Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

Atop Qingfeng Mountain, countless colonels stood guard.

A few demon hunters in plain clothes were sequentially inspecting the disciples of the Qingfeng Sect in front of them.

Among them was the one who had previously clung to Hong Lei's leg begging for help, and now his face was full of lingering fear as he underwent the inspection, showing no signs of resistance.

At the moment they were forced to draw their swords against the colonels, it was tantamount to attacking members of the Imperial Court, so retaining their lives was already a cause for celebration.

Although joining the Demon-suppression Bureau was somewhat abrupt, and from now on they had to follow its commands, becoming hounds of the Imperial Court, losing the freedom they once had atop Qingfeng Mountain, when they thought of the Ancestral Sword and Elder Nu Jian's resentfulness before death, the so-called "freedom" seemed not so important after all.

Even the two Condensing Elixir Elders with white hair and beards had changed into dark robes and stood silently behind old Master Chen Qiankun.

Other members of the Demon-suppression Bureau carried out boxes from various side halls, filled with martial arts scriptures and elixirs, and orderly started transporting them down the mountain.

The vast mountain gate, with fallen leaves fluttering through, strangely emanated a hint of bleakness.

Under Hong Lei's lead, Shen Yi returned to the Sword Observation Gorge where they had camped before.

"Brother Shen, rest well tonight. Tomorrow, when you return to Qingzhou, apply this precious medicine to your wound. Don't skip over the flesh beneath the skin. It should heal in no more than three days. Qingfeng Mountain's elixirs are not to be wasted or spared," Hong Lei instructed.

"Thank you, Brother Hong," Shen Yi responded.

He had learned a lot from the other's generosity.

Shen Yi respectfully received the medicine bottle and stepped into the tent.

Some twenty-odd Golden Eagle commandants glanced sideways, then fell silent and rose to their feet, standing erect around to keep watch for the night.

Seeing this, Hong Lei shook his head with a sense of emotion. This was the first time he had heard the title "Brother Hong," and probably the last. Once back in Qingzhou, he too would have to address the other as "Officer Shen."

In the quiet of the deep night, only the rustling wind remained in the disordered forest.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged inside the tent, his face illuminated by the flickering candlelight.

He shed his outer robe, revealing a robust upper body, the aura brimming with golden light surging over the astonishing wound.

Extracting the dark ointment from the bottle, Shen Yi's brow furrowed slightly as he applied it to the wound and then his eyes twitched... He wasn't unafraid of pain, but he just wasn't used to showing it in front of others. After all, a wounded beast licking its wounds is the easiest target for hunters.

The Old Jiaolong was dead, but the Yangchun River Jiao Clan was still around.

Perhaps there were other Demons who also bore a grudge against him.

Even if there were none, it was always right to be careful; it would be too much of a pity to die accidentally given his lifespan of over three hundred years.

"Aside from the Condensation Elixir Method, I need to learn more Body Refining Martial Arts Techniques."

Shen Yi gathered his spirits. To say he wasn't happy about the promotion would be a lie, but the thought of staying by that general's side for three years made him somewhat reluctant.

Such a formidable figure, and any Demon bold enough to provoke this expert, would likely be difficult for him to deal with. He couldn't always rely on luck and snatching victories from others.

Moreover, the Qingfeng Sect Master led more than a thousand disciples and Elders, fully confident that they could trap the Demon-suppression Great General.

Yet, because the opponent had made a slight breakthrough, he was so easily slain.

Shen Yi became increasingly curious about this realm that was just half a step away—three years was indeed too long. If luck was bad, it might mean waiting another five or ten years...

Moreover, with the longevity accrued from the Demon Race, it was time to try out that so-called Demon Crystal.

With that thought, he summoned the interface.

[Remaining Demonic Lifespan: Three thousand two hundred sixty-four years. Ready for condensation]

[Demon Crystal: A relic imbued with the incomplete resentments and memories of Demonic Beasts. When infusing Martial Arts Techniques, it allows one to deduce using the memories of Demons and it has properties that can extend one's lifespan.]

You can only condense one every thousand years; it better not be disappointing.

Even if it can't deduce the Condensation Elixir Method, there have to be tangible signs of progress at least.

With a slight focus of his spirit and a breath, a thousand years passed by, and he winced with a bit of ache; the elixirs of Qingfeng Mountain weren't all that great after all and didn't even have an effect on pain.

[Remaining Demon Crystal quantity: One]

After a brief hesitation, Shen Yi still decided to infuse the Wind-Thunder Sun-Melting Manual with it.

As it stood, both the Imperial Court and the noble clans and sects tightly controlled the External Elixir Techniques, something that would be almost impossible to obtain in a short time.

Shen Yi took Hong Lei's words to heart, but didn't pay too much attention to them.

Catch the tail that the sect hadn't hidden properly? If it were that easy, the current Qingzhou wouldn't have something called "the Four Families and Six Sects."'

Even if it's an established fact that the Qingfeng Sect Master colluded with Demons, such an action would inevitably lead to a backlash from other forces in the shadows.

The Demon-suppression Great General might be able to withstand it, but he might not necessarily be able to.

...

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[In the first year, you ingested a Demon Crystal and began to communicate with new acupoints while researching the possibility of continuing the method.]

[You gained an additional twenty years of longevity.]

[In the second year, it was clear you had no clue, but at that time, the residual thoughts of the Fox Demon described to you rumors of the External Elixir Technique from Qingqiu, and you had a slight epiphany.]

[In the fifth year, you finally understood the so-called External Elixir Method, but because the Fox Demon was young and unaware of the true explanation, you couldn't deduce the specific methods.]

[In the thirtieth year, the lingering thoughts of the Crocodile Dragon Demon became slightly clearer, gradually recalling a malevolent technique among the aquatic race that was quite compatible with this External Elixir Method and informed you of it.]

[You successfully communicated with an acupoint.]

[In the ninety-third year, with the help of the Demonic Beast's residual thoughts, you tried to combine it with the Wind-Thunder Sun-Melting Manual.]

[You communicated with another acupoint.]

[In the two hundred and eighth year, the lingering thoughts of the Crocodile Dragon Demon helped you perfect the final step, dubbing it the Skyprowler Yama Devouring External Elixir Technique.]

[Condensing Elixir. Skyprowler Yama Devouring External Elixir Technique (Uninitiated)]

[The Sun Melting Furnace formed by two hundred and seventy-five acupoints became ever more flawless.]

[Remaining lifespan of Demonic Beasts: Two thousand and fifty-six years.]

[Remaining lifespan: Three hundred and sixteen years.]

…

A series of gains quickly emerged before his eyes.

Shen Yi's hand clenched tightly, inadvertently crushing the medicine bottle.

His pupils shrank, his breathing inexplicably hot, his mouth dry and tongue parched, and it took a long time before he could suppress the shock in his heart.

Even though he had known about the effects in advance, the miraculous nature of the Demon Crystal was still beyond comprehension, capable of temporarily enlightening the grudges of the Demonic Beasts he had killed to solve his doubts and pass on their techniques.

Wasn't it supposed to take hundreds or even thousands of years to deduce a martial arts technique?

However... regaining his composure, Shen Yi felt that the name of this Elixir Method sounded a bit strange.

The next moment, a vast influx of information crashed into his mind, forcing him to close his eyes and take a good while to digest it all.

When he opened his eyes again, there was an unusual gleam in Shen Yi's pitch-black pupils.

With the help of the Demonic Beast's residual thoughts, what he had deduced was not any Condensing Elixir Method, to be precise, but rather a shortcut on a deviant path, a forceful breakthrough into the Jade Liquid Boundary!

They seldom practiced martial arts but relied more on the innate abilities and sinister spells of the Demon Race, combining these with the Wind-Thunder Sun-Melting Manual, and what resulted could naturally not be anything orthodox.

The earlier part still matched his own conjectures: using profound techniques to condense the Jade Dew in his body into an elixir.

The latter part was entirely different.

The External Elixir was not connected with his own acupoint channels but suspended above the Qi sea, suppressed by the Sun Melting Furnace!

And since it was separated from the acupoint channels, it naturally could not draw in Qi from the heavens and earth.

This External Elixir relied solely on devouring the inner cores of Demonic Beasts and Beast Origin, absorbing their ferocious and demonic power entirely within, to be used for oneself.

Once exhausted, if one wanted to replenish, it would necessitate continuous plundering; the required Beast Origin was endless, one could only imagine the vast slaughter it would cause, which indeed fitted the name of Skyprowler Yama.

It has to be said—

Shen Yi somehow felt it quite suited him... to slay Demons for their lifespan, to devour for their cultivation, cleaning them out thoroughly, not wasting a thing.

He slowly took out the Tuolong Inner Pellet and Jiao Elixir.

If he hadn't misunderstood, swallowing the Jiao Elixir would instantly elevate his cultivation level to that of a Condensing Elixir Crocodile Dragon Demon, until the foundation was exhausted, right?

Thinking of this, Shen Yi could feel his heart beating faster.

He wasn't wary of any demonic methods; he didn't even have a method to suppress the Blood Fiend with the Sun Melting Furnace when it entered his body at first, but now the Celestial Gang Blood Fiend was almost at muscle memory.

Let it be demonic; as long as it worked, that was all that mattered.

Shen Yi just found it somewhat incomprehensible.

If a Jiao Elixir was absorbed after being swallowed, and the body could accommodate two... relying on one Skyprowler Yama External Elixir, could one's Qi overshadow the strength of the Condensing Elixir Realm?

To break through to the External Elixir Realm using this method.

Even the method's only flaw seemed like a joke.

The Skyprowler Yama External Elixir required devouring Beast Origin to replenish, and did the warriors in the Condensing Elixir Realm depend solely on the stingy Qi of heaven and earth? They too needed precious pills refined with the help of Beast Origin, just with an extra step added.

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