Unlike on their way there, the two were in no rush. They strolled leisurely down the wide, clean bluestone avenue.

Chen Cheng asked about Wang Xiongba’s Martial Arts Power. A rare look of apprehension crossed Shen Qingyao’s face as she asked, "Have you heard of the Body Tempering Limit?"

"I know a little about it," Chen Cheng said modestly. ’I already reached that limit myself, cultivating the Profound Gold Hide in the Skin Grinding Realm. How could I not know?’

Shen Qingyao nodded slightly, her expression turning serious. "Wang Xiongba was born dull-witted and simple-minded—a fool.

But his talent for Martial Arts Cultivation is monstrous. He was born with Innate Copper Skin and Iron Bone, and possesses Innate Divine Power.

When ordinary Martial Artists practice a Skin Grinding Technique, by the time they reach Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, their skin becomes tight and hard, like leather or even copper. The most exceptional among them might achieve a hide like copper and iron, but it’s nearly impossible to progress beyond that.

At that level, despite their power, they still can’t withstand being slashed by a Martial Artist of the same realm using Refined Iron Blades.

Wang Xiongba, however, was born with skin like copper and iron. When he cultivated to Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, his hide became as hard as metal. Upon reaching the limit of the Skin Grinding Realm, he no longer had to fear the Refined Iron Blades of Martial Artists in the same realm.

Furthermore, thanks to his Innate Divine Power, his vitality at Skin Grinding Realm Perfection was already on par with that of a Small Success Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm."

"He’s truly strong!" Chen Cheng nodded, then asked with some confusion, "But isn’t there also the legendary Profound Gold Hide at Skin Grinding Realm Perfection?"

Shen Qingyao turned her head and smiled. "As you said, it’s a legendary state. Strictly speaking, cultivating to the point of achieving the Profound Gold Hide is already beyond the limits of the Skin Grinding Realm. Even the True Disciples of the Major Sects would find it almost impossible."

"Oh," Chen Cheng said.

Shen Qingyao continued, "Even in the Skin Grinding Realm, Wang Xiongba was far stronger than other Martial Artists. He even has the impressive feat of having easily defeated a Great Success Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm.

By building a foundation in the Skin Grinding Realm far stronger than any other Martial Artist, he was naturally more powerful when he reached the Muscle Strengthening Realm. It’s highly likely he cultivated his body to the stage of Flood Dragon Tendons.

And when he reached the Bone Forging Realm, his power became even more monstrous. With his strength at Great Success in Bone Forging Realm, he could effortlessly crush Perfect Martial Artists of the Bone Forger Realm.

If you think that’s the extent of his power, you’d be wrong. Not only can he crush Perfect Martial Artists of the Bone Forger Realm, he can even hunt Tier Three Demon Beasts alone and come away unscathed.

Just think about it. The physique of a Demon Beast is far superior to that of a Martial Artist, and a Tier Three Demon Beast’s power is far greater than that of a Perfect Martial Artist of the Bone Forger Realm.

Normally, hunting a single Tier Three Demon Beast requires at least three Perfect Martial Artists of the Bone Forger Realm working together, and even then, they often suffer injuries."

Chen Cheng was astonished. "So you’re saying that Wang Xiongba, at Great Success in Bone Forging Realm, has Martial Arts Power far exceeding that of three Perfect Martial Artists of the Bone Forger Realm combined?"

"It’s probably not that exaggerated." Shen Qingyao shook her head. "Wang Xiongba hunting a Tier Three Demon Beast alone without getting hurt is likely thanks to the suit of Heavy Armor he wears.

That suit of Heavy Armor was probably forged with Profound Gold mixed in. I’d wager it weighs several hundred pounds. Even weapons forged from Profound Gold can’t breach its defense, so naturally a Tier Three Demon Beast can’t injure him either.

In the Demon Suppression Department, Wang Xiongba has slain countless Demon Beasts and earned a massive amount of Merit—far more than any other Purple-clothed Guard. On the strength of that Merit, he was promoted to the rank of a Chief Level Purple-clothed Guard.

In a few more years, he’ll likely be promoted to the rank of a Deputy Director Level Brocade Guard."

In the Demon Suppression Department, everyone below the rank of Chief is a Purple-clothed Guard, dressed in purple. The Vice Directors and Directors wear brocade and are known as Brocade Guards.

"Whether he has an assigned mission or not, Wang Xiongba frequently ventures deep into the Great Wilderness Mountain Range to hunt Demon Beasts, exchanging their materials for Merit.

The younger generation of the Wang Family is so arrogant, and so far ahead of the other scions of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City, all thanks to the Merit that fool Wang Xiongba earns at the Demon Suppression Department." Shen Qingyao sighed softly, a flicker of envy on her face.

Merit from the Demon Suppression Department can be directly exchanged for all sorts of Martial Arts Resources. The most common, of course, are the two extremely scarce resources: Muscle Strengthening Pills and Bone Tempering Pills.

The Elixir Pills for both the Demon Suppression Department and the City Lord’s Mansion are distributed by the Great Dao Sect. The pills sent to the City Lord’s Mansion are allocated based on the number of officials in the territory, with a fixed and limited annual quota.

But the Demon Suppression Department is different. Merit there is earned by exchanging various Demon Beast Materials, and that Merit is then used to redeem Elixir Pills.

To put it bluntly, the Demon Suppression Department acts as a middleman, acquiring various Demon Beast Materials for Merit and then selling various Elixir Pills for Merit.

The Demon Suppression Department obviously isn’t running a charity. They’re definitely profiting from the spread, and it seems to be by a significant margin.

Slaying a Tier One Demon Beast and turning in its materials earns 100 Demon Suppression Department Merit. Slaying a Tier Two Demon Beast earns 500 Merit, and a Tier Three Demon Beast earns 5,000 Merit.

To redeem a single Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill costs 500 Demon Suppression Department Merit, while a Low Grade Bone Tempering Pill costs 5,000 Merit.

In other words, you’d need to kill five Tier One Demon Beasts to afford a single Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill. One Tier Two Demon Beast gets you exactly one Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill, and one Tier Three Demon Beast can be exchanged for ten of them.

The higher the tier of the Demon Beast, the greater its value; the higher the grade of the Elixir Pill, the more expensive it becomes.

The strong who slay High Tier Demon Beasts get the lion’s share. The weak who can only manage Low Tier Demon Beasts get the scraps. And the powerless can only eat dirt, because the Demon Suppression Department doesn’t bother with a minimum wage. It’s unconscionably cruel.

Someone with monstrous combat power like Wang Xiongba is naturally at the top of the food chain among those below the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. He’s a figure all the other Purple-clothed Guards look up to.