Chapter 73

Jiang Zuo spoke in a steady, unhurried manner, and Shen Changqing did not urge him, but simply sat quietly, listening to what he had to say next.

"The greatest difference between a Xiantian and a Grandmaster lies in the true meaning of martial arts!"

"What is known as a martial arts grandmaster is essentially a transformation of the spirit. To comprehend the true meaning of martial arts, a martial artist must find their own path and then understand the essence of it.

There are many kinds of true meanings of martial arts, and I cannot explain them all to you in detail."

Jiang Zuo shared his understanding of grandmasters.

"True meaning of martial arts!"

Shen Changqing repeated the phrase to himself.

So, the greatest difference between a Xiantian and a Grandmaster lies in the true meaning of martial arts.

"From what you say, a martial arts grandmaster has already elevated to a level of spiritual attack. The main methods of demons and evil spirits are also manifested on the spiritual level, with the most representative being illusions, right!"

"You are correct."

Jiang Zuo praised him and patiently explained.

"Below the level of grandmaster, martial artists do not have any advantage against demons and evil spirits. Some martial artists have robust qi and blood but weak minds, making them prone to getting trapped in illusions.

However, once a martial artist breaks through to the grandmaster level, they can have a significant restraining power against the illusions of demons and evil spirits.

But I am not very clear on the specifics."

Jiang Zuo's face showed a hint of regret.

He was only a Xuan-stage demon hunter, still a considerable distance from the grandmaster realm.

Shen Changqing silently digested this information and then clasped his hands. "Your explanation, Chief Jiang, has enlightened me a lot, but I still have one question."

"Go ahead."

"Is there a significant difference between the third and second floors of the library in terms of martial arts records? Are there specific martial arts that can help a martial artist break through to the grandmaster level, and if so, which floor are these martial arts placed on?"

Shen Changqing asked.

This matter had a significant impact on him, relating to whether he should quickly advance to the Xuan-stage demon hunter.

Jiang Zuo replied, "Any martial art can lead to the true meaning of martial arts. Whether it's the basic martial arts on the first floor or the more advanced martial arts on the higher floors, they all have the potential to lead to the true meaning of martial arts when practiced to the highest level.

However, the more advanced the martial art, the easier it is to comprehend the true meaning of martial arts.

The martial arts on the third floor of the library are not much different from those on the second floor. The only difference is that the third floor contains some imprints left by martial arts grandmasters.

Some people cannot comprehend the true meaning of martial arts on their own, so using the imprints left by predecessors can increase their chances of breaking through.

The Heavenly Martial Qi you are currently practicing is considered top-notch on the second floor and would still be excellent on the third floor."

Shen Changqing nodded.

According to Jiang Zuo, there was not much difference between the second and third floors.

At most, the third floor had the added benefit of being able to comprehend the true meaning of martial arts.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back. If you have any questions, you can come anytime as long as I am not on a mission.

If I am on a mission, you can find the deputy chief of the Huang Department."

Jiang Zuo was giving him the dismissal.

"Then I will take my leave!"

Shen Changqing got up and left.

The Demon Hunter Academy was not just managed by a single chief. There was a chief and several deputy chiefs to ensure that the academy was not left unmanaged when the chief was on a mission.

Speaking of which, Jiang Zuo was originally a deputy chief. Only after Liu Chang's death did he stand out among the deputy chiefs and become the chief.

Leaving the chief's courtyard, Shen Changqing headed straight for the Demon Slayer Hall.

The Demon Slayer Hall!

Located between the Demon Hunter Academy and the library, it was the place where official demon hunters received missions and exchanged merit points.

The Demon Slayer Hall, from its name, sounded like a large hall, but it was actually a general term. Inside, it was divided into several side halls.

Each side hall had a plaque hanging above it, inscribed with a few large characters.

Huang Stage!

Xuan Stage!

Earth Stage!

Heaven Stage!

Merit!

Treasure!

Six plaques represented six different side halls.

Shen Changqing glanced at them and walked directly into the Merit Hall.

Upon entering the Merit Hall, his field of vision widened considerably. There were several windows similar to service counters from his previous life.

He approached an empty window where a middle-aged man was seated.

"Please show me your identity token and the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant."

Seeing the visitor, the middle-aged man said with familiarity.

Shen Changqing handed over his identity token and the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant.

The middle-aged man took them and first examined the identity token.

"Huang-stage demon hunter Shen Changqing?"

"That's right!"

Shen Changqing nodded slightly in response.

After confirming, the middle-aged man turned his gaze to the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant.

Instantly, his pupils contracted.

The originally white jade pendant was now completely black.

How many demons and evil spirits must have been slain!

After the shock, the middle-aged man looked at Shen Changqing again, as if trying to discern something from him.

It was hard to believe that a Huang-stage demon hunter could slay so many demons and evil spirits.

But he quickly recovered.

"Are you sure you want to exchange all the evil aura on the jade pendant for merit points?"

The middle-aged man had to confirm again.

The concentration of evil aura on the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant was enough to advance him to the Xuan-stage demon hunter, with a significant surplus.

After all, slaying a single Grievance-level monster was enough to advance to the Xuan-stage demon hunter.

From the color of the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant, it was clear that it was not just one Grievance-level monster.

Shen Changqing nodded. "Exchange all of it!"

After discussing with Jiang Zuo, he no longer needed to advance to the Xuan-stage demon hunter prematurely.

Exchanging all the evil aura for merit points would help him enhance his strength.

In the future, if he wanted to advance, he could take the assessment mission.

The middle-aged man said nothing more.

He took out a white jade ruler from under the counter, inscribed with markings that Shen Changqing could not understand.

Then, he placed the white jade ruler on the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant.

Instantly, black lines surged within the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant, and blackness began to spread up the white jade ruler.

Soon, the black lines stopped at a certain mark.

The middle-aged man carefully examined it twice and said, "The evil aura measures one foot and five inches, which equals fifteen merit points. Do you have any objections?"

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"What does one foot and five inches mean?"

Shen Changqing asked.

He did not know much about merit points.

The middle-aged man explained, "For each Grievance-level monster slain, you can get one to two inches of evil aura. For a Grievance-level monster, it's three to five inches. Each inch of evil aura corresponds to one merit point."

"I see, so it's one foot and five inches!"

Shen Changqing understood.

He calculated that, excluding the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant he had already turned in, he had slain three Grievance-level monsters and demons.

Although a Grievance-level monster can give up to five inches of evil aura, only the later stages can reach five inches.

Ordinary Grievance-level monsters can only provide three to four inches of evil aura.

Combining this with other Lesser-level monsters, the one foot and five inches measured by the middle-aged man were not far off.

Then, the middle-aged man took out a jade bottle, inscribed with strange patterns. He activated his true qi, making the patterns come to life.

Instantly, the evil aura from the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant flowed into the jade bottle.

In a short moment, the black Clear Spirit Jade Pendant turned back to its original white color.

The middle-aged man carefully sealed the jade bottle and then took out a silver coin and five black coins from under the counter. They looked similar to copper coins.

"These are the Demon Suppression Coins. The silver coin represents ten merit points, and the black coins represent one merit point each. Please keep them safe."

Noticing that it was Shen Changqing's first time, he explained further.

Then, the middle-aged man handed the identity token, Clear Spirit Jade Pendant, and Demon Suppression Coins to Shen Changqing.

Upon touching them, he felt a cool sensation, similar to the identity token but slightly different.

Noticing the surprise on Shen Changqing's face, the middle-aged man smiled. "This is your first time handling Demon Suppression Coins, right? The material used to make them is very special and can even store true qi.

Some martial artists use Demon Suppression Coins to store true qi for use when necessary."

"Can they store true qi!"

Shen Changqing was surprised and carefully examined the Demon Suppression Coins in his hand.

It was the first time he had seen something that could store true qi.

The longer he stayed in the Demon Suppression Bureau, the more he discovered its wonders.

Whether it was the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant that could store evil aura, the white jade ruler and jade bottle he had just seen, or the Demon Suppression Coins in his hand, none of these were ordinary.

Leaving the Merit Hall, Shen Changqing went to the Treasure Hall.

The Merit Hall exchanged merit points, while the Treasure Hall exchanged treasures.

The layout of the Treasure Hall was different from the Merit Hall. Upon entering, he almost thought he had come to a market, with the noisy sounds all around.

Looking around, he saw that each counter was crowded with people.

Some wore the uniforms of the Demon Suppression Bureau, while others wore casual clothes.

Upon closer inspection, he found that all the counters were divided into four areas. After a brief inquiry, Shen Changqing went to the Huang-stage area and stopped at a less crowded counter.

He showed his identity token, and the middle-aged man at the counter handed him a small booklet.

The booklet listed items that could be exchanged and the required merit points.

Flipping to the first page, Shen Changqing saw the name "Meridian-Opening Pill."

Meridian-Opening Pill (one pill): one merit point

Meridian-Opening Pill (one bottle): six merit points

The familiar formula made his lips twitch slightly, but he understood that the bottle of Meridian-Opening Pills he had received earlier was indeed an extra benefit from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Page by page, he flipped through the booklet.

Finally, Shen Changqing's gaze stopped on a particular item.