Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

As twilight descended, the last rays of the sun filtered through the dense tree canopy, casting a mottled pattern of shadows.

Leading the way on a chestnut steed, dozens of demon horses thundered in unison toward Qingfeng Mountain.

Shen Yi trailed behind, silently observing the armored figure ahead.

Although he had never intended to hand over the Jiaolong's core, he was still somewhat surprised to have taken it so easily.

Logically speaking, the Demon-suppression Great General had also expended some effort in slaying the Jiaolong…

Well, quite a lot of effort.

Shen Yi felt somewhat helpless, recalling that when he himself had reached Initial Realm Perfection, facing a young Jiaolong and River Demon of the Jade Liquid Realm—both in injured states—he didn't find it particularly difficult to slay them.

He relied on various thoughtfully perfected Jade Liquid superior martial arts and the continuous supply of life essence for breath.

However, when confronting Condensation Elixir Realm demons, these martial techniques increasingly seemed inadequate.

The Old Jiaolong, half its life cleaved away by a Crude Iron Halberd and riddled with severe old wounds, endured almost an hour's onslaught of his Celestial Gang Blood Fiend.

In the end, it was only by simultaneously executing Greed Wolf Banishes Evil and Intercepting Veins and Capturing Dragons that he was barely able to subdue it.

That was almost the entirety of Shen Yi's resources.

If next time he encountered a full-strength Condensation Elixir demon, he would not even think about defeating it, escaping might prove difficult.

Fortunately, this expedition had been rich in spoils.

The Jade Liquid Realm Crocodile Dragon's Beast Origin, the Condensation Elixir Realm Jiaolong's inner core, on top of the previous eight hundred years of demon life essences, amounted to over three thousand years in total.

Could these be enough for him to successfully form his pill? Shen Yi wondered.

Shen Yi was uncertain.

"Brother Shen, you sure have guts!"

Hong Lei rode up, reining his horse closer, and seeing the other deep in thought, whispered, "It's a good thing Patriarch Chen made progress in his cultivation. If he had been trapped by that sword array, and you had returned alone to pursue the Jiaolong, any mishap could have been fatal without someone to save you. You're young and have a bright future, why risk your life for achievements?"

After speaking, he let out a wry smile, "But you really did bet right, jumping from Second Pattern Commandant straight to Personal Adjutant General. I've toiled for decades and haven't progressed as fast as you in these few days."

Considering Shen Yi's age, he had been in the Demon-suppression Bureau for at most ten years.

The status of Personal Adjutant General within the Bureau was exceptional—above were only the twelve Demon-suppression Great Generals and the General.

So long as he stayed in Qingzhou, even first-rate forces would have to be courteous on account of General Chen's face.

However, Hong Lei was merely amazed, not envious.

Just the act of slaying a Condensation Elixir Realm Jiaolong was not something any ordinary person could achieve, given the injuries on Shen Yi's shoulders and how the Jiaolong's head had been severed toward the end.

It must have been a fierce and exhilarating battle for both parties!

At this thought, Hong Lei could not help but admire, "Hey! Before that old demon kicked the bucket, it must have been awed by Brother Shen's strength, truly letting these river creatures witness the flair of our Bureau's proud talent!"

"..."

Shen Yi nodded briefly, sidestepping the topic, "What are the benefits of becoming a Personal Adjutant General?"

He certainly hadn't forgotten his reason for coming to the Demon-suppression Bureau.

"Benefits?" Hong Lei reined in his thoughts and extended his palm: "This is how it is, whether in sects or noble families, a Jade Liquid Realm Complete expert like you, unless they are a direct bloodline or have signed some blood oath, would have to serve them for decades to gain their trust before they can have a chance of obtaining the method of Solidifying Pill."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi was reminded of what Zhang the Butcher had mentioned about Vajra Gate. It's not just the Solidifying Pill method; even the slightly less profound Solidifying Pill Refinement Martial Arts requires chanting scriptures for fifty years and preaching the law for another fifty.

He was somewhat puzzled: "Even at Jade Liquid Perfection, one's lifespan is no more than three hundred years. Wasting time on such futile things... even if one gets the Solidifying Pill method, what use would it be?"

Hong Lei was momentarily dazed, then smiled bitterly, "Brother Shen, to them, you are an outsider. The Solidifying Pill method is their foundation. As long as this method remains, a first-rate power will always be first-rate. But if you were to take the method to the Demon-suppression Bureau... You should understand, not to mention a Demon-suppression Marshal, they won't even let a constable through the door, which demonstrates their resistance to the Imperial Court."

"Of course, there's a faster way. See Qingfeng Mountain there? Other noble families have things similar to the Ancestral Sword as well. If you are willing to sign a blood oath and serve as a familial protector and supplier with your strength, any family will be generous to you."

"However, now that you've become a Personal Adjutant, at most ten years… no, five years…"

As Hong Lei saw Shen Yi slightly furrow his brows, he smacked his lips and changed his words: "If you are lucky and accomplish a great feat, it's not impossible to do it in three years. The Solidifying Pill methods collected by the Imperial Court include some of the finest, and you can freely choose based on your needs, much stronger than those sects for sure."

Moved by the prospect, Shen Yi looked eager: "Can it be any faster?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Lei's expression suddenly changed. He looked around and noticed that Patriarch Chen's crimson horse had long been out of sight.

Then he reached out, pressed Shen Yi's hand holding the reins, and used a secret sound transmission technique: "Brother, you saved my life, and these words must not be heard by others, or else you can forget about having this opportunity in this lifetime."

"If you can't even wait three years, who would vouch for you to the Imperial Court? Who would dare trust that after you've solidified your pill, you would garrison Qingzhou rather than withdraw and slip away, or even join a noble family or demons?"

Hearing this, Shen Yi slightly lowered his gaze.

He suddenly realized that although he had never deliberately revealed anything, he had inadvertently shown signs of impatience in the eyes of others.

In the mindset of ordinary people, mastering a single martial art can take a decade or even several decades to cultivate, with realm and cultivation progress being slow, relying only on elixirs to accumulate.

His attitude of wanting to take everything from the Demon-suppression Bureau and run was not at all like that of someone sincere in learning but more like someone who had come to steal martial arts.

He would need to be more careful henceforth.

"I know the temperament of geniuses like you, who can't wait to ascend to the heavens overnight. Fang Heng was like that, Lin Baiwei was like that, Bai Ziming was the same. Yet now, one is practicing punches at the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, another has become a monster-catcher, and the third is treating people in a medical hall," Hong Lei let out a sigh, then smiled: "First work, then eat; that's the rule of the Demon-suppression Bureau… Given General Chen's attitude, you have the best chance at the Sword Pool refinement, those three will probably not be able to compete with you."

"Sword Pool refinement?" Shen Yi felt puzzled.

Hong Lei then remembered that the other party had run off early and wasn't present: "The old man summoned the Yin God, firstly beheaded the Zhang family ancestor, then killed the Qingfeng Sect Master and shattered the Ancestral Sword with his halberd, leaving the Sword Pool masterless. It temporarily falls under Patriarch Chen's management; although it can no longer regenerate, it's enough for a few more uses. Just one time is equivalent to you swallowing pills and enduring grueling cultivation for half a lifetime!"

Masterless?

Shen Yi turned his head, noticing the hidden meaning in the other's words: "What about Qingfeng Sect?"

"That's why they say the older one gets, the more cunning they become."

With Chen Qiankun away, Hong Lei spoke more boldly: "The General had long known about the innate deficiency of the Qingfeng Sect Master, deliberately surrounding him without exterminating, preserving all the disciples, personally letting them witness the power of the Ancestral Sword, creating discord and disloyalty, and then destroying it. Those remaining disciples were checked by monster-catchers, and those found without issues were all taken into the Demon-suppression Bureau."

"It's hilarious—General Chen's ranks suddenly expanded with two Condensation Elixir Realm Commandants."

Although based on the strength of those two Elders, they would rise soon enough, it was still an amusing tale.

"Right, weren't you interested in Condensation Elixir Martial Arts? The General demonstrated them himself. As long as you can grasp whatever the noble families and sects have not hidden well, and if you have enough strength, you can replicate the event of Qingfeng Mountain and transport many martial arts manuals. What does it matter if you copy one or two more on the way back?"

As Hong Lei spoke, he suddenly noticed a strange light in the eyes of the young man beside him.

He opened his mouth, unsure whether he had said something wrong.