"It's done!"

Qin An's eyes gleamed like lightning as he stared at the swirling mist in front of him, silently speaking to himself.

The immense energy from six demonic cores finally allowed the two protective cultivation techniques to merge seamlessly.

Before him, the mist suddenly dissipated, and when it reformed, it had already transformed into new characters.

[You have merged the Xuan Gang Healing Body with True Essence Protection into one, naming the new cultivation technique Xuan Yuan Healing Body]

[Xuan Yuan Healing Body (Initial Mastery)]

When the characters formed before his eyes, they once again dispersed with a bang, turning into a vast amount of information that entered Qin An's glabella.

Qin An closed his eyes and concentrated. A moment later, when he opened them, his gaze was dazzling, having completely comprehended this new cultivation technique.

After reaching the initial mastery level of the Pulse Condensation Realm, the Xuan Gang Healing Body transformed into the Xuan Yuan Healing Body.

Apart from the original Gang Qi protection, Golden Light Spell, and self-healing ability, an additional True Essence Barrier was added.

Qin An circulated his True Qi within, enveloping himself with a foot of Gang Qi like armor.

Upon closer inspection, strands of True Essence could be seen flowing between, like a hidden galaxy.

"If I continue to deduce it in the future, could it possibly evolve into thousands of layers?" Qin An thought to himself, rubbing his chin.

Then, Qin An collected his thoughts and looked up into the void.

In front of him, the mist transformed once again, revealing a line of text.

[Qin An]

[Pulse Condensation Realm Initial Mastery]

[Bodhi Vajra Water and Fire Scripture (Initial Mastery), Ice Flame Blood Transformation (Initial Mastery), Blood-Burning Eight-Forged Dragon Demon Hand (Initial Mastery), Dragon Roar Wind Shadow Step (Small Success), Xuan Yuan Healing Body (Initial Mastery)]

"Except for the Dragon Roar Wind Shadow Step which is still outside the Returning to Storage Realm, all other cultivation techniques have advanced to the Pulse Condensation Realm."

Qin An gently stroked the gold token at his waist, eyes burning: "The next step is to deduce the Dragon Roar Wind Shadow Step to the Returning to Storage Realm."

Thinking of this, Qin An's heart stirred, and the mist before his eyes condensed into professions that had yet to reach level nine.

[Pill Master lv.7 (0/1500): The success rate of the elixirs you refine is improved, and their potency is purer]

[Talent: Master of Fire Control at Jade Bone Realm, reduced material consumption for Jade Bone Realm elixirs]

...

[Dancer lv.7 (0/1500): Your dance becomes more graceful, capable of ensnaring minds]

[Talent: Mastery of Body Techniques at Jade Bone Realm, Epiphany Mastery of Body Techniques at Jade Bone Realm]

...

[Array Master lv.8 (0/2000): Speed of setting up arrays is accelerated, as is the speed of breaking them]

[Talent: Great Success in Returning to Storage Realm Arrays, Great Success in Array Resistance in Returning to Storage Realm]

...

"Currently, only three professions haven't reached level nine," Qin An mused to himself, "With the Array Master at level eight, and both Pill Master and Dancer at level seven."

"I need to deduce the Body Technique to the Pulse Condensation Realm as soon as possible, so I can only cultivate the Dancer profession."

"The Dancer profession doesn't require going out; it is quite simple."

After weighing the pros and cons, Qin An made up his mind.

Seize the time to quickly elevate the Dancer to level nine, and then deduce the Dragon Roar Wind Shadow Step to the Great Success of Vein Condensation Realm.

By then, all his cultivation techniques would have reached the Pulse Condensation Realm, causing a qualitative change in combat strength.

Whether to face the upcoming Demon Transformation Pool or the imminent important figures, it would be greatly beneficial.

After making this decision, it was still early.

Qin An took a short break, changed into a clean set of black clothes, and went to have breakfast outside the Evil Extermination Bureau.

After breakfast, before Qin An could return to his residence, a familiar person blocked his path.

Yang Quanfeng approached with a very complex expression, then sighed and bowed fist in hand: "This subordinate pays respects to Mr. Qin."

Within the Evil Extermination Bureau, the hierarchy was strict, and anyone ranking as a Mountain Patrol Officer was a level higher than a State Officer.

Qin An had now been promoted to a Mountain Patrol Gold Officer, making his strength and status far beyond what Yang Quanfeng could compare to.

So this greeting at the moment was very normal within the Evil Extermination Bureau.

But in Yang Quanfeng's heart, there was a lot of complexity.

Before, he was a subordinate, but now he became a superior.

Even though Yang Quanfeng held Qin An in high esteem, he felt quite helpless.

Of course, this only included helplessness, with no other emotions mixed in.

He had always admired Qin An, only hoping for his boundless future.

Qin An shook his head and said, "Mr. Yang, there's no need for this. You and I have the grace of recognizing talent, not to be forgotten throughout my life. Addressing each other as equals is fine."

Although he did not consider himself a good person, he was a person of strong principles.

Yang Quanfeng's kindness to him was naturally remembered in Qin An's heart.

With Yang Quanfeng's current attitude, Qin An only slightly sidestepped and accepted a half greeting.

Yang Quanfeng lifted his head and said seriously, "Mr. Qin shouldn't say that. Rules are rules. Without rules, the Evil Extermination Bureau would have already fallen apart."

Qin An nodded slightly, "Let's talk business."

He only advised lightly, fully understanding that the Evil Extermination Bureau regarded rules as even more important than life.

Yang Quanfeng said, "A letter has come from the General State, saying someone from above has already been dispatched."

As he spoke these words, Yang Quanfeng was also very puzzled.

Few knew about the Yang Elixir, and even Yang Quanfeng did not know Qin An could refine the Yang Elixir.

Thus, regarding the General State's ambiguous statement, he did not know what it meant.

A glint of brilliance flashed in Qin An's eyes.

People from above have arrived.

These five words instantly made Qin An realize it.

"It seems someone from above has been secretly investigating the Yang Elixir," Qin An thought to himself, "Since it hasn't been clearly stated, they must have been observing for a long time."

Yang Quanfeng saw that Qin An was silent, so he spoke again, "There's one more thing."

Qin An asked, "What is it?"

This person from above to secretly investigate was unavoidable.

Qin An's fame in Lingzhou was unmatched for a time, and now, since there is no clear stance from above, they are naturally weighing their options.

Since that's the case, let them continue pondering over it.

What he was more curious about now was the second matter Yang Quanfeng mentioned.

Yang Quanfeng paused briefly, then continued, "The General State says... in two days, you will need to undertake a major task, do not forget."

Two days?

Qin An's eyes moved slightly: "I understand, thank you, Mr. Yang, for delivering the message."

Qin An was well aware of the major task in two days.

If it warranted a message from the central state, it must be that important person arriving early.

"It seems due to certain reasons, this important person has arrived in Lingzhou ahead of schedule," Qin An contemplated in his heart, "If that's the case, then I'll start preparing."

For the next two days, Qin An didn't want to leave the Evil Extermination Bureau.

He planned to go back and practice the profession of a dancer, training as much proficiency as he could.

In addition, he would exchange all his merits for demon crystals to stockpile resources for the Blood-Burning Eight-Forged Dragon Demon Hand.

This cultivation technique could reverse crises in desperate situations, making it invaluable to Qin An.

Qin An exchanged a few words with Yang Quanfeng before heading towards the house.

Yang Quanfeng watched Qin An's departing back and sighed internally: "The peak of Lingzhou is nothing more than the mountain patrol Golden Official, and further up is Xunyang Prefecture. Qin An has entered the Pulse Condensation Realm. This pond won't contain a true dragon forever."

With this thought, a wave of despondency washed over Yang Quanfeng.

Then, Yang Quanfeng shook his head, dismissing the thoughts from his mind, and walked farther away…

...

Time passed, and two days went by in a flash.

At this moment, in a remote wilderness slightly distant from Lingzhou.

An old man with white hair was carrying a medicine basket, taking a young man to gather herbs in the mountains.

The herbalist's figure was slender yet as tall as a pine, the bamboo basket slung over his shoulder still had some fresh moss clinging to it.

The rolled-up sleeves revealed his knotty forearm muscles, his skin was bronzed from the mountain winds, and his knuckles were covered in calluses unique to herb gatherers.

The most striking feature was his bright eyes, the whites tinged with a faint blue, and the pupils shining black like obsidian soaked in spring water.

At this moment, the old man was pinching freshly dug Polygonatum roots with three fingers, his nostrils slightly flaring.

"Unexpectedly, such excellent herbs can be found in such wilderness, much better than Xunyang Prefecture."

"Ruoyu, pack it up."

The young man, Xu Ruoyu, hurried forward to store the Polygonatum, his face full of puzzlement: "Teacher, since there's such urgency from above, why don't we proceed to Lingzhou quickly and instead linger in the wilderness?"

The old man glanced back at Xu Ruoyu and said, "As I have told you, as healers, we must explore mountains and rivers for herbs, learning to recognize and rationalize substances. Even if there's urgency from above, we must not forget our roots."

Xu Ruoyu quickly bowed his head in admission of his mistake: "Disciple understands his error."

After saying this, Xu Ruoyu turned his gaze towards Lingzhou, his tone carrying a hint of resentment.

"Teacher, you are esteemed as the Medicine King of Xunyang Prefecture. Coming to a small place like Lingzhou without any welcome is simply too disrespectful to you." Xu Ruoyu complained with heavy bitterness.

The old man shook his head and said, "The title of Medicine King is nothing but an empty name. I am merely an ordinary healer; you must not be disturbed by empty titles."

Xu Ruoyu replied helplessly: "Teacher, young people always have some arrogance, no need to criticize the disciple so."

"But what the disciple says is not false. Even the Evil Extermination Bureau of Xunyang Prefecture shows you respect, Lingzhou is indeed discourteous."

At this point, Xu Ruoyu's resentment only grew stronger.

He understood well his teacher's identity and character.

As the leader of healers in Xunyang Prefecture and revered as the Medicine King, everyone in Xunyang speaks of Mr. Sun with deep respect.

Furthermore, given the recent undertaking his teacher received, even the Evil Extermination Bureau dares not offend him.

Should they succeed, his teacher's fame would grow even greater.

If it weren't for his teacher's disregard for fame and single-minded pursuit of medical art, Xu Ruoyu would probably have been beside himself with fury.

Mr. Sun shook his head and said, "Enough, no need to speak further, let's set off."

Along the way, he had already collected many herbs.

"Viewing medicine is the foremost belief he has held since learning medicine."

Since practicing medicine, Mr. Sun had always been humble and never arrogant or aloof.

Besides his superb medical skills, this character of his is also why he is respected by various forces in Xunyang Prefecture.

Mr. Sun was very clear; this time he had taken on a patient, an extremely troublesome one.

If he could cure him, there would be no problems, but should he fail, it would result in a significant issue.

This time, passing through Lingzhou was in search of an effective medicine for the patient's condition.

If no herbs could be found, then they would have to continue onwards.

Seeing his teacher was unwilling to speak more, Xu Ruoyu kept quiet and simply exchanged a few words occasionally while following Mr. Sun towards Lingzhou.

...

Outside Lingzhou City.

Qin An, with the Cold Star at his waist, sat by a nearby tea house, sipping tea.

Besides Qin An, three other mountain patrol Golden Officials sat at the table.

For this task, only the four of them were recruited.

But all four mountain patrol Golden Officials were top-tier combat forces in Lingzhou, enough to topple any demon force aside from the Demon Hall.

At this moment, the other three mountain patrol Golden Officials exchanged glances and then introduced themselves.

Since it was a guard task, competition wasn't an issue; working together was the right thing to do.

Qin An took another sip of tea and memorized their names.

One wielded a sword, named Qi Chenfeng, another used a hook, named Du Yixing.

There was also a female mountain patrol Golden Official, wearing gold-threaded gloves, evidently skilled in unarmed combat, named Bai Ruqi.

After the three introduced themselves, they all turned their attention to Qin An.

Each had a look of interest on their face.

In truth, Qin An didn't need an introduction; his reputation as a master of both fist and blade was already spread among the mountain patrol guards.

But Qin An still introduced himself in turn.

Although they were curious, after all, they had fought their way to become Lingzhou's top, they were no fools and knew better than to pry into a colleague's information.

Subsequently, the four exchanged toasts and cups, although only tea, they conversed quite amiably.

The mission required them to wait there, so they didn't leave.

After a few pots of tea, figures finally appeared on the official road ahead.

Qin An raised his eyebrows slightly: "As expected of people from Xunyang Prefecture, they casually send masters of the Pulse Condensation Realm."

The newcomers were an elder and a young man.

The elder had a deep and profound aura, surprisingly of Pulse Condensation Realm cultivation, and the youth was of the Returning to Storage Realm.

Qin An and the others had already looked at portraits, but were unclear about their identities.

However, this did not hinder the execution of their task.

With that in mind, Qin An and the other three mountain patrol Golden Officials got up and walked towards the elder.

But before they could get close, Xu Ruoyu preemptively spoke, his tone dripping with sarcasm, making Qin An and the others frown instantly.

"Oh, the officials from the Evil Extermination Bureau finally deign to appear? Truly hard to request…"

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