Redeeming a movement technique, shoring up a weakness

The two walked out of the supply room and headed towards the courtyard gate along the corridor.

Zhou Zheng sighed, looking at Yang Xiao's calm face, hesitant to speak.

He recalled the scene when Pei Xuance handed the Army-Breaking Spear to Yang Xiao.

At that time, he felt that General Pei was too hasty, giving a newcomer who had only been in the department for less than a month the position of Deputy General and the Army-Breaking Spear.

In retrospect, General Pei's judgment was indeed astute.

"Go back and get ready, we'll meet up later." Zhou Zheng waved goodbye and turned to walk towards his residence.

As dusk deepened, the lanterns of the Demon Suppression Division lit up one by one.

The courtyard remained deserted, with only a few Patrol Soldier patrolling the area.

Yang Xiao walked out of the Demon-Slaying Battalion's courtyard gate and followed the bamboo path.

"Brother Yang?"

Yang Xiao paused, turning his head to look.

The bamboo path was shrouded in twilight.

Xu Qingshan emerged from the bamboo forest wearing a dark green brocade robe, a familiar smile on his face, but a hint of weariness in his eyes.

He strode up to Yang Xiao, looked him up and down, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've finally waited for you." He shook his head with a wry smile.

"I searched the Demon Suppression Division several times but couldn't find you. I even went to the Demon Suppression Division's Deputy General Camp to inquire and learned that you had come to the Demon-Slaying Battalion again. I figured you couldn't have gone far, so I waited at the entrance and happened to run into you coming out."

Yang Xiao smiled helplessly upon hearing this.

"I've been quite busy lately."

He looked up at the twilight that was gradually darkening on the horizon. "Since joining the Demon Suppression Division, it seems like I haven't had a single day of peace and quiet in the division."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingshan's smile deepened.

"If those Captain who are still struggling at the bottom heard you say that, they would probably be green with envy."

He patted Yang Xiao on the shoulder, "Many people spend years in the company and still can't accumulate enough merit Merit to break through to the next level of cultivation. But you're doing well. You've only been in the company for less than three months, and missions are coming one after another, and your Merit are skyrocketing."

Yang Xiao smiled but didn't reply.

Xu Qingshan's joking expression vanished, and he asked seriously, "What are your plans now that you're back?"

Yang Xiao pondered for a moment, then told him the truth.

"We've taken on another case. The Seven Demons of She Mountain have joined forces to attack Azure Mist City. A few of my Deputy General and I are going there."

"The Seven Demons of She Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingshan's smile gradually faded.

He frowned. "I've heard of these seven great demons. They've been entrenched in She Mountain for decades, and they usually address each other as brothers. They're a considerable Demon force, and they rarely cause trouble."

But this time...

Xu Qingshan stopped talking, his gaze becoming serious.

"According to you, the Seven Demons suddenly united and gathered in Azure Mist City, which is under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Division, which is completely inconsistent with their usual behavior."

Yang Xiao looked at him but did not interrupt.

"The Demon Suppression Division is renowned Qingzhou, striking fear into the hearts of Demon. The Seven Demons of She Mountain have entrenched themselves in Qingzhou for decades; they couldn't possibly be unaware of the Demon Suppression Division's power."

"Knowing that the Demon Suppression Division would attack, they still did not retreat..."

Xu Qingshan's eyes sharpened. "Either they have other purposes, or they have something to rely on."

He paused, then added, "I'm not familiar with the situation in Azure Mist City, but you must be extra careful on your trip."

The alliance of the Seven Demons is already unusual; if they truly have something to rely on, then that thing is probably more dangerous than the Seven Demons themselves."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Xu. I will be careful," Yang Xiao replied solemnly.

Xu Qingshan waved his hand, "There's no need for formalities between us."

The two chatted for a few more minutes by the bamboo grove. Xu Qingshan learned that Yang Xiao was going to the Technique Pavilion, so he didn't linger any longer and took his leave with a bow.

"We'll discuss the matters of Azure Mist City in detail when you return. Have a safe journey."

Yang Xiao watched Xu Qingshan leave, then turned around and walked straight towards the Technique Pavilion.

Technique Pavilion.

The five-story building stood in a corner of the Demon Suppression Division, its surface gleaming with a faint, solemn light in the setting sun.

Yang Xiao's face had already been memorized by the guards at the gate, so this time he entered by scanning his face.

The first-floor hall was filled with bookshelves, with cultivation manuals categorized from the Qi Gathering Realm to higher levels. It was nearly evening, but there were still quite a few Captain browsing and selecting books, conversing in hushed tones.

Yang Xiao did not linger on the first floor, but went straight to the entrance on the third floor.

He took out his Deputy General's badge and waved it at the access control point. The restriction fluctuated slightly, and then he was allowed to pass.

Pushing open the door, the third floor was more spacious than the first and second floors, but there were significantly fewer people on it.

Yang Xiao looked around. The bookshelves were neatly arranged, and each row was labeled with the category of cultivation techniques—attack, defense, Movement Technique, support, pills, and so on.

He already had a plan in mind.

This trip to Azure Mist City will take us into battle against the Seven Demons of She Mountain and their vassal demon horde.

Although his physical strength is comparable to that of the Mysterious Core Realm body cultivator, and he possesses deadly moves such as the Army-Breaking Spear and the Demon-Slaying Soul-Extinction, his most prominent weakness at present, upon weighing the options, is his Movement Technique.

The "Astonishing Swan Steps" technique from long ago was just a basic Movement Technique. Although it has been perfected, it is clearly not enough now.

He needs a more advanced Movement Technique.

Yang Xiao found the bookshelf that specifically stored Movement Technique and cultivation methods, and began to browse through them one by one.

"Phantom Traceless Steps" is a movement Movement Technique used at the Aperture-Opening Realm. It excels at short-range dodging, leaving afterimages to confuse enemies, but its long-distance movement speed is average...

"Cloud Swallow Skimming Waves" is a movement Movement Technique used by those at the Aperture-Opening Realm. It excels at changing direction in mid-air, offering great flexibility and versatility, but it consumes a significant amount of Spiritual Power...

Yang Xiao flipped through more than a dozen books, but was not very satisfied with any of them.

They're either good at rushing forward but not agile enough, or good at dodging but not persistent enough; they're always a little lacking.

He continued flipping through the pages, his gaze suddenly landing on a book with a dark blue cover.

"Wind-Treading Wandering Dragon Steps"

Yang Xiao took down the book and opened it to examine it closely.

"Moving with the wind is like a dragon entering the sea; it can make long-distance raids or bursts of speed in short bursts. When running long distances, it uses the wind to increase its speed; in close combat, it moves like a dragon, advancing and retreating freely."

The characteristics of the exercise are immediately apparent.

This is exactly what he wanted—a weapon that could both pursue over long distances and evade at short distances, combining offense and defense, and being suitable for both advancing and retreating.

Yang Xiao continued reading and flipped to the price of the cultivation technique.

Two thousand Merit points.

He silently calculated the total number of Merit points he had accumulated since joining the company:

In the Heishui County Painted Skin Case, he was credited first. He originally had 600 points, but after exchanging them for the "Demon-Subduing Soul-Calming Saber," he still had 100 points left.

In the Battle of the Guanlan River, Jiang Chen was captured, and the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon and a group of Water Demon were killed, for a total of 800 points.

The mission at Golden Buddha Temple: Kill Huiming and destroy Golden Buddha Temple. First merit: 3,000 points.

The total is 3,900 points, which is more than enough.

Yang Xiao closed the book, took it, and walked towards the counter.

The steward on duty on the third floor was an old man with gray hair. When Yang Xiao handed over the books and his waist token, he skillfully registered and verified them.

"The 'Wind-Treading Wandering Dragon Steps' has earned two thousand Merit."

After checking the badge, the old man handed it back to Yang Xiao, glanced up at him, and seemed surprised to see Yang Xiao so young. He paused for a moment, then said:

"Your Merit have been deducted. You may take the cultivation technique with you, but you must not pass it on to anyone else."

Yang Xiao nodded his thanks, put the book into his pocket, and turned to walk towards his own courtyard.