At the entrance, an old man sat with his eyes closed, resting.
"Yellow Rank Demon Suppressor Ye Xiuchen requests entry to the Scripture Pavilion."
"Hmm."
The old man slowly opened his sparse eyes, and a barely perceptible trace of blood flashed within them.
In that instant.
Ye Xiuchen felt as though his back was being targeted by a sharp edge, causing all the hairs on his body to stand on end.
It was like a small boat adrift in a storm, swaying precariously, with the constant danger of perishing.
"Show your token."
"Senior, please examine it."
"A newly promoted Yellow Rank Demon Suppressor?"
Ye Xiuchen nodded in affirmation.
"Newly promoted Yellow Rank Demon Suppressors are allowed to study three martial arts manuals from the Body Tempering realm for free. As for which ones, you may choose yourself. If you wish to study more later, you will need to expend merit. Do you understand?"
Ye Xiuchen bowed respectfully and replied, "This junior understands."
The old man handed the token to Ye Xiuchen, who received it with both hands.
"Go, the Body Tempering realm 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 manuals were kept.
The Scripture Pavilion.
This was where the entire Demon Suppressing Division stored its martial arts manuals.
To deal with demons and monsters, one had to cultivate profound techniques to have the capital to resist them.
Originally, the Scripture Pavilion was open to everyone. However, with development, the Demon Suppressing Division had more and more experts, and the cultivation techniques needed to be specialized. Consequently, one had to expend merit to study them. Merit was obtained 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 there, browsing through 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 techniques.
Regarding the choice of techniques, Ye Xiuchen already had a plan in mind.
"Fire Fiend Technique," "Divine Steps Shifting," "Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate," "Six Harmonies Saber," "Earth Fire Technique"...
All sorts 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 clearly what he needed.
As a Demon Suppressor, dealing with demons and monsters was an everyday occurrence. Techniques related to fire, yang, or lightning attributes would deal bonus damage to such creatures, so Ye Xiuchen was determined to choose those.
Ye Xiuchen's gaze continuously searched for what he needed. His eyes lit up as a manual titled "Fire Fiend Technique" entered his sight.
Ye Xiuchen opened "Fire Fiend Technique." The manuals in the Scripture Pavilion only contained introductions and partial content; the true originals were with the pavilion administrator. As he flipped through, Ye Xiuchen's eyes grew brighter.
This "Fire Fiend Technique," once mastered, not only strengthened the body but also infused attacks with fire fiends, scorching enemies and carrying a certain poisonous effect.
Ye Xiuchen then selected "Five Tigers Breaking Gate Saber" and "Supreme Yang Fist."
After making his selections, he returned to the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.
"Senior, I have made my selections. Please examine them," Ye Xiuchen respectfully placed the three manuals and his token on the table in front of the old man.
The old man opened his eyes, glanced at the techniques Ye Xiuchen had chosen, and asked, "Confirmed?"
"This junior has confirmed."
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 forehead to absorb them. They can only be used by yourself, only once, and cannot be taught to others. Discovery of such an act will result in immediate execution. Do you understand?" A stern murderous aura emanated from his words.
Ye Xiuchen's heart trembled, and he quickly replied, "This junior understands."
"Take them."
Ye Xiuchen took them with both hands, bowed, and turned to leave.
Once he was outside the Scripture Pavilion, Ye Xiuchen breathed a sigh of relief. The old man's authority was too immense, and he felt immense pressure in his presence.
He hadn't expected that even the Demon Suppressing Division in a mere Qingyuan City would have such an expert. This indicated the immense strength of the entire Qin Dynasty's Demon Suppressing Division.
Ye Xiuchen touched the cultivation technique jade slips in his embrace and quickened his pace towards his home.
In less than fifteen minutes, Ye Xiuchen returned to his residence.
Ye Xiuchen did not open the main door but first checked the small mechanisms he had set up. Finding them intact, he realized that in this world with supernatural elements, caution was still necessary.
"Huff, huff..."
In the darkness of the night, a woman with disheveled hair ran frantically through the dimly lit street. She was wearing a common professional suit, but her high heels were gone. Barefoot, she ran on the road as if her soles felt no pain. Her face was filled with terror, and she kept turning to look behind her, as if something terrifying was chasing her.
"Drip, drip, drip, drip..." A sound of footsteps echoed from behind her, unusually clear in the silent street. However, under the dim streetlights, there was nothing.
Li Lan, an ordinary white-collar worker in a big city, was working overtime once again. Due to her financial situation, she could only afford to rent a place in an older district.
After finishing her overtime, Li Lan was about to pack up and leave the company. In the somewhat dark corridor outside, she heard footsteps. In the otherwise empty company, they were exceptionally clear. Li Lan felt a bit scared and shouted, asking who was there. The footsteps immediately disappeared.
Li Lan assumed it was someone else working overtime and didn't pay it much mind. She was hungry and tired and just wanted to return to her cozy little nest. She quickly packed her things and hurried out of the company. While waiting for the elevator, the previous footsteps reappeared. Li Lan wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but the sound seemed clearer than before.
Li Lan got a little angry. Who would be so bored in the middle of the night playing pranks? She cursed loudly, and the footsteps disappeared again. Li Lan felt a sense of satisfaction, planning to scold the person again in the company group chat tomorrow.
Ding, the elevator door slowly opened. Li Lan stepped in and pressed the button for the first floor. The elevator door slowly closed. Just as it was about to fully close, Li Lan faintly heard the sound of footsteps again.
Ding, Li Lan quickly exited the office building. This was a newly developed high-tech zone with incomplete infrastructure. Li Lan's rental apartment was nearby, so she decided to walk home.
As she walked, Li Lan became increasingly frightened as she realized that another set of footsteps was mixed with her own. She quickly looked back, but there was nothing. At this point, Li Lan's scalp began to tingle, and her gaze became panicked. All she wanted was to get home quickly.
Her footsteps began to quicken. The hairs on Li Lan's back stood on end. She could clearly hear the footsteps following her. She frantically looked back again, but there was still nothing.
Li Lan was completely panicked and started to speed up, but her high heels slipped, and she fell to the ground. She scrambled up and ran forward unsteadily. She increased her speed, and the footsteps behind her also accelerated. Her speed slowed down, and the footsteps also slowed down, as if a hunter was leisurely chasing its prey.
Regardless of the speed, Li Lan could clearly feel the footsteps getting closer to her. She began to despair. A path that normally took ten minutes now felt like she had run for seven or eight minutes without reaching the end, as if she hadn't moved at all.
Li Lan suddenly stopped, her terrified expression frozen on her face. Her eyes were bloodshot, filled with despair. Her body could no longer move!
"Help..."
The street returned to its dim and silent state...
Yuanjiang City.
The sun was always so bright, casting its radiance upon the world.
"Ring, ring, ring..."
The school bell rang, instantly bringing life to the quiet campus.
"Ah~ ha~, it's finally over," Ye Xiuchen stretched, standing by the side of the main road on campus. His handsome face drew frequent glances from passing female students.
Ye Xiuchen was a third-year student at Yuanjiang City Experimental High School.
Ye Xiuchen was a transmigator. Three years ago, Ye Xiuchen had arrived in this world after simply falling asleep and waking up here.
The original host's parents had died in a car accident, a normal traffic accident. The original host, who had been doted on by his parents since childhood, was so grief-stricken by their death that he had passed away from shock.
Ye Xiuchen had been very excited at first, only to find that there was no supernatural power here, just like his previous life.
The original host's parents were very wealthy, leaving him tens of millions in savings and a company worth several hundred million.
"Hello, excuse me, can I add your WeChat?" A junior student, who looked like a first-year, was small and pure-looking. Ye Xiuchen glanced at her, then looked at a few girls not far away who were looking in their direction. Ye Xiuchen instantly understood and said softly, "No, thank you."
He turned and walked away directly. He began to hear comforting voices behind him. Ye Xiuchen didn't care. He had experienced this many times over the past two years. From initial delight to eventual numbness, he had become accustomed to it. After all, even from a male perspective, this body was indeed handsome, with a fair and smooth complexion, sharp eyebrows, and a well-defined nose.
Ye Xiuchen lived very cautiously. After all, arriving in a strange world, no one would adapt quickly. One had to be careful.
Ye Xiuchen walked to the parking lot outside the school and approached a motorcycle. He put on his helmet, lifted his leg, and got on. The roar of the engine attracted the attention of students around. He twisted the throttle and drove onto the main road.
He had just obtained his motorcycle license this year. Ye Xiuchen learned everything quickly now. He guessed it might be due to the fusion of two souls.
Ye Xiuchen rode his motorcycle to the entrance of a villa complex. The security guard saw Ye Xiuchen's motorcycle and opened the gate with a smile, saying, "Little Ye, you're off school."
"Yes, Brother Wang," Ye Xiuchen replied, taking off his helmet. He then asked, "Is it your shift today, Brother Wang?"
"It wasn't originally. A colleague had an emergency, so I'm covering for him." Brother Wang smiled and asked, "Little Ye, are you graduating today?"
"Yes, I just graduated today, and the college entrance exams are also finished."
"Ah, the college entrance exams are over. The first time I saw you was in your first year of high school, and in the blink of an eye, you've graduated. How did your college entrance exams go?" Brother Wang sighed at the passage of time and asked with a smile.
"The college entrance exams went pretty well. Getting into Linjiang University should be no problem."
"That's great, you kid. Alright, hurry home. I have to go on patrol, so I'm off." Brother Wang praised Ye Xiuchen, waved his hand, and set off on patrol with his baton.
Security guard Brother Wang was the first person Ye Xiuchen met in this world. Knowing that Ye Xiuchen was an orphan, he took good care of him, and as a result, Ye Xiuchen had a very good relationship with him.
His home was in the northeast corner of the complex, deep inside. Although it was a bit far, it was quiet.
He used facial recognition to enter the villa. The motorcycle was parked in the yard. The villas were spaced far apart, providing good privacy.
The yard was spacious, with few flowers and trees, except for a not-too-large pavilion for cooling off. After parking the motorcycle and unlocking the door with a password, he entered the villa and was greeted by a large living room decorated in a simple European style. A large flat-screen TV and a sofa faced the television.
Ye Xiuchen lived alone in a very spacious and quiet house. Despite living alone, he kept his rooms tidy and clean.
He changed into slippers and placed his schoolbag on the sofa, then sat down himself.
Ye Xiuchen's college entrance examination results, while not enough for a top national university, were sufficient for the local Linjiang University, which was considered a first-class university in the Tianxia Kingdom.
He got up and walked to the second floor. The second floor consisted of two rooms, a bathroom, and a study. Ye Xiuchen walked into the study. In front of him was a huge floor-to-ceiling window offering a view of the wetland park behind, facing a lake. It was noon, and the lake's surface sparkled beautifully.
He sat down at the desk and turned on the computer. After it booted up, he skillfully opened a forum website. This was a website Ye Xiuchen had stumbled upon, filled with discussions about supernatural phenomena that ordinary people couldn't access. There were also many skilled hackers there. Although Ye Xiuchen maintained a degree of skepticism about the content, it was more credible than other sources. Thus, Ye Xiuchen had followed it.
After all, he had grown up exposed to atheism. However, since transmigration had happened to him, if supernatural powers truly existed, Ye Xiuchen would easily accept them. There were few posts about supernatural phenomena, mostly foreign news. Once, he accidentally stumbled upon a post about the supernatural, but it was censored before he could finish reading. This indicated the domestic attitude towards supernatural phenomena. Thinking of this, Ye Xiuchen couldn't help but sigh.
Just then, a post appeared on his computer screen:
"Quick Look!! Everyone in a residential area in the United States died bizarrely, all blood drained, turning into mummies!!"
The striking title immediately attracted Ye Xiuchen, and he moved his mouse to click on it. A picture of a mummy appeared on the screen. Ye Xiuchen was no longer surprised by such things.
Ye Xiuchen carefully examined the mummy picture. According to the post, this was the photo of one of the victims at the crime scene. It was a typical foreign face, with its mouth agape as if witnessing something extremely terrifying.
The post mentioned that according to forensic examination, the bodies had been drained of all their blood in a very short period. The death toll exceeded a hundred, and they had almost all died simultaneously. This was incredibly bizarre: hundreds of people turned into mummies, all their blood gone, and almost simultaneous deaths...