The shadow creature let out a howl, a sound that pierced through the air with an penetrating force, like a needle pricking into Gu Yuan's mind.
This made Gu Yuan frown. The pain in his mind ignited a nameless rage within him.
The blood qi within his body flowed like a great river, exuding an incomparably scorching aura, constantly pressuring the shadow creature.
Without further ado, Gu Yuan slashed out with his long saber, unleashing streaks of crimson saber energy that continuously compressed the shadow creature's space to evade. Finally, Gu Yuan cornered it in a corner of the mountain god temple.
Seeing that it had nowhere left to retreat, the creature let out an ear-splitting roar, intending to unleash its last ounce of strength for a desperate struggle against Gu Yuan.
How could Gu Yuan let it have its way? The qi and blood within his body flowed along his meridians, continuously pouring into the long saber in his hand. His legs gathered a vast amount of blood qi, which then erupted with a mighty force through Gu Yuan's special method of exertion.
Yi Yang Zhan!
*Swish!*
A streak of crimson fiery light flashed within the mountain god temple. The air was cut with a white streak, a mark left by the scorching heat of Gu Yuan's long saber.
Without any surprise, Gu Yuan's long saber pierced directly into the shadow creature's fatal weak point, equivalent to a human heart.
The blade was plunged in to the hilt, burying deep. The shadow creature let out a shrill scream. If an ordinary person were present, they would have bled from all seven orifices and fallen unconscious.
But to Gu Yuan, it was of no effect. The blood qi attached to his long saber met the yin energy, acting like adding fuel to a fire. Flames erupted instantly, turning the entire shadow creature into a giant torch.
"Ahhhhh!"
Screams continued to emanate from within the torch. Gu Yuan withdrew his saber and stepped back, his face expressionless. Because of the presence of yin energy, the creature's vitality was extremely tenacious. Therefore, Gu Yuan had to watch the flames extinguish, confirming the creature's death before he could leave.
Why was there such a rule? It was because years ago, in a large city, when creatures of shadow had just begun to awaken and the Demon Suppressing Division had just been established, their combat experience was not yet rich. They left without confirming the kill, which led to the creature's secondary revival.
The entire street, hundreds of humans, were all devoured by the creature. The Demon Suppressing Division also paid the lives of three Xuan-rank Demon Suppressors to finally kill it.
Since then, the Demon Suppressing Division issued an order that they must confirm the creature's death before leaving. If loss was incurred due to negligence, the Demon Suppressor's identity would be revoked and their cultivation would be abolished.
No one dared to be careless, and Gu Yuan was no exception, given his cautious nature.
The flames continued to shrink, eventually vanishing into nothingness, leaving only a pile of black powder. Gu Yuan took out a jade pendant and placed it on the black powder. After a moment, wisps of black qi rose from the powder and were captured by the jade pendant, merging into it.
Gu Yuan slowly calmed the qi and blood within his body. For him, this was merely a minor test of his blade, an easy task with no pressure whatsoever.
Sheathing his saber, Gu Yuan retrieved the horse he had left in the mountain forest outside. He lit a campfire, listened to the rain, and slept with his saber sheath.
Even in his sleep, Gu Yuan could unleash a saber strike in an instant if there were any changes in his surroundings. This was the advantage of having strength; there was no need to panic.
When dawn arrived, Gu Yuan mounted his horse and continued his journey towards the capital. Three days later, Gu Yuan successfully arrived at the Great Gan capital.
Looking at the magnificent and vast city before him, Gu Yuan felt no sense of novelty, having witnessed cities in the cultivation world.
With his Demon Suppressor token, he passed through without any hindrance. Upon entering the city, his first priority was to find an inn to stay.
He handed his horse over to the innkeeper, instructing them to feed it the finest hay, and then went to the hall to order a few hot dishes to reward himself.
He had spent the past few days eating dry rations. While they filled his stomach, the taste was truly indescribable.
His first act upon arriving here was to have a good meal and reward his stomach.
While eating, Gu Yuan was not idle. His mind was focused on the people in the hall who were also eating. Gu Yuan knew that news often circulated here, making it an excellent place to gather intelligence.
However, to his disappointment, Gu Yuan did not overhear any useful information. After finishing his meal, Gu Yuan paid the bill and left the inn, heading towards the headquarters of the Demon Suppressing Division to upgrade to a Xuan-rank Demon Suppressor.
Someone had told him that after becoming a Xuan-rank Demon Suppressor, there were two options.
1: Become a regional guardian Xuan-rank Demon Suppressor.
2: Become a patrolling Xuan-rank Demon Suppressor.
The first option involved being assigned by the headquarters of the Demon Suppressing Division to a region for guarding. The advantage of this choice was relatively less danger, but the acquisition of resources was limited, as they could only be obtained from local Demon Suppressing Divisions.
The second option was to become a nationwide patrolling Demon Suppressor, as the name implied, patrolling the entire country. There was no fixed mission location; they would go wherever personnel were insufficient. Those with strong abilities would be dispatched to places where local Demon Suppressing Divisions could not handle demons or creatures of shadow.
The advantages were clear: backed by the Demon Suppressing Division headquarters, high-level resources could be exchanged, and there were the most high-level cultivation techniques. The disadvantage was having to travel to many places, spending a lot of time on the road, enduring harsh conditions, which was quite torturous.
It all depended on the Demon Suppressor's personal choice. However, most became regional Xuan-rank Demon Suppressors, and only those with extreme confidence in their strength would become patrolling Demon Suppressors.
Gu Yuan pondered. If he wanted to rapidly improve his strength, he would have to choose the patrolling Demon Suppressor. This would be extremely beneficial for his development, as the higher the quality of resources, the better.
To quickly ascend to the peak, one needed to take risks. If one did not have a good background, one had to strive. This was true in any world.
On the way to the Demon Suppressing Division headquarters, Gu Yuan confirmed which profession he would choose.
He would choose to be a patrolling Demon Suppressor. Since it was a trial world, he would be more aggressive and carve his way through the world with his fists!
Ten minutes later, Gu Yuan arrived at the Demon Suppressing Division headquarters.
Looking at the extremely grand gate of the Demon Suppressing Division headquarters, exuding infinite majesty, Gu Yuan took a deep breath. After being inspected, he stepped inside.
Upon entering, one could feel an atmosphere far more solemn than that of the distant mountain town's Demon Suppressing Division. Everyone had a grave expression on their faces, as if preoccupied with heavy thoughts, and the overall atmosphere was rather oppressive.
Gu Yuan could understand. He had learned before coming that the mortality rate at the headquarters of the Demon Suppressing Division was the highest in the entire country. Everyone was desperately cultivating, and they didn't know whether tomorrow or an accident would come first. This was the reality, and there was no way around it.
Gu Yuan sighed softly and followed the directions to the main hall of the Demon Suppressing Division headquarters.