The cold wind was like a blade, and the moonlight congealed into frost.

The bloodstains on the Cold Star Blade had just been wiped clean, and the eyes of the Great Elder had already faded into gray.

Even in death, he couldn't comprehend why he, a Gui Cang expert who suppressed his own cultivation breakthroughs, would perish at the hands of a youngster who broke through in the heat of battle.

The corpse crashed to the ground with a dull thud that echoed in the deathly silent night.

Qin An, clad in black robes, stood with his blade still stained with dark red.

Silence enveloped the surroundings, broken only by the night wind's lament.

Liao Yang and the others were all dumbfounded, unable to believe the scene before their eyes.

"He..."

Liao Yang wanted to speak, but the words caught in his throat and he couldn't utter them.

Returning to Storage Realm, it was indeed Returning to Storage Realm.

They could never have expected that Qin An would truly cross the chasm of life and death and ascend to this realm.

Wuo Lin tightened her grip on the broken staff and shook her head with a bitter smile, "I knew he was strong, but to this extent, I did not expect."

Since that night, she had already been sincerely convinced by Qin An's capabilities.

But today, the power with which Qin An's single strike severed the Gui Cang leader's head made her suddenly realize.

She was like the frog in the well, seeing only a corner of the vast sky, glimpsing just the tip of the iceberg.

At the center of the battlefield, Zhang Chunyang absorbed the scene before him; his gray hair and beard quivered in the wind.

"Using the Yang Elixir to break through to Gui Cang and striking down that old coot with one blade, truly impressive for someone so young!"

"Today, victory shall be ours!"

Giving out the Yang Elixir was truly an all-out effort.

He didn't have much hope in Qin An, even if he admired the young man greatly.

The Great Elder's power was Gui Cang; another Gui Cang would need to appear to quell this crisis.

No matter how strong Qin An was, he was ultimately just in the Jade Bone Realm.

But never in a million years did he expect Qin An to use the Yang Elixir to break through to Gui Cang, turning the impossible into reality.

Now they had four Gui Cang, while the other side only had three.

Four Gui Cang against three, the outcome was decided.

Sang Yang used flying needles to break open the centipede monster, forcing it back, and his gaze at Qin An was complex and inscrutable.

The bison lowed, swishing its tail, "Old thing, give it up; his potential is beyond what you can bear. Being lifelong friends is better than taking him as a disciple."

Sang Yang sighed, "Those who are messengers from the main province cannot be simple. It's just that I held a sliver of hope."

He knew Qin An's medical talent and, never having had a disciple before, considered having Qin An carry on his legacy.

But now it seemed Qin An's talent far exceeded his imagination; few could perform such a feat of breakthrough in battle.

This young man belonged to the Evil Extermination Bureau, and even the Hundred Medicine Valley couldn't match his brilliance.

Qianyuan felt his every hair stand on end, a chill running down his spine.

As he sensed Qin An's gaze, a sense of crisis emerged in his heart, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"What kind of monster has the Fire Crow Race provoked!"

He thought this was just an inconsequential role, but now it was clear this was no minor figure; this was clearly a monstrous being.

"Concentrate attacks, break through with all your might!" Qianyuan shouted hoarsely.

The situation was clear now; the other side had an additional Returning to Storage Realm, which they couldn't cope with at all.

Run.

Run first, and then talk about revenge later.

But as soon as Qianyuan spoke these words, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Did I give you permission to leave?"

The voice was exceedingly calm, like placid lake water.

But as this voice echoed in Qianyuan's ears, it was akin to the whispers of a nightmare.

Agonized howls pierced the night sky.

Qianyuan looked up to see the chests and abdomens of his tribe members splitting open with lines of blood.

The icy and fiery blade energy swept through like a storm, scattering limbs everywhere.

Qin An extended his hand, effortlessly seizing the demon core and absorbing it into his body.

Before reaching Gui Cang, he could only absorb eight blood marrows, with limits on storage.

Upon reaching Gui Cang, what he absorbed changed from blood marrows to demon cores, and given his Gui Cang forged with five Yang Elixirs, Qin An could absorb ten demon cores into his body.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Five Yang Elixir Gui Cang.

Apart from innate strong power, other benefits were also greater than typical Gui Cang.

The centipede monster was torn to pieces, and the pressure on the bison suddenly vanished.

"Kid, how is your strength even fiercer than this old ox?"

The bison's large eyes widened, with a hint of wonder.

Like the old man Sang Yang, the bison also possessed the Small Success of Gui Cang Realm strength.

Yet how could Qin An, a newcomer to Gui Cang, wield such power?

One Yang Elixir wasn't enough; this kid surely absorbed more Yang Elixirs.

Perhaps two.

While the bison thought this, Qin An used the Shocking Dragon Wind and Cloud Step, already closing in on another centipede monster.

"Old ox, don't get distracted during battle."

The words snapped the bison back to attention, charging at the centipede monster alongside Qin An.

At that moment, the centipede monster was already entangled in a fight, restrained by Sang Yang's silver needles.

When it saw Qin An coming at it with a Straight Blade, a glimmer of despair appeared in its eyes.

The surrounding toxic mist roiled wildly, but Qin An merely circulated his True Qi, with the Tiangang Physique repelling all the toxic mist.

Although the Tiangang Physique was only at the Great Success of Jade Bone Realm, Qin An's foundation was supreme, forged with five Yang Elixirs. Even using Jade Bone Realm level techniques, he could unleash unimaginable power.

A streak of cold star flashed as Qin An lifted the blade and cleaved downwards.

The blade light poured out like the Milky Way.

The terrifying power of ice and fire intertwined on the blade, slicing through the centipede monster's head like ripping cloth.

The centipede monster was split in two, Qin An reaching out his hand to grasp the demon core floating in mid-air, absorbing it into his body.

The pressure on Sang Yang suddenly lightened, and his gaze toward Qin An became increasingly complex.

However, Qin An said nothing, turning his sight to the last centipede monster, Qianyuan.

At this moment, Qianyuan utilized the toxic mist to its utmost, trying to escape Zhang Chunyang's entanglement.

Yet Zhang Chunyang knew he couldn't let Qianyuan flee, and each move was desperate, even though the poison had already infiltrated deeply; he felt no fear.

"Old thing, do you truly not value your life!"

"I'll give you the antidote, spare me my life!"

"I beg you, I beg you..."

At the beginning, Qianyuan was extremely stubborn, but in the end he turned to begging for mercy.

Zhang Chunyang's eyes had turned gray-white, but the determination in them never faded: "I have not disciplined my son properly, and the sin is heavy, causing the Profound Sun Sect and the nearby people to suffer from the scourge of demons."

"For my grave mistake, only by sacrificing my life can I be accountable to the ancestors of the Profound Sun Sect."

Qianyuan's pupils shrank slightly, knowing that he could no longer escape.

When a human cultivator utters two sentences, it represents a fight to the death.

First, "Parents above, child unfilial."

Second, "Ancestors above, descendant incompetent."

Qianyuan clenched his teeth, toxic fog surging all over his body, spotting Qin An already killing his way forward from the corner of his eye.

"Good, good, good!"

"If you don't want me to live, you all must die too!"

"Especially you! Old man, I shall use bloodline as shackles to lock your position!"

The toxic fog suddenly contracted, unexpectedly all being reabsorbed back into Qianyuan's body.

At that moment, fine cracks appeared on the surface of Qianyuan's body.

Before Qin An could approach, Qianyuan's body suddenly exploded.

"If I must die, Qin An, you shall be buried with me!"

The terrifying aftershock shook heaven and earth, the Qi Blood Power illuminating the darkness as if it were daylight.

Qin An activated his Heavenly Gang Dharmakaya, dissolving all of the explosive aftershock, casually absorbing Qianyuan's demon essence into his body.

"Did he commit suicide?"

He didn't expect this centipede demon to be so fierce, decisively choosing suicide.

At this time, the blood energy from Qianyuan's self-detonation suddenly surged, then disappeared without a trace.

Qin An felt as if something additional had been placed upon himself.

Elder Sang Yang's face changed, quickly walking over to Qin An, lifting Qin An's wrist to check carefully, then his expression changed dramatically.

"Bloodline Tracking Magic."

"Kid, you're in big trouble now!"

Qin An frowned and said, "What is Bloodline Tracking Magic?"

As they conversed, the Mountain Patrol Bronze Guards had mostly recovered, all gathering around.

When Liao Yang heard what Elder Sang Yang had said, his face became extremely grave.

"The Bloodline Tracking Magic is a very ancient demon secret technique."

"Using one's own bloodline and life as a lure to expose the enemy's traces to fellow clan demons."

"Now that Mr. Qin is afflicted by this technique, he's likely to be targeted by the Thousand-legged Cave."

Qin An pondered, "Even the Human Skin Mask can't conceal it?"

The Human Skin Masks of the Evil Extermination Bureau can conceal appearance and aura, a must-have for Mountain Patrol Guards when going out.

Given that he's currently afflicted with a secret technique, according to Liao Yang, unless the Thousand-legged Cave is uprooted, the centipede demons will always know his location.

That's quite a difficult situation.

Liao Yang smiled bitterly, "The Human Skin Mask can certainly conceal, but as long as Mr. Qin makes a move, the cover of the Human Skin Mask becomes ineffective."

Qin An rubbed his chin, pondering secretly.

The Bull bellowed, "Just be careful; you only need to ensure that during missions, you don't get too close to the Thousand-legged Cave, and it's highly unlikely they'd travel far and wide just to kill you."

The voice gradually weakened…

Although it was said that way, the Bull felt that even it didn't believe such a statement.

After all, demons are ferocious and cruel, and it really might be the case.

Qin An rubbed the handle of his blade, lifting his gaze with a slight smile: "No matter, the more the debt, the less the worry."

He faced many dangers now, adding one more didn't matter.

The Demon Hall, Fire Crow Race, and invisible dangers from above — which one is less than the Thousand-legged Cave?

So what's the harm in one more Thousand-legged Cave?

As long as I steadily improve my strength, act cautiously, when my strength overrides Lingzhou, all dangers naturally dissipate.

"Cough, cough..."

A bout of coughing sounded.

The gravity-stricken crowd immediately snapped back to reality, fixing their gaze on Zhang Chunyang.

At this moment, Zhang Chunyang's whole body was bluish-purple, his eyes dead gray, long devoid of a sect leader's demeanor, collapsing on the ground in a disheveled state.

Qin An stepped forward, checked Zhang Chunyang's injuries, then shook his head: "The illness has reached the bone marrow, no medicine can cure it."

The poison, though suppressed by the Pure Yang Array, the stronger the suppression, the stronger its eruption.

By now, even divine medicine is difficult to cure.

Elder Sang Yang also checked and, with a complicated expression, said, "Does the Sect Leader have any last words?"

Zhang Chunyang lifted his head, his face a mask of ash, his muddled pupils looking at the crowd, his eyes calm: "Only regret not waking up earlier, now trying to remedy with a guilt-ridden body, ultimately ashamed of those souls lost."

Qin An remained silent.

Some things can't be judged, nor is there a need to judge.

Zhang Chunyang turned his gaze to Qin An, "Thank you, young friend, if not for your intervention, we might have needlessly lost several lives today."

Qin An shook his head, "I'm a Mountain Patrol Guard, here only for the task, no thanks necessary."

Zhang Chunyang revealed a relieved smile, "Are you all intending to watch me die?"

Liao Yang clasped his hands, "If you don't die, Sect Leader, you'd have to return to the Evil Extermination Bureau to undergo their investigation."

This great battle was, in fact, due to Zhang Chunyang's indulgence back then.

He thought the venomous son could be taught, yet it resulted in endless harm.

If Zhang Chunyang isn't dead, naturally he must return to the Evil Extermination Bureau.

This is the rule and also a fair rule.

Merits cannot offset demerits; if anyone who made a mistake could offset it this way, Lingzhou would have long been a mess.

Zhang Chunyang shook his head, "Unfortunately, I'm about to die, can't go back."

After he said this, the last halo of the Pure Yang Array dissipated.

Zhang Chunyang sat with his head bowed, like a weathered stone sculpture, his life's breath entirely extinguished.

"He was a skilled demon slayer in his day, but alas..."

Elder Sang Yang stepped forward, gently closing Zhang Chunyang's eyes, "Slaying demons for half a life, yet ultimately met an unlucky end."

After saying that, Elder Sang Yang refocused his gaze on Qin An, asking.

"Kid, what are you planning for the future?"

Now that the matter was over, Elder Sang Yang naturally intended to continue wandering Lingzhou.

He was always a free-spirited person, unlikely to be bound to any one place.

Though he hadn't spent much time with Qin An, at their parting, Elder Sang Yang unexpectedly felt a pang of reluctance.

Qin An sheathed his blade, his garments billowing like dark clouds, his eyes focusing slightly: "Return to the Evil Extermination Bureau."

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