Return to the City

The two of them spent half a day hauling all the bear corpses down the mountain.

The carriage carried the mother bear and eight cubs, while the donkey cart carried the male bear.

But the bears were simply too large, and they could not travel quickly. They could only make their way slowly toward Azure Forest City.

As the golden crow sank behind the mountains, villagers numb from a day of farmwork trudged home.

Tonight, whose family would suffer disaster again?

"Dad, look over there!"

The children who had gone to the fields with their families all pointed toward the road above the field ridges as Lin Jun's two carts slowly passed by.

The villagers looked up one after another, and the mountain-like bear corpses stunned them all.

The demons... were dead?

Having just finished weeding the crops, the village chief knelt toward Lin Jun from far away.

As though they had received some command, everyone who saw the carriage knelt and bowed.

"My lord, they're thanking you."

Chen Feng was in an exceptionally good mood.

"Mm."

Lin Jun nodded faintly.

Chen Feng realized that Lin Jun had truly changed. If his benefactor knew, he would surely be delighted.

A prodigal son turning back.

"My lord, a child has followed us."

Lin Jun stopped the carriage. The child with a little braid hurried over, carrying a wooden bucket.

"Master Lin, Mother said it's late, and you must be hungry."

The child lifted the bucket. Inside was a bowl of millet porridge, some of which had already spilled, along with a small dish of cured meat and pickled vegetables.

Lin Jun stroked the child's head and drained the millet porridge in one gulp.

"I'm full. Help me finish the rest. We're setting off."

Lin Jun said with a smile, then drove onward.

Chen Feng hurried after him.

[You killed a Mortal male Bear Demon and gained 500 experience]

[You killed a Mortal female Bear Demon and gained 600 experience]

[You killed a Mortal Bear Demon cub and gained 50 experience]

In total, he had gained 1,500 experience points. Lin Jun was flush again.

This sense of abundance made Lin Jun feel refreshed.

Those eight Bear Demon cubs alone had provided a full 400 experience points, nearly matching one large Bear Demon.

Sure enough, no matter how small a mosquito was, it was still meat. Once accumulated, it could not be underestimated.

In the future, he had to make sure to wipe out entire families.

Lin Jun rubbed his hands together and began another simulation.

His Demon-Subduing Blade Technique had already reached perfection. Based on the last simulation, perhaps this one would bring him a surprise.

[Though old and frail, you still refused to admit defeat. You continued refining your blade technique and sorting through its flaws. Your understanding of the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique deepened further, and you faintly felt that you had touched upon something (-100)]

[You continued your focused research, wanting to grasp that flash of inspiration that had passed in an instant (-100)]

[Another ten years passed. You still failed to seize that thread of vital opportunity, and you grew restless and agitated. However, your understanding of the blade technique deepened further. Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Transcendent Realm), (-100)]

[You were already near death. You spent your entire life refining the blade technique, yet failed to summarize anything. You would die with regret (-100)]

[Between life and death, you suddenly grasped that illusory, intangible feeling. You experienced a final flash of vitality and, before dying, recorded the martial art you had created: Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade]

Current martial arts:

[Mortal martial art: Seven-Star Step (Beginner)]

[Mortal martial art: Flowing Swallow Saber Technique (Transcendent Realm)]

[Transformation-Origin Martial Art: Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Mastery)]

Transformation-Origin Martial Arts!

Lin Jun's breathing quickened.

This was the first truly non-Mortal martial art he had encountered, a martial art that came after breaking into the Transcendent.

Mortal martial arts could be learned by anyone. But once one reached Transcendent martial arts, unless one's cultivation had reached the corresponding realm, it was impossible to perform them.

Yet Lin Jun felt that he could use it.

His cultivation was clearly still Mortal, yet he could already perform martial arts of the Transcendent Realm. Perhaps this could be a killing move.

Unfortunately, his cultivation was insufficient to support the full might of a Transformation-Origin Martial Art. What a pity.

Chen Feng suddenly drew his sword and stared tensely at their surroundings.

"What's wrong?"

Faced with Lin Jun's question, Chen Feng slowly calmed down.

Just now, he had suddenly sensed an indescribable Killing Intent. That aura, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, had made him draw his sword instinctively.

Could it have been an illusion?

"I was a little nervous. Forgive me, my lord."

Chen Feng turned to apologize, then froze.

Why did Lin Jun seem even stronger again?

Another illusion?

"By the way, Chen Feng, do you have any cultivation techniques?"

All of Lin Jun's martial arts were combat techniques. He did not have a single cultivation method.

Over these past days, he had constantly been cramming martial knowledge and had learned that a good cultivation technique could greatly accelerate one's cultivation progress.

Chen Feng shook his head.

"I do, naturally, but I can't teach it to you."

"Why?"

"My lord, have you forgotten? This is a rule of the Demon Exorcism Bureau."

The Demon Exorcism Bureau had decreed that any technique registered in its records could only be borrowed in exchange for merit. It was absolutely forbidden to pass it on to a second person, even if that person was one's own son.

Those who violated the order would all be executed.

If the Demon Exorcism Bureau wanted you dead, even the emperor could not save you. That was the deterrent power it held outside the imperial court.

Moreover, the Demon Exorcism Bureau had always meant what it said.

Although Chen Feng had already left the Demon Exorcism Bureau, the technique he cultivated had been obtained within it, so he still had to follow its rules.

"Then why can the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique be passed on?"

"It's only a Mortal martial art. The Demon Exorcism Bureau deliberately released part of it to screen for talent."

The Demon-Subduing Blade Technique had been intentionally released by the Demon Exorcism Bureau. Learning it showed that one had decent talent and might perhaps enter the Demon Exorcism Bureau.

Even if one did not enter the Demon Exorcism Bureau, being able to subdue demons was still a good thing.

This was troublesome.

Seeing Lin Jun's troubled expression, Chen Feng comforted him.

"My lord, there is no need to worry. The Demon Exorcism Bureau has always rewarded merit. You have already slain the Snake Demon and the Bear Demon. That merit is enough to exchange for a cultivation technique. You only need to wait two months and return to Headquarters."

"I hope so."

That was all he could do.

Two months was neither short nor long, but Lin Jun disliked waiting, especially in a world as dangerous as this.

He decided to change his approach. He did not necessarily have to cultivate a technique provided by the Demon Exorcism Bureau.

With a bright moon and sparse stars overhead, Lin Jun and Chen Feng arrived at the gates of Azure Forest City by moonlight.

"Who goes there?!"

The city guards shouted in haste. Once they saw Lin Jun clearly, they hurriedly opened the gates in fright.

"Master Lin went out for another outing, I see."

The city guard said ingratiatingly.

"Mm."

Lin Jun ignored the guard and drove into the city.

The overpowering stench of blood from the carts nearly scared the city guard into pissing himself.

Only after Lin Jun had gone far away did the city guards dare whisper among themselves.

"My heavens, Master Lin didn't go looking for women? He went hunting?"

"Bullshit, that's a demon! Are you blind?"

"A demon? You're saying Master Lin killed a demon?"

Although Lin Jun was the Demon Exorcist of Green Forest County, no one believed he would exterminate demons.

It was already good enough if he did not harm people himself, let alone exterminate demons.

"I don't know. I know that Bear Demon. It ate quite a few people..."

Thinking of how Lin Jun had reopened the Demon Affairs Prefecture a few days ago, could it be that Lin Jun truly intended to capture demons?

And he had actually caught one?