Vajra Hell-Prison Body! Nine-Aperture Mystic-Penetration Method!

"Brother Xu."

Yang Xiao closed the cultivation manual in his hand, nodded slightly, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Xu Qingshan walked over quickly, lowering his voice.

"I was also conscripted, but to a rather remote place. I was stationed at an inconspicuous river mouth on the upper reaches of the Guanlan River. There was no danger, and I didn't encounter any decent Demon."

He paused, then smiled wryly, "I got back late too. I just arrived at the Demon Suppression Division when I heard that we had a new Deputy General had made the greatest contribution on this trip."

"I followed the crowd and saw a crowd surrounding the Merit Hall in the distance. When I got closer... it was you."

Yang Xiao didn't reply, but just looked at Xu Qingshan.

Xu Qingshan's smile gradually faded. He rubbed his hands together, his tone hesitant.

"Brother Yang, congratulations on your promotion."

In fact, ever since he heard the news that Yang Xiao was escorted into the city by his Deputy General, Xu Qingshan had been hesitant about whether to go up and greet him.

His partnership with Yang Xiao was merely a chance encounter during the Heishui County Painted Skin Case; their relationship was hardly deep.

Yang Xiao is now Deputy General, commanding a force of several hundred Captain and dispatching the Demon Suppression Guard; their statuses are worlds apart.

With so many people currying Deputy General with him, what is Xu Qingshan compared to that?

A member of a collateral branch of the Xu Family, in the Liquid Condensation Early Stage, has had no notable Merit in the five years since joining the company.

What if Yang Xiao thinks he's trying to curry favor?

After hesitating for a long time, he still came over.

For no other reason than that trip to Heishui County, Yang Xiao genuinely treated him as a partner, showing no disrespect or exploitation.

He remembered this kindness.

Xu Qingshan was about to say some polite words like "I won't bother you again" when he saw Yang Xiao look at him gently and say:

"Brother Xu, could you do me a favor?"

Xu Qingshan was taken aback.

"What kind of help?"

"I'm looking for a Body-Tempering Art for the Liquid Condensation Realm, preferably a top-tier one," Yang Xiao said. "You're familiar with techniques, so help me choose one."

Xu Qingshan opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

He originally thought that Yang Xiao, now Deputy General, would be like those high-ranking officials, treating his old partner with politeness and distance.

Unexpectedly, the other party's first question was, as usual, about cultivation techniques.

A warm feeling welled up in Xu Qingshan's heart, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Brother Yang, rest assured, I do know a little about Body-Tempering Method."

He turned and weaved through the bookshelves, leading Yang Xiao familiarly into the depths of the Liquid Condensation Realm cultivation techniques area, explaining as he went.

"Body-Tempering Method differ from ordinary martial arts; they don't cultivate Spiritual Power but focus solely on training the physical body. The Cultivation Manual Archive doesn't have many Body-Tempering Method, but there are a few quite good ones, all collected from various martial arts sects."

"But if we're talking about the best, it has to be the Body-Tempering Method from Buddhism."

He stopped in front of a bookshelf, pulled out a thick manual of martial arts techniques, with five large characters written on the cover.

"The Vajra Hell-Prison Body".

"This is the door."

Xu Qingshan opened the manual and pointed to the introduction on the title page, reading aloud, "This Body-Tempering Method follows the path of 'nourishing the body with demonic energy and calming the mind with Buddhist principles'."

"The so-called 'nourishing the body with Demon energy' means devouring the essence and malevolent energy of Sha Qi to temper the physical body and refine the power of Demon for one's own use. 'Calming the mind with Buddhist methods' means using Buddhist mental techniques to suppress the Demon Sha Qi within the body and prevent backlash."

He turned to the next page and pointed to the levels of cultivation techniques.

"This body Body-Tempering Method has four levels."

The first layer is Copper-Skin Prison Garment, Iron-Bone Demon Suppression the skin and flesh as hard as copper and iron, impervious to swords and blades. The second layer is an iron-boned demon-suppressing structure, where the bones and muscles are cast in iron, granting the strength to subdue demons. The third layer Blood-Prison Furnace, where the flesh and blood are like a furnace, capable of refining the essence of Demon for one's own use. The fourth layer Indestructible Vajra as diamond, impervious to all magic.

Xu Qingshan closed the manual and looked at Yang Xiao.

"Among the Body-Tempering Method of the Liquid Condensation Realm, only this one can be considered top-tier. However, Brother Yang, I must remind you that this technique has extremely high requirements for one's mental fortitude."

"If the path of nourishing oneself with demonic energy gets out of control, the Sha Qi within the body will backfire, leading to anything from qi deviation to loss of sanity."

Yang Xiao took the cultivation manual, flipped through a few pages, closed it, and put it in his pocket.

"This is the door."

Seeing that he had made a decisive decision, Xu Qingshan did not try to persuade him further, but simply said, "Brother Yang, if you wish to practice, please be careful."

Yang Xiao nodded, and then the two of them walked together toward the manager's office at the front desk of the Technique Pavilion.

Yang Xiao took out his Deputy General's badge and Merit Booklet, and explained his purpose to the front desk manager.

"Based on your outstanding contribution in the Battle of the Guanlan River, you will receive the internal energy cultivation method for breaking through to the Aperture-Opening Realm."

The receptionist was a middle-aged man with a kind face, wearing a gray long gown. After verifying the waist tag, he turned around and took out a martial arts manual from the cabinet behind him, handing it to him with both hands.

"Deputy General Yang, this is your Aperture-Penetration Realm technique for the Opening Aperture Realm, the Nine-Aperture Mystic-Penetration Method."

The steward explained, "After the Perfected Liquid Condensation, the Spiritual Power in the Twelve Major Apertures of the body will be full. In addition to the Twelve Major Apertures, you need to continue to open Auxiliary Apertures throughout the body. Each time you open an acupoint, the Spiritual Power storage and spell casting intensity will increase significantly."

"The Nine-Aperture Mystic-Penetration Method is High-Grade Aperture-Opening Method of the Demon Suppression Division, capable of opening one hundred and eight apertures. For ordinary martial artists of the Demon Suppression Division, it is already an excellent inheritance."

Xu Qingshan stood to the side and couldn't help but sigh softly when he heard the number 108.

"One hundred and eight acupoints... Our Xu Family's method of Aperture Opening can only open seventy-two acupoints, far inferior to that of the Demon Suppression Division."

He looked at Yang Xiao, his tone carrying a hint of envy, but also a touch of genuine joy.

"Brother Yang, with this technique, your foundation after breaking through to the Aperture-Penetration Realm will not be weak in the slightest!"

Yang Xiao put the "Nine-Aperture Mystic-Penetration Method" into his pocket and nodded to the steward.

With both cultivation techniques in hand— the Body-Tempering Method and the Realm Breakthrough Technique—it's time to go back and engage in seclusion in one fell swoop.

He was about to turn and leave when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

"Deputy General Yang, please wait!"

The manager behind the counter quickly chased after them.

He had somehow acquired a tray covered with a red cloth, and his expression was solemn.

Yang Xiao stopped and turned around.

Xu Qingshan also looked over curiously.

The steward approached Yang Xiao and presented the tray with both hands, saying, "This is a message from General Pei Xuance, specifically instructing me to give it to you."

Yang Xiao reached out and lifted the red cloth.

On the tray lay a manual of cultivation techniques, which, judging from its texture, was quite old and much better than those on the Technique Pavilion shelves.

The cover reads, "The Mountain-Suppressing Spear Art".

Yang Xiao turned to the first page, where there was a line of small characters on the title page, written by Pei Xuance himself, "This Spear Technique was practiced by me when I was young, and it complements the Army-Breaking Spear. I give it to you, my young friend."

This is not an ordinary martial art from the Demon Suppression Division Bureau's treasury, but Spear Technique that Pei Xuance practiced when he was young!

Xu Qingshan, standing to the side, caught a glimpse of the small print and gasped.

Yang Xiao's eyes flickered with an unusual light: the Army-Breaking Spear, the rank of Deputy General, and a personally gifted martial arts manual.

Pei Xuance seems to be treating me a little too well.

He thought for a moment and nodded to the steward.

"Please thank General Pei for me."

The manager smiled slightly, then turned and left.

"Brother Yang, your trip to the Guanlan River was definitely worthwhile." Xu Qingshan looked at the three martial arts manuals in Yang Xiao's arms, swallowed hard, and looked amazed.

Yang Xiao didn't reply, but carefully put away the "Mountain-Suppressing Spear Art" and stacked it together with the other two martial arts manuals.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xu Qingshan.

"Thank you very much for your help today, Brother Xu. Let's talk again another day."

Xu Qingshan quickly waved his hand. "Brother Yang, you're too kind. Please don't hesitate to ask me for anything you need."

Yang Xiao nodded, picked up several cultivation techniques, and walked out of the Technique Pavilion.

The sun had already sunk halfway down, and the horizon was ablaze with a sunset of orange-red and deep purple hues.

He glanced at the sky, but instead of returning to his original Captain's quarters, he turned and walked towards the direction of the Deputy General Courtyard.