The numbers on the panel regarding lifespan began to change rapidly.
Thirty-four... twenty-one... thirteen...
Until it finally stopped at "one."
The realm behind the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique also grew rapidly.
[You diligently practiced the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique and broke through to the Small Success realm in the eighth year.]
[You continued practicing and broke through to the Great Success realm in the seventeenth year.]
[In the twenty-ninth year, your Demon-Slaying Blade Technique reached the pinnacle, achieving Perfection.]
[In the thirty-third year, even after reaching Perfection, you remained deeply engrossed in this technique, seemingly gaining new insights.
However, this spark of inspiration wasn't clear enough to successfully evolve...]
Demon-Slaying Blade Technique (Perfection)
...
Shen Yi lay on the ground, his thoughts more focused on his right hand, which was gripping the blade.
He wanted to confirm whether, after losing his lifespan, he would turn into a withered old man or if he could maintain his youthful appearance.
The skin on the back of his hand was still smooth, and his long fingers were as nimble as ever.
What was even more astonishing was that his body not only hadn't aged but was actually becoming stronger and more robust at an unimaginable rate.
It was as if Shen Yi had truly devoted himself to practicing the blade for thirty-three years, abstaining from wine and women, and dedicating his entire life to the blade in his hand.
...
The night was dark, and the courtyard was eerily silent.
The massive figure of the Dog Demon hunched slightly as it approached the door, leaning against the wall and poking its head into the room.
Its pale yellow eyes coldly scanned the people inside.
Overwhelmed by the pungent stench of the beast, Old Man Liu pressed himself against the corner, his eyes rolling back, nearly fainting.
If facing Shen Yi's back had given him the courage to grip his wooden stick, then facing this dog head so close, he couldn't even muster the words to beg for mercy.
Fortunately, the Dog Demon's gaze soon shifted away from him and landed on the seemingly more tender little girl.
The Dog Demon didn't even bother to speak.
It simply extended its clawed hand and beckoned with a finger.
Under the immense fear, the little girl's eyes went blank, and she mechanically took a step forward, watching as the sharp claws closed around her neck.
Suddenly, she felt a warm palm cover her wrist, pulling her back and halting her advance.
The little girl trembled and looked down.
Shen Yi, lying on the ground, furrowed his brows slightly, staggered to his feet, and dusted himself off.
In the same tone he might use to shoo away a fly, he said softly, "Step aside, go stand in the corner."
"..."
Feeling the claws tighten around her neck, the little girl's emotions crumbled.
She had no idea what nonsense Shen Yi was spouting.
How could she move? Where could she go?
A sinister smile spread across the Dog Demon's lips: "Traitorous beast, what's the rush? You're next."
Under the gaze of everyone in the room, a flash of silver light suddenly streaked across the room, cold and piercing!
Shen Yi held the long blade at an angle, its gleaming surface faintly reflecting his expressionless face.
A thin line of blood had appeared on the blade at some point, converging at the tip and dripping off as a blood bead.
Along with the blood bead, a thick, muscular arm covered in glossy fur also fell to the ground.
"Argh—"
In an instant, the room was filled with the Dog Demon's agonized howl.
It hadn't even seen the trajectory of the blade or when Shen Yi had drawn it.
Freed from the claws' grip, the little girl stumbled backward toward the corner, curling up in terror.
Through her tear-filled eyes, she saw the thin figure in front of her suddenly charge forward.
Like a fierce god of slaughter, his powerful arms spread wide, and his fingers grabbed the long fur on the Dog Demon's neck, slamming it down with tremendous force.
Under the overwhelming strength, the Dog Demon cried out in pain again, its massive body crashing to the ground like a small mountain!
Without giving it a chance to react, Shen Yi pressed a knee against the dog's head, raised his hands high above his head, and gripped the hilt of the blade vertically.
With a fierce thrust, he drove the blade into the Dog Demon's throat.
Squelch!
Scalding dog blood sprayed out, covering Shen Yi's face and adding a touch of ferocity to his handsome features.
...
Shen Yi stepped on the dog's head, his hands steady as he pulled the blade from the flesh.
Though it was his first time slaying a demon, it felt as if this act of killing had been repeated countless times, deeply ingrained in his instincts.
His body was drenched in sticky blood, and the stench was nauseating.
He should have been shaken, vomiting uncontrollably, but his body remained eerily calm.
This was the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique.
Slaying demons was as natural as eating or drinking.
He pulled out the blade, stared into the Dog Demon's lifeless eyes, and carefully wiped the blade clean on its fur.
Not only had the beast not expected it, but even Shen Yi himself hadn't thought the battle would end so quickly.
Thirty-three years of blade practice had brought his strength to the peak of what a mortal could achieve.
After finishing, Shen Yi turned to look at the father and daughter in the corner.
Their eyes were filled with disbelief, but compared to before, there was only deeper fear, not gratitude.
Shen Yi looked away, not particularly bothered.
After all, just half an hour ago, he had been trying to strip the little girl of her clothes.
How could they possibly trust him now?
They probably still thought that Shen Yi and the demon had had a falling out.
"..."
He sheathed the blade, kicked the Dog Demon's corpse aside, and walked out into the courtyard.
"Master Shen... would you like..."
The Liu family's little girl, looking at the wrist Shen Yi had just held, suddenly raised her dirty face and cautiously asked, "Should we bandage the wound on your head first?"
Hearing this, the old man nearly fainted.
This foolish girl, why bring up such a sensitive topic? Don't forget how that wound got there.
In the old man's eyes, Master Shen was now ten times more terrifying than the Dog Demon!
Shen Yi slowly stopped in his tracks.
After a moment, he turned back and said, "Alright."
In both lifetimes, he had never done much good.
Now that he had finally done something decent, it would be a lie to say he didn't care at all.
It wasn't right to let a hero walk home alone.
He didn't expect them to offer themselves to him, but at least a cup of hot water to soothe his throat would be nice.
Shen Yi swaggered back to the bed and sat down.
Under the clumsy assistance of the skinny girl, he took off his clothes.
Old Man Liu, though inwardly grieving, quickly found a relatively clean cloth and began wiping the blood from the back of Shen Yi's head.
At that moment, the panel popped up.
A new notification caught Shen Yi's attention.
[Intelligent Dog Demon, not yet at the Initial Realm, total lifespan 175 years, remaining 63 years, absorbed.]
[Current Martial Arts]
Bone-Piercing Grappling Technique (Great Success)
Demon-Slaying Blade Technique (Perfection)
[Current Remaining Lifespan: 1 year]
[Demon Lifespan: 63 years]
[Demon Lifespan can be used to infuse martial arts but cannot be converted into personal lifespan.]
"..."
Shen Yi directed the two to clean up the Dog Demon's corpse while he pondered this new development.
Admittedly, the emptiness after spending so much was quite tormenting.
Looking at his remaining lifespan of just one year, Shen Yi fell silent for a long time before suddenly wanting to slap himself.
He could have perfected the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique in twenty-nine years, but he had to show off and waste an extra four years.
Even though he didn't feel much attachment to this world, even in a game, it would be nice to play a few more years.
"So, as long as I slay demons, I can use their remaining lifespan to replace my own and advance my martial arts?"
"An intelligent Dog Demon can live nearly two hundred years? That's insane."
Shen Yi was slightly surprised.
But then he thought of something.
If demons could live so long, didn't mortals have ways to extend their lifespans?
If that were the case, then the officials and soldiers with blades should be dogs, not humans.
"Forget it, no use thinking about that now."
"Earlier, when I was advancing the Demon-Slaying Blade Technique, it mentioned some new progress."
With sixty-three years of demon lifespan in hand, Shen Yi suddenly felt like he had struck it rich overnight.
How about trying ten years first?
(End of Chapter)