The three forms of the Ice Flame Blood Transformation Saber merged into one, wrapped in a fierce cold gleam, suddenly slashed toward the Hall Master's head, and the sound of metal clashing echoed in all directions.

The Hall Master felt a tearing pain coming from the top of his head, and the brilliance of the majestic jiao horns atop his head dimmed somewhat.

Before he could catch his breath, Qin An's heavy fist, infused with the power of five demon crystals, came down like Mount Tai, enveloping the Hall Master in the shadow of death.

At the critical moment, the Hall Master let out a thunderous roar, twisted his jiao true form abruptly, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

Dragon roars burst from Qin An's fist as it descended with mountain-splitting force.

"Boom!"

Amidst a deafening explosion, the Hall Master's massive jiao body was flung like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the ground dozens of feet away.

The ancient trees along the way snapped in half.

On the Hall Master's neck, a gaping blood hole the size of a bowl appeared, with dragon blood gushing out like a spring.

The excruciating pain made the Hall Master roll madly in the dense forest, crushing the surrounding trees into powder.

The cold light flashed in Qin An's eyes, his figure approached swiftly like a specter.

"Snap!"

A dull sound erupted.

With a light tap of his toes, Qin An stomped down on the terrifying jiao head like Mount Tai, the Cold Star Saber in his hand shining in the cold moonlight.

"All the grievances... should end today."

The Demon Hall had repeatedly tried to take his life, and now it was finally time for blood for blood.

The Hall Master, gravely injured and on the brink of death, struggled to lift his head, but was held firmly under Qin An's foot.

Seeing the deadly straight blade raised high, a bone-chilling fear swept through his body.

"Spare me! Spare my life!" the Hall Master pleaded miserably, "My uncle is a great demon of Xunyang Prefecture. If you spare me today, I can ensure you are safe when you go to Xunyang Prefecture in the future..."

Qin An smiled slightly, the Cold Star Saber gleamed like electricity, falling unhesitatingly.

Pleading for mercy?

If he had known today, why do it at the beginning?

If the roles were reversed, would the Hall Master have shown mercy?

As for the threat of Xunyang Prefecture...

Letting a tiger return to the mountain is a path to death!

Seeing Qin An not being intimidated by his threat, and witnessing the Cold Star getting closer to his head, the Hall Master shouted in a life-or-death crisis.

"I have a treasure in my belly. If you spare me, I can give it to you. I beg you, spare my life. I really don't want to die!"

Tears flowed endlessly from the Hall Master's eyes.

This once mighty Outer Elixir Realm great demon, having rampaged in Lingzhou for years, was now reduced to tears in the face of death.

The Cold Star stopped a few inches away from the Hall Master's forehead.

Qin An spoke with interest, "A treasure?"

The Hall Master, as if grasping his only hope, frantically twisted his jiao true form, shouting loudly.

"Yes, it's the Jiao Dragon Clan's secret method, capable of refining jiao dragon blood into oneself. Even if humans practice it, there are no obstacles. If you can refine it into yourself, your strength will drastically increase!"

This was his only hope; he didn't want to give up, constantly praising the power of the Jiao Dragon Clan's secret method.

But in his heart, an immense hatred surged.

If he could survive today and return to Xunyang Prefecture, he would lead his uncle's experts to tear this boy to pieces!

Then, he would hang Qin An's head on his waist to show the consequences of offending him.

With these thoughts in his heart, the Hall Master felt his previously oppressive mood somewhat alleviated.

But before he could continue daydreaming, the wind suddenly intensified.

The Hall Master only felt a sharp pain in his forehead, and upon focusing, he saw Qin An embed the Cold Star entirely into his forehead.

His consciousness gradually faded, the pain resembling tens of thousands of ants gnawing at his body, continually spreading.

The Hall Master writhed with his jiao dragon body, breaking all the surrounding trees, but his head was firmly pinned by Qin An, unable to escape.

The triple-colored True Qi flowed along the Cold Star, permeating the Hall Master's entire body.

The twisting movement gradually decreased, and then the corpse of the jiao dragon gradually turned cold.

"Ridiculous." Qin An flicked off the blood beads from his blade, "Killing you, the secret method still belongs to me."

He released his foot, looking down at the Hall Master who died with open eyes, a sense of satisfaction in his gaze.

The crisis in Lingzhou was finally completely resolved.

Since stepping into Lingzhou, various crises kept accumulating, not allowing him a single moment of relaxation.

Now, the biggest demon force in Lingzhou was completely annihilated, and the crisis from Lingzhou had finally vanished into thin air, bringing everything to a close.

Qin An slightly calmed his mind, raised the long blade in his hand, and skillfully began dissecting the jiao dragon corpse in front of him.

The skill level of a butcher kept rising, and when Qin An completely dissected the jiao dragon corpse clean, he retrieved a bamboo scroll from its abdomen.

There was still fresh blood on the bamboo scroll.

Without hesitation, Qin An wiped the blood on the jiao dragon corpse clean, inserted the Cold Star back into his waist, and then slowly opened the bamboo scroll.

A dense array of text appeared before his eyes.

After a cursory read, Qin An's eyes lit up slightly.

This was a Heart Method, a secret method of the Jiao Dragon Clan not passed down, capable of refining true jiao dragon blood.

If one refines true jiao dragon blood into their body, their strength will qualitatively change.

This Jiao Dragon Secret Skill can also be practiced by humans, indeed aligning with what the Hall Master just said.

"This should be considered the greatest gain of this journey." Qin An thought to himself, putting the bamboo scroll into his bosom.

The harvest from this trip was abundant.

Although five demon crystals were used in eliminating the Hall Master, he still had ten demon crystals in reserve.

Adding this Jiao Dragon Heart Method, once he trains the scholar to level ten, perhaps he could attempt to deduce this Heart Method.

If he truly could refine a thread of jiao dragon bloodline within himself, it would greatly enhance Qin An's combat power.

The only pity was that the Hall Master's demon pill had shattered, yielding nothing.

At this moment, all grievances were settled.

After a slight contemplation, Qin An was preparing to step away from the scene.

But then, an anomaly suddenly arose.

The jiao dragon corpse, already cold, suddenly started twitching.

Qin An immediately drew the Cold Star from his waist, retreated several feet, and gravely observed the jiao dragon corpse.

He watched as the blood on the jiao dragon corpse condensed instantly, transforming into a palm-sized human figure.

As this human figure emerged, an elderly voice erupted from within, carrying with it overwhelming rage.

"You killed my nephew!"

Qin An raised an eyebrow, silent, merely gripping the straight blade in his hand tighter.

He was keenly aware of the existence behind this figure; it was likely the uncle the Hall Master mentioned, the great demon of Xunyang Prefecture.

However, this figure formed from condensed blood posed no harm to him.

The aged figure, after saying this, gradually calmed his fury, his gaze piercing Qin An like a blade.

"You are quite composed. In such a small place as Lingzhou, you managed to kill my nephew, and at the hands of a mere Pulse Condensation Realm bastard."

"Bastard, come to Xunyang Prefecture in three days to meet your death; I will grant you a swift end!"

Qin An responded coldly, "Scram."

With those words, the place fell into a deathly silence.

"Good! Very good! Do you know who I am?" The aged figure's voice was like a boiling volcano, "I will definitely uncover your background, then flay you alive!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the aged figure formed from blood instantly collapsed.

The powerful aura also vanished.

Qin An sheathed the Cold Star Saber at his waist, a glint of killing intent in his eyes.

In this world, whether human or demon, there are deep connections between each other.

Just like the Hall Master, a demon with connections.

He never thought that having just passed one crisis, he would be targeted by the great demon of Xunyang Prefecture.

And judging by the situation, the other party seemed exceedingly furious with him.

But Qin An didn't pay it much mind.

Upon first entering Lingzhou, the major demon factions all wanted his head, but none succeeded.

Xunyang Prefecture was merely a city above Lingzhou.

He planned to use Xunyang Prefecture as a stepping stone to ascend higher.

Backgrounds don't matter, it's a matter of a single blade stroke.

He just needed to leverage the professional traits of the Golden Finger and gradually advance to the top.

Qin An did not linger longer, turning to walk toward the battlefield.

...

The battlefield ruins had long since fallen silent.

The bodies of the Patrol Officer were carried back to the Evil Extermination Bureau by surviving comrades.

Zongzhou and Zhao Wuhuan stood silently on the ravaged land, patiently waiting.

Neither spoke, though they were once brothers-in-arms, both now entrenched in silence.

Then, the sound of footsteps arose.

Zhao Wuhuan and Zongzhou looked toward the sound, seeing Qin An approaching slowly, hand on the long blade.

"Greetings, lords," Qin An cupped his hands and said.

Zongzhou nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Zhao Wuhuan, "Senior brother, if there's anything, now is the time to say it."

There was no one else here; even if secrets were involved, they would not be overheard.

Zhao Wuhuan nodded, showing approval, "You did well."

Just three simple words.

But Qin An knew the weight those words carried; they signified Zhao Wuhuan's acknowledgment of his performance.

Zhao Wuhuan was an agent sent to investigate secretly; receiving this approval meant the Yang Elixir matter was completely successful.

Qin An nodded slightly, "Thank you, lord, for your praise."

Zhao Wuhuan smiled, "Even at this moment, maintaining such calmness, your disposition surpasses many geniuses I've seen."

Qin An shook his head, "If my disposition were poor, I would've died on the way to Lingzhou long ago."

Zhao Wuhuan, hands behind his back, moved closer to Qin An, "I looked into your background. Your path has been fraught with challenges, yet you've fought through with your straight blade."

"I will document everything and report it. Do you have any objections?"

Qin An fidgeted with the hilt, "No objections."

Zhao Wuhuan stared directly into Qin An's eyes, continuing, "Lingzhou is not a place to linger. You are a true dragon, a shallow pond can't confine you."

"If a transfer order comes from above, sending you to Xunyang Prefecture, would you be willing?"

Qin An answered without hesitation, "Willing."

Zhao Wuhuan was rather curious, "Why answer so decisively?"

Qin An slowly replied, "If I wish to continue rising, Lingzhou's resources are insufficient; Xunyang Prefecture is adequate."

There was no need to hide such things.

His intentions were clear enough for the astute to discern.

Zhao Wuhuan was such an astute person.

Hearing this, Zhao Wuhuan laughed heartily, turning to walk towards the path behind him.

The black wind hurriedly followed.

In the air, Zhao Wuhuan's final words lingered.

"Wait for me in Linzhou for a month. After a month, the transfer order from above will arrive."

"Remember, the Yang Elixir matter wasn't resolved by me covering for you, but by you carving it out with a blade!"

"If you truly wish to repay, then in Xunyang Prefecture, slay more demon pseudo-gods."

Qin An watched Zhao Wuhuan's retreating silhouette until he disappeared, then bowed to Zongzhou, "Lord, I'm somewhat fatigued from this, may I return to the Evil Extermination Bureau to rest?"

Zongzhou had remained silent until Qin An spoke, then nodded, "I too haven't returned to Lingzhou for some time; I'll accompany you."

Qin An stopped speaking, leaving the battlefield with Zongzhou.

Once back, there were more tasks awaiting him.

First, he needed to practice the Pill Master profession to level nine, achieving a third metamorphosis.

He hadn't forgotten Mr. Sun's matter.

If he could assist Mr. Sun in curing the mysterious figure, he would secure a more stable position in Lingzhou.

Once the Pill Master reached level nine, if time remained, he would elevate the Scholar profession to level ten.

He would then attempt to deduce the Flood Dragon Secret Skill, merging it with the Heart Method, ultimately refining a Flood Dragon bloodline.

Only by elevating his strength to surpass Xunyang Prefecture could he ensure his safety.

After Qin An and Zongzhou left, a gentle breeze caressed the scarred earth.

At that moment, two figures appeared on the battlefield.

One young figure surveyed the battlefield, his tone icy.

"Heh... Zhao Wuhuan actually engaged in favoritism, how intriguing."

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