Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

Xiao Qiangwei's emotions were already somewhat disordered.

General You had finally given up the idea of leaving Qingzhou, only for Shen Yi to immediately follow suit.

Although the former, due to Lady Jiang's influence, had lost the steadiness of the past, at least he knew to first consult with Elder Yang before taking action. The latter, however, planned to venture alone directly into Howling Moon Demon King's territory.

Shen Yi's Teleportation Art did indeed dominate Qingzhou.

That's because Qingzhou lacked a Primordial Grandmaster. As a Martial Immortal, the General relied on Yin God combat techniques and did not need to further develop light body skills to enhance his physical body, but Howling Moon was a real Demon King comparable to the Primordial realm.

The formidable chasm between their realms could not be bridged by a mere Teleportation Art.

"Why not let General You accompany you? It's good to have each other's support," she said.

Xiao Qiangwei had not planned to disturb Shen Yi again, but now she found herself subconsciously stepping forward.

"..."

You Longtao let out a sigh, suddenly feeling a bit introspective.

If he remembered correctly, Aunt Xiao had just been advising him to be more composed, yet everyone seemed to change their demeanor around Brother Shen.

But upon reflection, it seemed normal considering the other's outstanding performance, which naturally increased people's fondness for him.

Hmm...

At least Junior Sister Jiang should not exhibit such a change, after all, she and Shen Yi were both geniuses of the same caliber.

Coming to this realization finally eased You Longtao's mind, and he then retrieved two breaths of energy from his Storage Treasure: "These were retrieved for me by Elder Yang earlier; the Golden Bell Demon Catcher has an advanced technique for absorbing Qi which can locate demons more accurately. General Shen, please take it."

These two breaths of energy were solid as substance, like flickering flames.

"If you change your mind before leaving, I am always ready to join you," said You Longtao.

"Thank you, General You," Shen Yi replied.

As Shen Yi took the breaths of energy in his palm and briefly sensed them, he could detect the strong demonic aura within, which was dozens of times more potent than that of the Mountain Lord.

"These two Azure-faced Lions are brothers, inseparable through the years. They rank among the upper echelons of the Demon King's court and are greatly trusted by the Howling Moon Demon King. That's why he sent them to protect the White Jade Rabbit," You Longtao said.

Having dealt with these three demon lords for many years, You Longtao was well aware of their formidable capabilities.

The Embrace Pill Realm has three stages: planting the Dao seed, nurturing the Dao fetus, and finally nurturing a Dao infant or Yin God.

If the White Jade Rabbit only equated to one who had planted the Dao seed, and a weaker one at that, any one of the lions could easily overpower a warrior at the Dao fetus stage; when the two lions joined forces, even he, a Yin God Cultivator who had passed all three stages, found them to be troublesome opponents.

"I'm just going to try, and if it doesn't work out, I'll return to Qingzhou as soon as possible," Shen Yi promised, being careful not to overcommit with his words.

Having expended vast amounts of his lifespan to perfect numerous martial techniques, once his realm caught up, Shen Yi finally revealed their true power.

Whether it was the Dual Polarity Dragon Tiger True Intent, the Nine Transformations of the Immortal Demon, or the Heaven-Devouring Elixir Technique itself, mastering any one of them was enough to fight beyond one's own realm.

But no one knew if the demon had any secret innate Divine Skills.

Anyone who cultivated to this realm surely had some desperate moves up their sleeve.

"Now that we've discussed official matters, I'd like to ask about something personal," You Longtao remarked with self-mockery. The entire Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division was fighting for the stability of the Twelve Prefectures, and yet here he was, a Demon-Suppression Great General, wasting Shen Yi's precious time at such a critical moment.

"I heard that General Shen traveled to the capital with Junior Sister Jiang. I want to know if Junior Sister had any... emotional issues..."

He stopped mid-question, feeling foolish. With Junior Sister Jiang's cold nature, even if she did have any emotional issues, how could she possibly let Brother Shen see them?

"Emotional?"

Shen Yi shifted his gaze away from the breaths of energy and placed them into the Golden Bell, thinking for a moment, "She should be okay, at least she smiles more than before."

Ever since she made progress in her cultivation, on the way back, Jiang Qiulan was no longer as silent as before, occasionally striking up idle conversation with him.

There was a noticeable difference from his usual poker-faced appearance.

Regrettably, his mind was preoccupied with the demons of Qingzhou, and he hadn't listened attentively, leaving the details unclear.

"To think he's taken to smiling..."

Several people in the gathering paused, struggling to conjure that image in their minds even after a long while.

You Longtao shook his head, acknowledging that Brother Shen was just trying to comfort him, "Thank you, I understand."

"Then I shall take my leave." Shen Yi nodded lightly and stood up to walk outside.

To avoid potential complications, it was best to check on his Demon Core sooner rather than later.

The young man's sudden movement took You Longtao by surprise, who then instinctively glanced over at Sister Lin beside him.

Lin Baiwei seemed accustomed to his reaction. Back in Baiyun County, Shen Yi would toss a pancake on the table and stride out the door without a word; at least now he would say goodbye.

She simply looked down with a hint of helplessness.

They had agreed to talk in depth that evening, and he had nodded in agreement, yet he had forgotten as soon as he turned his head.

Who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again.

To undertake such perilous tasks and still, as always, not leave a single word behind.

If only she had strived harder back then, accrued more merits, and enhanced her realm through the Martial Temple Refinement, she wouldn't have had to watch Shen Yi walk away alone, powerlessly.

With these thoughts, Lin Baiwei's gaze shifted to the tiny silver bell at her waist, and her eyes filled with renewed determination.

"Brother, I'm off!"

As she turned to leave, Xiao Qiangwei caught her arm, and You Longtao looked at her askance, his tone indifferent, "I can't control General Shen, but can't I control you? Stay put in Tingyang County and heal your injuries before anything else."

After saying this, he sighed, "If General Shen returns, I'll send word to you immediately."

...

On the edge of Tingyang County, beside a stream.

With the breeze landing softly, Shen Yi's figure was revealed as he found a secluded spot to sit down.

He was about to leave the borders of Qingzhou.

Although it wasn't his first time, he remained vigilant.

He took out the Demon Core he had borrowed from Jiang Qiulan.

Originally fourteen cores, only five remained now.

He opened his panel to continue deducing the Heaven-Devouring Elixir Devouring technique. Undoubtedly, although the entity was more potent than an inner core of the same realm, it was also really consuming.

Swallowing the five Demon Cores, he exhausted more than three hundred and seventy years of demonic lifespans.

Compared to before Embracing Pill, this time's process was roughly thirty percent faster.

But Shen Yi did not feel any joy.

The increase in speed was not due to improved proficiency, but rather the seed inside him actively devouring demonic power.

The so-called "Embrace Pill to nourish the spirit."

In reality, it involves using various essences of heaven and earth to condense into a being.

At this moment, the blood threads spreading out from the crimson light spot gradually began to form something resembling limbs and a body, just faint outlines, but it was clear they were developing a consciousness of their own.

This was already a deviation from the description of the Heaven-Devouring Elixir Technique.

The emergence of consciousness should have waited until the Dao Fetus stage, yet he was at least two rabbit demon inner cores of the same quality away from reaching that stage.