Cultivating Both Within and Without

When the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art reached perfection, the body's defenses were almost comprehensively enhanced, including certain vital points.

After the fifteenth level,

its defensive power became even more formidable.

Arts like the Iron Crotch Art, which could only strengthen a single vulnerable spot, were not worth learning.

He put the book back.

Shen Changqing pulled out the next one.

It was still an introductory martial art, somewhat stronger than the Iron Crotch Art, but still not worth learning.

Because time was limited,

he did not dare waste it carelessly.

After that,

Shen Changqing merely skimmed through them. Of every martial art he pulled out, he only looked at the name, returning any that seemed unsuitable.

After a long while,

he drew out a martial art manual, and his gaze stopped on it.

Pure Yang Art!

Opening the first page, he saw its contents.

"The Pure Yang Art emphasizes cultivating both within and without, combining motion and stillness. Within, it nurtures the five viscera and six bowels; without, it tempers the sinews, bones, and skin. This art is supremely rigid and supremely yang, suitable for men to cultivate. Women must ensure the free circulation of yin and yang when cultivating it, or their lives will be at risk!"

After reading the first page, Shen Changqing understood that this was the martial art he had been looking for.

Compared with the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art,

the Pure Yang Art clearly had a higher ceiling.

Moreover, this martial art cultivated both within and without, sharing much the same underlying principle as the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art he was currently practicing.

In that case,

cultivating the Pure Yang Art would surely let him achieve twice the result with half the effort.

At that thought,

Shen Changqing immediately sat down where he was and carefully read through the Pure Yang Art in his hands.

Perhaps because he had achieved success in the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art, he found that his thoughts had become clearer when reading martial arts manuals.

Content that once required a long time to memorize could now be remembered after only a few glances.

In less than two hours,

Shen Changqing had memorized the entire contents of the Pure Yang Art.

At the same time,

he checked his panel.

Name: Shen Changqing

Faction: Great Qin Demon Suppression Bureau

Status: Probationary Demon Exorcist

Martial Arts: Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art (Level Fifteen, cannot be improved), Pure Yang Art (Not Initiated, cannot be improved)

Kill Value: 0

Unless one had thoroughly read a martial art manual, its information would not appear on the panel.

Now that it appeared on the panel,

it proved that Shen Changqing had memorized the Pure Yang Art.

"It's about time!"

The two-hour limit meant he could not linger in the Archive Pavilion for long.

Fortunately,

Shen Changqing had used a single opportunity to memorize the Pure Yang Art. He did not need to spend around a month, as he had in the past, to commit one martial art to memory.

After leaving the Archive Pavilion,

he went straight back to where he lived.

The Demon Suppression Bureau might be large,

but as a probationary Demon Exorcist, there were only a few places he could truly go.

Moreover, those places were almost all within the Demon-Slaying Institute.

Places like the Demon Suppression Prison

required one to carry a Demon Suppression Prison Manual before one could enter openly and aboveboard.

Apart from that,

the Archive Pavilion also had restrictions on the interval between visits.

Of course, the Demon Suppression Bureau did not restrict Demon Exorcists, nor did it stipulate that probationary Demon Exorcists could not freely leave the Demon Suppression Bureau.

However—

the Demon Suppression Bureau where Shen Changqing currently was located in the capital of Great Qin. His predecessor had not been from the capital, but had merely been selected by someone from the Demon Suppression Bureau elsewhere.

Likewise, his predecessor had dared enter the Demon Suppression Bureau because he had long since been all alone in the world.

Ever since entering the Demon Suppression Bureau,

his predecessor had not left even once.

Thus, his predecessor had been very unfamiliar with the capital, which meant Shen Changqing, who had inherited his memories, was equally unfamiliar with it.

He had no acquaintances,

and it was an unfamiliar place.

Shen Changqing could not be bothered to waste that time.

Rather than leave the Demon Suppression Bureau to do meaningless things, he would rather remain in the Demon Suppression Bureau and cultivate in peace.

Compared with official Demon Exorcists,

the Demon Suppression Bureau already gave probationary Demon Exorcists considerable preferential treatment.

They did not need to carry out overly dangerous missions, martial arts manuals were supplied without interruption, and their meals were provided according to a martial artist's standards.

All probationary Demon Exorcists

only had to spend a little time completing missions once every five days. The rest of their time could be used for cultivation.

Although Shen Changqing did not know much about this world,

he had reason to believe that few places besides the Demon Suppression Bureau could provide such a cultivation environment.

Therefore,

there was no way Shen Changqing would leave the Demon Suppression Bureau on his own and waste time elsewhere.

Inside the room,

he sat cross-legged on the bed, recalling the contents of the Pure Yang Art.

Because he had no Kill Value, Shen Changqing could not take shortcuts.

But

being unable to use Kill Value to improve did not mean he had to waste his days away.

Rather than wait around idly, he might as well rely on his own talent to cultivate. If he gained something, he could save quite a bit when using Kill Value in the future.

The days of earnest cultivation always passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye,

two months had gone by.

Demon Exorcist was indeed a profession with high turnover. Over those two months, Shen Changqing saw many newcomers arrive and fill positions in the Yellow Division Demon Exorcist Court where he was stationed.

Yet no matter how many people were added, the Demon Exorcist Court never seemed to be fully staffed.

Clearly,

the number of Demon Exorcists dying was anything but small.

Shen Changqing did not pay much attention to this.

After all, apart from Liu Chang, whom he could barely consider an acquaintance, he knew no one else in the Demon Exorcist Court.

Thus, whether those people lived or died had little to do with him.

In Shen Changqing's eyes,

improving his own strength was the only thing he truly ought to do.

Otherwise, he would follow in the footsteps of the others.

Knock, knock!

Someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

Shen Changqing opened it and immediately saw Liu Chang standing outside.

"Steward Liu!"

"—"

Liu Chang had been about to nod when his expression suddenly changed. He carefully sized Shen Changqing up from head to toe, and a look of uncertainty appeared on his face.

"You broke through to Meridian Opening!?"

"I cultivated the Pure Yang Art in seclusion and only recently gained a little insight."

Shen Changqing nodded.

When he had truly begun cultivating the Pure Yang Art, he discovered that it was far more compatible with the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art than he had imagined.

With the true qi from the Thirteen Guardians Body-Hardening Art as a foundation,

Shen Changqing had taken only a few days to successfully convert all his true qi into Pure Yang True Qi.

But because of the timing,

he had kept it concealed and had not revealed it lightly.

By now,

Shen Changqing had calculated the timing and only exposed part of his strength, which was why Liu Chang had noticed it.

"—"

Upon receiving confirmation, Liu Chang could not help but feel shocked.

He had really broken through!

Liu Chang had long known that Shen Changqing possessed exceptional talent. Many probationary Demon Exorcists could not compare with him.

But he had never imagined

that Shen Changqing could cultivate Pure Yang True Qi so quickly.

One had to know

that the greatest difference between Meridian Opening and Body Tempering lay in true qi.

Only those who possessed true qi could be distinguished from ordinary martial artists.

"If I remember correctly, you have only been at the Demon Suppression Bureau for a little over three months, not even four months yet—"

"In reply to Steward Liu, three months and five days."

"Three months and five days!"

Liu Chang nodded slightly, the shock in his heart beyond measure.

Being able to break through to Meridian Opening in around three months undoubtedly made one a genius, and an unparalleled genius at that.

After the brief shock,

he recovered.

Though unparalleled geniuses were startling, the Demon Suppression Bureau was not without them. After all, it was a powerful institution of Great Qin that gathered many promising figures from throughout the nation.

Among those people, some geniuses and even unparalleled geniuses were hidden.

Ordinarily, they were utterly unremarkable.

But only after truly entering the Demon Suppression Bureau would they gradually bloom with brilliance.

"Now that you have broken through to the Meridian Passage Realm, you are qualified to become an official Demon Exorcist. However, probationary Demon Exorcists have a one-year grace period, and you may choose to remain in the Demon Suppression Bureau for further secluded cultivation.

With your talent, I believe you will gain quite a bit in the remaining seven months.

Remember, the Meridian Opening Realm is not weak, but before true powerhouses, it amounts to nothing. Do not become overly complacent."

Liu Chang gave the warning solemnly.

Normally, whenever a probationary Demon Exorcist broke through to Meridian Opening, he would have them immediately undertake a promotion mission and become a true Demon Exorcist.

But when facing Shen Changqing, he made an exception.

There were some unparalleled geniuses in the Demon Suppression Bureau, but certainly not many.

Now that the Yellow Division Demon Exorcist Court had finally produced such a person, Liu Chang did not want him to die young.

Hearing this,

Shen Changqing looked grateful. "Many thanks, Steward Liu!"

"Go on. Your mission today is still to patrol the Demon Suppression Prison. Remember, although you are already in the Meridian Opening Realm, do not trespass into other areas of the Demon Suppression Prison. Patrol only the second level.

Some places are dangerous. Even with Meridian Opening cultivation, you could face mortal peril."

Liu Chang spoke in a deep voice.

Everything he said was written in the Demon Suppression Prison Manual.

It was simply that—

Liu Chang worried that Shen Changqing, having just broken through, might entertain improper thoughts. If he failed to heed the warnings in the Demon Suppression Prison Manual and ventured into other places on his own, he might never return.

"I understand this matter well, Steward Liu. Please rest assured."

Shen Changqing cupped his hands.

Seeing this, Liu Chang said nothing further.

By saying so much this time, he had already done Shen Changqing a considerable favor.

If Shen Changqing still needed constant warnings, then if he died, it would be no one's fault but his own.

Throughout the years, there had always been people who made their own decisions and died in the Demon Suppression Prison. Liu Chang did not want Shen Changqing to fall there, because that would be a tremendous waste.

Of course.

If the other party stubbornly refused all advice, then they deserved to die.

Fine words were hard to persuade a ghost bent on dying.

After bidding Liu Chang farewell,

Shen Changqing soon headed for the Demon Suppression Prison.

Because he came so often, the soldiers stationed at the Demon Suppression Prison were quite familiar with him.

As usual,

after checking his handbook, they stepped aside and let him pass.

Shen Changqing cupped his hands politely, then vanished into the first level of the Demon Suppression Prison.

Entering the second level,

a familiar chill rushed at him.

The moment the chill drew near, a scorching aura rose from his dantian and swiftly spread through his limbs and bones, completely driving away the cold that had touched him.

From beginning to end,

Shen Changqing never slowed his pace, heading straight for the first cell.