Chapter 9: Once you enter the Demon Suppression Division, life and death are no longer in your own hands

After leaving the Demon Suppression Prison, Shen Changqing did not return to his residence, but instead detoured toward the Library Pavilion.

The time interval for his missions.

It was exactly the same as the time interval for entering the Library Pavilion.

Every time he left the Demon Suppression Prison.

Shen Changqing would head straight to the Library Pavilion.

Two months had passed.

Not only had he memorized the Pure Yang Technique in the Library Pavilion, but he had also spent a great deal of effort researching everything related to demons and ghosts.

As a Demon Slayer.

If he had no knowledge of demons and ghosts, executing missions in the future would be a guaranteed death sentence.

——

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

After leaving the Library Pavilion, Shen Changqing returned to his residence.

Once there.

He stayed for five days.

During this time, apart from necessary meals, he did not step out of his door, focusing entirely on studying the martial arts he had obtained from the Library Pavilion.

Soon, Liu Chang came to visit again.

The mission remained unchanged, still primarily focused on patrolling the Demon Suppression Prison.

After completing the mission, Shen Changqing stopped by the Library Pavilion on his way back to review the martial arts he needed to memorize, then headed home.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye.

Shen Changqing had been in the Demon Suppression Division for ten months.

Ten months.

Among all the trainee Demon Slayers, he was considered a true veteran.

By this point.

Most of those trainee Demon Slayers had already begun executing missions, either promoting to full Demon Slayers or dying during their missions, disappearing without a trace.

Within the Demon Suppression Division, the Demon Slayer Hall was divided into four sections: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

Shen Changqing did not know much about the other three halls, but within his own, he noticed that many familiar faces had already vanished.

Although he had not conversed with those people.

Ever since his strength had improved, Shen Changqing had retained an impression of anyone he had met even once.

As for those who had disappeared.

There was only one possibility: they were dead.

Regarding this.

Shen Changqing felt calm, without much emotional reaction.

The death of others was inconsequential to him; what was truly worth noting was his own transformation.

It is worth mentioning.

Excluding the month wasted by his predecessor, in the remaining months, Shen Changqing had made profound progress in his martial arts.

Looking at his panel again, it was vastly different from when he first started.

Name: Shen Changqing

Faction: Great Qin Demon Suppression Division

Identity: Trainee Demon Slayer

Martial Arts: Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training (15th Layer, cannot be upgraded), Pure Yang Technique (6th Layer, cannot be upgraded), Seven Kill Blade Technique (2nd Layer), Iron Sand Palm (1st Layer)

Kill Value: 0

——

For the nine-layer Pure Yang Technique, Shen Changqing had spent eight or nine months successfully bringing it to the sixth layer.

Such a harvest.

He had not relied on kill value, but on his own arduous training.

Even Shen Changqing himself had not expected such rapid progress while practicing the Pure Yang Technique.

Although he did not believe his talent was poor, he also did not believe it could be so formidable.

Eight or nine months.

To take the Pure Yang Technique from nothing to the sixth layer.

Such progress could no longer be described as mere talent.

In Shen Changqing’s estimation.

The breakthrough of the Pure Yang Technique was very likely due to the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training.

Because the 15th-layer Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training generated true qi in his dantian every day, which was then converted by the Pure Yang Technique into the higher-level Pure Yang true qi.

In this way.

The Pure Yang Technique effectively had a powerful supplement, allowing him to increase the quantity of Pure Yang true qi at all times.

Therefore.

He was able to bring the Pure Yang Technique to the sixth layer in just a few months.

The Pulse-Clearing Realm was defined by true qi; any martial artist possessing true qi was considered a master of the Pulse-Clearing Realm.

But even within the Pulse-Clearing Realm.

There were differences in the strength of true qi.

With the sixth layer of the Pure Yang Technique, Shen Changqing estimated that his strength should be greater than some official Demon Slayers.

Of course.

Without a real fight, he dared not be 100% certain.

But beating all the trainee Demon Slayers was not a problem.

Aside from the Pure Yang Technique.

Shen Changqing also took the opportunity to practice a blade technique and a palm technique.

After all, with true qi in his body, he needed corresponding means of attack, otherwise, his strength could not be fully utilized.

Seven Kill Blade Technique!

It was considered one of the more powerful blade techniques in the first level of the Library Pavilion.

It emphasized stopping killing with killing, which was quite suitable for a Demon Slayer.

As for the Iron Sand Palm, it was something Shen Changqing had chosen at random.

For no other reason.

The name felt familiar.

After learning these two martial arts, he also discovered a problem: neither had the "cannot be upgraded" label after them, which likely meant he could not use kill value to upgrade them.

Regarding this.

Shen Changqing needed time to verify it.

After all, without any kill value, he could not be 100% sure.

"Ten months have passed. In two more months, I will be forced to execute missions!"

"In the remaining two months, I have a chance to break through the Pure Yang Technique to the seventh layer. Once successful, my strength will improve significantly—"

Shen Changqing looked at the panel and pondered.

The Pure Yang Technique had nine layers, divided into three stages, corresponding to the early, middle, and late stages of the Pulse-Clearing Realm.

He was currently at the sixth layer, stuck at the peak of the middle stage of the Pulse-Clearing Realm.

As long as he broke through to the seventh layer, his own realm would naturally advance to the late stage of the Pulse-Clearing Realm.

Suddenly.

Shen Changqing’s ears twitched.

He turned his head toward the closed courtyard gate, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

At this moment.

The gate was knocked.

Shen Changqing opened the door and saw a strange face.

"Who are you?"

"I am Jiang Zuo, the new manager of the Yellow Department Demon Slayers."

"Jiang Zuo?"

Shen Changqing frowned again: "I remember the manager of the Yellow Department Demon Slayer Hall was Manager Liu Chang."

"Liu Chang died at the hands of a ghost while executing a mission, so the Demon Suppression Division specifically appointed me as the new manager. You are Shen Changqing, right?"

Jiang Zuo’s expression was calm, but there was an imperceptible change in the way he looked at Shen Changqing.

True qi!

To be qualified as a manager of the Demon Slayer Hall, his realm was naturally extraordinary.

At a glance, he could see the clues about Shen Changqing.

When taking over as manager, Jiang Zuo had received the files of the Yellow Department Demon Slayer Hall and knew that Shen Changqing was one of the more senior trainee Demon Slayers.

Ten months.

To successfully promote to the Pulse-Clearing Realm, his talent was passable.

Noticing Jiang Zuo’s gaze.

Shen Changqing nodded: "I am Shen Changqing. Manager Jiang is here to issue a mission, right? I wonder what kind of mission I am to execute this time?"

"Your mission is to patrol the Demon Suppression Prison."

Jiang Zuo took out the Demon Suppression Prison manual and handed it to Shen Changqing.

"Yes!"

Shen Changqing said nothing more, took the manual, and walked straight toward the Demon Suppression Prison.

Watching his retreating back.

Jiang Zuo’s expression shifted again.

After taking over the Yellow Department Demon Slayer Hall, all the information he received included the missions executed by each trainee Demon Slayer.

Shen Changqing’s file was very special.

Except for the first month, when he executed some extra missions.

For the rest of the time.

All the missions he executed were exclusively patrolling the Demon Suppression Prison.

Jiang Zuo was not a fool; he could see from the files that Liu Chang had taken special care of Shen Changqing.

The Demon Suppression Division rarely cared about personal favors.

He had also investigated, and Liu Chang and Shen Changqing were not related.

As such.

The fact that the other party deliberately took care of Shen Changqing was worth pondering.

"A trainee Demon Slayer with no background being valued by Liu Chang must have some advantage. The most likely possibility is talent!"

"Promoting to Pulse-Clearing in ten months, his talent is only decent, not enough to be called a genius."

"Of course, it is also possible he hid his strength, perhaps promoting to Pulse-Clearing earlier. There are too many people in the Demon Suppression Division; it is not impossible for one or two exceptionally talented individuals to emerge."

Jiang Zuo pondered inwardly.

He did not know much about Shen Changqing, only what he could glean from the files left by Liu Chang.

Therefore.

When assigning the mission, Jiang Zuo did not deliberately make things difficult for him.

After all, since Liu Chang had done the other party a favor, why shouldn't he?

In any case, the trainee Demon Slayer’s mission assignment would not have much impact, so why offend an unknown factor over small matters?

"Sigh!"

Jiang Zuo did not know what he was thinking, sighed heavily, and then left the spot.

On the other side.

Shen Changqing walked toward the Demon Suppression Prison without looking back.

He could feel Jiang Zuo’s gaze on his back, but he did not turn around.

His originally calm expression suddenly darkened slightly.

Liu Chang was dead!

It was completely beyond Shen Changqing’s expectations.

In his view, Liu Chang’s strength was far greater than his own.

Even with his Pure Yang Technique at the sixth layer, he could not see through Liu Chang at all when facing him.

This showed that Liu Chang’s strength must have reached a very profound level.

However.

Strong as Liu Chang was, he had ultimately died on a mission.

After receiving the news, a great deal of pressure rose in Shen Changqing’s heart.

The complacency he had felt due to his own cultivation progress vanished completely.

In the past, many Demon Slayers had disappeared, and he had heard news of many deaths.

But he had not been familiar with those Demon Slayers, so he had no deep feelings.

Until Liu Chang died.

A different emotion surged in his heart.

Regardless.

Liu Chang was the person he was most familiar with since coming to this strange world, and the one he had communicated with the most.

Strictly speaking.

He even owed Liu Chang quite a few favors.

Now that the man was dead, Shen Changqing had an indescribable feeling.

Standing at the gate of the Demon Suppression Prison.

He suddenly let out a long breath, and a thought emerged in his heart.

"Once you enter the Demon Suppression Division, life and death are no longer your own!"