The journey back from the Confidential Archives passed without incident.
Qin An slid the bolt across the door, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip.
Mist gathered into serpentine shapes.
[Qin An] [Ice-Fire Dual Cultivation Method (Great Accomplishment), Demon-Subduing Three Suns Blade (Great Accomplishment), Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand (Basic Mastery), Azure Bird Leap (Perfection)]
These four techniques were all Qin An had.
The Ice-Fire Dual Cultivation Method and Demon-Subduing Three Suns Blade had reached Great Accomplishment in the Body Infusion Realm, while the Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand had only reached Basic Mastery.
As for Azure Bird Leap, it was at the Peak Qi Concealment Realm.
Qin An began practicing the moves of the Sky-Rending Fist Technique inside his room.
Everyone in the Evil Extermination Division lived with their lives on the edge of a blade, so the benefits were excellent. Their rooms were more than spacious enough.
The Sky-Rending Fist Technique was a Body Infusion Realm technique. Its movements were broad and bold, its force sweeping across the sky.
When its practitioner threw a punch, the force could shake the heavens and shatter metal.
With the Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand as his foundation, Qin An had barely begun before the mist gathered again, forming serpentine lines of text.
[You practice the Sky-Rending Fist Technique] [Using the Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand as a guide, you begin considering whether the two can be fused] [After sitting in contemplation for several years, you consume a vast amount of blood and vitality. The Blood Crystal obtained from the Monkey Demon is completely depleted] [You gain an insight, but something is still missing. You consider whether to use the False God Core]
Qin An frowned and rubbed the Black Blade at his waist, lost in thought.
One old Monkey Demon's Blood Crystal had not been enough to complete the deduction. That had not exceeded his expectations.
What Qin An was weighing now was whether to use the False God Core.
If using two of them let him fuse the Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand and Sky-Rending Fist Technique and push the result to Great Accomplishment, it would be worth it.
But whether he could reach Great Accomplishment was another question.
After thinking for a while, Qin An decided to use the False God Core.
The situation seemed calm, and he had the Evil Extermination Division behind him, but there was far more danger here than in Ding County.
Both the Monkey Demons of Azure Cloud Valley and the so-called Tree Lord had probably come to hate him.
Ling Prefecture was safe, but he could not stay here forever if he wanted more techniques and Blood Crystals.
For now, every bit of strength he could gain counted.
Once he was strong enough to stand above all of Ling Prefecture, he would have nothing to worry about.
His mind made up, Qin An continued practicing the Sky-Rending Fist Technique.
The mist appeared once more.
[You lament your lack of talent and decide to grit your teeth and break through] [The False God Core steadily dissolves, turning into a vast surge of blood and vitality] [You continue practicing the Sky-Rending Fist Technique, gaining more and more insight] [Several years later, understanding finally dawns] [After fusing the Crimson Flame Mountain-Breaking Hand and Sky-Rending Fist Technique, you have made considerable strides in fist techniques. You name the result Crimson Firmament Hand] [Crimson Firmament Hand (Great Accomplishment)]
It worked!
A flood of information, like a surging sea, poured into Qin An's mind.
Qin An quickly grasped how to use the Crimson Firmament Hand and raised both hands.
They were bright red.
On closer inspection, threads of golden light lay hidden beneath the red.
The crimson firmament swept across the sky, unstoppable by ten thousand men.
That golden light could be charged.
In battle, Qin An could wield the Demon-Subduing Three Suns Blade with one hand while circulating the Crimson Firmament Hand in the other, holding its power back.
Once he had held it back long enough, the charge would be complete. He could then unleash terrifying golden light that would sweep through all resistance like dry twigs and rotten wood.
Qin An withdrew the golden light and picked up another manual, the Serpent Form Movement Technique.
Although his reserves of blood and vitality were exhausted, Qin An still wanted to try.
The Serpent Form Movement Technique focused on maneuvering in tight spaces. Its movements were strange and sinuous, making its user as hard to track as a viper lying in wait.
Qin An shifted his footing and darted forward. Mist immediately appeared before his eyes.
[You practice the Serpent Form Mind Method, triggering your talent for Qi Concealment Realm movement techniques] [Azure Bird Leap excels at crossing large distances, while the Serpent Form Movement Technique excels at maneuvering in tight spaces] [You begin contemplating the strengths of both] [After several years of contemplation and a great expenditure of blood and vitality, you successfully combine the strengths of both schools and comprehend a new technique. You name it Azure Serpent Movement] [Azure Serpent Movement (Basic Mastery)]
A flood of information poured into Qin An's mind, and his face went a little pale.
His blood and vitality were depleted, leaving him feeling weak and unsteady.
This time, he had forced the deduction, drawing on his own blood and vitality. Basic Mastery was already his limit.
Qin An did not dare continue, afraid he would be drained into a human husk.
Fortunately, the gains from this loss of blood and vitality were considerable.
Fused with the Serpent Form Movement Technique, Azure Bird Leap had become Azure Serpent Movement, a Body Infusion Realm movement technique.
Azure Serpent Movement excelled not only at covering long distances but also at swift turns and evasions in tight spaces.
Though it was only at Basic Mastery, it was far stronger than a Qi Concealment Realm movement technique.
Qin An let out a long breath. "Fortunately, I'm in Ling Prefecture, where Demons don't dare enter. While my blood and vitality recover, I can unlock a new profession."
The defensive technique was called Reversing Gang Qi, but he could not comprehend it without a new profession.
Qin An knew his talents came from his professions. He could use the time spent recovering to unlock a new one and comprehend Reversing Gang Qi.
With that in mind, Qin An sat cross-legged and silently circulated the Ice-Fire Dual Cultivation Method, slowly recovering.
Crash!
Zhou Mo hurled his wine cup to the floor, splashing wine everywhere. "You're saying Tang Lingwei didn't die, and that new Prefecture Clerk was promoted to Bronze Captain?"
The Prefecture Clerk, a man nearing middle age, trembled. He did not dare say a word and only nodded repeatedly.
Anyone with a little inside knowledge knew that Zhou Mo and Tang Lingwei were at daggers drawn over the matter of special privileges.
As Zhou Mo's subordinate, he did not dare offer an opinion.
The Evil Extermination Division never interfered in internal disputes.
As long as no one was killed and the disputes did not interfere with the division's work of eliminating its enemies, a little rivalry could even serve as motivation.
Zhou Mo took a deep breath and got another cup.
The Prefecture Clerk hurried forward and poured him some wine.
"Just as well. Now that he's a Bronze Captain, he'll have his own faction. Tang Lingwei is the one who loses out."
Thinking of it that way made Zhou Mo feel much better.
If Tang Lingwei suffered, he felt better.
The death of his relative was still vivid in his mind. He would never forget that grudge for as long as he lived.
The Prefecture Clerk asked quietly, "Then what about Qin An...?"
Zhou Mo waved a hand. "A newly promoted Bronze Captain with no power or backing is worthless. He doesn't even have a single subordinate. So what if we've had a disagreement? What can he do to me?"
Zhou Mo was not among the finest Bronze Captains in the Evil Extermination Division, but he stood comfortably in the middle.
He had plenty of capable men under him, far more than a newly arrived Bronze Captain could match.
The Prefecture Clerk nodded slightly and stood with his hands at his sides.
Zhou Mo drained his cup of fine wine and was considering a visit to the pleasure quarters after his shift.
Just then, a noisy commotion broke out outside the room.
Before Zhou Mo could speak, the Prefecture Clerk took the hint and went outside.
A short while later, a man in his thirties was brought into the room, bound hand and foot.
Despair and fury filled the man's eyes as he stared fixedly at Zhou Mo.
Zhou Mo smashed his cup against the man's face.
Blood streamed down the right side of the man's face and dripped from his chin onto the floor.
Zhou Mo said flatly, "Chen Chun, you couldn't beat me in Merits. What do you have to be bitter about?"
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