He finished the steamed buns, and Ye Xiuchen walked to the imposing gate of the Demon Suppression Division and entered at a leisurely pace. The guards, seeing Ye Xiuchen wearing the uniform of a Demon Suppressor, stepped forward to check him, their attitude much better than the day before. Ye Xiuchen took out his token, and after inspection, he was allowed to pass.
Ye Xiuchen walked through various buildings and arrived at the entrance of the Sutra Repository. The Sutra Repository was a six-story building, appearing very ancient from the outside. Ye Xiuchen tidied his robes and entered.
As soon as he stepped inside, an old man sitting with his eyes closed in repose was there.
"Yellow rank Demon Suppressor Ye Xiuchen requests entry to the Sutra Repository."
"Hmm."
The old man slowly opened his sparse eyes, and a barely perceptible glint of blood flashed from them.
In that instant.
Ye Xiuchen felt as if his back was being pricked by sharp edges, causing his hair to stand on end.
It felt like a small boat in a storm, swaying precariously, in danger of perishing at any moment.
"Show your token."
"Please, senior, take a look."
"A newly promoted Yellow rank Demon Suppressor?"
Ye Xiuchen nodded in affirmation.
"Newly promoted Yellow rank Demon Suppressors can learn three cultivation manual of the Body Tempering realm for free. As for which ones, you can choose them yourself. 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 to Ye Xiuchen, who accepted it with both hands.
"Go on. The Body Tempering realm cultivation manuals are on the first floor. Don't go to the wrong place," the old man said lazily, then closed his eyes as if already asleep.
Ye Xiuchen bowed again and headed towards the bookshelves where the Body Tempering realm cultivation manuals were kept.
The Sutra Repository.
It was the place where all cultivation manuals of the entire Demon Suppression Division were collected.
To deal with demons and monsters, one must cultivate profound techniques to have the capital to fight.
Originally, the Sutra Repository was freely accessible. However, with development, the Demon Suppression Division had more and more experts, and cultivation techniques required specialization. Thus, it began to require merit points to cultivate techniques. Merit points were obtained through missions, and Ye Xiuchen's promotion to Yellow rank Demon Suppressor was just a low-level mission.
The first floor of the Sutra Repository was vast.
When Ye Xiuchen arrived, quite a few people were already present, perusing the books.
No one noticed Ye Xiuchen; they were all using their limited time to find the martial arts they needed.
Ye Xiuchen had learned beforehand that he could choose three cultivation manuals.
Regarding the selection of cultivation manuals, Ye Xiuchen already had a plan in his heart.
"Fire Fiend Skill," "Divine Movement Hundred Transformations," "Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate," "Six Harmonies Saber," "Earth Fire Skill"...
There were all sorts of cultivation manuals, making it difficult for Ye Xiuchen to choose immediately.
As someone who had lived through the information age, Ye Xiuchen understood what he needed.
As a Demon Suppressor, dealing with demons and monsters was a daily occurrence. Techniques involving fire, yang, or lightning properties would deal increased damage to demons and monsters. Ye Xiuchen was determined to choose techniques of this type.
Ye Xiuchen's gaze continuously searched for what he needed. His eyes lit up as a manual titled "Fire Fiend Skill" entered his sight.
Ye Xiuchen opened "Fire Fiend Skill." The manuals in the Sutra Repository only contained introductions and partial content. The complete original texts were held by the administrators of the Sutra Repository. As he kept flipping through it, Ye Xiuchen's eyes grew brighter.
This "Fire Fiend Skill," once mastered, not only strengthened the body but also imbued attacks with fire fiends, which would burn enemies and possess a certain degree of toxicity.
Ye Xiuchen also chose 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 Sutra Repository.
"Senior, I have made 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 sure."
The old man picked up Ye Xiuchen's token, made a flick of his finger, and three jade slips appeared in his hand. He handed them to Ye Xiuchen and said, "When using them, stick them to your forehead to absorb them. They can only be used by yourself, only once, and cannot be passed on to others. Upon discovery, you will be executed. Do you understand?" A stern killing intent emanated from his words.
Ye Xiuchen's heart tightened, and he quickly replied, "This junior understands."
"Take them."
Ye Xiuchen accepted them with both hands, bowed, and turned to leave.
Once out of the Sutra Repository's vicinity, Ye Xiuchen breathed a sigh of relief. The old man's authority was too immense, and he felt too much pressure in his presence.
He hadn't expected that even a Demon Suppression Division in a mere Qingyuan City would have such a formidable expert. From this, one could infer the strength of the entire Qin Dynasty's Demon Suppression Division.
Ye Xiuchen touched the jade slips of the cultivation manuals in his怀 and quickened his pace towards home.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ye Xiuchen 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 with supernatural beings, caution was still necessary. 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 foreign races in his previous life was too great, so he had focused solely on cultivating that one type of technique, and he had no memories of other cultivation methods.
Ye Xiuchen hadn't expected the "Golden Finger" to appear after his rebirth.
"These functions are quite similar to a game."
From the changes in the panel, Ye Xiuchen understood how to use it. Simultaneously, a message was transmitted into his mind.
Ye Xiuchen checked the information sent by the panel in his mind.
"Impossible! This is impossible! Why is this happening? I've changed worlds to live, and I still have to go through this again."
Ye Xiuchen's face was filled with pain. The excessive emotion even made his face look somewhat contorted.
The information from the panel indicated that this world had also been discovered by foreign races, who were already preparing to invade the Azure Star by dispatching troops and generals. The blood moon in the sky was a harbinger of the alien invasion.
"Why is this happening?"
Ye Xiuchen was speechless. He had changed worlds to live, only to face an alien invasion. The memory of the fear during the invasion in his previous life sent a shiver through his body.
In the later stages, the entire world would be filled with alien armies, endless and vast, enough to make one despair at a mere glance.
"But fortunately, there is still time. Half a year remains."
There were still six months until 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 first descend.
As long as his strength could be improved before then, he could survive the alien invasion.
After the spiritual energy's revival, some awakened individuals would appear. Ye Xiuchen guessed that the authorities already possessed organized forces, and there would also be various demons and monsters.
The "Source Energy" from the panel could be obtained by killing demons and monsters. He wondered if killing aliens would also yield it.
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 Azure 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 knew the brutality of the aliens all too well; they would prey on humans.
Where they passed, nothing would be left.
Ye Xiuchen could only continuously improve his strength before the aliens descended. With the Martial Dao panel, his strength might far surpass that of his previous life.
Thinking of this, Ye Xiuchen looked at the panel.
"Currently, I have 598 Source Energy. The deduction function cannot be accessed, but I can try the lottery." Ye Xiuchen looked at the 598 Source Energy displayed on the panel, thought of what could be obtained from the lottery function, and with a thought, entered the lottery function.
The panel changed, and the lottery function appeared.
Based on the information provided by the panel, he could choose between two lottery modes: designated lottery and mixed lottery.
The designated lottery allowed him to specify an item category for the draw, and the items obtained would only be from that particular direction.
The mixed lottery contained everything, and the items drawn were unpredictable; anything could be drawn.
The lottery grades were divided into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. The Source Energy prices ranged from low to high: one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, and one hundred thousand. Different Source Energy prices yielded different results; the higher the price, the better the item obtained.
Ye Xiuchen looked at his Source Energy and then at the lottery function.
After some thought.
"Designated Lottery: Cultivation Manual Category, Yellow Grade Lottery."
"Lottery!"
As the word "Lottery" was spoken, 598 Source Energy became 498. Simultaneously, countless white dots began to flash on the panel, rotating continuously. Then, a white dot was thrown out, hovering on the panel, and directly transformed into the appearance of a book.
[Lottery Successful]
[Congratulations on obtaining Yellow Grade Body Tempering Cultivation Manual: Hunyuan Zhuang]
[Hunyuan Unity, Shedding Old and Embracing New]
[Receive Now?]
Ye Xiuchen chose to accept with a thought.
Instantly, the white light cluster transformed into the cultivation manual and entered Ye Xiuchen's forehead.
As the white light entered his forehead, Ye Xiuchen felt a sudden surge in his head, and the memory of "Hunyuan Zhuang" appeared in his mind.
The memory described "Hunyuan Zhuang" as a technique primarily based on桩功 (stave posture) to achieve body tempering. It could lead to a unified and integrated body, making it a superior Body Tempering cultivation manual.
In this cultivation method, there were both dynamic and static桩功. Dynamic桩功 included eighty-one postures, with different postures for each realm, allowing for comprehensive exercise of the entire body, gradually allowing the physique to transcend the mundane. Upon completion, a single arm could generate a force of a thousand catties.
Static桩功 had only one posture, which was the core of "Hunyuan Zhuang." Through static桩功, 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 sharp light in them, and exhaled deeply.
This was a completely different cultivation method from his previous life. According to the description in the memory, Martial Dao had a complete system of cultivation methods, unlike his previous life where he had to explore on his own.
Ye Xiuchen pondered for a moment and decided to try the lottery again. Based on his experience in his previous life and the descriptions in the cultivation manuals, early-stage Martial Dao Body Tempering relied on internal energy for cultivation, and there might be other different cultivation methods.
"Designated Lottery: Cultivation Manual Category, Yellow Grade."
The scene was the same as the previous time. A white light cluster was thrown out, transforming into a book.
[Lottery Successful]
[Congratulations on obtaining Yellow Grade True Qi Cultivation Manual: Extreme Yang Skill]
[Receive Now?]
Ye Xiuchen chose to accept.
The white light cluster transformed into the cultivation manual and entered Ye Xiuchen's forehead.
As the white light entered his forehead, Ye Xiuchen felt a surge in his head, and the memory of "Extreme Yang Skill" appeared in his mind.
The memory stated that "Extreme Yang Skill" would transform into Extreme Yang True Qi in the dantian, dealing double damage to demons and monsters.
Ye Xiuchen opened his eyes and thought to himself, "As expected, Martial Dao indeed has multiple cultivation directions." He also had a bold guess, though he wasn't sure.
Now that spiritual energy had begun to fully recover, demons and monsters would wreak havoc. The Source Energy panel clearly indicated that killing them would yield Source Energy. Moreover, there was the alien invasion in six months, a crisis of extinction.
A fierce glint flashed in Ye Xiuchen's eyes. The thought of the aliens made his killing intent almost overflow. He had to rapidly improve his strength to resist the alien invasion, and the Martial Dao panel was his only reliance.
He took a deep breath and suppressed the killing intent in his heart.
"Designated Lottery, Yellow Grade Elixir Category."
The panel began to draw. Simultaneously, the Source Energy decreased from 398 to 198; he had drawn twice.
[Lottery Successful]
[Congratulations on obtaining Blood Qi Pills, Supreme Vitality Pills]
[Receive Now?]
Choosing to accept.
Two porcelain bottles immediately appeared on the table in front of Ye Xiuchen.
Ye Xiuchen held the two bottles of pills in his hands. The bottles were labeled "Blood Qi Pill" and "Supreme Vitality Pill," respectively. The usage methods for both pills also appeared in his mind.
Blood Qi Pill contained powerful blood qi energy and was an excellent elixir for Body Tempering, accelerating the tempering process.
Supreme Vitality Pill, when consumed, could speed up True Qi cultivation.
Each porcelain bottle contained three pills, so Ye Xiuchen would not have to worry about elixirs for a while.
Ye Xiuchen put down the elixirs, looked at the remaining Source Energy on the Martial Dao panel, and closed it. He got up and went to the balcony, looking at the still blood-red moon hanging high in the sky. A cold glint flashed in his eyes before he turned back into the room.
Taking the elixirs, he went to the second bedroom. Since his parents' death, he had moved to the master bedroom, and this room had little furniture, making it quite spacious. Ye Xiuchen moved some things out, leaving the room entirely bare of furniture. He decided to use this room for his cultivation.
After tidying up, Ye Xiuchen brought in a yoga mat from outside.
Once prepared, he recalled the memory of "Hunyuan Zhuang" in his mind and swallowed a Blood Qi Pill. Immediately, a strong surge of energy erupted in his stomach.
Ye Xiuchen was drenched in sweat. He clenched his fists and felt the power filling his muscles, then let out a long sigh.
Recalling the description of Martial Dao realms in his mind, his current realm was Perfected Muscle Tempering.
A smile appeared on Ye Xiuchen's lips. This was the first time he had reached Perfected Muscle Tempering through cultivation, proving his strong Martial Dao talent and alleviating his worries about future realm advancements.
He suddenly smelled a pungent odor. Looking down, he saw that his clothes had become sticky and uncomfortable, clinging to his body. Lifting his clothes, he noticed many black impurities on his skin. This was a sign of Perfected Muscle Tempering, where impurities and toxins in the body were initially expelled through the pores.
Ye Xiuchen immediately ran to the bathroom to wash himself. Looking at himself in the mirror, he had sharp eyebrows and handsome features. The muscle lines on his upper body were smooth, like a leopard's, exuding explosive power at first glance.
After a brief rest, Ye Xiuchen, shirtless, began another round of cultivation. After all, with the alien invasion six months away, time was of the essence and could not be wasted.
In the second bedroom, Ye Xiuchen sat cross-legged on the yoga mat. He recalled "Extreme Yang Skill" in his mind, relaxed his body and mind, and cleared his thoughts. He was still a bit nervous because this time he was going to cultivate the Martial Dao True Qi system.
The first realm of the True Qi system was the Qi Assimilation realm.
Qi Assimilation realm, as the name suggests, was about assimilating spiritual energy into the body to transform it into True Qi.
Ye Xiuchen took a deep breath and slowly calmed his mind, dispelling any distracting thoughts. He continuously adjusted his breathing, bringing his state to its peak.
Ye Xiuchen slowly opened his eyes. He had brought his state to its optimal condition. He closed his eyes again and followed the method of sensing qi sensation described in "Extreme Yang Skill." After a short while, he felt a faint, burning airflow flash and disappear within the circulation path of "Extreme Yang Skill."