The Bird Demon of Unknown Origin

After his jaw was reset with a few slaps from Prefect Hu, the interrogation finally began to proceed smoothly.

Prefect Hu wiped his hands, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said in a deep voice, "Name!"

"Cao Yongjun."

"Place of origin?"

"Shiwu Village, Yuzhou."

"Cultivation realm?"

"Opening Meridians Realm, sixth level."

"Why... hmm?"

Prefect Hu's hand, holding the teacup, trembled slightly. He suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, staring at the person opposite him.

Opening Meridians Realm, sixth level...

This meant the person had opened six meridians, and could be said to be certain to break through to the Xiantian realm, with an extremely low probability of failure.

Generally speaking, the Xiantian realm martial artists previously seen in Qiulin County had basically attempted to break through after opening four or five meridians.

This was because opening meridians became increasingly difficult as one progressed.

Most martial artists who felt their talent was poor would not waste time continuing to open meridians, but would directly attempt to break through to the Xiantian realm.

Prefect Hu had currently opened four meridians, but he was not in a hurry to break through because he came from a good background. His family could provide considerable assistance and resources for cultivation.

Furthermore, by serving as the county lieutenant of Qiulin County, he could also claim credit if any of his constables slew a demon. Therefore, he was confident he could open one or two more meridians with little effort.

Even so, in his own estimation, opening six meridians would already be quite good.

After opening six meridians, the possibility of breaking through to the Xiantian realm would greatly increase, making it almost a certainty.

Moreover, there would be a chance to glimpse realms beyond Xiantian.

But now, this Demon Cultivator before him was... wait!

He suddenly realized something was wrong.

How did Shen Lin manage to capture him???

Opening Meridians Realm, sixth level, and a Demon Cultivator at that!

Martial artists of the same realm would almost certainly not be his match.

Before reaching Xiantian, even martial artists possessing Qi and Blood Force were ultimately still mortal.

Even martial artists who had opened all their meridians could be injured by sharp weapons and crossbow bolts.

But these Demon Cultivators who practiced demonic arts were different.

Even at the Opening Meridians Realm, they could master many strange techniques.

When Hu Dongxing first entered the county yamen, he had followed the previous county lieutenant in a siege against a Demon Cultivator.

That was an Opening Meridians Realm, third-level Demon Cultivator.

The county lieutenant at the time was at the Opening Meridians Realm, fifth level, and could attempt to break through to the Xiantian realm at any time.

Even so, the county lieutenant did not underestimate the opponent. He gathered almost all the martial artists in Qiulin County and, cooperating with the armored soldiers of the Patrol Division, launched an attack.

That battle was unforgettable for Hu Dongxing.

Three Opening Meridians Realm martial artists died, including the previous county lieutenant who failed his breakthrough attempt, and two family retainers.

The martial artists in the county yamen suffered more than half casualties, and the armored soldiers of the Patrol Division were almost completely wiped out.

This was because that Demon Cultivator's techniques were extraordinary; he could control blood.

Ordinary people below the martial artist level would have their blood drained out of them in an instant upon the first encounter.

The sturdy armor of the Patrol Division soldiers provided no protection whatsoever.

Martial artists could last a bit longer, but they would become extremely weak and unable to fight effectively.

Only those at the Opening Meridians Realm could suppress the agitation of their internal blood with their profound Qi and Blood Force.

But even that was not enough to defeat the opponent.

Because that Demon Cultivator could condense blood into armor and weapons, and even direct hits from the Patrol Division's crossbow bolts could not penetrate his defenses.

This was comparable to the True Gang Body Protection of the Xiantian realm.

Prefect Hu had originally thought that the extremely miserable-looking person before him was just a Demon Cultivator who had newly entered the Opening Meridians Realm.

In that case, it would be no problem for Shen Lin to have gotten lucky and defeated him.

But now, upon hearing the opponent's realm, Prefect Hu felt his head spinning.

Opening Meridians Realm, sixth level, even more formidable than the Demon Cultivator in Prefect Hu's memory.

How on earth did Shen Lin...

"Then how did you..."

Prefect Hu subconsciously asked, but as soon as he spoke, he seemed to recall something. His expression immediately turned serious, and he changed his words: "With such cultivation, why did you intercept the nephew of the County Magistrate? Do you have accomplices? What exactly are your objectives?"

Prefect Hu's barrage of questions seemed to catch Cao Yongjun off guard, leaving him staring blankly at the official.

"Speak quickly! Haven't you had enough of our methods?"

Prefect Hu's expression soured, his heart filled with urgency.

A demon cultivator of such caliber couldn't have appeared out of thin air. Without someone providing resources, even a demon cultivator couldn't easily break through six meridians. But if this was an organized demon cultivator, then their targeting of the County Magistrate...

With this thought, Prefect Hu grew even more anxious, abruptly standing up, desperate for an answer.

The next moment, his expression froze, his pupils constricting. Standing up and looking down, he finally noticed a small black feather that had appeared on the crown of Cao Yongjun's head at some point.

Not good!

He looked up sharply, spotting the starry sky through a small opening in the roof.

"Audacious villain!!!"

He roared, his Qi and Blood Force erupting instantly. He violently smashed through the roof and leaped out.

Cao Yongjun was dead!

Right before his eyes, silenced without a sound. The black feather was deeply embedded in his skull, beyond any hope of recovery, even for a demon cultivator.

The most important thing now was to capture the perpetrator.

As expected, the moment Prefect Hu burst through the roof, a black shadow caught his eye. The shadow moved as if treading on wind, flitting between rooftops without a sound.

The next moment, the shadow paused, glancing back. Compared to the shadow, Prefect Hu's commotion was far greater.

With a thunderous roar, Prefect Hu shot towards the figure like a cannonball.

"Reckless fool, if it weren't for... Hmph!"

The shadow muttered helplessly, accelerating its escape. It had the strength to kill Cao Yongjun in one blow, after all. In fact, its strength far surpassed that of the impulsive Prefect Hu.

Hu Dongxing understood this. But the reason the shadow could be pursued so brazenly was that this was Qiulin County! A county town under human control!

The next moment, surging waves of Qi and Blood Force erupted from various points within the city. Those were the Martial Artists of the Opening Meridians Realm within the city. At least a dozen of them, far exceeding the number of Opening Meridians Realm cultivators openly stationed in Qiulin County.

If surrounded by so many...

With this thought, the shadow sighed and suddenly stopped.

Hu Dongxing, who had been in pursuit, narrowed his eyes. He drew the long saber at his waist, his face filled with wariness. However, the shadow didn't attack. Instead, it bent its knees and leaped violently into the air.

With a single jump, it reached a height of over ten meters.

Flap!

With a tearing sound, two wings covered in black feathers extended from its back. A gentle flap sent it soaring into the high heavens.

"Damn it!"

Hu Dongxing watched the small black dot disappear into the distance, his face grim.

Since when did such a powerful bird demon appear in the territory of Qiulin County?