Technique! Purple Cloud Profound Force

Xiantian realm...

Four hundred and forty years of demon lifespan...

Shen Lin stood frozen, staring blankly at his attribute panel.

[Shen Lin]

[Martial Arts Mastered: Blood Battle Saber Technique (Mastery), Wild Wind Sword Technique (Mastery), Qingqiu Body Tempering Technique (Mastery), Shadow Severing Step (Mastery)]

[Cultivation Techniques Mastered: None]

[Remaining Lifespan: One Year]

[Demon Lifespan: Seven Hundred and Thirty-Seven Years]

In just one night, he had gained a total of seven hundred and thirty-seven years of demon lifespan.

"Whew, that was close. If he'd really broken through to the Xiantian realm, we might not have made it out alive."

Zijing let out a long breath, snapping Shen Lin out of his daze.

Gathering his thoughts, Shen Lin looked at Zijing. "You found it, right?"

Zijing nodded, understanding what he meant.

Time to settle the bill!

But now, unlike before, she seemed hesitant, fidgeting as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Seeing this, Shen Lin furrowed his brow and said coldly, "Are you trying to fool me?"

Zijing hurriedly shook her head, her face sour. "Something unexpected happened. I'll need a lot of Meridian Unblocking Pills from here on out..."

When her family had met with disaster, she had been too young to learn this family-inherited cultivation technique.

She had only heard her father say that their family's secret technique was unfathomably profound, hardly inferior to the inherited techniques of the great families in the Imperial Capital.

That was why she had spent all these years desperately searching for it.

She had just obtained the cultivation technique hidden in the Thousand Pines Diagram. Though she hadn't had time to study its mysteries, she had seen the requirements at the very beginning.

To cultivate this technique, one had to first open all twelve meridians.

Zijing hadn't originally planned to open every meridian. She had intended to open around ten before attempting to break through to the Xiantian realm.

But now, in order to cultivate this technique, she had no choice but to change her plans.

That meant the number of Meridian Unblocking Pills she needed had skyrocketed.

Although she could trade some of her resources for Meridian Unblocking Pills, that would take far too long. She couldn't wait.

So even the three pills she had previously promised Shen Lin had become precious beyond measure.

"How about this? I'll give you resources of equivalent value, then tell you where you can trade them for Meridian Unblocking Pills. Would that work?"

Zijing asked cautiously.

She could already sense a faint trace of murderous intent in Shen Lin's gaze.

Shen Lin's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Your method would take quite a while, wouldn't it?"

"About one or two months..."

Hearing this, Shen Lin shook his head at once and sighed. "No!"

Zijing fell silent. She truly couldn't think of another solution.

The atmosphere grew tense, and Zijing felt a heavy pressure bearing down on her.

If it came to it...

She could only give it to him.

After all, she had witnessed Shen Lin's strength just now. With her current abilities, even if she used every trick she had, she probably couldn't escape him.

Just as she was about to give in, Shen Lin suddenly said, "Or... you could let me take a look at the Thousand Pines Diagram, and we'll call it even. How about that?"

Seeing Shen Lin's half-smile, Zijing's heart leapt into her throat.

This guy...

Her instinct was to refuse. That was her family's inherited cultivation technique. Back then, so many powerful figures in the Imperial Capital had asked for it, and her father had refused them all. How could she just hand it over to Shen Lin?

But just as she was about to refuse, she suddenly froze.

The Yuan Family was gone now...

Zijing took a deep breath. The tension drained from her face, and she smiled. "All right!"

"All right?"

Shen Lin froze, seemingly surprised that she had agreed so readily.

"Mm. Here you go!"

Zijing handed over the Thousand Pines Diagram without hesitation.

Shen Lin accepted it with a strange expression and glanced at it.

But with that single glance, his face changed. His entire mind sank into the diagram.

Zijing glanced at Sun Zhi, who was writhing and groaning, but paid him no mind. She simply walked to the side, sat on the steps, and waited for Shen Lin to finish.

After a long while, the sky began to brighten. The loud crow of a rooster brought Shen Lin back to his senses.

[Congratulations, you have learned the cultivation technique Purple Cloud Profound Force. Would you like to expend lifespan to deduce it?]

Purple Cloud Profound Force was a cultivation technique.

Unlike the martial arts Shen Lin had learned before, this technique had no moves at all. It was a method of internal cultivation.

Shen Lin was somewhat excited to have learned his first cultivation technique, but in the end, he chose not to begin deducing it right away.

To cultivate this technique, one first had to open all twelve meridians, and Shen Lin still had two left to open.

Moreover, internal cultivation techniques used the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as a guide to transform one's true essence. They couldn't be cultivated at all before reaching the Xiantian realm.

Letting out a breath, Shen Lin raised his head and looked at Zijing. "You were willing to give me such a profound cultivation technique?"

This wasn't some common technique like the Blood Battle Saber Technique or the Wild Wind Sword Technique. Shen Lin even wondered whether the Demon Suppression Bureau in the provincial capital had a cultivation technique of this caliber at all.

Zijing smiled brightly and shook her head. "You and I don't have any direct conflict of interest. In the future, we'll only deepen our cooperation, not become enemies. If that's the case, there's no harm to me in making you a little stronger."

Shen Lin gave a bitter smile. "Why do I feel like learning this technique is going to bring me a lot of trouble?"

It was such a profound technique, and she had simply given it to him.

She hadn't even asked him to keep it secret. It was as if she wasn't worried at all that he might spread it everywhere.

"Of course!" Zijing nodded, eyes narrowed. "But let me make one thing clear: you can cultivate this technique yourself, or pass it on to others. I have no restrictions about that."

"Then what would happen if I really did?"

"Nothing much." Zijing gave him a mischievous grin. "It's just that my family's enemies would scour the world looking for you, trying to wipe you out root and branch."

Shen Lin sighed helplessly.

With his current strength, he probably couldn't stand up to her family's enemies at all.

It looked like he couldn't pass this technique on. He'd also have to avoid using it in public as much as possible.

"Shen... Brother..."

A hoarse voice interrupted Shen Lin's thoughts. He turned to look and saw Sun Zhi. His face was deathly pale, his cracked lips quivering slightly, and his eyes were full of pleading.

"I'd forgotten about you."

Shen Lin slapped his forehead and walked over to Sun Zhi. He examined Sun Zhi's injuries and smiled. "Head Constable Sun fought a desperate battle on this trip and killed three meridian-opening demons. That's a remarkable result. You have to hang in there. Otherwise, I'll have to rewrite this story so that you died fighting those dog demons in a mutual slaughter. That'd be a real hassle."

Zijing smiled. "The Wu Family Patriarch died at the hands of demons, and Head Constable Sun spotted something amiss and acted decisively. That'll make for a great story everyone will sing about."