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

"Commander-in-Chief?" Xu Yuan looked at Xiao Yunhan with some doubt.

"One of the four commanders of the Demon Suppression Division headquarters, a top-tier Divine Power Realm patriarch." A hint of longing flashed in Xiao Yunhan's eyes. "Every year at the Demon Suppression Conference, the Cangzhou branch has a commander personally attending the ceremony. The first-place winner receives three days of guidance from him. Although three days is short, for a Condensation Realm martial artist, it is enough to surpass ten years of arduous training!"

Xu Yuan's heart stirred.

The guidance from a patriarch at the Divine Power Realm is indeed a rare opportunity.

"With your current strength, you've condensed three apertures. If you go all out, you can still manage in the early stage of the Aperture Condensation realm," Xiao Yunhan said. "But the Demon Slaying Tournament gathers the young talents from all over Cangzhou. There are quite a few in the mid-stage of the Aperture Condensation realm, and occasionally even some geniuses in the late stage of the Aperture Condensation realm will appear. If you want to compete, you need to make the most of this month to improve your strength."

"I understand," Xu Yuan nodded.

"In addition, according to the rules, you need to pass the entry assessment before you can join the company," Xiao Yunhan said. "However, with your achievements, the assessment is just a formality. I have already made arrangements for you. You can go and receive your mission tomorrow, and you can officially join the company after you complete it."

"Thank you, Uncle Xiao."

"Don't mention it," Xiao Yunhan said with a smile. "By the way, where are you staying now?"

"We've just entered the city and haven't found a place to stay yet."

"That's perfect." Xiao Yunhan took out a key from his pocket. "I have a villa in the east of the city. It's just sitting empty anyway, so you can stay there for now. It's a quiet place, suitable for cultivation."

Xu Yuan accepted the key without hesitation.

The two chatted for a while longer before Xu Yuan got up to say goodbye and leave.

Following the address given by Xiao Yunhan, he quickly found the villa.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it had everything you needed: a bedroom, a quiet room, a small courtyard, and even a well.

What pleased Xu Yuan the most was that there was an old locust tree in the yard, with lush branches and leaves that provided a cool shade.

"It's a nice place."

Xu Yuan returned to the quiet room, sat down cross-legged, and began to regulate his breathing.

He will receive his onboarding assignment tomorrow, and before that, he needs to get himself into top condition.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Xu Yuan returned to the Demon Suppression Division.

Xiao Yunhan was already waiting in the main hall. When he saw him come in, he reached out and handed him a scroll.

"This is your onboarding task."

Xu Yuan took it and unfolded it.

[Mission Objective: Investigate the series of disappearances in Willow Leaf Alley, west of the city. Seven people have gone missing within the past half-month, neither found alive nor dead. Preliminary assessment suggests the involvement of evil spirits.]

[Task Difficulty: Level C, Medium]

[Task Reward: Formal Employment Qualification + Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones]

"Grade C, intermediate level?" Xu Yuan looked at Xiao Yunhan.

"The Demon Suppression Division's missions are divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D, each level is further divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower," Xiao Yunhan explained. "Grade C is middle, corresponding to the seventh level of Blood Refinement to the early stage of Qi Condensation, which shouldn't be too difficult for you. However, this is only the apparent difficulty; in actual execution, there may still be variables."

Xu Yuan nodded knowingly and put away the scroll.

"By the way," Xiao Yunhan suddenly asked, "did you encounter any unusual people when you entered the city yesterday?"

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "What does Uncle Xiao mean?"

"A woman named Su Yunqing," Xiao Yunhan said. "She is the only daughter of Su Zhenshan, the president of the Cangzhou Chamber of Commerce Alliance. She was frail and sickly from childhood and was sent to Jiangnan to recuperate. She only recently returned to Cangzhou."

Xu Yuan couldn't help but recall those eyes that were so pale they were almost transparent.

It was her.

"What? You ran into him?" Xiao Yunhan asked curiously, noticing his strange expression.

"I guess so." Xu Yuan didn't hide anything. "I happened to be passing by and casually killed a three-tailed demon cat. She was there at the time."

"That's quite a coincidence." Xiao Yunhan smiled meaningfully. "Although Miss Su is frail, she holds a high position in Cangzhou Prefecture. If she owes you a favor, it might come in handy in the future."

Xu Yuan neither agreed nor disagreed.

He never cared much about human relationships; what he cared more about was the slight disturbance that Youming Yin had when he encountered Su Yunqing.

This woman is definitely not as weak and simple as she appears.

However, he will not tell anyone this for the time being.

………………

After receiving his mission and leaving the Demon Suppression Division, Xu Yuan did not rush to Willow Leaf Lane, but instead returned to his villa to make some preparations.

He checked the Ghost Cry Bow, longsword, talisman, pills, and other items one by one, and after confirming that everything was correct, he took out the Netherworld Guide.

Since the blood sacrifice battle, the Netherworld Guide has merged with his soul, and he can now use it at will.

He tried to inject a wisp of true essence into it, and the Netherworld Guide immediately emitted a faint light, exuding an ancient and serene aura.

"What use is this thing anyway...?"

Xu Yuan couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it, and after drawing the Netherworld into his brow, he got up and went out.

Willow Leaf Lane is located in the west of the city. It is a secluded old lane with old houses on both sides, moss climbing all over the walls, and stray cats occasionally roaming around.

Xu Yuan stood at the alley entrance, fully activating his [Yin Qi Perception] ability.

After condensing his three apertures, his perception range had expanded to fifty feet. At this moment, he could clearly "see" that deep in the alley, there was a faint trace of yin energy.

The yin energy was so faint that it was almost imperceptible to him if he hadn't been so perceptive.

Following the yin energy, Xu Yuan soon arrived at an abandoned house.

The gate to the mansion was tightly closed, sealed with tape and covered in dust.

After a moment's thought, Xu Yuan leaped over the wall and climbed over.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the doors and windows of the main house were broken, leaving the place in a state of disrepair.

And that wisp of yin energy was coming from underground in the inner room.

Xu Yuan walked into the main room, looked around, and his gaze fell on a loose blue brick on the ground.

He squatted down and lifted the blue brick.

Below was a dark, gaping entrance, from which a chilling aura continuously poured out.

Xu Yuan did not hesitate and jumped down.

Inside the cave was a narrow tunnel that wound its way down. After walking for about ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), the view suddenly opened up—it was an underground stone chamber about ten zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) square.

In the center of the stone chamber lay a shriveled corpse.

Xu Yuan approached and examined the area closely.

The deceased was a middle-aged man, dressed in tattered clothes, with a distorted face, and died in a very gruesome manner.

The strangest thing is that he had no obvious external injuries, but his life essence seemed to have been drained, leaving only a layer of skin covering his bones.

"It's about absorbing life essence again..."

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he got up to continue the search.

Soon, he discovered a hidden compartment in the corner of the stone chamber.

Opening the hidden compartment revealed three items: a bronze mirror, a human skin mask, and a yellowed notebook.

Xu Yuan was the first to pick up the human skin mask.

The mask is as thin as a cicada's wing and has a soft touch, as if it were really made of human skin.

Xu Yuan tried to put the mask on his face and immediately felt a cool sensation. Then the mask automatically adhered to his skin and became one with it.

Xu Yuan flipped the bronze mirror over to check himself, and the reflection showed that he had transformed into a man in his thirties with an ordinary appearance.

"That's interesting."

Xu Yuan removed his mask and casually flipped open the last notebook.

However, after seeing what it said, their eyes suddenly lit up!