type Demon King among the Profound Realm."

Ling Yan bowed. "Master flatters me. Ling Yan still has far to go."

Yet a trace of pride still flashed through his eyes.

"Now that you have returned, attend to your duties properly. I secured a mission for you to inspect the cities under our jurisdiction."

A strange look appeared on Ling Yan's face. Secured?

As an Inspector, inspecting the cities under his jurisdiction was part of his duty. Why would it need to be secured?

And who was his master?

He was second only to the Commander of the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division!

For someone like him to have to secure a mission to inspect subordinate cities?

"The Division Commander cherishes his niece dearly, afraid I might snatch her away!"

The middle-aged man smiled. "I spent no small amount of effort before he agreed to let you inspect them together with Si Miaoyin."

At those words, the joy on Ling Yan's face could no longer be concealed. "This disciple thanks Master!"

Pfft—

The blade was pulled from the demon's body, bringing out a spray of scarlet blood.

The massive Bear Demon gradually lost the light in its eyes and crashed heavily onto the ground.

You have slain a third-layer Apex Realm Bear Demon and obtained 30 Demon Points!

"Whew—"

After letting out a long breath, Li Xuanxiao glanced at the ground behind him.

It had long since been filled with countless demon corpses.

After leaving Ning'an City, he had searched everywhere for demons to kill.

Along the way, his Demon Points had climbed higher and higher.

Today, he had even directly destroyed a Bear Demon nest and slaughtered every demon there!

He opened his personal panel.

Host: Li Xuanxiao

Realm: Eighth Layer Apex Realm

Cultivation Art: Evergreen Art (Sublimity Realm), Apex—Myriad Manifestations Violet Zenith Art (Perfection)

Martial Arts: Focused Spirit Slash (Sublimity Realm), Soaring Hawk Nine Steps (Sublimity Realm), Thousand Peaks Ruin Blade (Sublimity Realm), Apex—Silent Heart Sutra (Greater Mastery)

Demon Points: 475

If it had been before, Li Xuanxiao would definitely have thought he had struck it rich.

But after improving Apex Realm martial arts and cultivation arts several times, he understood that more than four hundred Demon Points could vanish in the blink of an eye.

Raising the Myriad Manifestations Violet Zenith Art from Lesser Mastery to Greater Mastery, then to Perfection, had cost him a total of 120 Demon Points.

Now, he had no idea how much it would cost to raise it from Perfection to the Sublimity Realm.

The speed at which he earned them simply could not keep up with the speed at which he spent them!

Over the past month, he had practically plowed through all the demons around Ning'an City.

Countless demons had died at his hands, but unfortunately, most were merely minor demons of the Profound Realm, contributing only single-digit Demon Points.

With no other choice, he had continued deeper, finally encountering an Apex Realm Bear Demon today!

Killing Apex Realm demons really was the way to go—one was stronger than six!

Li Xuanxiao shook the blood from his blade and sheathed it.

Then he continued adding points.

180 Demon Points consumed. Myriad Manifestations Violet Zenith Art has reached the Sublimity Realm!

Seeing the system prompt, the corner of Li Xuanxiao's mouth twitched slightly.

One upgrade had instantly wiped out 180 Demon Points. He would have to kill at least six Apex Realm demons to earn that back.

But the increase in realm brought by the cultivation art's improvement made him feel much more balanced.

At the same time the Myriad Manifestations Violet Zenith Art reached the Sublimity Realm, his cultivation also reached the peak of the Apex Realm!

The cost was truly high, but the leveling speed was truly fast as well!

In less than a month, he had gone from an Apex Realm newbie to a seasoned veteran of the late Apex Realm.

If word of this rate of advancement got out, it would likely shake the entire Great Yu Dynasty!

"Damn it, just a little more..."

Li Xuanxiao was not particularly satisfied. This Myriad Manifestations Violet Zenith Art truly could not be considered a very good Apex Realm cultivation art.

At the Apex Realm level, it was probably comparable to the Evergreen Art within the Profound Realm.

But it made sense when he thought about it. After all, Wang Debiao had obtained it while wandering the martial world.

Obtaining an Apex Realm cultivation art at all already counted as fortune descending upon one's head.

There was nothing to be picky about.

Looking at the Demon Points remaining in his hand, Li Xuanxiao decided to go all in.

Add them all!

80 Demon Points consumed. Silent Heart Sutra has entered the Perfection Realm!

180 Demon Points consumed. Silent Heart Sutra has reached the Sublimity Realm!

In an instant, another 260 Demon Points had been deducted.

His Demon Points immediately shrank to a mere 35.

But in exchange, every one of his martial arts and cultivation arts had reached their highest realm.

His obsessive-compulsive tendencies were satisfied!

Hm?

Something seemed off?

Li Xuanxiao felt as though some mysterious change was taking place within his body.

An incomprehensible, profound aura gradually began to emanate from him!

"This is..."

After a moment of thought, a bold guess arose in his heart.

"Am I entering the Profound Realm!?"

Li Xuanxiao was both bewildered and delighted, but he quickly calmed himself.

He began considering what had caused this change.

After thinking it over and over, there could only be one reason—

The Silent Heart Sutra reaching the Sublimity Realm!

He had never expected this martial art, which had always had so little presence, to give him such an enormous surprise at this moment.

Once cultivation arts or martial arts reached the Sublimity Realm, they would all undergo a transformation.

This transformation was more obvious in martial arts used against enemies.

But for an auxiliary, inwardly restrained martial art like the Silent Heart Sutra, it was extremely subtle.

The Silent Heart Sutra, after reaching the Sublimity Realm, must have undergone some transformation unknown to Li Xuanxiao.

And under that transformation, the beginning of his breakthrough had been born!

Joy spread across Li Xuanxiao's face. Just when the mountains and rivers seemed to leave no road, willow trees cast shade and flowers revealed another village!

He was finally about to enter the third realm of martial arts!