Even in broad daylight, his bats weren't affected.
According to the records, this kind of sinister technique became unstable when exposed to sunlight and could even collapse before taking shape.
But Chen Xia's bats were condensed from Blood Sun energy, so there was no difference between day and night. For now, though, they could fly only two hundred and fifty meters at most. Any farther, and he lost the connection.
He tried to condense a second one but failed. Still, he was very pleased. Having even one bat would make things much more convenient for him in the future.
If their numbers kept growing, he would essentially have countless pairs of eyes.
This Evil Technique was incredibly powerful.
Ordinary people simply couldn't cultivate it, though, since the price was cultivating the Eternal Night Blood Scripture first and becoming a Blood Slave.
Chen Xia had no such concerns, yet could still enjoy the technique's power.
As for Blood Soul Bewitching Heart, he had also tried it a few times that morning. With the foundation of the First Secret Technique, he learned it quickly, too. He just didn't know how effective it was yet, since he hadn't tested it.
For the past two days, he hadn't gone to the Patrol Inspection Office, devoting his time entirely to training his Spirit Technique.
But he hadn't neglected his work, either.
He had separately reported everything to Jiang Xinglan: the information Xiao Qiang and his subordinates had gathered, as well as what Zhang Feng had previously uncovered about the blood shadows in the alley.
He had emphasized Zhang Feng and Xiao Qiang's contributions. What the Chief Office decided to do next was up to them.
Jiang Xinglan had asked him to provide this information, so he didn't need to go through the branch office.
Two days later, at noon.
Chen Xia stood by the window on the Second Floor, seeming to watch the street outside. In reality, the images appearing in his mind were of his own back and side profile.
There were two bats in his room. One clung to a corner of the back room, while the other hovered off to the right. The one on the right was fainter, and harder to condense.
As Chen Xia turned and reached out, both bats returned to his palm and dissolved into blood mist, merging into his body.
"With the Blood Sun energy I have now, one bat can fly farther and see more than two. That's enough for me."
Chen Xia pondered. He opened his eyes, and a flicker of red light crossed his pupils, carrying a hint of bewitchment.
Once everything settled and he returned to normal, Chen Xia went downstairs and ate a meal his mother had prepared. Then he called out, "Mom, I'm heading out for a while."
"Will you be back for dinner?"
"Yeah, I'll be back."
"Good. I'll make your favorite little pig trotters. Come back early."
"Thanks, Mom."...
After leaving home, Chen Xia took a taxi to the Central District of Yijiang City and went to the office on the seventh floor of the Inspection Chief Office.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Come in!"
Jiang Xinglan's voice came from inside.
Chen Xia pushed open the door and entered.
As Chief Director, Jiang Xinglan was still dressed in her uniform at work, wearing her peaked cap. She held a pen in her right hand, writing a line of elegant script on a document before stamping it.
When she was done, Jiang Xinglan looked up. After a moment's thought, she said, "The Patrol Inspection Office has finished clearing out the supplies from Tongxin Village. There was more than three million in cash. Since you investigated the case, the Chief Office is awarding you a bonus of three hundred thousand."
As she spoke, Jiang Xinglan picked up a bag from the floor beside her and handed it over.
"Chief Director..."
"This is Federation policy. When a case poses a threat to the entire city, bonuses are awarded once it's resolved. Everyone who took part in this case will get one. Yours is just a little larger. I set your money aside and brought it to you separately."
Hearing this, Chen Xia took the bag. Three hundred thousand was no small sum, and he wasn't foolish enough to refuse. That'll cover my medicine costs again.
"Also, this is your appointment document."
Jiang Xinglan didn't hand him the document. Instead, she said, "You're being promoted to Deputy Headquarters for the south of the city. You'll be in charge of the first team on Mengtang Street and the second team on Baiyu Street from now on!"
Jiang Xinglan announced Chen Xia's promotion in a single sentence. Although he had been expecting it, he was still a little shocked.
The Chief Office wielded great authority in the High Martial Era, but raising him straight from a lowly team leader by two ranks to Deputy Headquarters was still astonishing.
There were two ranks above him—the deputy team leader and team leader. And now he was Deputy Headquarters?
It was an opportunity many people could only dream of.
Jiang Xinglan said, "I was going to nominate you for Deputy Director, but you were promoted only recently. People might object, and you might not be able to hold the position. So I'll have you spend some time gaining experience as Deputy Headquarters first."
"Chief Director, becoming Deputy Headquarters is already a huge promotion. Thank you for supporting me!" Chen Xia said.
Jiang Xinglan nodded. "Your promotion to Deputy Headquarters should go through without any issues. But if you want to keep advancing, you'll need to improve your strength. If you can't keep up, it'll be difficult. Do you understand what I mean?"
Jiang Xinglan was destined to rise to the Provincial City. She wasn't going to limit herself to the city.
She was practically telling Chen Xia outright that if he seized his opportunities in the future, he could rise even higher.
"I'll work hard and improve my strength!" Chen Xia felt a stir in his heart.
"Based on your performance so far, you should be a Second-Rank Martial Warrior, right?" Jiang Xinglan asked.
"I've reached Second Rank, but I haven't taken the Martial Warrior Alliance's assessment yet," Chen Xia replied.
"Mm." A flicker of surprise crossed Jiang Xinglan's eyes. "Train hard at Second Rank. Once you break through to Third Rank, if you can temper your bones early, you'll truly have set foot on the path of a Martial Warrior."
"Starting from Second Rank, most people need about five years to reach Third Rank and finish Bone Tempering. But you have some unusual talents. Could you finish it in two years?"
"I'll try." Chen Xia didn't dare promise anything. He still didn't know much about the finer points of martial arts.
He asked, "Chief Director, Third Rank is when Bone Tempering begins. Is Fourth Rank the Five Viscera Realm?"
Jiang Xinglan nodded. "Once you enter the Third-Rank Silver Bones Realm, you can be called a Martial Master. After tempering all two hundred and six bones in your body, you can step into the Fourth Rank, the Five Viscera Realm. After that comes Marrow Cleansing, Golden Body, Grandmaster... By the time you reach Martial Master, your Martial Force will have a solid foundation. Beyond enhanced strength, you'll be able to smash through walls with a single punch, break a person's bones at will, and bend steel and concrete. Your body can withstand blades and weapons. You'd be no different from a human-shaped machine."
"The further you advance, the stronger you become. At Sixth Rank, Marrow Cleansing can give birth to astral energy, letting you fly. A Great Martial Master can serve as a Governor of a Province! Go higher still, and you could reach the Capital or even become a high-ranking member of the House of Representatives or the Senate in the Federation. But for now, just focus on what's in front of you."
Jiang Xinglan explained the process of reaching Silver Bones, along with the changes and experiences Chen Xia might go through.
Chen Xia listened in silence. Now that he had set foot on this path, he would certainly strive to climb higher, but for now, he needed to take each step carefully.
"Oh, right." Jiang Xinglan suddenly changed the subject. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Chen Xia as she asked, "When did you start cultivating Evil Techniques?"
Jiang Xinglan's sudden question made Chen Xia's heart skip a beat.
If she had discovered that he was cultivating Evil Techniques, would she brand him a member of an Evil Cult and have him arrested?
He thought it over. That didn't seem very likely. He was one of Jiang Xinglan's people, for one thing. Besides, it was harming others that made an Evil Technique evil. Plenty of people cultivated techniques that harmed only their own bodies. If they didn't hurt anyone, no one would bother them.
And Chen Xia had no evil aura about him. He didn't harm people or drink blood. What he cultivated was clearly an evolved version of the Eternal Night Blood Scripture. Did that even count as an Evil Technique?
With that thought, Chen Xia's gaze cleared, and his confidence returned. "Chief Director, you must be mistaken. I haven't cultivated any Evil Techniques. I can guarantee that."
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