Crack—
The blade in Li Xuanxiao's hand shattered, breaking into countless metal fragments.
Though he had almost always used blade light to cut down his enemies rather than the blade itself.
After bearing the release of so many blade techniques and martial arts, this Constable Blade had finally failed to hold on.
Li Xuanxiao panted and smiled. "Good thing it shattered after the enemy was dead..."
He suddenly collapsed to the ground, drenched from head to toe.
This battle had been the most exhilarating—and the most perilous—fight he had faced since transmigrating!
Before the hall doors, the magistrate had long since awakened. He had simply not dared make a sound while the battle remained deadlocked.
Now that the dust had settled, he finally let out a breath of relief.
The Demon Monk who had colluded with demons was dead. We won!
The magistrate's eyes widened. He had personally witnessed the latter half of Li Xuanxiao's battle against the Demon Monk.
He therefore understood exactly how powerful the opponent had been.
That had been a Demon King of the Profound Realm!
And he had been slain just like that by such a young youth.
Too strong!
Once he had recovered somewhat, Li Xuanxiao rose to his feet again.
This time had truly been far too dangerous. His True Qi was now nearly exhausted.
If not for the Silent Heart Sutra's control over True Qi, which could greatly conserve it and prevent needless dissipation—
He absolutely would not have lasted until now!
This sort of supporting martial art normally remained hidden, seeming inferior to martial arts used directly against enemies.
But once one learned it, one would come to appreciate the benefits it brought at many crucial moments.
"I still need to learn more cultivation methods and martial arts..."
Li Xuanxiao muttered softly as he walked over to the magistrate.
Just as he was about to say something, his brows suddenly furrowed.
He felt a terrifying pressure descend.
Li Xuanxiao's expression turned grave. If he encountered another powerful enemy at a time like this, he could only run.
Liu Gelin stood in the air, looking down at Pure Land Temple with a trace of concern on his face. "I hope I haven't come too late."
As vast and majestic True Essence surged forth, the entire Pure Land Temple was enveloped within it.
Liu Gelin's expression was indifferent, as though he were sensing something.
Within Pure Land Temple, countless monks trembled beneath this pressure.
They raised their heads one after another, staring at Liu Gelin with terrified expressions.
Before that dreadful aura, they did not even dare entertain the thought of resisting.
Very soon, Liu Gelin's impassive expression changed.
He gave a soft sound of surprise, seemingly rather taken aback.
A few seconds later, he adjusted his direction and dived down, heading straight for the Qingyan Treasure Hall in the rear mountain.
He soon landed steadily before the great hall's entrance.
Pushing open the doors, he immediately saw Li Xuanxiao standing at the entrance, along with a middle-aged man dressed in official robes.
The latter was presumably the magistrate of Faxuan City.
After nodding to Li Xuanxiao, Liu Gelin swept his gaze across the hall, and surprise immediately appeared on his face.
Countless monks lay in pools of blackish-purple blood, their corpses entwined by grotesque Mukade Demons.
They had all been at the Peak Realm, yet every last one of them was now silent.
His gaze continued forward and landed on a monk draped in a kasaya.
The monk looked extremely young, but as more time passed after his death, his skin and flesh rapidly aged.
It was a rather eerie sight.
Liu Gelin crouched down and briefly examined him. As his True Essence circulated, he quickly determined the other party's realm.
Profound Realm First Layer.
The Mukade Demon on the old monk's body was likewise in the Profound Realm, and was very close to the middle stage of the Profound Realm!
With such a lineup, even if, as the magistrate had said, they had dispatched a martial artist of the Profound Realm Third Layer, it would still have been difficult to stand against them.
Being able to retreat unscathed would already have counted as strength.
Yet Li Xuanxiao had actually slaughtered every one of them!
Liu Gelin gave Li Xuanxiao a long, deep look.
This kid...
He really had underestimated him!
A bona fide Profound Realm martial artist, and one with formidable combat power at that—at the very least, stronger than those fellows in the Demon Slayer Division who had only just entered the Profound Realm!
And he looked very young too, about the same age as Si Miaoyin.
Another top-tier martial genius...
Liu Gelin sighed inwardly and continued walking forward.
But soon, the indifference vanished from his face, replaced by a dark and terrifying expression.
He saw the pit.
There was no longer any sound coming from it, but corpses were piled within.
Human corpses and Mukade corpses were all mixed together, delivering an immense shock!
Liu Gelin fell silent for a long while, saying nothing.
He turned and walked before Li Xuanxiao. "You did well!"
"This time, our intelligence was wrong. We misjudged the mission's difficulty."
"For you to have accomplished this much counts as exceeding the mission requirements."
"Our previous mistake will be written off, and I will also record a merit for you!"
"If you wish to join the Demon Slayer Division, come find me at the Law Enforcement Hall!"
With that, Liu Gelin took out a pill from his sleeve.
"This is a Purple Dragon Blood Date Pill. After taking it, it will swiftly replenish your depleted vitality and True Qi."
"Official duties keep me busy, so I cannot remain here long. Will you return to the Demon Slayer Division with me now, or head back on your own?"
Li Xuanxiao thought for a moment. "Please go ahead, sir. I still have some matters to attend to."
If Si Miaoyin had asked him, he might have returned with her. But with Liu Gelin, forget it.
It was quite a long journey, and they were two grown men who did not know each other. He had no idea what they could even talk about.
It would be pretty awkward.
Besides, he really did have something to do. He had not forgotten his promise to take Little Monk away.
Little Monk was quite a good person. He had even prayed for Li Xuanxiao's safety.
He could not be someone who broke his word!
Liu Gelin nodded. As True Essence surged, he had already soared into the sky.
Like a comet, he departed in the direction of the Demon Slayer Division.
Li Xuanxiao took the magistrate and found Little Monk.
On the way out of Pure Land Temple, a sudden idea struck Li Xuanxiao.
He looked at Little Monk, his gaze like a wolf eyeing a sheep.
"Little Monk, do you know where your temple keeps its cultivation methods and martial arts?"
Little Monk scratched his little bald head in confusion. "Does the benefactor mean the Scripture Repository?"
Pure Land Temple, Scripture Repository.
Under Li Xuanxiao's threats and temptations, Little Monk ultimately yielded.
"Don't feel too guilty, Little Monk. Your Pure Land Temple has done so many things that offend heaven and reason."
"I'm eliminating evil for the people here, and cleaning house for the Buddha."
"The Buddha will surely be willing to reward me with a few cultivation methods and martial arts!"
Little Monk pursed his lips and turned his head away, unwilling to pay Li Xuanxiao any attention.
Having entered the Scripture Repository, Li Xuanxiao was like a wolf entering a sheepfold.
Such a vast Scripture Repository must contain quite a few cultivation methods and martial arts!
This time, I'm about to soar into the heavens!
Li Xuanxiao rubbed his hands together like a fly, impatiently beginning to wander around the Scripture Repository.
But before long, his expression gradually fell.
What was all this nonsense?!
Why were they all scriptures and Buddhist teachings?
He had not seen a single cultivation method or martial art—not even one from the Profound Realm!
"That shouldn't be right. I personally saw those Monk Soldiers and Demon Monks use martial arts!"
Puzzled, Li Xuanxiao turned to Little Monk. "Little Monk, you're not lying to me, are you?"
"Those who leave the secular world do not speak falsehoods. You can't violate your precepts!"
Little Monk helplessly uttered, "Amitabha. Benefactor, to Buddhists, martial arts are not the purpose, but merely a means."
"When the body is healthy, the heart is spirited; when the heart is spirited, enlightenment comes more easily."
"The cultivation methods and martial arts practiced by Buddhist monks are all comprehended from the scriptures."
"One must know that Buddhist teachings seek to save the world, while martial arts are for killing. The two run contrary to one another and restrain each other."
"How could the Scripture Repository store purely murderous arts?"
Li Xuanxiao froze. Then what was he supposed to do?
He did not have some heaven-defying comprehension system!
So now, faced with an entire building of treasures, he could not obtain even the slightest benefit from it?
How could that do!
Unwilling to accept this, Li Xuanxiao immediately picked up a scripture at random and began reading.
Only to find every word obscure and difficult to understand, as tasteless as chewing wax.
It brought him back to those glorious years of being at the bottom of the class.
In a fit of giving up entirely, Li Xuanxiao directly adopted the quantum speed-reading method.
He read book after book, soon passing a hundred scriptures.
Just as he resigned himself with a sigh and was about to give up.
Cultivation method recorded—"Ancient Subtle Life Lotus"!
Holy shit!
Li Xuanxiao froze, then his face filled with wild delight.
He immediately opened his personal panel!
Before you continue