Surviving in a world of demons and monsters to achieve martial arts sainthood

The next day, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

As dawn broke, all thirty trainee Demon Suppressors arrived at the training ground, each dressed neatly and full of energy.

"Everyone, line up in three rows!"

Zhao Shan stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the training ground, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present.

The group acted quickly and soon formed three neat rows.

"Starting today, you will undergo three months of training," Zhao Shan said in a loud voice. "The first training item is stance training."

"Standing exercises are the foundation of all martial arts. Only by laying a solid foundation can one better exert their strength in future battles."

As Zhao Shan spoke, he slowly walked to the front of the group, his legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and his hands raised to his chest with palms facing each other, assuming a standard stance. His body was as stable as the roots of an old tree, and his breathing was steady and long.

"Have you all seen it clearly?" Zhao Shan said in a deep voice, "This is the 'Tiger-Taming Stance,' a basic stance training exercise for beginners in the Demon Suppression Division. It stabilizes the lower body and strengthens the qi and blood. You must stand in it for at least one hour every day. Now, everyone, do it with me!"

Shen Lian and Li Hu exchanged a glance and immediately followed Zhao Shan's movements, striking a pose.

As soon as Shen Lian stood still, he felt his legs tremble slightly and his knees ache. Before he transmigrated, he was just an ordinary office worker with an average physical condition. This Tiger-Taming Stance may seem simple, but it actually requires a high level of strength in the waist and legs.

"Chest out! Stomach in! Knees must not go past your toes!" Zhao Shan patrolled back and forth with a rattan cane in hand: "If anyone's posture is wrong, don't blame me for being impolite."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the rattan cane lashed out and struck a boy's thigh with a "smack".

The boy cried out in pain, his body instinctively tilting to the side. Zhao Shan said coldly, "Distorted posture, stand for half an hour!"

The boy's face turned pale, but he dared not utter a single complaint. He gritted his teeth, readjusted his posture, and continued practicing his stance training.

Shen Lian felt a chill run down his spine and quickly composed himself, focusing his attention on stabilizing his stance. He secretly glanced at Li Hu, whose face was flushed and whose forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, clearly indicating that he was also gritting his teeth and persevering.

Time passed second by second, and only the heavy breathing of the crowd remained in the training ground.

Shen Lian felt as if his legs were filled with lead, and the soreness in his knees was getting stronger and stronger, almost making it impossible for him to support his body.

[Ding! Host detected to be in 'Tiger-Taming Stance' training state. Consuming 1 skill point will allow you to learn the basics of 'Tiger-Taming Stance'. Confirm?]

Shen Lian's eyes lit up, and he chose "yes" without hesitation.

[Host]: Shen Lian

[Realm]: None

[Combat Strength]: 1~3

[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Beginner) (1/3)

Skill Points: 0

A warm current suddenly rose from his dantian and spread along Shen Lian's legs. His sore muscles instantly relaxed, his lower body became much more stable, and his breathing involuntarily became long and steady.

As Zhao Shan patrolled the area, he subconsciously glanced at Shen Lian. Just moments ago, he had seen the young man's legs trembling and his breathing disordered, but in a short while, he had become as steady as Mount Tai. This clearly showed that he had mastered the essence of the "Tiger-Taming Stance".

He nodded slightly, said nothing, and continued walking forward.

After an hour of stance training, everyone collapsed to the ground with a sense of relief.

Shen Lian slowly finished his practice, feeling the warm energy flowing through his body. He was secretly pleased, as he could clearly feel that his lower body was much more stable than before, and his blood and qi were more abundant. This was the benefit of practicing the "Tiger Subduing Stance".

"Brother Lian, are you alright?" Li Hu came over, his face full of exhaustion.

"I'm fine." Shen Lian shook his head. "And you?"

"I can't hold on much longer," Li Hu said with a pained expression. "This 'Tiger-Taming Stance' is too difficult. I feel like my legs don't even belong to me."

Shen Lian patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Take it slow, you'll get used to it."

After finishing their stance training, it was time for the Demon Suppression Division to have their meal. Everyone dragged their tired bodies to the dining hall.

The dining hall, located on the north side of the Demon Suppression Division, is a spacious stone building, and at this moment, a rich aroma of food is wafting from it.

A group of trainee demon slayers filed in and lined up to receive their meals. On each plate were two white steamed buns, a large bowl of thick rice porridge, and a palm-sized piece of braised beef.

"This food is much better than what I eat at home." Li Hu's eyes lit up when he saw the meat on his plate. He immediately picked it up and wolfed it down. "Brother Lian, eat up! I'm exhausted from standing in the stance today. I need to replenish myself properly."

Shen Lian was indeed hungry. Before transmigrating, he was just an ordinary office worker and had never undergone such high-intensity physical training. His stomach was already rumbling. He picked up a steamed bun and took a bite. It was firm and had a rich wheat aroma. The rice porridge was cooked until soft and sticky, and the braised beef was salty and flavorful with a bit of chewiness, which made him very hungry.

While eating, Shen Lian pondered how to improve his strength. He knew very well that in this world overrun by demons, without sufficient strength, he could lose his life at any moment.

"Brother Lian, what are you thinking about?" Li Hu asked curiously.

Shen Lian snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about the upcoming training."

Li Hu nodded and resumed eating.

After lunch, everyone rested for a while before starting the afternoon training, which focused on identifying demons.

The instructor was a middle-aged scholar with a thin face. He wore a flying fish robe but did not carry a sword. He had a cloth bag full of bamboo slips hanging at his waist.

"My surname is Zhou, you can call me Mr. Zhou."

The scholar stood on the stone platform beside the training ground, his voice gentle yet clear, "I will be in charge of the demon identification course for the next three months."

Mr. Zhou opened the cloth bag, took out a yellowed bamboo scroll, and unfolded it. Various ferocious patterns were drawn on it with cinnabar and ink, including a mountain spirit with a blue face and fangs, a fox demon with nine tails, and a water monster covered with scales...

"The path of demons is divided into five categories: spirits, monsters, ghosts, demons, and monsters." Mr. Zhou pointed to the patterns on the bamboo slips and began to explain, "Spirits are formed from plants, trees, metals, and stones absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; monsters are creatures that have cultivated themselves into the Dao; ghosts are the lingering souls of living people who remain in the mortal realm; demons are monsters that have devoured living beings and become tainted with blood; and monsters are born from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth, and are the most ferocious..."

Shen Lian listened with utmost attention. He had never heard of such knowledge about demons before his transmigration. If he could not identify demons, he would not even know the details of the enemy when he encountered them. How could he talk about eliminating demons and protecting the righteous?

"This is the 'Red-Eyed Rat Monster'," Mr. Zhou pointed to a giant rat with red eyes and sharp teeth on the bamboo slip. "This creature likes to eat the flesh and blood of living people, and especially likes to dig out people's hearts. However, it is afraid of fire. If you encounter it, you can light a fire to drive it away, or use sulfur to fumigate it."

He then pointed to a winged skull: "This is a 'Flying Head Barbarian,' a monster created from a living person by evil magic. Its head can fly into the sky and devour people, while its body remains in place. If you want to get rid of it, you must first destroy its body and then cut off its head."

When Mr. Zhou explained each type of demon, he would describe its habits, weaknesses, and corresponding countermeasures in detail.

The training ground was completely silent; everyone held their breath and focused their attention, memorizing the knowledge about demons and monsters.

[Combat Strength]: 15~30

Shen Lian secretly checked Mr. Zhou's combat power data. Although his combat power data of 15-30 was not as good as that of Commander Zhao Shan, it was still better than that of an ordinary Demon Suppressor. It was clear that this seemingly weak scholar was not as simple as he appeared.

Mr. Zhou's demon identification class continued until dusk, and everyone listened with rapt attention. Only when Mr. Zhou put away the bamboo slips and announced the end of get out of class did they reluctantly disperse.

As Shen Lian and Li Hu walked back to the office, Li Hu rubbed his aching legs and exclaimed, "Mr. Zhou knows so much! Those demons sound terrifying. If I actually encountered one, I would definitely panic."

Shen Lian nodded. "That's why we need to study hard. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."

Back at the office, Shen Lian reviewed the knowledge of demons and monsters he had learned that day in his mind to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

He then took out the standard longsword, held it in his hand and weighed it. It was quite heavy, with a long and narrow blade and a sharp edge; it was a handy weapon.

"Brother Lian, when do you think we can learn swordsmanship?" Li Hu leaned closer, looking at the long sword in Shen Lian's hand, and couldn't help but ask.

Shen Lian smiled and said, "Commander Zhao said that the three-month training includes swordsmanship and martial arts, so he should be teaching us soon."

"I hope so." Li Hu rubbed his hands together. "I've wanted to learn swordsmanship for a long time, so I can slay demons and monsters in the future."

Shen Lian patted him on the shoulder, "There will be opportunities."