After finishing his steamed buns, Ye Xiuchen walked towards the grand entrance of the Demon Suppression Department and strolled in. The guards, upon seeing Ye Xiuchen wearing the attire of a Demon Suppressor, stepped forward to inspect him. Their attitude was significantly better than the previous day. Ye Xiuchen produced his token, and after verification, he was granted passage.
Ye Xiuchen traversed various buildings, arriving at the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion. The Scripture Pavilion was a six-story structure, appearing ancient and rustic from the outside. Ye Xiuchen tidied his robes and entered.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw an old man sitting by the entrance, eyes closed in repose.
"Yellow rank Demon Suppressor Ye Xiuchen requests entry to the Scripture Pavilion."
"Hmph."
The old man slowly opened his sparse, cloudy eyes. A subtle, almost imperceptible flash of blood-red light flickered within them.
In that instant, Ye Xiuchen felt as if his back was exposed to a sharp edge, causing his hair to stand on end.
The sensation was like a tiny boat adrift in a storm, swaying precariously, on the verge of sinking and meeting a certain death at any moment.
"Show me your token."
"Senior, please inspect it."
"A newly promoted Yellow rank Demon Suppressor?"
Ye Xiuchen nodded affirmatively.
"A newly promoted Yellow rank Demon Suppressor is permitted to freely learn three cultivation technique manuals of the Body Tempering realm. The specifics are up to you to choose. To learn more later will require merit points. Do you understand?"
Ye Xiuchen bowed respectfully and replied, "This junior understands."
The old man handed the token back to Ye Xiuchen, who received it with both hands.
"Go on, the Body Tempering realm cultivation techniques are on the first floor. Don't go to the wrong place," the old man said lazily. He then closed his eyes again, appearing to be fast asleep.
Ye Xiuchen bowed once more and proceeded towards the bookshelves where the Body Tempering realm cultivation technique manuals were stored.
The Scripture Pavilion.
This was the place where the entire Demon Suppression Department stored its cultivation techniques.
To contend with demons and monsters, one must cultivate profound techniques to possess the capital for confrontation.
Originally, the Scripture Pavilion was freely accessible. However, with development, the Demon Suppression Department gained more experts, and techniques became more specialized. Thus, cultivation techniques began to require merit points to learn. Merit points were earned through missions, and Ye Xiuchen's promotion to Yellow rank Demon Suppressor was merely a low-level task.
The first floor of the Scripture Pavilion was vast.
When Ye Xiuchen arrived, many people were already present, browsing the books.
No one noticed Ye Xiuchen; they were all utilizing their limited time to find the martial arts they needed.
Ye Xiuchen had learned beforehand that he could select three cultivation techniques.
Regarding the selection of techniques, Ye Xiuchen already had a plan in mind.
"Fire Fiend Technique, Thousand Transformations Shadow Steps, Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate, Six Harmonies Saber, Earth Fire Technique..."
Various types of cultivation techniques were available, leaving Ye Xiuchen unsure of how to choose for a while.
As someone who had experienced the information age, Ye Xiuchen understood what he needed.
As a Demon Suppressor, dealing with demons and monsters was a daily occurrence. Techniques focusing on fire, yang, or lightning attributes would deal additional damage to such beings. Ye Xiuchen was determined to choose techniques of this nature.
Ye Xiuchen's gaze constantly scanned for what he needed. His eyes lit up as a manual titled "Fire Fiend Technique" entered his view.
Ye Xiuchen opened the "Fire Fiend Technique." The manuals in the Scripture Pavilion only contained introductions and partial content; the true original texts were held by the Scripture Pavilion administrator. As he flipped through the pages, Ye Xiuchen's eyes shone brighter and brighter.
This "Fire Fiend Technique," upon mastery, not only strengthened the body but also imbued attacks with fiendish fire, capable of burning enemies and carrying a certain degree of toxicity.
Ye Xiuchen then selected a technique called "Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber" and another called "Extreme Yang Fist."
After making his selections, he returned to the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.
"Senior, I have finished my selections. Please review them." Ye Xiuchen respectfully placed the three manuals and his token on the old man's desk.
The old man opened his eyes, glanced at the techniques Ye Xiuchen had chosen, and asked, "Are you sure?"
"This junior is certain."
The old man took Ye Xiuchen's token and, with a flick of his finger, produced three jade slips. He handed them to Ye Xiuchen and said, "When using them, simply place them against your brow to absorb. They are for your use only, can only be used once, and cannot be passed on to others. Discovery of such an act will result in immediate execution. Do you understand?" His words carried a stern killing intent.
Ye Xiuchen's heart tightened, and he quickly replied, "This junior understands."
"Take them."
Ye Xiuchen received them with both hands, bowed, and turned to leave.
Once outside the vicinity of the Scripture Pavilion, Ye Xiuchen let out a sigh of relief. The old man's authority was immense, and he felt immense pressure in his presence.
To think that even the Demon Suppression Department in Qingyuan City had such a powerful expert. This indicated the immense strength of the entire Great Qin Demon Suppression Department.
Ye Xiuchen touched the jade slips of cultivation techniques in his embrace and quickened his pace towards his home.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ye Xiuchen had returned to his residence.
Ye Xiuchen did not open the main door. Instead, he first checked the small mechanism he had left behind and found it undisturbed. In a world where supernatural powers existed, caution was paramount. Ye Xiuchen had read novels in his past life, and the memories of this body also contained knowledge of novels. Having been reborn, Ye Xiuchen naturally wanted to cultivate the techniques from his previous life, but those were based on his awakened abilities.
In this life, he had not awakened the same abilities. The pressure from the alien races in his previous life was too great, and he had focused solely on cultivating that one type of technique. He had no recollection of other cultivation methods in his mind.
Ye Xiuchen had not expected the "Golden Finger" to appear after his rebirth.
"These functions are quite similar to a game."
From the changes in the panel just now, Ye Xiuchen had learned how to use it. Simultaneously, a piece of information was transmitted into his mind.
Ye Xiuchen examined the message sent to his mind by the panel.
"Impossible! This is impossible! Why is this happening? I've come to another world to live, and I have to go through this again."
Ye Xiuchen's face contorted in pain, his emotions so intense that his face appeared somewhat ferocious.
The panel's message stated that this world had also been discovered by the alien races, and they were already mobilizing their forces to prepare for an invasion of the Blue Star. The blood moon in the sky was a sign of their impending arrival.
"Why is this happening?"
Ye Xiuchen was speechless. He had come to another world to live, only to face an alien invasion again. The thought of the fear he experienced during the invasion in his previous life sent a shiver down his spine.
In the later stages, the entire land was filled with the alien army, an endless sea of them that could inspire despair with a single glance.
"But thankfully, there's still time. There are half a year left."
There were still six months before the alien invasion. On the night of December 17th, at midnight, there would be another blood moon in the sky, at which time the vanguard of the alien forces would descend.
As long as he could increase his strength before then, he would be able to survive the alien invasion.
After the spiritual energy revival, some awakened individuals would appear. Ye Xiuchen speculated that the authorities already possessed organized forces, and there would also be monsters and strange creatures.
The origin energy from the panel could be obtained by killing monsters and strange creatures. He wondered if killing aliens would also yield origin energy.
Ye Xiuchen looked at the blood moon outside the window. He felt a sense of urgency, as if he could already see the scene of the alien army invading the Blue Star in six months. This was not a matter for one person alone; it was a matter of survival for all of humanity. Having experienced it once, Ye Xiuchen deeply understood the brutality of the alien races; they would prey on humans.
Where they passed, not a blade of grass would grow.
Ye Xiuchen could only continuously improve his strength before the aliens descended. With the Martial Dao Panel, his strength might far exceed that of his previous life.
Thinking of this, Ye Xiuchen looked at the panel.
"I currently have 598 Origin Energy. The deduction function is inaccessible, but I can try the lottery." Ye Xiuchen looked at the 598 Origin Energy displayed on the panel and thought about what he could obtain from the lottery. With a thought, he entered the lottery function.
The panel changed, and the lottery function appeared.
According to the information provided by the panel, he could choose two lottery modes: designated lottery and mixed lottery.
Designated lottery allowed him to specify an item category for the draw, and the items drawn would be from that specific category.
Mixed lottery included everything, and the drawn items were unpredictable; any item could be drawn.
The lottery levels were divided into Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. The Origin Energy prices were also divided from low to high: one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, and one hundred thousand. Different Origin Energy prices resulted in different draws; the higher the price, the better the item.
Ye Xiuchen looked at his Origin Energy and then at the lottery function.
After some thought, he decided.
"Designated Lottery: Cultivation Technique category, Yellow rank draw."
"Draw!"
As the word "Draw" was spoken, 598 Origin Energy became 498. Simultaneously, countless white dots began to flash on the panel, rotating continuously. Then, a white dot was flung out and hung on the panel before transforming directly into the shape of a book.
[Lottery successful]
[Congratulations on drawing Yellow rank Body Tempering cultivation technique: Hunyuan Zhuang]
[Hunyuan integrated, body and spirit transformed]
[Do you wish to accept?]
Ye Xiuchen chose to accept with a thought.
Instantly, the cultivation technique, which had transformed into a white light cluster, entered Ye Xiuchen's brow.
As the white light entered his brow, Ye Xiuchen felt a sudden surge in his head, and the memory of the "Hunyuan Zhuang" appeared in his mind.
The memory explained that "Hunyuan Zhuang" primarily used桩功 (zhuang gong, stationary posture training) to achieve body tempering. It could lead to a state of unified and integrated physique and was a superior Body Tempering technique.
In this cultivation method, there were two types: active and passive stances. Active stances included eighty-one postures, with different postures for each realm, which could fully exercise every part of the body, gradually allowing the physique to transcend the mundane. Upon completion, a single arm's strength could reach a thousand jin.
Passive stances had only one posture and were the core of "Hunyuan Zhuang." Through passive stances, one could refine their own blood and qi.
"Hoo!"
On the sofa, Ye Xiuchen's mind flashed with various postures. He closed his eyes, obscuring the sharpness in his eyes, and let out a deep breath.
This was a cultivation method entirely different from his previous life. According to the memories, Martial Dao had a complete system of cultivation methods, unlike his previous life where he had to grope in the dark.
Ye Xiuchen pondered for a moment and decided to draw again. Based on his experience from his previous life and the descriptions in the cultivation techniques, Body Tempering in the early stages of Martial Dao relied on internal energy for cultivation. There might be other different cultivation methods as well.
"Designated Lottery: Cultivation Technique category, Yellow rank."
The same scene unfolded as before. A white light cluster was flung out and transformed into a book.
[Lottery successful]
[Congratulations on obtaining Yellow rank True Qi cultivation technique: Ji Yang Gong]
[Do you wish to accept?]
Ye Xiuchen chose to accept.
The cultivation technique, which had transformed into a white light cluster, entered Ye Xiuchen's brow as white light.
As the white light entered his brow, Ye Xiuchen felt a surge in his head, and the memory of the "Ji Yang Gong" appeared in his mind.
The memory explained that "Ji Yang Gong" would form extreme yang true qi in the dantian, doubling the damage dealt to demons and monsters.
Ye Xiuchen opened his eyes and thought to himself, "As expected, Martial Dao indeed has multiple directions of cultivation." He harbored another bold guess, though he dared not confirm it.
Spiritual energy had already begun to fully recover, and monsters and strange creatures would plague the human world. The Origin Energy Panel clearly indicated that Origin Energy could be obtained by killing them. Moreover, the alien invasion in six months posed an existential threat.
A murderous intent flashed in Ye Xiuchen's eyes. The thought of the aliens made his killing intent almost overflow. He had to rapidly increase his strength to resist the alien invasion, and the Martial Dao Panel was his only reliance.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the killing intent within him.
"Designated Lottery, Yellow rank Elixir category."
The panel began the draw, and his Origin Energy decreased from 398 to 198 as he had drawn twice.
[Lottery successful]
[Congratulations on obtaining Blood Qi Pill, Ten Perfect Vitality Pill]
[Do you wish to accept?]
Choosing to accept.
Two porcelain bottles immediately appeared on the table in front of Ye Xiuchen.
Ye Xiuchen picked up the two bottles of elixirs. The labels on the porcelain bottles read "Blood Qi Pill" and "Ten Perfect Vitality Pill," respectively. The methods of using both elixirs also appeared in his mind.
The Blood Qi Pill contained powerful blood qi energy and was an excellent elixir for Body Tempering, capable of accelerating the tempering process.
The Ten Perfect Vitality Pill, when consumed, could accelerate True Qi cultivation.
Each porcelain bottle contained three pills, so Ye Xiuchen would not be troubled by elixirs for a while.
Ye Xiuchen put down the elixirs, looked at the remaining Origin Energy on the Martial Dao Panel, and closed it. He got up and went to the balcony, looking at the blood moon still hanging high in the sky. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he turned back into the room.
Taking the elixirs, he went to the spare bedroom. Since his parents' death, he had moved to the master bedroom, and this room had little furniture, appearing quite empty. Ye Xiuchen moved some things out, leaving the room completely unfurnished. He intended to use this room for his cultivation.
After tidying up, Ye Xiuchen also brought in a yoga mat from outside.
With preparations complete, he recalled the memories of "Hunyuan Zhuang" in his mind and swallowed a Blood Qi Pill. Instantly, a powerful energy erupted in his stomach.
Ye Xiuchen was covered in sweat. He clenched his fists, feeling the strength coursing through his muscles, and let out a long sigh.
Recalling the descriptions of Martial Dao realms in his mind, his current realm was the completion of Muscle Tempering.
A smile appeared on Ye Xiuchen's lips. This was the first time he had reached the completion of Muscle Tempering in his cultivation, proving his formidable Martial Dao talent and alleviating his worries about future realm advancement.
Suddenly, he smelled a pungent odor. Looking down, he saw that his clothes had become sticky and uncomfortable. Black impurities had appeared on his body, a sign of the completion of Muscle Tempering, where impurities and toxins were initially expelled from the body through the pores.
Ye Xiuchen immediately ran to the bathroom to wash himself. Looking at himself in the mirror, he had sword-like eyebrows, sharp eyes, and a handsome face. The muscular lines on his upper body were smooth, like a leopard, exuding a sense of explosive power at first glance.
After a brief rest, Ye Xiuchen, shirtless, began a new round of cultivation. After all, with the alien invasion six months away, time was pressing, and he couldn't afford to delay too much.
In the spare bedroom, Ye Xiuchen sat cross-legged on the yoga mat, recalling "Ji Yang Gong" in his mind. He relaxed his body and mind, clearing his thoughts. He was still a little nervous because this time he was going to cultivate the Martial Dao True Qi system.
The first realm of the True Qi system was Qi Gathering Realm.
Qi Gathering Realm, as the name suggested, involved drawing spiritual energy into the body and transforming it into True Qi.
Ye Xiuchen took a deep breath, slowly calmed his mind, cleared his thoughts, and continuously adjusted his breathing to bring himself to an optimal state.
Ye Xiuchen slowly opened his eyes. He had brought his state to its peak. He closed his eyes again and, following the method of sensing qi in "Ji Yang Gong," began to sense qi. In just a moment, he felt a trace of a scorching airflow flash and disappear along the circulation path of "Ji Yang Gong."