Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

The fish market in Shuiyun Village was uncommonly deserted.

Li Xiaoer and Liu Xiujie borrowed another horse-drawn cart, placing the bundled-up Li Xinhan and Ma Tao onto it.

Even after taking the elixir, Li Mujin still felt weak, so she could only sit outside the cart, legs crossed, leisurely taking on the role of a guide.

Shen Yi had only ever ridden the donkeys from the Baiyun County Office; suddenly switching to a tall and strong half-demon steed, he wasn't quite used to it yet.

The typically stubborn demon horse was exceptionally docile today, its body even trembling slightly.

Shen Yi glanced at the dark, dried monster blood on his clothes—his mind was not as at ease as he appeared to be.

The words of the river demon before its death surfaced in his mind.

Dragon Consort of the Yangchun River.

It was for this title that it had dared to turn against the Demon-suppression Bureau.

Shen Yi didn't believe there was a real dragon in the river. The identity of that demonic beast was clearly written on the board: it was an old Jiaolong.

With a lifespan of over fourteen hundred years, it had only lived just over a hundred years.

Translated into human age, that would be roughly ten years old.

Not yet of age, it already possessed the strength of the Initial Stage of Jade Liquid Realm.

Shen Yi had killed a demon with a background like this in Baiyun County, but back then he could wave the big flag of Lin Baiwei, and the fox demon seeking revenge would take its grievances to the General of Qingzhou.

This time was different, Li Xinhan's shoulders might not be strong enough to bear this blame.

"..." Shen Yi looked down, deep in thought.

Fortunately, the Jiaolong was covered in wounds, obviously hiding in the fishing village for refuge and had promised a bunch of lofty but empty promises to the River God.

There's an old saying that a tiger that falls on the plains is bullied by dogs.

Pah!

There's an old saying that Jiaolongs out of water are like withered branches, and if they truly had overwhelming power, they wouldn't need to flee in panic.

There was no need to fret unnecessarily. Besides, with the existence of the panel, unless he abandoned it, no amount of caution could prevent conflicts with demons.

However, necessary precautions were still essential. In the end, it was all about strength.

With enough strength, if a few old Jiaolongs came seeking revenge, he would probably wake up from sleep chuckling.

The panel unfolded before his eyes.

[For slaying the Jade Liquid Late Stage fish demon, the total lifespan is one thousand and twenty years, with seventy years remaining, absorption complete]

[Remaining demon lifespan: One thousand five hundred years. Available for condensing]

Aside from what he had consumed yesterday after killing the Jiaolong to replenish his energy, the remaining demon lifespan had now reached a terrifying number.

The fish demon had only seventy years left to live.

Shen Yi wasn't surprised, for if the demon hadn't been without hope, it wouldn't have gambled its life on a chance.

Every situation has its pros and cons.
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Demons with short lifespans usually have a higher realm, the energy contained within their demon cores is more abundant, and the chances of obtaining talents are greater.

The value of talents, Shen Yi had some understanding of.

Just a Fist and Palm Mastery talent had saved him over a hundred years of lifespan while cultivating Intercepting Veins and Capturing Dragons.

The Blood Fiend talent he had claimed from a young hobgoblin allowed his Jade Liquid Realm Martial Arts to advance further, evolving into the insidious move known as Celestial Gang Blood Fiend.

The more, the merrier.

As for young demons, needless to say, their long lifespans make humans green with envy. The downside is that others are not fools either. At a young age, instead of waiting for parents to feed them, who would come out and wander aimlessly?

As for those who are young and have high realms, like the Jiaolong... they often have some background, which can lead to a series of troubles, not to mention they are difficult to deal with.

If it hadn't underestimated him and paired up with the river demon to ambush him.

Forget about spending forty years; even four hundred years might not have been enough.

"..."

Shen Yi shifted his gaze to the text that had appeared behind the lifespan total.

If he remembered correctly, this appeared only after breaking through a thousand years.

As he looked on, a line of text gradually emerged.

[Condense a thousand years of lifespan into a demon crystal]

[Demon Crystal: An object that gathers a demonic being's lingering grievances and memories from its lifetime. When infused with martial arts, it can emulate the demon's memories for deduction. Consuming it has the effect of extending one's lifespan]

Shen Yi quickly understood the true meaning.

As someone with no exceptional talents, he knew all too well the importance of insight and knowledge. He had spent countless years pushing through the Wind and Thunder Demon Subduing True Solution with no progress to show for it.

Now when it comes to martial arts of the Jade Liquid Realm, the situation of an "epiphany" hadn't occurred for a very long time.

On one hand, there was his own lack of common knowledge about martial arts, and on the other hand...his brain wasn't quite up to the task.

Those who could establish sects and pass down fighting techniques were all prodigies of their time.

As an ordinary person, mastering two or three out of ten was enough to protect oneself, not daring to covet more.

And with the aid of demon powers, one could surpass the shackles of one's limits in deducing martial arts.

"It might not be that useful, though."

Shen Yi criticized in his heart without expression, tinged with a hint of bitterness.

A thousand years, what a hefty price to demand.

It's a good item.

Expensive! That's an undeniable flaw it couldn't hide!

He didn't hesitate to reject it.

Shen Yi calmed his emotions, considering his current situation, he should first take advantage of what he could get from the Demon-suppression Bureau to quickly improve his strength, as that was the right path.

His declaration of intent had already been submitted; it was time to see if this so-called top force in Qingzhou lived up to its lavish reputation as described by Zhang the Butcher.

At this moment, the carriage suddenly slowed down.

Shen Yi lifted his gaze to look ahead.

A dense crowd gathered on the road out of the city—vendors carrying their loads, and fishmongers in short jackets reeking of fish. They came in all shapes and colors yet shared the same gloomy expressions on their faces.

They remained silent, merely standing on the sidelines as spectators.

Countless attendants from the County Office, who held their sabers with both hands stretched wide and gritted their teeth, pushed them back, even as beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.

"Don't look, just keep going."

Li Mujin ceased the slight trembling of her legs and leaned her body towards the young man.

And so in the cold stares of the commoners, another was added to her.

"Don't look, don't look."

Li Mujin forced a smile, trying to appear relaxed, while her palm began to sweat quietly.

She was afraid that Shen Yi would be provoked.

A warrior who could slay a River Demon in the late stages of the Jade Liquid Realm, even in its weakened state, was a clear testament to his strength.

If he could kill ten villagers, he could just as easily kill a thousand more.

Once he started killing in earnest, a thousand or seventy thousand would make no difference to him.

That was why despite the continuous emergence of talented youths from Qingzhou within the Demon-suppression Bureau, known for their high cultivation levels, none wished to provoke the River Demon.

All were people of repute, highly concerned with their social reputation.

To slaughter the commoners here and tarnish one's good name, how would they face their family and friends back in Qingzhou?

"Trust me, it will get better soon."

Li Mujin reached out to grasp the other's sleeve.

That short ruler previously had not measured mere mortals, but a deity.

The villagers of Shuiyun Village were in turmoil, in dire need of another temple.

Clearly, the commanding figure who stood upon the altar and decapitated the River God had left an indelible mark in their hearts.

They just needed to wait a little longer.

A new name would soon circulate from the lips of storytellers, ringing through the tea houses and eateries until the story changed so much that even he wouldn't recognize it.

This was also why Li Mujin had inwardly praised him for his decisiveness; had it been someone else, they wouldn't have been able to wash away the stain that easily.

"Ah?"

Shen Yi looked back slightly, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Uh, you're not angry?"

Seeing the young man's calm expression, Li Mujin was momentarily stunned.

Shen Yi rolled his eyes and gripped the reins tighter.

Back in Baiyun County, those people cursed much dirtier words in private.

Carrying a lifespan of over a thousand years as a demon and pocketing two Jade Liquid Realm Demon Cores, he didn't care about these meaningless tarnished reputations.

Pretentious.