Compared to the vastness of heaven and earth, the mortal body is incredibly small.
Even a tiny fraction of the power of the heavens and earth is enough to surpass the mundane world.
The first part of the Wind and Thunder Treasure Scroll describes using weak medicinal essence to refine the body, allowing the mortal body to gradually adapt to the energy of heaven and earth, thus becoming capable of bearing it.
Shen Yi had already passed this stage.
What remained was a slow and steady process of filling the twelve major apertures through time and effort.
Without the aid of precious medicines, this process could be extremely slow.
But the one thing Shen Yi had in abundance was time.
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 76 years]
[Initial Realm: Wind and Thunder Demon Subduing True Explanation (Not Yet Mastered)]
[Five years passed.
You used the essence of heaven and earth to heal your injuries and eliminate hidden ailments accumulated over the years.]
[Fifteen years later, thanks to your calm mindset, your cultivation progressed smoothly, and you successfully filled the first aperture.]
[Thirty-five years later, three apertures were fully filled, and you began to grasp the Wind and Thunder Demon Subduing True Explanation.]
[Thirty-eight years later, your progress slowed.
Upon careful exploration, you discovered that the energy stored in your apertures had been tainted by your own aura, causing it to conflict with the pure energy of heaven and earth.]
[There was no solution to this problem except to maintain a calm mindset and proceed slowly.]
[Sixty-five years later, you filled five major apertures, just one step away from mastering the Wind and Thunder Demon Subduing True Explanation.]
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 1 year]
[Remaining Lifespan: 46 years]
This was the first time Shen Yi's own lifespan had surpassed his demon lifespan.
Sitting on the stone steps, he closed his eyes and felt the new world around him.
Compared to the twenty-five years of added lifespan, his joy came more from within his body.
The abundant energy in the five apertures flowed through his limbs and bones like fine wine, intoxicating and fragrant.
He raised his hand and slightly curled his fingers.
A wisp of ethereal white mist rose to his fingertips, tinged with a hint of crimson.
This was due to the Wind and Thunder Demon Subduing True Explanation.
Since this technique was obtained by exhausting the body, continuously converting blood and energy using the Righteous Sun Blade Technique, even the pure energy of heaven and earth had been tainted with a trace of blood energy.
Now, Shen Yi could casually swing his blade, far surpassing the Demon Subduing Righteous Sun Blade of yesterday.
He no longer consumed his own energy but drew power from his apertures.
Having reached the Initial Realm, he no longer needed the crude blade techniques that only allowed temporary transcendence.
Shen Yi stood up and walked out of the alley, feeling as light as if he could ascend to the heavens in a single step.
"I'm getting a bit carried away..."
He calmed his emotions.
Suddenly gaining such immense power was inevitably disorienting.
He was now entangled with three demons, and the danger was immense.
He had been lucky to gain over forty years of lifespan, and he couldn't afford to waste it.
Of course, if those demons dared to appear before him, Shen Yi wouldn't mind testing the sharpness of his newfound energy.
With only one year of demon lifespan left, he felt a deep sense of insecurity.
At the government office, the sun was already high in the sky.
Six constables stood stiffly in the courtyard, their eyes fixed on the shattered door of the office.
Chief Song had been sitting inside since early morning, his forehead bandaged, his face dark, and he hadn't moved all morning.
Chen Ji glanced at the ground.
Two bodies covered with white cloth lay there, emitting a foul stench.
They were the two men who had come looking for Shen Yi last night, now clearly dead.
Normally, Shen Yi's subordinates weren't afraid of Chief Song and only paid him lip service.
But now, people had died.
On the other side, a group of constables from other offices stood with their arms crossed, looking arrogant.
These men had come with Chief Song and were clearly not to be trifled with.
Usually, outsiders wouldn't be the first to arrive at a crime scene, but today was different.
What made Chen Ji most uneasy was that Shen Yi still hadn't shown up.
Just then, a tall figure slowly entered the courtyard.
All eyes turned to him.
When the other constables saw who it was, their expressions instantly changed, and their hands went to the swords at their waists.
Chief Song had summoned the best from each office early in the morning, which could only mean that the higher-ups' attitude had changed, and Shen Yi's days of arrogance were over.
Seeing their actions, Shen Yi's own men turned pale, except for Chen Ji, who frowned and silently gripped the hilt of his sword.
As tensions rose, Chief Song suddenly stood up from his chair, dragging his injured body, and limped to the door of the office.
Leaning against the wall, he forced a smile.
"You're here?"
Shen Yi nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Though he didn't know why the poor old man wasn't resting at home, at least he had taken care of the aftermath, saving Shen Yi some trouble.
"I thought you'd come in the afternoon," Chief Song said, extending a hand in greeting.
"There were rats at home, so I didn't sleep well. I decided to get up early," Shen Yi replied as he walked into the office and sat down in his usual seat.
He looked up.
"Is there something you need?"
Hearing this, the men outside subconsciously glanced at the sky, then back at the office.
There sat Shen Yi, calm and composed in the main seat, while Chief Song stood beside him, leaning on his waist, his grip on his sword loosening slightly.
It was no secret that Chief Song feared Shen Yi.
But for him to come here with a group of elite constables and make a fool of himself was truly bizarre.
"Damn it..."
The constables from the other offices felt their faces burn with shame, wishing they could leave this wretched place immediately.
To their surprise, Chief Song pointed at them.
"Do you want to pick a couple to fill out your team? They're all carefully selected."
At these words, their faces changed.
Baiyun County wasn't large, and news spread quickly.
Working under Shen Yi meant living well, but his methods were too dirty.
Within half a day, their reputations would be as tarnished as his.
Those with no conscience wouldn't care, but anyone who valued their reputation wouldn't want to be his lackeys, guarding the door while he bullied innocent women.
"Are they any good?" Shen Yi raised an eyebrow.
To be honest, he was considering it.
Since his predecessor was dead and he wanted to join the Demon-Suppression Bureau, it wasn't appropriate to continue using the same people.
But he wasn't without standards.
At the very least, they should be able to survive and report back in situations like the one in Liuli Village.
This comment clearly rubbed the outsiders the wrong way.
A man addicted to wine and women, with a weak and flimsy demeanor, dared to question their abilities? They were surely better than his long-unused bone-piercing grappling techniques.
Yet, under everyone's gaze, Chief Song forced a bitter smile.
"That depends on who you compare them to. Surely not to you, right?"
This statement seemed harmless, but it carried a strange undertone.
The others were still pondering its deeper meaning, while Chen Ji rolled his eyes, clearly agreeing.
With Shen Yi's absurd talent and the seventy-eight-word mantra he had taken, in a few years, he might even break through the two major barriers of tendons and bones, reaching the realm of perfect flesh.
(End of Chapter)