Demonic Remains

At the end of the second level was a prison cell.

But unlike the other cells, this one did not hold a monstrous aberration. It held an arm.

An arm covered in bluish-black scales, nothing like a human hand.

Iron chains pierced through the arm, suppressing it in the deepest part of the cell.

Standing before the cell,

Shen Changqing's expression was grave.

In his field of vision, he could clearly see that the arm pierced by chains still had flesh that twitched without pause, as though it were a living creature.

At the same time,

he recalled the information he had seen.

Name: Unknown

Rank: Low-grade demon

Description: An arm of a demon

The description was simpler than simple compared to those earlier monstrous aberrations.

But—

the simplest description did not mean the demonic arm was weak. On the contrary, it was terrifyingly powerful.

The first time Shen Changqing saw the demonic arm, it had shocked him deeply.

He found it hard to imagine

what kind of existence could achieve such a thing.

Even a severed arm would not completely die, and instead had to be imprisoned by the Demon Suppression Bureau.

He stood before the cell for a long while.

Shen Changqing kept a close eye on the changes to his panel.

But to his disappointment, the Kill Value on the panel did not increase in the slightest from beginning to end.

"Strange!"

"Could it be that each place can only grant Kill Value once?"

Shen Changqing frowned inwardly. The last time he had gained Kill Value had been in the final cell of the second level.

Yet

when he came here again this time, he had not gained even a trace of Kill Value.

Shen Changqing could not help but speculate.

Perhaps a single cell could only grant Kill Value once.

With that thought, he turned his gaze toward a pitch-black passage behind the cell.

That was the way to the third level.

Under normal circumstances,

a probationary demon slayer only needed to patrol the second level of the Demon Suppression Prison.

The reason was simple.

The second level contained powerful chill. Newly arrived probationary demon slayers had achieved little in martial arts; being able to walk through the second level by relying on their own qi and blood was already their limit.

As for the third level and the areas beyond, veteran probationary demon slayers had to descend there when carrying out patrol duties.

In other words,

once Shen Changqing had patrolled to the end of the second level, he had completed his patrol assignment and could return directly.

But—

"Returning directly would complete the Demon Suppression Bureau's task, but my plan to obtain Kill Value from the Demon Suppression Prison would come to nothing."

"Right now, only Kill Value can rapidly increase my strength."

"Without Kill Value, with my own talent, it would be difficult for me to stand out in the Demon Suppression Bureau—"

Shen Changqing's gaze was solemn.

Only by standing out in the Demon Suppression Bureau would he be qualified to climb higher.

And only by climbing higher could he receive better treatment within the Demon Suppression Bureau, allowing his strength to rise faster as well.

There would be so many missions ahead. Without sufficient strength, how could he ensure that he would survive?

"Demons ravage the world, monstrous aberrations run rampant. There is no so-called pure land in this world. Only by relying on one's own power can one carve out a path through the heavens!"

He had come to the Demon Suppression Prison for two reasons.

One was to obtain Kill Value, and the other was to understand the pattern behind Kill Value.

Completing the Demon Suppression Bureau's assignment was merely incidental.

Even without an assignment from the Demon Suppression Bureau, Shen Changqing would still find a way to visit the Demon Suppression Prison.

After all, gaining Kill Value in the Demon Suppression Prison, accumulating strength, and then carrying out other missions was far better than undertaking other missions without any preparation at all.

One had to know,

there was no absolutely safe mission in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Tasks such as patrolling the Demon Suppression Prison were among those with the lowest danger level, yet there was still a risk of dying. One could imagine how dangerous the other missions were.

Therefore,

the third level of the Demon Suppression Prison was somewhere he had to go.

Without gaining Kill Value, he could not raise his strength to a sufficiently powerful level in a short time.

Having made his decision,

Shen Changqing stepped forward resolutely and headed toward the third level.

The moment he entered the third level, a towering tide of chill surged toward him.

In an instant, that chill sought to freeze Shen Changqing's flesh and blood. Then miserable wails reached his ears, quickly turning into sobs, as if someone were weeping softly.

At the same time,

he seemed to have been cast into a bottomless hell, besieged by countless demons and monstrous aberrations—

The emergence of all these illusions left him standing dumbly in place.

A few seconds later,

the qi and blood within his body surged, dispersing that chill.

As the chill dissipated, the countless sounds and illusions at his ears vanished together.

Once the illusions disappeared,

the scene of the third level was fully revealed before Shen Changqing's eyes.

"Hah!"

He let out a long breath. His expression remained calm, but the shock in his eyes had not completely faded.

Though he had long guessed that the third level would be vastly different from the second,

still,

Shen Changqing had never imagined the difference between them would be so great.

If he had not raised the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art to the third level, then the instant he entered the third level, he would have fallen completely into the illusion.

By then,

unless he was lucky enough to be discovered by someone else,

there was a high chance he would remain trapped where he stood, his body frozen by the chill, with no chance of survival.

For a time,

Shen Changqing's vigilance toward the Demon Suppression Prison rose by several more levels.

"I originally thought that although the Demon Suppression Prison was somewhat dangerous, there would be no problem as long as I did not recklessly enter those restricted areas.

"Now it seems that even without entering those areas, there is still a danger to one's life.

"If one's strength has not reached a certain level, one does not even have the qualification to walk freely through the Demon Suppression Prison."

Back when he first came to the Demon Suppression Prison,

Shen Changqing had felt the urge to enter the third level.

But at the time, he had just obtained Kill Value and needed to study it, so he had dismissed that impulse.

Looking back now,

not entering the third level back then had undoubtedly saved his life.

Gathering his thoughts,

Shen Changqing walked toward the nearest cell.

He did not take out the Demon Suppression Prison Manual, because the manual Liu Chang had given him was incomplete and contained only information on the second level.

The levels beyond that

were not recorded at all.

Moreover, Shen Changqing's own assignment had only been to patrol the second level. Liu Chang had never expected him to enter the third level on his own.

The cells on the third level were the same size as those on the second.

Stopping before the cell door,

he saw a mass of pulsating flesh.

The flesh was somewhat different from its normal color. Beyond its deep crimson hue, it was covered in blue patterns, as if someone had carved them upon it.

The flesh pulsed rhythmically, like a living creature.

"The final cell on the second level held a demonic arm. Then this flesh before me, if I'm not mistaken, should be demonic flesh!"

Shen Changqing's expression was grave.

He did not understand demons very well.

After all, a probationary demon slayer was not qualified to come into contact with matters of too high a level.

But he knew somewhat more about monstrous aberrations.

At that moment,

a familiar cold and sinister aura flowed out from the cell and quickly surged into his body.

Feeling the cold aura strike him, Shen Changqing did not become wary. Instead, delight appeared on his face.

At once,

he focused his mind and looked at his panel.

Name: Shen Changqing

Faction: Great Qin Demon Suppression Bureau

Identity: Probationary Demon Slayer

Martial Art: Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art (Third Level, can be improved)

Kill Value: 3

"Last time, I gained Kill Value from the demonic arm. This time, I gained Kill Value from demonic flesh—"

Seeing the increased Kill Value, Shen Changqing fell into deep thought.

Within the Demon Suppression Prison,

there were monstrous aberrations as well as demons.

Yet among so many monstrous aberrations, he had been unable to obtain the Kill Value he wanted from any of them.

In contrast,

he could obtain a certain amount of Kill Value from the remnants and flesh of demons.

From this, Shen Changqing could not help but suspect that Kill Value could only be obtained from demons.

"I need to verify it!"

Having made up his mind, Shen Changqing looked at the Kill Value above. With a thought, he directly began another round of improvement.

He had no intention of hoarding Kill Value without using it.

First,

as long as he did not wander around recklessly, the Demon Suppression Prison was a safe place.

Improving his strength this time would give him a chance to endure longer on the third level.

Perhaps even

allow him to take this opportunity to enter the fourth level and have a look.

Though he had withstood the impact of the third level, Shen Changqing understood that his qi and blood were being consumed every moment.

It would not be long before he could no longer endure it.

Therefore, from every angle, improving his own strength was necessary.

The moment the thought fell,

the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art improved.

With the experience from the previous few times, Shen Changqing had gradually become accustomed to the pain that came along with improving his martial arts.

Very soon,

one point of Kill Value was consumed, and the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art rose to the fourth level.

After a brief rest,

he began another round of improvement.

After roughly half an hour, Shen Changqing's motionless body suddenly trembled. A rather powerful force of qi and blood rose from him, only to quickly fade away.

Name: Shen Changqing

Faction: Great Qin Demon Suppression Bureau

Identity: Probationary Demon Slayer

Martial Art: Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art (Sixth Level, cannot be improved)

Slaughter: 0

"The sixth layer!"

A smile appeared on Shen Changqing's face as he looked at the information above.

The Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art was an introductory martial art for probationary demon slayers. Its main purpose was to lay a foundation and strengthen one's physique and defenses.

He had chosen this martial art

because, when he had entered the Demon Suppression Bureau, an elder had guided him.

It could be said

that among all probationary demon slayers, quite a few specialized in the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art.

And although the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art did not have a high upper limit in rank, its qualification as one of the foundational martial arts for probationary demon slayers meant it was ultimately no ordinary martial art could compare to.

After advancing it to the sixth layer,

Shen Changqing felt that the chill of the third floor had weakened considerably for him.

PS: The contract has been signed. All kinds of support are welcome. Every alliance leader earns an extra chapter; debts will be repaid in full after release!