A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

Following the sword technique records, Xu Yuan began to practice the first move of the Blood Fiend Sword Technique, "Blood Battle in All Directions".

The moves are not complicated. They only require a special method of circulating qi and blood to concentrate one's qi and blood on the blade, and when the blade is slashed, it carries an indomitable and fierce momentum.

Xu Yuan used his hand as a knife to practice in the room. At first, he was quite clumsy, but after practicing a few times, he gradually got the hang of it. When he mixed a trace of the power of the starving ghost and the power of the cougar into it, another change occurred!

A thin layer of blood-red light blade slowly appeared on the edge of his palm. Although faint, it exuded a chilling aura, and even the temperature in the room seemed to drop significantly.

"Is this the Blood Fiend Blade Qi?" Xu Yuan looked at the blood-red blade on the edge of his palm, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Considering the previous unusual occurrences with the Blood Refining Technique, Xu Yuan had a bold conjecture in his mind:

Whether it's the power of the Hungry Ghost, the power of the Entangled Ghost, or any power derived from the Hundred Ghosts Diagram, it seems to accelerate the cultivation of martial arts techniques and even enhance their power!

Xu Yuan sheathed the sword energy in his palm and took out a piece of black iron. This piece of iron had helped him suppress the rampaging energy in his body at the library earlier today, and it was no ordinary object.

Xu Yuan tried to infuse his blood and qi into the iron piece, but there was still no reaction. Infusing it with the power of the illustrated guide caused the iron piece to heat up slightly, and the patterns on it lit up for a moment. However, when he tried to infuse it with the blood-fiend sword qi he had just cultivated—

"Buzz!!!"

This time, the iron sheet vibrated violently, and the blurry patterns on its surface seemed to come alive and began to flow, eventually converging into a strange symbol.

Xu Yuan had never seen this symbol before, yet it felt strangely familiar.

The symbol flashed three times in a regular pattern and then disappeared. The iron piece returned to calm, but Xu Yuan could feel that a faint connection had been established between him and the iron piece.

"What is this?" Xu Yuan's curiosity grew even stronger, but the metal sheet showed no further reaction.

After failing to find the iron piece, Xu Yuan carefully put it away and continued his cultivation.

Time waits for no one. He must break through to the fourth level of Blood Refinement and master the Blood Fiend Blade Technique within six days to prepare for everything that is about to happen.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Shen family mansion, Shen Qingyi was writing at her desk.

Uncle Fu stood quietly to the side, waiting for her to stop writing before whispering, "Miss, is Xu Yuan worth such an investment?"

Shen Qingyi put down her pen and rubbed her temples. "Father once said that in chaotic times, the two most valuable things are food and people. My Shen family doesn't lack food now, but people... especially capable people, are too few!"

"But his origins are unknown. The old servant has not yet found out his background. He only knows that he came to Shuangshan Village a month ago when he was fleeing famine."

"It is precisely because his origins are unknown that he is even more worthy of investment." A wise light flashed in Shen Qingyi's eyes. "If he were from a prominent family, my Shen family's assets would not even be worth a glance from him. But he is not. He is like a rough diamond, and whoever gets his hands on him first will gain the upper hand."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu seemed to be deep in thought.

"Besides," Shen Qingyi said softly, gazing out the window towards Xu Yuan's guest room, "my intuition tells me he's not simple. His eyes and manner of speaking don't seem like something someone his age should have."

...........

In the training ground in the backyard of the Shen residence, Xu Yuan held an ordinary fine steel longsword, his eyes closed in concentration.

This was the weapon Shen Qingyi had prepared for him. Although it wasn't some kind of divine weapon, it was still much more useful than his old woodcutter's knife.

He had studied the booklet of "Blood Fiend Blade Technique" dozens of times. This set of blade techniques is divided into nine forms. The first six forms are basic blade moves, while the last three forms require the use of "blood fiend energy" to be performed.

The so-called bloodthirsty aura is the malevolent energy accumulated from slaughter, which combines with the blood and qi of a martial artist and has an additional restraining effect on demons.

"Use war to sustain war... The more you kill, the stronger your sword intent becomes..." Xu Yuan murmured, repeating the general principles of swordsmanship.

As Xu Yuan gradually mastered this sword technique, he felt an increasing degree of compatibility between it and himself.

He possesses the power of a starving ghost, capable of devouring life force; he also possesses the power of a vengeful ghost, capable of refining yin spirits; now, with the Blood Fiend Blade Technique, the more enemies he kills, the faster his strength grows!

After taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan moved.

The first move, Bloodbath in All Directions! The blade light spreads out like splashed water, covering three feet around the body; it is a typical defensive counter-attack move.

The second move, Blood Shadow Chasing the Wind! The blade's momentum suddenly shifts from a broad strike to a single point, targeting vital points with ruthlessness and speed.

The third move...

Xu Yuan practiced the first six moves of the Blood Fiend Blade Technique repeatedly in the open space. At first, he was a little clumsy and awkward, but with the blessing of the Hundred Ghosts Diagram, his learning speed was astonishing.

Within a few hours, he had mastered the first six basic sword techniques with remarkable skill, the wind whistling through the air and swirling up fallen leaves.

"Excellent swordsmanship!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan sheathed his sword and turned around, only to see Shen Qingyi standing by the training ground at some point.

At this moment, she changed into a more practical outfit, her long hair tied up high, making her look less scholarly and more heroic.

"Miss Shen," Xu Yuan said, bowing slightly.

Shen Qingyi approached, examining the knife in his hand, and couldn't help but praise, "Although the Blood Fiend Blade Technique is a common martial art in the military, it is quite difficult to master. Your ability to grasp the six basic forms in such a short time demonstrates your exceptional comprehension!"

"It's all thanks to the cultivation environment provided by Miss Shen," Xu Yuan said sincerely.

Shen Qingyi waved her hand: "This is what you deserve. By the way, Registrar Zhao sent over some monster flesh and blood."

She turned around and gestured, and Uncle Fu behind her immediately stepped forward with a pottery jar. As the lid was lifted, a strong smell of blood wafted out, and the image of the starving ghosts in Xu Yuan's mind immediately started flashing.

The jar contained dark red chunks of meat with fine textures on the surface, faintly shimmering with light. It was the flesh and blood of the Iron Horned Sheep, the demon beast that the Demon Suppression Division had hunted down the day before.

"Although this Ironhorn Sheep is only the lowest-ranking first-level demon soldier, the demonic power contained in its flesh and blood is very beneficial to the cultivation of Blood Refining Realm martial artists," Shen Qingyi explained calmly. "According to Chief Clerk Zhao, the blood and qi energy contained in this jar of meat is enough to be equivalent to a month of hard training for an ordinary martial artist."

When Xu Yuan took the pottery jar, he could clearly feel the craving emanating from the Hungry Ghost Compendium within his body.

This monster's flesh and blood is indeed a great tonic!

"And these too." Shen Qingyi handed over another brocade box, inside which were three pale red pills neatly arranged. "These are Qi and Blood Pills from the Shen family's stockpile. Although they are not as good as real spiritual pills, they are still beneficial to martial artists in the Blood Refining Realm."

"If you take one pill daily, along with the flesh and blood of demonic beasts, you should be able to break through to the fourth level of Blood Refinement within six days."

Xu Yuan accepted the pill and solemnly said, "Miss Shen's great kindness will be forever remembered by Xu Yuan."

Shen Qingyi smiled slightly: "No need to be polite. The stronger you are, the more confident you will be in dealing with the tiger demon when you return to the village in six days. This is not only helping you, but also helping Shuangshan Village and even the entire Qingyang County."

She paused, then added, "In addition, there's news from General Chen's side. The manager of the 'Shunlai Inn' in the south of the city has confessed that Black Wind Stronghold had three hidden agents in the city, and they were all eliminated this morning. General Zhou is currently formulating a plan to encircle and annihilate them, and the operation will take place no later than three days from now."

"So fast?" Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised.

"The rumors of the Xiongnu's southward advance are growing stronger, and we must eliminate this internal threat as soon as possible." Shen Qingyi's expression was solemn. "According to the intelligence agents, Black Wind Stronghold is indeed colluding with the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu promised that as long as Black Wind Stronghold creates chaos in Qingyang County and distracts the garrison, they will be granted the title of 'Righteous Army Commander' after the Xiongnu breach the city."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Traitor to the country for personal gain."

"In chaotic times, people's hearts are unpredictable," Shen Qingyi sighed. "However, you don't need to worry about that for now. Your task now is to focus on cultivation and improve your strength."

Xu Yuan nodded: "Understood."