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

The sun is rising.

On the training ground, numerous trainee demon slayers continuously wielded their long swords, practicing the "Mountain Splitting Style" previously taught by Zhao Shan, with the whistling sound of swords echoing continuously.

In the past few days, everyone has been diligently practicing the "Mountain Splitting Pose." Everyone's progress is different, but everyone has improved to some extent.

In front of each trainee demon slayer stands a wooden stake covered with thick cowhide, used to simulate the tough leather armor of demons.

Shen Lian bent his knees slightly, lowered his center of gravity, raised the long sword in his hand above his head, and then suddenly exerted force with his waist, the blade slashing down hard onto the wooden stake with a whooshing sound.

Bang!

A crack was cut into the cowhide on the surface of the wooden stake.

He slowly sheathed his sword, trying his best to regulate his breathing.

After several days of repeated practice, his application of the "mountain-splitting style" has become increasingly proficient, almost to the point of being instinctive.

With each swing of the sword, the blood and qi within the body surged, subtly echoing the momentum of the sword strike.

Shen Lian looked at the wooden stake in front of him, which was covered with knife marks, but he was not satisfied. He had already mastered the basics of the "Mountain Splitting Style", but his own strength was still not strong enough. He could not easily cut the wooden stake in front of him with a single knife like Zhao Shan.

So far, Shen Lian has cultivated the "Tiger Subduing Stance" to the minor completion level and the "Mountain Splitting Style" to the entry level, but he has not yet stepped into the martial arts path and become a true martial artist. His strength is difficult to compare with Zhao Shan's.

After this period of cultivation, Shen Lian felt that his blood and qi had become much stronger, and he had vaguely touched the realm of a martial artist. He believed that it would not be long before he could become a true martial artist, and at that time, his combat power would also soar.

Bang!

Just then, a loud bang echoed throughout the training ground.

A wooden stake was cleaved in two with a single stroke, raising a cloud of dust that drew everyone's attention in the same direction.

Beside the wooden stake that had been cleaved in two, stood a burly young man.

"It's Wang Lin!"

"He actually split the wooden stake in two?"

"My God, it's only been a few days!"

Many trainee demon slayers exclaimed in surprise, no one expected that someone could split the wooden stake in two with a single stroke in such a short time.

Shen Lian turned his head and looked over, recognizing the young man.

Wang Lin!

Among the outstanding trainee demon-suppressing envoys, Wang Lin was one of the first to master the "Tiger-Taming Stance" when he was practicing it.

Today, Wang Lin is also someone who has mastered the "Mountain Splitting Style".

With that last strike, Wang Lin cleaved the wooden stake in two, leaving a perfectly smooth cut—something no ordinary force could achieve.

Moreover, Wang Lin had an extraordinary background.

The Wang family, to which Wang Lin belongs, is a prominent clan in Qinghe County with deep roots. It is said that some elders in the clan even hold positions in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Shen Lian's gaze fell on Wang Lin's brow, where a faint, dark yellow mark flickered. That was the martial arts mark formed after becoming a martial artist.

Wang Lin is a martial artist!

This surprised Shen Lian. Wang Lin had only been in the Demon Suppression Division for a little over a month, yet he had already broken through his limitations and become a true martial artist.

[Combat Strength]: 8~14

Shen Lian immediately checked Wang Lin's combat power data. He had just broken through to the Martial Artist realm and already had a combat power of 8 to 14, which was already quite terrifying.

"very good!"

Zhao Shan slowly walked up to Wang Lin and examined him: "Your Qi and blood are abundant, your strength is flowing smoothly, and you have formed a martial arts imprint. Wang Lin, it seems you have entered the Body Tempering Realm and officially become a martial artist."

Body Tempering Realm?!

These words startled everyone present.

The Body Tempering Realm is the first realm of martial arts. Although it is only the initial stage, it is already fundamentally different from ordinary people.

With refined Qi and blood, strong muscles and bones, and strength and endurance far exceeding that of ordinary people, one can cultivate profound martial arts.

Wang Lin immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This is all thanks to the guidance of Commander Zhao."

Zhao Shan waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the others: "The path of a martial artist begins with a solid foundation. The 'Tiger-Taming Stance' stabilizes the lower body and strengthens the qi and blood, while the 'Demon-Taming Blade Technique' transforms qi and blood into killing power. Wang Lin's breakthrough was the result of his arduous training and profound understanding during this period. You don't need to be impatient, but you also cannot slack off."

Everyone responded in unison, but each of them harbored a strong desire to prove themselves.

Wang Lin's breakthrough was like a fire, igniting everyone's fighting spirit.

Shen Lian took a deep breath and gripped the long sword in his hand. He could feel that he was not far from that threshold, and he only needed an opportunity to break through the shackles.

He raised his knife again, lowered his waist, inhaled, and swung it down, the blade striking the wooden stake heavily, leaving a new knife mark.

"Brother Lian," Li Hu leaned closer and whispered, "Wang Lin has already become a martial artist, how much longer do you think we'll have to train?"

Shen Lian exhaled and said, "Martial arts are like climbing a mountain. Some people are fast, while others are steady. But as long as you don't stop, you will eventually reach the top. Let's go at our own pace and first practice the 'Mountain Splitting Stance' until we are proficient."

Li Hu nodded emphatically, said nothing more, and gritted his teeth as he continued to swing his knife.

Several hours later, the day's training came to an end.

A group of trainee demon slayers stood neatly in the training ground, awaiting Zhao Shan's instructions.

Zhao Shan stood at the front with his hands behind his back, looking at everyone in the training ground: "Today's training ends here. Seeing Wang Lin become a true martial artist, you may feel frustrated and impatient."

However, in the path of martial arts, the most taboo thing is to blindly compare oneself with others.

Everyone's physical constitution, comprehension, foundation, and even opportunities are different, so the timing of a breakthrough will naturally be different as well.

Wang Lin has a family tradition of learning and was exposed to the principles of Qi and blood circulation at an early age. Coupled with his own diligence, it is only natural that he has entered the realm of body tempering today.

But that doesn't mean you're bad, much less that you're incapable.

Hearing Zhao Shan's words, the group, who had been somewhat discouraged, regained some confidence.

After Zhao Shan gave him a speech, the trainee demon envoys dispersed, but many were still immersed in the shock of Wang Lin's breakthrough to martial arts mastery.

Shen Lian and Li Hu returned to the office.

Li Hu couldn't help but mutter, "That kid Wang Lin is really something. He entered the Body Tempering Realm in just over a month and became a true martial artist. Brother Lian, do you think we should also step up our efforts so that we don't fall too far behind?"

Shen Lian said calmly, "Wang Lin has a family background in martial arts and started earlier than us, so it's reasonable that he broke through first. But we've been practicing stance training and swordsmanship together for the past month, so our foundation is solid. I feel... we're not far from breaking through either."

He wasn't saying this to comfort Li Hu. In the past few days, he had been practicing the "Mountain Splitting Style," and the flow of qi and blood in his body had become increasingly smooth. The warm qi in his dantian was beginning to solidify.

That's a sign that the Qi and blood have reached a critical point and are about to break through.

Li Hu nodded slightly, agreeing with what Shen Lian said.

Night falls.

Shen Lian tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He simply sat up, the scene of Wang Lin cutting the wooden stake in half with a single stroke during the day flashing through his mind.

"Warrior..."

Shen Lian murmured to himself, his hands unconsciously clenching together.

He then mobilized his internal energy and blood, circulating it along his limbs and bones to continuously strengthen his muscles and bones and solidify his foundation.

Several hours later, a mark resembling a flame appeared between his eyebrows.

"This is the mark of martial arts!"

Shen Lian was shocked. As the martial arts mark solidified, he could feel that his physical strength had become much stronger.

[Host]: Shen Lian

[Realm]: Body Tempering Realm (1/10)

[Combat Strength]: 10~18

[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Minor Success) (1/5), Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Beginner) (1/3)

Skill Points: 0

Shen Lian slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking crisply. As he threw the punch, a faint whistling sound filled the air!

"This is the power of a martial artist?!"

Shen Lian took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.

Body Tempering Realm, Level One!

More than a month of tedious and arduous training paid off at this moment.

Only by becoming a martial artist and embarking on the path of martial arts can one gain some self-protection in this world overrun by demons.

[Combat Strength]: 10~18

Shen Lian looked at the [Combat Power] column, where the combat power data had reached 10-18, a figure that surpassed that of Wang Lin, who had broken through to the Martial Realm earlier.

If the two were to fight, he would undoubtedly have some advantages.

This is the difference in combat power!

After calming down his excited emotions, Shen Lian finally lay down to rest.

Breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm is just the beginning. The Body Tempering Realm has ten levels. Each time you break through a level, your combat power will be greatly enhanced.