What Kind of Pill Pattern Did You Refine, General Yang?

"You're back. Please have a seat."

Pei Xuance had not left yet. He walked out from the other side of the courtyard and gestured for Yang Xiao to find a place to sit down.

Yang Xiao sat down, but couldn't help glancing at the chessboard again.

Pei Xuance followed his gaze and looked over, his eyes understanding.

The effects of the medication have worn off.

"The precious medicine... has run out?"

Pei Xuance shook his head. "There's still some left, we have to use it sparingly. If something really happens in the future, we need to make sure he can come to his senses."

After saying that, he reached out and pressed the chess piece that was about to roll off the edge of the table back down before turning back to take the battle report handed to him by Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao didn't ask any more questions.

Qingzhou's resources were even less than he had imagined.

The Governor-General of a prefecture, a martial artist at the Dao-Infant Realm, now has to count the days he can stay conscious.

Pei Xuance unfolded the battle report and read it from beginning to end.

His gaze lingered for a moment, then he picked up the Qi-Gathering Bottle and brought it close to his eyes, slowly stroking the bottle with his fingertips.

Three Yao Qi, two battles, and a border threat—all were sealed within this palm-sized bottle.

He put down the battle report and asked only one question.

"Were those two Tiger Demon there specifically to wait for Lu Zhengyi?"

"Yes."

Yang Xiao summarized the most important points.

The Leopard Demon was killed outside the boundary marker. Before dying, he revealed the Tiger Demon's hideout. He and Lu Zhengyi rushed to Rosy Dawn Ridge, where two White Tiger were already waiting, ready to ambush and kill Lu Zhengyi the city.

It seems that Yellow Wind Mountain is no longer satisfied with the previous standoff.

Pei Xuance looked serious, got up and went into the house. When he came out again, he had a map in his hand.

The map was spread out on the stone table, covering half of the unfinished game of chess.

The entire map of Qingzhou unfolded before Yang Xiao's eyes: the boundaries of the Thirteen Commanderies crisscrossed, and vermilion marks were placed on the mountains and passes everywhere, each a place where the Demon King was entrenched.

"These are places we've always been unable to spare the resources for."

Pei Xuance's fingertips landed on the map, sweeping across it from southeast to northwest, one spot at a time.

"After the floods of the Canglan River were controlled, the counties along the river were rid of a major threat."

His fingertips finally rested on the rolling mountain shadows in the northwest corner.

"Yellow Wind Mountain, you can move now."

Yang Xiao followed his fingertips to the map.

"I'll keep an eye on the Yellow Wind Demon King for now," Pei Xuance said. "But the other Demon King lairs located near the border of Qingzhou need to be eliminated as soon as possible."

Yang Xiao scanned the map and got a general idea of what was going on.

Where are some places I can go?

Pei Xuance raised his eyes.

Yang Xiao met his gaze. "Wherever there's a need for manpower, I'll go."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Pei Xuance looked at him but did not respond immediately.

A year ago, he wouldn't have easily believed such a statement.

A young man who has been with the company for less than a year is talking about going to a prefecture alone to confront the Demon King. Anyone would think twice about doing that.

But from Blackstone Ridge and Tangkou Township to these three Yao Qi in the bottle today.

Having looked at everything along the way, I've already weighed everything that needed to be considered.

As long as they are not surrounded and killed by the Demon King, they have the ability to protect themselves even under the command of Demon King at the Core Illumination Perfected Stage.

He didn't say another word, but took out Qi-Gathering Bottle from his pocket and drew out several scorching auras that appeared between the two of them.

Yang Xiao reached out and took it, placing it neatly in the bottle to prevent it from mixing with the previous scent.

"These auras are scattered throughout the various prefectures; you can simply follow them along the way."

"If anything is unclear, you can consult the local Demon Suppression General."

Pei Xuance paused, looked Yang Xiao over for a moment, and suddenly said, "Since becoming the Demon Suppression General, you don't seem to have received any Mystic Core martial arts training?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao suddenly realized that he hadn't been back to the Technique Pavilion for a long time.

Since acquiring the Pill Pattern technique, the various methods derived from it have been sufficient for him to handle most situations, but he has indeed fallen behind in the area of Mystic Core martial arts.

Seeing Yang Xiao's expression, Pei Xuance chuckled.

"With your current position, you can practically choose from all the techniques available in the Technique Pavilion."

Remember to take a look before you leave.

"Good."

Yang Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, turned and left, already planning to go out and take a look, to replenish his means.

Demon Suppression Division, Technique Pavilion.

Yang Xiao had been to this place several times.

Back when he was just Captain or Deputy General, he only worked on the bottom two levels, picking out martial arts techniques at the Qi Gathering, Liquid Condensation, and Aperture Opening stages, and he had to exchange them little by little with the Merit he had accumulated.

Now, things are different.

Before he even reached the pavilion door, a gray-robed steward strode out to greet him, his back slightly bowed and his face beaming with smiles.

"General Yang has arrived."

Yang Xiao, who had already reached into his robes, paused upon hearing this.

No need to take out the token.

Cold Iron Mystic Armor, Blood Baleful Intent Cloak —the youngest of the fourteen Demon Suppression General of Qingzhou.

Could there be another one like him in the entire company?

"General Yang, please come inside. This old man will show you the way."

The person in charge treated him with even greater solemnity than he would a regular general, personally leading the way up to the fifth floor.

The higher you go on the stairs, the quieter it gets.

The first two floors were still full of people, but the third floor became quiet, with only a few Deputy General moving about.

By the time he reached the fifth floor, he was the only one left.

The bookshelves stand in rows, and the pages on them seem to exude a subtle, undulating energy; some are sharp, others are weighty.

"General Yang, the best cultivation techniques for the Mysterious Core Realm are all on this level," the steward said, bowing. "If you have a preference, you can tell me, and I will choose one for you."

Yang Xiao's gaze slowly swept across the bookshelf.

For him, the gun was the main weapon, the knife was at his waist and easy to hold, he relied on his fists and palms for close combat, and his Movement Technique to both protect himself and pursue the enemy.

We should get all of these.

Pei Xuance is right. With his current position, he could practically take any position he wanted here.

Let's take a look at them all.

"I want to see Saber Technique, Spear Technique, Fist and Palm Techniques, and Movement Technique," he rattled off a string of words.

The manager paused for a moment, then hurriedly led the way.

Ordinary generals who go up to this level usually only see one or two things, and even then they still need to carefully figure out the one they most want to learn.

General Yang picked out almost every variation in the martial arts manual as soon as he arrived.

He showed no displeasure whatsoever; on the contrary, he became even more polite, personally leading the way and introducing things as they went.

"The cultivation techniques of the Profound Core Realm focus on combining spiritual power with the Profound Core runes. The stronger the attributes of the technique, the higher the requirements for the martial artist."

"If a martial art is incompatible with one's own nature, forcing oneself to practice it will only lead to stagnation."

"The Demon Suppression Division allows Demon Suppression General to choose freely, but to be honest," the steward smiled, "Most people only receive one or two items, enough for them to study for many years."

Yang Xiao nodded in agreement and did not refute.

It takes many years of dedicated study?

He can't wait that long, nor does he need to.

At this point, the steward asked Yang Xiao curiously, "General Yang, what kind of Pill Pattern have you refined? I'd like to find a suitable cultivation technique for you."

"Tell me about them one by one, I want to see them all."