Negative Effects, Great Zhou Hounds

Inside the room, as Chu Ge unleashed the Blood Rage secret technique.

In his internal perception, his Qi and Blood surged wildly, instantly condensing into more than half a tiger's head. It momentarily reached the Qi and Blood standard of the late Blood Change Realm, nearly climbing to the peak of the Blood Change Realm.

"Crack--"

The bed beneath him was the first to seem unable to withstand the unconscious impact of his Qi, groaning under the strain and emitting a dense creaking sound.

"Upstairs! It's almost the first watch, can you stop making noise? If you want to play, go to Yihong Tower across the street!"

An impatient, gruff voice suddenly came from downstairs.

Chu Ge startled awake, feeling the information flash through his mind, sensing danger. He quickly calmed his Qi and Blood and stopped his technique.

Hoo hoo hoo--

The surge of Qi enveloping his body dissipated, his intimidating aura subsided, and the bed stopped shaking. The bulging veins on his skin slowly receded, and his Qi and Blood returned to the mid-Blood Change Realm stage.

But at the same time, Chu Ge felt a wave of exhaustion, like the aftermath of a saint mode after a tremor, even feeling a dizzying sensation as if his brain was lacking blood.

In his mind, related status messages quickly appeared.

After unleashing Blood Rage, there were inevitable side effects: Qi and Blood were depleted rapidly for a short period, placing a great burden on the body and consuming immense physical strength.

In severe cases, it could even cause cerebral blood vessel rupture, posing a risk of stroke.

However, this side effect varied depending on the individual's physique, so the duration of the secret technique also differed.

"I only managed to sustain it for less than three breaths, and I already feel dizzy and exhausted. This secret technique should not be used unless absolutely necessary for survival."

"However, I'm currently only relying on the Dragon Bell's inheritance to master it. If I want to learn this secret technique myself, I'll need to reach the peak of Blood Change and awaken my Spiritual Aptitude before I can cultivate it."

Chu Ge pondered silently. After his Qi and Blood stabilized, he got out of bed and drank some cooled salted white water to replenish himself.

That night, he continued to cultivate using his Exotic Power, only to feel a wave of fatigue.

In the end, he couldn't even deplete the four strands of Exotic Power allotted for daily cultivation, falling asleep sitting up due to exhaustion.

Waking up early the next morning, Chu Ge felt the strength of the Qi and Blood within him and became alert.

"It seems the after-effects of using the Blood Rage Exotic Power secret technique, which causes Qi and Blood to become sluggish and even decline, are already affecting my cultivation."

Fortunately, through the inherited secret technique information in his mind, he knew that with the brief duration he used it yesterday, the negative effects would last at most one day.

As he engaged in daily activities, his body would naturally regain vitality and his Qi and Blood would become vigorous.

"Zhu Zi. You're awake? Quick, look, how's this one? Xiao Qian wants to wear this one today."

At this moment, Xiao Qian's voice came from the side.

Chu Ge shifted his gaze and saw Xiao Qian pulling a paper figure of a little girl with two braided pigtails out of a box, looking at him with anticipation.

"You can, but you still have to provide the Exotic Power to maintain the Shadow Puppets yourself!"

He said casually.

Anyway, all the Shadow Puppets in the box were made by him. It didn't matter how Xiao Qian dressed them up.

He could look at them every day to change his mood. As long as he didn't expend any extra Exotic Power, it was fine.

Xiao Qian was sensitive and knew he was being perfunctory when Chu Ge said that. She immediately pouted and started rummaging in the box again.

"Alright, I'm going out for a bit. Are you coming with me, or staying at the inn by yourself?"

Chu Ge put on his clothes and walked over to feed Xiao Qian her daily dose of Exotic Power.

He was starting to feel it was a bit strenuous to raise Xiao Qian now.

Including daily cultivation and maintaining the Crimson Scale Claws, he had to expend seven strands of Exotic Power daily.

And now, there were only a little over two hundred strands of Exotic Power left in the Dragon Bell. He had to go and acquire some old items in the Prefectural City again.

After a cup of tea, Chu Ge had finished his breakfast. He borrowed paper and a brush from the inn and wrote a letter to his elder sister, Chu Feixue, before heading out with Xiao Qian.

Considering the crowded streets in the city now, he didn't take a carriage. Instead, he walked to the Lingbao Pavilion first to inquire about the Blood Augmentation Marrow Cleansing Pill.

However, he was informed by the shop assistant that the Blood Augmentation Marrow Cleansing Pill would only be put up for auction in a few days and would not be sold at a fixed price to the public.

"This thing seems to be in high demand."

Chu Ge looked at the Martial Cultivators inquiring all around the Lingbao Pavilion, including one or two with strong auras, like experts in the Blood Change Realm, and felt somewhat speechless.

The competition in big cities was too fierce, too intense.

But the Blood Augmentation Marrow Cleansing Pill was indeed very valuable.

His original plan was to buy one, then pretend to have broken through to the Blood Change Realm with the help of the pill, maintaining the image of a gifted genius who had taken medicine, and then join the Demon Suppressing Division in the city.

As for whether he would be valued by the Demon Suppressing Division afterward, it would depend on his Spiritual Aptitude and his own development.

But now, it seemed he would have to wait a few more days.

Chu Ge didn't care whether he could compete for the spiritual pill in a few days.

The auctions at Lingbao Pavilion were all conducted through sealed bids. As long as one participated, who would know who bought it?

Even if he couldn't win the bid, he could completely fabricate the facts, as long as there was a record of his participation in the Lingbao Pavilion auction.

Immediately, Chu Ge didn't linger and headed to the Demon Suppressing Division instead.

In every Prefectural City of Great Zhou, there is a Demon Suppressing Division.

The Demon Suppressing Division employs enshrined experts, as well as external forces like the Golden Sparrow Tiger Guard and Silver Sparrow Wolf Guard, to protect the safety of the Prefectural City and its surrounding towns.

This is also why there are few sightings of demonic beasts and strange creatures within Great Zhou.

However, with chaos already erupting, the pressure on the Demon Suppressing Divisions in each prefecture is increasing daily, and it's likely they are facing a shortage of personnel.

Compared to joining family powers, where one might not be highly valued, or sects that exert strong control over individuals.

Chu Ge preferred to join Great Zhou's Demon Suppressing Division. As long as he could earn merit, he would gain resources; at the very least, he could slack off and still have a meal.

The relationship between Great Zhou's Demon Suppressing Division, sects, and families is roughly equivalent to the relationship between administrative staff, public institution staff, and labor contracts in his previous life.

Once he put on that uniform, he would at least be an official.

No matter how much Great Zhou declined, Emperor Wu of Zhou had not yet fallen, and for the vast majority of sects and families, he still held a deterrent.

Half an incense stick later, Chu Ge arrived in front of a large and spacious complex of buildings in the city.

The buildings were magnificent, with structures everywhere. The central gate was red with golden rings, exuding great presence. Inside the high walls, strange trees grew tall. Outside, a considerable crowd had already gathered, busy registering information at tables by the entrance.

Several men and women wearing silver sparrow and wolf patterns, with imposing demeanor, carried swords and sabers, entering the building under the awestruck gazes of the crowd.

Seeing this, Chu Ge also moved closer and overheard the bitter exchanges of the people in front. Although they were speaking in dialect, he could understand them.

"Sigh! I didn't expect so many people to be joining the Demon Suppressing Division recently."

"Tell me about it. I was hoping to try my luck and see if I could get a marginal Blade Catcher position in an external division, but now there are no spots left."

"We can only register for now and see if an opportunity arises."

"Don't even think about it. This registration is just for show. Unless you've already reached the Blood Change Realm, or have shown Spiritual Aptitude in the Bone Training Realm, or have connections, you won't even get a chance to take the assessment. And mind you, that's just the assessment."

"That makes it difficult. If I were in the Blood Change Realm, wouldn't it be better to join the Yun Family as an outsider? Then I could find a chance to enter a sect later, enjoying benefits from both. Being a lifelong servant to a sect is still being a servant."

Hearing this, Chu Ge looked at the dozen or so people queuing to register ahead of him, then at the onlookers nearby, and felt dejected.

He didn't expect that just like finding a job in his previous life, it was still a competition even after transmigrating.

He could sense the strength of the people around him through their aura; they were mostly in the Bone Training Realm.

A Prefectural City was indeed a Prefectural City; there was an oversupply of talent. These people would be considered experts in Linyuan City and could open martial arts schools.

Yet, they were all gathered here, competing for a Blade Catcher position in an external division of the Demon Suppressing Division.

"Blade Catcher" sounded good, implying they were part of the Demon Suppressing Division.

But to put it bluntly, they were essentially freelance dogs who had to take on all the dirty work.

So many people were vying to be dogs.

No wonder they called them "hawks and hounds"; once they put on the uniform, they were practically beasts.

Soon, the line reached Chu Ge.

With a "try my luck" mindset, Chu Ge handed over his travel permit to register.

"From Linyuan City? Staying at the Moon Xi Inn?"

The old woman registering looked up at Chu Ge, entered his information, and casually returned his travel permit.

"You can go now."

Chu Ge smiled. As he subtly took back his travel permit, he placed a money pouch from his sleeve into the old woman's hand and asked.

"When will I hear back? Where should I inquire?"

The old woman's expression turned cold. She did not take the money pouch and said sternly, "Don't try that with me! We'll notify you when there's news. You're staying at the Moon Xi Inn, aren't you?"

Chu Ge was speechless and frowned slightly. He had just seen someone else slip her a money pouch, and she had accepted it.

Yet, when it was his turn, he was rebuffed.

He wondered if this was because the other person had connections and had already bribed her, or if she was discriminating against him as an outsider because his accent was different, making him unworthy of even offering money.

"What are you looking at?" The old woman rolled her eyes. "If you're done registering, move along. There are people behind you."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly saw something. Her eyes widened in surprise, then her expression changed immediately. She stood up and hurried out to meet a short-haired, rugged man walking directly towards the gate, clasping her hands in a solemn salute.

"Are you Xue Yan, the Prairie Fire Saber, ranked eighty-third on the Blood Ranking?"