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

The five who won the spots became the focus of everyone's attention. In the following days, many newly appointed Demon Suppression Envoys took the initiative to seek them out for sparring and advice.

Shen Lian, in particular, receives challenges almost every day.

Shen Lian accepted all comers, knowing that they hoped to experience the profound mysteries of the Great Perfection realm swordsmanship and improve their own strength through sparring with him.

This is also a good thing for him.

Fighting against opponents with different styles can further hone your swordsmanship.

[Host]: Shen Lian

[Realm]: Body Tempering Realm (3/10)

[Combat Strength]: 30~40

[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Mastery) (7/10), Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Mastery) (4/10)

Skill Points: 0

After several days of training, Shen Lian's stance training and swordsmanship have improved significantly, and his combat strength has also increased considerably.

That evening, Shen Lian finished his cultivation and returned to his quarters. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a cloth bag on the table.

"What is this?" Shen Lian asked, stepping forward in confusion.

"This was sent by Commander Zhao," Li Hu said with a smile, looking at Shen Lian. "He said he was going to Qingzhou Prefecture to represent Qinghe County, so his attire couldn't be too shabby."

Shen Lian then opened the cloth bag, inside which was a brand new black flying fish robe. The fabric was delicate and the pattern was exquisite, which was obviously much better than the uniforms they usually wore. Next to it was a pair of black leather boots and a bronze waist tag. The front of the waist tag was engraved with the words "Suppress Demons" and the back was "Qinghe Shen Lian".

Shen Lian picked up the waist token; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, clearly not made of ordinary iron.

"And this too." Li Hu pulled a thin booklet from his pocket. "Sun Xiaoqi gave it to us, saying we should take a look first."

Shen Lian took the booklet. The cover was blank. He opened the first page, which read "A Summary of the Qingzhou New Talent Competition Over the Years".

The two huddled together under the lamp and flipped through the book.

The booklet records the situation of the last five "New Talent Competitions", including the performance of each county, the emerging talents, and the changes in the competition rules.

"Qingzhou Prefecture administers seven counties and three prefectures, namely Qinghe County, Heishan County, Baiyun County, Luoxia County, Qingyang County, Linjiang County, Beichuan County, as well as Dongping Prefecture, Xihe Prefecture, and Nanshan Prefecture," Shen Lian read softly. "Each county has five to seven people, each prefecture has ten to twelve people, and Qingzhou Prefecture has twenty people directly under its jurisdiction."

Li Hu clicked his tongue: "Wouldn't that add up to nearly a hundred people?"

"Not only that." Shen Lian continued reading, "There are also young talents recommended by various sects and aristocratic families, bringing the total number of participants to about one hundred and twenty."

The booklet lists several individuals who performed exceptionally well in previous competitions.

"Three years ago, Xiao Tian from Dongping County was at the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm. He defeated seven opponents in a row with his 'Earth-Splitting Blade Technique' and finally won the championship. Now he is a centurion of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division."

"Two years ago, Chu Yunfei, a local from Qingzhou Prefecture, broke through to the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm at the age of eighteen. His movements were as fast as lightning and his swordsmanship was fierce. Although he did not win the championship, he was noticed by the State Demon Suppression Division and was directly transferred to the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division."

"Last year, Liu Yan from Nanshan County, despite being a woman, was able to overpower all the heroes and entered the top three with her peak cultivation at the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm. Now she serves as a junior officer in the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou."

The names and achievements of each and every one of them stirred the emotions of the two men.

"These people are the real geniuses," Li Hu exclaimed. "Compared to them, we seem to be far behind."

Shen Lian closed the booklet, his gaze calm: "There is a gap, but it's not insurmountable. There are still half a month until the competition; we still have time."

Li Hu nodded emphatically: "That's right! Brother Lian, let's practice more these next few days. We can't let Qinghe County down when we get to Qingzhou Prefecture!"

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the eve of his departure, Shen Lian sat cross-legged on the bed and practiced the "Tiger Subduing Stance" mental technique.

His blood and qi surged through his meridians like a rushing river, and the martial arts mark between his brows felt slightly warm. He could feel that the barrier preventing him from breaking through to the fourth level was getting thinner and thinner, and he was just one opportunity away from succeeding.

"Qingzhou Prefecture..." Shen Lian opened his eyes and looked at the bright moon outside the window.

There is a wider world there, stronger opponents, and also more opportunities.

The following morning, in front of the Zhenmo Division in Qinghe County.

Five young demon-suppressing envoys, dressed in brand-new flying fish robes and with long swords at their waists, looked spirited. Zhao Shan, along with veteran demon-suppressing envoys Zhou Wu, Qin Feng, and Sun Yan, stood at the gate to see them off.

"This trip will be led by Commander Zhao, with Junior Officers Zhou Wu and Qin Feng accompanying him." Sun Yan looked at the five people and said solemnly, "Once we arrive in Qingzhou Prefecture, we will follow Commander Zhao's arrangements and must not act on our own."

"Yes!" the five answered in unison.

Zhao Shan's gaze swept over the five people, and he said in a deep voice, "Qingzhou Prefecture is not like Qinghe County. It's a melting pot of all sorts of people, with various forces intertwined. You represent the Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County, so you must act cautiously. But if anyone comes knocking, don't back down. The people of the Demon Suppression Division don't cause trouble, but they aren't afraid of trouble either."

"clear!"

"Set off."

Two carriages were already waiting outside the door. Zhao Shan, Zhou Wu, and Qin Feng rode in the first carriage, while Shen Lian and the other four rode in the second.

The carriage left the Demon Suppression Bureau, passed through the streets in the early morning, and headed towards the city gate.

Inside the carriage, Li Hu lifted the curtain and looked out at the receding street scene, unable to help but say, "I don't know when I'll be able to come back."

Chen Yun said softly, "It will take at least half a month, and at most a month. If I can achieve good results in the competition, I might be kept in the prefecture for further training, but then it's hard to say when I'll return."

The horse-drawn carriage drove out of the Qinghe County town gate and onto the pipeline.

Qingzhou Prefecture is located northeast of Qinghe County, about 800 li away. At the speed of a horse-drawn carriage, it would take several days to arrive.

As evening fell, the convoy stopped to rest at an inn in a small town.

Zhao Shan requested several superior rooms and arranged for everyone to stay.

After dinner, Zhao Shan called the five people to his room.

"Tomorrow we will enter the Black Mountain Ridge territory." Zhao Shan spread out a map and pointed to a place on it. "The Black Mountain Ridge has a complex terrain and is often frequented by bandits. Although they wouldn't dare to attack the Demon Suppression Division's caravan, you still need to be vigilant."

Zhou Wu added, "Besides bandits, there are occasional monsters roaming the Black Mountain Ridge. Although most of them are first-tier monsters, their strength is equivalent to the first or second level of the Body Tempering Realm. If you encounter a monster, you can take the opportunity to practice, but remember not to venture too far in rashly."

Qin Feng smiled and said, "This is also to let you get used to it in advance. In addition to arena battles, the Qingzhou Prefecture Grand Competition will sometimes arrange outdoor combat assessments."

Upon hearing this, the five of them became serious.

The convoy continued its journey early the next morning.

The flat official road begins to wind its way uphill, with steep mountains and dense forests on both sides, and sunlight filtering through the layers of leaves to cast dappled shadows.

The carriage slowed down, and the driver carefully maneuvered the horses.

Shen Lian lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze sweeping across the mountains and forests. He activated [Combat Power Detection], and saw scattered points of light in his field of vision, mostly between 0 and 5, likely hunters or herb gatherers from the mountains. Occasionally, a few points of light with values ​​above 10 flashed by, but they posed no threat.

"stop."

Zhao Shan's voice came from ahead, and the carriage slowly came to a stop.

Shen Lian and the others got out of the carriage and saw a large, felled tree lying across the middle of the official road ahead. The tree trunk was thick and the branches and leaves were lush, completely blocking their way.

"What's going on?" Li Hu frowned.

Zhao Shan's gaze swept across the forests on both sides, and he said coldly, "It seems someone doesn't want us to pass through smoothly."

Zhou Wu and Qin Feng had already gripped their knives and stood guard on either side of the carriage.

A rustling sound came from the woods, and then more than ten figures darted out from both sides, surrounding the convoy.

These men were dressed in rags, carrying knives and axes, and had fierce faces. The leader was a one-eyed strong man with a hideous scar on his face, and he was carrying a nine-ringed broadsword.

[Combat Strength]: 22~29

Shen Lian's gaze narrowed slightly; this one-eyed strongman actually possessed the strength of the third level of the Body Tempering Realm.

"This mountain is mine, these trees are mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll!" the one-eyed burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Zhao Shan said expressionlessly, "You dare to stop the Demon Suppression Division's carriage? You've got some nerve."

"The Demon Suppression Division?" The one-eyed burly man was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "That's exactly what I'm going to rob! I heard you're going to Qingzhou Prefecture to participate in some grand competition, you must be carrying some treasures in your carriage. If you know what's good for you, hand them over, and I'll spare your lives."

Zhou Wu sneered, "With just this rabble?"

The one-eyed burly man's eyes hardened: "You won't listen to reason, so here we are! Brothers, charge!"