On Qingfeng Mountain, countless officers stood guard.
Several demon hunters in plain clothes were inspecting the disciples of the Qingfeng Sect one by one.
Among them was the one who had earlier clung to Hong Lei's leg, begging for help.
Now, with a lingering fear on his face, he showed no resistance during the inspection.
The moment they were forced to draw their swords against the officers, it was equivalent to actively attacking the imperial court.
Keeping their lives was already something to be grateful for.
Although joining the Demon Suppression Bureau was sudden, and they would now have to follow orders, becoming the court's hounds, no longer enjoying the carefree life on Qingfeng Mountain, the thought of the ancestral sword and the resentment of the Sword Rage Elder before his death made the so-called "carefree life" seem less important.
Even the two white-haired Core Formation elders had changed into black robes and stood silently behind Elder Chen Qiankun.
Other members of the Demon Suppression Bureau were carrying boxes filled with martial arts books and precious elixirs from various side halls, transporting them down the mountain in an orderly manner.
The grand mountain gate, with fallen leaves drifting by, exuded an inexplicable desolation.
Led by Hong Lei, Shen Yi returned to the Sword Viewing Gorge where they had previously camped.
"Brother Shen, rest well tonight. Tomorrow we return to Qingzhou. Apply this precious medicine to your wounds, don't miss any part, and you'll be healed in at most three days. The elixirs of Qingfeng Mountain are there to be used, no need to be stingy."
"Thank you, Brother Hong."
Shen Yi cupped his hands and took the medicine bottle, stepping into the tent.
Twenty or so Golden Eagle officers glanced slightly, then silently stood up, standing straight around the tent to keep watch for him.
Seeing this, Hong Lei sighed and shook his head.
This was the first time he had heard Shen Yi call him "Brother Hong," and it would likely be the last.
Once they returned to Qingzhou, even he would have to address Shen Yi as "Lord Shen."
In the quiet of the night, only the rustling of the wind remained in the messy forest.
Shen Yi sat upright in the tent, his face illuminated by the flickering candlelight.
He removed his outer robe, revealing his muscular upper body, with golden light swirling around his terrifying wounds.
Taking out the black ointment from the bottle, Shen Yi frowned slightly, applying it to his wounds, then twitched at the corner of his eye...
He wasn't immune to pain, just unaccustomed to showing it in front of others.
After all, a beast licking its wounds is the easiest target for hunters.
The old flood dragon was dead, but the Yangchun River flood dragon clan still existed.
Perhaps other demons also held grudges against him.
Even if there was nothing, it was always good to be cautious.
With over three hundred years of lifespan, it would be a pity to die carelessly.
"Besides the Core Formation method, I need to learn a few more body-refining martial arts."
Shen Yi calmed his mind.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't happy about the promotion, but he wasn't keen on staying by the general's side for three years.
The general was so powerful that any demon daring to provoke him would be hard for Shen Yi to handle.
He couldn't always rely on luck to snatch kills.
Moreover, the Qingfeng Sect leader, with over a thousand disciples and elders, was confident they could trap this Demon Suppression General.
Yet, just because the general broke through a minor realm, he was easily killed.
Shen Yi became increasingly curious about this realm that was just half a step away.
Three years was too long; if luck was bad, it might take five or ten years...
With a rich reserve of demon lifespan, it was time to try the so-called Demon Treasure Crystal.
Thinking of this, he summoned the panel.
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 3,264 years.
Can be condensed.]
[Demon Treasure Crystal: A crystal formed from the residual resentment and memories of demons.
When used in martial arts training, it can assist in deducing techniques through demon memories.
Consuming it can extend lifespan.]
It took a thousand years to condense one crystal.
It better not disappoint.
Even if it didn't deduce the Core Formation method, it should at least show tangible progress.
With a thought, he spent a thousand years, slightly pained as he clenched his fists...
The precious medicine from Qingfeng Mountain wasn't that great; it didn't even have a pain-relieving effect.
[Remaining Demon Treasure Crystals: One.]
After a slight hesitation, Shen Yi infused it into the Wind Thunder Sun Melting Scripture.
Currently, whether it was the imperial court or the aristocratic families and sects, the most strictly controlled was the Core Formation method, something almost impossible to obtain in a short time.
Although Shen Yi remembered Hong Lei's words, he didn't pay too much attention.
Catching the sect's hidden tail? If it were that easy, there wouldn't be the "Four Families and Six Sects" in Qingzhou now.
Even though the Qingfeng Sect leader's collusion with demons was a confirmed fact, such actions would inevitably provoke covert retaliation from other forces.
The Demon Suppression General could handle it, but Shen Yi might not.
...
[Year 1: You consumed the Demon Treasure Crystal, communicating with new acupoints while researching whether this method could continue.]
[Lifespan extended by 20 years.]
[Year 2: Clearly, you had no clue, but then, the fox demon's residual memory described the Outer Core legend of Qingqiu, giving you some insight.]
[Year 5: You finally understood the so-called Outer Core method, but due to the fox demon's youth, you couldn't deduce the specific techniques.]
[Year 30: The flood dragon demon's residual memory became slightly clearer, recalling a sinister method among the water tribe that matched the Outer Core method, which it shared with you.]
[You successfully communicated with one acupoint.]
[Year 93: With the help of the demon's residual memory, you tried to combine it with the Wind Thunder Sun Melting Scripture.]
[You communicated with another acupoint.]
[Year 208: The flood dragon demon's residual memory helped you perfect the final step, naming it the Heavenly Demon Yama's Devouring Outer Core Technique.]
[Core Formation: Heavenly Demon Yama's Devouring Outer Core Technique (Not yet mastered).]
[The Sun Melting Furnace formed by 275 acupoints became increasingly perfect.]
[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 2,056 years.]
[Remaining Lifespan: 316 years.]
...
A series of gains quickly appeared before his eyes.
With a crack, Shen Yi unconsciously crushed the medicine bottle in his hand.
His pupils contracted, his breathing became inexplicably hot, and his mouth went dry.
It took a long time to suppress the shock in his heart.
Even though he had anticipated the general effects, the Demon Treasure Crystal's magic was still hard to comprehend.
It could temporarily awaken the resentment of the demons he had killed, allowing them to explain and pass on techniques to him.
So, deducing a martial arts technique didn't necessarily take hundreds or thousands of years?
But...
Shen Yi came back to his senses.
The name of this Core Formation method sounded a bit strange.
The next moment, a vast amount of information crashed into his mind, forcing him to close his eyes for a long time before digesting it.
When he opened his eyes again, an unusual light appeared in Shen Yi's dark pupils.
With the help of the demon's residual memory, what he deduced wasn't a Core Formation method.
To be precise, it was another shortcut, a forced breakthrough to the Jade Liquid Realm!
They rarely practiced martial arts, relying more on demonic talents and evil techniques.
Combining these with the Wind Thunder Sun Melting Scripture naturally didn't result in anything orthodox.
The initial part matched his speculation: using a mysterious method to condense the Jade Dew throughout the body into a core.
But the latter part was completely different.
The Outer Core wasn't connected to his meridians, floating in the Qi Sea, suppressed by the Sun Melting Furnace! Moreover, since it was separated from the meridians, it couldn't draw energy from the heavens and earth.
This Outer Core relied solely on devouring the inner cores of demons, forcibly gathering their fierce demonic power for his own use.
Once exhausted, to replenish it, he would have to continue plundering, requiring an endless supply of inner cores, leading to countless killings.
It truly lived up to the name Heavenly Demon Yama.
Admittedly—
Shen Yi felt it suited him quite well...
Slaying demons to take their lifespan, devouring their cores to take their cultivation.
It was like consuming everything, leaving no waste.
He slowly took out the inner cores of the alligator dragon and the flood dragon.
If he understood correctly, by swallowing the flood dragon's core, his cultivation level would instantly equal that of a Core Formation flood dragon, until the reserves were exhausted? Thinking of this, Shen Yi felt his heart race.
It wasn't that he feared demonic methods.
Back when the blood demonic energy invaded his body, he didn't even have the Sun Melting Furnace to suppress it.
Now, using the Heavenly Demon Blood Demon energy was almost muscle memory.
A bit demonic? As long as it worked.
Shen Yi just found it hard to comprehend.
If one flood dragon core could be fully absorbed, what about two...
With one Heavenly Demon Yama Outer Core, could his energy surpass that of a Core Formation realm? Breaking through to the Outer Core realm with this method.
Even the only flaw seemed like a joke.
The Heavenly Demon Yama Outer Core needed to devour inner cores to replenish, but didn't Core Formation martial artists also rely on the stingy heavens and earth? They too needed inner cores to refine precious pills, with an extra step involved.
(End of Chapter)