Exchanging Martial Arts! Equipping Breath-Nurturing Method!

The county Yamen's armory was located deep in the back courtyard.

It was a small bluestone building guarded by two bailiffs at the entrance. Seeing Zhang Hu approach with someone, the two immediately bowed.

"Constable Zhang."

Zhang Hu nodded, took out a key, and unlocked the heavy iron door.

With a creak, a stale smell of old books rushed out.

The armory was not large, but it was neatly divided.

The wooden racks on the left displayed weapons and gear such as sabers, spears, bows, and armor, while the wooden racks on the right held volumes of martial arts manuals.

Zhang Hu pointed at the racks and said, "The county Yamen is not the Demon Suppression Division, so we don't have many good things."

"Still, it's enough for the Body Forging Realm."

"Ordinary weapons cost twenty or thirty merit points, and basic martial arts cost thirty or forty. Of course, you can trade for silver taels if you want."

Yang Xiao's gaze swept across the shelves, where thin manuals sat quietly in place.

These techniques, which required years of bitter training in the eyes of others, could instantly reach consummation for him the moment he equipped them into his slot.

They could even be permanently solidified into his own strength.

A mild warmth stirred in Yang Xiao's heart.

In his eyes, this armory was a treasure mountain waiting to be hauled empty.

Seeing him look so focused, Zhang Hu spoke up, "Your basic blade technique is not weak right now, but your movement and unarmed combat are somewhat lacking."

"If you only know how to use a saber, you'll easily be at a disadvantage once demons get close or you encounter a narrow terrain."

Yang Xiao nodded.

This was also what he had just been thinking.

During the battle at Liu Village, although he used Hundred-Refined Edge to slay demons, he could also clearly feel that his movement and close-combat methods were insufficient.

If the rat demon's strength hadn't been limited, and had been replaced by a stronger demon, things might not have gone so smoothly.

A quarter of an hour later, Yang Xiao selected two martial arts manuals.

Monument Splitting Palm, valued at 40 merit points, belonged to fist and palm techniques.

Trained to minor accomplishment, palm force could crack stone tablets; trained to major accomplishment, palm force could shatter boulders; trained to consummation, a single palm could hard-shake a Body Forging Realm Ninth Stage demon.

The other was Astonishing Swan Steps, valued at 40 merit points, a basic movement technique.

Trained to minor accomplishment, one's body was as light as a swallow; trained to major accomplishment, one was graceful like an astonishing swan, skimming the ground without a sound; trained to consummation, a single step out could leave behind several overlapping afterimages, making it hard to tell the real from the illusory.

After making his selection, Yang Xiao found Zhang Hu, who was still at the entrance, and handed them over.

"Constable Zhang, I'll exchange for these two martial arts."

"Good eye." Zhang Hu raised an eyebrow. "Astonishing Swan Steps makes your form nimble once mastered, and Monument Splitting Palm is fierce and domineering, which can make up for your shortcomings in unarmed combat when fighting up close."

"I'll take these two."

Zhang Hu had the armory manager record the transaction and reminded him, "Go back and practice hard. The Demon Suppression Division selections are imminent, and an extra bit of strength means an extra bit of assurance for being selected."

"Many thanks, Constable Zhang. I will practice diligently."

Yang Xiao took the two martial arts manuals. The moment his fingertips touched the covers, the transparent equipment slot before his eyes gently vibrated.

[Detectable equippable item: "Astonishing Swan Steps"]

[Equip?]

Yang Xiao's gaze narrowed.

Sure enough, martial arts manuals could be equipped too!

He forcefully suppressed the joy in his heart and did not try it immediately.

This was the county Yamen's armory, not an appropriate place.

Seeing Yang Xiao put away the martial arts manuals, Zhang Hu's expression turned serious. "Yang Xiao, since your strength has improved so rapidly, there are some things I ought to tell you."

"What things?"

Zhang Hu said in a deep voice, "The distribution of demons around Xiangyun County."

"I'm telling you this now not to send you out to kill demons, but so you can avoid them and not make any mistakes at the juncture of the upcoming Demon Suppression Division trials."

Yang Xiao immediately turned serious.

"Several villages around Xiangyun County actually have demons haunting them."

Zhang Hu slowly stated, "Liu Village had a rat calamity, which you've already witnessed, but besides the rat demons, there are other, even more dangerous demons."

"Wang Village in the east suburb has dog demons haunting it. They move in packs and love eating humans the most, so villagers don't dare to go outside and can only hide in the village."

"Three-Demon Mountain behind Li Family Hamlet in the north suburb is even entrenched with demons of all sizes, among which the strongest is at the Qi Gathering Realm, with terrifying strength."

Yang Xiao's heart tightened. A Qi Gathering Realm demon!

The Qi Gathering Realm was said to be the realm beyond Body Forging, capable of mastering even more extraordinary methods and injuring people from a distance.

He was currently only at the Body Forging Realm Third Stage; encountering a Qi Gathering Realm demon, he probably wouldn't even be able to run away.

"Constable Zhang, why haven't these demons been completely wiped out?"

Zhang Hu sighed. "The county Yamen's strength is limited. All of us constables are at the Body Forging Realm Ninth Stage. While we seem powerful, we haven't actually transcended the Mortal Realm and can only be considered somewhat stronger mortals."

"Only by stepping into the Qi Gathering Realm can one truly set foot on the martial path and be able to contend against them."

"Then what should we do?" Yang Xiao's brows furrowed.

How could anyone allow someone else to sleep soundly beside their couch, let alone demons that could take lives at any moment?

"We can only wait for the people from the Demon Suppression Division to come." Zhang Hu spread his hands. "I have already requested reinforcements from the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division. Only they can handle demons of this realm."

Dawning realization struck Yang Xiao. No wonder the county Yamen was completely helpless against these demons.

"I'm telling you this so you'll be extra careful when on patrol duty." Zhang Hu solemnly said, "Be careful when you encounter dog demons, and absolutely do not go near that back mountain of Li Family Hamlet!"

"If you encounter a situation you can't handle, retreat immediately. Never try to act tough."

"I understand." Yang Xiao fell deep in thought.

After his shift, he returned home.

Yang Xiao closed the door and took the two thin manuals out from his bosom.

He didn't rush to equip the two new martial arts manuals, instead taking stock of the items in his house.

Yang Xiao looked at the standard-issue long saber at his waist.

This was standard gear issued to bailiffs by the county Yamen. Its quality was ordinary, far inferior to the Spring Embroidery Saber.

"Let's test it."

Yang Xiao took out the standard-issue long saber and chanted silently in his heart: "Equip."

The next moment, the standard-issue long saber turned into a stream of light and appeared in the equipment slot.

[Standard-Issue Long Saber]

[Effect: Basic Blade Technique entry-level.]

[Remark: The equipment effect of this item can be permanently solidified after equipping it for one hour.]

Seeing the equipment effect, Yang Xiao shook his head and silently thought: "Unequip."

The standard-issue long saber reappeared in his hand, and the equipment slot returned to empty.

"The quality of the standard-issue long saber is too low, and the bonuses it provides are too poor. Even if solidified, it's useless and would waste an equipment slot."

Yang Xiao pondered internally, It seems that if I want to obtain stronger bonuses, I need to find higher-quality equipment.

He returned the standard-issue long saber to his waist, his gaze falling upon a small booklet on the table inside the room.

That was the Breath-Nurturing Method issued to him when he first entered the county Yamen, which was the most basic cultivation technique of the Body Forging Realm.

[Ding! Detectable equippable item: Breath-Nurturing Method]

[Effect 1: Breath-Nurturing Method reaches the Consummation Realm.]

[Effect 2: Obtain trait Vitality Recovery (Green): Qi and blood recovery speed slightly increased.]

[Remark: The equipment effect of this item can be permanently solidified after equipping it for one hour.]

[Equip this gear?]

Yang Xiao's eyes lit up. Martial arts manuals could be equipped too!

Moreover, once equipped, the technique could similarly reach consummation instantly, which meant his cultivation speed could accelerate quite a bit!

"Equip!"

The next instant, the small booklet turned into a stream of light and appeared in the equipment slot!

At the same time, the Breath-Nurturing Method he had practiced for two years instantly reached consummation.

Yang Xiao only felt an even stronger surge of heat welling up inside his body, his entire being feeling as though it were soaking in a hot spring, with an indescribable comfort.

The speed of his internal qi and blood surged, tempering his skin and flesh—Body Forging Realm Fifth Stage!

He had broken through!

From the Body Forging Realm Third Stage to the Body Forging Realm Fifth Stage, in less than a single day, he had crossed two realms!

This equipment slot... is simply too heaven-defying!

Furthermore, he still possessed Consummate Basic Blade Technique and various traits, placing his combat power far above those in the same realm.

It could be said that in less than a day, he had seized the top spot among the younger generation of Xiangyun County!

If you search for the book title and can't find it, you can try searching for the author instead; perhaps it just changed its name!