2: Refining a breath of innate energy

[You absorbed the Demon Bear's one hundred and three years of Demon.]

[The first year, you wore the Bear Hide, became an Incarnation of the Bear Demon, endured hardships, and tried to open the Meridians all over your body, but your Aptitude was dull, and you gained nothing.]

[The second year... you gained nothing.]

[The third year... you gained nothing.]

...[The fifth year, you opened your bear eyes, gained some insight, and the True Qi in your body surged into the Zhengyang Meridians after years of stimulation.

You successfully opened the ninth Meridian—the Zhengyang Meridian.]

[The tenth year, a flash of inspiration struck your mind, the True Qi in your body surged, and the True Qi poured into the Shaoyang Meridian.

You successfully opened the ninth Meridian—the Shaoyang Meridian.]

...[The seventieth year, after many years of failure, today you captured a flash of inspiration, and the True Qi throughout your body converged into a river, pouring into the Governing and Conception Vessels.

Boom—

The Governing and Conception Vessels broke through.

By this point, you had opened the Twelve Primary Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in your body, and your Cultivation reached the Peak of the Meridian Opening Realm, causing your physical strength to soar to twenty thousand jin.]

[The seventy-first year, you Cultivated the Meridian Opening Chapter's Na Yuan Cultivation Technique to the Peak. Because you lacked the subsequent Xiantian Chapter, you knew nothing about how to Breakthrough, falling into blind searching, and gaining nothing.]

[The seventy-fifth year, you gained nothing.]

...[The one hundredth year, you gained nothing.]

...[The one hundred and third year, after years of searching, you still did not Breakthrough to Xiantian, but your body's Qi and blood were so powerful that you actually refined a breath of Innate Qi on your own.]

Li Jiangchen opened his eyes. A series of explosive sounds erupted from his body, like popping beans, and the Qi and blood in his body surged, rushing through his blood vessels like a great river.

Furthermore, a breath of Innate Qi resided in his Dantian, its quality far surpassing the True Qi flowing within his Meridians.

Peak of the Meridian Opening Realm.

Twenty thousand jin of physical strength.

Plus a breath of Innate Qi.

An Enlightened Bear Demon didn't seem so terrifying after all.

"I'm going to break your four limbs and make you watch as I slowly hollow out your internal organs and eat them."

The Bear Demon's massive body stomped suddenly, raising a fierce wind like a cannonball, and its broad bear paw swung out, pressing down overwhelmingly.

However, in Li Jiangchen's eyes, all of this seemed incredibly slow.

The long sword flashed, twenty thousand jin of physical strength poured into it, and he thrust fiercely.

Clang—

The bear paw met the Refined Steel Sword, sparks flew everywhere, and the immense force caused Li Jiangchen to take half a step back.

Demon Physique far surpassed that of the Human Race, especially a Bear Demon inherently proficient in strength. Li Jiangchen's twenty thousand jin of physical strength was actually slightly falling into a disadvantage.

"Time to test the power of the Innate Qi..."

Li Jiangchen's eyes turned cold. The Innate Qi in his Dantian flowed along the Meridians and was infused into the iron sword, causing the blade to emit a faint fluorescence.

The next instant, the long sword transformed into a white streak descending from the sky, flashing past like a bolt of lightning.

The Bear Demon stood motionless, a look of shock appearing on its face. Upon closer inspection, a fine, tiny line of blood ran vertically through its entire body.

Thump—

The Bear Demon's body split into two halves, and its internal organs, mixed with Demon blood, formed a pool of gore.

Beside him, Shen Honglian was already stunned.

This... what happened?

Wasn't he colluding with the Demon? Why was there suddenly a life-and-death struggle, and why did he finish off the Bear Demon with a single sword strike?

"Why are you standing there stunned? Hurry up and help me lift the bear carcass onto the Prison Cart."

Li Jiangchen sheathed his sword and began moving the bear carcass.

The essence blood inside Demons is powerful.

The Demon Slaying Platform is a special execution tool. Beheading a Demon serves two purposes: first, intimidation, and second, extracting essence from the Demon's essence blood, which, when supplemented with medicinal materials, can refine Body Tempering Treasure Medicine.

Currently, the Bear Demon in the Prison Cart was killed, and most of its essence blood was lost, but having an additional Enlightened Bear Demon would only make the extracted Treasure Medicine more effective.

"Oh."

Only then did Shen Honglian react, quickly lending a hand to move the bear carcass.

A moment later, the carriage and horses drove away, kicking up a cloud of dust on the Official Road.

Behind him, Shen Honglian's face was flushed. Her eyes occasionally peeked at Li Jiangchen, who was mounted on the Azure-Headed Red-Maned Horse ahead, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

'How did this cowardly fellow suddenly change his nature?'

'Could it be that everything before was a disguise, and he was actually trying to lure the Demon out before striking and slaying it?'

Shen Honglian had already mentally fabricated a scenario where Li Jiangchen endured humiliation and abuse, all while playing a 'Great Game'.

On the other side, Li Jiangchen checked his panel.

[Slayed 1 Enlightened Bear Demon, obtained the Demon Martial Art: Mountain Moving Blood Slaughter Palm.]

The instant he absorbed it, endless information flooded his mind.

In a trance, Li Jiangchen became an Incarnation of the Bear Demon under Black Wind Mountain, striking stones with his palm. Every strike left a bloody handprint on the boulder.

Gradually, a Divine Essence was born in his palm.

Who knows how many years passed.

Bang—

The boulder exploded, and a sense of enlightenment surfaced in his heart.

[Martial Art: Mountain Moving Blood Slaughter Palm (Transcendent)]

'This Mountain Moving Blood Slaughter Palm is still a Meridian Opening Realm Martial Art, but its Realm is Transcendent, which is above Perfection...'

In his memory, Martial Arts were divided into Initiation, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, and Perfection.

A Meridian Opening Realm Martial Art usually requires a Martial Artist to practice for about twenty years to reach Major Achievement.

A few Geniuses, however, could Cultivate it to the Perfection Realm within a few years.

But the Transcendent Realm, which is above Perfection, was a legend.

It was said that only the Martial Artist who created the Martial Art could truly comprehend its mysteries and reach this Realm.

A Transcendent Mountain Moving Blood Slaughter Palm, even if it was a Meridian Opening Realm Martial Art, was no weaker than a Xiantian Realm Martial Art in Li Jiangchen's hands.

If he were to fight the Bear Demon from earlier, even without using the breath of Innate Qi in his Dantian, he was confident he could kill it with a single palm strike.

An hour later, the carriage and horses drove into the County Town and stopped in front of the Demon Suppression Division.

As soon as they entered the gate, a young man wearing blue clothes and carrying a Simple Saber on his waist walked over. Seeing Shen Honglian, he looked anxious: "Honglian, you were too bold. With everyone else in the Division absent, how dare you follow them out of the city to escort the Demon.

Did you get hurt along the way?"

"Brother, I... I'm fine." Shen Honglian looked as if she had done something wrong, glancing at Li Jiangchen nearby: "We only encountered one Bear Demon on the road, and Lord Li took care of it."

"What!"

Shen Luo frowned, looking at Li Jiangchen with suspicion.

The person had been parachuted in a few months ago; when had he ever left the city to kill a Demon?

"The Bear Demon's blood on the Prison Cart is almost dry. Quickly escort it to the Demon Slaying Platform. This Lord doesn't want to waste a portion of Body Tempering Treasure Medicine." After speaking, Li Jiangchen stepped into the Inner Courtyard.

He remembered that although the Demon Suppression Division did not have Xiantian Realm Cultivation Techniques, it did have descriptions of this Realm left by predecessors.

If he found a clue to Breakthrough, perhaps the thirty-plus years wouldn't have been wasted when absorbing the Demon's Cultivation, forcing him to rely solely on his body's Qi and blood to spontaneously refine a breath of Innate Qi.

Watching Li Jiangchen's retreating figure, Shen Luo was filled with doubt.

Just then, Shen Honglian's voice came from outside the door.

"Brother, hurry and help me move the Demon carcass."

"Alright."

Shen Luo walked outside. On the refined steel Prison Cart, two bear carcasses, one large and one small, were stacked, and the thick scent of blood rushed toward him.

Shen Luo's pupils contracted slightly.

That size, that aura... the one slain was actually an Enlightened Demon.

Quiet Room.

A stick of Sandalwood Incense burned, emitting a Mind Calming Scent.

Yellowed books were stacked all around, layer upon layer, like a small mountain, burying Li Jiangchen within them.

Secrets must not be easily transmitted. Even Demon Suppression Division members could only rely on merit points to obtain Xiantian Realm Cultivation Techniques bestowed by the imperial court.

The Divine General Mansion did collect a large number of Secret Manuals, but the Original Body had not undergone Bloodline Power Awakening and held a low status.

Currently, the Meridian Opening Realm Cultivation Technique he practiced was only a common, mass-produced Na Yuan Cultivation Technique.

However, there were many descriptions of Martial Art Realms here, either based on the experience or speculation of predecessors, which were quite useful to Li Jiangchen.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Jiangchen raised an eyebrow, his gaze settling on a yellowed book that contained fragmented descriptions of the Xiantian Realm.

"A Peak Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artist, by consuming Heaven And Earth Treasure, can refine a breath of Innate Qi. After three years of nurturing, they can enter Xiantian."

Li Jiangchen read out every word.