After tidying up the table, Shen Yi noticed the old lady was about to bring up the topic of introducing him to a girl again.
Without hesitation, he made an excuse and retreated to his room.
As the saying goes, one should settle down before pursuing a career.
But Shen Yi hadn’t even found his footing yet, and his current job was fraught with life-and-death risks.
He had no time for such trivial matters.
Closing the door behind him, Shen Yi sat down by the bed.
He placed three Vein-Opening Pills into his mouth, and a strong, bitter taste immediately spread across his tongue, as if he had bitten into a piece of bitter coptis root.
Fortunately, having experienced the foul taste of swallowing beast cores before, this was nothing to him.
With a calm expression, Shen Yi summoned his status panel.
[Jade Liquid: Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons (Not Yet Mastered)]
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 300 Years]
Originally, he had saved this lifespan for emergencies.
If he exhausted it all and encountered a powerful demon, his current reserves would only allow him to use the Heavenly Fiend Blood Strike once before collapsing from exhaustion.
Moreover, now that he had joined the Demon-Suppression Bureau, obtaining the internal techniques to break through to the Jade Liquid Realm shouldn’t be too difficult once he got familiar with the environment.
However, he knew that such techniques would likely consume a significant amount of lifespan.
Under these circumstances, even with 300 years of demon lifespan at his disposal, Shen Yi felt a sense of urgency.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he began infusing the lifespan into the Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons technique in batches.
No matter what, improving his skills even slightly would increase his chances of survival in dangerous situations.
Staying alive was the priority; everything else could come later.
**[Year 1: You diligently study the contents of the manual while refining the medicinal energy within your body.
Having never experienced such precious medicine before, you are extremely frugal, unwilling to waste even a trace of its power.]**
**[Year 3: You take the second pill, and your meridians and acupoints expand further.
By now, you have memorized the contents of the manual.
Countless pieces of information about meridians flood your mind, and your eyes reflect a clarity untouched by knowledge.]**
**[Year 9: You absorb the last pill’s energy completely.
Your major acupoints have expanded by tenfold.
Though you still don’t fully understand what meridians are, you feel a sense of accomplishment as you continue to observe the world around you.]**
No wonder the General only taught each disciple one ultimate technique.
If the Four Harmonies True Aura was about manipulating energy, then Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons was the pinnacle of physical techniques—two entirely different fields.
Each required a lifetime of dedication to master.
Being proficient in just one was already an immense challenge.
To master a single technique and dominate others at the same level was a feat only achievable by those with extraordinary talent.
For those with average aptitude, grasping the true essence of such techniques might be impossible in a lifetime.
“I want it all,” Shen Yi muttered to himself as he poured several decades of demon lifespan into the technique.
**[Year 26: You place your hand on the rough bark of a tree, your fingers dancing lightly across its surface.
As you press your ear to the trunk, you seem to hear the tree’s “heartbeat.”]**
**[Year 48: You pick up a massive boulder, feeling as though it’s a stone egg brimming with life.
A crazed smile spreads across your face—aha! You’ve gained enlightenment!]**
**[Year 69: You slump to the ground in frustration.
What enlightenment? You’ve just gone mad.
You get up and vent your anger by striking the weathered boulder.
After a while, you mutter to yourself in a daze, “This rock… it’s dead.”]**
[Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons: Beginner Level Achieved]
**[Year 71: Your proficiency in fist and palm techniques comes into play.
Your movements become more fluid, and Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons reaches the Small Success stage.]**
**[Year 73: Finally understanding what the “veins of all things” are, the rest is just a matter of timing your strikes.
Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons reaches the Great Success stage.]**
[Year 75: Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons reaches Perfection.]
In a single moment of enlightenment, Shen Yi’s progress surged forward.
It reminded him that he was still a genius in fist and palm techniques.
The years he had spent mastering the Cloud-Parting Long Fist hadn’t been entirely wasted.
Five years—that’s all it took for him to take a Jade Liquid Realm fist and palm technique from beginner to perfection.
This was the experience of someone with exceptional talent.
Indeed, as long as it didn’t involve the elusive concept of “enlightenment,” Shen Yi was quite capable.
Closing the status panel, Shen Yi closed his eyes to savor his gains.
The most noticeable change was the overwhelming surge of energy within his major acupoints, far surpassing what he had before.
For others, such an improvement might simply mean doubled physical strength.
But for Shen Yi, it meant he could now unleash a more powerful Heavenly Fiend Blood Strike, rather than the weaker version he had been forced to use due to insufficient reserves.
Moreover, his energy-refining speed had doubled, and it would only take five years of demon lifespan to replenish his reserves.
“Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons is essentially a method of applying restraints,” Shen Yi mused as he spread open his pale, well-defined hand.
Without damaging the surface, his hand could act like a blade, severing the target’s meridians and sealing their acupoints, cutting off their life force.
He recalled how Lin Baiwei had fallen victim to a similar demonic technique.
She was at the peak of the Jade Liquid Realm, and the demon that had inflicted such suffering on her was likely at the Core Formation Realm.
To use a Jade Liquid Realm martial art to touch upon techniques of a higher realm—these 75 years of lifespan had been well spent.
The following days were relatively peaceful.
In Baiyun County, he had to constantly be on guard against demons trying to take his head.
But in this quiet courtyard, he could enjoy a moment of tranquility.
After all, outside the walls lay the sprawling Demon-Suppression Bureau, covering 2,800 acres.
Everyone wore black robes adorned with cloud patterns, and the collective aura they exuded was like a blade piercing the heavens.
This was the safest place in all of Qingzhou.
Shen Yi allowed himself to relax for a few days, giving his long-tense nerves a break.
He had obtained the martial art, fulfilling his agreement with Lin Baiwei.
But the old lady’s pickled vegetables were quite delicious, and paired with rice porridge, they made for a light yet appetizing meal.
Since she didn’t mind, Shen Yi was happy to stay a few more days.
Of course, it would have been better if Officer Fang hadn’t always seemed to look down on him whenever he demonstrated Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons.
Shen Yi wasn’t sure what he had done to offend the man, nor did he care to find out.
Flattery wasn’t his strong suit, nor was it something he was interested in.
If it had been, he wouldn’t have ended up the way he did in his previous life.
“Share your insights,” Fang Heng said coldly after finishing his demonstration, his eyes fixed on the distance.
Shen Yi stood slightly behind him, hands at his sides.
After a moment of thought, he replied, “It’s quite good.”
Fang Heng’s Severing Veins and Capturing Dragons had just reached the Small Success stage, and his movements showed some skill.
Considering his age and comparing it to the 70 years Shen Yi had spent to grasp the technique’s essence, Fang Heng’s progress was commendable.
Though still a bit rough, it was genuinely impressive—far better than Shen Yi could have done.
“Hmph,” Fang Heng let out a faint scoff, his lips curling into a barely noticeable sneer.
He didn’t say more, simply putting on his clothes and heading back inside.
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.
“Brother Shen, come out!” Liu Xiujie poked his head in and whispered, “Get ready. It’s time to get to work.”
“Alright, give me a moment,” Shen Yi replied, rubbing his wrist.
He had rested long enough; he couldn’t let the edge in his heart dull completely.
No matter how comfortable this place was, it wasn’t his home, and it wouldn’t protect him forever.
He turned to head back to his room to fetch his blade.
At that moment, Fang Heng’s sturdy figure turned around.
“Who gave you permission to agree?” Fang Heng’s cold voice carried a hint of menace as he raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing.
Shen Yi paused, then turned to meet Fang Heng’s eyes.
After a moment, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
(End of Chapter)