Demonic Cultivation Arts

Zhou Ping'an did not know how long he had remained inside that iron barrel. He only knew how to endure. The longer he endured, the greater the benefits he would gain.

As the demon blood continuously merged into Zhou Ping'an's body, his flesh, bones, and internal organs underwent transformation.

Zhou Ping'an entered a strange state. He could look within his own body and saw countless points of light. These points of light were the spiritual energy contained within the demon blood.

Demons lived far longer than humans. Although this Scale-Bone Snake Demon was only a fourth-level postnatal realm demon, it had already existed for a thousand years!

Over those thousand years, the Scale-Bone Snake Demon had constantly absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Its flesh was brimming with spiritual energy, making it a great tonic for martial artists.

When Zhou Ping'an emerged from that strange state, he felt light all over, as though endless strength lay within his body.

"Blech!" He took a deep breath, only to be caught off guard by a sudden wave of foul stench.

"You're finally awake. Soaking in demon blood for a full day and night—you can be considered the first in the Demon-Slaying Bureau," Zhang San said with a smile.

The once crystal-clear demon blood had turned pitch-black and gave off waves of stench.

"How did this happen?" Zhou Ping'an was utterly shocked.

"Silly boy, you've completed the first step of martial cultivation: cleansing the meridians and marrow. All the impurities in your body have been expelled, and all three hundred and sixty acupoints have opened. You should be able to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth now," Zhang San said.

"Really?"

Overjoyed, Zhou Ping'an hurriedly circulated the Qi Nourishing Art.

Sure enough, he sensed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth!

All three hundred and sixty acupoints across his body were open, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into him.

However, because his meridians were blocked, the spiritual energy could not circulate through them. Naturally, it could not be refined into internal force. Less than one part in a hundred of the spiritual energy could gather in his dantian, and even that wisp vanished because his dantian leaked.

Even with Zhang San's help, Zhou Ping'an had merely gained the qualifications to set foot on the martial path. His cultivation efficiency was truly dreadful.

Body cultivation was difficult to begin with, and Zhou Ping'an's efficiency was only a tenth—or perhaps even a hundredth—of that of an ordinary body cultivator.

Yet Zhou Ping'an was already more than satisfied. At the very least, he could now cultivate martial arts.

As for his poor cultivation efficiency, that might have been a problem for others, but it was no problem at all for him.

If others cultivated for ten years, he would cultivate for a hundred. If others cultivated for a hundred years, he would cultivate for a thousand.

Time was never a problem for him!

He set himself a small goal: cultivate in the Demon-Slaying Bureau for one hundred years. Until he reached the tenth level of the postnatal realm, he would never leave the Demon-Slaying Bureau.

"Uncle Zhang, you seem to be in a good mood?" After washing up, Zhou Ping'an looked at Zhang San's beaming face and asked.

"Hehehe, you did well, kid. You held on for a day and night. I swept the board and made quite a profit," Zhang San said excitedly.

Having made a fortune, Zhang San naturally had to go out and have some fun. His destination was Spring Embroidery Pavilion, the largest brothel in the Capital City!

Zhou Ping'an also wanted to see what the Capital City's largest brothel looked like, but Zhang San would not take him. Instead, he told him to feed the Scale-Bone Snake Demon.

The Scale-Bone Snake Demon had been bled twice in a single month and had even lost a drop of bone marrow. It was severely weakened. If it did not eat soon, it might truly die in this prison.

Though the death of one demon meant little to the Demon-Slaying Bureau, it was still Bureau property. If it could be kept alive, it should be kept alive.

After having his meridians and marrow cleansed by the demon blood, Zhou Ping'an's strength had increased greatly. Carrying a fat pig in one hand was no longer difficult for him.

As for that heavy iron door, there was no need to force it open. It was controlled by a mechanism; a pull on the handle would open it automatically.

Zhang San had forced it open yesterday purely to show off his strength.

"Mm, another small goal: open this iron door with my own strength."

Entering the cell, he saw the Scale-Bone Snake Demon, which had shrunk by an entire size.

"You're finally here! I want bloody food! Hurry and give me bloody food! I'm starving to death!" The Scale-Bone Snake Demon's eyes turned green when it saw the fat pig in Zhou Ping'an's hands.

Zhou Ping'an swung both arms, and the three- to four-hundred-pound fat pig traced an arc through the air.

Crack! The Scale-Bone Snake Demon opened its bloody maw and swallowed the fat pig in a single bite.

Having finished feeding it, Zhou Ping'an prepared to leave the cell. After all, he still needed to make the most of his time cultivating.

"Hey, don't go! Give me another fat pig! This one isn't even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth!" The Scale-Bone Snake Demon panicked.

Zhou Ping'an could not even be bothered to acknowledge the snake demon. Before leaving, Zhang San had instructed him not to feed it too much. As long as it did not starve to death, that was enough.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, don't go! I have a way to help you cultivate martial arts!" the Scale-Bone Snake Demon shouted.

Sure enough, Zhou Ping'an, who was about to leave the cell, turned back.

"You're a demon, and I'm human. You have a way to help me cultivate martial arts?" Zhou Ping'an wore an expression that said, Don't try to fool me.

"I am the Scale-Bone Snake Demon. I have lived for a full three thousand six hundred and fifty-five years. In your human terms, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. I've seen more martial artists than you can imagine. I even fought your Great Zhou Progenitor himself," the Scale-Bone Snake Demon said.

"Hehe, go on, keep boasting. You think you were worthy of fighting the Great Zhou Progenitor?" Zhou Ping'an curled his lip in disdain.

Just how strong the Great Zhou Progenitor had been was always a mystery, but one thing was beyond doubt: the Great Zhou Progenitor had definitely been an innate realm martial artist.

This Scale-Bone Snake Demon was merely at the fourth level of the postnatal realm. Fight the Great Zhou Progenitor? With its head?

"You follow the path of body cultivation. Do you know where human body cultivation came from?" the Scale-Bone Snake Demon asked.

"Stop wasting words!" Zhou Ping'an could not be bothered to guess.

"Body cultivation was a cultivation method your human martial artists created by imitating us demon beasts. Though your human race has produced astonishing talents, body cultivation is ultimately just your imitation of us demon beasts. Your human body cultivation methods are far inferior to those of our Demon Race. I see that you have successfully cleansed your meridians and marrow. Give me ten fat pigs, and I'll teach you a body-tempering method."

The corner of Zhou Ping'an's mouth rose. "Ten fat pigs? You sure dare to ask. And how do I know whether what you say is true?"

"My life and death are in your hands. How would I dare lie?" the Scale-Bone Snake Demon said pitifully.

"Ten fat pigs are too many. At most, two!" Zhou Ping'an shook his head.

He had to feed it anyway. If feeding the Scale-Bone Snake Demon could also earn him some benefits, why not?

"Two? Do you think body-tempering cultivation arts grow like cabbages? Eight pigs. No less," the Scale-Bone Snake Demon said.

"Two. Just two. Take it or leave it!" Zhou Ping'an snorted.

"Fine, fine, two it is!" The Scale-Bone Snake Demon agreed helplessly.

It was not that it had no principles. Its consumption was simply too great. If it did not get more bloody food soon, it would truly die.

Zhou Ping'an went to the storeroom and fetched two fat pigs. Once the Scale-Bone Snake Demon had eaten and drunk its fill, it dictated while Zhou Ping'an wrote.

It took more than two hours before he finished copying the Dragon Transformation Art.

This Dragon Transformation Art was a cultivation art passed down through the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's lineage from generation to generation. Legend had it that cultivating it to the utmost limit would allow one to transform into a dragon.

"Little brother, I've been so cooperative. Could you get me another two fat pigs?" The Scale-Bone Snake Demon fawned shamelessly.

Zhou Ping'an rolled his eyes at it. This snake demon was pushing its luck.

The moment Zhou Ping'an left the cell, the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's fawning air vanished. Its eyes brimmed with killing intent.

"Hmph, foolish human. How could my clan's Dragon Transformation Art be so easy to cultivate? I merely used a tiny trick and conned two fat pigs out of him. The newcomers are so easy to fool. I can cheat even more pigs out of him later."

After leaving the cell, Zhou Ping'an went to find Ma Er. "Uncle Ma, help me see whether there's anything wrong with this."

"The Dragon Transformation Art? Now that's something new. I didn't expect the Scale-Bone Snake Demon to be hiding a cultivation art." Ma Er chuckled.

"Uncle Ma, you don't seem surprised at all?" Zhou Ping'an was taken aback.

"Demon Race cultivation arts are nothing unusual in the Demon-Slaying Bureau. But demonic cultivation arts have serious drawbacks. Are you sure you want to cultivate one?" Ma Er asked.

"Drawbacks? What drawbacks?"

"They cultivate too slowly. Some measure their cultivation in centuries, even millennia. Humans simply do not have such long lifespans. Even innate realm martial artists only live three to five hundred years," Ma Er said.

Zhou Ping'an's eyes lit up. That was a drawback to others, but not to him. He was immortal—he could even outlive demons.

"My aptitude is too poor. I want to see whether a demonic cultivation art can help me make a breakthrough," Zhou Ping'an said.

Ma Er nodded. "If you're interested in demonic cultivation arts, I'll help you find two more."

"Thank you, Uncle Ma!" Zhou Ping'an was overjoyed.

"You're young and easily deceived by those demons. If that Scale-Bone Snake Demon asks you for more food in the future, ask it for spiritual herbs instead. Those are the truly valuable things, capable of rapidly increasing our martial artists' strength."

"Spiritual herbs? Those demons have spiritual herbs on them?" Zhou Ping'an was furious. That damned Scale-Bone Snake Demon had actually dared toy with him.

"Not on them, of course. Before they were locked in the Demon-Slaying Bureau's prison, all their valuables were stripped away."

"But not having them on their bodies does not mean they do not know where spiritual herbs can be found."

"Before the Great Zhou Progenitor rose like a comet, demons were the masters of this land. Demons have long lifespans, so they may well know the locations of spiritual herbs from thousands of years ago."

Zhou Ping'an suddenly understood. No wonder the Demon-Slaying Bureau kept these demons alive. Aside from using them as blood bags, they also wanted to obtain the locations of spiritual treasures from their mouths.

"Take this Dragon Transformation Art and cultivate it if you like. Just practice it for fun; there's no need to take it too seriously," Ma Er said.

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Ma."

After returning to his room, Zhou Ping'an began cultivating the Dragon Transformation Art. It was not difficult to cultivate. Getting started was simple; it merely required accumulated time. Heavenly treasures could shorten that time, but where could he possibly get such things?

"No, that's not right. I have three Demon Blood Pills. Those should count as heavenly treasures, shouldn't they?"