Chapter 58

Half a day passed.

Qin Shujian did not leave the bedroom for a single step.

During this time, Shi Qingsheng entered and exited several times, each time carrying a large amount of food.

In the bedroom.

Shen Changqing finally finished his cultivation and began to check his status panel.

Name: Shen Changqing

Faction: Great Qin Demon Suppression Bureau

Identity: Yellow Rank Demon Exorcist

Martial Arts: Thirteen Protectors' Hardened Body Technique (20th Level, Unupgradable), Heavenly Martial Aura (13th Level, Unupgradable), Seven Kill Blade Technique (3rd Level), Iron Sand Palm (2nd Level)

Kills: 0

Just as Shen Changqing had guessed.

The Thirteen Protectors' Hardened Body Technique consumed five kill points per level from levels 16 to 19, but when breaking through to level 20, the consumption doubled.

Of course.

Although the consumption doubled, the enhancement to the physical body was also significantly increased.

Forty-one kill points, just for the Thirteen Protectors' Hardened Body Technique, consumed twenty-five points, and the remaining sixteen points only allowed him to advance two levels in Heavenly Martial Aura.

"Level 12 Heavenly Martial Aura, when perfected, can allow a martial artist to enter the External Aura Realm. I am now at level 13 Heavenly Martial Aura, which should be close to the peak of the External Aura Realm, but to break through to the Master Realm, there is still a significant gap.

On the contrary, the 20th level of the Thirteen Protectors' Hardened Body Technique has made my physical defense extremely strong.

Even without using aura to defend, it would be very difficult for an average Meridian Passage martial artist to break through my physical defense."

Shen Changqing thought to himself.

Without a real confrontation, he could not be 100% sure if his physical defense could truly overwhelm the Meridian Passage Realm.

However, this was not his current primary concern.

What Shen Changqing was most concerned about now was how to break through to the Master Realm.

To be honest.

He knew little about the Master Realm.

In the first floor of the Library, let alone the Master Realm, even the Innate Realm was only half-understood, at most familiar with the terms.

It was only after the Demon Suppression Bureau sent the Heavenly Martial Aura that he truly understood the Innate Realm.

But for the Master Realm after the Innate, Shen Changqing was completely clueless.

What is a Master?

How to break through to the Master Realm?

He had no clue at all.

"The second floor of the Library might have records about Masters, but the cultivation techniques involving Masters are likely to be on the third floor. With my identity as a Yellow Rank Demon Exorcist, I can only access up to the second floor.

Unless I can advance to the Mystic Rank Demon Exorcist, then it would be a different story!"

Shen Changqing played with the Qingling Jade Pendant in his hand. Submitting this item would likely allow him to directly advance to the Mystic Rank Demon Exorcist.

Once he advanced, his various benefits would improve.

Correspondingly.

The danger of future missions would also increase significantly.

Yellow Rank Demon Exorcists mostly carry out low-level ghost missions, with the most dangerous being assisting Mystic Rank Demon Exorcists in dealing with Grievance-level ghosts.

For Shen Changqing.

Whether it's a low-level ghost or a Grievance-level ghost, with his current abilities, there wouldn't be a big problem.

But if he advanced to the Mystic Rank Demon Exorcist.

If his luck was bad, the mission might involve even higher-level demons.

Like Liu Chang.

A well-established Yellow Department Demon Exorcist and Mystic Rank Demon Exorcist, who should have been as stable as an old dog, ended up dying at the hands of a Calamity-level ghost.

From this, it can be seen.

Although advancing has many benefits, the dangers are also significant.

Should he stay quietly at the Yellow Rank, only dealing with low-level demons, and let the benefits flow steadily, or should he advance to face powerful demons and harvest a large number of kill points?

This is a difficult decision.

After all, a low-level ghost might only provide ten to eight kill points, while a stronger one might provide a dozen or so.

But a Grievance-level ghost would provide many more kill points.

As strong as Wen Rong.

He directly provided thirty kill points, equivalent to the effort of slaying two or three low-level ghosts.

However.

The risk is also not low.

"Let's see!"

"Everything will be decided once we return to the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Shen Changqing took a deep breath. His current mission was still to oversee Lin'an City.

From the information obtained from the Heavenly Inspector, it would be some time before the demon's essence blood would appear.

And calculating the time.

The officially appointed county magistrate should also be arriving soon.

"The news of me slaying the Zhang family's demons has been received by the Heavenly Inspector. My breakthrough to the Innate Realm is likely to be exposed, but with the Meridian Passage Pill, it can be explained.

My foundation is still too shallow. I want to quickly improve my strength without attracting attention, but there is no such perfect solution in the world!"

Shen Changqing had long been prepared for the current situation.

Acting low-key in the Demon Suppression Bureau and quietly accumulating kill points to improve his realm is feasible, but the progress is too slow.

So, exposure is inevitable.

Anyway, with the Meridian Passage Pill as an excuse, breaking through to the Innate Realm, although shocking, is not completely unexplainable.

Moreover.

Breaking through to the Innate Realm does not mean he has to advance to the Mystic Rank Demon Exorcist.

Like the probationary Demon Exorcist, the advancement from Yellow Rank to Mystic Rank also requires a mission evaluation.

Moreover.

Yellow Rank Demon Exorcists have a five-year grace period.

Any Yellow Rank Demon Exorcist can spend five years without participating in evaluations, quietly accumulating strength, and only when the five years are up, will they be forced to undergo the evaluation.

If successful, they naturally advance to the Mystic Rank Demon Exorcist.

If they fail, they might die, or if they survive, the next mission will still be an evaluation mission.

This point.

The Demon Suppression Bureau demonstrates sufficient cold-blooded cruelty.

However, under normal circumstances, the Demon Suppression Bureau will not force Yellow Rank Demon Exorcists to participate in evaluation missions before the five-year period.

As for what constitutes an abnormal situation, Shen Changqing is unaware.

Rising, he left the bedroom.

Shen Changqing found Shi Qingsheng: "Mr. Shi, please draft a public notice to explain what happened at the Zhang family yesterday."

The Zhang family was attacked by demons and completely burned down.

For the people of Lin'an City, this is a significant event, so the government must provide a reasonable explanation to calm the public.

At the same time.

Shen Changqing went to the study and began writing down the events at the Zhang family, then sent the report back to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

If it was just the destruction of the Zhang family, there would be no need to report to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

However.

The Zhang family was a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance in Lin'an City, and matters involving the Eternal Alliance's strongholds are significant.

To be safe.

Shen Changqing decided to send the message back.

In the letter, he wrote down all the events truthfully.

But he did not fully reveal the strength of the Zhang family's demons.

After writing, Shen Changqing changed into casual clothes and went to Yongfu Pawnshop, handing the letter to Situ Bei, asking him to pass the message to the Demon Suppression Bureau through the Heavenly Inspector.

At the same time.

The government's notice was officially posted.

Immediately.

Many citizens gathered around, discussing the notice.

"Is there anyone who can read and help interpret it?"

"Who would have thought the Zhang family was wiped out by demons, what a pity!"

"Yes, I was talking to the Zhang family's steward just a few days ago, and now they're all gone."

The gathered citizens all shook their heads in sighs.

Some had connections with the Zhang family, while others were simply lamenting the fragility of life.

"Was the Zhang family wiped out by demons yesterday?"

In the crowd, Cui Cheng looked at the posted notice, his brows slightly furrowed.

He originally thought the Zhang family had colluded with demons and was wiped out by Shen Changqing, but now, the content of the notice seemed to suggest the Zhang family was suddenly wiped out by demons, and the government received the news and went to eliminate the demons.

The content of the notice seemed reasonable.

But in Cui Cheng's eyes, it was full of loopholes.

From the moment Shen Changqing gathered them, it was clear that the Zhang family had been a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance for a long time.

If the Zhang family had not colluded with demons, they should have been killed by demons long ago.

But the citizens' discussions contradicted the idea that the Zhang family had been wiped out long ago.

Not only was Cui Cheng puzzled.

Zhao Yue, who was with him, also had many doubts.

"Brother, the Zhang family didn't collude with demons, but was just wiped out by demons recently?" She turned to her brother, meeting Cui Cheng's serious face.

"Hard to say!"

Cui Cheng shook his head, also confused.

"Let's leave first!"

He pulled Zhao Yue away.

Other citizens continued to gather around the notice, discussing it.

In the inner hall.

Shen Changqing had just sat down when Cui Cheng and Zhao Yue came to visit.

"What brings you two here?"

"Mr. Shen, I would like to ask about the Zhang family," Cui Cheng said eagerly, but then hesitated.

"Please, sit down!"

Shen Changqing gestured.

The two bowed: "Thank you, Mr. Shen!"

After sitting down.

Shen Changqing looked at them calmly: "The reason you two are here is because of the notice posted by the government, right? If you have any questions, feel free to ask, no need to beat around the bush."

"Since that's the case, I'll be straightforward!"

Cui Cheng bowed and asked his question.

"Yesterday, from your words, it seemed the Zhang family had been a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance for some time. But from the government's notice, the Zhang family doesn't seem to be a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance, but rather a family that was recently attacked by demons.

What's the truth?"

"The Zhang family is indeed a stronghold of the Eternal Alliance, but they did not collude with demons. In fact, a long time ago, the Zhang family was wiped out by the Eternal Alliance's demons."

Shen Changqing paused briefly, then changed the subject.

"Has the Guanyuan Sword Sect ever heard of zombies?"

"Zombies!"

Cui Cheng was puzzled for a moment, but then recalled something, his face changing.

"Mr. Shen, are you saying the Zhang family was turned into zombies!"

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