4: Breakthrough innate ability

Early morning.

Yongning County.

A procession of carriages entered the city. Three magnificent horses were restrained by cold, gleaming iron chains, dragging a massive Demon Corpse behind them, leaving a long, narrow trail on the ground.

Cuier, who had just set up her tofu stall, swiftly scooped up a bowl of tofu pudding. Her two beautiful, dark braided pigtails swayed, making her face look rosy and adorable.

Suddenly, her apricot eyes widened.

The sight of the Demon Corpse entering the city reflected in her eyes. In an instant, Cuier's delicate body trembled, as if a current had passed through her, and a thought flashed through her mind.

A clear and high-pitched voice rang out in the alley.

"They slew a Demon!"

Soon, the citizens inside the city were attracted by the sight of the Demon Corpse entering and spontaneously gathered around.

After months of Demon rampages, the common people had long been suffering, and this was the first time they had seen a Demon slain.

"This... this is the Mantis Demon that caused havoc in Donglin Village last month!"

"It's dead... Good riddance! My father can finally rest in peace underground."

"Wuu wuu~"

Passing through the busy market, the three of them—Li Jiangchen and his companions—stopped in front of a massive Demon Slaying Platform.

The Demon Slaying Platform was constructed from Refined Iron and Ironwood, covered completely in golden Rune Formations.

At the very top, the Demon Slaying Axe and Blade emitted a cold gleam. Getting closer, one could smell the residual Demon Blood on them.

Shen Luo and his sister skillfully untied the ropes and moved the Demon Corpse.

Clang—

The Axe and Blade fell, splitting the Demon Corpse into two halves.

Driven by the Formation on the Demon Slaying Platform, the Demon Corpse gradually melted, turning into a puddle of Demon Blood that seeped into the ground.

Looking at the weeping citizens around her, Shen Honglian was filled with emotion.

Slaying Demons and protecting the people—this was the obsession that led her to join the Demon Suppression Division.

And this instance of Demon slaying was all thanks to one person.

Her beautiful eyes shifted, landing on a handsome young man not far away, and a slight curve lifted the corner of her mouth.

At this moment, Li Jiangchen immersed his mind in the panel, absorbing the Xiantian Realm Martial Art he had just acquired.

In a trance, he became the Mantis Demon, his hands transforming into long, slender, emerald forelimbs resembling swords and blades, chopping down repeatedly under the moonlight.

As the blade edge swept past, towering trees fell one by one, and the air filled with a scorched odor.

After countless chops, a flash of sword light swept past the mountain Peak like a crescent moon.

Clang—

A few breaths later, accompanied by the grating sound of shattering rock, the mountain Peak slowly fell, the cut surface smooth and flat.

A sudden realization surged into his heart.

"As expected of a Xiantian Realm Martial Art, its power is more than a notch stronger than the Mountain Moving Blood Slaughter Palm."

A smile appeared on Li Jiangchen's lips.

Suddenly, writing appeared on the panel.

[Two Sword Arts detected. Do you wish to perform Fusion?]

Fusion?

Li Jiangchen stared at the panel in amazement.

The panel has this function?

He figured there shouldn't be any harm, so with a thought, he confirmed the Fusion.

In an instant, a new piece of information flooded his mind, containing both the Flying Mantis Spirit Slaying Sword and the Thirty-Six Demon Slaying Swords.

A few breaths later, Li Jiangchen opened his eyes and looked at the panel.

[Innate. Unnamed Sword Art (Transcendent)]

"I'll just call it the Thirty-Six Demon Slaying Swords."

With a mental command, the words "Thirty-Six Demon Slaying Swords" immediately appeared on the panel.

However, the two characters for Innate were added before it.

"The original Thirty-Six Demon Slaying Swords was only a Meridian Opening Realm Sword Art. Even with Fusion, it only slightly increased the power of the Sword Art.

But if I keep merging Sword Arts, sooner or later it will become the strongest Sword Art in this world."

Li Jiangchen estimated that with his current Cultivation, even if he refined a wisp of Innate Qi, it wouldn't be enough to fully unleash the power of this Sword Art.

Fortunately, he still had over four hundred years of Demon available for absorption.

"It's about time I Breakthrough to Xiantian."

[You absorb the Demon of the Enlightened Mantis Demon.]

[Year 1: You attempt to Breakthrough to Xiantian... You gain nothing.]

...[Year 30: You refine a wisp of Innate Qi.]

[Year 33: After three years of nourishing your body with Innate Qi, you feel your body undergo a complete transformation, and you Breakthrough to the Xiantian Realm.]

"So this is the Xiantian Realm..."

Li Jiangchen clenched his five fingers, causing a series of explosive sounds. A wisp of Innate Qi circled within his Dantian, constantly growing stronger under the nourishment of his body.

Moreover, after Breaking Through to the Xiantian Realm, his body had transformed, and even if he used up this wisp of Innate Qi, it would quickly recover.

"I still have three hundred and eighty-seven years of Demon remaining. This is the perfect time to attempt opening the dark meridians."

Li Jiangchen continued to absorb the Demon.

[Year 34: You have already Broken Through to Xiantian. However, you are not satisfied, and you attempt to open the dark meridians within your body.]

[Year 35: Due to the lack of a Cultivation Technique for opening the dark meridians, you gain nothing.]

[Year 38... You capture a flash of Inspiration, locate one of the dark meridians within your body, and attempt to open it, but unfortunately fail.]

...[Year 44: After years of failure, you infuse True Qi and successfully open a dark meridian.]

[Year 54: You open the second dark meridian.]

...[Year 387: You open the thirty-fifth dark meridian.]

Every dark meridian opened brought an increase in Vitality and qi force. At this moment, Li Jiangchen felt his entire body surging with Vitality, eager to find a Demon and fight a great battle.

With thirty-five dark meridians plus twenty bright meridians, his qi force had now reached fifty-five thousand catties.

After sensing his power, Li Jiangchen frowned slightly: "In the beginning, it took about ten years to open one dark meridian. The further I go, the slower the speed of opening."

"The main reason is still the lack of a Cultivation Technique for opening the dark meridians. I can only rely on trial and error based on experience, wasting most of the time."

"In the future, I must look for a Cultivation Technique specifically for opening the dark meridians."

"In addition, the Method for forging a Special Physique must also be put on the agenda."

Compared to the battle power increase brought by the rise in qi force, the Special Physique was clearly more appealing.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Demon Blood was completely absorbed by the Demon Slaying Platform. Shen Honglian retrieved a clear, emerald-green medicinal liquid and respectfully presented it to Li Jiangchen.

"Sir, this is a Body Tempering Treasure Medicine refined from the Mantis Demon. Used for bathing, it can accelerate the growth of Vitality and open Meridians."

'Opening Meridians... Unfortunately, the medicinal liquid extracted from an Enlightened Demon is only effective for Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artists trying to open the twenty bright meridians.' Li Jiangchen withdrew his gaze and said calmly: "You two siblings have worked hard following me to slay Demons.

This medicinal liquid is useless to me now. Take it and Cultivate to the Peak of the Meridian Opening Realm as quickly as possible, otherwise, you might not even be able to move a Demon Corpse later."

"Useless? Could it be..." Hearing this, shock appeared in Shen Honglian's beautiful eyes.

"That's right, I have already Broken Through to Xiantian."

Li Jiangchen circulated the Innate Qi within his body, and his form exuded the pressure of a Xiantian Martial Artist.

"As expected... Thank you, Sir." Shen Honglian's breathing hitched.

"By the way, why are there so few members in the Demon Suppression Division? Only the two of you, and your qi force hasn't even reached the Peak of the Meridian Opening Realm," Li Jiangchen asked, puzzled.

"Replying to Sir, the Demon Suppression Division originally had ten members. Before you took office, six Peak Meridian Opening Realm members were transferred by the Commandant to suppress Demons elsewhere.

The other two are patrolling outside the city, monitoring Demons, and usually do not show up inside the city."

"Only Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artists, huh..." Li Jiangchen frowned.

This level of qi force was too weak, even if Yongning County was just a remote border town.

"Actually... before you took office, the Squad Leader of the Demon Suppression Division was always held by a Xiantian Martial Artist," Shen Honglian said weakly.

'Well, it seems this is the fault of the original owner for not working hard.' Li Jiangchen lightly coughed, interrupting the conversation, and took out a segment of emerald-green severed limb.

It was precisely the forelimb of the Mantis Demon.

This was excellent Demon Materials for forging a precious sword.

Without a handy longsword, the power of the Xiantian Realm Thirty-Six Demon Slaying Swords could not be fully utilized.

"The Hundred Refinements Sword broke, it's time to forge a new one."